Nuclear-armed North Korea is a &quot;world class military power&quot;, leader Kim Jong Un declared at a military parade Thursday, a day before the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics in the South.

Kim, who has overseen rapid progress in its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, told a cheering audience in Kim Il Sung Square: &quot;We ... have become capable of showcasing our stature as a world-class military power to the world.&quot;

Kim has overseen rapid progress in its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes

Nuclear-armed North Korea is a "world class military power", leader Kim Jong Un declared at a military parade Thursday, a day before the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics in the South. Kim, who has overseen rapid progress in its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, told a cheering audience in Kim Il Sung Square: "We ... have become capable of showcasing our stature as a world-class military power to the world."

Kim Jong Un: North Korea is a 'world-class military power'

North and South Korea held their first talks in over two years on Tuesday, which Washington welcomed as a first step to solving the North Korean nuclear weapons crisis, even though Pyongyang said those were aimed only at the United States and not up for discussion.

The US&nbsp;State Department said Washington would be interested in joining future talks, but stuck to its insistence that they must be aimed at denuclearisation, showing that a diplomatic breakthrough remains far off.

In a joint statement after 11 hours of talks, North and South Korea said they had agreed to hold the military to military talks and that North Korea would send a large delegation to next month&#39;s Winter Olympics in South Korea.

However, North Korea made a &quot;strong complaint&quot; after Seoul proposed talks to denuclearise the Korean peninsula.

&quot;Clearly this is a positive development,&quot; a spokesman for the US&nbsp;State Department, Steve Goldstein, said of the joint statement while adding: &quot;We would like nuclear talks to occur; we want denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. This is a good first step in that process.&quot;

North and South Korea said they agreed to meet again to resolve problems and avert accidental conflict, amid high tension over North Korea&#39;s program to develop nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States.

&quot;All our weapons, including atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs and ballistic missiles, are only aimed at the United States, not our brethren, nor China and Russia,&quot; Pyongyang&#39;s chief negotiator, Ri Son Gwon, said.

&quot;This is not a matter between North and South Korea, and to bring up this issue would cause negative consequences and risks turning all of today&#39;s good achievement into nothing,&quot; Ri said in closing remarks.

The White House and State Department did not respond to requests for comment on the United States being the only potential target of North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged threats and insults in the past year, raising fears of a new war on the peninsula.

The United States, which has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, initially responded coolly to the idea of inter-Korean meetings, but Trump later called them &quot;a good thing&quot; and said he would be willing to speak to Kim.

&quot;At the appropriate time, we&#39;ll get involved,&quot; Trump said on Saturday, although US-North Korean talks appear unlikely anytime soon, given entrenched positions on both sides.

The United States has warned that all options, including military ones, are on the table in dealing with North Korea.

Washington agreed with Seoul last week to postpone joint military exercises that Pyongyang denounces as rehearsals for invasion until after the Olympics, but the North-South thaw has not altered the US&nbsp;intelligence assessment of North Korea&rsquo;s weapons programs.&nbsp;

The consensus, according to US&nbsp;officials familiar with the classified analysis, is that Kim remains convinced the United States is determined to overthrow him and that only a nuclear arsenal that threatens America can deter that.

One official said the North-South talks were likely to follow the pattern of past diplomatic efforts, in which the North has benefited from additional food and other aid without making any concessions on the weapons front.

The additional danger now, said a second official, was that Kim would seek to use the talks to take advantage of Trump&#39;s sometimes bellicose rhetoric to try to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul.

On Tuesday, UN&nbsp;Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the talks, particularly the agreement to hold military-to-military talks, calling this &quot;critical to lowering the risk of miscalculation&quot;.

He also welcomed North Korea&#39;s decision to send a delegation to the Olympics and said he hoped for the resumption of dialogue leading to denuclearisation.

In spite of the North Korean negotiator`s remarks, South Korea&#39;s Unification Ministry said it believed Tuesday&#39;s talks could lead to the discussion of a &quot;fundamental resolution&quot; of the nuclear issue.

&quot;We will closely coordinate with the United States, China, Japan and other neighbours in this process,&quot; it said, adding that Seoul had asked Pyongyang to halt acts that stoke tension.

Tuesday&#39;s meeting followed a year of ramped-up North Korean missile launches and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test, which prompted a US-led campaign to toughen UN&nbsp;sanctions.

High hopes

Earlier on Tuesday, Seoul said it was prepared to lift some unilateral sanctions temporarily so North Koreans could visit for the Olympics. North Korea said its delegation would include athletes, high-ranking officials, a cheering squad, art performers, reporters and spectators.

Talks to work out details would be held soon, the South&#39;s Unification Ministry said.

Tuesday&#39;s talks were the first between the two Koreas since 2015 and were held at the Peace House on the South Korean side of Panmunjom truce village.

Seoul said it proposed reunions of divided families in time for February&#39;s Lunar New Year holiday, but the joint statement made no mention of any agreement on this.

Seoul said North Korea had finished technical work to restore a military hotline, with normal communications set to resume on Wednesday.

North Korea cut communications in February 2016, following South Korea&#39;s decision to shut down a jointly run industrial park.

Seoul also said North Korea responded &quot;positively&quot; to the South&#39;s proposal for athletes from both sides to march together in the Olympic opening ceremony.

Such a joint parade has not happened since the 2007 Asian Winter Games in China.

China&#39;s Foreign Ministry said it was happy to see talks between North and South Korea and welcomed all positive steps. Russia echoed the sentiment. &quot;This is exactly the kind of dialogue that we said was necessary,&quot; a Kremlin spokesman said.

Some US-based analysts have hailed the talks as an opening for diplomacy, but others see an attempt by North Korea to weaken US&nbsp;pressure so that it is eventually accepted as a nuclear-armed state.

Evans Revere, a former senior US&nbsp;diplomat for East Asia, said that by engaging Seoul, North Korea was clearly seeking to weaken the US-South Korean alliance and it was important that Seoul had raised the nuclear issue to show it was not just a US-North Korea matter.

The US State Department said Washington would be interested in joining future talks, but stuck to its insistence that they must be aimed at denuclearisation

North and South Korea held their first talks in over two years on Tuesday, which Washington welcomed as a first step to solving the North Korean nuclear weapons crisis, even though Pyongyang said those were aimed only at the United States and not up for discussion. The US State Department said Washington would be interested in joining future talks, but stuck to its insistence that they must be aimed at denuclearisation, showing that a diplomatic breakthrough remains far off. In a joint statement after 11 hours of talks, North and South Korea said they had agreed to hold the military to military talks and that North Korea would send a large delegation to next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea. However, North Korea made a "strong complaint" after Seoul proposed talks to denuclearise the Korean peninsula. "Clearly this is a positive development," a spokesman for the US State Department, Steve Goldstein, said of the joint statement while adding: "We would like nuclear talks to occur; we want denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. This is a good first step in that process." North and South Korea said they agreed to meet again to resolve problems and avert accidental conflict, amid high tension over North Korea's program to develop nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States. "All our weapons, including atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs and ballistic missiles, are only aimed at the United States, not our brethren, nor China and Russia," Pyongyang's chief negotiator, Ri Son Gwon, said. "This is not a matter between North and South Korea, and to bring up this issue would cause negative consequences and risks turning all of today's good achievement into nothing," Ri said in closing remarks. The White House and State Department did not respond to requests for comment on the United States being the only potential target of North Korea's nuclear weapons. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged threats and insults in the past year, raising fears of a new war on the peninsula. The United States, which has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, initially responded coolly to the idea of inter-Korean meetings, but Trump later called them "a good thing" and said he would be willing to speak to Kim. "At the appropriate time, we'll get involved," Trump said on Saturday, although US-North Korean talks appear unlikely anytime soon, given entrenched positions on both sides. The United States has warned that all options, including military ones, are on the table in dealing with North Korea. Washington agreed with Seoul last week to postpone joint military exercises that Pyongyang denounces as rehearsals for invasion until after the Olympics, but the North-South thaw has not altered the US intelligence assessment of North Korea’s weapons programs. The consensus, according to US officials familiar with the classified analysis, is that Kim remains convinced the United States is determined to overthrow him and that only a nuclear arsenal that threatens America can deter that. One official said the North-South talks were likely to follow the pattern of past diplomatic efforts, in which the North has benefited from additional food and other aid without making any concessions on the weapons front. The additional danger now, said a second official, was that Kim would seek to use the talks to take advantage of Trump's sometimes bellicose rhetoric to try to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul. On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the talks, particularly the agreement to hold military-to-military talks, calling this "critical to lowering the risk of miscalculation". He also welcomed North Korea's decision to send a delegation to the Olympics and said he hoped for the resumption of dialogue leading to denuclearisation. In spite of the North Korean negotiator`s remarks, South Korea's Unification Ministry said it believed Tuesday's talks could lead to the discussion of a "fundamental resolution" of the nuclear issue. "We will closely coordinate with the United States, China, Japan and other neighbours in this process," it said, adding that Seoul had asked Pyongyang to halt acts that stoke tension. Tuesday's meeting followed a year of ramped-up North Korean missile launches and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test, which prompted a US-led campaign to toughen UN sanctions. High hopes Earlier on Tuesday, Seoul said it was prepared to lift some unilateral sanctions temporarily so North Koreans could visit for the Olympics. North Korea said its delegation would include athletes, high-ranking officials, a cheering squad, art performers, reporters and spectators. Talks to work out details would be held soon, the South's Unification Ministry said. Tuesday's talks were the first between the two Koreas since 2015 and were held at the Peace House on the South Korean side of Panmunjom truce village. Seoul said it proposed reunions of divided families in time for February's Lunar New Year holiday, but the joint statement made no mention of any agreement on this. Seoul said North Korea had finished technical work to restore a military hotline, with normal communications set to resume on Wednesday. North Korea cut communications in February 2016, following South Korea's decision to shut down a jointly run industrial park. Seoul also said North Korea responded "positively" to the South's proposal for athletes from both sides to march together in the Olympic opening ceremony. Such a joint parade has not happened since the 2007 Asian Winter Games in China. China's Foreign Ministry said it was happy to see talks between North and South Korea and welcomed all positive steps. Russia echoed the sentiment. "This is exactly the kind of dialogue that we said was necessary," a Kremlin spokesman said. Some US-based analysts have hailed the talks as an opening for diplomacy, but others see an attempt by North Korea to weaken US pressure so that it is eventually accepted as a nuclear-armed state. Evans Revere, a former senior US diplomat for East Asia, said that by engaging Seoul, North Korea was clearly seeking to weaken the US-South Korean alliance and it was important that Seoul had raised the nuclear issue to show it was not just a US-North Korea matter.

US hails Korea talks, despite North's rejection of denuclearisation

As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warmed up to South Korea proposing to send his national team for the Winter Olympics in Seoul, President Trump said today it was possible because he was firm and strong in dealing with Kim.

South Korea on Tuesday announced it was open for dialogue at a border village raising hopes of peace in the Korean peninsula.

President Trump in an early morning tweet said with all of the &quot;failed &ldquo;experts weighing in, talks and dialogue between North and South Korea wouldn&#39;t have been possible if he wasn&#39;t firm and willing to commit total &quot;might&quot; against North Korea.

&quot;Fools, but talks are a good thing!,&quot; the president tweeted.

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With all of the failed &ldquo;experts&rdquo; weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasn&rsquo;t firm, strong and willing to commit our total &ldquo;might&rdquo; against the North. Fools, but talks are a good thing!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/948879774277128197?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The US military meanwhile which has been conducting joint drills with Japan and South Korea for the past several months moved with cautioned over the olive branch handed by Kim.

