News Story: N. Korea submarine missiles not ready until 2018 - experts

North Korea's 1st SLBM Launch (File Photo)

North Korea is making progress on a submarine-launched ballistic missile system but any deployment of the technology is years away, a US think tank said, as the UN Security Council promised action over Pyongyang's latest test.

The US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said late Friday on its closely-watched website, 38 North, that the success of North Korea's SLBM test this week suggests the program may be progressing faster than originally expected.

"However, this does not mean it will be ready next week, next month, or even next year", it said.

"Rather, the pace and method of the North's SLBM testing would suggest possible deployment in an initial operational capability by the second half of 2018 at the earliest."

The missile, launched from a submerged prototype "Gorae-class" submarine near the northeastern port of Sinpo, flew 500 kilometres (300 miles) towards Japan, marking what weapons analysts called a clear step forward for its nuclear strike ambitions.

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News Story: N. Korea leader says missile test 'greatest success'

North Korea's 1st SLBM Launch (File Photo)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un declared a submarine-launched missile test the "greatest success", state media said Thursday, as the UN weighed a condemnation of the launch which appears to advance Pyongyang's nuclear strike capability.

The US mainland and the Pacific are now "within the striking range" of the North's army, the official KCNA news agency reported Kim as saying after Wednesday's launch.

The missile was fired from a submarine submerged off the northeastern port of Sinpo on Wednesday, according to South Korea's military. It flew 500 kilometres (around 300 miles) towards Japan, far exceeding any previous sub-launched tests.

The UN Security Council met for two hours on Wednesday to discuss North Korea's latest provocative move and agreed to consider a statement condemning the launch.

"There was a general sense of condemnation by most members of the council and therefore we will have to see how we would then be phrasing the press statement," said Ramlan bin Ibrahim from Malaysia, which currently holds the council's presidency.

However diplomats expected further haggling with China, Pyongyang's main ally, over the wording.

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News Story: Japan holds live fire drills at Mt Fuji

Japan's military on Thursday began four days of live-fire drills near Mount Fuji, an annual exercise that comes this year the day after North Korea test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

Around 2,400 soldiers, as well as tanks, field guns and helicopters were deployed at training grounds in the foothills of the country's most famous mountain, 80 kilometres (50 miles) west of Tokyo.

The drill came as North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un hailed his country's latest weapons test the "greatest success".

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News Story: Australian minister says French submarine leak 'embarrassing'

A DCNS Scorpene class Submarine (File Photo)

A massive leak of secret data on French submarines is embarrassing, Australia's Defence Industry minister said Friday, stressing that security between Australia and the DCNS shipbuilders would be "the most stringent in the world".

The Australian newspaper reported this week that it had seen 22,400 leaked pages detailing the combat capability of the Scorpene-class DCNS submarine designed for the Indian navy.

Variants of the submarine are used by Malaysia and Chile, with Brazil due to deploy the vessels from 2018.

Australia awarded French contractor DCNS a Aus$50 billion (US$38 billion) contract last April to design and build its next generation of submarines.

"Obviously it is a very serious matter for the Indian navy and for the DCNS project," Australia's Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne told Channel Nine.

Pyne stressed that the leak had "no bearing at all on the Australian project" as Canberra has commissioned a different model to the Scorpene.

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News Story: Philippines, Communists on 'highway to peace'

By Pierre-Henry DESHAYES

The Philippine government and Communist guerrillas on Friday signed an indefinite ceasefire deal to facilitate peace talks aimed at ending one of Asia's longest-running insurgencies.

"This is a historic and unprecedented event ... (but) there is still a lot of work to be done ahead," President Rodrigo Duterte's peace adviser Jesus Dureza said at a signing ceremony in Norway, which is mediating the talks.

Both sides agreed to implement unilateral, indefinite ceasefires -- something that has never been achieved before in the peace process.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende described the agreement as a "major breakthrough".

"We are on the highway to peace and we are talking of a timeline of maximum 12 months," Silvestre Bello, the Philippine government delegation's head of negotiations, told AFP.

