SEOUL, South Korea: South Korea on Monday proposed a face-to-face meeting with North Korea over the fate of a long-shuttered joint tourist project at a scenic North Korean mountain.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week ordered the destruction of South Korean-built facilities at the North’s Diamond Mountain resort, saying they look “shabby” and “unpleasant-looking.” North Korea later proposed an exchange of documents to work out details.
The inter-Korean tourism project began in 1998 and was a rare source of foreign currency for the impoverished North, but it was halted in 2008 when a North Korean soldier fatally shot a South Korean tourist there.
Pyongyang has called for the project’s restart since it entered nuclear diplomacy with Washington and Seoul last year. But Seoul cannot revive tours to the mountain and other massive stalled inter-Korean economic projects while international sanctions remain in place over the North’s nuclear program.
On Monday, South Korea sent a message proposing officials from the two Koreas meet to discuss issues on the tourist project including the North’s push to tear down South Korean-constructed facilities there, according to Seoul’s Unification Ministry. Spokesman Lee Sang-min said South Korea hasn’t yet proposed a specific date and location for that meeting.
Lee said South Korea has determined there should be “some sort of meeting” between the two Koreas to discuss the issue.
The South Korean-made facilities include hotels, restaurants, spas and a golf course.
North Korea didn’t immediately respond to South Korea’s proposals.
Seoul proposes meeting with Pyongyang on dormant North Korean tour project
Seoul proposes meeting with Pyongyang on dormant North Korean tour project
- Kim Jong Un last week ordered the destruction of Seoul-built facilities in North Korea’s Diamond Mountain resort
- The inter-Korean tourism project began in 1998 and was a rare source of foreign currency for the impoverished North
Ministry of Hajj and Umrah praises Iraqi authorities for arresting fraudsters touting fake Hajj trips
- A ministry source in the statement also warned prospective pilgrims to beware of unauthorized Hajj offers being promoted this year
- The ministry made it clear that visas for Umrah, tourism, work, family visits, transit, and other categories do not grant eligibility to perform Hajj
RIYADH: The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah expressed its gratitude for actions taken by the Supreme Commission for Hajj and Umrah in the Republic of Iraq that resulted in the prosecution of more than 25 companies fraudulently engaged in commercial Hajj operations.
A ministry source in the statement also warned prospective pilgrims to beware of unauthorized Hajj offers being promoted this year, primarily through social media.
Participation in Hajj requires pilgrims to obtain a legitimate Hajj visa issued by the authorities in the Kingdom in coordination with Hajj affairs offices in their respective countries, or via the Nusuk Hajj platform for those countries that do not have an official Hajj office.
The source said that the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is monitoring advertisements from companies and campaigns, as well as identifying fake accounts on social networks allegedly offering Hajj packages at enticing prices.
The ministry made it clear that visas for Umrah, tourism, work, family visits, transit, and other categories do not grant eligibility to perform Hajj. It urged pilgrims to be careful not to fall victim to companies and others claiming to offer commercial Hajj campaigns or other misleading initiatives.
“Regulations must be followed and legally documented permits, as represented by the official Hajj visa, must be issued, so a safe, secure, well-managed Hajj program and fair representation to all nationalities is provided,” Mohsen Tutla, head of the World Hajj and Umrah Convention, told Arab News.
“Hajj is a mega event with more than 2 million worshippers. Can one imagine, if order was not imposed and (the event) not regulated, chaos would ensue,” he added.
In the statement, the ministry calls for everyone’s cooperation to help combat and report fraudulent companies and campaigns, and to seek information only by visiting its official website and engaging with its channels on social networks.
‘Game of Thrones’ star Liam Cunningham says world will ‘not forget’ those who stayed silent on Gaza
- Irishman has been vocal advocate for Palestinian causes for decades
LONDON: Irish actor Liam Cunningham has said the public will “not forget” those who have not voiced support for Palestinians during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
The “Game of Thrones” star has been a vocal advocate for Palestinian causes for decades. Speaking during a demonstration in Dublin led by Irish-Palestinian Ahmed Alagha, who has lost 44 family members in the recent Israeli assault on Gaza, Cunningham said he has been commended by his peers in the past for his activism.
