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by Sunghee Hwang SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Nuclear-armed North Korea is advancing on the front lines of cyberwarfare, analysts say, stealing billions of dollars and presenting a clearer and more present danger than its banned weapons programmes. Pyongyang is under multiple international sanctions over its atomic bomb and ballistic missile programmes, which have seen rapid progress under North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. But while the world’s diplomatic focus has been on its nuclear […]
TRIPOLI, Libya (AFP) — Libya’s coastguard on Sunday warned against “illegal” fishing in its waters, denying Italian claims it had wounded a fisherman as it fired shots during an operation against four boats from Sicily. Citing “repeated, documented violations”, the coastguard said that on Thursday morning it had “received reports that four Italian fishing vessels were heading from southern Italy” into Libyan waters. The coastguard despatched a patrol to intercept and inspect the boats to […]
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed agreements Saturday to improve ties, after months of strained relations between the close allies over the disputed region of Kashmir. Although the kingdom was the first foreign country Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan visited after his 2018 election, Riyadh appeared frustrated with Islamabad last year. And while the wealthy nation has supported Pakistan with billions of dollars in aid and loans in recent years, observers […]
NAQURA, Lebanon (AFP) — Lebanon and Israel held US-mediated negotiations over their disputed maritime border on Tuesday after a months-long hiatus, in efforts to clear the way for offshore oil and gas exploration. The five-hour indirect talks, between countries still technically at war, were held at the UN base in the town of Naqura in southern Lebanon, the National News Agency (NNA) said. Washington said Friday they were to be brokered by US diplomat John […]
by Neil SANDS WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — New Zealand’s differences with China on human rights are becoming “harder to reconcile”, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday, after Wellington faced criticism for failing to challenge its largest trading partner. Ardern’s government has taken flak over its meek criticisms of China’s rights record, leading to accusations New Zealand is a weak link in the US-led Five Eyes intelligence network. In a speech at a China Business […]
DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Saudi Arabia’s King Salman invited Qatar’s ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to visit the kingdom, the emir’s office said Monday, the latest sign of improving relations between the former rivals. Riyadh and allies broke off ties with Qatar in June 2017 over claims it was too close to Iran and backed radical Islamist groups, allegations Qatar has always denied. But in January, the boycotting countries agreed to reestablish ties […]
MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — The Philippine coast guard is conducting drills in the South China Sea which an official said Sunday were part of efforts to secure “our maritime jurisdiction” over the disputed waters. The exercises near the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island and China-controlled Scarborough Shoal come amid heightened tensions over the resource-rich sea. The latest diplomatic wrangle between the two countries was triggered by the detection last month of hundreds of Chinese vessels […]
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Myanmar’s military must restore democracy and stop the violence against citizens, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said after crisis talks with junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and Southeast Asian leaders Saturday. The strongly worded comments followed a meeting in Jakarta of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was the senior Myanmar general’s first foreign trip since security forces staged a coup that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi […]
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Southeast Asian leaders will hold Myanmar crisis talks Saturday with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing who has become the focus of international outrage over a military coup and crackdown that has left more than 700 dead. The senior general was expected at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Indonesia’s capital, marking his first foreign trip since security forces staged a coup that ousted civilian leader Aung San […]
by Nina LARSON GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — After an international mission to China turned up more questions than answers about the pandemic origins, the WHO is evaluating how to move forward through a diplomatic quagmire to solve the mystery. Determining how the virus that causes Covid-19 first began spreading among humans is seen as vital to preventing future outbreaks. But a long-delayed report, drafted by the team of international experts sent to Wuhan at the […]
MOSCOW, Russia(AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin will on April 22 address an international climate summit hosted by the United States, the Kremlin said Monday, despite a sharp deterioration in ties between Moscow and Western capitals. “Vladimir Putin will outline Russia’s approaches within the context of establishing broad-ranging international cooperation aimed at overcoming the negative consequences of global climate change,” the Kremlin said in a statement. © Agence France-Presse
by Shaun TANDON Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden on Friday welcomed Japan’s prime minister as his first guest, pledging a united front faced with a rising China and greater cooperation on 5G technology and climate change. Waiting nearly three months for his first summit due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Biden told Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga that Japan had “our iron-clad support” on security issues and beyond. “We’re […]
