BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping hopes “smooth” talks between North Korea’s leader and the presidents of the United States and South Korea can produce progress toward Pyongyang’s denuclearization, according to state media.
Xi made the remarks during a meeting Monday with South Korea’s national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, who was in Beijing to brief Chinese leaders about his meetings with Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump last week.
Kim has agreed to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in late April in the Demilitarized Zone, while Trump and the North Korean leader could meet by the end of May.
“We expect a smooth DPRK-ROK summit and DPRK-US dialogue,” Xi said, using the acronyms for North Korea and South Korea, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Xi voiced hope that the talks will lead to “substantial progress” in the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and toward the normalization of relations between the countries involved.
The peninsula faces “an important opportunity for easing tension” and all sides should be “patient and cautious,” the Chinese leader said.
Xi said China is willing to work with the international community to promote Beijing’s “dual-track approach” along with “helpful proposals from all sides.”
China has called for a dual framework of committing to denuclearization while establishing a peace mechanism. It has also proposed a “suspension-for-suspension” plan in which the United States, South Korea and Japan freeze military drills in return for North Korea halting its nuclear and missile tests.
“As long as all parties can focus on the fundamental goal of denuclearization, peace and stability, the Korean peninsula will finally usher in the spring, when ice will thaw and flowers will bloom,” Xi said.
For his part, Chung thanked Xi for his “big role” in the diplomatic process that led to the “very positive changes.”
Beijing has played a key role in implementing UN sanctions on the North, which are believed to have put immense pressure on the country’s fragile economy.
China is North Korea’s only diplomatic ally and its most important trade partner.
Still, some in China are afraid the country, which hosted failed six-nation talks on the nuclear issue a decade ago, could be cut out of negotiations on denuclearising the Korean peninsula.
While Chung briefed Xi, South Korea sent the head of its National Intelligence Service, Suh Hoon, to Japan to meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Abe, a hawk on North Korea who also has tense relations with the South’s Moon, promised Tuesday to cooperate with Seoul as it embarks on the bilateral summit talks.
He reiterated that Japan also felt passionate about resolving the issue of the abductions of its citizens by Pyongyang.
North Korean agents kidnapped a number of ordinary Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s, in order to train its spies in the Japanese language and culture.
“With Japan, South Korea and the United States closely cooperating, I wish to put all my strength toward resolution of the nuclear issue, the missile issue and the abduction issue,” Abe said.
Chinese leader calls for ‘smooth’ Kim-Trump talks
Chinese leader calls for ‘smooth’ Kim-Trump talks
Serbian students protest at pro-government media ‘propaganda’
The nationwide wave of student-led protests against state corruption has raised pressure on the nationalist government of President Aleksandar Vucic
BELGRADE: Serbian demonstrators gathered for a rally outside a pro-government television channel on Saturday, branding it a “propaganda tool,” in the latest of nearly five months of mass protests.
Holding banners “Manipulator, not a journalist,” waving Serbian and university flags, and blowing whistles, student organizers called on citizens to join the demo in front of the offices of Informer, a television station with a tabloid newspaper of the same name.
“Informer has been spreading numerous lies and falsehoods for a long time,” said Bogdan Vucic, a student at the Belgrade Faculty of Political Science.
The nationwide wave of student-led protests against state corruption has raised pressure on the nationalist government of President Aleksandar Vucic.
It was sparked by the deadly collapse of a roof at a newly-renovated train station in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second city, in November.
Since the beginning of the protests, pro-government media have portrayed student demonstrators as “foreign agents,” alleging they are funded by the opposition and plotting a “coup d’etat.”
Bogdan Vucic said one of his student peers had become a target of both the Informer TV station and the tabloid.
“They have published information about his family that goes against the most basic standards of decency, not to mention journalistic ethics,” he said.
According to the Press Council — the regulatory body that monitors newspapers — Informer violated the Serbian journalists’ code of ethics 647 times in 2024.
Many newspapers and channels in Serbia are owned by people with close ties to the government and regularly echo its talking points.
Tabloid Kurir said students “terrorize Belgrade.” Informer alleged they are paid by US aid agency USAID and billionaire George Soros — a regular target of right-wing conspiracy theories.
Another pro-government broadcaster, Pink TV, branded the protest movement an uprising supported by Kosovo, which broke away from Serbia in 2008.
“Such narratives contribute to making students enemies of the state — it creates a violent atmosphere and divisions,” said Bogdan Vucic.
“That’s why we want to put an end to what we could call propaganda — very dirty propaganda.”
Informer is among the most widely-read newspapers in Serbia, with 57,028 copies printed daily. It is cheaper than its competitors at just 40 Serbian dinars ($0.36) a copy.
The group claims its TV channel is the “most watched among cable networks” in the country.
Like other pro-government outlets, Informer benefits from public funding — through advertising purchased by state operator Telekom Serbia — and exclusive interviews with the country’s leaders.
