Islamist militants kill six soldiers in southern Philippines
MANILA (Reuters) – Pro-Islamic State militants killed six soldiers and wounded four others on a southern Philippine island, the military spokesman said on Friday, as the army focused on the remaining rebel groups after regaining control of Marawi City….
Japan to build four radar stations for the Philippines to counter piracy surge: sources
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan will build four coast guard radar stations on islands in the Sulu Celebes Seas separating the Philippines and Indonesia to help Manila counter a surge in piracy by Islamic insurgents, two sources said.
Trump praises ‘highly respected’ Xi; China media says visit set new blueprint for U.S.-China ties
BEIJING (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump praised Chinese leader Xi Jinping as “highly respected” on Friday as he left Beijing for Vietnam, ending a visit which Chinese media declared set a “new blueprint” for handling U.S.-China relations and di…
South Korea says will provide financial support for Kaesong firms
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea will provide additional financial support for companies that formerly operated at the now shut-down Kaesong industrial complex inside North Korea, Seoul’s Ministry of Unification said on Friday.
British official urges social media companies to block militant content
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Britain’s top internal security official is pressing social media companies to devise automatic systems to spot and block violent militant messaging before it is posted on their networks.
China media praises tone, outcome of Trump-Xi summit
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese state media on Friday praised the tone and outcome of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing, saying he and Chinese President Xi Jinping were setting a new blueprint for handling relations and managing their differen…
Venezuela government and opposition to resume dialogue effort
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s government and opposition will resume efforts to hold dialogue, the third attempt in a year by the administration of President Nicolas Maduro and his adversaries to break up a bitter political stalemate.
France’s Macron broaches Lebanon in surprise Saudi visit
DUBAI/RIYADH (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron held hastily scheduled talks in Riyadh on Thursday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, notably over Lebanon and Yemen.
Spanish Supreme Court frees Catalan parliament speaker on bail
MADRID (Reuters) – A Spanish judge on Thursday freed on bail the Catalan parliament’s speaker and four lawmakers while authorities continue to investigate their roles in Catalonia’s banned independence drive.
Brexit never? Britain can still change its mind, says Article 50 author
LONDON (Reuters) – Prime Minister Theresa May should stop misleading voters and admit that Brexit can be avoided if Britain decides to unilaterally scrap divorce talks, the man who drafted Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty will say on Friday.
