MEXICO: Mexico on Thursday expelled the ambassador of North Korea in protest over Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test which it said posed “a grave risk for peace.”
Ambassador Kim Hyong Gil was declared persona non grata and given 72 hours to leave the country, according to a statement by the foreign ministry.
Pyongyang’s decision to carry out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test Sunday was a serious violation of international law, the statement said.
“Nuclear activity in North Korea is a grave risk for peace and international security and represents a growing threat for the region, as well as key allies of Mexico such as Japan and South Korea,” the Mexican government said.
The blast triggered global condemnation and calls by the United States, South Korea, Japan and others for stronger UN Security Council sanctions against the North.
Washington has presented a draft UN resolution calling for an oil embargo on North Korea, an assets freeze on Kim Jong-Un, a ban on textiles and an end to payments to North Korean guest workers.
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Mexico expels North Korean ambassador after nuclear test
Mexico expels North Korean ambassador after nuclear test
Indonesia targets illegal mining on 190,000 hectares of forest land
JAKARTA: The Indonesian government could potentially seize mining activities across 190,000 hectares (733.59 square miles) of illegally cleared forest, the deputy forestry minister told a parliamentary hearing on Monday, as authorities tackle what they say is unlawful extraction in the resource-rich archipelago. Indonesia’s unprecedented crackdown, which has seen military-led teams take over palm plantations and mines, has unnerved the industry, pushing up global palm oil prices over concerns it will hit output, and more recently, powering rallies in the prices of metals like tin. “There were 191,790 hectares (mines) that do not have forestry use permits, which could be considered illegal,” Deputy Forestry Minister Rohmat Marzuki said. He did not name any of the companies involved or say how many were involved. Neither did he elaborate on what was being mined or provide any timeline for the seizures.
“The forestry task force has already obtained 8,769 hectares and this is still ongoing to reach 191,790 hectares,” he added.
“Along with the forestry task force, the forestry ministry remains committed in obtaining back the forest areas from illegal oil palm plantations and illegal mines,” Marzuki said.
The military-backed forestry task force said last week it had taken over 8,800 hectares of land where nickel, coal, quartz sand and limestone were being mined. It has also seized palm plantations across 4.1 million hectares (10.1 million acres), an area roughly the size of the Netherlands. Indonesia’s Attorney General has assessed potential fines of 109.6 trillion rupiah ($6.47 billion) for palm oil companies and 32.63 trillion rupiah for mining companies, for operations in forest areas.
“The forestry task force has already obtained 8,769 hectares and this is still ongoing to reach 191,790 hectares,” he added.
“Along with the forestry task force, the forestry ministry remains committed in obtaining back the forest areas from illegal oil palm plantations and illegal mines,” Marzuki said.
The military-backed forestry task force said last week it had taken over 8,800 hectares of land where nickel, coal, quartz sand and limestone were being mined. It has also seized palm plantations across 4.1 million hectares (10.1 million acres), an area roughly the size of the Netherlands. Indonesia’s Attorney General has assessed potential fines of 109.6 trillion rupiah ($6.47 billion) for palm oil companies and 32.63 trillion rupiah for mining companies, for operations in forest areas.
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