WSJ.com What's News - Worldwide News Briefs For Aug 17

ISLAMIC STATE CLAIMS DEADLY BARCELONA ATTACK; TWO ARRESTED

Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack in which a terrorist plowed a van into pedestrians in the heart of Spain's second-largest city on Thursday, killing at least 13 people, Catalonia's interior minister said.

DESPITE GROWTH, MANY IN EUROPE STILL LACK STEADY JOBS

In many corners of Europe, the recession cost millions their jobs and, since then, many have remained unemployed with little hope of finding new ones, despite an economic turnaround.

SAUDI ARABIA CALLS UP PRIVATE PLANES TO FLY QATARI PILGRIMS TO MECCA

Saudi Arabia's king has ordered private planes to ferry in Qatari pilgrims for the hajj to Mecca this month, as Riyadh tries to contain diplomatic fallout in the Muslim world from its decision to cut ties with Doha.

SUSPECTED ISLAMIC STATE SUICIDE BOMBER IN GAZA KILLS HAMAS SECURITY GUARD

A suspected Islamic State extremist killed a Palestinian security guard in a suicide attack near a crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, the first bombing by jihadists against Hamas, at a time of shifting allegiances in the Middle East.

SOUTH KOREA LEADER: U.S. TO SEEK APPROVAL BEFORE ACTION AGAINST NORTH

South Korea's leader said President Donald Trump agreed to discuss options, including a U.S. military strike, with him before taking any action to rein in North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

HONG KONG PROTEST LEADER JOSHUA WONG SENTENCED TO SIX MONTHS IN JAIL

An icon of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement was effectively disqualified from running for political office for five years after being jailed over protests in 2014 that drew world-wide attention.

INDIA'S DEBT CRISIS EXPLAINED IN SIX CHARTS

India is taking a series of aggressive steps to reduce the mountain of bad debts weighing down its banks and threatening to derail the world's fastest-growing large economy. A look at the crisis in six charts.

CONFLICTING VIEWS MARK OPENING OF TALKS TO REMAKE NAFTA

The Trump administration launched the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement Wednesday by laying out a starkly different vision from that of its two continental trading partners of the pact's affects and how radically it should be rewritten.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 17, 2017 17:14 ET (21:14 GMT)