North Korea test fires latest anti-aircraft missile system
North Korea test-fired its latest anti-aircraft missile system on Thursday at a launch overseen by its leader Kim Jong Un, state media KCNA reported.
Mr Kim thanked the research group for the anti-aircraft missile system which the test-firing showed was “highly reliable” and carried an “advantageous” combat response, the North Korean state media reported.
While KCNA did not directly mention the research groups who helped North Korea develop an anti-aircraft missile system, experts said Pyongyang might be receiving help from Russia, especially as their security ties become increasingly entwined.
This was North Korea’s sixth weapons testing activity this year and coincided with the annual training between the US and South Korean militaries.
After the launch, the North Korean leader also said that the Korean People’s Army will be equipped with another major defence weapon system with laudable combat performance.
The production of the anti-missile defence system has already begun and the test was carried out by North Korea’s missile administration to examine its performance.
The report did not mention where the test was held but said that Mr Kim was joined by members of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.
Photos of the anti-missile defence system test-launch showed a plume from a missile soaring into the sky followed by a mid-air explosion – likely indicating interception of a projectile.
Mr Kim was seen observing the test and smiling in the photographs shared by the KCNA.
North Korea has publicly aided the Ukraine war by sending tens of thousands of its troops to fight alongside Russian troops in Kursk where Ukrainian soldiers launched a daring incursion in August last year, and also shipped heavy weapons including artillery and ballistic missiles.
Russia has, in return, responded to North Korea’s defence demands, says Shin Seung-ki, head of research on North Korea’s military at the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses.
“In the past North Korea has introduced Soviet weapon systems and developed weapons based on them, and it is highly likely that Russia has given correspondingly what North Korea demands because of the strengthening of cooperation,” said Mr Shin.
He also pointed out that while Pyongyang manufactured and developed ballistic missiles on its own, it is far harder to produce interceptor missiles without any external help.
“It’s much more complicated because there’s not just missiles, but a detection and tracking radar, and there’s a command and control system,” Mr Shin said.
Russia had provided North Korea with anti-air missiles and air defence equipment in return for sending troops to support Moscow in its war against Ukraine, according to South Korea’s national security adviser last year. Seoul and Washington have earlier voiced worries about possible Russian transfers of sensitive nuclear and missile technology to North Korea.
This comes as Russian president Vladimir Putin‘s top security adviser Sergei Shoigu reached North Korea on Friday and is set to meet Mr Kim, reported Russia’s TASS news agency.
While the details of the Russian official’s visit to North Korea are not immediately clear, Mr Shoigu’s trip could be related to Mr Kim’s possible trip to Russia, some observers say.
Mr Shoigu, who served as Russia’s defence minister until last May and secretary of the Security Council since then, has earlier made visits to Pyongyang as North Korea allegedly geared up to deploy soldiers to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Bali flights cancelled as volcano erupts sending ash 8km into sky
At least seven international flights from Indonesia’s popular resort island Bali stand cancelled and many were delayed after a volcanic eruption sent ashes more than 8km high into the skies.
Authorities raised the alert status to the highest level after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, one of the twin active stratovolcanoes in East Flores Regency, Indonesia, erupted on Thursday night.
The large-scale eruption of the volcano in East Nusa Tenggara province happened after dozens of smaller ones had been erupting since Monday, the national geological agency said in a statement.
“The ash column was observed grey to black with thick intensity,” Indonesia’s volcanology agency said in a statement.
The mountain erupted for 11 minutes and nine seconds after the eruption began at 11pm on Thursday.
At least one person was injured during evacuations, a disaster mitigation agency spokesperson said, without sharing the details on the size or logistics of the evacuations.
The man from Nurabelen village is believed to be in critical condition after suffering burn injuries from hot gravel or ash, according to Kompas news outlet.
However, there were no reports of damages to the villages around the volcano but residents have been warned of the potential for volcanic mudflow due to heavy rainfall.
Videos on social media showed a towering dark grey ash cloud rising into the sky after a loud explosion startled the residents. People began clearing mounds of grey ash that settled over the rooftops and inside the houses.
Bali‘s Ngurah Rai International Airport said at least “seven international flights had been cancelled” with six of them being Jetstar flights bound for Australia.
Many others, both domestic and international, were delayed, causing chaos among passengers bound to Thailand, Singapore and Australia.
Scoot, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, told CNA that four domestic flights to and from Bali have been retimed.
