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WORLD NEWS Friday 27 September 2024
Norway issues wanted notice for man connected to exploding

pagers in Lebanon

By JAN M. OLSEN and JUS- us,” DN Group CEO Amund
TIN SPIKE Djuve said.
Associated Press Djuve also did not give the
COPENHAGEN, Denmark man’s name.
(AP) — Norway issued an The man holds a Norwe-
international wanted no- gian passport and has lived
tice on Thursday for a man in Norway for 12 years but
linked to a Bulgaria-based was born in another coun-
company that may have try, NTB reported. The news
been involved in the dis- agency described him as
semination of exploding one of the founders of the
electronic devices to the Bulgarian company that
militant Hezbollah group was allegedly connected
that killed dozens and to supplying the pagers to
wounded thousands in Hezbollah.
Lebanon last week. The Bulgarian company is
The notice is part of a multi- not the only firm implicated
country investigation try- in the pagers’ journey to
ing to piece together how Lebanon.
thousands of pagers and Last week, Taiwanese firm
walkie-talkies were rigged Gold Apollo, whose name
to explode and their trail to appeared on the pagers,
Lebanon. said it had authorized Bu-
Hezbollah and the Leba- dapest, Hungary-based
nese government have BAC Consulting to use its
blamed Israel for the co- brand for the devices that
ordinated two-day at- A police officer inspects a car in which a hand-held pager exploded, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, exploded, but insisted the
tacks, which killed at least Sept. 17, 2024. Associated Press Hungarian company was
39 people and wounded responsible for their manu-
more than 3,000, including Associated Press. but vanished after arriving employee without success facturing and design.
civilians. Israel has neither The agency declined to there. The man was subse- since we first heard the Hungary’s Special Service
confirmed nor denied in- name the man or provide quently reported missing serious allegations about for National Security told
volvement. his nationality. All that is on Wednesday, one of Nor- his alleged private activ- the AP last week that the
“We have on behalf of the known is that he was listed way’s major tabloids VG ity, which we did not know CEO of BAC Consulting had
Oslo police sent out an in- as working for a Norwe- wrote, citing police. about and has nothing to been interviewed “several
ternational wanted notice gian company. Norwegian The CEO of the man’s em- do with us as a company.” times” as part of an inves-
today,” Åste Dahle Sundet, news agency NTB wrote on ployer, Norway-based DN “We haven’t heard from tigation, but that they be-
a spokeswoman for Nor- Thursday that the 39-year- Group, told the AP in an him since (last) Wednes- lieved the company had
way’s National Criminal In- old man had traveled to email that the company day, and we don’t know not taken part in rigging
vestigation Service told The the United States last week had “tried to contact our where he is. This worries the devices to explode.q

North Korea has enough uranium to build a ‘double-digit’ number

of bombs, Seoul’s spy agency says

By KIM TONG-HYUNG makers who attended the briefing.
Associated Press When asked about North Korea’s bomb
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fuel capacity, the agency said North Ko-
has likely enriched enough uranium to rea likely has about 70 kilograms (154
build a “double-digit” number of bombs pounds) of plutonium and an unspecified
and is making progress in its efforts to de- but considerable amount of weapons-
velop more powerful and accurate mis- grade uranium that would be enough to
siles targeting rival South Korea, Seoul’s build “at least a double-digit number” of
spy agency told lawmakers on Thursday. weapons, Lee said.
The closed-door parliamentary briefing by While North Korean state media did not
the National Intelligence Service came af- disclose the location of the uranium en-
ter North Korea offered a rare glimpse into richment facility that Kim visited on Sept.
a secretive facility to produce weapons- 13, the South Korean agency said it was
grade uranium earlier this month as leader likely to be a site in Kangson, near the
Kim Jong Un reiterated his goal to “ex- North Korean capital of Pyongyang, said
ponentially” increase his stock of nuclear Park Sun-won, another lawmaker who at-
weapons. The South Korean agency as- tended the briefing.
sessed that Kim’s disclosure of the facility Along with the North’s main nuclear com- This undated photo provided on Sept. 13, 2024, by the North
was likely a statement of defiance toward plex in the town of Yongbyon, the Kang- Korean government shows its leader Kim Jong Un, center, on
Washington ahead of the U.S. presidential son plant is one of two known sites in North an inspecting visit at what they say is an institute of nuclear
election and meant to domestically show- Korea that has been linked to uranium en- weapons and a facility for nuclear materials at an undisclosed
case his military accomplishments amid richment activities. location in North Korea. Independent journalists were not given
deepening economic struggles, accord- Some analysts say North Korea likely has access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by
ing to Lee Seong-kweun, one of the law- other hidden sites for enriching uranium.q the North Korean government.
Associated Press