North Korea has ordered its citizens in Libya not to return home in an apparent bid to block news of civil uprisings in the Arab world from reaching the isolated state, a report said yesterday.
Pyongyang, in a message sent to its embassy in Libya, told about 200 North Korean workers not to return and to follow local authorities’ advice, Yonhap news agency said, citing a source familiar with North Korean affairs.
“[The North] did so because it was afraid the news of Libya’s civil unrest would spread within North Korea,” said the source quoted by Yonhap.
Pyongyang sent hundreds of workers including doctors, nurses and construction laborers to oil-rich nations such as Libya, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to earn much-needed foreign cash, Yonhap said.
Countries have rushed to evacuate nationals from the North African country since deadly clashes broke out between rebels and forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi in February.
Pyongyang and Tripoli have maintained close diplomatic ties, with Qaddafi described as a “revolutionary comrade” of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, according to defectors from the North.
Experts say the North has stepped up its campaign to block information on pro-democracy protests in the Arab world, fearing they could spark similar disturbances among its own people against the Kim dynasty.
The North tightly controls access to the Internet and attempts to block other sources of information, though items smuggled from China have been eroding barriers.
A beauty queen who pulled out of the Miss South Africa competition when her nationality was questioned has said she wants to relocate to Nigeria, after coming second in the Miss Universe pageant while representing the West African country. Chidimma Adetshina, whose father is Nigerian, was crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania and was runner-up to Denmark’s Victoria Kjar Theilvig in Mexico on Saturday night. The 23-year-old law student withdrew from the Miss South Africa competition in August, saying that she needed to protect herself and her family after the government alleged that her mother had stolen the identity of a South
BELT-TIGHTENING: Chinese investments in Cambodia are projected to drop to US$35 million in 2026 from more than US$420 million in 2021 At a ceremony in August, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet knelt to receive blessings from saffron-robed monks as fireworks and balloons heralded the breaking of ground for a canal he hoped would transform his country’s economic fortunes. Addressing hundreds of people waving the Cambodian flag, Hun Manet said China would contribute 49 percent to the funding of the Funan Techo Canal that would link the Mekong River to the Gulf of Thailand and reduce Cambodia’s shipping reliance on Vietnam. Cambodia’s government estimates the strategic, if contentious, infrastructure project would cost US$1.7 billion, nearly 4 percent of the nation’s annual GDP. However, months later,
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un renewed his call for a “limitless” expansion of his military nuclear program to counter US-led threats in comments reported yesterday that were his first direct criticism toward Washington since US president-elect Donald Trump’s electoral victory on Oct. 6. At a conference with army officials on Friday, Kim condemned the US for updating its nuclear deterrence strategies with South Korea and solidifying three-way military cooperation involving Japan, which he portrayed as an “Asian NATO” that was escalating tensions and instability in the region. Kim also criticized the US over its support of Ukraine against a prolonged Russian invasion.
Texas’ education board on Friday voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools, joining other Republican-led US states that pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education, which is controlled by elected Republicans, is optional for schools to adopt, but they would receive additional funding if they do so. The materials could appear in classrooms as early as next school year. Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott has voiced support for the lesson plans, which were provided by the state’s education agency that oversees the more than
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