United News of Bangladesh

China appears to be keeping its distance as Russia and North Korea move closer to each other with a new defense pact that could tilt the balance of power among the three authoritarian states. Experts say China's leaders are likely fretting over potential loss of influence over North Korea after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the deal this week, and how that could increase instability on the Korean Peninsula. But Beijing may be struggling to come up with a response to because of its conflicting goals: keeping peace in the Koreas while countering the U.S. and its Western allies on the global stage. Beijing so far has not commented on the deal — which requires both countries to provide defense assistance if the other is attacked — and only reiterated boilerplate statements that it seeks to uphold peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and advance a political settlement of the North-South divide. The Chinese response has been “very weak," said Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, adding that it could be a sign that Beijing doesn't yet know what to do. “Every option is a bad option,” he said. “You’re either unable to make a decision because of very strongly held competing views or ... you’re just incapable of making a decision because you just don’t know how to evaluate the situation.” Some in Beijing may welcome the Russia-North Korea partnership as a way of pushing back at America's dominance in world affairs, but Cha said that “there is also a great deal of discomfort” in China, which doesn’t want to lose its sway over its neighbor to Russia, doesn’t want to see a destabilizing nuclear power on its doorstep, and doesn’t want to bring the conflict in Europe to Asia. But China isn't raising these concerns publicly. “They don’t want to push Kim Jong Un further into the arms of Vladimir Putin,” Cha said, referring to the leaders of the two countries. Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, declined to comment on the new agreement. “The cooperation between Russia and the DPRK is a matter between two sovereign states. We do not have information on the relevant matter,” he said, referring to North Korea by the initials for its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. How did North Korean soldiers wander across the world's most heavily guarded border? John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, told reporters that the pact between Russia and North Korea "should be of concern to any country that believes that the U.N. Security Council resolutions ought to be abided by.” The Security Council has imposed sanctions on North Korea to try to stop its development of nuclear weapons. Kirby also said the agreement "should be of concern to anybody who thinks that supporting the people of Ukraine is an important thing to do. And we would think that that concern would be shared by the People’s Republic of China." One area that China could be concerned about is whether Russia will help North Korea's weapons program by sharing advanced technology, said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. “If China is indeed concerned, it has leverage in both Russia and North Korea and it could probably try to put some limitations to that relationship,” he said. The meeting between Putin and Kim this week was the latest chapter in decades of complicated political and military relationships in East Asia, where the Chinese Communist Party, once an underdog, has emerged as a leading power that wields influence over both North Korea and Russia. That and other developments have raised alarms in the U.S. that Beijing, now the world's second-largest economy, could challenge the U.S.-led world order by aligning itself with countries such as Russia, North Korea and Iran. Beijing has rejected that allegation. Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, said Beijing doesn't want to form a three-way alliance with North Korea and Russia, because it “needs to keep its options open." Such a coalition could mean a new Cold War, something Beijing says it is determined to avoid, and locking itself to Pyongyang and Moscow would be contrary to China's goals of maintaining relationships with Europe and improving ties with Japan and South Korea, she said. Kim and Putin meet in Pyongyang as rivals worry about North Korea and Russia’s military ties Sun added that the rapprochement between North Korea and Moscow “opens up possibilities and potentials of uncertainty, but based on what has happened so far, I don't think that China's national interests have been undercut by this.” Closer ties between Putin and Kim could weaken Beijing's sway and leave it as the “biggest loser,” said Danny Russel, who was the top U.S. diplomat for Asia in the Obama administration. “Apart from irritation over Putin’s intrusion into what most Chinese consider their sphere of influence, the real cost to China is that Russia’s embrace gives North Korea greater impunity and room to maneuver without consideration to Beijing’s interests,” he said. Russel, now vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said that Kim is eager to reduce his country’s dependence on China. “The dilution of Chinese leverage means Kim Jong Un can disregard Beijing’s calls for restraint," he said, "and that is much more likely to create chaos at a time when (Chinese leader) Xi Jinping desperately wants stability.” Russia’s Putin to visit North Korea amid international concerns over their military cooperation

