News Story: ASEAN-Plus defense ministers to discuss terrorism, drug trafficking in Philippines

MANILA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and eight dialogue partners will convene in the Philippines next month to discuss fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and maritime conflicts, the Philippine defense chief said on Thursday.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that ministers will also discuss ways to mitigate climate change and cushion its impact on the region.

"We are going to have some statements with ASEAN countries but we are also having dialogues with our eight other dialogue partners," Lorenzana told reporters.

He described the forthcoming high-level security meeting, dubbed the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), as "a huge conference" that is hoped to address issues that threaten peace and security of the region.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Latest US Sanctions on North Korea Will Result in Full Trade Embargo

Eunjung Cho, Jenny Lee

WASHINGTON — The latest executive order signed by President Donald Trump would, in effect, amount to a full trade and financial embargo, squeezing all the revenue channels North Korea maintains to finance its weapons programs, a former senior counterterrorism official said.

On Sept. 21, less than two weeks after the U.N. Security Council approved new sanctions, Trump turned up the heat on the Kim Jong Un regime with an executive order that widens U.S. authority to sanction any bank and company that finance or facilitate trade with the communist country or any individual involved in the North Korean industries, ports and trade.

“To prevent sanctions evasion, the order also includes measures designed to disrupt critical North Korean shipping and trade networks,” said Trump, in reference to a 180-day ban on ships that have visited North Korea or have been involved in a ship-to-ship transfer with a vessel that has visited North Korea from entering the United States. “For much too long, North Korea has been allowed to abuse the international financial system to facilitate funding for its nuclear weapons and missile programs.”

News Report: War of Words Impedes Complex North Korea Diplomatic Challenge

Brian Padden

SEOUL — The provocative rhetoric between U.S. President Donald Trump and the North Korean leadership is adding to an already growing sense of pessimism that peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is possible.

President Trump said Tuesday the use of military force would be “devastating for North Korea,” though it is not his “preferred option” to stop the Kim Jong Un government’s rapidly advancing nuclear and missile program.

The leaders of the U.S. and North Korea have exchanged not only threats of military retribution, but also derisive personal insults, with Trump calling the North Korean leader “little rocket man” and Kim calling the U.S. president a “dotard,” an archaic English word meaning old and senile.

News Story: Ghani, Mattis And Stoltenberg Hold Closed Door Talks

President Ashraf Ghani held a joint press conference in Kabul on Wednesday with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Defense Secretary James Mattis after holding talks behind closed doors with the two leaders.

Both Mattis and Stoltenberg made an unannounced visit to Kabul and arrived early Wednesday morning.

Speaking at the press conference, it appeared that the three leaders had discussed a wide range of issues.

Taking to the podium, Ghani called on India, Russia and other countries in the region to come together to help mobilize against the fight against terrorism.

Ghani also said Afghanistan wants an Afghan-owned peace process and called on insurgents to join the peace process.

In addition he stated government had drawn up a four-year military plan that has been approved by NATO.

In turn Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary general, said: “We count on Afghan government to make good on its commitments on key reforms and that NATO supports peace.”

He said that “with NATO’s help, Afghan forces have come a very long way and we will continue to train, advise and assist” the Afghan security forces.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

Related Story:

• Mattis, Stoltenberg in Kabul to Meet Afghan Officials

News Report: North Korea Won't Be Recognized as Nuclear Power - Moscow

North Korea won't be recognized as a nuclear power by the international community, a Russian diplomat said, adding that the crisis on the Korean peninsula could be resolved only through political means.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The international community will not recognize North Korea as a nuclear state despite Pyongyang apparently has nuclear weapons, Mikhail Ulyanov, the Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control, said at a press conference in the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency on Tuesday.

Speaking on the ways to resolve the escalating crisis on the Korean Peninsula, the diplomat ruled out a military solution, saying a conflict would lead to disastrous consequences for the region.

"We believe that this conflict has no military solution because it is connected with catastrophic consequences… for the entire region," Ulyanov said at a press conference in the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency.

News Report: Trump - US 'Totally Prepared' for Military Option on North Korea

Steve Herman, Carla Babb

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States was totally prepared for a military option in dealing with North Korea, while his administration announced new sanctions in response to the country's nuclear and missile activity.

