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American soldier Travis King dashed into North Korea while on a civilian tour of the JSA on July 18.
PHOTO: REUTERS
North Korea says US soldier Travis King wants refuge
North Korea said that Travis King confessed to crossing into the country because of “inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the US Army”, state media reported on Wednesday, the first public acknowledgement of the incident by Pyongyang.
The American soldier, Private Travis T. King, dashed into the North on July 18 while on a civilian tour of the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the heavily fortified border between the two Koreas. United States officials have said they believe he crossed the border intentionally.
King, 23, had been heading back to Texas after a run-in with South Korean police when he snuck away to join a tourist trip to the Demilitarised Zone.
North Korean investigators have also now concluded that King crossed deliberately and illegally, with the intent to stay in the North or in a third country, state news agency KCNA said.
Biden keeps focus on economy as Trump gets indicted again
AFP
As criminal charges against Donald Trump mount, his rival for the White House President Joe Biden is determined to avoid commenting on the Republican’s legal troubles.
A day after Trump was indicted for the fourth time, for alleged racketeering and election interference in Georgia, Mr Biden was expected to keep his public statements focused on wind power and job creation.
The president – who defeated Trump in the 2020 election, and could face him again in 2024 – flew to the swing state of Wisconsin to visit a factory overflowing with orders for wind turbines and beginning to make electric car charging stations, creating 100 new jobs.
Poland displays military might in huge parade
AFP
Poland’s biggest military parade since the Cold War took place in Warsaw on Tuesday, as the Nato-member country flexed its military muscle in what the government hoped would be both a message to Moscow and to voters ahead of elections in October.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made boosting the armed forces a priority for Poland’s ruling nationalists Law and Justice (PiS), and with the election campaign in full swing the immense display of military hardware provided a chance to burnish their security credentials.
The Armed Forces Day parade, taking place on the 103rd anniversary of Poland’s victory over the Soviet Union in the Battle of Warsaw, saw 2,000 soldiers from Poland and other Nato countries march through the capital accompanied by 200 items of military equipment and 92 aircraft.
Russia tests digital rouble in bid to bypass sanctions
REUTERS
Russia began testing its new digital rouble with consumers on Tuesday, in the hope blockchain technology will help it evade sanctions and tighten control over its citizens.
The testing phase comes as the rouble lingers at its lowest level against the dollar since March 2022, weeks after Moscow launched its full-scale offensive in Ukraine.
While Moscow has been mulling the idea of creating a digital currency for years, development of the digital rouble took off after Western sanctions blocked Russia from parts of the global banking system.
Wozniacki shifts focus to US Open after Cincinnati exit
Getty Images via AFP
Caroline Wozniacki’s second event back after more than three years away to start a family came to a quick end on Tuesday and left the former world number one aware that she has plenty to improve on ahead of the US Open.
Wozniacki, who announced in June that she was coming out of retirement, accepted a wildcard for the Cincinnati main draw and was beaten 6-4 6-4 by lucky loser Varvara Gracheva of France in 95 minutes.
The 33-year-old’s defeat came a week after Wozniacki’s comeback event at the Canadian Open ended in a second round loss to Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova after looking sharp in her opening match at Montreal.
