The International world news thread

Hurricane maria is set to become a category 4 storm according to the latest forecast.

 

The US navy has relieved 2 commanders of their command(Rear Adm. & Captain) in their 7th fleet that is based in Yokosuka, Japan due to loss of confidence.
North Korea has vowed to step up their nuclear programme if the US led sanctions continue.
Polls on the German election show that Angela Merkel is very likely to be re-elected as German chancellor which would make this her 4th term although there is debate on the parties that will join up to form the coalition government.

In a lighter tone of news, Canada has unveiled its first US Civil war monument in honor of their soldiers who fought in the war from 1861 to 1865.

 

This is considered old news at the present but for those who have not read about it.
Trump has threatened to "totally destroy North Korea" during his first UN speech in addition to targeting several other regimes such as Syria, Venezuela, and Iran.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2...s-total-destruction-north-korea/#.WcJvKrIjGUk

Hurricane Maria was dropped back to category 4 on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale in addition to battering Puerto Rico
Live updates can be followed here : http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article174297136.html

Malaysia has chosen to block a popular October beer festival in Kuala Lumpur following warnings and protests from Islamic parties.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/20/malaysia-blocks-beer-festival-kuala-lumpur-vice-fears/

Canada has quietly contributed $33 million to help establish a centre in Kabul to treat Afghan vets wounded in the nation's many years of conflict.
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada...ntributes-33-million-to-help-afghan-vets.html

RIP to the victims and their families.

 

EU demands for €50bn as a "divorce bill" from UK as part of the Brexit negotiations.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...uel-macron-brussels-david-davis-a7963941.html

Meanwhile, Trump & Kim's facebook war is still continuing.

 

Hihi, Shino is back to update the world news thread!

450,000 protest in Barcelona after Span took dramatic measures to prevent Catalonia from breaking away as calls for independence continue.
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/10/22/time-declare-independence-450000-protest-barcelona

Tensions are at a all-time high as both the US and North Korea prep for war.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/wor...nald-trump-fox-news-interview-maria-bartiromo
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/wor...latest-south-korea-frankenmissile-kim-jong-un


Abe emerges stronger with win, but faces nation still divided over constitutional revision
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2...divided-constitutional-revision/#.Wey9qluCyUk

 

Yesterday, fighters jets were scrambled to escort 2 Russian TU-95 bombers flying toward Japan's main islands.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-fighter-jets-intercept-Russian-bombers.html

Abe is set to implement his plan of revising Article 9 of Japan's Constitution following this month's election.
http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/japans-tough-choice

Trump's campaign manager, Manafort charged with "conspiracy against the United States" and could face a charge of up to 80 years in jail.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/us/politics/paul-manafort-indicted.html

North Korea reportedly stole at least 60 classified documents out of 40,000 hacked documents which contained information such as blueprints for missile-equipped ships and unspecified submarines from Daewoo shipbuilding and marine engineering Co in April last year amidst another claim by the U.K that North Korea hacked into the former's national health service.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...s-south-korean-warship-blueprints-report-says

The Yamaguchi-Gumi will not be holding their annual Halloween party this year amidst escalating gang conflict.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/adelst...celebrating-halloween-this-year/#3d9a3fb9df13

 

Following the truck attack in N.Y.
There was a shooting at Colorado that left 3 dead in its wake, suspect still at large.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/shooting-colorado-walmart-leaves-dead-171102050543127.html

Tensions at all time high on the Korean peninsula as North Korea issues a warning to its citizens on a possible US invasion as a third US carrier masses in the pacific ocean.
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/wo...tack-trump-kim-jong-un-missile-strike-nuclear

 

A little more detail on the ongoing political crisis in Zimbabwee, the military has stated that they are not performing a coup d'etat but is instead merely arresting the "criminals" causing suffering to the nation.

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A North Korean defector who was shot 5 times when he escape via the military demarcation line (MDL) in the JSA will undergo his second surgery.
The rank, identity, and motive of the defector is still unknown at this point of time.
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3040768

A 7.3 magnitude earthquake at a border region between Iran and Iraq occurred yesterday which left about 530~580 people dead and displaced 70,000 more.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevor...tude-7-3-earthquake-iran-iraq-deadliest-2017/

A gunman in California fired at random victims on Tuesday, killing four people at multiple locations and injuring at least one child at an elementary school before being killed by law enforcers.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/14/northern-california-shooting-deaths-school

 

※ For news regarding the recent defection of a North Korean soldier.
- Footage
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-42075986/north-korea-defection-footage-of-moment-soldier-flees
- More indepth details on the chain of events leading up to being picked up by South Korean forces.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/21/asia/north-korea-defector/index.html

※ North Korea was redesignated as a "sponsor of terrorism" by the United States with new sanctions impacting 13 NK and Chinese organizations.
※ Robert Mugabe resigned as Zimbabwe's president on Tuesday, a week after the military takeover.
※ A US Navy aircraft with 11 people on board has crashed into the Philippine Sea off Japan.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...rrying-11-people-crashes-pacific-ocean-japan/
※ Japan told to "Get used to it" as China flies bombers over the Miyako Strait between 2 southern Japanese islands.
http://www.businessinsider.sg/china-is-flying-bombers-and-spy-planes-near-japan-2017-11/?r=US&IR=T
※ Singapore rail operator, SMRT, encounters a number of setbacks during the past few weeks as they brace through multiple service disruptions, a train collision that left 38 people injured according to latest reports, and reportedly a second lightening strike on their train.