Russian President Vladimir Putin gave North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a luxury Russian Aurus limousine as a gift, because the latter liked the car when it was shown to him last year, the Kremlin said yesterday.
When Kim visited eastern Russia in September last year, Putin showed Kim one of the black armored limousines that he uses. Kim sat beside Putin in the car at the Vostochny Cosmodrome and appeared to enjoy it.
“When the head of the DPRK [Democratic Republic of North Korea] was at the Vostochny cosmodrome, he looked at this car, Putin showed it to him personally, and like many people, Kim liked this car,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the gift.
Photo: Reuters
“So this decision was made,” Peskov said. “North Korea is our neighbor, our close neighbor, and we intend, and will continue, to develop our relations with all neighbors, including North Korea.”
Russia has stepped up ties with North Korea and other countries hostile to the US, such as Iran since the start of the war with Ukraine — relations that are a source of concern to the West.
The US has accused the North of supplying Russia with artillery shells and missiles used in Ukraine. Moscow and Pyongyang deny the US accusations, but last year vowed to deepen military relations.
The Russian-made limousine was delivered to Kim’s top aides by the Russian side on Sunday, North Korea’s official KCNA news agency said.
Kim’s sister “courteously conveyed Kim Jong-un’s thanks to Putin to the Russian side, saying that the gift serves as a clear demonstration of the special personal relations between the top leaders,” KCNA reported.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it was closely monitoring the cooperation between Russia and North Korea while urging both countries to comply with UN Security Council resolutions.
“Security Council sanctions on North Korea prohibit directly or indirectly supplying, selling or moving all transportation vehicles internationally categorized as HS Code 86 through to 89 regardless of their origin to North Korea including luxury cars,” ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk told a media briefing.
According to the automaker’s Web site, the car is Russia’s first full-size luxury sedan. It is also Putin’s presidential car.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
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