North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen the testing of a newly developed ultramodern tactical weapon. The Pyongyang’s state media reported that the test was successful but did not specify the type of device involved.

This is North Korea’s first official report of a weapons test since it began a diplomatic process with Washington over its nuclear and missile programme. Hours after the report, the US State Department said it was confident the process remained on track.

North Korea’s suspension of testing for nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles has been key to this year’s rapid diplomatic developments and North Korean-US negotiations and has been repeatedly praised by President Donald Trump.

Trump and Kim met in a historic summit in Singapore in June, where they signed a vaguely worded document on denuclearisation of the peninsula.
In a summit in June Mr Kim and US President Donald Trump agreed the Korean peninsula should denuclearize, but a detailed plan was never set out.