More than 30 GT3 cars will line up for the event which will also see the return of the 24H Series Middle East Trophy
sports48 minutes ago
North Korea fired two ballistic missiles early on Sunday, authorities in neighbouring countries said, the seventh such launch by Pyongyang in recent days that added to widespread alarm in Washington and its allies in Tokyo and Seoul.
Officials in the South Korean capital have said the uptick in the North's missile launches could signal it is closer than ever to resuming nuclear testing for the first time since 2017, with preparations observed at its test site for months.
Both of Sunday's missiles reached an altitude of 100 km (60 miles) and covered 350 km (218 miles), Japan's state minister of defence, Toshiro Ino, told reporters.
The first was fired at about 1.47am and the second some six minutes later.
They fell outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, and authorities were looking into what type they were, including the possibility that they were submarine-launched ballistic missiles, he added.
The US military said it was consulting closely with allies and partners following the launches, which it said highlighted the "destabilizing impact" of the North Korean nuclear arms and ballistic missile programs.
Still, the United States assessed that the latest launches did not pose a threat to US personnel or American allies.
"The US commitments to the defence of the Republic of Korea and Japan remain ironclad," the Hawaii-based US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.
The latest missile launches from the Muncheon area on North Korea's east coast are a "serious provocation" that harms peace, South Korean authorities said.
On Tuesday, North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile farther than ever before, sending it soaring over Japan for the first time in five years and prompting a warning to residents there to take cover.
Ino said Tokyo would not tolerate the repeated actions by North Korea. The incident was the seventh such launch since September 25.
Japan's foreign ministry said the nuclear envoys of the United States, South Korea and Japan held a telephone call and shared the view that the North's ballistic missile launches threatened the peace and security of the region and the international community, besides posing a civil aviation risk.
North Korea, which has pursued missile and nuclear tests in defiance of UN sanctions, said on Saturday its missile tests were for self-defence against direct US military threats and had not harmed the safety of neighbours.
"Our missile tests are a normal, planned self-defence measure to protect our country's security and regional peace from direct US military threats," said state media KCNA, citing an aviation administration spokesperson.
South Korea and the United States held joint maritime exercises on Friday, a day after Seoul scrambled fighter jets in reaction to an apparent North Korean bombing drill.
The United States also announced new sanctions on Friday in response to North Korea's latest missile launches.
ALSO READ:
More than 30 GT3 cars will line up for the event which will also see the return of the 24H Series Middle East Trophy
sports48 minutes ago
The millennia-old show is held once every 12 years at the site where the Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet.
asia51 minutes ago
There have been no reports of casualties or material damage so far
world52 minutes ago
The plane was carrying 37 nationals from Azerbaijan, six from Kazakhstan, three from Kyrgyzstan and 16 from Russia
europe1 hour ago
The tsunami – generated by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off Indonesia's western island of Sumatra – carried in its path a wall of debris including boats, cars, and bodies
asia1 hour ago
The iconic attraction had been closed for 'enhancement works' since March 2022
uae1 hour ago
The world number one is hoping to become the first woman to claim three straight Melbourne Park singles titles since Martina Hingis
tennis1 hour ago
Sales for both domestic and international flights departing on Thursday were been suspended
asia1 hour ago