ASEAN IN FOCUS

One man injured in rare Kuala Lumpur shooting at airport

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14, 2024 (AFP) – A man attempting to shoot his wife at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Sunday instead left her personal bodyguard in critical condition, Malaysian authorities said. Police were investigating the rare shooting in connection to a domestic dispute and said it was not related to terrorism. The shooter, who was thought to be targeting his wife in the arrivals hall, hit her bodyguard and then fled the scene, […]

Vietnam province declares state of emergency over drought

HANOI, April 6, 2024 (AFP) – Thousands of people in Vietnam are suffering a “severe” shortage of fresh water because of drought and salinisation, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency on Saturday. A weeks-long heatwave has brought drought and saline intrusion to an area of Tien Giang province, 60 kilometres (37 miles) south of business hub Ho Chi Minh City. The province’s Tan Phu Dong area — with 12 kilometers of coastline along […]

Vietnam property tycoon sentenced to death in multi-billion dollar fraud case

HO CHI MINH CITY, April 11, 2024 (AFP) – A top Vietnamese property tycoon was sentenced to death on Thursday in one of the biggest corruption cases in history, with an estimated $27 billion in damages. A panel of three hand-picked jurors and two judges rejected all defence arguments by Truong My Lan, chair of major developer Van Thinh Phat, who was found guilty of swindling cash from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) over a decade. […]

Thai soldiers on alert as Myanmar border clashes enter second day

By Watsamon TRI-YASAKDA, Thanaporn PROMYAMYAI MAE SOT, Thailand, April 10, 2024 (AFP) – Thai armoured cars patrolled the town of Mae Sot Wednesday as the deep boom of artillery thundered across the border in Myanmar where the junta and an ethnic armed group fought for a second day near a vital trade hub. Hundreds queued to enter Thailand at the immigration checkpoint in Mae Sot, many fleeing the latest round of fighting to rock Myanmar […]

US says ‘very, very concerned’ about Chinese actions in disputed sea

SYDNEY, April 9, 2024 (AFP) – The top US military officer in the Pacific on Tuesday said Washington was “very, very concerned” about Beijing’s recent “dangerous” actions in the disputed South China Sea, after confrontations with Philippine vessels. Speaking in Sydney, United States Indo-Pacific Command head Admiral John Aquilino referenced recent encounters between Chinese and Philippine boats around a remote shoal in the Spratly Islands. “I’m very concerned about what’s happening at the Second Thomas […]

6.6-magnitude quake hits eastern Indonesia, no tsunami alert: USGS

JAKARTA, April 9, 2024 (AFP) – A magnitude-6.6 earthquake hit Indonesia’s eastern region on Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey said, with no tsunami warning issued. The quake struck off Halmahera island in North Maluku province at 0948 GMT at a depth of about 35 kilometres (22 miles), the USGS said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries after the earthquake. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was “no tsunami threat” from […]

China conducts ‘combat patrols’ as US holds drills with allies in disputed waters

China conducted “combat patrols” Sunday in the South China Sea, its army said, the same day the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia held their first joint drills in the disputed waters. The maritime activities took place days before US President Joe Biden was due to hold the first trilateral summit with the leaders of the Philippines and Japan, with growing tensions over the hotly contested South China Sea on the agenda. Beijing’s People’s […]

Philippines, US, Australia, Japan to hold joint drills in disputed sea

MANILA, April 6, 2024 (AFP) – The United States, Australia, Japan and the Philippines will hold joint naval and air drills in the disputed South China Sea on Sunday, their defence chiefs said in a statement, as they deepen ties to counter China’s growing assertiveness in the region. The exercise will take place in the disputed waterway — which Beijing claims almost entirely — days before US President Joe Biden is due to hold the […]

Muhammad Ali’s ‘Thrilla in Manila’ shorts up for auction

The shorts worn by Muhammad Ali in his legendary “Thrilla in Manila” boxing match are up for grabs at Sotheby’s in New York, part of a growing sports memorabilia market eyed by auction houses. Bids — including the latest for $3.8 million — have been rolling in since late March for the Everlast-brand shorts, which are white with black stripes and are signed by Ali. The auction is open until April 12. The sale comes […]

Thousands of Philippine schools suspend in-person classes due to heat

By Pam CASTRO MANILA, April 5, 2024 (AFP) – Thousands of schools in the Philippines suspended in-person classes Friday, the education department said, as parts of the tropical country endured dangerously high temperatures. The months of March, April and May are typically the hottest and driest in the archipelago nation, but conditions this year have been exacerbated by the El Nino weather phenomenon. Many schools have no air-conditioning, leaving students to swelter in crowded, poorly […]

Philippines warns of tsunami, orders evacuation of coastal areas after 7.4-magnitude quake in Taiwan

MANILA, April 3, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines warned of “high tsunami waves” and called for the evacuation of coastal areas in the country’s north on Wednesday, lowering an earlier warning after a major quake struck neighbouring Taiwan. “The people in the coastal areas of the following provinces are strongly advised to immediately evacuate to higher grounds or move farther inland,” the state seismology institute said in an advisory. Coastal areas in the provinces of […]

Firefighters douse blaze at exploded Jakarta ammo depot

JAKARTA, March 31, 2024 (AFP) – Firefighters have managed to extinguish a blaze that levelled an ammunition warehouse just outside the Indonesian capital after a series of explosions, an officer said Sunday. The first explosion was heard at around 6:00 pm (1100 GMT) on Saturday at a depot used to store expired ammo inside a military complex near Jakarta. Twenty-seven fire trucks were deployed to the location and firefighters managed to douse the blaze by […]