SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had an “openhearted talk” in Pyongyang with envoys for South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the North said Tuesday.
It’s the first time South Korean officials have met with the young North Korean leader in person since he took power after his dictator father’s death in late 2011 — and the latest sign that the Koreas are trying to mend ties after a year of repeated North Korean weapons tests and threats of nuclear war.
North Korea’s state media said Kim expressed his desire to “write a new history of national reunification” during a dinner Monday night that Seoul said lasted about four hours.
Given the robust history of bloodshed, threats and animosity on the Korean Peninsula, there is considerable skepticism over whether the Koreas’ apparent warming relations will lead to lasting peace.
North Korea, some believe, is trying to use improved ties with the South to weaken US-led international sanctions and pressure, and to provide domestic propaganda fodder for Kim Jong Un.
But each new development also raises the possibility that the rivals can use the momentum from the good feelings created during North Korea’s participation in the South’s Pyeongchang Winter Olympics last month to ease a standoff over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and restart talks between Pyongyang and Washington.
The North Korean report sought to make Kim look statesmanlike as he welcomed the visiting South Koreans, with Kim offering views on “activating the versatile dialogue, contact, cooperation and exchange.”
He was also said to have given “important instruction to the relevant field to rapidly take practical steps for” a summit with Moon, which the North proposed last month.
Moon, a liberal who is keen to engage the North, likely wants to visit Pyongyang. But he must first broker better ties between the North and Washington, which is Seoul’s top ally and its military protector.
The role of a confident leader welcoming visiting, and lower-ranking, officials from the rival South is one Kim clearly relishes. Smiling for cameras, he posed with the South Koreans and presided over what was described as a “co-patriotic and sincere atmosphere.”
Many in Seoul and Washington will want to know if, the rhetoric and smiling images notwithstanding, there’s any possibility Kim will negotiate over the North’s breakneck pursuit of an arsenal of nuclear missiles that can viably target the US mainland.
The North has repeatedly and bluntly declared it will not give up its nuclear bombs. It also hates the annual US-South Korean military exercises that were postponed because of the Olympics but will likely happen later this spring. And achieving its nuclear aims rests on the North resuming tests of missiles and bombs that set the region on edge.
Photos distributed by the North showed a beaming Kim dressed in a dark Mao-style suit and holding hands with Moon’s national security director, Chung Eui-yong, the leader of the 10-member South Korean delegation. Chung’s trip is the first known high-level visit by South Korean officials to the North in about a decade.
The South Korean delegates have another meeting with North Korean officials on Tuesday before returning home, but it’s unclear if Kim Jong Un will be there.
Kim was said to have expressed at the dinner his “firm will to vigorously advance the north-south relations and write a new history of national reunification by the concerted efforts of our nation to be proud of in the world.”
There is speculation that better inter-Korean ties could pave the way for Washington and Pyongyang to talk about the North’s nuclear weapons. The United States, however, has made clear that it doesn’t want empty talks and that all options, including military measures, are on the table.
Previous warming ties between the Koreas have come to nothing amid North Korea’s repeated weapons tests and the North’s claims that the annual US-South Korean war games are a rehearsal for an invasion.
Before leaving for Pyongyang, Chung said he would relay Moon’s hopes for North Korean nuclear disarmament and a permanent peace on the peninsula.
Chung’s delegation includes intelligence chief Suh Hoon and Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung. The South Korean presidential Blue House said the high-profile delegation is meant to reciprocate the Olympic trip by Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, who became the first member of the North’s ruling family to come to South Korea since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
Kim Yo Jong, who also attended Monday’s dinner, and other senior North Korean officials met with Moon during the Olympics, conveyed Kim Jong Un’s invitation to visit Pyongyang and expressed their willingness to hold talks with the US.
After the Pyongyang trip, Chung’s delegation is scheduled to fly to the US to brief officials about the outcome of the talks with North Korean officials.
President Donald Trump has said talks with North Korea will happen only “under the right conditions.”
