Japan has successfully launched a satellite into space with a new rocket capable of carrying heavier payloads. Although the space program isn’t technically military, Japan intends to launch spy satellites to watch North Korea in the near future.

Rev. Doug Shin e-mailed this very interesting report today, and although the main subject matter is the visible unraveling of the regime from the border town of Dandong, China, here is the first thing that I thought would interest readers, and Doug himself is the source: From subtle rewordings in the state press and from reports Mr. Shin receives from a high-ranking North Korean official, he believes a band of military generals has already sidelined Mr. Kim. Most unusual, Mr....

Rev. Doug Shin e-mailed this very interesting report today, and although the main subject matter is the visible unraveling of the regime from the border town of Dandong, China, here is the first thing that I thought would interest readers, and Doug himself is the source: From subtle rewordings in the state press and from reports Mr. Shin receives from a high-ranking North Korean official, he believes a band of military generals has already sidelined Mr. Kim. Most unusual, Mr....

Lullaby Thought of the Day: The two countries whose nuclear programs have raised alarms of late may be cooperating more closely than previously known. North Korea agreed six years ago to stop flight-testing longer-range ballistic missiles, which could deliver nuclear or chemical warheads, in exchange for relief from U.S. economic sanctions. Pyongyang still claims it is sticking to the deal, but some Administration officials think it may be cheating by using Iran as its proxy. Sugarplums. Lollipops. Sunshine. Jimmy Carter....

As usual, Dave at No Illusions goes several levels deeper in researching and analyzing the story.

Funny, but true . . . “We could stop the melon trade. Then Kim Jong Il wouldn’t be able to eat delicious melons and he would be furious,” said Ichita Yamamoto, a ruling party lawmaker. “He would ask, ‘Where are my melons?’” . . . . “North Korea is unlike other countries in that most of its trade is done by the party or the military,” said Shinzo Abe, the head of an LDP committee pushing hard for sanctions and...

Lullaby Thought of the Day: The two countries whose nuclear programs have raised alarms of late may be cooperating more closely than previously known. North Korea agreed six years ago to stop flight-testing longer-range ballistic missiles, which could deliver nuclear or chemical warheads, in exchange for relief from U.S. economic sanctions. Pyongyang still claims it is sticking to the deal, but some Administration officials think it may be cheating by using Iran as its proxy. Sugarplums. Lollipops. Sunshine. Jimmy Carter....

As usual, Dave at No Illusions goes several levels deeper in researching and analyzing the story.

Funny, but true . . . “We could stop the melon trade. Then Kim Jong Il wouldn’t be able to eat delicious melons and he would be furious,” said Ichita Yamamoto, a ruling party lawmaker. “He would ask, ‘Where are my melons?’” . . . . “North Korea is unlike other countries in that most of its trade is done by the party or the military,” said Shinzo Abe, the head of an LDP committee pushing hard for sanctions and...

The 2002 candlight vigils were an exploitation of a terrible accident and two deaths for a repulsive political purpose. They harnessed racism, nationalism, hate, and xenophobia, goose-stepped in formation with mendacity, incitement to violence, the celebration of murder, and profaniganda, and were an effort to use the accidental deaths of two to shield the premeditating murderers of two million. This, the Korean ambassador to the U.S. assures us, was not anti-Americanism. The ambassador is a liar, but that alone doesn’t...

Just after the tsunami, I recall offering an open wager to anyone who was willing to bet against the widespread circulation of a belief that some American, Jewish, or Israeli conspiracy was to blame for it all. I’ve already collected my peppercorn from the highly intelligent readership of this site–which produced no takers–but let me crush any lingering doubts with this blunt object, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal: At Sabah, a columnist last fall accused the U.S. ambassador to...

The 2002 candlight vigils were an exploitation of a terrible accident and two deaths for a repulsive political purpose. They harnessed racism, nationalism, hate, and xenophobia, goose-stepped in formation with mendacity, incitement to violence, the celebration of murder, and profaniganda, and were an effort to use the accidental deaths of two to shield the premeditating murderers of two million. This, the Korean ambassador to the U.S. assures us, was not anti-Americanism. The ambassador is a liar, but that alone doesn’t...

Just after the tsunami, I recall offering an open wager to anyone who was willing to bet against the widespread circulation of a belief that some American, Jewish, or Israeli conspiracy was to blame for it all. I’ve already collected my peppercorn from the highly intelligent readership of this site–which produced no takers–but let me crush any lingering doubts with this blunt object, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal: At Sabah, a columnist last fall accused the U.S. ambassador to...

. . . was an e-mail from Claudia Rosett herself, forwarding this column. Ms. Rosett did more than any other person to expose oil-for-food, yet she suggests that with all of the scandalous behavior from the U.N. of late, the one with the most damning historical staying power could be a scandal of omission–its failure to do anything for the people of North Korea. Such would-be refugees have been dying faceless, nameless and scarcely even remarked upon by the world...

. . . was an e-mail from Claudia Rosett herself, forwarding this column. Ms. Rosett did more than any other person to expose oil-for-food, yet she suggests that with all of the scandalous behavior from the U.N. of late, the one with the most damning historical staying power could be a scandal of omission–its failure to do anything for the people of North Korea. Such would-be refugees have been dying faceless, nameless and scarcely even remarked upon by the world...

The announcement, coincidentally enough, came shortly after the visit of a senior official from China, the nation that supplies between 40 and 60% of North Korea’s fuel, depending on which report you believe. The sheer vagueness of it, however, suggests a thin reed of hope for those who see anything coming from these talks other than a demonstration that we’re willing to take part in them: North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Il, has told a Chinese envoy that he would...

The announcement, coincidentally enough, came shortly after the visit of a senior official from China, the nation that supplies between 40 and 60% of North Korea’s fuel, depending on which report you believe. The sheer vagueness of it, however, suggests a thin reed of hope for those who see anything coming from these talks other than a demonstration that we’re willing to take part in them: North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Il, has told a Chinese envoy that he would...

Help! Does anyone out there have a link for a decent rss2.0 feed? Thanks in advance.