North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited an art studio to oversee sculptures for a memorial dedicated to North Korean soldiers killed while fighting overseas, state media said, amid growing scrutiny of Pyongyang’s military role in Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 29th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of long-range strategic cruise missiles on Sunday, in what state media described as a test confirming the country’s nuclear deterrent and readiness to respond to security threats.
Missile development in North Korea is set to continue over the next five years. The country’s leader Kim Jong Un made the remarks during visits to major arms production facilities in the final quarter of 2025, the state news agency KCNA reported on Friday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test-firing on Wednesday of a long-range surface-to-air missile at a launch site near its east coast, state media KCNA reported on Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin asked North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui during talks in the Kremlin on Monday to tell her country's leader Kim Jong Un that everything was "going to plan" in bilateral relations.
U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his readiness to meet with North Korea's Kim Jung Un during his upcoming visit to Asia.
Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith will visit North Korea at the invitation of leader Kim Jong Un for celebrations commemorating the country's ruling party on 10 October, state news agency KCNA announced.
Kim Jong Un has called for constant strengthening of North Korea’s “nuclear shield and sword,” framing it as the foundation of sovereignty, security, and development.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has indicated that there is no reason for his country to avoid dialogue with the United States, provided Washington ceases to insist on denuclearisation.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the testing of unmanned drones on Thursday and ordered their capabilities be strengthened through artificial intelligence (AI), state media KCNA said on Friday.
The South Korean and Japanese defence ministers will hold talks in Seoul on Monday, Seoul's defence ministry said, marking the first official visit by a Japanese defence minister to South Korea in a decade.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised a “beautiful life” for the families of soldiers who died fighting for Russia in Ukraine, state media reported on Saturday. He praised the bereaved for the heroism of their sons and husbands.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will travel to China next week to attend a military parade marking Japan’s surrender in the Second World War, state media reported, in what is set to be the most significant multilateral diplomatic gathering he has ever joined.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend a military parade in Beijing next week, marking their first public appearance alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping in a display of collective defiance amid Western pressure.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he wants to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year when he discussed trade and defence issues with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung during a White House visit on Monday.
State media KCNA reported on Sunday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of new air defence missiles, showcasing their ability to counter aerial threats.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised troops who fought for Russia in Ukraine, calling them "heroic" during a ceremony honouring soldiers of the army's overseas operations.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expressed confidence that the country will achieve victory in its anti-imperialist and anti-US struggle. The statement was made on the anniversary of the Korean War armistice, according to the state news agency KCNA on Sunday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed his “unconditional support” for all actions taken by Russia to resolve the Ukraine war, during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, according to North Korean state media.
North Korea has opened a large coastal resort in its eastern Kalma region, with leader Kim Jong Un describing the project as a key development in the country’s tourism sector, according to state media on Thursday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirming his country’s steadfast support for Moscow.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu has arrived in Pyongyang for a high-level meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russian news agency TASS reported.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has publicly condemned a serious accident involving the launch of a new 5,000-ton destroyer as a “criminal act” rooted in “absolute carelessness,” marking a rare and unusually candid acknowledgment of failure by Pyongyang’s leadership.
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