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North Korean soldier captured in Ukraine died from injuries – South Korea’s spy agency

Update North Korean soldier captured in Ukraine died from injuries – South Korea’s spy agency
Members of the artillery unit of the special rifle battalion of Zaporizhzhia region police fire a small multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) towards Russian troops in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine. (File/Reuters)
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Updated 27 December 2024

North Korean soldier captured in Ukraine died from injuries – South Korea’s spy agency

North Korean soldier captured in Ukraine died from injuries – South Korea’s spy agency
  • The soldier was captured by the Ukrainian army
  • Location where he was seized was unknown

South Korea’s spy agency said that a North Korean soldier who was captured alive in Ukraine has died from his injuries, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Yonhap earlier on Friday reported that the agency had confirmed that a North Korean soldier dispatched to fight for Russia had been captured by Ukrainian forces.

Pyongyang has deployed thousands of troops to reinforce Russian troops, including in the Kursk border region where Ukraine mounted a shock border incursion in August.

“Through real-time information sharing with an allied country’s intelligence agency, it has been confirmed that one injured North Korean soldier has been captured,” South Korea’s National Intelligence Service said in a statement.

The soldier was captured by the Ukrainian army, an intelligence source told AFP, adding that the location where he was seized was unknown.

The first confirmation of the capture of a North Korean soldier came days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that nearly 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been “killed or wounded” so far.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) also said Monday that more than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded.

The JCS had also said that Pyongyang is reportedly “preparing for the rotation or additional deployment of soldiers” and supplying “240mm rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled artillery” to the Russian army.

Seoul’s military believes that North Korea was seeking to modernize its conventional warfare capabilities through combat experience gained in the Russia-Ukraine war.

North Korean state media said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a New Year’s message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying “the bilateral ties between our two countries have been elevated after our talks in June in Pyongyang.”

A landmark defense pact went into effect in December after the two sides exchanged ratification documents.

Putin hailed the deal in June as a “breakthrough document.”


Filipino film opposed by Beijing draws global attention to disputed South China Sea

Filipino film opposed by Beijing draws global attention to disputed South China Sea
Updated 58 min 49 sec ago

Filipino film opposed by Beijing draws global attention to disputed South China Sea

Filipino film opposed by Beijing draws global attention to disputed South China Sea
  • ‘Food Delivery’ was pulled from Philippine premiere in March but will debut on Sunday
  • Chinese consulate tried to block it from a New Zealand festival where it won an award

MANILA: Pulled from screens days before its premiere, a Philippine documentary about the daily struggles of Filipino fishermen and coast guards is now winning big abroad, turning the spotlight onto the disputed South China Sea and Manila’s tensions with Beijing. 

“Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea,” by Filipino filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama, was initially set for a Philippine premiere in March. However, it was dropped from the lineup of the PureGold CinePanalo Film Festival in Manila with organizers citing “external factors.”

The film’s title refers to the Philippine part of the South China Sea lying within the country’s exclusive economic zone, an area central to a long-running dispute over the strategic waterway between Manila and Beijing. 

Seeking to highlight the “human” side of tensions beyond geopolitical framing, it centers on the story of Filipino fishermen “who risk their lives every day” and the quiet efforts of Philippine coast guard personnel to keep them safe despite limited resources, Villarama told Arab News. 

“They see it as their duty, their lifeblood, and their birthright. What struck us most was not anger or fear, but a deep sense of quiet dignity. These are men who wake before sunrise, not minding what dangers await them, yet they sail because they must feed their families and uphold traditions passed down for generations,” she said. 

“They don’t use the word ‘patriotism,’ but they live it. For them, the West Philippine Sea isn’t an idea. It’s home. It’s where they survive, dream, and stand their ground. Their courage is unassuming, but it is fierce.”

The documentary went on to have its world premiere at the Doc Edge Festival in New Zealand, where it won the Tides of Change prize earlier this month.

“International recognition gave the film credibility, but it was really the solidarity of communities here and abroad that could make the screening possible on the 27th (of July),” Villarama said.  “We’re just hoping for the best.”

