North Korea’s Continental Interballistic Missile Launches AFP 07/12/2023
South Korea’s armed forces reported that North Korea this Saturday (22) fired several cruise missiles toward the Yellow Sea (called the West Sea by the two Koreas), in what could mean a response to the United States dispatching a nuclear submarine to the region.
South Korean and American intelligence agencies analyzing the shootings said they took place around 4 a.m. (Seoul; 4 p.m. on Friday 21 in Brasilia), South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement.
The launches came three days after North Korea launched two shortrange ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan (which both call Korea’s East Sea), another apparent response to the submarine’s presence and the holding of the first South KoreaUS Nuclear Advisory Council (NCG) meeting.
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“Our forces have increased their vigilance while working closely with the United States and maintaining a firm standby posture,” the JCS said in the statement, adding that it is closely monitoring all further North activities.
Following this week’s first NCG meeting, US National Security Council IndoPacific Region Coordinator Kurt Campbell announced the arrival in Busan (350 km southeast of Seoul) of the USS Kentucky, a ballisticmissile submarine capable of using nuclear and atomic energy (SSBN) and the first of its kind to visit South Korea in about 40 years.
Both the creation of the NCG and the deployment of the submarine were decided in April with the signing of the Washington Declaration by the Presidents of the USA and South Korea, Joe Biden and Yoon Sukyeol.
In the document, the US pledged to strengthen the socalled “enhanced deterrence” it intends to use to protect its ally and prevent Pyongyang from continuing to develop weapons of mass destruction.
Today’s launch also came after a US soldier crossed the border into North Korea, where he is currently being held, during a tourist trip on Wednesday.
READ MORE: Photos: Brutal heatwave punishes Northern Hemisphere citizens
Summer has just begun in the northern hemisphere and people in this part of the world are already suffering from brutal heat waves. In the United States and several countries in Europe, searing temperatures are highlighting the dangers of climate change. Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
According to government website heat.gov, more than 100 million people in the United States are under heat warning. Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California are all expecting potentially hazardous conditions with record temperatures in the coming days, the US National Weather Service (NWS) has warned. Location: Houston, Texas
In Europe the situation is no different. Last summer, high temperatures, one of the deadliest weather events, killed 60,000 people on the mainland alone. Location: Seville, city in the region of Andalusia in Spain
The vast majority of deaths occurred in people over the age of 80. Mortality was 63% higher in women. Location: Seville, city in region of Andalusia, Spain
By country, Italy was the country that had the greatest impact in summer 2022 with 18,010 deaths, followed by Spain (11,324), Germany (8,173) and France (4,807 deaths). Location: Rome, capital of Italy
In the coming days, the thermometers on the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia in the Mediterranean could reach up to 48 °C. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), these are “potentially the highest temperatures ever recorded in Europe” Location: Rome, capital of Italy
The WMO has warned that surface temperatures in the Mediterranean will be “extremely high in the coming days”. Marine heatwaves have devastating effects on the species living there, on their survival and migration, and can also have negative impacts on fisheries. Location: PalavaslesFlots, commune in France
Greece, another European country hit by high temperatures, is expected to exceed 40°C. In 2022, the country experienced its worst heatwave in 35 years, with highs of 43°C. Location: Nafplion, tourist town in Greece, about 200 kilometers from Athens
This Friday (14) the Greek Ministry of Culture announced that the Acropolis, the country’s most visited monument, has to remain closed during the hottest hours of the day for the second consecutive year.