Reuters World News Summary

Biden was concluding a four-day diplomatic push with China and other Pacific nations and was to hold a final meeting with Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum leaders after the talks with Lopez Obrador. Philippines says at least six killed in Friday's magnitude 6.7 quake The death toll from a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in the southern Philippines has increased to six and authorities are searching for two missing people, local disaster officials said on Saturday.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Biden, Mexican president discuss drugs, migration on final day of Pacific summit

U.S. President Joe Biden and his Mexican counterpart Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday expressed a shared desire to tackle migration and drug trafficking, finding common ground on issues in the bilateral relationship and the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Biden was concluding a four-day diplomatic push with China and other Pacific nations and was to hold a final meeting with Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum leaders after the talks with Lopez Obrador.

Philippines says at least six killed in Friday's magnitude 6.7 quake

The death toll from a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in the southern Philippines has increased to six and authorities are searching for two missing people, local disaster officials said on Saturday. The offshore quake struck off Mindanao island on Friday afternoon at a depth of 60 km (37 miles), according to the German Research Center for Geosciences.

US State Dept OKs potential sale of 400 Tomahawk missiles to Japan -Pentagon

The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of 400 Tomahawk missiles and related equipment to Japan in a deal valued at $2.35 billion, the Pentagon said on Friday. The sale comes as U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed on Wednesday to open a presidential hotline, resume military-to-military communications, and work to curb fentanyl production, showing tangible progress in their first face-to-face talks in a year.

Israel renews call for Gazans to flee key southern city

Israel issued a fresh warning to Palestinians in the southern city of Khan Younis to relocate west out of the line of fire and closer to humanitarian aid in the latest indication that it plans to attack Hamas in southern Gaza after subduing the north. "We're asking people to relocate. I know it's not easy for many of them, but we don't want to see civilians caught up in the crossfire," Mark Regev, an aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told MSNBC on Friday.

Venezuela parliament chief rejects 'ultimatums' as US threatens sanctions review

Venezuela's National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on Friday said the country would not accept "ultimatums from anyone," after the U.S. warned it would review plans to ease sanctions if progress is not made toward fair elections. Washington eased some oil sanctions last month after an electoral deal between President Nicolas Maduro's government and the political opposition was signed in October.

Finland closes Russia border posts after days of asylum inflows

Finland early on Saturday closed four crossings on its border with Russia as Helsinki seeks to halt a flow of asylum seekers it says was instigated by Moscow. The Finnish Border Guard on Friday announced it would erect barriers from midnight local time at the Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala border posts in southeast Finland, which account for much of the travel between the two countries.

US, Ukraine announce military industry conference next month

Ukraine and the United States will hold a military industry conference in Washington on Dec. 6 and 7, Ukrainian and U.S. officials said on Friday. Kyiv is ramping up efforts to produce its own weapons amid concerns that supplies from the West might be faltering. It also hopes joint ventures with international armament producers can help revive its domestic industry.

Liberia President George Weah concedes election defeat

Liberia President George Weah on Friday conceded election defeat to opposition leader Joseph Boakai, just hours after polls showed Boakai was ahead with nearly all the votes counted, spokespeople for both candidates told Reuters. Weah "has called Mr. Boakai to congratulate him," presidential press secretary Solo Kehgbeh told Reuters. "This is the beauty of democracy."

Analysis-Indo-Pacific trade deal prospects dim as 2024 US election year politics loom

The Biden administration has vowed to continue negotiating an ambitious Asia trade deal, but election-year pressures and resistance to tough commitments from some countries make a deal unlikely, trade experts and business groups say. The Biden administration had emphasized finishing key chapters of its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) initiative trade "pillar" in time for this week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, aiming to offer the region an alternative to China's growing trade clout.

Two men convicted in US of trying to sell Iranian petroleum

A U.S. jury has convicted two Texas men of trying to sell Iranian petroleum in violation of sanctions imposed by Washington and of conspiracy to commit money laundering, the Justice Department said on Friday. Zhenyu Wang, 42, and Daniel Ray Lane, 42, were found guilty on Wednesday, and each face a maximum penalty of 45 years in prison. The two men had planned to purchase petroleum from Iran, mask its origins, and then sell it to a refinery in China, the department said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)