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Captain Aiden Markram hits an unbeaten 86 in seven-wicket defeat of New Zealand in Ahmedabad.

South Africa are on the brink of reaching the Twenty20 World Cup’s Super Eight stage after captain Aiden Markram’s storming half-century led them to a dominant seven-wicket victory over New ⁠Zealand, securing their third straight Group D win.

New Zealand on Saturday suffered their first loss in the campaign after they posted 175-7 as South Africa’s Marco Jansen took four wickets.

In response, opener Markram hit four ⁠sixes and eight boundaries in his unbeaten knock of 86 off 44 balls, the highest by a South African captain in the tournament’s history, helping his team reach 178-3 with 17 balls to spare.

Last edition’s finalists South Africa chose to bowl first in Ahmedabad, India, and it immediately paid off as player of the match Jansen (4-40) dismissed most ‌of New Zealand’s top order by the seventh over.

Finn Allen (31 off 17 balls) tried to mitigate the damage after Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra fell to Jansen. But Jansen got Allen caught at mid-off in the sixth over, leaving New Zealand struggling at 58-3.

Mark Chapman (48) and Daryl Mitchell (32) turned things around with a 74-run partnership for the fifth wicket until Jansen got Chapman caught by Ryan Rickelton at backward point in the 14th.

New Zealand scored only 17 runs in the next four overs until James ⁠Neesham’s unbeaten 23 off 15 balls got them to a fighting total.

Markram’s magic seals the deal for South Africa

Chasing 176, South Africa got off to a fast start with Markram hitting three sixes and five boundaries to steer his team to 62-0 in four overs.

Losing fellow opener Quinton de Kock (20) did not affect Markram, who hit Mitchell Santner for a ⁠six down long-on to reach his half-century in just 19 balls. By the time Rickelton (21) fell in the eighth over, South Africa had already crossed ⁠the 100-run mark.

With the required run rate falling below six per over, Markram ⁠did not hit a single boundary in the next seven overs and focused on rotating the strike, getting South Africa within 28 runs of victory with 30 balls left.

“It’s about managing it through the right phases, I guess, but up front, you’ve seen how teams are ‌taking on the powerplay and we’d be silly not to try that. It’s not always going to come off, but when it does, … we can get ahead of the game,” Markram said.

David Miller, who scored an ‌unbeaten ‌24, cleared the mid-wicket boundary to bring up the winning runs.

South Africa will conclude their group campaign against the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, a day after New Zealand play Canada.

Karachi, Pakistan – As rain and thunder threatened to disrupt their team’s T20 World Cup match against India on Sunday, Pakistan’s cricket fans are bracing for a different storm – the now-customary loss against their archrivals at global events.

Pakistan have not beaten India in the tournament since 2021 when they recorded a solitary win in eight T20 World Cup encounters against their formidable opponents.

Despondent fans have now shifted from anticipating a thrilling, unpredictable game to praying for a miracle as Salman Ali Agha’s team step on the field at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Pakistan’s latest “win” came in the form of a move to boycott the match on political grounds. Despite the eventual reversal of the decision after weeklong negotiations with the International Cricket Council (ICC), the initial decision to not take the field against India was seen as a triumph by cricket fans in Pakistan.

Despondent or optimistic, fans still eager for match

Escalating political tensions between the South Asian neighbours have seen a decades-old sporting rivalry turn into an ugly debacle both on and off the pitch with customary handshakes avoided and light jibes replaced by controversial hand gestures invoking their most recent armed conflict in May.

Politics and sport blur boundaries on both sides of the border, making these fixtures an exhibition of nationalistic pride that can sometimes turn distasteful.

The pre-match jingoism in Pakistan, though, was short-lived. It has been replaced by bitterly disappointed fans airing their thoughts in the form of self-deprecating memes or reels depicting the “foolishness” of a section of fans expecting a win.

“We’ll have heartbreak on February 14 and 15,” read the captions of several social media posts set to melancholic songs on Valentine’s Day, the eve of the match.

Supporters – both hardcore and casual – will religiously watch the three-plus-hour encounters. Come 6:30pm (13:30 GMT) on Sunday, the public will be glued to screens across the country to watch the high-stakes match.

Roadside tea stalls will be thronged by male spectators filling up wooden benches, plastic chairs or squatting on their haunches in front of small TV screens.

Food delivery riders busy with an overflow of match-day meal orders will occasionally halt their journeys to catch a glimpse of the action on their phones or through restaurant windows.

Upscale eateries will bring in large screens and host groups of young fans and families.

Domestic responsibilities will be wrapped up before the start of the match, and extended families will gather around a living room TV with drinks, snacks and feasts of biryani.

The weekend – now the standard time that all India-Pakistan matches are played for economic and logistical reasons – will offer some respite from an otherwise hectic schedule of school and office routines that throw the heaving metropolis of Karachi into transport turbulence.

India favourites, but Usman Tariq could spin a win

Despite the days of anticipation and hours spent preparing for the showpiece, fans remain realistic in their expectations.

On a balmy late Friday afternoon in Karachi as life gradually returned to its normal pace after an hour-long pause for midday prayers at mosques across the city, a group of young law students picked up their kits for a local league match.

“It’s looking 70-30 in India’s favour,” Talha Bandayal, a law student, told Al Jazeera as he watched his teammates play a cricket match in their local lawyers league at the historic Karachi Parsi Institute on Friday.

Bandayal and his friends plan to watch the match at a restaurant in one of Karachi’s posh localities.

“It’s a Pakistan-India match. We’re excited regardless of the result!”

Syed Ahmed Shah, who officiated the league match as a third umpire, was more sceptical of the team’s chances and more in tune with the country’s overall opinion of Pakistan’s expected performance.

“Sport is just like politics in our country,” a bespectacled Shah opined dryly to everyone’s amusement, drawing comparisons between the nation’s two most favoured topics.

“India is far superior to us, not just in cricket but everything,” Shah told Al Jazeera.

Cricket analysts have appeared on national talk shows throughout the week, dissecting the team’s shortcomings, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s organisational failures and the squad’s weak mental fortitude for a match of this proportion.

Local cricketers like Bandayal have been analysing Pakistani players’ strengths and weaknesses. Usman Tariq’s unreadable spin action and variations are being seen as Pakistan’s secret weapon.

When life comes to a standstill

When it comes to off-field behaviour, though, India’s trend of avoiding handshakes with Pakistani teams has been frowned upon.

“Politics should strictly be kept separate from sports,” a local cricket coach who requested anonymity said of Suryakumar Yadav and his team’s controversial actions from the Asia Cup last year.

“But if India takes that stance, Pakistan also needs to have some self-respect and respond accordingly,” the 46-year-old coach said.

Admittedly, the handshake row has taken centre stage in a fixture that has historically been remembered for scintillating bowling performances, swashbuckling innings or nail-biting finishes.

When Pakistan awakes on Sunday morning, most cricket fans will begin their day by playing their own cricket games – whether in narrow neighbourhood streets or vast, dusty fields hosting multiple matches simultaneously. As the evening draws closer, the clothes will be dusted off and equipment packed away for the showdown in Colombo.

