Headline

North Korea Reportedly Detains US Soldier

Published

2 years ago

July 18, 2023

A US soldier is believed to have been detained by North Korea after crossing the heavily fortified border — an incident likely to further aggravate Washington’s troubled relations with the nuclear-armed state.

Hours later, North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile into the sea, according to the South Korean military — an apparent response to the first visit by an American nuclear-armed submarine to a South Korean port in decades.

The events underscored the diplomatic tightrope being walked by Seoul and Washington in the face of an increasingly assertive Pyongyang.

“A US national on a JSA orientation tour crossed, without authorisation, the Military Demarcation Line into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK),” the UN Command said, referring to the Joint Security Area and the border between the Koreas.

“We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident,” it said, referring to the North’s Korean People’s Army.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told journalists that “we’re closely monitoring and investigating the situation and working to notify the soldier’s next of kin.”

CBS News, citing US officials, reported that the soldier was a low-ranking member of the US Army who was being escorted home to the United States for disciplinary reasons, but managed to leave the airport and join the tour group.

North and South Korea remain technically at war since the 1950-1953 Korean War ended with an armistice, rather than a peace treaty, with a Demilitarised Zone running along the border.

Soldiers from both sides face off at the JSA north of Seoul, which is overseen by the United Nations Command.

It is also a popular tourist destination and hundreds of visitors tour on the South Korean side every day.

Former US president Donald Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Panmunjom Truce Village in 2019 and even stood on North Korean soil by stepping across the demarcation line there.

Panmunjom is “the only location one could attempt such a move out of the whole JSA tour,” Choi Gi-il, a professor of military studies at Sangji University, told AFP.

An eyewitness who said they were on the same tour told CBS News the group had visited one of the buildings at the site when “this man gives out a loud ‘ha ha ha’ and just runs in between some buildings”.

“I thought it was a bad joke at first but, when he didn’t come back, I realised it wasn’t a joke and then everybody reacted and things got crazy,” they said.

South Korea’s defence ministry declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

– No North Korean soldiers –

North Korea sealed its borders at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and has yet to reopen them. Its security presence on its side of the border at the JSA has also been scaled back significantly.

When AFP toured the JSA earlier this year, no North Korean guards were visible in the area. Even so, under armistice protocols, South Korean or US personnel could not run across the border to retrieve the US national.

Retired US Army lieutenant colonel Steve Tharp, who worked in the JSA area, told Seoul-based specialist site NK News he had no idea how the North Koreans would react to the incident.

“This is the first contact since Covid… We don’t know what they’re thinking,” he told NK News.

The incident comes as relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points, with diplomacy stalled and Kim calling for increased weapons development, including tactical nuclear weapons.

Seoul and Washington have ramped up defence cooperation in response, staging joint military exercises with advanced stealth jets and US strategic assets.

– Nuclear sub –

The allies held the first Nuclear Consultative Group meeting in Seoul on Tuesday and announced an American nuclear submarine was making a port visit to Busan for the first time since 1981.

Pyongyang, which baulks at having US nuclear assets deployed around the Korean peninsula, then fired at least one ballistic missile into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.

Seoul’s military was still analysing what type of missile was fired, the report Wednesday said. Japanese officials said a second missile may also have been fired, according to Kyodo news agency.

The JSA in Panmunjom is typically peaceful despite ongoing hostility between the two sides.

In 1976, two American soldiers were killed in the JSA by North Koreans with axes in a dispute over a tree.

The last time there was a defection at the JSA was in 2017, when a North Korean soldier drove a military jeep and then ran on foot across the demarcation line at Panmunjom.

He was shot multiple times by his fellow North Korean soldiers but survived.

In general, defections between the two Koreas are rare but far more common in the other direction, when North Koreans seek to escape grinding poverty and repression by fleeing, typically across the northern land border into China.

Headline

26-year-old Nigerian Fatally Stabbed In London

Published

10 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Editor

Two individuals have been charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 26-year-old Nigerian, Ayowale Aladejana, in New Cross, southeast London.

The Metropolitan Police reports that detectives investigating the fatal stabbing of Ayowale charged a man and woman with murder.

“Ben Wazabanga, 23 (24.10.2001) of Fairfax Road, Bedford was charged with murder and possession of a knife on Monday, 4 August. He was remanded in custody and will appear at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 4 August.

