MANILA - A POWERFUL blast ripped through a beach resort in the southern Philippines, killing one person and wounding three others late on Sunday, an army spokesman said, blaming rogue Muslim rebels for the attack.
ZAMBOANGA (Philippines) - GUNMEN abducted a farmer in the southern Philippines despite a high-profile crackdown to try to stem the recent spike in kidnappings, officials said on Sunday.
BANGKOK - THAILAND'S prime minister said on Sunday he hopes a regional summit meeting will be rescheduled for June after it was canceled earlier this month when anti-government protests stormed the venue.
Abhisit Vejjajiva, speaking in his weekly radio and television address to the nation, said the rescheduling of the meeting of government leaders in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is now being coordinated among the 15 other countries involved.
KUALA LUMPUR - PRIME Minister Najib Razak has named veteran politicians to help him regain voter support, but analysts on Sunday expressed doubts that the old guard can provide new direction for Malaysia's embattled ruling party.
Mr Najib, who took over the premiership early this month, appointed several high-profile but old-time politicians Friday to help lead the United Malays National Organisation.
