Day: October 19, 2021

NEVER TOO LATE TO SUCCEED

Life is a book full of opportunities and a new chapter can begin at any point in life. One is never too young to get started with new things, also one is never too old to start again. Dreams have no age limit. With hunger for success and the determination to achieve it, one can begin with new ventures at any point in life. With the same thought and will power, there are many successful people who begun their new journey in a later point in life. These two iconic brand owners also did start their journey of success when they were middle-aged.

COLONEL SANDERS

Harland David Sanders of Indiana, took up several jobs at an early age due to his father’s death, when he was six. He did numerous jobs, including, being a part of the army, working as a streetcar conductor, a rail road fireman and an insurance salesman. He failed numerous times and was fired on many of the jobs that he had taken up. He lost hopes on his career and retired at age sixty-five. He then started selling fried chicken cooked in his own recipe, door to door. He opened up a cafe, named Sander’s Cafe and marketed his dishes well. In 1952, Sanders franchised his secret recipe to Pete Harman, who operated one of the city’s largest restaurants. Upon gaining success with this venture, Sanders visited many other restaurants to franchise his fried chicken recipe. Soon, Kentucky’s Fried Chicken (KFC) gained enormous success. Sanders was overwhelmed with his chain of food outlets, spread around 600 different places. At the age of 73, Sanders sold his food chain brand for 2 million dollars. Today, KFC is one of the largest quick service food chains in the world, valued over 5.1 billion USD.

RAY KROC

Raymond Albert Kroc was born in a family of Czech origin. Since a young age, he began trying his hands on business ventures such as opening a lemonade stand and working at a soda fountain place. He worked as a salesman for Lily Tulip and his work culture got him connected with Earl Prince, the inventor of a multi mixture milkshake machine. Ray resigned from Lily Tulip and started selling those multi mixture machines and paper cups across the country. Kroc came across a restaurant which was apparently owned by Dick and Mac McDonald. They sold burgers, french fries and shakes. Kroc had only visited this place to supply his multi mixture shakes machine, but was highly impressed with the working of their restaurant. He soon took up their franchise as an agent but did not have enough investment income to buy the entire corporation. Ray set up the McDonald Corporation in 1955. With the help of MC Corporation’s first President, he was able to make an outright purchase of the brand from McDonald Brothers at age 52. Under his ownership, he maintained strict ownership regarding his staff, packaging, size of portions, cooking methods and lay an emphasis on innovations. All this contributed to the grandeur of the brand. Even in the present times, McDonald’s Corporation is the world’s leading global food service retailer with a net worth of $180.91 B in 2021.

It is apparent that, failures are the stepping stone to success. One may fall seven times but getting up the eighth time is a real feat, which one must achieve. Also, there is no age bar to begin with your passion. One must happily complete the journey of life by following his/her dreams.

Obesity

By – Supriya

It is not an abnormal sight these days – the sight of individuals huffing and puffing after carrying the gross weight of their own bodies . With pizzas, french fries, chowmein , burgers, cold drinks and much more flooding the market, the problem of obesity is not only restricted to a middle aged few who are suffering from diseases . It is fast spreading in children as well who gorge on these items and end up looking like pumpkins. Sedentary lifestyle, peer pressure to eat junk food to appear modern and trendy , food addiction , wrong food choices , stress , thyroid problem – factors are umpteen for this growing problem. With both parents working , there is hardly any time to cook food and the increasing number of eating outlets available in the vicinity has become an easy option. So, while parents ‘order’ something for breakfast at office, children happily munch a ‘ take away’ burger with delicious cheese to solve the problem for the day. Due to paucity of time, this one day affair turns into a daily routine which becomes the cause of worry.
In this world of advertisements and packaging, children are drawn to ‘ tasty’ food in comparison to healthy food. Such habits when persisted over a period of time result in disastrous consequences. We are what we eat. Unhealthy food gets reflected in the ailments that our body develops. Obesity increase the risk of diseases like hypertension, heart attack , diabetes , cancer , blood pressure , liver and gall bladder diseases. According to a newspaper report, kids as young as 10 are at the risk of heart disease due to obesity . A study published in the Lancet medical journal recently said that almost 1 in 5 Indian men and over 1 in 6 Indian women are overnight.
Proper exercise and adopting good eating habits is the only solution to this problem. Dancing , aerobics, swimming,gumming , jogging ,yoga or sports – there are various ways through which we can keep ourselves healthy and fit. Besides improving energy level and physical health, exercise also works wonders for mental health. Studies reveal that exercise leads to the secretion of endorphin and other ‘ happy hormones’ in the body. A study at the Laval University in Sainte- Foy Quebec suggests that those who exercise are less likely to lose their mental abilities or develop dementia , including Alzheimer’s. A regular exercise regime is the sure shot way to cope with depression , anxiety and stress. For more obesity due to thyroid or hormonal problems , proper medication and doctor’ s help is advisable. God has gifted us with this body, an instrument of expression and identity , to showcase our talents and communicate with the outer world. It is important that we maintain healthy bodies to enjoy the beauty of life.

