SEOUL: The United States and South Korea will stage about 10 naval exercises in coming months including one starting Sunday as a deterrent to North Korea, Seoul’’s defence ministry said Wednesday. On Tuesday the US and South Korean defence chiefs announced a major exercise from July 25-28 off the east coast of the peninsula, following the sinking of a South Korean warship that they blame on a North Korean torpedo. The two sides said the drill was the first in a series but gave no details. “Both sides will continue to conduct joint military exercises — approximately 10 times — in waters surrounding the peninsula for the next several months,” a defence ministry spokesman told media.
Written on July 21, 2010 | Posted in
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SEOUL: The United States may implement additional sanctions on North Korea in response to the sinking of a South Korean warship, South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said on Tuesday. “Considering the threat to the stability of the Korean peninsula from the Cheonan incident, the U.S. is considering additional sanctions against the North,” Yu said on local TV. The Security Council adopted resolution 1874, which cut offPyongyang’’s arms trade, last year, after the North’’s second nuclear test.
Written on July 20, 2010 | Posted in
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WASHINGTON: Pakistan believes that nuclear weapons are its “crown jewels” and a deterrent against India, a top US military official has said, even as he expressed deep concern over the safety of the nukes in the country. He said that Pakistan’s nuclear programme is different from those of Iran and North Korea because it makes ‘extraordinary efforts’ to protect its nuclear weapons while there’s no reason to trust those two countries. US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen’s statement at a public forum in Aspen, Colorado, follows a meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group in New Zealand last week where the United States, contrary to media speculations, did not raise a Chinese plan to build two nuclear reactors in Pakistan. “These are the most important weapons in the Pakistani arsenal. That is understood by the leadership, and they go to extraordinary efforts to protect and secure them. These are their crown jewels,” the admiral said. Resuming US-Pakistan relations that had ended in the 1990s also was important in light of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, he said. Admiral Mullen not only defended Pakistan’s efforts to protect its nuclear arsenal but also pointed out that the Pakistani programme aimed at deterring a perceived threat from India, unlike those of Iran and North Korea that Washington says would have destabilising affects around the world. “I have raised this issue with the Pakistani military since Day 1,” he said. “As much as we are focused on this (terrorism) threat — and the Pakistanis are more than they used to be – they see a threat in India and (having nuclear weapons) is their deterrent. They see this as a huge part of their national security.” As for efforts by Iran and North Korea to obtain nuclear weapons, Admiral Mullen described a different situation. “There isn’t any reason to trust (Iran),” he said. “There is an uncertainty associated with Iran that is very consistent with Iran for a long time.” North Korea’s desire for nuclear weapons and its increasing aggressiveness were cause for concern, the US military chief said, adding that he’d put North Korea “at the top of the list” of nuclear proliferation concerns. The Chinese plan for building two additional nuclear plants in Pakistan, however, was raised informally during the five-day NSG meeting but was not placed on the agenda, apparently because Beijing ignored all efforts to hold a public debate on this issue.
Written on July 1, 2010 | Posted in
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HUNTSVILLE: Europe and the United States tried Friday to bridge differences over how to sustain fragile global economic recovery and sought common ground on dealing with ballooning deficits. As the G8 summit of the world’’s major developed economies got underway in Canada, all eyes were on a potential clash between European leaders bent on slashing spending and a Washington fearful of stifling growth. Germany’’s Chancellor Angela Merkel showed her hand early, insisting members must move fast to cut soaring public deficits and ensure financial stability. But both she and US officials stressed this did not represent a split with the United States, and said both European and other G8 powers were looking for a balance between debt reduction and support for growth. “I have made it clear that we need sustainable growth and that growth and intelligent austerity measures don”t have to be contradictions,” Merkel said. “The discussion was not controversial, there was a lot of mutual understanding,” she told journalists after the first exchanges of the summit in an exclusive lakeside resort north of the Canadian city of Toronto. A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the meeting had gone well and that Merkel and US President Barack Obama had not fallen out over Germany’’s call for immediate fiscal tightening. “The president sees deficit reduction as part of a medium and long-term growth strategy. Coming to the G8 and G20 his main focus is these things are not exclusive,” the administration official told reporters. “Taking the steps necessary to sustain demand and the economic recovery that has begun is absolutely necessary. But also any kind of medium and long-term growth strategy has to incorporate fiscal consolidation,” he said. On Saturday, the talks are due to move onto international security problems. “The session tomorrow is going to focus on peace and security, Iran and North Korea will be discussed,” said another senior US official. “Tomorrow is also the day the president has bilateral meetings with South Korea in particular, so we expect it to be a topic of discussion with them, as well as with China and Japan the next day.” The leaders — from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States — held closed door talks at an exclusive lakeside resort among themselves and with a group of African leaders. Europe has been spooked by a sovereign debt crisis that has pushed some