Washington / AFP With five days to go until the election and time running out to sway undecided voters, President Barack Obama is stumping for Hillary Clinton on Thursday in the bitterly contested must-win state of Florida. Republican Donald Trump will hold a rival rally in the city of Jacksonville just hours before Obama’s event, highlighting both candidates’ laser …

  Manila / AFP An influential leader of the Philippines’ decades-long Muslim separatist insurgency voiced support on Thursday for peace efforts after rebellion charges against him were suspended and he held a surprise meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte. Moro National Liberation Front founder Nur Misuari was flown on a government-commissioned plane more than 900 kilometres (550 miles) from his southern …

  Seoul / AFP A snowballing political scandal moved closer to embattled South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Thursday, with her newly nominated prime minister warning she could face a probe, hours after prosecutors detained a former presidential aide. Ahn Jong-Beom was taken into custody late Wednesday over suspicions he helped Park’s friend Choi Soon-Sil coerce companies into donating large sums …