Reuters: World

North Korea warns US against shooting down missile tests North Korea said any move to shoot down one of its test missiles would be considered a declaration of war and blamed joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea for growing tensions, state media KCNA said on Tuesday. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, warned in a statement that Pyongyang would see it as a "declaration of war" if the U.S. took military action against the North's strategic weapon tests. She also hinted that the North could fire more missiles into the Pacific Ocean. The United States and its allies have never shot down North Korean ballistic missiles, which are banned by the United Nations Security Council, but the question drew new scrutiny since the North suggested it will fire more missiles over Japan. read more

Iran's Khamenei calls girls' poisoning 'unforgivable' after public anger Iran's supreme leader said on Monday that poisoning schoolgirls is an "unforgivable" crime which should be punished by death if deliberate, state TV reported, amid public anger over a wave of suspected attacks in schools. Over 1,000 girls have suffered poisoning since November, according to state media and officials, with some politicians blaming religious groups opposed to girls' education. The poisonings have come at a critical time for Iran's clerical rulers after months of protests since the death of a young woman held by police for flouting hijab rules. read more

Taiwan warns of China military's 'sudden entry' close to island Taiwan Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng warned on Monday the island has to be on alert this year for Chinese military's "sudden entry" into areas close to its territory amid the rising military tensions across the sensitive Taiwan Strait. China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan in recent years, including almost daily Air Force incursions into the island's air defence identification zone. However, Taiwan has not yet reported any incident of Chinese forces entering its contiguous zone, which is 24 nautical miles (44.4 km) from its coastline. read more

China proffers 'peaceful reunification', Taiwan says respect our democracy Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pledged "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan on Sunday as well as resolute steps to oppose Taiwan independence, with Taipei responding that Beijing should respect the Taiwanese people's commitment to democracy and freedom. China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory, has increased its military activity near the island over the past three years, responding to what it calls "collusion" between Taipei and Washington, Taiwan's main international backer and arms supplier. In August, China staged war games around Taiwan in response to a visit to Taipei by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. read more

Russia close to encircling Ukraine's Bakhmut after months of fighting Russian artillery pounded the last routes out of Bakhmut on Friday, aiming to complete the encirclement of the besieged Ukrainian city and bring Moscow closer to its first major victory in half a year after the bloodiest battle of the war. The head of Russia's Wagner private army said the city, which has been blasted to ruins in Russia's more than seven month onslaught, was almost completely surrounded with only one road still open for Ukraine's troops. Reuters observed intense Russian shelling of routes leading west out of Bakhmut, an apparent attempt to block Ukrainian forces' access in and out of the city. A bridge in the adjacent town of Khromove was damaged by Russian tank shelling. read more

Taiwan's TSMC to recruit 6,000 engineers in 2023 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) (2330.TW), the world's largest contract chipmaker, will recruit more than 6,000 new staff in 2023, the company said in a statement on Saturday. The hiring drive comes despite a global downturn in the chip industry. According to TSMC, the company will seek young engineers with associates, bachelor's, masters's or doctorate degrees in electrical engineering or software-related fields, in cities all across Taiwan. The average overall salary of a new engineer with a master's degree is T$2 million ($65,578.07), the company added. read more

Battle for Bakhmut rages 'round the clock'; US readies $400 mln new arms aid for Ukraine Ukrainian forces clinging to the eastern city of Bakhmut dug new trenches in an attempt to hold back Russian attackers, as the United States said new military aid for Ukraine would be discussed at a meeting with Germany's leader on Friday. Russian forces have been attacking Bakhmut in Donetsk province for months, sometimes in waves and the site has become one of the bloodiest battles of the war. "Fighting is going on in Bakhmut round the clock...The situation is critical," Volodymyr Nazarenko, a deputy commander in the National Guard of Ukraine, told Ukrainian NV Radio. read more

Porn Zoom bomb forces cancellation of Fed's Waller event A virtual event with Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller was canceled on Thursday after the Zoom videoconference was "hijacked" by a participant who displayed pornographic images "We were a victim of a teleconference or Zoom hijacking and we are trying to understand what we need to do going forward to prevent this from ever happening again. It is an incident we deeply regret," said Brent Tjarks, executive director of the Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America (MBCA), which hosted the event via a Zoom link. "We have had various programs and this is something that we have never had happen to us." He said that he suspects one of the security switches that mutes those watching an event was set incorrectly, but he was not yet sure of the details. The decision to cancel was made in consultation with the Fed after the intrusion. read more

Scientists reveal hidden corridor in Great Pyramid of Giza A hidden corridor nine metres (30 feet) long has been discovered close to the main entrance of the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza, and this could lead to further findings, Egyptian antiquities officials said on Thursday. The discovery within the pyramid, the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing, was made under the Scan Pyramids project that since 2015 has been using non-invasive technology including infrared thermography, 3D simulations and cosmic-ray imaging to peer inside the structure. An article published in the journal Nature on Thursday said the discovery could contribute to knowledge about the construction of the pyramid and the purpose of a gabled limestone structure that sits in front of the corridor. read more

US arrests man with explosive device in luggage at Pennsylvania airport A man was arrested and charged with attempting to place an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft after his bag triggered an alarm at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania, U.S. authorities said on Wednesday. The FBI said that Mark Muffley, 40, from Lansford, Pennsylvania, checked a suitcase on Monday for a flight that was heading to Sanford, Florida. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said one of its official located a suspicious item inside the suitcase that appeared to be a live explosive device. "FBI and local law enforcement bomb technicians determined that the item was indeed a live explosive device," a TSA spokesperson said. read more

Trains collide in Greece, at least 36 killed, dozens injured A passenger train and a cargo train collided head-on in Greece on Tuesday night, killing at least 36 people and injuring dozens as the country's deadliest rail crash in living memory threw entire carriages off the tracks. Many of the victims were thought to be university students on their way back from a long holiday weekend. The death toll was expected to rise further, officials said. "There was panic ... the fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned, fire was right and left," said Stergios Minenis, a 28-year-old passenger who jumped to safety from the wreckage. read more

Tinubu is Nigeria's president-elect after disputed election Nigeria's ruling party candidate, Bola Tinubu, was declared president-elect of Africa's most populous nation in the early hours of Wednesday after a weekend election that the main opposition parties have disputed. Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state, will take over leadership of a country grappling with Islamist insurgencies in the northeast, armed attacks, killings and kidnappings, conflict between livestock herders and farmers, cash, fuel and power shortages, and perennial corruption that opponents say Buhari's party has failed to stamp out, despite promises to do so. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said Tinubu garnered 8.79 million votes, ahead of main opposition challenger Atiku Abubakar's 6.98 million votes. Peter Obi, an outsider popular with younger voters, garnered 6.1 million votes. read more