Egypt Today’s evening international news

CAIRO – 3 November 2017: Egypt Today briefs newspapers’ top stories on Friday for political and social issues.

U.S. bomber drills aggravate N. Korea ahead of Trump's Asia visit

President Donald Trump’s visit to the Korean peninsula comes with the aim to shut down Pyongyang's nuclear program. The visit also followed the two strategic bombers that were launched by the U.S. to conduct drills over South Korea, which led to the aggravation of tensions with North Korea.

North Korean state news agency, KCNA, reported on Friday that exercises involving South Korean and Japanese fighter jets were a "surprise nuclear strike drill."


Police officers stand guard in front of protesters during a rally against U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Japan, near the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo - REUTERS

Trump arrives in Asia on Sunday, beginning his first trip to the region as the president of the U.S. in Japan before heading to South Korea and China, then Vietnam and the Philippines.

U.S. officials said earlier this week that a decision may be issued directing three carriers to carry out joint exercise to coincide with Trump's trip, Reuters reported.

Spanish judge orders Catalan leaders to be taken into custody pending investigations

A Spanish judge ordered nine Catalan separatist leaders to be held in custody on Thursday pending a potential trial over the region's independence push.

The ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont’s lawyer said a warrant had also been issued for his client's arrest – although the statement was dismissed by a senior official in Spain's High Court, with no definite reason for the differing accounts so far.

Puigdemont called for the release of "the legitimate government of Catalonia," where hundreds of people gathered in support for his call outside the Catalan parliament.


Sacked Catalan President Carles Puigdemont makes a statement in Brussels - REUTERS

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy sacked Puigdemont and his government last week, hours after the Catalan parliament made a unilateral declaration of independence – a vote that was boycotted by the opposition and declared illegal by Spanish courts, according to Reuters.

Iraq forces retakes al Qaim City from IS

Iraqi security forces, backed by tribesmen and Popular Mobilization Units, have fully liberated al-Qaim city in western Anbar from Islamic State militants, military sources announced on Friday, MENA reported.

Some Iraqi military units have taken security measures to prevent fleeing IS terrorists from returning to the city, the sources noted.


Shi'ite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) advance towards the city of Al-Qaim, Iraq November 3, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer

Iraqi security forces and tribesmen launched a military operation in October to recapture the city from the Islamic State group.

Iraqi forces had taken major strides to recapture the devastated areas under the militants’ control, that the Iraqi government may soon declare full release of Anbar city.