Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen kicks off construction of the island's first indigenous submarine at a Kaohsiung shipyard, the latest move by the out-gunned democratic island to bolster its defence capabilities against increasingly bellicose threats from Beijing.

The Colombian Navy has seized a narco submarine transporting several packages of cocaine. The vessel belonging to an armed group of dissident FARC guerillas was discovered in the Pacific Ocean on its way to the coast of Mexico.

Authorities said they recovered debris that indicated the submarine with 53 crew members sank. The submarine's oxygen reserve was estimated to run out early Saturday.

South Korea's ministry of defence releases footage of a successful a submarine ballistic missile launch, making the country the seventh in the world with the advanced technology and raising the prospect of a regional arms race. The test, supervised by President Moon Jae-in, comes hours after nuclear-armed North Korea fired two ballistic missiles into the sea, according to the South's military, and as China's foreign minister visited Seoul.

Senior French ministers on Thursday accused Australia and the United States of betrayal after Canberra ditched a $38.6 billion (€32.8 billion, AU$50 billion) submarine deal with France in favor of US vessels.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian lamented the "duplicity, disdain and lies" from allies over the growing crisis. The French Ambassador to Australia said he read about the scuttled defense deal in the Australian press.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian lamented the "duplicity, disdain and lies" from allies over the growing crisis. The French Ambassador to Australia said he read about the scuttled defense deal in the Australian press.

Pyongyang has said it would take action if a new Indo-Pacific alliance between the US, Australia and the UK had "even the smallest negative effect" on North Korea's security.

France is looking to shore up EU support as the fallout from a surprise defense deal grows. The US, Australia and Britain insist that the diplomatic crisis wouldn't affect their long-term relations with France.

This week at United Nations headquarters in New York, Joe Biden sat down with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The meeting came at a time when France, Washington's oldest ally, had recalled ambassadors to both countries – an unprecedented reaction to the blindside of a dropped submarine contract with Canberra and a surprise military alliance that brings in the UK and shuts out Paris.

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.

US relations with France plummeted this year after a US-UK defense deal with Australia effectively torpedoed a French submarine contract. Vice President Kamala Harris hopes to do some damage control in Paris.