News

Kim skips Russian military parade as Xi visits for high-stakes summit

2025/05/07 17:00

North Korea's Kim Jong-un will not be attending Russia's Victory Day celebration this week but Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to do so. Our correspondent Kim Jung-sil covers the implications of this reality. In the heart of Moscow, Russia is preparing for a highly symbolic Victory Day—marking 80 years since the end of World War II. But this year's event is unfolding under a different kind of pressure: the ongoing war in Ukraine. The commemorations run from May 8 to 11, with the annual military parade set for Friday in Red Square. 29 world leaders are expected, and military units from 13 countries—including China—will join Russian troops in the parade. But one leader who won't be attending is North Korea's Kim Jong-un. Pyongyang is expected to send its ambassador in Moscow, Shin Hong-chol, in his place. Though the North has confirmed support for Russian forces against Ukraine, its troops won't join the parade. "There was simply no realistic way for Kim to get there. North Korea has no aircraft for the trip, and going by train would take several days." Another possible factor may involve Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is now confirmed to attend. "Given that President Xi Jinping is the most prominent guest at this year's event, it's possible that Kim Jong-un chose to stay away to avoid being overshadowed." Professor Lim added that Kim's absence may also reflect lingering tensions in North Korea's relationship with China. Meanwhile, Xi Jinping is stepping into the spotlight. His visit will include a summit with President Putin, expected to reaffirm the two countries' growing strategic partnership. "I'd like to highlight that Russia and China's comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction are now at the highest level in history." Analysts say the summit is expected to focus on long-term economic ties and strategic coordination, as both countries face growing pressure from the West. As China draws closer and North Korea pulls back, this year's Victory Day underscores a shifting power dynamic in Northeast Asia—less about history, and more about strategy. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News.

India strikes Pakistani territory in retaliation for Kashmir attack

2025/05/07 17:00

In what many observers are calling "a dramatic escalation in tensions" two nuclear neighbors India and Pakistan are trading FIERCE fire across their border. Byeon Yeo-young reports. In the early hours of Wednesday, the Indian military launched a strike inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Pakistani officials report at least 30 civilian deaths, including children, and over four dozen injured. Coined "Operation Sindoor," the strike targeted what India called "terrorist infrastructure," with the Indian government stressing that no Pakistani military facilities were targeted. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the attack "cowardly," and the Pakistani army spokesperson promised a strong response as well. "This cowardly, unjustified act of the enemy will be responded to strongly by the Pakistan Army, responding with the support of the Pakistani nation." Pakistan claimed several Indian fighter jets were shot down in retaliation. India, meanwhile, reports at least 7 civilians were killed by Pakistani shelling across the de facto border that divides Kashmir between the two countries. The escalating military exchange follows weeks of rising hostility, notably the April 22nd terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed dozens, in which Pakistan has denied involvement. With both countries on high alert, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged the two nuclear powers to exercise restraint. "It is also essential, especially at this critical hour, to avoid the military confrontation that could easily spin out of control. Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink." U.S. President Donald Trump called the operation "a shame," while neighboring China expressed regret over India's actions and urged both sides to avoid further escalation. Byeon Ye-young, Arirang News.

Won-to-dollar exchange rate hits strongest level in 6 months

2025/05/07 17:00

The South Korean currency gained ground against the U.S. dollar on this Wednesday trading at one-thousand-3-hundred-79 won in the early hours of its session today. This marks the won's strongest level against the greenback in six months and comes in light of expectations surrounding the planned tariff talks between the U.S. and China. Also Asian currencies rallied as investors continued to withdraw money from the U.S. amid concerns of a possible recession.

Seoul to "calmly" prepare July Package amid negotiations with U.S. on reciprocal tariffs: Acting Pres. Lee Ju-ho

2025/05/07 17:00

Acting President Lee Ju-ho has spoken of a calm government response to U.S. tariffs with the so-called "July Package". At an economic meeting earlier on this Wednesday he underscored the solemn nature of the situation and pledged a package deal before the 90-day pause expires. He added technical talks between Seoul and Washington would lay the groundwork for productive progress in bilateral negotiations led by the next Korean administration. Meanwhile a high-level meeting with U.S. officials has been set for later this month on the margins of the APEC trade ministers' meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer scheduled to visit Seoul next week.

