INDEPENDENT 2024-11-01 12:11:01


North Korea conducts longest test of intercontinental missile yet

North Korea tested an advanced intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday amid Western concerns about Pyongyang receiving weapons technology from Russia in return for allegedly sending soldiers to fight in Ukraine.

Pyongyang confirmed the launch, the first in nearly a year, a few hours after neighbours South Korea and Japan detected the firing of what they suspected was a new, more agile weapon capable of targeting mainland US, in a bid to grab American attention ahead of next week’s presidential election.

The test was ordered by leader Kim Jong-un and the missile flew longer than ever before, the country’s official news agency KCNA reported.

South Korea said it was the longest ballistic missile test by the North with a flight time of 87 minutes. The missile took off on a sharply lofted trajectory from near Pyongyang and splashed down about 200km west of Japan’s Okushiri island, off Hokkaido.

Japan said the missile climbed high into the atmosphere and flew a distance of 1,000km, reportedly setting new records of the country’s missile capabilities.

Mr Kim was present for the test and called it a warning to enemies “threatening the country’s security”.

“The test fire is an appropriate military action that fully meets the purpose of informing the rivals,” the North Korean leader was quoted as saying by KCNA.

The test was conducted after the US claimed that North Korea had sent over 10,000 soldiers to Russia and about 3,000 of them were close to the frontline in Ukraine.

It came just hours after US defence secretary Lloyd Austin and his South Korean counterpart Kim Yong-hyun met in Washington and condemned the North’s alleged troop deployment in Russia.

The lofted trajectory of the missile flying at a sharply raised angle was intended to test its thrust and stability over much shorter distances relative to the designed range, partly for safety and partly to avoid the political fallout of sending a weapon far into the Pacific.

“I affirm that the DPRK will never change its line of bolstering up its nuclear forces,” Mr Kim said in comments reported by KCNA, referring to the country by its formal name of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The US criticised the test as “a flagrant violation” of multiple UN Security Council resolutions that “needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilising the security situation in the region”.

US national security council spokesman Sean Savett said Washington would take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and its South Korean and Japanese allies.

North Korea was sanctioned by the security council in 2006 and the measures were steadily strengthened over the years with the aim of halting its development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

South Korea and Japan denounced the launch as a threat to international peace and said they were coordinating with the US. The South’s joint chiefs of staff spokesperson Lee Sung Joon said the test was possibly timed to the American election in an attempt to strengthen Pyongyang’s future bargaining power.

Mr Lee said South Korea and the US planned to conduct “sufficient bilateral military exercises, and trilateral ones involving Japan, in response to North Korean threats”.

North Korea’s last intercontinental ballistic missile, Hwasong-18, was tested in December 2023. Fuelled by solid propellant and fired from a road launcher, it shot up at a sharply raised angle and flew for 73 minutes, translating to a potential range of almost 15,000km on a normal trajectory.

Mother sits for hours with head of son decapitated over land dispute

A woman in northern India sat with her teenage son’s severed head in her lap for hours after the boy was decapitated over a land dispute.

Anurag Yadav, 17, was allegedly struck with a sword by a relative during a fight over a four-decade-old land dispute at a village in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh state, police said.

The fight erupted when a man identified as Ramesh Yadav began clearing grass from the disputed land ahead of the Hindu festival of Diwali, superintendent of police Ajaypal Sharma told news agency PTI.

When confronted by the boy, Mr Yadav attacked him with a “sword and decapitated him”.

“This incident stems from a land dispute that has been ongoing between two parties for 40-45 years,” Mr Sharma said.

Mr Yadav went absconding but police arrested his father.

They also filed a case against six people, including the father and son, in connection with the beheading.

A video published on social media purportedly showed the bereaved mother wailing while holding her son’s decapitated head in her lap. She sat surrounded by other women of the village who tried to console her.

Jaunpur’s district magistrate condemned the act as “heinous” and assured strict action against the accused. He said RA Chauhan, the additional district magistrate, had been asked to submit a report of the magisterial inquiry in the next three days.

The slain teenager was a college student and a skilled Taekwondo player. He had secured bronze and silver medals in recent local competitions, according to media reports.

Akhilesh Yadav, leader of the opposition Samajwadi Party, condemned the violence and alleged that there was no law and order in Uttar Pradesh anymore.

Couple arrested after woman found dead near waterfall in Hong Kong

A married couple have been arrested in Hong Kong for the suspected murder of a domestic worker whose body was discovered near a waterfall on Monday.

Police detained the 34-year-old foreigner with a Hong Kong identity card and his 36-year-old Hong Kong-born wife on Tuesday afternoon. They are suspected in the murder of the 25-year-old Southeast Asian domestic worker whose body was found at the Waterfall Bay Park near Aberdeen early on Monday, reported the Hong Kong Free Press.

