South Korea, China agree to normalize relations after THAAD fallout

A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched during a successful intercept test, in this undated handout photo provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency. (REUTERS)
Updated 31 October 2017
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South Korea, China agree to normalize relations after THAAD fallout

SEOUL: South Korea and China have agreed to normalize all forms of cooperation and exchanges “expeditiously” following a year-long standoff over the deployment of a US anti-missile system in South Korea, the South’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Both sides shared the view that the strengthening of exchange and cooperation between Korea and China serves their common interests and agreed to expeditiously bring exchange and cooperation in all areas back on a normal development track,” the statement said.
South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in will hold a summit meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an upcoming summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries in Vietnam on Nov. 10-11, a Blue House official said in a separate briefing on Tuesday.


Ukraine’s Zelensky says allies to provide new energy and military aid within 10 days

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Ukraine’s Zelensky says allies to provide new energy and military aid within 10 days

KYIV: Ukraine ‌has agreed new energy and military support packages with European allies ahead of ​the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday.
Kyiv is aiming to rally support among partners as it struggles to fend off Russian battlefield advances and ‌air attacks on ‌its energy system ​while ‌under ⁠US ​pressure to negotiate ⁠peace.
“In Munich, we agreed with the leaders of the Berlin Format on specific packages of energy and military aid for Ukraine by February 24,” Zelensky wrote on ⁠X.
Zelensky said on Friday ‌after a ‌meeting of the so-called Berlin ​Format of about ‌a dozen European leaders in ‌Munich that he had hoped for new support, including air-defense missiles.
“I am grateful to our partners for their ‌readiness to help, and we count on all deliveries arriving promptly,” ⁠he ⁠added.
Russian attacks on major cities such as Kyiv have battered Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, plunging millions of residents into power outages of varying periods in freezing cold weather.
Zelensky added that Russia had launched around 1,300 attack drones, 1,200 guided aerial bombs and dozens ​of ballistic missiles at ​Ukraine over the past week alone.