North Korean fishermen stuck in South as Pyongyang cuts contact
Two North Korean fishermen picked up by South Korean patrols in March remain stranded in the South as Pyongyang refuses to respond to requests for their return.
North Korea held its first Pyongyang International Marathon in six years, with foreign runners from China and Ethiopia. The event marked the country's gradual reopening post-pandemic, celebrating Kim Il Sung's birthday. The marathon symbolized North Korea's cautious return to normalcy.
North Korea hosted its first Pyongyang International Marathon in six years on Sunday, marking a significant moment as the country gradually reopens after the pandemic. Foreign runners from countries including China and Ethiopia participated in the event, which took place as part of the celebrations for the April 15 birthday of Kim Il Sung, the nation's founder.
Around 200 international participants arrived in Pyongyang for the race, which was organised with assistance from Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based company. Despite the country's isolation, which saw its borders closed in 2020 due to COVID-19, North Korea has begun to lift some restrictions, welcoming tourists from Russia and now allowing limited international participation in events.
The marathon course ran through the heart of Pyongyang, passing notable landmarks before heading into the countryside and returning to the city for a dramatic finish at a stadium packed with 50,000 spectators. State television footage showed enthusiastic crowds, some of whom wore masks, cheering on the runners. A North Korean athlete crossed the finish line first, as reported by state media.
This marathon is seen as a symbolic return to normalcy for the isolated nation, which remains cautious in its approach to reopening.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on May 15, with discussions reportedly focusing on upcoming peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Istanbul.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war in Gaza will not stop until Hamas is destroyed, following the release of US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander.
Qatar signed a landmark agreement with U.S. aerospace giant Boeing on Wednesday to acquire 160 aircraft for Qatar Airways, a deal valued at $200 billion. The signing took place in Doha during the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet behind closed doors at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace at 10:00 local time today to explore security guarantees, territorial integrity and a possible ceasefire.
EU approves 17th Russia sanctions, blacklisting almost 200 shadow‑fleet ships, 30 evasion firms and 75 defence figures, banning missile chemicals and arming Brussels to strike Kremlin hybrid and operations.
The EU and UK unveiled new sanctions targeting Russia’s shadow oil fleet and financial networks, acting independently of the US after talks failed to yield a Ukraine ceasefire.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has apologised to Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts for being "overly rude" during Prime Minister’s Questions last week.
China announced a $500 million contribution to the WHO over five years, stepping in as the UN agency faces a funding shortfall after the U.S. cut support.
Spain has been hit by a major mobile network outage just weeks after a massive power blackout disrupted the country. The outage, reportedly caused by network upgrades from telecom provider Telefónica, affected emergency phone services and landline communication in multiple regions.
Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir has been promoted to the ceremonial rank of field marshal, the first such promotion in nearly 60 years.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment