Satellite images taken this month of a North Korean naval shipyard indicate Pyongyang is pursuing an &ldquo;aggressive schedule&rdquo; to build its first operational ballistic missile submarine, a US&nbsp;institute reported on Thursday.

Washington-based 38 North, a North Korea monitoring project, cited images taken on November 5th showing activity at North Korea&rsquo;s Sinpo South Shipyard.

&ldquo;The presence of what appear to be sections of a submarine&rsquo;s pressure hull in the yards suggests construction of a new submarine, possibly the SINPO-C ballistic missile submarine - the follow-on to the current SINPO-class experimental ballistic missile submarine,&rdquo; 38 North said in a report.

The report said that throughout 2017 there had been a continued movement of parts and components into and out of two parts yards adjacent to the constructions halls in the center of the shipyard.

It said the November 5th images showed two large circular objects that could be sections of a submarine&rsquo;s pressure hull. It said these appeared larger than those for North Korea&rsquo;s ROMEO-class attack submarine.

Images of a test stand indicated continued testing of a mechanism for ejection launch of missiles from a submarine. However, the report said no activity could be seen suggesting preparations for a new test of a submarine-launched missile.

North Korea has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States, sparking a major international crisis in which US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has said that all options are under consideration, including military ones.

North Korea is also thought to be working on a solid-fuel missile for submarine launches.

Last month, The Diplomat magazine quoted a US&nbsp;government source as saying US&nbsp;military intelligence had detected a new diesel-electric submarine under construction at Sinpo and dubbed it the Sinpo-C. It said the submarine was likely a larger successor to North Korea&rsquo;s single experimental ballistic missile submarine.

North Korea has conducted dozens of missile tests this year and its largest and biggest nuclear test on Sept. 3. The past two months have seen a relative lull and it has not tested a missile since firing one over Japan on September 15.

Another article in The Diplomat last month quoted a US&nbsp;government source as saying that North Korea had tested a new solid fuel engine sometime between Oct. 15 and Oct. 21. US&nbsp;intelligence officials have declined to comment on this.

Washington-based 38 North, a North Korea monitoring project, cited images taken on November 5th showing activity at North Korea?s Sinpo South Shipyard

Satellite images taken this month of a North Korean naval shipyard indicate Pyongyang is pursuing an “aggressive schedule” to build its first operational ballistic missile submarine, a US institute reported on Thursday. Washington-based 38 North, a North Korea monitoring project, cited images taken on November 5th showing activity at North Korea’s Sinpo South Shipyard. “The presence of what appear to be sections of a submarine’s pressure hull in the yards suggests construction of a new submarine, possibly the SINPO-C ballistic missile submarine - the follow-on to the current SINPO-class experimental ballistic missile submarine,” 38 North said in a report. The report said that throughout 2017 there had been a continued movement of parts and components into and out of two parts yards adjacent to the constructions halls in the center of the shipyard. It said the November 5th images showed two large circular objects that could be sections of a submarine’s pressure hull. It said these appeared larger than those for North Korea’s ROMEO-class attack submarine. Images of a test stand indicated continued testing of a mechanism for ejection launch of missiles from a submarine. However, the report said no activity could be seen suggesting preparations for a new test of a submarine-launched missile. North Korea has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States, sparking a major international crisis in which US President Donald Trump has said that all options are under consideration, including military ones. North Korea is also thought to be working on a solid-fuel missile for submarine launches. Last month, The Diplomat magazine quoted a US government source as saying US military intelligence had detected a new diesel-electric submarine under construction at Sinpo and dubbed it the Sinpo-C. It said the submarine was likely a larger successor to North Korea’s single experimental ballistic missile submarine. North Korea has conducted dozens of missile tests this year and its largest and biggest nuclear test on Sept. 3. The past two months have seen a relative lull and it has not tested a missile since firing one over Japan on September 15. Another article in The Diplomat last month quoted a US government source as saying that North Korea had tested a new solid fuel engine sometime between Oct. 15 and Oct. 21. US intelligence officials have declined to comment on this.

Satellite images indicate 'aggressive schedule' by North Korea on missile submarine: US Institute

Saudi&nbsp;Arabia&#39;s air defence forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen over the capital Riyadh on Saturday, state news agencies reported.

The missile was brought down near King Khaled Airport on the northern outskirts of the city and did not cause any casualties, said state-owned Al Ekhbariya TV.

Rocket fragments fell near the airport grounds, but air traffic carried on normally, the civil aviation authority said on its official Twitter account.

Residents of northern Riyadh reported hearing a single deafening explosion that rattled windows around 20:20 local time, followed by rumbling and sounds of low-flying aircraft.

&quot;We heard an enormous loud boom and went outside, then heard a low rumbling noise like thunder and six to 12 smaller explosions,&quot; one resident told Reuters.

The missile was fired into&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;territory from Yemen at 20:00 local time, the spokesman of aSaudi-led military coalition said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.

Houthi-run Saba News in Yemen reported that the missile was a Burkan H2 and that the airport had been the target.

The&nbsp;Saudi-led coalition has launched thousands of air strikes against the Iran-allied Houthi movement that controls much of neighbouring Yemen.

On Wednesday, witnesses said one such strike killed 26 people at a hotel and adjoining market in northern Yemen, although the coalition said on Saturday it had hit a legitimate target.

The Houthi and allied forces loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh have fired dozens of missiles into&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;territory over the course of a 2-1/2 year war, including a ballistic missile shot down near Mecca in July.

The conflict has led to one of the world&#39;s worst humanitarian crises and killed at least 10,000 people.

Residents of northern Riyadh reported hearing a single deafening explosion that rattled windows around 20:20 local time, followed by rumbling and sounds of low-flying aircraft.

Saudi Arabia's air defence forces intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen over the capital Riyadh on Saturday, state news agencies reported. The missile was brought down near King Khaled Airport on the northern outskirts of the city and did not cause any casualties, said state-owned Al Ekhbariya TV. Rocket fragments fell near the airport grounds, but air traffic carried on normally, the civil aviation authority said on its official Twitter account. Residents of northern Riyadh reported hearing a single deafening explosion that rattled windows around 20:20 local time, followed by rumbling and sounds of low-flying aircraft. "We heard an enormous loud boom and went outside, then heard a low rumbling noise like thunder and six to 12 smaller explosions," one resident told Reuters. The missile was fired into Saudi territory from Yemen at 20:00 local time, the spokesman of aSaudi-led military coalition said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA. Houthi-run Saba News in Yemen reported that the missile was a Burkan H2 and that the airport had been the target. The Saudi-led coalition has launched thousands of air strikes against the Iran-allied Houthi movement that controls much of neighbouring Yemen. On Wednesday, witnesses said one such strike killed 26 people at a hotel and adjoining market in northern Yemen, although the coalition said on Saturday it had hit a legitimate target. The Houthi and allied forces loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh have fired dozens of missiles into Saudi territory over the course of a 2-1/2 year war, including a ballistic missile shot down near Mecca in July. The conflict has led to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and killed at least 10,000 people.

