South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has promised an "overwhelming and resolute" response to North Korean provocations as Pyongyang sent a fifth round of waste-filled balloons to its southern neighbor. This comes as the South Korea marks 74 years since the start of the Korean War.

Seoul

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has expressed a firm stance against North Korean provocations after Pyongyang sent a fifth round of waste-filled balloons into South Korea. Yoon vowed an "overwhelming and resolute" response to these actions while speaking at an event commemorating the 74th anniversary of the Korean War.

In a related development, Yoon visited the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is docked in a South Korean port, ahead of a planned trilateral exercise with Japan. This response follows the dispatch of approximately 350 trash-filled balloons by North Korea. Officials in South Korea analyzed the collected balloons, finding mostly simple waste like pieces of paper, differing from previous balloons that contained various types of parasites, suggesting the presence of human feces.

Concurrently, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko addressed the mutual defense pact signed between North Korea and Russia, clarifying that the controversial clause for immediate mutual military support in case of war is not directed at South Korea. Despite this clarification, South Korean officials remain concerned and have indicated that any military support harming South Korea could lead to reconsiderations about sending lethal arms to Ukraine.



North Korea sends more garbage-filled balloons to South

Strong words from South Korea's president as North Korea sends yet another round of garbage-filled balloons days after inking a mutual defense pact with Russia. Yoon Seo-gyul at a Korean War anniversary event on Tuesday called North Korea's latest acts despicable and behind the times. Yoon also made a visit to the USS Theodore Roosevelt docked in South Korea's port ahead of a multi-domain trilateral exercise with Japan later this week. Those drills may incite a stronger response than the some 350 trash-filled balloons sent by Pyongyang late Monday. About a third collected by South Korea were assessed to hold simple garbage like pieces of paper, unlike earlier balloon dispatches at Seoul that also held various types of parasites suggesting the presence of human feces. Meanwhile, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko telling Russian media the controversial clause in the pact inked between Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin last week for immediate mutual military support in case of war was not aimed at South Korea. That's little relief for Seoul, which says that any military support that could harm it would drive South Korea to seriously reconsider sending lethal arms to Ukraine. Reporting as Kim, Al Jazeera, Seoul.

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Tehran

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Paris

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Jerusalem

Israel-Gaza War

Israeli forces push deeper into southern, northern Gaza

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Brussels

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Idaho

U.S. Supreme Court allows emergency abortions in Idaho

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Julian Assange freed

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Nottingham

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Yekaterinburg

Secret Russian trial begins for U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich

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