SEOUL: North and South Korea held high-level talks Friday to discuss their ongoing efforts to improve ties ahead of a landmark meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.
The North-South discussions were originally scheduled for earlier this month but were abruptly called off by Pyongyang in response to a joint US-South Korea air force drill.
But a day after “Max Thunder” ended May 25, the North’s leader had a surprise summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the border truce village of Panmunjom — their second, following a historic first meeting in April.
“We will discuss ways to implement expediently and smoothly agreements reached by the two leaders,” the South’s Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon told journalists before leaving for Panmunjom for the talks.
He said the delegation would also try “to create positive atmosphere for a US-North Korea summit.”
Also, on the agenda are talks about how to relink cross-border railways and roads, and fielding a joint team for the Jakarta Asian Games in August.
The two Koreas formed the first-ever unified Korean Olympic team when they fielded a joint women’s ice hockey squad during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
The current rapprochement on the peninsula was triggered by the games, to which the North sent athletes, cheerleaders, and his sister as an envoy.
The high-level meeting comes as a flurry of diplomacy is under way to lay the groundwork for a historic summit between Kim and Trump.
Kim’s right-hand man, Kim Yong Chol, is set to deliver a personal letter from Kim to Trump following talks in New York with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, which made what the US diplomat called “real progress” toward the planned June 12 summit in Singapore.
Simultaneously, Kim met Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang and said the North’s “will for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula still remains unchanged and consistent and fixed,” the state-run KCNA news agency said.
Koreas hold high-level talks ahead of Trump-Kim summit
Koreas hold high-level talks ahead of Trump-Kim summit
Blinken to meet Europeans on Syria pathway
- Senior US diplomat Barbara Leaf met Sharaa last month and said that the United States was lifting a bounty that has been on its head
Blinken will “meet with European counterparts to advocate for a peaceful, inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition,” a State Department statement said as he visited Seoul on Monday.
The State Department did not immediately specify the participants.
Blinken, on a trip that will also take him to Japan and France, will later join President Joe Biden as he pays a farewell visit to Rome that includes an audience with Pope Francis.
Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar Assad in a lightning offensive last month after 13 years of brutal war.
Western powers have since been cautiously hoping for greater stability in Syria, a decade after the war triggered a major refugee crisis that shook up European politics.
The French and German foreign ministers on Friday visited Syria, although the trip was overshadowed when new leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa shook the hand only of France’s Jean-Noel Barrot, a man, and not Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, a woman.
Senior US diplomat Barbara Leaf met Sharaa last month and said that the United States was lifting a bounty that has been on its head.
She also welcomed “positive messages” he has made, including on protection of minorities, and said he had promised that Syria would not pose a threat to neighboring countries, as Israel pounds Syrian military sites.
The quiet financier: Daesh’s elusive strongman
- Abdul Qadir Mumin is believed to be already Daesh’s general directorate of provinces from Somalia
- Born in Puntland in Somalia’s northeast, Sheikh Mumin lived in Sweden before settling in England, where he acquired British nationality
- In London and Leicester, he built a reputation in the early 2000s as a fiery preacher in radical mosques, but also in online videos
PARIS: His orange henna-dyed beard and striking eyewear would make him easy to pick out in a crowd, but Abdul Qadir Mumin has remained elusive.
The Somalian leader of the Daesh group has in all likelihood risen to the status of strongman of the entire organization, even if he lacks the official title, analysts say.
While observers wonder who is behind Daesh-designated caliph Abou Hafs Al-Hachimi Al-Qourachi — the would-be leader of all Muslims — or whether such a person actually exists, Abdul Qadir Mumin may already be running Daesh’s general directorate of provinces from Somalia.
“He is the most important person, the most powerful one, he is the one controlling the global Islamic State network,” said Tore Hamming, at the International Center for the Study of Radicalization (ICSR).
In this opaque structure where the leaders get killed one by one by the United States, Mumin is among the few “senior guys who managed to stay alive the entire time until now, which does give him some status within the group,” Hamming told AFP.
A few months ago it was thought that an American strike had killed him. But since there was never any proof of his demise, he is considered to be alive and active.
