Violence and atrocities

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Canine diplomacy between North and South Korea

There was a period in 2018 when the relation between the two Koreas had improved. It was during the tenure of US President Donald Trump. At that time, there were hopes of a peaceful settlement to the denuclearization of the Peninsula. Kim Jong-un, leader of North Korea had gifted a pair of dogs to Moon Jae-in, the then President of South Korea. These were a pair of white Pungsan dogs - Gomi and Songgang. The canines carried the legal categorization as state property and belonged to the presidential archives. Accordingly, they continued to remain under the care of Moon Jae-in even after he left office in May. However, it has to now go back to the state and South Korea's former President Moon Jae-in says he plans to give them up. It seems his decision is a fallout of differences between him and the current government over funds for looking after the dogs. South Korea's Moon Jae-in to give up dogs gifted by Kim Jong-un.

In an unprecedented move, Mr. Moon's office indicated that he was able to continue as their caretaker even after he left his post. An agreement with the interior ministry reportedly stated that there could be a state budgetary provision for payment towards supplies and expenses for looking after the pets. The local media puts the expenses at about $1,800; £1,560 every month.

Monday, November 7, 2022

Japan rearming itself to deter China in East Asia

In order to boost its defense setup, Japan has recently signed a security pact with Australia. Its purpose is to boost practical defense cooperation between the two nations. Japan wants to re-arm itself in the next five years to deter China in East Asia. This partnership has come soon after Xi Jinping took charge as the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for the third term. In October, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and Australian PM Anthony Albanese confirmed the significance of a "free and open Indo-Pacific.” This is in conformity with the vision advocated by late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The agreement between Japan and Australia came with the concern mounting that China may intensify its military provocations against Taiwan following an unprecedented third term by Xi Jinping. Incidentally, after World War II, the defense policies of Japan have always been governed by pacifism. That concept is changing as Japan steps up its efforts to build its arms and ammunition to counter modernization of China's military. Japan Likely To Rearm By 2027 As China-Taiwan Tensions Heighten: Reports. Beijing appears rattled by Japan's newly developed bonding with Taiwan and it has described such bonding as dangerous.

A media report quotes Yoji Koda, a former commander of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force fleet, saying that Tokyo's trust in Beijing is vanishing. He attributes this to the rapid military build-up by Beijing and its flouting of an international court ruling that rejected China's claim over the South China Sea. Moreover, tensions have increased between Japan and China over the territory known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan. Another factor is the disturbance in key shipping lanes that might arise if China takes over Taiwan. These shipping lanes supply nearly all of Japan's oil and many other materials it uses for manufacturing.

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Fifteen killed in a fire at a popular bar in the Russian city of Kostroma

The news agency TASS mentions about a fire the broke out at the popular bar in the Russian city of Kostroma. A drunk man could have started it after he fired a "flare gun" on the dance floor. It led to the death of at least 15 people at the bar. State television showed images of the bar. Its name is "Poligon" and it is located in a single-storey logistical center. It was engulfed in flames. According to the authorities, the fire started at around 2:00 am local time and was put out at around 7:30 am. Governor Sergei Sitnikov initially said 13 pmoscoweople were killed. However, emergency services subsequently recovered the remains of two other people. The TASS news agency issued a correction accordingly. It seems around 250 people were evacuated from the building when it caught fire. The city is located around 180 miles northeast of Moscow. 15 Killed, 250 Evacuated In Russian Cafe Fire: Report.

The TASS news agency said a drunk man with a "flare gun" was likely to have caused the fire. It seems he was in the bar with a woman and ordered her flowers. He had a flare gun in his hands and he went to the dance floor and fired it. According to the local emergency services, the blaze had spread out over 3,500 square meters. Poligon on its website says it acts as an evening and nighttime "place for recreation and entertainment." During the day, it is just a typical Russian "stolovaya." This is nothing but a casual restaurant serving traditional food. The website adds the food outlet is housed in a "distribution centre" and is popular with traffic police. One fire fighter revealed to the regional state television that it took 50 people to extinguish the fire using 20 fire engines. He added that the fire was especially difficult to put out because of the risk of the building collapsing. Incidental, Kostroma is a city on the Volga River of around 230,000 people. It is one of Russia's oldest cities and is famous for its medieval architecture and monasteries.

Friday, November 4, 2022

Tension mounts in the Korean Peninsula as South Korea scrambles 80 of its stealth jets

The military of South Korea detected mobilization of 180 North Korean warplanes. Immediately, it took action to counter any attack by scrambling its stealth jets. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea reported that it scrambled 80 aircraft, including F-35A stealth fighters after spotting North Korean aircraft at multiple locations north of the "tactical action line." There were no immediate reports of clashes. According to an official of South Korea, the virtual line drawn north of the physical border serves as the basis for air defence operations in South Korea. None of the aircraft crossed the "tactical action line." Incidentally, more than 240 planes are participating in the Vigilant Storm air drills with the United States. There was no stoppage of these drills. South Korea scrambles jets after detecting North Korean warplanes.

