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Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) and DPRK's leader Kim Jong-un (Source: Reuters)Chinese state media say DPRK’s leader Kim Jong-un will make a two-day state visit starting Tuesday, June 19th (local time). "I think that a visit from Kim Jong-un might materialise sometime in the future," Chinese Ambassador Qiu Guohong said at a forum in Seoul. "China and the DPRK have maintained a normal relationship and there have been normal exchanges of visits between the leaders of both countries," he added. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also visited Beijing last week, and during his visit China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke of "the importance of China being a constructive participant in the next steps." Mr. Kim’s trip comes one week after his landmark summit meeting in Singapore with President Trump on June 12th. “We had a historic meeting and decided to leave the past behind and sign historic document,” Mr. Kim Jong-un told reporters at the … [Read more...] about DPRK’s leader Kim Jong-un visits China

Ivan Duque wins Colombia Presidency (Photo: Reuters)Mr. Duque won in the second round runoff election on June 17th with 53.9% of the vote. In his victory speech, Duque said he wanted to build consensus and unite the country, following a divisive campaign. On the historic peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), he acknowledged the importance of maintaining peace, and said he intended to put the victims of the conflict at the center of any changes to the accord. Ivan Duque, who will turn 42 just before taking office on August 8th, will be Colombia’s youngest ever President. He will succeed President Juan Manuel Santos, whose efforts to end the war with the FARC, which killed 220,000 people and displaced nearly seven million, brought him the Nobel Peace Prize. In May's first round, Ivan Duque came first with nearly 40% of the vote, while Mr. Gustavo Petro received 25 percent./. Compiled by BTA … [Read more...] about Ivan Duque wins Colombia’s presidency

6.1-magnitude earthquake hits Osaka (Photo: NHK)According to Japan’s Meteorological Agency, the quake occurred at a depth of about 10 kilometers and no tsunami warning was issued. The quake brought trains and subways across Osaka to a standstill and power was cut to 170,000 homes. Experts said the earthquake could have involved a fault that has not moved for more than 10,000 years. Japan has experienced several earthquakes in the last few days, including 4.5 and 4.6 magnitude quakes near the capital Tokyo over the weekend. The country is located along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences more than 1,000 measurable earthquakes per year. "We are doing our best to respond to this disaster urgently as some areas still cannot access gas or water. As of now, there is no damage at nuclear power facilities such as Takahama nuclear power plant and Oi nuclear power plant," Yoshide Suga, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, told a news conference.Osaka is one of Japan’s … [Read more...] about 6.1-magnitude earthquake hits Japan