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A10 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 8 July 2017
Philippine president says he’s likely to extend martial law

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — the militants has abated. continuing to fight in four OK, then that is the time “I should show my face
President Rodrigo Duterte The Supreme Court upheld areas of the lakeside city, a that we will lift martial law,” there,” Duterte said, add-
said Friday he will likely ex- his martial law declara- bastion of the Islamic faith Duterte said. ing he wants to visit during
tend 60 days of martial law tion on Tuesday in a legal in the south. Carrying an assault rifle and the fighting to demonstrate
he imposed in the southern boost to the military offen- Asked if he plans to lift mar- wearing a military camou- his desire “to protect the re-
Philippines to deal with a sive he ordered to quell the tial law this month, Duterte flage uniform, Duterte at- public.”
deadly siege of a city by Marawi city siege. said he consulted the mili- tempted but failed to fly to Security officials hope the
militants allied with the Is- Duterte has said the offen- tary and police and was Marawi to visit troops Friday crisis will end before Duterte
lamic State group because sive is winding down and told the situation remains due to bad weather. delivers his annual state of
the situation remains criti- could end soon in Marawi, critical. It was his second aborted the nation address on July
cal. which was attacked by He said he would rely on trip to the predominantly 24, but Defense Secretary
Duterte said he would only hundreds of gunmen wav- their advice because “they Islamic city, large areas of Delfin Lorenzana has said
lift martial rule, which is to ing IS-style black flags on are the ones keeping this which resemble a smolder- he will let commanders set
expire in about two weeks, May 23. republic healthy and alive.” ing war zone amid intense the pace of the battle to
if the military and police tell But scores of gunmen are “If they say there is no more fighting and military air- avoid adding pressure that
him the danger posed by still holding hostages and danger and everything is strikes. could endanger troops. q
South Korea’s president seeks talks with North’s Kim Jong Un

By HYUNG-JIN KIM if it will provide an oppor-
Associated Press tunity to transform the ten-
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) sion and confrontation on
— South Korea’s president the Korean Peninsula.”
reiterated he’s willing to President Donald Trump
meet North Korean leader said Thursday he’s consid-
Kim Jong Un even as he ering unspecified “pretty
condemned the North’s severe things” in response
first intercontinental bal- to the North’s ICBM launch.
listic missile test-launch this While a pre-emptive mili-
week as a “reckless” move tary strike may be among
that incurred punishment Trump’s potential options,
by the international com- analysts say it’s one of the
munity. unlikeliest because the
During a speech Thurs- North Korean retaliation
day ahead of the Group would cause massive ca-
of 20 summit in Germany, sualties in South Korea, par-
President Moon Jae-in also ticularly in Seoul, which is
proposed the two Koreas within easy range of North
resume reunions of fami- Korea’s artillery.
lies separated by war, stop South Korean President Moon Jae-in, center, speaks at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Moon said he and Kim
hostile activities along their Korea. South Korea’s president reiterated he’s willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could put all issues on the
even as he condemned the North’s first intercontinental ballistic missile test-launch this week as a
heavily fortified border and “reckless” move that incurred punishment by the international community. negotiating table includ-
cooperate on the 2018 (Kim Ju-hyung/Yonhap via AP) ing the North’s nuclear
Winter Olympics to be held program and the signing
in Pyeongchang, South Ko- of a peace treaty to of-
rea. try punished for its ICBM to date clearly indicates he ficials of the South and the ficially end the 1950-53
But it’s unclear that North launch Tuesday. It’s not the prefers dialogue to apply- North is highly dangerous,” Korean War. An armistice
Korea would accept any first time Moon has talked ing more pressure or sanc- Moon said. “I am ready to that ended the war has
of Moon’s overtures as about a summit with Kim, tions on the North. meet with Chairman Kim yet to be completed with
South Korea is working but repeating that idea “The current situation Jong Un of North Korea at a peace treaty, leaving
with the United States and two days after the North’s where there is no contact any time at any place, if the Korean Peninsula in a
others to get the coun- most successful missile test between the relevant of- the conditions are met and technical state of war.q
Flooding in southern China causes deaths, damage and anger

BEIJING (AP) — Wide- Among the hardest-hit lion in direct economic financial magazine Caixin ished for spreading online
spread flooding in southern places was Ningxiang losses, according to official said government authori- rumors about the flooding.
and central China has left county, where 44 people reports. ties failed to give timely They urged the public to
dozens of people dead or were listed as dead or miss- Power supplies and com- warnings about the flood maintain social order dur-
missing in recent weeks, ing, official media reported munications have been as compared to previous ing a “critical period.”
destroyed property and Friday. cut, while rail, road and air years, leading to heavy Water levels in the Xiangji-
sparked public anger over Authorities in nearby transport have suffered se- losses. ang have exceeded re-
a lack of information and Guangxi Zhuang Autono- vere disruptions. Overseas Chinese media cords set during 1998’s
the slow pace of recovery. mous Region have report- More than 11 million peo- have reported a smatter- catastrophic flooding
The Xiangjing river that ed another 20 dead and ple in 11 southern provinc- ing of public demonstra- along the Yangtze, China’s
flows through the capital 14 missing. es were affected by floods, tions over the slow pace of mightiest river of which the
of densely populated, ag- Both figures are cumulative landslides and hailstorms, the emergency response Xiangjiang is a major tribu-
ricultural Henan province since mid- to late June. the government has re- while online videos purport- tary. Levels in Dongting
broke its banks, Hundreds of thousands of ported. edly showing protests have lake, one of China’s larg-
flooding large parts of people have been evacu- Residents and shopkeepers been removed by censors. est freshwater water bod-
Changsha, a city of more ated while the region has in Ningxiang interviewed Local police said this week ies, have also risen into the
than 7 million people. suffered more than $1 bil- this week by the respected that two people were pun- danger zone.q