eurozone members such as Greece to the brink of default — threatening the stability of the euro and of some European financial institutions. Merkel has led the way in pushing for governments to rein in their record deficits, and has vowed to slash Germany’’s own spending by 80 billion euros (98 billion dollars) over the next four years. Britain’’s new government this week announced the biggest cuts in decades in an emergency budget aiming to cut its record deficit of 154.7 billion pounds (188 billion euros, 230 billion dollars) in the 2009-10 financial year. But some other capitals, including Washington, fear a dramatic attack on spending could undermine jobs, consumer demand and even the strength of the global recovery — threatening a “double dip” recession. In the city of Toronto around 2,000 protesters — a loose coalition of leftist activists and anarchists — faced off against riot police, but there was no serious violence and no more than a handful of arrests. Larger protests were planned for Saturday when delegates return to the city from the Huntsville resort to meet more world leaders under the auspices of the larger G20 group of developed and emerging economies. Canada has spent a billion dollars to secure the summit behind a ring of steel and police reinforcements, hoping to avoid a repeat of the large-scale street violence that has marred previous global meetings. Aside from moving closer to agreement on the economic challenge, the leaders announced a five-billion-dollar package of aid to help protect mothers in the developing world from illness. But activists derided the deal, accusing summit host Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada of trying to divert attention from a 20-billion-dollar shortfall in the delivery of aid promised at previous summits.
Written on June 26, 2010 | Posted in
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SEOUL: North Korea’’s ruling communist party will convene a meeting of party representatives in September to elect new leaders, Pyongyang’’s official media reported Saturday. The session would be “for electing its the party’’s highest leading body,” said an announcement carried by the North’’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It will be only the third such meeting of the ruling Workers” Party of Korea (WPK) since the communist state was founded in 1948 and would likely designate leader Kim Jong-Il’’s son as his political heir, analysts said. “The Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee decides to convene early in September, a conference of the WPK for electing its highest leading body,” agency said. “We are now faced with the sacred revolutionary tasks to develop the WPK into an eternal glorious party of North Korea’’s deceased founding father Kim Il-Sung and further increase its militant function and role to glorify the country as a great prosperous and powerful socialist nation,” it said.
Written on June 26, 2010 | Posted in
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DURBAN: Portugal qualified for the second round of the World Cup after battling to an ill-tempered 0-0 draw with five-time champions Brazil in their final Group G game on Friday. In a match that was hyped as a potential showcase for the “beautiful game”, there was not much samba on display with seven yellow cards brandished in the first-half alone and only a handful of decent attempts on goal. Brazil, who had already qualified for the last 16 after wins over North Korea and Ivory Coast, dominated possession and looked extremely solid at the back while Portugal looked over-reliant on captain Cristiano Ronaldo up front. Portugal, on a run of 17 matches without defeat, needed a draw to guarantee going through to the next round ahead of Ivory Coast and arguably had the best chance of a winner in the 60th minute. A storming run by Ronaldo had Lucio in all kinds of problems and the Brazil skipper was forced into clearing the ball across his own six-yard box into the path of Raul Meireles. But the Porto midfielder’’s close-range dink was tipped around the corner by Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar. Brazil dominated possession and wasted two excellent chances through Nilmar and Luis Fabiano in the first-half. In the 30th minute, Nilmar got in at the back post to direct a Fabiano cross at Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo, who did well to turn the ball onto the post and safety. Fabiano then fluffed a header nine minutes later, getting too much contact on a downward header which bounced wide from a deep Maicon cross. The industrious Dani Alves had the first attempt of the game, striking a 25-yard shot just wide after a good through ball from Julio Baptista, starting in place of suspended Brazilian playmaker Kaka. The Portuguese had to wait until the 14th minute to even get close to the Brazilian goal, Duda just failing to latch on to a good cross from Fabio Coentrao, who had the run of the left wing early on. The South Americans were seemingly happy to sit back and control the ball in the second period, under no real pressure from a muted Portugal attack. Ronaldo had an early free-kick deflected wide by Pepe and Simao, on as a replacement for Duda, had a smart shot saved by Cesar. In the 77th minute, Ronaldo got on the end of a Simao through-ball but blasted high and wide under pressure. Portugal keeper Eduardo was then on hand to palm away a late effort from replacement Ramires to save any blushes amid boos and whistles at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Written on June 25, 2010 | Posted in
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BEIJING: China said on Tuesday it was concerned about reports that a U.S. aircraft carrier may join a military exercise with South Korea amid a tense standoff with North Korea over the sinking of a warship from the South. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said he had seen the reports about the U.S. aircraft carrier joining the drill. “We”re extremely concerned about these reports and will closely follow developments,” he told a news conference. He said China was worried the show of naval force could unsettle the region. “Under current circumstances, all the parties concerned should exercise calm and restraint and do nothing to escalate tensions and harm the interests of countries in this region,” Qin said.
