Briefly

CROATIA

North Macedonia poised to join NATO

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Wednesday that North Macedonia will soon become a NATO member."In a few weeks, North Macedonia will become the 30th member, indicating that our doors are open," Stoltenberg said at a news conference after meeting with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic in Zagreb, Croatia. North Macedonia was invited to join the alliance in July 2018 after resolving a long-standing name issue with Greece. The NATO Accession Protocol was signed in February last year.

THAILAND

Govt, insurgents agree to end violence

The Thai government's peace negotiators and representatives of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, or BRN, insurgent group have agreed to end violence in the deep South with peaceful solutions, said General Wallop Raksanoh, secretary-general of the Thai National Security Council, on Wednesday. The Thai negotiating team met with BRN representatives on Monday and Tuesday, along with Malaysia's chief facilitator Tan Sri Abdul Rahim bin Muhammad Noor, said Wallop. Nearly 7,000 people have been killed in the last 15 years as a result of the insurgency in the Malay-speaking, largely Muslim region of predominantly Buddhist Thailand.

FRANCE

20 hurt when fast train goes off rails

A high-speed TGV train running between Strasbourg in eastern France and Paris derailed on Thursday, injuring 20 people including one seriously, officials said. Police and emergency services rushed to the scene of the accident, which happened at 7:45 am near Ingenheim in the Bas-Rhin area, the local prefecture said in a statement. There were 348 passengers on board.

THE PHILIPPINES

7 injured after police chopper crashes

Seven people including National Police chief General Archie Gamboa and four other police officers were injured after a police helicopter crashed on Thursday during takeoff in Laguna Province. Police emergency responder Captain Edgar Miguel said Gamboa and the other passengers were injured along with the two pilots. Miguel added that the engine of the chopper caught fire shortly after takeoff before crashing into a small road. The cause of the crash is still unknown.