World
North Korea unveils new intercontinental missile at military parade
Experts believe the new missile may be designed to carry multiple warheads — a development that could complicate U.S. missile defense capabilities and enhance Pyongyang’s deterrence strategy.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a major military parade in Pyongyang on Saturday, showcasing the country’s newest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-20, in front of foreign dignitaries from China, Russia and Vietnam.
The late-night parade on Friday marked the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party and came a day after large-scale national celebrations.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and Vietnam’s Communist Party chief To Lam stood alongside Kim during the event, underscoring North Korea’s growing engagement with its allies amid global tensions.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the Hwasong-20 is the country’s “strongest nuclear strategic weapon system” to date. Analysts say the missile could potentially reach anywhere in the U.S. mainland, though questions remain about its guidance precision and the ability of its warhead to survive re-entry.
“The Hwasong-20 represents, for now, the peak of North Korea’s long-range nuclear ambitions. We should expect to see it tested before the end of this year,” Ankit Panda of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace told Reuters.
Experts believe the new missile may be designed to carry multiple warheads — a development that could complicate U.S. missile defense capabilities and enhance Pyongyang’s deterrence strategy.
Other weapons displayed included hypersonic ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, new multiple rocket launchers, and suicide drone launchers, according to Hong Min of South Korea’s Korea Institute for National Unification.
During the parade, Kim praised North Korea’s armed forces, saying their “heroism will not only be seen in defense of the homeland but also in outposts of socialist construction.”
“Our army should continue to grow into an invincible entity that destroys all threats,” Kim said, according to KCNA.
Earlier on Friday, Kim held talks with Medvedev, who praised the “sacrifice of North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia” in Ukraine, describing it as proof of deep trust between the two countries. Kim expressed his intention to strengthen ties with Moscow and pursue broader cooperation to achieve “common strategic goals.”
KCNA also reported that Vietnam and North Korea signed new agreements on cooperation across several sectors, including defense, foreign affairs, and health — further signaling Pyongyang’s efforts to reinforce its international partnerships.
World
Israel’s Netanyahu says Iran tried to kill one of his sons
It was not immediately clear which of his sons he was referring to. Netanyahu’s elder son, Yair, lives in Miami.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Iran had tried to kill one of his sons, but gave no details about when the alleged plot took place, which son was targeted or how close it came to being carried out, Reuters reported.
Netanyahu’s allegation underscores the heightened tensions since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in February, during which Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian leaders were killed.
Netanyahu, whose coalition is trailing in opinion polls two months before an October 27 general election, made the claim in a telephone interview with Israel’s Channel 14. He was responding to reports that one of Israel’s security agencies had refused to provide protection for a political rival ahead of the nationwide vote.
“As for my sons. Here, I think there is something quite unbelievable, yes. Iran targeted one of my sons. Iran tried to kill, to murder one of my sons,” Netanyahu told the conservative channel known for its favourable coverage of the government.
“Iran tried to murder one of my sons, and therefore this security protection is not a luxury,” he said, without providing any further details about the alleged plot or how close it came to being carried out.
It was not immediately clear which of his sons he was referring to. Netanyahu’s elder son, Yair, lives in Miami.
Iran’s mission at the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the accusation.
Netanyahu also said he had told the Shin Bet security agency chief David Zini that appropriate security should be provided for any prime ministerial candidate.
Israeli media had reported earlier that Zini declined to provide security for Gadi Eisenkot and told the country’s election authority there was no plot to harm him, read the report.
Eisenkot’s party is projected to win the largest number of seats in the election, although Israeli governments are usually formed through coalitions among multiple parties rather than by a single party winning a parliamentary majority outright.
World
Norway to give over $9 billion to Ukraine in 2027
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and leaders from across the Nordic and Baltic region are visiting Kyiv on Sunday in a show of support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.
Norway plans to give another 85 billion Norwegian crowns ($9.2 billion) in financial support to Ukraine in the 2027 fiscal year, in line with the amount given in 2026, the Nordic country’s government said in a statement on Sunday.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and leaders from across the Nordic and Baltic region are visiting Kyiv on Sunday in a show of support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.
Norway plans to give another 85 billion Norwegian crowns ($9.2 billion) in financial support to Ukraine in the 2027 fiscal year, in line with the amount given in 2026, the Nordic country’s government said in a statement on Sunday.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and leaders from across the Nordic and Baltic region are visiting Kyiv on Sunday in a show of support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.
Russia and Ukraine are both ramping up drone campaigns aiming to cripple each other’s economic infrastructure, often striking targets far beyond the frontlines of the war started by Moscow, as fighting on the battlefield grinds toward the 4-1/2-year mark.
World
Israel strikes southern Syria; Damascus condemns attack
Israeli troops continue to operate in southern Syria, and Israel occupies territory in southwest Syria it seized after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Israel said it targeted a “terrorist” in southern Syria on Saturday in what Syria’s foreign ministry said was a drone strike on a civilian vehicle on the outskirts of Damascus in a “blatant” violation of its territory.
The Syrian foreign ministry said the drone had hit a civilian car on a road near Beit Jinn village in the countryside west of the capital, which caused injuries amongst civilians.
Syrian state TV reported one person was injured.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it fired in southern Syria toward what it described as a terrorist, whose activity posed an immediate threat to its soldiers. It did not say how it fired.
Tensions between Israel and Syria flared up this week after Israel bombed an airbase in the northwest on Tuesday, an escalation U.S. special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, called “unnecessary.”
Syria’s foreign ministry said the strike was part of a pattern of repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, and was a “blatant violation” of its sovereignty. It held Israel accountable for the consequences of such actions.
Israeli troops continue to operate in southern Syria, and Israel occupies territory in southwest Syria it seized after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
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