Seoul: N Korea fires suspected ICBM and 2 other missiles

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea test-launched a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile and two shorter-range weapons into the sea Wednesday, South Korea said, hours after President Joe Biden ended a trip to Asia where he reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to defend its allies in the face of the North’s nuclear threat.

If confirmed, it would be North Korea’s first ICBM launch in about two months amid stalled nuclear diplomacy with the United States. The latest launches suggest the North is determined to continue its efforts to modernize its weapons arsenal despite its first COVID-19 outbreak, which has caused outside worries about a humanitarian disaster.

“North Korea’s sustained provocations can only result in stronger and faster South Korea-U.S. combined deterrence and can only deepen North Korea’s international isolation,” the South Korean government said in a statement after an emergency security meeting.

Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi called the launches “an act of provocation and absolutely impermissible.” The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command earlier said the missile launches highlight “the destabilizing impact of (North Korea’s) illicit weapons program” though they didn’t pose an immediate threat to U.S. territory and its allies.

According to South Korea's military, the three missiles lifted off from the North’s capital region one after another on Wednesday morning before they landed in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
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A military statement said the first missile was likely an ICBM and that it reached a maximum height of 540 kilometers (335 miles) while traveling 360 kilometers (223 miles). The statement said the second missile disappeared from South Korean radar at some point and the third missile flew 760 kilometers (472 miles) on an apogee of 60 kilometers (37 miles).

The flight details for the suspected ICBM were similar to those of two previous North Korean launches, which the South Korean and U.S. militaries have said were meant to test components of the North's biggest Hwasong-17 missile in launches that flew medium distances, not the full range. North Korea said at the time the two launches were meant to test cameras for a spy satellite.

After those two earlier launches, South Korea’s military in March detected what it said was a North Korean Hwasong-17 missile that blew up soon after lift-off. Later in March, North Korea claimed to have successfully launched the Hwasong-17 in its first full-range ICBM flight test that broke its self-imposed 2018 moratorium on long-distance launches.

South Korea said North Korea may have fired a smaller ICBM, not a Hwasong-17. Whichever it was, the missile flew longer and higher than any other weapon the North has ever tested and had the potential range to reach the entire U.S. mainland, experts say.

Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute, said it’s possible the North tested Hwasong-17’s booster first stage and other technical elements to avoid another failure in a full-range test.


Chang Young-keun, a missile expert at Korea Aerospace University in South Korea, said the North’s two earlier launches prior to its exploded missile were likely aimed at testing clustered engines. Given that, he said he doubts whether North Korea truly launched an ICBM again Wednesday because the country would have no reason to conduct the same test repeatedly and waste an ICBM that costs about 10-20 billion won ($8-16 million).

Chang said the flight details of the third missile resemble those of the hypersonic missile that North Korea tested in January. Other analysts say it could also be the North’s highly maneuverable, nuclear-capable KN-23 missile.

There’s less ambiguity about what North Korea was trying to show by mix-launching an ICBM and short-range missiles, Lee said. After Biden recently stressed America's commitment to defend South Korea and Japan during his visits to those countries, North Korea responded by demonstrating its pursuit of an ability to conduct nuclear attacks on both the U.S. mainland and its allies in Asia, he said.

“(The launches) were a political message. They’re saying they feel bad” about Biden’s recent summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Chang said.

Biden and Yoon said after their meeting Saturday that they would consider expanded military exercises to deter North Korean nuclear threats.
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Biden brushed aside questions about any possible provocation by North Korea during his trip, saying, “We are prepared for anything North Korea does.” Biden later met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, and they vowed to work closely to address security challenges, including North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic programs and what they called China’s “increasingly coercive” behavior in the region.

After the North’s launches, the South Korean and U.S. militaries said they fired two surface-to-surface missiles to demonstrate their striking capabilities. Seoul officials said the allies had detected North Korea’s preparations for the launches in advance. They said South Korea’s air force on Tuesday conducted an “elephant walk” involving 30, fully armed F-15K fighter jets parading along a runway in formation.

Wednesday’s launches were North Korea’s 17th round of missile firings this year. Experts have said North Korea wants to move ahead with its push to modernize its weapons arsenals and apply more pressure on its rivals to wrest sanctions relief and other concessions amid dormant nuclear diplomacy.

U.S., South Korean and Japanese officials have said North Korea could soon conduct its first nuclear test in nearly five years as well. Kim Tae-hyo, Yoon’s deputy national security adviser, told reporters Wednesday that North Korea has been testing a trigger system for a nuclear explosive device and other technologies.

Before Wednesday, North Korea’s most recent missile tests occurred on May 12, hours after the country acknowledged a COVID-19 outbreak and ended a widely disputed claim to have been coronavirus-free for more than two years.
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The country in the past few days has said there has been “a positive sign” in its anti-virus campaign. Since admitting to the outbreak, North Korea has identified about 3 million cases of an unidentified fever but said only 68 people died, an extremely low death toll for COVID-19. On Wednesday, state media for the second straight day reported no additional fatalities from the fever.

