Politics

  SEOUL / AP Facing mounting international pressure over its nuclear and missile ambitions, North Korea has set a date for its biggest political convention in decades next week that is expected to bolster young dictator Kim Jong un’s grip on power. The ruling Workers’ Party, led by Kim, will open its 7th congress in Pyongyang on May 6, the ...

  Tehran / AFP Nearly a quarter of Iran’s parliamentary seats are at stake on Friday in an election in which reformists want to consolidate their recent comeback and minimise the clout of hardline lawmakers. The second round run-offs were triggered because no candidate in 68 constituencies managed to win 25 percent of votes cast in the initial nationwide ballot on ...

  Washington / AFP President Barack Obama’s challenge that Europe unite and shoulder more of the burden for its own security might soon be answered, in part, by a military mission off the Libyan coast. “Europe has sometimes been complacent about its own defense.” That was the staggeringly blunt criticism from Obama on Monday in Hanover, the last stop on ...

  SANAA / AP Forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized government have retaken the southern coastal city of Mukalla, driving out Al Qaida militants a year after they captured it, security officials said on Tuesday. The Yemeni forces entered the city late on Monday, following days of heavy airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition fighting on the side of President Abed ...

  Aleppo / AFP Air strikes on rebel-held areas of Syria’s second city Aleppo and a town to its west killed at least 19 people on Tuesday, emergency workers said. The strikes came after rebel shelling killed at least 19 civilians in government-held districts of Aleppo on Monday and are the latest in a surge of violence in and around ...

  JAKARTA / AP Indonesia’s president says the country will host talks with Malaysia and the Philippines this week to boost maritime security following the kidnappings at sea of Indonesians by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said Tuesday that the meeting of foreign ministers and military chiefs will discuss joint patrols to protect shipping in waters between ...

  Paris / AFP The EU’s top diplomat Federica Mogherini said on Tuesday that Turkey would only get visa-free travel to the bloc once it has met all the required criteria. Turkey has demanded its citizens be allowed to enter the European Union’s passport free Schengen zone without a visa by June, in exchange for it taking back migrants from ...

  Ankara / AFP Turkey has struck a deal with the United States to deploy American light multiple rocket launchers on its border with Syria to combat the IS group, according to the foreign ministry. The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) “will be deployed on the Turkish border in May as part of an agreement” with Washington, Foreign Minister ...

  NEW DELHI / AP India on Tuesday asked Pakistan to rein in terrorist groups operating from its soil and targeting India, expressing dissatisfaction with action taken so far against suspects of an attack on an Indian air force base in January. During a meeting with visiting Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry in New Delhi, India said it emphasized ...

  PHILADELPHIA / AP Donald Trump is aiming for a sweep of all five Northeastern states holding primaries on Tuesday, including Pennsylvania, leaving his rivals pinning their hopes of stopping the Republican front-runner on a fragile coordination strategy in the next rounds of voting. For Democratic leader Hillary Clinton, wins in most of Tuesday’s contests would leave little doubt that ...