Briefly

DPRK

US slammed for military drill with allies

The Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Saturday condemned the United States for the latest military drill conducted with its allies, along with other provocations, saying these actions exacerbated the already heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. In a press statement released by the official Korean Central News Agency, the DPRK condemned Washington for staging a large-scale joint air drill, codenamed "Freedom Flag", with the Republic of Korea and Australia, which the United States openly stated was directed at the DPRK. Stressing the drill "shows the offensive and aggressive nature more vividly in its scale, content and character", the statement called the drill "a very dangerous military provocation aimed at preemptive and surprise strike on the DPRK".

MEXICO

24 killed, 5 injured in road accident

Twenty-four people were killed and five others injured after a passenger bus collided with a tractor-trailer early Saturday in the central Mexican state of Zacatecas, local authorities reported. National Guard coordinator Juan Manriquez said the crash occurred when the trailer detached from the truck transporting corn, causing the bus to tip onto its right side. Rodrigo Reyes, secretary-general of the Zacatecas government, said in a video statement that the bus was traveling from Tepic in the western state of Nayarit to Ciudad Juarez in the northern state of Chihuahua. He advised travelers to avoid the highway which remained closed after the accident. The injured are receiving treatment at the Mexican Social Security Institute, Reyes added.

Xinhua - Agencies