IN BRIEF (Page 12)

China Daily | Updated: 2011-06-02 08:02

Chile

Strong quake jolts country

A magnitude-6.4 earthquake struck off the south central coast of Chile on Wednesday in an area hit by a major temblor last year, the US Geological Survey said.

The strong tremor caused panic in some local communities but there were no immediate reports of deaths or major damage in the area, and there were no tsunami warnings from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii.

Republic of Korea

DPRK rejects summit offer

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) rejected a proposal by the Republic of Korea (ROK) at a secret meeting last month to hold a series of three summits in a bid to defuse tension on the Korean Peninsula, the DRPK's KCNA news agency reported on Wednesday.

The ROK had proposed in May to hold three summits over the next 12 months, KCNA reported, citing a spokesman for the DPRK National Defense Commission. "We have made it clear there would never be a summit meeting as long as the ROK maintains a hostile policy and insists (the DPRK) should abandon its nuclear program and apologize over the two incidents," KCNA said.

Thailand

Booby trap blasts kill two

Explosive booby traps laid by suspected Muslim militants killed two local officials and wounded four people, including a soldier, in Thailand's restive deep south on Wednesday, police said.

The bombs were laid in three separate spots in a rubber plantation in Yala, the first exploding before dawn, wounding arubber tapper, police said.

The Philippines

Clan head enters plea

The head of a powerful Philippine clan pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to the murder of 57 opponents and journalists in his first court appearance on charges of masterminding the country's worst political massacre.

Andal Ampatuan Snr, wearing a yellow prison shirt, nodded when asked if he understood the charges read to him, accusing him of ordering the November 2009 murders in the southern province of Maguindanao.

The Muslim clan patriarch, his son and namesake Andal Ampatuan Jnr, and four other relatives are among more than 80 people charged with murder over the Nov 23, 2009, massacre of 57 people.

Reuters-AFP-AP

(China Daily 06/02/2011 page12)