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
;AP;KOD; ANPAu..r.. 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
;DPA;KOD; ANPAu..r.. 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
;AFP;KOD; ANPAu..r.. 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
;AP;KOD; ANPAu..r.. 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