North Korea conducted a test launch of two types of strategic cruise missiles launched from submarines, according to what North Korea's Central News Agency reported on Thursday.
The agency stated that the missiles were launched on Wednesday towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, without “any negative impact on the security of neighboring countries.”
This comes after weeks of escalating tension following the explosion of a landmine along the heavily fortified border separating North and South Korea, according to what Agence France-Presse reported.
Three South Korean soldiers were injured in the September 21 explosion in the Seoul-controlled area within the demilitarized zone, and the two countries subsequently tested improved missile technologies.
The Korean Central News Agency stated that the latest test “aimed to verify the current operational readiness of underwater combat systems,” and that it also came within the framework of naval exercises.
She added that the tests demonstrated “the high reliability and capabilities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s means of military deterrence.”
North Korea has conducted several missile launches from submarines in recent years, but its capabilities to launch from the sea remain unclear.
Pyongyang's possession of a proven ability to launch missiles from submarines would take North Korea's arsenal to a new level, and would also enable its deployment outside the Korean Peninsula.
The Indian youth-led Kokroch Janata (Cockroaches) Party said on Wednesday that a court had ordered two of its leaders to be imprisoned for five days, after they climbed, on Tuesday, barriers to enter a historic site famous for organizing protests there, and chanted slogans demanding the resignation of the Chief of the Election Commission.
This imprisonment risks sparking fresh protests from party supporters at a time when opposition groups and student bodies are holding almost daily demonstrations demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner; Due to amendments to the voter lists, critics said they served the interests of the Bharatiya Janata Party led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after millions of names were deleted.
The Electoral Commission denied favoring any party, and said that “voters who were mistakenly removed can re-register themselves.” The Bharatiya Janata Party accused its rivals of trying to undermine democracy by questioning legitimate electoral processes.
He was the leader of the party; Ashutosh Ranka and Sourav Das were among about 10 people who jumped barriers on Tuesday to enter the open-air Jantar Mantar observatory in New Delhi's central business district.
Police said this week that the site, previously designated for demonstrations, was no longer an official protest venue.
Their lawyer, Abhisht Hilla, told reporters that Ranka and Das were sent to prison for several reasons. Among them is a violation of a pledge they made to the authorities upon their release from a previous detention at the weekend.
He added: “Delhi Police said that they violated the pledge, and that they may do so again... and that what they did constitutes a violation of the law.”
Party leader Ajinkya Shinde, who was released on a personal recognizance, said the party would not be “afraid” of its leaders being jailed. He added: “We will put an end to this dictatorial government.”
Tokyo intends to summon the Russian ambassador to Japan after Moscow arrested a Japanese journalist, several Japanese media outlets reported on Wednesday, amid severe tension between the two countries.
The Asahi TV network reported that the Foreign Ministry would summon Ambassador Nikolai Nozdrev to demand the immediate release of the journalist who was arrested in Russia on suspicion of espionage, while Kyodo News Agency reported that the ministry would urge Moscow to ensure fair treatment for him and share information about him.
On Tuesday, the Russian Federal Security Service announced the arrest of a Japanese journalist on suspicion of involvement in espionage activities, by collecting information about Russian defense capabilities on Sakhalin Island, located in the far east of the country.
Later, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the journalist is Yuki Imai from the Hokkaido Shimbun newspaper, explaining that he was accredited to the ministry, but he is currently accused of “practicing espionage activities on Russian territory.”
“It is unfortunate that Tokyo is trying to use its correspondents in Russia... to collect information aimed at undermining the security of our state,” Zakharova said, adding that this is “not an isolated case.”
Russian media reported that he was placed in pretrial detention until December 12.
In recent years, Russia has arrested a number of citizens of countries it classifies as “unfriendly,” accusing them of working for Western intelligence services.
The journalist, who has a license from the Russian Foreign Ministry to work in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the administrative capital of the Sakhalin region, is accused of spying for “one of the Japanese special security services,” according to TASS.
These charges carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Russian-Japanese relations are witnessing sharp tensions, especially against the backdrop of the disputed islands between the two countries in the Far East, which were controlled by the Soviet army during World War II in 1945.
