Politics

North Korea has conducted test launches of strategic cruise missiles as a demonstration of its counterattack capabilities aimed at "enemies," according to state media reports. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the missile drills in the Yellow Sea on Wednesday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced on Friday. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff later confirmed they had detected and tracked these launches. KCNA reported that Pyongyang conducted the drills to warn "enemies, who are seriously violating the security environment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and fostering and escalating the confrontation environment," while demonstrating the "readiness of its various nuke operation means." The state news agency claimed the missiles accurately "hit the targets" after flying for 130 minutes along a 1,587km (986-mile) trajectory. "Expressing satisfaction over the result of the launching drill, Kim Jong Un […]

International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds has resigned following Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision to cut the foreign aid budget. In her resignation letter, Dodds criticized the recently announced reductions to international aid, which will fund increased defense spending. She warned the cuts would "remove food and healthcare from desperate people - deeply harming the UK's reputation." Dodds revealed she deliberately delayed her resignation until after Starmer met with President Trump, stating it was "imperative that you had a united cabinet behind you as you set off for Washington." The minister expressed "sadness" about resigning and acknowledged that Starmer was not "ideologically opposed" to international development. Prior to his Washington visit, Starmer announced plans to reduce aid funding from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3% by 2027, redirecting those resources toward defense spending. Defending this decision, the prime minister stated […]

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has defended Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following Donald Trump's criticism of the Ukrainian leader. During a Wednesday evening call, Starmer supported Zelensky's decision to suspend elections during wartime, comparing it to Britain's actions in World War Two. Trump had earlier criticized Zelensky, claiming he "refuses to have elections" and has done a "terrible job." Ukraine suspended elections after Russia's invasion, with Zelensky's term originally set to end in May 2024. Starmer, who plans to meet Trump in Washington DC next week, aims to discuss a "US backstop" to deter future Russian aggression. The Prime Minister has expressed willingness to deploy British troops to Ukraine as part of a peace deal, with Western officials suggesting fewer than 30,000 land troops would be involved. The proposal includes using drones and intelligence aircraft to monitor Ukrainian cities, infrastructure, […]

Israel has received the bodies of four hostages who were captured during Hamas's October 7 attack. This marks the first return of deceased captives since the ceasefire began last month. The bodies are reportedly those of Shiri Bibas, 33, her two young sons (aged five and two), and Oded Lifschitz, 84, a peace activist. Israeli authorities await forensic confirmation of their identities. Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed national anguish, stating "the heart of the entire nation is torn." In Khan Younis, southern Gaza, Hamas staged a ceremonial handover, displaying four black coffins on a decorated stage before crowds. Red Cross officials processed documentation alongside Hamas fighters before transferring the coffins to Israeli forces. Israelis lined streets waving national and yellow hostage-support flags as police transported the bodies to Jaffa's Abu Kabir forensic institute. The Bibas family's fate has particularly moved Israel. […]