Seoul, May 22: North Korea said Thursday a “serious accident” occurred the previous day during a ceremony to launch a new warship, with its leader Kim Jong-un calling it a “criminal act” that could not be tolerated.

The accident took place Wednesday at a shipyard in the eastern port city of Chongjin during a ceremony to launch a newly built 5,000-tonne destroyer, attended by the North’s leader, according to the Media.

Citing “inexperience command and operational carelessness” in the course of the launch, North Korea said a “serious accident” occurred as the launch slide of the stern departed first and was stranded while the flatcar failed to move in parallel.

Some sections of the warship’s bottom were “crushed,” destroying the balance of the warship, and the bow couldn’t leave the shipway, it reported.

After watching the whole course of the accident, Kim said, “It was a serious accident and criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism which is out of the bounds of possibility and could not be tolerated,” according to the Media.

He ordered the restoration of the warship to be “completed unconditionally” before a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) set for June and gave an important instruction related to an investigation into the accident.

“The immediate restoration of the destroyer is not merely a practical issue but a political issue directly related to the authority of the state,” Kim said.

The political bureau of the WPK decided to convene the 12th plenary meeting of the party’s central committee in late June to review the first-half performance and policies for the second half, the Media said in a separate dispatch.

The North did not disclose photos related to the latest accident.

Considering that Kim called for the restoration to take place before the June party meeting, a unification ministry official said the scope of the damage is likely not large and appears to be recoverable.

“By using the expression ‘absolute carelessness,’ (Kim) could have aimed at shoring up internal discipline through a stern reprimand,” the official said, noting the accident was reported on the front page of the North’s main Media, the Rodong Sinmun.

South Korea’s military said the North appears to have failed in using a side launching technique.

“South Korea and US intelligence authorities had been tracking and monitoring the movement of a large-sized warship at the North’s Chongjin port,” Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), told a regular Media.

“We assess (the warship’s) side launching failed,” Lee said, adding the destroyer remains partially capsized on the sea.

The latest accident came as the North has been ramping up efforts to modernise its naval capabilities, conducting a firing test on a newly built 5,000-tonne destroyer just days after its launch, Media reported.

Last month, North Korea unveiled the new multipurpose destroyer, named the Choe Hyon. It said the warship is equipped with supersonic strategic cruise missiles, tactical ballistic missiles and other strike means.

Abu Dhabi, May 22: The second all-party delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) early on Thursday morning (Indian time) as part of India’s massive global outreach campaign on Operation Sindoor.

This campaign is aimed at exposing Pakistan’s role in fostering cross-border terrorism.

The delegation includes BJP MPs Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg and Manan Kumar Mishra, BJD’s Sasmit Patra, IUML MP E.T. Mohammed Basheer, BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy. After the UAE, it will visit Liberia, Congo and Sierra Leone.

“Taking India’s strong message against terrorism to the world! A warm welcome to the All-party delegation led by Shrikant Shinde to the UAE. Ahmed Mir Khoori, Member of the Federal National Council and Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir, received the delegation,” the Indian Embassy in UAE said in a post on X.

“UAE is the first country to receive the All-Party delegation in the context of Operation Sindoor, underlining India-UAE’s deep bonds of friendship,” the embassy further stated.

Before heading to the Middle Eastern nation, Shinde said that it is a great opportunity for the whole team to put forward India’s firm stance against terrorism.

“Our purpose is clear and unwavering: to confront state-sponsored terrorism, specifically from Pakistan, on the global stage. We will be highlighting the remarkable success of Operation Sindoor and reinforcing India’s undeniable Right to Self-Defence as enshrined in International Law,” he said in a post on X.

“This delegation will deliver a strong, unified message to the international community — reflecting India’s resolute stand against terrorism and our deep-seated commitment to fostering global peace and security,” Shinde added.

The first delegation of Indian parliamentarians, led by Janata Dal-United MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, also arrived in Tokyo with a clear message — India’s zero tolerance policy toward terrorism.

The delegation includes a diverse array of leaders across party lines, including former External Affairs Minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid, CPI(M) MP John Brittas, BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi, Brij Lal, Pradan Baruah, Hemang Joshi, Trinamool Congress’s Abhishek Banerjee, and Ambassador Mohan Kumar.

The campaign’s primary objective is to present a unified Indian front against terrorism and internationally isolate Pakistan by highlighting its consistent support for terror networks.

The MPs will engage with foreign governments, legislators, media, civil society, Indian diaspora, and international institutions, including the UN.

They will present evidence of Pakistan’s backing of terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and its continued sheltering of globally designated terrorists.

The initiative represents one of India’s strongest and most cohesive foreign outreach efforts in recent years, aimed at building international consensus against state-sponsored terrorism.

Kabul, May 20: As Pakistan intensifies its mass deportation of Afghan refugees, India has stepped in with humanitarian aid for thousands of affected families, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to supporting the Afghan people in times of crisis.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation announced that the Government of India has delivered essential food aid to around 5,000 Afghan families who were recently expelled from Pakistan. The aid package, consisting of 11 different food items, was distributed through the Kabul office of the Directorate of Refugees to families deemed most in need.

India’s assistance was formally acknowledged in a public message from Maulvi Abdul Kabir, the Taliban-appointed Minister for Refugees and Repatriation. The message, delivered by Zakirullah Zakir, head of the Prime Minister’s Office’s Coordination Department, was read during an official aid distribution ceremony in Kabul.

Abdul Kabir expressed gratitude to both the Government and people of India for their continued support and called on other countries and humanitarian organisations to step up their aid for displaced Afghans. “India’s help has come at a time when our people are facing extreme hardship,” he said.

“We welcome all returnees and assure them of their safety and dignity under the general amnesty declared in the country,” he added.

Kalim al-Rahman Fani, Deputy Minister of Finance and Administration, also acknowledged that returnees face numerous challenges, despite the Islamic Emirate’s efforts to provide housing and services. He noted that 58 new townships are being planned across 31 provinces to accommodate the influx.

Since April, Pakistan has expelled hundreds of thousands of Afghan migrants, citing national security concerns and ties between the Taliban and India, allegations that remain unproven and have not been addressed by the Taliban.

Amid these regional tensions, India’s quiet but consistent humanitarian outreach stands in contrast to Islamabad’s crackdown, drawing attention to New Delhi’s people-centric approach to diplomacy in the region.

India has long maintained that its assistance to Afghanistan is driven by humanitarian concerns and a desire to ensure regional stability. This latest initiative signals New Delhi’s continued engagement with the Afghan people, even in the absence of formal diplomatic ties with the Taliban administration.