World briefs

SOUTH CHINA SEA The leaders of Japan and Vietnam agreed yesterday to bolster cooperation in maritime safety and defense, and expressed shared concerns over China’s growing activity in the South China Sea.

THAILAND An appeals court yesterday vindicated a British labor rights activist entangled in a years-long legal confrontation with a fruit-packing company after he publicized alleged human rights violations at its factory.

US-NORTH KOREA Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korea’s former military intelligence chief opened high-stakes talks in New York yesterday to try to salvage an on-again, off-again summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. 

INDIA-PAKISTAN Pakistan and India have agreed to stop trading fire, including artillery and small weapons, along the highly militarized frontier in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir and uphold a cease-fire accord dating back 15 years.

UAE Leading Emirati rights activist Ahmed Mansoor has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 1 million dirhams, or about USD272,000, for criticizing the government in social media posts.

ROMANIA-LUTHUANIA The European Court of Human Rights ruled yesterday that Romania and Lithuania allowed the detention and abuse of a Saudi and a Palestinian at secret U.S. prisons.

ITALY Financial markets calmed yesterday amid increasing signs that Italy may avoid imminent elections after the president gave two populist parties time to figure out whether they can agree on an alternative to a euroskeptic economy minister.

BRITAIN A leading campaigner for Britain’s exit from the European Union was accused of hypocrisy yesterday after applying for permanent residency in France.

BRAZIL Oil workers have begun a 72-hour strike on the heels of a crippling nationwide truck drivers’ strike that has started winding down after 10 days.

BOLIVIA A federal judge has overturned a jury decision that found a former president of Bolivia and his defense minister responsible for government killings during 2003 unrest.