Briefly

KOREAN PENINSULA

DPRK's hypersonic missile 'in early stage'

The hypersonic missile unveiled by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Tuesday appeared to be in an early stage of development, said the Republic of Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, or JCS, on Wednesday. The JSC's statement came hours after the DPRK's official Korean Central News Agency said the country test-fired the hypersonic missile Hwasong-8 on Tuesday morning. In the test, the DPRK's Academy of Defence Science ascertained the stability of the engine as well as the missile's "fuel ampoule", a development that the KCNA reported as a first. The launch came after the DPRK tested cruise and ballistic missiles earlier this month.

UNITED KINGDOM

Lengthy queues at gas stations return

Lengthy queues formed outside gas stations across London on Wednesday, with Reuters reporting that signs along the orbital motorway around the capital warned that no fuel was available at some sites. The government said on Tuesday that fuel shortages across the country had started to stabilize, after a rush of panic buying left fuel pumps dry across major cities. But long queues can be still seen outside gas stations on the busy M25 motorway circling London and parts of north London.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Chinese-built project awaits handover

The Dubai authorities on Monday issued the final administrative approvals for the newly completed four-star The One JVT Hotel. The iconic building is in the densely populated business district. The project was undertaken by the China Railway 18th Bureau Group, a subsidiary of the China Railway Construction Corp, using a new "Cost Plus" contract mode which can significantly reduce the cost pressure of the contractor.

SPAIN

Lava from La Palma eruption reaches sea

Lava from an erupting volcano in the Canary Islands has reached the ocean, volcanologists said, raising fears of toxic gases being released as the magma hits the seawater. The Spanish archipelago had earlier declared an exclusion zone of two nautical miles around the location that the lava was expected to enter the Atlantic and asked residents to stay at home. The Cumbre Vieja volcano, which straddles a southern ridge on La Palma island, erupted on Sept 19, spewing out rivers of lava that have slowly crept toward the sea.

Xinhua - Agencies - China Daily