NORTH KOREA’s Kim Jong Il has anointed his 26-year-old son – said to be competitive, proficient in English and a heavy drinker – as the next leader of the communist state, it emerged yesterday.

North Korea’s Kim Jong Il has officially named his heavy-drinking, English-speaking 26-year-old son as the next leader.

SOUTH KOREA'S president has overhauled his Cabinet, bringing on seven new ministers - including a female prime minister, an appointment that reflects a major departure from tradition in this male-dominated society.