“Somalia is important for financial reasons,” said Hamming. “We know that they send money to Congo, to Mozambique, to South Africa, to Yemen, to Afghanistan. So they have a good business model going.”
The transactions are so shadowy that even estimating the amounts is impossible — as is determining the exact routes the money takes from place to place.
Born in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland in Somalia’s northeast, Sheikh Mumin lived in Sweden before settling in England, where he acquired British nationality.
In London and Leicester, he built a reputation in the early 2000s as a fiery preacher in radical mosques, but also in online videos.
He is said to have burned his British passport upon his arrival in Somalia, where he quickly became a propagandist for the Al-Shabab group, linked to Al-Qaeda, before announcing his defection to Daesh (or Islamic State) in 2015.
“He controls a small territory but has a big appeal. He distributes volunteers and money,” said a European intelligence official, who declined to be named, claiming that a Daesh attack in May in Mozambique “was carried out by Maghreb and African militants.”
Mumin also finances the Ugandan rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) — affiliated with Daesh in the Democratic Republic of Congo — “who now number between 1,000 and 1,500,” the official said. With Mumin’s help, “they have recently turned to the jihad” seeking “radicalism, weapons, and funding.”
Some observers have described him as the caliph of the jihadist command structure. However, such an official designation would signal an ideological reversal for the group with deep roots in the Levant, the territory of the Daesh caliphate that lasted from 2014 to 2019 and spanned Iraq and Syria.
“That would create some kind of uproar within the community of supporters and sympathizers of Daesh,” said Hans-Jakob Schindler, director of the Counter-Extremism Project (CEP) think tank.
In theory, the caliph has to be an Arab from a tribe linked to the prophet. The supreme leader of a group so concerned with its ideological foundations “cannot be just any Somali with an orange beard,” Schindler told AFP.
Especially because leaders of operationally active Daesh affiliates, such as IS-K in Afghanistan or ISWAP in western Africa, could lay claim to the position.
While the Somalian does not meet traditional leadership criteria, his geographical location brings some advantages.
“The Horn of Africa may have offered welcome insulation from instability in the Levant and greater freedom of movement,” said CTC Sentinel, a publication on terrorism threats, at the West Point military academy.
“This profile of leadership parallels that of another jihadi leader — Osama bin Laden — who saw that funding his war was most central to winning it,” it said.
Mumin’s rise to the top, despite the small number of fighters under his command, also reflects two internal dynamics within Daesh.
The first, said Hamming, is that “the caliph is no longer the most important person in the Islamic State.”
And the second is that Daesh eeeeeis indeed pursuing a gradual strategic shift toward Africa.
“Ninety percent of violent images on jihad consumed in Europe come from Africa,” said the European intelligence official.
Nonetheless, the organization’s leadership remains centralized in the Middle East, wrote CTC Sentinel.
“In this sense, much is business as usual,” it said.
As he prepares to leave office, Biden urges incoming Democratic lawmakers to reach across the aisle
- “You don’t have to give up your principles to build relationships,” Biden said
- The new slate of roughly 30 Democratic lawmakers arrive prepared to be in the minority in the executive and legislative branches
WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden on Sunday called on incoming Democratic lawmakers who will govern in the minority to always be mindful of other people’s perspectives — even when they may be wrong.
At a reception meant to welcome new, mostly young, Democratic lawmakers to Washington, the nation’s oldest and outgoing Democratic president — reflective as he shared some war stories of his past and pointed to challenges ahead — urged the new generation of legislators to listen and work across the aisle.
“We don’t do that anymore,” he said in the White House State Room. “The single greatest loss we have is that we don’t know each other anymore.”
The new slate of roughly 30 Democratic lawmakers arrive prepared to be in the minority in the executive and legislative branches. Democrats faced a crushing loss in the 2024 general election — after Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris lost her bid for the presidency. Republicans also maintained control of the House in the November election and won a narrow majority in the Senate.
New incoming lawmakers on Sunday expressed hope they can make a difference.
California Rep. Sam Liccardo, a former San Jose mayor, told The Associated Press that while he expects limitations as a new Democratic member of Congress, he believes there will be opportunities to make change by focusing on common areas of agreement.
