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(LONDON) — Travis King, the American soldier who crossed into North Korea two months ago, is back on U.S. soil.

An official with the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that King landed in San Antonio early Thursday at around 1:30 a.m. ET.

The news that King was back in U.S. custody came Wednesday morning.

“We can confirm that U.S. officials have secured the return of Private King and departed PRC airspace en route to a U.S. military base,” a senior Biden administration official said.

Later Wednesday, Army spokesman Bryce Dubee said in a statement that King could face future action from the Army but for now the focus is on his “well-being and privacy.”

King will be flown to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, where he will go through the military’s reintegration process used to re-acclimate Americans who have been detained overseas, two U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News. Typically that process takes place at Brooke Army Medical Center, which is located at Fort Sam Houston.

During his Wednesday afternoon press briefing, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller confirmed that King was in the air en route to the United States.

“The United States has secured the return of Private Travis King from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Earlier today, he was transported to the border between North Korea and China, where he was met by our ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Nicholas Burns. He then boarded a State Department OpMed plane and flew from Dandong, China to Shenyang, China, and then on from Shenyang to Osan Air Force Base in South Korea, where he was transferred to the Department of Defense,” Miller said.

Miller did not have additional details on how King was transported from inside North Korea to the country’s border with China. He also said he did not know if Pyongyang had requested anything for King’s freedom but reiterated that the U.S. had not made any concessions.

While he also didn’t know how King was treated while in custody, he said he “would certainly imagine that he was interrogated that was that would be consistent with past DPRK practice with respect to detainees.”

Securing the return of King back into U.S. custody from North Korea was the “culmination of a monthslong effort” that included multiple government agencies and the assistance of Sweden and China, according to senior administration officials.

“U.S. officials have secured the return of Private Travis King from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). We appreciate the dedication of the interagency team that has worked tirelessly out of concern for Private King’s well-being. In addition, we thank the government of Sweden for its diplomatic role serving as the protecting power for the United States in the DPRK and the government of the People’s Republic of China for its assistance in facilitating the transit of Private King,” Biden national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

King “appears to be in good health and good spirits as he makes his way home” and has been able to speak with his family, senior administration officials told reporters Wednesday morning.

“Pv.t King was very happy to be on his way home. You know that that has been quite clear as we have resumed our contact with him and he is very much looking forward to being reunited with his family. That is the sentiment that is pervading all else right now,” an official said.

North Korea transferred King to representatives from Sweden in North Korea who then drove King across the border into China and transferred him to a waiting U.S. official who took custody of King, a U.S. official said. A short time later King was aboard a U.S. plane that flew him out of China and began his return back to the U.S., the official added.

“This was truly an extraordinary interagency effort and really an incredible example of teamwork, detailed planning and rehearsals and flawless conduct of what I would say as a truly complex operation,” an official said.

Officials said Sweden was the intermediary between the U.S. and the DPRK. Sweden has served as the protective power for the U.S. in the DPRK since 1995 and the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang provide consular assistance to U.S. nationals in the DPRK, according to the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

“It is gratifying that Travis King was able to return to the United States and that Sweden has been able to assist in accordance with its responsibilities as protecting power for the US in North Korea,” the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.

China did not assist in those discussions, but it “played a very constructive role in facilitating a transfer” out of China.

“The operational complexity that we’re pointing to here obviously includes a few factors. It includes the fact that the Swedish government transited into the DPRK. It includes the fact that we had to you know, be ready to receive him in the PRC and includes the fact that all of these pieces had to come together quickly and with the greatest concern for Private King’s care and ensuring his safe and healthy transit home,” a senior administration official said.

Officials were clear that there were no concessions for King’s release.

“In terms of the question on any concessions that might have been given, the answer is simple: There were none. Full stop,” an official said.

Sweden informed the U.S. that North Korea wanted to release King earlier this month, which led to the intense behind-the-scenes efforts to secure his transfer, senior administration officials said.

North Korea announced earlier Wednesday that it would expel King, who ran across the border from South Korea during a tour in July.

“The relevant organ of the DPRK decided to expel Travis King, a soldier of the U.S. Army who illegally intruded into the territory of the DPRK, under the law of the Republic,” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said.

Miller confirmed Wednesday that Pyongyang had signaled a willingness to return King in recent days, but he noted that U.S. officials did not see this as a window for broader diplomacy with North Korea.

“I don’t know that I would take from this that it heralds some breakthrough in diplomatic relations. Obviously, we’re pleased to have secured his return,” he said. “We tried ton reach out to them when Travis King first crossed the border into North Korea, we tried to reach out a number of occasions. They rejected our direct approaches and ended up talking to Sweden, and Sweden talked to us and helped negotiate this transfer but I would not see this as the sign of some breakthrough. I think it’s a one off.”