Experts say North Korea has limited health resources and may be underreporting mortalities to prevent possible political damage to Kim.

North Korea has so far ignored South Korean and U.S. offers to send vaccines, medicines and other support items. Much of North Korea’s 26 million people remain unvaccinated and the country’s once-free socialist public health care system has been in shambles for decades.

“At a time when North Korean people are suffering the pain of a COVID-19 spread, North Korea is using its crucial resources to develop nuclear weapons and missiles instead of measures to fight the virus and improve livelihoods, which is very regrettable,” South Korean Foreign Minster Park Jin said.

Davos gathering overshadowed by global economic worries

DAVOS, Switzerland -- Soaring inflation. Russia’s war in Ukraine. Squeezed supply chains. The threat of food insecurity around the world. The lingering COVID-19 pandemic.

The risks to the global economy are many, and it’s led to an increasingly gloomy view of the months ahead as corporate leaders, government officials and other VIPs gather in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum's annual meeting.

The managing director of the International Monetary Fund sought to dispel the gloom during an economic panel this week, saying a global recession isn’t in the cards but “it doesn’t mean it’s out of the question.”

Kristalina Georgieva noted that the IMF last month forecast 3.6% economic growth for 2022, which is “a long way to global recession.” But she acknowledged that it’s going to be a “tough year” and that one of the big problems is surging food prices, partly fueled by the Russia-Ukraine war.

“The anxiety around access to food at a reasonable price globally is hitting the roof,” she said.
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The brewing food crisis — especially for countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia that rely on affordable wheat, barley and sunflower oil that are blocked in the ports of major producer Ukraine — has been a key topic in Davos.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Russia of deliberately bombarding grain warehouses across Ukraine and using food supplies as a weapon.

Besides that, “Russia is now hoarding its own food exports as a form of blackmail — holding back supplies to increase global prices, or trading wheat in exchange for political support," said von der Leyen, the head of the European Union's executive arm. “This is using hunger and grain to wield power.”

The elites that huddle every year about ways to help save the world also are focused Wednesday on the future of Europe and of the internet, helping poorer countries with low-cost medicine, and on climate change, including an expansion of a corporate effort to decarbonize the economy.

While there are many panel discussions and announcements, it’s unclear how much concrete action the meeting produces.


In Davos, economic and central bank officials debated the effects of moving abstract policy levers at their disposal, while company bosses outlined their worries about the business outlook.

“As we run our business, we think a correction is now well underway” in the global economy, Pat Gelsinger, CEO of chipmaker Intel, said on the sidelines of the meeting.

Gelsinger said the semiconductor industry is still grappling with supply chain issues, including a slowdown in deliveries of the advanced equipment used to manufacture computer chips.

A global shortage of chips, used in everything from cars to kitchen appliances, erupted last year as demand recovered after the pandemic.

Gelsinger said Intel is better positioned than rivals to handle the supply chain issues because it has more control over sourcing.
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“But like everybody, we’re having to cope with the same challenges economically as others are,” he said at a press roundtable.

Gelsinger said he doesn't expect the semiconductor industry to work out the kinks in the supply chain until 2024.

The aviation industry, decimated during the pandemic as travel restrictions forced airlines to ground flights and killed demand for business and leisure trips, is rebounding strongly, said Hassan El Houry, CEO of National Aviation Services.

The Kuwait-based company provides services for airlines like staff to check in passengers and shuttle to and from planes, load and unload baggage, and handle air cargo. It's merging with a U.K. rival to become the world's biggest aviation services company.

“Almost every airline I speak with is reporting a huge rebound, especially for this summer and particularly in leisure travel. So that is the positive note," El Houry said in an interview.
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He predicted the airline industry would return to pre-pandemic levels earlier than airline industry group IATA's forecast of 2025.

“I think it might be much sooner. I think end of 2022, maybe, you know, mid-2023, we’ll see volumes back to 2019 levels,” he said.

However, the aviation industry is still overshadowed by $200 billion worth of losses racked up during the pandemic. Half of that is government grants and loans that need to be repaid, he said.

The other big problem is the surge in oil prices fueled by the Russia-Ukraine war, which will force airlines to raise airfares — and potentially dampen travel demand. Fewer air passengers means El Houry's company serves fewer flights.

"Our biggest customers are the airlines. And when airlines are feeling the pressure, guess what? They’re going to pass on that pressure to us," El Houry said.

Davos-goers had a pessimistic view of the global economic outlook, if a straw poll during a session on the global economic outlook on Monday is anything to go by.

At the start of the session, a moderator asked the audience if they thought there was a chance of a recession. Most of the crowd of about 100 put their hands up.

While IMF chief Georgieva tamped down the expectation of a recession, she listed a host of challenges: rising interest rates, inflation, the strengthening dollar, a slowdown in China, the climate crisis and a recent “rough spot” for cryptocurrencies.

