Could more North Korean troops join Russia's war in Ukraine?

Pascale Harter introduces stories from Korea, Yemen, the USA and Sierra Leone.

North Korea's soldiers fought alongside Russian troops at the end of 2024, as they tried to repel a surprise Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region. And it's thought they could soon make a return to the frontline. Quentin Sommerville examines what Pyongyang has gained from its burgeoning alliance with Moscow.

Yemen's Houthis recently claimed a major advance along the western Red Sea coast, capturing two strategic port cities from the Saudi-backed forces of the internationally recognised Yemeni government. The BBC’s security correspondent, Frank Gardner, reflects on how the Iran-backed Houthis have transformed themselves from tribal militia to formidable opponent for Riyadh.

The US is seeing a bipartisan backlash against a growing, high-tech, and increasingly interconnected surveillance network. In several states, it's focused on the proliferation of Flock cameras - a brand of automated license plate reader, powered by AI. Now even some politicians who championed the technology are turning against it. Ellie House has been to Texas to find out more.

Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, is full of flashy new developments financed by dubious sources. Ed Butler recently visited to investigate the state of the country's economy - but also wanted to pin down some rumours that the city is where one of Europe’s most-wanted drug criminals, Jos Leijdekkers, is living as a fugitive from justice. The Dutch national was sentenced in absentia to 24 years in prison by a Rotterdam court back in 2024.

Producer: Polly Hope
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison

(Image: North Korean servicemen march during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow on May 9, 2026. Credit: Alexander Zemlianichenko / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)