The man is accused of murder while the wife faces charges of allegedly aiding in his attempt to evade the law.

The victim had visible wounds on her forehead, back of the head and limbs, but her clothes and belongings remained untouched, police superintendent Sin Kwok-ming was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post.

An initial autopsy concluded that she likely sustained trauma from a hard object and subsequently drowned, reported the outlet.

Investigators said the victim arrived at the park with the male suspect at around 11pm on Sunday in a taxi.

They went to the top of the waterfall where, roughly half an hour later, the man left abruptly, again by taxi.

Police identified the man and dispatched a squad to his home in Ap Lei Chau. By the time they arrived, however, the man and his wife had crossed into mainland China.

They were arrested upon their return to Hong Kong, at the West Kowloon railway station around 5pm on Tuesday.

Police confirmed the male suspect was known to the victim, although details about the nature of their relationship, the sequence of events and potential motives were still under investigation.

Police are awaiting a toxicology report to determine drug usage, reported the South China Morning Post.

Mr Sin said police suspected the man due to his conduct. “A lot of things about him were unreasonable,” he was quoted as saying by the Hong Kong Free Press. He elaborated that the man neither reported the incident nor stayed in Hong Kong and “some evidence had also disappeared for no reason”.

“All these circumstances suggest that this is not a case of natural death,” the superintendent said. The couple remain in custody as police carry out the investigation.

South Korea may send team to Ukraine to monitor North Korean troops

South Korea has said it is considering sending a military team to Ukraine to monitor the expected deployment of North Korean troops on the frontlines by Russia.

North Korea has sent some 11,000 soldiers to Russia and over 3,000 of them have been moved close to the frontlines, Reuters quoted an unnamed South Korean official as saying.

The official said North Korea will gain military knowledge from its troops helping the Russian war effort which poses a military threat to South Korea. “So it is incumbent upon us to analyse and monitor the activities of North Korean troops against our ally, Ukraine,” the official added.

South Korea’s spy agency said last week the North has deployed 3,000 soldiers to Russia’s far east for training, with plans to send 12,000 troops in total.

On Wednesday, the Pentagon said the North has sent 10,000 troops to its ally and some of them are reportedly heading to Kursk to join Russian forces in fighting the Ukraine invasion of the border region.

This came barely hours after Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said that North Korean military units were already in Kursk.

“Today, I can confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia and that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk region,” Mr Rutte said.

The deployment of North Korean troops to Kursk is “also a sign of Putin’s growing desperation”, he added, referring to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol said the deployment of the North Korean troop has been quicker than expected and caused a dangerous situation, his office reported, relaying remarks made during a phone call with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Mr Trudeau said the deployment of North Korean troops is likely to escalate the conflict and greatly impact the security situation in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, according to Mr Yoon’s office.

North Korean soldiers are being incorporated into Russian military units and given Russian uniforms to try to hide their identities, South Korea’s presidential official said, adding that issues like language barriers may be slowing their entry into battle.

South Korea and the US have raised alarm over North Korea sending troops to join the Russian war in Ukraine, likely in return for technology that could advance Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

Russia and North Korea initially denied these allegations but later adopted a vaguer stance, stating that their military cooperation conforms with international law.

Mr Putin sidestepped questions about the North deploying troops, saying: “This is our sovereign decision.”

“Whether we use it or not, where, how, or whether we engage in exercises, training, or transfer some experience. It’s our business,” he told reporters.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that North Korean officers and technical personnel have been spotted in Russian-occupied territories but did not specify when.

“I believe they sent officers first to assess the situation before deploying troops,” Mr Zelensky said, warning that the participation of a third country could escalate the conflict into a world war.

Mr Zelensky also claimed, without providing details, that his government has intelligence that around 10,000 soldiers from North Korea are being prepared to join the Russian forces fighting in his country.

North Korea beefs up Kim Jong-un security due to assassination threat

North Korea is beefing up security around leader Kim Jong-un, likely for fear of assassination, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service informed lawmakers on Tuesday.

The upgrade includes deploying communication jammers and considering drone detection systems, Yonhap news agency reported.

The spy agency said that Mr Kim’s public appearances have significantly increased this year, up by about 60 per cent from last year.

It did not mention any specific threats against Mr Kim, however.

The spy agency further reported that North Korea has stopped using its “juche” calendar—a year-numbering system honouring its late founder Kim Il-sung—and is intensifying efforts to solidify Mr Kim’s role as the country’s sole leader.

Mr Kim’s daughter Kim Ju-ae appears to have seen an elevation in status, the agency added, noting her recent public appearances, including one where she was accompanied by Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of the leader.