Nine people have died and six are missing after downpours caused historic-level flooding in rural parts of Guangdong province in southern China, while authorities warned Friday of more flooding ahead in other parts of the country. Four people died and four are missing, in Meixian district in Guangdong's Meizhou city, state broadcaster CCTV reported Thursday night. Another five are dead in Jiaoling county, which is also in Meizhou. The heaviest rains were from Sunday into Tuesday, toppling trees and collapsing homes. A road leading to Meixian district completely collapsed during the heavy rains. The Songyuan river, which winds through Meizhou, experienced its biggest recorded flood, according to CCTV. At least 70 people killed by flooding in Kenya as more rain is expected through the weekend The estimated direct economic loss is 3.65 billion yuan ($502 million) in Jiaoling county, while in Meixian district, the loss is 1.06 billion yuan ($146 million). Other parts of the country also face torrential rains and extreme weather in the next 24 hours, with the National Meteorological Center issuing a warning for several provinces in the south and a few individual places in the north. Henan and Anhui provinces in central China, as well as Jiangsu province on the coast and the southern province of Guizhou, all are expecting hail and strong thunderstorms, according to the forecast. Rainfall could be as high as 50 mm to 80 mm (1.9 to 3.14 inches) in one day in Henan, Anhui and Hubei provinces, the National Meteorological Center said. Flooding in Tanzania has killed 155 people as heavy rains continue in Eastern Africa Last week, it was southern Fujian and Guangxi provinces experienced landslides and flooding amid heavy rain. One student died in Guangxi after falling into a river swollen from the downpour.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a US$217.2 million programme to transform agriculture, boost incomes, and improve the livelihoods of rural communities in Jammu and Kashmir. The “Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project in Jammu and Kashmir (JKCIP)” is a partnership between the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir (GoJ&K) in India to enhance the competitiveness and climate resilience of small-scale farmers. JKCIP will encourage 300,000 families and 1.5 million people across all 20 districts to adopt climate-smart and market-led production by introducing good agricultural practices, promoting diversification into high-value crops best suited to the region's climate, and expanding the niche crop and horticulture crop cultivation areas. “This project is a unique opportunity to transform agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir,” said Ulaç Demirag, IFAD Country Director and Representative, India. “By prioritizing climate-smart practices, fostering innovation, sustainability, and empowering rural communities, this investment can help create a more prosperous, inclusive and resilient future for the region,” he added. By aligning with GoJ&K’s ambitious Holistic Agriculture Development Programme, the project aims to unlock Jammu and Kashmir’s vast agricultural potential, which has so far been hampered several factors, namely: the region’s remoteness, limited connectivity, poor agricultural management practices, low investment in the value chain, and limited livelihood diversification options for vulnerable communities. JKCIP will address these constraints by fostering the development of viable and inclusive farmer producer organizations, enhancing the productivity and production of niche and horticultural crops, enabling farmers to get better prices, and improving the resilience of vulnerable groups. It will also develop the agribusiness ecosystem by stimulating the growth of agri-enterprises and start-ups, with a particular focus on those led by young women entrepreneurs, helping to build new markets and connecting to them. It will provide support to vulnerable communities to diversify their livelihood options by helping to improve animal breeding practices and get better prices for wool. This will create new income opportunities and contribute to a more inclusive rural economy. IFAD is contributing US$100 million to this US$217.2 million programme, of which US$50.77 million will be devoted to climate action. GoJ&K is contributing US$26.4 million. Private banks will contribute US$20.8 million, while another US$20.7 will come from the private sector. Project participants will add US$45.8 million of their own funds. India is one of IFAD’s founding members. IFAD’s current Country Strategic Opportunities Programme for India is fully aligned with the government’s policy framework and efforts to ensure that smallholder food and agricultural production systems are remunerative, sustainable and resilient to climate change and price shocks. To date, IFAD has supported 34 rural development projects in India worth US$1,364.58 million. These interventions have directly benefitted over 6.3 million families.

