Friday, February 9, 2018

World News Briefs -- February 9, 2018



Daily Mail: KIM JONG UN-IFIED! Poignant moment Korean athletes from North and South parade as one team during historic – and spectacular - opening ceremony of Pyeongchang Winter Olympics

* South Korean President Moon Jae-in met North Korean ceremonial leader Kim Yong Nam in Pyeongchang
* Pair met ahead of Olympics opening ceremony where athletes from North and South walked out together
* Also attending the event, though absent from the meet-and-greet, was Kim Yo Jong, sister of Kim Jong Un
* North and South have already competed together as part of a unified ice hockey team, losing 3-1 to Sweden

North and South Korea marched into the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics as one nation under a unified flag on Friday as the Pyeongchang Games officially kicked off.

Athletes from both countries walked into the main stadium amid a ceremony featuring huge puppets, 1,200 drones and thousands of dancers that was themed around the search for peace.

As they came into the stadium they were greeted by a song called Arirang, a folk tune that was later used as the resistance anthem when Korea was under Japanese imperial rule

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

U.S. dismisses fears of wider war after deadly Syria clashes.

US support for Kurds in Iraq and Syria unaffected by tensions with Turkey.

Turkey resumes Afrin operation in northern Syria.

Iraq fighting Kurdish 'White Flags' group in north.

85,000 displaced in 10 weeks of raging violence in Yemen: UN.

In wake of protests, Iranian officials call for large turnout to mark revolution.

Lebanon signs deal with 3 international oil companies.

Leader of militant Hamas leaves Gaza for talks in Egypt.

Palestinian authority faces blowback over allegations Of CIA-backed wiretapping.

ASIA

Winter Olympics in South Korea kicks off with colourful opening ceremony of fire and ice.

North and South Korea heads of state meet, shake hands.

US vice-president skips Olympics dinner in snub to North Korea officials. Winter Olympics 2018: Pence skips dinner with N Koreans.

Pence, Warmbier's father meet with North Korean defectors.

Cardinal: Rohingya faced elements of ethnic cleansing.

Nepal Communist alliance to form next government.

Philippines' Duterte claims he cannot be tried by war crimes court.

AFRICA

Egypt launches military operation in Sinai, Nile Delta. Egypt launches new operation against 'Islamic State'.

Egypt’s political parties choose to forgo challenging Sisi.

Deadly mosque blast hits Libya's Benghazi.

Cameroon's army denies alleged atrocities in restive anglophone regions.

Togo: Mediators expected amid calls for change.

Zuma drama overshadows South Africa’s Mandela commemorations.

Zimbabwe opposition quarrel as leader lies in hospital.

‘They exaggerated figures’: Ugandan aid officials suspended over alleged fraud.

EUROPE

Germany's Martin Schulz drops bid for foreign minister job after SPD pressure.

Brexit transition period not set in stone if disagreements persist, EU's Barnier says.

Gazprom warns Europe of gas shortage without increased Russian imports.

Winter Olympics: Ban on 47 Russian athletes and coaches upheld.

Russian nuclear scientists arrested for 'Bitcoin mining plot'.

Mikheil Saakashvili blasts corruption in Ukraine.

E.U. considers repealing daylight savings time.

AMERICAS

Trump signs budget deal, ending government shutdown. US House passes spending bill, ending brief government shutdown. Shutdown averted as Trump signs budget bill.

Colombia's Farc suspends election campaigning over 'threats' to candidates.

Colombia tightens border amidst wave of Venezuela refugees.Colombia and Brazil clamp down on borders as Venezuela crisis spurs exodus

Oxfam denies cover-up over 'Haiti prostitutes'.

Canada just lost the most jobs in nine years, with biggest drop on record in part-time work.

Bermuda becomes first jurisdiction in the world to repeal same-sex marriage.

US flu season still worsening; now as bad as 2009 swine flu.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Russia says IS turning Afghanistan into 'resting base' for regional terrorism.

London Bridge terror attackers took large amounts of steroids before launching van and knife assault which killed eight people, inquest hears.

New US sanctions hit Islamic State in Africa, Asia, Turkey.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Anti-China bill being softened after U.S. companies complain.

FedEx and UPS hit as Amazon 'plots shipping expansion'.

Apple confirms iPhone source code leak.

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