Ankara / AFP A group of former US diplomats held closed door talks at the weekend with senior Pyongyang officials, even as international efforts gather pace to further isolate North Korea, diplomatically and economically. The two-day meeting in Kuala Lumpur, which was confirmed by the South Korean and US governments, was the latest in a series of unofficial talks commonly …

  Valletta / AFP A small passenger aircraft crashed on takeoff at Malta’s international airport on Monday, killing all five people onboard, officials said. In a statement, the airport said the aircraft, a Fairchild Metroliner turboprop, was involved in an accident “upon takeoff.” “We can confirm that the five crew on board are deceased,” it said, adding that the airport …

  Manila / AFP Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s fiery rhetoric and deadly crime war are becoming a growing concern around the world, the top US envoy for Asia warned on Monday in Manila. US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel met with the Philippines’ defence and foreign ministers on Monday, after Duterte last week …