31/05/2026

theSun on Sunday MAY 31, 2026

WORLD 7

Rescuers free five men trapped in Laos cave

SINGAPORE: Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Asian allies to ramp up military spending to counter China’s growing power and prevent its dominance in the region. Hegseth, speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, said a stronger, more self-reliant network of allies is essential to deter aggression and preserve the balance of power. “There is rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” he said. “A Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance of power. No state, including China, can impose its hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question.” The US expects its Asian allies and partners to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP. Hegseth stressed allies want stability, not escalation. “What they want, and what the US delivers, is strength that is disciplined, resolve that is steady, and leadership that is confident enough to speak and walk softly while carrying a big stick.” On US-China ties, he said relations are “better than they have been in many years”, with more frequent military-to-military engagement helping to manage tensions. “We are meeting more frequently with our Chinese counterparts by maintaining open lines of military-to-military communication.” – Reuters Vietnam IP practices under probe HANOI: The Trump administration has opened an unfair trade practices investigation into Vietnam’s intellectual property protection policies and enforcement that may lead to new tariffs or other trade measures. Vietnam was identified as a priority country by the US Trade Representative’s office on April 30 “due to its persistent failure to resolve long-standing concerns about IP protection and enforcement”, the USTR said. Vietnam’s government did not immediately comment. It has urged the US to provide “an objective assessment of Vietnam’s efforts ” on IP protection. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that while Vietnam has taken some steps in recent years to address IP concerns, infringement “continues to impair the competitive position of US innovators and creators”. “We need to see Vietnam resolve long-standing concerns, including on IP enforcement, in a manner that is sustained and that deters future IP infringements,” Greer said. – Reuters Boost defence spend, US tells allies US

Two more reported deeper in cavern

VIENTIANE: Four more men trapped in a semi submerged Laos cave for 10 days were freed yesterday, rescuers said, after one was successfully brought to the surface a day earlier, but two remained missing. Lee Kian Lie, a Malaysian rescue diver, told AFP via Messenger that the four were freed after water was pumped out of the cavern. A video he took from the scene showed teams under a makeshift tent attending to four people lying on stretchers and covered with thermal blankets. “Important they already out,” Lee said. He declined to speculate on the condition of the two missing men. The Thailand Rescue Diver Facebook page said in a post that “rescue officials were able to bring out four more people trapped” at about 3.10pm (4.10pm in Malaysia) yesterday. “A total of five people have now been rescued, while two remain missing,” it said. Seven men had been trapped in the cavern in a remote mountainous area of central Xaysomboun province since May 20,

when flash floods stranded them as they searched for gold, media reports said. They were trapped after heavy rains triggered flash flooding that blocked the exit of the cavern. Five of the men were located alive on Wednesday, huddling in a narrow shaft around 300m from the cave mouth. Rescuers guided a bedraggled and muddy man over unsteady ground to safety on Friday. Rescue efforts had focused on pumping out the flood waters. Rescuers had expressed optimism earlier yesterday about their chances of freeing the four. Lee, part of a team of specialist cave divers called in to assist, said after arriving at the scene that expectations were “getting more positive”, with the water being pumped out and supplies sent in. The Lao Saychai Foundation posted a video yesterday of the man rescued the day before, identified only as Meud, who said the two missing men had gone about 500m deeper into the cave than he had. – AFP

Screengrab from handout video footage taken on Friday and provided by Adisak Wongsoraya shows rescuers with the first man brought out. – AFPPIC

SINGAPORE: Asean defence ministers yesterday agreed to step up joint military training and exercises, particularly in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. During a breakfast meeting held on the sidelines of the 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue, the ministers reaffirmed the importance of Asean centrality and the bloc’s role in promoting regional peace, stability and prosperity. Asean ministers agree to step up military training According to Singapore’s Defence Ministry, the ministers exchanged views on expanding cooperation through initiatives such as Indonesia’s Exercise Trident Resolve, scheduled for September and involving Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) countries, as well as enhanced information-sharing through platforms such as the Republic of Singapore Navy’s Information Fusion Centre. “The ministers agreed to redouble efforts to cooperate through the ADMM and the ADMM-Plus,” the ministry said in a statement. The meeting was co-hosted by Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing and Philippines Secretary of National Defence Gilberto Teodoro Jr, and attended by defence leaders and representatives from Asean member states. Among those attending was Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin. The ministers further reaffirmed the importance of upholding international law and norms, particularly the right of transit under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. They also stressed the need to keep international airways and waterways open, secure and safe for the free flow of trade and supplies, including through the Strait of Malacca and Singapore. – Bernama

Ex-head of Hong Kong journalist union jailed five days HONG KONG: A court here stop-and-search powers,

journalism, potentially exposing media workers “to additional legal risks when covering events”. Chan sat quietly in the courtroom dock as Wong delivered the verdict. His lawyer Steven Kwan told reporters they will consider appealing. Before entering the courtroom, Chan said: “I personally believe that Hong Kong enjoys freedom of the press under the Basic Law, yet time and again, in practice, I have seen that the status of press freedom is truly very low.” – AFP

and residents have limited legal recourse to object to an ID check. Chan “was reckless and obstructed other members of the public ... affecting public order”, a judge wrote in a 2023 verdict. Deputy High Court Judge Lily Wong upheld the conviction on Friday, sentencing the 45-year-old veteran journalist to jail for five days immediately. The Hong Kong Journalists Association said in a statement it was concerned about the impact on

dismissed an appeal by the former head of the city’s largest press union against a conviction for obstructing police officers, issuing a five-day jail sentence. Ronson Chan (pic) , former chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, had been arrested by police who said he refused to show his ID and was “uncooperative” when stopped by two plainclothes officers in 2022 on his way to report. Hong Kong police have broad