THANKYOU!

Let It Out

We the creatures of this planet are born with numerous feelings and emotions and as soon as we get hold of ourselves we decide for ourselves if a certain emotions are important for us or not. And the emotion that gets the last place in this not so perfect ranking is the feeling that portray us as sentimental, weak, and quite vulnerable that of crying, venting out all that we have deep buried inside us through our eyes, tears as people call them are what we find the heaviest to let out and yet heavier to carry within us. The vulnerability that we believe surrounds us every time we emit sentiments or feelings that are emotionally draining turns us into some being that isn’t comfortable about their own emotions and consequently we crawl further into ourselves becoming more of an emotional wreck than an emotional person.

The salty water that is emitted every time we experience any sort of emotional trouble or low can actually turn in to the best kind of respite from the burden that this world puts on us. The relieving of our tensions through our eyes is quite normal and in fact healthy. Taking into the acceptance that we are having a bad day and that crying it out might be the best part of the day then one must do that. With all the responsibilities and tensions of the world we definitely need some type of respite from that hectic schedule and mostly people want to run away from it but crying can actually be the medicine we need on a long day. Though different people have different ways of getting themselves back after a heavy day but if letting out the tears is your way you must not shy away from it.

A common stereotype that makes people control their tears to the extent that they start getting uneasy and it becomes unhealthy is that of crying being associated with weakness, while in reality it has to be quite strong of a person to be vulnerable enough to own this emotional self that they make of themselves. Physical health has always got priority over mental health for a very long time in the past. But now as the times are changing and we as human beings are evolving the significance of taking care of our mental health has been increasing to the extent that people are normalizing the act of crying as the perfect humanly behavior and no connection whatsoever with it being the deed of the coward or the weak. In fact keeping it in is considered much less brave and as more of the action of those who are not familiar with their own weak side and in consequence do not know themselves inside out.

There is no insistence on crying out loud in front of the people we know or not know, but rather it is about letting out of the fear which resides within us, the fear of losing it all, the fear of staying the emotional wreck for the rest of our lives, the fear of going away from sanity, the fear of knowing the weak, vulnerable person that we actually are, the fear of people knowing or seeing our not so perfect side, the fear of getting everything to its worst end, the fear of not making ourselves what we thought of, the fear of not getting back on our feet, the fear of unknown, the fear that makes us let it out.

Photo by Kat Jayne on Pexels.com

LISTENING

Listening is the key to understanding, they say. It’s not just about listening to what people say. One listens to learn, one listens to understand and one listens to gain knowledge. Listen to your deepest thoughts, figure out the things you desire most and what makes you happy because when you listen to your inner self, you will come to a realiasation that everything else that mattered most in your life might not be the best choices for you afterall and perhaps that will resolve the problems you have.

When a child makes a mistake, you ask them to ‘listen’ to you. When a friend asks for an advice you tell him/her to listen to his/her heart. And while in a heated argument you tend to say, ‘Listen to me’. It is important to listen. One who listens, never fails to overcome the battle of his life because life itself really is a battle.

Remember, comedian, show host, celebrities, millionaires, governs, all who manage to secure successful business nad careers are in their best position because they listen.

