International News
How North Korea Executes Citizens for Watching Foreign Films – UN
The United Nations has raised alarm over the growing use of executions in North Korea, warning that citizens are being put to death for acts as simple as watching or sharing foreign films and dramas.
In a recent report, the UN Human Rights Office accused the Kim Jong Un-led government of tightening restrictions on nearly every aspect of daily life, with surveillance now described as “more pervasive” than ever.
“No other population is under such restrictions in today’s world,” the report stated, citing interviews with escapees.
SEE ALSO: North Korea Shuts Border With S’Korea, Declares Neighbour ‘Principal Enemy‘
The findings, drawn from 300 testimonies of defectors, revealed that at least six new laws passed since 2015 allow executions for distributing or viewing foreign media. Witnesses said public shootings have become more common since 2020.
One escapee, Kang Gyuri, who fled in 2023, explained how entertainment could mean death: “He was tried along with drug criminals. These crimes are treated the same now,” she said, adding that three of her friends were executed simply for watching South Korean dramas.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned that unless urgent action is taken, North Koreans will remain trapped in “brutal repression and fear.”
The report also highlighted worsening hunger and economic hardship since 2019, when Pyongyang abandoned diplomatic efforts to focus on weapons development.
A woman who escaped in 2018 recalled: “In the early days of Kim Jong Un, we had some hope, but that hope did not last long. The government gradually blocked people from making a living independently, and the very act of living became a daily torment.”
The UN further accused North Korea of forcing orphans and the poor into dangerous labour under “shock brigades,” while maintaining at least four political prison camps.
Despite a slight decline in physical violence from guards, torture and deaths remain widespread in detention facilities.
The report urged Pyongyang to abolish its prison camps, end executions, and adopt policies that protect human rights.
Türk stressed: “Our reporting shows a clear and strong desire for change, particularly among North Korea’s young people.”
The UN also called for North Korea’s human rights violations to be referred to the International Criminal Court for investigation.
More than 3,000 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) following the country’s deadliest-ever Ebola outbreak, according to the latest official figures released on Wednesday.
The Congolese National Institute of Public Health said the outbreak has so far killed 3,007 people and infected 6,186 others, representing a fatality rate of 48.6 per cent.
SEE MORE: DR Congo Ebola Crisis Deepens as Frontline Health Workers Threaten Strike Over Unpaid Salaries
The health agency also reported that 1,409 people have recovered from the disease.
The outbreak, which was declared in mid-May, originated in the remote northeastern province of Ituri and has spread to six provinces, including areas severely affected by insecurity and the activities of armed groups.
Ebola is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever. The virus has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past five decades.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.
Health authorities are facing significant challenges in containing the virus, with the response reportedly hampered by inadequate resources, insecurity and mistrust among some communities.
Several vaccines and treatments are being tested against the Bundibugyo strain. Existing approved Ebola vaccines are effective against the Zaire strain, which was responsible for the largest known Ebola outbreak.
The World Health Organisation has recommended a Phase Three clinical trial of Ervebo, a vaccine used against the Zaire strain, to determine whether it can also protect against Bundibugyo.
WHO experts remain uncertain about Ervebo’s effectiveness against the strain, although preliminary data indicate that it could provide some level of protection.
Meanwhile, a batch of 16,250 vaccine doses arrived in DR Congo at the end of August for frontline health workers, with vaccination beginning shortly afterwards in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo Province.
The latest outbreak has already surpassed the country’s previous worst Ebola epidemic, which occurred between 2018 and 2020 and killed nearly 2,300 people from about 3,500 reported cases.
Authorities and international health partners are continuing efforts to contain the outbreak as infections and fatalities rise.
Norway’s King Harald V has died at the age of 89, bringing an end to his more than three-decade reign and ushering in a new era for the Norwegian monarchy.
The Royal Palace announced on Friday, August 28, 2026, that the monarch died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital at 6:35am local time.
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“It is with deep sadness that we announce that His Majesty King Harald passed away today. King Harald passed away peacefully at Oslo University Hospital on Friday, August 28 at 6:35 am,” the palace said in a statement.
King Harald, who ascended the throne in 1991, had been hospitalised in Oslo since August 17 while receiving treatment for haemolytic anaemia.
His condition became “extremely serious” on Thursday, prompting members of the royal family to gather at his bedside.
His 53-year-old son, Crown Prince Haakon, has automatically succeeded him as monarch under Norway’s constitutional succession rules. He is expected to take the name King Haakon VIII.
Following the announcement of Harald’s death, the flag at the Royal Palace in Oslo was lowered to half-mast, while members of the public gathered outside the palace to lay flowers and mourn the late monarch.
Harald was widely regarded as a popular and unifying figure during his 35 years on the throne. He was also known for his modest lifestyle and efforts to modernise the monarchy.
Kaspara Bolstad, 24, described him as “a very steady and warm king.”
“I think the entire Norwegian people see him as a role model and as someone who brings people together. Whether you’re for or against the monarchy, I think he’s well-liked across the board,” she said.
Magnus Skaugseth, 27, also praised the late King’s inclusive approach.
“He was so inclusive and committed to having values that are inclusive in the society we live in today. When there is so much division and polarisation, he was a pillar pointing in the opposite direction,” Skaugseth said.
Harald had experienced several health challenges in recent years and had undergone procedures including the fitting of a pacemaker. Despite his declining health, he repeatedly ruled out abdication, maintaining that his oath to serve Norway was lifelong.
His death comes during a turbulent period for the Norwegian royal family, which has faced a series of health and personal controversies in recent months.
With Harald’s death, Crown Prince Haakon now takes over the Norwegian throne, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the country’s monarchy.
International News
US Takes Drastic Action Against UK-Based Palestine Action, Declares Group ‘Terrorist’
The United States has taken drastic action against the UK-based Palestine Action group, designating it as a “specially designated global terrorist” organisation and imposing sanctions on the group.
The designation was announced on Wednesday by the US, which accused Palestine Action of supporting “an act of terrorism.”
The US also designated two other organisations — Italy-based Autistici/Inventati, also known as A/I Collective, and the pro-Palestinian group Masar Badil — as terrorist organisations.
US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott described the three groups as “violent far-left terrorist groups.”
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would deploy its financial powers against the organisations.
“Political terrorism has no place in our society, and we will continue to cut the financial lifelines of these groups until they are eliminated,” Bessent said.
Palestine Action was established in 2020 and is currently appealing a ban imposed on it by the British government.
The UK ban has resulted in thousands of arrests, while rights organisations have criticised the move, arguing that it amounts to criminalising dissent.
According to its stated objective, Palestine Action seeks to end what it describes as “global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime.”
The group gained increased international attention after Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas fighters in southern Israel.
The latest US designation comes as President Donald Trump’s administration continues its efforts to target organisations it considers part of the far-left movement.
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In April, Amnesty International criticised what it described as attempts by the leaders of the United States, Israel and Russia to impose a new “predatory” world order through crackdowns on dissent.
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