Briefs, September 24, 2012

Marcos' martial law speech to be aired

MANILA - The Philippines, for the first time in 40 years, was scheduled last night to air the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos' full television broadcast declaring martial law that led to two decades of brutal rule. Showing the speech in full will ensure the public will "never forget" the atrocities during Marcos's rule, which was marked by widespread human rights abuses that saw hundreds of activists killed, jailed or abducted by the dictator's forces, the office of President Benigno Aquino said. The speech was to be aired on the government's official interactive portal as well as the website of ABS-CBN television. AFP

Suu Kyi's ambition is to see nation of hope

NEW YORK - Myanmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi has expressed a wish that her country will complete its transition to democracy and become a nation of hope. "I came today to thank you all and to ask all of you to stay with us until we have completed the journey to democracy, and we get to the point when we, too, can help others," she said in a speech at Queens College in New York. Her desire, the 67-year-old Nobel peace laureate said, is that "Burma can once again become the country it was way back before the military regime took over, a country of hope". Burma is the old name for Myanmar. AFP

South Korea and US close to missiles deal

SEOUL - South Korea and the United States are close to agreement on more than doubling the range of Seoul's ballistic missiles to better guard against threats from North Korea, a report said yesterday. Yonhap news agency said the two allies were close to agreeing on expanding Seoul's missile range to 800 kilometres - enough to cover the entire North - from the current 300 kilometres, citing diplomatic sources. The US stations 28,500 troops in South Korea and guarantees the country a nuclear "umbrella" in case of any atomic attack. In return, Seoul accepts limits on its missile capabilities. AFP

9 killed, 15 missing in flash flood in India

GAUHATI - A flash flood triggered by torrential rain has killed at least nine construction workers and left 15 missing and feared dead in India's remote northeast. The Sikkim state office says the workers were swept away by the swirling waters of a flooded river in Chungthan, a small town in the mountainous region. The state's chief secretary, Karma Zyatso, said helicopters dropped food supplies to nearly 10,000 people living in six villages cut off owing to damage to the main highway in the area, about 550 kilometres west of Gauhati, the capital of Assam state. AP