IN BRIEF (Page 11)

China Daily | Updated: 2019-09-17 08:26

DPRK

Kim invited Trump to Pyongyang in letter

Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, invited US President Donald Trump to visit Pyongyang in a letter sent in August amid stalled denuclearization talks, a Republic of Korea newspaper reported on Monday, citing unidentified diplomatic sources. Kim, in the letter sent in the third week of August, spoke of his "willingness" for a third summit and extended an invitation for Trump to visit Pyongyang, the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported. Trump on Aug 9 said he had received a "very beautiful letter" from Kim. But US officials have not said anything about a second letter in August. Trump and Kim have met three times since June last year to discuss ways to resolve a crisis over Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs. Trump has subsequently said he would be willing to meet Kim this year.

India

Search for 39 tourists after boat accident

Indian authorities were engaged in a major search-and-rescue operation on Monday, seeking 39 Indian tourists missing after their tour boat capsized in a fast-flowing swollen river. Police said eight bodies had been recovered, down from a previous tally of 12, after the accident on the Godavari River in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday. The boat was carrying a total of 73 passengers, of whom 26 have been rescued, local police official Adnan Asmi said. Almost 300 personnel using boats and a helicopter were engaged in the search operation on Monday including from the Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force. The vessel was heading to a popular picnic spot when it capsized. Local media reports said the Godavari River has been in spate for a week. Poor safety checks and overcrowding are major causes of boat tragedies in India, especially during the current monsoon season.

Japan

Elderly constitute 28.4% of population

Japan's elderly people now account for 28.4 percent of the population, hitting a record high, Japanese government statistics revealed on Sunday. The country's seniors constituted 12.9 percent of Japan's labor force in 2018, also a record high, according to data released by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry. Japan, with the world's oldest population, has 35.88 million people aged 65 or older, up 320,000 compared to 2017, according to the data released before Monday's Respect for the Aged Day. The population of Japanese aged 90 or older stands at 2.31 million, including 70,000 at 100 years old or above. The elderly will account for 30.0 percent of the Japanese population in 2025 and reach 35.3 percent in 2040, according to a forecast by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

Agencies - Xinhua

(China Daily 09/17/2019 page11)