If Moon accepts Kim’s invitation to visit Pyongyang it would be the third inter-Korean summit talk. The past two summits, one in 2000 and the other in 2007, were held between Kim’s late father, Kim Jong Il, and two liberal South Korean presidents. They resulted in a series of cooperative projects between the Koreas that were scuttled during subsequent conservative administrations in the South.
North Korean leader desires for ‘new history of national reunification’ in meeting with Seoul envoys
North Korean leader desires for ‘new history of national reunification’ in meeting with Seoul envoys
Pakistan to launch nationwide polio campaign on May 26 to immunize over 45 million children
- Pakistan has reported seven polio cases this year, while 74 cases were confirmed in 2024
- Pakistan, Afghanistan are the only countries in the world where polio remains an endemic
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will launch a third nationwide anti-polio vaccination campaign to immunize 45.4 million children under the age of five years, the Pakistani health ministry said on Monday.
The statement came after Health Minister Mustafa Kamal’s meeting with Dr. Chris Elias, president for global development at the Gates Foundation, to discuss Pakistan’s fight against the disease, according to the health ministry.
Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with the completion of the routine immunization schedule for all children are essential to ensure strong immunity against the disease.
Pakistan has reported seven polio cases so far this year and has conducted two major vaccination campaigns in the first half of 2025. Last year, the South Asian country had reported 74 cases of the virus.
“The fight against polio has required tremendous sacrifice from all stakeholders including law enforcement personnel who have rendered invaluable services,” Kamal was quoted as saying by the ministry.
“This mission will continue until we reach complete eradication.”
The minister underscored the ongoing close cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan, including synchronized national immunization campaigns across both countries, as well as successful nationwide anti-polio campaigns carried out in February and April.
He shared that improved community engagement has led to a reduction in vaccine refusals among parents, expressing optimism that Pakistan is on track to achieve complete polio eradication by the end of 2025.
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio remains an endemic.
Dr. Elias commended Pakistan for its sustained efforts and reaffirmed the Gates Foundation’s commitment to supporting the country’s journey toward a polio-free future.
“He expressed hope that the 2025 eradication target would be successfully achieved.” the health ministry said.
In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 polio cases annually. However, by 2018, the number had dropped to just eight. In 2023, six cases were reported, and only one case was recorded in 2021.
Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994, but efforts to eradicate the virus have been repeatedly undermined by vaccine misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners who claim that immunization is a foreign plot to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western espionage.
Militant groups have also frequently targeted polio vaccination teams and the security personnel assigned to protect them, often resulting in deadly attacks.
Alcaraz beats Sinner again to win the Italian Open and solidify his status as French Open favorite
- Since last year, Alcaraz is the only player to beat Sinner more than once and now he’s done it four straight times
- Sinner was attempting to become the first home man to win the Italian Open since Adriano Panatta in 1976
ROME: There’s only one player who is consistently beating Jannik Sinner.
Carlos Alcaraz defeated the top-ranked Sinner again, 7-6 (5), 6-1, to win his first Italian Open on Sunday and add another big clay-court title to his resume.
Since the start of last year, Alcaraz is the only player to beat Sinner more than once and now he’s done it four straight times.
“Just proud about myself, the way that I approached the match mentally. Tactically think I did it pretty well from the first to the last point,” Alcaraz said. “I maintained my level during the whole match.”
Alcaraz’s victory before Sinner’s home fans at the Foro Italico snapped the Italian’s 26-match winning streak, which stretched back to October — when Alcaraz beat him in the China Open final in a third-set tiebreaker. Alcaraz now leads the career series 7-4.
It was Sinner’s first tournament back after a three-month doping ban.
“I’m just really happy to see Jannik back at this amazing level,” Alcaraz said. “I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him coming back from three months without playing. Making the final here is something insane.”
Alcaraz also solidified his status as the favorite to defend his title at the French Open, which starts next Sunday.
“On clay right now, you’re the best player,” Sinner said.
Added Alcaraz, “Beating Jannik, winning Rome. I think both things mixed together give you a great confidence coming to Paris. I always say that the final is not about playing, the final is about winning, to go for it. I just repeated (that to) myself all the time.”