Saudi Arabia says it intercepts missile close to capital

Russia insists North Korea abide by UN&nbsp;Security Council resolutions regarding its missile program, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday, reacting to the reclusive state&#39;s launch of a projectile over Japan.

&quot;Regarding the launching of the missiles from North Korea, we stick to the resolutions of the United Nations and we insist on the fact that the North Koreans must respect those resolutions from the United Nations,&quot; Lavrov told a news conference on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, according to a simultaneous translation of his remarks.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-fires-missile-over-japan-19605">North Korea fired a missile early on Tuesday that flew over Japan</a> and landed in the Pacific about 1,180 km (735 miles) off Hokkaido. The test was seen as one of the most provocative ever from the reclusive state.

North Korea fired a missile early on Tuesday that flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific

Russia insists North Korea abide by UN Security Council resolutions regarding its missile program, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday, reacting to the reclusive state's launch of a projectile over Japan. "Regarding the launching of the missiles from North Korea, we stick to the resolutions of the United Nations and we insist on the fact that the North Koreans must respect those resolutions from the United Nations," Lavrov told a news conference on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, according to a simultaneous translation of his remarks. North Korea fired a missile early on Tuesday that flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific about 1,180 km (735 miles) off Hokkaido. The test was seen as one of the most provocative ever from the reclusive state.

Insist that North Korea respect UN resolutions: Russia

The Indian Navy today successfully test-fired&nbsp;land attack version&nbsp;of Brahmos supersonic cruise missile.

A top navy official said the test-firing yielded desired results.

The test-firing of the missile took place in the Bay of Bengal and it was very successful, the official added.

&quot;This successful maiden firing of BrahMos Land Attack Supersonic Cruise Missile has significantly enhanced the prowess of Indian Navy and has placed India into the club of select few nations,&quot; Navy spokesperson Capt D K Sharma said.

The BrahMos missile has been jointly developed by India and Russia, and its anti-ship variant has already been inducted into Indian Navy.&nbsp;Land attack variant of Brahmos missile provides Indian naval ships the capability to precisely neutralise selected targets deep inland and far away from coast, from stand-off ranges at sea.

Last month, India&nbsp;had successfully test-fired an anti-ship missile for the first time from an indigenously built Kalvari class submarine, enhancing its &quot;sub-surface&quot; warfare prowess.

(WION with agency inputs)

India today successfully test-fired?land attack version of Brahmos missile

The Indian Navy today successfully test-fired land attack version of Brahmos supersonic cruise missile. A top navy official said the test-firing yielded desired results. The test-firing of the missile took place in the Bay of Bengal and it was very successful, the official added. "This successful maiden firing of BrahMos Land Attack Supersonic Cruise Missile has significantly enhanced the prowess of Indian Navy and has placed India into the club of select few nations," Navy spokesperson Capt D K Sharma said. The BrahMos missile has been jointly developed by India and Russia, and its anti-ship variant has already been inducted into Indian Navy. Land attack variant of Brahmos missile provides Indian naval ships the capability to precisely neutralise selected targets deep inland and far away from coast, from stand-off ranges at sea. Last month, India had successfully test-fired an anti-ship missile for the first time from an indigenously built Kalvari class submarine, enhancing its "sub-surface" warfare prowess. (WION with agency inputs)

Indian Navy successfully test-fires?BrahMos supersonic cruise missile

India has test-fired its interceptor missile off the Odisha coast, achieving a significant milestone in the direction of developing a two-layered ballistic missile&nbsp;defence system.

The interceptor was launched from Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler Island) of ITR at about 7.45am.&nbsp;This mission, termed as &quot;PDV mission is for engaging the targets in the exo-atmosphere region at an altitude above 50 km of earth&#39;s atmosphere&quot;, said a Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) official.

&quot;Both, the PDV interceptor and the two stage target missile, were successfully engaged,&quot; he said.

The target was developed for mimicking a hostile ballistic missile approaching from more than 2000 km away was launched from a ship anchored in the Bay of Bengal.

In an automated operation, radar-based detection and tracking system detected and tracked the enemy&#39;s ballistic missile.&nbsp;The computer network with the help of data received from radars predicted the trajectory of the incoming Ballistic Missile.

PDV that was kept fully ready, took-off once the computer system gave the necessary command for lift-off. The Interceptor guided by high accuracy Inertial Navigation System (INS) supported by a Redundant Micro Navigation System moved towards the estimated point of the interception.

Once the missile crossed the atmosphere, the Heat Shield ejected and the IR Seeker dome opened to look at the Target location as designated by the Mission Computer.

With the help of Inertial Guidance and IR Seeker the missile moved for interception. All events were monitored in real-time by the Telemetry/Range Stations, at various other locations.&nbsp;

(PTI)

India achieved a significant milestone in the direction of developing a two-layered ballistic missile defence system

India has test-fired its interceptor missile off the Odisha coast, achieving a significant milestone in the direction of developing a two-layered ballistic missile defence system. The interceptor was launched from Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler Island) of ITR at about 7.45am. This mission, termed as "PDV mission is for engaging the targets in the exo-atmosphere region at an altitude above 50 km of earth's atmosphere", said a Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) official. "Both, the PDV interceptor and the two stage target missile, were successfully engaged," he said. The target was developed for mimicking a hostile ballistic missile approaching from more than 2000 km away was launched from a ship anchored in the Bay of Bengal. In an automated operation, radar-based detection and tracking system detected and tracked the enemy's ballistic missile. The computer network with the help of data received from radars predicted the trajectory of the incoming Ballistic Missile. PDV that was kept fully ready, took-off once the computer system gave the necessary command for lift-off. The Interceptor guided by high accuracy Inertial Navigation System (INS) supported by a Redundant Micro Navigation System moved towards the estimated point of the interception. Once the missile crossed the atmosphere, the Heat Shield ejected and the IR Seeker dome opened to look at the Target location as designated by the Mission Computer. With the help of Inertial Guidance and IR Seeker the missile moved for interception. All events were monitored in real-time by the Telemetry/Range Stations, at various other locations. (PTI)

India successfully test-fires interceptor missile

Pakistan today successfully conducted the first test flight of the &#39;Ababeel&#39; surface-to- surface ballistic missile (SSM) capable of carrying a nuclear warhead up to 2,200 kms.

