Philippines reports six new Zika cases
MANILA • The Philippines yesterday reported six new cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infections - four in Ilo Ilo City and one each in Cebu City and Laguna.
This takes the number of locally transmitted Zika cases this year to nine. The Department of Health said the four new cases in Ilo Ilo were not connected to three earlier cases in the area.
PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
India launches hotline to report child porn
NEW DELHI • India has launched its first hotline to fight online child pornography and curb a surge in photos and videos on the Internet showing children being sexually exploited.
The hotline is a simple online form which the public, police, Internet companies and victims can access in either Hindi or English.
There were 96 reports of children in India being sexually exploited in online imagery in 2015 - a rise of 140 per cent from 2014, according to National Crimes Records Bureau data.
REUTERS
Vietnam to delay ratifying TPP till 2017
HANOI • Vietnam is set to delay ratifying the massive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact until next year as anxiety rises over the fate of the deal in the US, with its presidential election campaign exacerbating an anti-free trade mood.
Mr Ha Ngoc Chien, head of a committee, suggested the National Assembly hold off voting on the 12-nation deal during the next session starting Oct 20 "because many countries in the world haven't approved it so we shouldn't take the lead".
BLOOMBERG
Accidental hijack alert by Saudi airline pilot
MANILA • A pilot of a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight accidentally pressed a hijack alarm and triggered a major security response at Manila's airport, the authorities said.
Police isolated and surrounded the Saudi flight after it landed yesterday after one of its pilots issued a distress signal indicating a hijack was under way. It was only after the plane was parked for some time that the pilot said it was a false alarm.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