Alcaraz spoils Sinner’s return
Sinner was playing his first tournament since he won his third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.
In February, Sinner agreed to a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency that raised questions, since the three-month suspension allowed him not to miss any Grand Slams, and come back at his home tournament.
Sinner said he and his team went through “three months that were anything but easy, so achieving this result already here is really big” and that “we should be really proud.”
He added: “We’re bringing home a very special trophy, even if I wanted the other one.”
Sinner was attempting to become the first home man to win the Italian Open since Adriano Panatta in 1976. He was also trying to complete a sweep of the Rome singles titles for Italy after Jasmine Paolini won the women’s trophy on Saturday.
Paolini and partner Sara Errani also defended their women’s doubles title earlier Sunday, making Paolini the first woman since Monica Seles in 1990 to sweep Rome’s singles and doubles titles in the same year.
A large number of the 10,500 fans in Campo Centrale were decked out in orange — Sinner’s theme color — and they were chanting Sinner’s name before the match even began, and even after Sinner lost.
“You gave me a lot of energy, lot of courage to be here on court, I tried with everything I had,” Sinner told the crowd. “It was something very, very special. Thank you.”
Sinner also cracked a joke about offering “special thanks” to his brother, Mark, “who instead of being here, decided to go to Imola to watch Formula 1.”
Sinner wasted 2 set points
Sinner wasted two set points on Alcaraz’s serve when he led 6-5 in the first set and then Alcaraz jumped ahead in the tiebreaker with two aces and held on to seal it before cruising in the second set.
On Alcaraz’s third match point, Sinner ran down a drop shot but Alcaraz was waiting for his reply and hit a stretch volley winner into the open court.
Alcaraz then held his hands out wide and flashed a wide smile.
Alcaraz hit 19 winners to Sinner’s seven and only had one more unforced error than his opponent — 31-30. Half of Sinner’s errors came from his backhand, which is usually his most dependable shot.
Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, will move back up to No. 2 in the rankings on Monday after his third final in three clay-court events this season. He won the Monte Carlo Masters and finished runner-up in the Barcelona Open before withdrawing from the Madrid Open because of injury.
Having also won the Madrid Open in 2022 and 2023, Alcaraz became the fifth man to win all three Masters 1000 clay events after Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Gustavo Kuerten and Marcelo Rios.
Syrians chase equestrian glory in sport once dominated by Assads
- For decades, former president Bashar Assad, his relatives and allies enjoyed wide-ranging privileges before his overthrow in December
DAMASCUS: For weeks, Ziad Abu Al-Dahab has been training for gold at an equestrian tournament near Damascus — in a sport once dominated by Syria’s Assad family and their inner circle.
“Results used to be decided in advance, always favoring those close to the government,” the 25-year-old rider said.
“My greatest ambition was to reach third place, but today, I can aim for first and do well with my new horse.”
For decades, former president Bashar Assad, his relatives and allies enjoyed wide-ranging privileges before his overthrow in a lightning Islamist-led offensive in December.
Equestrian sports surged in the 1990s under Assad’s late brother Bassel, who was being groomed to succeed their father Hafez before dying in a car crash in 1994. Bashar took over and became president in 2000.
Bassel used to take part in tournaments at home and abroad and styled himself as Syria’s “first rider.”
His profile helped shine a spotlight on the sport, which came to symbolize elite status under the Assads.
Abu Al-Dahab said those close to the family had European horses, which far outperformed the local ones of other competitors.
“It was impossible to compete with the ruling family,” he said while walking his horse on the sand.
Banned from competing
Outside the Dimas equestrian club near Damascus, a statue of Bassel still stands, his face now hidden by the new Syrian flag.
The family’s grip on the sport passed to the next generation, including Sham, daughter of Bashar’s brother Maher.
Sham used to compete in Syria and at international tournaments, often placing high.
The attention she received in the media stirred controversy, with critics seeing it as propaganda.
That grip on the sport kept some away. Munana Shaker, 26, said her father banned her from competing until the Assads were gone.