Ababeel has a maximum range of 2,200 kilometres and is capable of delivering multiple warheads using Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

&quot;The test flight was aimed at validating various design and technical parameters of the weapon system,&quot; the statement added.

Ababeel is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and has the capability to engage multiple targets with high precision, defeating hostile radars, the ISPR said.

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="videos-block">
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rtvRq9R4Yr4"></iframe></div>
</div>

<div class="media-description">
Ababeel has a maximum range of 2,200 km and is capable of delivering warheads using multiple independent re-entry vehicle technology (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&quot;The development of the Ababeel weapon system was aimed at ensuring survivability of Pakistan&#39;s ballistic missiles in the growing regional Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) environment,&quot; the release said, in an obvious reference to India.

The Ababeel test came on the heels of a successful test of submarine-launched cruise missile Babur-III on December 9.

&quot;The successful attainment of a second strike capability by Pakistan represents a major scientific milestone; it is a manifestation of the strategy of measured response to nuclear strategies and postures being adopted in Pakistan&#39;s neighbourhood,&quot; the military had said after the Babur-III test.

(PTI)

Ababeel has a maximum range of 2,200 km and is capable of delivering warheads using multiple independent re-entry vehicle technology

Pakistan today successfully conducted the first test flight of the 'Ababeel' surface-to- surface ballistic missile (SSM) capable of carrying a nuclear warhead up to 2,200 kms. Ababeel has a maximum range of 2,200 kilometres and is capable of delivering multiple warheads using Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. "The test flight was aimed at validating various design and technical parameters of the weapon system," the statement added. Ababeel is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and has the capability to engage multiple targets with high precision, defeating hostile radars, the ISPR said. Ababeel has a maximum range of 2,200 km and is capable of delivering warheads using multiple independent re-entry vehicle technology (WION) × "The development of the Ababeel weapon system was aimed at ensuring survivability of Pakistan's ballistic missiles in the growing regional Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) environment," the release said, in an obvious reference to India. The Ababeel test came on the heels of a successful test of submarine-launched cruise missile Babur-III on December 9. "The successful attainment of a second strike capability by Pakistan represents a major scientific milestone; it is a manifestation of the strategy of measured response to nuclear strategies and postures being adopted in Pakistan's neighbourhood," the military had said after the Babur-III test. (PTI)

Pakistan conducts flight test of nuclear-capable Ababeel missile

Following North Korea&#39;s missile firing, foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea met in Tokyo on Wednesday, August 24 to talk about closer multilateral cooperation. 
 
Hours before the meeting, North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile that flew 500 km (311 miles) towards Japan. The country has in the recent past conducted a series of such launches despite UN sanctions. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s unforgivable that North Korea launched a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). Japan immediately protested against the North Korean missile launch and would like to cooperate closely with China and South Korea to lead the international community&#39;s response to it,&quot; Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said at the meeting. 
 
&quot;North Korea&#39;s recent nuclear test and continual missile launches have been an urgent and grave threat to this region. In such situations, solidarity and cooperation among three countries is more important than ever,&quot; said South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se. 
 
Chinese Foreign minister Wang Yi said that it was China&#39;s responsibility to promote economic development, lead regional cooperation and maintain regional peace and stability. &quot;China insists that in the spirit of squarely facing history and advancing toward the future,&quot; he said. 
 
Two days ago, South Korea and the United States began annual military exercises in the South which North Korea condemns as a preparation for invasion, and has threatened retaliation. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

North Korea has in the past conducted a series of missile launches despite UN sanctions

Following North Korea's missile firing, foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea met in Tokyo on Wednesday, August 24 to talk about closer multilateral cooperation. Hours before the meeting, North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile that flew 500 km (311 miles) towards Japan. The country has in the recent past conducted a series of such launches despite UN sanctions. "It's unforgivable that North Korea launched a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). Japan immediately protested against the North Korean missile launch and would like to cooperate closely with China and South Korea to lead the international community's response to it," Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said at the meeting. "North Korea's recent nuclear test and continual missile launches have been an urgent and grave threat to this region. In such situations, solidarity and cooperation among three countries is more important than ever," said South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se. Chinese Foreign minister Wang Yi said that it was China's responsibility to promote economic development, lead regional cooperation and maintain regional peace and stability. "China insists that in the spirit of squarely facing history and advancing toward the future," he said. Two days ago, South Korea and the United States began annual military exercises in the South which North Korea condemns as a preparation for invasion, and has threatened retaliation. (With inputs from agencies)

China, Japan and South Korea meet following North Korea's missile launch

Taiwan today said it was ramping up defence training and guidelines after a missile was accidentally launched towards China, killing one person and triggering a stern response from Beijing. 
 
The Hsiung-feng III (Brave Wind) missile flew about 75 kilometres (45 miles) before hitting a trawler earlier this month in waters off Penghu, a Taiwanese-administered island group in the Taiwan Strait. It killed the boat`s skipper and injured three crew on board. 
 
The accident came at a time of deteriorating ties between the island and China, which insists self-ruling Taiwan is part of its territory even though the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war. It has not ruled out using force to bring about reunification. 
 
The navy said the staff sergeant who launched the missile had mistakenly chosen &quot;war mode&quot; and &quot;missile loading mode&quot; during the practice drill. 
 
&quot;The incident caused a death and endangered ties with the mainland,&quot; Taiwan defence minister Feng Shih-kuan said in a statement posted today on social media. 
 
&quot;It also raised international concerns and upset the morale and honour of the military.&quot; 
 
Feng said all units in charge of &quot;precision weapons&quot; must complete the new training by August 15. 
 
The measures also call for improved operating guidelines to be implemented and a disciplinary code for relevant units. 
 
Zhang Zhihjun, the head of China`s Taiwan affairs office in Beijing, issued a warning in response to the accidental launch. 
 
&quot;At a time when the mainland repeatedly stressed it wants to sustain peaceful development of cross-strait ties...I felt the influence from the event could be very severe,&quot; he said. 
 
Beijing mistrusts President Tsai Ing-Wen, whose Democratic Progressive Party replaced the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party in government at the start of the year, and has warned her against any attempt at a breakaway. 
 