Just as the hustle and bustle of life gave way for prayers two days earlier, the India-Pakistan match will do the same.

After all, it’s only cricket and Friday prayers that can bring life to a standstill in Pakistan.

Black Caps openers Finn Allen and Tim Seifert had come out swinging after their side batted first.

Allen hit four fours and two sixes for his 17-ball 31 before Marco Jansen (4-40) crucially took three wickets in quick succession to bring South Africa back into the game.

The seamer sent back Seifert for 13 in his first over before dismissing Rachin Ravindra and Allen in the space of four balls in the final over of the powerplay.

Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell rebuilt the innings and New Zealand were scoring at around 10-an-over for more than half the innings.

They were 138-5 when Chapman fell to the last ball of the 14th over, having made 48 from 26 balls, with their opponents able to drag it back from there and restrict New Zealand to 175-7.

It appeared short at the halfway stage and within a few balls of the reply, that was confirmed.

Markram and De Kock got after opening bowlers Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson from the off, then gave Jacob Duffy the same treatment when he came on.

Ferguson bowled De Kock with a slower ball but there was no slowing the Proteas as Markram continued his charge, first alongside Rickelton then Dewald Brevis, who both made 21.

Markram was able to watch from the non-striker’s end as David Miller finished the job in style – launching Ferguson into the stands for a monstrous six.

South Africa will official qualify for the Super 8s if the United Arab Emirates fail to beat Afghanistan on Monday.

Feb. 13 (Asia Today) — Poverty is increasingly being passed down across generations in South Korea’s non-metropolitan regions, with education reform cited as a key starting point for reversing the trend.

A recent report by the Bank of Korea titled “Interregional Population Mobility and Intergenerational Economic Inheritance” found that social mobility has sharply declined outside the capital region.

According to the report, eight out of 10 children ages 36 to 40 who were born to parents in the bottom 50% income bracket outside the capital region and remained in their hometowns still fall within the bottom half of income earners. The rate has risen significantly from 58.9% in earlier years to 80.9% in recent data.

The findings support the long-held perception that children from economically disadvantaged families who relocate to the capital region have greater chances of upward mobility, while those who remain in provincial areas are more likely to experience continued economic hardship. The pattern has become more pronounced among younger generations.

Regional income disparities have also widened. The per capita income gap between the capital region and non-capital areas grew from 3.2 million won ($2,370) in 2005 to 5.5 million won ($4,070) in 2023, based on prevailing exchange rates. During roughly the same period, real apartment prices in Seoul rose 19.6%, while prices in non-metropolitan regions fell 3%.

The report suggests that birthplace increasingly shapes economic opportunity in South Korea. While manufacturing once provided quality jobs in regional areas, high-paying positions in knowledge-based industries are now concentrated in the capital region. Young people continue to migrate to Seoul and surrounding areas in search of work, reinforcing the cycle of concentration.

Experts say a comprehensive government response is needed. They argue that reforming the education system should be the first step, particularly by expanding opportunities for students in disadvantaged regions.

As one proposed measure, the central bank recommended a regional proportional admissions system. Under the proposal, top universities in the capital region would consider the regional distribution of the school-age population when selecting students. The framework would also include additional consideration for low-income students in non-capital regions, who face greater barriers to admission compared to higher-income peers.

In the longer term, analysts say substantial investment is required to strengthen the competitiveness of schools and major universities outside the capital region. They argue that students in provincial areas should be able to develop their potential without relocating to Seoul.

More broadly, the report calls for an effective national balanced development strategy. Among the options discussed is a development model centered on regional hub cities capable of achieving economies of scale.

The authors conclude that poverty should not be determined by birthplace and urge the government to demonstrate resolve in implementing balanced regional policies.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260212010004700

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Axel Brown, the pilot of Trinidad and Tobago’s bobsled team, came to the Milan-Cortina Winter Games with a simple goal.

“Just don’t come last,” he said. “We know that there is a 0% chance of us contending for medals. It doesn’t matter if we have the absolute best day we’ve ever had.

“That’s just the reality of it. It’s not defeatist, it’s not negative. It’s just being realistic.”

But it’s also realistic to believe that Trinidad, just by being in the competition, is furthering something of a revolution in the Winter Olympics in general, and in bobsledding in particular.

When Jamaica debuted in the event in 1988, it was so novel it inspired the 1993 Disney movie “Cool Runnings.” Now, it’s no longer unusual to see a team from a tropical climate competing in the Winter Games; there are 11 Caribbean and South American countries, plus Puerto Rico, competing in the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

When the bobsled competition in Cortina begins Sunday, Trinidad will have teams in the two- and four-man events for the first time, while Jamaica will compete in both those events as well as the monobob. Brazil will also be there.

And Brown says it’s only a matter of time — and money — before others join and start contending for medals.

“There’s a very deep talent pool in Caribbean bobsled, one that could make a world-class bobsled program without a doubt,” he said.

That’s because bobsled races are often won or lost at the start, where speed, explosive power and acceleration are vital in getting the 400-pound sled moving. Sprinters have all those traits.

“Even more specific, it’s usually big sprinters,” said Curtis Tomasevicz, a former football player at Nebraska who won Olympic gold and silver medals in the bobsled before becoming a coach with the U.S. team. “They’ve got just an athleticism that is very applicable to pushing sleds.”

Jamaica takes part in a training run at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games on Friday.

(Al Bello / Getty Images)

And the best sprinters in the world come from the Caribbean — so many, in fact, that trying to make a national team for the Summer Olympics can seem like trying to win the lottery. The Winter Games offer another path.

“In Trinidad and Tobago, there’s a wealth of sprinting talent. So an athlete that in another nation may be the best in the country doesn’t necessarily get a look in Trinidad,” Brown said. “What we’ve been able to do is kind of give those athletes that were maybe on the fringe an option at achieving all of their sporting goals, just doing it in a different way.

“They’ve been training for bobsled their entire lives. They just didn’t know it.”

The transition can be difficult just the same. The first time Trinidad’s Micah Moore, a former sprinter, rode a sled, he said he thought he was going to die.

“I was scared out of my mind,” he said. “I was legitimately feeling, ‘I just want this to be over.’

“After that feeling came off, I was like, ‘Let’s go again.’ It’s an adrenaline rush. There’s no amount of words I could put to say how it felt in that moment.”

If Caribbean bobsledders are deep in talent, what they lack are world-class facilities and funding. In the former they’re hardly alone, said Tomasevicz.

“There are a lot of other nations that obviously don’t have a home track to practice on,” he said. “Even Great Britain, they don’t have a track in their country. So they have to spend time in other nations actually training for the sport.”

Trying to find the money is an even bigger problem — especially for Trinidad, which Brown said was the only team in Cortina that didn’t receive government funding.

“Bobsled is an expensive sport,” Trinidad’s Xaverri Williams said. “We’ve been trying to negotiate with our [national Olympic committee], our Ministry of Sport, reaching out to individuals who are willing to help us.”

Trinidad doesn’t even have a decent sled; it will be racing Sunday with an old secondhand one the team owes money on. Getting a new one that would be competitive with the best in the world could easily cost $250,000 or more.

