World briefs

CHINA Official media accused two Canadians detained in China of acting together to steal state secrets, just days after Canada announced it will proceed with a U.S. extradition request for a senior Chinese tech executive.

CHINA Prominent human rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong (pictured) who recently completed a two-year prison sentence on national security charges has returned to his parents’ home in central China after he briefly went missing upon his scheduled release.

SOUTH KOREA has proposed semiofficial three-way talks with the United States and North Korea as it struggles to put nuclear diplomacy back on track after the collapse of a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. 

RUSSIA President Putin suspended Moscow’s participation in a key nuclear arms treaty, following Washington’s decision to withdraw from it. Putin’s decree means Russia is suspending its obligations under the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty and will continue to do so “until the U.S. ends its violations of the treaty.”

BREXIT Senior European Union and British officials are set to hold more Brexit talks less than a month before the United Kingdom is scheduled to leave the bloc, as U.K. officials denied yesterday that attempts to seal a divorce deal are deadlocked. EU and U.K. officials said the bloc’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, will meet U.K. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox today.

UK The royal family warned yesterday that it will block internet trolls posting offensive messages on its social media channels — and may report offenders to police. Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace spelled out the policy banning offensive, hateful and racist language.

HOLLYWOOD When Steven Spielberg (pictured) speaks about the business of Hollywood, everyone generally listens and few dissent. But reports that he intends to support rule changes that could block Netflix from Oscars-eligibility have provoked a heated, and unwieldy, debate online this weekend.