North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a ceremony to commemorate the transfer of a new-type tactical ballistic missile weapon system, which serves as the “pivot military hardware” in the armed forces, state media reported on Monday.

Kim attended the ceremony, which took place on Sunday, showcasing 250 new-type tactical ballistic missile launchers to front-line military units, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim also delivered a speech, stating that an important task specified in the practical guidelines for bolstering military strength, decided at the 8th WPK Congress, has been successfully carried out, reports Yonhap news agency, quoting KCNA.

The report did not provide further details on the new system or where the inspection took place.

Photos released by the KCNA suggest that the transferred weapon system is the ‘Hwasong-11’ launcher, which is expected to be deployed in the military demarcation line area with South Korea.

Kim recently said the US-led alliance has changed into a military bloc based on nuclear power, using it as a rationale for strengthening the country’s military capabilities.

In Sunday’s speech, the North Korean leader again blamed the US for creating various types of threats that forced his country to enhance its military capabilities.

Kim also mentioned that the US will remain a hostile nation for generations, hinting at the regime’s commitment to bolstering its military capabilities, regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election in November.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, refuted Kim’s repeated remarks about strengthening military power due to US threat.

“The primary reason for the threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is North Korea’s illegal development of nuclear weapons and missiles, which directly threatens both South Korea and the world,” Koo Byoung-sam, spokesperson at the ministry, said during a regular briefing.

South Korea’s military said intelligence authorities from the South and the United States have continuously tracked and monitored the North’s weapons development and said the new weapons will likely be used to threaten the South.

“We assess they will be utilised for various means, such as attacking or threatening the South,” Col. Lee Sung-joon, spokesperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a regular press briefing, noting how the deployment of the missile launchers near the border area suggests they are intended for close-range launches.

The latest event comes as North Korea has been mostly focusing on beefing up its short- and intermediate-range missile capabilities this year with the test launch of short-range ballistic missiles, strategic cruise missiles and hypersonic missiles.

Observers say that it remains to be seen whether the North, which has been struggling with scarce resources amid international sanctions over its weapons development, can secure enough parts to manufacture missiles for the new launchers.

The ceremony also comes as the North appears to have suffered from recent floods. The North’s border city of Sinuiju and Uiju County in North Pyongan Province were recently pummeled by heavy rains. South Korean media outlets have reported that the number of those who died or went missing could exceed 1,000.

Kim noted that the event comes at a time when the entire country is engaged in recovery efforts from flood damage, the KCNA said.

Other KCNA photos also showed Kim’s daughter, Ju-ae, attending the event, making her first public appearance in nearly three months.

South Korean lawmakers earlier said the younger Kim is being groomed to succeed her father, though the selection is not final and he could ultimately choose someone else, quoting the National Intelligence Service.

The South Korean spy agency made the report to the parliamentary intelligence committee last month, saying North Korea has suggested Ju-ae is a strong candidate to succeed her father by adjusting the frequency of her public appearances to gauge public sentiment, Rep. Lee Seong-kweun of the ruling People Power Party and Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party said during a press briefing. AGENCIES

Families of the victims of the deadly 2020 Beirut port blasts have commemorated the fourth anniversary of the incident with two marches in downtown Beirut and a gathering in front of the port’s silos.

Several families gave speeches that stressed the necessity of completing the investigation, issuing an indictment in the case, and naming those responsible for the blasts, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

A few politicians, party representatives, members of civil society organisations, and hundreds of Lebanese citizens took part in the commemoration activities, raising pictures of the victims and slogans demanding justice and accountability for those involved.

They also raised a huge Lebanese flag that bears the signatures of hundreds of citizens calling for the truth about the incident to be revealed.

At 6:07 p.m. local time, the participants observed a minute of silence, accompanied by the ringing of nearby church bells and the sirens of ships anchored in the port, all in tribute to the victims.

