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US nuke-powered submarine arrives in South Korea

A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine on Tuesday arrived at the southern port of Busan, South Korea, amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula, YTN television reported. The USS Michigan guided-missile submarine has already arrived at Busan, the South Korean military was quoted as saying. The broadcaster did not elaborate on the exact time of its arrival. Although the nuclear submarine is not supposed to participate in any drills or military operations, its call would send a meaningful message to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said the YTN. At a national meeting held Monday, the DPRK again warned the United States that it would stage preemptive nuclear strikes against American forces. The USS Michigan is one of four Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines loaded with nuclear missiles. The 170-meter-long, 18,000-ton submarine can carry as many as 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of some 1,600 km. The Michigan's call

Part of THAAD elements deployed in South Korea

Part of the elements of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system has been deployed in southeastern South Korea, Seoul's defense ministry said Wednesday. Without elaborating, the ministry said in a statement that part of the THAAD battery was installed in the site in a bid to secure an initial operational capability without any separate construction of facilities. Seoul and Washington agreed in July last year to deploy one THAAD battery by the end of this year. The site was changed in September last year into a golf course, which Lotte Group had owned, at Soseong-ri village in Seongju county, South Gyeongsang province. On March 6, two mobile launchers and part of the elements were delivered by a U.S. transport airplane to a U.S. military base in South Korea. Since then, other THAAD elements had been secretly transported to the U.S. bases in South Korea's port city of Busan, Osan city near Seoul and Camp Carro

Putin urges Russian navy to prioritize nuclear force buildup

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday demanded the Russian navy to prioritize the development of strategic nuclear forces and modernize its weaponry. " As of the end of 2016, the share of modern weapons and equipment in the navy was about 47 percent ... The rate should be raised to 70 percent by 2020, " Putin said at a meeting of the Military Industry Commission, according to a Kremlin statement. According to him, the Russian navy should prioritize the development of strategic nuclear forces, modern weaponry and supporting infrastructure. " Russia should ensure the presence of its naval forces in all strategically important areas of the world oceans, " said Putin. Source: http://china.org.cn/world/2017-04/25/content_40693909.htm

ISIS ‘apologized’ to Israel for November clash

In a shocking revelation, former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon (Likud), who served from 2013 until mid-2016, revealed that the November gunbattle between Israeli troops and ISIS forces along the Golan frontier, materially the only significant fight between the two sides, was followed up with an ISIS “apology.” Being ISIS generally speaking means never having to say you’re sorry, and the group has no real allies so it generally doesn’t come up. That ISIS felt the need to apologize to Israel for the brief clash, which had no Israeli casualties, speaks volumes about the group’s position. Ya’alon revealed this apology in the context of comments about Israel’s policy in Syria, and its repeated airstrikes against Syrian military targets whenever any cross-border fire is reported has led Syria to repeatedly complain that Israel is a de facto ally of the rebels. It appears ISIS may see things this way too, at least for now. Despite ISIS making public sta

EU on the verge of collapse

The recent triggering of Article 50 of the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty by the United Kingdom has formally set into motion the process of Britain’s departure from the EU, an action that is in line with the result of last June’s referendum, where 52 percent of British voters chose to leave the union. Europe is now faced with the prospect of a turbulent period ahead, with the upcoming French presidential elections and the possibility of a victory for populist candidate Marine Le Pen, as well as snap parliamentary elections declared in the UK, German elections in September, a rising tide of Euroscepticism across the continent and the process of Brexit now formally put into motion. Economist Roger Bootle, chairman of Capital Economics in London and specialist adviser to the British House of Commons Treasury Committee, is the lead author of the report “Leaving the euro: a practical guide,” which was awarded the prestigious Wolfson Prize in Economics in 2012. The r