Chief of United States Forces Korea (USFK), Vincent Brooks told the Yonhap news agency: &quot;We must keep our expectations at the appropriate level.&quot;

&quot;We can&#39;t ignore that reality,&quot; he said, adding it was important for the United States and South Korea to maintain an &quot;ironclad and razor sharp&quot; alliance.

Brooks said the peace overture could be a strategy by North Korea&nbsp;to divide the United States, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia to reach its goal of being accepted as a &quot;nuclear capable&quot; nation.

&nbsp;US officials feel Kim might be trying to &quot;to drive a wedge&quot; between the US and South Korea, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, President Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-In have decided to delay military exercises until after the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang next month, Moon&#39;s office said on &nbsp;Thursday.

&quot;The two leaders agreed that the US-South Korea joint military exercises will not be carried out during the Olympics period, and the armed forces of the two countries should do their best to guarantee the safety of the Olympics,&quot; a statement said.

&nbsp;

South Korea on Tuesday announced it was open for dialogue at a border village raising hopes of peace in the Korean peninsula.

As North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warmed up to South Korea proposing to send his national team for the Winter Olympics in Seoul, President Trump said today it was possible because he was firm and strong in dealing with Kim. South Korea on Tuesday announced it was open for dialogue at a border village raising hopes of peace in the Korean peninsula. President Trump in an early morning tweet said with all of the "failed “experts weighing in, talks and dialogue between North and South Korea wouldn't have been possible if he wasn't firm and willing to commit total "might" against North Korea. "Fools, but talks are a good thing!," the president tweeted. With all of the failed “experts” weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasn’t firm, strong and willing to commit our total “might” against the North. Fools, but talks are a good thing! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 × The US military meanwhile which has been conducting joint drills with Japan and South Korea for the past several months moved with cautioned over the olive branch handed by Kim. Chief of United States Forces Korea (USFK), Vincent Brooks told the Yonhap news agency: "We must keep our expectations at the appropriate level." "We can't ignore that reality," he said, adding it was important for the United States and South Korea to maintain an "ironclad and razor sharp" alliance. Brooks said the peace overture could be a strategy by North Korea to divide the United States, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia to reach its goal of being accepted as a "nuclear capable" nation. US officials feel Kim might be trying to "to drive a wedge" between the US and South Korea, Reuters reported. Meanwhile, President Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-In have decided to delay military exercises until after the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang next month, Moon's office said on Thursday. "The two leaders agreed that the US-South Korea joint military exercises will not be carried out during the Olympics period, and the armed forces of the two countries should do their best to guarantee the safety of the Olympics," a statement said.

Dialogue between North and South Korea wasn't possible if I was not firm: Trump

Japan and South Korea urged China to do more to &quot;pressure&quot; North Korea to end its nuclear and missile programmes, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said on Tuesday, as tension builds amid a standoff between North Korea and the United States.

North Korea has boasted of developing a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and reaching the mainland United States in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions and international condemnation, including from its lone major ally, China.

&quot;China is currently implementing the United Nations Security Council resolutions (on North Korea), but China can probably do more&quot;, Kono said after talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha.&nbsp;&quot;We agreed on the need to put pressure firmly on North Korea&quot;.

The US Navy&#39;s top officer said on Tuesday said that vessels from eastern Pacific could be brought forward to reinforce US naval power in Asia as Washington contends with increased threats in the region.

North Korea has defended its weapons programmes as necessary to counter US aggression and sees the military drills the United States holds with South Korea and Japan as preludes to invasion.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged bellicose rhetoric in recent weeks, with Trump threatening to destroy North Korea if provoked, while US diplomats have stressed the importance of diplomacy.

Trump on Monday unveiled a new national security strategy, again saying Washington had to deal with the challenge posed by North Korea&#39;s weapons programmes.&nbsp;

Japan and South Korea are seeking to boost cooperation over North Korea, despite lingering tension between them over the issue of &quot;comfort women&quot;, a Japanese euphemism for women - many of them Korean - forced to work in Japanese military brothels before and during World War Two.

The United States has also pressured China and other nations to cut trade and diplomatic ties with North Korea as part of international efforts to dry up Pyongyang&#39;s illegal cash flows that could fund its weapons programmes.

North Korea has defended its weapons programmes as necessary to counter US aggression

Japan and South Korea urged China to do more to "pressure" North Korea to end its nuclear and missile programmes, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said on Tuesday, as tension builds amid a standoff between North Korea and the United States. North Korea has boasted of developing a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and reaching the mainland United States in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions and international condemnation, including from its lone major ally, China. "China is currently implementing the United Nations Security Council resolutions (on North Korea), but China can probably do more", Kono said after talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha. "We agreed on the need to put pressure firmly on North Korea". The US Navy's top officer said on Tuesday said that vessels from eastern Pacific could be brought forward to reinforce US naval power in Asia as Washington contends with increased threats in the region. North Korea has defended its weapons programmes as necessary to counter US aggression and sees the military drills the United States holds with South Korea and Japan as preludes to invasion. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged bellicose rhetoric in recent weeks, with Trump threatening to destroy North Korea if provoked, while US diplomats have stressed the importance of diplomacy. Trump on Monday unveiled a new national security strategy, again saying Washington had to deal with the challenge posed by North Korea's weapons programmes. Japan and South Korea are seeking to boost cooperation over North Korea, despite lingering tension between them over the issue of "comfort women", a Japanese euphemism for women - many of them Korean - forced to work in Japanese military brothels before and during World War Two. The United States has also pressured China and other nations to cut trade and diplomatic ties with North Korea as part of international efforts to dry up Pyongyang's illegal cash flows that could fund its weapons programmes.

Japan and South Korea urge China to do more to 'pressure' North Korea

The official spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party, Sambit Patra on Sunday tweeted a picture of alleged Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) poster featuring a picture of Kim Jong-un in Kerala.

Sambit Patra also wrote, &quot;Hope the left is not planning to launch missiles at the RSS, BJP offices as their next gruesome agenda.&quot;

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Kim Jong-un finds place in CPM&rsquo;s posters in Kerala!! 
No wonder they have converted Kerala into Killing fields for their opponents! 
Hope the left is not planning to launch ?? missiles at the RSS,BJP offices as their next gruesome agenda! <a href="https://t.co/6LHf1dVtAy">pic.twitter.com/6LHf1dVtAy</a>
&mdash; Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/sambitswaraj/status/942236295517978625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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According to media reports, the poster is an invite to all CPI-M cadres to attend the party meet in Nedumkandam.

Media quoted CPI-M&#39;s district secretary as saying that the poster must be a mistake made by the party&#39;s local group.&nbsp;

The poster is being removed.

Patra&#39;s tweet was referring to the killing of BJP and RSS members in the state.

In October, an RSS activist, Nenmini Anand was hacked to death by an unknown person.

BJP President Amit Shah also reacted to the incident alleging that CPI-M workers were behind the attack.

The CPI-M has also accused the RSS of causing a communal tension in the state.

According to a report released by CPI-M in October, from 2000 to 2017, 85 CPI-M workers and 65 RSS workers were killed.

Kim Jong Un has also said in the past that he would nuke the United States with missiles.

 
&nbsp;

The official spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party, Sambit Patra on Sunday tweeted a picture of alleged Communist Party of India-Marxist poster featuring a picture of Kim Jong-un in Kerala

The official spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party, Sambit Patra on Sunday tweeted a picture of alleged Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) poster featuring a picture of Kim Jong-un in Kerala. Sambit Patra also wrote, "Hope the left is not planning to launch missiles at the RSS, BJP offices as their next gruesome agenda." Kim Jong-un finds place in CPM’s posters in Kerala!! No wonder they have converted Kerala into Killing fields for their opponents! Hope the left is not planning to launch ?? missiles at the RSS,BJP offices as their next gruesome agenda! pic.twitter.com/6LHf1dVtAy — Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) December 17, 2017 × According to media reports, the poster is an invite to all CPI-M cadres to attend the party meet in Nedumkandam. Media quoted CPI-M's district secretary as saying that the poster must be a mistake made by the party's local group. The poster is being removed. Patra's tweet was referring to the killing of BJP and RSS members in the state. In October, an RSS activist, Nenmini Anand was hacked to death by an unknown person. BJP President Amit Shah also reacted to the incident alleging that CPI-M workers were behind the attack. The CPI-M has also accused the RSS of causing a communal tension in the state. According to a report released by CPI-M in October, from 2000 to 2017, 85 CPI-M workers and 65 RSS workers were killed. Kim Jong Un has also said in the past that he would nuke the United States with missiles.

Kim Jong Un on CPI-M poster in Kerala

Secretary of state Rex Tillerson said today the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-talks-to-un-blames-us-for-tensions-26314"> US is ready to respond to any North</a> Korean threat with full &quot;range of &nbsp;contingencies available.&quot;

Tillerson who has been working the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/north-korea-us-threats-making-war-unavoidable-7201">back channels with China and Russia </a>to keep North Korea at bay, said: &quot;We&#39;re ready to talk whenever they&#39;re(North Korea) ready to talk,&quot; adding that North Korea must be &quot;ready to make a choice.&quot;

Meanwhile, North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong Un told &nbsp;scientists&nbsp;that his country would continue to manufacture&nbsp;&quot;more latest weapons and equipment&quot; &nbsp;to &quot;bolster&nbsp;nuclear force in quality and quantity&quot;.

North Korea had recently tested the Hwasong-15 ICBM missile on August 29 which many experts believe can reach mainland United States, North Korea&#39;s state media citing Kim said: &quot;He solemnly declared that the development of new strategic weapon systems including A-bomb, H-bomb and ICBM Hwasong-15 with indigenous efforts and technology and the realisation of the great cause of completing the state nuclear force serve as a great historic victory of our party and people of the country.&quot;

Despite the tough talk by North Korea, UN officials returning from Pyongyang said that North Korean officials had agreed to need to prevent war, however, they offered no concerete steps for talks on the issue.

&quot;They agreed that it was important to prevent war,&quot; Jeffrey Feltman, the UN&#39;s political affairs chief told AFP.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un told scientists that his country would continue to manufacturing "more latest weapons and equipment"

Secretary of state Rex Tillerson said today the US is ready to respond to any North Korean threat with full "range of contingencies available." Tillerson who has been working the back channels with China and Russia to keep North Korea at bay, said: "We're ready to talk whenever they're(North Korea) ready to talk," adding that North Korea must be "ready to make a choice." Meanwhile, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un told scientists that his country would continue to manufacture "more latest weapons and equipment" to "bolster nuclear force in quality and quantity". North Korea had recently tested the Hwasong-15 ICBM missile on August 29 which many experts believe can reach mainland United States, North Korea's state media citing Kim said: "He solemnly declared that the development of new strategic weapon systems including A-bomb, H-bomb and ICBM Hwasong-15 with indigenous efforts and technology and the realisation of the great cause of completing the state nuclear force serve as a great historic victory of our party and people of the country." Despite the tough talk by North Korea, UN officials returning from Pyongyang said that North Korean officials had agreed to need to prevent war, however, they offered no concerete steps for talks on the issue. "They agreed that it was important to prevent war," Jeffrey Feltman, the UN's political affairs chief told AFP.

Ready to talk but North Korea should be ready to make a choice: Tillerson

North Korea has lambasted US President Donald Trump for recognising Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, renewing its description of him as a &quot;dotard&quot; in a statement released Saturday on state media.

Trump and North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults in recent months as tensions remain high over the North&#39;s missile and nuclear threats.

Now the hermit state has joined <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-cornered-on-jerusalem-move-in-united-nation-26295" target="_blank">near-universal condemnation</a> of the US president&#39;s decision on Jerusalem, calling it a &quot;reckless, wicked act&quot;.

