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Denuclearization essential to any future U.S.-N. Korea talks: U.N.

Kyodo News InternationalJune 17, 2013 19:31

If senior level talks between Pyongyang and Washington were to be held -- as the North recently proposed -- then denuclearization must be a key component, a U.N. spokesman said Monday. "For any dialogue to be meaningful, it should be firmly anchored on the common goal of verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon's spokesman Eduardo Del Buey said.

Dominican merchants close key border market in protest over Haiti ban of poultry, egg imports

The Canadian PressJune 17, 2013 19:31

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Merchants in the Dominican Republic have shuttered a large border market in protest over neighbouring Haiti's ban on poultry and egg imports. The Dajabon market was closed Monday seeking to pressure Haiti to drop the ban. A Dominican board says the country sells about 25 million eggs and 8 million chickens to Haiti every month.

Ban to hold talks with Chinese leaders

Agence France-PresseJune 17, 2013 18:02

UN leader Ban Ki-moon will on Tuesday start talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing and diplomats say North Korea and Syria will top the agenda. Ban is to meet with President Xi Xinping and other top leaders during a three day stay in Beijing, said a UN spokesman. "He is going to be meeting the president, the premier, senior officials. He will be visiting a peacekeeping academy there," said deputy UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey. The spokesman refused to disclose the topics that Ban would discuss.

Cricket: Sri Lanka qualify for Champions Trophy semis

Agence France-PresseJune 17, 2013 17:33

Sri Lanka qualified for the Champions Trophy semi-finals with a 20-run victory over holders Australia in the last league match at the Oval in London on Monday. Sri Lanka made 253-8 after being sent in to bat and then bowled out Australia for 233 to join hosts England in the semi-finals from group A with four points each. However England topped the group due to a superior run-rate and will take on Group B runners-up South Africa in the first semi-final at the Oval on Wednesday.

Mali security forces detain children

Agence France-PresseJune 17, 2013 14:00

Mali security forces are detaining children they accuse of working with militant groups, a UN envoy said Monday. Leila Zerrougui, UN special representative on children in conflict, called for international pressure on the Mali government to stop detentions and the use of under-age soldiers in the country's conflict. "We continue to receive worrying information on children being detained by the Malian security forces for alleged association with armed groups," Zerrougui told a special UN Security Council meeting on children in conflict organized by Britain.

US firm contests Romanian rail freight sale bid

Agence France-PresseJune 17, 2013 14:00

OnmiTRAX, a private US rail firm, on Monday slammed the sale of Romania's rail freight operator as "non transparent" and called for an extension of the deadline. "OnmniTRAX emphasises non transparent aspects of the process and a privatisation calendar which did not allow bidders to submit legitimate bids because it only allowed one week to conduct due diligence on over 10,000 documents," the company said in press release.

New Catholic church to open as symbol of inter-Korean peace

Yonhap News AgencyJune 17, 2013 08:30

SEOUL, June 17 (Yonhap) -- A new Catholic church will open next week in a South Korean border city to become a symbol of inter-Korean reconciliation and peace, church officials said Monday. The dedication ceremony for the "church of repentance and atonement" will be on June 25 when the Korean War broke out in 1950, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea said. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice.

Rival parties voice caution over N.K. dialogue offer

Yonhap News AgencyJune 17, 2013 08:00

SEOUL, June 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's rival political parties expressed caution Monday over North Korea's recent proposal for high-level talks with the United States, saying the South should not be left out of the picture. The North's proposal came Sunday, five days after its planned high-level talks with Seoul broke down due to a dispute over the rank of the chief delegate from each side. Pyongyang proposed the two sides discuss security and nuclear issues. However, Washington urged the communist nation to first live up to its denuclearization commitments.

China and North Korea to hold talks this week

Agence France-PresseJune 17, 2013 07:31

China will hold talks with North Korea this week, Beijing said Monday, amid ongoing tensions on the Korean peninsula over the North's nuclear programme. Chinese vice foreign minister Zhang Yesui will meet North Korean first vice foreign minister Kim Gye-Kwan in Beijing on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing.

N. Korea should aim at denuclearization with sincerity: Suga

Kyodo News InternationalJune 17, 2013 02:31

A day after North Korea called for unconditional high-level dialogue with the United States, the Japanese government's top spokesman said Pyongyang should first show a willingness to discuss denuclearization. "We do not speculate what North Korea's intentions are but any dialogue should lead to denuclearization, and North Korea should first show its sincere attitude toward denuclearization," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said during a press conference on Monday.