NORTH KOREA’S KIM CONCLUDES VISIT TO CHINA WITH SHOW OF LOYALTY TO ALLY

BEIJING: Kim Jong Un concluded a two-day visit to China on Wednesday, where he declared North Korea’s unstinting “friendship” with Beijing in a show of loyalty to his main ally following a summit with US President

Donald Trump. It was Kim’s third official visit to China, designed to reassure Beijing that Pyongyang will not neglect its interests as Trump and the young autocrat move into uncharted diplomatic terrain. The performance is part of a delicate balancing act for Kim. China and the US both hope to see the Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons. But Beijing is concerned Washington and Pyongyang might move closer at its expense, a possibility that China sees as threatening to its interests in the region. AGENCIES

Russia: US plans for space force herald new arms race

MOSCOW: The Russian foreign ministry has expressed concern about US plans to create a separate space force, saying that taking weapons into space could trigger a new arms race. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the move appears to signal Washington’s intention to deploy weapons in space. She warned that the militarisation of space “could be fraught with consequences no less harmful than the nuclear arms race”.

Yemen progovt forces seize Hodeida airport

AP KHOKHA: Yemeni forces seized Hodeida airport on Wednesday in a major step towards retaking the rebel-held port city after a week of fighting that has left nearly 350 people dead. Fresh clashes later erupted between Uaebacked government forces and the Iran-allied rebels on a road linking the airport to Hodeida port on the Red Sea coast, a Yemeni army source said.

Israel strikes Hamas after rocket attacks from Gaza

JERUSALEM: Israeli warplanes struck Hamas positions in Gaza after Palestinian militants there fired dozens of rockets and mortars at southern communities on Wednesday, the military said. The Palestinian fire came hours after the Israeli military said it struck Hamas infrastructure in response to “arson balloons” launched from Gaza into Israel. AP

More than 190 missing in Indonesia ferry disaster

SIMALUNGUN: More than 190 passengers are missing after a ferry sank into the depths of a volcanic lake in Indonesia, police said on Wednesday, almost tripling initial estimates — but the search-and-rescue agency cautioned it was still unclear how many people were aboard the vessel when it capsized. The wooden boat, which sank Monday on Sumatra’s Lake Toba, a popular tourist destination, was thought to be operating illegally, with no manifest or passenger tickets. AGENCIES