Tributes to couple found dead in Vietnam hotel weeks after engagement

A British woman and her fiance have been found dead in a Vietnamese hotel just weeks after announcing their engagement.

Greta Marie Otteson, 33, and Arno Quinton Els, 36, were found in separate hotel rooms in the Hoi An Silverbell villa in Hoi An Twon after drinking wine, according to police.

Cleaners found the bodies of Ms Otteson, a social media manager and travel influencer, in her bed in room 101 and her South African partner Mr Els in room 201 on Boxing Day.

A provincial police spokesperson said: “There were no signs of ransacking at the scene. The victims’ belongings and phones were untouched.”

Initial reports indicated no signs of scratches or external force on the bodies of the couple, who were discovered on their beds.

Police were photographed collecting several empty bottles of alcohol from both rooms and taking them away for forensic analysis.

A YouTube video announcing the couple’s engagement posted just two weeks before they were found dead sees the pair kissing and holding hands as they walk through Hoi An.

Mr Els, who has worked as a barista and a stand-up comedian, said in the clip: “We’re just two people from opposite ends of the world, living in Asia, which is quite precious, I think.

“Life outside is always a bit chaotic so it’s nice to have someone who can just ground you and keep you sane.”

A close friend who grew up with Mr Els in Durban, told The Independent: “They were an incredible couple—different in many ways, yet so perfectly in sync.

“They truly brought out the best in each other, inspiring one another with their ambition and zest for life.

“Spending time with them was always a joy and hearing about all their adventures, both together and individually, was equally captivating.

“To me, they seemed to be in the prime of their lives, wholeheartedly embracing and enjoying everything Vietnam had to offer.”

Another friend posted on X: “Greta loved Arno unconditionally and was his bedrock, giving him the freedom to do what he needed to without a faltering foundation and I don’t know many people who could be that selfless in the support of the people they love.

“What an incredible example… They celebrated each other there and I know they will continue doing that, wherever they are.”

The pair had registered for long-term temporary residence at the tourist villa from 4 July last year after moving from Dubai.

Ms Otteson had posted how she had rescued a dog in a cage from a hunter believed to be heading for the meat trade.

They named the street dog Bambi after her shaky legs and posted photos of her in their bed just weeks before they were found dead in the villa.

A statement from a family spokesperson, posted on X, said: “It is with a heavy heart that we confirm that Greta Otteson and Arno Els have passed away in Vietnam on the 26th of December.

“Please respect the family’s privacy as they have not yet completed all investigations at this time.”

They added: “Please people, we don’t have all the answers right now. Greta and Arno’s families have not yet claimed their bodies. Please, I’m begging you, respect their pain and privacy.

“Do not speculate.”

Hoi An Ancient Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site on the backpacker’s trail famed for its tailoring and lantern-lined streets.

Biden blocks Japanese takeover of US Steel over national security

President Joe Biden on Friday invoked a rarely-used presidential power to prevent the Japanesesteel giant Nippon Steel from purchasing the United States Steel Corporation, citing the $14.1 billion deal’s potential consequences to American national security after a year-long review process.

The long-awaited decision to prohibit the transition, which would have placed America’s largest steel-making enterprise under foreign control, blocks Nippon Steel and its’ American affiliates from any attempt to acquire control of the Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel.

It comes after a inter-agency committee charged with reviewing overseas business acquisitions of American businesses and other transactions with national security implications failed to reach a decision on whether to recommend approval or prohibition of the merger. The review had been ongoing since the deal was first announced last December, though both Biden and President-elect Donald Trump had each pledged to keep the deal from going through.

In a statement, Biden cited the need to keep steel production, which he described as “the backbone of our nation,” fully in American hands because it “represents an essential national security priority and is critical for resilient supply chains.”

“That is because steel powers our country: our infrastructure, our auto industry, and our defense industrial base. Without domestic steel production and domestic steel workers, our nation is less strong and less secure,” said Biden, who has long championed the need to protect American workers, particularly the unionized ones who are employed by U.S. Steel and other U.S. based steelmakers.

Biden also noted that U.S. Steel and its’ American competitors have long had to deal with unfair trade practices including Chinese dumping of cheap foreign steel into the U.S. market at prices that are unfairly low in order to undermine domestic manufacturing. He recalled how he’d tripled tariffs on imported steel first imposed during Donald Trump’s first term and said that “decisive action” had helped American steelmakers to open more than 100 new steel and iron mills over his own four-year term.

“We need major U.S. companies representing the major share of US steelmaking capacity to keep leading the fight on behalf of America’s national interests,” Biden said, adding later that the inter-agency committee — known as CFIUS — had found that the proposed takeover of U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel could “create risk for our national security and our critical supply chains.”

Continuing, he said it had been his “solemn responsibility as President” to “ensure that, now and long into the future, America has a strong domestically owned and operated steel industry that can continue to power our national sources of strength at home and abroad.”

“It is a fulfillment of that responsibility to block foreign ownership of this vital American company. U.S. Steel will remain a proud American company – one that’s American-owned, American-operated, by American union steelworkers – the best in the world,” he added.

Dozens rescued after fire breaks out at building in South Korea

Dozens of people were rescued or evacuated after a fire broke out at a large commercial building in the South Korean city of Seongnam on Friday, fire officials said.

More than 100 firefighters and 40 vehicles were deployed to the scene of the blaze, according to the Gyeonggi provincial fire department.

TV footage showed smoke and flames coming from the lower part of the building.

Officials department said about 50 people managed to exit the property, while emergency workers rescued another 40. It wasn’t immediately clear whether anyone was still inside the eight-story building, which has multiple basement levels.

The fire department said while some people were treated for smoke inhalation, there was no reports of serious injuries.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

South Korea’s president evades arrest after six-hour standoff

South Korean investigators failed in their attempt to arrest Yoon Suk Yeol after encountering resistance from the impeached president’s security and supporters during a dramatic day that deepened the country’s political crisis.

A six-hour standoff ensued after the presidential security service confronted a joint team from the police and the Corruption Investigation Office that had arrived to detain Mr Yoon shortly after 7am on Friday.

In the end, the investigators left without the president.

“Execution of the arrest warrant was virtually impossible due to the continued standoff,” the Corruption Investigation Office, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military against Mr Yoon, said.

“Future measures will be decided after a review. We express our deepest regret over the suspect’s refusal to comply with legal procedures.”

The standoff deepened the political crisis that has paralysed South Korea and seen two heads of state impeached in less than a month.

The crisis was sparked by Mr Yoon’s botched attempt to impose martial law on 3 December.

The attempt to arrest Mr Yoon came three days after a Seoul court issued an arrest warrant sought by prosecutors investigating whether the president’s shortlived declaration of martial law amounted to insurrection.

The warrant, valid until 6 January, was approved after Mr Yoon ignored multiple summons to answer charges of insurrection and abuse of power, accusations that his lawyers called “unlawful”.

As the presidential security continued to stand in the way of the investigators carrying the arrest warrant, hundreds of Mr Yoon’s supporters camped outside, shouting slogans and raising banners that read “stop the steal”.

After the investigators left, the protesters broke into a celebration. “We won,” they chanted.

The investigators said they were outnumbered by a “human wall” of around 200 security personnel and that there were “various small and large scuffles” during the standoff.

Nearly 2,700 security personnel were deployed outside Mr Yoon’s residence on Friday, state news agency Yonhap reported. They prevented about half of the 150 police and CIO officials from entering the presidential compound, and blocked the rest just inside the gate.

The defence ministry confirmed the investigators had passed a military unit guarding the palace grounds before coming up against the security service.

The security service, which guards the residence itself, declined to comment.

Seok Dong Hyeon, a lawyer for Mr Yoon, said the bid to detain the president was “reckless” and showed an “outrageous discard for law”.

Mr Yoon’s legal team filed a challenge to the warrant on Thursday arguing that it could not be executed at his residence as the law protected locations potentially linked to military secrets from search without the consent of the person in charge.

Mr Yoon’s declaration of martial law on 3 December plunged the country into a political crisis, leading to widespread protests and impeachment of not only the president, but also his acting successor Han Duck Soo. The crisis also affected diplomacy and rattled financial markets.

The martial law decree, the country’s first in 40 years, ended after just six hours when the National Assembly voted to withdraw it, despite attempts by armed soldiers to prevent them from voting.

Prosecutors on Friday filed insurrection charges against army chief Park An Su, appointed the martial law commander during the shortlived declaration, as well as Special Forces Commander Kwak Jong Geun, Yonhap reported.

Smog blankets Delhi as severe air pollution disrupts life and travel

Delhi was engulfed by a thick blanket of hazardous smog on Friday, causing alarm over disruption to air travel and damage to public health.

The Indian capital city’s air quality degraded to the extent that visibility was reduced to almost zero in some areas, resulting in train and flight delays.

The live pollution rankings published by Swiss air quality monitor IQAir listed Delhi ranked as the third most polluted capital on Friday.

Although no flight cancellations were reported, a Delhi airport spokesperson warned that planes without special equipment for low-visibility landings could face difficulties.

Airlines IndiGo and SpiceJet also warned of potential delays due to the worsening weather conditions.

By 10.14am, the aviation tracking website FlightRadar24 reported an average delay of eight minutes for 20 flights. Train services within Delhi were also affected, with delays reported on multiple routes.

The air quality index in New Delhi reached 351 on Friday, putting it well outside the “good” range. AQI is a measure of five major air pollutants and is considered “good” when under 50.

AQI above 400 is considered “severe”, meaning the smog should be considered harmful to even healthy individuals and outdoor activity should be avoided where possible.

The central government’s Sameer App confirmed the “very poor” AQI rating, a status that has plagued the city since the onset of winter. The wider National Capital Region saw similarly poor readings, with AQI levels measuring between 214 and 291.

Following a brief respite due to rainfall on 1 January, air quality in the city deteriorated rapidly, reverting to the “poor” category by Thursday.

The year just gone was marked by particularly severe air pollution in Delhi, with 17 days classified as having a “severe” AQI of over 400, the most since 2022.

Alongside toxic air, Delhi saw dense fog on Friday morning that greatly reduced visibility in many areas. The India Meteorological Department forecast the fog, along with a cold wave, to continue through the weekend, with temperatures ranging between 8.5C and 20C.

The weather department said light to moderate rainfall was expected on 6 January, offering some hope for at least temporary improvement in air quality and visibility.

Given the hazardous air quality, health experts urged Delhi’s residents to limit outdoor activities, particularly in the early mornings and evenings when pollution levels would likely peak.

They also recommended using masks outdoors, air purifiers indoors, and avoiding poorly ventilated spaces to mitigate health risks, especially for those with respiratory conditions.

Can India become the world’s third superpower?

In an exclusive interview with The Independent in September, Tony Blair made a bold claim – that India will rise to become a global superpower by 2050. “By the middle of this century, you’re going to have three superpowers – America, China, and you’re going to have India. All other countries are going to be small in comparison,” the former prime minister said.

India’s own prime minister, Narendra Modi, has set out similar aspirations, saying India will achieve “developed” status by 2047. He also vowed to make his country “the third largest economic superpower” by the end of his third term, though he made that pledge before a disappointing set of election results that saw him lose his outright majority in June 2024.

Most projections for India’s future strength are based on two simple facts – that it has now surpassed China to become the most populous country in the world, and its $3 trillion economy, already the fifth-largest, is growing at a faster rate than any other major nation.