Seoul maintains confidence amid Czech nuclear power plant deal delay

2025/05/07 17:00

South Korean officials remain optimistic about their planned nuclear power project with the Czech Republic despite a recent court ruling that has halted the sealing of the deal initially set for this week. Our correspondent Moon Hye-ryeon has details. The final signing of a multi-billion-dollar nuclear power plant contract between South Korea's Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power and the Czech utility company CEZ has been put on hold. On Tuesday, a Czech court issued an injunction requested by France's EDF, a losing bidder, halting the deal. The court ruled that signing the contract before EDF's lawsuit is resolved could irreparably harm its chance of winning if the court later rules in its favor. Despite previous dismissals of EDF's complaints from the Czech competition regulator, the legal challenge forced the cancellation of the signing ceremony scheduled for Wednesday. In light of these developments, South Korea's Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun said at a press briefing in Prague on the same day that the government will do "everything possible" to ensure that the agreement is concluded promptly and smoothly. He maintained confidence that the issue would be resolved as the Czech competition authority has previously dismissed EDF's objections twice. "We are facing an unexpected delay, but there is no reason to doubt the transparency, fairness, or objectivity of the process." That being said, he also said that it is yet unclear whether the delay will last for weeks or several months. KHNP President Hwang Joo-ho expressed disappointment and criticized what he described as protectionist behavior by established nuclear players in Europe. Deputy Prime Minister and Acting President Lee Ju-ho also addressed the matter in a separate briefing in Seoul on Wednesday. He stated that the South Korean government will maintain close communication with the Czech authorities to ensure the signing can take place as soon as possible. In response to this turn of events, the Czech authorities said the bidding was fair and that they still see no problem with the final deal with KHNP. Bilateral cooperation activities in Prague will proceed as previously planned, with both countries due to sign 12 memoranda of understanding in infrastructure and high-tech industries. Moon Hye-ryeon, Arirang News.

K-wave AI News

2025/05/07 14:00

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. The original Korean musical "Maybe Happy Ending" has clinched the top prize from the New York Drama Critics' Circle. It was named Best Musical by the Circle, one of America's most prestigious playwriting honors, which has been presented annually since 1936. Created by writer Park Chun-hue and composer Will Aronson, the futuristic love story between two helper robots premiered last November at Belasco Theatre in New York and its run has been extended through January 17 due to its high popularity. The show was also nominated in 10 categories at the 78th Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and received three nominations at the Drama League Awards. The Korean National Ballet will perform "The Lady of the Camellias" at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater from today through May 11th, kicking off its 2025 season. Created in 1978 by renowned choreographer John Neumeier, the ballet is based on Alexandre Dumas fils' 1848 novel of the same name which tells a tragic love story set in 19th-century Paris. This marks the first full-length performance of the ballet in Asia. The production is directed by Korea's ballet legend Kang Sue-jin, who became the first Asian dancer to win the prestigious Benois de la Danse award in 1999 with this very ballet. The Gyeongju National Museum is hosting a special exhibition on ceramic art from the Goryeo dynasty. Titled, "Molding the Blue World," it highlights the artistic pinnacle of Goryeo dynasty ceramic craftsmanship. On view for the first time in Gyeongju, the exhibition features 97 exquisite pieces of "sanghyeong cheongja," or shape-style celadon, modeled after animals and plants such as lions, monkeys, ducks, pomegranates and lotus flowers. The exhibition runs through August 24. That's all from me. Keep it tuned to the Kulture Wave.

