South Korea’s military confirmed yesterday a joint naval exercise with the US aimed at showcasing its military strength had been postponed because of an approaching typhoon. The five-day drill, which was scheduled to begin yesterday and run through Thursday, had been delayed and new dates had not yet been set, a spokesman for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
“There will be no exercise activities today due to the nearing Typhoon Malou, and we will soon announce a new date to start the drill,” he said.
The latest maneuvers are part of a flurry of military drills staged by Seoul — either alone or with the US — as a show of force against North Korea after its alleged attack on a South Korean warship. Seoul and Washington, citing a multinational investigation, accused Pyongyang of torpedoing the Cheonan in March and killing 46 sailors.
RETALIATION
The North vehemently denies the charge and threatened retaliation over military drills staged near the tense inter-Korea sea border, calling them a prelude for invasion.
The upcoming naval drill in the Yellow Sea off the west coast is due to involve two guided-missile destroyers, an ocean surveillance ship, a fast-attack submarine and P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft from the US military.
South Korea will mobilize four destroyers, at least one frigate, P-3Cs and a submarine, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Friday, adding that a total of 1,700 personnel from the two countries would take part.
STRONG WINDS
South Korea’s weather forecaster said Malou, advancing northwards from Okinawa, was expected to hit the Korean Peninsula around tomorrow night, warning of strong winds and high waves.
Five people were killed when Typhoon Kompasu hammered South Korea last week, causing power outages at tens of thousands of homes and forcing airlines to cancel or divert domestic and international flights.
SEEKING CHANGE: A hospital worker said she did not vote in previous elections, but ‘now I can see that maybe my vote can change the system and the country’ Voting closed yesterday across the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific nation’s first general election since the government switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing and struck a secret security pact that has raised fears of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the region. The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Esther Maeluma cast her vote in the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was