SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Thursday displayed apparent progress in the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine, with state media photos showing a largely completed hull, as leader Kim Jong Un condemned rival South Korea’s push to acquire the technology. It was not immediately clear how close North Korea is to completing the vessel. A nuclear-powered submarine is Kim’s next major military goalA nuclear-powered submarine was one item on a long wish list of sophisticated weaponry that Kim announced during a major political conference in 2021 to cope with what he called growing U.S.-led military threats. But there have been questions about whether North Korea, a heavily sanctioned and impoverished country, could get resources and technology to build nuclear-powered submarines. While some analysts suspect North Korea may have sought a reactor from Russia, possibly from a retired Russian submarine, Moon said it's more likely that North Korea designed its own reactor, while possibly receiving some technological assistance from Russia.

SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered officials to step up production of missiles and construct more factories to meet his military's growing need for the projectiles, state media said. In a visit to munitions factories accompanied by top officials, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim had ordered the factories to prepare for a busy year ahead. In return, Russia is sending North Korea financial aid, military technology and food and energy supplies, analysts say. "With its ICBM program already at a stage widely seen as having achieved core objectives, Pyongyang is likely to further accelerate development next year," said Ahn Chan-il, a researcher originally from North Korea. The North Korean leader also learned about research into "new underwater secret weapons", KCNA said.

Dear JudahWe are not amusedAn Assyrian cuneiform seal is found in Jerusalem, for the first time. What could it be from? Who knows, but archaeologists suspect it sealed a letter of complaint from the overlords in the eighth century B.C.E. after the King of Judah welshed on tax. This surmise is based on the nature of their communiques to other vassal regions that have actually been found.

Tunisia Commissions its First >100MW Solar Power PlantTunisia has commissioned the first solar power plant to exceed 100 megawatts of installed capacity. The 120MWp Kairouan solar power plant, located in the Kairouan Governorate in the inland desert in the north of the country, is also the first to inject renewable electricity into the 225-kilovolt high-voltage grid of the Societe Tunisienne de l’Electricite et du Gaz (STEG). The power station is a ground-mounted solar project sitting on 200 hectares (490 acres). A power purchase agreement (PPA) has been signed by the SPV company and the off-taker, (STEG). The plant was construted by a joint venture between China Energy Engineering Group, Tianjin Electric Power Construction and Northwest Electric Power Design Institute.

Organizers at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco have begun allowing fans to enter for free after kickoff when stadiums are not full, a Confederation of African Football (CAF) source told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Officials later announced an attendance of 35,200 at the stadium, which has a capacity of more than 45,000. Similar scenes have played out across the opening days of the tournament, at times causing confusion over attendance figures. The CAF source said organizers, in coordination with African football’s governing body, were opening sections about 20 minutes into matches to allow fans waiting outside to enter without paying. CAF’s official ticketing platform on Thursday showed seats available for nearly all remaining group-stage matches, with prices starting at 100 dirhams ($10.96).

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region solidified its position in 2025 as a global hub for financial services innovation, driven by ambitious government initiatives and the acceleration of digital payments infrastructure. The UAE, in particular, is deemed to be on the verge of a digitisation “inflection point,” according to Islam Shawky, co-founder and CEO of payments provider Paymob. For Paymob, interacting with Aani, the UAE’s instant payment platform, overcomes the primary disadvantage digital payments have compared to cash. FF25 also saw the successful pilot of a Google Cloud infrastructure for payments involving leading Bahraini banks and BENEFIT, enabling instant digital transactions. This concentration of investment and regulatory focus positions the MENA region to lead the global charge in payments and financial infrastructure throughout 2026.

The United States has carried out airstrikes against Islamic State militants in north-west Nigeria, President Donald Trump says, claiming the group had been targeting Christians in the region. “Tonight, at my direction as Commander-in-Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. President Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago club earlier this week. Credit: AP“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.”The US military’s Africa Command said the strike was carried out in Sokoto state at the request of the Nigerian authorities and killed multiple IS militants.

His post did not include information about how the strike was carried out, nor what effects it had. Still, last month, Trump said he’d ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following the claims of Christian persecution. And the U.S. recently designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act. U.S. forces likely would have to be drawn from other parts of the world for any military intervention in Nigeria. Trump has nonetheless kept up the pressure as Nigeria faced a series of attacks on schools and churches in violence that experts and residents say targets both Christians and Muslims.