King, a 23-year-old cavalry scout serving in South Korea, was due to return to the U.S. and face administrative separation actions after being detained in a South Korean facility for 47 days for an assault conviction.

On July 17, he was escorted by U.S. military officials to South Korea’s Incheon International Airport as far as the customs checkpoint. But instead of boarding the plane, he left the airport for a tour of the DMZ.

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(LONDON) — Please return if found: Hundreds of missing artefacts formerly housed in a museum in central London.

The British Museum has issued a plea to the public to assist in the recovery of ancient artefacts reported stolen or missing from its collection.

The museum — which announced on Aug. 16 that the Metropolitan Police were investigating “a number of items” found to be “stolen, missing or damaged” — is now appealing to anyone who may have seen the items to get in touch.

Sixty items have been returned thus far, the museum said in a statement sent to ABC News. Three hundred more are “due to be returned imminently.”

The announcement followed one in August by British Museum Chairman George Osborne, who disclosed that “around 2,000” artefacts had been stolen from the museum’s storerooms by a suspected museum curator.

The scandal, which has been called an “embarrassment” for the institution, triggered the resignation of British Museum Director Hartwig Fischer.

“The trustees of the British Museum were extremely concerned when we learnt earlier this year that items of the collection had been stolen,” said Osborne in a statement. “Our priority is now threefold: first, to recover the stolen items; second, to find out what, if anything, could have been done to stop this; and third, to do whatever it takes, with investment in security and collection records, to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

The items the museum is seeking include “gold jewelry, and gems of semi-precious stones and glass” dating back to the 15th century B.C. and the 19th century A.D.

None of the items has recently been on public display, said the museum.

Although the museum is not sharing details of the lost and damaged items following advice from “recovery specialists,” the museum announced that majority of the stolen items are from the Department of Greece and Rome, “mainly falling into the categories of gems and jewelry.”

The museum also announced that some of the items had been placed on the Art Loss Register — the world’s largest private database of stolen art, antiques, and collectables: “This will ensure that if the stolen pieces appear in the over 400,000 items a year that are checked by them, they will be identified,” said the Museum.

Involved too in the search are an international panel of experts, made up “leading specialists” in the field of identification and recovery of stolen items.

Prior to the public appeal, investigations into the missing items had been taking place behind closed doors in partnership with the metropolitan police. In a statement sent to ABC News, the Metropolitan Police confirmed one man had been interviewed on Aug. 23 in relation to the thefts. He was placed “under caution,” having voluntarily attended a police station.

The Metropolitan Police told ABC News enquiries into the missing objects continue.

Many have pointed out the irony of the British Museum — which has come under scrutiny to return artefacts in their possession to their country of origin — seeking public assistance in retrieving stolen artefacts.

In August, the British Museum announced it will return 72 artifacts that were looted in 1897 — including Benin Bronzes — to the Nigerian Government.

The British Museum is also entangled in a debate with Greek authorities over ownership of the famous “Pantheon Sculptures,” which were taken from the Pantheon between 1801 and 1805.

“Sir Nigel Boardman and I continue to work closely with the British Museum, other organizations and specialists in this area to recover stolen items and return them to the British Museum’s collection,” said Lucy D’Orsi, Joint Chair of the Independent Review. “We are very grateful for the support we have received.”

 

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(LONDON) — Travis King, the American soldier who two months ago crossed into North Korea, is back in U.S. custody, a U.S. official has confirmed.

North Korea announced earlier Wednesday that it would expel King, who ran across the border from South Korea during a tour in July.

“The relevant organ of the DPRK decided to expel Travis King, a soldier of the U.S. Army who illegally intruded into the territory of the DPRK, under the law of the Republic,” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said.

Story developing…

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(LONDON) — About 50,000 ethnic Armenians have now fled the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, according to local officials, as the exodus triggered by Azerbaijan’s takeover of the region appeared to accelerate, with fears its entire population may leave.

More than a third of the population have now left, with nearly 12,000 people leaving overnight, and thousands more continuing to arrive into Armenia on Wednesday morning, in what Armenia’s government has called the “ethnic cleansing” of the enclave.

Azerbaijan on Wednesday announced it had detained the former leader of enclave’s unrecognized Armenian government as he sought to cross into Armenia. Ruben Vardanyan, a billionaire businessman who made his fortune in Russia, moved to Nagorno-Karabakh in 2022 and served as the head of its government for several months before stepping down earlier this year.

