World briefs

PHILIPPINES President Donald Trump is winding down his lengthy Asia trip with a summit and meetings with Pacific Rim allies, including his host in the Philippines who is overseeing a bloody drug war. 

SOUTH CHINA SEA Southeast Asian leaders were to announce the start of negotiations with China on a so-called “Code of Conduct” in the disputed South China Sea in what they regard as a milestone but some experts dismiss as a non-starter. 

MYANMAR Aung San Suu Kyi used to bristle at the refusal of Southeast Asian governments to collectively pressure Myanmar’s generals into loosening their grip on power, but now she benefits from their silence. Meanwhile, rock singer Bob Geldof says he is returning his Freedom of the City of Dublin honor because it is also held by Myanmar leader. 

AUSTRALIA All senators have three weeks to prove they were not foreign nationals when elected under an agreement the major political parties reached to resolve a deepening citizenship crisis that could upend the government.

HONG KONG’s red-hot market for technology listings has already surpassed the heady days of the dot-com boom. Fundraising from tech-related initial public offerings in the city, led by ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance Co., has hit a record USD4.2 billion this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That’s more than five times the amount raised in Hong Kong during the global dot-com boom in 2000.

JAPAN’s technology conglomerate SoftBank is investing billions in ride-hailing giant Uber with a goal of attaining a 14 percent stake in the company.

USA International enrollments at U.S. colleges fell 7 percent this year, less of a drop than had been feared, but schools still fear the political climate may drive students away. Nearly half the students are from China and India. 

USA President Donald Trump has picked a former top pharmaceutical and government executive be his Health and Human Services secretary. If confirmed by the Senate, Alex Azar (pictured) will oversee a USD1-trillion department responsible for major health insurance programs, medical research, food and drug safety, and public health. In making the pick, Trump turned to an industry’s he’s rebuked.