N.Korea returns remains of US soldiers killed in Korean War
Seoul, July 27 : North Korea has returned the remains believed to be of 55 American troops killed during the Korean War (1950-53) as part of an agreement between US President Donald Trump and Pyongyang leader Kim Jong-un during the Singapore Summit.
A US Air Force C-17 aircraft on Friday carried the remains of the soldiers from Wonsan (North Korea) to Osan airbase in South Korea where a repatriation ceremony will be held on August 1, Yonhap news agency reported.
Onboard the aircraft were also members of the UN Command Korea. It is believed that the remains of the 55 soldiers were returned this time, but their remains will need to be forensically tested to ensure they were indeed slain US troops.
The White House immediately hailed the move as a "momentum for positive changes" by the communist nation in line with the bilateral summit agreement between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim-Jong Un in Singapore on June 12.
"Today, (Kim) is fulfilling part of the commitment he made to the President to return our fallen American service members. We are encouraged by North Korea's actions and the momentum for positive change," the White House said.
General Vincent K. Brooks, chief of the command and US Forces Korea, said the mission was successful and added: "Now, we will prepare to honour our fallen before they continue on their journey home."
US President Donald Trump expressed his gratitude to the North Korean leader, saying it was a "great moment for so many families after so many years".
"Thank you to Kim Jong Un," he tweeted.
The South Korean government called it "meaningful progress" conducive to building mutual trust. "(We) expect efforts by parties concerned to further accelerate for promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," Foreign Ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk said.
The Defence POW (Prisoners of War)/MIA (Missing in Action) Accounting Agency will inspect the remains before a formal repatriation ceremony. Then the remains will be sent to a forensic lab in Hawaii.
It may take months of detailed DNA analysis to determine how many American service members can be identified.
The repatriation came as the two Koreas and the US marked the 65th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the Korean War.
More than 326,000 Americans fought alongside soldiers from South Korea and a UN coalition during the war to support the South against the Communist North.
Thousands of US military personnel from the Korean war remain unaccounted for and most of them -- about 5,300 -- were lost in what is now North Korea.
The missing US soldiers are among around 33,000 coalition troops still unaccounted for. Since 1990, North Korea has repatriated the remains of 340 US troops.
The repatriation was welcomed by relatives who have waited decades for progress.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