Meanwhile, “the situation for independent media in Serbia is increasingly dire,” to the point where they risk disappearing, said Slobodan Georgiev, news director of television channel NOVA S.
According to the media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, the majority of Serbian media derive their income from advertising and opaque public subsidies — both sources largely controlled by the ruling elite and dependent on the media groups’ political alignment.
“Advertisers close to the government, as well as state-owned companies, completely bypass independent media,” said Dragoljub Petrovic, editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Danas.
Critical media and journalists are subjected to various forms of pressure, including vindictive lawsuits, public insults, and being labelled traitors.
“Independent journalists face relentless pressure, including direct attacks from the head of state and leading figures of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party,” Georgiev said.
In early March, the president called a journalist who had covered the protests “an imbecile colluding with the demonstrators,” prompting dozens of reporters from southern Serbia to refuse to cover the president’s activities in protest.
On Wednesday, a television campaign aired on national television labelling journalists from two opposition-aligned networks — TV N1 and Georgiev’s TV Nova — “enemies of the state.”
“Unless there are real political changes in the coming years, it is likely that no media outlet will remain safe from the influence or control of President Aleksandar Vucic’s cabinet,” Georgiev told AFP.
Earlier this month students blocked the headquarters of Serbian national television (RTS) in Belgrade for a day, after one of its journalists referred to them as a “mob.”
To reach people in smaller towns across Serbia — where residents often rely on state-backed media that echo Vucic’s ruling party line — protesters have spent weeks criss-crossing the country on foot.
Contacted by AFP for comment, Informer’s editor-in-chief did not respond.
Shiite protesters clash with Nigerian military, police in Abuja
- Critics say Nigerian security forces have increasingly resorted to using force
- Police in a statement on Saturday accused the protesters of “a violent assault” on security personnel
ABUJA: Nigerian police said on Saturday they had come under intense gunfire a day earlier in a neighborhood of the capital, Abuja, during clashes between security forces and Shiite Muslim protesters that led to several reported deaths.
Nigeria has a history of deadly clashes between security forces and members of the banned Shiite Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), which advocates for the peaceful establishment of an Islamic state in Africa’s most populous nation.
On Friday, dozens of the group’s members marched in solidarity with Palestine, but violence broke out when they clashed with soldiers and police.
Critics say Nigerian security forces have increasingly resorted to using force, including live ammunition, to quell protests, and that this could radicalize groups like IMN.
Police in a statement on Saturday accused the protesters of “a violent assault” on security personnel armed with firearms and other lethal weapons in Abuja’s Wuse 2 neighborhood.
“Police and security personnel encountered intense gunfire from the attackers, resulting in the serious injury of three security operatives,” said Josephine Adeh, police spokesperson for Abuja.
One member of the security forces had died and 19 suspects had been arrested, he said.
Videos circulating on social media platform X showed protesters waving a Palestinian flag and throwing stones at an army vehicle, followed by the sound of gunfire.
Sidi Munir Sokoto, a senior IMN member blamed the military for the violence, saying the protest was peaceful. He put the death toll at five.
“This was the military. The (military) leadership must explain why this happened,” Sokoto said.
An army spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Isa Sanusi, head of Amnesty International Nigeria, called for an impartial investigation.
“The army used live ammunition on the protesters. It appears they approach IMN protesters always with the intent to kill,” Sanusi told Reuters, also putting the death toll at five.
India sends aid flights to quake-hit Myanmar
- Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing issued an exceptionally rare appeal for international aid
- Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said a C-130 military transport plane had been dispatched carrying hygiene kits, blankets, food parcels and other essentials
NEW DELHI: Indian aid flights began landing in Myanmar on Saturday, New Delhi’s foreign ministry said, a day after a powerful 7.7-magnitude caused widespread damage in its civil war-ravaged neighbor.
Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing issued an exceptionally rare appeal for international aid, indicating the severity of a calamity that has killed at least 694 people and injured 1,670 others.
Previous military regimes in the country have shunned foreign assistance even after major natural disasters.
Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said a C-130 military transport plane had been dispatched carrying hygiene kits, blankets, food parcels and other essentials.
“A search and rescue team and medical team is also accompanying this flight,” he added. “We will continue to monitor the developments and more aid will follow.”
Jaishankar’s ministry later shared photographs of the flight being unloaded after it landed in the commercial capital Yangon.
Two more Indian air force aircraft were being sent on Saturday carrying “80 search and rescue specialists” and a canine squad alongside more relief material, ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said.
A further two aircraft carrying a field hospital and medical personnel took off from Agra military base on Saturday for Naypyidaw, an Indian army official said during the ministry’s briefing.
Two Indian navy ships carrying more relief assistance material and personnel had already set sail from Port Blair for Yangon, an Indian navy official added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had spoken with Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar to give his “deep condolences at the loss of lives” in the earthquake.
“As a close friend and neighbor, India stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar in this difficult hour,” he wrote in a social media post.
