Tag: United States

US wants diplomatic end to N. Korea crisis: Mattis

NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — The United States wants a diplomatic solution to the escalating nuclear crisis with North Korea, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Tuesday, toning down the shrill rhetoric between the two countries. “We maintain the capability to deter North Korea’s most dangerous threats but also to back up our diplomats in a manner that keeps this as long as possible in the diplomatic realm,” he said in New Delhi after talks with […]

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 […]

US strikes IS camp in Libya, killing 17: official

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US forces carried out six “precision air strikes” against an Islamic State camp in Libya, killing 17 people, the US Africa Command said Sunday. The command said the air strikes were conducted on Friday, in coordination with Libya’s Government of National Accord.

North Korea quake not a nuclear test, say China experts

BEIJING, China (AFP) — A shallow 3.5-magnitude earthquake which hit North Korea near the country’s nuclear test site on Saturday was not the result of a fresh nuclear test, China’s seismic service said, after initially reporting a “suspected explosion.” The China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) said in a statement late Saturday that study of infrasonic data determined “the incident is not a nuclear explosion, but had the nature of a natural earthquake.” The Chinese Academy […]

Front row for N. Korea, beef for lunch: a look at the UN gathering

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) – It’s been dubbed the Super Bowl of diplomacy, the Oscars of world statesmanship: the UN General Assembly kicks off on Tuesday with US President Donald Trump in the spotlight as he makes his first address to the 193-nation body. Here are a few fun facts about this year’s gathering: Who’s coming There are 90 heads of state, five vice presidents, 39 heads of government, three deputy prime ministers and 52 ministers. At […]

N. Korea “has Guam in mind” — Japan minister

  TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s defense minister said Friday he believed North Korea “has Guam in mind” after its most recent missile launch, noting it had sufficient range to hit the United States territory. Pyongyang has threatened the US Pacific territory with “enveloping fire,” sparking dire warnings from US President Donald Trump. Itsunori Onodera told reporters that Friday’s missile, which overflew Japanese territory, flew 3,700 kilometers — “long enough to cover Guam,” which is 3,400 […]

N. Korean group demands US be reduced to “ashes and darkness,” Japan be “sunken into sea”

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — A North Korean organization demanded Thursday that the United States be “beaten to death” like a “rabid dog” for spearheading fresh United Nations sanctions on Pyongyang over its latest nuclear test, adding ally Japan should be “sunken into the sea.” The UN Security Council unanimously imposed an eighth set of sanctions on the North Monday, banning it from trading in textiles and restricting its oil imports, a week after Pyongyang […]

Economic cost of Harvey, Irma could be $290 billion

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The combined economic cost of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma could reach $290 billion, equivalent to 1.5 percent of the US gross domestic product, US forecaster AccuWeather said in a report Sunday. “We believe the damage estimate from Irma to be about $100 billion, among the costliest hurricanes of all time,” said the firm’s CEO and founder Joel Myers. Harvey, which battered Texas and parts of Louisiana in late August, […]

Tennis: Healthy year bigger prize for Nadal than US Open crown

by Jim SLATER Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — World number one Rafael Nadal, nagged for years by knee injuries but enjoying a stellar season, already has a prize more treasured than another Grand Slam title — a healthy campaign chasing them. The 31-year-old Spaniard, who ousted Juan Martin del Potro on Friday to reach Sunday’s US Open final, said the year he has enjoyed has brought a happiness no Slam crown can match after past […]

Xi tells Trump Beijing firm on N. Korea denuclearization, talks

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s President Xi Jinping told Donald Trump Wednesday that Beijing remains committed to denuclearizing North Korea as the United States president warned again that any Pyongyang threat would trigger an “overwhelming” response. In a phone call with Trump, Xi also said China remains firm in its wish to resolve the issue through talks leading to a peaceful settlement, state news agency Xinhua reported, as tensions soared over North Korea’s pursuit of […]

Germany, France, Italy seek tougher EU sanctions on N. Korea

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Germany, Italy and France on Sunday urged tougher European Union sanctions against North Korea, after Pyongyang “reached a new dimension of provocation” with its latest nuclear test. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed during a phone call “that North Korea has trampled on international law and that the international community must therefore react with determination against this new escalation,” the chancellery said in a statement. Both leaders […]

North Korea ‘explosion’ points to 6th nuclear test; USGS record 6.3 magnitude tremor in test site

by Sebastien Berger Agence France Presse   SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea appeared to carry out a sixth nuclear test Sunday, with seismic monitors measuring an “explosion” of 6.3 magnitude near its main test site, sending tensions over its weapons ambitions to new heights. The apparent test came just hours after it claimed to have developed a hydrogen bomb that could be loaded into the country’s new intercontinental ballistic missile. The South’s Joint […]