The two parties have been meeting in Oslo since Monday, wrapping up their talks with the signing ceremony on Friday.

As a prelude to the negotiations, both sides had agreed to a ceasefire, but the truce commitment by the Communist side was due to end on Saturday.

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News Story: Australian Kidnapped Aid Worker Released

Aid worker Kerry Jane Wilson, who was abducted in Jalalabad in Nangarhar province in April, was rescued in a National Security of Directorate (NDS) operation on Sunday night, an NDS statement read.

"Kerry Jane Wilson was rescued safely during an NDS special operation in Nangarhar province," the statement added.

According to the statement several suspects have been detained in connection with the kidnapping and investigations are underway.

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop also confirmed early Monday in a statement that Wilson, who was abducted in Afghanistan in April this year, had been freed.

Read the full story at ToloNews

News Story: ISI Accused Of Plotting To Move Quetta Shura To Helmand

by Sharif Amiry

Amid a surge in international pressure, Pakistan's powerful intelligence agency, Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) is planning to move Taliban's Quetta Shura to Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, said Hayatollah Hayat, the governor of Helmand province.

Hayat said that the Afghan security forces have however, so far foiled ISI's attempt to relocate the council (Quetta Shura) to Helmand province.

According to Hayat, the move by the ISI comes amid a surge in international pressure on Pakistan.

"International pressure has increased on Pakistan. Therefore Pakistan thinks that Helmand at this juncture is the best place for members of the Quetta Shura, hence Pakistan is trying to transfer Quetta Shura to Helmand, but we are preventing it," said Hayat.

In the wake of recent battles that have shattered the calm in Helmand, a number of residents in the volatile region have pushed government to take the battle in Helmand seriously.

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News Story: Indian MinDef Seeks Greater US Industrial Ties

Lockheed Martin's Proposed F-16IN for India

By: Aaron Mehta

WASHINGTON -- As a sign of tightening bonds between the US and Indian militaries, the Indian defense minister this week will sit down with the top defense technology minds from both inside and outside the Pentagon. 

Manohar Parrikar is in the US for a three day visit, starting with Monday’s meeting with his US counterpart, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, and in comments Monday made it clear he intends to come away from his visit having increased ties between the US defense industry and that of his home country. 

On Tuesday, Parrikar will have a sit down with top US industrial companies, and in comments to the press Monday, the minister was not shy about his goal to “encourage” future tie-ups between US and Indian defense firms. 

“I wish to invite US industry, including the defense industry, to be part of this new journey of hope and transformation in India,” the minister said. 

Tuesday's meeting is organized by the US-India Business Council, part of the US Chamber of Commerce. Ben Schwartz, the Council's Director for Defense and Aerospace, told Defense News that 20-25 companies will be attending, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Textron.  

Parrikar likely won’t need a hard sell, with US firms having eyed a greater share of the Indian market for most of the past 15 years. But after continuous delays on a number of high-profile military industrial projects, including for the right to provide India with a new fleet of high-end fighter aircraft, there is hope that the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be able to finally push through new defense agreements.

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News Story: More warrant issued over Thai tourist town attacks

Hanoi (VNA) - A Thai military court on August 29 issued an arrest warrant for a third suspect in a series of bomb attacks on southern tourist towns earlier this month.

Usmeen Katemmadee, a 29-year-old from Pattani province, is wanted for bomb possession and arson over an attack against Hua Hin.

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News Story: Philippine President - Talks should be based on Hague ruling

Hanoi (VNA) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte affirmed on August 27 that any upcoming bilateral talks with China should be based on the arbitral tribunal's ruling on the East (South China) Sea dispute.

In his speech at the 10th anniversary of celebration of the East Mindanao Command in Davao city on August 27, the President said he stressed this point during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua, who flew in to Davao to talk with him.

The Philippines will prepare for all possibilities if bilateral talks with China fail, he said, affirming added funds to increase the number of soldiers for the army.

Earlier on August 24, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Beijing is ready to talk with Manila.

Read the full story at VietnamPlus