Friday’s quake struck destroyed buildings, downed bridges, and buckled roads across swathes of Myanmar, with severe damage reported in the second-biggest city, Mandalay.
UN says funding cuts threaten health of 13 mn displaced
- Humanitarian organizations worldwide have been reeling
- “Without adequate resources, an estimated 12.8 million displaced people, including 6.3 million children, could be left without life-saving health interventions,” said Maina
GENEVA: Funding cuts are threatening the health of nearly 13 million displaced people, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR warned Friday, with the financial uncertainty already having an impact.
Humanitarian organizations worldwide have been reeling since US President Donald Trump returned to office in January, pushing an anti-refugee and anti-migrant agenda and immediately freezing most US foreign aid funding.
The United States has traditionally been UNHCR’s top donor, making up more than 40 percent of total contributions received.
“Without adequate resources, an estimated 12.8 million displaced people, including 6.3 million children, could be left without life-saving health interventions in 2025,” said UNHCR’s public health chief Allen Maina.
“The current humanitarian funding crisis, exacerbated by declining health spending in hosting countries, is affecting the scope and quality of public health and nutrition programs for refugees and host communities, disrupting access to essential services and increasing the risk of disease outbreaks, malnutrition, untreated chronic conditions and mental health issues.”
Citing examples of cutbacks, Maina said around a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh were facing a severe health crisis with funding freezes threatening access to medical services.
In Burundi, the suspension of nutrition programs in several camps means thousands of refugee children under five may not receive adequate treatment for malnutrition, he added.
And in the Democratic Republic of Congo, UNHCR’s 2025 health budget has been cut by 87 percent compared to 2024.
In the DRC, “the health consequences of funding cuts are expected to be devastating, putting over 520,000 refugees at heightened risk of infectious diseases and death,” said Maina.
And in Egypt, all UNHCR’s medical treatment for refugees has been suspended, except emergency life-saving procedures.
The estimate of 12.8 million displaced people potentially being left without health support was based on a survey by UNHCR’s health team of all the global operations where the agency has health programs.
UNHCR spokesman William Spindler said other traditional top donors were also reducing their funding.
Danish foreign minister scolds Trump administration for its criticism of Denmark and Greenland
- “Many accusations and many allegations have been made. And of course we are open to criticism,” Rasmussen said
- “But let me be completely honest: we do not appreciate the tone in which it is being delivered. This is not how you speak to your close allies”
NUUK, Greenland: The Danish foreign minister on Saturday scolded the Trump administration for its “tone” in criticizing Denmark and Greenland, saying his country is already investing more into Arctic security and remains open to more cooperation with the US
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, make the remarks in a video posted to social media after US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to the strategic island.
“Many accusations and many allegations have been made. And of course we are open to criticism,” Rasmussen said speaking in English. “But let me be completely honest: we do not appreciate the tone in which it is being delivered. This is not how you speak to your close allies. And I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies.”
Vance on Friday said Denmark has “underinvested” in Greenland’s security and demanded that Denmark change its approach as President Donald Trump pushes to take over the Danish territory.
Vance visited US troops on Pituffik Space Base on mineral-rich Greenland alongside his wife and other senior US officials for a trip that was ultimately scaled back after an uproar among Greenlanders and Danes who were not consulted about the original itinerary.
“Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance said Friday. “You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people. That has to change.”
Vance said the US has “no option” but to take a significant position to ensure the security of Greenland as he encouraged a push in Greenland for independence from Denmark.
“I think that they ultimately will partner with the United States,” Vance said. “We could make them much more secure. We could do a lot more protection. And I think they’d fare a lot better economically as well.”
The reaction by members of Greenland’s parliament and residents has rendered that unlikely, with anger erupting over the Trump administration’s attempts to annex the vast Arctic island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pushed back on Vance’s claim that Denmark isn’t doing enough for defense in the Arctic, calling her country “a good and strong ally.”
And Greenlandic lawmakers on Thursday agreed to form a new government, banding together to resist Trump’s overtures. Four of the five parties elected to Greenland’s parliament earlier this month have agreed to form a coalition that will have 23 of 31 seats in the legislature.
Hundreds of protesters demonstrated Saturday outside the US Embassy in the Danish capital Copenhagen with some lifting signs saying, “back off, USA” Danish broadcaster TV2 reported.
Løkke Rasmussen, in his video, reminded viewers of the 1951 defense agreement between Denmark and the United States. Since 1945, the American military presence in Greenland has decreased from thousands of soldiers over 17 bases and installations on the island, he said, to the remote Pituffik Space Base in the northwest with some 200 soldiers today.
The 1951 agreement “offers ample opportunity for the United States to have a much stronger military presence in Greenland,” the foreign minister said. “If that is what you wish, then let us discuss it.”
Løkke Rasmussen added that Denmark has increased its own investment into Arctic defense. In January, Denmark announced 14.6 billion Danish kroner ($2.1 billion) in financial commitments for Arctic security covering three new naval vessels, long-range drones and satellites.
