North Country

Ethiopia has publicly accused Sudan and Eritrea of supporting Tigrayan forces as fighting escalates in the country's north. The allegations sharpen tensions in the Tigray conflict and strain relations with two key neighbours, raising concerns about the war drawing in regional powers and further destabilising the Horn of Africa.

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 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.

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.

Crypto exchange Bitget has reportedly lost $388 million in a hack that investigators say was likely carried out by North Korea. The theft, attributed to the country's state-backed hacking operations, would rank among the largest crypto heists tied to Pyongyang, which has long used stolen digital assets to fund its regime. The scale of the breach is drawing fresh attention to exchange security and to North Korea's growing role in cyber crime.

Reporting on Hurricane Helene's aftermath in North Carolina and the deadly floods in Texas' Hill Country points to weaknesses in federal and state policies that let people keep building and living in areas where homes can be swept away. ProPublica argues both disasters show how permitting and floodplain rules fail to keep residents out of high-risk zones, renewing debate over land-use and disaster preparedness reform.

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.

South Korea has demanded an apology after Ukraine revealed it transferred North Korean prisoners of war, reportedly captured while fighting alongside Russian forces, to third countries. Seoul says the move breached international norms requiring consultation with the prisoners' home state, and has voiced concern over the handling of its citizens. The dispute has opened a rare diplomatic friction point between Kyiv and Seoul.

A drone strike hit a television station in Ethiopia's Tigray region as rebels advance in the north of the country, according to France 24. The attack on the broadcaster marks an escalation in the ongoing conflict, with reports of rebel gains adding to concerns about a widening war and worsening humanitarian conditions in northern Ethiopia.

Sudanese doctors say the Rapid Support Forces looted a hospital in a town in North Kordofan that had recently been recaptured by the army. The accusation adds to a long pattern of reported attacks on medical facilities during Sudan's civil war, which has devastated the country's health system and displaced millions since fighting began in April 2023.

South Korea has demanded an apology from Ukraine after Kyiv disclosed the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war, reportedly to South Korea. The disclosure, made public through Ukrainian channels, appears to have complicated sensitive negotiations between Seoul and Kyiv over the fate of North Korean soldiers captured while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.

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.

Diplomatic tensions have emerged between South Korea and Ukraine over the handling of North Korean prisoners of war captured while fighting alongside Russian forces. The dispute centres on the transfer of captured North Korean soldiers, an issue with sensitive implications for Seoul, which has expressed concern over the fate and treatment of its rival's citizens. The rift risks complicating cooperation between Kyiv and Seoul at a time when both face pressure from Russia and North Korea's deepening alliance.

South Korea's presidential office has demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of breaking a confidentiality agreement by disclosing that two North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to South Korea. The dispute puts a strain on the two countries' cooperation and raises questions about the handling of captured North Korean soldiers.

Sudanese doctors say the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces looted a hospital in Sodari, in Sudan's North Kordofan region. The Sudan Doctors' Union reports the facility was stripped of equipment and supplies, worsening an already dire health crisis as fighting between the RSF and the army continues across the country. Health facilities have repeatedly come under attack or occupation during the two-year war.

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.

South Korea has formally demanded an apology from Ukraine after Kyiv disclosed the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war, according to Reuters. The dispute centres on Seoul's objection to the public revelation of the PoW transfer, which touches on sensitive matters involving North Korean soldiers captured while fighting alongside Russian forces. The incident threatens friction between the two countries at a time when both are aligned in opposing Russia's invasion.

South Korea's presidential office has demanded an apology from Ukraine after Kyiv unilaterally disclosed the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war. Seoul said it 'expresses strong regret over Ukraine's unilateral disclosure', indicating the two sides had not agreed on how the sensitive handover of North Korean soldiers captured in the war should be announced. The dispute has drawn attention to how Kyiv handles captured North Korean troops and to the coordination between the two governments.

Sudanese doctors say the Rapid Support Forces looted and wrecked a hospital in Sodari, in North Kordofan state. The report adds to a pattern of attacks on medical facilities during Sudan's civil war, which has devastated the country's health system and displaced millions since fighting began in April 2023 between the RSF and the army.

South Korea's government is demanding an official apology from Ukraine after Kyiv disclosed details of a transfer involving a North Korean prisoner of war. The dispute has drawn attention in both countries, with reports highlighting Seoul's anger over what it sees as an unauthorized revelation of sensitive information. The case touches on the delicate handling of North Korean soldiers captured while fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.

South Korea has accused Ukraine of violating a confidentiality agreement concerning the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war captured while fighting alongside Russian forces. Seoul says Kyiv has denied the deal's existence and has demanded an apology, creating a diplomatic rift between the two countries at a sensitive point in the war.

South Korea has demanded an apology from Ukraine after Kyiv disclosed the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war. The disclosure reportedly caused friction between the two countries, with Seoul objecting to how the sensitive information about captured North Korean soldiers was made public. The incident highlights growing complications around North Korean troops captured while fighting alongside Russian forces in the war in Ukraine.