NARATHIWAT: Four soldiers were killed and another four seriously injured while attempting to defuse a bomb at an army base in Thailand’s unrest-plagued south yesterday, police said.
The blast happened after troops moved the device, which was hidden in a gas tank and placed under a bridge, to a base in Narathiwat.
“They were inspecting and defusing the civilian-made bomb” when it exploded, said local police lieutenant colonel Sanit Suwanno.
Chinese ships near Japan isles
TOKYO: Three Chinese government ships moved into territorial waters off disputed Tokyo-controlled islands late yesterday, Japan’s coastguard said.
The maritime surveillance ships entered the 12-nautical-mile zone off Uotsurijima, one of the Senkaku islands which China claims and calls the Diaoyus, after 7pm, the Japan Coast Guard said in a statement.
The islands are also claimed by Taiwan.
Orangutan born in Indonesia zoo
SEMARANG: A Borneo orangutan has been born at a zoo on Indonesia’s main island of Java, providing a glimmer of hope for the endangered primates, a zookeeper said yesterday.
Belia, a female, arrived on Saturday in the first successful birth of an orangutan at the zoo in Semarang, Central Java province. The fourth orangutan at the zoo, she was born naturally to 18-year-old Bella, and 20-year-old Billy, zoo head Kusyanto, who goes by one name, said.
Bangladesh elects president
DHAKA: The speaker of Bangladesh’s parliament, Abdul Hamid, was elected unopposed as president yesterday, a potentially crucial role as the restive country heads for elections next year, officials said.
Hamid is a 69-year-old stalwart of the ruling Awami League party who has been serving as acting president of the Muslim-majority nation after the death of his predecessor Zillur Rahman on March 20. He is known for his friendly ties with opposition parties.
Taiwan live-fire drill in Spratlys
TAIPEI: Taiwan’s coastguards said yesterday that Taipei had staged a live-fire drill within a hotly-contested island chain in the South China Sea, in a move that may stoke regional tensions.
More than 2,000 rounds of ammunition were fired by garrison forces on Taiwan-administered Taiping, the largest of the Spratly Islands, Wang Chin-wang, chief of the Coast Guard Administration, told parliament. It was Taipei’s first live-fire drill in the Spratlys — claimed in whole or part by Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei.
Bhutan to elect new parliament
THIMPHU: The tiny Himalayan country of Bhutan begins electing a new parliament today for only the second time in its history, five years after the Buddhist monarchy gave up its absolute power.
Voters will first choose members of the upper house National Council today, a non-party body, then in the following weeks will decide which of five parties will form the next government in the National Assembly. A public holiday has been declared today and Bhutan’s land borders will be closed for 24 hours over the election period.
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