&quot;Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising&quot;, a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the state-run KCNA news agency.

&quot;But this move clearly shows to the whole world who is the destroyer of world peace and security, pariah and rogue in the international community&quot;, he said, using epithets usually reserved for the North.

Trump&#39;s declaration Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv sparked anger across the Muslim world, and drew expressions of concern and disapproval from US allies.

Trump has previously warned Pyongyang of &quot;fire and fury&quot;, telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would &quot;totally destroy North Korea&quot; if it had to defend itself or its allies.

Trump dubbed Kim &quot;Rocket Man&quot; in the same speech -- Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland -- and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling him a &quot;dotard&quot;, an obscure term for a weak or senile old man.

According to the latest KCNA statement, the North &quot;strongly condemns&quot; the US move to recognise Jerusalem as capital, and expressed &quot;firm support and solidarity for Palestinians and Arab peoples struggling to win their legitimate rights&quot;.

&quot;The US will be held accountable for all consequences from this reckless, wicked act&quot;, it added.

'Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising,' a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying

North Korea has lambasted US President Donald Trump for recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital, renewing its description of him as a "dotard" in a statement released Saturday on state media. Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults in recent months as tensions remain high over the North's missile and nuclear threats. Now the hermit state has joined near-universal condemnation of the US president's decision on Jerusalem, calling it a "reckless, wicked act". "Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising", a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the state-run KCNA news agency. "But this move clearly shows to the whole world who is the destroyer of world peace and security, pariah and rogue in the international community", he said, using epithets usually reserved for the North. Trump's declaration Wednesday to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv sparked anger across the Muslim world, and drew expressions of concern and disapproval from US allies. Trump has previously warned Pyongyang of "fire and fury", telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would "totally destroy North Korea" if it had to defend itself or its allies. Trump dubbed Kim "Rocket Man" in the same speech -- Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland -- and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling him a "dotard", an obscure term for a weak or senile old man. According to the latest KCNA statement, the North "strongly condemns" the US move to recognise Jerusalem as capital, and expressed "firm support and solidarity for Palestinians and Arab peoples struggling to win their legitimate rights". "The US will be held accountable for all consequences from this reckless, wicked act", it added.

North Korea condemns 'mentally deranged dotard' Trump over Jerusalem

Even as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/week-after-north-korea-missile-test-us-south-korea-kick-off-largest-air-exercise-25783">South Korea and the US began joint aerial drills </a>which is the largest ever undertaken by the two countries, North Korea said the drills would &quot;push the already acute situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war&quot;.

Reacting to the joint military exercise, China&#39;s foreign minister Wang Yi said the &quot;resurfacing of tensions was regrettable&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;China has an open attitude on solutions to the North Korean nuclear issue, but that parties should be consultative,&quot; China&#39;s foreign minister added.

Blaming both North Korea and US allies involved in military brinkmanship, Chinese foreign minister said that it was regrettable all parties had not &quot;grasped the window of opportunity&quot; presented by two months of calm before North Korea&#39;s &nbsp;recent ballistic test.

North Korea&#39;s ally&nbsp;Russia said the US was trying to provoke North Korean leader Kim Jong Un into &quot;flying off the handle&quot; over his missile programme.

Last week President Trump had said his administration would be imposing big sanctions on North Korea and pressed Russia and China to cut oil supply to North Korea in an attempt to bring North Korea&#39;s Kim to stop his missile programme, however, both Russia and China opposed the US proposal.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Chinese foreign minister said that it was regrettable all parties had not "grasped the window of opportunity" presented by two months of calm

Even as South Korea and the US began joint aerial drills which is the largest ever undertaken by the two countries, North Korea said the drills would "push the already acute situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war". Reacting to the joint military exercise, China's foreign minister Wang Yi said the "resurfacing of tensions was regrettable". "China has an open attitude on solutions to the North Korean nuclear issue, but that parties should be consultative," China's foreign minister added. Blaming both North Korea and US allies involved in military brinkmanship, Chinese foreign minister said that it was regrettable all parties had not "grasped the window of opportunity" presented by two months of calm before North Korea's recent ballistic test. North Korea's ally Russia said the US was trying to provoke North Korean leader Kim Jong Un into "flying off the handle" over his missile programme. Last week President Trump had said his administration would be imposing big sanctions on North Korea and pressed Russia and China to cut oil supply to North Korea in an attempt to bring North Korea's Kim to stop his missile programme, however, both Russia and China opposed the US proposal.

US, South Korea ariel drills pushing Korean peninsula to brink of nuclear war: North Korea

Images&nbsp;released by&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;on Thursday appeared to show it has succeeded in developing a&nbsp;missile&nbsp;capable&nbsp;of delivering a nuclear weapon anywhere in the United States and it could be only two or three tests away from being declared combat ready, US-based&nbsp;experts&nbsp;said on Thursday.

North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;released dozens of photos and a video after Wednesday&#39;s launch of the new Hwasong-15&nbsp;missile, and leader Kim Jong Un declared the country had &quot;finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force&quot;.

US-based&nbsp;experts, some of whom have been sceptical about past&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean claims to have put&nbsp;all&nbsp;of the United States in range, said data from the latest test and the photos appeared to confirm&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;has a&nbsp;missile&nbsp;of sufficient power to deliver a nuclear warhead anywhere in America.

Experts&nbsp;and US&nbsp;officials say questions remain about whether it has a re-entry vehicle&nbsp;capable&nbsp;of protecting a nuclear warhead as it speeds toward its target and about the accuracy of its guidance systems.

In an analysis for the Washington-based 38&nbsp;North&nbsp;think tank,&nbsp;missile&nbsp;expert Michael Elleman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies said the&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean photos showed a&nbsp;missile considerably larger than its predecessor.

&quot;Initial calculations indicate the new&nbsp;missile&nbsp;could deliver a moderately sized nuclear weapon to any city on the US&nbsp;mainland,&quot; Elleman said.

Elleman said the&nbsp;missile&nbsp;was large and powerful enough to carry simple decoys or other countermeasures to challenge US&nbsp;missile&nbsp;defences.

&quot;A handful of additional flight tests are needed to validate the Hwasong-15&#39;s performance and reliability, and likely establish the efficacy of a protection system needed to ensure the warhead survives the rigours of atmospheric re-entry,&quot; Elleman wrote.

Only two or three more tests might be needed if&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;could accept low confidence in the missile&#39;s reliability.

Another&nbsp;missile&nbsp;expert, whose employer does not&nbsp;allow him to speak publicly to the media, agreed with Elleman&#39;s assessment.

&quot;If&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;does not make high demands on the reliability or accuracy of the&nbsp;missile&nbsp;... two or three more tests would suffice.

&quot;So long as&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;can hit US&nbsp;cities with thermonuclear warheads, they probably don&#39;t need the ability hit every city they target or target specific aim points within those cities to convince the U.S. leadership that war with&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;would be too expensive to contemplate.&quot;

In a call&nbsp;with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Thursday, South&nbsp;Korean President Moon Jae-in said the&nbsp;missile&nbsp;was&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&#39;s most advanced so far. But it was unclear if Pyongyang had the technology to miniaturise a nuclear warhead, and it still needed to prove other things, including re-entry technology.

US-based&nbsp;experts&nbsp;said&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;had almost certainly developed a warhead light enough to be carried by the Hwasong- 15, which Elleman said should be&nbsp;capable&nbsp;of delivering a 1,000 kg payload.

Larger, more powerful

Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of Strategic Studies said on Twitter the Hwasong-15 was &quot;so big that the warhead wouldn&rsquo;t need to be miniaturised.&quot;

On Wednesday, US&nbsp;Defense Secretary Jim Mattis acknowledged the&nbsp;missile&nbsp;went higher than any previous&nbsp;test and was part of a&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean effort &quot;to continue building ballistic&nbsp;missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically.&quot;

North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;said the&nbsp;missile&nbsp;soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles), more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station, and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight before landing in the sea near Japan.

The&nbsp;missile&#39;s large size was immediately apparent in the photos, which analysts said&nbsp;allowed for a more powerful propulsion system.

&quot;This is a very big&nbsp;missile,&quot; said Michael Duitsman, a research associate at the Centre for Nonproliferation Studies. &quot;And I don&#39;t mean &#39;big for&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea.&#39; Only a few countries can produce&nbsp;missiles of this size, and&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;just joined the club.&quot;

US&nbsp;experts&nbsp;and officials said the&nbsp;missile&nbsp;still appeared to be powered by liquid fuel, something that made it vulnerable as it could take to up to two hours to fuel on-site before launching.

Earlier, one US&nbsp;official told Reuters the&nbsp;missile&nbsp;could have been powered by solid fuel, but experts&nbsp;said&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;could still be a few years away from being able to field a more versatile solid-fuelled ICBM.

The photos appeared to show the&nbsp;missile&nbsp;with at least two large nozzles on its first stage, instead of the one large and several smaller nozzles on the Hwasong-14.

&quot;The first stage seems to&nbsp;use essentially the same case (as the Hwasong-14) but has two engines,&quot; said David Wright, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a US-based nonprofit science advocacy group. &quot;The second stage looks like it can carry more than twice as much propellant. The combination of those two things means it really is a new, more&nbsp;capable&nbsp;missile.&quot;

While the photos show a mobile erector vehicle being&nbsp;used to position the&nbsp;missile&nbsp;upright, it is not seen in photos of the launch itself. US&nbsp;intelligence analysts have concluded that the test&nbsp;missile was fired from a fixed position, not a mobile launcher, three US&nbsp;officials said.

The massive vehicle was &quot;100 percent&quot; a domestic product of&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea, state media quoted Kim Jong Un as saying.

Western analysts said it is more likely the truck was one of about half a dozen vehicles obtained years ago from China, which&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;has modified since then.

North?Korea?said the the new Hwasong-15?missile?soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles), more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station, and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight before landing in the sea near Japan

