North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has asked his people to prepare for a possible war.

The North Korean leader wrapped up 2023 with fresh threats of a nuclear attack on Seoul.

He then orders a military arsenal build-up to prepare for a war that can “break out any time” on the peninsula, state media reported Sunday.

He went on to lambast the United States during a lengthy speech at the end of five days of year-end party meetings.

The meeting set North Korea’s military, political, and economic policy decisions for the coming year.

Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, reports that during the meeting plans were announced for further military development in 2024, which includes launching three more spy satellites, building unmanned drones, and developing electronic warfare capabilities, as well as strengthening nuclear and missile forces, according to the official.

Kim accused the United States of posing “various forms of military threat” and ordered his armed forces to maintain the “overwhelming war response capability.”

The meeting concluded that it is a “fait accompli that a war may break out on the Korean peninsula any time due to the enemies’ reckless moves for invading the DPRK.”

The military “should rapidly respond to any possible nuclear crisis and put continuous spurs to the preparations for a great event to suppress the whole territory of South Korea by mobilizing all physical means and forces including nuclear forces in contingency,” Kim said.

Kim told the meeting he would no longer seek reconciliation and reunification with South Korea, noting the “uncontrollable crisis” that he said was triggered by Seoul and Washington.

Protesters and police have clashed in south London following a demonstration related to “tensions in the Eritrean community”, the Met has said.

Footage of the incident in Camberwell seemed to show people wielding sticks clashing with police officers, bringing traffic to a standstill.

Approximately 50 people gathered outside a private venue before violence broke out, police said.

A heavy police presence remains at the scene, near The Lighthouse Theatre.

Additional officers were called in to provide back-up, a Met spokesperson said.

A dispersal order has been put in place in the area until 07:00 on Sunday, which gives police the power to exclude a person from the area.

A police spokesperson confirmed that arrests have been made, but was not able to say how many.

The Zamfara Hajj Commission has commenced the refund of N747 million to 504 people who deposited their money for Hajj between 2019 and 2023.

The executive chairman of the commission, Musa Mallaha, stated this at a press briefing in Gusau on Saturday.

He said Governor Dauda Lawal had approved the release of N218 million each month to pay the money in instalments from December to February.

Mr Mallaha said the commission would top up N92 million to the amount approved by the governor for the refund.

“The governor has approved the refund of N747 million to the beneficiaries in three instalments between December 2023 and February 2024.

“As I am speaking to you now, the governor has already released N218 million for the month of December as the first instalment.

“The money has already been remitted to the commission’s account,” he said.He said the money would be added to the N92 million in the commission’s account before disbursing to the beneficiaries.

“We would give priority to those among the beneficiaries that indicated interest in performing the 2024 Hajj exercise, particularly those that deposited some amount with the commission,” Mr Mallaha added.

The chairman pledged to ensure transparency and accountability in the exercise and appreciated the governor for supporting the commission.

Police in Imo State have confirmed the death of at least eight members of a family in an auto crash that occurred at the Amanwozuzu junction, Ikeduru Local Government Area, LGA of the state.

The Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of the Ikeduru LGA, Lucky Ahiole, confirmed the unfortunate incident to newsmen in Owerri, on Friday.

According to the DPO, the accident which occurred at about 3.00 pm on Friday, led to the death of all the eight persons who were conveyed in a Sienna car.

He said the Sienna vehicle collided with a stationary truck carrying rods, resulting in the death of the victims.

“Eight died and we have taken them to a morgue.

“We had to break the Sienna vehicle to bring out the dead bodies,” he said.

U.S. President Joe Biden has condemned Russia’s aerial attack on Ukraine, calling on the world to stop the killings of the innocent people in the country.

The attack launched on Thursday night is likely to be the biggest aerial bombardment since the war began, according to the Ukraine President.

Mr Biden, in a statement from White House on Friday, said the massive bombardment used drones and missiles, including missiles with hypersonic capability, to strike cities and civilian infrastructure all across Ukraine.

