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WORLD NEWS Thursday 20 June 2019

Xi supports North Korea's direction on issues ahead of visit

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) either help or disrupt the
— Chinese President Xi U.S.-North Korea diploma-
Jinping praised North Ko- cy, experts say.
rea for moving in the "right Kim also wants to strength-
direction" by politically re- en his own position against
solving issues on the Korean Trump and is obviously
Peninsula in an essay pub- seeking to cement China,
lished in both countries' of- the North's only major ally
ficial media Wednesday on and economic lifeline, as a
the eve of Xi's visit to Pyong- major player in the process.
yang to meet North Korean "China supports how (North
leader Kim Jong Un. Korea) is maintaining the
Xi had nothing to say on right direction to politically
the biggest outside wor- resolve the issues on the
ry about North Korea — Korean Peninsula and sup-
stalled nuclear weapons ports efforts to find a solu-
talks between Washington tion (to serve North Korea's)
and Pyongyang — in the rational interests through
article published on the dialogue," Xi wrote on
front page of North Korea's Rodong Sinmun.
main newspaper, Rodong Lee Sang-min, spokesman
Sinmun, and by China's Xi- for Seoul's Unification Min-
nhua news agency. But ex- istry, said the Rodong Sin-
perts believe he could use In this Jan. 8, 2019, file photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim mun op-ed wasn't the first
his summit with Kim, which Jong Un, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of a Chinese leader wrote in
the North is calling a state the People in Beijing. North Korean state media.
visit, to endorse North Ko- Associated Press The newpaper also pub-
rean calls for an incremen- lished statements by former
tal disarmament process in Xi said his visit on Thursday against the United States, Donald Trump, will likely Chinese leaders Zhang Ze-
which every action Pyong- and Friday will "strengthen South Korea and their allies, meet with the U.S. leader min and Hu Jintao when
yang takes is met with U.S. strategic communication but there has been friction at the G-20 meetings in Ja- they visited the North in
concessions on sanctions and exchange" between in recent years, especially pan. He may try to use his 2001 and 2005, respective-
and security issues. the traditional, though over the North's relentless summit with Kim as lever- ly, the ministry said. Chinese
Much of the article focused sometimes strained, allies. push for nuclear bombs. age, by reminding Trump state media has published
on lauding the neighbors' The nations fought together Xi, who is locked in a bitter of Beijing's influence with essays from Xi ahead of his
seven-decade relationship. in the 1950-53 Korean War trade war with President Pyongyang, which could visits to other countries.q

Parts of southern India facing acute water shortages

NEW DELHI (AP) — Millions of asked employees to work the water taps started go-
people are turning to water from home. Some restau- ing dry," Shankar said by
tank trucks in the southern rants are closing early and phone.
Indian state of Tamil Nadu even considering not serv- Chennai is India's sixth-larg-
as house and hotel taps run ing lunch if the water scar- est city with an estimated
dry because of an acute city worsens. population of 10 million. It
water shortage caused by Gauri Shankar, general is a major destination for
drying lakes and depleted manager of Hotel Deccan medical tourism, and Tamil
groundwater. Plaza in Chennai, said two Nadu state is a car manu-
State Rural Development tank trucks bring water to facturing hub.
Minister S.P. Velumani said the hotel every day from Top elected official K.
on Wednesday that the a town 60 kilometers (40 Palaniswami said the state
drought followed a 62% miles) away at a cost of has diminishing groundwa-
shortfall in monsoon rains 4,000 rupees ($57) each. ter supplies and has asked
last year compared to "Even a water tanker is other states for spare water
2017. proving difficult to get in until October's monsoon An Indian boy arranges plastic vessels filled with drinking water
People are lining up for wa- the city. We are getting rains. on his scooter at a water distribution point, which are replen-
ter cans in the state capital our supply because we en- Monsoons reach different ished by water tankers, in Chennai, capital of the southern In-
of Chennai. tered into a contract with parts of India at different dian state of Tamil Nadu, Wednesday, June 19, 2019.
Associated Press
Some companies have a supplier in September as times.q