Vardanyan’s detention signalled Azerbaijan may prosecute members of the Armenian separatist authorities that remain and will likely further enflame fears among the Armenians remaining there.

The exodus of Armenian civilians has begun following Azerbaijan’s successful military offensive last week that swiftly defeated the local Armenian authorities, re-asserting Azerbaijan’s control over the mountainous enclave and bringing a sudden end to a 35-year conflict.

Cars, buses and trucks loaded with families and what belongings they could carry have been streaming over the border crossing since Azerbaijan reopened the only road leading out to Armenia for the first time since blockading the enclave nine months ago. The first town on the Armenian side, Goris, was reported flooded with people coming to register as refugees. A 50-mile traffic jam snaked up the mountain road from the enclave, visible in satellite images released by Maxar Technologies.

The death toll from a devastating explosion on Monday at a makeshift gas station used by refugees inside the enclave has reached 68, with 105 people still missing and dozens more badly injured, local officials said. Helicopters evacuated 168 injured from the region’s capital, according to Nagorno-Karabakh’s unrecognized Armenian authorities. Shortages of food, medicine and fuel have been reported inside the enclave.

Nagorno-Karabakh is recognised as Azerbaijan’s territory but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians since Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a bloody war amid the collapse of the Soviet Union. Hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis were driven from the region during that war that ended with ethnic Armenians establishing an unrecognized state, called the Republic of Artsakh.

In 2020, Azerbaijan reopened the conflict, launching a full-scale war that decisively defeated Armenia and obliged it to largely abandon its claims to Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia brokered a truce and deployed peacekeepers to enforce it, which remain deployed.

But last week Azerbaijan launched a fresh offensive that forced the ethnic Armenian authorities to surrender after just two days of fighting and accept the reintegration of the enclave into Azerbaijan. Since then ethnic Armenians have sought to leave, fearing they will face persecution and violence under Azerbaijan.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Tuesday called Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, to urge him to “refrain from further hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh” and provide unhindered humanitarian access.

“He called on President Aliyev to provide assurances to the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh that they can live secure in their homes and that their rights will be protected,” the State Department said in a readout of the call.

He also urged Aliyev to commit to a broad amnesty for Armenians fighters and allow an international observer mission into Nagorno-Karabakh.

Samantha Power, the head of the USAID, visited the border crossing in Armenia on Tuesday and met with refugees there, also calling on Azerbaijan to allow international access to the enclave.

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(LONDON) — North Korea has announced that it is set to expel U.S. soldier Travis King several months after he ran across the border from South Korea during a tour in July.

“The relevant organ of the DPRK decided to expel Travis King, a soldier of the U.S. Army who illegally intruded into the territory of the DPRK, under the law of the Republic,” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said.

Story developing…

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(NEW YORK) — At least 114 people are dead and more than 200 are injured after a fire broke out at a wedding hall in northern Iraq, Nineveh Deputy Gov. Hasan al-Allaq said.

Story developing…

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(NEW YORK) — A bride and groom were killed along with more than 100 wedding guests as a fire ripped through a wedding hall in Hamdaniyah, in northern Iraq, on Tuesday, local officials said.

At least 150 others were injured when the wedding hall’s ceiling caught fire and then collapsed, according to Hasan al-Allaq said, the deputy governor of the Nineveh region.

Fireworks set off inside the wedding hall, where as many as 1,000 were celebrating, may have caused the fire, local reports said.

Fire investigators were working at the scene on Wednesday morning.

Iraq’s prime minister has called for three days of national mourning.

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(LONDON) — At least 125 people were killed in an explosion on Monday night at a makeshift gas station being used by ethnic Armenian refugees as thousands sought to flee the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, according to local authorities, as senior U.S. officials visited Armenia to signal concern over the humanitarian crisis affecting the region’s civilians.

Dozens of people are in a critical condition with severe burns and in urgent need of evacuation from the enclave where medical assistance was already minimal, the health ministry of the Nagorno-Karabakh’s unrecognized ethnic Armenia government, the Republic of Artsakh, said in a statement. It said many people were still missing following the blast.

The explosion and fire ripped through the fuel store on Monday night as hundreds of refugees were lining up for gas for their vehicles to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, according to local officials.

Thousands of ethnic Armenians have been leaving the enclave following a successful military offensive last week by Azerbaijan that defeated the local Armenian authorities and restored Azerbaijan’s rule over the region.

Over 28,000 people have crossed from Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia since Sunday, according to a statement from Armenia’s government. It’s feared the enclave’s entire population — estimated at 120,000 — may seek to flee in the coming days.