[Kulture-Issue] Globalization of K-Buddhism

2025/05/07 14:00

What do BLACKPINK Jennie’s songs Mantra and ZEN have in common? Both of the titles are Buddhist terms. Riding on the hallyu wave, Korean Buddhism’s global influence is growing bigger. We also hear a lot about the “hipness” of Buddhist culture these days. For more on this, we are joined in the studio by HyeJu Sunim , Director of the Meditation Center at Jingwansa Temple. Welcome to the program! 1-1) Please tell us a little bit about Jingwansa Temple. 1-2) Jingwansa is also known to be a temple visited frequently by foreigners. What do tourists experience there? 2) We’ve heard that many foreign tourists are interested in Korean Buddhist culture such as temple food and temple stays. How do they come across these and grow their interest? 3) The influence of K-pop stars like Jennie with her songs that include Buddhist elements, as well as IVE member Jang Won-young’s recommendation of a Buddhist book have recently contributed to the interest in Korean Buddhism as well. Have you heard Jennie’s songs, Mantra and ZEN? If yes, what did you think of them and this kind of influence? 4) The Buddhist community itself also appears to be reaching out to the public with fun events and unique merchandise. Do you feel Korean Buddhism is becoming more and more “hip”? If yes, why? 5) The Buddhist community also hosts various programs and events to raise awareness of Korean Buddhism to the world. Could you introduce us to some of them? 6) What do you think about Buddhism being perceived as part of hallyu? 7) Do you have any upcoming events or projects you are planning that could be of interest to our viewers? 8) Finally, is there any message or Buddhist teaching you would like to share before we let you go? Thank you very much for sharing your words with us today, Director, HyeJu Sunim. Walter, thank you as always. We'll see you again soon.

[K-Enter] BLACKPINK, SEVENTEEN K-pop stars shine in New York's Met Gala

2025/05/07 14:00

Time for our daily dose of K-entertainment with Walter Lee. Starting off with K-pop stars on a big fashion stage! K-pop idols took centre stage at one of New York fashion's biggest nights, the 2025 Met Gala. Held on Monday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this year's event embraced the theme of 250 years of "Black Men's Fashion History," with global stars donning bold, black and white looks. BLACKPINK's Jennie wore a classic Chanel black dress, with oversized pearls and a white-ribboned hat. Lisa donned a Louis Vuitton glittering lace jacket and logo-embroidered mesh stockings, and Rosé in a flash Saint Laurent tuxedo. Making his Met Gala debut, SEVENTEEN's S.Coups delivered a twist on tradition, cladding a hanbok-inspired gray suit with a flowing overcoat and silver hair. They all certainly looked wonderful. Next up we have news on the final chapter of the Squid Game saga. Netflix dropped the teaser for Squid Game Season 3, and fans are losing it! The teaser kicks off with those infamous pink guards marching in carrying a mysterious coffin. But who is in the coffin? It's Gi-hun . Then suddenly. Eyes open. Game on. For the final season, Gi-hun returns to the game with a new mission but he's not the only one hiding something. The enigmatic Front Man is back, still in the shadows, and the few survivors are clinging to whatever hope they've got left. As we know, Squid Game shattered records back in 2021, becoming Netflix's biggest hit ever. Season 2? Over 165 million views in just three months! Season 3 was filmed right alongside Season 2 and hits TV screens on June 27 just six months later. Probably the most anticipated K-drama of the year and fans can't wait. Lastly, K-movie news. Speaking of hits, the Korean film "Yadang: The Snitch", starring Kang Ha-neul , is officially the biggest domestic hit of 2025 so far! Released on April 16, "Yadang" held onto the number one spot throughout the recent holiday weekend, topping the box office for five out of six days and drawing in over 830,000 viewers from May 1 to 6 alone. Its total audience reached more than 2.67 million, knocking "Hitman 2" out of first place for the year. Kang Ha-neul plays Lee Kang-soo , a broker who sells drug intel to the authorities for profit. Alongside him, a morally gray prosecutor played by Yoo Hae-jin , and a determined detective who'll risk everything to take down a drug cartel. Thank you for that Walter. Let's now move onto Ari our AI anchor with more culture related news.

