N Korea detains three over warship launch accident, says state media
North Korea has detained three people over an accident that occurred during the launch of a new warship this past week, state media reported.
Pyongyang has said that "a serious accident occurred" at Wednesday's launch ceremony in the eastern port city of Chongjin for a newly built 5,000-ton naval destroyer, in which sections of the bottom of the vessel were crushed.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called the mishap a "criminal act caused by absolute carelessness".
Those detained are Kang Jong Chol, the chief engineer at the Chongjin shipyard; Han Kyong Hak, head of the hull construction workshop; and Kim Yong Hak, deputy manager for administrative affairs, the Korean Central News Agency reported.
The KCNA report said the three were "responsible for the accident".
On Friday, KCNA reported that shipyard manager Hong Kil Ho had been summoned by law enforcement.
South Korea's military said US and Seoul intelligence authorities assessed that North Korea's "side-launch attempt" of the ship failed, and the vessel was left listing in the water.
KCNA, however, reported that an "underwater and internal inspection of the warship confirmed that, unlike the initial announcement, there were no holes made at the warship's bottom", calling the extent of the damage "not serious".
Based on its size and scale, the South Korean military said the newly built warship is believed to be similarly equipped to the 5,000-ton destroyer-class vessel Choe Hyon, which North Korea unveiled last month.
Pyongyang has said the Choe Hyon is equipped with the "most powerful weapons", and that it would "enter into operation early next year".
Seoul's military has said the Choe Hyon could have been developed with Russian help - possibly in exchange for Pyongyang deploying thousands of troops to help Moscow fight Ukraine.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Trump says it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia ‘fight for a while'
President Donald Trump has said that it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia 'fight for a while' before pulling them apart and pursuing peace. In an Oval Office meeting with German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Mr Trump likened the war in Ukraine — which Russia invaded in early 2022 — to a fight between two young children who hated each other. 'Sometimes you're better off letting them a fight for a while and then pulling them apart,' Mr Trump said. He added that he had relayed that analogy to Russian president Vladimir Putin in their phone conversation on Wednesday. The US president still left the threat of sanctions on the table. He said sanctions could be imposed for both Ukraine and Russia. 'When I see the moment where it's not going to stop … we'll be very, very tough,' Mr Trump said.
Irish Daily Star
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Star
BREAKING: Trump breaks silence on 'disturbed' Musk's electric car plea and black eye
U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a bilateral meeting on Thursday. The pair discussed several important topics, such as NATO , the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and trade. Trump, 78, welcomed Merz to the White House at 11:40 a.m. and the pair shook hands before retreating into the West Wing to hold the meeting. During the meeting, Trump was asked about the barrage of attacks made by the former Department of Government Efficiency head. "Well, look, I like Elon and I was very surprised," Trump said. "You saw the words he had for me and he hasn't said anything about me which is bad," Trump added. " I would rather have him criticize me than the bill. Because the bill is incredible." Read More Related Articles Sisters, 9, 8 and 5, found dead on planned father visitation had zip-tied bags over heads Read More Related Articles Liam Neeson opened up about friends who died on hunger strike during the Troubles "It's the biggest cut in the history of our country we've ever cut, Trump added. "It's about 1.6 trillion cuts." The Associated Press reported that the German leader will likely speak in-depth about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. In a statement Thursday morning, the German Chancellor said that "the meeting has been well prepared on all sides." Merz teased the agenda with Trump by saying,"We will have to talk about NATO — we changed the constitution in Germany so that we can spend the means that need to be spent." He added, "We want to become the strongest conventional army in the European Union." According to Merz, he does not expect to have any major breakthrough with Trump on those key issues. A White House official also stated Trump is likely to raise with Merz include Germany's defense spending, trade, Ukraine and what the official called 'democratic backsliding." The Trump administration has claimed that the countries' shared values, such as freedom of speech, have allegedly deteriorated in Germany and that the country should reverse its course. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Merz stated that if Trump wanted to talk about German domestic politics, he was willing to do so; however, he also stressed that Germany held back about discussing American domestic policies. For all the latest news straight to your inbox, sign up for our FREE newsletters here .