Armenia’s prime minister on Monday said what was happening was the “ethnic cleansing” of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population.

Long traffic jams of people seeking to leave were visible snaking miles along the only road out of Nagorno-Karabakh to a checkpoint in the “Lachin Corridor” that links the enclave to Armenia.

Nagorno-Karabakh has been at the center of a decadeslong conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Internationally recognized as Azerbaijan’s territory, the two countries fought a bloody war over the enclave amid the collapse of the Soviet Union, in which Armenia backed local ethnic Armenian separatists, who succeeded in establishing control over most of the region. Hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijani civilians were driven from the region during that war.

Azerbaijan reopened the conflict in 2020, launching a full-scale war that decisively defeated Armenia and forced it to largely abandon its claims to Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia helped broker a truce and dispatched a peacekeeping force there that remains deployed. Last week, Azerbaijan launched a new offensive that swiftly forced the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian’s leadership to surrender.

Since then thousands of ethnic Armenians have been preparing to leave the enclave, which has been under Azerbaijani blockade for nine months, unwilling to live under Azerbaijan’s rule and fearing they will face persecution.

Western countries, including the United States, France and Germany, have expressed concern for Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population and warned Azerbaijan it bears responsibility for their rights and security.

The Biden administration has dispatched Samantha Power, currently administrator of USAID and senior another State Department official to Armenia to express U.S. support for the country amid the crisis.

Power on Tuesday visited the checkpoint at Armenia’s border with Nagorno-Karabakh where refugees have been arriving, and called for international monitors and aid groups to be given access to the enclave and for Azerbaijan to facilitate the evacuation of injured civilians from there.

“It is absolutely critical that independent monitors as well as humanitarian organizations get access to the people in Nagorno-Karabakh who still have dire needs,” Power told journalists at the checkpoint. “There are still tens of thousands of Ethnic Armenians there living in very vulnerable conditions,” announcing the U.S. would provide $11.5 million in humanitarian assistance that would include everything from food to psychiatric support.

Power, who has been a high-profile campaigner for human rights, said she was in Armenia to also hear testimonies from people fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh and that she would be reporting back to the Biden Administration as it considers how to respond to the crisis.

Power and the Acting Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, Yuri Kim met with Armenia’s prime minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday. Power delivered a letter from President Joe Biden in which he expressed condolences for the loss of life in Nagorno-Karabakh and promised help on addressing humanitarian needs.

“I have asked Samantha Power, a key member of my cabinet, to personally convey to you the strong support of the United States and my Administration for Armenia’s pursuit of a dignified and durable regional peace that maintains your sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and democracy,” the letter read.

Pashinyan told Power the international community and Armenia had failed to prevent the “ethnic cleansing” of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenians.

“Unfortunately, at the moment the process of the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh is continuing, it is happening right now. It’s a very tragic fact. We tried to inform the international community that this ethnic cleansing would happen, but, unfortunately, we did not manage to prevent it,” Pashinyan told Power and Yuri Kim, the State Department’s acting assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, according to the prime minister’s press service.

Armenia and Azerbaijan were due to hold talks mediated by the European Union in Brussels on Tuesday, the first talks between the sides since Azerbaijan’s retook Nagorno-Karabakh.

Monday’s blast at the fuel station added a horrific complication to the exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh, with local authorities pleading for people to hold off leaving as the traffic-choking the roads out was preventing the evacuation of the severely injured.

Helicopters from Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, were reported to have flown to Nagorno-Karabakh to help evacuate some of the worst injured. A long line of ambulances was also filmed by Russian media crossing into the enclave.

The enclave’s Armenian health authorities said the hospitals in the enclave, already short of medicine and other equipment, were not equipped for the disaster.

Russia’s peacekeeping contingent said it was also providing medical assistance and showed videos of its soldiers evacuating some of the injured.

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(LONDON) — At least 20 people were killed and nearly 300 were injured in an explosion on Monday night that tore through a makeshift gas station being used by ethnic Armenian refugees amid their exodus from the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, according to the enclave’s local Armenian authorities.

Dozens of people are in a critical condition with severe burns and in urgent need of evacuation from the enclave where medical assistance was already minimal, the health ministry of the region’s unrecognized government, the Republic of Artsakh, said in a statement. It said many people were still missing following the blast.

The explosion and fire ripped through the fuel store on Monday night as hundreds of refugees were lining up for gas for their vehicles to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, according to local officials.

Thousands of ethnic Armenians have been leaving the enclave following a successful military offensive last week by Azerbaijan that defeated the local Armenian authorities and restored Azerbaijan’s rule over the region.