“You need the funds to further develop the broader program, the recruitment, the [research and development] of the equipment. Everything that there is involved in bobsled,” said Brown, was born in England to a Trinidadian mother, which allows him to compete for the island in the Olympics. “And you need to be able to sustain that.”

You also need the belief that it’s possible to succeed in an icy winter sport even though you’re from a sun-washed country where the average annual temperature is 80 degrees. Jamaica provided that.

“We do in fact look up to them,” Williams said. “When those guys initially slided, it was an eye-opener for the rest of the world, that a Caribbean nation could actually compete. They inspired us.”

“I’m very proud of that,” said Chris Stokes, a four-time Olympian and member of the “Cool Runnings” team who is now president of the country’s bobsled federation.

The next step is to outgrow the novelty and become medal contenders, something Stokes says Jamaica can do by the 2034 Games in Salt Lake City. A top-12 finish in Cortina would keep them on pace to do that, he said.

As for Trinidad and Tobago, Brown said they faced so many challenges just getting to Italy that they considered it a victory when they checked into the Olympic village.

“Our gold medal,” he said “was qualifying.”

England beat Scotland by five wickets in India to recover position in group at 2026 T20 World Cup.

Tom Banton’s unbeaten 63 led England to a five-wicket T20 World Cup victory over Scotland in Kolkata on Saturday that kept Harry Brook’s side on course for the Super Eights.

Victory in their final Group C match against Italy on Monday at the same Eden Gardens stadium will see England safely into the next round.

After bowling Scotland out for 152, England racked up 155-5 in 18.2 overs, with Jacob Bethell scoring 32, Sam Curran 28 and Will Jacks (16 off 10 balls) hitting a six and a four to finish the job.

England wobbled at the start of their chase as the new white ball swung under the floodlights with the sun going down.

Phil Salt fell third ball to Brandon McMullen for just two and when Jos Buttler picked out McMullen off Brad Currie, they were 13-2.

Scotland bowled tightly until Bethell broke the shackles by hitting McMullen for a six and two fours in the fifth over.

Spinner Mark Watt also came in for some punishment, conceding 22 off his first over as Banton took him for three huge sixes.

A 66-run partnership ended when the left-handed Bethell, on 32, helped a leg-side delivery from Oliver Davidson into the grateful hands of Brad Wheal at short fine leg.

Captain Brook did not last long, scooping Michael Leask over his shoulder to Wheal to make it 86-4, but England were always in control and got home with 10 balls to spare.

Earlier, England’s bowlers found their mojo and vindicated Brook’s decision to field on winning the toss.

After being smacked to all parts of Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium in conceding 196 to the West Indies on Wednesday, England’s attack exerted much more control at Eden Gardens.

Captain Richie Berrington top-scored for Scotland with 49 off 32 balls with five fours and two sixes.

He and Tom Bruce put on 71 for the fourth wicket, but it was their only notable partnership.

Spinner Liam Dawson ended it in the 13th over when Bruce was caught for 24, Curran providing the safe hands at deep square leg.

When Adil Rashid trapped Berrington lbw in the next over, Scotland collapsed, losing their last seven wickets for 39 runs from 113-3.

Jofra Archer had been expensive in the two previous outings but made the early breakthroughs before finishing with a brilliant 2-24 off his four overs.

In his second over, he hurried George Munsey into top-edging to Banton and two balls later had McMullen caught by Salt in the deep.

Michael Jones (33) holed out to Bethell off Curran, and Scotland were 42-3 at the end of the six-over power play and never threatened a competitive total.

Rashid was the best of the England bowlers with 3-36 from his four overs, while Dawson took 2-34.

Colombo, Sri Lanka — Almost 30 years ago today, India and Pakistan formed a combined cricket team to take on Sri Lanka ahead of the 1996 Cricket World Cup in an unprecedented moment of unity in the sport’s history.

The two age-old rivals put aside their differences and came together in an act of solidarity to support a fellow South Asian team, who faced the threat of match boycotts in a tournament they had battled hard to host.

India versus Pakistan is the most highly marketed fixture at every multination tournament – the World Cup, Asia Cup or Asian Games – whether it’s a men’s, women’s or Under-19 event.

Few sporting events globally carry the weight and anticipation of an India-Pakistan cricket match. So, when Pakistan’s government ordered its team not to face India at the ongoing T20 World Cup, the tournament was briefly pushed into a state of chaos.

It also left Sri Lanka, the designated host of the fixture, holding its collective breath.

A week of negotiations led to a dramatic late U-turn by the Pakistani government and the match will now take place as scheduled on Sunday at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.

But what if the boycott had gone ahead? The impact could have been catastrophic, not just for Pakistan, but also for the International Cricket Council (ICC), as well as Sri Lanka.

With the crisis seemingly averted, the island nation stands poised to reap the benefits in its financial landscape, diplomatic standing and community.

‘Massive impact’ on tourism

For a country that is still grappling with the aftermath of the economic crisis of 2022, an India-Pakistan cricket fixture at a World Cup could prove to be a godsend.

The tourism and hospitality industry was one of the hardest hit during Sri Lanka’s financial meltdown and this match will see an enormous influx of fans from India and Pakistan coming into the country.

Hotels in and around Colombo were fully booked out well ahead of the tournament but the industry braced itself for heavy losses after Pakistan threatened a boycott.

“There’s been a massive impact since the boycott was announced,” Sudarshana Pieris, who works in Sri Lanka’s hospitality sector, told Al Jazeera.

“All major hotels in Colombo were fully booked by Indian travel agencies well ahead [of the match] and once the boycott was announced, we lost almost all of those bookings,” he said.

“But after Pakistan reversed their decision, hotel room rates shot up by about 300-400 percent at five-star establishments in Colombo.”

It’s not just hotels but several other local businesses – from street vendors to high-end restaurants – who are hoping for an increased footfall and spending over the weekend.

These short trips and the experiences they offer could influence visitors to extend their stay or return to Sri Lanka on holiday, long after the game has ended, in a potential long-term benefit to the industry.

Another relatively underestimated impact of the game would be the employment opportunities it creates, albeit temporarily, in the media, event management, security and transportation industries.

Asanka Hadirampela, a freelance journalist and broadcaster currently working as a Sinhala language commentator for the World Cup, recognises the marquee match as a great opportunity from a personal standpoint.

“This is my first World Cup as a broadcaster,” Hadirampela said.

“The India-Pakistan fixture is the biggest and most-watched game of the tournament. So to get to work on such a match is exciting and I consider it a special achievement.”

A geopolitical win

The lines are always blurred between sport and politics in South Asia.

So while the financial gains are expected to be significant, the fixture’s impact on the region’s geopolitical environment cannot go amiss.

Pakistan’s boycott, too, was explicitly political, as confirmed by the country’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif when he said that they were offering support to Bangladesh after the Tigers were kicked out of the tournament by the ICC.

The reversal of Pakistan’s decision, which they said came after requests to reconsider the boycott by several regional “friends”, was steeped in politics, too.

Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake reportedly had a phone conversation with PM Sharif, urging his government to rethink their decision to boycott the game as the successful staging of this encounter would not only position Sri Lanka as a capable host of global sporting events but also reinforce its standing as a neutral mediator in a region fraught with geopolitical complexities.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan have always maintained strong diplomatic relations, which have extended to the cricket field as well.

Sri Lanka were one of the first teams to travel to Pakistan following their 10-year ostracisation from international cricket, which came as a result of a terrorist attack targeting the Sri Lankan team in March 2009.

When Al Jazeera reached out to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), its vice president Ravin Wickramaratne confirmed that SLC did, indeed, reach out to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after the boycott was announced.

“We asked them to reconsider the decision,” Wickramaratne said.

“It [boycott] would have impacted Sri Lanka economically, whether directly or indirectly.

“We have always had a good relationship with the PCB and we have always supported them, so we’re happy with their decision.”

A little over 24 hours ahead of the match in Colombo, there is a sense of palpable excitement and a growing buzz around the fixture as it returns from the brink of cancellation.

As of Saturday morning, 28,000 tickets had been sold for the game but local organisers expect a capacity crowd of 40,000 to make it into the stands.

Come Sunday, thousands more will line the streets in and around Maligawatte, the bustling Colombo suburb that houses the famous Premadasa Stadium.

Feb. 13 (Asia Today) — Seoul apartment prices have risen more than 6% a year on average over the past four decades, data showed, reinforcing perceptions among South Korean buyers that housing in the capital remains a “safe asset.”

KB Real Estate data showed Seoul apartment prices increased an average of 6.17% a year from 1987 through 2025. That compares with a 2.56% average rise in other regions outside major metropolitan cities, the data showed.

Market analysts attributed the gap partly to policies and tax rules that have discouraged multiple-home ownership, while encouraging demand for a single “best-in-class” property in Seoul, fueling persistent scarcity.

Demand has also been supported by tighter rules on property transactions in Seoul. After the government designated the entire capital as a land transaction permit zone, purchases that rely on “gap investment” – buying a home while using a tenant’s large lump-sum deposit lease to fund the purchase – have become harder, pushing lease prices higher, analysts said.

The Korea Real Estate Board said Seoul apartment lease prices rose 3.76% last year.

A real estate industry official said Seoul apartments tend to hold value during market downturns, then rise sharply in upswings, adding that some buyers are now focusing on large new pre-sale projects as lease prices climb and new supply remains limited.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260213010004938

Feb. 13 (Asia Today) — South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s approval rating rose 5 percentage points from the previous week to 63%, marking his highest level this year, according to a poll released Thursday by Gallup Korea.

The survey of 1,003 adults nationwide, conducted Monday through Wednesday, found that 63% of respondents said Lee was “doing well” in handling state affairs.

Those who said he was “doing poorly” fell 3 percentage points to 26%, while 11% said they had no opinion.

Among reasons for positive evaluations, “economy and people’s livelihoods” ranked highest at 16%, followed by “real estate policy” at 11% and “foreign affairs” at 10%.

For negative evaluations, “real estate policy” and “economy and people’s livelihoods” were each cited by 15% of respondents. “Foreign affairs” accounted for 9%, while 7% cited concerns about “authoritarian leadership.”

Regionally, approval was highest in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province at 81%, followed by Daejeon, Sejong and South Chungcheong Province at 69%. Support stood at 63% in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province, 62% in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province and 58% in Seoul. Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province recorded the lowest approval at 49%.

By age group, support was strongest among respondents in their 40s at 75%, followed by those in their 50s at 70%, 30s at 66% and 60s at 65%. Approval among those 70 and older was 57%, while respondents ages 18 to 29 showed the lowest support at 39%.

Support for the Democratic Party rose 3 percentage points from the previous week to 44%, while backing for the People Power Party fell 3 percentage points to 22%.

The poll was conducted via telephone interviews using randomly selected mobile virtual numbers. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The contact rate was 40.4% and the response rate was 13.3%.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260213010005002

Feb. 13 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s government maintained its assessment for a fourth straight month that the economy is on a recovery track, citing strong semiconductor-led exports and a gradual improvement in consumption, while warning that weak employment growth and sluggish investment remain key challenges.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance said in its February “Recent Economic Trends” report that “the recovery trend appears to be continuing,” repeating wording it has used since November.

Exports rise, consumption edges up

January exports, based on customs-clearance data, rose 33.9% from a year earlier, the report said. Average daily exports increased 14.0%. Semiconductor shipments more than doubled, up 103%, while computers, wireless communications devices and automobiles also posted gains.

South Korea recorded a trade surplus of $8.74 billion, or about 12.6 trillion won ($8.7 billion), extending the surplus streak to 12 consecutive months, the report said.

The ministry cautioned that export growth remains concentrated in a limited number of items, including semiconductors, leaving the trend vulnerable to shifts in the global technology cycle and changes in U.S. trade policy.

On the domestic side, December retail sales rose 0.9% from the previous month. Fourth-quarter private consumption, based on preliminary gross domestic product data, rose 0.3% from the prior quarter.

The consumer sentiment index came in at 110.8 in January, above the 100 baseline, up 1.0 point from the previous month. Domestic credit card approvals rose 4.7% from a year earlier in January, supporting signs of a modest pickup in spending.

Hiring slows, capital spending stays weak

Employment growth slowed in January, with the number of employed people rising 108,000 from a year earlier, down from a 168,000 increase in the previous month. The unemployment rate rose 0.4 percentage points to 4.1%.

Jobs growth was led by sectors such as health and social welfare and transportation and warehousing, while hiring difficulties persisted in weaker areas such as construction, the report said.

Investment indicators remained mixed. Facility investment fell 3.6% in December from the previous month, dragged down by reduced spending on transportation equipment. Facility investment also fell 1.8% in the fourth quarter from the prior quarter, though some leading indicators, including machinery orders, improved.

Construction output rose 12.1% in December from the prior month, but construction investment fell 3.9% for the fourth quarter. A decline in building permit area was cited as a potential headwind.

Inflation cools to 2.0%

Consumer inflation rose 2.0% in January from a year earlier, easing from 2.3% in the prior month, the report said. Core inflation, excluding food and energy, also rose 2.0%.

The ministry said it will continue macroeconomic support and efforts to boost consumption, investment and exports, while monitoring risks including tougher tariff conditions among major economies and geopolitical uncertainty.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260213010004994

The tunnel will become the world’s longest underground railway connection at 64km long when it opens

The Brenner Base Tunnel is presently being built to link Austria and Italy. This remarkable tunnel, destined to become the world’s longest, is due to open in 2032.

The railway tunnel will join the Austrian city of Innsbruck with Franzensfeste/Fortezza in Italy, connecting two nations across different time zones. Construction expenses are projected at 8.54billion euros (£7.4billion). The extraordinary BBT will stretch for 55km (34 miles) as a cutting-edge railway tunnel.

BBT explained: “In May 1994, a railway bypass was opened south of Innsbruck, known as the Inn valley tunnel. This 12.7 km tunnel links to the Brenner Base Tunnel.

