World briefs

KENYA The leader of Kenya’s main opposition party urged his supporters to boycott a rerun of the country’s disputed presidential election scheduled for today amid rising political tensions and fears of violence. The country’s Supreme Court yesterday failed to muster enough judges to hear a last-minute petition to postpone the elections.

VIETNAM A court in northern Vietnam yesterday sentenced a student activist to six years in prison for using social media to promote a multiparty system and press freedom amid a heightened crackdown on dissent.

PHILIPPINES-JAPAN Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will visit Japan next week for talks with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on key regional concerns including North Korea. The two leaders also will be hosting President Donald Trump when he makes his first presidential Asia tour next month.

KOREA British Olympic leaders have plans in place to evacuate athletes from the 2018 Pyeongchang Games amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula. While it is not expected the emergency procedures will be implemented, the British Olympics Association is preparing for the worst-case scenario.

RUSSIA-TURKEY Two prominent Crimean Tatar leaders who were imprisoned in Russian-occupied Crimea have been released and flown to Turkey, Ukraine’s president said yesterday. President Petro Poroshenko thanked the Turkish president for his help in mediating the releases of Ilmi Umerov and Akhtem Chiygoz.

IRAQ’s self-ruled Kurdish region yesterday offered to freeze the results of its controversial independence vote last month as part of a dialogue with Baghdad. The proposal, however, is unlikely to be accepted by Baghdad, which demands that the results be annulled before it takes part in any negotiations.

SAUDI ARABIA’s powerful crown prince has announced plans to build a futuristic city run entirely on alternative sources of energy and said the ultraconservative kingdom must return to “moderate Islam.”

FRANCE’s government spokesman Christophe Castaner says he is a candidate to lead President Emmanuel Macron’s recently created party. Castaner said yesterday on RTL radio that Macron supports his candidacy, which makes him the favorite for the job.

PANAMA The United States has lifted restrictions on two Panama newspapers wrapped up in money laundering allegations against their owner.

BRAZIL Two military police officers have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a Spanish tourist who was on a guided tour of one of Brazil’s largest slums.