Images released by North Korea on Thursday appeared to show it has succeeded in developing a missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon anywhere in the United States and it could be only two or three tests away from being declared combat ready, US-based experts said on Thursday. North Korea released dozens of photos and a video after Wednesday's launch of the new Hwasong-15 missile, and leader Kim Jong Un declared the country had "finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force". US-based experts, some of whom have been sceptical about past North Korean claims to have put all of the United States in range, said data from the latest test and the photos appeared to confirm North Korea has a missile of sufficient power to deliver a nuclear warhead anywhere in America. Experts and US officials say questions remain about whether it has a re-entry vehicle capable of protecting a nuclear warhead as it speeds toward its target and about the accuracy of its guidance systems. In an analysis for the Washington-based 38 North think tank, missile expert Michael Elleman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies said the North Korean photos showed a missile considerably larger than its predecessor. "Initial calculations indicate the new missile could deliver a moderately sized nuclear weapon to any city on the US mainland," Elleman said. Elleman said the missile was large and powerful enough to carry simple decoys or other countermeasures to challenge US missile defences. "A handful of additional flight tests are needed to validate the Hwasong-15's performance and reliability, and likely establish the efficacy of a protection system needed to ensure the warhead survives the rigours of atmospheric re-entry," Elleman wrote. Only two or three more tests might be needed if North Korea could accept low confidence in the missile's reliability. Another missile expert, whose employer does not allow him to speak publicly to the media, agreed with Elleman's assessment. "If North Korea does not make high demands on the reliability or accuracy of the missile ... two or three more tests would suffice. "So long as North Korea can hit US cities with thermonuclear warheads, they probably don't need the ability hit every city they target or target specific aim points within those cities to convince the U.S. leadership that war with North Korea would be too expensive to contemplate." In a call with US President Donald Trump on Thursday, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the missile was North Korea's most advanced so far. But it was unclear if Pyongyang had the technology to miniaturise a nuclear warhead, and it still needed to prove other things, including re-entry technology. US-based experts said North Korea had almost certainly developed a warhead light enough to be carried by the Hwasong- 15, which Elleman said should be capable of delivering a 1,000 kg payload. Larger, more powerful Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of Strategic Studies said on Twitter the Hwasong-15 was "so big that the warhead wouldn’t need to be miniaturised." On Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis acknowledged the missile went higher than any previous test and was part of a North Korean effort "to continue building ballistic missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically." North Korea said the missile soared to an altitude of about 4,475 km (2,780 miles), more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station, and flew 950 km (590 miles) during its 53-minute flight before landing in the sea near Japan. The missile's large size was immediately apparent in the photos, which analysts said allowed for a more powerful propulsion system. "This is a very big missile," said Michael Duitsman, a research associate at the Centre for Nonproliferation Studies. "And I don't mean 'big for North Korea.' Only a few countries can produce missiles of this size, and North Korea just joined the club." US experts and officials said the missile still appeared to be powered by liquid fuel, something that made it vulnerable as it could take to up to two hours to fuel on-site before launching. Earlier, one US official told Reuters the missile could have been powered by solid fuel, but experts said North Korea could still be a few years away from being able to field a more versatile solid-fuelled ICBM. The photos appeared to show the missile with at least two large nozzles on its first stage, instead of the one large and several smaller nozzles on the Hwasong-14. "The first stage seems to use essentially the same case (as the Hwasong-14) but has two engines," said David Wright, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, a US-based nonprofit science advocacy group. "The second stage looks like it can carry more than twice as much propellant. The combination of those two things means it really is a new, more capable missile." While the photos show a mobile erector vehicle being used to position the missile upright, it is not seen in photos of the launch itself. US intelligence analysts have concluded that the test missile was fired from a fixed position, not a mobile launcher, three US officials said. The massive vehicle was "100 percent" a domestic product of North Korea, state media quoted Kim Jong Un as saying. Western analysts said it is more likely the truck was one of about half a dozen vehicles obtained years ago from China, which North Korea has modified since then.

North Korea images suggest missile capable of hitting all America: US experts

China&#39;s Foreign Ministry said on Friday&nbsp;that Dandong&#39;s Friendship Bridge, which connects with the North Korean town of Sinuiju across the Yalu river, will be closed for maintenance.

Dandong has boomed in recent years, swept up by speculation that North Korea&#39;s young leader, Kim Jong Un, would, in time, copy China&#39;s export-oriented economic reforms.

But many of those firms have since folded, residents and traders say. Construction on at least two apartment complexes in Dandong has stalled and empty shopfronts are scattered across the city.

China&#39;s trade with North Korea fell to $334.9 million in October, its lowest since February as imports sank to their weakest in years, data showed on Thursday (November 25), the latest sign that tough new sanctions cut business with its isolated neighbour.

Construction on at least two apartment complexes in Dandong has stalled and empty shopfronts are scattered across the city

China's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Dandong's Friendship Bridge, which connects with the North Korean town of Sinuiju across the Yalu river, will be closed for maintenance. Dandong has boomed in recent years, swept up by speculation that North Korea's young leader, Kim Jong Un, would, in time, copy China's export-oriented economic reforms. But many of those firms have since folded, residents and traders say. Construction on at least two apartment complexes in Dandong has stalled and empty shopfronts are scattered across the city. China's trade with North Korea fell to $334.9 million in October, its lowest since February as imports sank to their weakest in years, data showed on Thursday (November 25), the latest sign that tough new sanctions cut business with its isolated neighbour.

Watch: China confirms 'Friendship Bridge' to North Korea closed for maintenance

The United States should assume<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-warns-threats-a-big-miscalculation-in-letter-to-australia-lawmakers-22635" target="_blank"> Kim Jong-Un</a>&#39;s regime is &quot;on the cusp&quot; of getting a nuclear missile capable of striking US targets and work to prevent this, the head of the CIA said Thursday.

CIA director Mike Pompeo said President Donald Trump is determined to prevent <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nuclear-war-may-break-out-at-any-time-warns-north-korea-22539" target="_blank">North Korea</a> from making the breakthrough &quot;whether it happens on Tuesday or a month from Tuesday.&quot;

Both Pompeo and US National Security Adviser HR McMaster said Trump would still prefer to use sanctions and diplomacy to force Kim to come to the table to discuss disarmament.

But, speaking to a Washington policy forum, both also warned that the use of US military force remains an option to prevent Pyongyang from acquiring a long-range nuclear missile.

&quot;They are close enough now in their capabilities that from a US policy perspective we ought to behave as if we are on the cusp of them achieving that objective,&quot; Pompeo said.

Pompeo said US intelligence had kept close tabs on the North Korean program in the past, but that its missile expertise is now growing too quickly to be sure when it will succeed.

&quot;But when you&#39;re now talking about months our capacity to understand that at a detailed level is in some sense irrelevant,&quot; he said.

&quot;The president&#39;s made it very clear,&quot; he added.

&quot;He&#39;s prepared to ensure that Kim Jong-Un doesn&#39;t have the capacity to hold America at risk. By military force if necessary.&quot;

This week, North Korea&#39;s deputy UN ambassador declared that Pyongyang would not put its nuclear arsenal nor ballistic missile program on the table unless Washington drops its &quot;hostile&quot; stance.

And Kim&#39;s regime has made no secret of its efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting US mainland cities or bases in the Pacific, conducting regular tests. 
 
McMaster told the conference, organised by the Federation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), that the regime would not be allowed to develop arms that would threaten the United States.

&quot;We are not out of time but we are running out of time,&quot; Trump&#39;s top security adviser said.

&quot;The president has been very clear. He&#39;s not going to accept this regime threatening the United States with nuclear weapons,&quot; he warned.&nbsp;

&quot;There are those that say, &#39;accept and deter&#39;. Well, &#39;accept and deter&#39; is unacceptable.&quot;

CIA director Mike Pompeo said President Donald Trump is determined to prevent North Korea from making the breakthrough 'whether it happens on Tuesday or a month from Tuesday.'

The United States should assume Kim Jong-Un's regime is "on the cusp" of getting a nuclear missile capable of striking US targets and work to prevent this, the head of the CIA said Thursday. CIA director Mike Pompeo said President Donald Trump is determined to prevent North Korea from making the breakthrough "whether it happens on Tuesday or a month from Tuesday." Both Pompeo and US National Security Adviser HR McMaster said Trump would still prefer to use sanctions and diplomacy to force Kim to come to the table to discuss disarmament. But, speaking to a Washington policy forum, both also warned that the use of US military force remains an option to prevent Pyongyang from acquiring a long-range nuclear missile. "They are close enough now in their capabilities that from a US policy perspective we ought to behave as if we are on the cusp of them achieving that objective," Pompeo said. Pompeo said US intelligence had kept close tabs on the North Korean program in the past, but that its missile expertise is now growing too quickly to be sure when it will succeed. "But when you're now talking about months our capacity to understand that at a detailed level is in some sense irrelevant," he said. "The president's made it very clear," he added. "He's prepared to ensure that Kim Jong-Un doesn't have the capacity to hold America at risk. By military force if necessary." This week, North Korea's deputy UN ambassador declared that Pyongyang would not put its nuclear arsenal nor ballistic missile program on the table unless Washington drops its "hostile" stance. And Kim's regime has made no secret of its efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting US mainland cities or bases in the Pacific, conducting regular tests. McMaster told the conference, organised by the Federation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), that the regime would not be allowed to develop arms that would threaten the United States. "We are not out of time but we are running out of time," Trump's top security adviser said. "The president has been very clear. He's not going to accept this regime threatening the United States with nuclear weapons," he warned. "There are those that say, 'accept and deter'. Well, 'accept and deter' is unacceptable."

North Korea 'on the cusp of' nuke that could hit US: CIA chief

US President Donald Trump has &quot;lit the wick of war&quot; with North Korea and his country will be made to pay with &quot;a hail of fire&quot;, a Russian news agency quoted North Korea&#39;s foreign minister as saying on Wednesday. 
 
Tensions between North Korea and the United States have risen in recent weeks over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear weapons and missile programs. 
 
North Korea has test-fired several missiles and conducted what it said was a test explosion of a hydrogen bomb as it advances toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US&nbsp;mainland. 
 
Speaking to Russia&#39;s state-run TASS news agency, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said his country&#39;s nuclear program guaranteed peace and safety in the region and would not be a matter of discussion. 
 
&quot;With his bellicose and insane statement at the United Nations, Trump, you can say, has lit the wick of a war against us,&quot; TASS quoted Ri as saying. &quot;We need to settle the final score, only with a hail of fire, not words.&quot; 
 
Ri has previously called Trump &quot;President Evil&quot; and his comments are likely to fuel an escalating war of words between the U.S. President and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. 
 
&quot;We have almost reached the last point on the journey towards our final goal - to achieve a real balance of power with the United States,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;Our principal position is that we will never agree to any talks in which our nuclear weapons will be the subject of negotiations.&quot; 
&nbsp;

A Russian news agency quoted North Korea's foreign minister as saying Trump would be made to pay with 'a hail of fire'

US President Donald Trump has "lit the wick of war" with North Korea and his country will be made to pay with "a hail of fire", a Russian news agency quoted North Korea's foreign minister as saying on Wednesday. Tensions between North Korea and the United States have risen in recent weeks over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missile programs. North Korea has test-fired several missiles and conducted what it said was a test explosion of a hydrogen bomb as it advances toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland. Speaking to Russia's state-run TASS news agency, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said his country's nuclear program guaranteed peace and safety in the region and would not be a matter of discussion. "With his bellicose and insane statement at the United Nations, Trump, you can say, has lit the wick of a war against us," TASS quoted Ri as saying. "We need to settle the final score, only with a hail of fire, not words." Ri has previously called Trump "President Evil" and his comments are likely to fuel an escalating war of words between the U.S. President and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "We have almost reached the last point on the journey towards our final goal - to achieve a real balance of power with the United States," he said. "Our principal position is that we will never agree to any talks in which our nuclear weapons will be the subject of negotiations."

North Korea says Trump has 'lit the wick of war': Russian media

China is making progress in enforcing sanctions imposed on North Korea, a US State Department official said on Thursday, and urged skeptical members of Congress not to rush to enact new ones before giving Beijing&#39;s efforts a chance to take effect.

&quot;We are working closely with China to execute this strategy and are clear-eyed in viewing the progress, growing, if uneven, that China has made on this front,&quot; State Department Assistant Secretary Susan Thornton told a Senate hearing just before leaving for China with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

&quot;We do see Chinese policy shifting,&quot; she said, as members of the Senate Banking Committee advocated for tougher action to clamp down on Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and missile development.

Tensions have been rising on the Korean Peninsula as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump exchange war-like threats and insults.

On Thursday, South Korea said it expects more provocative acts by North Korea next month to coincide with the founding of its communist party.

Several committee members want harsher measures, including secondary sanctions targeting Chinese banks and companies doing business with North Korea, and measures to bar oil imports.

Thornton and the other witness, Treasury Department Under Secretary Sigal Mandelker, said Congress should not do anything that could interfere with efforts to find a diplomatic solution.

&quot;When our hands are tied in different ways, it keeps us from being agile in the way that you would want us to be agile,&quot; Mandelker said.

Trump ordered new sanctions against North Korea last week, including on its shipping and trade networks, showing he was giving more time for economic pressures to address the crisis after repeated warnings about possible military action.

