Politics
North Korea promises full military support to Russia, calls it a ‘brotherly obligation’
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would “fully support” Russia’s military as a “fraternal duty,” while Russian President Vladimir Putin described ties between the two nations as “special.” The comments, reported by state media KCNA on Thursday, underscore the close political and strategic alignment between Pyongyang and Moscow.
Kim and Putin held a meeting on Wednesday on the sidelines of China’s celebrations to mark the formal surrender of Japan in World War Two in Beijing.
The pair flanked Chinese President Xi Jinping at a massive military parade for the first such gathering of the three countries’ leaders since the early days of the Cold War.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin as they attend a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two in Beijing, China.
Kim’s Beijing trip offered his first-ever chance to meet Putin and Xi together, as well as mingle with the more than two dozen other national leaders who attended the events.
State media photos showed Kim standing or walking with Putin and Xi side by side with a smile.
“Comrade Kim Jong Un and President Putin exchanged candid opinions on important international and regional issues,” KCNA said.
Putin “highly praised” North Korean soldiers fighting against Ukraine and said the two countries’ relations are “special ones of trust, friendship and alliance”, KCNA added.
North Korea has sent soldiers, artillery ammunition and missiles to Russia to support Moscow in its war against Ukraine.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, China. – Reuters
South Korea’s intelligence agency estimated this week that some 2,000 North Korean soldiers sent to fight for Russia have been killed.
It believes North Korea plans to deploy another 6,000 troops, with about 1,000 combat soldiers already in Russia.
Kim and Putin discussed in detail the long-term plans for partnership and reaffirmed their “steadfast will” to elevate bilateral relations to a high level, according to KCNA.
Last year, the two leaders signed a mutual defence treaty, which calls for each side to come to the other’s aid in case of an armed attack.
WASHINGTON: Pro-Khalistan Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has denounced what it described as an “unacceptable escalation” after a call for violence against US President Donald Trump was made by a speaker at an event hosted by ITServe Alliance, drawing applause from some attendees.
A video from an H1B conference in Seattle hosted by ITServe Alliance, the largest H1B advocacy group in the US, has sparked outrage after members mocked Americans, threatened physical violence against the US president and boasted of having more political power than average Americans.
SFJ General Counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said the remarks, which SFJ claims were later amplified online by accounts aligned with Hindutva ideology, constituted a direct challenge to US democratic norms and presidential security.
“A violent threat against the President of the United States is a line that must never be crossed,” Pannun said in a statement. “We are urging accountability for any attempt to normalise political violence on American soil.”
“This crossed a line — a violent threat against the President of the United States from supporters of Modi’s Hindutva extremist ideology is a direct challenge to American sovereignty,” said Pannun. “Modi’s Indo-American H-1B network must be held accountable for normalising political violence inside the US,” the statement emphasised.
SFJ said it has filed a formal complaint with the US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, requesting a federal investigation into the incitement and its dissemination online. As of publication, federal authorities had not publicly confirmed an investigation.
SFJ urged President Trump to publicly pose what it termed a “loyalty question” concerning Indo-American political allegiances in a conflict involving India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said: “Will Indo-Americans of Hindu faith bear arms for the United States in a war against Modi’s India?’ The American public has a right to know where the loyalties of Indo-Americans lie — with the US Constitution or with Modi’s extremist ideology.”
“There is no place on American soil for Modi’s violent Hindutva ideology. And if required, Hindutva extremism will be crushed under the full force of the US Constitution,” the SFJ leader said.
SFJ reiterated that the Khalistan Referendum is, in its words, a peaceful and democratic campaign advocating Sikh self-determination in India’s Punjab region. Pannun added that, in a US–India conflict initiated by Washington, pro-Khalistan Sikhs would support the United States.
A helicopter crashed on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, killing five people, the civil aviation authority said on Thursday, while local media reported that the aircraft was on a medical rescue mission.
Those killed were identified as a guide and a doctor — both Tanzanians — the Zimbabwean pilot and two tourists from the Czech Republic, the Tanzania National Parks said in a statement.
The helicopter crashed near the mountain’s Barafu Camp on Wednesday, Tanzania’s Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement.
The Mwananchi newspaper and East Africa TV, citing Kilimanjaro region’s head of police, reported that the helicopter was on a medical rescue mission.
Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, is nearly 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) above sea level.
The crash happened between 4,670 and 4,700 metres, Mwananchi reported.
Around 50,000 tourists climb Kilimanjaro annually.
DUBAI: Preparations for the highly anticipated New Year’s Eve celebration in Dubai are in full swing, with plans for an extraordinary display to mark the arrival of 2026.
The spotlight will once again fall on the iconic Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, where preparations for an awe-inspiring fireworks show are already underway.
In a sign of the scale of the event, Dubai Mall is also getting ready to dazzle with a spectacular light display, set to complement the grand fireworks at the Burj Khalifa.
Mohammed Al Abbar, the Emirati businessman whose construction company built the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, and the iconic Dubai Mall, is personally supervising the preparations for this year’s New Year’s Eve celebration.
Al Abbar shared a behind-the-scenes video on the social media platform X, offering a glimpse into the monumental efforts underway ahead of the grand event.
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