Technique to maintain strawberries' freshness raises export competitiveness

2025/05/07 10:00

Growers of fruits such as strawberries used to face problems in selling them overseas since they tended to spoil and decay easily. The Rural Development Administration, however, introduced a technique in 2019 that maintained their freshness. Cha Yun-kyung reports. Since 2021, the Rural Development Administration has used the "controlled atmosphere technique" to maintain strawberries freshness for export markets. The technique does this and delays spoiling and decay by removing oxygen while increasing levels of other "preservative" gases. Introducing the CA technique, allowed growers to increase their shipments and also use container ships for exports as opposed to just air transport. This saved distribution costs of up to 16 billion Korean won. The simultaneous complex management technique, removes air from containers and introduces carbon and chlorine dioxides. The former gives strawberries a firmer texture, while the latter prevents mold infestation. This decreases decay of the strawberries by up to 20 percent. "We can deliver high-quality products, and we can send as much as we can since the technique can maintain the freshness of the fruit." The RDA spread the related technology to sixteen export centers for strawberries, as overseas shipments increased massively due to the introduction of the technology. The amount rose 5-fold from 2007's 9-hundred-and-86 tons to 5-thousand-and-12 tons in 2024. "We received a great response from importers and consumers, with strawberries being sold out within four days at markets they are shipped to." The RDA is continuing to integrate management models to systematize the exports of strawberries. Cha Yun-kyung, Arirang News.

On-point: Conclave begins to elect new pope

2025/05/07 10:00

The conclave to choose the next pope begins over in Rome on Wednesday, local time. Who's likely to succeed Pope Francis? We're joined by Father James Bretzke. Thanks for joining us, Father. 1. The coming conclave is expected to be the largest in the history of the Catholic Church, with 133 cardinals from 70 countries set to gather in the Sistine Chapel. Why the record number of cardinals? 2. What's interesting about this whole conclave is that a new pope gets to choose a new name. Why the new name? 3. Are any names off-limits? What could be the name of the new pope? 4. What kind of pope and leadership do you think the world needs? 5. Who will be the next pope? Even the cardinals don't know, but who are the top candidates? Thank you, father, for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.

UN Security Council to discuss North Korea issues on Wednesday

2025/05/07 10:00

The United Nations Security Council will hold a meeting on Wednesday, local time, to discuss North Korea's non-proliferation issues. The UN headquarters announced that the meeting will be held at the request of seven member states, including South Korea, the United States and five other countries. It is expected to review North Korea's violation of UNSC resolutions, and sanctions placed on the regime. The gathering also comes after the UN Panel of Experts on North Korea ended its term last year, with Russia, a permanent member of the UNSC, vetoing the extension of its term.

N. Korean leader will not attend Russia's Victory Day celebrations

2025/05/07 10:00

With the 80th anniversary of Russia's Victory Day coming up later this week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will not make it to the celebrations, Russia has confirmed. Instead, leaders from 29 countries including China will travel to Russia for the celebrations. Lee Seung-jae reports. The Kremlin says North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will not be attending Russia's celebration of Victory Day this week. According to reports from Moscow,.. Yuri Ushakov, the foreign policy adviser to President Putin, said that Pyongyang will instead, be represented by its ambassador during the four-day celebrations. Ushakov also said that North Korean troops will also not take part in the annual military parade scheduled for Friday in Moscow's Red Square. Last week, Seoul's spy agency speculated that Kim would not travel to Russia for the Victory Day ceremonies, saying that there were no signs of security measures in preparation for a possible visit by the North's leader. Instead, the National Intelligence Service said other high-level officials could visit Moscow for the event. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping will be visiting Moscow for the 80th anniversary celebrations. According to the Kremlin on Sunday, Xi will be in Russia from Wednesday to Saturday to join the Russian president during the ceremonies. Russia's presidential office said the two leaders will sit down for talks during Xi's visit, to discuss "developing partnerships and strategic ties" on "issues on international and regional agendas." It added that government officials and ministers of both countries were expected to sign several bilateral agreements. Victory Day is a major holiday in Russia, commemorating the "victory" of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in 1945. There had been speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would attend the celebrations this year, amid growing military ties between the two countries. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

Foreign Minister Cho and U.S. Secretary Rubio discuss trade and security ahead of presidential election

2025/05/07 10:00

In a key phone call on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening trade relations amid South Korea's uncertain political landscape. Minister Cho stressed the importance of allowing ample time for trade negotiations considering South Korea's upcoming presidential election, urging continued cooperation for mutually beneficial outcomes. Secretary Rubio reaffirmed America's unwavering commitment to extended deterrence and the strengthening of defense and economic ties under the Mutual Defense Treaty.