&quot;We are able and have the authority to target any company that&#39;s continuing to trade with North Korea in any industry,&quot; Mandelker said, when asked about the prospect of cutting off Chinese oil exports to North Korea.

Several committee members noted that North Korea&#39;s economy has grown in recent months, and said China must do more.

&quot;The consensus in Washington is that China is a partner in this issue. I do not think that that is the case,&quot; Republican Senator Tom Cotton said.

China&#39;s Commerce Ministry Thursday said that, following the latest UN sanctions passed on Sept. 12, North Korean firms in China and joint ventures in China and overseas would be shut down by January.

China says it will strictly and fully enforce UN resolutions against North Korea, but has also repeatedly called for more efforts to be made to get talks restarted and for there to be a diplomatic solution, warning war would bring disaster.

On Friday, the official China Daily said in an editorial the latest sanctions needed time before they would begin to bite.

&quot;But to ensure that the worst-case outcome does not materialise, while further coordinating their stances on the implementation of the UN sanctions to make sure they work, Beijing and Washington also need to discuss what else they can do to resolve the peninsula crisis peacefully,&quot; it said.

( Also Read :<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/absurd-us-on-north-koreas-allegations-of-trump-declaring-war-20652" target="_blank"> &#39;Absurd&#39;: </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/absurd-us-on-north-koreas-allegations-of-trump-declaring-war-20652" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/absurd-us-on-north-koreas-allegations-of-trump-declaring-war-20652" target="_blank"> on North Korea&#39;s allegations of Trump declaring war</a>)&nbsp;

China is making progress in enforcing sanctions imposed on North Korea, a US State Department official said on Thursday, and urged skeptical members of Congress not to rush to enact new ones before giving Beijing's efforts a chance to take effect

China is making progress in enforcing sanctions imposed on North Korea, a US State Department official said on Thursday, and urged skeptical members of Congress not to rush to enact new ones before giving Beijing's efforts a chance to take effect. "We are working closely with China to execute this strategy and are clear-eyed in viewing the progress, growing, if uneven, that China has made on this front," State Department Assistant Secretary Susan Thornton told a Senate hearing just before leaving for China with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. "We do see Chinese policy shifting," she said, as members of the Senate Banking Committee advocated for tougher action to clamp down on Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development. Tensions have been rising on the Korean Peninsula as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump exchange war-like threats and insults. On Thursday, South Korea said it expects more provocative acts by North Korea next month to coincide with the founding of its communist party. Several committee members want harsher measures, including secondary sanctions targeting Chinese banks and companies doing business with North Korea, and measures to bar oil imports. Thornton and the other witness, Treasury Department Under Secretary Sigal Mandelker, said Congress should not do anything that could interfere with efforts to find a diplomatic solution. "When our hands are tied in different ways, it keeps us from being agile in the way that you would want us to be agile," Mandelker said. Trump ordered new sanctions against North Korea last week, including on its shipping and trade networks, showing he was giving more time for economic pressures to address the crisis after repeated warnings about possible military action. "We are able and have the authority to target any company that's continuing to trade with North Korea in any industry," Mandelker said, when asked about the prospect of cutting off Chinese oil exports to North Korea. Several committee members noted that North Korea's economy has grown in recent months, and said China must do more. "The consensus in Washington is that China is a partner in this issue. I do not think that that is the case," Republican Senator Tom Cotton said. China's Commerce Ministry Thursday said that, following the latest UN sanctions passed on Sept. 12, North Korean firms in China and joint ventures in China and overseas would be shut down by January. China says it will strictly and fully enforce UN resolutions against North Korea, but has also repeatedly called for more efforts to be made to get talks restarted and for there to be a diplomatic solution, warning war would bring disaster. On Friday, the official China Daily said in an editorial the latest sanctions needed time before they would begin to bite. "But to ensure that the worst-case outcome does not materialise, while further coordinating their stances on the implementation of the UN sanctions to make sure they work, Beijing and Washington also need to discuss what else they can do to resolve the peninsula crisis peacefully," it said. ( Also Read : 'Absurd': US on North Korea's allegations of Trump declaring war)

China support for North Korea clampdown growing: US official

South Korea expects more provocative acts by North Korea next month to coincide with the anniversary of the founding of the North Korean communist party and China&#39;s all-important Communist Party Congress.

In a meeting with President Moon Jae-in on Thursday, national security adviser Chung Eui-Yong said he expected Pyongyang to act around Oct. 10 and 18, but gave no details.

The South Korean security adviser&#39;s report also noted the risk of that a military conflict could be sparked by &quot;accidental incidents,&quot; Park Wan-Ju, a lawmaker and head spokesman of the ruling Democratic Party, said.

&quot;The president said the United States speaks of military and diplomatic options, but South Korea can&#39;t go through&nbsp;war again,&quot; said Park.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated in recent weeks as North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump exchanged bellicose threats and insults over the North&#39;s nuclear and missile development programme.

The North has accused Trump of declaring war after he warned Kim&#39;s regime would not last if he persisted in threatening the United States and its allies, having earlier warned North Korea would be totally destroyed in such an event.

Asked whether China has a plan to respond to an emergency in North Korea, such as securing nuclear and missile sites, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said that &quot;military means cannot become an option&quot; and the issue should be resolved through talks.

&quot;The Chinese military will make all necessary preparations to protect the country&#39;s sovereignty and security and regional peace and stability,&quot; he added, without elaborating.

Pyongyang conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sept. 3 and has launched dozens of missiles this year as it accelerates a programme aimed at enabling it to target the United States with a nuclear-tipped missile.

The United States and South Korea are technically still at war with North Korea because the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce and not a peace treaty.

China, North Korea&#39;s main ally, would likely be extremely unhappy if Pyongyang tested a missile or carried out some other act during its Communist Party Congress, held once every five years.

Park said President Moon told the meeting that Washington and Seoul agreed that pressure needed to be applied to North Korea, with the door to talks still open.

In a separate speech on Thursday, Moon said cooperation with the international community to curb the North&#39;s nuclear ambitions was at its highest level ever and called for the strengthening of South Korea-U.S. defences to rein in the North.

Since the North&#39;s latest nuclear test, countries have taken measures against the reclusive state, including the expulsion of North Korean diplomats.

Malaysia said on Thursday all its citizens are banned from travelling to North Korea until further notice due to escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

ROTATIONAL DEPLOYMENT

South Korean lawmakers said Chung had told them that the United States and South Korea had agreed on the rotational deployment of US strategic assets to South Korea, possibly as soon as year-end. What kind of assets would be rotated was not specified.

President Moon added it was inappropriate to discuss the deployment of nuclear weapons in South Korea, the lawmakers said.

Moon said he had personally been against the deployment of US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in South Korea, but the decision was made as North Korea&#39;s missile capabilities were quickly improving.

China opposes the deployment of THAAD because it believes its powerful radar could be used to look inside its territory. South Korea and the United States have said it is only to curb North Korea&#39;s missile threats.

In a meeting with President Moon Jae-in on Thursday, national security adviser Chung Eui-Yong said he expected Pyongyang to act around Oct 10 and 18, but gave no details

South Korea expects more provocative acts by North Korea next month to coincide with the anniversary of the founding of the North Korean communist party and China's all-important Communist Party Congress. In a meeting with President Moon Jae-in on Thursday, national security adviser Chung Eui-Yong said he expected Pyongyang to act around Oct. 10 and 18, but gave no details. The South Korean security adviser's report also noted the risk of that a military conflict could be sparked by "accidental incidents," Park Wan-Ju, a lawmaker and head spokesman of the ruling Democratic Party, said. "The president said the United States speaks of military and diplomatic options, but South Korea can't go through war again," said Park. Tensions on the Korean peninsula have escalated in recent weeks as North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump exchanged bellicose threats and insults over the North's nuclear and missile development programme. The North has accused Trump of declaring war after he warned Kim's regime would not last if he persisted in threatening the United States and its allies, having earlier warned North Korea would be totally destroyed in such an event. Asked whether China has a plan to respond to an emergency in North Korea, such as securing nuclear and missile sites, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said that "military means cannot become an option" and the issue should be resolved through talks. "The Chinese military will make all necessary preparations to protect the country's sovereignty and security and regional peace and stability," he added, without elaborating. Pyongyang conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sept. 3 and has launched dozens of missiles this year as it accelerates a programme aimed at enabling it to target the United States with a nuclear-tipped missile. The United States and South Korea are technically still at war with North Korea because the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce and not a peace treaty. China, North Korea's main ally, would likely be extremely unhappy if Pyongyang tested a missile or carried out some other act during its Communist Party Congress, held once every five years. Park said President Moon told the meeting that Washington and Seoul agreed that pressure needed to be applied to North Korea, with the door to talks still open. In a separate speech on Thursday, Moon said cooperation with the international community to curb the North's nuclear ambitions was at its highest level ever and called for the strengthening of South Korea-U.S. defences to rein in the North. Since the North's latest nuclear test, countries have taken measures against the reclusive state, including the expulsion of North Korean diplomats. Malaysia said on Thursday all its citizens are banned from travelling to North Korea until further notice due to escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. ROTATIONAL DEPLOYMENT South Korean lawmakers said Chung had told them that the United States and South Korea had agreed on the rotational deployment of US strategic assets to South Korea, possibly as soon as year-end. What kind of assets would be rotated was not specified. President Moon added it was inappropriate to discuss the deployment of nuclear weapons in South Korea, the lawmakers said. Moon said he had personally been against the deployment of US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in South Korea, but the decision was made as North Korea's missile capabilities were quickly improving. China opposes the deployment of THAAD because it believes its powerful radar could be used to look inside its territory. South Korea and the United States have said it is only to curb North Korea's missile threats.

South Korea expects more provocative acts by North Korea in mid-October

North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Friday, responding to new UN sanctions with what appeared to be its furthest-ever missile flight amid high tensions over its weapons programmes.

The launch, from near Pyongyang, came after the United Nations Security Council imposed an eighth set of measures on the isolated country over its ballistic missile and atomic weapons programmes.

That followed its sixth nuclear test -- by far its largest yet -- earlier this month, which Pyongyang said was a hydrogen bomb small enough to fit onto a missile.

In New York, the Security Council called an emergency meeting for later Friday.&nbsp;

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<h5>In New York, the Security Council called an emergency meeting for later Friday</h5>
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The US Pacific Command confirmed Friday&#39;s rocket was an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) and said it did not pose a threat to North America, or to the US Pacific territory of Guam, which Pyongyang has threatened to bracket with &quot;enveloping fire&quot;.

Seoul&#39;s defence ministry said it probably travelled around 3,700 kilometres and reached a maximum altitude of 770 kilometres.

It was &quot;the furthest overground any of their ballistic missiles has ever travelled&quot;, Joseph Dempsey of the International Institute for Strategic Studies said on Twitter.

It was a &quot;clear indication North Korea has range - not necessarily accuracy - to follow through (the) Guam plan&quot;, he added.

The North has raised global tensions with its rapid progress in weapons technology under leader Kim Jong-Un, who is closely associated with the programme and regularly pictured by state media overseeing launches and visiting facilities.

The North&#39;s last missile launch, a Hwasong-12 IRBM just over two weeks ago, also overflew Japan&#39;s main islands and was the first to do so for years.

But when Pyongyang tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July that appeared to bring much of the US mainland into range, it fired them on lofted trajectories that avoided passing over the archipelago nation.

&quot;The North is sending a message which is, &#39;we are not cowering before any sanctions and our warnings are not empty threats&#39;,&quot; Yang Moo-Jin of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul told AFP.

