KCNA reported on Nov 1 that N. KOREA’s Missile General Bureau said it conducted a tactical ballistic missile dispersal‑warhead power‑assessment test on Oct 31. The bureau’s Ballistic Missile System Research Institute and Warhead Research Institute said a standard Type‑2 dispersal warhead can level about 12–13 hectares. The Missile General Bureau described the test as a routine R&D activity aimed at increasing warhead lethality.

Germany's education and family minister Karin Prien has proposed a tax on value created by artificial intelligence; levies on AI service providers could affect U.S. companies, and a broader tax on AI-generated commercial activity would hit U.S. firms operating in Germany. Stanford University's 2026 AI Index shows U.S. private-sector AI investment in 2025 at $285.9 bln versus $20.9 bln for all of Europe. Prien said such a tax could lower returns for U.S. AI vendors selling into Germany or raise costs for their customers and could penalize firms adopting productivity-enhancing technologies. No concrete government coalition plan exists; tax rates and scope remain undecided.

Al Arabiya on Oct. 31 cited sources saying Iran is reviewing proposals in a letter from U.S. Vice President Vance. Sources said the letter outlined broad principles and a negotiating framework but did not present a complete plan. Iran is discussing U.S. proposals on its nuclear program and is seeking guarantees of a permanent, comprehensive cessation of hostilities in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran also insists on a full ceasefire before talks commence and expects a new round of negotiations, but said it is too early to set a date.