“I’m not expecting as a first-term member I will be the one to cut the deal on the border,” he said. “On the other hand, there are other issues like housing costs, low-income house tax credits, where there have been relative consensus to build a majority on.”
At the reception, Biden recalled his entry to Washington more than 50 years ago. He was just 29 when he was first elected to Congress in 1972, having ousted longtime incumbent Republican Caleb Boggs. At the time of his election, Biden didn’t meet the Senate’s minimum age requirement but turned 30 a couple of weeks after he won his race.
He talked about the importance of building relationships with lawmakers across the aisle. “You don’t have to give up your principles to build relationships,” Biden said.
He also talked about the challenges the US faces internationally and domestically. “We’re in an entirely new era, everything has changed. Our safety depends on who our partners are and who our allies are.”
New Democratic Arizona Rep. Yassamin Ansari, speaking on CNN on Sunday, said she’s hopeful to work on issues like housing affordability, climate issues and reproductive freedom. “These are issues that young people have said loud and clear are important to them.” “And I think, some of these issues, we can also work on in a bipartisan way.”
And while new Rep. Adam Gray, D-Calif., was elected to office, his district also voted for Trump over Harris by five points.
“I think what Americans want to see is border security,” Gray told CNN, “Obviously, the last Congress wasn’t serious enough, which is why the American people sent me here and sent a strong message that they want change. Status quo is not going to do it.”
Liccardo said Biden’s past experience shows that “he appreciates the importance of the passage of the torch.” The Sunday event “is an opportunity for him to bless and share a moment with the next generation of leaders in the country.”
Canada PM Trudeau to announce resignation as early as Monday: reports
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce as early as Monday that he will resign as Liberal Party Leader, The Globe and Mail reported on Sunday, citing three sources.
The sources told the Globe and Mail that they don’t know definitely when Trudeau will announce his plans to leave but said they expect it will happen before a key national caucus meeting on Wednesday.
The Canadian prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
It remains unclear whether Trudeau will leave immediately or stay on as prime minister until a new leader is selected, the report added.
Trudeau took over as Liberal leader in 2013 when the party was in deep trouble and had been reduced to third place in the House of Commons for the first time.
Trudeau’s departure would leave the party without a permanent head at a time when polls show the Liberals will badly lose to the Conservatives in an election that must be held by late October.
His resignation is likely to spur fresh calls for a quick election to put in place a government able to deal with the administration of President-elect Donald Trump for the next four years.
The prime minister has discussed with Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc whether he would be willing to step in as interim leader and prime minister, one source told the newspaper, adding that this would be unworkable if LeBlanc plans to run for the leadership.
Heaviest snowfall in a decade possible as wintry blast roils parts of US
- Studies show a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its icy grip
A blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures stirred up dangerous travel conditions in parts of the central US on Sunday, as a disruptive winter storm brought the possibility of the “heaviest snowfall in a decade” to some areas.
Snow and ice blanketed major roadways in nearly all of Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the state’s National Guard was activated to help any motorists who were stuck. At least 8 inches of snow were expected, particularly north of Interstate 70, as the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Kansas and Missouri, where blizzard conditions brought wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour (72.42 kilometers per hour). The warning extended to New Jersey for Monday and into early Tuesday.
“For locations in this region that receive the highest snow totals, it may be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade,” the weather service said early Sunday.
About 63 million people in the US were under some kind of winter weather advisory, watch or warning on Sunday, according to Bob Oravec with the National Weather Service.
Gary Wright wore a parka as he chipped away at a thick coating of ice on his SUV Sunday in a slippery apartment parking lot in mid-Missouri. He said he will work remotely for the University of Missouri-Columbia on Monday, but wanted to scrape off his vehicle as an excuse to spend a little time in the snow. He’s also in the market for boots for his two older dogs, who “won’t budge at all” when their paws hit the cold ground.
The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole. People in the US, Europe and Asia experience its intense cold when the vortex escapes and stretches south.
Studies show a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its icy grip.
Snow and ice in the forecast, and even possible tornadoes
In Indiana, snow fully covered portions of Interstate 64, Interstate 69 and US Route 41, prompting Indiana State Police to plead with motorists to stay off the roads as plows worked to keep up with the pace of the precipitation.
