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WORLD NEWS Monday 19 March 2018

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang appointed to second 5-year term

BEIJING (AP) — China's appointment. The vote ties by appointing himself It will have the power to ernment officials and man-
ceremonial legislature ap- came a day after party to lead party bodies that detain suspects for up to agers of state companies.
pointed Premier Li Keqiang, leader Xi Jinping was reap- oversee economic reform six months without seeking Xi has been steadily tight-
the No. 2 leader of the rul- pointed China's president and state industry. court approval. ening central control over
ing Communist Party, to with no limits on how many The legislature also ap- Political analysts see the the government and state
a second five-year term terms he can serve. proved the appointment creation of the anti-graft industry while also stepping
Sunday and approved the The premier traditionally of Yang Xiaodu as director agency as part of efforts to up efforts to crush dissent.
appointment of a director is China's top economic for the National Supervisory enforce party control over On Saturday, a key Xi ally,
for a new anti-corruption official, but Xi, the coun- Commission, created from an increasingly complex Wang Qishan, was ap-
agency with sweeping try's most dominant leader a merger of the party's in- society and government. pointed to the previously
powers.National People's since Mao Zedong, has ternal anti-graft watchdog A marathon anti-corruption ceremonial post of vice
Congress delegates voted stripped Li of many of the with one that oversees civil campaign led by Xi has president.
2,964 to 2 to approve Li's post's most prominent du- servants. snared thousands of gov- q
North Korea heads to Finland for talks with US, South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — istry said the gathering
A senior North Korean dip- would be similar to the so-
lomat who handles North called "Track 2" dialogue
American affairs was head- that has involved North
ing to Finland on Sunday for Korean officials and former
talks with the United States U.S. officials and experts. It
and South Korea. gave no further details.
Choe Kang Il's trip comes Choe was in the delega-
ahead of a possible meet- tion North Korea sent to last
ing between President month's Winter Olympics in
Donald Trump and North South Korea.
Korean leader Kim Jong Un. On Saturday, Sweden's for-
South Korea's Yonhap news eign minister concluded
agency said Choe was three days of talks in Stock-
seen at a Beijing airport on holm with her North Korean
Sunday before boarding a counterpart, saying they
flight to Finland. The report discussed the "opportuni-
cited unnamed "diplomat- ties and challenges for con-
ic sources" in Seoul as say- tinued diplomatic efforts to
ing Choe would take part reach a peaceful solution"
in a meeting with former to the Koreas' security dis-
U.S. diplomats, including pute.Trump has agreed
former U.S. Ambassador to to meet Kim by May. So
South Korea Kathleen Ste- far, North Korea has yet to
phens, and South Korean Choe Kang Il, a senior North Korean diplomat handling North American affairs, is seen at the Bei- comment publicly on what
security experts. jing Capital International Airport in Beijing Sunday, March 18, 2018. Cho is heading to Finland for it hopes to gain from the
South Korea's Foreign Min- talks with the U.S. and South Korea. talks.q
(Kim Jin-bang/Yonhap via AP)
Philippine leader urges nations to exit international court

By JIM GOMEZ pine Senate has ratified the ecutor, Fatou Bensouda, ing the Philippine ratifica- nual graduation of cadets
MANILA, Philippines (AP) Rome Statute that estab- announced that she was tion of the Rome Statute at the Philippine Military
— Philippine President Ro- lished the ICC, Duterte said opening a preliminary ex- “effective immediately,” Academy in northern Ba-
drigo Duterte urged other in a speech that the treaty amination into a complaint citing “a concerted ef- guio city.
governments on Sunday to was never enforced in the by a Filipino lawyer of sus- fort” by Bensouda and U.N. There was no reason to
abandon the International country because it was not pected extrajudicial killings human rights officials “to withdraw from “some-
Criminal Court, saying the published in the govern- under Duterte’s anti-drug paint me as a ruthless and thing which is not existing,”
world tribunal — where ment journal as required by campaign, which could heartless violator of human Duterte said, adding that
he’s facing a possible com- law. As a result, Duterte said amount to crimes against rights.” he announced the with-
plaint for the thousands the international court can humanity. “You know, if it’s not pub- drawal from the ICC treaty
of killings of drug suspects never have jurisdiction over The move angered Duterte, lished, there is no law,” to draw the world’s atten-
under his crackdown — is him, “not in a million years.” who announced Wednes- Duterte said Sunday in a tion to the issue he had with
“rude.” Although the Philip- Last month, an ICC pros- day that he was withdraw- speech before the an- the international court.q