“My father forbade me from practicing due to fear (of the ruling family), and he always told me that competition with them was impossible,” she said as she stroked her white mare, Mariana.
“He didn’t want us associating with the Assad family at all. He told me the story of the equestrian who was jailed after beating Bassel Assad, and did not want to put me in danger.”
She was referring to Adnan Qassar, a prominent rider who outperformed Bassel before being imprisoned without trial in 1993, accused of plotting to kill him.
Many believe his sporting success was the real reason for his arrest. Qassar was freed 21 years later under a presidential pardon.
“I have long stayed away from this sport, but it is now time to come back strong. I am from the Shaker family, not the Assad family,” she said.
Dream come true
Shadi Abu Al-Dahab, 48, oversees about 240 horses — including some of the Assads’ former European ones.
“Around 40 horses were set aside for the Assad family. No one else was allowed to get near them,” he said.
But today, he’s seeing new faces and growing interest in the sport.
“We have new skills that we discover daily, and enthusiastic children... We now have a large number of riders aspiring to compete and get titles,” he said.
Fellow trainer Salah Al-Ahmad, 52, was beaming as his son took the mare Topsy for a spin — once ridden by Sham Assad.
“He used to dream of touching her or patting her head,” Ahmad said. “Now in this new era, the mare is with him, and he has won two tournaments.
“It’s a dream come true.”
Pakistan Hajj mission delivers vital health care to pilgrims with over 300 staffers
- Pakistan’s Hajj Medical Mission has so far treated more than 11,000 pilgrims
- The mission has set up two hospitals, 11 dispensaries in Makkah and Madinah
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Hajj Medical Mission (PHMM), which comprises over 300 doctors and paramedics, has treated more than 11,000 pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah over the past three weeks, the PHMM head said on Sunday.
This year’s Hajj is expected to take place between June 4 and June 9, with nearly 112,620 Pakistanis set to perform the annual pilgrimage. Of these, approximately 89,000 will travel under the government scheme, while 23,620 will go through private tour operators.
“The Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission 2025 consisted of 301 doctors and paramedical staff from both civilian and armed forces backgrounds, including 72 lady doctors and female health workers,” Col. Dr. Shaheer Jamal, the PHMM director, told Arab News over the phone from Makkah.
“We have treated over 11,194 pilgrims so far and are currently attending to an average of about 2,000 pilgrims daily in Makkah and 40 in Madinah, mostly suffering from dehydration.”
The mission includes medical specialists, surgeons, cardiologists, orthopedic specialists, gynecologists, dermatologists, ENT specialists, psychiatrists, pharmacists, public health specialists and physiotherapists, according to Dr. Jamal.
It has established two hospitals, one each in Makkah and Madinah, along with nine dispensaries in Makkah and two in Madinah.
“Separate wards of 30 beds each had been established for men and women in the central hospital in Makkah, while in Madinah, a small hospital with 11 beds was set up,” he said, adding that their teams were working in three shifts to provide 24/7 care to pilgrims.
Other departments at the mission include emergency, isolation ward, pharmacy, pathology, minor OT, dental, and radiology, the official added.
For patients needing further medical assistance, Dr. Jamal said, the mission had reached an agreement with the Saudi German Hospital which has been treating Pakistani pilgrims both in Makkah and Madinah.
“So far, we have referred 30 patients to the Saudi German Hospital in Makkah and Madinah,” he shared.
The PHMM chief said the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Ministry of Health have extended full support in the establishment of the hospitals and the transfer of medicines and medical equipment to the Kingdom.
He said all medicines had been tested before being brought to Saudi Arabia and were being provided to pilgrims free of cost.
The medical plan for the core Hajj days in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah will follow a multi-layered approach, according to the official. Saudi health authorities will assume primary responsibility of providing comprehensive health care services to all pilgrims.
“However, to support Pakistani pilgrims specifically, the Pakistan Hajj Medical Mission deployed its own medical staff in Mina with the first aid kits to provide initial medical assistance, ensuring timely primary care before referring patients to larger Saudi facilities, if needed,” Dr. Jamal said.
