Oil tankers attacked in Myanmar
Oil tankers attacked in Myanmar
THAILAND: Unidentified gunmen attacked two oil tankers on Thursday in a border area of Myanmar where a series of bomb explosions killed four people a day earlier, Thai officials and a resident said.
Unconfirmed reports said three people were killed in the latest attack and the resulting gunfight between troops and the assailants.
Gen. Wallop Phinmanee, the deputy chief of an internal security wing run by the Thai military, told reporters he has been informed about the attack on the oil tankers, which he said occurred at about 11 a.m.
Four bombs exploded on early Wednesday in different places in Tachilek, killing two policemen and two civilians. No one claimed responsibility, but the government blamed ethnic Shan rebels who have been fighting for autonomy for decades. The Shan denied they were involved. --AP
;AFP;KOD; ANPAu..r.. Aglance-Malaysia-US-alert Malaysia refutes new terror alert JP/11/ASEAN
Malaysia refutes new terror alert
MALAYSIA: Kuala Lumpur on Thursday urged foreign envoys not to be paranoid as it sought to refute renewed warnings by the U.S. and other western countries of possible terrorist attacks here.
Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said advisories warning against travel to Malaysia were "unjustifiable" given the absence of credible evidence to back the terror alerts.
The U.S. advisory, an extension of a previous statement issued in November, urged its citizens to "exercise extreme caution" in Malaysia especially in Sabah state, where members of the banned Jamaah Islamiyah group, linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, have been active.
Australia, Britain, Germany and other countries have similarly warned their citizens to exercise caution in traveling to Malaysia.
Syed Hamid said such "baseless fears and perceived terrorist attacks" on the country had caused considerable damage and eroded public confidence in Malaysia's security. --AFP
;AP;KOD; ANPAu..r.. Aglance-Singapore-fuel cells S'pore to get fuel cell top-up point JP/11/ASEAN
S'pore to get fuel cell top-up point
SINGAPORE: This tiny Southeast Asian nation will be first in the region where cars that run on environmentally friendly fuel cells can top up with hydrogen, according to a news report on Thursday.
Petroleum company BP and Air Products, an American supplier of industrial gases, plans to open the hydrogen refueling station by the first quarter of next year, the Straits Times newspaper reported.
Fuel cell-driven cars are powered by compressed hydrogen, which emits no pollutants. DaimlerChrysler will bring seven fuel- cell vehicles to Singapore next year for testing, it said.
Building the station will cost between US$500,000 and $1 million. It will have the capacity to refuel about 11 cars per day, it said. --AP
;DPA;KOD; ANPAu..r.. Aglance-Thailand-DeadMan "SARS victim" faked his own death JP/11/ASEAN
"SARS victim" faked his own death
THAILAND: Thai police foiled a plot by an accused heroin dealer to avoid prison by using the scare over Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) to fake his own death, news reports said on Thursday.
With his "cremation" over and his death certificate on file, Kormard Prappam, 38, appeared to have gotten away with his plan until he was found to be alive and well last Sunday at the southern Thai resort of Krabi.
Crime Suppression Division police Lt. Col. Ronnasilp Phusara was quoted by The Nation newspaper as saying it was the second time Kormard appeared to have "returned from the dead".
The suspect was first arrested last August and charged with possession of heroin with intent to sell. But while he was on bail his friend, Abdul Mahlek Kaenkrai, informed the Krabi municipal court that Kormard had died of a heart attack.
The scheme unraveled when court officials demanded to see the suspect's death certificate. --DPA