Others highlighted the uncertainty that’s rattling financial markets and complicating investment decisions for businesses.

Adena Friedman, president of the NASDAQ stock exchange company, said “a selling decision is much easier than a buying decision” for investors who can’t see where things are headed.

———

Associated Press reporters Jamey Keaten and Peter Prengaman in Davos and Paul Wiseman in Washington contributed.

Police shootout at Rio de Janeiro favela kills more than 20

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Police in Rio de Janeiro raided the Vila Cruzeiro favela before dawn Tuesday. setting off a fierce firefight that authorities said killed more than 20 people.

The operation was aimed at locating and arresting criminal leaders, some from other states, police said in an early statement.

The statement, issued Tuesday morning, said that officers were fired on while preparing their incursion and that one resident had been shot and killed on site. Local press reported that person was a 41-year-old woman hit by a stray bullet.

The police statement said 11 people also were found wounded after the shootout and taken to a nearby state hospital. But as the day wore on, residents used cars to carry more gunshot victims to that same hospital — most of whom were already dead.

By late Tuesday, 21 corpses had arrived at the hospital and seven people were receiving treatment for injuries, the state’s health secretariat said in an emailed statement.
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That makes the incident one of Rio’s deadliest police operations in recent history. It comes one year after a raid of the Jacarezinho favela that left 28 people dead, prompting claims of abuse and summary executions. The episode sparked protests and also reignited debate over the proper use of police force in Rio, where a common local saying is, “A good criminal is a dead criminal.”

Just weeks after the Jacarezinho raid, a stray bullet hit a young pregnant woman during a shootout between police and alleged criminals in another favela, and her death caused further outrage.

Earlier this year, Brazil’s Supreme Court established a series of conditions for police to conduct raids in Rio’s favelas as a means to reduce police killings and violations of human rights. The court ruled that lethal force should only be used only in situations in which all other means have been exhausted and when necessary to protect life, and gave police 180 days to install devices to record audio and video on their uniforms and vehicles.

Authorities on Tuesday had sought to intercept the gang’s members outside the neighborhood, which wasn’t possible after police began taking fire, Uirá do Nascimento Ferreira, leader of the military police’s tactical unit, told reporters at a news conference in Rio.

Outside the hospital, residents of Vila Cruzeiro mourned the loss of family and friends while some protested.


Rio state public prosecutors said in a statement they had opened a criminal investigation. They gave the military police 10 days to provide details about the operation, indicating which officials were responsible for each death and the justification for use of lethal force, the statement said.

The operation was conducted jointly by the military police and federal highway police. Police seized 16 vehicles, 13 automatic rifles as well as pistols and grenades, the police statement said.

India ships rice, other essentials to crisis-hit Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka received a first consignment of a $16 million humanitarian aid package from neighboring India to help mitigate severe shortages caused by the country’s worst economic crisis in recent memory.

Gopal Baglay, the Indian envoy to Sri Lanka, delivered the donation from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Gamini Peiris late Sunday. The goods, worth $5.6 million, include rice, milk powder and essential medicines.


They will be distributed among vulnerable families in different parts of the country, the Indian Embassy said in a statement.

Sri Lanka is near bankruptcy and has severe shortages of essentials from food, fuel, medicines and cooking gas to toilet paper and matchsticks. For months, people have been forced to stay in long lines to buy the limited stocks.

The country's new prime minister said last week that petrol stocks ran down to a final day, worsening commuting problems and lengthening lines. But shipments of gasoline paid through an Indian credit line started arriving over the weekend.

Sri Lanka has suspended repayment of about $7 billion in foreign loans due this year out of $25 billion to be repaid by 2026. The country’s total foreign debt is $51 billion.

Separately, India has provided a $3.5 billion economic assistance in the form of loans and buyers' credit for food, medicine and fuel.

Sri Lanka's economic crisis has created political unrest with a protest occupying the entrance to the president's office demanding his resignation continuing past 40 days. Government supporters earlier this month attacked the peaceful protesters, sparking countrywide riots during which nine people, including a lawmaker who was beaten to death, were killed.


Many homes and properties of sitting ministers and ruling party politicians were burned. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency, giving police and the military wide powers to search, arrest and detain suspects.

The emergency lapsed last Friday because the government did not seek Parliament's approval within 10 days as required by the constitution.

The protests calling for the president and his family to leave politics led to a near-dismantling of the powerful Rajapaksa dynasty with the president's brother Mahinda Rajapaksa resigning as prime minister. Before that, two of president's siblings and a nephew resigned as Cabinet ministers.

The president himself is facing the prospect of having his powers significantly curtailed to strengthen Parliament under Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is directing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a rescue package.

A constitutional amendment to curtail the president's powers was being considered.

Tamil Nadu, which shares language and culture with Sri Lanka’s minority Tamils, is separated by a narrow strait from the island's Tamil-majority north. The donation was prompted after dozens of families fled to Tamil Nadu because of the economic crisis.