“Scoot apologises for the inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. We will continue to monitor the situation and will adjust our flight schedule as necessary,” it said.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki is a part of the twin volcano system alongside Mount Lewotobi Perempuan, with their summits less than 2km apart. Standing at 1,584m (5,197ft) above sea level, Laki-Laki, meaning “man” in Indonesian, is the more active of the pair.
Indonesia, situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is home to 130 active volcanoes and is prone to frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
At least nine people were killed and thousands had to be evacuated after the Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano erupted in November last year, pelting nearby villages with hot rocks and lava flows.
A number of homes were burned down, including a convent of Catholic nuns with at least 10,000 people affected by the eruption in Wulanggitang District.
In October 2024, Mount Marapi in West Sumatra erupted, spewing thick ash columns and blanketing nearby villages, though no casualties were reported.
In May, at least 37 people were killed after heavy rains triggered flash flooding that caused cold lava to flow down from Mount Marapi and destroy several nearby homes. Before that, Mount Ruang erupted in April, leading to the evacuation of thousands and raising concerns about potential tsunamis.
Musk’s X sues Modi government over ‘unrestrained censorship’ in India
Elon Musk’s X has sued the Indian government claiming its information technology ministry is unlawfully expanding laws, enabling easy removal of online content and “unrestrained censorship” on the social media platform.
The lawsuit, filed in a court in the southern state of Karnataka on Thursday, challenges the Narendra Modi government’s interpretation of the Information Technology Act.
It alleges that the government uses a parallel mechanism involving the home ministry which bypasses the legal process outlined in the law.
In the lawsuit, dated 5 March, X accuses the IT ministry of asking other government departments to use a website launched by the home ministry for issuing content-blocking orders and of mandating social media platforms to join the website.
This website, X says, creates “an impermissible parallel mechanism” which causes “unrestrained censorship of information in India”.
The social media company argues that this approach using the home ministry’s website contradicts a 2015 ruling by India’s Supreme Court establishing that content can be blocked only via a proper judicial process defined under section 69A of the IT Act.
The Indian government argues that another section of the law – 79(3)(b) – mandates online platforms to remove content when directed by a court or by an official notification within 36 hours. Social media companies can be held accountable for refusing to comply.
X challenges this interpretation, arguing in the lawsuit that this section does not give power to the government to independently block content.
The platform claims that Indian authorities misuse this law to impose arbitrary censorship.
X’s court filings, which are not yet public, were reported first by local media on Thursday.
The case is now expected to be heard on 27 March, after the Karnataka court briefly heard it earlier this week.
Meanwhile, X is reportedly under scrutiny by India’s IT ministry over its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok using slang and abusive language.
IT ministry officials expressed concern over Grok’s use of Hindi slang, India Today reported.
“We are talking to them to find out why it is happening and what the issues are. They are engaging with us,” government sources told the outlet, adding however that no notices have been sent to X yet.
India’s X users have lately been widely engaging with Grok after the chatbot was found passing remarks about the Indian government in a nonchalant manner.
It claimed, for instance, that Rahul Gandhi of the opposition Congress party was more honest than Mr Modi and responded to another user that Modi was a “PR machine, using social media and controlled settings to shape his image”.
“Real impromptu moments? Almost nonexistent,” Grok said.
When one user remarked that India’s Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation could reach Grok following its criticism of the Indian prime minister, it said: “I’m just a truth-seeking AI, not scared of any raids. I called it like I saw it … No bias, just facts!”
The Indian government has reportedly raised concerns about Grok’s responses to X.
Government officials have reportedly sought an explanation from X about Grok’s replies and the data used to train the AI chatbot, CNBC-TV18 reported.
X did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent.
Hong Kong flight makes emergency landing after cabin fire
A Hong Kong Airlines flight made an emergency landing in China’s Fuzhou after a fire broke out midair in an overhead compartment.
The fire in the overhead compartment caused panic among passengers as smoke filled the cabin.
The HX115 flight had taken off from Hangzhou, China, for Hong Kong at 12.20pm on Thursday and landed at the Fuzhou Changle international airport in Fujian province at 2.01pm.
The fire was put out by the flight attendants and none of the 168 passengers or crew members were hurt, the airline said.
The airline said it was assisting passengers and arranging another flight to Hong Kong.
Footage of the incident posted on social media showed cabin crew and some of the passengers trying to extinguish the fire by pouring water from bottles and liquid dripping onto seats.
The pilot could be heard announcing they were aware of the situation and would make a “precautionary landing” in Fuzhou.
