North Country

Ethiopia has publicly accused Sudan and Egypt of supporting Tigrayan forces as fighting intensifies in the country's north, a charge that deepens regional tensions over the year-long conflict. The claim risks straining relations with two neighbours already at odds with Addis Ababa over a disputed border region and dam negotiations. Observers warn the accusations could further internationalise the war.

Ethiopia's government has publicly accused Sudan and Eritrea of supporting Tigrayan forces as fighting intensifies in the country's north. The allegations mark a sharp escalation in rhetoric, drawing in two neighbouring states and raising fears that the conflict could spill across borders and further destabilise the already volatile Horn of Africa region.

North Korea's minister told the United Nations that the country's status as a nuclear state is 'permanently fixed', restating Pyongyang's refusal to give up its nuclear arsenal. The declaration signals continued defiance of international pressure and Security Council resolutions calling for denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

A senior North Korean diplomat has declared that Pyongyang's status as a nuclear power can never be reversed 'in any circumstances'. The statement rules out denuclearisation talks and signals that the country intends to keep its nuclear arsenal permanently. It comes amid continued deadlock with the United States and South Korea, and observers say it sharply reduces any prospects for renewed diplomacy.

A senior North Korean diplomat declared that the country's nuclear status can never be reversed 'in any circumstances', ruling out denuclearisation talks. The statement, reported by The Korea Times, underscores Pyongyang's long-standing position that its nuclear arsenal is irreversible, dealing a blow to diplomatic efforts aimed at persuading the North to disarm.

South Korea is demanding an apology from Ukraine over its handling of North Korean prisoners of war captured while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. The dispute centers on Kyiv's treatment or transfer of the captured soldiers, an issue with sensitive implications for Seoul, which has been closely monitoring the deployment of North Korean troops in the war. The diplomatic friction has drawn international attention.

Ethiopia has publicly accused Eritrea and Sudan of supporting Tigrayan forces as fighting intensifies in the country's north. The allegation marks a sharp escalation in rhetoric, threatening to widen a conflict that has already strained relations with its neighbours and drawn international concern over the humanitarian situation in the Tigray region.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's mention in a UN speech that Kyiv had sent two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea has spiralled into an unexpected diplomatic crisis between the two countries, the Guardian reports from Seoul. The disclosure angered Seoul, which had not agreed to publicly receive the men, and questions remain over their fate and bilateral ties.

South Korea has formally demanded an apology from Ukraine after Kyiv disclosed information concerning North Korean prisoners of war captured while fighting alongside Russian forces. The disclosure, reportedly made without consulting Seoul, has angered South Korean officials who had sought control over information about its citizens and defectors. The dispute adds friction to relations between the two countries at a sensitive point in the war.