Pyongyang's actions at odds with denuclearization: Pompeo
Kuala Lumpur, Aug 3 : US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday called North Korea's actions to continue building missiles inconsistent with its promise of dismantling its nuclear weapons.
"Chairman Kim (Jong-un) made a commitment to denuclearize. The world demanded that (he) do so in the UN Security Council resolutions," Pompeo told journalists accompanying him during his flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore.
"In so far as they behave inconsistently with it, they violate one of the resolutions of the UN Security Council," he was quoted as saying by Efe news.
Pompeo's statements came after US intelligence services this week said that North Korea could be building new missiles in the same plant where it produced an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching cities located on the US East Coast.
US President Donald Trump and Kim on June 12 held a historic meeting in Singapore where they agreed on the importance of moving step by step and taking simultaneous actions to achieve peace and denuclearization on the Korean peninsula.
The Singapore summit came after Kim held one with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on April 27 -- the first inter-Korean summit in 11 years -- where both leaders agreed to work towards achieving peace and denuclearization of the peninsula.
Within the framework of the ministerial summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Singapore, Pompeo planned to urge other attendees to remain committed towards continuing with sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council on Pyongyang.
North Korea is one of the countries invited to the Asean Foreign Ministers meetings in Singapore, which will close on Saturday after the meetings of the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Forum (EAF).
Asean consists of Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The EAF includes Australia, China, South Korea, the US, India, Japan, New Zealand and Russia, along with the 10 Asean nations.
The ARF, which addresses security issues, consists of, in addition to the above countries, Bangladesh, Canada, North Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, East Timor and the European Union.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Guarantee schemes model for empowering poor, Cong will return to power in 2028: Siddaramaiah
Mangaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday expressed confidence that the Congress government would return to power in the state in 2028.
He asserted that the five guarantee schemes introduced in 2023 have become a model for empowering the underprivileged, women, the unemployed and economically weaker sections, not just in the state but in the entire country.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating a Kambala event at Muduru-Paduru in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, he said the welfare measures reflected the vision of the Congress government to strengthen social and economic democracy.
"The five guarantees were introduced with the sole objective of empowering the poor, marginalised and weaker sections of society. These schemes have now become a model for ensuring social and economic justice," he said.
Siddaramaiah said democracy should not remain confined to political representation alone but must also ensure social and economic empowerment.
"A democracy that is only political has little meaning unless it is socially and economically vibrant," he said, adding that the state government was working towards that goal.
The CM also praised senior Congress leader and former minister B Ramanath Rai, who organised the event, describing him as one of the most honest leaders and recalling his role in bringing developmental works worth about Rs 5,000 crore to the constituency during his tenure as MLA and minister.
Despite his contributions, Rai had lost the Assembly election from Bantwal, Siddaramaiah said, expressing hope that he would contest again from the constituency in 2028 and secure victory.
He also lauded the people of the coastal region for preserving traditional cultural practices and organising Kambala races, terming the slush track buffalo race a popular folk sport of the state.