Written on June 22, 2010 | Posted in
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JOHANNESBURG: Three matches in football World Cup are scheduled today. Favorite of hundreds of thousands of soccer fans, the giant Brazil, will take on North Korea in first encounter. While five-time champions Brazil have won more titles than any country at football’s biggest showcase, North Korea haven’t played in the tournament in more than 40 years and their international isolation is about its only advantage ahead of Tuesday’s (today’s) match at Ellis Park. Côte d”Ivoire will face Portugal in second match of the day. Another match of the day to be played between New Zealand and Slovakia in Group ‘F’.
CAPE TOWN: Holders Italy, written off at home as no-hopers to retain their world title and traditionally slow starters, are in danger of being caught napping by in-form Paraguay in their Group F opener on Monday (1830 GMT). Coach Marcello Lippi has kept faith with the bulk of the team that triumphed in Berlin four years ago but local media and Italian fans have not stopped complaining despite an unbeaten qualifying campaign. A draw with Switzerland and defeat by Mexico in warm-up games added fuel to the fire and with Lippi seemingly still unsure about his first-choice lineup there is a real fear his team could be caught out. With subsequent games against New Zealand and Slovakia it remains unthinkable the four-times champions could fail to advance but the Azzurri seem to be putting their faith in past pedigree rather than current talent. “We have our traditions, our characteristics. If we put our army on the field we can compete with everyone,” said captain Fabio Cannavaro, outstanding in the 2006 campaign but at 36 now looking past his sell-by date. “The coach is trying lots of things and he will decide the best team for us but it’’s right for a coach to try things. Right now we don”t know what he”ll do.” All that experimentation means few observers in Italy have a clue about Lippi’’s likely side for Monday. Midfielder Andrea Pirlo is out with a calf injury for the first two games while Daniele del Rossi missed Friday’’s 6-0 thrashing of the Gauteng All Stars with a similar problem. STRIKE THREAT Antonio Di Natale, with 29 goals for Udinese as Serie A’’s top scorer this season, and Alberto Gilardino should carry the strike threat and the vastly experienced Lippi, unsurprisingly, is not concerned by the critics. “No team comes to the World Cup knowing exactly what they can do, you grow through the tournament,” he said. That is something Paraguay rarely have the luxury of experiencing having never got past the second round in their seven finals appearances, falling at the first hurdle four times. This time, though, confidence is high after ain impressive qualifying campaign in which they finished second and beat Brazil and Argentina along the way. Despite losing their main striker in qualifying, Salvador Cabanas, after he was shot in the head in Mexico City, they have maintained that form in warm-ups, drawing with Ivory Coast, losing narrowly to Ireland and beating North Korea and Greece. Roque Santa Cruz remains their key striker, despite barely getting a game in the Premier League with Manchester City, but there is serious concern over fellow forward Oscar Cardozo. The Benfica striker, who was joint top scorer in the Portuguese league this season as his club won the title, has an ankle injury and is almost certain to miss Monday’’s game. Coach Gerardo Martino has a ready-made replacement in tall Argentina-born Borussia Dortmund striker Lucas Barrios, who has a Paraguayan mother and has scored three goals in three games since becoming eligible to play for the country. Despite Paraguay’’s previous failures there is a real optimism about this campaign and a draw against Italy would be seen as the ideal start ahead of two winnable matches. “I”m happy to start against Italy, I like the fact we”re not defining anything against them,” Martino told World Soccer magazine. “Whether the group turns out to be easy or difficult is up to us.”
Written on June 14, 2010 | Posted in
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SEOUL: North Korea on Saturday said it would launch “an all-out military strike” to destroy South Korea’’s means of conducting psychological warfare, including loudspeakers installed along the border.
Written on June 12, 2010 | Posted in
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