Mexico expels North Korean ambassador after nuclear test

A view of the embassy of North Korea in Mexico City, Mexico, on Thursday. (REUTERS)
Updated 08 September 2017
Follow

Mexico expels North Korean ambassador after nuclear test

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.


Pro-Greenland protesters mock Trump’s MAGA slogan with ‘Make America Go Away’ caps

Updated 4 sec ago
Follow

Pro-Greenland protesters mock Trump’s MAGA slogan with ‘Make America Go Away’ caps

  • European governments are rallying behind Denmark, citing the need to defend Arctic regions and warning that threats against Greenland undermine Western security

COPENHAGEN, Denmark: Red baseball caps spoofing Donald Trump’s iconic MAGA hats have become a symbol of Danish and Greenlandic defiance against the US president’s threat to seize the frozen territory.
The caps reading “Make America Go Away” — parodying Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan — have gained popularity along with several variants on social media and at public protests, including a weekend demonstration held in freezing weather in the Danish capital.
European governments are rallying behind Denmark, citing the need to defend Arctic regions and warning that threats against Greenland undermine Western security.
Protesters, however, are less diplomatic.
“I want to show my support to Greenland and also show that I don’t like the president of the United States,” said 76-year-old Copenhagen resident Lars Hermansen, who wore one of the red caps at a protest Saturday.
The mock hats were created by Copenhagen vintage clothing store owner Jesper Rabe Tonnesen. Early batches flopped last year — until the Trump administration recently escalated its rhetoric over Greenland. Now there are popping up everywhere.
“When a delegation from America went up to Greenland, we started to realize this probably wasn’t a joke — it’s not reality TV, it’s actually reality,” said Tonnesen, 58. “So I said, OK, what can I do?” Can I communicate in a funny way with a good message and unite the Danes to show that Danish people support the people of Greenland?”
Demand suddenly surged from a trickle to selling out in the space of one weekend. Tonnesen said he has now ordered “several thousand.”
The original version designed by Tonnesen featured a play on words: “Nu det NUUK!” — a twist on the Danish phrase “Nu det nok,” meaning “Now it’s enough,” substituting Nuuk, Greenland’s tiny capital.
Protesters at Saturday’s rally waved red-and-white Danish and Greenlandic flags and carried handmade signs mocking US claims over the territory, which is slightly larger than Saudi Arabia.
“No Means No,” read one sign. Another declared, “Make America Smart Again.”
Wearing one of the spoof hats, protester Kristian Boye, 49, said the gathering in front of Copenhagen City Hall struck a lighthearted tone while delivering a serious message.
“I’m here to support the Greenlanders, who are going through a very hard time right now,” he said. “They are being threatened with having their country invaded. I think it’s totally unacceptable.”