“Passenger and freight trains along this stretch will therefore not only travel through the Brenner Base Tunnel, but for a few kilometres, through the Inn valley tunnel as well. This line, totalling 64 kilometres, will become the longest underground railway connection in the world.”

An unusual characteristic of the Brenner Base Tunnel is the “exploratory tunnel running from one end to the other”.

“This tunnel lies between the two main tunnels and about 12m below them and with a diameter of 5m is noticeably smaller than the main tubes.

“The excavations currently underway on the exploratory tunnel should provide information on the rock mass and thereby reduce construction costs and times to a minimum.

“The exploratory tunnel will be essential for drainage when the BBT becomes operational.”

Additional remarkable railway projects include the globe’s lengthiest train route, which links three nations spanning eight time zones.

Feb. 13 (Asia Today) — A vast stretch of reclaimed land in South Korea’s southwestern county of Haenam is being prepared for a government-backed artificial intelligence data center, part of a broader plan to build a new corporate city known as Solarisdo.

In Sani-myeon, where tidal flats once met the sea, construction vehicles have carved deep tracks into what was ocean just two decades ago. The site, now flattened and marked by a sign reading “Data Center,” is slated to host the National AI Computing Center by 2029.

The project is part of Jeollanam-do Province’s Solarisdo development, a 6.32 million-pyeong site – about 20.8 million square meters – envisioned as a self-sufficient city for more than 60,000 residents. The name combines “solar,” “sea” and “do,” the Korean word for province, reflecting its focus on renewable energy, waterfront development and smart-city infrastructure.

Provincial officials say the National AI Computing Center will operate as a high-performance computing hub under a public-private partnership, supporting artificial intelligence research and development.

While a groundbreaking date has not been finalized, an official said the center is scheduled to begin service in 2029.

The planned 40-megawatt facility is expected to use an average of 2.4 million liters of water per day for cooling. Jeollanam-do also aims to attract more than 20 additional data centers to the area, which could raise total daily water consumption to as much as 60 million liters – roughly equivalent to the daily water use of more than 200,000 people.

Provincial officials said the area has sufficient water resources, citing nearby Yeongam Lake, Geumho Lake and the Yeongsan River. They said average daily freshwater availability in the region reaches about 1 billion liters. Electricity demand will be addressed through a planned solar power plant and new substations in Solarisdo, officials said.

Local civic groups, however, voiced concern that large-scale data centers could deepen regional inequality and strain local resources.

An official with the Gwangju Environmental Movement Coalition said similar large industrial projects have prioritized national demand over local interests, citing the semiconductor complex in Yongin. The group questioned whether the data center would generate meaningful long-term employment and warned of added pressure on water and electricity supplies.

Jeollanam-do officials countered that the AI center is expected to create about 100 research and development jobs, including for graduates of local universities. They also said the project could attract startups and related companies, helping diversify the regional economy. Additional government support, including lower utility fees and rental assistance, may be needed to encourage investment, they added.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260213010005030

Lanie van der Horst, from New York, and her now husband Mark spent years meeting up across the world after they met by chance on a trip thousands of miles from their homes

A woman moved across the world to be with the love of her life, after initially finding him annoying when their paths crossed on holiday.

Back in 2008, Lanie van der Horst, now 44, was on a Contiki tour that started in Riga, Latvia, before heading on to Russia and Scandinavia when her life changed. Living in New York City at the time, the teacher embarked on a 13-week European adventure with a pal.

“I arrived late because the flight was delayed, which meant I got to dinner late and got the last table. It was the table my now husband was sitting at.”

That Lanie and Mark’s paths would cross in such a way is pretty unlikely. Back then, there were around 6.5 billion people on the planet, which the couple lived on opposite ends of. Their homes were about 10,000 miles apart: almost as far away as any two people can live on the 24,901-mile circumference of Earth.

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But meet they did. Unfortunately, Mark didn’t make a great first impression.

“I thought he was an absolute idiot. He was sitting with a roommate he didn’t know. They were both very excited. They were giggly, they were young. He was 26 at the time. I’m one year older. They were talking about shooting fireworks off, drinking. Things I wasn’t interested in. Dinner was fine. I thought, ‘Of all the people, I’m not going to hang out with him’.”

Despite having made a bad first impression, Mark, now a wastewater worker, had three weeks of travelling alongside Lanie (and 12 other young holidaymakers) to make a better second one.

“You’re together a lot, and we started having different conversations. I didn’t think I was going to marry him. He said to me that I talked about real things, like my family going camping, and everyone else was talking about what they did today. It became something more during those three weeks,” Lanie continued.

“Halfway through the trip, he asked me to travel with him afterwards. I went, much to my mother’s dismay. He rearranged his trip a bit and we went to Latvia, Russia, Finland, Estonia and Denmark.”

Clearly, the extended trip was a big success.

“The first whole day we spent just together was in Tallinn. It is now my son’s middle name. That’s how much I liked it. We then added two more weeks after. In Romania and Hungary. My family is from those countries. It was fun rearranging my tour, getting to know somebody. I thought we’d part ways.”

Back at home, Mark and Lanie continued talking online, emailing and messaging one another from their respective continents. At this point, neither had much hope of being reunited.

“I told him next time I travel, I’ll go to Asia, and he said, ‘Maybe I’ll see you there’. However, by December, we were planning a trip together. It wasn’t like we had to be together. I really liked him, but I didn’t think we’d end up together.”

The pair met up in Asia the following year and booked several group tours together, in case they ended up parting. “I wanted to make sure I wasn’t by myself,” Lanie explained.

“In China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. We clearly really liked each other, but I told him we were on vacation, and he didn’t know me in real life. He was so nice, and we were working so well together. Partway through, I realised I didn’t want him to leave.”

In total, Mark and Lanie travelled together for nine weeks. At the end of their Asian adventure, the American was bereft. “I cried and cried and cried and told him he had to come see me. He had to get a new job and come visit. He did,” she explained.

Mark came to the US to meet Lanie’s family at her sister’s wedding, and fit in so well that he stayed for three months. This was followed by a trip around Europe and then Central America together. “We just met up around the world,” she said.

While jetting around the world to explore together was fun, the pair eventually decided to settle down after Mark proposed in the Fraser National Park in Tasmania. They married six weeks later and started life together in New York, then in Florida, after their daughter was born.

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Mark realised he wanted to move back home. “He said he wanted to go to Australia, but not forever, just until the vaccine was out. I told him I wasn’t moving, then he reminded me I’m adventurous. And so we moved. With everything going on in the US I’m not going back anytime soon. I think we’re there for good.”

Do you have a story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Mumbai, India — For Indian cricket fans travelling to Sri Lanka this weekend, the opportunity to watch their team take on archrivals Pakistan in the T20 World Cup has come at the cost of inflated airfares, soaring hotel prices and a long wait for matchday tickets.

But these are mere sacrifices that thousands are willing to make to witness the most heated rivalry in the sport as it unfolds on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Fuelled by a decades-long fraught political relationship, cricket encounters between India and Pakistan are among the biggest spectacles in sport — often framed as bloodthirsty contests of national pride.

