News in Brief (2023-10-20)

Former US officials ask Pakistan not to deport

Afghans seeking relocation to United States

ISLAMABAD, Oct 19: A group of former U.S. diplomats and representatives of resettlement organizations asked Pakistan not to deport thousands of Afghans who have been waiting for U.S. visas under an American program that relocates at-risk Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban rule. The appeal in an open letter on Wednesday signed by 80 former U.S. officials, dignitaries and resettlement groups came weeks after Pakistan announced a crackdown on migrants living in the country illegally, including 1.7 million Afghans, telling them to return to their home countries by Oct. 31 to avoid mass arrest and expulsion. — AP

Lavrov meets North Korea's leader

MOSCOW, Oct 19: Russia's top diplomat, Sergei Lavrov, met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Thursday, Moscow's foreign ministry said in a statement. Lavrov hailed North Korea as a "close neighbour and long-time partner" of Russia in a visit that is expected to pave the way for a possible trip by President Vladimir Putin later this year. — AFP

China formally arrests Japanese man

BEIJING, Oct 19: China has formally arrested a Japanese man detained this year on espionage allegations, Tokyo's embassy in Beijing said on Thursday. "We can confirm that the Japanese national detained in March has been arrested," an embassy official said in a statement to AFP. China said in March that the man was "suspected of engaging in espionage activities". The man, an employee of Japanese pharmaceutical firm Astellas, has reportedly worked in China for two decades. He had planned to return to Japan before his sudden detention and was previously a senior executive of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in China, according to Kyodo News Agency. — AFP