"We are totally prepared for the second option, not a preferred option, but if we take that option it will be devastating, I will tell you that — devastating for North Korea. That's called the military option. If we have to take it, we will," he said.

During a joint news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy at the White House, Trump said North Korea must no longer be allowed to "threaten the entire world with unthinkable loss of life."

He thanked countries like Spain and China for taking steps to isolate the North Korean regime.

"All nations must act now to ensure the regime's complete denuclearization," Trump said in the White House Rose Garden.

Amid the escalating tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear program, the Trump administration on Tuesday imposed sanctions on eight North Korean banks and 26 bank executives.

"I have recently issued tough new sanctions against those who do business with this outlaw regime, and I applaud China's recent actions to restrict its trade with North Korea," Trump said.

The new restrictions came as the top U.S. general said that "in terms of a sense of urgency today," North Korea posed "the greatest threat" to the United States because of its rapidly developing ballistic missile and nuclear program.

News Report: Pakistan, Russia Begin 'Friendship 2017' Joint Anti-terror Drill

Ayaz Gul

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani and Russian military commandos have launched joint counterterrorism drills in the mountains and forests of Russia's North Caucasus republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia.

The two-week-long exercise dubbed as "Friendship 2017" involves more than 200 mostly special forces from both countries who will conduct joint "hostage rescue" and "cordon-and-search" operations, according to the Pakistani military.

"The joint exercise will enhance and further strengthen military ties between the countries and share Pakistan army's experience in war against terrorism," it added.

Meanwhile, a nearly three-week-long joint air force exercises China is hosting with Pakistan are due to conclude this week. A spokesman for the Chinese air force described them as "routine" exercises.

Pakistan's deepening political, economic and defense ties with traditional ally China and its emerging new alliance with Russia come amid Islamabad's increasingly uneasy and strained relations with the United States.

News Story: DPRK diplomat leaves for Moscow for talks with Russia

PYONGYANG, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A senior diplomat of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) left Monday for Moscow to hold talks with Russian officials on unspecified issues, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

Choe Son Hui, director general of the North American Department of the DPRK Foreign Ministry and her delegation were invited by Oleg Burmistrov, roving ambassador of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said the report.

"Talks with the roving ambassador are due in Moscow," it said.

Burmistrov, Russia's deputy nuclear negotiator, visited the DPRK in late July to discuss issues involving the Korean Peninsula, reports said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Chinese naval fleet returns home after drill with Russia & China, Russia conclude joint naval drills

Chinese Navy Warships (File Photo)

Chinese naval fleet returns home after drill with Russia

SANYA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese naval flotilla Monday returned to a military port in the city of Sanya in southern China's Hainan Province after a military exercise with the Russian navy in the Baltic Sea.

The formation, comprising missile destroyer "Hefei," missile frigate "Yuncheng" and supply vessel "Luomahu," was the first Chinese fleet to ever sail in the region for a military exercise.

The joint drill, held in July, was the first phase of "Joint Sea 2017," which had similar exercises in the Sea of Japan and Okhotsk this year.

Read the full story at Xinhua

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China, Russia conclude joint naval drills

MOSCOW, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The last batch of scheduled exercises in the second phase of the 2017 China-Russia Joint Sea Drills was completed in the Okhotsk Sea near Russia's Far East Federal District on Monday.

Starting in the morning, Chinese and Russian commanders simulated joint rescues of ships hijacked by pirates and ships in distress, and later in the afternoon, fleets of the two sides held a farewell ceremony after the completion of both exercises.

During the entire week-long drills, major Chinese and Russian fleets conducted a string of highly challenging joint operations, including air defense, anti-submarine and anti-fleet actions as well as maritime search and rescue.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Pakistan, Russian militaries hold joint anti-terror exercises

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A two-week long joint exercise codenamed as "DRUZBA 2017" between special forces of Pakistan and Russia Armies started in Mineralnye Vody, Russia, Pakistani army said on Monday.

The opening ceremony was attended by senior military officials of special forces of both countries, the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.

The joint exercise will focus on counter terrorism operations, hostage and rescue, cordon and search operation, it said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: US And Russian Envoys Meet At UNGA Over Afghanistan

By Samim Faramarz

Russia’s media has reported that Russian and US representatives for Afghanistan have met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and discussed ways to cooperate over Afghanistan.