‘Listening awakens your subconsciousness’

Nancy Touthang

nancytt58@gmail.com

A TIMELINE OF INDIA’S MOST PROMINENT AGRARIAN PROTESTS

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The four-month-old farmer’s protests in India took a violent turn on January 26, 2021, when farmers stormed the streets of Delhi, demanding the abolition of the three new farm bills. Farmers were greeted with tear gas, water guns, and abuse as they rode their tractors onto the roads. These agrarian demonstrations, on the other hand, are not the first in India’s history. For a large portion of India’s independent existence, farmers have been protesting. The majority of protests arose as a result of promises of economic growth eluding farmers and general disillusionment with a government that is unresponsive to their plight. “Large-scale protests have been taking place against a background of widespread and growing unrest in India’s vast countryside, often rooted in the discontent caused by agricultural stagnation and unemployment,” writes Alf Gunvald Nilsen, professor of sociology at the University of Pretoria. Here is a timeline of some of India’s…

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Science and technology

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The 19th and 20th centuries were marked by great scientific and technological developments. These developments encompassed many different fields like transportation, communication, manufacturing, education, trade, health care and others.

The life of people has become quite comfortable with these scientific innovations as various types of machines have begun to perform complex tasks for them.

There was a time when man used to walk long distances to reach other places for trade and other pursuits. The invention of wheel enabled him to make hand-driven and animal driven carts to transport various types of goods to different destinations.

With the invention of petrol and the engines that could be used it as fuel came different types of vehicles. Cars, trucks, buses, bikes and other road transport means started being made. This was perhaps the greatest scientific development. People could go to long distances and in large number.

They started going to other…

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Why has October been so rainy ?

Explained : Although the monsoon season ends in September, a delayed withdrawal and other factors have been causing severe rainfall in several states.

Western disturbances, which begin to have significant interference in local weather over the extreme northern parts of India, commonly cause either rain or snowfall. Since late last week, Ladakh, the higher reaches of Kashmir and Uttarakhand have reported the season’s first snowfall.

Last week, two low-pressure systems were active simultaneously, one each over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal regions. Collectively, these triggered severe weather events over Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha and West Bengal.

Delayed monsoon withdrawal

The four-month southwest monsoon season normally withdraws completely by early October. During the withdrawal phase, it causes thunderstorms and localised heavy rainfall.

This year, however, the withdrawal began only on October 6 against a normal of September 17. So far, the monsoon has withdrawn completely from the Western, Northern, Central and Eastern India regions. But it remains active over the southern peninsula. Thus, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have had significant rainfall during the last 10 days.

Until Monday, the monsoon had not withdrawn from Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, parts of West Bengal and Odisha and entire southern peninsular India.

“As there has been a delay in the southwest monsoon withdrawal, good rainfall has continued over Odisha, the Northeast and south India,” said Mrutyunjay Mohaptra, director general, India Meteorological Department (IMD).



Normally, by mid-October, the monsoon winds reverse their direction of flow from the southwest to the northeast.

“Even though the easterlies are beginning to replace the westerlies, the former is yet strengthen and fully establish. The easterly winds indicate the arrival of the northeast monsoon,” said D Sivanand Pai, head, Climate Research and Services, IMD, Pune.

This year, conditions for the onset of the northeast monsoon are expected to develop around October 25.

Extreme rains

For most days last week, at least two low-pressure systems remained active along the east and west coasts and over central India, bringing rains over large parts of the country.

Delhi received 87.9mm (over a 24-hour period) between Sunday and Monday, making it the fourth wettest October day for the national capital since 1901. The month of October has also been the fourth wettest so far. It has received 94.6 mm rains this month so far, which is next only to the 238.2 mm it received in 1954, the 236.2 mm in 1956, and 186.9 mm in the entire Octobers of 1910.

Likewise, Balasore in Odisha recorded 210mm in a day and it was only the second such occasion in a decade for this month.

While Tamil Nadu normally receives good rainfall between October and December, mainly during the northeast monsoon, Coimbatore (110mm) witnessed its wettest October day in a decade even before the onset of the northeast monsoon.

The Western Ghats, northeast and central India are known as high-rainfall receiving regions. However, in recent years, it has been noted that intense spells during a short time span are increasingly becoming frequent.

“Due to climate change, there is definitely a rising frequency in the extreme weather events round the year. But these specific occurrences of heavy to very heavy rains that we are seeing right now can be attributed to the formation of low-pressure systems,” said Mohaptra.

