North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected a facility that produces nuclear material and called for bolstering the country’s nuclear capability, state media reports.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for bolstering nuclear forces this year during a visit to the country's nuclear material production base and nuclear weapons institute, state media KCNA said on Wednesday.

South Korea 's Yonhap News Agency said North Korea might be using a vertical cold-launch system to fire the missiles. The system, which is commonly associated with submarine- and ship-based weapons, ejects a missile from its container before the missile ignites midair.

US President Donald Trump will reach out to Kim Jong Un again, he said in an interview aired Thursday, calling the North Korean leader with whom he previously met three times a "smart guy."

Pyongyang has since reopened the border to some trade and official delegations, and North Korea last year permitted Russian tourists to enter the country for the first time since the pandemic.

The United States, Australia, India, and Japan reaffirmed their partnership at a meeting focusing on countering China's influence. Hosted by Marco Rubio, the Quad grouping emphasized a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

The first sign of improving Japan–China relations during the summit was the behaviour of the two leaders. Both Prime Minister Ishiba and President Xi appeared conciliatory in their public interactions. Xi’s cordial approach reflects China’s shift to smile diplomacy instead of its hard-line wolf warrior approach of the past.

As Congress reconvenes and a second Trump administration begins, it is more important than ever to remember that preventing corruption from seeping into our country requires vigilance and a willingness to adapt.

Indiana lawmakers are proposing legislation to limit foreign investment in the state, including restrictions on businesses headquartered in adversary countries, and creates a foreign agent registry.

The Doomsday Clock, symbolizing humanity's proximity to catastrophic destruction, has been moved to 89 seconds to midnight, its closest point ever. Th

An executive order said the United States faced a “catastrophic threat” from advanced aerial weapons. But a defense system like Israel’s may not be feasible in the country, which is more than 400 times larger.

The Ground-Based Midcourse Defence (GMD) system, widely regarded as the backbone of US missile defence, is designed to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with a range of over 1,500 miles. However, as China, Russia, and Iran develop more advanced weapons, its ability to counter hypersonic threats remains uncertain.