He said strikes reportedly hit a maternity hospital, a shopping mall, and residential areas, killing innocent people and injuring dozens more.

“It is a stark reminder to the world that, after nearly two years of this devastating war, Putin’s objective remains unchanged. He seeks to obliterate Ukraine and subjugate its people. He must be stopped.

“In the face of this brutal attack, Ukraine deployed the air defense systems that the United States and our Allies and partners have delivered to Ukraine over the past year to successfully intercept and destroy many of the missiles and drones.

“The American people can be proud of the lives we have helped to save and the support we have given Ukraine as it defends its people, its freedom, and its independence.

“But unless Congress takes urgent action in the new year, we will not be able to continue sending the weapons and vital air defense systems Ukraine needs to protect its people,” said Biden.

According to him, congress must step up and act without any further delay.

The U.S. President said the stakes of this fight extended far beyond Ukraine, noting that they affect the entirety of the NATO Alliance, the security of Europe and the future of the Transatlantic relationship.

He said Mr Putin had not just attempted to destroy Ukraine but threatened some of the NATO allies as well.

“When dictators and autocrats are allowed to run roughshod in Europe, the risk rises that the United States gets pulled in directly. And the consequences reverberate around the world.

“That’s why the United States has rallied a coalition of more than 50 countries to support the defense of Ukraine.

“We cannot let our allies and partners down.

“We cannot let Ukraine down. History will judge harshly those who fail to answer freedom’s call,” he said.

China has named Dong Jun as its new defence minister, two months after his predecessor was officially sacked.

Mr Dong, a former navy commander, takes over from Li Shangfu – who was last seen in public in August.

Mr Dong’s appointment was announced by China’s top legislators at a Standing Committee meeting of the National People’s Congress in Beijing on Friday.

The move follows a slew of dismissals of top military officials from the country’s top posts earlier this year.

As well as Mr Li, it included the removal of Qin Gang as foreign minister in July.

No reasons were given for Mr Li or Mr Qin’s dismissals.

Both had been in their posts for only seven months respectively.

Further sackings took place this week too, with nine senior military officials removed from the Standing Committee on Friday, Reuters reported, citing state media outlet Xinhua.

Three executives at state-owned missile defence firms were also removed from Beijing’s top political advisory body earlier this week, according to state media.

Some analysts say this could indicate that a possible wider purge has taken place, targeting senior military leaders.

Mr Dong, 62, was made commander of the navy in August 2021.

His previous roles included serving as deputy commander of the Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command.

Its area of operations includes the South China Sea – a disputed area, over large parts of which China claims sovereignty.

Mr Dong’s appointment comes after military personnel from China and the US held their first high-level talks by phone in more than a year last week.

Relations between the two nations soured in 2022 after the then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. Taiwan is self-ruled, but China sees it as a breakaway province that will eventually unite with it.

In recent months, there has been a rapprochement between China and the US, with Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting his counterpart Joe Biden in California in November and agreeing to resume military communications. The two had not spoken for more than a year.

The gunman who killed 14 people at a university in Prague confessed to an earlier double murder in his suicide note, Czech police have said.

The note found in David Kozak’s home contained a confession he had shot dead a man and his baby daughter in woods near the city on 15 December, six days before the Charles University attack.

Police said he had been on a list of 4,000 suspects for their murders.Kozak also killed his father, bringing the total number of his victims to 17.

The attack at the university on 21 December is the worst mass shooting in Czech history.

Kozak, a 24-year-old masters history student at the university, killed himself after being surrounded by armed police.

As first reported in the newspaper Denik N, the note was discovered by police in Kozak’s home on 21 December – the same day as the attack.

It contained a confession he had shot dead the pair in Klanovice woods on the eastern outskirts of the capital a week previously.

The victims are reported to be a 32-year-old man and a two-month-old girl, according to Czech media.

Detectives had said it was “highly probable” that the gunman had also carried out the Klanovice killings. This was later confirmed by ballistics.

They said Kozak had been on a long list of potential suspects whom they wanted to interview and expressed regret they had been unable to get to him earlier.

