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Sept. 25 (UPI) -- The Philippines said Monday it would take "all appropriate actions" to remove a floating barrier it accuses China of erecting in a disputed area of the South China Sea, a move that threatens to further fray fraught relations between the Asian neighbors.

Communist China is betting on a return to the status quo ante of American acquiescence to, and support of, its hegemonic ambitions through comprehensive "engagement" and outright appeasement under a Biden administration. That is the primary takeaway, if the recent remarks of Chinese State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi are any indication. In the waning days of 2020, Wang delivered a speech at the Asia Society entitled, "Reorient and Steer Clear of Disruptions for a Smooth Sailing of China-U.S. Relations." The title itself gives away the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) game: It seeks a reversion to the...

Four Bangladeshi workers who allegedly planned attacks linked to the Islamic State group in their own country were sentenced Tuesday to jail terms of up to five years. Prosecutors said the men, who pleaded guilty, had contributed part of their salary to buy food, arms and weapons like knives and pistols to launch attacks in The amounts ranged from 60 Singapore dollars ($42) to 1,360 Singapore dollars ($1,000). They were part of a group detained in April under the country's Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial in cases where public safety is threatened. The Ministry of Home...

ASEAN countries – particularly Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia – have continued to grow close to or above trend growth in recent years, despite poor external conditions, a new research conducted by Standard Chartered Bank disclosed. “The growing affluence of the domestic population, relatively healthy fiscal positions, a largely stable political environment and strong liquidity inflows are lending resilience to economic activity, even as external demand falters, “ the British bank with extensive network in the region stressed. Examining sources of growth over the past decade, we find that the contribution of household consumption increased for Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam...

"A Lebanese suspect from the Hezbollah group has been taken into custody by Thai officials and police are investigating further," Chalerm Yoobamrung told Reuters. "Following concern raised by the Israeli embassy about a possible attack by a group of Lebanese terrorists in Bangkok, Thai police officials had been coordinating with Israeli officials since before the New Year."

U.S. Navy Expects to Base Ships in Singapore By SHAUN TANDON, Agence France-Presse Published: 17 Dec 2011 13:04 WASHINGTON - The United States, facing a rising China but a tighter budget, expects to station several combat ships in Singapore and may step up deployments to the Philippines and Thailand, a naval officer said. The United States has been increasingly vocal about defending freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, where tensions over territorial disputes between Beijing and Southeast Asian nations have been on the rise. Related Topics In an academic article forecasting the shape of the U.S. Navy in...

Singapore's air force has received its first modernized C-130 featuring Rockwell Collins avionics upgrade. The company's Flight2TM upgrade included an improved flight management system allowing access to precision Global Positioning System approaches, preferred air traffic control routings and search-and-rescue patterns; multifunction displays featuring active matrix liquid crystal display technology; a central engine instrument display replacing analog gauges; improved voice communication; an enhanced digital autopilot and flight director; and an advanced digital weather radar.

CHICAGO (AFP) – US president-elect Barack Obama Monday vowed his incoming administration was "absolutely committed to eliminating the threat of terrorism." "We cannot tolerate a world where innocents are being killed by extremists," Obama said in the wake of Mumbai attacks in which more than 170 people were killed, including six Americans. "We have to bring the full force of our power, not only military but diplomatic and political, to deal with the threats," he told a Chicago press conference as he unveiled his national security team.

Arsenic risk high in Sumatra, Myanmar, Cambodia: study Fri Jul 11, 2:15 PM ET Eastern Sumatra, the Irrawaddy delta in Myanmar and Cambodia's Tonle Sap lake are among areas in Southeast Asia facing a high risk of arsenic contamination in the water, according to a study published on Friday. The researchers use innovative digitalised techniques, drawing on geology, geography and soil chemistry, to compile a "probability map" of naturally-occurring arsenic concentrations in five Southeast Asian countries and Bangladesh. The map is intended as a useful pointer for health watchdogs, urban planners and water engineers worried about concentrations of this poison...

Rangoon - The military junta began evicting destitute families from cyclone relief centres on Friday and rejected foreign food aid - because people can survive perfectly well by hunting "large, edible frogs." The New Light of Myanmar "newspaper", a government mouthpiece, also warned that foreign relief workers would snoop inside homes, and condemned donors for linking aid money to full access to the hardest-hit regions in the Irrawaddy Delta. The tirade came as the junta tightened its political grip on the country, extending democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest and announcing that its new constitution has been enacted....

UN says 102,000 dead in Burma Thailand offers to be a base for relief supplies Thailand will act as a mediator to help with the movement of international relief supplies to Burma, which are being held up by the military junta and are stuck in Thailand, Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said yesterday. The move comes as the UN says up to 102,000 people could have been killed by Cyclone Nargis and about 220,000 are reported missing. Mr Noppadon said he planned to leave for Burma tomorrow to push for additional assistance and ask the Burmese generals to provide wider access...

