World briefs

ISRAEL-PALESTINE Sending a forceful message to Israel and the incoming Trump administration, more than 70 world diplomats gathered in Paris yesterday to say they want peace in the Mideast through establishing a Palestinian state. While the Palestinians welcomed yesterday’s conference, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it “rigged” and cooked up to force Israel to accept conditions against its national interests. 

CHINA A highway pile-up in southern China on Saturday night resulted in the deaths of six people, while another 19 were injured, reported mainland media. The crash, which involved a total of 19 vehicles, began when a cement truck collided with the rear of a car on the Qinglian highway in Guangdong Province.

INDONESIA-JAPAN Japan and Indonesia yesterday affirmed a deepening of economic and political ties during a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. After meeting with Abe, Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said the increase in Japanese investment in Indonesia has been “very significant,” doubling to USD4.5 billion in January-September of last year. 

PHILIPPINES President Rodrigo Duterte orders his troops to bomb extremists who flee with their captives in a bid to stop a wave of kidnappings at sea, calling the loss of civilian lives in such an attack “collateral damage.”

KUWAIT A Germany-bound Eurowings passenger flight from Oman landed in Kuwait yesterday over a bomb threat but no explosives were found on board, authorities said. The state-run KUNA news agency of Kuwait said 299 passengers on board were evacuated over the incident and that the plane’s captain had requested an emergency landing in Kuwait City.

IRAQ An Iraqi military spokesman said government troops have fully liberated the sprawling complex of Mosul University, a major step in the massive operation to retake the Islamic State-held city of Mosul.

SERBIA is warning Kosovo it will defend “every inch of its territory,” including its former province where Serbs allegedly are under threat from Kosovo Albanians. Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic issued the warning yesterday after a Serbian train, with signs “Kosovo is Serbian,” was halted before it entered Kosovo due to reports of a planned attack by ethnic Albanians.