For the first time in the history of the World Cup, geopolitical tensions threatened to put the marquee contest in doubt until Pakistan’s government reversed its order for a boycott of the match.

While the near-last-minute U-turn revived excitement, it came at a price for the Indian supporters making late travel plans. Pakistan’s participation was confirmed only six days before the fixture, triggering a sharp surge in airfares from several Indian cities.

Fans who booked their air tickets weeks in advance, too, paid significantly higher fares due to the significantly higher demand surrounding any India-Pakistan match, which is commonly deemed the most lucrative fixture in cricket.

“I paid a premium of approximately 50 percent compared to the usual rates,” Aditya Chheda, a finance professional from Mumbai, told Al Jazeera. “This was despite booking a month in advance and opting for a layover instead of a direct flight.”

Flight, hotel prices skyrocket

A nonstop round-trip journey from India’s western metropolis Mumbai to Colombo, which typically costs approximately $275, went upwards of $1,000 two days before the match.

Similar fares were spotted for nonstop journeys from Bengaluru in southern India, while round-trip nonstop flights from Chennai to Colombo – a route that takes only about an hour and 20 minutes – had surged to at least $550, up from its usual fare of $165.

Planning ahead helped Bengaluru resident Parth Chauhan secure deals at a good price, but his friends accompanying him to Colombo had to pay a steep premium – three times the usual cost – after booking closer to the match date.

Accommodation costs rose sharply as well. Tariffs at five-star hotels in Colombo ranged between $400 and $1,000 per night from Saturday to Monday, when most spectators were expected to fly in and out.

Chauhan, who works in a cybersecurity organisation, had to wait a whopping four hours in a virtual queue to buy match tickets, but he insists the hassle was worth the wait, as he gears up to watch India play abroad for the first time.

“It’s an opportune moment, and there is a lot of exuberance to witness this because it’s a historic fixture,” he said.

For a lucky few, the surprise came not from the difficulty of securing tickets but from their unusually low price. Piyush Nathani, an IT professional from Bengaluru, paid only $5 for the fixture, which draws millions in broadcast, sponsor and advertising revenue.

“This is the cheapest ticket I’ve ever purchased. Just $5 to watch a World Cup match, that too of the magnitude of India vs Pakistan, is a steal,” said Nathani, who has travelled with a group of six friends.

‘More than a cricket match’

Having been part of the Ahmedabad crowd in 2023 that saw India beat Pakistan in a 50-over World Cup group game, Nathani is relishing the chance to watch Sunday’s match in a neutral venue, where fans from both countries are expected to be present.

“The feeling of beating Pakistan is something money cannot buy,” added the 29-year-old.

Like Nathani, Chheda has also travelled abroad previously to watch Team India. The 32-year-old watched India lift the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados and now wants to “pick up where I left off”.

“When there’s a World Cup, the first thing Indian fans hope for is to beat Pakistan,” he added.

“Winning the World Cup is the biggest target, but beating Pakistan feels like a moral victory – it’s more than a cricket match.”

Feb. 13 (UPI) — Three British men will serve a combined 69 years in prison for planning a terrorist attack on the Jewish community in Greater Manchester, a court ruled Friday.

The Preston Crown Court ordered Walid Saadaoui, 38, of Abram, to serve at least 37 years in prison, while Amar Hussain, 52, will serve at least 26 years. No hometown was listed for Hussain, according to the Greater Manchester Police.

Also sentenced was Bilel Saadaoui, 37, of Hindley, who will serve a six-year sentence, plus another year of community service. He is Walid Saadaoui’s younger brother.

“Today’s sentencing brings a conclusion to one of the most significant terrorist plot disruptions we have seen in the U.K. for several years,” said Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, who oversees counterterrorism policing in the northwest.

“Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein intended to target members of the Jewish community in an evil act born out of hate and intolerance,” he continued.

“If they had been successful, then what followed would have been devastating and potentially one of the deadliest terrorist attacks to ever take place on U.K. soil.”

“Walid was the ringleader,” Potts added. “He was the driving force behind the plot, and he recruited Hussein to join him.”

Walid Saadaoui and Hussein were convicted in December for plotting the terrorist attack in violation of the Terrorism Act of 2006, while Bilel Saadaoui was convicted of failing to disclose information about an act of terrorism.

Prosecutors said Walid Saadaoui in late 2023 established contact online with someone he thought shared his views and frequently exchanged messages in which he discussed carrying out a “significant terrorist attack targeting Jewish people,” the police said.

The contact was an undercover operative going by the name “Farouk” in court documents.

Walid Saadaoui introduced Farouk to Hussein, and the pair thought Farouk could supply them with automatic firearms from an overseas source to enable them to carry out their planned attack.

The two would-be terrorists conducted reconnaissance in Upper Broughton in Salford and the Port of Dover, which is the port of entry through which they thought the automatic weapons would be delivered.

Evidence gathered showed Walid Saadaoui discussed the plan with his brother, Bilel Saadaoui, which the elder brother initially denied but later admitted to during cross-examination in court.

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom told world leaders Friday that President Trump’s retreat from efforts to combat climate change would decimate the U.S. automobile industry and surrender the future economic viability to China and other nations embracing the transition to renewable energy.

Newsom, appearing at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, urged diplomats, business leaders and policy advocates to forcefully stand up to Trump’s global bullying and loyalty to the oil and coal industry. The California governor said the Trump administration’s massive rollbacks on environmental protection will be short-lived.

“Donald Trump is temporary. He’ll be gone in three years,” Newsom said during a Friday morning panel discussion on climate action. “California is a stable and reliable partner in this space.”

Newsom’s comments came in the wake of the Trump administration’s repeal of the endangerment finding and all federal vehicle emissions regulations. The endangerment finding is the U.S. government’s 2009 affirmation that planet-heating pollution poses a threat to human health and the environment.

Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin said the finding has been regulatory overreach, placing heavy burdens on auto manufacturers, restricting consumer choice and resulting in higher costs for Americans. Its repeal marked the “single largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States of America,” he said.

Scientists and experts were quick to condemn the action, saying it contradicts established science and will put more people in harm’s way. Independent researchers around the world have long concluded that greenhouse gases released by the burning of gasoline, diesel and other fossil fuels are warming the planet and worsening weather disasters.

The move will also threaten the U.S.’s position as a leader in the global clean energy transition, with nations such as China pulling ahead on electric vehicle production and investments in renewables such as solar, batteries and wind, experts said.

Newsom’s trip to Germany is just his latest international jaunt in recent months as he positions himself to lead the Democratic Party’s opposition to Trump and the Republican-led Congress, and to seed a possible run for the White House in 2028. Last month Newsom traveled to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and in November to the U.N. climate summit in Belém, Brazil — mocking and condemning Trump’s policies on Greenland, international trade and the environment.

When asked how he would restore the world’s confidence in the United States if he were to become president, Newsom sidestepped. Instead he offered a campaign-like soliloquy on California’s success on fostering Tesla and the nation’s other top electric vehicle manufactures as well as being a magnet for industries spending billions of dollars on research and development for the global transition away from carbon-based economies.