Beyond simple economics, India’s importance has also risen geopolitically; courted by the US as a counterweight to China in the Asia-Pacific yet able to maintain strong ties to Russia at the same time, it has carved out a niche that could prove a model for other Global South nations. But does diplomatic independence equate to superpower status – or is it the ability to project power abroad that defines American and Chinese dominance?

India surpassed the UK as the world’s fifth-largest economy in 2023, and analysts at Morgan Stanley agree with Modi in predicting it will overtake Japan and Germany to reach third position by 2027.

Yet in a test to Modi’s ambitious plans, India’s economy is experiencing its slowest growth in the last two years, dampening the economic outlook for the full financial year. GDP grew at just 5.4 per cent in the July-September quarter, well below the Reserve Bank of India’s forecast of 7 per cent. Economists say there are signs that the expansion of the Indian economy is losing momentum.

These high GDP growth figures also appear inconsistent with other economic indicators such as employment rates, private consumption and export performance. Consumer expenditure accounts for about 60 per cent of India’s GDP but has been badly affected by a slowdown in urban spending due to food inflation and sluggish real wage growth.

India’s goods exports, typically the main driver of a country’s economic growth, are also flatlining. In the 12 months leading up to August 2024, India’s total goods trade was valued at $1.1 trillion – the same level as it was two years ago.

And then there is the question of whether GDP growth really translates to improved outcomes for the population as a whole. It will be hard for India to claim superpower status for as long as it remains classified as a lower-middle-income country, a designation it has held since 2007, based on its per capita income of around $2,400 (£1,885). The World Bank estimates that it would take another 75 years for India’s average to reach even a quarter of the US.

In its 2024 report World Inequality Lab found that the current golden age of Indian billionaires has led to a dramatic surge in income inequality, placing India among the most unequal countries globally, surpassing the US, Brazil, and South Africa.

According to the economists behind the study, including renowned French economist Thomas Piketty, the income gap between India’s rich and poor has grown so vast that, by some metrics, income distribution in India was more equitable during British colonial rule than it is today.

Piketty, who was in Delhi for a conference in December, said India “should be active in taxing the rich” in order to distribute wealth better. But there are no signs that the eradication of economic inequality is a policy objective for Modi, who has been accused of maintaining close ties with the country’s billionaires and favouring the biggest business magnates with lucrative infrastructure projects, an allegation denied by the ruling BJP.

Former diplomat Shyam Saran, at a recent Chatham House discussion, argued that India undoubtedly has great potential based on its population, economic scale, and significant pool of scientific and technical talent.

“As far as India’s macro impact over the global landscape is concerned, it is certainly expanding, but in terms of the domestic metrics of development, I think those are changing very slowly. So, on the one hand, India is, in terms of GDP, today the fifth largest economy. But its ranking in the Human Development Index is abysmal, at 122 out of 191 countries, and progress has been very slow.” He says these contradictions have to be taken into account when looking at the possibility of India being the next superpower.

China’s economy, once a growth powerhouse, has struggled to regain its pre-pandemic momentum following three years of strict lockdowns. In the last quarter, China’s economy grew at 4.7 per cent, just below its government’s target of 5 per cent, reflecting broader challenges in sustaining its pre-pandemic pace.

Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for the Asia-Pacific at investment bank Natixis in Hong Kong, tells The Independent that India’s economy needs to grow around 6 per cent each year to become as large as China by 2050 while China’s growth rate will be decelerating up to 1 per cent from 2035 onwards.

“India will [then] be the size of China by 2050. But is this feasible?” she asks, highlighting the “slightly more worrisome” fall in Indian growth in the third quarter. “The forecast of 7 per cent growth for 2024 already seems quite impossible for India,” she adds.

Garcia-Herrero says it is now clear that India will outpace China in terms of growth for many years to come.

“However, the challenges of becoming a superpower are significant. Technology and infrastructure are the main areas, but it’s broader than just that – it involves building a mature society with well-functioning institutions that are not overly influenced by the political party in power.”

