International News
US Soldier Detained In N Korea For Fighting In Seoul
Before crossing the border into North Korea, Travis King, an American soldier, had been jailed in South Korea for getting into fights.
According to court records, he allegedly caused damage to a police vehicle and recently served time in a Seoul detention center.
When the 23-year-old serviceman broke free, he was being sent back to the US after being recently freed.
He joined a tour of the Joint Security Area and fled into North Korea, which has not commented so far.
It remains unclear what his intentions were for crossing the border. US authorities have said that he did so “wilfully, of his own volition” and expressed concern about his well-being.
Private 2nd Class (PV2) King was reportedly investigated for assault in South Korea in September 2022. According to local media, he was suspected of punching a Korean national in a nightclub in Seoul.
He was fined 5m won (£,3,000; $3,950) for “repeatedly kicking” the back door of a police car and screamed “foul language” at the officers trying to apprehend him.
Local reports quoting officials said he was released on 10 July after serving two months in jail on assault charges, but did not elaborate.
After his release, he was placed under military observation for about a week in South Korea.
He was escorted to the airport in Incheon, near Seoul, for a flight back to the United States, where he was to face disciplinary action.
But he did not board the plane. The Korea Times, quoting an airport official, said he arrived at the boarding gate alone as military police officers were not allowed to accompany him all the way to the plane.
At the gate, he reportedly approached an American Airlines official and claimed his passport had gone missing. An airline employee then escorted him out of the departures area.
After parting ways with his escort, he is reported to have left the terminal to embark on a tour of the Demilitarised Zone, or DMZ, between North and South Korea, where foreigners can visit via tour companies.
It is not clear how PV2 King managed to get on one of these tours, as it usually takes between three days and a week for an individual to be authorised on one of these trips, which are usually closely monitored.
An eyewitness on the same border tour described hearing the soldier laughing loudly before making a run across the border.
The military command that manages the demilitarized zone (DMZ) stated that it thought the soldier was now in the North’s custody. According to a senior US commander, the soldier had not been in communication and US Forces Korea was looking into the matter.
Claudine Gates, Pte King’s mother, told news men that she could not envision her son engaging in such behavior. She said that he “had to be out of his mind.”
Residents of Istanbul were jolted by a 6.2-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday, which struck the Marmara Sea near the city’s western fringes, prompting widespread concern but causing no immediate casualties.
The quake, which occurred at 12:49 p.m. local time (0949 GMT), originated in Silivri, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
“An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude occurred in Silivri, Marmara Sea, Istanbul,” he confirmed on X, formerly Twitter. Yerlikaya also noted that tremors were felt in nearby provinces.
READ ALSO: Massive 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Myanmar, Shakes Southeast Asia
Following the initial tremor, Turkey’s disaster management authority, AFAD, reported three more earthquakes ranging from 4.4 to 4.9 in magnitude.
The seismic activity sent people fleeing onto the streets, with many seen anxiously checking their phones or making calls.
“I just felt earthquake, I’ve got to get out,” said a decorator who dashed out of a fourth-floor apartment near Galata Tower. He declined to give his name, visibly shaken by the experience.
Despite the intensity, there were no reports of injuries or building collapses in the city of approximately 16 million people.
“Until now, we have no information about any buildings collapsing,” the governor’s office stated, urging residents to avoid entering structures that may have sustained damage.
Reassuring citizens, the Istanbul municipality also confirmed, “No serious cases have been reported so far following the earthquake in Istanbul,” in a post on X.
Tremors from the quake were reportedly felt as far as Sofia, Bulgaria, according to AFP journalists in the capital.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation as aftershocks persist and damage assessments are conducted across the region.
The Vatican has disclosed that Pope Francis died of a stroke, which caused a coma and irreversible heart failure, according to his official death certificate released on Monday.
The 88-year-old pontiff passed away on Monday morning, nearly a month after being discharged from hospital following treatment for double pneumonia.
In the statement released by the Holy See Press Office, the cause of death was identified as “a stroke, followed by coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.”
READ MORE: JUST IN: Vatican Mourns As Pope Francis Passes Away At 88
The certification was issued by Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State.
The medical report also detailed the Pope’s history of health challenges, including “acute respiratory failure caused by multimicrobial bilateral pneumonia, multiple bronchiectases, high blood pressure, and Type II diabetes.”
His death was confirmed through electrocardiographic thanatography.
“I hereby declare,” wrote Dr. Arcangeli, “that the causes of death, to the best of my knowledge and judgment, are as stated above.”
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, became the 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013 and was widely recognized for his efforts to modernize Church doctrine and promote global social justice.
Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican announced on Monday.
His passing came just a day after he made an emotional appearance before thousands of faithful gathered at Saint Peter’s Square for Easter Sunday celebrations.
“It is with deep sorrow that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in an official statement shared via the Vatican’s Telegram channel.
READ ALSO: Pope Francis To Return To Vatican After Month-Long Treatment
“This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church.”
The pontiff’s final public appearance, marked by visible frailty, came as a surprise to many, as he had only recently been discharged from the hospital following a prolonged battle with pneumonia. Francis had endured two life-threatening health scares earlier this year and spent 38 days hospitalized before being released on March 23.
Despite his condition, the pope greeted crowds on Easter Sunday with a heartfelt “Happy Easter” and delivered his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing, using the occasion to call for global peace, freedom of thought, and tolerance.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to assume the papacy.
His decade-long leadership was marked by a focus on compassion, humility, social justice, and outreach to marginalized communities.
Why NDLEA Wants Drug Tests For Corps Members, Couples
JUST IN: Political Earthquake In Delta As Gov Oborevwori Defects To APC
Panic In Istanbul As 6.2-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Marmara Sea
We Need Help, Not A State Of Emergency In Benue – Gov Alia Tells FG
Edo LP Senator, Neda Imasuen Set To Join APC
