North Korea's leader inspects the construction of a major naval base

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected construction of a naval base on the country's east coast, according to the Central News Agency.

The agency said that Kim issued directives on the deployment of strategic assets, and ordered the strengthening of command and construction capabilities to accelerate the construction work of the naval base and its port.

A separate KCNA report said Kim also inspected more than 1,000 new housing units built in Tongchun County, Gangwon Province, near the construction site of a large naval base. The agency did not specify whether this was the same base that Kim inspected.

North Korea is intensifying efforts to modernize its navy under Kim, who is increasingly focusing on expanding “strategic assets” in key waters.

Kim said last September that new naval bases were being built on the east coast, adding that another “important” naval advance would be revealed within eight months.

On Wednesday, gunmen attacked a Pakistani police convoy that was heading to an illegal gold mining site in northwestern Pakistan, killing eight officers, according to officials.

An administrative official in the Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province told Agence France-Presse that 8 police officers were killed while 13 others were injured. The gunmen set fire to two vehicles during the attack, while two other police vehicles and a private car were lost.

The same official said that the police officers were on their way to an illegal gold extraction site near Gombat.

No party immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in the border area, where security forces are facing an escalation in armed attacks, which Pakistan says are emanating from Afghan territory, while the Afghan Taliban government denies this.

A spokesman for a local emergency authority had reported, earlier on Wednesday, that there had been a “shooting incident involving police officers” in the Kohat area, noting that rescue teams were working to treat about 12 injured policemen.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been tense since the Taliban came to power in 2021, and the crisis worsened following border clashes that caused deaths in October last year, leading to the border being almost completely closed.

Although the pace of clashes decreased following mediation efforts, the conflict worsened in February with Pakistan declaring “open war” against its neighbor. Hundreds of civilians have been killed as a result of battles between the two countries since October last year, according to figures from the United Nations mission in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, gunmen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province killed two police officers who were assigned to protect a polio vaccination team while it was traveling near the Afghan border.

A state of emergency was declared in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province last month, in a move that the authorities justified as “a response to the state government’s failure to take action against the insurgency.”

The imposition of emergency measures led to the marginalization of the last stronghold of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, led by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

These exceptional constitutional measures also led to a widespread campaign across the state against Imran Khan's supporters, resulting in the arrest of hundreds of them.

The woman accused of spying for China through a relationship she established with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang used a Hong Kong passport to enter Taiwan, according to what the Taipei Immigration Department announced on Wednesday, at a time when the authorities continue to investigate the matter.

Jensen Huang admitted to having a reported relationship with Alice Huang, a former Chinese executive at the Singapore-based company Megaspeed, who US officials believe worked for Chinese intelligence. Beijing, for its part, rejected the espionage charges.

Nvidia's board of directors announced on Sunday the opening of an investigation into Jensen Huang, the company's CEO and co-founder, noting that he is not related to Alice Huang.

Director-General of the National Immigration Department in Taiwan, Lin Hung-en, told reporters that “the relevant government agencies are fully aware of the relevant records and information,” confirming that Alice Huang used a Hong Kong passport to enter the country.

He added: “We are aware of all its records related to entry and departure.”

Entry into Taiwan is generally easier for holders of Hong Kong passports than for those with mainland Chinese passports, who must obtain special permission to travel to the island.

This is partly due to the thorny relationship between China and Taiwan, which Beijing threatens to impose control over.

Taiwanese Interior Minister Liu Shih-fang said that Alice Huang “has already entered the country, but is currently abroad.”

“If we had known that she was a spy, we certainly would not have allowed her to enter Taiwan,” she told parliamentarians.

She added: “We will reconsider our procedures, especially the pre-examination we conduct, field verification operations, and personal interviews, in addition to post-visit procedures.”

She confirmed that Huang's permit has now been revoked, meaning she can no longer re-enter Taiwan.

The Taiwanese authorities refused to disclose the dates of Huang's visits to Taiwan, or reveal their number.

Liu said on Tuesday that “(Taiwanese) national security units are investigating the matter.”

Alice Huang, also known as Huang Li, was seen at a dinner hosted by Jensen Huang in May 2025 at a Chinese restaurant in Taipei during the Computex technology exhibition.

Journalists then lined up outside the restaurant, filming through windows and glass doors, while Jensen Huang and a woman identified as Alice Huang, who was wearing a pink dress, chatted with the rest of the audience.

A live media broadcast showed Jensen Huang at one point hugging Alice Huang, while she kissed him on the right cheek.