(AFP)

The Hsiung-feng III missile hit a trawler earlier this month in the Taiwan strait killing the boat's skipper and wounding three crew members

Taiwan today said it was ramping up defence training and guidelines after a missile was accidentally launched towards China, killing one person and triggering a stern response from Beijing. The Hsiung-feng III (Brave Wind) missile flew about 75 kilometres (45 miles) before hitting a trawler earlier this month in waters off Penghu, a Taiwanese-administered island group in the Taiwan Strait. It killed the boat`s skipper and injured three crew on board. The accident came at a time of deteriorating ties between the island and China, which insists self-ruling Taiwan is part of its territory even though the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war. It has not ruled out using force to bring about reunification. The navy said the staff sergeant who launched the missile had mistakenly chosen "war mode" and "missile loading mode" during the practice drill. "The incident caused a death and endangered ties with the mainland," Taiwan defence minister Feng Shih-kuan said in a statement posted today on social media. "It also raised international concerns and upset the morale and honour of the military." Feng said all units in charge of "precision weapons" must complete the new training by August 15. The measures also call for improved operating guidelines to be implemented and a disciplinary code for relevant units. Zhang Zhihjun, the head of China`s Taiwan affairs office in Beijing, issued a warning in response to the accidental launch. "At a time when the mainland repeatedly stressed it wants to sustain peaceful development of cross-strait ties...I felt the influence from the event could be very severe," he said. Beijing mistrusts President Tsai Ing-Wen, whose Democratic Progressive Party replaced the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party in government at the start of the year, and has warned her against any attempt at a breakaway. (AFP)

Taiwan ramps up training after deadly missile gaffe

North Korea on Saturday test-fired what appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), Seoul&#39;s defence ministry said, a day after the US and South Korea decided to deploy an advanced missile defence system in the South. 
 
The launch was apparently successful but the missile failed in the early stage of flight, the South Korean defence ministry said in a statement. 
 
North Korea previously fired an SLBM on April 23 in a test hailed as an &quot;eye-opening success&quot; by leader Kim Jong-Un, who at the time declared his country had the ability to strike Seoul and the US whenever it pleased. 
 
Seoul said the North launched &quot;what was believed to be an SLBM&quot; from waters off the northeastern port of Sinpo at around 11:30 am (0230 GMT). 
 
Yonhap news agency said the missile, launched from a Sinpo-class submarine, reached an altitude of some 10 kilometres (six miles) before exploding in mid-air. 
 
The US Strategic Command said the missile was tracked over the Sea of Japan, where initial indications suggested it fell. 
 
The North American Aerospace Defense Command said the launch did not pose a threat to North America. 
 
&quot;We strongly condemn this and North Korea&rsquo;s other recent missile tests, which violate UN Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea&#39;s launches using ballistic missile technology&quot;, Pentagon Spokesman Gary Ross said. 
 
He urged the North &quot;to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region&quot;. 
 
Seoul&#39;s defence ministry noted that &quot;North Korea has been persistent in violating UN resolutions by launching ballistic missiles continuously&quot;. 
 
It added that the North carried out back-to-back tests of a powerful new medium-range missile on June 22, which sparked swift international condemnation. 
 
The two missiles achieved a significant increase in flight distance over previous failed launches and were believed to be of a much-hyped, intermediate-range Musudan missile -- theoretically capable of reaching US bases as far away as Guam, the ministry said in June. 
 
&quot;We strongly condemn such provocative acts&quot;, it said Saturday. 
 
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the launch did not pose an immediate threat. 
 
&quot;We don&#39;t consider the missile launch to be anything that would immediately affect Japan&#39;s national security directly. We have to cooperate with the international community and condemn North Korea,&quot; he told public broadcaster NHK. 
 
&#39;Declaration of war&#39; 
The new launch came after Seoul and Washington Friday announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system, or THAAD, to the Korean peninsula and the North warned US sanctions against its leader amounted to a &quot;declaration of war&quot;. 
 
Tensions have soared since Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a series of missile launches that analysts said show the North is making progress toward being able to strike the US mainland. 
 
The plan to deploy the powerful THAAD system in South Korea has angered Beijing and Moscow, which both see it as a US bid to flex military muscle in the region. 
 
News of the deployment came after the US on Wednesday placed &quot;Supreme Leader&quot; Kim on its sanctions blacklist for the first time, calling him directly responsible for a long list of serious human rights abuses. 
 
Pyongyang lashed out at Washington on Friday, warning North Korea would instantly cut off all diplomatic channels with the US if the sanctions were not lifted. 
 
The North&#39;s foreign ministry called the sanctions against Kim &quot;the worst hostility and an open declaration of war&quot;, vowing to take &quot;the toughest countermeasures to resolutely shatter the hostility of the US&quot;. 
 
It said any problem arising in relations with the US would be handled under its &quot;wartime law&quot;. 
 
North Korea often issues bellicose statements against the US, but the reference to &quot;wartime law&quot; is rare and analysts warned of more sabre-rattling to come over the sanctions. 
 
(AFP)

The launch on Saturday has come after the US and South Korea decided to deploy THAAD to the Korean peninsula

North Korea on Saturday test-fired what appeared to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), Seoul's defence ministry said, a day after the US and South Korea decided to deploy an advanced missile defence system in the South. The launch was apparently successful but the missile failed in the early stage of flight, the South Korean defence ministry said in a statement. North Korea previously fired an SLBM on April 23 in a test hailed as an "eye-opening success" by leader Kim Jong-Un, who at the time declared his country had the ability to strike Seoul and the US whenever it pleased. Seoul said the North launched "what was believed to be an SLBM" from waters off the northeastern port of Sinpo at around 11:30 am (0230 GMT). Yonhap news agency said the missile, launched from a Sinpo-class submarine, reached an altitude of some 10 kilometres (six miles) before exploding in mid-air. The US Strategic Command said the missile was tracked over the Sea of Japan, where initial indications suggested it fell. The North American Aerospace Defense Command said the launch did not pose a threat to North America. "We strongly condemn this and North Korea’s other recent missile tests, which violate UN Security Council Resolutions explicitly prohibiting North Korea's launches using ballistic missile technology", Pentagon Spokesman Gary Ross said. He urged the North "to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region". Seoul's defence ministry noted that "North Korea has been persistent in violating UN resolutions by launching ballistic missiles continuously". It added that the North carried out back-to-back tests of a powerful new medium-range missile on June 22, which sparked swift international condemnation. The two missiles achieved a significant increase in flight distance over previous failed launches and were believed to be of a much-hyped, intermediate-range Musudan missile -- theoretically capable of reaching US bases as far away as Guam, the ministry said in June. "We strongly condemn such provocative acts", it said Saturday. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the launch did not pose an immediate threat. "We don't consider the missile launch to be anything that would immediately affect Japan's national security directly. We have to cooperate with the international community and condemn North Korea," he told public broadcaster NHK. 'Declaration of war' The new launch came after Seoul and Washington Friday announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system, or THAAD, to the Korean peninsula and the North warned US sanctions against its leader amounted to a "declaration of war". Tensions have soared since Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, followed by a series of missile launches that analysts said show the North is making progress toward being able to strike the US mainland. The plan to deploy the powerful THAAD system in South Korea has angered Beijing and Moscow, which both see it as a US bid to flex military muscle in the region. News of the deployment came after the US on Wednesday placed "Supreme Leader" Kim on its sanctions blacklist for the first time, calling him directly responsible for a long list of serious human rights abuses. Pyongyang lashed out at Washington on Friday, warning North Korea would instantly cut off all diplomatic channels with the US if the sanctions were not lifted. The North's foreign ministry called the sanctions against Kim "the worst hostility and an open declaration of war", vowing to take "the toughest countermeasures to resolutely shatter the hostility of the US". It said any problem arising in relations with the US would be handled under its "wartime law". North Korea often issues bellicose statements against the US, but the reference to "wartime law" is rare and analysts warned of more sabre-rattling to come over the sanctions. (AFP)