Before the film made its international debut in New Zealand, it faced pressure from the Chinese Consulate-General in Auckland, which lodged a formal protest to festival organizers and requested the film’s scheduled screenings were canceled. 

Despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling in favor of the Philippines’ claims China continues to assert its historical claims to the waters, through which an estimated $5.3 trillion worth of commercial goods transit annually.

In a letter to organizers later posted online, the Chinese consulate said the film was “rife with disinformation and false propaganda, serving as a political tool for Philippines to pursue illegitimate claims in the South China Sea.”

But for its creators, the film was always about the Filipino audience.

“We made ‘Food Delivery’ to hold up a mirror to the truth — not to divide, but to help us see more clearly what is happening in our own waters. Because no matter where we stand on politics or personal beliefs, one thing is certain: The West Philippine Sea is part of our story. It is part of who we are,” Chuck Gutierrez, co-founder of documentary producer Voyage Studios, told Arab News.

“The truth is, we did not make this film to antagonize anyone. Our goal was simple — to show the day-to-day reality faced by Filipinos at the West Philippine Sea. What we captured came from firsthand experiences, not secondhand narratives. These are voices that have long been unheard.” 

Winning the award in New Zealand was a “deeply affirming moment” for Gutierrez and his team. 

“It means that telling the truth, especially when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable, is still worth fighting for,” he said. “Despite the forces that tried to silence the story we were telling, the truth found its voice and resonated with an international audience.”


Australia, Britain to hold talks on boosting defense and economic ties

Australia, Britain to hold talks on boosting defense and economic ties
Updated 24 July 2025

Australia, Britain to hold talks on boosting defense and economic ties

Australia, Britain to hold talks on boosting defense and economic ties
  • Australia sees Britain as a critical partner and the two countries are working closely
  • Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that Britain and Australia were “longstanding friends“

SYDNEY: Australia and Britain’s defense and foreign ministers will hold talks in Sydney on Friday on boosting cooperation, coinciding with Australia’s largest war games and the first visit by a British carrier strike group in three decades, Australia said.

Following the Australia-United Kingdom Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN), Britain’s Foreign Minister David Lammy and Defense Secretary John Healey are scheduled to travel to the northern garrison city of Darwin, where the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales has arrived for the Talisman Sabre war games.

Australia sees Britain as a critical partner and the two countries are working closely amid “shared strategic challenges in an increasingly complex and uncertain world,” Defense Minister Richard Marles said in a statement.

As many as 40,000 troops from 19 countries are taking part in the Talisman Sabre exercises held from July 13 to August 4, which Australia’s military has said are a rehearsal of joint war fighting that contribute to stability in the Indo-Pacific.

Britain has significantly increased its participation in the exercise co-hosted by Australia and the United States, with 3,000 troops taking part.

The talks are expected to focus on progressing the AUKUS partnership for Britain and Australia to build a new class of nuclear-powered submarine, even as the United States reviews the trilateral defense technology agreement and presses Australia to increase defense spending.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that Britain and Australia were “longstanding friends” and the two countries wanted to modernize the relationship.

“From building defense capability and boosting economic resilience, to standing up for human rights, advancing gender equality, and defending the international rules and institutions that protect us all,” she said in a statement.


Spanish airline denies reports that passengers were removed from a plane because they are Jewish

Spanish airline denies reports that passengers were removed from a plane because they are Jewish
Updated 24 July 2025

Spanish airline denies reports that passengers were removed from a plane because they are Jewish

Spanish airline denies reports that passengers were removed from a plane because they are Jewish
  • Israeli news outlets reported that the students are Jewish and their removal was religiously motivated
  • “A group of passengers engaged in highly disruptive behavior … putting at risk the safe conduct of the flight,” Vueling said

MADRID: Several dozen French passengers were removed from a flight leaving the Spanish city of Valencia for Paris for what Spanish police and the airline on Thursday described as unruly behavior.

The carrier, Vueling, denied reports that Wednesday’s incident, which involved the removal of 44 minors and eight adults from flight V8166, was related to the passengers’ religion.

Some Israeli news outlets reported that the students are Jewish and that their removal was religiously motivated, a claim that was repeated by an Israeli minister online.