Perhaps the clearest indicator of the inconsistency in India’s growth story is the deepening jobs crisis for educated young people, seen as one of the reasons many voters turned away from the BJP in the last election.

The share of educated youths among all unemployed people increased from 54.2 per cent in 2000 to 65.7 per cent in 2022 according to the latest figures by the International Labour Organization. It points to a situation where India, a country with an average age of just 29 years, is failing to utilise what is often described as its demographic dividend.

And there has been no significant rise in real wages in India since 2014, according to numbers computed by noted developmental economist Jean Dreze.

It’s not just the economy where India sees China as its closest competitor. Beijing has emerged as one of the major challenges for India under Modi, with security concerns outweighing economic considerations with its biggest trade partner.

Brutal hand-to-hand combat and high-altitude skirmishes between the armies of the two countries in their shared Himalayan border region since 2020 have led to deaths and injuries on both sides. The two nuclear powers have since mobilised tens of thousands of troops, backed by artillery, tanks, and fighter jets, along their de facto border.

A significant breakthrough came after almost three years of stalemate in October when Beijing and Delhi announced they had reached a deal to disengage from the friction points in the Himalayan border, suggesting a thaw in relations. Two days later, Modi and Xi Jinping were pictured shaking hands and exchanging smiles following their first bilateral meeting in five years. Yet the latest reports suggest there has still been no withdrawal of troops in the region by either side.

India’s refusal to back down in the years-long standoff reflects a general growth in confidence, one that has also seen New Delhi emboldened to tackle individuals who it sees as its enemies – even if they are based abroad. This approach was exemplified when defence minister Rajnath Singh, asked about extrajudicial killings in Pakistan that India had previously denied involvement in, finally declared: “We will go to Pakistan and kill” those who threaten India’s peace.

The Indian government is also accused of orchestrating targeted killings of those involved in a Sikh separatist movement abroad, in both the US and Canada. While the government has denied these allegations, it has vowed to defeat the pro-Khalistan movement internationally, having effectively quashed it at home.

“India has emerged more confident and more present under Modi’s leadership on the global stage, as Delhi has led itself with confidence and assertiveness that I think has really stood out and that has led to a number of favourable outcomes for India’s interests”, says Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Centre’s South Asia Institute.

“And that entails strengthened relations with the US as well as partnership with a number of regions and countries on unprecedented levels,” he adds.

In 2023, India became the chair of the G20 summit and hosted the biggest diplomatic event in the country in years. Modi presented India as the “Vishwaguru” or global teacher, and the government was accused of making a meal out of what was merely a rotating G20 presidency.

“India’s star shines a bit brighter on the global stage due to its relatively successful leadership of the G20. India’s ability to get leaders to agree on a statement that included a reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, despite the issue being very divisive globally, was a notable achievement,” says Rick Rossow, director of US-India policy studies at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

“However, these achievements may not translate into tangible benefits like increased investment or development aid for India. The focus on global leadership under Modi’s tenure, while notable, is perceived by some as flashy rather than substantive.”

“So, at the end of the day, leadership in the G20 makes it feel like India is taking its role as a major power, but when you think about what other countries actually want from a major power, India still doesn’t have a lot of capacity to deliver, whether it’s aid, outbound investment, trade, that kind of thing.”

To solidify India’s status as a net security provider, Rossow says India needs to continue building out its power projection capabilities, accelerate the production of its second domestic carrier, and get more fourth-generation, maybe even fifth-generation fighter aircraft inducted into the air force and navy.

“I think there’s still a lot more that India can do and will do as the country continues to grow economically and in population,” says Rossow.

New Syrian regime’s school curriculum changes spark backlash

Syria’s new regime has announced sweeping changes to the national school curriculum, triggering concerns about “Islamisation”.