Last week’s attack at the university centred on the Faculty of Arts building on Jan Palach Square, where Kozak was seen opening fire with a rifle from the rooftop.

University staff and students were told to barricade themselves in during the attack.

Thirteen people died at the university, while a fourteenth victim died from their injuries in hospital. A further 25 people were wounded, police said.

Police have not released the possible motive for the killings, saying the investigation is ongoing.

Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan has called on the mayors of all towns and villages to cancel New Year’s fireworks displays in light of the massacre.

On social media, he called on all Czechs to mark the event in a peaceful fashion, saying it was the least the nation could do for those traumatised by the killings.

A driver trapped in his vehicle under a bridge for six days after a crash in Indiana was found by two fishermen scouting for fishing holes.

Mario Garcia and son-in-law Nivardo De La Torre had been killing time while waiting for their wives, police say.

They ended up finding Matthew Reum, 27, of Mishawaka, whose truck had crashed off Interstate 94 on 20 December.

In hospital, Mr Reum had one of his legs amputated and is now in intensive care, his union says.

Mr Garcia said he had seen the wrecked truck and was moving an airbag out of the way when Mr Reum “woke up”.

The driver told the men he had been trapped and pinned in his seat under the bridge near Portage, he recalled at a news conference held by the state police.

“He tried yelling and screaming, but nobody would hear him,” Mr Garcia recalled the man telling him.

“It was just quiet – just the sound of the water.

“Mr Reum, a union welder, had had no food but survived by drinking rain water.

The rescued driver was taken to Memorial Hospital in South Bend, CBS reports, quoting Indiana State Police Sgt Glen Fifield.

Police added: “Had it not been for the two individuals that were walking the creek this afternoon, this incident more than likely would have had a different outcome.

“There had not been any prior reports of a crash in this area prior to the fishermen finding the vehicle.

“The fishermen said they were very glad to come across the man when they did.

“It’s cold tonight and I don’t believe he would’ve made it through the night tonight,” said Sgt Fifield. “That’s my personal opinion.

“Mr Garcia added: “He said to me that he’s been there for a long time; that he had almost lost all hope – because nobody was there.

“Mr Reum’s union, Boilermakers Local 374, said his left leg had been amputated on Wednesday morning from around his mid-shin down, NBC reports.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has held talks with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, as a growing migration crisis causes chaos on their shared border.

The high-level meeting came as pressure grows on the White House to stem the influx of migrants to the US.

US officials said last week that up to 10,000 people were crossing the southern border every day.

Mr López Obrador is willing to limit people crossing Mexico towards the US.

Mexico’s president gave a positive assessment of the talks in his country’s capital, Mexico City, but gave little details as Mr Blinken left.

Speaking ahead of the summit he had called for more efforts to address the root causes of migration and warned that it could become a key issue in the 2024 US election.

Former president Donald Trump has taken an increasingly hard-line stance on the border and will reportedly unleash a massive crackdown on undocumented migrants if returned to office next year.

“We have to take care, because campaigners use this issue as a rallying cry,” Mr López Obrador told reporters.

“It is more efficient and more humane to invest in the development of the people and that is what we have always proposed.”

Wednesday’s meeting came after Mr López Obrador and President Joe Biden agreed in a phone call last week that urgent action was needed to address border security.

Mr López Obrador told reporters after the call that Mexico was “going to help, as we always do” to tackle the flow of migrants to the US.

In a statement earlier this week, the state department said the meeting in Mexico City, which also included Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, would focus on “unprecedented irregular migration in the Western Hemisphere and identify ways” each country can address border security challenges, but it comes as record numbers of migrants cross into the US from Mexico.

The number of people apprehended at the US southern border exceeded two million, both in the 2022 and the 2023 fiscal years.

US Customs and Border Protection [CBP] officials said in a statement on Friday that there were more than 190,000 apprehensions in November alone.

The figures have become a political vulnerability for Mr Biden, with the Republican-controlled House of Representatives refusing to allocate new military funding to support Ukraine without a commitment to reinforce the border.