North Korea test-fires submarine-launched missile, says Seoul

Dubai: Iran will press on with its missile programme &quot;with full force&quot; based on national security needs, a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying on Saturday, adding that critical comments by Germany&#39;s leader were unhelpful. 
 
Chancellor Angela Merkel told the parliament in Berlin on Thursday that missile launches by Iran earlier this year were inconsistent with a UN resolution urging it to refrain for up to eight years from missile work designed to deliver nuclear weapons. 
 
Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said Merkel&#39;s remarks were &quot;not constructive&quot; and would have no bearing on the programme, according to state news agency IRNA. 
 
Reiterating Tehran&#39;s assertion that the missiles are not designed to carry nuclear weapons, he added: &quot;Iran will continue with full force its missile programme based on its defensive plans and national security calculations.&quot; 
 
On Friday, Iran rejected as &quot;unrealistic&quot; a report by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon criticising its missile launches as inconsistent with its deal with world powers to curb sensitive nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief. 
 
Reuters reported on Thursday that a confidential report by Ban had found the tests to be inconsistent &quot;with the constructive spirit&quot; of the July 2015 agreement. 
 
Responding to German intelligence reports that Iran has been trying to acquire nuclear technology in Germany, Berlin said on Friday that certain forces in Iran may be trying to undermine the nuclear deal. 
 
Germany&#39;s domestic intelligence agency said in its annual report that Iranian efforts to illegally procure technology, especially in the nuclear area, had continued at a &quot;high level&quot; in 2015. 
 
(Reuters)

It also criticised Angela Merkel who had said the missile launches were inconsistent with a 2015 UN resolution

Dubai: Iran will press on with its missile programme "with full force" based on national security needs, a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying on Saturday, adding that critical comments by Germany's leader were unhelpful. Chancellor Angela Merkel told the parliament in Berlin on Thursday that missile launches by Iran earlier this year were inconsistent with a UN resolution urging it to refrain for up to eight years from missile work designed to deliver nuclear weapons. Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said Merkel's remarks were "not constructive" and would have no bearing on the programme, according to state news agency IRNA. Reiterating Tehran's assertion that the missiles are not designed to carry nuclear weapons, he added: "Iran will continue with full force its missile programme based on its defensive plans and national security calculations." On Friday, Iran rejected as "unrealistic" a report by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon criticising its missile launches as inconsistent with its deal with world powers to curb sensitive nuclear activity in exchange for sanctions relief. Reuters reported on Thursday that a confidential report by Ban had found the tests to be inconsistent "with the constructive spirit" of the July 2015 agreement. Responding to German intelligence reports that Iran has been trying to acquire nuclear technology in Germany, Berlin said on Friday that certain forces in Iran may be trying to undermine the nuclear deal. Germany's domestic intelligence agency said in its annual report that Iranian efforts to illegally procure technology, especially in the nuclear area, had continued at a "high level" in 2015. (Reuters)

Iran says it will continue with missile programme 'with full force'

The US and South Korea announced today that they have agreed to install a high-tec weapons defence system called the&nbsp;Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) to the Korean peninsula.&nbsp;The US and South Korea began talks on deploying this system in February, after North Korea launched a long-range rocket following a fourth nuclear test in January. North Korea has carried out several missile launches, also.&nbsp; 
 
China&#39;s Foreign Ministry said on Friday the THAAD system would destabilise the security balance in the region without achieving anything to end North Korea&#39;s nuclear program. The deployment of a US missile defence system in South Korea would &quot;seriously damage&quot; regional security in northeast Asia, China said Friday, adding it strongly opposed the move. 
 
&quot;China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop the deployment process of the THAAD anti-missile system, not take any steps to complicate the regional situation and do nothing to harm China&#39;s strategic security interests,&quot; it said in a statement on its website. 
 
The deployment of the THAAD&nbsp;system announced by the US and South Korea would &quot;seriously damage the strategic security interests of countries in the region including China&quot;,and that&nbsp;the system would not aid the &quot;denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula,&quot;&nbsp;Beijings foreign ministry said in a statement posted online. 
 
China is North Koreas largest trading partner and has been its key diplomatic protector for decades. But relations have soured over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear tests and long-range missile launches, with Beijing supporting UN sanctions.&nbsp;Still, analysts say it is concerned over any build up of US power on its doorstep, and values Pyongyang as a strategic bulwark. 
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of &quot;friendly relations&quot; to a visiting North Korean official last month, even after the envoy reportedly told Chinese officials Pyongyang would continue with its internationally condemned nuclear programme. 
 
Russia also warned Friday that the US deployment of an advanced missile defence system in South Korea would have &quot;irreparable consequences&quot;, echoing warnings by China of a threat to regional security. 
 
&quot;This missile defence system tends to undermine stability in the region...We hope that our partners will avoid any actions that could have irreparable consequences,&quot; the Russian foreign ministry said after the US and South Korea announced they would deploy the system to thwart potential attacks from North Korea. 
 