The Beirut port was rocked by two massive explosions on August 4, 2020, which killed more than 200 people, injured thousands, and destroyed around 50,000 housing units. The material losses were estimated at $15 billion. AGENCIES

The Libyan Foreign Ministry condemned a deadly attack launched by the al-Shabab extremist group on a beachside hotel in Somalia’s capital.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expresses the strong condemnation and denunciation of the State of Libya to the terrorist attack that targeted a hotel in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, which killed and injured dozens,” it said in a statement on Sunday.

The ministry also said that these acts are against humanity, reports Xinhua news agency.

“We reiterate Libya’s firm position to reject and renounce violence and terrorism of all forms, stressing that such acts are against international laws and humanitarian and moral values,” it said.

At least 35 people were killed and 126 others were injured in a suicide bombing and gun attack on a beachside hotel in Mogadishu on Friday night.

The al-Shabab extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack on their official radio. AGENCIES

For close to a century now, the Middle East has been a restive and volatile region with inter-state conflicts a regular feature till the 1990s before the strife morphed into intra-state clashes, with some rare exceptions. However, in 2024, the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the Israeli-Lebanese border is threatening to widen into a larger war in the wake of the Tehran assassination.

The assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, a few hours after he attended the inauguration ceremony of President Masoud Pezeshkian, has left the Iranian regime threatening Israel, which it blames for the incident, with “harsh punishment.”

The situation has been further exacerbated with the Hezbollah in Lebanon also vowing vengeance for the simultaneous assassination of its top operative Fuad Shukr in a Beirut airstrike.

However, there has been only plenty of hot rhetoric so far from Iran, which is seeking to bolster support from Arab nations and other countries before its planned strike — with the Jordanian Foreign Minister in Tehran on Sunday for discussions — as well as ratchet up apprehension in Israel.

As part of these mind games, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Organisation’s former chief Hossein Taeb on Sunday claimed that Iran’s retaliatory response is going to “surprise” Israel.

Addressing a cultural event in Mashhad, he said that the operation that Iran has designed to take revenge will be “surprising” and won’t fall within the framework of the scenarios it can predict.

Significantly, in the discussion on the assassination in the UN Security Council, Iran’s Permanent Representative Amir Saeid Iravani, reserving his country’s “inherent right to self-defence in accordance with international law,” noted that it would respond when “it deems necessary and appropriate.”

The situation is thus different from April when Iran launched a massive drone and missile strike on Israel in response to the attack on its consulate in Syria that left some senior Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) officials dead. Jordan was then among the nations that swung into action to repel the attack — or the part that was in its airspace.

The attack was reportedly intimated to the US and other powers through third parties, but this time, the perceived provocation is bigger, and thus, liable to trigger a larger Iranian retaliation, which is likely to involve its “Axis of Resistance” allies like Hezbollah and the Houthis too.

With the US taking no chances, and rushing additional forces to the region, the situation has become more dire and any miscalculation in strike and response may have consequences that go beyond ostensibly well-calibrated strategies of Generals and politicians in the planning boards and meetings.

Meanwhile, the implications of the assassination are going to have implications that will be more pervasive, long-lasting, and largely negative.

Negotiations for a truce in Gaza are more or less stymied given the absence of Haniyeh, one of the key negotiators for Hamas, as well as the reluctance of Egypt and Qatar, the lead facilitators for the negotiations, to associate themselves further in the process in view of such “reckless” behaviour targeting the participants.

In Israel, the beleaguered Benjamin Netanyahu government can exult in the welcome optics of netting a brace of high-profile Hamas and Hezbollah targets, but will face more problems in the long run with more intractable — and invisible — foes to confront.

With Haniyeh, considered a pragmatist, if not moderate, and open to political solutions, no more there, the Hamas mantle could switch back to shadowy — and more unrestrained — figures like Yahya Sinwar, perceived as the mastermind of the October 7, 2023 attacks, or other leaders, who may be more unpredictable.

Haniyeh is likely to be replaced as political bureau chief with his predecessor, the more hawkish Khaled Meshal, himself the target of a bungled Israeli assassination plot decades back, and who has already staked out a maximalist position by refusing to recognise Israel.

