North Korea test-fires new ‘guided weapon’

South Korea has said the North fired an unidentified projectile as Pyongyang's UN envoy defended the rogue country's right to test weapons. North Korea is currently under UN sanctions banning weapons tests.

Residents of Ethiopia's southern Kaffa zone have faced what many see as over a century of underinvestment by authorities in Addis Ababa. But Kaffa's leaders plan to fix it with a referendum that, if successful, would carve out a new South West region, Ethiopia's 11th, and funnel more federal cash their way, as well as control over how it is spent.

China's recent air force maneuvers around Taiwan have caused consternation and confusion. However, there are critical distinctions to be made between rules on entering different kinds of airspace.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the US is the "root cause" of instability on the Korean Peninsula. He said Pyongyang is only increasing its military capabilities as a deterrent.

Chinese and foreign figure skaters train ahead of the 2021 CS Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy, which will be held in Beijing this week as a test event for the 2022 Winter Olympics. All journalists and Winter Olympics staff are required to wear masks inside the stadium as Covid-19 prevention measures.

The military in South Korea has said the projectile was a submarine-launched ballistic missile. It comes as intelligence chiefs from the US, South Korea and Japan meet in Seoul.

North Korea has confirmed that it tested a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile on Tuesday, making it the fifth in a round of missile tests by the country since September.

A US envoy said North Korea's recent weapon tests were "concerning and counterproductive." Last week, the isolated nation carried out tests of a new type of ballistic missile launched from submarines.

In a UN Security Council draft resolution, Beijing and Moscow have called for the lifting of trade sanctions on Pyongyang "with the intent of enhancing the livelihood of the civilian population."

An official Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic venue held a test ice hockey match on Monday (November 8), with the Games just months away. The match, which was held without spectators and featured local teams Beijing Arcfox and Beijing Shougang, comes amid uncertainty over the participation status of China's men's national hockey team in next year's Games. China is guaranteed a spot in the ice hockey tournament due to its status as host nation, but International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) president Luc Tardif said in September that the men's team could be prevented from playing due to its "insufficient sporting standard".

Gambian voters will cast their votes on December 4 in a hotly contested presidential election. Observers view the polls as a crucial litmus test of Gambia's democracy.