South Korea on Thursday condemned an agreement reached by Russia and North Korea that pledged mutual defense assistance in the event of war and said it will reconsider its policy of limiting its support to Ukraine to non-lethal supplies. The comments by a senior presidential official came hours after North Korea’s state media released the details of the agreement reached between its leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their summit on Wednesday in Pyongyang. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the deal requires both countries to use all available means to provide immediate military assistance in the event of war. The office of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a statement condemning the agreement, calling it a threat to the South’s security and a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, and warned that it would have negative consequences on Seoul’s relations with Moscow. The presidential official, who spoke on condition of anonymity during a background briefing, according to office rules, said Seoul in response will reconsider the issue of providing arms to Ukraine to help the country fight off Russia’s invasion. South Korea, a growing arms exporter with a well-equipped military backed by the United States, has provided humanitarian aid and other support to Ukraine while joining U.S.-led economic sanctions against Moscow. But it has not directly provided arms to Ukraine, citing a long-standing policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict. Both Kim and Putin described their deal as a major upgrade of bilateral relations, covering security, trade, investment, cultural and humanitarian ties. Outside observers said it could mark the strongest connection between Moscow and Pyongyang since the end of the Cold War. KCNA said Article 4 of the agreement states that if one of the countries gets invaded and is pushed into a state of war, the other must deploy “all means at its disposal without delay” to provide “military and other assistance.” But it also says that such actions must be in accordance with the laws of both countries and Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognizes a U.N. member state’s right to self-defense. “It’s absurd that two parties with a history of launching wars of invasion — the Korean War and the war in Ukraine — are now vowing mutual military cooperation on the premise of a preemptive attack by the international community that will never happen,” Yoon’s office said. “In particular, Russia’s decision to support North Korea and cause harm to our security, despite its status as a permanent member of the Security Council that has endorsed the sanctions resolution against North Korea, will inevitably have a negative impact on (South Korea-Russia) relations.” The summit between Kim and Putin came as the U.S. and its allies expressed growing concern over a possible arms arrangement in which Pyongyang provides Moscow with badly needed munitions for its war in Ukraine, in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile program. Following their summit, Kim said the two countries had a “fiery friendship,” and that the deal was their “strongest-ever treaty,” putting the relationship at the level of an alliance. He vowed full support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Putin called it a “breakthrough document” reflecting shared desires to move relations to a higher level. North Korea and the former Soviet Union signed a treaty in 1961, which experts say necessitated Moscow’s military intervention if the North came under attack. The deal was discarded after the collapse of the USSR, replaced by one in 2000 that offered weaker security assurances. There’s ongoing debate on how strong of a security commitment Russia has made to North Korea, including whether the agreement obligates Moscow to intervene military in a war involving the North. While some analysts see the agreement as a full restoration of the countries’ Cold War-era alliance, others say the deal seems more symbolic than substantial. Ankit Panda, a senior analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Article 4 appeared to be carefully worded as to not imply automatic military invention. But "the big picture here is that both sides are willing to put down on paper, and show the world, just how widely they intend to expand the scope of their cooperation,” he said. The deal was made as Putin visited North Korea for the first time in 24 years, a visit that showcased their personal and geopolitical ties with Kim hugging Putin twice at the airport, their motorcade rolling past giant Russian flags and Putin portraits, and a welcoming ceremony at Pyongyang’s main square attended by what appeared to be tens of thousands of spectators. According to KCNA, the agreement also states that Pyongyang and Moscow must not enter into agreements with third parties if they infringe on the “core interests” of another and must not participate in actions that threaten those interests. KCNA said the agreements require the countries to take steps to prepare joint measures for the purpose of strengthening their defense capabilities to prevent war and protect regional and global peace and security. The agency didn’t specify what those steps are, or whether they would include combined military training and other cooperation. The agreement also calls for the countries to actively cooperate in efforts to establish a “just and multipolar new world order,” KCNA said, underscoring how the countries are aligning in face of their separate, escalating confrontations with the United States. How Russia’s treaty with North Korea affects its relations with the South is a key development to watch, said Jenny Town, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington and director of the North Korea-focused 38 North website. “Seoul had already signed onto sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, souring its relations with Moscow. Now with any ambiguity of Russia’s partnership with North Korea removed, how will Seoul respond?” she said. “Is there a point where it decides to cut or suspend diplomatic ties with Russia or expel its ambassador? And have we reached it?” Kim in recent months has made Russia his priority as he pushes a foreign policy aimed at expanding relations with countries confronting Washington, embracing the idea of a “new Cold War” and trying to display a united front in Putin’s broader conflicts with the West. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years, with the pace of both Kim’s weapons tests and combined military exercises involving the U.S., South Korea and Japan intensifying in a tit-for-tat cycle. The Koreas also have engaged in Cold War-style psychological warfare that involved North Korea dropping tons of trash on the South with balloons, and the South broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda with its loudspeakers.