On the larger canvas, the US, which has rushed reinforcements, will have to keep its attention and energy focussed on the Middle East – a situation that will be welcomed by geopolitical rivals China and Russia, as the US continues to be involved, or rather stuck, in the region’s volatile vortex, and will find it difficult to concentrate forces elsewhere.

Finally, the impact of a larger war in the oil-producing hub if all the sabre-rattling, and the retaliation and counter-retaliation, go out of control, could wreak havoc for the world, with the impact on production and transport of fuel supplies, given the chokepoints on both sides of the Arabian peninsula.

The consequences of any misstep by actors — regional or global — are too horrible to contemplate even as the prospects of a diplomatic settlement appear remote. AGENCIES

  Mongolia has reported two new cases of measles and one suspected case, according to the country’s Health Ministry on Monday.

The Asian country declared an outbreak of the disease on August 1, following the confirmation of measles in a 47-year-old Mongolian citizen who had recently returned from abroad, Xinhua news agency reported.

Of the three confirmed cases so far, two were imported, and one was locally transmitted, the health ministry said in a statement.

The country’s State Emergency Commission has directed the ministry to activate disaster prevention protocols, expedite surveillance and response measures, and ensure comprehensive monitoring, immunisation, and preparedness.

Mongolians are advised to follow public health measures to protect themselves, their families, and the community from further spread of the disease.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease transmitted by respiratory droplets and direct contact. Common complications include fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat and inflamed eyes. The disease can be prevented by immunisation.

There is no specific treatment for measles, and most people recover within two to three weeks. AGENCIES

Mongolia attracted a total of 436,617 foreign tourists in the first seven months of this year, the country’s Ministry of Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth reported on Monday.

During the period, Russia, China and South Korea were Mongolia’s top sources of tourist arrivals, the ministry noted in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

Around 30 per cent of the total tourists visited the country in the past month alone.

To diversify its economy, which is heavily reliant on the export-oriented mining sector, Mongolia has been implementing measures to promote tourism.

As part of the efforts to promote the tourism sector, the Asian country has declared 2023-2025 as “Years to Visit Mongolia,” with a target of attracting at least 1 million foreign tourists per year.

Last year, Mongolia attracted over 650,000 foreign tourists and earned $1.2 billion from the tourism sector, marking an all-time high. AGENCIES

The first test flight of New Zealand’s first Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules military transport aircraft was conducted over Georgia and Alabama in the United States, the country’s Defence Ministry revealed on Monday.

This is the first of the five Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules planned to be inducted into the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), replacing the existing C-130 Hercules fleet which has been in operation for over 60 years.

“The new C-130J Hercules has significant enhanced operational capabilities and ensures the Defence Force will be well-equipped with a modern, safe, powerful and fit-for-purpose airlift capability,” said Sarah Minson, Deputy Secretary Capability Delivery at New Zealand’s Ministry of Defence.

The NZDF stated that the second Hercules is also not far behind the first on the Lockheed Martin factory floor, and will undergo its first test flight once it emerges from the paint shop.

The new fleet is being procured as part of a New Zealand Foreign Military Sales process worth $1.521 billion and the joint project team working to procure the aircraft is made up of the country’s Ministry of Defence staff and New Zealand Defence Force personnel.

“The existing Hercules fleet has long been an essential first response option for the New Zealand Defence Force, whether deployed on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, on supply missions to Antarctica, or to conflict zones like Afghanistan and East Timor,” the ministry mentioned. AGENCIES

Sri Lanka’s Immigration Department has reverted to issuing on-arrival visas at the points of entry, and airport after the Supreme Court suspended a controversial deal outsourcing online visa issuing to a tripartite joint venture, including an Indian company.

Issuing of online visas for visitors to the island nation ground to a halt when the Supreme Court on Friday suspended the agreement signed by the Sri Lanka Immigration Department with three parties — Singapore-registered GBS Technology Services, the UAE-registered IVS Global-FZCO and the Dubai-headquartered VFS VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd.