Pyongyang had earlier launched roughly 80 artillery rounds in retaliation for Seoul's joint military exercises with the United States. These came after the North launched dozens of missiles this week. The United States, Japan and South Korea condemned such actions of North Korea. It seems it test fired at least 23 missiles, and later launched three more into the Sea of Japan. These included an intercontinental ballistic missile that triggered evacuation warnings in Japan. As a result, South Korea and the United States prolonged their Vigilant Storm exercises. This infuriated Pyongyang. It had threatened reprisals over extension of the drills. The actions and reactions of North Korea, the hermit kingdom, are difficult to explain. It is possible that it wants to send out some sort of a message to the global community.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Missiles fired by North Korea leads to evacuation warning in parts of Japan

North Korea has fired a number of missiles, among these one was an intercontinental ballistic missile. It prompted Japan to issue an evacuation warning for parts of Japan. One of these missiles reached an altitude of 1,200 miles and travelled about 460 miles. Japan's defence minister Yasukazu Hamada said the flight pattern was "lofted trajectory." It means the missile flew high into space to avoid flying over neighboring countries. The Japanese military lost track of the suspected ICBM over the water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The minister corrected an earlier report that mentioned it had flown over Japan. In the opinion of South Korea, it might have failed mid-flight. According to officials in Seoul, the launching of the first missile was from some location near Pyongyang. Subsequent ones were from Kaechon, north of Pyongyang. Evacuation alert in parts of Japan and bullet trains halted after North Korea fires missiles. After the first launch, the office of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida broadcast alerts through different devices to residents in three prefectures. These were Miyagi, Yamagata and Niigata. The alerts were for people to get inside strong buildings or to head underground. Simultaneously, there was suspension of bullet train services in these regions.

Prime Minister Kishida described the repeated missile launches of North Korea as an “outrage and absolutely cannot be forgiven." South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman described these as "deplorable, immoral." The action of the North came a day after it fired at least 23 missiles. One of these landed just 40 miles off the coast of South Korea. It prompted the South to issue its own air raid warnings and launch its own missiles. Pyongyang has also been calling for the U.S. and South Korea to stop large military exercises. It says - "military rashness and provocation (which) can be no longer tolerated." Incidentally, nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea remain in a limbo since early 2019.

North Korea fires at least 10 missiles, one lands close to the territorial waters of the South for the first time since the 1945

The latest missile launch by North Korea was its 29th this year, according to a punt maintained by a section of the media. It consisted of at least 10 missiles. One of these landed close to the territorial waters of South Korea. It was the first incident since the division of the peninsula in 1945. There was also an air raid warning on an island located about 120 kilometers east of the peninsula. It was later lifted. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) in Seoul said one short-range ballistic missile landed in international waters 167 kilometers northwest of South Korea’s Ulleung Island. This is about 26 kilometers south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) that is the de facto inter-Korean maritime border. North Korea does not recognize it. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol described the North Korean test as an “effective territorial encroachment.” In an immediate response, South Korea launched three air-to-surface missiles from F-15K and KF-16 fighter jets according to JCS. North Korean missile lands close to South Korean waters for first time in decades. JCS explained that the South Korean Air Force targeted international waters north of the NLL at an equal distance to that which the North Korean missile had earlier landed south of the line. He added - “Our military’s precise strike showed our will to firmly respond to any North Korean provocations including short-range ballistic missile, and our capability and readiness to precisely target the enemy.”

This sort of aggressive accelerating in weapons testing by Pyongyang has sparked alarm in the region. The United States, South Korea and Japan responded with missile launches and joint military exercises. The United States and South Korea began previously scheduled large-scale military exercises called “Vigilant Storm.” These involve 240 aircraft and “thousands of service members” from both countries. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would meet with his South Korean counterpart Lee Jong-sup at the Pentagon. In the opinion of experts, Kim Jong-un could be sending across a message of sorts. The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog warned last week that Pyongyang could be preparing for a nuclear test – its first since 2017. This was because satellite imagery showed activity at its underground nuclear test site. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. He called for a National Security Council meeting on priority in view of rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Sunday, October 30, 2022

Two explosions rocked the capital of Somalia and left at least 100 dead and 300 injured

Target of the attack appears to be the country's education ministry. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia confirmed the death toll when he visited the site of the blasts outside the education ministry in Mogadishu. He said - "Our people who were massacred... included mothers with their children in their arms, fathers who had medical conditions, students who were sent to study, businessmen who were struggling with the lives of their families.” The location of the attack was a busy area where a number of key government offices are located. It was also a day when the nation's president, prime minister and other senior officials were meeting to discuss violent extremism. The leaders were meeting to discuss a known extremist group with affiliations to al-Shabaab that has links to Qaeda. Nobody has yet claimed responsibility for the explosions involving car bombs at Zobe junction. At least 100 killed and 300 injured as Somalia's capital hit by two explosions. The first explosion struck the education ministry near a busy junction in Mogadishu. The next one occurred as ambulances came to the scene and people gathered to help the victims.

State news agency, SONNA, said the blasts had caused "scores of civilian casualties, including independent journalist Mohamed Isse Kona." A media outlet reported about windows blown out of nearby buildings, and burnt out ambulances. A local resident said - "Two car bombs targeted the education ministry building along K5 street. Abdikadir Abdirahman, founder of the Aamin Ambulance Service, added – “The second blast burnt our ambulance as we came to transport the casualty from the first blast." Al Shabaab had stormed the education ministry in 2015, and the latest attack occurred at the scene of a massive al Shabaab blast in 2017, which killed more than 500 people. The UK views Al Shabaab as a terrorist organization.