World briefs

PHILIPPINES Police officials say they have captured two local sympathizers of the Islamic State group who tried to detonate a bomb near the U.S. Embassy, prompting authorities to raise a terror alert. National police chief Director-General Ronald de la Rosa said yesterday the two militants, who were separately arrested, initially wanted but failed to detonate the homemade bomb at Manila’s seaside Rizal Park, their initial target.

THAILAND prepares to welcome a new king, with final arrangements scheduled to formalize the accession of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to the throne.

SOUTH KOREA Battered by massive protests and an impeachment push, South Korea’s president cries during her first public appearance among her citizens since a huge political scandal exploded in October, as police arrest a man accused of setting fire to her dictator father’s birthplace in a nearby city.

INDIA  An official says India will buy 145 American M777 ultra-light howitzers to be mostly deployed near its borders with China. An agreement was signed during a meeting of the India-U.S. Military Cooperation Group in New Delhi. India will buy the artillery guns via the U.S. foreign military sales route for about USD737 million

BRITAIN’s Prince Harry has joined Rihanna in celebrating 50 years of independence for her native Barbados. The prince and the singer shared the stage with the prime minister during a concert and dance performance marking the date the island broke away from Britain. He read a message from Queen Elizabeth II congratulating Barbados for its vibrant culture and natural beauty.

NIAGARA FALLS A USD4 million lighting makeover promises to dial up the wow factor of Niagara Falls at night. Officials say energy-efficient LED lighting being unveiled yesterday will provide brighter and more robust color than the halogen technology that’s been used to cast the Falls in rainbow hues after dark for the past 20 years.

IBERIA Authorities have detained 34 people, including six tennis players, involved in a tennis match-fixing network that made more than half-a-million dollars from lower-tier tournaments in Spain and Portugal. Police said that Operation Futures probed several Futures and Challenger tournaments in Iberia for the past several months and found evidence that results were rigged.

FACEBOOK A woman who created a phony Facebook profile of her ex-boyfriend in order to frame the Southern California man for stalking has been sentenced to a year in jail. Stephani Lawson of Las Vegas was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to perjury and false imprisonment.