RP steps up security over letter bombs
RP steps up security over letter bombs
PHILIPPINES: The Philippines said on Monday it had tightened
security at Manila airport and other entry points after Japanese
intelligence reports showed militants were sending letter bombs
to Myanmar's embassies in the region.
Myanmar authorities have blamed dissident groups of exiles
living outside the military-ruled state for a series of parcel
bombs sent to its missions in Japan, Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia and the Philippines.
The Philippine Bureau of Customs said all officers had been
told "to be on the lookout for any suspicious parcels."
At Manila airport, all personnel were subject to a strict "no
identification, no entry" policy in customs areas and private
security guards had been vetted, the statement quoted Major
Esmeralda Saplala, the complex's security chief.
In mid-November, police said they defused a letter bomb made
of a button-sized battery, electrical wiring and a blasting cap
at Myanmar's embassy in Manila. --Reuters
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Aglance-S'pore-Judge Fees
Singapore court boosts fees to discourage litigants from wasting
its
JP/11/ASEAN
S'pore court boosts fees for litigants
SINGAPORE: Win or lose, Singaporeans who bring cases before the
High Court will have to pay up to S$7,000 (US$3,972) a day just
to have a judge hear their arguments under a new fee structure
that took effect Monday, the government said.
The High Court raised its daily hearing fees as part of
efforts to keep lawyers -- and the companies who hire them --
from wasting its time.
The opposition Workers' Party accused the High Court of
"aiming to discourage the use of its services," in a statement
signed by party Vice Chairman Sylvia Lim.
The new fee structure was passed by parliament at the
beginning of the month and took effect Monday, according to the
Government Gazette, the official record of parliament. --AP
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Aglance-Laos-Monarchy
Communist Laos to pay tribute to ancient king
JP/11/ASEAN
Laos to pay tribute to ancient king
LAOS: In an abrupt shift of policy, the Communist government of
Laos on Monday announced it would celebrate a national holiday on
Jan. 5 to mark the birthday of King Fangum, who established the
kingdom that preceded the nation of Laos.
The official government radio said in a broadcast monitored in
Bangkok that a statue of "Great King Fangum" would be unveiled in
the capital, Vientiane, to celebrate the occasion.
King Fangum ruled a kingdom called Lan Xang (Million
Elephants) from the city now known as Luang Prabang in the 14th
Century.
Analysts said Monday's announcement was the first public
acknowledgement by the Communist government, which seized power
in 1975, of the country's royal heritage.
The last king of Laos, Sisavang Vatthana, was forced to
abdicate in 1975, on the day before the creation of the Lao
People's Democratic Republic. --DPA
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Aglance-Cambodia-Malaysia
Red carpet welcomes Malaysian king in Cambodia
JP/11/ASEAN
Red carpet welcomes Malaysian king
CAMBODIA: The king of Malaysia arrived in Phnom Penh on Monday
for a three-day visit to Cambodia aimed at boosting bilateral
relations between the two kingdoms, Malaysian and Cambodian
officials said.
Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin and his wife Tengku Fauziah Tengku
Abdul Rashid were accorded an honor guard and red carpet
reception for their arrival at Cambodia's Pochentong airport.
The Malaysian royals were greeted by Cambodia's King Sihanouk
and Queen Monineath.
Several thousand well-wishers lined the streets of the
Cambodian capital to greet the royal Malaysian couple with
Cambodian and Malaysian flags and banners. --AFP
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Aglance-Thailand-Drugs
Five drug suspects killed in clash with Thai soldiers
JP/11/ASEAN
Soldiers kill drug suspects in clash
THAILAND: Thai soldiers shot dead five suspected drug traffickers
on Monday during a clash near the border with Myanmar, army
officials said.
About a dozen armed men believed to be from Myanmar's Wa
ethnic group opened fire on the troops after refusing to submit
to a search, sparking a 20-minute gunfight, said Maj. Gen.
Nakhorn Sripetphan. No Thai soldiers were injured.
The fight took place in the jungle just two kilometers from
the Thai-Myanmar border in Chiang Mai province, 580 kilometers
north of Bangkok.
Nakhorn said intelligence sources had tipped off the soldiers,
saying that a group of ethnic Chinese and Wa drug traffickers
would travel through Chiang Mai over the weekend to collect
payment for an earlier delivery of methamphetamine, also known as
speed. --AP