Duterte slams US over halt in sale of rifles

MANILA • Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte chided the United States yesterday for halting the planned sale of 26,000 rifles to his country's police, calling those behind the decision "monkeys" and "fools" and indicating he might turn to Russia and China instead.

Mr Duterte's tirades against the US are routine during his speeches and he said yesterday that he once believed in Washington, but had since lost respect for what is the Philippines' biggest ally.

REUTERS

Let's have doorless dorms, says minister

JAKARTA • Indonesian students and activists said yesterday that a minister's suggestion to remove doors at college dormitories to prevent sexual promiscuity would infringe privacy and compromise security.

Indonesian social affairs minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said she was inspired by her visit to the doorless dormitories of a "very prestigious" university, where the activities of students in their rooms can be effectively monitored.

REUTERS

Aussie hiker lost in Malaysian jungle found

KUALA LUMPUR • An Australian man who was lost in the Malaysian jungle for two weeks - and "covered in leeches" when he was finally found - said he survived by drinking river water and eating wild ferns.

Mr Andrew Gaskell, 25, went missing on Oct 18 while on a 2,376m solo hike to the summit of Mount Mulu, the second tallest mountain in Sarawak. He arrived at the Miri Hospital's emergency ward at about 3pm on Tuesday.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Kashmir schools ordered to close

SRINAGAR • Hundreds of schools were ordered to close indefinitely in Kashmir yesterday after shelling by Indian and Pakistani troops in the disputed region killed 14 civilians in two days.

The authorities on the Indian-administered side of Kashmir, which is split between the two nations, said nearly 300 schools had been ordered to close from yesterday morning, following the death of eight civilians on Tuesday in mortar shelling.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE