Asia

China says US tariffs ‘a serious attack’ on global trade system

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China on Friday denounced US tariffs on aluminum and steel imports, saying that they would profoundly harm the international trade environment. The US’ “abuse” of national security concerns as a reason for implementing the measures will lead to “a serious attack on normal international trade order”, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its website, adding that “China is firmly opposed.” US President Donald Trump officially implemented the measures […]

Japan PM hails N. Korea talks on basis of denuclearization

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s prime minister on Friday welcomed the surprise announcement of a summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un by May. “I highly appreciate North Korea’s change that it will begin talks on the premise of denuclearization,” Shinzo Abe said, adding that he planned to visit the United States to meet Trump “as early as April”. Japan has been cautious about a recent Olympics-driven rapprochement on the […]

Kim and Trump to meet by May: South Korea

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) —  North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump have agreed to meet to secure a deal to remove nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula, the US and South Korean officials said Thursday “I told President Trump that at our meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he’s committed to denuclearization,” said South Korean National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong, who came to Washington after talks in Pyongyang. “Kim pledged […]

Japan PM urges caution on N.Korea talks, wants ‘concrete steps’

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s prime minister warned Thursday that North Korea’s offer of denuclearization talks with the United States could be a ploy to play for time and stressed the need for Pyongyang to take “concrete” steps. In his first public comments since an apparent diplomatic breakthrough between North and South Korea, Shinzo Abe said that talking for the sake of talking was “meaningless.” “I’ve repeatedly said that we have to create a situation […]

North Korea talks offer a defining challenge for Trump

  by Andrew Beatty Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)  —  North Korea’s surprise offer of nuclear talks has thrown Donald Trump the biggest global challenge of his administration — and prompted a rare show of restraint from the usually outspoken president. Perched in the Oval Office, the 71-year-old president was uncharacteristically cautious. “I don’t want to talk so much about things that we don’t know yet,” he said, holding out for clarity about […]

S. Korea’s Moon: ‘too early to be optimistic’ on North

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday it was “too early to be optimistic” about the North’s offer to discuss denuclearisation with the United States. “We are only at the starting line,” Moon told political party leaders after his envoys revealed Kim Jong Un’s offer following their return from a historic trip to Pyongyang. © Agence France-Presse

US finds North Korea killed Kim brother with VX agent

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States formally concluded Tuesday that North Korea ordered the murder of a half-brother and potential rival to ruler Kim Jong-Un with the banned VX nerve agent. “This public display of contempt for universal norms against chemical weapons use further demonstrates the reckless nature of North Korea and underscores that we cannot afford to tolerate a North Korean WMD program of any kind,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. […]

Strikes hit Syria’s battered Ghouta as death toll hits 800

by Hasan Mohammed Agence France Presse DOUMA, Syria (AFP) — Heavy air strikes and clashes shook the Syrian rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta ahead of an urgent UN Security Council meeting Wednesday on the escalating violence. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 805 civilians — including at least 178 children — have been killed since Russia-backed regime forces launched an assault on the besieged enclave outside Damascus on February 18. Russia suffered its own […]

Trump hails ‘very positive’ North Korea offer of talks

by Andrew Beatty, with Jung Hawon in Seoul Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump Tuesday welcomed North Korea’s breakthrough offer of denuclearization talks as positive — and apparently sincere — saying the standoff over Pyongyang’s weapons drive would not be allowed to “fester.” Seoul earlier announced the two Koreas would hold a historic summit in the Demilitarized Zone next month — and that the North’s leader Kim Jong Un […]

Trump welcomes North and South Korea summit plans, N. Korea’s readiness to denuclearize

by Jung Hawon with Andrew Beatty in Washington Agence France-Presse SEOUL, South Korea – North and South Korea will hold a historic summit in the Demilitarized Zone next month after Pyongyang expressed willingness to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees, South Korea’s national security adviser said Tuesday. The North is open to “frank” talks with the United States on denuclearization and would suspend missile and nuclear tests while dialogue was under way, Chung […]

Watch: N. Korea’s Kim Jong-Un meets with Seoul envoys for possible inter-Korean summit

https://youtu.be/FmVfNmJKEMA SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un discussed a possible summit with envoys from the South’s President Moon Jae-in, both sides said Tuesday, in the latest step of an Olympics-driven rapprochement on the divided peninsula. The delegation from Seoul is the most senior to travel North for more than a decade, and comes as Moon tries to broker talks between nuclear-armed Pyongyang and Washington after months of high tensions. The […]

Two Koreas to hold summit, Pyongyang offers nuke deal: Seoul

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North and South Korea have agreed to hold a summit at their heavily armed border next month, with Pyongyang saying it would consider abandoning nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees, Seoul said Tuesday. If confirmed by Pyongyang, the offer would mark the first time under the current leadership the North had declared itself willing to discuss conditions under which it might consider giving up its nuclear arsenal -– […]