Friendly show of force

PYONGYANG North Korea has opened an air festival featuring skydiving, demonstrations by its air force and lots of beer to promote an upgraded commercial airport in the coastal city of Wonsan, which it hopes will draw more foreign tourists.

The two-day International Friendship Air Festival has been touted for months by the North as part of its ongoing effort to attract more tourists to the area, which is already popular with Chinese tourists and in the past attracted many Japanese, who came by ferry.

North Korea has been trying to promote tourism for years, but its efforts have been severely hindered by international sanctions and political tensions over its nuclear weapons programme. It tested its fifth nuclear weapon earlier this month. AP