“Ronique Belfon, 23 (10.05.2002) of Morinsbury Road, Bedford was charged with murder on Monday, 4 August. She was remanded to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 4 August,” the report read.

Speaking on the incident, Detective Chief Inspector Lucie Card, who is leading the investigation, was quoted as saying, “Our thoughts are with Ayowale’s family and friends at this difficult time.

“I understand this incident will be concerning and we are carrying out a fast-paced and thorough investigation to establish the circumstances. I would encourage anyone who has not yet spoken to us.”

The investigation was reportedly launched after officers were called to reports of a man with stab wounds at a residential address in Monson Road, New Cross, at 19:26hrs on Saturday, August 2.

The officers were said to have responded alongside the London Ambulance Service and medics from London’s Air Ambulance, however, Ayowale died at the scene despite efforts to save him.

The report added that a post-mortem examination conducted on Sunday gave a preliminary cause of death as stab wound to the chest.

Ayowale’s family are also reportedly being supported by specially trained officers.

Headline

Trump Threatens 250% Tariffs On Foreign Pharmaceuticals

Published

11 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Editor

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that upcoming tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals could reach 250 percent, after starting at a lower level, while adding he plans to also unveil fresh duties on foreign semiconductors.

“We’ll be putting (an) initially small tariff on pharmaceuticals, but in one year, one-and-a-half years, maximum, it’s going to go to 150 percent,” Trump said in an interview on CNBC.

“And then it’s going to go to 250 percent because we want pharmaceuticals made in our country,” he added.

In the same interview, Trump said he expects to raise the US tariff on Indian imports “very substantially over the next 24 hours” due to the country’s purchases of Russian oil.

While Trump has aimed at products from different countries with varying tariff rates after imposing a 10-percent levy on almost all trading partners in April, these have excluded certain products he planned to target separately.

These sector-specific tariffs have generally come after government investigations that look into the national security concerns surrounding certain imports.

After earlier embarking on probes on imported semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, the Trump administration has signaled plans to wrap up these studies, which could lead to new tariffs.

Already, Trump has slapped steep tariffs of 50 percent on imported steel and aluminum, and also rolled out a separate but lower duty on autos and parts.

AFP

Headline

UK Opens Application For Chevening Scholarships

Published

15 hours ago

August 5, 2025

Editor

The United Kingdom on Tuesday announced that applications for its Chevening Scholarships are officially open, with prospective scholars encouraged to apply between August 5 and October 7, 2025.

The Chevening programme offers fully funded one-year master’s degrees at UK universities to individuals with demonstrated leadership potential and a strong commitment to driving positive change in their home countries and globally.

In a statement released by the British High Commission in Abuja, the Head of the Scholarships Unit at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Emma Hennessey, described the programme as highly competitive, selecting only the most outstanding candidates from across the world.

“Chevening’s highly competitive selection process ensures that those chosen to become Chevening Scholars or Fellows represent the brightest and most driven individuals from around the world.

“Chevening Alumni use their world-class education, global networks, and confidence gained in the UK to create meaningful, lasting change when they return home, whether by tackling global challenges or making a tangible impact in their own communities.

“If you can clearly demonstrate the skills needed to join them — outstanding leadership, influence, and networking skills — I strongly encourage you to apply.

“If you’re not quite there yet, I encourage you to take the time to build the experience that will make your application competitive,” Hennessey noted.

According to the statement, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, urged Nigerians with leadership potential to take advantage of the opportunity.

“Chevening is more than a scholarship — it is a gateway to a global network of leaders, innovators, and changemakers,” he said.

“Whether your aspirations lie in shaping public policy, launching a business, or addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, the Chevening Scholarship offers a unique opportunity to pursue a fully funded master’s degree in the United Kingdom to advance your knowledge and skills.

“While there is no ‘typical’ scholar, we seek individuals with the passion, ideas, and influence to drive meaningful change in Nigeria and beyond.

“Our alumni network includes dynamic professionals across diverse sectors who are making significant contributions in their fields.

“If you have the potential to lead positive change in your community, Nigeria, or globally, I encourage you to submit your application before the 7 October 2025 deadline.

“Apply today and take the first step toward this life-changing experience,” he said.

Applications must be submitted online via chevening.org/apply.

Interested applicants are also encouraged to review available guidance at chevening.org/guidance to determine their readiness for the competitive application process.

Since its launch in 1983, the Chevening programme has supported over 60,000 professionals from over 160 countries and territories.

The scholarship is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and partner organisations.