BACKGROUNDER Dictators' priority BACKGROUNDER Dictators' priority Bank denial Parachute drops possible Sutha quits Left in the lurch ANALYSIS Burma storm clouds Hillary to junta: Aid trickle begins Burma agony Aid blockade By Christiane Oelrich, dpa While bloated corpses still litter Irrawaddy delta fields, the controlled media promote the referendum. While a million Burmese in deep shock fight for their survival, government ministers give speeches on the "flourishing discipline democracy." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mae Sot - The ruling military junta of Burma has imposed a vacation ban for all officials - but not so every last person can be available to assist survivors...

Burma denies US access Relief supplies from UN starting to get through AP AND BANGKOK POST RANGOON - Relief supplies from the United Nations began arriving in Burma yesterday, but US military planes loaded with aid were still denied access by the country's isolationist regime five days after a devastating cyclone. The military junta also continued to stall on visas for UN teams seeking entry to ensure the aid is delivered to the victims, amid fears that a lack of safe food and drinking water could push the death toll above 100,000. Two planes carrying high-energy biscuits, medicine and other...

ADDING INSULT TO INJURY Burmese are angry at the junta's slow response to the cyclone, writes Achara Ashayagachat in Rangoon As if Burmese people have not suffered enough from military dictatorship and political disarray, Cyclone Nargis, which hit Burma early on Saturday morning, ravaged the country's largest city of Rangoon as it devastated many other areas. Since the storm, people in many parts of the former capital have had to live without tap water, electricity and telephone connections. Four riot control battalions stationed in the capital to control any political unrest arising from the referendum on a new constitution scheduled...

Archaeologists Find Evidence of Origin of Pacific Islanders By Heidi Chang Honolulu, Hawaii 31 March 2008 The origin of Pacific Islanders has been a mystery for years. Now archaeologists believe they have the answer. As Heidi Chang reports, they found it in China. The excavation of the Zishan site (Zhejiang Province) in 1996, where many artifacts from the Hemudu culture have been found China had a sea-faring civilization as long as 7000 years ago. Archaeologist Tianlong Jiao says, one day, these mariners sailed their canoes into the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, and stayed. He points out, "Most scientists, archaeologists,...

A group of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans is preparing a 500 million-dollar class suit against ABC Network in the United States in response to a slur against Philippine medical schools and Filipino medical professionals, aired in the premiere episode of the fourth season of “Desperate Housewives”. In that episode, the character Susan Mayer (played by actress Teri Hatcher) questioned the credentials of her gynecologist over a disputed diagnosis. Mayer said she wanted to check the doctor’s diploma to make sure it didn’t come “from some med school in the Philippines”. The class suit is being filed by the Northern California chapter...

King undergoes operation BangkokPost.com, Agencies Hospitalised Saturday for treatment of cerebral ischemia, His Majesty the King underwent about eight hours of surgery and related treatment for a blood clot which obstructed the flow of blood to his brain, official Thai News Agency reported. His Majesty was admitted to Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital Saturday for threatment after showing symptoms of loss of strength in the right side of his body, the Royal Household announced. Doctors diagnosed the king, 79, as suffering from lack an inadequate blood supply to the outer part of the left-side of his brain, said the Royal Household in...

Burma peace push starts here United Nations special envoy Ibrahim Gambari is to meet with Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont next week to begin an Asian voyage to craft strategies for dealing with the Burmese military regime, the foreign ministry announced on Friday. "Gambari will first meet with Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram Monday morning and then with Prime Minister Surayud in the afternoon," ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat said. After Thailand, Gambari is to travel to Malaysia, Indonesia, India, China and Japan to consult with Asian governments as part of his preparations for a return to Burma some time in November...

The Manila Melting PotLike many cities in developing nations, Manila is not without its pollution and traffic, nor the conspicuous divide between rich and poor. Nevertheless, this bustling Philippines capital, situated on the west coast of the island of Luzon, is a remarkable melting pot of Asian and Latin cultures, thick with history and flavor. When in Manila, sightseeing is protocol. Many history lessons have been learnt while visiting the oldest part of the city, Intramuros (Latin for “within the walls”), which was founded by the Spanish in 1571 and houses numerous historic buildings and churches. Rizal Park, named after...

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) hailed Sunday the United States Congress's passage of a resolution recognizing the commencement of Ramadan as the holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal. In a statement on its website (www.luwaran.com), the MILF described the US Congress' resolution as an "epoch-making" act that will help stop bigotry and racism against 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide. “This is indeed an epoch-making for the rest of the world to follow suit and recognize this holy month observed by fasting by more than one billion Muslims all over the world," said Sheikh Mohammad Muntassir, chairman of the MILF...