Chinese researchers have found that mental well-being is associated with healthy aging regardless of socioeconomic status and it plays an important role in promoting longevity and resilience in aging, the China Science Daily reported Tuesday. The research team from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine analyzed the effects of mental health on various aging outcomes using publicly available genetic data from populations of European descent. The analysis of multiple datasets, including one with up to 2.3 million people, showed that individuals with better mental well-being tended to experience healthier aging, characterized by increased resilience, higher self-rated health levels and greater longevity. The researchers also found that income, education and occupation are all related to better mental health, with increased income having the strongest association. In addition, reducing sedentary lifestyles and smoking, along with increasing the intake of cheese and fruit, may contribute to better mental well-being and healthier aging. The findings underscored the necessity of integrating mental health support into public health policy and aging research. The research team also noted that interventions to promote mental health may be a viable strategy to enhance healthy aging across different groups of people. The study was published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte resigned Wednesday from her posts of education secretary and head of an anti-insurgency body, as her whirlwind alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. unraveled over key differences, including efforts to arrest a religious leader accused of child abuses and Manila’s handling of escalating territorial disputes with Beijing. Duterte’s resignation from Marcos' Cabinet was accepted by the president and would take effect July 19, Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement, and added she would remain the vice president. Duterte, 46, did not cite any reason for her resignation, Garafil said, but there have been open political hostilities between her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Marcos. She ran as the vice-presidential running mate of Marcos, the son and namesake of an ousted dictator, under a hastily forged unity ticket and won with huge margins in 2022. The alliance of the scions of two authoritarian leaders combined the voting power of their families’ political strongholds but compounded worries of human rights activists. The alliance, however, rapidly faced political headwinds. Early this year, the former president accused Marcos’ legislative allies of plotting to amend the constitution to lift term limits and warned that could lead to him being ousted by a public uprising like his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, in 1986. He also accused Marcos of being a drug addict. Marcos laughed off the allegations and claimed his predecessor was using fentanyl, a powerful opioid. Duterte and his daughter, Sara, back Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, the leader of a Philippines-based church known as the Kingdom of Jesus Christ who has been sought by Philippine authorities for his alleged involvement in child abuse and exploitation. Quiboloy had also been indicted on a raft of charges in the United States, including conspiracy, sex trafficking of children and sex trafficking by force. He has denied any wrongdoing. On China’s increasingly aggressive moves against the Philippines in the South China Sea, Marcos has become one of the most vocal critics of Beijing’s actions, in sharp contrast to the vice president’s refusal to comment on the issue. Her father nurtured cozy ties during his presidency with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin while often criticizing the security policies of the United States and its Western allies. Marcos, who took office in 2022, backpedaled by rapidly boosting security ties with Washington, which he said needed to have a presence in Asia as a counterweight to China. Marcos also announced that he would shift his predecessor’s brutal crackdown against illegal drugs which killed thousands of mostly poor suspects, to refocus on the rehabilitation of drug dependents. The killings under Duterte sparked an investigation by the International Criminal Court as a possible crime against humanity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Wednesday in Pyongyang as they seek to expand their economic and military cooperation and display a united front against Washington. Putin was met upon his nighttime arrival by Kim, who shook his hands, hugged him twice and rode with him from the airport in a limousine in a huge motorcade that rolled through the capital’s brightly illuminated streets, where buildings were decorated with giant Russian flags and portraits of Putin. After spending the rest of the night at a state guest house, Putin attended a lavish welcoming ceremony at the city’s main square, where Kim introduced key members of his leadership including Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui; top aide and ruling party secretary Jo Yong Won; and the leader’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong. Putin and Kim Jong Un then began summit talks accompanied by their top officials, according to Russian media. North Korean state media described the meeting between the leaders as a historic event that demonstrates the “invincibility and durability” of the two nations’ friendship and unity. Huge crowds lined up on the streets to greet Putin’s motorcade before the talks, chanting “Welcome Putin” and waving flowers and North Korean and Russian flags. Putin, making his first trip to North Korea in 24 years, was quoted in official media outlets before his arrival as saying the two countries want to cooperate closely to overcome U.S.