S Korea, US delay missile shield talks
AFP, Seoul
Washington and Seoul have postponed talks on deploying an advanced missile defence system opposed by Beijing, South Korea’s defence ministry said Tuesday as China’s foreign minister was set to discuss North Korea with his US counterpart. The allies had been set to sign an agreement Tuesday on setting up a joint working group to look into the roll-out of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence System (THAAD) against North Korea’s growing missile threat.
Vienna ranked world’s nicest city
Reuters, Vienna
Austria’s grand capital on the Danube river, offers the highest quality of life of all cities in the world, while the Iraqi capital Baghdad, once more, took its place at the bottom of the list compiled by consulting firm Mercer.
The survey of 230 cities helps companies and organisations determine compensation and hardship allowances for international staff. It uses dozens of criteria such as political stability, health care, education, crime, recreation and transport.
Israel razes two Palestinian homes
Reuters, Jerusalem
Israeli army bulldozers on Tuesday demolished the homes of two Palestinians who killed five people in attacks in the occupied West Bank and Israel last year, the military said.
Mohammed al-Haroub shot at cars near an Israeli settlement bloc in the West Bank on Nov. 20, the military said, killing an Israeli, an American student and a Palestinian.
Date expected for Kabul-Taliban talks
AP, Kabul
Talks in Kabul Tuesday between representatives of four countries trying to end Afghanistan’s war with the Taliban are likely to set a date for a face-to-face meeting between the two sides, an Afghan official said.
Representatives of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States are meeting in the Afghan capital for a fourth round of discussions setting conditions for eventual peace talks between Kabul and the Taliban.