Though now based in Dubai, VFS was originally founded in India and the majority of the company is owned by an American investment firm, Blackstone.

Sri Lanka’s Opposition had charged that the government had amassed $10 million from the controversial deal which was diverted to the upcoming election campaign. However, the government denied the allegation.

The country’s apex court issued the suspension until the final hearing of several fundamental rights petitions filed by three lawmakers and Translation International Sri Lanka (TISL), among others.

The petitioners had charged that the procedural violations and abuse of public trust had been caused by officials in the procurement of private entities to handle the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system for issuing visas to tourists visiting Sri Lanka.

They claimed the deal had affected the tourism industry, national economy and national security.

The petitioners had cited the Public Security Minister, the Controller General of Immigration, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, GBS Technology Services & IVS Global-FZCO, VFS VF Worldwide Holdings LTD, the Cabinet of Sri Lanka and the Attorney General.

While suspending the operation of foreign companies from issuing online visas, the Supreme Court had ordered the Immigration Department to return to the ETA system that was there before last April run by a local company Mobitel, which provided the service for one dollar.

Depending on the visa category, VFS Global was charging different prices, from $10 to much more.

However, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles has told the media that the ETA system run by Mobitel cannot be restored as many changes have been introduced. There were changes in laws which were passed in the Parliament. AGENCIES

The nationwide heat wave has led to a surge in the number of patients with heat-related illnesses to 1,546 while causing the deaths of over 257,000 livestock, the interior ministry said on Monday.

The previous day, temperatures in Yeoju, 64 kilometres southeast of Seoul, reached 40 degrees Celsius, marking the first time since 2018, which was recorded as the hottest year on record, reports Yonhap news agency.

The Interior Ministry said that the total number of patients with heat-related illnesses from May 20 to last Saturday reached 1,546 — 10 more than last year’s figure.

During the period, 11 people died from illnesses caused by extreme heat.

The heat wave also killed 257,483 livestock from July 11 to last Saturday, including 235,880 poultry.

Additionally, 5,867 flatfish from six fish farms died due to the heat.

The weather agency has said that the current heat wave is expected to continue for at least another 10 days, with daytime temperatures remaining above average, ranging from 30 degrees C to 36 degrees C across the country.

Last week, the interior ministry issued its highest heat wave warning of “serious” and upgraded its response posture to Level 1, also the highest level.

The ministry has advised people to avoid outdoor activities between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. and seek cool places if they feel dizzy, nauseous or have a headache. AGENCIES

Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) on Sunday refuted claims of a famine at Zamzam, one of the largest camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North Darfur State of western Sudan.

“What was stated in the report of the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) has nothing to do with the truth,” the HAC said in a statement.

“A report by the HAC in North Darfur State on August 3 indicated that a joint visit by the concerned government agencies and some international organisations to Zamzam camp on July 23 revealed the stability of the humanitarian situation there,” it said.

“The HAC denies these allegations and stresses that the shortage of food and humanitarian aid at these sites and camps is mainly due to the siege imposed by the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the ongoing artillery shelling by this militia on health facilities and IDP centres and camps,” reports Xinhua news agency, quoting the HAC.

It stressed that talking about famine in these camps is not consistent with the criteria and conditions necessary for declaring a famine.

On Thursday, the FEWS NET, an analysis agency monitoring food security worldwide, announced in an alert that famine was ongoing in the Zamzam camp.

Meanwhile, the United Nations said famine was prevalent in some areas of war-torn Sudan and would continue through the next two months.

The country’s two warring parties, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF have traded accusations over the responsibility for the famine.

Since May 10, fierce clashes have been raging in El Fasher, the capital city of Sudan’s North Darfur State.

The World Food Programme has previously warned that the ongoing war in Sudan between the SAF and the RSF “risks triggering the world’s largest hunger crisis.”

Sudan has been witnessing a deadly conflict between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, 2023, resulting in the loss of at least 16,650 lives. An estimated 10.7 million people are now internally displaced in Sudan, with approximately 2.2 million others seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, according to the UN data. AGENCIES