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
Tanzania is mourning following the death of Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who died on Monday while receiving treatment at a hospital in Zanzibar.
The death of Tanzania’s First Gentleman was officially announced by Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi, according to the BBC.
Ndejembi said Ameir had been suffering from a heart condition and died at about 8am local time at the Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital in Zanzibar.
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He added that funeral arrangements were underway in Kizimkazi, a village on Zanzibar.
Ameir, an agricultural academic, largely kept a low public profile and rarely appeared alongside his wife at official events.
He became Tanzania’s first First Gentleman after Samia assumed the presidency in March 2021.
The couple married in 1978, before Samia entered national politics, and had four children — three sons and a daughter.
Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, is a politician and serves in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives.
Ruto, AU mourn First Gentleman
Kenyan President William Ruto expressed his condolences to President Samia and her family following the death.
In a message posted on X on Monday, Ruto said, “I have received with deep sorrow the news of the passing of Hafidh Ameir Hassan, husband of Her Excellency Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania.”
He added, “President Samia has lost a lifelong companion, her children a beloved father, and Tanzania a distinguished son.”
Ruto further said, “Kenya stands with our Tanzanian brothers and sisters in this moment of grief,” while praying for the bereaved family.
The African Union Commission Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, also extended his condolences to President Samia, her family and the people of Tanzania.
In a statement issued on Monday, Youssouf said the AU conveyed its “deepest condolences” over the passing of Hafidh Ameir Hassan and wished the bereaved family “strength, courage and solace.”
The AU Chairperson also prayed for the peaceful repose of the deceased, concluding, “Inalilahi wainailehi rajiun.”
The average price of diesel in the United States has climbed to a record high, adding to growing pressure on businesses and consumers as disruptions to fuel supplies continue amid the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), diesel prices reached a new record on Monday, rising by about 30 cents from the average recorded just one week earlier.
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Diesel is widely used in road transportation, agriculture and construction, making the sharp increase a major concern for truckers, farmers and other businesses that rely heavily on the fuel.
The latest surge comes as the ongoing conflict has disrupted tanker shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, contributing to tighter fuel supplies and higher energy costs.
Diesel prices have risen substantially compared with a year ago, when the national average stood at $3.71 per gallon.
The increase is putting additional financial pressure on farmers and trucking companies, which may eventually pass higher operating costs on to consumers.
The rise in diesel prices is also adding to broader concerns over the cost of living in the United States and could pose a political challenge for President Donald Trump ahead of the November midterm congressional elections.
Meanwhile, average regular gasoline prices also rose significantly, reaching $4.15 per gallon on Monday, compared with $3.20 a year earlier.
Fuel prices were even higher in some western states, with regular gasoline averaging $5.86 per gallon in California and $4.54 in Arizona, according to AAA.
The continued increase in fuel costs comes as millions of Americans travel during the Labor Day holiday period, potentially placing further pressure on household and business budgets.
At least 11 people, including six children, have died after a fire swept through a market and surrounding buildings in Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region.
The deadly blaze broke out shortly after midnight on Monday in Paniai, Central Papua province, and quickly spread to several tightly packed shophouses and structures in the area.
SEE ALSO: Panic as Fire Razes 12 Shops in Kwara Shopping Complex
According to local police spokesman Henry J. Manurung, firefighters battled the inferno for more than three hours before eventually bringing it under control.
“During the inspection, officers found 11 victims who had died with burn injuries,” Manurung said in a statement.
He said five of the victims were adults, while the other six were children aged between two and nine years.
The fire destroyed at least 40 kiosks and houses despite the deployment of fire trucks and water cannons by emergency responders.
Manurung said the tightly packed arrangement of the houses and market stalls contributed to the rapid spread of the flames and made firefighting operations more difficult.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the deadly fire.
The incident adds to a series of deadly fires recorded in Indonesia in recent years.
In December, 22 people were killed when fire swept through a seven-storey office building in Central Jakarta. Police said an exploding drone battery on the ground floor was the likely cause.
In 2023, an explosion at a nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia also claimed at least 12 lives.
The latest tragedy has left the Paniai community mourning as authorities continue efforts to establish what triggered the devastating blaze.
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