-led sanctions and actively develop thier partnership. He also said he appreciated North Korea’s firm support of his military actions in Ukraine. The Kremlin launched a full-scale invasion of the neighboring country in 2022. Putin’s visit comes amid growing concerns about an arms arrangement in which Pyongyang provides Moscow with badly needed munitions to fuel Russia’s war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that would enhance the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile program. North Korea is under heavy U.N. Security Council economic sanctions over its nuclear weapons and missile programs, while Russia is also grappling with sanctions by the United States and its Western partners over its aggression in Ukraine. North Korea's Kim hails Russia ties as Putin reportedly plans a visit Putin is being accompanied by several top officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Denis Mantrurov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, according to his foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov. He said a number of documents will be signed during the visit, possibly including an agreement on a comprehensive strategic partnership. U.S. and South Korean officials accuse the North of providing Russia with artillery, missiles and other military equipment for use in Ukraine, possibly in return for key military technologies and aid. Both Pyongyang and Moscow deny accusations about North Korean weapons transfers, which would violate multiple U.N. Security Council sanctions that Russia previously endorsed. Along with China, Russia has provided political cover for Kim’s continuing efforts to advance his nuclear arsenal, repeatedly blocking U.S.-led efforts to impose fresh U.N. sanctions on the North over its weapons tests. In March, a Russian veto at the United Nations ended monitoring of U.N. sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, prompting Western accusations that Moscow is seeking to avoid scrutiny as it buys weapons from Pyongyang for use in Ukraine. U.S. and South Korean officials have said they are discussing options for a new mechanism for monitoring the North. South Korean analysts say that Kim will likely seek stronger economic benefits and more advanced military technologies from Russia, although his more sensitive discussions with Putin aren’t likely to be made public. Kim's sister denies North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia While Kim’s military nuclear program now includes developmental intercontinental ballistic missiles that can potentially reach the U.S. mainland, he may need outside technology help to meaningfully advance his program further. There are already possible signs that Russia is assisting North Korean with technologies related to space rockets and military reconnaissance satellites, which Kim has described as crucial for monitoring South Korea and enhancing the threat of his nuclear-capable missiles. Aside of sending military supplies to Russia to help its warfighting Ukraine, the North may also seek to increase labor exports and other illicit activities to gain foreign currency in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions, according to a recent report by the Institute for National Security Strategy, a think tank run by South Korea’s main spy agency. There will likely be talks about expanding cooperation in agriculture, fisheries and mining and further promoting Russian tourism to North Korea, the institute said. In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Putin’s visit to North Korea illustrates how Russia tries, “in desperation, to develop and to strengthen relations with countries that can provide it with what it needs to continue the war of aggression that it started against Ukraine.” “North Korea is providing significant munitions to Russia ... and other weapons for use in Ukraine. Iran has been providing weaponry, including drones, that have been used against civilians and civilian infrastructure,” Blinken told reporters following a meeting with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday. North Korea says Japan's prime minister proposed summit with leader Kim Jong Un Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years, with the pace of both Kim’s weapons tests and combined military exercises involving the United States, South Korea and Japan intensifying in a tit-for-tat cycle. The Koreas also have engaged in Cold War-style psychological warfare that involved North Korea dropping tons of trash on the South with balloons, and the South broadcasting anti-North Korean propaganda with its loudspeakers.

