China and Russia promise ‘countermeasures’ against a US-Korean missile defense system

China and Russia have expressed concern about a US plan to deploy an antimissile system in South Korea and vowed to take unspecified “countermeasures,” state media reported. The countermeasures “will be aimed at safeguarding interests of China and Russia and the strategic balance in the region,” China’s state news service Xinhua said on January 13. “China and Russia urged the United States and South Korea to address their security concerns and stop the deployment of [the antimissile system] on the Korean Peninsula,” Xinhua said.

Trump’s choice for top US diplomat talks tough on China

Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. questions Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson during the committee’s confirmation hearing Tillerson, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washi… WASHINGTON – Pointing toward possible confrontation, Donald Trump’s selection for secretary of state likened Beijing’s island-building in the South China Sea to a takeover of another country’s territory and spoke of forcing Beijing to fully apply sanctions on North Korea.

Trump’s choice for top US diplomat talks tough on China

Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. questions Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson during the committee’s confirmation hearing Tillerson, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, on Capitol Hill in Washi… WASHINGTON – Pointing toward possible confrontation, Donald Trump’s selection for secretary of state likened Beijing’s island-building in the South China Sea to a takeover of another country’s territory and spoke of forcing Beijing to fully apply sanctions on North Korea.

U.S. blacklists North Korean officials over rights abuses

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guides the 3rd Meeting of Activists of the Korean People’s Army in the Movement for Winning the Title of O Jung Hup-led 7th Regiment in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency in Pyongyang on August… The U.S. Treasury Department has added seven senior North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, to its sanctions list because of human rights abuses and censorship by the communist nation.

NK leader’s public activity in decline since 2013: data

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s public activity has been on the decline since 2013 as he is seen to have established his power base, reducing the need to show his presence publicly, a Seoul government official said Tuesday. The North’s leader conducted public activities on 132 occasions in 2016, down 14 percent from the previous year, according to the data compiled by South Korea’s unification ministry.

US, North Korea trade warnings over potential ICBM test

With Donald Trump getting ready to take office as president, North Korea is talking about launching a newly perfected intercontinental ballistic missile. Officials in Washington are saying that if Pyongyang launches anything that threatens the territory of the U.S. or its allies, it will be shot down.

24 Apache helicopters to be deployed in Korea by Feb

US Forces Korea plans to deploy 24 Apache helicopters to South Korea by next month to better counter growing threats from North Korea, military officials said Monday. As part of a scheduled rotational deployment, the 24 AH-64D Apache heavy attack helicopters will gradually replace the 30 OH-58D Kiowa Warrior observation and light attack choppers by early February, the USFK and the Ministry of National Defense said in a joint statement.

N Korea claims it can test launch ICBM ‘anytime and anywhere’

North Korea says it can test launch an intercontinental ballistic missile at any time from any location set by leader Kim Jong-un, blaming what it calls “hostile United States policy” for its arms development. “The ICBM will be launched anytime and anywhere determined by the supreme headquarters of the DPRK ,” an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency.

Carter: US ready to defend against North Korean nukes

The United States is ready to defend itself and its allies against North Korean nuclear weapons, outgoing Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “We’ve deployed missile defenses in South Korea, Japan, Guam and, of course, we have 28,500 troops there today,” he said.

Pentagon: The US can protect its allies from North Korean nukes

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un provides field guidance at the newly built National Space Development General Satellite Control and Command Centre in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency in Pyongyang May 3, 2015. The US Defense Department, reacting to North Korea’s statement that it plans to test an intercontinental ballistic missile, said on Tuesday it was confident in its ability to protect U.S. allies and the U.S. homeland from threats from Pyongyang.

North Korea first ladiy Ri Sol Ju not as powerful as Kim Jong Un’s sister

North Korea ‘s first lady is known for her lavish lifestyle and her appearances alongside her husband Kim Jong Un . But according to Thae Yong Ho, the senior North Korean diplomat who fled Pyongyang’s embassy in London, Ri Sol Ju’s status as a “commoner” in North Korea’s classification system means she is not quite in a position to hold influence over Kim’s important decisions, South Korean news network MBN reported Tuesday.

Not lovin’ it! Cardinal voices outrage after a McDonald’s store…

Mayhem at airports as immigration system inexplicably crashes – causing huge lines and hours of disruption on one of the busiest travel days of the year, but officials dismiss suggestion of hacking Four young siblings are killed and a further six relatives are hospitalized by poisonous gas from MOUSE PESTICIDE sprayed under their home Don’t drop your life for your partner, avoid talking about your ex and NEVER become clingy: The six things you shouldn’t do if you want your relationship to last the distance United Airlines employee is found trapped in a plane’s baggage hold after a flight from North Carolina to Virginia So what DID happen the night George Michael died? Tweets about suicide. Rumors of drug abuse.

Trump on North Korea ICBM: ‘It won’t happen!’

“North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US,” Trump tweeted. “It won’t happen!” Kim Jong-Un announced on Sunday that North Korea is in “final stages” of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile .

State Department to North Korea: Refrain from provocations

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Anna Richey-Allen on Sunday warned North Korea against provocations, after the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, said his country was close to performing a test launch on an intercontinental ballistic missile . During a televised New Year’s Day speech, Kim said, “We are in the final stages of test-launching the intercontinental ballistic missile… Research and development of cutting edge arms equipment is actively progressing and ICBM rocket test launch preparation is in its last stage.”

