World briefs

JAPAN‘s ruling party urged the government yesterday to consider arming the country with more advanced and offensive military capabilities, such as striking enemy targets with cruise missiles, further loosening the self-defense-only posture Japan has maintained since the end of World War II.

PHILIPPINES President Rodrigo Duterte unleashed an expletive-laden tirade yesterday against the country’s leading newspaper and TV network and threatened to humiliate them and their owners, whom he accused of distorting news of his anti-drug crackdown.

CAMBODIA Hundreds of members of Cambodia’s opposition party held a ceremony yesterday marking the 20th anniversary of a grenade attack in the nation’s capital that killed 16 people.

SINGAPORE A teenage blogger from Singapore who was granted U.S. asylum remains detained in a Wisconsin facility with few clues of when he’ll be released. Attorney Sandra Grossman initially said Yee could be released Monday. Her office said Wednesday it appears Yee will stay detained while federal authorities consider appealing. Some immigration experts say that’s unusual.

AUSTRALIA The Australian government said yesterday it had found no evidence that any of its donations to the Christian charity World Vision had been siphoned to Islamic militant group Hamas. But Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said its World Vision funding in Gaza would remain suspended while Israeli charges against the global aid agency remain unresolved.

RUSSIA-AFGHANISTAN As America’s 16-year war in Afghanistan drags on, Russia is resurrecting its own interest in the “graveyard of empires.” The jockeying includes engaging the Taliban and leading a new diplomatic effort to tackle Afghanistan’s future, all while Washington leaves the world guessing on its strategy for ending the conflict.

SYRIA The U.N. humanitarian chief says hundreds of thousands of Syrians trapped in besieged areas are facing “severe and horrific threats” and the last months have been some of the worst for civilians. Stephen O’Brien told the Security Council yesterday: “For Syria, that is saying something.”

NIGERIA-INDIA Nigeria’s foreign ministry has called in India’s top diplomat to protest attacks on African students and demand arrests and prosecutions of perpetrators, Nigeria’s official news agency said yesterday.

BRITAIN‘s ambassador to the U.N. says the United Kingdom may be leaving the European Union but it isn’t leaving Europe and will remain a major player on the world stage including at the United Nations.

CHILE‘s president criticized isolationist foreign policies and protectionism in trade yesterday, saying during a state visit to Portugal that multilateralism is “crucial” to address global challenges.

VENEZUELA’s Supreme Court seized the powers of the opposition-controlled congress, sparking allegations of a “coup” by lawmakers, who called on the international community for help. The Supreme Court’s Constitutional Chamber declared the National Assembly was operating “outside the rule of law” after long standing claims that the legislature was in contempt of previous legal statements.