TOKYO -- At the scenic Sagami Lake in Kanagawa Prefecture, a popular summer getaway in Japan, lies a hidden and painful history -- one of forced labor, suffering, and death involving multinational laborers during the construction of the Sagami Lake reservoir.
On Sunday, more than 350 people, including local residents, students, and representatives from China, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea, gathered at the Sagami Lake Exchange Center to mourn the laborers who died during the dam's construction.
The Sagami Reservoir is Japan's first multi-purpose artificial lake constructed between 1940 and 1947. To build the reservoir, Japan requisitioned about 3.6 million laborers, including nearly 300 Chinese forcibly taken to Japan by the invading Japanese military. (Japan-Forced Laborers, FEATURE)
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PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia -- Thai and Cambodian leaders have agreed to implement a ceasefire starting midnight on Monday, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said following a special meeting here.
The ceasefire meeting between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai was hosted by Anwar on Monday afternoon in the Malaysian Prime Minister's residence in Putrajaya. Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing attended the meeting and delivered a speech. (Malaysia-Thailand-Cambodia-Ceasefire, 2ND LD WRITETHRU)
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MANILA -- Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday ordered a review of flood control projects built over the past three years, following recent flooding caused by consecutive tropical storms and the enhanced southwest monsoon.
In his 4th State of the Nation Address, Marcos ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways to submit a comprehensive list of all flood control projects in the last three years. (Philippines-President-Flood Control Projects)
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BANGKOK -- At least six people were killed in a shooting incident in Thailand's capital Bangkok on Monday, local media Thairath reported.
The gunman opened fire in a market before killing himself, the report said. (Thailand-Shooting-1st LD)
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ODDAR MEANCHEY, Cambodia -- Rik Channa, a 35-year-old Cambodian evacuee from the Cambodia-Thailand border conflict, was thrilled on Monday when she heard that the two countries' leaders reached an agreement on a ceasefire.
Sitting under a makeshift tent at a safe refuge in Chong Kal district, more than 100 km away from the Cambodia-Thailand border, the mother of three said her family and other villagers had fled homes near the border since July 25, escaping artillery shells fired by Thai soldiers.
"I'm very happy to hear the information about the ceasefire," she told Xinhua. "I'm really eager to return to my home because there are dogs, cats, cows at home, and no one tends them." (Cambodia-Thailand-Evacuees, FEATURE)
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JAKARTA -- Indonesia is actively pushing forward with the development of its nuclear power plants, drafting and issuing relevant regulations, while seeking foreign investors to support the initiative.
Under the 2025-2034 Electric Power Supply Business Plan, managed by state-owned electricity company PT PLN, nuclear power is identified as one of the new energy sources to be developed. In the first phase, Indonesia plans to build nuclear power plant projects with a combined capacity of 500 megawatts (MW). (Indonesia-Nuclear Power, NEWS ANALYSIS) ■