“We are facing a serious challenge along the southwest border and CBP and our federal partners need more resources from Congress – as outlined in the supplemental budget request – to enhance border security and America’s national security,” Troy Miller, acting head of US Customs and Border Patrol, said on Friday.

Ahead of the meeting attention in US media turned to a migrant caravan of about 7,000 people which is making its way towards the US from southern Mexico.

The caravan left from the southern Mexican city of Tapachula, near the country’s southern border with Guatemala, on Christmas Eve.Its leaders carried a banner reading “Exodus from poverty”.

So far, the caravan – reportedly made up of migrants from Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela, Haiti and other countries – is about 1,000 miles south of the US border.

Gaston Glock, the Austrian engineer who invented the Glock handgun, has died aged 94.

The Glock company said in a statement that its founder’s life’s work would “continue in his spirit”.

The weapon has been used by armed forces, security personnel, gun owners and criminals around the world.

Its rise was cemented by American pop culture and appearances in Hollywood blockbusters including science-fiction action film The Matrix Reloaded.

Despite the popularity of his creation, Glock has been described as a reclusive billionaire who spent most of his time at a lakefront estate in Austria.

He was rarely in the news, only making headlines when a book about his business was published in 2012, after a divorce from his first wife in 2011 and when a business associate tried to have him killed in the late 1990s.

In the latter incident, the hired attacker, a professional wrestler, beat him seven times on the head with a rubber mallet but Glock, then 70, fought back and managed to knock out his assailant.

“Gaston Glock charted the strategic direction of the Glock Group throughout his life and prepared it for the future,” the company said.

It added that its leader had “revolutionised the world of small arms” and “succeeded in establishing the Glock brand as the global leader in the handgun industry”.

Glock, who was born in 1929, studied mechanical engineering at a college in Vienna. He later founded a consumer goods business in a town outside the Austrian capital.

In the early 1980s, the business branched into military supplies and answered a call from the Austrian army that was looking to update its pistols.

Glock designed and patented a lightweight 9-millimetre semiautomatic handgun, which could fire 18 rounds and be easily reloaded.

The gun gained a loyal following among military and police personnel worldwide.

Paul Barrett, the author of Glock: The Rise of America’s Gun, wrote that the weapon had become “the Google of modern civilian handguns: the pioneer brand that defines its product category”.

Forbes estimated Glock’s personal fortune at $1.1bn (£863m) in 2021.The Glock also found a place in US pop culture.

“Get yourself a Glock and lose that nickel-plated sissy pistol,” actor Tommy Lee Jones said in the 1998 movie US Marshals.

American rappers Snoop Dogg and Wu-Tang Clan also worked the gun into their rhymes.

The weapon was also featured in Hollywood blockbusters including action films Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and The Matrix Reloaded.

Over the years, gun-control advocates have criticised Glock for popularising a weapon which was easy to conceal, all while holding more ammunition than similar guns.

It has received its share of controversy.

The Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was found by US soldiers hiding with a Glock in a hole in the ground in 2003.

In 2018, a US Marine Corps veteran with suspected mental health issues killed 12 people in a busy bar in California, including a policeman.

Ian David Long legally owned a Glock semi-automatic handgun, which had an extended magazine that is illegal in the state of California.

Meanwhile, a US gun company faced backlash for producing a customised Glock pistol that looked like a children’s toy made of Lego.

Glock rarely responded to criticism from gun control campaigners. He also refused to join other weapon manufacturers who signed a voluntary gun control deal with the US government in 2000.

He is survived by his wife, a daughter and two sons.

The Niger House of Assembly has passed the state’s N613.994 billion 2024 budget.

The speaker of the House, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, represented by Afiniki Dauda, the deputy speaker, said this at the plenary in Minna on Wednesday.

Mr Sarkindaji said the budget comprised N149.332 billion in recurrent expenditures and N464.661 billion in capital expenditures.

