Briefly

DPRK

'No possibility' of any talks with Washington

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea reaffirmed its position on Wednesday that it is not considering any possibility of contact with the United States, as that would only be wasting time. Its Foreign Minister Ri Son-gwon said:"We are not considering even the possibility of any contact with the US, let alone having it, which would get us nowhere, only taking up precious time." On Sunday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan called DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un's recent comments that his country was preparing for both dialogue and conflict with Washington an "interesting signal". He said the US will "wait to see whether they are followed up with any kind of more direct communication to us about a potential path forward".

JAPAN

Emperor 'worried' about Olympics

Japan's Emperor Naruhito is "extremely worried" that the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics could accelerate the spread of the coronavirus, the head of the Imperial Palace said on Thursday with the Olympics opening in one month. The events are expected to bring thousands of foreign athletes, officials, sponsors and journalists to Japan during a pandemic, despite caution raised by experts about the risk of infections and the public's persistent calls for cancellation or further postponement.

EUROPEAN UNION

Germany, France moot EU-Russia summit

Germany and France are pushing EU counterparts to consider a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the bloc weighs its strategy to keep Moscow in check, diplomats said on Wednesday. The EU's 27 leaders were scheduled to discuss ties with its vast eastern neighbor at a meeting on Thursday as Brussels admits that relations with the Kremlin have reached their "lowest level".

THE PHILIPPINES

Former president Benigno Aquino dies

Former Philippine president Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, the scion of one of Southeast Asia's most famous political families, died on Thursday due to renal disease secondary to diabetes. He was 61. Aquino, who was in office from 2010 to 2016, was the only son of the late former president Corazon Aquino and her assassinated husband, senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, both revered for leading the struggle to restore democracy in the archipelago nation. Aquino was rushed to the Capitol Medical Center in Manila early on Thursday, local media reported.

Xinhua - Agencies