Reuters, Paris
For the second time this year France’s Muslims have seen carnage brought to the streets of Paris by a few radical Islamists and fear that they will now suffer as a consequence.
The shocking wave of violence on Friday, when heavily armed militants killed 129 people and injured 352 in attacks at a concert hall, bars and a stadium, immediately turned the spotlight on Europe’s largest Muslim minority.
US, France agree on ‘concrete steps’ against IS
AFP, Washington
The defense ministers of France and the United States agreed Sunday on “concrete steps” to intensify cooperation against the Islamic State group, the Pentagon said.
US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and French Defense Minister Jean-Yves le Drian discussed by telephone the actions they are taking in response to Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris that killed at least 129 people.
“They agreed on concrete steps the US and French militaries should take to further intensify our close cooperation in prosecuting a sustained campaign against ISIL,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said.
Britain to boost spy agencies after Paris attacks
AFP, London
Britain is to recruit an extra 1,900 security and intelligence staff to counter the threat of terrorist violence following the deadly Paris attacks, British media reported on Monday.
The move would be “the biggest increase in British security spending since the 7/7 bombings in London” that killed dozens in 2005 and will be announced by Prime Minister David Cameron later on Monday, according to the Guardian.
US Navy ship visits China in wake of recent tensions
AP, Beijing
A U.S. Navy destroyer docked in Shanghai on Monday in a sign that contacts between the U.S. and Chinese militaries are continuing despite tensions over the South China Sea.
The visit by the USS Stethem follows Chinese protests over the sailing last month of the guided missile destroyer USS Lassen within 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) of disputed Subi Reef.
Abe sees ‘gradual improvement’ in China ties
AFP, Turkey
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has told the G20 summit of global leaders that he sees an overall improvement in relations with China, a spokesman said on Sunday, although sticking points remain around the East China and South China Seas.
China, the world’s second-largest economy, and Japan, the third-largest, have a difficult political history, with relations stained by the legacy of Japan’s World War Two aggression and conflicting claims over a group of East China Sea islets.