India and the United States on Monday pledged to boost defense and technology cooperation and remove long-standing barriers to bilateral strategic trade, following a meeting between the national security advisers of both countries. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is on a two-day visit to the Indian capital, New Delhi, the first from a high-ranking U.S. official since Prime Minister Narendra Modi secured a third straight term in India’s general election earlier this month. Sullivan met with his counterpart, Ajit Doval, to discuss progress on the Initiative on Critical Emerging Technologies, which the two countries launched in 2022. The initiative sets a path for collaboration on semiconductor production and developing artificial intelligence and was critical in sealing a deal that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines in India. On Monday, the two officials emphasized the need for more collaboration, with a focus on funding innovative research in areas like semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy and machine learning. They also discussed the possible co-production of land warfare systems, according to a joint statement. India and US army chiefs call for free and stable Indo-Pacific as Chinese influence grows Sullivan also held talks with Modi, in which the two reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering ties between New Delhi and Washington, and he met with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. On Tuesday, Sullivan is expected to meet with industry and business leaders. India and the U.S. have grown closer recently, as both countries eye China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region with caution. Modi was honored with a pomp-filled state visit last year, where he and U.S. President Joe Biden called the India-U.S. relationship among the most consequential in the world. But ties have also been tested after U.S. prosecutors last year accused an Indian government official of orchestrating a plot to murder a Sikh separatist leader in New York. Sullivan’s visit to New Delhi comes as an Indian national was extradited to the U.S. from the Czech Republic to face charges of murder for hire and conspiracy to commit murder for hire, in relation to the assassination plot, which was foiled by U.S. officials. The charges were the second recent accusation of complicity by Indian government officials in attempts to kill Sikh separatist figures living in North America. Australian Assistant Defence Minister expresses willingness to continue to work with Bangladesh govt In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were credible allegations that the Indian government had links to the assassination in that country of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. While India rejected Trudeau’s accusations, it has set up an investigation committee to look into the U.S. allegations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit North Korea for a two-day visit starting Tuesday, both countries announced, amid international concerns about their military cooperation. Putin is expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for talks as they deepen their alignment in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with Washington. It will be Putin’s first trip to North Korea in 24 years. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Putin will pay a state visit on Tuesday and Wednesday at Kim’s invitation. North Korean state media didn’t immediately provide details. Russia confirmed the visit in a simultaneous announcement. There are growing concerns about an arms arrangement in which Pyongyang provides Moscow with badly needed munitions to fuel Putin’s war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that would enhance the threat posed by Kim’s nuclear weapons and missile program. Military, economic and other cooperation between North Korea and Russia have sharply increased since Kim visited the Russian Far East in September for a meeting with Putin, their first since 2019. U.S. and South Korean officials have accused the North of providing Russia with artillery, missiles and other military equipment to help prolong its fighting in Ukraine, possibly in return for key military technologies and aid. Both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied accusations about North Korean weapons transfers. Any weapons trade with North Korea would be a violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions that Russia, a permanent U.N. Security Council member, previously endorsed. Andrei Lankov, an expert on North Korea at Kookmin University in Seoul, noted that in exchange for providing artillery munitions and short-range ballistic missiles, Pyongyang hopes to get higher-end weapons from Moscow. Lankov noted that while Russia could be reluctant to share its state-of-the-art military technologies with North Korea, it’s eager to receive munitions from Pyongyang. “There is never enough ammunition in a war, there is a great demand for them,” Lankov told The Associated Press. There were signs that Kim was preparing to throw a lavish celebration for Putin as he tries to boost the visibility of their relationship to his domestic audience. The North Korea-focused NK News website said Monday that its analysis of commercial satellite images suggest that the North is possibly preparing a huge parade at a square in the country’s capital, Pyongyang. Kim in recent months has made Russia his primary focus as he tries to strengthen his regional footing and expand cooperation with nations confronting the United States, embracing the idea of what he portrays as a “new Cold War. ” During telephone talks with South Korea’s vice foreign minister on Friday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell raised concern that Putin’s visit to the North would result in further military cooperation between the countries that potentially undermines stability in the region, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “The list of countries willing to welcome Putin is shorter than ever, but for Kim Jong Un, this visit is a victory,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “Not only does the summit upgrade North Korea’s status among countries standing against the U.S.