Incidents

Seven Estonians riding bicycles have been kidnapped by masked gunmen in the Bekaa valley, Kazakhstan Today reports.

The Trans Air Congo (TAC) plane crashed in a residential area of Congo-Brazzaville's economic capital, Pointe-Noire, killing at least 23 people, Kazakhstan Today reports.

Strong 6.0 earthquake hit near Fukushima nuclear power plant, Kazakhstan Today reports.

2 - 3 magnitude earthquake hit Taraz, the press service of the Emergency Ministry of Kazakhstan informs.

Plant operators have evacuated workers from Japan's nuclear complex after grey smoke rose from from the spent fuel storage pool of the plant's Unit 3, Kazakhstan Today reports.

Death toll in Japan has topped 18,000 people, Kazakhstan Today reports.

Japan reached out Friday to the U.S. for help to stabilize its radiation-leaking nuclear complex, Kazakhstan Today reports.

The official number of dead and missing in Japan has topped 16,600 with 6,405 confirmed dead, police say, Kazakhstan Today reports.

Police announced on Wednesday one of their biggest successes in smashing a worldwide pedophile network. Over 180 arrests have been made and 230 children have been rescued from abuse, Kazakhstan Today reports.

Japan has begun cooling operation of reactors at the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant dumping loads of seawater, trying to avoid full meltdowns, Kazakhstan Today reports.