532 arrested at London protest backing Palestine action
London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed that 532 people were arrested during a Saturday protest in support of the advocacy network Palestine Action. By Sunday afternoon, 18 remained in custody, with others released on bail, Xinhua reported.
The demonstration, which began at Parliament Square and drew an estimated 500–600 participants, saw hundreds detained on the day. Protesters held signs opposing genocide, while some voiced criticism of arms sales to Israel.
Parliament voted in July to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, following a June incident in which its members broke into RAF Brize Norton, according to Xinhua.
Kuwait signs contracts for $3.27 billion power plant project
The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) signed contracts on Sunday with Saudi's ACWA Power and the Gulf Investment Corporation for phases two and three of the Al-Zour North power plant, Reuters reported.
The value of the phases of the power plant project exceeds 1 billion Kuwaiti dinars ($3.27 billion), the Kuwaiti authority's director general told Reuters. He said the investors, not the government, will bear the cost.
The signing ceremony on Sunday sets in motion one of the biggest electricity projects in the Gulf country as it seeks to address severe electricity shortages, according to Reuters.
South Korea's military has shrunk by 20% in six years as male population drops
South Korea's military shrank by 20% in the past six years to 450,000 troops, largely due to a sharp drop in the population of males of enlistment age for mandatory service in the country with the world's lowest birthrate, a report said on Sunday, Reuters reported.
The dramatic decline in the pool of available males for military service is also causing a shortfall in the number of officers and could result in operational difficulty if it continues, the defence ministry said in the report.
The report was made to the ruling Democratic Party member of parliament Choo Mi-ae, whose office released it.
South Korea's military has steadily declined since the early 2000s when it had about 690,000 soldiers. The pace accelerated during the late 2010s and there were about 563,000 active-duty soldiers and officers in 2019, according to Reuters.
Zelenskiy says Ukraine 'fully supports' joint statement by European leaders
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday that Kyiv "values and fully supports" a joint statement by European leaders on achieving peace in Ukraine while protecting Ukrainian and European interests, Reuters reported.
French, Italian, German, Polish, British, Finnish and European Commission leaders on Saturday welcomedU.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to try to end the war, but emphasised the need to pressure Russia and provide security guarantees for Kyiv.
"The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people today for the sake of peace in Ukraine, which is defending the vital security interests of our European nations," Zelenskiy wrote on X, according to Reuters.