&quot;It has vowed the US would face &#39;pain and suffering&#39; in retaliation for the UN sanctions.&quot;

&#39;Missile launch!&#39; 
Millions of Japanese were jolted awake by blaring sirens and emergency text message alerts after the missile was fired.

&quot;Missile launch! missile launch! A missile appears to have been launched from North Korea,&quot; loudspeakers blared on Cape Erimo, on Hokkaido&#39;s southern tip.

Breakfast television programmes, which usually broadcast a light-hearted diet of children&#39;s shows and gadget features, instead flashed up the warning: &quot;Flee into a building or a basement.&quot;

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tokyo could &quot;never tolerate&quot; what he called a &quot;dangerous provocative action that threatens world peace&quot;.

&quot;If North Korea continues to walk down this path, it has no bright future,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;We must make North Korea understand this.&quot;

Tokyo had protested to Pyongyang in the &quot;strongest words possible&quot;, chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga added.

The missile overflew Japan for around two minutes, reports said, but there were no immediate indications of objects falling onto Japanese territory.

The launch came a day after a North Korean organisation warned of a &quot;telling blow&quot; against Japan, accusing it of &quot;dancing to the tune of the US&quot; for supporting fresh UN sanctions.&nbsp;

&quot;The four islands of the archipelago should be sunken into the sea by the nuclear bomb of Juche,&quot; the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee (KAPPC) said in a statement, referring to the North&#39;s national philosophy of &quot;Juche&quot; or self-reliance.

- Oil shipments - 
In response, South Korea&#39;s military immediately carried out a ballistic missile drill of its own on Friday in the East Sea, Korea&#39;s name for the Sea of Japan, the defence ministry said.

The Hyunmu missile travelled 250 kilometres -- a trajectory intentionally chosen to represent the distance to the launch site at Sunan, near Pyongyang&#39;s airport, it added.

President Moon Jae-In called an emergency meeting of Seoul&#39;s national security council, a standard procedure after the North fires a missile or tests a nuclear device.

The United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed on Monday are the strongest so far, banning the North&#39;s textile trade and imposing restrictions on shipments of oil products, among a series of other measures.

But analysts expect them to do little to dissuade Pyongyang, which says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against the threat of invasion by the US.&nbsp;

Earlier this year US President Donald Trump threatened it with &quot;fire and fury&quot;, heightening fears of conflict. 
&nbsp;

North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Friday, responding to new UN sanctions with what appeared to be its furthest-ever missile flight amid high tensions over its weapons programmes. The launch, from near Pyongyang, came after the United Nations Security Council imposed an eighth set of measures on the isolated country over its ballistic missile and atomic weapons programmes. That followed its sixth nuclear test -- by far its largest yet -- earlier this month, which Pyongyang said was a hydrogen bomb small enough to fit onto a missile. In New York, the Security Council called an emergency meeting for later Friday. In New York, the Security Council called an emergency meeting for later Friday × The US Pacific Command confirmed Friday's rocket was an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) and said it did not pose a threat to North America, or to the US Pacific territory of Guam, which Pyongyang has threatened to bracket with "enveloping fire". Seoul's defence ministry said it probably travelled around 3,700 kilometres and reached a maximum altitude of 770 kilometres. It was "the furthest overground any of their ballistic missiles has ever travelled", Joseph Dempsey of the International Institute for Strategic Studies said on Twitter. It was a "clear indication North Korea has range - not necessarily accuracy - to follow through (the) Guam plan", he added. The North has raised global tensions with its rapid progress in weapons technology under leader Kim Jong-Un, who is closely associated with the programme and regularly pictured by state media overseeing launches and visiting facilities. The North's last missile launch, a Hwasong-12 IRBM just over two weeks ago, also overflew Japan's main islands and was the first to do so for years. But when Pyongyang tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July that appeared to bring much of the US mainland into range, it fired them on lofted trajectories that avoided passing over the archipelago nation. "The North is sending a message which is, 'we are not cowering before any sanctions and our warnings are not empty threats'," Yang Moo-Jin of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul told AFP. "It has vowed the US would face 'pain and suffering' in retaliation for the UN sanctions." 'Missile launch!' Millions of Japanese were jolted awake by blaring sirens and emergency text message alerts after the missile was fired. "Missile launch! missile launch! A missile appears to have been launched from North Korea," loudspeakers blared on Cape Erimo, on Hokkaido's southern tip. Breakfast television programmes, which usually broadcast a light-hearted diet of children's shows and gadget features, instead flashed up the warning: "Flee into a building or a basement." Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tokyo could "never tolerate" what he called a "dangerous provocative action that threatens world peace". "If North Korea continues to walk down this path, it has no bright future," he told reporters. "We must make North Korea understand this." Tokyo had protested to Pyongyang in the "strongest words possible", chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga added. The missile overflew Japan for around two minutes, reports said, but there were no immediate indications of objects falling onto Japanese territory. The launch came a day after a North Korean organisation warned of a "telling blow" against Japan, accusing it of "dancing to the tune of the US" for supporting fresh UN sanctions. "The four islands of the archipelago should be sunken into the sea by the nuclear bomb of Juche," the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee (KAPPC) said in a statement, referring to the North's national philosophy of "Juche" or self-reliance. - Oil shipments - In response, South Korea's military immediately carried out a ballistic missile drill of its own on Friday in the East Sea, Korea's name for the Sea of Japan, the defence ministry said. The Hyunmu missile travelled 250 kilometres -- a trajectory intentionally chosen to represent the distance to the launch site at Sunan, near Pyongyang's airport, it added. President Moon Jae-In called an emergency meeting of Seoul's national security council, a standard procedure after the North fires a missile or tests a nuclear device. The United Nations Security Council sanctions imposed on Monday are the strongest so far, banning the North's textile trade and imposing restrictions on shipments of oil products, among a series of other measures. But analysts expect them to do little to dissuade Pyongyang, which says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against the threat of invasion by the US. Earlier this year US President Donald Trump threatened it with "fire and fury", heightening fears of conflict.

North Korea fires second missile over Japan in less than a month

The UN Security Council on Monday unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea, slapping a ban on textile exports and restricting shipments of oil products to punish Pyongyang for its sixth and largest nuclear test.&nbsp;

With backing from China and Russia, the council adopted a US-drafted sanctions resolution just one month after banning exports of coal, lead and seafood in response to North Korea&#39;s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the tough new measures were a message to Pyongyang that &quot;the world will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea,&quot; but she also held out the prospect of a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

&quot;We are not looking for war. The North Korean regime has not yet passed the point of no-return,&quot; Haley told the council.

&quot;If it agrees to stop its nuclear program, it can reclaim its future. If it proves it can live in peace, the world will live in peace with it.

&quot;If North Korea continues its dangerous path, we will continue with further pressure. The choice is theirs.&quot;

The South Korean government welcomed the resolution, calling it a &quot;grave warning that (North Korea&#39;s) continued provocations will only intensify its diplomatic isolation and economic pressure.&quot;

During tough negotiations, the United States dropped initial demands for a full oil embargo and a freeze on the foreign assets of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in a bid to win support from China and Russia.

The resolution instead bans textile exports, cuts off natural gas shipments to North Korea, places a ceiling on deliveries of refined oil products and caps crude oil shipments at their current level.

It bars countries from issuing new work permits to North Korean laborers sent abroad and seeks to phase out the practice by asking countries to report on the date for ending existing contracts.

Some 93,000 North Koreans work abroad, providing Kim&#39;s regime with a source of revenue to develop its missile and nuclear programs, according to a US official familiar with the negotiations.

Under the measure, countries are authorized to inspect ships suspected of carrying banned North Korean cargo but must first seek the consent of the flag-state.

Joint ventures will be banned and the names of senior North Korean official and three entities were added to a UN sanctions blacklist that provides for an assets freeze and a global travel ban.

It was the eighth series of sanctions imposed on North Korea since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006.

&#39;Big mistake&#39; to avoid talks 
Japan&#39;s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe argued the resolution was &quot;strong&quot; as the sanctions set out in the resolution were much stronger than earlier measures, as he urged Pyongyang to take &quot;concrete action&quot; toward denuclearization.

The United States and its allies argue that tougher sanctions will pile pressure on Kim&#39;s regime to come to the negotiation table to discuss an end to its nuclear and missile tests.

Russia and China are pushing for talks with North Korea, but their proposal for a freeze on Pyongyang&#39;s missile and nuclear tests in exchange for suspending US-South Korean military drills has been rejected by the United States.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council it would be a &quot;big mistake to underestimate this Russia-China initiative&quot; for a so-called freeze-for-freeze, adding that Moscow would &quot;insist on it being considered.&quot;

Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi again called for talks &quot;sooner rather than later.&quot;

China, North Korea&#39;s sole ally and main trading partner, had strongly objected to an oil embargo initially sought by the United States out of fear that it would bring the North&#39;s economy to its knees.

Instead, the level of crude oil is capped to the four million barrels it currently receives from a Chinese pipeline, while deliveries of refined oil products are limited to 500,000 barrels for three months from October 1 and to two million barrels from January 1 for a period of 12 months.

That would amount to a 10 percent cut in oil products, according to the US Energy Information Administration, which estimates annual exports to North Korea at nearly 2.2 million barrels.

The US official said the ban on textile exports would deprive North Korea of some $726 million in annual revenue.&nbsp;

Washington has said military action remains an option in dealing with Pyongyang and threatened to cut economic ties with countries that continue to trade with the it.&nbsp;

Earlier, North Korea said it would not accept any chastisement over its nuclear and missile program, which it says is vital to stave off the threat of an American invasion, and threatened to cause the US &quot;the greatest pain and suffering it had ever gone through in its entire history,&quot; in an official statement.

Pyongyang has staged a series of missile tests in recent months that appeared to bring much of the US mainland into range.

It followed up with a sixth nuclear test on September 3, its largest to date, which it said was a miniaturized hydrogen bomb.

The council slapped a ban on textile exports and restricted shipments of oil products to punish Pyongyang for its sixth and largest nuclear test

