Reuters: U.S.-led meeting urges North Korea pressure despite North-South detente
VANCOUVER (Reuters) - The world needs to step up pressure on North Korea to force it to abandon its nuclear weapons program and should not be fooled by a charm offensive in engaging South Korea, participants at a 20-nation meeting on North Korea said on Tuesday.
“We must increase the costs of the regime’s behavior to the point that North Korea must come to the table for credible negotiations,” U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told the one-day meeting he is co-hosting with Canada in Vancouver.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has refused to give up development of nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States in spite of increasingly severe U.N. sanctions, raising fears of a new war on the Korean peninsula.
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MIDDLE EAST
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ASIA
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Afghan president meets UN Security Council, calls for more pressure on Pakistan.
North Korea missile launch alert sent by Japanese broadcaster NHK in error.
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South Korea refuses to send back 12 North Korean defectors.
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China races to tackle expanding oil spill after tanker sinks, fearing major environmental catastrophe.
China reprimands companies calling Tibet and Taiwan independent.
Duterte denies ordering shutdown of news site Rappler.
India ends government subsidies for Hajj pilgrimage.
AFRICA
Sisi: Egypt does not want war with Sudan and Ethiopia.
Sisi vows to protect Egypt's Nile use.
Senegal: Army targets rebel hideouts in Casamance region.
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Former DR Congo army chief accused of coup bid held in Gabon.
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Nigeria releases Boko Haram suspects after rehabilitation.
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EUROPE
Donald Tusk: EU's 'heart still open to UK' over Brexit.
Czech government loses confidence vote in parliament.
'Iranian spies' targeted in German police searches.
Refugee numbers in Germany dropped dramatically in 2017.
France will not allow another refugee camp in Calais, says Macron.
EU: Serbia, Montenegro 'could join in 2025'.
Danish police charge young people for sharing video of teens having sex following Facebook tip-off.
EU to remove Panama, Korea, UAE, 5 others from tax haven blacklist.
AMERICAS
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Venezuela President orders hate crime probe for 2 Bishops.
Colombian suspension bridge collapse kills nine workers, injured five.
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TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR
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Pakistan releases pro-Taliban leader Sufi Muhammad.
ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS
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China Development Bank commits $250bn to Belt and Road.
McDonald's aims for fully recycled packaging by 2025.
BP's Deepwater Horizon bill tops $65bn.
