TOKYO -- The Japanese antitrust watchdog on Thursday slapped a record-high fine on four power-related companies for forming cartels over electricity sales to forestall competition in the liberal power market.

A total of 101 billion yen (763 million U.S. dollars) in penalty will be collected from the four major power suppliers, which are Chugoku Electric Power Co., Chubu Electric Power Co., Kyushu Electric Power Co., and Chubu Electric subsidiary Chubu Electric Power Miraiz Co., said the Japan Fair Trade Commission. (Japan-Power Suppliers-Fine)

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NEW DELHI -- At least 13 people died and several others were injured in a floor cave-in at a temple in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, the state's Home Minister Narottam Mishra said.

The mishap occurred in the state's Indore city when the cover of a stepwell suddenly collapsed as more than 30 people were standing on it. (India-Temple-Mishap)

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HONG KONG -- The Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government estimated on Thursday that around 9.03 million passengers will pass through Hong Kong's sea, land and air control points during the upcoming Qingming and Easter festive period on April 1-10.

Among them, about 83.5 percent, or around 7.54 million passengers, will pass through land control points, the Immigration Department said. (Hong Kong-Festival Period-Passengers)

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JAKARTA -- Indonesian prosecutors on Thursday demanded a death sentence for police general Teddy Minahasa over an alleged drug-smuggling case that has shocked the archipelagic country and tarnished the police reputation.

The 52-year-old general was named a suspect in October last year before he was supposedly sworn in as the new police chief for East Java province. The Jakarta Police arrested him on suspicion of trafficking 5 kg of crystal meth to the northern part of the capital. (Indonesia-Police General-Drug Smuggling)

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MANILA -- The death toll from the fire that broke out on a ferry carrying more than 200 people in the southern Philippines late Wednesday night has risen to 29, including six children, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Thursday.

The M/V Lady Mary Joy 3, a passenger and cargo vessel, was headed to Jolo from Zamboanga City when it caught fire in the waters off Baluk-Baluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad town in Basilan province around 10:40 p.m. local time on Wednesday. (Philippines-Ferry-Fire)