Although not involved in the maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea, Singapore has declared its support to fellow ASEAN member, Philippines efforts to solve the territorial dispute through arbitration.
Asia
Iran strongly opposes U.S. intervention in Iraq
Iran’s supreme leader rejected possible intervention in Iraq by the United States and others, saying that Iraqis themselves can bring peace in their country.
23 dead in China bad weather
The continuous rainstorms affecting six provinces in south China has resulted in 26 deaths and 3 missing.
Hundreds of thousands vote in Hong Kong democracy ‘poll’ in defiance of Beijing
(Reuters) – Nearly 600,000 votes have been cast in three days of an unofficial referendum on democratic reforms in Hong Kong, part of a civil campaign that has been branded illegal by the former British colony and by Communist Party authorities in Beijing. Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with wide-ranging autonomy under the formula of “one country, two systems”, along with an undated promise of universal suffrage. But social tensions have risen […]
South Korea launches manhunt for soldier who killed five comrades
(Reuters) – South Korean special forces joined a manhunt on Sunday for a soldier who killed five comrades in a grenade and gun attack at a base near the North Korean border, and once dawn broke military helicopters began scouring the forested hillsides. The soldier shot dead five of his fellow unit members and wounded seven others late on Saturday at a outpost in the base at Goseong county, a mountainous region that borders the […]
Cuffed knifeman ‘apologizes’ for holy war assault in China’s Xinjiang
(Reuters) – One of the assailants who carried out an attack in western China that injured four people has apologized and said other members of his group had convinced him to participate in a “holy war”, state media said late on Saturday. The knife attack occurred last Sunday in a crowded chess hall in the city of Hotan in troubled Xinjiang, the traditional home of ethnic Muslim Uighurs. Two of the attackers died from serious injuries, while […]
South Korea soldier shoots dead five comrades near border with North
SEÚL (Reuters) – A South Korean conscript soldier shot and killed five of his fellow unit members and injured five others late on Saturday at a guard post near the heavily armed border withNorth Korea, a South Korean official said. The exact circumstances of the incident at the remote guard post were not immediately clear and the official could not provide further details, although there was no indication that North Korea was involved in the incident. The […]
Iraqi militants release 42 hostages
At least 40 hostages where released by the Islamic militants in Iraq but reported to have abducted new prisoners as they swept cities in the Tigris region.
Japan eases visa requirements
The Japanese government is set to implement a substantial relaxation of visa requirements for Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines – an initiative that is a part of their visa-free policy that aims to promote Japan as a tourism-friendly country.
Boat sinks off Malaysia, 66 people missing
An overloaded wooden boat capsized off the western Malaysian coast, with 66 of its 97 Indonesian passengers reportedly missing.
Thai junta unfazed by serial hunger striker’s “win-win” fast
(Reuters) – For more than three decades, Chalad Vorachat’s hunger strikes have drawn crowds. Once, he even helped topple a government. But this time, the veteran Thai anti-coup campaigner says he’s contemplating a very different outcome: wasting away unnoticed on a Bangkok pavement. He wants to see Thailand’s military, which took power in a bloodless coup last month, set a date for a new general election to usher in a democratically elected government. “If it […]
Top China diplomat meets Vietnam officials amid tensions over oil rig
(Reuters) – China’s top diplomat began a round of meetings with Vietnamese officials in Hanoi on Wednesday as the two countries try to repair a rupture in ties over China’s positioning of an oil rig in disputed waters early last month. But many obstacles remain to resolving one of the worst breakdowns in Sino-Vietnamese relations since the neighbors fought a brief border war in 1979. Among the challenges likely to come up in talks: The […]