The purpose of the Munich conference was to open a dialogue among world leaders on global security, military, economic and environmental. Along with Friday’s discussion on climate action, Newsom is scheduled to appear at a livestreamed forum on transatlantic cooperation Saturday.

Andrew Forrest, executive chairman of the Australia-based mining company giant Fortescue, said during a panel Friday his company is proof that even the largest energy-consuming companies in the world can thrive without relying on the carbon-based fuels that have driven industries for more than a century. Fortescue, which buys diesel fuel from countries across the world, will transition to a “green grid” this decade, saving the company a billion dollars a year, he said.

“The science is absolutely clear, but so is the economics. I am, and my company Fortescue is, the industrial-grade proof that going renewable is great economics, great business, and if you desert it, then in the end, you’ll be sorted out by your shareholders or by your voters at the ballot box,” Forrest said.

Newsom said California has also shown the world what can be done with innovative government policies that embrace electric vehicles and the transition to a non-carbon-based economy, and continues to do so despite the attacks and regressive mandates being imposed by the Trump administration.

“This is about economic prosperity and competitiveness, and that’s why I’m so infuriated with what Donald Trump has done,” Newsom said. “Remember, Tesla exists for one reason — California’s regulatory market, which created the incentives and the structure and the certainty that allowed Elon Musk and others to invest and build that capacity. We are not walking away from that.”

California has led the nation in the push toward EVs. For more than 50 years, the state enjoyed unique authority from the EPA to set stricter tailpipe emission standards than the federal government, considered critical to the state’s efforts to address its notorious smog and air-quality issues. The authority, which the Trump administration has moved to rescind, was also the basis for California’s plan to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035.

The administration again targeted electric vehicles in its announcement on Thursday.

“The forced transition to electric vehicles is eliminated,” Zeldin said. “No longer will automakers be pressured to shift their fleets toward electric vehicles, vehicles that are still sitting unsold on dealer lots all across America.”

But the efforts to shut down the energy transition may be too little, too late, said Hannah Safford, former director of transportation and resilience at the White House Climate Policy Office under the Biden administration.

“Electric cars make more economic sense for people, more models are becoming available, and the administration can’t necessarily stop that from happening,” said Safford, who is now associate director for climate and environment at the Federation of American Scientists.

Still, some automakers and trade groups supported the EPA’s decision, as did fossil fuel industry groups and those geared toward free markets and regulatory reform. Among them were the Independent Petroleum Assn. of America, which praised the administration for its “efforts to reform and streamline regulations governing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Ford, which has invested in electric vehicles and recently completed a prototype of a $30,000 electric truck, said in a statement to The Times that it appreciated EPA’s move “to address the imbalance between current emissions standards and consumer choice.”

Toyota, meanwhile, deferred to a statement from Alliance for Automotive Innovation president John Bozzella, who said similarly that “automotive emissions regulations finalized in the previous administration are extremely challenging for automakers to achieve given the current marketplace demand for EVs.”

Feb. 13 (UPI) — The Japanese fisheries agency said Friday that authorities seized a Chinese fishing boat off the coast of Nagasaki after its captain refused to stop for an inspection.

The Chinese boat was sailing in Japan’s exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea near Japan’s Goto Islands on Thursday when it was ordered to stop. The boat then attempted to flee, a statement by the fisheries agency said.

Eleven people were aboard the fishing boat, including the captain, Zheng Nianli, a 47-year-old Chinese national. The captain was detained by Japanese authorities.

The boat, the Qiong Dong Yu 11998, remains in Japan’s custody and is being held as evidence. It remains unclear what will happen to the 10 members of the crew.

“We will continue to take resolute action in our enforcement activities to prevent and deter illegal fishing operations by foreign vessels,” said Minoru Kihara, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary.

Lin Jian, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, said Friday that Japan should “enforce the law impartially and protect the safety and legitimate rights and interests of crew members.”

Tensions have continued to rise between China and Japan in recent months. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament in November that Chinese aggression toward Taiwan could spark a military response from Japan.

China has continued its claim that Taiwan is its territory. In its ongoing push for “reunification,” Chinese officials have not ruled out the possibility of using force.

Takaichi’s comments to parliament drew criticism from Chinese officials. China’s foreign ministry called the comments “egregious.”

Diplomacy, tourism and commerce between the two nations have been strained since Takaichi addressed Japan’s parliament.

DP World appoints new chairman and group CEO following departure of Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem over ties to sex offender.

United Arab Emirates-based logistics giant DP World has appointed a new chairman and CEO, after coming under pressure over former company chief Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem’s ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein

The UAE government’s Dubai Media Office said Friday that Essa Kazim had been appointed chairman and Yuvraj Narayan as group CEO of DP World, one of the world’s largest logistics companies, which claims to handle about 10 percent of global trade.

The roles were previously held by bin Sulayem, one of Dubai’s most powerful and well-connected people, who has led DP World – which operates more than 60 ports and terminals worldwide – for more than four decades.

Sulayem’s lengthy tenure at the helm of the logistics giant came to an end in a firestorm of controversy over his links with the disgraced financier, after recently declassified documents showed the pair had exchanged messages for years before and after Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution.

Salacious exchanges

The friendly exchanges between the two include discussions about deals and also mention bin Sulayem visiting Epstein’s private island while sharing contacts in business and politics.

The two men also shared salacious comments about women, with bin Sulayem’s email address featuring a correspondence in which Epstein remarked, “I loved the torture video.”

Bin Sulayem’s name was blacked out in documents released by the Department of Justice, but on Tuesday, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna identified him in the House of Representatives, along with five others whose names had been redacted, saying the government had shielded their names “for no apparent reason”.

Since Khanna’s speech to Congress, the Justice Department partially unredacted some of the files he pointed to.

Partners suspend ties

While the files referenced by Khanna did not appear to implicate bin Sulayem or the other men in any specific crimes, the revelation of bin Sulayem’s years-long friendship with Epstein prompted the ‌United Kingdom development investment agency, British International Investment, and Canada’s second-largest pension fund, La Caisse, to announce they had paused future ventures with DP World in response.

La Caisse, which in 2022 invested $2.5bn in Jebel Ali Port, the Jebel Ali Free Zone and the National Industries Park, three of DP World’s flagship assets in the UAE, said on Tuesday that it would not carry out further investments until it shed light on bin Sulayem’s links to Epstein and took “necessary actions”.

On Friday, British International Investment welcomed DP World’s appointment of a new ⁠chief executive and said it would resume investment alongside the company.

“We ‌welcome today’s decision by DP World and look forward to continuing our partnership to advance the development ⁠of key African trading ⁠ports to unlock the continent’s global trading potential,” a ⁠spokesperson for the agency said.

Epstein was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution in 2008, spending about a year in prison before his release.

His contacts with a network of wealthy and influential figures continued in the wake of his conviction until an investigation into the wealthy financier was reopened in 2019.

Epstein died in prison that year while facing charges of sex trafficking underage girls.

Lyndon J. Barrois Sr. always knew he wanted to be an artist, even as a child.

From crafting figures out of chewed gum stuck underneath the pews at his Catholic school’s church after he was forced to scrape them as punishment from teachers to collecting his mother’s discarded gum wrappers, Barrois felt a creative itch to make something out of nothing.