Spain’s Civil Guard said the minors and adults are French nationals. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the agents involved were not aware of the group’s religious affiliation.

A Vueling spokesperson said the passengers were removed after the minors repeatedly tampered with the plane’s emergency equipment and interrupted the crew’s safety demonstration.

“A group of passengers engaged in highly disruptive behavior and adopted a very confrontational attitude, putting at risk the safe conduct of the flight,” Vueling said in a statement. “We categorically deny any suggestion that our crew’s behavior related to the religion of the passengers involved.”

A Civil Guard spokesperson said the captain of the plane ordered the removal of the minors from the plane at Valencia’s Manizes Airport after they repeatedly ignored the crew’s instructions.

On Thursday, the Federation for Jewish Communities of Spain expressed concern about the incident. The group said that Vueling needed to provide documentary evidence of what happened on the plane.

“The various accounts circulating on social media and in the media to which we have had access do not clarify the cause of the incident,” the organization said.

“We are particularly interested in clarifying whether there were any possible religiously discriminatory motives toward the minors,” the group said.

The Civil Guard said 23 minors and two adults from the group boarded a flight belonging to another airline, while the rest spent Wednesday night at a hotel.

The spokesperson said arrangements were being made for them to leave Valencia later Thursday.


Two dead as Cyprus battles wildfire in searing heat

Two dead as Cyprus battles wildfire in searing heat
Updated 24 July 2025

Two dead as Cyprus battles wildfire in searing heat

Two dead as Cyprus battles wildfire in searing heat
  • “We express the deep sorrow of the state over the unjust loss of two of our fellow citizens,” said Letymbiotis
  • Health authorities said two people were admitted to hospital with severe burns

SOUNI, Cyprus: Two people have died in a wildfire outside Cyprus’s second city of Limassol fanned by strong winds and temperatures that were forecast to reach 44C, authorities said on Thursday.

Police said two charred bodies were found in a burnt out car believed to have been caught up in the blaze that erupted on Wednesday afternoon.

“We express the deep sorrow of the state over the unjust loss of two of our fellow citizens during the devastating wildfires,” said government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis.

Announcing relief measures for the affected communities, Letymbiotis said that “what is unfolding in our country... is unprecedented” with “multiple simultaneous wildfire outbreaks.”

Health authorities said two people were admitted to hospital with severe burns while another 16 were treated for less serious injuries.

Fire service spokesperson Andreas Kettis said the blaze, which started in the village of Malia in the hills above Limassol, ravaged 100 square kilometers (nearly 40 square miles).

He said there were “no active fronts” in the fire but intense “flare-ups” continued in the area.

Authorities issued an extreme heat alert for the Mediterranean holiday island as temperatures were expected to peak at 44C.

More than 250 firefighters and 75 vehicles were deployed to battle the blaze.

The government has asked neighboring countries to send aircraft to support the firefighting effort.

Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis told public broadcaster CyBC that Jordan had two firefighting aircraft on stand-by while two more were expected to come from Spain.

Israel said it would send later on Thursday a military aircraft “to provide aerial support to Cyprus in its battle against the fires sweeping the island.”

Hartsiotis said 106 people had to spend the night in temporary accommodation after several villages were evacuated in the face of the advancing flames.

Scores of homes are feared to have been damaged or destroyed by the fire, with 16 communities left without electricity for airconditioning or refrigeration in the searing heat.

“When I entered my house, I saw the mountain and the valley full of flames,” said Antonis Christou, a resident of Kandou, one of the villages affected by the fire.

“I cried, really I cried, because people got burnt, and someone got burnt while in his car.”

Fire service chief Nikos Longinos told CyBC that he had passed on witness testimony to the police which suggested that the blaze might have been started deliberately.

Cyprus is hit by wildfires almost every year during the island’s hot, dry summers. A 2021 wildfire in Larnaca district killed four Egyptian farmworkers.


