■ South Korea
Eight Koreans injured
South Korea said yesterday it believed eight of its citizens were injured in a series of deadly bombings that rocked the Indonesian resort of Bali. Six of them had been identified, said Bae Young-han, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry. He said the ministry was preparing an official statement which it would release later in the day. Vice Foreign Minister Lee Kyu-hyung said a ministry team had already left for the island.
■ Indonesia
Bashir aides deny link
Alleged Indonesian terror chief Abu Bakar Bashir had nothing to do with Saturday's bombings on Bali island, a spokesman for the imprisoned cleric said yesterday. Suspicion for Saturday's attacks is falling on the al-Qaeda linked Jemaah Islamiyah terror group, which was also blamed for the 2002 nightclub bombing on Bali. Bashir is serving a two-year sentence for conspiracy in the 2002 attacks.
■ United States
Embassy gives warning
The US Embassy in Jakarta warned citizens yesterday that they and their interests could be targets of attacks in Indonesia, after three bombs ripped through restaurants on the resort island of Bali. In an e-mail sent yesterday afternoon "the embassy has received continued indications that terrorists could be planning additional acts in Indonesia," the statement said. It added that: "Americans should be aware that during the Moslem holy month of Ramadan, which begins on or about Oct. 4 ... it is not uncommon for bars and nightclubs which remain open despite local regulations to be the subject of `sweeps' by local militants attempting to shut down these establishments."
■ China
56 years of communism feted
Tens of thousands of Chinese marked the 56th anniversary of Communist rule in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Saturday with the country enjoying the benefits of two decades of rapid economic growth but still facing deep-seated social problems. The crowds in the square enthusiastically waved Chinese flags and posed for pictures as security forces looked on placidly. Security was tight in the capital, Beijing, at the start of the weeklong holiday. Police bomb squads were out in force, and human rights groups said authorities have been expelling people with grievances from the capital to prevent disruptions. Increasing numbers of poverty-stricken farmers are protesting against widespread graft, industrial pollution and seizures of land for development.
■ Thailand
Bomb kills 2 policemen
Suspected Muslim militants denotated a bomb with a remote device in the latest violence in restive southern Thailand on Sunday, killing two policemen and wounding a volunteer, a police officer said. He said the explosion occurred close to a police checkpoint in the southern province of Songkhla when the three men went to inspect a piece of wood lying on a railway track nearby. More than 900 people have died in the insurgency, led by militants from the region's ethnic Malay, Muslim majority wanting autonomy or independence for what used to be an independent sultanate bordering Malaysia. The predominantly Buddhist government in Bangkok has flooded Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani with more than 30,000 soldiers and police, but has failed to curb the violence.
■ Japan
Capsized boat investigated
The coast guard yesterday recovered a Japanese fishing boat found capsized last week in Hokkaido with seven of its crew dead, and said marks on it seemed to match damage found on an Israeli ship. Israeli-registered vessel Zim Asia's captain has denied any involvement in the accident, telling South Korean authorities he didn't feel any collision. But Korean officials examined the Zim Asia and confirmed there was damage to the left hull of the ship, as well as traces of paint which appeared to be from another boat. Fishing radar showed a ship passed through the accident site and suddenly changed direction. Because the incident took place in high seas, neither Japan nor Korea have the authority to conduct investigations on ships other than their own.
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