“What concerns me is that the people who do care and are not doing anything are, in my opinion, worse than the people who don’t care,” he said.
Cunningham was asked if he had spoken to other actors to convince them to show support for the Palestinian cause, but responded by saying he could not speak for others, The Independent reported.
However, he added, “The internet doesn’t forget. When this comes around, when the ICJ (International Court of Justice) and ICC (International Criminal Court) hopefully do their work honorably, it is going to come out,” he said.
“And the people who didn’t talk — it is not going to be forgotten. It’s livestreamed, this genocide, and (saying) you didn’t know is not an option. You did know. And you did nothing. You stayed quiet. I need to be able to look in the mirror, and that’s why I speak,” he added.
A month after Israel launched its onslaught on Gaza in response to Hamas incursions on Oct. 7 in Israeli territory in which nearly 1,200 people were killed and around 250 hostages were taken, Cunningham said that for Irish people to ignore the treatment of Palestinians would be to “betray” their history.
“If we allow ourselves to accept this behavior, then we allow it to happen to us,” he said at the time. “We have to stand up for standards. We have to stand up for international law and it reduces us as human beings if we don’t.”
Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, around two-thirds of them children and women, according to Hamas-run health authorities in the enclave.
Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka: A journey through Saudi Arabia’s transformation, Vision for Future
- Saudi chefs will present a mix of flavours inspired by different regions of the Kingdom
- More than 200 selections of souvenirs will be displayed in the gift shop, each a testament to authentic Saudi craftsmanship
OSAKA: The Saudi pavilion participating in Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan has announced an unprecedented cultural and artistic program encompassing more than 700 events to introduce visitors to Saudi Arabia’s rich heritage, mega projects and various economic opportunities.
The Saudi pavilion at the expo will present Saudi Arabia’s past, transformational journey and vision for a sustainable and prosperous future. It will include a wide range of performances, such as traditional arts, classical music and fashion shows.
Saudi chefs will present a mix of flavours inspired by different regions of the Kingdom, and Saudi musicians and artists will perform daily to highlight the Kingdom’s rich cultural heritage.
A dedicated area for prominent figures will host various sessions and display a series of presentations to inform companies and investors of all the economic opportunities available in the Kingdom.
More than 200 selections of souvenirs will be displayed in the gift shop, each a testament to authentic Saudi craftsmanship.
Visitors from around the world will learn about AlUla City, located in north-west Saudi Arabia, which is home to dramatic desert landscapes, spectacular rock formations and some of the Middle East’s most significant ancient sites.
Major Saudi projects will be highlighted, including NEOM, the land of the future; THE LINE, the 170-kilometer-long city that will be the future of urban living; Oxagon, which is redefining the traditional industrial model; and Trojena, the mountain resort of NEOM.
The pavilion will also showcase aspects of ‘Green Riyadh,’ a revolutionary project that aims to transform Saudi Arabia’s capital into a green oasis by planting 7.5 million trees by 2030. This project aims to place Riyadh as one of the world’s top 100 most livable cities.
It will also highlight the Reefscape Restoration Initiative, launched by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). This initiative seeks to conserve, enhance, and restore 100 hectares of coral reefscape in the Red Sea and design and build the world’s largest Coral Nursery at Jeddah beach, with an expected coral production of 400k per year.
General Commissioner of the Saudi Pavilion Othman Al-Mazyad said: “We look forward to enabling visitors of the Saudi pavilion to learn about the Kingdom, its traditions, journey of transformation and vision for a sustainable future.”
Relations between Saudi Arabia and Japan have been continuously growing, thanks to the Saudi-Japanese Vision 2030. The Saudi Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka will allow companies and investors from Japan and worldwide to learn about the Kingdom’s various opportunities, aiming to forge new partnerships and expand existing agreements.
