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.
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.
Syria will start swapping old banknotes for new ones from January 1, 2026, Central Bank Governor Abdelkader Husrieh said on Thursday, under a plan to replace Assad-era notes to try to strengthen the currency’s value.
Syria’s new government, led by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, is seeking to rebuild state institutions and revive the economy after more than a decade of war, sanctions and financial isolation that left the local currency severely weakened.
“The central bank has been given authority to decide the deadline for the swap and its locations,” Husrieh said, adding the bank would issue instructions.
Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters in August that the country will issue new banknotes, removing two zeros from its currency to try to restore public confidence in the severely devalued pound.
Some bankers have voiced fears that the new currency could drive up inflation and further erode the purchasing power of Syrians reeling from high prices, but Husrieh said the operation will take place through a smooth and orderly swap.
He added that a press conference will be held on December 27 to “explain all the details of the replacement process and deadlines”.
Assad fled Syria in December 2024 for Russia after rebels seized Damascus following an eight-day blitz through the country, ending six decades of his family’s autocratic rule, more than 13 years after an uprising had spiralled into civil war.
Syria marked earlier this month the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad with jubilant celebrations in major cities.
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