International News
North Korea: Kim Jong Un Orders Military To Prepare For Possible War
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has escalated tensions with fresh threats of a potential nuclear strike on Seoul and a directive for a significant buildup of the country’s military.
In a lengthy speech concluding five days of crucial year-end party meetings shaping North Korea’s policy decisions for 2024, Kim Jong Un directed scathing remarks toward the United States.
These meetings revealed a blueprint for extensive military development in the upcoming year, as outlined by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Plans include launching three new spy satellites, advancing unmanned drone technology, enhancing electronic warfare capabilities, and fortifying the nation’s nuclear and missile forces.
Following the meeting, Kim Jong Un accused the United States of presenting “various types of military threat.
He directed North Korea’s armed forces to uphold an “overwhelming war response capability,” emphasizing readiness in the face of perceived threats from the United States.
Kim said “It is a “fait accompli that a war can break out at any time on the Korean peninsula due to reckless moves by the enemies to invade us.”
In an attempt to dissuade Pyongyang, Washington recently deployed a nuclear-powered submarine in the South Korean port city of Busan and engaged in joint drills with Seoul and Tokyo, involving long-range bombers.
The North has previously condemned the deployment of Washington’s strategic weapons, like B-52 bombers, in joint exercises on the Korean peninsula, labeling them as “intentional nuclear war provocative moves.”
Kim said “We must respond quickly to a possible nuclear crisis and continue to accelerate preparations to pacify the entire territory of South Korea by mobilising all physical means and forces, including nuclear force, in case of emergency.”
During the meeting, Kim Jong Un declared a shift in strategy, stating that North Korea would no longer pursue reconciliation or reunification with South Korea.
He attributed the ongoing “persisting uncontrollable crisis situation” to actions taken by Seoul and Washington.
Inter-Korean relations have reached a nadir this year, aggravated by Pyongyang’s spy satellite launch, leading Seoul to partially suspend a 2018 military agreement designed to ease tensions between the two nations.
“I believe that it is a mistake that we should no longer make to consider the people who declare us as the ‘main enemy’… as a counterpart for reconciliation and unification,” KCNA cited Kim as saying.
Kim Jong Un has directed the formulation of plans to restructure departments handling cross-border affairs, aiming to “fundamentally shift the direction.”
Leif Easley, an international relations professor at Ewha University in Seoul, suggested that North Korea’s emphasis on its “significant military capabilities” might be a strategic move to divert attention from its poor economic performance this year.
Easley highlighted that much of the content published by state-controlled media constitutes recycled propaganda.
He remarked that Pyongyang’s aggressive rhetoric likely serves purposes beyond deterrence, potentially involving domestic politics and international influence.
Having declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear power last year, Pyongyang has consistently reiterated its refusal to abandon its nuclear program, considering it vital for the regime’s survival.
Since its initial nuclear test in 2006, the United Nations Security Council has issued numerous resolutions urging North Korea to cease its nuclear and ballistic missile programs
Pope Francis will on Sunday be discharged from Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he has been receiving treatment since February 14 for breathing difficulties and pneumonia.
The 88-year-old pontiff will return to his residence at Saint Martha’s House in the Vatican, where doctors have advised that he undergo “a long convalescence… of at least two months.”
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Dr. Sergio Alfieri explained that while the pope’s health is improving, further recovery is best achieved at home.
READ ALSO: Pope Francis’ Condition Improving, Says Vatican
“Further progress will take place at his home, because a hospital — even if this seems strange — is the worst place to recover because it’s where one can contract more infections,” Alfieri said.
Dr. Luca Carbone, another physician at Gemelli, added that there are positive signs in the pope’s condition. “We hope that he will soon be able to resume his normal activities,” he stated.
Before leaving the hospital, Pope Francis is expected to greet the public and offer a blessing from a hospital balcony after the Angelus prayers on Sunday, marking his first appearance in weeks.