US special acting representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Alice Wells met 

with Zamir Kabulov, who reportedly told her that Russia is ready to cooperate with the US in Afghanistan if the US lifts sanctions against Russia. 

“Alice Wells said Washington is interested to cooperate with us in Afghanistan, while she knows there is little chance of this. Wells knows about the sanctions, but the sanctions were approved by the US. If you want us to work together, you should lift the sanctions,” said Kabulov.

Meanwhile the Afghan government has said it welcomes US and Russia cooperation and coordination over Afghanistan. 

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: Iran tests new medium-range missile, defying US warnings

By Eric RANDOLPH

Iran said on Saturday that it had successfully tested a new medium-range missile in defiance of warnings from Washington that such activities were grounds for abandoning their landmark nuclear deal.

State television carried footage of the launch of the Khoramshahr missile, which was first displayed at a high-profile military parade in Tehran on Friday.

It also carried in-flight video from the nose cone of the missile, which has a range of 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) and can carry multiple warheads.

"As long as some speak in the language of threats, the strengthening of the country's defence capabilities will continue and Iran will not seek permission from any country for producing various kinds of missile," Defence Minister Amir Hatami said in a staement.

The test comes at the end of a heated week of diplomacy at the UN General Assembly in New York, where US President Donald Trump again accused Iran of destabilising the Middle East, calling it a "rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed and chaos".

Previous Iranian missile launches have triggered US sanctions and accusations that they violate the spirit of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

Related Story:

• Iran's Rouhani vows to strengthen missiles despite US warnings

News Report: Kremlin Calls for Restraint Amid US, North Korea Rage

Russia is sticking to a political and a diplomatic resolution to the North Korean issue, calling on all the parties involved to avoid further provocations and escalation amid North Korea mulling a hydrogen bomb test in the Pacific.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia insists there is no alternative to diplomacy as means of resolution to the situation on the Korean peninsula, another path may have catastrophic consequences, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

The statement was made after North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho had suggested that the nation's leader might be mulling a hydrogen bomb test in the Pacific after their row with the United States escalated this week. 

The North's top diplomat added he had no idea what Kim Jong Un's exact plans were, after he warned the United States of a "high-level" countermeasure, in response to the US president's recent threats. 

News Story: Cut ties with N. Korea, Japan foreign minister Kono urges world

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono

NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono called Thursday for all countries that maintain diplomatic and economic ties with North Korea to sever them in a unified response to Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

"Now is the time for the international community as a whole to maximize the pressure on North Korea to take concrete actions toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Kono said in a speech to students at Columbia University in New York after several days of meetings during the U.N. General Assembly's general debate week.

"Can you believe that over 160 countries have diplomatic ties with North Korea, the biggest threat to the world right now?" he asked during the speech, a few hours after discussing the North Korea issue in a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

He said too many countries also maintain economic ties with the North, including by accepting its migrant workers, a target of the latest U.N. Security Council sanctions resolution adopted in response to the Sept. 3 nuclear test.

"We must work together with countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa to get rid of the 'loopholes' in the sanctions," Kono said.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Report: Russia, India to Explore Possibility of Collaboration in Afghan Peace Process

Though India and Russia have had divergent views in the past on the Afghan peace effort, especially on Pakistan’s involvement, recent developments suggest both countries are keen to collaborate.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — In what is being seen as a strong indication that India and Russia are once again converging on the international peace-building efforts in war-torn Afghanistan, Russian special envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov is soon visiting India, External Affairs Ministry sources claimed.

The top brass of the Indian establishment is expecting to hold meetings with Kabulov and share the country's concerns as well as explore the possibility of effective collaboration with Russia in the Afghan peace process. The development marks a significant shift in policy for both India and Russia considering the fact that India holds a pivotal position in the new US strategy in Afghanistan which has been strongly criticized by Russia.

News Report: N Korean Nuclear Tests Undermine International Efforts to Launch CTBT - Moscow

According to a statement issued by the Russian delegation at the 10th CTBT conference, North Korea's nuclear tests undermine international efforts on the implementation of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — North Korean nuclear tests undermine international efforts aimed at the speedy launch of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which is why Moscow has called on all involved parties to resume the negotiation process in order to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the Russian delegation said in a statement at the 10th CTBT conference.

The conference was held in New York on Wednesday.

