Tag: Nuclear

NATO warns N. Korea military action would have ‘devastating consequences’

by Damon Wake Agence France-Presse BRUSSELS, Belgium – Military intervention against North Korea would have “devastating consequences,” NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Friday, after US President Donald Trump said diplomatic efforts had failed. Tensions over North Korea’s weapons programs have soared in recent months, with Pyongyang launching a flurry of missiles and conducting its sixth and most powerful nuclear test last month in defiance of international sanctions. Trump’s continued threats of military action against Pyongyang to tame its […]

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Trump to make decision on Iran deal in ‘coming days’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump will reveal his decision on the future of the Iran nuclear deal in the coming days, the White House said Thursday. “The president is going to make an announcement about the decision that he’s made on a comprehensive strategy that his team supports, and we’ll do that in the coming days,” said Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Flying in the face of advice from some of his closest […]

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Tillerson in China to pile pressure on North Korea

BEIJING, China (AFP) — United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Beijing on Saturday to discuss efforts to curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and prepare President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to China. Tillerson was scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping after talks with top diplomat Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, ahead of Trump’s trip in November. The visit comes as relations between the two superpowers appear to be improving after […]

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Seesaw US-China ties on an upswing as Trump plans trip

by Francesco Fontemaggi Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The often difficult relations between the world’s greatest powers, China and the United States, appear to be improving again as the pair work to resolve the North Korea nuclear stand-off. Washington, and in particular US President Donald Trump, have until very recently been critical of Beijing’s cautious approach to its belligerent and nuclear-armed neighbor. But, with a new round of UN-backed sanctions in place, […]

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Trump Twitter tirades deepen Asia alarm over conflict risk

  by Kelly Macnamara Agence France Presse SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Donald Trump may have stumbled into dangerous new territory with tweets that North Korea interpreted as a declaration of war, alarming a region used to living on the edge but now seriously considering the possibility of conflict. Observers say the US president’s fondness for Twitter diplomacy is creating a situation ripe for dangerous misunderstandings as he pursues an increasingly personal row with Kim […]

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North Korea says Trump has declared war

by Carole Landry Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — North Korea’s foreign minister on Monday accused United States President Donald Trump of declaring war against his country and said Pyongyang was ready to defend itself by shooting down US bombers. The White House dismissed the claim as “absurd.” Speaking to reporters outside his New York hotel, Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho responded to Trump, who had warned on Twitter at the weekend that […]

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US, N. Korea brinksmanship brings warning of ‘unpredictable nosedive’

by Jim Mannion Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Spiking nuclear tensions between the United States and North Korea showed little sign of abating Sunday as Russia warned of a “very unpredictable nosedive” if Washington does not ease up on its fiery war of words with Pyongyang. US bombers and fighter escorts flew off the coast of North Korea on Saturday and US President Donald Trump took to Twitter with verbal threats as […]

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China experts say 3.4-quake hits N.Korea in ‘suspected explosion’

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s seismic service CENC on Saturday detected a zero-depth, 3.4-magnitude earthquake in North Korea, calling it a “suspected explosion”. The epicenter is roughly the same as that of a previous shallow earthquake on September 3, which turned out to be caused by a North Korean nuclear test, the official Xinhua news agency said. The earthquake comes after days of increasingly bellicose rhetoric between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader […]

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Vicious sanctions will only speed up nuclear program: N. Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea bitterly denounced new sanctions on its economy as “vicious, unethical and inhumane” and warned the measures would only accelerate progress on its nuclear weapons program, state media reported Monday. The angry statement from Pyongyang’s foreign ministry came as the crisis surrounding the reclusive state was set to dominate the annual UN gathering of world leaders. The UN Security Council last week imposed a new raft of sanctions on […]

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US flies bombers over Korean peninsula for drill: Seoul

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — The US flew four stealth fighter jets and two bombers over the Korean peninsula on Monday in a show of force after North Korea’s latest nuclear and missile tests, South Korea’s defense ministry said. Four F-35B stealth fighters and two B-1B bombers flew over the peninsula to “demonstrate the deterrence capability of the US-South Korea alliance against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” the ministry said in a statement. They were the first flights since the North conducted its […]

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Security Council to hold emergency meeting Friday on N. Korea missile launch

  UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Friday concerning North Korea’s latest missile launch over Japan, the council presidency announced. The United States and Japan requested the meeting, which will be held at 3 pm (1900 GMT), according to the Ethopian council presidency. The meeting will be closed-door, diplomats said. Pyongyang’s latest launch comes after the Security Council imposed an eighth set of sanctions on North […]

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Tillerson calls on China to use oil as leverage over N. Korea

LONDON, United States (AFP) — United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday urged China to use the oil it supplies to North Korea as leverage to pressure the isolated nation into reconsidering its nuclear program. The United Nations Security Council unanimously imposed on Monday an eighth set of sanctions on North Korea after its latest nuclear test, banning it from trading in textiles and restricting oil imports. Washington had called for tougher restrictions, […]

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