“Whenever there is a low-pressure system, depending on its strength, it results in heavy to very heavy rainfall activity. In addition, when a low-pressure system interacts with western disturbance, further intense rainfall occurs,” he said.

Extreme rainfall in Kerala

A low-pressure system that formed in the east-central Arabian Sea moved and sustained over Kerala between October 15 and17.

Simultaneously, another low-pressure system prevailed over the north Andhra Pradesh coast and southern Odisha. The interaction between them strengthened the southwest winds which brought extreme rainfall over central and southern Kerala during the last weekend.

At some places in Idukki, Ernakulam, Kollam and Kottayam districts, the 24-hour rainfall was over 200 mm. As many of these districts are hilly and covered with dense forests, the water run-off triggered landslides and mudslides.

Rainy days ahead

The low-pressure system that affected Kerala has weakened now. But a similar system is still active over central India, because of which northern India is likely to received good rainfall this week.

Heavy rainfall events are predicted over Western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh for Tuesday, with a ‘red’ alert having been issued by IMD for these regions.


Another low pressure — located over Northern Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal — is active and its interaction with the moist easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal is expected to bring heavy rain over West Bengal, Odisha, Sikkim, and Bihar until Wednesday. The maximum impact in terms of extremely heavy rain (more than 204 mm in 24 hours) is likely over some places in West Bengal and Sikkim on Tuesday.

Written by : Ananya Kaushal

The incredible journey of Elon Musk’s SpaceX – The engineering masterpiece

The Falcon super heavy launch vehicle was designed to transport people, spaceships, and various cargos into space. Such a powerful unit wasn’t created instantly and it also had its predecessors. The history of the Falcon family of vehicles began with the creation of the Falcon 1- a lightweight launch vehicle with a length of 21.3 meters and a diameter of 1.7 meters and a launch mass of 27.6 tones; the rocket could carry 420 kilograms or 926 pounds of payload on board. It became the first private device that was able to bring cargo into low earth orbit. Construction of the Falcon 1 of only two stages, the first of them consisted of a supporting element with fuel tanks, an engine and a parachute system. They chose kerosene as the fuel and liquid oxygen became its oxidizing agent.

The falcon heavy side boosters landings -SpaceX

The second stage also contains fuel tanks and an engine; though the latter had less thrust compared to the one in the first stage despite the huge launch cost $7.9 million. Totally five attempts were made to send the Falcon 1 beyond the of our planet nut not all of them were successful. During the debut launch of the rocket, a fire started in the first stage engine; this led to a loss of pressure which caused the engine to shut down in the 34th second of flight. The second attempt to start the Falcon 1 incurred a problem with the fuel system of the second stage fuels stopped flowing into its engine at 474 second of flight it shut down as well. The third time of the Falcon 1 went on a flight, it wasn’t alone of the serious cargo the rocket carried onboard the trailblazer satellites and to NASA micro-satellites. In phase one with the first stage he flight went normally but when the time came to separate the stages, the first hit the second when it started engine, so the second stage couldn’t continue its flight.

 The fourth and fifth launches showed good results but that wasn’t enough. The main problem with Falcon 1 was low demand due to its low payload abilities. For this reason, they designed Falcon 9; this device can carry on onboard 23 tons of cargo. It’s also a two stage launch vehicle and uses kerosene and l liquid oxygen as fuel. The device is currently in operation and the cost of its launch is equal to $62 million. The first stage of the rocket is reusable; it can return to earth and can be used again. The Falcon 9 is designed to not only launch commercial communication satellites but also to deliver dragon 1 to the ISS. Dragon 1 can carry a six ton payload from the earth, this drone supplies the ISS with everything they needs and it also takes goods back.

The prototype of SpaceX starship had its first free flight on July 25, 2019

The dragon 2 is designed to deliver a crew of four people to the ISS and back to earth. Now there is an ultra heavy launch vehicle with a payload capacity of almost 64 tones. It is the most powerful and heavier device called the Falcon heavy. This rocket was first launched on February 6th 2018 and the test was successful. The rocket sent Elon Musk’s car into space- a red Tesla Roadster. After this debut subsequent launches were also conducted without problem. The launch cost is estimated to $150 million.

