SEOL: North Korea on Sunday lashed out at a live-fire drill the US and South Korea staged in a show of force against Pyongyang, accusing Washington of pushing the peninsula to the “tipping point” of nuclear war.
The allies held the rare live-fire drill as tensions grew over the peninsula following the North’s first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test held last week.
The test sparked global alarm as it suggested North Korea now possessed an ICBM capable of reaching Alaska, a major milestone for the reclusive, nuclear-armed state.
Saturday’s drill, designed to “sternly respond” to potential missile launches by the North, saw two US bombers destroy “enemy” missile batteries and South Korean jets mount precision strikes against underground command posts.
The North’s state-run Rodong newspaper accused Washington and Seoul of ratcheting up tensions with the drill, in an editorial titled “Don’t play with fire on a powder keg.”
“The US, with its dangerous military provocation, is pushing the risk of a nuclear war on the peninsula to a tipping point,” it said, describing the peninsula as the “world’s biggest tinderbox.”
During Saturday’s drill, long-range B-1B Lancer bombers reportedly flew close to the heavily-fortified border between two Koreas and dropped 2,000-pound (900 kilogram) bombs.
Pyongyang described the joint drill as a “dangerous military gambit of warmongers who are trying to ignite the fuse of a nuclear war on the peninsula.”
“A small misjudgment or error can immediately lead to the beginning of a nuclear war, which will inevitably lead to another world war,” it said.
Tension has been high as the US administration under President Donald Trump and the North’s regime under leader Kim Jong-Un have exchanged hostile rhetoric for months.
Tension further escalated after Tuesday’s ICBM test, a milestone in the North’s decades-long quest for weapons capable of reaching the US.
The impoverished, isolated country has staged five nuclear tests — including two last year — and has made a significant progress in its missile capability under Kim, who took power in 2011.
In another drill held after the ICBM test, US and South Korean troops fired ballistic missiles simulating an attack on the North’s leadership “as a strong message of warning,” the South’s military said at the time.
The US Missile Defense Agency said Friday it would soon test an anti-ballistic missile system in Alaska.
N. Korea warns of nuclear ‘tipping point’ over US bomber drill
N. Korea warns of nuclear ‘tipping point’ over US bomber drill
Palestine Action-linked detainee to stand in UK local elections
- Amu Gib’s campaign will focus on both local concerns and broader political issues, including UK policy on Israel and Palestine
DUBAI: A pro-Palestine activist held on remand in the UK will stand as a candidate in May’s local council elections, according to recent local media reports.
Amu Gib, who has been in custody since July 2025 while awaiting trial over alleged links to direct action by the group Palestine Action, was selected by the Islington Community Independents to run in a north London ward.
The charges relate to an alleged break-in at RAF Brize Norton, where activists are accused of damaging aircraft they believed were connected to UK support for Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Gib has not been convicted of any offense.
The 30-year-old recently took part in a hunger strike organized by Prisoners for Palestine, which lasted 49 days and ended in December.
Supporters said Gib’s candidacy aims to raise awareness of the war in Gaza as well as local issues, including housing and education. If elected, Gib would be able to carry out council duties remotely while remaining in custody, under UK law.
Islington Community Independents said the campaign would focus on both local concerns and broader political issues, including UK policy on Israel and Palestine.
Meanwhile, the case comes amid a legal dispute over the government’s decision to ban Palestine Action.
Britain’s High Court ruled earlier this month that the group’s proscription under anti-terrorism laws was “disproportionate and unlawful,” saying most of its activities did not meet the threshold for terrorism and that the ban interfered with the right to protest.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government would appeal the ruling, leaving the legal status of more than 2,500 people arrested for alleged support for the group uncertain.
