N. Korea marks military anniversary with firing drill Seoul, South Korea | AFP | Nuclear-armed North Korea on Tuesday marked a military anniversary with a massive conventional firing drill, Seoul said, as a US guided-missile submarine docked in South Korea amid tensions over Pyongyang’s weapons ambitions. Speculation had mounted that …
Read More »North Korea: ‘Trump administration is spouting a load of rubbish’
US supercarrier due in Sea of Japan ‘in days’: Pence Seoul, South Korea | AFP | The US supercarrier Carl Vinson will arrive in the Sea of Japan in days, Vice President Mike Pence said Saturday, after days of mixed messages from Washington over the warship’s whereabouts. The strike group was …
Read More »China seeks Russia’s help to ‘cool’ North Korea situation
Beijing, China | AFP | China is seeking Russia’s help to cool surging tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions, the country’s foreign minister has told his Moscow counterpart, after Beijing warned of possible conflict over North Korea. Fears over the North’s rogue weapons programme have soared in recent days, with a …
Read More »North Korea displays its submarine-launched ballistic missile
Kim oversees North Korea display of military strength Pyongyang, North Korea | AFP | North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un Saturday saluted as ranks of goose-stepping soldiers followed by tanks and other military hardware paraded in Pyongyang for a show of strength with tensions mounting over his nuclear ambitions. After inspecting …
Read More »Spotlight on China as North Korea prepares for war
China warns of war as North Korea vows ‘merciless’ response to US Beijing, China | AFP | China issued a stern warning Friday that a conflict over North Korea could break out “at any moment”, as Pyongyang vowed a “merciless” response to any US military action. Tensions in the region …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Unpredictable Trump unsettles China as N. Korea policy wobbles
Beijing, China | AFP | From Twitter threats to Tomahawk missiles, US president Donald Trump’s unorthodox and seemingly impulsive approach to foreign policy has unsettled China, piling new pressure on its hands-off North Korea policy. As tensions rise on the Korean peninsula, Beijing appears alarmed by Trump’s strident pronouncements as …
Read More »US assessing ‘military options’ ahead of new North Korea nuke test
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States is assessing military options in response to North Korea’s weapons programs, a White House foreign policy advisor confirmed Friday, saying another provocative test was a question of “when” rather than “if.” As speculation mounted that Pyongyang is preparing to fire a …
Read More »North Korea leader oversees Special Forces Op as tensions soar
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has overseen a special forces commando operation, state media said Thursday, as tensions soar with Washington over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme. President Donald Trump has sent a naval “armada” to the Korean peninsula in a show of force, accompanied by a …
Read More »‘No risk’ in Benin after truck with chemical for nuclear production crashes
Paris, France | AFP | The French nuclear group Areva said Tuesday a truck carrying a chemical used in the uranium fuel process had tipped over in Benin, but there was “no risk” of contamination. The accident occurred in the West African country on Sunday near Dassa, about 200 kilometres …
Read More »China’s Xi calls for world without nuclear weapons
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a world without nuclear weapons at the UN on Wednesday and urged a multilateral system based on equality among nations large and small. His speech at the United Nations in Geneva came at the end of a diplomatic tour …
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