Officials say a major earthquake of 6.8 magnitude or larger has hit southwest Pakistan, less than a week after a massive quake in the same region killed at least 359 people.

PAKISTAN issued fresh flood warnings, braced for further chaos and a public health disaster as disease broke out among 3.2 million people hit by the worst floods in generations.

Police in Pakistan say they have arrested 16 Afghan nationals in overnight raids in the south-western city of Quetta on suspicion of links with the Taliban and Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network.

A bomb ripped through a passenger bus in the southwestern city of Quetta, today killing at least two people and wounding 18 others, police said.