■ Malaysia
Ex-PM expects to be ejected
Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday he expected to be expelled from the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party following his unbridled criticism of the government that has roiled politics and raised fears of instability. Mahathir's relations with the government have plummeted in recent months in the wake of his stinging attacks on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Although UMNO has backed Abdullah in the row, Mahathir is believed to have some supporters in the party, creating fears that he could split the party and destabilize the government. Government ministers have said in the past that there is no plan to expel Mahathir. But by making his claim, the ex-prime minister seemed to challenge Abdullah to fire him and test his support.
■ United Nations
SE Asia nearly opium-free
Opium poppy cultivation has been almost eradicated in Asia's Golden Triangle, the border zone between Burma, Thailand and Laos that was once the world's most prolific supplier of opium, according to a report published by the UN on Monday. The area of land being used for poppy farming has fallen by 22 percent worldwide, reflecting declines in the world's three biggest producers of opium: Afghanistan, Burma and Laos. The UN's 2006 World Drug Report described south-east Asia as an "overlooked success story," where governments had succeeded in slashing poppy cultivation. Laos, once the world's third biggest heroin producer, declared itself free of poppy cultivation in February. The Burmese government reduced the area under cultivation by 26 percent to 32,800 hectares last year.
■ Indonesia
Scientists find new snake
Scientists have discovered a new species of snake in Borneo with the ability to change color, a conservation group said yesterday. The half-meter long snake was collected by a WWF consultant and a German reptile expert in the wetlands along the Kapuas River in West Kalimantan more than a year ago, since when it has been established as a new species. "The peculiar thing with this snake, is that it can change color ... That is relatively rare among snakes," the WWF's Iwan Wibisono said.
■ India
Record divorce settlement
A court has ordered the grandson of the last ruler of the princely state of Hyderabad, Mukarram Jah Bahadur, to pay US$3 million as alimony and maintenance to his divorced third wife, news reports said yesterday. A family court in Hyderabad ruled that Jah's four palaces would be used to recover the amount due to Manolya Onur, 52, a former Miss Turkey. The court orders make it the largest-ever divorce settlement in India, local media reported. Onur's lawyer, SS Prasad, told the Times of India newspaper that she could auction the palaces if the money was not recovered. Jah, 73, married Onur in 1989 but they divorced five years later.
■ East Timor
Ex-PM's supporters gather
President Xanana Gusmao yesterday extended his emergency powers and warned of possible early elections amid fresh fears of violence as thousands of supporters of former prime minister Mari Alkatiri massed on the edge of the capital. Alkatiri resigned on Monday, sparking jubilation in Dili, where many had blamed him for weeks of political and civil unrest. But his own angry supporters gathered on the outskirts of Dili. Gusmao will extend his sole control of the army for another 30 days, his office said in a statement. Meanwhile, addressing supporters outside the city, Alkatiri said: "We must enter Dili -- but not today." Protest organizers said they may still march on the city today.
RSS