The news of enhanced security for Mr Kim came soon after the Pentagon reported on Monday that North Korea had sent about 10,000 soldiers for training to Russia and some of them were advancing towards the Ukrainian frontlines to support the Russian war forces against Kyiv.

South Korea and the US have expressed concerns about reports suggesting North Korea may be sending troops to support Russia in its war, potentially in exchange for technology that could enhance Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and missile capabilities.

Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said on Monday that some North Korean military units were already in the Kursk border region, where Russia has been fighting off an incursion by the Ukrainian forces.

This follows Russian president Vladimir Putin’s June visit to Pyongyang where he and Mr Kim signed a mutual assistance pact strengthening diplomatic and diplomatic ties.

In phone calls with European commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Mr Rutte, South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol shared intelligence assessments indicating that North Korean troops could reach the frontlines “more quickly than anticipated”.

He called for strengthened coordination with European governments aimed at “monitoring and blocking” any illicit exchanges between Pyongyang and Moscow, according to a statement from his office.

Meanwhile, South Korean officials warned on Tuesday that North Korea may launch an intercontinental ballistic missile as early as November, potentially coinciding with the US presidential election.

What made iconic Aboriginal Australian weapons so deadly?

A first-of-its-kind study has finally revealed how Indigenous Australians delivered deadly strikes with their two iconic weapons.

The research, published in the journal Scientific Reports last week, shows how Aboriginal Australians deployed the kodj and the leangle.

Kodj is an indigenous invention that is part hammer, part axe and part poking weapon, and its design is likely thousands of years old. The leangle is a fighting club with a hooked striking head that is used along with a parrying shield, both typically carved from hardwood.

Researchers at Griffith University in Australia used modern biomechanics technology to determine where the striking power of these weapons comes from, and what makes their ancient designs so deadly.

For the study, Larry Blight, an Indigenous Menang Noongar man from Western Australia, made a kodj using wattle wood for the handle and a sharpened stone for the blade.

The leangle and parrying shield were made from hardwood by Brendan Kennedy and Trevor Kirby from Wadi Wadi Country.

The researchers used wearable instruments to track human and weapon movement, including shoulder, elbow and wrist motions, as well as the power generated during kodj and leangle strikes.

They then studied the kind of coordinated movement and energy expenditure needed by humans to use these weapons effectively.

“We present the world’s first evaluation of striking biomechanics and human and weapon efficiency regarding this class of implement,” they said in the study.

The leangle was found to be far more effective at delivering devastating blows than the kodj, which the researchers said was an easier-to-manoeuvre multi-functional tool but still capable of delivering severe blows.

“There were no previous studies describing human and weapon efficiency when striking with a handheld weapon, so we were starting from scratch,” study co-author Laura Diamond said.

“Although the design is critical for weapon efficiency, it is the human who must deliver the deadly strike.”

The findings also shed more light on archaeological evidence of ancient interpersonal violence documented over the years in Australia.

Such evidence mainly comprises fossil human skulls with depressions or “parrying fractures” to arm bones above the wrist.

These injuries are akin to what one might get while defending against weapons similar to the ones used in this experiment, scientists said.

They said they hope the methods employed in the study can be used to analyse the striking physics of other archaic weapons from other parts of the world.

Village with low population places dolls to ease loneliness

With fewer than 60 people living in the Japanese village ofIchinono, and a majority past retirement age, residents have installed handcrafted stuffed mannequins to recreate the once bustling community.

According to data from the internal affairs ministry, only one baby was born in Ichinono in the last two decades.

The youngest member of the village is two-year-old Kuranosuke, who came to the village in 2021 with his parents, Rie Kato, 33, and Toshiki Kato, 31. The couple chose to move to the rural area from Osaka because of the sense of community, which they found lacking in the city.

The Katos stand in stark reflection to the youth of Ichinono, who were encouraged by parents to move to the city to pursue better opportunities for education, jobs, and then marriage. The youth moved to the cities, but never returned.

“We were afraid they would become unmarriageable if they remained stuck in a remote place like this. Out they went, and they never came back, getting jobs elsewhere. We’re now paying the price,” 88-year-old widow Hisayo Yamazaki told AFP.

“We’re probably outnumbered by puppets,” she added.

The puppets, all handcrafted by residents, are placed on swings or bikes, positioned as if they are pushing a cart of firewood, or prepare to work in the fields, an eerie replica of what families must have once done.

“If the village is left as it is now, the only thing that awaits us is extinction,” said 74-year-old Ichiro Sawayama, head of Ichinono’s governing body.

Ichinono is one of more than 20,000 communities in Japan where a majority of the residents are aged 65 and above, underscoring the formidable task ahead of the country as it sees a rapidly declining birth rate.

