Smog from forest fires on Indonesia's Sumatra island eased in Singapore on Tuesday but the city-state continued to press its larger neighbour to solve the recurring problem. Singapore's Pollutant Standards Index fell to a "moderate" rating of 82-88 before nightfall on Tuesday under an air-quality monitoring system that classifies any reading above 100 as "unhealthy". The index had peaked at 155 on Monday night, Singapore's worst outbreak of cross-border air pollution since 2006.

Taiwan and the Philippines have pledged not to use force in fishing disputes, officials said, as they tackle a row over the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman by Filipino coastguards. The agreement was reached during their first preparatory meeting on fishery cooperation held in Manila on Friday, Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a statement released late Saturday.

By Tom Bergin LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's overseas territories will not sign up to an international convention aimed at tackling tax evasion ahead of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland next week, the premier of Bermuda said on Wednesday. British Prime Minister David Cameron has invited the mainly Caribbean territories to London ahead of hosting the annual gathering of the G8 group of leading economies, at which he has put tax avoidance and evasion high on the agenda.

Japanese and Singaporean leaders agreed Wednesday to strengthen cooperation in the economy and security, while confirming plans to further promote trade and investment under a bilateral free trade agreement, the Foreign Ministry said. During a meeting in Tokyo, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asked for Singapore's continuing cooperation in the Pacific-rim free trade talks Japan is set to join, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong welcoming Tokyo's participation in the talks for the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership, in which Singapore is also involved.