The first stage of the Falcon heavy consists f three parts. There are three blocks contain 27 incredibly powerful engines in nine each one. The thrust created when takeoff is comparable to 18 Boeing 747s at full power. The second stage is equipped with a single engine. It is planned that the device would be used for missions to the moon and mars. Currently, SpaceX working on the star-ship manned spacecraft.  According to its creators, this device will be much larger and heavier than all of the company’s existing rockets. This device will able to deliver cargo into space weighing more than a hundred tons. The launch of star-ship into pace is planned for 2022 to mars with a payload. Who knows, one of the mankind’s largest dreams may come true within the next year.

“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” – Elon Musk

Farmers Suicide Crisis in India

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Thirty-five years ago, it was on 19 March 1986 that the first mass suicide by a farmers family in Yavatmal district was recorded. Sahebrao Karpe Patil, a farmer, a former panchayat member of Chil Gavhan village had committed suicide along with his wife and four children. The family had traveled from what was then a relatively remote village in Yavatmal to Pavanar in nearby district, where Vinoba Ashram is located. The farmer couple committed suicide by consuming pesticide, first feeding their children the poisonous food. On Delhi’s borders, over 250 farmers associated with the ongoing agitation are said to have lost their lives over the past few months. Quite a few of them are said to have committed suicide, others died due to exposure to harsh winter, illnesses and accident.

Farmers suicide in India refers to the national catastrophe of framers committing suicide since the 1970’s, often by drinking pesticides…

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Rhetoric: the art of persuasion

Rhetoric, a term often used in the English language referring to cynicism or a way of not believing in something. But the people who use this word with this meaning do not know the real definition of this word. the word actually means ‘word’ itself. Rhetoric is the opposite of cynicism, it believes in persuasion, in motivation for something, no matter whether its right or wrong, it is the quintessence of convincing someone to do something. And as a result, it is mostly used in speeches, primarily of politicians and debaters, convincing people to favor their party, or organization and disregard the opposition. The art of rhetoric was first found around 367-347 BCE by Aristotle, in Athens. since then, it has never left the world, even before that, it was there, just it didn’t have a particular term referring to it. If you see carefully, you can find rhetoric almost everywhere. suppose when a school is advertising for its high quality education, it is persisting you to believe that it is the best educational facility for your child, hence rhetoric, it may not be in a verbal way, but it is still considered rhetoric. Every advertisement, every political speech, every motivational speech even, can be pointed out as rhetoric. It is as common as a pair of jeans in a garment store, a bad metaphor, but I didn’t get anything else in the spur of the moment, as long as you get what I am saying, it is good.

there are three further sub-categories in this field, namely logos, ethos, and pathos. They form what is called the rhetorical triangle. The first is logos, which is the appeal to reason. It uses the help of logical reasoning to help the audience. We often categories it in two modes of appealing, inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning, the latter regularly used with syllogism. The second is ethos, or ‘the ethical appeal’. It often refers to the establishing the credibility of a speaker or a writer. It is often deployed indirectly. The third mode of appeal is pathos, the appeal to the audience’s emotions. These can be positive emotions, like pride or hope, or negative ones, like fear or hatred.

So lets talk about the structure of the a rhetoric thesis. Classical rhetoric divided a composition into five parts: (1) exordium, the introduction; (2) narratio, the statement of the context or situation; (3) confirmatio, the presentation of arguments and facts; (4) refutatio, the presentation and refuting of counterarguments; and (5) peroratio, the conclusion.

you can see many rhetorical modes of appealing in some famous speeches. for example, ‘I have a dream’ by Martin Luther King Jr. Gun control speech by Sarah brady, the inauguration speech by Ronald Reagan, and endless other pieces.

You Must Try These Bihari Cuisines Before You Die

Dal Poori:

It doesn’t only sounds delicious but it taste even better. We, Indians are crazy for poori’ and dal poori is another level of happiness to the list.The mixture of gram flour with a lil of chatpata masala stuffing of the puri makes it yummier and though it’s a Dussehra special recipe, one need not have to wait for any such special occasions.
The Dal poori is served even in normal days in a Bihari family with a spicy ‘sabji’ or curd.