China is positioning itself as the dominant county in the region, claiming that the bulk of the South China Sea falls under its control.&nbsp; 
 
(WION, with inputs from AFP)

Government representatives from Russia and China each strongly denounce the move

The US and South Korea announced today that they have agreed to install a high-tec weapons defence system called the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) to the Korean peninsula. The US and South Korea began talks on deploying this system in February, after North Korea launched a long-range rocket following a fourth nuclear test in January. North Korea has carried out several missile launches, also. China's Foreign Ministry said on Friday the THAAD system would destabilise the security balance in the region without achieving anything to end North Korea's nuclear program. The deployment of a US missile defence system in South Korea would "seriously damage" regional security in northeast Asia, China said Friday, adding it strongly opposed the move. "China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop the deployment process of the THAAD anti-missile system, not take any steps to complicate the regional situation and do nothing to harm China's strategic security interests," it said in a statement on its website. The deployment of the THAAD system announced by the US and South Korea would "seriously damage the strategic security interests of countries in the region including China",and that the system would not aid the "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," Beijings foreign ministry said in a statement posted online. China is North Koreas largest trading partner and has been its key diplomatic protector for decades. But relations have soured over Pyongyang's nuclear tests and long-range missile launches, with Beijing supporting UN sanctions. Still, analysts say it is concerned over any build up of US power on its doorstep, and values Pyongyang as a strategic bulwark. Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of "friendly relations" to a visiting North Korean official last month, even after the envoy reportedly told Chinese officials Pyongyang would continue with its internationally condemned nuclear programme. Russia also warned Friday that the US deployment of an advanced missile defence system in South Korea would have "irreparable consequences", echoing warnings by China of a threat to regional security. "This missile defence system tends to undermine stability in the region...We hope that our partners will avoid any actions that could have irreparable consequences," the Russian foreign ministry said after the US and South Korea announced they would deploy the system to thwart potential attacks from North Korea. China is positioning itself as the dominant county in the region, claiming that the bulk of the South China Sea falls under its control. (WION, with inputs from AFP)

US and South Korea to launch high-tech anti-missile system

A Taiwanese warship mistakenly launched a supersonic &quot;aircraft carrier killer&quot; missile towards China today, hitting a fishing boat and killing one person, the navy said, as ties between the island and its once-bitter rival deteriorate. 
 
The Hsiung-feng III (Brave Wind) missile flew about 75 kilometres (45 miles) before hitting the trawler in waters off Penghu, a Taiwanese-administered island group in the Taiwan Strait. 
 
The skipper on the Taiwanese 60-tonne trawler was killed and three other crew on board, including a Vietnamese and a Filipino, were injured. 
 
&quot;An initial investigation showed that the incident has caused the death of the skipper,&quot; Taiwan&#39;s defence ministry spokesman Chen Chung-chi told reporters, adding, &quot;We apologise to the family of the skipper and would like to convey our condolences to them&quot;. 
 
The missile was fired during a drill at around 8:10am (0010 GMT) from a 500-tonne missile ship, docked at a naval base in the southern city of Tsoying, in the direction of China. 
 
The navy said the missile went through the trawler, but did not explode, nor did it sink the fishing vessel. 
 
Television images showed the upper part of the cabin, where the skipper was when it was hit, scorched and destroyed.&nbsp; 
 
The navy said it was not immediately clear how the missile, which has a range of 300 kilometres, had come to be launched, but suggested it could have been due to human error. 
 
&quot;Our initial investigation found that the operation was not done in accordance with normal procedure,&quot; Vice Admiral Mei Chia-shu told reporters, adding that an investigation was under way. 
 
Helicopters and navy ships were sent to search for the missile, Mei said, adding that the military had reported the gaffe to the island&#39;s top security body, the National Security Conference. 
 
Taiwan&#39;s Mainland Affairs Council, which handles China policy, said it had notified Beijing of the incident through a quasi-official body. 
 
Official communications between the council and its Chinese counterpart have effectively been frozen by Beijing over Taiwan&#39;s new government refusing to recognise the &quot;one China&quot; concept. 
 
The tenet, agreed by Beijing and Taiwan&#39;s then-ruling Nationalists in 1992, established that there is only one China, but with each side reserving the right to interpret the concept as they see fit. 
 
Analysts said Friday&#39;s incident drew attention to how damaging the freeze in communications could prove. 
 
&quot;This event highlights the importance of communications between the two sides... In order to reduce the possibility of any misjudgement,&quot; professor Alexander Huang from Tamkang University told AFP, adding, &quot;Otherwise, should we wait until a big event happens?&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Ties between Taipei and Beijing have deteriorated noticeably since President Tsai Ing-wen of the China-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was elected in January. 
 
Beijing is deeply mistrustful of Tsai, whose DPP replaced the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party in government, and has warned her against any attempt at a breakaway. 
 
China still insists that self-ruling Taiwan is part of its territory, even though the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war, and has not ruled out using force to bring about reunification. 
 
According to Taiwan&#39;s defence ministry, there are 1,500 Chinese missiles aimed at the island.&nbsp; 
 
China launched some of the missiles into waters off Taiwan in 1995 and 1996 in an attempt to deter voters in the island&#39;s first democratic presidential elections. 
 
(AFP)

Ties between the two are expected to worsen as the missile hit a fishing boat, killing the skipper and injuring 3 others

A Taiwanese warship mistakenly launched a supersonic "aircraft carrier killer" missile towards China today, hitting a fishing boat and killing one person, the navy said, as ties between the island and its once-bitter rival deteriorate. The Hsiung-feng III (Brave Wind) missile flew about 75 kilometres (45 miles) before hitting the trawler in waters off Penghu, a Taiwanese-administered island group in the Taiwan Strait. The skipper on the Taiwanese 60-tonne trawler was killed and three other crew on board, including a Vietnamese and a Filipino, were injured. "An initial investigation showed that the incident has caused the death of the skipper," Taiwan's defence ministry spokesman Chen Chung-chi told reporters, adding, "We apologise to the family of the skipper and would like to convey our condolences to them". The missile was fired during a drill at around 8:10am (0010 GMT) from a 500-tonne missile ship, docked at a naval base in the southern city of Tsoying, in the direction of China. The navy said the missile went through the trawler, but did not explode, nor did it sink the fishing vessel. Television images showed the upper part of the cabin, where the skipper was when it was hit, scorched and destroyed. The navy said it was not immediately clear how the missile, which has a range of 300 kilometres, had come to be launched, but suggested it could have been due to human error. "Our initial investigation found that the operation was not done in accordance with normal procedure," Vice Admiral Mei Chia-shu told reporters, adding that an investigation was under way. Helicopters and navy ships were sent to search for the missile, Mei said, adding that the military had reported the gaffe to the island's top security body, the National Security Conference. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which handles China policy, said it had notified Beijing of the incident through a quasi-official body. Official communications between the council and its Chinese counterpart have effectively been frozen by Beijing over Taiwan's new government refusing to recognise the "one China" concept. The tenet, agreed by Beijing and Taiwan's then-ruling Nationalists in 1992, established that there is only one China, but with each side reserving the right to interpret the concept as they see fit. Analysts said Friday's incident drew attention to how damaging the freeze in communications could prove. "This event highlights the importance of communications between the two sides... In order to reduce the possibility of any misjudgement," professor Alexander Huang from Tamkang University told AFP, adding, "Otherwise, should we wait until a big event happens?" Ties between Taipei and Beijing have deteriorated noticeably since President Tsai Ing-wen of the China-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was elected in January. Beijing is deeply mistrustful of Tsai, whose DPP replaced the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party in government, and has warned her against any attempt at a breakaway. China still insists that self-ruling Taiwan is part of its territory, even though the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war, and has not ruled out using force to bring about reunification. According to Taiwan's defence ministry, there are 1,500 Chinese missiles aimed at the island. China launched some of the missiles into waters off Taiwan in 1995 and 1996 in an attempt to deter voters in the island's first democratic presidential elections. (AFP)

Taiwan mistakenly fires missile towards China, 1 dead

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Wednesday, urged South Korea to pay attention to China&#39;s concerns about the deployment of the US THAAD missile defence system to the country and &quot;cautiously&quot; address the plan. 
 
