Belarus Pledges to Halt Smuggling Balloons Into Lithuania 
Special Prosecutor Alleges Yoon Suk Yeol Sought North Korea Provocation to Justify Martial Law 
Colombia’s Clan del Golfo Peace Talks Signal Mandatory Prison Sentences for Top Leaders 
Bolivia Orders Pre-Trial Detention of Former President Luis Arce Over Embezzlement Probe 
U.S. Special Forces Intercept Ship Carrying Military Components Bound for Iran 
Global Leaders Condemn Deadly Antisemitic Shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach During Hanukkah 
Syria Arrests Five Suspects After Deadly Attack on U.S. and Syrian Troops in Palmyra 
California, 18 States Sue to Block Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee 
New Epstein Photos Surface Showing Trump as Lawmakers Near Document Release Deadline 
Zelenskiy Signals Willingness to Drop NATO Bid as Ukraine, U.S. Hold Crucial Peace Talks in Berlin 
International Outcry Grows Over Re-Arrest of Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi in Iran 
Preservation Group Sues Trump Administration to Halt $300 Million White House Ballroom Project 
Tunisia Protests Grow as Opposition Unites Against President Kais Saied’s Rule 
Hong Kong Democratic Party Disbands After Member Vote Amid Security Crackdown 
U.S. Intelligence Briefly Curtailed Information Sharing With Israel Amid Gaza War Concerns 
Russian Drone Attack Hits Turkish Cargo Ship Carrying Sunflower Oil to Egypt, Ukraine Says 
Tensions remain high in the Korean peninsula following the multiple weapons tests that North Korea has carried out so far this year. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has warned that Seoul will issue a stern response should North Korea make provocations.
Reuters reports that Yoon has ordered the South Korean military to issue a stern response to the provocations that may come from North Korea. The order also comes at a time when Pyongyang is believed to be preparing for its first nuclear test in five years.
Yoon presided over a meeting with the country’s top military commanders and called for strong capabilities in order to deter the missile and nuclear tests from North Korea.
“President Yoon said strong defense capabilities should be ready to protect the country’s security and national interest as the security uncertainties surrounding South Korea and Northeast Asia are growing more than ever,” said the presidential office.
The meeting with the military follows the arrival of US Air Force F-35A stealth fighters in the country in its first publicly announced visit since 2017. The arrival of the aircraft also comes as the allies are looking to show their military strength in the displays of their arsenals.
Last week, Yoon met with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Madrid, marking the first time the leaders from South Korea and Japan attended the alliance’s conference, but as observers. All three agreed to strengthen military cooperation to deter North Korea.
During the summit, Yoon delivered remarks warning of a threat to universal values at a time of conflict and competition, indirectly referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine along with China’s engagement with Russia.
“As a new structure of competitions and conflicts is taking shape, there is also a movement that denies the universal values that we have been protecting,” said Yoon in his speech, according to a South Korean official.
Without directly mentioning China and Russia, Yoon also said the international community was facing complex security threats that cannot be solved by one country alone, according to the official.
