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WORLD NEWS Friday 13 OctOber 2017

Australia’s foreign minister visits tense Korean border

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Korean soldiers to photo-
Associated Press graph or use binoculars to
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) watch high-profile visitors
— Australia’s top diplomat at Panmunjom, which is in-
visited the heavily fortified side the 248-kilometer (154-
border between the two mile) -long heavily mined
Koreas on Thursday and Demilitarized Zone that
said her government hopes serves as a de facto border
there will be no need for between the Koreas.
military action against “It’s always a tense situa-
North Korea over its weap- tion, I understand,” Bishop
ons programs. said.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop “The Korean War is still alive
made the comments in an in the minds of many peo-
interview with The Associ- ple.” The 1950-53 war end-
ated Press after her visit to ed with a cease-fire, not a
the Korean border village peace treaty, and the two
of Panmunjom with Austra- Koreas remain technically
lian Defense Minister Marise still at war.Worries about a
Payne. possible military clash be-
The two are in South Korea tween North Korea and the
for talks with top officials on United States have grown Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne, left, speaks as Foreign Minister Julie Bishop listens dur-
Friday. recently among many ing their press conference at the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, Thursday, Oct.
Bishop said North Korean in South Korea and else- 12, 2017.
border guards came out where, with U.S. President (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
of their building and took Donald Trump and North in July. It was subsequently Bishop said she knows the tary option.”
many photographs of her Korean leader Kim Jong Un slapped with tougher U.N. United States has long put Bishop said Australia sup-
and other Australian offi- trading insults and threats sanctions. North Korea has all options, including mili- ports what she called “the
cials during their Panmun- of attack over the North’s vowed not to back off, tary ones, on the table in tough sets of comprehen-
jom visit. nuclear weapon and mis- and outside analysts say response to the North Ko- sive sanctions” against
The North Koreans “seemed sile programs. it is a matter of time until rean threat. She said Aus- North Korea, saying the
to have a great deal of in- North Korea conducted its it achieves its long-stated tralia is working with other North “will be deterred
terest in who we were and sixth and most powerful nu- goal of possessing nuclear nations to place maximum from carrying out any fur-
what we were doing,” she clear test in September and missiles capable of striking pressure on North Korea ther illegal test” and “will
said. test-launched two inter- anywhere in the mainland but that “we hope there be compelled to return to
It’s not unusual for North continental ballistic missiles United States. will be no need for a mili- the negotiating table.”q

Witness at Malaysia trial says 4 more suspects in Kim murder

By EILEEN NG ing in the airport with a fied the men as only Mr. Y the suspected recruiter of sassination of Kim, an out-
SHAH ALAM, Malaysia (AP) man wearing a baseball and Mr. Chang.He testified Aisyah, and Hanamori, who cast from North Korea’s rul-
— A Malaysian police of- cap. Separately, Indone- that the two men were be- is nicknamed grandpa or ing family who lived abroad
ficer testified Thursday sian suspect Siti Aisyah was lieved to have smeared liq- uncle and is suspected of in virtual exile for years. Both
that the two women on seen meeting with another uid on the women’s hands giving directions to Mr. Y. women have pleaded not
trial in the murder of the man also wearing a cap at before the pair smeared it No further details about guilty to murder charg-
estranged half brother of an airport cafe just before on Kim Jong Nam’s face. those four suspects were es that carry mandatory
North Korea’s leader were the attack was carried out Wan Azirul said the two disclosed in open court, death sentences if they are
seen on airport security vid- in a crowded departure men are among four peo- though Prosecutor Wan convicted.Their defense
eos with two men believed terminal of the Kuala Lum- ple at large whom prosecu- Shaharuddin Wan Ladin lawyers have said Huong
to have provided the VX pur airport on Feb. 13. tors accuse of having the said outside court the four and Aisyah were duped
nerve agent used to kill him. The faces of the men can’t common intention with the are believed to be North by suspected North Korean
Videos presented in court be seen clearly.Chief inves- two women to murder Kim. Koreans.Huong and Aisyah agents into believing they
showed Vietnamese sus- tigating officer Wan Azirul He named the two other are the only two suspects were playing a harmless
pect Doan Thi Huong walk- Nizam Che Wan Aziz identi- at-large suspects as James, detained in the brazen as- prank for a TV show. q