The United States and South Korea have begun talks on possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system after North Korea tested its fourth nuclear bomb on January 6 and conducted missile tests. 
 
China and Russia have urged the United States to back off, saying THAAD&#39;s deployment could also affect their security. 
 
South Korea should &quot;attach importance to China&#39;s legitimate concern on security and cautiously and appropriately address the United States&#39; plan&quot; to deploy THAAD in South Korea, Xi told visiting South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the official Xinhua news agency reported. 
 
North Korea&#39;s drive to develop a nuclear weapons capability, has angered China, Pyongyang&#39;s sole major diplomatic and economic supporter. But Beijing fears THAAD and its radar have a range that would extend into China. 
 
Xi added that China and South Korea should continue to work for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, work together to maintain peace and stability, and solve problems through dialogue and consultation. 
 
(Reuters)

Beijing has urged the United States to back off, saying THAAD's deployment could affect their security

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Wednesday, urged South Korea to pay attention to China's concerns about the deployment of the US THAAD missile defence system to the country and "cautiously" address the plan. The United States and South Korea have begun talks on possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system after North Korea tested its fourth nuclear bomb on January 6 and conducted missile tests. China and Russia have urged the United States to back off, saying THAAD's deployment could also affect their security. South Korea should "attach importance to China's legitimate concern on security and cautiously and appropriately address the United States' plan" to deploy THAAD in South Korea, Xi told visiting South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the official Xinhua news agency reported. North Korea's drive to develop a nuclear weapons capability, has angered China, Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic and economic supporter. But Beijing fears THAAD and its radar have a range that would extend into China. Xi added that China and South Korea should continue to work for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, work together to maintain peace and stability, and solve problems through dialogue and consultation. (Reuters)

China's Xi urges caution over US anti-missile system deployment in South Korea

Amid North Korea&rsquo;s recent claim&nbsp;it&nbsp;successfully tested&nbsp;a Musudan missile&nbsp;and India&rsquo;s dream of joining the&nbsp;Nuclear Supplies Group (NSG), the article&nbsp;&lsquo;India&rsquo;s embarrassing North Korean connection&rsquo; by Nilanjana Bhowmick&nbsp;has stirred&nbsp;controversy. The India&#39;s&nbsp;MEA or the ministry of external affairs has weighed&nbsp;in to dispute the claims in it,&nbsp;calling the Bhowmick article&nbsp;&ldquo;baseless&rdquo;&nbsp;and &ldquo;without any merit&rdquo;. 
 
Delhi has denied Bhowmick&#39;s&nbsp;claim&nbsp;that India&nbsp;had violated UN sanctions by aiding&nbsp;North Korea. The report&nbsp;featured in Doha-based Al-Jazeera says that 30 North Korean students had been trained at a research centre run by the Indian government, and&nbsp;that many of these students have gone on to occupy high positions in Pyongyang. 
 
In her article, Bhowmick interviews the North Korean embassy&rsquo;s new first secretary to India, Hong Yong-il, at his South Delhi residence, where he&nbsp;reveals&nbsp;that this was&nbsp;not his first visit to India.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;In 1996, he stayed in the country for nine months, studying a course in remote sensing technology at the Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (CSSTEAP),&rdquo; she writes.&nbsp; 
 
The Centre, located about 155 miles from the Indian capital, is affiliated to the United Nations. The article states that Yong-il was one of its&nbsp;first students from North Korea. 
 
The article reveals that there are two students from North Korea currently training at the centre&nbsp;and one of them is &ldquo;affiliated with the National Aerospace Development Administration&rdquo;. 
 
The article claims that North Korea continued sending scientists and space employees&nbsp;even after the UN issued its 2006 nuclear sanctions that barred countries from imparting technical training to North Korea. Bhowmick&#39;s&nbsp;article&nbsp;says that this came to light in an annual report to the UN&nbsp;Security Council &ldquo;only in March 2016&rdquo;. 
 
&ldquo;The repeated applications&nbsp;by North Korea, the report said, indicates the courses were relevant to its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development programme,&rdquo; the article says.&nbsp; 
 
According to an ANI report, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup has said that the UN panel&nbsp;of experts that deals with the UN sanctions on North Korea has made references in its report to Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea&#39;s (DPRK)&nbsp;participation in courses in CSSTEAP which could&nbsp;have implications for its proscribed activities. 
 
&quot;The report is subjective and based on the limited understanding of the expert(s) who have authored it. India has made its position clear in this regard to the UN Security Council. The topics covered in the courses offered by CSSTEAP are very general and cover basic principles in the respective areas,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;The course material offered to the participants is available in open-source. We believe that these courses are unlikely to contribute in any way to a violation of the various UN sanctions pertaining to Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea. Further, a representative of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UN-OOSA) is a permanent observer in the governing board of the centre. 
 
The advisory committee of the centre, which evaluates and reviews the course curriculum and criterion for the selection of candidates, is chaired by the Director of UN-OOSA,&quot; he added. 
 