S. Korean KHNP's Czech nuclear plan deal halted at final stage

2025/05/07 10:00

The final contract signing for the nuclear power plant deal between South Korea and the Czech Republic has been put on hold for now after a Czech court accepted an injunction request filed by a French energy company. Our Choi Soo-hyung has the details. Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power's plan to build two new nuclear reactors in Dukovany, Czech Republic, has been halted at the final stage. On Tuesday local time, a Czech court issued an injunction preventing KHNP and a Czech power company from signing the final contract. The court's decision came after French energy company EDF, which had lost the bid, filed a lawsuit. South Korean delegation led by the Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun,.. heard the news mid-flight to the Czech Republic for the planned contract signing on Wednesday. The delegation is now expected to return home without signing the deal. The court said that if the contract goes ahead now, EDF would lose the chance to win the deal later, even if it wins its lawsuit. EDF has claimed that the bidding process was unfair, KHNP's price was unrealistic, and that government subsidies gave Korea an unfair advantage. In April, the Czech Republic's Office for the Protection of Competition rejected EDF's complaint. On Wednesday, KHNP said in a statement that it respects the court's decision, while saying the entire bidding process was legal, fair, and transparent under the supervision of the Czech authorities. It also expressed deep regret over EDF's continued efforts to disrupt the results and said it would keep working with the Czech side to sign the final contract. Czech authorities said the bidding was fair and that they still see no problem with the final deal with KHNP. Czech energy firm CEZ Group is also considering an appeal against the court's latest decision. Last July, KHNP was selected as the preferred bidder, beating U.S.-based Westinghouse and France's EDF, based on its competitive price and ability to meet construction deadlines. Choi Soo-hyung, Arirang News.

PPP Kim and ex-PM Han to meet on merger while DP pressures courts to postpone Lee's trials

2025/05/07 10:00

Tensions are brewing within the conservative bloc over unifying the candidacy between the People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo and former prime minister Han Duck-soo. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is battling on legal and campaign fronts. Our Kim Do-yeon reports. The People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and independent candidate Han Duck-soo will meet one-on-one at 6 PM on Wednesday to discuss a possible merger. This comes as Kim abruptly halted his campaign after tensions escalated between him and the PPP leadership as Kim wants to take time and lead the merger process while the PPP leadership says there's no time with the official candidate registration coming up. Kim has also accused the party leaders of trying to oust him as their presidential nominee. "If this was the plan all along, I don't understand why we held three rounds of primaries. So as of now, I'm suspending all my activities as the party's candidate. I'll be heading back to Seoul to seriously address the pressing issues that remain." This comes as the PPP is set to hold its third floor-wide meeting on Wednesday a 3rd straight day. In Tuesday's meeting the party's interim leader Kwon Young-se called for a survey of the PPP's registered supporters on whether they support a merger. All this without notifying Kim one of the reasons why Kim had halted his campaign. As for ex-PM Han he said he's not once thought about the merger falling through. He said that would be a betrayal of the citizens as he faced the media earlier on Tuesday. In the afternoon he met with another former prime minister and presidential candidate Lee Nak-yon. Lee despite being from DP is in the anti-Lee Jae-myung camp and could lock arms with Han in this election on the premise of amending the constitution. Meanwhile the Democratic Party of Korea appears to be fighting on two fronts in the presidential election as Lee meets voters and the Party works to pressure the Supreme Court to delay all trials involving presidential candidates until after the June 3rd election. Following the Court's decision to overturn an appeals ruling in Lee's election law case, he's now set to appear for a retrial hearing on May 15. The DP accuses Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae of political bias, speeding up the process and effectively convicting Lee despite the earlier acquittal. "He was effectively the planner and executor of political interference, election meddling, and a targeted trial. This amounts to grounds for impeachment." As for the campaigning for Lee himself is set to visit Jeollabuk-do Province and Chungcheongnam-do Province on Wednesday. Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.

