World briefs

RUSSIA Vladimir Putin now has a stronger hold on Russia — and stronger place in the world — thanks to an overwhelming mandate for yet another term as president. 

SOUTH CHINA SEA Southeast Asian leaders and Australia’s prime minister called for non-militarization and a code of conduct in the contested waters of the South China Sea, where China has become increasingly assertive.

INDONESIA-MALAYSIA Greenpeace says household brands including PepsiCo and Johnson & Johnson are refusing to disclose where they get their palm oil from despite vows to stop buying from companies that cut down tropical forests to grow the widely used commodity.

AUSTRALIA-MYANMAR Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was feted in Australia with a military honor guard and 19-gun salute yesterday as part of a state visit that has provoked protests over her response to her country’s violent campaign against Rohingya Muslims.

TURKEY’s president yesterday vowed to expand military operations across northern Syria and even into neighboring Iraq after his forces drove Syrian Kurdish fighters from the northern Syrian town of Afrin.

ISRAEL A French employee of France’s Consulate in Jerusalem is under arrest for allegedly smuggling dozens of weapons from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank, Israel’s domestic security agency said yesterday.

DENMARK Danish police say they are searching at least two people suspected of attacking the Turkish embassy in Copenhagen with firebombs.

BRITAIN-EU Negotiators from the European Union and Britain yesterday hailed major progress in the Brexit talks, but conceded there had been no breakthrough on keeping open the Irish border.

BRAZIL At least 1,000 people marched in Brazil’s second largest city to protest the murder of councilwoman and human rights activist Marielle Franco.

US Mark Zuckerberg’s fortune dropped USD3.8 billion yesterday as investors weighed reports that a political advertising firm retained information on millions of Facebook Inc. users without their consent.