Ex-PM Khan’s party stages nationwide protest against alleged rigging, vows to continue until mandate restored
- The party says the April 21 by-elections were manipulated by the authorities in favor of its political rivals
- Its leaders have promised to reclaim their ‘stolen’ mandate by protesting for democracy and rule of law
ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Friday held nationwide protests against alleged rigging and vote fraud in by-polls held on April 21 over about two dozen national and provincial assembly seats, vowing to continue until its mandate was restored.
PTI leaders believe election results were manipulated in favor of their political rivals in the recent contest after already rejecting the outcome of the February 8 national polls. The party complained of harassment and state crackdown soon after the downfall of its administration in a no-trust vote in April 2022.
Khan has now directed his party from a high-security prison in Rawalpindi, where he has spent several months after being incarcerated last August, to protest against the rigging until its mandate is restored.
“It will not end here,” Shoaib Shaheen, a PTI leader who spearheaded a protest rally in Islamabad, told Arab News. “We held our peaceful protest demonstration today despite police’s harassment and threats to arrest the workers and leadership.”
Hundreds of male and female protesters responded to the PTI’s protest call in different cities including Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad. The demonstrators were carrying the party flags and Khan’s portraits, demanding his release from the jail. Some of them were also wearing Khan’s face masks to express solidarity with him.
The PTI has already formed a six-party opposition alliance for a nationwide movement against the alleged vote fraud. The alliance held its first protest gathering in Pishin, Balochistan, earlier this month and announced next major public gatherings in Karachi and Faisalabad.
“The nationwide protests would continue until our mandate is restored,” Shaheen said. “This is not just a protest but movement for restoration of democracy and rule of law in Pakistan.”
The party maintained it had won over 180 National Assembly seats in the February 8 polls, but its mandate was just reduced to 90 seats. It also complained of being denied its due share in the reserved seats for women and religious minorities in parliament since all of its candidates had contested as independents after the Supreme Court took away the party’s iconic symbol of a cricket bat days ahead of the national polls.
“We are being denied all our democratic, legal and even basic human rights,” Shaheen said. “All Pakistanis should join us in the movement for restoration of political and economic stability in the country.”
The PTI delegations have frequently been denied by the sitting government.
Prior to the Friday protest, the Islamabad Capital Territory police imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), preventing large gatherings to ensure maintenance of public order.
“Strict action will be taken against those who violate the law,” the police said in a social media post. “Blocking of roads and disruption of normal life will not be tolerated. The law is equal for all and action will be taken against violation.”
US State Department Arabic spokesperson resigns in opposition to Gaza policy
- Hala Rharrit is at least the third person to resign from the department over the issue
WASHINGTON: The Arabic language spokesperson of the US State Department has resigned, citing her opposition to Washington’s policy related to the war in Gaza, in at least the third resignation from the department over the issue.
Hala Rharrit was also the Dubai Regional Media Hub’s deputy director and joined the State Department almost two decades ago as a political and human rights officer, the department’s website showed.
“I resigned April 2024 after 18 years of distinguished service in opposition to the United States’ Gaza policy,” she wrote on social media website LinkedIn. A State Department spokesperson, asked about the resignation in Thursday’s press briefing, said the department has channels for its workforce to share views when it disagrees with government policies.
Nearly a month earlier, Annelle Sheline of the State Department’s human rights bureau announced her resignation, and State Department official Josh Paul resigned in October.
A senior official in the US Education Department, Tariq Habash, who is Palestinian-American, had stepped down in January.
The United States has come under mounting criticism internationally and from human rights groups over its support for Israel amid Israel’s ongoing assault in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands and caused a humanitarian crisis.
There have been reports of signs of dissent in the administration of President Joe Biden as deaths continue to grow in the war.
In November, more than 1,000 officials in the US Agency for International Development (USAID), part of the State Department, signed an open letter calling for an immediate ceasefire. Cables criticizing the administration’s policy have also been filed with the State Department’s internal “dissent channel.”
The war has also caused intense discourse and anti-war demonstrations across the United States, Israel’s most important ally.
Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has killed over 34,000 people in Hamas-governed Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry, leading to widespread displacement, hunger and genocide allegations that Israel denies.