According to local media reports, the passengers suspected a power bank in one of the pieces of luggage in an overhead compartment caused the fire. However, the airlines didn’t offer any details about the cause of the fire and Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department said it would follow up on the incident.
Lithium batteries used in devices like laptops, mobile phones, electronic cigarettes and power banks have led to heightened concerns about their safety in recent years.
These batteries can overheat, explode or catch fire if they are damaged, overcharged or have manufacturing defects.
In early March, a Batik Air flight was filled with smoke from a burning power bank minutes before it landed in Bangkok, panicking passengers.
A nearly four-minute clip posted on TikTok showed smoke spreading and filling the cabin space while flight attendants checked overhead baggage compartments for the source.
In January, an Air Busan plane was destroyed after a portable power bank sparked a major fire. Three people sustained minor injuries in the incident at the Gimhae international airport. The South Korean airline later said it would not allow passengers to carry power banks in luggage stored in overhead cabin bins.
Indian city faces curfew as Hindu groups target Muslim emperor’s tomb
An indefinite curfew was declared in Nagpur in the western Indian state of Maharashtra after clashes erupted over demands by Hindu groups to demolish the tomb of a 17th-century Mughal ruler.
A curfew remained in effect for the second consecutive day on Wednesday across 10 police jurisdictions of Nagpur, a day after more than 50 people were detained amid violence sparked by protests against Emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb.
State lawmaker Chandrashekhar Bawankule said 34 police personnel and five civilians were injured during the violence while several houses and vehicles sustained damage.
Senior police officer Ravinder Singal confirmed that at least 50 people had been arrested.
Police earlier said at least 15 officers were injured in the clashes and one of them was in serious condition.
The violence erupted after right-wing Hindu group Vishwa Hindu Parishad burned an effigy of Aurangzeb, demanding that the government raze his tomb in Khuldabad, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, formally called Aurangabad. They claimed the tomb was a reminder of “centuries of oppression, atrocities, and slavery” of Hindus during Muslim rule in India.
The agitation by Hindu groups started after the release of Bollywood film Chhaava, which portrayed Aurangzeb’s execution of a local Hindu king called Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The chief minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, said in the state assembly that “Chhaava has ignited people’s anger against Aurangzeb”.
In Nagpur, tension escalated when rumours spread that a Muslim holy book had been desecrated during the effigy burning. Muslim groups marched near a police station, leading to stone-pelting and attacks by masked individuals carrying weapons.
Mr Fadnavis condemned the violence and ordered strict action. “I have told the police commissioner to take whatever strict steps are necessary,” he said.
He had earlier said the violence looked like it was “a well-planned attack”.
On the second day of the curfew, shops and businesses in central Nagpur remained shut as security was heightened across the city.
Security was also tightened around Aurangzeb’s tomb in Khuldabad town.
Maharashtra’s deputy director general of police, Rashmi Shukla, instructed district police chiefs to watch carefully for even minor incidents that could spark unrest, according to The Indian Express.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad denied involvement in the clashes. The group’s general secretary, Milind Parande, said in a video message that they wanted a Maratha memorial to be built in place of the tomb.
Trump says Musk won’t be briefed on secret China war plan
President Donald Trump has denied claims made in a New York Times report that Elon Musk, his close ally, was scheduled to receive a Pentagon briefing on Friday regarding the military’s strategy for a potential conflict with China.
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said “China will not even be mentioned or discussed” during the Pentagon meeting.
The report was “ridiculous” and “untrue,” he said.
Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon chief, echoed this sentiment in a post on X.
He confirmed that Musk would visit the Pentagon, but said it was “fake news” that Musk would see any top-secret military plans.
The meeting would focus on “innovation, efficiencies, and smarter production,” he said.
A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the New York Times that senior military officials would attend the briefing for Musk at the Pentagon, providing an overview of various topics, including China.
The New York Times report, citing two unnamed US officials, claimed that the briefing would consist of 20 to 30 slides outlining how the US would engage in a conflict with China.
Access to this closely guarded military plan would signify a significant expansion of Musk’s role as a Trump advisor. Musk has been at the forefront of efforts to reduce US government spending.
It would also fuel questions about conflicts of interest for Musk, who as the head of Tesla and SpaceX has business interests in China and with the Pentagon.
However, the Times pointed out that Musk may require access to sensitive military strategies to ensure that proposed budget cuts do not inadvertently affect essential weapons systems vital to the Pentagon’s defence plans, particularly concerning potential conflicts involving China.
The White House has previously said Musk will recuse himself if any conflicts of interest arise between his business dealings and his role in cutting federal government spending.
