News in brief

Seoul picks envoy to US who called Trump ‘treacherous’

AFP, Seoul

South Korean President Moon Jae-in yesterday appointed a new ambassador to the US who has described Donald Trump as “treacherous”, only a month after Britain’s envoy to Washington had to step down over his criticisms of the US president.

In the early 2000s, Lee Soo-hyuck, a career diplomat before becoming a ruling party lawmaker, was Seoul’s chief negotiator in the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear programme. Now he will be responsible for guiding the relationship between Seoul and Washington, who have not always seen eye-to-eye over the nuclear-armed North or their own ties.

But only last year the South’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper cited him as criticising Trump.

9 bodies found hanging from bridge in Mexico

BBC, London

Mexican police have found the bodies of nine people hanging from a bridge and seven more corpses hacked up and dumped on the road.

The massacre in the city of Uruapan in the western Michoacán state is thought to be gang-related, prosecutors say.  A banner hanging from the bridge reportedly bore the initials of one of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels. Criminals have previously hung the bodies of their murdered victims in public to intimidate rival gangs.

“There is a turf war between the [local] cells of different criminal groups,” state prosecutor Adrian López told reporters at a news conference on Thursday.

López said the gangs, which he did not name, are “fighting for territorial control over the production, distribution and consumption of drugs”.

Super Typhoon Lekima barrels towards China

AFP, Beijing

China issued a red alert for incoming Super Typhoon Lekima which is expected to batter eastern Zhejiang province early Saturday with high winds and torrential rainfall.

The ninth typhoon of the year is projected to move northwest up China's coast Saturday with the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) focusing its attention on Shanghai and Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces.

Lekima's centre was about 290 kilometres (180 miles) southeast of the city of Wenling in Zhejiang Friday morning, with winds reaching 209 km per hour, official news agency Xinhua reported. Authorities were pre-emptively cancelling Saturday train services in Zhejiang, Shanghai and elsewhere, according to the CMA's newspaper.

13 killed in Myanmar monsoon landslide

AFP,  Yangon

A landslide caused by heavy monsoon rains killed at least 13 people and injured dozens more in eastern Myanmar, officials said yesterday, as floods forced tens of thousands across the country to flee their homes.

The deluge of mud engulfed 16 homes and a monastery early Friday in Thae Pyar Kone village in Mon state, district administrator Myo Min Tun told AFP.

“Thirteen people have so far been found dead and 27 taken to hospital in Mawlamyine (Mon state’s capital),” he told AFP by phone.

News in brief

Seoul picks envoy to US who called Trump treacherous AFP, Seoul South Korean President Moon Jae-in yesterday appointed a new ambassador to the US who has described Donald Trump as treacherous, only a month after Britains envoy to Washington had to step down over his criticisms of the US president. In the early 2000s, Lee Soo-hyuck, a career diplomat before becoming a ruling party lawmaker, was Seouls chief negotiator in the six-party talks on North Koreas nuclear programme. Now he will be responsible for guiding the relationship between Seoul and Washington, who have not always seen eye-to-eye over the nuclear-armed North or their own ties. But only last year the Souths Chosun Ilbo newspaper cited him as criticising Trump. 9 bodies found hanging from bridge in Mexico BBC, London Mexican police have found the bodies of nine people hanging from a bridge and seven more corpses hacked up and dumped on the road. The massacre in the city of Uruapan in the western Michoacn state is thought to be gang-related, prosecutors say. A banner hanging from the bridge reportedly bore the initials of one of Mexicos most powerful drug cartels. Criminals have previously hung the bodies of their murdered victims in public to intimidate rival gangs. There is a turf war between the [local] cells of different criminal groups, state prosecutor Adrian Lpez told reporters at a news conference on Thursday. Lpez said the gangs, which he did not name, are fighting for territorial control over the production, distribution and consumption of drugs. Super Typhoon Lekima barrels towards China AFP, Beijing China issued a red alert for incoming Super Typhoon Lekima which is expected to batter eastern Zhejiang province early Saturday with high winds and torrential rainfall. The ninth typhoon of the year is projected to move northwest up Chinas coast Saturday with the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) focusing its attention on Shanghai and Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces. Lekimas centre was about 290 kilometres (180 miles) southeast of the city of Wenling in Zhejiang Friday morning, with winds reaching 209 km per hour, official news agency Xinhua reported. Authorities were pre-emptively cancelling Saturday train services in Zhejiang, Shanghai and elsewhere, according to the CMAs newspaper. 13 killed in Myanmar monsoon landslide AFP, Yangon A landslide caused by heavy monsoon rains killed at least 13 people and injured dozens more in eastern Myanmar, officials said yesterday, as floods forced tens of thousands across the country to flee their homes. The deluge of mud engulfed 16 homes and a monastery early Friday in Thae Pyar Kone village in Mon state, district administrator Myo Min Tun told AFP. Thirteen people have so far been found dead and 27 taken to hospital in Mawlamyine (Mon states capital), he told AFP by phone.