John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, said of Hegseth's remarks on North Korea's status as a nuclear power: "We've not made such a recognition. I can't speak to what the incoming team will—how they'll characterize it. We've not gone so far as to make that recognition."

(Reuters) - Russia signed a strategic partnership treaty with Iran on Friday that follows similar pacts with China and North Korea. All three countries are adversaries of the United States, and Russia has used its ties with them to help blunt the impact of Western sanctions and boost its war effort in Ukraine.

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 loose arrangement of hostile powers could pose a series of conundrums for President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state.

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 impeached president is using unsubstantiated claims of election interference by China and North Korea to justify his failed self-coup bid.

North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) met over two days this week and reported on its achievements during 2024 but state media made no mention of anticipated changes to the constitution that would further cement its hostile policy towards South Korea.

With the fate of suspended South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol hanging in the balance, the country has also been left facing an uncertain future as it battles through the resulting political turmoil.

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.

Here’s What You Need to Remember: The PLA of today however is a completely different beast. While the PLA lacks the institutional skill of the battle-tested U.S. Army, it is certainly..

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