Lausanne, Mar 30: India’s Sheetal Devi has been named ‘Para Archer of the Year 2025’ by World Archery, adding to her extraordinary achievements, which also include a historic world championship crown.

The 19-year-old from Jammu & Kashmir became the first and only female armless archer to win gold at the World Para Archery Championships by claiming the top honours in the women’s compound individual event in Gwangju, South Korea last year.

Born without arms, Sheetal skilfully uses her feet, legs, and shoulder to draw the bow and shoot. She also secured a complete set of medals at the World Championships, winning the women’s team silver and mixed team bronze.

“India’s Sheetal Devi took the honour in the para archer of the year category after another breakthrough season that included a world title in Gwangju,” said World Archery.

Beyond her World Championship gold, Sheetal also boasts of a Paris Paralympics bronze in the mixed team event, along with individual silvers from the 2022 Asian Para Games and the 2023 Asian Championships in Bangkok.

“Nominated alongside the best para archers in the world… and now named the best para archer by @worldarchery – this one feels deeply personal. A heart filled with gratitude, with emotion, with everything this journey has held. Thank you,” Sheetal, who is also an Arjuna awardee, posted on ‘X’ on Monday.

“The 2025 World Archery Awards honour the season’s most exceptional athletes and officials for their excellence, fair play and dedication to the sport,” it added.

The awards, launched in 2011, honour excellence and outstanding contributions to the sport, celebrating the athletes and support staff who have defined the international archery season.

This year, the awards were presented across eight categories, including ‘Archer of the Year,’ which went to Emircan Haney of Turkey; ‘Young Archer of the Year,’ awarded to Baptiste Addis of France; and ‘Best Team of the Year,’ claimed by Korea’s recurve men’s team.

Beijing, Mar 30: China’s flag carrier resumed direct flights between Beijing and North Korea’s capital of Pyongyang on Monday not long after the restoration of passenger train services between the capitals.

The Air China flight was welcomed by the Chinese ambassador to North Korea, Wang Yajun, and other diplomats, according to Chinese state media.

Passenger train service from China to North Korea had resumed March 12.

Flights and passenger trains to North Korea had been suspended since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

North Korean carrier Air Koryo resumed flights between the capitals in 2023.

North Korea banned all foreign tourists during the pandemic but has started easing the restrictions, with a Russian tour group entering the country in 2024.

Chinese tour groups had made up 90 per cent of all visitors to North Korea prior to the ban, and the delay on resuming Chinese tours surprised observers.

China is Pyongyang’s biggest trading partner and major ally, but Beijing has expressed disapproval over the years at North Korea’s test-launches of missiles that could be used to target South Korea and the United States.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un travelled to Beijing in September to attend a massive military parade, marking the first time a North Korean leader had been present at a Chinese military parade in decades.

Dubai, Mar 30: An Indian national has been killed in Kuwait in Iranian strikes on a power and water desalination plant, the country’s state-run KUNA news agency reported on Monday.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said a service building at one of its power and water distillation plants was damaged during the attack, according to the report.

Officials described it as a “brutal attack”. The plant where the attack occurred wasn’t identified.

Ministry spokesperson Fatima Jawhar Hayat said the strike resulted in the death of a worker of Indian nationality, Gulf News reported.

Technical and emergency response teams were immediately deployed to the site to contain the situation and manage the aftermath in line with the ministry’s approved emergency plan, she added.

Hayat said specialised teams are working to secure the damaged facilities while coordinating closely with security authorities and other relevant agencies.

The ministry said that operational efficiency across the electricity and water network in the country remains intact.

Recently, an Indian national was among two killed in the UAE when debris of missiles intercepted by the country’s air defence system fell on a street.

Iran’s retaliation after joint US and Israel strikes on Tehran has escalated the war to the entire Gulf region.