Seoul (AFP) – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says that US President Donald Trump clearly wants dialogue with Pyongyang. Trump, seeking to revive the bond he claims to have forged with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his first term, said last month that he plans to meet Kim later this year. Lee says it is “clear” that “Trump wants dialogue, and I am also encouraging him to talk.”
Seoul (AFP) – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says that US President Donald Trump clearly wants dialogue with Pyongyang. Trump, seeking to revive the bond he claims to have forged with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his first term, said last month that he plans to meet Kim later this year. Lee says it is “clear” that “Trump wants dialogue, and I am also encouraging him to talk.”
Bangkok (AFP) – From a working-class childhood on the southern English coast to the top foreign-born monk in Thailand, Shaun Chiverton’s quest for a better life has taken him further than most. Five decades after he travelled to India to follow the Buddha’s teachings, the 68-year-old this summer became the first non-Thai to be elevated to rank of Somdet Phra Rachakhana, or royal monastic leader — the second-highest level in Thailand’s monkhood.
Bangkok (AFP) – From a working-class childhood on the southern English coast to the top foreign-born monk in Thailand, Shaun Chiverton’s quest for a better life has taken him further than most. Five decades after he travelled to India to follow the Buddha’s teachings, the 68-year-old this summer became the first non-Thai to be elevated to rank of Somdet Phra Rachakhana, or royal monastic leader — the second-highest level in Thailand’s monkhood.
Gold Coast (Australia) (AFP) – Images released by Olaf Meynecke of Griffith University’s Whales and Climate Research Program appears to show a humpback whale mother grieving her stillborn calf. The new research released Thursday offers rare insights into the complex emotions of the sea-dwelling mammals. The footage was taken off Australia’s Gold Coast last year, and shows the female humpback whale staying close to the dead calf as it lies motionless on the sea floor.
Tullamore (Ireland) (AFP) – Among the roar of tractors and clip-clop of horses, precision, tradition and technology meet in rural Ireland’s biggest annual gathering: the National Ploughing Championships, where horse-drawn ploughs and GPS-guided machinery offer contrasting visions of farming’s past and future. Veteran competitors preserve skills once passed down through generations, while engineers explore how “autonomous tractors” could support an ageing workforce.
Tullamore (Ireland) (AFP) – Among the roar of tractors and clip-clop of horses, precision, tradition and technology meet in rural Ireland’s biggest annual gathering: the National Ploughing Championships, where horse-drawn ploughs and GPS-guided machinery offer contrasting visions of farming’s past and future. Veteran competitors preserve skills once passed down through generations, while engineers explore how “autonomous tractors” could support an ageing workforce.
Yekaterinburg (Russia) (AFP) – Russia has no intention of attacking Europe, but any conflict triggered by an attack from European nations would be “completely different” and “very short,” says Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at the International Youth Festival in Yekaterinburg.
Yekaterinburg (Russia) (AFP) – Russia has no intention of attacking Europe, but any conflict triggered by an attack from European nations would be “completely different” and “very short,” says Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking at the International Youth Festival in Yekaterinburg.
Hong Kong (AFP) – An area roughly a third of Hong Kong including villages, natural wetlands and farmland is being converted into the “Northern Metropolis”, a US$28-billion high-tech hub aimed at deepening integration with the mainland, diversifying the economy and providing new homes.
Hong Kong (AFP) – An area roughly a third of Hong Kong including villages, natural wetlands and farmland is being converted into the “Northern Metropolis”, a US$28-billion high-tech hub aimed at deepening integration with the mainland, diversifying the economy and providing new homes.
Koror (Palau) (AFP) – Dotted with turquoise lagoons and home to rare dugongs, or sea cows, the Pacific archipelago of Palau is facing the threat of US military expansion. The scene of fierce clashes between American and Japanese forces during WWII, Palau has since hosted a US military presence, ceding access to Washington in return for funding and visa-free work and study. Now, the US plans to build a new naval harbour, as well as a radar site, airfield and stockpile for marines in order to boost its capabilities in an area 500km west of the South China Sea. The plans have stoked concern among locals, who fear the return of fighting to their shores, and ecologists worried by the construction’s impact on the delicate ecosystem.