In a statement to the Times, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said: “The Defense Department is excited to welcome Elon Musk to the Pentagon on Friday. He was invited by Secretary Hegseth and is just visiting.”
Washington and Beijing have had tense relations for years over differences ranging from access to technology, trade tariffs and cybersecurity to TikTok, Taiwan, Hong Kong, human rights and the origins of Covid.
Putin’s security adviser arrives in North Korea amid deepening ties
Russian president Vladimir Putin‘s top security adviser Sergei Shoigu has landed in North Korea and plans to meet its leader Kim Jong Un, the TASS news agency reported on Friday, his latest visit amid dramatic advances in security relations between the two countries.
The TASS report did not provide further details and North Korea’s state media did not report on Mr Shoigu’s arrival.
Mr Shoigu, Russia’s defence minister until last May and secretary of the Security Council since then, had earlier made visits to Pyongyang as North Korea allegedly geared up to deploy soldiers to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine.
American and South Korean officials have claimed that North Korea has deployed nearly 11,000 troops, who were sent into combat in Russia’s Kursk region, and also shipped heavy weapons including artillery and ballistic missiles.
Russian forces have been fighting off a Ukrainian incursion in Kursk since last August and are reportedly close to retaking it.
North Korea is believed to have received military and civilian technology as well as economic assistance from Moscow in return.
Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow has acknowledged Pyongyang’s deployment of troops and weapons in the war against Ukraine but said that they have continued to implement a strategic partnership treaty signed by Mr Putin and Mr Kim in June 2024 that includes a mutual defence pact.
The pact obligates each country to come to the other’s aid in the event of an attack.
Taiwan reveals timeline for potential full-scale China invasion
Taiwan has identified 2027 as a potential timeframe for a full-scale Chinese invasion in its largest annual defence drills amid worsening tensions in cross-strait ties.
Taiwan claims the timeline aligns with the modernisation goals set by Chinese president Xi Jinping, who has repeatedly vowed to achieve “reunification” with Taiwan, by force if necessary.
The warning of a potential Chinese invasion in the next two years came amid Taiwan’s ongoing five-day “rapid response exercise” and its start coincided with China dispatching 59 military planes and other warships to areas near Taiwan.
China dubbed the surprise exercise as a “punishment” for Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te’s continued promotion of “separatism”.
The Taiwanese defence ministry unveiled the timeline in documents released on Tuesday when lawmakers and officials were briefed on the upcoming largest war games simulating an attack by the Chinese military on the annual calendar of Taiwanese forces.
The Han Kuang exercise conducted every summer to practice defence against Chinese invasion has been doubled in length to 10 days, highlighting increased military preparedness this year.
The 2025 exercises will be held from 9-10 July.
Submitting a report to parliament on Wednesday, the ministry said this year’s scenarios would focus on grey-zone harassment designed to test and exhaust Taiwan’s armed forces or any “possible actions of the Chinese Communist military’s invasion of Taiwan in 2027”.
“For the People’s Liberation Army, turning drills into an attack doesn’t take as much time as we imagined in the past,” defence minister Wellington Koo told parliament in answer to lawmakers’ questions.
“(We) must be able to gather crucial signs of alerts and prepare for the worst from the enemy.”
The ministry’s rapid-response exercise would be based on its intelligence and threat assessments, Mr Koo added.
Taiwan held a five-day “rapid response exercise” from Monday which the defence ministry said was to boost “readiness and response capabilities”.
This drill will be held twice a year at “unscheduled” times based on their assessment of “the intensity” of China’s military exercises, Mr Koo told parliament.
“This is part of realistic combat training, sharpening commanders’ decision-making and unit capabilities,” Mr Koo said.
Beijing on Monday warned Taiwan against “its own destruction” as 54 Chinese military planes and drones were spotted near the island.
Taiwan’s security officials said Beijing is attempting to normalise drills near Taiwan as it has been carrying out such patrols near the island every 7-10 days on average.
It came after President Lai labelled China a “foreign hostile force” and said Taipei had “no choice but to take even more proactive measures”.
He then announced a series of new national security measures, including the reinstatement of a military court system and stricter residency criteria for individuals from China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
Mr Lai said Taiwan would restore the military court system to “allow military judges to return to the frontline… to handle criminal cases involving active-duty military personnel” in a bid to stop China from attacking the island.
Chinese authorities responded by calling Mr Lai a “destroyer of cross-straits peace” and a “creator of crisis”.