AFP, Vientiane
Barack Obama, on his final visit to Asia as US president, insisted Tuesday renewed American engagement with the region would endure after he left the White House.
“America’s interest in the Asia-Pacific is not new. It’s not a passing fad. It reflects fundamental national interests,” he said in a speech in the Lao capital of Vientiane.
The US president is making his 11th and last trip to the Asia-Pacific, seeking to cement a “pivot” to the region that has been a hallmark of his eight-year administration.
Kim stresses need to bolster nuclear arms
AFP, Seoul
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un called on his military to continue building up Pyongyang’s nuclear force after issuing orders for the latest test-firing of ballistic missiles, the North’s state media said Tuesday.
North Korea test-fired three missiles into the sea on Monday, Seoul said, in a new show of force as world leaders met for the G20 summit in China.
“He stressed the need to continue making miraculous achievements in bolstering up the nuclear force one after another in this historic year,” the official KCNA news agency said.
Baghdad car bomb kills 12
AP, Baghdad
A car bomb ripped through a bustling commercial area of central Baghdad overnight, killing at least 12 civilians, Iraqi officials said on Tuesday.
Shortly after the attack, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the bombing in a statement posted online.. The explosives-laden pick-up truck was left in a parking lot in the Shiite-dominated district of Karradah, near a hospital and shops, a police officer said. Up to 28 people were wounded and at least 15 cars were damaged, he said.
A medical official confirmed the casualty figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release the information.
