Briefs, December 4, 2012

Chinese bus driver jailed in Singapore

SINGAPORE - A Chinese immigrant bus driver was sentenced to six weeks in prison for his involvement in Singapore's first labour strike in 26 years. Pushing for the jail term as a deterrent, the prosecution argued that although Bao Feng Shan, 38, was not an instigator of the strike, he was "far from a mere passive participant". A total of 171 Chinese bus drivers went on strike last Monday in protest at being paid nearly a quarter less than Malaysian drivers who work for the same company. More than half continued to protest on Tuesday. AP

Separate lift incidents leave 2 dead in Japan

TOKYO - Two people died after separate lift incidents in Japan, with a restaurant worker trapped in a dumb waiter and an office worker caught halfway through the doors when an elevator suddenly dropped. In Nagoya, a 28-year-old woman died after getting trapped in the dumb waiter, reportedly just 70cm high by 60cm wide. In Himeji, a 64-year-old man was standing with one foot in the lift when the machinery made a sudden lethal move, NHK said. AFP

Thousands flee from typhoon in Philippines

MANILA - A powerful typhoon barrelled towards the Philippines, prompting authorities to order the immediate evacuation of thousands of people from coastal and low-lying areas, officials said. Typhoon Bopha was expected to hit southern fishing villages overnight. Packing winds of up to 210km/h, it was expected to be the strongest typhoon to slam the Philippines this year. The mayor of Hinatuan has urged the village of 39,000 people to prepare for the worst, ordering those living along the coast, flood-prone river valleys, as well as tiny islands off the village to move to government shelters. AFP