North Korea Accelerates Nuclear Weapons Development

North Korea's UN envoy announced plans to accelerate its nuclear weapons program following recent missile tests, citing threats from hostile nuclear states. This comes amid rising tensions with the West and accusations from the US that China and Russia are shielding Pyongyang from scrutiny over its sanctions violations. The US and Ukraine have also warned of North Korean troops in Russia potentially joining the conflict in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the US and South Korea have agreed to enhance cooperation on civil nuclear energy.