Young Pioneers Tours (YPT), the tour company that hosted Otto Warmbier on his trip through North Korea may have not been as responsible in keeping its tourists as safe as they should have been, according to fellow trip-goers, Politico Magazine reports
"It seems partying was a bigger part of the job description than taking care of us," one person who used YPT told Politico, adding that "all of the tour guides were young people who get very drunk. It was sort of like there were few or no adults around."
Why it matters: Following Warmbier's death, YPT announced it isn't taking American tourists on its trips anymore because "the assessment of risk for Americans visiting North Korea has become too high," which puts the blame onto Americans and leaves little room for a company role in the security of its tour group. But two incidents in the buildup to Warmbier's detainment raise questions about the security of tourists in YPT's care.
The U.S. has released a photo of when a Russian fighter jet flew within five feet of a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane earlier this week over the Baltic Sea in an unsafe maneuver. The move came just after Russia announced it would begin targeting the U.S. west of the Euphrates in an escalation of tensions in the Syrian conflict.
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May offered European Union leaders a proposal during a summit in Brussels last night to allow E.U. citizens the right to stay in the U.K. after Brexit — a key point of contention in Brexit negotiations.
The 3 million E.U. citizens currently living in the U.K. would not be forced to leave when Brexit occurs in March 2019, and those who had spent five years in the U.K. would be given "settled status," allowing them the same rights as U.K. citizens. Her proposal is contingent on getting a similar deal for the 1 million Brits currently living in the other 27 E.U. member states.
Why it matters: The U.K.'s membership in the EU has been key to its economic vibrancy, making it Europe's financial center. May's offer could help retain its stature by reassuring EU citizens that they can remain in the country.
