Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea defended its right to take “tough counter-measures” in response to what it called US aggression, after firing a ballistic missile over Japan which sparked fear and fury in Tokyo Tuesday. The test launch by the nuclear-armed nation was seen as a major escalation …
Read More »North Korea does it again, fires ballistic missile over Japan
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | Nuclear-armed North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday in a major escalation that triggered global alarm and a furious response from the government in Tokyo. A visibly unsettled Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said it was an “unprecedented, serious and …
Read More »India says military stand-off with China ends
New Delhi, India | AFP | India said Monday it had agreed with China to end a months-long military stand-off at a strategically important disputed area in the Himalayas and troops were disengaging. The foreign ministry said it had reached an “understanding” after talks with Beijing about the tense confrontation in …
Read More »Tillerson keeps distance from Trump’s race row stance
Washington, United States | AFP | Secretary of State Rex Tillerson defended American values on Sunday after a UN panel criticized the official response to racist violence — but conspicuously declined to speak for President Donald Trump. Trump triggered outrage earlier this month when he suggested both sides were at …
Read More »Libya crisis affecting fight against people smuggling
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | President Omar al-Bashir said on Sunday that the crisis in neighbouring Libya has impacted Sudan, with human traffickers using the East African country’s territories to commit “cross-border crimes”. Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting UN-backed Libyan premier Fayez al-Sarraj, Bashir also said security …
Read More »African, EU leaders meet for migration summit
Paris, France | AFP | Leaders from seven African and European countries meet in Paris on Monday for a mini-summit to discuss how to ease the EU’s migrant crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron has invited his counterparts from Niger and Chad as well as the head of the Libyan unity …
Read More »China urges halt to US-S.Korea military drills
Beijing, China | AFP | China on Monday renewed its call for the United States and South Korea to suspend joint military drills as the two nations began annual war games that have infuriated nuclear-armed Pyongyang. “The current situation on the Korean peninsula is highly sensitive and fragile, which requires the …
Read More »Saudi says Qatar blocks planes from transporting pilgrims
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Qatar has blocked Saudi planes from transporting hajj pilgrims, Saudi state media said Sunday, after Riyadh reopened the border despite a major diplomatic crisis roiling the Gulf. Riyadh last week reopened its land border with Qatar and allocated seven flights of the Saudi national carrier …
Read More »Zimbabwe First Lady flies home, leaving S. Africa assault case
ALERT: South Africa granted diplomatic immunity to Grace Mugabe Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s first lady Grace Mugabe flew home from South Africa on Sunday, state media said, ending a week of confusion over her whereabouts after she allegedly assaulted a model. Mugabe, who had been sought by police for …
Read More »China’s solar panels shine spotlight on North Korea trade
Dandong, CHINA | AFP | Traders from North Korea visit Yuan Huan’s shop in the Chinese border city of Dandong several times a month to place orders, bringing their own translators and wads of cash. Yuan, manager of Sangle Solar Power, said sales to North Koreans have soared in the past …
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