Clear and present danger not just for Bersih but also Najib

Written by  Wong Choon Mei,

It looks like Prime Minister Najib Razak is determined to dig in despite a signal from stalwarts within his UMNO party that he was going about the July 9 Bersih rally in the wrong way. Instead of of easing off, the Najib administration moved further into a test of wills.

It returned fire by zooming in on the Chinese jugular in the Pakatan Rakyat, arresting DAP Selangor executive councilor Ronnie Liu for allegedly promoting the Bersih 2.0 Rally due for July 9.

Analysis & Opinion : Strauss-Kahn Case May Also Vindicate U.S. Justice

By Reynolds Holding

The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

The latest developments in the sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn have not only eased the terms of his detainment but may also vindicate the U.S. justice system. New York cops took heat from far and wide for quickly and publicly detaining the ex-International Monetary Fund boss, helping feed a broad rush to judgment. But it sounds as if prosecutors were the ones to uncover some holes in the case against him. That suggests Strauss-Kahn was treated without fear or favor.

Singapore Takes Malaysian Rail Land In Historic Deal

Singapore on Friday took over a historic train station and large tracts of railway land from Malaysia as part of a multibillion-dollar deal that removed an old irritant between the neighbours.

The last train to Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur left before the Thursday midnight (1600 GMT) deadline from Tanjong Pagar station, a 79-year-old art deco structure in downtown Singapore that will be preserved as a monument.

Starting Friday, all rail services to Kuala Lumpur will leave from a modern facility in northern Singapore, linked by a causeway to Malaysia's Johor state.

Philippines Tells China To Be 'Responsible'

The Philippines on Friday urged China to be a "responsible" power, while expressing concern again over the Asian giant's increasing assertiveness in disputed waters.

Tensions in the strategic and resource-rich South China Sea have escalated in recent weeks, with the Philippines and Vietnam voicing alarm at what they say are increasingly forceful Chinese actions there.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said he did not expect rival sea claims to lead to armed conflict but he planned to visit China next week and looked forward to discussing the dispute with Chinese leaders.