World briefs

KOREAS Fresh off an immense North Korean parade that revealed an arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles, rival South Korea and its allies are bracing for the possibility that Pyongyang’s follow-up act will be even bigger. There’s a chance N.Korea will conduct its sixth nuclear test or its maiden test launch of an ICBM around the founding anniversary of its military today. 

CHINA Alibaba’s Jack Ma said society should prepare for decades of pain as the internet disrupts the economy. The world must change education systems and establish how to work with robots to help soften the blow caused by automation and the internet economy, Ma said in a speech to an entrepreneurship conference in Zhengzhou.

TAIWAN “Digital minister” Audrey Tang, appointed by leaders hoping to better connect with young voters who helped sweep independence-leaning President Tsai Ing-wen into office last year, is using her expertise to more directly involve the public in policymaking, and to counter “fake news.”

PHILIPPINES Regular troops, backed by airstrikes, captured a jungle camp belonging to an extremist band allied with the Islamic State group yesterday and killed several militants in the country’ south, military officials said. An army general raised the Philippine flag in the camp of the Maute armed group near Piagapo town in Lanao del Sur province a few hours after troops occupied the rebel base.

SYRIA U.S. officials say the Trump administration issued new sanctions against Syria part of its ongoing crackdown on the Syrian government and those who support it. Two officials say that the sanctions are part of a broader effort to cut off funding and other support to  President Bashar Assad (pictured) and his government amid the country’s escalating civil war.

EU-FRANCE EU’s head office has thrown its weight behind Emmanuel Macron in the French presidential runoff against Marine Le Pen, arguing it is a choice between the defense of the EU or those seeking its destruction. The European Commission also said it would vet campaign arguments and counter them if they told lies about the EU. 

POLAND Thousands of people from around the world, many of them young Israelis, paid homage to the millions who perished in the Holocaust at the former Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz. The ‘March of the Living,’ is a somber memorial march of about three kilometers from the original Auschwitz camp to Birkenau, a much larger death camp in German-occupied Poland.

BOXING Manny Pacquiao says his July 2 world title bout with Jeff Horn is his chance to tell the boxing world “I’m not done yet.” The Pacquiao, 38, an 11-time champion across eight weight divisions and now a member of the Philippines senate, had intended the WBO world welterweight title fight in Brisbane with school teacher Horn, 29, to be a stepping stone to a more lucrative bout with former welterweight world champion Amir Khan.