Nation & World Glance
Trump open to U.S.NKorea talks ‘under right circumstances’
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump threw his weight behind the Olympics-inspired diplomatic opening with North Korea, telling South Korea’s leader Wednesday that the U.S. was open to talks with Kim Jong-Un’s government under the right circumstances.
A White House statement said Trump and South Korea’s President Moon Jaein still underscored the importance of continuing the “maximum pressure” campaign against North Korea over its development of nuclear weapons — the U.S.led barrage of international sanctions that is starting to bite the North’s meager economy.
But South Korea’s presidential office also said Trump told Moon to let North Korea understand that there will be no military action of any kind while the two Koreas continue to hold dialogue, the Yonhap news agency reported. On Tuesday, the two Koreas held their first talks in two years and agreed on the North’s participation in the Winter Olympics being held in the South next month.
The prospects of resolving decades-old tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula remain deeply uncertain. North Korea has shown no willingness to discuss its nuclear weapons which pose an emerging threat to the American mainland, and it has stuck to its tough stance toward Washington while it tries to woo the South. The newspaper of the ruling party on Tuesday called Trump a “lunatic” and said the U.S. needs to accept that North Korea is now a nuclear power.
But the thaw between North and South, which have also restored a military hotline, provides a diplomatic opening after months of escalating tensions.
Threats against superintendent follow teacher’s rough arrest
ABBEVILLE, La. — A Louisiana school superintendent complained of obscenities and death threats directed at himself, his family and staff on Wednesday after a teacher who questioned his pay raise was roughly handcuffed at a school board meeting and taken to jail.
Superintendent Jerome Puyau said the hate emails and phone calls began pouring into the Vermilion Parish School District soon after videos spread of the arrest of teacher Deyshia Hargrave, whose ouster from the meeting and subsequent arrest shocked the audience and prompted outrage online.
“I’ve stopped reading them because they’re just so bad and disgusting,” Puyau said, at times struggling to compose himself in an interview with The Associated Press. He said the school system offices went into temporary lockdown, and his daughters had to delete threats in their social media.
The turmoil follows the board’s 5-3 vote Monday night approving a new 3-year contract raising Puyau’s salary by roughly $30,000, to about $140,000 annually, with incentive targets that could add 3 percent per year.
He said the raise matches what other school officials make in similar jobs.
Russian gains in Syria threatened by series of rebel attacks
MOSCOW — Just weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared victory in Syria, Russian military outposts in the country have come under rebel attacks that are challenging Moscow’s gains.
Russian bases located in Syrian President Bashar Assad’s Alawite heartland had been immune to rebel raids ever since Moscow launched its campaign in Syria in September 2015. But a series of drone attacks and mortar and rocket shelling in recent days has broken the calm.
The incursions have raised doubts both about the sustainability of the Assad government’s recent victories and Moscow’s ability to protect its assets in the country.
Issa will not seek re-election after serving ninth term
WASHINGTON — Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California announced Wednesday he will not seek re-election after serving out his ninth term in Congress.
Issa’s decision continues a string of GOP lawmakers who have decided to retire rather than take on what would be a difficult re-election battle.
Democrats had made defeating Issa one of their top priorities in the midterm elections.
Issa represents a San Diego-area district and is the wealthiest member of Congress with a fortune estimated at more than $250 million. He won by about 1,600 votes in his last election and Democratic challengers have lined up to take him on in a midterm election that generally favors the party not in control of the White House.