Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/888285
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 18 OCTOBER 2017 News 8 NORTH Korea's deputy UN am- bassador has warned that the situation on the Korean pen- insula "has reached the touch- and-go point and a nuclear war may break out any moment". Kim In-ryong told the UN general assembly's disarma- ment committee that Pyon- gang is the only country in the world that has been subjected to "such an extreme and di- rect nuclear threat" from the United States since the 1970s and that the country has the right to possess nuclear weap- ons in self-defence. He pointed to large-scale military exercises every year using "nuclear assets" and said what is more dangerous is what he called a US plan to stage a "secret operation aimed at the removal of our supreme leadership". This year, according to Kim, North Korea has completed its "state nuclear force and thus became the full-fledged nu- clear power which possesses the delivery means of various ranges, including the atomic bomb, H-bomb and intercon- tinental ballistic rockets". "The entire US mainland is within our firing range and if the US dares to invade our sacred territory even an inch it will not escape our severe punishment in any part of the globe," he warned. Kim's speech follows threats between the North and the US, and the implementation of tough UN sanctions. Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Monday that his country was curtailing eco- nomic, scientific and other ties with North Korea in line with UN sanctions, and the European Union announced new sanctions on Pyongyang for developing nuclear weap- ons and ballistic missiles. The US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, said on Sunday that diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the North Korean crisis "will continue until the first bomb drops". His commitment to diplo- macy came despite President Donald Trump's tweets sev- eral weeks ago that his chief envoy was "wasting his time" trying to negotiate with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, whom he derisively referred to as "Little Rocket Man." The president said that "only one thing will work" with North Korea, but refused to elabo- rate any further. North Korea's deputy UN ambassador called his coun- try's nuclear and missile ar- senal "a precious strategic as- set that cannot be reversed or bartered for anything". "Unless the hostile policy and the nuclear threat of the US is thoroughly eradicated, we will never put our nuclear weapons and ballistic rockets on the negotiating table under any circumstances," Kim said. He told the disarmament committee that the Demo- cratic People's Republic of Ko- rea, which North Korea calls itself, had hoped for a nuclear- free world. Instead, Kim said, all nuclear states were accelerating the modernisation of their weap- ons and "reviving a nuclear arms race reminiscent of [the] cold war era". He noted that the nuclear weapon states, including the United States, boycotted negotiations for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons that was approved in July by 122 coun- tries at the United Nations. "The DPRK consistently supports the total elimina- tion of nuclear weapons and the efforts for denuclearisa- tion of the entire world," he said. But as long as the United States rejected the treaty and "constantly threatens and blackmails the DPRK with nuclear weapons… the DPRK is not in position to accede to the treaty". North Korea: 'Nuclear war may break out at any moment' says UN envoy WORLD SNAPSHOT North Korea deputy United Nations ambassador Kim In-ryong says his country has been subjected to a 'direct nuclear threat' MATTHEW AGIUS A court has ordered Malta Shipyards Ltd to pay €38,214 by way of damages to a former employee who was left perma- nently disabled after a crane dropped an iron beam on top of him at the shipyard. Mark Grech Mallia had been working at the Marsa site work- shop, in what was previously known as the Malta Shipbuild- ing Company Ltd on 5 May, 2005, when a crane being oper- ated by a colleague accidentally dropped an iron beam onto Grech Mallia. Grech Mallia, who had been employed as a shipwright for 25 years, suffered a permanent disability affecting his left leg as a result. He claimed that his employ- er had failed to provide a safe workplace, and that the other employee involved had been negligent. Grech Mallia asked the courts to order the com- pany and the other employee to pay damages. Malta Shipyards Ltd argued that Grech Mallia and the other employees had the nec- essary training, facilities and tools and were duty bound to take precautions to ensure employee safety. "Consequently, they need to personally answer for any possible negligence or failure that can result from their ac- tions," argued Malta Ship- yards Ltd, adding that it could not be held responsible for any damages. The court noted that no evi- dence was brought forward to show that the other employee was to blame for the accident. The court ruled that the com- pany had not taken sufficient precautions to protect workers from being injured by either the overhead crane or the unse- cured beam. Malta Shipyards Ltd condemned to pay €38,000 in damages for workplace injury Malta Shipyards Ltd was ordered to pay damages after the court ruled that it had not taken sufficient precautions to protect its workers AMY MICALLEF DECESARE MALTA Public Transport has launched a new design for the 'tallinja' child card, during an award ceremony for the Tallinja Drawing Competi- tion, held at St Benedict Col- lege in Zurrieq. The competition, which was compered by comedy duo Danusan, was won by Anthea Mamo, who was chosen from 400 school-child entries around Malta and Gozo, aged between five and 10. The winner was "very happy that her drawing was to fea- ture on the new tallinja child card, as her parents looked on proudly", said Malta Pub- lic Transport. The young girl also won a variety of prizes, including a year of free bus travel, an art set, a Maxi Micro Scoot- er and a 3D printer for the school she attends. St Benedict College's head- master, Paul Sammut, re- marked that it was a pleas- ure to host the event, during which students were reward- ed "for their artistic abilities". Two runner-up prizes were also awarded to Faye Galea from St Dorothy's School in Zebbug and Kirsten Azzo- pardi from St Joseph's School in Blata l-Bajda, said the company. They also won Maxi Micro Scooters and 3D printers for their schools. Commercial director Dan- iel Grech, thanked the chil- dren and their schools for their collaboration and add- ed that the company was "overwhelmbed by the large number of students who par- ticipated". The company went on to announce their Road Safety Trip campaign, which in- volves children travelling on board a bus and participating in an "interactive presenta- tion on road safety". The first 3,000 primary school students to partici- pate, as well as apply for the card through their school, will receive free new tallinja child cards, said Malta Public Transport. New 'tallinja' children's card launched