He said the budget should be submitted to the House three months before the end of the year to give room for proper scrutiny and early passage.

Governor Umaru Bago had on December 20 presented the 2024 budget of N613.274 billion to the House for approval.

However, the lawmakers raised the amount to N613.994 billion, an increase of N719,917 million.

Australian police said Wednesday they were scouring beaches after mysterious packages believed to contain more than 120 kilograms (260 pounds) of cocaine washed up over the Christmas period.

A first batch of 39 barnacle-encrusted, one-kilogram bricks of suspected cocaine was discovered on Friday near Magenta Beach, north of Sydney, police said.

Since then, another 85 packages of the same size had been spotted along about 80 kilometres (50 miles) of the New South Wales coastline, state police said.

Police urged people to report any suspicious packages, Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Weinstein said in a statement.

“Detectives and specialist police are currently combing beaches and coastlines for any outstanding packages and working behind the scenes to make sure we find and hold accountable those responsible,” said Weinstein, who is director of the state’s crime command.

India has said it is sending three warships to the Arabian Sea after a drone hit an “Israel-affiliated” merchant vessel off its western coast last week.

MV Chem Pluto was attacked about 200 nautical miles (370km) off the coast of the western state of Gujarat.

The attack triggered a fire but it was quickly extinguished by the crew. There were no casualties.

The vessel’s crew included 21 Indians and a Vietnamese citizen.

The MV Chem Pluto is Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated chemical tanker. British Maritime Security firm Ambrey said the ship was linked to Israel but didn’t specify the connection.

Indian media reports said the vessel was transporting oil from Saudi Arabia and was heading to the Mangalore Port in southern India when the attack took place.

After the attack, an Indian Coast Guard ship accompanied the MV Chem Pluto to Mumbai on Monday.

“Considering the recent spate of attacks in the Arabian Sea, Indian Navy has deployed Guided Missile Destroyers, INS Mormugao, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata in various areas to maintain a deterrent presence,” the navy statement said.

The navy added that it was also regularly flying a long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft to monitor the situation.India heavily relies on fuel shipments from the Middle East, particularly from Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Any disruption in this route can be problematic for India.

“India plays the role of a net security provider in the entire Indian Ocean region,” Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday.

He said the Indian Navy had increased its surveillance of the seas.

“We shall find whoever is responsible for this attack and strict action will be taken against them.

“No group has admitted responsibility for the drone attack. The United States blamed Tehran for the attack but a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry called the accusation “baseless”.

A spate of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels, who are opposed to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, have triggered concerns for the global shipping industry.

The US Central Command says at least 15 commercial ships have come under attack by Houthi militants so far in the past two months.

Several shipping companies have already changed the course of their vessels to avoid the Red Sea.

That is triggering concerns for exporters in South Asia.

“We are worried. Our shipping agents say the transport cost could increase by 10 to 15% and the travel time will increase by five to seven days,” said Syed Nazrul Islam, vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association told the BBC.

Bangladesh exports billions of dollars’ worth of ready-made clothes to Europe and the United States.

Though the cost of transport is usually paid by the clothing brands in the West, Mr Islam said Bangladeshi exporters were worried that the buyers would ask for a discount next time when they order.

Dozens of Israeli fighter jets have attacked more than 100 targets in Gaza, the Israel Defence Forces said on Tuesday morning.

Among them had been tunnel shafts and military installations used by Palestinian extremist organisation Hamas, according to the IDF.

At least 52 people were killed in the attacks, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza.

A terrorist cell in Jabalia that had attempted to plant explosives near an Israeli tank was eliminated overnight, the IDF report said.

It added that ground troops had targeted the fighters before they were killed by a fighter jet. It was not possible to independently verify the claims.

Hamas fighters had also been killed the previous day in the southern city of Khan Younis, the army added.

Israel’s army has stepped up its operations against Hamas after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a troop visit to the sealed-off coastal strip that Israel would “intensify the fight in the coming days.”

The Israeli army’s offensive to eliminate Hamas from Gaza was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel’s history, carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other groups on October 7.