"The ongoing nuclear tests by North Korea, including the latest one in September, significantly undermine the efforts of our countries to quickly launch CTBT. We strongly condemn such actions of Pyongyang," the statement published by the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The Russian delegation noted the need to refrain from any steps that would only exacerbate the situation in Northeast Asia.

News Story: Japan PM Abe calls for global blockade of N. Korea

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe

NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged all U.N. member states Wednesday to block North Korea's access to "the goods, funds, people and technology" necessary for its nuclear and missile development programs.

In his address at the annual U.N. General Assembly in New York, on the heels of a sixth nuclear test and a series of ballistic missile launches by North Korea, Abe said history shows that attempts at dialogue with the North "have all come to naught."

Abe demanded that all states strictly and fully enforce the series of U.N. Security Council resolutions targeting North Korea, saying the world must unite to make Pyongyang change its policies.

"We must make North Korea abandon all nuclear and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. What is needed to do that is not dialogue, but pressure," he said.

Without specifically naming them, Abe laid criticism at the feet of countries including China and Russia that have advocated for direct talks with North Korea to get it to denuclearize.

Citing the Agreed Framework reached between Washington and Pyongyang in 1994 and the six-party talks involving the two Koreas, China, Russia, Japan and the United States that have stalled since 2008, Abe said North Korea had "no intention whatsoever of abandoning its nuclear or missile development."

"For North Korea, dialogue was instead the best means of deceiving us and buying time," he said. "In what hope of success are we now repeating the very same failure a third time?"

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Report: Trump Says He's Decided Whether US Should Stay in Iran Nuclear Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has made a decision on whether to pull the United States out of the 2015 international pact curbing Iran's nuclear weapons development.

Trump declined to say what his decision is, but the U.S. rift with Iran took center stage at the United Nations General Assembly, a day after he denounced Tehran as "an economically depleted rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed and chaos."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, in his speech Wednesday, told the annual gathering of world leaders at the 193-nation organization that Tehran does not tolerate threats from anyone and was unmoved by Trump's complaints. Rouhani called them "ugly, ignorant words."

In an apparent reference to the U.S. leader, Rouhani said "destruction" of the nuclear deal "by 'rogue' newcomers to the world of politics will never impede Iran’s course of progress and advancement.

News Report: Critics of Iran Nuclear Deal Debate the Way Forward

Daniel Schearf

NEW YORK — During his speech Tuesday to the U.N. General Assembly, U.S. President Donald Trump made his disdain for the nuclear agreement with Iran absolutely clear.

"The Iran deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into," Trump said. "Frankly, that deal is an embarrassment to the United States, and I don't think you've heard the last of it, believe me."

On the sidelines of the UNGA, some prominent critics of the Iran nuclear deal endorsed his position Tuesday, debating how best to move forward to prevent Tehran from becoming a nuclear weapons state, while underscoring concerns about Tehran's links with North Korea.

Participants in the United Against Nuclear Iran conference (UANI) agreed they see flaws in the 2015 deal, which offered incentives to Iran in return for guarantees that it would not develop nuclear weapons. But speakers disagreed on whether the United States should attempt to renegotiate and expand the deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama, or scrap it altogether.

News Report: Russia Pitches Aggresively For MiG-29K $12 Bn Indian Deal

A MiG-29K on the deck of INS Vikramaditya

Indian Navy had issued a detailed request for information in January this year for 57 multi-role fighter aircraft to which Russian, French, Swedish and American companies had replied with their intent.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — With an eye on a big ticket deal involving supply of 57 naval multi-role fighter jet for Indian Navy's aircraft carriers, Russian manufacturer MiG has offered to jointly develop the MiG 29 K fighter jets with an Indian counterpart under the 'Make in India' program with complete transfer of technology. MiG is planning to submit a detailed proposal to the Indian government in this regard soon.

The procurement plan currently is in request for information stage. MiG CEO Ilya Tarasenko has claimed MiG-29K aircraft have serious tactical and technical advantages compared to Boeing’s F/A-18.

“We are considering various options for long-term and perspective cooperation, including those within the framework of the Make in India program. The Indian side has sent an RFI to companies that produce aircraft, which is one of the procedures preceding the official tender. MiG corp. has received such a request, now we are preparing our proposal,” Ilya Tarasenko, MiG CEO told to PTI in a written interview.