International
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un orders the mass production of drones for suicide attacks
North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, supervised a test of drones destined for suicide attacks and stressed the need for “their rapid large-scale mass production,” according to state media reports on Friday.
These types of drones are used in different attack ranges and have the mission of accurately aiming at any enemy target on land or sea, the North Korean state agency KCNA detailed on Friday, which also shared some images of the leader supervising the weapons tests.
Kim’s instructions on drones
Kim provided guidance on the tests to be carried out with these drones, by an institute affiliated with the Unmanned Aerial Technology Complex, according to the source, while the tests consisted of accurately reaching targets after flying along several pre-established tactical routes.
The leader of the hermetic country expressed his satisfaction with these new weapons and said that their mass production is essential “in the military aspect today.”
“The competition for the use of drones as the main means of military capabilities… is accelerating in the world,” he said, highlighting its growing range of military applications, its low production cost and the simplicity of its production line.
More unmanned vehicles
This call from Kim continues in line with the one he already made last August, when he urged to manufacture more unmanned vehicles, both aerial and aquatic, of a suicidal type or to incorporate artificial intelligence into this type of weapon.
North Korea has developed several drone models in the last decade, and even sent five of them to South Korea, with whom it is technically still at war, in December 2022, with one of them reaching the center of Seoul.
In the current period of intense bilateral military cooperation, it is known that Russia has delivered some drones to North Korea, although the exact type is unknown.
It is believed that in turn, some drones or missiles used by Iran to attack Israel last April could in turn be North Koreans.
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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