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North Korea could strengthen its military drone capabilities by gaining technical expertise through workers deployed to a major Russian drone production facility, potentially posing a new security threat to South Korea and U.S. forces in the region, a U.S. think tank report showed Wednesday. The report, jointly published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the George W. Bush Institute, examined the security implications of North Korea's involvement in Russia's drone manufacturing industry, as well as the roles of China and Iran in supporting Moscow's war against Ukraine. According to a separate report issued by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) in September, Russia hosted an estimated 15,000 to 30,000 North Korean workers as of the end of 2025, some of whom were involved in manufacturing military drones. The report also said Moscow had established a student visa scheme to disguise North Korean workers as students. "North Korean labor also transfers technical know-how. Technicians sent to Alabuga will return to Pyongyang with invaluable lesson

DANDONG, China — A big new bridge linking China and North Korea opened on Thursday, 12 years after its completion, deepening economic ties between the Asian giant and its isolated nuclear-armed neighbour. China is North Korea's largest trading partner and a vital source of diplomatic, economic and political support for the reclusive nuclear state, although ties have not always been smooth. Hundreds of people gathered on Thursday on the Chinese side for the opening of the 3,026-metre (9,927-feet) New Yalu River vehicle bridge. Trucks bearing the nations' flags began moving in both directions late morning, AFP reporters at the scene said, some of the North Korean vehicles decorated with flowers. "It's great," one woman who came to watch told AFP in the quiet northern border town of Dandong, which is dotted with a mish-mash of Chinese and Korean shops and restaurants. "It's already been over 10 years. It's certainly going to be good for business," she said, without wishing to be named, accompanied by her friend and her dog. The opening came a day after North Korea test-fired two types of cr

North Korea on Thursday called Japan's push for nuclear-powered submarines a "stepping stone" toward nuclear weapons. An international security analyst, Pak Ju-won, made the claim in an article carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "It is the true intention of the Japanese neo-militarist force to formalize the possession of nuclear-powered submarines and secure a stepping-stone to the possession of nuclear weapons in the long-run," Pak said. Citing recent comments by Japanese officials, Pak claimed that Japan has the "sinister intention to create public opinion" in favor of writing the nuclear-related issue into its key security documents, which are due for revision by the end of the year. Late last month, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the government was keeping open the possibility of revising its three nonnuclear principles and acquiring nuclear-powered submarines. Japan, he said, should debate nuclear weapons and nuclear-powered submarines "without taboos." Pak said Japan has discarded "the veil of 'exclusive defense'" referring to its postwar policy of li

Korea and Japan should work to build stronger bilateral ties while remembering their shared history, the leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Thursday. Rep. Kim Min-seok made the remarks during a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Mizushima at the National Assembly, noting the resumption of shuttle diplomacy between the two countries. "The essence of relations between the two countries is not forgetting the past while also placing importance on the present and building the future," Kim said. "We are realizing the ideal vision laid out and envisioned in the 1998 Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Declaration," he said, referring to the joint declaration signed by then Korean President Kim Dae-jung and then Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi that called for overcoming the past and building new relations. Kim expressed hope the two countries will further expand cooperation in politics, the economy, culture and other areas. In response, Mizushima pledged to continue efforts to develop the "stable, future-oriented relations" between the two countries.

North Korea said Thursday it test-fired two types of strategic cruise missile in the East Sea the previous day, in what may be the first launch from a 3,000-ton-class submarine it unveiled in 2023. "The test-fire aimed to examine the current mobilized posture of the underwater combat systems and contributed to getting the Navy skilled in performing its strategic missions and showcasing high reliability, trustworthiness and ability of the war deterrents of the DPRK," the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The test was overseen by Kim Jong-sik, a member of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, Jang Chang-ha, director-general of the Missile Administration and the Navy's underwater weapon system engineers, the report said. Experts said the missiles appeared to be launched from what the North called its first tactical nuclear attack submarine, Hero Kim Kun Ok. North Korea unveiled the vessel in September 2023 and described it as one of the "core underwater offensive me

South Korea will continue supporting Ukraine “as a responsible member of the international community” despite a diplomatic dispute over the disclosure of two North Korean prisoners of war being repatriated to the South, a foreign ministry official said Thursday. The official said Seoul will treat its assistance to Ukraine separately from the dispute, while continuing bilateral consultations to resolve outstanding issues. The remarks came after South Korean Ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang was recalled to Seoul on Saturday, following a spat over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s public disclosure of the transfer during his U.N. General Assembly speech on Sept. 23. The ambassador’s recall was one of several options Seoul considered after the disclosure, which it says breached a confidentiality arrangement intended to protect the soldiers and their families in North Korea. President Lee Jae Myung has demanded that Kyiv acknowledge the agreement and publicly apologize, warning of “additional measures” if it refuses. Kyiv has denied such an understanding existed. Meanwhi

A road has been closed as emergency services respond to a serious crash.

Danny Dyer has handed over a petition with 340,000-plus signatures to the government calling for water firms to be brought back under public control.

China’s premier has reaffirmed his country’s support for North Korea and its leader during the much-delayed opening of a new bridge between the neighbours. In a taped speech to the opening ceremony on the New Yalu River Bridge on Thursday, Premier Li Qiang said the link was a landmark in Chinese-North Korean friendship. Li said the bridge would promote economic and trade ties, expand personnel exchanges and tighten the bond between the two peoples, according to state news agency Xinhua. The...

Planning permission is sought for a full-size 3G sports pitch, which would be used by three neighbouring secondary schools if approved.

While the premiers show a bit of pluck.

President Trump’s controversial diesel deal with Russia may not actually bring down prices ahead of the midterms. Trump announced last week that Russia would “immediately” supply 300,000 tons of diesel to the U.S. and global marketplace, with another 500,000 tons coming in November, drawing howls from Democrats and some Republicans over lifting sanctions on Moscow...