RTÉ News
4 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Gaza: 10 killed by strikes as US vetoes UN ceasefire demands
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed at least 10 people in the battered Palestinian territory as the military keeps up an intensified offensive. "Ten martyrs so far resulting from Israeli strikes since dawn," agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said. Mr Bassal added that they had targeted an area where displaced civilians were sheltering in the southern city of Khan Yunis and houses in Gaza City and the central town of Deir el-Balah. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel has stepped up its offensive in what it says is a bid to defeat Hamas, whose 7 October 2023 attack sparked the war. According to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, at least 4,335 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March, taking the war's overall toll to 54,607, mostly civilians. UN criticise US after ceasefire veto UN Security Council members have criticised the United States after it vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, which the US said undermined ongoing diplomacy. It was the 15-member body's first vote on the situation since November, when the United States - a key Israeli ally - also blocked a text calling for an end to fighting. "This resolution would undermine diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire that reflects the realities on the ground and emboldens Hamas," the US United Nations envoy Dorothy Shea said ahead of yesterday's 14 to 1 vote, with the US casting the lone vote against. "This resolution also draws false equivalence between Israel and Hamas," she added. The draft resolution had demanded "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties". It also called for the "immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups". Underlining a "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in the Palestinian territory, the resolution, had it passed, would have demanded the lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. "This will remain not only a moral stain on the conscience of this council, but a fateful moment of political application that will reverberate for generations," said Pakistan's ambassador to the UN, Asim Ahmad. China's ambassador to the UN Fu Cong said "today's vote result once again exposes that the root cause of the council's inability to quell the conflict in Gaza is the repeated obstruction by the US". President Michael D Higgins said it is important that the international community continues to work to bring an end to the violence, release all remaining hostages and allow sufficient aid into Gaza. "Now is the time for an immediate call for action and assistance from the international community in its implementation to ensure that there is no further loss of life as people exercise the impossible choice between risking their lives to access aid or staving," he said. The veto marks the United States first such action since US President Donald Trump took office in January. Israel has faced growing international pressure to end its war in Gaza, which was triggered by the unprecedented 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israeli soil. That scrutiny has increased over flailing aid distribution in Gaza, which Israel blocked for more than two months before allowing a small number of UN vehicles to enter in mid-May. The United Nations said that was not enough to meet the humanitarian needs. US-backed foundation to open aid distribution centers The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has said it will open two aid distribution centres. GHF had said earlier that its sites would not open at their usual time due to maintenance and repair work. It did not say when aid distribution would resume. The group, which has been fiercely criticised by humanitarian organisations, including the United Nations, began distributing aid last week. It shut its facilities yesterday as the Israeli army warned that roads leading to distribution centres were "considered combat zones". The move followed a string of deadly incidents near distribution sites it operates that drew sharp condemnation from the United Nations. The UN has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade of the enclave. Israeli bombardment killed at least 48 people across the Gaza Strip, including 14 in a single strike on a tent sheltering displaced people, the civil defence agency said. A day earlier, the civil defence and the International Committee of the Red Cross said 27 people were killed when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF site in southern Gaza. The military said the incident was under investigation. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, said after the vote he would now seek a vote on the resolution calling for a ceasefire at the General Assembly. "We are grateful for your demonstrations and tenacity in the Security Council demanding action, and we also support you in continuing to knock on the door of the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility," he said, thanking the 14 countries that backed the resolution. Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said that the Palestinian plan to put the resolution to a vote at the General Assembly, where no country can veto it, was pointless, telling countries "don't waste more of your energy". "This resolution doesn't advance humanitarian relief and undermines it. It ignores a working system in favour of political agendas," he added.