-led international order, it also helps bolster Kim’s domestic legitimacy. Russia cannot replace China economically, but increasing cooperation with Moscow shows that Pyongyang has options.” Putin first visited Pyongyang in July 2000, months after his first election when he met with Kim’s father, Kim Jong Il, who ruled the country then. Moscow has said it “highly appreciates” Pyongyang’s support for Russia’s military action in Ukraine and mentioned its “close and fruitful cooperation” at the United Nations and other international organizations. Russia and China have repeatedly blocked the U.S. and its partners’ attempts to impose fresh U.N. sanctions on North Korea over its barrage of banned ballistic missile tests. In March, a Russian veto at the United Nations ended monitoring of U.N. sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program, prompting Western accusations that Moscow is seeking to avoid scrutiny as it allegedly violates the sanctions to buy weapons from Pyongyang for use in Ukraine. During a news conference in March, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik said North Korea had already shipped about 7,000 containers filled with munitions and other military equipment to Russia. In return, Shin said that North Korea had received more than 9,000 Russian containers likely filled with aid. Kim has also used Russia’s war in Ukraine as a distraction to dial up his weapons development as he pursues a nuclear arsenal that could viably threaten the United States and its Asian allies. This prompted the U.S. and South Korea to expand their combined military exercises and sharpen their nuclear deterrence strategies built around strategic U.S. assets. Earlier this year, Putin sent Kim a high-end Aurus Senat limousine, which he had shown to the North Korean leader when they met for a summit in September. Observers said the shipment violated a U.N. resolution aimed at pressuring the North to give up its nuclear weapons program by banning the supply of luxury items to North Korea. Putin has continuously sought to rebuild ties with Pyongyang as part of efforts to restore his country’s global clout and its Soviet-era alliances. Moscow’s ties with North Korea weakened after the 1991 Soviet collapse. Kim Jong Un first met with Putin in 2019 in Russia’s eastern port of Vladivostok. After North Korea, the Kremlin said Putin will also visit Vietnam on Wednesday and Thursday. He is set to meet in Hanoi with Gen. Nguyen Phu Trong, the secretary general of the Vietnamese Communist Party, President To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man. They plan to discuss “prospects for the continued development of a comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Vietnam in the trade and economy, scientific and technology, and humanitarian fields,” the Kremlin said in a statement. The United States, which has spent years strengthening ties and accelerating trade with Vietnam, criticized Putin’s planned visit. “As Russia continues to seek international support to sustain its illegal and brutal war against Ukraine, we reiterate that no country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression and otherwise allow him to normalize his atrocities,” a U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Vietnam said in a statement. “If he is able to travel freely, it could normalize Russia’s blatant violations of international law and inadvertently send the message that atrocities can be committed in Ukraine and elsewhere with impunity, worsening human suffering, and prolonging the path to sustainable peace and justice,” the statement said.  

A cargo train rammed into a passenger train in India's eastern state of West Bengal on Monday, killing at least eight people and injuring several others, officials said. Doctors, disaster-response teams and ambulances were engaged in rescue work, the state’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a post on social media platform X. The accident took place the Darjeeling district, a tourist spot nestled in the Himalayan foothills. Three of the eight dead were railway personnel, said Sabyasachi De, the spokesperson of the Northeast Frontier Railway. At least 25 people were injured in the collision, which occurred close to the New Jalpaiguri station. Television channels showed footage of one train rammed into the end of the other, with one compartment rising vertically in the air. Many people gathered as rescuers searched the crash site. 12 dead in traffic accident in north India The driver of the cargo train disregarded a signal, causing the collision, De said. Four compartments at the rear of the passenger train had derailed due to the impact, he said, adding most of the cars were carrying cargo while one was a passenger coach. The Kanchanjunga Express is a daily train that connects West Bengal state with other cities in the northeast. It is often used by tourists who travel to the hill station of Darjeeling, popular at this time of year when other Indian cities are sweltering in the heat. More than 12 million people ride 14,000 trains across India daily, traveling on 64,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) of track. Despite government efforts to improve rail safety, several hundred accidents happen annually, most blamed on human error or outdated signaling equipment. Last year, a train crash in eastern India killed over 280 people in one of the country's deadliest accidents in decades.