The UN Security Council on Monday unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea, slapping a ban on textile exports and restricting shipments of oil products to punish Pyongyang for its sixth and largest nuclear test. With backing from China and Russia, the council adopted a US-drafted sanctions resolution just one month after banning exports of coal, lead and seafood in response to North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the tough new measures were a message to Pyongyang that "the world will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea," but she also held out the prospect of a peaceful resolution to the crisis. "We are not looking for war. The North Korean regime has not yet passed the point of no-return," Haley told the council. "If it agrees to stop its nuclear program, it can reclaim its future. If it proves it can live in peace, the world will live in peace with it. "If North Korea continues its dangerous path, we will continue with further pressure. The choice is theirs." The South Korean government welcomed the resolution, calling it a "grave warning that (North Korea's) continued provocations will only intensify its diplomatic isolation and economic pressure." During tough negotiations, the United States dropped initial demands for a full oil embargo and a freeze on the foreign assets of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in a bid to win support from China and Russia. The resolution instead bans textile exports, cuts off natural gas shipments to North Korea, places a ceiling on deliveries of refined oil products and caps crude oil shipments at their current level. It bars countries from issuing new work permits to North Korean laborers sent abroad and seeks to phase out the practice by asking countries to report on the date for ending existing contracts. Some 93,000 North Koreans work abroad, providing Kim's regime with a source of revenue to develop its missile and nuclear programs, according to a US official familiar with the negotiations. Under the measure, countries are authorized to inspect ships suspected of carrying banned North Korean cargo but must first seek the consent of the flag-state. Joint ventures will be banned and the names of senior North Korean official and three entities were added to a UN sanctions blacklist that provides for an assets freeze and a global travel ban. It was the eighth series of sanctions imposed on North Korea since it first tested a nuclear device in 2006. 'Big mistake' to avoid talks Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe argued the resolution was "strong" as the sanctions set out in the resolution were much stronger than earlier measures, as he urged Pyongyang to take "concrete action" toward denuclearization. The United States and its allies argue that tougher sanctions will pile pressure on Kim's regime to come to the negotiation table to discuss an end to its nuclear and missile tests. Russia and China are pushing for talks with North Korea, but their proposal for a freeze on Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests in exchange for suspending US-South Korean military drills has been rejected by the United States. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council it would be a "big mistake to underestimate this Russia-China initiative" for a so-called freeze-for-freeze, adding that Moscow would "insist on it being considered." Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi again called for talks "sooner rather than later." China, North Korea's sole ally and main trading partner, had strongly objected to an oil embargo initially sought by the United States out of fear that it would bring the North's economy to its knees. Instead, the level of crude oil is capped to the four million barrels it currently receives from a Chinese pipeline, while deliveries of refined oil products are limited to 500,000 barrels for three months from October 1 and to two million barrels from January 1 for a period of 12 months. That would amount to a 10 percent cut in oil products, according to the US Energy Information Administration, which estimates annual exports to North Korea at nearly 2.2 million barrels. The US official said the ban on textile exports would deprive North Korea of some $726 million in annual revenue. Washington has said military action remains an option in dealing with Pyongyang and threatened to cut economic ties with countries that continue to trade with the it. Earlier, North Korea said it would not accept any chastisement over its nuclear and missile program, which it says is vital to stave off the threat of an American invasion, and threatened to cause the US "the greatest pain and suffering it had ever gone through in its entire history," in an official statement. Pyongyang has staged a series of missile tests in recent months that appeared to bring much of the US mainland into range. It followed up with a sixth nuclear test on September 3, its largest to date, which it said was a miniaturized hydrogen bomb.

UN Security Council unanimously imposes new sanctions on North Korea

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-wants-greater-missile-power-in-face-of-north-korean-threats-19799">South Korean protesters </a>clashed with thousands of police over the deployment of a defence system aimed at countering <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-photos-north-korea-signals-a-more-powerful-icbm-in-the-works-19490">North Korean missile attacks</a>, while China and the United States discussed options to rein in Pyongyang.

The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-security-council-condemns-north-korean-missile-launch-calls-it-outrageous-19650"> United States wants the UN Security Council </a>to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban its exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean labourers abroad, and subject leader Kim Jong Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Pressure from Washington has ratcheted up since North Korea conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sunday. That test, along with a series of missile launches, showed Pyongyang was close to achieving its goal of developing a powerful nuclear weapon that could reach the United States.

Amid the rising tensions, Seoul installed the four remaining launchers of the U.S. anti-missile Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on a former golf course in the south early on Thursday. Two launchers had already been deployed.

More than 30 people were wounded when around 8,000 South Korean police broke up a blockade of about 300 villagers and civic groups opposed to the THAAD system deployment, fire officials said.

The decision to deploy the THAAD system has drawn strong objections from China, which believes its radar could be used to look deeply into its territory and will upset the regional security balance.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-now-threatens-north-korea-with-us-nuclear-might-18782">US President Donald Trump</a> has urged China, North Korea&#39;s biggest ally and trading partner, to do more to rein in its neighbour which has pursued its missile and nuclear weapons programmes in defiance of UN sanctions and international condemnation.

US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said he had an executive order ready for Trump to sign that would impose sanctions on any country that trades with Pyongyang if the United Nations does not put additional sanctions on North Korea.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-plan-to-act-together-against-dangerous-north-korea-13536">Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping</a> committed on a phone call on Wednesday to &quot;take further action with the goal of achieving the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula&quot;, the White House said.

&quot;President Xi would like to do something. We&#39;ll see whether or not he can do it. But we will not be putting up with what&#39;s happening in North Korea,&quot; Trump told reporters, although he offered no specifics.

&quot;I believe that President Xi agrees with me 100 per cent,&quot; he said.

Asked whether he was considering a military response to North Korea, Trump said: &quot;Certainly, that&#39;s not our first choice, but we will see what happens.&quot;

Xi told the US president during their 45-minute call that the North Korean issue must be resolved through &quot;dialogue and consultation&quot;.

The United States had set aside, for now, plans to end a US trade agreement with South Korea, a senior administration official said on Wednesday. The trade issue is unrelated to North Korea but has been a source of tension between the two allies.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in spoke at a regional meeting in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok and agreed to try to persuade China and Russia to cut off oil to North Korea as much as possible, according to South Korean officials.

The European Union&#39;s foreign and defence ministers will discuss further sanctions for North Korea on Thursday, the bloc&#39;s top diplomat said ahead of&nbsp;EU ministers&#39; meeting in the Estonian capital.

However, sanctions have so far done little to stop North Korea boosting its nuclear and missile capacity as it faces off with Trump.

China and Russia have advocated a &quot;freeze for freeze&quot; plan, where the United States and South Korea would stop major military exercises in exchange for North Korea halting its weapons programmes, but neither side appears willing to budge.

South Korean Marines wrapped up a three-day firing drill on Thursday aimed at protecting its islands just south of the border with North Korea, while the air force will finish up a week-long drill on Friday.

North Korea says it needs to develop its weapons to defend itself against what it sees as U.S. aggression.

South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

South Korean protesters clashed with thousands of police over the deployment of a defence system aimed at countering North Korean missile attacks, while China and the United States discussed options to rein in Pyongyang

South Korean protesters clashed with thousands of police over the deployment of a defence system aimed at countering North Korean missile attacks, while China and the United States discussed options to rein in Pyongyang. The United States wants the UN Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban its exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean labourers abroad, and subject leader Kim Jong Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Wednesday. Pressure from Washington has ratcheted up since North Korea conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sunday. That test, along with a series of missile launches, showed Pyongyang was close to achieving its goal of developing a powerful nuclear weapon that could reach the United States. Amid the rising tensions, Seoul installed the four remaining launchers of the U.S. anti-missile Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on a former golf course in the south early on Thursday. Two launchers had already been deployed. More than 30 people were wounded when around 8,000 South Korean police broke up a blockade of about 300 villagers and civic groups opposed to the THAAD system deployment, fire officials said. The decision to deploy the THAAD system has drawn strong objections from China, which believes its radar could be used to look deeply into its territory and will upset the regional security balance. US President Donald Trump has urged China, North Korea's biggest ally and trading partner, to do more to rein in its neighbour which has pursued its missile and nuclear weapons programmes in defiance of UN sanctions and international condemnation. US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said he had an executive order ready for Trump to sign that would impose sanctions on any country that trades with Pyongyang if the United Nations does not put additional sanctions on North Korea. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping committed on a phone call on Wednesday to "take further action with the goal of achieving the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula", the White House said. "President Xi would like to do something. We'll see whether or not he can do it. But we will not be putting up with what's happening in North Korea," Trump told reporters, although he offered no specifics. "I believe that President Xi agrees with me 100 per cent," he said. Asked whether he was considering a military response to North Korea, Trump said: "Certainly, that's not our first choice, but we will see what happens." Xi told the US president during their 45-minute call that the North Korean issue must be resolved through "dialogue and consultation". The United States had set aside, for now, plans to end a US trade agreement with South Korea, a senior administration official said on Wednesday. The trade issue is unrelated to North Korea but has been a source of tension between the two allies. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in spoke at a regional meeting in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok and agreed to try to persuade China and Russia to cut off oil to North Korea as much as possible, according to South Korean officials. The European Union's foreign and defence ministers will discuss further sanctions for North Korea on Thursday, the bloc's top diplomat said ahead of EU ministers' meeting in the Estonian capital. However, sanctions have so far done little to stop North Korea boosting its nuclear and missile capacity as it faces off with Trump. China and Russia have advocated a "freeze for freeze" plan, where the United States and South Korea would stop major military exercises in exchange for North Korea halting its weapons programmes, but neither side appears willing to budge. South Korean Marines wrapped up a three-day firing drill on Thursday aimed at protecting its islands just south of the border with North Korea, while the air force will finish up a week-long drill on Friday. North Korea says it needs to develop its weapons to defend itself against what it sees as U.S. aggression. South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

South Korea deploys anti-missile system as US seeks tough North Korea sanctions

North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un has ordered more production of rocket engines and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) nosecones, Pyongyang state media said Wednesday.

Tensions over the North&#39;s weapons programmes have mounted this year and it carried out two ICBM tests last month, overseen by Kim, that apparently brought most of the United States within range.

A series of threats followed from both sides, and while the rhetoric has since eased, the US and South Korea this week kicked off their annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian military drills, which the North always condemns as dress rehearsals for invasion.

Earlier this week the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) described President Donald Trump as a &quot;mad guy&quot; in a commentary, referring to &quot;the master of the White House who frequently posts weird articles of his ego-driven thoughts in his twitter and spouts rubbish to make his assistants have a hard time&quot;.

Kim inspected the Chemical Material Institute of the Academy of Defence Science, which develops the North&#39;s missiles, KCNA reported Wednesday.&nbsp;

&quot;He instructed the institute to produce more solid-fuel rocket engines and rocket warhead tips,&quot; it said.

Questions remain whether the North has mastered the technology needed to ensure a ballistic missile warhead survives the intense heat generated by re-entering the Earth&#39;s atmosphere, although it says it has done so.

The manufacturing process included carbon fibre weaving, chemical deposition and high pressure liquid deposition, KCNA said.

The North has threatened to fire a salvo of missiles toward the US Pacific territory of Guam, but has since backed away from the plan.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday added momentum to tension reduction, praising the North for showing a &quot;level of restraint&quot; in not conducting nuclear or missile tests since new UN sanctions were imposed.

He also expressed hope that it was a sign of Pyongyang&#39;s readiness to enter peace and disarmament talks with Washington &quot;sometime in the near future.&quot;

Tensions over the North's weapons programmes have mounted this year and it carried out two ICBM tests last month that apparently brought most of the United States within range

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un has ordered more production of rocket engines and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) nosecones, Pyongyang state media said Wednesday. Tensions over the North's weapons programmes have mounted this year and it carried out two ICBM tests last month, overseen by Kim, that apparently brought most of the United States within range. A series of threats followed from both sides, and while the rhetoric has since eased, the US and South Korea this week kicked off their annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian military drills, which the North always condemns as dress rehearsals for invasion. Earlier this week the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) described President Donald Trump as a "mad guy" in a commentary, referring to "the master of the White House who frequently posts weird articles of his ego-driven thoughts in his twitter and spouts rubbish to make his assistants have a hard time". Kim inspected the Chemical Material Institute of the Academy of Defence Science, which develops the North's missiles, KCNA reported Wednesday. "He instructed the institute to produce more solid-fuel rocket engines and rocket warhead tips," it said. Questions remain whether the North has mastered the technology needed to ensure a ballistic missile warhead survives the intense heat generated by re-entering the Earth's atmosphere, although it says it has done so. The manufacturing process included carbon fibre weaving, chemical deposition and high pressure liquid deposition, KCNA said. The North has threatened to fire a salvo of missiles toward the US Pacific territory of Guam, but has since backed away from the plan. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday added momentum to tension reduction, praising the North for showing a "level of restraint" in not conducting nuclear or missile tests since new UN sanctions were imposed. He also expressed hope that it was a sign of Pyongyang's readiness to enter peace and disarmament talks with Washington "sometime in the near future."

North Korea's Kim orders more production of ICBMs: State media

North Korea&#39;s leader has delayed a decision on firing missiles towards Guam while he waits to see what the United States does next, the North&#39;s state media said on Tuesday, as South Korea&#39;s president said Seoul would seek to prevent war by all means.

