Briefs | Saudi king begins tour of Asia

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman (left) stands next to Malaysia’s King Muhammad V

Saudi King Salman has arrived in Malaysia to kick off a multi-nation tour aimed at boosting economic ties with Asia. The official Saudi Press Agency reported yesterday that the monarch’s tour will also take in Indonesia, Brunei, Japan, China and the Maldives. Salman will also visit Saudi Arabia’s neighbor Jordan before returning home. OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter, with much of its crude destined for customers in Asia.

The kingdom is eager to attract investment as it diversifies its economy, including for its upcoming initial public offering of part of state oil giant Saudi Aranco.

Philippines – Offensive continues amid threat to behead German

The Philippine military says troops are pressing efforts to eradicate Abu Sayyaf militants, who have threatened to behead a German hostage by a ransom deadline that has lapsed. Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said yesterday that troops were continuing operations to rescue foreign and local hostages, including German hostage Jurgen Gustav Kantner, believed to be held by the militants in the jungles of southern Sulu province. Kantner said in a video that circulated online earlier this month that the militants have threatened to behead him by mid-afternoon of yesterday if a ransom were not paid. There was no immediate sign whether the militants pushed through with their threat to kill him. President Rodrigo Duterte’s adviser, Jesus Dureza, made a last-minute appeal to the militants to spare Kantner.