Charles will visit Japan from Oct. 27

Tokyo: Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, will begin his first visit to Japan since 1990 on October 27, the Japanese foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

During his official visit, the Prince of Wales will meet Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, and Prime Minister Taro Aso in Tokyo, as well as travel to Nara and Nagano, the ministry said. He will be accompanied by his wife Camilla. It will be his first trip to Japan since November 1990, when he represented Queen Elizabeth II at the enthronement of Emperor Akihito. —Kyodo

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US plane violates Iran airspace

New York: A plane carrying five US military personnel and three civilians violated the Iranian airspace unintentionally and was forced to land at an unidentified airport, Iranian Fars New Agency reported.

However, the plane, along with its crew and passengers, was released after day-long interrogation revealed that it had unintentionally violated the airspace while on way to Afghanistan, the agency said.

"There were eight on board who were subjected to questioning," Fars said.

—PTI

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Kyrgyzstan evacuates quake-hit

Bishkek: Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday dispatched helicopters to evacuate victims of a devastating earthquake that killed 75 people, including 41 children, in a remote mountain village near the Chinese border.

Military helicopters flew the injured from the flattened village of Nura, about 10 km from China in the Tian Shan mountains, the emergency ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, a national day of mourning.

The death toll rose to 75 after a woman died in hospital overnight, the ministry said. —AFP