Around 1,200 people were killed and about 240 were taken hostage, some of whom were later released during a brief truce.

Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive in which more than 20,600 people have been killed so far, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.

Capital city of Switzerland, Bern, is considering a test run of allowing drug users to buy cocaine for recreational use, Deutsche Welle reported in what marks the latest stride in evolving international discourse on drugs.

The city’s parliament supported the novel adjustment which means relaxation of strict drug laws.

It comes after politicians and experts expressed reservations about the current complete ban which they describe as ineffective.

Recent waste water analysis revealed a high residue of the drug which indicates that about five per cent of the population uses cocaine according to Thilo Beck, head psychiatrist at the Arud Center for Addiction Medicine.

“Control and legalisation can do better than mere repression,” a member of the Bern Council, Eva Chen said. Ms Chen who is a member of the Alternative Left party said that the country has to look out for new ideas.

“The war on drugs has failed, and we have to look at new ideas,” she said.The country’s cocaine use is one of the highest in Europe with Zurich, Basel, and Geneva featuring on the list of top 10 cities battling drug use.

Addiction Switzerland, a non-governmental organisation, also affirmed that the country’s cities are experiencing a surge in the use of the drug with the price being slashed by half in the last five years making it increasingly affordable.

The deputy director at Addiction Switzerland, Frank Zobel, said the drug is currently at the cheapest prices and highest quality.

“We have a lot of cocaine in Switzerland right now, at the cheapest prices and the highest quality we have ever seen,” he said.

“You can get a dose of cocaine for about 10 francs these days, not much more than the price for a beer.”Other members of the parliament further clarified that they are looking at a “scientifically supervised pilot scheme trial.”

“We are still far away from potential legalisation, but we should look at new approaches,” Ms Chen added.

Beyonce’s childhood home has reportedly been gutted by fire.

The fire incident broke out at the home in Houston, Texas, on Monday, according to Daily Mail.

Firefighters responded to the incident and put out flames at the house reported to be the childhood home of the American singer and songwriter, Beyoncé Knowles, where she lived from birth to age five, Daily Mail reported.

The Houston Fire Department got the call around 2 am and arrived at the home at Rosedale Street to find the two-story home under heavy fire.

The firefighters reportedly arrived about three minutes after the initial call and the first arriving firetrucks got the bulk of the fire knocked down in the first 10 minutes.

They also had to cut into the roof to clear the attic and eaves of the fire.

The report added that the couple living in the home and their two young children escaped the fire in their pyjamas, and no one was injured.

The leader of a notorious paramilitary group in Brazil wanted for a multitude of crimes, handed himself over to police on Sunday, the authorities said.

The head of Rio de Janeiro state’s biggest paramilitary group, Luis Antonio da Silva Braga, better known as Zinho, had been on the run since 2018 and is the subject of at least a dozen outstanding warrants, according to a police statement issued late Sunday.

“Zinho” has been designated the state’s “public enemy Number 1.

“He handed himself over to the Federal Police in southeast Rio on Sunday and was arrested, said the statement.

Justice Minister Flavio Dino hailed the arrest on X Monday as a victory “in the fight against criminal groups.

“Militia groups sprung up some four decades ago from the ranks of former police, soldiers, firefighters, and prison guards as community self-defense units against the threat posed by drug gangs in the city known for its picturesque beaches but also its violent crime.

Initially well-meaning, they later started extorting “protection” money from businesses and took control of service provision to inhabitants of Rio’s poor favelas.

They have in recent years expanded into drug trafficking and money laundering.

The militias control more than half of Rio’s territory, imposing a reign of terror in poor neighborhoods home to more than two million people, according to a 2020 study by a consortium of universities, online watchdog platforms and a government anti-crime hotline.

In October, the killing by police of a nephew and lieutenant of Zinho saw militia members torch 35 buses and a train drivers’ cabin in Rio.

The same month, the militias were blamed for the murders of three doctors visiting Rio for a conference after one was apparently mistaken for the leader of a rival group.