Preliminary government data released earlier this year showed that the number of babies born in Japan fell for an eighth straight year to a fresh record low in 2023. The number of births fell 5.1 per cent from a year earlier to 758,631, while the number of marriages slid 5.9 per cent to 489,281.

In 2023, Japan recorded more than twice as many deaths as new babies.

This is the first time in 90 years the number fell below 500,000, foreboding a further decline in the population as out-of-wedlock births are rare in Japan.

“The declining birthrate is in a critical situation,” chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in February. “The next six years or so until 2030, when the number of young people will rapidly decline, will be the last chance to reverse the trend.”

The declining birth rate has left the island nation grappling with a diminishing workforce, which may have significant implications for funding pensions and healthcare services, especially as demands from an ageing population continue to rise.

Approximately 36.23 million individuals in Japan were aged 65 or older as of 15 September 2023, according to government data. This represents a record-breaking 29.1 per cent of the total population – marking a 0.1-point increase from the previous year.

The statistics were released by Japan’s internal affairs ministry on the eve of “Respect-for-the-Aged Day”, a public holiday celebrated across Japan on 18 September.

Japan’s population will likely decline by about 30 per cent to 87 million by 2070, with four out of every 10 people aged 65 or older, according to estimates by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

The government has launched various initiatives to combat the declining birth rate, including financial incentives for couples to have children, expanded childcare facilities, and even a state-backed dating app in Tokyo that uses AI to match singles.

The decline in birth rates is a growing issue in East Asia, with neighbouring South Korea and China facing similar challenges, as they are faced with the daunting task of motivating young individuals to have more children, even as they grapple with the rising cost of living and mounting social discontent.

Last year, South Korea set a new record for the lowest fertility rate in the world, while China’s population shrank for the first time since the 1960s early this year.

As Japan’s government tries to figure out a way out of the crisis, the Katos in Ichinono don’t seem too worried about their son’s lack of playmates.

The village head calls the toddler “our pride”, while Yamazaki said he is “practically my great-grandchild – such a sweet thing”.

“Just by being born here, our son benefits from the love, support and hope of so many people — even though he has achieved absolutely nothing in life yet,” said his father Toshiki.

Seoul to spend over £3bn to help residents raise children

The Seoul city government plans to invest 6.7 trillion won (£3.7bn) over the next two years to boost the South Korean capital’s birth rate through housing support and household subsidies.

The initiative comes as Seoul’s birth rate shows signs of recovery, with a 6.6 per cent increase in newborns from April to August compared to the previous year, according to officials cited by Yonhap news agency.

The new investment plan is nearly double the money spent by the city government over the past two years, the officials added.

The South Korean government has been working to develop solutions to tackle the country’s birth rate crisis. In 2023, the rate dropped to 0.72 children per woman, the lowest in the world.

The latest plan includes providing 5,000 long-term rental homes for newlyweds, monthly housing subsidies for parents without homes, and financial assistance for couples to help with wedding and furnishing costs.

The project’s first phase supported caregivers with financial aid for infertility treatments and easier access to social benefits for larger families. In the newly announced second phase, the city will add 35 initiatives, totalling 87 policies.

A key part of the initiative supports non-homeowner newlyweds and prospective parents with a housing subsidy totalling 720,000 won (£400) over two years. Starting in January 2025, this aid will ease financial pressures that deter family growth, initially helping 1,380 families and expanding to 4,140 by 2026, officials said.

According to the new plan, the city will raise the rental deposit loan limit for newlyweds from 200m to 300m won (£111,370 to £167055), with interest rate support extended for 10 years, The Korea Herald reported.

In addition, long-term lease apartments will be given, including 1,000 units in 2024 and 4,000 units per year from 2026 in places like Dunchon-dong in Gangdong-gu.

Seoul will offer a 100,000 won (£55.70) monthly allowance to employees covering for colleagues on parental leave, aiming to foster a supportive work culture, local media reported.

To address income gaps during maternity leave, the city will pay up to 900,000 won (£501) for the last 30 days of the 90-day leave period, which employers don’t typically cover.

Starting in 2025, Seoul will extend maternity and paternity leave support to freelancers and solo entrepreneurs, providing 900,000 (£501) won to pregnant self-employed women and 800,000 won (£445) to self-employed individuals with pregnant spouses.

Struggling newlyweds will receive up to a million won (£557) for wedding and home furnishing costs, benefiting over 20,000 couples in 2025.

To support family-friendly spaces, the city will expand its Seoul Kids Cafe network by 400 locations by 2026 and establish early-morning childcare centres in all 25 districts, allowing parents to drop off children before school.

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