News in brief
Rohingya militants say ceasefire to end on October 9
YANGON, Oct 7 (AFP) - Rohingya militants whose attacks triggered an army crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state unleashing a huge wave of refugees said Saturday their one-month ceasefire would end in two days, but added they were open to peace if the government reciprocated.
In a statement released through its Twitter account, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) said its unilateral truce would end at midnight on October 9. The armed group tipped northern Rakhine into crisis when it ambushed police posts on August 25. The army's reprisal has been so sweeping and savage that the UN says it amounts to ethnic cleansing of the Muslim minority.
Deadly Hurricane Nate bears down on Mexico, US
CANCN, Oct 7 (AFP) - Nate reached hurricane status as it bore down on popular Mexican beach resorts and headed for the US Gulf Coast early Saturday after dumping heavy rains on Central America and leaving at least 28 people dead.
With the storm's top winds swirling at 129 km per hour some 240 miles northwest of the western tip of Cuba, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that in the US, “the combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline.” The water was expected to peak at up to 2.5 meters above ground in some areas.
More than $500 million in bank shares transferred on Thai king's behalf
BANGKOK, Oct 7 (AFP) - The financial arm of Thailand's ultra-rich monarchy has transferred bank shares worth more than $500 million on behalf of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The SEC filing said the Crown Property Bureau (CPB), which manages the multi-billion dollar assets of the royal family, had reduced its shares in Siam Commercial Bank by 3.33 percent on October 2. The beneficiary of the shares was not specified but the move was carried out on the King's behalf, the filing said.
The CPB does not declare its wealth but analysts estimate it manages between $30-60 billion in assets, making Thai royals among the richest in the world.
Trump to unveil new responses to Iranian 'bad behaviour': White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will announce new US responses to Iran’s missile tests, support for “terrorism” and cyber operations as part of his new Iran strategy, the White House said on Friday.
“The president isn’t looking at one piece of this. He’s looking at all of the bad behaviour of Iran,” Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, told reporters.
“Not just the nuclear deal as bad behavior, but the ballistic missile testing, destabilizing of the region, Number One state sponsor of terrorism, cyber attacks, illicit nuclear program,” Sanders continued.
N.Korea preparing long-range missile test -RIA cites Russian lawmaker
MOSCOW, Oct 6 (Reuters) - North Korea is preparing to test a long-range missile which it believes can reach the west coast of the United States, a Russian lawmaker just returned from a visit to Pyongyang was quoted as saying on Friday.
Anton Morozov, a member of the Russian lower house of parliament's international affairs committee, and two other Russian lawmakers visited Pyongyang on Oct. 2-6, Russia's RIA news agency reported. “They are preparing for new tests of a long-range missile. They even gave us mathematical calculations that they believe prove that their missile can hit the west coast of the United States,” RIA quoted Morozov as saying.