North Korea fires another missile

While the world’s eyes are on the current crisis in Ukraine, North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Sunday, resuming a weapons-testing blitz following a month of relative calm during the Beijing Winter Olympics. Analysts had widely predicted Pyongyang would seek to capitalise on US distraction over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with a researcher at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, telling the AFP news agency that North Korea sees this as a perfect moment to “continue its development of necessary weapons and to strengthen its nuclear arsenal”, with a view to being recognised as a nuclear power.