World briefs

PHILIPPINES Justice officials asked a court yesterday to formally designate the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, as terrorist groups in a move that could further damage chances of a resumption of stalled peace talks.

INDONESIA Four Indonesian provinces have declared emergencies in anticipation of worsening forest fires that each year spread health-damaging haze across much of Southeast Asia.

JAPAN-N. KOREA Japan’s military has witnessed a ship-to-ship transfer on the high seas that it “strongly suspects” violates U.N. sanctions on North Korea, in the third such incident reported by Japan in the past month. 

AUSTRALIA-US Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is heading to the United States, accompanied by the largest Australian political and business delegation ever to visit. 

PAKISTAN says it has been given three months to prove it is doing enough to stay off an international watch list for countries that fail to curb the financing of terror groups.

BAHRAIN A prominent human rights activist in Bahrain was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison over tweets alleging prison torture in his country and misconduct in Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, despite wide international criticism of his trial.

ISRAEL One of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s (pictured) closest confidants has turned state witness and will incriminate him in corruption allegations, the latest in a dizzying series of developments that threaten to topple the beleaguered Israeli leader.

POLAND A controversial law that makes it a criminal act to blame Poles for Holocaust crimes they did not commit will not lead to criminal charges, a Polish government official said yesterday.

SPAIN Madrid’s International Contemporary Art Fair has yanked a photo exhibition called “Political Prisoners in Contemporary Spain,” prompting charges of censorship against the government-funded body which operates the event venue.

BRAZIL’s congress approved a decree to put the military in charge of Rio de Janeiro’s security forces as soldiers and police spread out throughout in the city to combat rising crime.

PERU Police say at least 25 people were killed when their bus veered off a highway and tumbled 200 meters down a cliff in southern Peru.