North Korea confirms submarine launch of ballistic missile
North Korea said it had test-fired a new ballistic missile from a submarine, state media reported on Wednesday, a day after authorities in South Korea and Japan detected an apparent weapons test.
South Korea's military reported on Tuesday that it believed North Korea had fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its east coast, the latest in a string of North Korean missile tests.
Analysts noted that photos released by KCNA appeared to show a thinner, smaller missile than North Korea's earlier SLBM designs, and may be a previously unseen model first showcased at a defence exhibition in Pyongyang last week.
A smaller SLBM could mean more missiles stored on a single submarine, although with a shorter range, potentially putting nuclear-armed North Korea closer to fielding an operational ballistic missile submarine.
FBI raids Washington, New York homes linked to billionaire Putin ally
FBI agents on Tuesday raided Washington and New York City homes linked to Oleg Deripaska, a Russian billionaire under US sanctions who once employed Paul Manafort, a chairman of Donald Trump's 2016 US presidential campaign.
Two sources familiar with the investigation said the US Attorney's office in Manhattan, also known as the Southern District of New York, is leading the probe related to Deripaska, a metals industry magnate with Kremlin ties.
In Washington, FBI agents sealed off and searched a mansion in one of the US capital's wealthiest neighbourhoods, carrying boxes out of the house, which had yellow "CRIME SCENE DO NOT ENTER" tape across the front, and towing away a vehicle.
Britain monitoring 'subvariant' of coronavirus Delta strain
Britain on Tuesday said it was monitoring a subvariant of the Delta strain of the coronavirus, which has been seen in a growing number of cases.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said the government was keeping a "close eye" on the AY.4.2 variant but said there was no evidence it spreads more easily.
"As you would expect, we are monitoring it closely and won't hesitate to take action if necessary," he told reporters.
Russian film crew says shooting in space a 'huge challenge'
Their movie props floated around and they used Velcro to keep objects in place but Russia's first film crew in space said they were delighted with the result and had "shot everything we planned".
Yulia Peresild, one of Russia's most glamorous actresses, and film director Klim Shipenko returned to Earth on Sunday after spending 12 days on the International Space Station shooting the first movie in orbit in an effort to beat the United States.
The plot of The Challenge has been mostly kept under wraps along with the budget. It centres around a surgeon who is dispatched to the ISS to save a cosmonaut. A beaming Shipenko told reporters that the task was a "huge challenge" and they had to constantly adapt to film scenes.
Tennis: Raducanu is new ambassador for fashion house Dior
US Open champion Emma Raducanu has been announced as a new ambassador for French luxury fashion house Dior in the latest sign of her rapid elevation to A-list celebrity.
The British teenager, who is also the face of jewellery brand Tiffany and Co, will represent Maria Grazia Chiuri's womenswear collections and Dior's skincare and make-up ranges.
She wore a Dior dress to the premiere of the new James Bond film No Time To Die last month.
