SEOUL -- The Defense Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Saturday voiced grave concern over the escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

As a new round of South Korea-U.S. joint maritime drills is underway near the peninsula, involving the redeployed nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and South Korean warships, a spokesperson for the DPRK Defense Ministry called it "an event of considerably huge negative splash to the regional situation," as quoted by the KCNA. (DPRK-US-S.Korea)

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MANILA -- The Philippine military said on Saturday that suspected rebels had killed two soldiers and wounded six others in a clash in central Philippines.

The military said in a report that the fighting first broke out between soldiers and around 20 New People's Army insurgents at around 6 a.m. local time on Thursday on the outskirts of Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental province, resulting in a long gunbattle that continued till Saturday, killing two soldiers and injuring six others. (Philippines-NPA-Clash)

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MOSCOW -- Three people died in the explosion on the Crimean Bridge, which occurred Saturday morning, according to preliminary information from Russia's investigative committee into the incident.

Traffic is suspended on both the railway and road parts of the Crimean Bridge after a freight train caught fire while traveling on the viaduct over the Kerch Strait. (Russia-Crimean Bridge-Fire)

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PHNOM PENH -- Flash floods have been hitting parts of Cambodia, leaving at least four people dead, Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Saturday.

In a voice message released publicly, Hun Sen said rainwater flooding has also forced the evacuation of a number of affected families to higher ground. (Cambodia-Floods-Casualties)