Briefly

DPRK

ROK 'apparent hostile country', top leader says

Kim Jong-un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK, called the Republic of Korea "a foreign country and an apparent hostile country", and stressed "useless awareness about fellow countrymen and unreasonable idea of reunification" when he addressed inter-Korean relations during an inspection trip to the headquarters of the 2nd Corps of the Korean People's Army on Thursday. On Friday, Yonhap news agency cited the National Intelligence Service of the ROK, as saying that the DPRK has dispatched 12,000 troops including special operation forces to support Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. DPRK and Russia have not commented on this report.

KENYA

Court blocks deputy president appointment

Kenyan President William Ruto chose Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki as his new deputy on Friday, but a court blocked his appointment until it hears a case next week challenging Kindiki's predecessor. The high court's intervention came after lawmakers had already approved Kindiki's appointment on Friday. Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua was ousted from office on Thursday after being impeached in an unprecedented political saga. In a historic move, the Senate voted to impeach Gachagua on five of 11 charges, after a similar motion was overwhelmingly approved by the lower house National Assembly last week. The vote capped a day of high drama which saw the embattled 59-year-old known as "Riggy G" fail to testify in his defense after being admitted to hospital with severe chest pains.

Agencies - Xinhua