North Korea on Thursday displayed apparent progress in the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine, with state media photos showing a largely completed hull, as leader Kim Jong Un condemned rival South Korea's push to acquire the technology. It was the first time North Korean state media had released images of the submarine since March, when they mostly showed the lower sections of the vessel. It was not immediately clear how close North Korea is to completing the vessel. But there have been questions about whether North Korea, a heavily sanctioned and impoverished country, could get resources and technology to build nuclear-powered submarines. While some analysts suspect North Korea may have sought a reactor from Russia, possibly from a retired Russian submarine, Moon said it's more likely that North Korea designed its own reactor, while possibly receiving some technological assistance from Russia.

US launches strikes against Islamic State in Nigeria1 hour ago Share Save Jaroslav Lukiv and Sean Seddon Share SaveBBC One strike hit a field near a village in Sokoto stateThe US has launched strikes against militants linked to the Islamic State group (IS) in north-western Nigeria, where militants have sought to establish a foothold. Camps run by the group in Sokoto state were hit near the border with Niger, the US military said. But in recent years a smaller group - known locally as Lakurawa - has sought to establish a base in north-western Sokoto state. "This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the north-west," it said. In a social media post late on Christmas Day confirming the strikes, Trump said that he would "not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper".

North Korea released photographs Thursday showing what appears to be a largely completed nuclear-powered submarine hull, as leader Kim Jong-un blasted South Korea's push to acquire similar technology. The Korean Central News Agency said Kim visited a shipyard to inspect construction of what North Korea describes as an 8,700-tonne nuclear-propelled submarine. Moon believes the North Korean submarine could possibly be tested at sea within months. Questions have persisted about whether North Korea, a heavily sanctioned country, could obtain resources and technology to build nuclear-powered submarines. Whilst some analysts suspect North Korea may have sought a reactor from Russia, possibly from a retired Russian submarine, Moon said it is more likely North Korea designed its own reactor, whilst possibly receiving technological assistance from Russia.

Five people have died after a helicopter crashed on Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, in northern Tanzania. The crash happened on Wednesday evening along one of the mountain's most popular climbing routes during what police said was a medical evacuation mission to pick up patients. Kilimanjaro regional police commander Simon Maigwa told reporters that the aircraft was operated by Kilimanjaro Aviation, a company that provides medical evacuation and other aviation services. Be the first to get Breaking News Install the Sky News app for freeAircraft accidents on Mount Kilimanjaro are rare. Aircraft accidents are rare on Mount Kilimanjaro, with the last recorded incident in November 2008, when four people died.

North Macedonia's government declared a seven-day state of crisis over electricity supply due to disruptions in fuel oil deliveries from Greece. The measure allows the state-owned electricity company ESM to use mandatory state reserves of fuel oil without compensation, the government said in a statement. "This decision arises due to the inability to supply fuel oil, which is essential for production. Most electricity in North Macedonia is generated by ESM plants using lignite and fuel oil. Bulgaria offered emergency fuel oil supplies to North Macedonia following the crisis declaration, according to Bulgaria's government information service.

(3 Minutes Read)The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Libya has approved a five-year, US$5.8 million initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility to enhance environmental resilience and support sustainable livelihoods in the Ubari Lakes basin of Libya’s Fezzan region. Implemented in collaboration with the Libyan Ministry of Environment, the project targets worsening land degradation and biodiversity loss in one of North Africa’s most vulnerable ecosystems. It aligns with Libya’s national priorities on ecological restoration, economic recovery, and compliance with global environmental commitments, including the UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Spanning nearly 100,000 hectares, the programme will underpin the planned Ubari Lakes National Park, aimed at safeguarding the area’s unique desert wetlands and oases. As part of a wider regional movement, the Ubari Lakes project illustrates how community-driven ecological restoration can serve as a cornerstone for sustainable development, balancing environmental preservation with human well-being.

Political instability and conflict in key transit nations have reshaped the landscape of irregular migration, solidifying North Africa and the Sahel region as a critical global crossroads for human smuggling networks. Niger's policy reversal and the rise of clandestine networksFor decades, migration routes from West Africa have converged in Niger's city of Agadez before heading toward Libya. A 2016 law that criminalized migrant transportation with severe penalties was repealed by the new military administration in late 2023. Over 1.2 million refugees have fled to Chad, creating a large, vulnerable population that smuggling networks exploit to channel people toward Libya and the Mediterranean. In this intertwined ecosystem of conflict and crime, the most vulnerable pay the highest price.