美国对朝鲜核威胁强硬表态
川普政府近日对朝鲜明确表明了一种更加严厉的策略，表示在长期遏制朝鲜核野心方面，对平壤毫不妥协的态度已经失去耐心。
美国副总统彭斯星期三在日本的美军航母上说，“那些想挑战我们的决心或准备状态的人应当明白，我们将击溃任何进攻，对任何常规或核武器的使用，美国将做出压倒性和有效的回应”。此前，彭斯副总统星期二在东京宣布，在实现朝鲜半岛无核化目标之前，美国不会善罢甘休。更早前，彭斯在韩国首尔表示，“战略忍耐的时代已经结束”，影射的是奥巴马政府更为低调的战略。
彭斯对东北亚访问之际，美国总统国家安全顾问麦克马斯特中将告诉美国广播公司，对于朝鲜问题“不排除任何选项”。但是，麦克马斯特希望，不需要对朝鲜进行军事打击。
川普总统最近两度发推，指称平壤政权是“自找麻烦”的“威胁”。川普同时狠批奥巴马政府的对外政策说，“我担任总统这90天，已经暴露出过去8年外交政策的彻底失败” 。
US Assumes Tougher Stand on North Korea Nuclear Threat
The Trump administration has articulated a tougher approach toward North Korea in recent days, saying it has lost patience with Pyongyang's intransigence in the face of long-standing demands to curb its nuclear ambitions.
"Those who would challenge our resolve or readiness should know, we will defeat any attack and meet any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective American response," Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier in Japan. That followed his comments Tuesday in Tokyo declaring the U.S. will not rest until it achieves the goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. And at a stop in Seoul earlier, he said, "The era of strategic patience is over" — referring to the more muted Obama administration strategy.
Pence's visit to northeast Asia came as the president's national security adviser, Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, told ABC News "all our options are on the table" in North Korea. However, McMaster expressed hope there would be no need for a military strike against the North.
In a pair of recent Twitter posts, President Donald Trump referred to the Pyongyang regime as a "menace" that is "looking for trouble." Taking a broad swipe at Obama's approach, he wrote, "The first 90 days of my presidency has exposed the total failure of the last eight years of foreign policy."
土耳其为公投存在作弊现象的指称提出辩护
土耳其总理星期二反击欧洲选举观察员有关星期天就扩大总统权力问题举行的有争议的全民公决中有200多万张选票受到操纵的指称。
土耳其总理比纳利·耶伊尔德勒姆回应欧洲理事会观察团的批评说，就公投结果的争吵“到此为止”，“人民的意愿通过投票箱得到了体现”。
他的表态是回应欧洲理事会提出的对所称的投票违规进行调查的呼声。一些欧洲观察员表示，这些违规现象导致多达250万张未经验证的选票被记入选举结果。
另外，欧洲观察员指称，反对埃尔多安推动扩权的活动人士面临重重阻碍，其中包括缺少言论自由、面临恐吓和难以接触媒体。欧安组织还称埃尔多安在星期天的投票前滥用行政资源。
Turkey Defends Against Referendum Fraud Allegations
Turkey's prime minister hit back Tuesday at European monitors who said more than 2 million votes could have been manipulated in Sunday's closely contested referendum on expanding presidential powers.
Binali Yildirim, responding to criticism from the Council of Europe's observer mission, said debate over the outcome of the referendum was "over," and that "the people's will had been reflected at the ballot box."
He spoke in response to calls from the council to investigate alleged vote irregularities that several official observers said allowed as many as 2.5 million uncertified ballots to be counted.
Separately, European monitors alleged that those who campaigned against Erdogan's push for expanded powers faced numerous obstacles, including a lack of freedom of expression, intimidation and access to the media. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe also alleged misuse of administrative resources by Erdogan ahead of Sunday's vote.
