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 »A timeline of key events in the Kim assassination
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | The body of the assassinated half-brother of North Korea’s leader, which has been stored in a Malaysian morgue for more than six weeks, will be sent to Pyongyang under a deal announced Thursday. Kim Jong-Nam was poisoned with a lethal nerve agent in a brazen …
Read More »London, Paris, Seoul launch ‘name-and-shame’ polluting car index
Paris, France | AFP | The mayors of Paris, London and Seoul on Wednesday launched an initiative to rate the most polluting vehicles in a bid to keep them off the roads of their cities. The aim of the “Air’volution” scheme is to help drivers avoid buying the most harmful …
Read More »Samsung eyes rebound with Galaxy S8 phones, virtual assistant
New York, United States | AFP | Samsung on Wednesday unveiled its new Galaxy S8 smartphones, incorporating the virtual assistant Bixby, as the market leader seeks to rebound from a chaotic handset recall and a corruption scandal. The South Korean giant’s mobile chief DJ Koh told a New York event …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Pentagon says diplomacy has failed, considers N.Korea military action
Washington, United States | AFP | Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says diplomacy has failed and military action against nuclear-armed North Korea is an “option on the table,” and President Donald Trump insists a long-range nuke from Pyongyang “won’t happen.” While war with North Korea may be unlikely for now, …
Read More »China vows ‘resolute’ measures after US deploys THAAD
Beijing, China | AFP | China said Tuesday it would “resolutely” defend its security interests as the US began deploying the THAAD missile-defence system in South Korea that Beijing fears will undermine its own military capabilities. “We are firmly opposed to the deployment of THAAD in the Republic of Korea …
Read More »Malaysia expels North Korean ambassador Kang Chol
Key accusations levelled at Malaysia by N.Korea over Kim killing Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | Malaysia expelled North Korean ambassador Kang Chol on Saturday, giving him 48 hours to leave the country after Kuala Lumpur said Pyongyang had failed to offer an apology over accusations about the investigation into …
Read More »Women’s life expectancy on track to hit 90 in some nations
Paris, France | AFP | By 2030 life expectancy for South Korean women could top nine decades, an average lifespan long thought to be out of reach, researchers said Wednesday. South Korea is not only the first country in the world where women may live past 90 on average, it …
Read More »What poison could have killed Kim’s brother?
Paris, France | AFP | The assassination of the North Korean leader’s half-brother saw Kim Jong-Nam collapse shortly after two women shoved a cloth in his face. He died before reaching hospital. But what toxin could have acted so fast? Pierre Champy, a chemist at the French National Centre for …
Read More »South Korea’s Park pushes reform of single-term presidency
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Monday called for constitutional reforms that could allow future presidents to serve two terms — as she struggles with plunging popularity ratings and a widening corruption scandal. While its constitution grants enormous power to the executive, South Korea …
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