SNAPSHOT | Malacca polls: PN's potential deregistration no barrier to BN talks, says Rauf

North Korea said Thursday it has test-fired shells for an upgraded 240mm multiple rocket launcher system, stressing the need to deploy the "deadliest" attack forces along the border with South Korea. North Korea conducted a test of upgraded 240mm-caliber controlled multiple-launch rockets Tuesday under the country's five-year plan for modernizing artillery and missile forces, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Leading military cadres overseeing the test said "the development of range-extended rockets assures them of a significant change in the firepower readiness along the southern border," according to the report. Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party, stressed the need to "concentrate the deadliest and destructive attack forces on the southern border," according to the KCNA. "He underscored the need to make the enemy aware of the fact that we have replaced all our armed forces' long-range strike means with the latest ones at the earliest date," it said. The rockets equipped with the "autonomous pinpoint guide system" ar

MEXICO CITY — President Lee Jae Myung said combining the country's technology with Mexico's strong industrial base can create new growth, citing artificial intelligence (AI) and supply chains among areas for cooperation, a media interview showed Wednesday. "For Korean companies, Mexico is much more than a production base: it is a key strategic platform for accessing the markets of North America and the rest of the world," Lee said in an interview with Mexican newspaper El Universal. The interview was released as Lee arrived in Mexico City for a state visit, which will include summit talks with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday. "If we combine Korea's technology, manufacturing capabilities and accumulated experience in its economic development process with Mexico's talent and strong industrial base, we can create new opportunities for growth together," Lee said. He said Korea and Mexico have considerable room to deepen cooperation in strategic sectors, citing semiconductors, the aerospace industry and electric vehicles (EVs) as prospective sectors for cooperation. He referr

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun pledged continued support for Ukraine during bilateral foreign ministerial talks earlier this week, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. Cho met his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, in New York on Wednesday (U.S. time) on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, according to a ministry release. The talks took place as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the U.N. gathering the same day that his country recently sent two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces to South Korea. The ministry did not mention Zelenskyy's remarks in the release but said Cho pledged continuing support necessary for the Ukrainian people. South Korea earlier announced it would provide $100 million in non-lethal aid to Ukraine during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Ankara in July. Cho also held separate talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi the same day. During the talks, Cho stressed the need to ensure free and safe passage for all vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, noting that Seoul has participated in such

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui said Thursday her country's will to keep nuclear weapons through "all ages" is "irreversible" as she blasted recent trilateral talks between South Korea, the United States and Japan, state media reported. Choe took aim at the talks between the top diplomats of the three countries in New York on Monday that reiterated their commitment to the "complete" denuclearization of North Korea and called on Pyongyang to return to dialogue. "As the foreign minister of the DPRK, I reaffirm and reconfirm in the strongest tone of voice the steadfast will of our state to keep nuclear weapons through all ages, which is irreversible in any case and will remain unchanged forever," she said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "There is no change in the fact that the DPRK's position as a nuclear weapons state will be everlasting," she said.

Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces nearly 20 months ago have arrived safely in South Korea, the president of Ukraine and an opposition lawmaker said Thursday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the disclosure during a speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Wednesday (local time). “Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea,” Zelenskyy said. Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) also confirmed the transfer that had remained in secrecy over concerns for the safety of the prisoners and their families. “The two people arrived safely in Korea a few days ago,” Yu said during a press conference at the National Assembly. He has repeatedly raised the issue of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) captured in Ukraine. The two soldiers are now expected to receive protection under South Korean laws concerning North Korean defectors. Their health is reportedly stable. The National Intelligence Service is expected to conduct questioning and investigations over several weeks or months before det

Russia has invited North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit the country, a Russian deputy foreign minister said, according to the TASS news agency Thursday. Details of the visit have not yet been determined, and the schedule is still being discussed. Pyongyang and Moscow have deepened their alignment since North Korea deployed troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine.

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This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account. Unrivalled Xi-Trump summit analysis: get real-time updates and exclusive boots-on-the-ground reporting from our US and China bureaus. Subscribe now with great savings to stay ahead. President Xi Jinping has a loaded itinerary for the first full day of his trip to the US – a journey made nearly a decade after the Chinese leader’s previous visit – including formal talks with US President Donald...

Updated declarations of interest by members of Hong Kong’s top decision-making body have revealed new business ventures and corporate board appointments for several former veteran lawmakers, while constitutional affairs chief Janice Tse Siu-wa remains the biggest landlord among ministers. The Executive Council’s annually updated declarations of interest were published on Thursday in accordance with regulations requiring all members, including senior politically appointed officials, to declare...

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