World briefs

US-RUSSIA Israeli officials yesterday sought to downplay any damage caused by President Donald Trump’s disclosure of classified information to senior Russian officials that was provided by Israel, and lauded the robust security cooperation with the U.S. just days before the president is due to arrive for a state visit. Israel has yet to acknowledge claims from U.S. officials that it was the source of the classified information. 

CHINA-S. KOREA A rap group backed by China’s government is warning South Korea in a music video that “you’re going too far” with the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system, as Beijing seeks to bring its state-supported cultural forces to bear in the international dispute. 

INDIA’s top investigating agency has searched the homes of former finance minister P. Chidambaram (pictured) and his son as part of a financial misconduct investigation, stemming from allegations that the son received bribes to get foreign investment clearances for a media company while his father was in office.

IRAN’s presidential election is seen as a referendum on Hassan Rouhani’s outreach to Western nations and the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, which lifted crippling international sanctions. However, the average Iranian has yet to see benefits from the deal, making Rouhani vulnerable in his bid for another four-year term.

KUWAIT A new investigation into claims that Kuwaiti leaders of the Olympic Council of Asia bribed the region’s soccer officials has been opened by the Asian Football Confederation.

BRITAIN Food giant Nestle yesterday lost a bid to trademark the distinctive four-fingered shape of the KitKat chocolate bar in Britain, the latest round in a courtroom battle with rival candy-maker Cadbury, on the basis of insufficient evidence that consumers rely on the shape to identify the chocolate bar.

BRAZIL A survey by a major Brazilian newspaper says that one person is either killed or wounded by a stray bullet every two days in Rio de Janeiro. It says that nearly all of the victims were struck in one of Rio’s shantytown slums or in low-income districts.

CANADA plans to apologize to Canadians who have faced injustice because of their sexuality. A special adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on LGBT issues said yesterday the government will acknowledge the role legislation and policies have played in the discrimination.