A southern Philippine island that has been the scene of a prolonged hostage crisis voted to join a Muslim autonomous area, officials said today.

Although a "no" vote is highly unlikely, it is possible that some areas invited to join the proposed autonomous area might reject the offer.

More autonomous areas, it can be province-level.

Syrian Kurds are considering combining three autonomous areas of northern Syria into a federal arrangement, a step that could pave the way to Syria's breakup.