UAE ends N. Korea diplomatic mission

Dubai: The United Arab Emirates said on Thursday it was ending the mission of North Korea’s non-resident ambassador and terminating its own envoy’s services in Pyongyang, the foreign ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency WAM. The UAE would also stop issuing new visas or company licences to North Korean citizens, WAM added. Several thousand North Korean workers reside in the U.S-allied Gulf region, mainly working on construction sites. “The measures... come within the context of its obligation as a responsible member of the international community to strengthen the international will and to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons and missile programs”, the ministry said. US President Donald Trump urged UN member states last month to turn up the pressure on North to give up its nuclear weapons. — Reuters