Speculation about a possible resignation has been circulating due to the pope’s prolonged absence from public duties, but Vatican officials have firmly denied such claims.
When asked if the topic had been discussed, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin was clear in his response: “No, no, no, absolutely not.”
The pope, who had part of a lung removed in his youth, has received an outpouring of prayers and well-wishes from Catholics worldwide.
Supporters have been gathering outside Gemelli hospital, leaving flowers, candles, and messages of encouragement.
His hospitalization, the longest of his papacy has led to questions about how Easter celebrations will be handled in his absence.
However, Vatican officials remain optimistic about his gradual return to his duties in the coming weeks.
A Memphis man was accidentally shot by his own dog after the pet jumped onto his bed and triggered a loaded firearm, police confirmed on Wednesday.
The incident occurred early Monday morning while the man was asleep alongside his female partner.
According to police reports, the couple’s one-year-old pit bull, Oreo, inadvertently discharged the weapon after getting its paw stuck in the trigger guard.
READ ALSO: Nigerian Woman Mauled To Death By Stray Dogs In Italy
The bullet grazed the man’s left thigh, causing a minor injury that was treated at a local hospital.
The victim’s girlfriend, who spoke to Fox 13 Memphis, described Oreo as a playful dog and recounted the shocking moment the firearm discharged.
“The dog is a playful dog, and he likes to jump around and stuff like that, and it just went off,” she said. Reflecting on the incident, she added: “Keep the safety on or use a trigger lock.”
Police have classified the case as an “accidental injury” and have not disclosed the type of firearm involved.
Although gun-related incidents are frequent in the United States, cases involving animals firing weapons are rare.
In a similar case in 2023, a Kansas man was killed when his German shepherd stepped on a hunting rifle.
A comparable incident in 2018 saw an Iowa man accidentally shot in the leg by his pit bull-Labrador mix.
Authorities are using the Memphis case as a reminder of firearm safety, urging gun owners to secure their weapons properly to prevent unintended discharges.
A deadly measles outbreak in the southwestern United States has claimed two lives and infected at least 228 people, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a travel advisory.
The outbreak has hit Texas the hardest, with 198 reported cases, while New Mexico has confirmed 30.
READ MORE: Rivers communities lose 50 children to measles
Health officials say both fatalities involved unvaccinated individuals—a child in Texas and an adult in New Mexico who tested positive for measles posthumously.
The CDC has classified both as measles-related deaths.
As the outbreak continues to grow, the CDC is warning that more cases are likely. In a recent Health Alert Network advisory, the agency urged healthcare professionals and public health officials to take precautions.
“With the spring and summer travel season approaching in the United States, CDC emphasizes the important role that clinicians and public health officials play in preventing the spread of measles,” the advisory stated.
“They should be vigilant for cases of febrile rash illness that meet the measles case definition and share effective measles prevention strategies, including vaccination guidance for international travelers.”
Measles, a highly contagious disease, spreads through respiratory droplets and can remain airborne for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area.
It causes fever, respiratory symptoms, and a characteristic rash but can also lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, brain inflammation, and death.
Despite the effectiveness of the measles vaccine—providing 93% immunity after one dose and 97% after two—vaccination rates in the U.S. have been on the decline.
The CDC recommends a 95% immunization rate for herd immunity, but coverage among kindergartners fell to 92.7% in the 2023-2024 school year.
The outbreak’s epicenter is in a west Texas county with a large Mennonite community known for vaccine hesitancy.
Religious exemptions have been rising nationwide, contributing to lower immunization rates.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who previously promoted discredited claims linking the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism, has recently shifted his stance.
While he now encourages vaccination, he also continues to advocate for alternative treatments like vitamin A and steroids.
Health experts warn that emphasizing such treatments could divert attention from the urgent need to improve immunization coverage.
The last measles-related death in the U.S. occurred in 2015, when a Washington state woman with a suppressed immune system died from virus-induced pneumonia. Before that, the previous fatality was recorded in 2003.
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