JAKARTA – Indonesia will urge the Group of 20 leading economies to establish a global body that can dispense emergency funds during a health crisis, functioning in a similar way to international financial institutions, its health minister said on Friday.

World leaders are trying to save the planet’s oceans in talks on France’s Atlantic coast Friday aimed at fighting overfishing and plastic pollution, and finding fairer ways to manage the seas.

MELBOURNE – The junta in Myanmar has doubled down on repression and violence, and U.S. President Joe Biden will focus on the situation there when he meets with ASEAN leaders, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday.

President Emmanuel Macron says France plans to build six new nuclear reactors and to extend the life of existing nuclear plants.

WINDSOR/OTTAWA/WASHINGTON – Truckers opposed to coronavirus mandates risk hurting the auto sector and agriculture as they block U.S-Canada border crossings, the White House said on Wednesday as Ford halted some output and Ottawa urged an end to the 13-day-long protests.

MOSCOW/ISTANBUL – Six Russian warships are heading to the Black Sea from the Mediterranean for naval drills, the Interfax news agency cited Russia’s Defence Ministry as saying on Tuesday, in what it said was a pre-planned movement of military resources.

Japan has decided to divert some of its gas reserves to Europe amid growing concern over disruptions of supplies due to the Ukraine crisis.

The foreign ministers of Australia and Lithuania have agreed to step up cooperation on strategic challenges, in particular pressures from China.

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry will arrive in Mexico Wednesday amid high tensions over Mexico’s plan to favor its state-owned electricity company and limit private and foreign firms that have invested in renewable energy.

A remote-controlled robot is being used to probe the hardest-hit nuclear reactor at Japan’s wrecked Fukushima plant, as officials push forward with clean-up operations that have been mired in delays.