North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday inspected the test-firing of 240 mm multiple launch rockets manufactured by a newly established defence industry unit, the North's KCNA news agency reported on Friday.
The report did not give further details of the unit that produced the artillery. North Korea is believed to be ramping up production of artillery amid allegations by the United States and South Korea that it is supplying Russia with weapons.
Both countries deny the allegation. The test firing showed the rockets met the required standards for flight characteristics and accuracy, KCNA said.
Kim said the 240 mm multiple launch rocket system, which incorporates new technology, will "bring about a strategic change in strengthening our military's artillery capabilities," according to KCNA.
In a separate report, KCNA said Kim visited the Kim Il Sung Military University, named after his grandfather and state founder, to mark the anniversary of the founding of the revolutionary army, the precursor to the country's military.
Qatar's prime minister said on Sunday that efforts to reach a new ceasefire in Gaza have made some progress but an agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the war remains elusive.
A huge blast most likely caused by the explosion of chemical materials killed at least 18 people and injured more than 700 on Saturday at Iran's biggest port, Bandar Abbas, Iranian state media reported.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have sounded the alarm over severe funding shortfalls that are hindering life-saving humanitarian aid in countries including Nigeria, Burundi, and Colombia.
A number of people were killed and multiple others were injured in Vancouver after a vehicle drove into a crowd at a Filipino street festival in the western Canadian city, police said on Saturday.