Koreas OK deal to reconnect railways
‘US on offensive’
SEOUL, Oct 15, (Agencies): North and South Korea agreed on Monday to begin reconnecting rail and road links, another step in an improving relationship that has raised US concern about the possible undermining of its bid to press the North to give up its nuclear programme.
The agreement on transport links came during talks in the border village of Panmunjom aimed at following up on the third summit this year between South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, last month.
“The South and North reached the agreement after sincerely discussing action plans to develop inter-Korean relations to a new, higher stage,” said a joint statement released by the South’s Unification Ministry.
They agreed to hold ceremonies in late November or early December to inaugurate work on reconnecting the railways and roads that have been cut since the 1950-53 Korean War.
They also agreed to discuss late this month a plan to pursue a bid to co-host the 2032 Olympic Games.
‘Pope wishes to visit NKorea’:
The head of South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party of Korea Lee Hae-chan said he had heard that the Pope wishes to visit North Korea next spring, Yonhap news agency reported on Monday.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in is visiting Europe and is expected to pass on to the Vatican North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s wish to meet Pope Francis. South Korea’s presidential office said that wish was expressed during a meeting last month.
Taiwan invites pope:
Kim
Taiwan has invited Pope Francis to visit the island in a move aimed at deepening ties with the Vatican after the Holy See signed a historic deal with Beijing.
Vice-president Chen Chien-jen made the invitation during an audience with the pope ahead of the canonisation of Pope John Paul VI on Sunday, Taiwan’s presidential office said in a statement.
Pope Francis asked Chen to send his greetings to President Tsai Ingwen and “indicated that he would pray for Taiwan”, the statement added.
In footage aired on local TV, Chen told reporters that the pope “smiled” when he was invited to visit Taiwan. The presidential office said they had no further detail on his response to the invitation.
China slams US arms sales:
China accused the United States on Sunday of going on the offensive by sending US Navy vessels into the South China Sea and described US arms sales to Taiwan as interference in Chinese internal affairs.
“It’s not Chinese warships that are going to the coast of California or to the Gulf of Mexico. It’s so close to the Chinese islands and it is so close to the Chinese coast. So who is on the offensive, who is on the defensive? This is very clear,” Ambassador Cui Tiankai told the “Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace” program, apparently referring to a US destroyer sailing near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Sept 30.
Huarong ex-chairman expelled:
The former chairman of China Huarong Asset Management Co Ltd, Lai Xiaomin, has been expelled from the Communist Party and will be prosecuted for suspected corruption, China’s top anti-graft agency said on Monday.
Lai, one of the most senior executives to be brought to book in China’s anti-corruption campaign, was accused of a long list of wrongdoings, from cronyism and taking bribes, to the embezzlement of public property, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a statement on its website.
China punishes blogger:
Chinese authorities detained a blogger for five days for “being disrespectful to the national anthem”, police in the city of Shanghai said.
Last year, China introduced a law mandating up to 15 days in police detention for those who mock the “March of the Volunteers” national anthem.
In a video circulating online, 20-year-old blogger Yang Kaili was shown humming marching music before she started to recite the first line of the national anthem while waving her hands as if conducting an orchestra. She then greeted her audience with: “Hello, good evening, comrades.”