PHILIPPINES
Joint drills with US on
The US and Manila are conducting joint air and maritime patrols in the South China Sea. The air force yesterday said that its aircraft had taken part in joint patrols on Tuesday in the vicinity of Batanes, which is about 200km from Taiwan. The patrols run through today and also include the US and Philippine navies. In announcing the start of the joint patrols, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr wrote on X that they were “testament to our commitment to bolster the interoperability of our military forces.”
Photo: AP
THAILAND
Rogue iguanas captured
Officers have captured more than 150 rogue iguanas that were raiding farms, officials said on Tuesday. The lizards are not native to the kingdom, hailing originally from Central and South America, but are increasingly popular as pets. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said that 134 iguanas had been captured in Lopburi. A further six were discovered in Udon Thani and 23 more elsewhere in the nation, it said. The animals are to be kept at wildlife centers.
AUSTRALIA
Pacific cyberteam to form
Canberra yesterday said that it would spend A$26.2 million (US$17 million) to establish “rapid assistance” teams to respond to cybercrises in the Pacific region, and another A$16.7 million to identify cybervulnerabilities in the Pacific islands. The cybersecurity boost comes after Canberra and the US last month committed to funding two new undersea cables to be rolled out by Google in the Pacific islands to increase connectivity for eight remote countries. Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy said that the rapid response teams would “build long-term resilience in the Pacific” and provide critical support.
AUSTRALIA
Hitchhiker gets long ride
A man confessed to having “a bit to drink” before stashing himself in the undercarriage of a freight truck to hitch a quick ride home. By the time he climbed out about five hours later, the 43-year-old was disoriented, disheveled and stranded about 400km from his intended stop. A Queensland police officer summed up the man’s predicament in footage released to the media after finding him on the side of the road late last week. “You had a big session, you’ve lost all control, and you’ve ended up here somehow trying to work your way back?” he asked. “Pretty much,” said the stowaway, who was clad in a soiled blue shirt. Police said the “intoxicated” man climbed onto metal racks underneath the B-Double freight truck — which can weigh upward of 50 tonnes — when it stopped in Nambucca Heads, New South Wales. He planned to clamber out when the truck stopped at a red light about 40 minutes away in Coffs Harbour, police said. However, the plan went awry when the truck sailed through a string of green lights, finally stopping to refuel in Queensland. “I’m really stressed out. I had a bit to drink,” the man told police. “I jumped in the undercarriage thinking he was going to stop in Coffs Harbour, and he got a green light the whole way through and never stopped until here.” The police officer suggested it must have an uncomfortable ride. “I didn’t have to worry about the air con, there was a pretty breeze through there,” the man said. “It was just stupidity to be honest with you.” Queensland police said the man had been fined A$288 for riding in a “part of a motor vehicle not designed for passengers or goods.”
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
A colossal explosion in the sky, unleashing energy hundreds of times greater than the Hiroshima bomb. A blinding flash nearly as bright as the sun. Shockwaves powerful enough to flatten everything for miles. It might sound apocalyptic, but a newly detected asteroid nearly the size of a football field now has a greater than 1 percent chance of colliding with Earth in about eight years. Such an impact has the potential for city-level devastation, depending on where it strikes. Scientists are not panicking yet, but they are watching closely. “At this point, it’s: ‘Let’s pay a lot of attention, let’s
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
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