Pyongyang said to be planning to increase support despite high casualties among estimated 11,000 already sent

North Korea is preparing to send more soldiers to fight in the Ukraine war, military officials in South Korea have said, despite reports of heavy casualties among troops from the communist state who have already been sent to the battlefield.

The claim that Pyongyang could be planning to increase its support for the Kremlin came as Donald Trump suggested he would attempt to rekindle his relationship with Kim Jong-un, describing the North Korean leader as a “smart guy” in an interview with Fox News.

More than 70 firms including Toyota and McDonald’s halt ads on Fuji TV as Masahiro Nakai retires amid assault claims

For the past month Japan has been gripped by allegations of sexual misconduct involving one of the country’s best-known stars at a major TV network, in what is becoming a litmus test of the entertainment industry’s response to abuse claims against prominent celebrities.

Masahiro Nakai, a former member of the hugely popular boyband Smap, is alleged to have sexually assaulted a woman at a private dinner in June 2023 that was reportedly arranged by a senior member of staff at Fuji TV, one of Japan’s biggest broadcasters.