For hope on climate change, follow the money, UN chief tells AP

For hope on climate change, follow the money, UN chief tells AP
Updated 24 July 2025

For hope on climate change, follow the money, UN chief tells AP

For hope on climate change, follow the money, UN chief tells AP
  • Guterres hailed the power of market forces in what he repeatedly called “a battle” to save the planet
  • “Obviously, the (Trump) administration in itself is an obstacle, but there are others. The government in the US doesn’t control everything,” the UN chief said

NEW YORK: For nearly a decade, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been using science to warn about ever more dangerous climate change in increasingly urgent tones. Now he’s enlisting something seemingly more important to the world’s powerful: Money.

In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Guterres hailed the power of market forces in what he repeatedly called “a battle” to save the planet.

He pointed to two new UN reports showing the plummeting cost of solar and wind power and the growing generation and capacity of those green energy sources. He warned those who cling to fossil fuels that they could go broke doing it.

“Science and the economy show the way,” Guterres said in a 20-minute interview in his 38th-floor conference room overlooking the New York skyline. “What we need is the political will to take the decisions that are necessary in regulatory frameworks, in financial aspects, in other policy dimensions. Governments need to take decisions not to be an obstacle to the natural trend to accelerate the renewables transition.”

That means by the end of the autumn, governments need to come up with new plans to fight climate change that are compatible with the global goal of limiting warming and ones that apply to their entire economy and include all greenhouse gases, Guterres said.

But don’t expect one from the United States. President Donald Trump has pulled out of the landmark Paris climate agreement, slashed efforts to boost renewable energy and made fossil fuels a priority, including the dirtiest one in terms of climate and health, coal.

“Obviously, the (Trump) administration in itself is an obstacle, but there are others. The government in the US doesn’t control everything,” Guterres said. Sure, Trump pulled out of the Paris accord, but many states and cities are trying to live up to the Biden administration’s climate-saving goals by reducing the burning of coal, oil and natural gas that release heat-trapping gases, Guterres said.

Invest in fossil fuels, risk stranded assets?

“People do not want to lose money. People do not want to make investments in what will become stranded assets,” Guterres said. “And I believe that even in the United States, we will go on seeing a reduction of emissions, I have no doubt about it.”

He said any new investments in exploring for new fossil fuel deposits “will be totally lost” and called them “just a waste of money.”

“I’m perfectly convinced that we will never be able, in the history of humankind, to spend all the oil and gas that was already discovered,” Guterres said.

But amid the hope of the renewable reports, Guterres said the world is still losing its battle on climate change, in danger of permanently passing 1.5 degree Celsius (2.7 degree Fahrenheit) warming since preindustrial times. That threshold is what the Paris agreement set up as a hoped-for global limit to warming 10 years ago.

Many scientists have already pronounced the 1.5 threshold dead. Indeed, 2024 passed that mark, though scientists say it requires a 20-year average, not a single year, to consider the threshold breached.

A scientific study from researchers who often work with the UN last month said the world is spewing so much carbon dioxide that sometime in early 2028, a couple years earlier than once predicted, passing the 1.5 mark will become scientifically inevitable.

Guterres: ‘We need to go on fighting’ even as it looks bleak

Guterres hasn’t given up on the 1.5 degree goal yet, though he said it looks bad.

“We see the acceleration of different aspects of climate change, rising seas, glaciers melting, heat waves, storms of different kinds,” he said.

“We need to go on fighting,” he said. “I think we are on the right side of history.”

Guterres, who spoke to AP after addressing the UN Security Council on the Israeli occupation of Gaza, said there’s only one way to solve that seemingly intractable issue: An immediate ceasefire, a release of all remaining hostages, access for humanitarian relief and “paving the way for a serious political process leading to the two-state solution. Some people say the two-state solution is now becoming extremely difficult. Even some saying it’s impossible. But the question is, what is the alternative?”

Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan are all crises, Guterres said, but climate change is an existential problem for the entire planet. And he said people don’t realize how climate-caused droughts and extreme weather can feed poverty and terrorism. He pointed to the Sahel as an example.

“We see that people live in worse and worse conditions, less and less capacity to grow their crops, less and less capital,” he said. “And this is largely due to climate change.”

“Everything is interlinked: Climate change, artificial intelligence, geopolitical divides, the problems of inequality and injustice,” Guterres said. “And we need to make sure that we make progress in all of them at the same time.”