[Weather] Wide gaps in readings but beautiful day overall

2025/05/07 10:00

Back to our routines today after a long weekend, and we're greeted with some beautiful sunshine across the country. We're in for a warmer day but again, we're looking at a pretty significant daily temperature swing across the country, around 15 degrees Celsius in many areas. Along with clear skies, strong UV rays will shine down during the warmest parts of the day, and southern regions will have higher UV levels. Make sure to keep your suncream or sun hats handy. Daily highs will be slightly lower than seasonal norms, Seoul will reach 20 degrees Celsius, Chuncheon and Daejeon warmer at 22. We can look forward to clean air quality nationwide today. Tomorrow, Parents' Day, will bring even warmer temperatures under mostly sunny skies. However, get ready for a change on Friday – we're expecting rain across the country. It could be quite lively in the southern regions, with strong winds and thunder. Rain could linger through Saturday morning in the central regions.

US Supreme Court lets Trump's transgender military ban take effect

2025/05/07 10:00

In the United States, the Supreme Court, on Tuesday, permitted the Trump administration to enforce its ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. The six-to-three decision, issued without a detailed explanation, lifted a lower court injunction that had blocked the policy that allowed the Department of Defense to discharge current transgender service members and deny enlistment to new applicants. This stems from President Donald Trump's executive order issued in January, asserting that gender identity differing from biological sex undermined military "cohesion."

Merz elected German chancellor after initial shock defeat

2025/05/07 10:00

In Germany, Friedrich Merz officially became the country's chancellor on May 6 after securing a majority in a second parliamentary vote, following an unprecedented defeat in the first one. In the initial round, Merz fell short by six votes, marking the first such occurrence in postwar German history. In the second round of votes, Merz secured 325 out of 630 ballots, enabling him to lead a coalition government of his center-right Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union alliance, and the center-left Social Democratic Party. Merz, who won an election in February, was then finally approved as chancellor by the Bundestag president.

Planes in flames after Israeli strike on Yemen's main airport

2025/05/07 10:00

Moving to the Middle East, Israel has launched airstrikes on Yemen's capital, Sanaa, targeting multiple sites, including the main airport, in retaliation for a recent missile attack by Houthi rebels near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday. On Tuesday, local time, Israeli warplanes conducted a series of airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. The Israel Defense Forces reported that the operation "fully disabled" Sanaa International Airport. The strike also targeted power stations and a concrete factory believed to be used for military purposes. The airstrikes were a direct response to a ballistic missile launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi group, which landed near Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on May 4 --the first time a Houthi missile had reached the vicinity of Israel's main international airport. The Israeli strikes resulted in at least three deaths and 35 others wounded. This marks the second straight day of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen, following previous attacks on the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Monday.

India says it attacked nine sites in Pakistan, Pakistani Kashmir

2025/05/07 10:00

Let's begin with the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, since the recent attack in Kashmir. India has conducted missile strikes against Pakistan. Could you give us the details? Sure. In retaliation for the recent attack by militants in Kashmir, India has conducted missile strikes on nine sites within Pakistan. On Tuesday, local time, the Indian Armed Forces initiated Operation Sindoor, targeting nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The strikes were aimed at terrorist infrastructure linked to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which India attributes to Pakistan-based militants. The Indian government described the operation as "focused, measured, and non-escalatory in nature," with no Pakistani military facilities targeted. Pakistan reported that the missile strikes resulted in the deaths of at least eight civilians and injured dozens of others. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attacks as a "shameful and cowardly attack" and promised to respond with force. Pakistani security and government sources have also claimed that at least five Indian Air Force aircraft have been shot down. The region remains on high alert, with both nations' militaries mobilized and diplomatic ties further strained.