The leaders of 10 Southeast Asian nations have opened a two-day summit in Vientiane, Laos to work on free trade agreements, with the goal of creating a European Union-style trade group by 2010. Members of the Association of Soutrheast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are expected to adopt more than 20 agreements during their two-day summit, including accords on trade, security, and resolution of regional disputes.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said his country will promote cooperation with Japan and South Korea at a three way summit in Vientiane, Laos today(Monday). Leaders of the three countries met on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting of Asian Nations.
A soldier and a suspected Muslim rebel have been shot to death in Thailand's restive Islamic-majority south. The soldier was shot today while taking his two daughters to school in Pattani province's Kok Pho district. His children were not harmed. Earlier in the day, police gunned down a suspected Muslim insurgent who was on a wanted list of militants.
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