Dal Poori

Parwal ki Mithai:

The amazingly delicious sweet made of Vegetable! Parwal ki mithai is quite a famous sweet in Bihar. Though it is made out of Parwal which is a vegetable, it is fantabulous to taste, and is made by stuffing the pointed gourd with khoya, giving it the right balance of sweet, salty and healthy. If you havent tasted this unusual mithai, dont give it a miss.

Parwal Ki Mithai

Pedakiya :

Pedakiya is the Bihari version of Gujiya. It is Bihar’s most famous fried sweet, it is made by stuffing flour stuffed with suji (semolina), khoya or grated coconut and is made on almost every festival. Whether its Holi, Teej, Diwali or Chatt you can expect Pedakiya.

Pedakiya

Khaja :

 Another name in the long list of amazing desert from Bihar. This wafery sweet snack is made from flour and sugar, is deep fried and then dipped in hot sugar syrup.Khaja is has a strong sweet taste, so all those who has sweet tooth can taste Khaja for sure. Silao ka Khaja is very famous.

khaja

 Litti Chokha :

The signature dish of Bihar and Biharis. If you have a Bihari friend, you must have tried Litti Chokha at least once in your life time.It is baked from wheat flour dough that is stuffed with a mixture of roasted gram flour, spices, lemon juice and pickle. And is served with chokha.Chokha is baked and pulped vegetables mixed with spices and onion.Litti these days are being served with chicken and mutton gravy as well for non Veg lovers.

littiii

Malpua :

Malpua is that sweetmeat to which all Biharis swear by for every special event and festival. Whether it’s Holi or Eid, Durga Puja or Ramzan the festival is incomplete if you haven’t eaten Malpua. Its batter is made by mixing flour, milk, sugar and mashed bananas and is deep fried in such a way that the edges go all crispy while the center is all soft. Mouth watering isn’t it? Tust me, if you are a sweet tooth, you cannot resist Malpua.

Malpua

Thekua/Khajuria:

Thekua is one of the most important ingredient  of ‘Chatt’ puja in Bihar. Ask any Bihari friend the occasions when this sweet is made at home and they all will say the same.Thekua or Khajuria is a snack made from wheat flour; jaggery or sugar mixed together, molded and deep fried in ghee.

Thekua

Nimki:

Stick Crackers: This snack made of flour and salt is deep fried. It is one of the perfect snack for evening chai.

nimki

The Bihari Kadi budi:

kadhis, from different parts of the country. The Bihari kadhi is a one that uses badi(pakoda) dumplings. It is considered inauspicious in Bihar to prepare plainkadhi without any dumplings.

Kadi badi

Tilkut :

Tilkut or bars of sesame seeds – a sweet cracker made by mixing the seeds either with jaggery or sugar – that is indelibly linked to Gaya, the birthplace of Buddhism, has been growing patrons not only in Bihar, but also in neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, and also the US. Come Makar Sakranti and every possible sweet shop in Bihar will sell one of these.

Bihari Cuisine

Peda:

Bihari peda-

Khurma/ShakarPala:

This snack made of flour, is deep fried and dipped in sugar syrup. As the sugar syrup cools off, it crystallizes.

khurma shakarpala

North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile: South Korea’s Military

North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea, the South Korean military said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of tests by the capital Pyongyang over recent weeks.

Seoul: 

North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, its latest in a series of tests with analysts saying it could have been a submarine-launched weapon.

The “unidentified ballistic missile” was fired from Sinpo into the sea east of the peninsula, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

“South Korean and US intelligence are closely analysing for additional detail,” it added.

Sinpo, where the missile was fired from, is a major naval shipyard and satellite photographs have previously shown submarines at the facility.

The North is known to be developing a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) and previously carried out an underwater launch, although analysts said that one was likely to have been from a submerged platform rather than a submarine.

There is a high possibility the North launched an SLBM,” said Shin Beom-chul, a researcher at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy.

It comes after the nuclear-armed North — which invaded its neighbour in 1950 — in recent weeks tested a long-range cruise missile, a train-launched weapon and what it said was a hypersonic warhead, sparking global concern.

It also mounted a rare weapons exhibition, showcasing the gigantic international ballistic missile (ICBM) revealed at a night-time military parade last year.

“The fundamental reason for the North’s provocation is because the US is not changing its position on talks,” Shin told AFP, adding: “Pyongyang is trying to demonstrate that it can carry out a bigger provocation.”