Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 15 augusT 2017
With gun salutes, Pakistan marks 70 years of independence

By ZARAR KHAN when facing the current
Associated Press “hot” environment.
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Paki- “Solutions to all the prob-
stan kicked off a day of lems of this time persist in
celebrations on Monday our ideologies, thoughts
marking 70 years of state- of leaders of our freedom
hood and independence, movement and our bright
the festivities beginning history,” he said. “By follow-
with gun salutes in the ing them we can improve
capital, Islamabad, and in our situation today and our
each of the four provincial future as well.”
capitals. He appealed on the citi-
In Islamabad, President zens to “rise above” their
Mamnoon Hussain hoisted party and group interests
the national flag at a cer- and “protect the future of
emony attended by Prime the nation.” Later in the
Minister Shahid Khaqan evening, Hussain was to
Abbasi, visiting Chinese hand out medals to note-
Vice Premier Wang Yang, worthy citizens.
and scores of Pakistani mili- Most recently, Pakistan’s
tary and government offi- political scene has been
cials and other dignitaries. shaken when the Supreme
Security was on high alert People from Pakistani Sikh community celebrate the 70th Independence Day in Peshawar, Paki- Court dismissed Prime Min-
across the nation following stan, Monday, Aug. 14, 2017. Pakistan gained its independence from British colonial rule in 1947. ister Nawaz Sharif from of-
(AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad)
the suicide attack on Sat- fice in July for concealing
urday when a bomber on his family assets.
a motorcycle targeted a dence when the depart- For the Pakistanis, the an- dominated by military rule Sharif stepped down, al-
military truck in the south- ing British left India and split niversary comes amid through much of its history. lowing for Abbasi to take
western city of Quetta, kill- the subcontinent in 1947, political turmoil that has Addressing the ceremo- over, but decried the
ing 15 — eight soldiers and sparking one of the most vi- characterized successive ny in the capital, Hussain court’s ruling as an injus-
seven civilians. olent upheavals of the 20th civilian governments of the urged the nation to look to tice and vowed to clear his
Pakistan gained indepen- century. country, which has been the wisdom of its founders name. q

China to cut off North Korea

imports under UN sanctions

By JOE McDONALD Trump and Kim’s govern-
AP Business Writer ment. Trump declared the
BEIJING (AP) — China an- U.S. military “locked and
nounced Monday it will cut loaded” while Pyongyang
off imports of North Korean threatened to fire four mis-
coal, iron ore and other siles into waters near the
goods in three weeks un- U.S. territory of Guam.
der U.N. sanctions imposed The latest U.N. sanctions
over the North’s nuclear are intended to block North
and missile programs. Korean exports worth $1 bil-
China, the isolated North’s lion — a significant share of
main trading partner, has total exports valued at $3
been reluctant to push billion last year.
leader Kim Jong Un’s re- China stopped importing
gime too hard for fear it North Korean coal in Feb-
might collapse. ruary but total trade has
But Beijing is increasingly risen. That prompted Trump
frustrated with Pyongyang to accuse Beijing in July of
and supported a U.N. Se- failing to use its economic
curity Council ban on Aug. leverage to stop Pyong-
5 on coal and other key yang’s pursuit of nuclear
goods. weapons.
The Chinese customs Other North Korean exports
agency said it will stop pro- to China also include cloth-
cessing imports of North ing, knitwear and plastic
Korean coal, iron and lead rain ponchos, which ap-
ores and fish at midnight on pear not to be affected by
Sept. 5. the latest sanctions.
“After that, entry of these Beijing had long been
goods will be prohibited,” Pyongyang’s only dip-
said an agency statement. lomatic defender but
The announcement follows agreed in March 2016 to
an escalating exchange sanctions against the North
of angry words between following its test of a long-
U.S. President Donald range missile.q