Classical Music Commission by Long-Haul Trucker to be Premiered in Vienna

For two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025 while fighting for Russia, their recent arrival in South Korea, where they requested to go, offers freedom and the prospect of a new life. But for their families left behind in the North, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s public disclosure of the transfer may have heightened potentially life-threatening risks, experts said Wednesday. They say the relatives may already have become vulnerable when the soldiers' capture was made public in January 2025, but the Kim Jong-un regime's retaliation against them could be harsher after Zelenskyy disclosed the soldiers' transfer to South Korea during his U.N. General Assembly speech on Sept. 23. Forced relocation, loss of official positions and tighter surveillance are among the possible consequences cited by the experts, although the families’ whereabouts and any punishments remain unconfirmed. “North Korea probably had already banished the families to remote mountainous areas and stripped those in official positions of their posts,” said Ahn Chan-il, a North

Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris predicted Wednesday that the Democrats will win both the House of Representatives and Senate in November’s midterm elections, while using a Seoul appearance to deliver a pointed critique of U.S. President Donald Trump’s handling of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and his overtures toward North Korea. Speaking at the 2026 Asan Memorial Lecture, Harris said the electoral map is shifting in Democrats’ favor. “We are facing a lot of obstacles, but the Democrats are going to win. I believe certainly the House and ... each day presents a new reason to think that of winning the Senate as well,” she said, noting that the number of competitive House seats that could flip from Republican to Democrat had grown from 40 to 46 in recent days. When asked about a potential 2028 presidential run, she sidestepped the question. “(The year) 2028, from my perspective, doesn’t matter if we don’t win 2026,” she said. The remarks came as Trump faces declining approval ratings following the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war in late February, with congressional

The dispute between Seoul and Kyiv over the disclosed transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POW) to South Korea began with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement of the move to world leaders on Sept. 23. "Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea," he said during his U.N. General Assembly speech in New York, referring to the official name of South Korea. President Lee Jae Myung wrote on social media the following day: "The Ukrainian side's decision to disclose the information in violation of a confidentiality agreement is deeply regrettable." He said the two sides had agreed to keep the transfer a secret because it is a "highly sensitive matter with significant implications for diplomacy, national security and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Yet Dmytro Lytvyn, communications adviser to Zelenskyy, in a statement on Facebook denied any such agreement existed. In a Sept. 27 statement, Sung Ki-hong, South Korea's senior presidential secretary for public communication, criticized the Ukrainian government's handling of the issu

Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden performed an impressive Dirty Dancing-inspired routine despite their exit from Strictly

For a decade, former Chongqing mayor Huang Qifan stood out as a political survivor while colleague after close colleague fell in China’s far-reaching anti-corruption campaign. Throughout that time, including his seven years as the megacity’s mayor from 2009 to 2016, Huang was seen as a “tumbler” in Chinese politics – a weighted doll that wobbles but never falls over. The nickname was well-deserved – he served under six municipal Communist Party secretaries, watching two of them – Bo Xilai and...

David Noutch injured two Bradford College security guards last year

Simon Richardson denies denies murder; an alternate offence of manslaughter; and dangerous driving. He is on trial at Minshull Street Crown Court following the death of popular educator Michael Mullins. Follow updates from day two of the trial in the blog below.

Key Takeaways: Adult male wild elephant found dead in Udayapur paddy field Elephant known locally as Sano Dore had lived near Koshi Tappu area Forest officials and police condu...

Deputy minister's concerns suggest entire ecosystem has not been carefully designed, planned before implementation - Charles.

Key Takeaways: Government seeks Rs 559.72 billion for post disaster reconstruction Total of 504 recovery and rebuilding projects forwarded for approval Roads and transport infr...

Ruler urges disputes over succession be settled through Adat and law.

Rebecca's one-year-old puppy, Freddy, was bitten by 'a snake' whilst out on a walk in Boggart Hole Clough