Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has condemned the launch, calling it an outrageous act. South Korea's military is currently assessing the launch and has yet to confirm the type of missile fired, but it is believed to have flown eastward for about 500 kilometers before landing in the sea. North Korea has conducted a series of missile tests in recent months, likely as a show of force in response to South Korea's planned military exercises with the United States.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at an international security conference in Munich to discuss the U.S. shooting down of a Chinese surveillance balloon two weeks ago. Blinken made it clear that the U.S. will not tolerate any violations of its sovereignty, and Wang Yi offered no apology for the incident. The meeting was an important step in the U.S.-China relationship, and both countries will work together to ensure similar incidents do not occur in the future.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has decided to receive hospice care at home with his family. He is 98 years old and has kept a low public profile due to the coronavirus pandemic, but has continued to speak out about risks to democracy. His family and medical team have asked for privacy during this time.
US officials have noticed a "disturbing" trend of China providing non-lethal military assistance to Russia for use in Ukraine, which Vice President Kamala Harris alluded to during her recent visit to Europe. The US is concerned that China may be trying to provide lethal military aid without getting caught, and is monitoring the situation closely.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States, has entered home hospice care after a series of short hospital stays. He has the full support of his medical team and family, who ask for privacy at this time. Carter has been an active humanitarian and public speaker since leaving office, founding the Carter Center in 1982 to promote human rights and alleviate human suffering.
US and China have exchanged strong words following the shooting down of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Wang Yi, director of the People's Republic of China CCP Central Foreign Affairs office, met at the Munich Security Conference in Germany to discuss the incident. The meeting is seen as a potential step towards de-escalating tensions between the two countries.
On Friday night, nine people, including a five-year-old boy, were shot at a Shell Gas Station in Columbus, Georgia. All of the victims have non-life-threatening injuries and are being treated at local hospitals. The Columbus Police Department is currently investigating the incident and is asking anyone with information to contact them. Local leaders have also called for an end to gun violence and urged the public to come forward with any information.
At the Munich Security Conference, Vice President Kamala Harris declared that Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine, citing “gruesome acts of murder, torture, rape, and deportation”. Wang Yi, top foreign policy adviser to Chinese President Xi Jinping, proposed that “territorial and sovereignty integrity of all countries will be respected”. Harris concluded by emphasizing the importance of justice being served to the perpetrators, saying “this warfare can not continue to rage on”.