Tag: United States

US, South Korea begin largest-ever joint air drill

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — The US and South Korea on Monday kicked off their largest ever joint air exercise, an operation North Korea has labelled an “all-out provocation”, days after Pyongyang fired its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile. The five-day Vigilant Ace drill — involving 230 aircraft, including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters, and tens of thousands of troops — began Monday morning, Seoul’s air force said. Pyongyang over the weekend blasted the drill, […]

Korea tensions rise ahead of US-South Korea joint military drill

by Jim Mannion Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Tensions were on the rise Sunday ahead of the largest ever US-South Korea air exercise, with Pyongyang calling it an “all-out provocation” that could lead to nuclear conflict as a US lawmaker warned of a growing likelihood of “preemptive war” on the divided peninsula. The five-day Vigilant Ace drill — involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters — begins Monday, five […]

Europe in reach of N. Korea missiles: France

PARIS, France (AFP) — Europe, like the United States, is now in reach of North Korea’s ballistic missiles, French Defense Minister Florence Parly warned Thursday. The regime’s test of its third intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday is “a demonstration of (Pyongyang’s) rising power” Parly told BFM television. “Europe like the United States is certainly within reach of these launches,” she said, adding that “few Western cities” would be out of range. An initial assessment by […]

US threatens to ‘utterly destroy’ N. Korea regime

by Carole Landry and Park Chan-Kyong in Seoul Agence France Presse UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The United States on Wednesday warned that North Korea’s leadership will be “utterly destroyed” if war breaks out as it called on countries to cut all diplomatic and trade ties with North Korea — including Chinese oil shipments to Pyongyang. Washington urged tough action at an emergency meeting of the Security Council called to respond to North Korea’s […]

Snapchat redesign keeps it personal

SAN FRANCISCO, United States(AFP) – Snapchat on Wednesday unveiled a redesign intended to rev up use of the image-sharing smartphone application by focusing on personal interests instead of what friends post. Parent company Snap has promised the redesign in a bid to make Snapchat more user-friendly in the face of competition from rival messaging apps, especially those fielded by leading social networking Facebook. Snap changes included separate streams for posts or messages from close friends versus […]

China hits back at ‘irresponsible remarks’ by Australia in foreign policy white paper

BEIJING, China (Reuters) — China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang on Thursday (November 23) hit back at Australia over its criticisms of China in a foreign policy white paper. Australia called on Thursday on the United States to build a strong presence in Asia and bolster ties with “like-minded” partners while warning against China’s rising influence. A more insular United States would be detrimental to the liberal nature of the world’s “rules-based order,” the government […]

Australia warns of China’s rise, urges US to hold fort in Asia

CANBERRA, Australia (Reuters) — Australia called on Thursday (November 23) on the United States to build a strong presence in Asia and bolster ties with “like-minded” partners while warning against China’s rising influence. A more insular United States would be detrimental to the liberal nature of the world’s “rules-based order”, the government said in a 115-page foreign policy white paper. The white paper is a guide for Australian diplomacy and provides a roadmap for advancing […]

North Korea: Terror relisting “disgraceful behavior” by Trump

Reuters — North Korea denounced on Wednesday (November 22) United States President Donald Trump’s decision to relist it as a state sponsor of terrorism, calling it a “serious provocation and violent infringement,” North Korean state media reported. Trump put North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday (November 20), a designation that allows the US to impose more sanctions and risks inflaming tension over North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile […]

Russia again vetoes bid to renew Syria gas attacks probe

by Carole LANDRY Agence France-Presse UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) – Russia on Friday cast a second veto in as many days at the UN Security Council to block the renewal of a UN-led investigation to identify the perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. A draft resolution put forward by Japan would have extended the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) for 30 days to allow time for negotiations on a wider compromise. But Russia used its veto […]

China stands by its N. Korea plan, contradicting Trump

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China denied Thursday that it has abandoned its long-standing proposal to ease the North Korean nuclear crisis after US President Donald Trump suggested Beijing had agreed to drop the policy. Beijing has long campaigned for a “dual track approach” in which the United States would halt military drills in the region while North Korea would freeze its weapons programmes. But Trump suggested Wednesday following his five-nation trip to Asia, which included […]

Japan, US stage naval drill amid N. Korea tension

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan and the United States launched a joint naval drill Thursday in a show of force aimed at North Korea, whose nuclear ambitions dominated US President Donald Trump’s recent Asia trip. The 10-day exercise, joined by some 14,000 US servicemen, aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the guided-missile destroyers USS Stethem, USS Chafee and USS Mustin, among others, “will take place in waters surrounding Okinawa” in southern Japan, the US navy […]

Palace releases PHL-US joint statement on Duterte-Trump bilaterals; South China Sea, North Korea, human rights discussed

  (Eagle News) — Malacanang released the Philippine-US joint statement on the bilateral meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Philippine President and current ASEAN chair Rodrigo Duterte which mentioned all the important points discussed by the two leaders including freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, the North Korea nuclear threat, the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar, as well as the drug war and the human rights issues. There was a “broad range […]