“I had seen too much art [and thought to myself], ‘Someone had to be doing this, why not me?,’” Barrois said with a chuckle. “I always dreamt of doing this. Other kids played with Play-Doh. I made stuff with anything I could get my hands on like clay, aluminum foil and discarded phone wire.”

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Now the 61-year-old New Orleans native is debuting his latest project at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art: “Fútbol Is Life.” It depicts some of the most iconic plays and political moments in the 95-year history of the FIFA World Cup, coming to L.A. this summer, with “humble” gum wrappers.

Barrois and LACMA curator Britt Salvesen assembled 60 works, including 40 vignettes from past World Cups and four animated short films, among them the movie “Fútballet,” which re-creates 21 famous scenes on a 50-inch soccer pitch.

Suspended artwork of Brazilian Swedish footballer Marta Vieira da Silva, known mononymously as Marta, made by Barrois. He made a conscious effort to feature women’s contributions to soccer.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A large-scale projection of a miniature of French footballer Kylian Mbappé hangs on the wall. Two life-size replicas of Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Marta Vieira da Silva hang from the ceiling, the first of their kind for the artist, who has done miniatures of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and NFL star Patrick Mahomes.

The exhibition is laid out to resemble a playing field.

“We really wanted to create that environment that you feel like you’re in a separate world, and my colleague Darwin Hu took a personal and creative interest in this,” Salvesen told The Times. “He did a bunch of visual research on soccer fields in schools and prisons, where fields were improvised in whatever spaces were available. We wanted to wrap the lines up the walls and have the turf. Your sense of the space changes when you go from a hard floor to a softer floor.”

With a suspended Lionel Messi at right, Noa Carter, 4, and dad Darius L. Carter of Pasadena get a preview of artist Lyndon J. Barrois Sr.’s LACMA exhibition, “Fútbol Is Life.”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Barrois’ 1-inch tall “sportraits” are carefully painted to capture even the tiniest detail. The majority of the installations include a mirror, allowing the viewer to see themselves as part of the moments “frozen in time,” he said.

A total of 325 individual mini soccer and football players, including Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, are included in the show.

“I had so much fun making the sculptures that when I was done, it was like hitting a wall after all that adrenaline,” Barrois said. “Now we get to hang it. Install it. You just start to see all the things we envisioned just come to life. I love this s—.”

Before sculpting, Barrois did “tons of research, a lot of reading, [looking at] photography and video.” He and a friend rewatched the most famous plays and examined the history surrounding the World Cup, stretching back to the 1930s, and before the Women’s World Cup started in 1970.

A “Sportraits” work shows the German soccer team highlighting migrant workers’ rights ahead of the 2021 World Cup. “I chose moments that I personally thought would be important, there’s a lot of politics involved,” Barrois said.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“I just wanted to tell a story with the politics involved, like in 1938, the German team was all Nazis, and they’re doing the salute, and by 2022, the German team has human rights on their T-shirts,” Barrois said. “We also had the Iranian women project. All these things happened on such a huge platform. So it was a tough editing process to bring that down to 40.”

Barrois spent seven months completing his pieces.

Curator Sandra Jackson-Dumont, former director and CEO of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, applauded Barrois’ use of gum wrappers.

“I like that Lyndon is using materials that are a part of our everyday lives that we take for granted and we discard,” Jackson said. “He’s using those materials to make something creative.”

Barrois was surrounded by family and friends for the exhibition’s preview, most of whom grew up with the artist. Dany Wilson, who went to elementary school with Barrois, said he was “proud of him.”

The exhibition also features works from scientist Harold Edgerton and photographer Eadweard Muybridge that explore the history of motion studies and time-lapse photography.

SEOUL, Feb. 13 (UPI) — Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Friday that Seoul’s expression of regret over alleged drone incursions was “sensible,” but cautioned that any future flights would trigger a “terrible response.”

The statement, carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, followed comments Tuesday by South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, who expressed “deep regrets” over alleged drone flights into the North as part of the Lee Jae Myung administration’s broader push to ease tensions with Pyongyang.

North Korea’s military last month said it shot down a South Korean surveillance drone near the border city of Kaesong. Seoul has denied involvement, saying it does not operate the drone model cited by the North.

Kim described Chung’s remarks as “fortunate” and “quite sensible behavior,” but said South Korean authorities must take preventive measures to ensure such violations “would never happen again.”

“We don’t care who the very manipulator of the drone infiltration into the airspace of the DPRK is and whether it is an individual or a civilian organization,” she said.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

“I give advance warning that reoccurrence of such provocation as violating the inalienable sovereignty of the DPRK will surely provoke a terrible response,” Kim said. “Various counterattack plans are on the table and one of them will be chosen without doubt and it will go beyond proportionality.”

A South Korean investigation initially centered on three civilians who were placed under travel bans last month. But a joint military-police task force on Tuesday raided the country’s spy agency and a military intelligence command as the probe widened to include three military officers as suspects.

On Wednesday, the Unification Ministry said Seoul would take immediate action to prevent future incidents.

“The government is conducting a thorough investigation and will immediately implement measures to prevent similar incidents,” ministry spokesman Yoon Min-ho said at a regular press briefing.

Kim’s statement was “signaling the need for joint efforts between the two Koreas to ease tensions and prevent accidents on the Korean Peninsula,” Yoon added.

North Korea is preparing to convene its Ninth Party Congress later this month, where Kim Jong Un is expected to outline a new five-year economic plan and recalibrate military and foreign policy priorities. Analysts will be watching for signs the North will formalize a hardened posture toward Seoul. In 2024, Pyongyang designated the South a “hostile state” and publicly rejected the long-held goal of reunification.

The defense ministry said Friday it has relieved Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Kang Dong-gil from duty over his alleged involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s botched martial law bid in late 2024.

The move came a day after the ministry took a similar action against Ground Operations Commander Gen. Joo Sung-un over suspicions of martial law involvement, marking the second such suspension of a four-star general appointed under President Lee Jae Myung’s administration.

“The defense ministry excluded the chief of naval operations as of Friday as allegations in relation to the insurrection case have been identified,” ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said in a briefing.

Kang, who served as chief of the directorate of military support at the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time of the martial law imposition, was among the seven top-brass officers appointed as four-star generals in September last year.

The allegations involving Kang and Joo were not previously verified ahead of their appointment, a ministry official said, acknowledging limitations in the procedure amid efforts to fill the leadership vacuum caused by the martial law bid.

The official said the ministry continues to firmly carry out measures to determine the circumstances surrounding the martial law imposition, regardless of the ranks of personnel involved.

The deputy chief of the Navy will serve as acting Navy chief following Friday’s decision, the ministry said, adding disciplinary action will be considered for Kang.

On Thursday, the ministry said it has identified around 180 personnel as having been involved in the martial law imposition following a monthslong probe into about 860 general-level and field-grade officers.

It also concluded that some 1,600 personnel across the military affiliated with the Army, counterintelligence command, special operations command and Defense Intelligence Command were found to have been mobilized on the night of the martial law imposition.

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