Critics fear the changes, including an increased focus on Islam and the removal of content related to the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime, will be divisive and erode the country’s diverse historical and cultural identity.

The changes, first posted on the Ministry of Education’s Facebook page, include replacing the phrase “defending the nation” with “defending Allah” and removing references to pre-Islamic gods.

The curriculum overhaul also removes the big bang theory and evolution from science books, and edits history and philosophy subjects to exclude topics like Chinese philosophical thought and Ottoman rule, which is now being described as “brutal” in the context of Syria’s past.

Another controversial shift is the elimination of the subject of national education, which promoted the Baath Party’s ideology under Mr Assad.

It will be replaced by Islamic or Christian religious education.

The changes, which affect children aged six to 18, are aimed at replacing content seen as glorifying the Assad regime, but the introduction of more religious teaching has led to strong reactions, particularly on social media.

“The current government is a caretaker government that does not have the right to make these amendments,” one user posted on the Ministry of Education’s Facebook page, CNN reported.

Nazir al-Qadri, the new education minister, downplayed the significance of the changes in a statement to the Syrian news agency Sana, claiming the curriculum will stay largely unchanged until expert committees are set up to review the educational material.

He said the revisions are aimed at correcting what he described as “inaccuracies” in the Islamic education curriculum which previously misinterpreted Quranic verses.

In spite of the minister’s assurance, activists, many of whom have returned to Syria after years in exile, are concerned about the lack of consultation with the broader society before implementing such changes. The transitional government’s claim that they are striving for inclusivity appears undermined by these unilateral decisions.

“After reviewing the amendments, it’s clear that aside from removing signs of the criminal Assad regime, the rest of the changes have a distinct religious tone,” Syrian journalist Hussam Hammoud said.

The new Syrian regime, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a rebranded Al Qaeda and Isis affiliate, has sought to distance itself from its extremist roots, promising a future of tolerance and coexistence for all religious and ethnic groups.

The curriculum changes have revived fears that HTS is pushing an “Islamist agenda” and sidelining the country’s pluralistic, secular history.

The modifications have sparked calls for protests before the start of the new school term on Sunday, with activists and citizens planning demonstrations against any further changes to the education system or other state institutions without comprehensive public participation.

Mysterious giant metallic ring falls in Kenya

A large metallic ring suspected to be debris from space crashed in southern Kenya’s Mukuku village on Monday, the country’s space agency said.

Villagers discovered the “red and hot” ring suspected to be rocket parts at about 3pm local time on 30 December, the Kenyan Space Agency said, adding that it “secured the area and retrieved the debris“.

“The agency wishes to clarify that the object, a metallic ring measuring 2.5 metres in diameter and weighing about 500kg, is a fragment of a space object,” the agency said in a statement.

“Preliminary assessments indicate that the fallen object is a separation ring from a launch vehicle.”

Rocket debris is designed to burn up during re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere or to fall over unoccupied areas such as the oceans.

“There are many pieces of debris in space and one cannot be 100 per cent certain which will fall where,” the agency said. “However, most debris burns up in the atmosphere, and incidents like this are extremely rare.”

“KSA officials rushed to the scene and, working alongside a multi-agency team and local authorities, secured the area and retrieved the debris.

Space junk is a growing problem, and while this may be an isolated case, the threat is real. Some pieces of space junk are as large as cars or even buses, and if they were to fall, they could pose significant risks to property and human life.

Everyone needs to be aware of this and report anything suspicious to the authorities.”

Space observer Jonathan McDowell, who tracks rocket movements, said the Kenyan agency could be “mistaken” about the source of the debris.

He emphasised that it could not have come from a space shuttle’s rocket booster. “Totally impossible. The SRBs never reached orbit and have not been ‘in the sky’ since 2011,” the researcher from the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics said on social media.

“I’m not convinced it’s not from an airplane. Don’t see obvious evidence of reentry heating,” the astrophysicist told Inside Outer Space.