Missile Strike Archives

North Korea fires short-range missiles as Blinken visits Seoul

March 18, 2024

Early Monday, March 18, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Seoul attending a democracy conference, North Korea resumed its missile testing after two months by launching several short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern seas. This move follows closely on the heels of a joint 11-day military drill between South Korea and the U.S., which Pyongyang has repeatedly condemned as a rehearsal for invasion.

The State Department has reaffirmed the U.S.’ unwavering commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan, describing it as “ironclad.” This assurance comes as the U.S. maintains a significant military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, with 80,000 troops stationed in South Korea and Japan.

In a show of military readiness, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently oversaw a series of training exercises, including the use of tanks, artillery, and paratroopers, emphasizing the need for enhanced warfighting capabilities. This was in response to the South Korea-U.S. military drills, which concluded on Thursday, March 14.

Officials from Japan and South Korea reported that the North fired three missiles, which traveled nearly 200 miles before landing off the east coast. These missile tests have been denounced as violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions, with South Korea’s military describing them as a “clear provocation” and reaffirming its strong alliance and vigilance alongside the U.S.

Experts suggest that North Korea is expanding its weapons arsenal to strengthen its negotiating position with the United States. The goal, they believe, is to secure significant relief from sanctions without giving up its nuclear capabilities.

The missile launches have drawn sharp criticism from the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, highlighting them as threats to the peace and security of neighboring nations and the broader region.
American killed in Syria drone attack, US retaliates: March 24 rundown

March 24, 2023

President Joe Biden ordered airstrikes in northern Syria after an American contractor was killed in a drone attack; the U.S. and Canada reached a border deal; and Starbucks’ CEO will work the counter. These stories and more highlight your daily rundown for Friday, March 24, 2023.

American killed in Syria drone strike

An Iranian suicide drone killed an American contractor Thursday, March 23, in northern Syria, according to the Pentagon. The United States retaliated by unleashing its own airstrikes against Iranian linked targets.

The drone attack struck a facility on a coalition base in northeast Syria and killed a U.S. contractor and injured five U.S. service members and another contractor.

According to a statement from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Central Command forces retaliated with precision airstrikes against facilities in eastern Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

U.S. and Canada reach border deal

President Joe Biden and the first lady arrived in Canada Thursday and were greeted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife. A deal between the U.S. and Canada to turn away asylum seekers is expected to be announced Friday.

The deal would allow the countries to return those who cross the northern border without authorization. Illegal crossings into the U.S. from Canada have climbed to historically high levels.

Canada will also reportedly take in an additional 15,000 migrants next year from the western hemisphere on a humanitarian basis.

Fire risk leads to Hyundai, Kia recall

Hyundai and Kia are recalling more than 570,000 vehicles in the U.S. and are urging owners to park them outside because of a fire risk. The recall impacts late model Hyundai Santa Fe SUVs, including hybrids, the Santa Cruz pickup, and Kia’s carnival minivan. The vehicle’s electrical tow-hitch harnesses can catch fire if water gets into them.

L.A. schools reopen, strike ends

Students in Los Angeles public schools are returning to class Friday, March 24, following a strike from employees that shut the schools down for three days. Even with 30,000 school workers set to show back up to campuses, there’s still no deal reached in contract negotiations with the district.

The city’s mayor had to step in as a mediator between the unions and district after the superintendent said the union was refusing to negotiate on pay.

There’s no update on how the arbitration is currently going. The strike left more than 400,000 students out of school for three days.

Utah limits children’s use of social media

Utah has become the first state to pass laws limiting how children can use social media. The measure requires parental consent before kids can sign up for sites like TikTok and Instagram.

Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed a pair of measures that also prohibit kids under 18 from using social media between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

Social media apps will require age verification for anyone who wants to use social media in the state. The law also seeks to prevent tech companies from luring kids to their apps using addictive features. A similar measure has been proposed at the federal level. Last month, GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri introduced a bill that would set the minimum age for kids on social media at 16.

Our Washington correspondent Ray Bogan spoke with Senator Hawley about the proposed legislation. You can find that story here.

Starbucks CEO to work counter

Starbucks’ new CEO, Laxman Narasimhan, is taking a page out of “Undercover Boss.” The CEO says he will take half-day shifts working the counter once a month in one of the company’s stores.

His goal is to stay close to the company’s culture and its customers. The 55-year-old took the reins from long-time CEO Howard Schultz.

It also comes as almost 300 of the company’s 9,000 stores have voted to unionize in the past two years.
Russia launches missile attack on Ukraine, largest seen in weeks

March 9, 2023

Russia launched its largest missile attack seen in weeks against Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday morning. The attack left at least six Ukrainian civilians dead.

More than 80 missiles were fired on multiple Ukrainian towns and cities, including six hypersonic missiles that Ukraine’s air force doesn’t have the ability to intercept and shoot down.

Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant was taken off the grid, and energy infrastructure in the country was hit. Nearly half of Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv lost electricity and is without heating, according to the city’s mayor. Air sirens went off for seven hours throughout the night.

Russia’s defense minister said the missile attack was a “massive retaliation strike” against Ukraine. It marked the longest air attack of Russia’s five-month air campaign in Ukraine.
Russia, Ukraine training for the potential of a long war ahead

January 16, 2023

On the heels of the latest major attack in Ukraine, both sides of Russia’s invasion have begun training for the potential of the war to last months into the future. The attack, a missile strike that hit an apartment building in Dnipro, was among the deadliest attacks on Ukrainian civilians since before last summer.

About 1,700 people lived in the multistory building that was the target of Saturday’s missile strike. Monday, authorities reported the death toll had risen to 40 with 30 others missing. The regional administration added that at least 75 others were wounded.

“The explosion was very long, it seemed to us that it was very long. The child and I were screaming so hard that my throat hurt. Five minutes after the explosion, we did not even move,” Iryna Fedorchenko, who survived the attack, said Sunday. “I don’t know what the point is, there is not a single military facility here. This is a residential area. There are only houses here.”

When asked about the strike Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian military doesn’t target residential buildings. He suggested the Dnipro building was hit as a result of Ukrainian air defense actions. On Sunday, the Ukrainian military said it did not have the means to intercept the type of Russian missile that hit the apartment building.

Peskov’s comments came the same day Russian and Belarusian air forces began a joint exercise in Belarus. Russia has sent its warplanes to Belarus for the drills. The Belarusian Defense Ministry said the drills are set to run through Feb. 1.

Ukraine appeared to be aware of the training between Russia and Belarus, staging some of its own war drills near their border with Belarus last week. Sunday, the U.S. military’s new, expanded combat training of Ukrainian forces began in Germany. According to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley, the goal is to get a battalion of about 500 troops back on the battlefield to in the next five to eight weeks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

North Korea fires short-range missiles as Blinken visits Seoul

Russia launches missile attack on Ukraine, largest seen in weeks

Russia, Ukraine training for the potential of a long war ahead

Certified unbiased reporting

Transparent and credible

Newsletter

Stay connected

North Korea fires short-range missiles as Blinken visits Seoul

American killed in Syria drone attack, US retaliates: March 24 rundown

American killed in Syria drone strike

U.S. and Canada reach border deal

Fire risk leads to Hyundai, Kia recall

L.A. schools reopen, strike ends

Utah limits children’s use of social media

Starbucks CEO to work counter

Russia launches missile attack on Ukraine, largest seen in weeks

Russia, Ukraine training for the potential of a long war ahead