News | 7 November 2017

Trump calls for total boycott of N Korea +++ Afghan station stormed by gunmen +++ Yemen ‘faces humanitarian catastrophe’

Trump calls for total boycott of N Korea +++ Afghan station stormed by gunmen +++ Yemen ‘faces humanitarian catastrophe’ +++Ten arrested in French-Swiss terror raids +++ Communists mark Russia’s Bolshevik revolution +++ EU Commissioner calls for tax haven blacklist +++ Delhi chokes in smog +++ Berlusconi bloc wins in Sicily +++ Floods devastate south Vietnam +++ The weather

8. Dezember 2017, 02:00

News | 7 November 2017

Joanna King

Trump calls for total boycott of N Korea

United States president Donald Trump on his first official trip to South Korea has called on all countries to stop trading with North Korea, to pressure Pyongyang to end its illegal nuclear programme. Trump, speaking alongside South Korean president Moon Jae-in, said North Korea was a threat to the whole world: “North Korea is a worldwide threat. We call on all responsible nations, including China and Russia, to demand that the North Korean regime end its nuclear weapons and its missile programmes.” Current UN sanctions don’t prohibit all business with Pyongyang.

Afghan station stormed by gunmen

A major private television station in the Afghan capital, Kabul, has been stormed by gunmen. Broadcasts have resumed after security forces regained control at the Shamshad station building. The number of casualties in the attack is unclear.

Yemen ‘faces humanitarian catastrophe’

The head of the UN World Food Programme, David Beasley, has warned that Yemen faces one of the most devastating humanitarian catastrophes in decades, unless Saudi Arabia ends soon a blockade of air, sea and land access. The Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen has ordered the temporary closure of the country’s borders to try to stop the flow of arms to its opponents.

Ten arrested in French-Swiss terror raids

French officials say ten people suspected of using encrypted social networks to prepare a possible terror attack have been arrested in France and Switzerland. They said searches are still underway in the Paris suburbs and in southeastern France.

Communists mark Russia’s Bolshevik revolution

Russia is holding low key events to mark the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. The Communist party, now in opposition is holding a march and rally in Moscow to celebrate the armed uprising led by Lenin. There are no special events at the Kremlin.

EU Commissioner calls for tax haven blacklist

European Union tax commissioner Pierre Moscovici has called for agreement on a blacklist of tax havens, as revelations continue of tax avoidance and evasion by wealthy individuals and institutions from the leaked documents known as the Paradise Papers. EU finance ministers have brought forward a discussion on publishing a blacklist, following the latest disclosures.

Delhi chokes in smog

The Indian capital Delhi has declared a public health emergency, with air pollution 200 times over safe levels in some areas. Local officials have urged the authorities to close schools. The severity of the smog has led to major flight delays.

Berlusconi bloc wins in Sicily

The rightist bloc backed by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi has claimed victory in regional elections in Sicily, beating the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, with the centre left third. The vote is seen as an important test ahead of national elections due by next May.

Floods devastate south Vietnam

Officials in Vietnam say the death toll from a typhoon and widespread flooding, has risen to 69 with 30 still missing. They said tens of thousands of homes have been damaged along Vietnam’s south-central coast.