Over 13,500 people have crossed from Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia since Sunday, according to a statement from Armenia’s government quoted by the Russian news agency Interfax. It’s feared the enclave’s entire population — estimated at 120,000 — may seek to flee in the coming days.

Armenia’s prime minister on Monday said what was happening was the “ethnic cleansing” of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population.

Long traffic jams of people seeking to leave were visible on the only road out of Nagorno-Karabakh to a checkpoint in the “Lachin Corridor” that links the enclave to Armenia.

Nagorno-Karabakh has been at the center of a decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Internationally recognized as Azerbaijan’s territory, the two countries fought a bloody war over the enclave amid the collapse of the Soviet Union, in which Armenia backed local ethnic Armenian separatists, who succeeded in establishing control over most of the region. Hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijani civilians were driven from the region during that war.

Azerbaijan reopened the conflict in 2020, launching a full-scale war that decisively defeated Armenia and forced it to largely abandon its claims to Nagorno-Karabakh. Russia helped broker a truce and dispatched a peacekeeping force there that remains deployed. Last week, Azerbaijan launched a new offensive that swiftly forced the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian’s leadership to surrender.

Since then thousands of ethnic Armenians have been preparing to leave the enclave, which has been under Azerbaijani blockade for nine months, unwilling to live under Azerbaijan’s rule and fearing they will face persecution.

Western countries, including the United States, France and Germany, have expressed concern for Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian population and warned Azerbaijan it bears responsibility for their rights and security.

The Biden administration on Monday dispatched Samantha Power, currently administrator of USAID and a high-profile campaigner for human rights, and another senior State Department official to Armenia to meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and express U.S. support for the country amid the crisis.

Power delivered a letter to Pashinyan from President Joe Biden in which the president expressed condolences for the loss of life in Nagorno-Karabakh and promised help on addressing humanitarian needs.

“I have asked Samantha Power, a key member of my cabinet, to personally convey to you the strong support of the United States and my Administration for Armenia’s pursuit of a dignified and durable regional peace that maintains your sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and democracy,” the letter read.

Pashinyan told Power the international community and Armenia had failed to prevent the “ethnic cleansing” of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenians.

“Unfortunately, at the moment the process of the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh is continuing, it is happening right now. It’s a very tragic fact. We tried to inform the international community that this ethnic cleansing would happen, but, unfortunately, we did not manage to prevent it,” Pashinyan told Power and Yuri Kim, the State Department’s acting assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, according to the prime minister’s press service.

Armenia and Azerbaijan were due to hold talks mediated by the European Union in Brussels on Tuesday, the first talks between the sides since Azerbaijan’s retook Nagorno-Karabakh.

Monday’s blast at the fuel station added a horrific complication to the exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh, with local authorities pleading for people to hold off leaving as the traffic-choking the roads out was preventing the evacuation of the severely injured.

Helicopters from Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, were reported to have flown to Nagorno-Karabakh to help evacuate some of the worst injured. A long line of ambulances was also filmed by Russian media crossing into the enclave.

The enclave’s Armenian health authorities said the hospitals in the enclave, already short of medicine and other equipment, were not equipped for the disaster.

Russia’s peacekeeping contingent said it was also providing medical assistance to the injured.

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(LONDON) — Nelson Mandela’s granddaughter, Zoleka Mandela, has died at the age of 43.

“The Nelson Mandela Foundation extends its heartfelt condolences to the Mandela family on the passing of Zoleka Mandela, tragically last night,” the Nelson Mandela Foundation said in a statement released on Tuesday morning. “We mourn the loss of a beloved grandchild of Mum Winnie and Madiba and a friend of the Foundation.”

Zoleka Mandela — born April 9, 1983 — was an outspoken writer and activist for healthcare and justice throughout her life.

“Her work in raising awareness about cancer prevention and her unwavering commitment to breaking down the stigma surrounding the disease will continue to inspire us all,” the Nelson Mandela Foundation said.

A statement posted to Zoleka Mandela’s Instagram account detailed her ongoing recent struggles with cancer.

“On Monday, September 18th, Zoleka Mandela was admitted into hospital for ongoing treatment for metastatic cancer to the hip, liver, lung, pelvis, brain and spinal cord,” the statement attributed to family spokesperson Zwelabo Mandela read. “Recent scans revealed significant disease progression including fibrosis in the lungs as well as several emboli.”

“Zoleka passed away on the evening of Monday, September 25th, surrounded by friends and family. Our sincerest gratitude to the medical team that took care of her,” the message read.

Mandela was 43.

Said the Nelson Mandela Foundation: “Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this most difficult time. Hamba kahle Zoleka, we will remember you.”

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