“It’s snowing so hard, the snow plows go through and then within a half hour the roadways are completely covered again,” Sgt. Todd Ringle said.
A section of I-70 was closed in central Kansas by Saturday afternoon. Roughly 10 inches (25 centimeters) of snow had fallen in parts of the state, with snow and sleet totals predicted to top 14 inches for parts of Kansas and northern Missouri.
In Kentucky, Louisville recorded 7.7 inches (19.5 cm) of snow on Sunday, a new record for the date that shattered the previous mark of 3 inches (7.6 cm) set in 1910. Lexington, Kentucky, also set a snowfall record, with 5 inches (12.7 cm).
Parts of upstate New York saw 3 feet (0.9 meters) or more of snow from a lake effect event expected to last until late Sunday afternoon.
The storm was forecast to move into the Ohio Valley and reach the Mid-Atlantic states later Sunday and into Monday, with a hard freeze expected as far south as Florida.
Damaging winds brought down trees across the Deep South. The weather service issued tornado warnings Sunday in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Car wrecks proliferate as storm hits
The weather service warned that road travel could be “very difficult to impossible.”
By Sunday, hundreds of car accidents had been reported in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky, where a state trooper was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after his patrol car was hit on Interstate 65. At least 600 motorists were stranded in Missouri, that state’s highway patrol said.
Highways in northeastern Kansas were closed due to “impassable” conditions, according to the state’s Transportation Department. The closures included roughly 220 miles (354 kilometers) of the state’s main artery, Interstate 70, from the Missouri border into central Kansas.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who declared a state emergency ahead of the storm, said state buildings would be closed Monday.
“We see far too many wrecks out there for people that do not have to be on the roads, so I want to ask: Stay inside. Stay safe with your family,” the governor said.
Virginia State Police reported at least 135 crashes as the storm entered the state Sunday. A handful of injuries were reported, but no fatalities.
Air and rail travel also snarled
The storms also caused havoc for the nation’s railways, leading to numerous cancelations. More than 20 cancelations were planned on Sunday, 40 for Monday and at least two for Tuesday.
“If local authorities are telling people not to travel, it’s counterintuitive to try to run a full slate of services when people are being told to stay home,” Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari said.
The Midwest was hit especially hard. A train between Chicago and New York and several regional trains between Chicago and St. Louis were among those canceled Sunday.
Nearly 200 flights in and out of St. Louis Lambert International Airport were canceled, according to tracking platform FlightAware.
Temperatures dip, though no records break
Starting Monday, the eastern two-thirds of the country will experience dangerous, bone-chilling cold and wind chills, forecasters said. Temperatures could be 12 to 25 degrees (7 to 14 degrees Celsius) below normal.
In Chicago on Sunday, temperatures hovered in the teens (minus 7 to 10 Celsius) and around zero in Minneapolis, while dropping to 11 below in International Falls, Minnesota, on the Canadian border.
The Northeastern states are more likely to experience several days of cold following what has mostly been a mild start to winter, said Jon Palmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine. A plume of cold air coming down from Canada is likely to result in a cold but dry week, he said.
The cold air will likely grip the eastern half of the country as far south as Georgia, Palmer said, with parts of the East Coast experiencing freezing temperatures and lows dipping into the single digits in some areas.
Wind might also pick up as the week gets going, making for potentially dangerous conditions for people exposed to the elements for long periods of time, Palmer said.
Disruptions extend southward
The National Weather Service predicted 8 to 12 inches (about 20 to 30 centimeters) of snow for the Annapolis, Maryland, area, with temperatures remaining below freezing throughout the weekend.
In a statement on X, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Friday ahead of the storm and encouraged residents to vote before the state’s special elections on Tuesday.
Similar declarations were issued in Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, West Virginia and in central Illinois cities.
Classes canceled
School closings were likely to be widespread Monday. Districts in Indiana, Maryland, Virginia and Kentucky were already announcing cancelations and delays on Sunday afternoon.
Kentucky’s Jefferson County Public Schools canceled classes, extracurricular activities and athletics Monday for its nearly 100,000 students. The day would have been students’ first one back after winter break.
“This is a traditional snow day with no online learning,” the district announced.
