North Korean leader Kim Jong-un requested a second meeting with president Donald Trump, and United States diplomats are already working to set up the summit, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday.
“The primary purpose of the letter was to request and look to schedule another meeting with the president, which we are open to and are already in the process of co-ordinating,” Ms Sanders said.
The White House spokeswoman said the correspondence, which Mr Trump received on Monday, won’t be publicly released unless the dictator gives permission. But Ms Sanders described the document as “a very warm, very positive letter”.
The request is the latest direct communication between the two leaders, who held a summit in Singapore in June and agreed that North Korea would abandon its nuclear weapons programme. But Mr Kim’s regime has shown little signs that it is moving towards denuclearisation, and Mr Trump cancelled a planned trip to Pyongyang by secretary of state Mike Pompeo last month, citing a lack of progress.
Still, Ms Sanders said the administration was encouraged that a recent parade in North Korea was one of the first in which the country wasn’t “highlighting their nuclear arsenal”.
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Read more:
North Korea stages huge parade, holds back on advanced missiles
North Korea's Kim Jong-un says he wants to denuclearise in Donald Trump's first term
Trump says China making things 'much more difficult' with North Korea
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In the past, North Korea has used such pageants to show off its most advanced weapons including intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the US.
But on Sunday, almost half of the military parade was devoted to showcasing civilian efforts to build the country’s economy, the Associated Press reported. Foreign journalists in the North Korean capital posted Twitter photos showing parade floats with large slogans pushing economic development.
“We consider that a sign of good faith,” Ms Sanders said. The letter from Kim “certainly showed a commitment to continuing conversations, continuing to work on the progress that they have had since their meeting,” she added.
Mr Trump praised Mr Kim for the military parade over the weekend, calling it a “big and very positive statement from North Korea”, in a tweet.
Ms Sanders declined to say whether the leaders’ second meeting would be in Washington, or if the US hoped the summit would occur before the end of the calendar year.
“We’ll let you know when we have further details,” she said.
Mr Kim told visiting South Korean envoys last week that he wants “goodwill measures” North Korea has taken to be reciprocated. He expressed frustration with scepticism about his commitment to end the country’s nuclear programme.
The North Korean leader also pressed for a formal peace agreement to end the 1950-53 Korean War, according to South Korean officials.
Mr Kim has been eager to secure the formal declaration. But US and South Korean officials have been wary of signing a document that could legitimise his control over half the peninsula without more concrete concessions, particularly a timeline for denuclearisation and an agreement defining the term.
Mr Pompeo told a Senate Committee in July that North Korea continues to produce fissile material that could be used in nuclear weapons. US satellite photos and other evidence show North Korea also continued to build intercontinental ballistic missiles in the weeks after Mr Kim and Mr Trump agreed to work toward denuclearisation, according to a Washington Post report.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)
Monday Celta Vigo v Cadiz (midnight)
UAE%20Warriors%2033%20Results
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
Tomb%20Raider%20I%E2%80%93III%20Remastered
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Aspyr%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Aspyr%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20series%20X%2FS%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown
Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
England Test squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The Equaliser 2
Director Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders
Three stars
The five pillars of Islam
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30:
- UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
- Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
- Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
'Tell the Machine Goodnight' by Katie Williams
Penguin Randomhouse
