The truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone that divides North Korea and South Korea. AFP
The truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone that divides North Korea and South Korea. AFP
The truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone that divides North Korea and South Korea. AFP
The truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone that divides North Korea and South Korea. AFP

Travis King: US still trying to learn whereabouts of soldier detained in North Korea


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Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US was still trying to gain more information on the well-being and whereabouts of soldier Travis King, who has been detained in North Korea.

The UN Command, which oversees the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea, said Pyongyang had responded to their request regarding Pvt King. It said it would not go into more details so as to not interfere with efforts to bring Pvt King back to the US.

“I wish we did know more,” Mr Blinken said in an ABC News interview on Thursday.

“Just yesterday, finally, the North Koreans acknowledged that they’ve – understand we’re asking these questions. They haven’t given us responses.

“We’re trying by every reasonable means possible just to get that basic information, and then to see what we can do about bringing him home.”

Though North Korea had responded to requests for information for the first time, Washington said it was not a “substantive call”.

“It was a call to the UN Command at the demilitarised zone that came just in the last 48 hours. It was not a substantive call. It was an acknowledgement call,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

“The outreach that we have made to North Korea through diplomatic channels has still not been answered.”

US soldier Travis King. Reuters
US soldier Travis King. Reuters

Pvt King was in a South Korean jail for roughly two months on assault charges assault. He was supposed to return to the US on July 18 to face disciplinary proceedings, but joined a border tour after going through airport security.

The incident comes at a low point in relations between Pyongyang and Washington, as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for the development of nuclear warheads. Meanwhile, the US continues to enforce harsh sanctions on North Korea.

In previous instances in which an American has been detained in North Korea, Pyongyang only made a public announcement several weeks later.

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

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If you go

The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.

While you're here
Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?

Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.

They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.

“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.

He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.

Updated: August 04, 2023, 5:17 AM`