Reality Bites

This is a bigger deal than it may look. The past 25 years of world politics have rested on a series of polite fictions, agreed-upon conventions and hypocritical pretenses: That we had a policy to end the North Korean nuclear drive ; That Europe was becoming a great posthistorical power based on the mighty engine of the euro; That the two-state solution was just a settlement freeze away; That international institutions and civil society were replacing national governments at the center of world politics; That immigration was a no-brainer; That the progress toward free trade was inexorable; That democracy was irresistibly on the march; and so on.

N. Korea: Developing long-range missiles ‘in final stages’

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is quoted as saying in a New Year’s message that his country’s development of banned long-range missiles is in “final stages.” Under Kim, who rose to power following his father’s death in 2011, North Korea has seen steady progress in its nuclear and missile programs, including two nuclear tests this year.

AP Photos: People around the world ring in 2017

Revelers around the world have been welcoming 2017 with crackling fireworks displays and loud cheering, saying goodbye to a year filled with political surprises, prolonged conflicts and the deaths of several beloved performers. The people of Sydney were treated to a glittering display over their famed harbor and bridge that honored the singer David Bowie and actor Gene Wilder, who both passed away in 2016.

Cyber-warfare comes of age

In an intriguing and significant development in the deepening confusion around what’s permitted and forbidden to states in cyberspace, the White House yesterday issued sanctions against Russia via Executive Order 13694, ominously entitled “Taking Additional Steps to Address the National Emergency with respect to Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities.” The Order is being called the most severe imposition of US sanctions on Russia since the end of the Cold War.

North Korea issues guidelines to prevent spread of H5N6 bird flu

The North Korean government is increasingly concerned over the growing avian influenza epidemic in East Asia, state-run media indicatedon Thursday. But preventive methods issuedby media remain primitive, suggesting that an outbreakof H7N9 avian flu – which has a 40 percent fatality rate – in the country could have a disastrous effect.

N. Korea purges 340 during 5-year rule of Kim Jong-un: think tank

North Korea has purged a total of 340 people since leader Kim Jong-un took control of the communist country in 2011, an indication that Kim is continuing his reign of terror to consolidate his power, according to a white paper released Thursday by a state-run think tank. The white paper published by the Institute for National Security Strategy, a think tank run by the National Intelligence Service, revealed that Kim has committed flagrantly inhumane acts by removing senior officials, including his once-powerful uncle Jang Song-thaek, who was executed in 2013 for treason, and residents in an apparent attempt to secure his grip on power.

Pivots Instead of Policies in International Affairs

Recently, we see the “pivot” as a mechanism of foreign policy that is growing in significance. The pivot has become the swift adjustment of foreign policy priorities and alignments by individual countries within the context of the dominant multilateral approach of the post-WWII world.

N. Korea plans nuclear push in 2017, says defector

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is planning a “prime time” nuclear weapons push in 2017 to take advantage of leadership transitions in South Korea and the United States, a high-ranking defector said Tuesday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un delivers a speech to top delegates of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang In his first press conference since fleeing his post as North Korea’s deputy ambassador to Britain in August, Thae Yong-Ho said Kim had issued a directive at a rare ruling party congress in May to “complete” nuclear development by the end of next year.

North Korea Says US Should Expect ‘Imminent War’ Over Sanctions

North Korean military participate in the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, in this undated photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency in Pyongyang on October 12, 2015. REUTERS/KCNA/File Photo Pyongyang is threatening “imminent war” in response to the latest batch of sanctions brought against it by the United Nations.

Old papers shed new light on South Korea deal with Lockheed Martin

Letters to former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il from South Korean President Park Geun -hye are shedding light on how Park navigated inter-Korea relations during her years as a lawmaker. The letters and draft documents, obtained by South Korean magazine Weekly Kyunghyang in March and October, are being considered again from a different perspective in the wake of the political scandal that has culminated in Park’s impeachment and the trial of her influential friend Choi Soon-sil.

Old papers shed new light on South Korea deal with Lockheed Martin

Letters to former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il from South Korean President Park Geun -hye are shedding light on how Park navigated inter-Korea relations during her years as a lawmaker. The letters and draft documents, obtained by South Korean magazine Weekly Kyunghyang in March and October, are being considered again from a different perspective in the wake of the political scandal that has culminated in Park’s impeachment and the trial of her influential friend Choi Soon-sil.

Friend of South Korea’s Park denies charges on first day of trial

Choi Soon-sil, a long-time friend of South Korean President Park Geun-hye who is at the center of the South Korean political scandal involving Park, arrives for her first court hearing in Seoul, South Korea, December 19, 2016. Korea Pool/via Choi Soon-sil , a long-time friend of South Korean President Park Geun-hye who is at the center of the South Korean political scandal involving Park, arrives for her first court hearing in Seoul, South Korea, December 19, 2016.

Russian military plane crashes in Siberia, 23 hospitalized: agencies

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday that one of its planes had crashed in northeast Siberia, but that nobody had been killed in the accident, Russian news agencies reported. The Defence Ministry Ilyushin Il-18 aircraft made an emergency landing 30 kilometers from an airfield near the town of Tiksi in the Sakha Republic at 4:45 a.m. local time, the TASS news agency reported.

Former U.N. chief Ban unaware of details of U.S. bribery charges against relatives: spokesman

Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is unaware of the circumstances surrounding bribery charges laid by U.S. prosecutors against two of his relatives, Ban’s spokesman Lee Do-woon told reporters on Wednesday. Ban’s brother and nephew have been indicted on U.S. charges that they engaged in a scheme to bribe a Middle Eastern official in connection with the attempted $800 million sale of a building complex in Vietnam.