Month: January 2024

North Korea has tested an underwater nuclear weapon system in response to joint military drills by South Korea, the United States and Japan, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported citing a statement by a spokesman for North Korea’s Defense Ministry. 

“Joint maritime exercises were staged again in the waters off Jeju Island for three days from Jan. 15 with the involvement of the U.S. nuclear carrier Carl Vinson and Aegis cruiser Princeton and warships of the Japanese maritime “Self-Defense Force” and the ROK navy,” the spokesman said. 

He said the drills further destabilized the regional situation and seriously threatened North Korea’s security.

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The latest round of tensions between Belgrade and breakaway authorities in Kosovo began rising after Pristina riled up ethnic Serbs living in the region’s north by banning Serbia-issued license plates, followed by a push to install unelected ethnic Albanian mayors in Serb-majority settlements.

The State Department has approved the delivery of $75 million-worth of Javelin anti-tank missiles to the breakaway Serbian region of Kosovo, with the move coming amid rising regional tensions and an ongoing US push to destabilize the Balkan nation.

“All these systems are acquired to establish sufficient capacity for Kosovo to defend itself in the event of an invasion – or any other threat,” Kosovo defense minister Ejup Maqedonci told Bloomberg on Wednesday.

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The sounds of explosions were heard in several areas of Saravan County in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Balochistan, which borders Pakistan, said Alireza Marhamati, the province’s deputy governor for security and law enforcement.

“The sound of several explosions was heard in several areas around Saravan,” Iranian news agency Mehr quoted Marhamati as saying.

According to reports, the strikes appear to be retaliation for Iran’s attacks, and are the first on Iranian territory since the Iran-Iraq war.

Pakistan Armed Forces are on the highest alert.

#BREAKING #Pakistan #Iran Pakistan strikes Iran!

Pakistan has announced "Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar," during which they conducted airstrikes on multiple 'terrorist' targets in the Sistan and Balochistan Province in eastern Iran.

7 Pakistani retaliatory strikes were reported.… pic.twitter.com/15s5VZAoEO

— The National Independent (@NationalIndNews) January 18, 2024

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Two strategic Tu-95MS military planes have been escorted by several Su-30 and Su35 fighter jets, Russia’s Defense Ministry has said

Two Russian Tu-95MS strategic bombers have performed a seven-hour-long flight over the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. The scheduled flight was “in strict accordance with the international rules of airspace management,” the commander of long-range Russian aviation, Lieutenant General Sergey Kobylash, said, commenting on the development.

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The Chinese Foreign Ministry has rebuked Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after he congratulated Taiwan on the election of Lai Ching-te as the new leader of the self-governed island, saying his comments “gravely violate the One-China principle.”

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Marcos said he was looking forward to “close collaboration, strengthening mutual interests, fostering peace, and ensuring prosperity for our peoples” following Lai’s election last Saturday.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Marcos’ comments run counter to the diplomatic commitments made by Manila to Beijing and interfere in China’s internal affairs.

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The United States and the United Kingdom have launched strikes on the Al Bayda province in central Yemen against the rebel Ansar Allah movement, a source in the local authorities of the province told Sputnik on Tuesday. 

On Monday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that a US-owned and operated container ship has been hit by a missile fired from the Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Later, the Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saria confirmed that its missile hit a US-owned ship in the Gulf of Aden.

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A Yemeni official has warned that American and British forces can no longer pass through the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait as tensions grow in the region following illegal US-led military strikes on the Arab country.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the political bureau of the Ansarullah resistance movement, issued the warning on Monday after the United States and its allies bombed Yemen amid frustration with anti-Israel naval operations in the Red Sea.

He said that the Yemeni armed forces are developing their missile capabilities to bring new surprises soon.

“The US and UK forces can no longer pass through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait,” a sea route chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and by extension the Indian Ocean, he added.

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The ex-president received more votes than the next two candidates combined in the Iowa caucus

Former President Donald Trump won a landslide victory in the first Republican primary of the 2024 presidential race, taking home three times more delegates than his closest opponent and over 50% of the popular vote.

With more than 95% of the votes counted following Monday’s caucus in Iowa, Trump had 51% of the electorate and 19 delegates, far ahead of Republican rivals Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, who earned 21.3% and 19.1% respectively. DeSantis won eight delegates and remained in second place, while Haley scored seven.

As the race came to a close late in the evening, Trump penned a social media post thanking his supporters in Iowa, writing “I LOVE YOU ALL!”

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