South Korea recalls ambassador to Ukraine amid North Korean POW disclosure row
South Korea has recalled its ambassador to Ukraine after a dispute over Kyiv's public disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war. The move marks a further escalation in a row that has been building since late September and now involves both governments' foreign ministries. Seoul says the disclosure should have remained confidential, while Kyiv rejects that claim.The South Korean foreign ministry said it was recalling ambassador Park Ki-chang and cited what it described as the unauthorised disclosure of information about the handover. It also said the embassy in Kyiv would remain open and that consultations would... [Continue Reading]
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South Korea weighs steps after DMZ mine blast blamed on North Korea
South Korea is considering measures to press North Korea for an apology after a landmine blast in the Demilitarized Zone wounded three soldiers, according to the Defence Ministry. The incident took place in the heavily fortified border area that divides the Korean Peninsula, and a joint South Korean-United Nations investigation has now blamed North Korean forces for planting the mines. Seoul has also urged Pyongyang to remove any other mines it says may remain near the military demarcation line.A Defence Ministry spokeswoman said on Tuesday that officials were not ruling out any options and had not yet decided what additional... [Continue Reading]
Conservatives to unveil Britannia Shield plan for UK missile and drone defence
The Conservative Party is set to unveil a plan for a new missile and drone defence system called Britannia Shield at its conference in Birmingham. Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge is expected to outline the proposal in a speech later today. The party says the scheme would be designed to protect critical national infrastructure and military bases from airborne threats.According to the Conservatives, the plan would include new radar systems and more interceptor missiles, with a proposed investment of up to ÂŁ10 billion over 10 years. The party has described the project as a British version of Israel's Iron Dome,... [Continue Reading]
Samoa prime minister apologises after 2007 Nazi salute video emerges
Samoa's prime minister has apologised after a video surfaced showing him giving a Nazi salute and saying "Heil Hitler" at a family gathering in 2007. The seven-second clip shows Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt leading about a dozen people in the gesture. The footage was first reported by a local newspaper and has triggered a political controversy around the country's leader.Schmidt said the words and gesture were "inappropriate and capable of causing offence and hurt". He said the clip was recorded at a private gathering and was "not intended for the public". In a statement published on Facebook, he also said: "I... [Continue Reading]
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North Korea says missile test was designed to evade defences as tensions with South Korea rise
North Korea said it test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile from the eastern coastal Wonsan area, describing the launch as a demonstration of a weapon it says can manoeuvre in flight to evade missile defences. The announcement came as tensions with South Korea remained elevated over landmine explosions near the border. South Korean and Japanese authorities both tracked the launch, which was reported on Saturday morning.Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said he oversaw the test and called the missile "strategic", a term that suggests it is intended to carry nuclear warheads. She also claimed... [Continue Reading]
Fear the Shia, Arm the Sunnis: The Uncomfortable Numbers Behind America’s War Narrative
“When fear is managed carefully enough, a nation can be taught to look away from the blood on the floor and stare instead at the shadow on the wall.” A friend of mine, whose name I will not reveal because he asked me not to, sat across from me over dinner and placed a question on the table that would not leave me alone. He was born into a Muslim Shia background, and for the angle of this article, that detail matters, not because I wish to reduce a man to a sect, but because sect has become one of... [Continue Reading]


