World Briefs

CHINA-AUSTRALIA Australia’s ban on Chinese telecoms giant Huawei’s involvement in its future 5G networks and its crackdown on foreign covert interference are testing Beijing’s efforts to project its power overseas.

TAIWAN Investigators yesterday were examining possible structural problems surrounding a bridge that collapsed in northeastern Taiwan, killing six people.

JAPAN Tokyo Olympic organizers and two government bodies building venues for next year’s games have until the end of the month to agree to outside inspections on construction sites.

INDIA Dozens of journalists in Indian-controlled Kashmir held a sit-in protest yesterday against an ongoing communication blackout in the disputed Himalayan region, describing the blockade of the internet and mobile phones as a government-imposed gag.

SOUTH KOREA A powerful typhoon has lashed southern South Korea, with authorities saying yesterday that the storm left nine people dead and five others missing and knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes.

AFGHANISTAN Senior Afghan Taliban leaders and Pakistani officials yesterday called for the resumption of talks on a peaceful resolution for the war in Afghanistan.

KAZAKHSTAN An American, a Russian and the first person from the United Arab Emirates to fly into space landed safely yesterday after a six-hour flight from the International Space Station.

TURKEY’s data protection authority says it has imposed a USD280,000 fine on Facebook for contravening the country’s data laws.

FINLAND The media are praising the performance of the Nordic country’s president at a meeting with Donald Trump as “ice-cold strong” despite the fact that the U.S. president used large chunks of their joint news conference to talk about the situation with Ukraine that has prompted an impeachment inquiry, leaving his guest sidelined at times.

IRELAND Prime Minister Leo Varadkar says Ireland “may have to live with a no-deal (Brexit) for a period of time” if no solution for a British exit from the European Union is found.

FRANCE An administrator armed with a knife attacked officers inside Paris police headquarters yesterday, killing at least four before he was fatally shot, officials said.

VATICAN CITY Pope Francis named one of Italy’s leading anti-Mafia prosecutors as president of the Vatican’s criminal tribunal yesterday, just days after a new scandal erupted over alleged financial wrongdoing in the heart of the Holy See.