Swarup further said that India is aware of its obligations under the UN Charter and has been exemplary in its implementation of UN sanctions, including those related to North Korea. &quot;As a country that has been a victim of proliferation in its extended neighbourhood, it is ridiculous to suggest that India has in any way aided the violation of UN sanctions on DPRK,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with input&nbsp;from ANI)

The external affairs ministry said the report to UNSC mentioned in the Al-Jazeera article was prepared with 'limited understanding'

Amid North Korea’s recent claim it successfully tested a Musudan missile and India’s dream of joining the Nuclear Supplies Group (NSG), the article ‘India’s embarrassing North Korean connection’ by Nilanjana Bhowmick has stirred controversy. The India's MEA or the ministry of external affairs has weighed in to dispute the claims in it, calling the Bhowmick article “baseless” and “without any merit”. Delhi has denied Bhowmick's claim that India had violated UN sanctions by aiding North Korea. The report featured in Doha-based Al-Jazeera says that 30 North Korean students had been trained at a research centre run by the Indian government, and that many of these students have gone on to occupy high positions in Pyongyang. In her article, Bhowmick interviews the North Korean embassy’s new first secretary to India, Hong Yong-il, at his South Delhi residence, where he reveals that this was not his first visit to India. “In 1996, he stayed in the country for nine months, studying a course in remote sensing technology at the Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (CSSTEAP),” she writes. The Centre, located about 155 miles from the Indian capital, is affiliated to the United Nations. The article states that Yong-il was one of its first students from North Korea. The article reveals that there are two students from North Korea currently training at the centre and one of them is “affiliated with the National Aerospace Development Administration”. The article claims that North Korea continued sending scientists and space employees even after the UN issued its 2006 nuclear sanctions that barred countries from imparting technical training to North Korea. Bhowmick's article says that this came to light in an annual report to the UN Security Council “only in March 2016”. “The repeated applications by North Korea, the report said, indicates the courses were relevant to its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development programme,” the article says. According to an ANI report, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup has said that the UN panel of experts that deals with the UN sanctions on North Korea has made references in its report to Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) participation in courses in CSSTEAP which could have implications for its proscribed activities. "The report is subjective and based on the limited understanding of the expert(s) who have authored it. India has made its position clear in this regard to the UN Security Council. The topics covered in the courses offered by CSSTEAP are very general and cover basic principles in the respective areas," he said. "The course material offered to the participants is available in open-source. We believe that these courses are unlikely to contribute in any way to a violation of the various UN sanctions pertaining to Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Further, a representative of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UN-OOSA) is a permanent observer in the governing board of the centre. The advisory committee of the centre, which evaluates and reviews the course curriculum and criterion for the selection of candidates, is chaired by the Director of UN-OOSA," he added. Swarup further said that India is aware of its obligations under the UN Charter and has been exemplary in its implementation of UN sanctions, including those related to North Korea. "As a country that has been a victim of proliferation in its extended neighbourhood, it is ridiculous to suggest that India has in any way aided the violation of UN sanctions on DPRK," he said. (WION with input from ANI)

India denies it helped North Korea in violation of UN sanctions

North Korea appears to be readying another test of a powerful, new medium-range missile, following a series of failures for a ballistic weapons programme that aspires to threaten the US mainland, multiple reports said Tuesday. 
 
Japanese and South Korean media quoted official sources saying that North Korea looked to have deployed a so-called Musudan missile near its east coast. 
 
The North has made four failed attempts this year to test fly the Musudan, which has an estimated range of anywhere between 2,500 and 4,000 kilometres (1,550 to 2,500 miles). 
 
The lower range covers the whole of South Korea and Japan, while the upper range would include US military bases on Guam. 
 
&quot;We have detected signs that the North has deployed what appears to be a Musudan missile,&quot; South Korea&#39;s Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified government official. 
 
Japan&#39;s Kyodo News agency and public broadcaster NHK both cited unidentified sources saying that preparations for a missile launch might be underway. 
 
The defence ministry in Seoul declined to confirm the reports, but said it was &quot;closely monitoring the situation.&quot; 
 
UN resolutions ban North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, even though it regularly fires short-range missiles into the sea off its east coast. 
 
In Tokyo, chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga partially confirmed a Kyodo report that Japan&#39;s military had been ordered to intercept any missile or falling parts that might threaten Japanese territory. 
 
&quot;We ordered the self-defence forces to take necessary steps to protect our people`s lives and property,&quot; Suga said. 
 
First unveiled as an indigenous missile at a military parade in Pyongyang in October 2010, the Musudan has never been successfully flight-tested. 
 
Three failures in April were seen as an embarrassment for the Pyongyang leadership, coming ahead of a rare ruling party congress that was meant to celebrate the country&#39;s achievements. 
? 
The latest attempt in May was also deemed to have failed. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

North Korea had four failed attempts at testing the Musudan missile which has a range of 1,550 to 2,500 miles

North Korea appears to be readying another test of a powerful, new medium-range missile, following a series of failures for a ballistic weapons programme that aspires to threaten the US mainland, multiple reports said Tuesday. Japanese and South Korean media quoted official sources saying that North Korea looked to have deployed a so-called Musudan missile near its east coast. The North has made four failed attempts this year to test fly the Musudan, which has an estimated range of anywhere between 2,500 and 4,000 kilometres (1,550 to 2,500 miles). The lower range covers the whole of South Korea and Japan, while the upper range would include US military bases on Guam. "We have detected signs that the North has deployed what appears to be a Musudan missile," South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified government official. Japan's Kyodo News agency and public broadcaster NHK both cited unidentified sources saying that preparations for a missile launch might be underway. The defence ministry in Seoul declined to confirm the reports, but said it was "closely monitoring the situation." UN resolutions ban North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, even though it regularly fires short-range missiles into the sea off its east coast. In Tokyo, chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga partially confirmed a Kyodo report that Japan's military had been ordered to intercept any missile or falling parts that might threaten Japanese territory. "We ordered the self-defence forces to take necessary steps to protect our people`s lives and property," Suga said. First unveiled as an indigenous missile at a military parade in Pyongyang in October 2010, the Musudan has never been successfully flight-tested. Three failures in April were seen as an embarrassment for the Pyongyang leadership, coming ahead of a rare ruling party congress that was meant to celebrate the country's achievements. ? The latest attempt in May was also deemed to have failed. (AFP)

North Korea prepares to test fire new medium-range missile

North Korea today fired what was believed to be a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile, but appeared to have failed, a media report said. 
 
&quot;The Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea (North Korea) launched a projectile, estimated to have been a Musudan missile, from the Wonsan area. But the launch appeared to have failed,&quot; said South Korea&#39;s Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a&nbsp;Xinhua report, citing&nbsp;Yonhap news agency. 
 
Late on Monday, South Korea&#39;s military confirmed that it was tracking signs of possible ballistic missile launch by North Korea.&nbsp;

North Korea's launch attempt of Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile failed

North Korea today fired what was believed to be a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile, but appeared to have failed, a media report said. "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) launched a projectile, estimated to have been a Musudan missile, from the Wonsan area. But the launch appeared to have failed," said South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a Xinhua report, citing Yonhap news agency. Late on Monday, South Korea's military confirmed that it was tracking signs of possible ballistic missile launch by North Korea.

North Korea's attempted missile launch fails, again

missile

Missile, News on Missile, stories on Missile, articles on Missile, Missile stories at Wion, Missile news, Missile latest news