Philippines launches new anti-kidnapping force
Philippine police launched a new anti-kidnapping force Tuesday to deal with a long-standing scourge by criminal gangs and militants that authorities say has been eased by crackdowns but anti-crime advocates continue to regard with alarm.
Philippine troops have arrested a suspected Islamic militant commander accused of being involved in the kidnapping of 21 Western tourists and Asian workers from a Malaysian resort island in 2001, a military official said Thursday.