Due to extreme weather conditions, the mission has proactively prepared and is disseminating educational materials specifically designed to guide pilgrims on how to prevent heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses.
“This guidance includes advice on hydration, appropriate clothing, recognizing symptoms, and seeking timely medical help,” he said.
The South Asian country launched its Hajj flight operation on Apr. 29, which will continue till May 31.
Trump to hold call with Putin in push for Ukraine ceasefire
- Says he would also speak to Ukraine's President Zelensky and NATO officials
- Trump has repeatedly stressed that he wants to see an end to the Ukraine-Russia conflict
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will hold a phone call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Monday as part of his long-running effort to end the war set off by Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Trump had vowed during the US election campaign to halt the conflict within a day of taking office, but his diplomatic efforts have so far yielded little progress.
Delegations from Russia and Ukraine held direct negotiations in Istanbul last week for the first time in almost three years, but the talks ended without a commitment to a ceasefire.
Both sides traded insults, with Ukraine accusing Moscow of sending a “dummy” delegation of low-ranking officials.
After the negotiations, Trump announced that he would speak by phone with the Russian president in a bid to end the “bloodbath” in Ukraine, which has destroyed large swathes of the country and displaced millions of people.
Trump also said he would speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO officials, expressing hope that a “ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war... will end.”
Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly stressed that he wants to see an end to the conflict, and has recently backed calls for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
So far, he has mainly focused on upping the pressure on Ukraine and abstained from criticizing Putin.
Both Moscow and Washington have previously stressed the need for a meeting on the conflict between Putin and Trump.
The US president has also argued that “nothing’s going to happen” on the conflict until he meets Putin face-to-face.
At the talks in Istanbul, which were also attended by US officials, Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each and trade ideas on a possible truce, but with no concrete commitment.
Ukraine’s top negotiator, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, said that the “next step” would be a meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
Russia said it had taken note of the request.
“We consider it possible, but only as a result of the work and upon achieving certain results in the form of an agreement between the two sides,” the Kremlin’s spokesperson said.
Ukraine’s western allies have since accused Putin of deliberately ignoring calls for a ceasefire and pushed for fresh sanctions against Russia.
The leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy held a phone call with Trump on Sunday.
“Looking ahead to President Trump’s call with President Putin tomorrow, the leaders discussed the need for an unconditional ceasefire and for President Putin to take peace talks seriously,” said a spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“They also discussed the use of sanctions if Russia failed to engage seriously in a ceasefire and peace talks,” the spokesman said.
Zelensky also discussed possible sanctions with US Vice President JD Vance when they met after Pope Leo’s inaugural mass at the Vatican on Sunday.
“We discussed the talks in Istanbul, where the Russians sent a low-level delegation with no decision-making powers,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram following the meeting.
“We also touched on the need for sanctions against Russia, bilateral trade, defense cooperation, the situation on the battlefield and the future exchange of prisoners.”
A senior Ukrainian official from the president’s office, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP that they had also discussed preparations for Monday’s telephone conversation between Trump and Putin.
It was the first meeting between Zelensky and Vance since their heated White House exchange in February.
In the Oval Office, Vance publicly accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” toward Trump, who told the Ukrainian leader he should be more grateful and that he had no “cards” to play in negotiations with Russia.
Ukraine on Sunday said that Russia had launched a record number of drones at the country overnight, targeting various regions, including the capital Kyiv, where a woman was killed.
Another man was killed in the southeastern Kherson region, where a railway station and private houses and cars were hit.
In an interview with Russian state TV published on Sunday, Putin said that Moscow’s aim was to “eliminate the causes that triggered this crisis, create the conditions for a lasting peace and guarantee Russia’s security,” without elaborating further.
Russia’s references to the “root causes” of the conflict typically refer to grievances with Kyiv and the West that Moscow has put forward as justification for launching the invasion in February 2022.
They include pledges to “de-Nazify” and demilitarise Ukraine, protect Russian speakers in the country’s east, push back against NATO expansion and stop Ukraine’s westward geopolitical drift.
However, Kyiv and the West say that Russia’s invasion is an imperial-style land grab.
