North Korea warned Friday that it would exercise its right to self-defense "more intensively" as it condemned recent joint air drills among South Korea, the United States and Japan.

North Korea warned Friday it will "more intensively" exercise the right to self-defense, denouncing South Korea, the United States and Japan for staging combined air drills, involving U.S. B-1B bombers.

By bno - Taipei Bureau In a sharp response to joint military exercises involving South Korea, the United States, and Japan, North Korea has vowed to 'more intensively' exercise its right to self-defence.

A third of the troops North Korea deployed to western Russia’s Kursk Oblast late last year has been killed or wounded, according to Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelensky. Col. Ants Kiviselg, the head of the Estonian defense forces’ intelligence center, confirmed the claim.

Russia signed a strategic partnership treaty with Iran on Friday that follows similar pacts with China and North Korea. All three countries are adversaries of the United States, and Russia has used its ties with them to help blunt the impact of Western sanctions and boost its war effort in Ukraine.

The loose arrangement of hostile powers could pose a series of conundrums for President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state.