Signs of an easing in tension on the Korean peninsula helped stock markets rally for a second day running even as the United States and South Korea prepared for more joint military drills, which infuriate the North, and experts warned it could still go ahead with its provocative plan.

In his first public appearance in about two weeks, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the command of the North&#39;s army on Monday, examining a plan to fire four missiles to land near the US Pacific territory of Guam, the official KCNA said in a report.

&quot;He said that if the Yankees persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity, testing the self-restraint of the DPRK, the latter will make an important decision as it already declared,&quot; the report said.

The DPRK stands for North Korea&#39;s official name, the Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea.

In photos released with the KCNA report, Kim was seen holding a baton and pointing at a map showing a flight path for the missiles appearing to start from North Korea&#39;s east coast, flying over Japan towards Guam. North Korea has often threatened to attack the United States and its bases and released similar photos in the past but never followed through.

Pyongyang&#39;s plans to fire missiles near Guam prompted a surge in tensions in the region last week, with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump saying the US&nbsp;military was &quot;locked and loaded&quot; if North Korea acted unwisely.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Tuesday there would be no military action without Seoul&#39;s consent and his government would prevent war by all means.

&quot;Military action on the Korean peninsula can only be decided by South Korea and no one else can decide to take military action without the consent of South Korea,&quot; Moon said in a speech to commemorate the anniversary of the nation&#39;s liberation from Japanese military rule in 1945.

&quot;The government, putting everything on the line, will block war by all means,&quot; Moon said.

Nuclear deterrent

Japan will be seeking further reassurance from Washington in meetings between Japan&#39;s defence chief and foreign minister and their US&nbsp;counterparts on Thursday.

&quot;The strategic environment is becoming harsher and we need to discuss how we will respond to that,&quot; a Japanese foreign ministry official said in a briefing in Tokyo.

&quot;We will look for the US&nbsp;to reaffirm its&nbsp;defence commitment, including the nuclear deterrent.&quot;

The Liberation Day holiday, celebrated by both North and South, will be followed next week by the joint US-South Korean military drills.

North Korea has persisted with its nuclear and missile programmes, to ward off perceived US&nbsp;hostility, in defiance of UN&nbsp;Security Council resolutions and sanctions.

China, North Korea&#39;s main ally and trading partner, has repeatedly urged Pyongyang to halt its weapons programme and at the same time urged South Korea and the United States to stop military drills to lower tensions.

On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the crisis was approaching a critical juncture and urged all sides in the standoff to help &quot;put out the flames&quot; and not add fuel to the fire.

Hua said she noted comments by US&nbsp;Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson about using diplomacy to resolve the issue, saying China hoped these words can be put into action.

&quot;We also call on North Korea to echo this in response,&quot; Hua told a daily news briefing.

Asian shares rose for a second day on Tuesday and the dollar firmed after Kim&#39;s comments further eased tension and prompted investors to move back into riskier assets after a sharp selloff last week.

Kim Dong-yub, a professor and a military expert at Kyungnam University&#39;s Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, urged caution in assuming North Korea was bluffing with its missile threats.

&quot;There is no stepping back for North Korea. Those who don&#39;t know the North very well fall into this trap every time (thinking they are easing threats) but we&#39;ve seen this before.&quot;

The United States and South Korea remain technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

North Korea is currently holding three US citizens it accuses of espionage or hostile acts but now was not the right time to discuss them, KCNA cited a foreign ministry spokesman as saying in a separate report.

Pyongyang has in the past used detainees to extract concessions, including high-profile visits from the United States, which has no formal diplomatic relations with North Korea.

US&nbsp;officials have in recent days played down the risk of an imminent conflict while stressing their preparedness to respond militarily to any attack from North Korea.

Mattis said on Monday the US&nbsp;military would know the trajectory of a missile fired from North Korea within moments and would &quot;take it out&quot; if it looked like it would hit the U.S. Pacific territory.

&quot;The bottom line is, we will defend the country from an attack; for us (U.S. military) that is war,&quot; Mattis said.

On Guam, home to a US&nbsp;air base, a Navy installation, a Coast Guard group and roughly 6,000 US&nbsp;military personnel, residents expressed some relief at the lessening of tensions.

&quot;I&#39;m reading between the lines that I don&#39;t see an imminent threat,&quot; Guam Lieutenant Governor Ray Tenorio told a media briefing in the island&#39;s capital of Hagatna.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the command of the North's army on Monday, examining a plan to fire four missiles on Guam

North Korea's leader has delayed a decision on firing missiles towards Guam while he waits to see what the United States does next, the North's state media said on Tuesday, as South Korea's president said Seoul would seek to prevent war by all means. Signs of an easing in tension on the Korean peninsula helped stock markets rally for a second day running even as the United States and South Korea prepared for more joint military drills, which infuriate the North, and experts warned it could still go ahead with its provocative plan. In his first public appearance in about two weeks, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the command of the North's army on Monday, examining a plan to fire four missiles to land near the US Pacific territory of Guam, the official KCNA said in a report. "He said that if the Yankees persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity, testing the self-restraint of the DPRK, the latter will make an important decision as it already declared," the report said. The DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. In photos released with the KCNA report, Kim was seen holding a baton and pointing at a map showing a flight path for the missiles appearing to start from North Korea's east coast, flying over Japan towards Guam. North Korea has often threatened to attack the United States and its bases and released similar photos in the past but never followed through. Pyongyang's plans to fire missiles near Guam prompted a surge in tensions in the region last week, with US President Donald Trump saying the US military was "locked and loaded" if North Korea acted unwisely. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Tuesday there would be no military action without Seoul's consent and his government would prevent war by all means. "Military action on the Korean peninsula can only be decided by South Korea and no one else can decide to take military action without the consent of South Korea," Moon said in a speech to commemorate the anniversary of the nation's liberation from Japanese military rule in 1945. "The government, putting everything on the line, will block war by all means," Moon said. Nuclear deterrent Japan will be seeking further reassurance from Washington in meetings between Japan's defence chief and foreign minister and their US counterparts on Thursday. "The strategic environment is becoming harsher and we need to discuss how we will respond to that," a Japanese foreign ministry official said in a briefing in Tokyo. "We will look for the US to reaffirm its defence commitment, including the nuclear deterrent." The Liberation Day holiday, celebrated by both North and South, will be followed next week by the joint US-South Korean military drills. North Korea has persisted with its nuclear and missile programmes, to ward off perceived US hostility, in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions and sanctions. China, North Korea's main ally and trading partner, has repeatedly urged Pyongyang to halt its weapons programme and at the same time urged South Korea and the United States to stop military drills to lower tensions. On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the crisis was approaching a critical juncture and urged all sides in the standoff to help "put out the flames" and not add fuel to the fire. Hua said she noted comments by US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson about using diplomacy to resolve the issue, saying China hoped these words can be put into action. "We also call on North Korea to echo this in response," Hua told a daily news briefing. Asian shares rose for a second day on Tuesday and the dollar firmed after Kim's comments further eased tension and prompted investors to move back into riskier assets after a sharp selloff last week. Kim Dong-yub, a professor and a military expert at Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, urged caution in assuming North Korea was bluffing with its missile threats. "There is no stepping back for North Korea. Those who don't know the North very well fall into this trap every time (thinking they are easing threats) but we've seen this before." The United States and South Korea remain technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty. North Korea is currently holding three US citizens it accuses of espionage or hostile acts but now was not the right time to discuss them, KCNA cited a foreign ministry spokesman as saying in a separate report. Pyongyang has in the past used detainees to extract concessions, including high-profile visits from the United States, which has no formal diplomatic relations with North Korea. US officials have in recent days played down the risk of an imminent conflict while stressing their preparedness to respond militarily to any attack from North Korea. Mattis said on Monday the US military would know the trajectory of a missile fired from North Korea within moments and would "take it out" if it looked like it would hit the U.S. Pacific territory. "The bottom line is, we will defend the country from an attack; for us (U.S. military) that is war," Mattis said. On Guam, home to a US air base, a Navy installation, a Coast Guard group and roughly 6,000 US military personnel, residents expressed some relief at the lessening of tensions. "I'm reading between the lines that I don't see an imminent threat," Guam Lieutenant Governor Ray Tenorio told a media briefing in the island's capital of Hagatna.

North Korea defers decision on firing missiles at US, Kim Jong spotted examining strike plan

North Korea has slammed the latest round of sanctions imposed by the United Nations saying it would not put its nuclear weapons program on the negotiating table.

&quot;We will not put our self-defensive nuclear deterrent on the negotiating table&quot; while it faced threats from Washington, it said, &quot;and will never take a single step back from strengthening our nuclear might&quot;, AFP reported.

Pyongyang termed the UN sanctions as a &quot;violent violation of our sovereignty&quot;, reported the official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA).

The US-drafted resolution was unanimously approved by the UN Security Council. The sanctions aim to severely crimp North Korea&#39;s exports.

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said that the sanctions have put Kim Jong Un &quot;on notice&quot;. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Pyongyang termed the UN sanctions as a "violent violation of our sovereignty", reported the official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA)

North Korea has slammed the latest round of sanctions imposed by the United Nations saying it would not put its nuclear weapons program on the negotiating table. "We will not put our self-defensive nuclear deterrent on the negotiating table" while it faced threats from Washington, it said, "and will never take a single step back from strengthening our nuclear might", AFP reported. Pyongyang termed the UN sanctions as a "violent violation of our sovereignty", reported the official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA). The US-drafted resolution was unanimously approved by the UN Security Council. The sanctions aim to severely crimp North Korea's exports. Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said that the sanctions have put Kim Jong Un "on notice".

North Korea stays defiant in face of fresh UN sanctions

North Korea&#39;s latest missile launch was of a successful test of a new type of rocket, Pyongyang&#39;s state media reported Monday.

Sunday&#39;s launch was of a &quot;newly-developed mid/long-range strategic ballistic rocket, Hwasong-12&quot;, the official KCNA news agency said, adding that leader Kim Jong-Un &quot;personally oversaw the test-launch of the new type of rocket&quot;.

The isolated North is under multiple sets of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes, which have set alarm bells ringing around the region and in Washington.

The North says it needs atomic weapons to defend itself against the threat of invasion and is widely believed to be making progress in its quest to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States -- something President Donald Trump has vowed &quot;won&#39;t happen&quot;.

Tensions between the two reached new heights in recent weeks, with Washington saying military action was an option being considered and Pyongyang issuing threats of its own, sending fears of conflict spiralling.&nbsp;

Trump later appeared to hold open the door to negotiations, saying he would be &quot;honoured&quot; to meet Kim and called him a &quot;smart cookie&quot;.

Last week the South also elected a new president, Moon Jae-In, who advocates reconciliation with Pyongyang and said at his inauguration that he was willing &quot;in the right circumstances&quot; to visit the North to ease tensions.

But he slammed the missile test as a &quot;reckless provocation&quot; after holding an emergency meeting with national security advisers.

Dialogue would be possible &quot;only if the North changes its attitude&quot;, he said according to his spokesman.

KCNA said Sunday&#39;s test was intended to examine the &quot;technical details and characteristics&quot; of a new type of rocket &quot;capable of carrying a powerful and big nuclear warhead&quot;, and also confirmed &quot;the reliability of the newly-developed rocket engine&quot;.

The missile followed its preset flight path to reach an altitude of 2,111.5 kilometres and travelled 787 kilometres, coming down at the &quot;precise location intended&quot;, it added.

&#39;Flagrant menace&#39;&nbsp;

Since the beginning of last year the North has carried out two atomic tests and dozens of missile launches as it seeks to refine its weapons.

In April it put dozens of missiles on show at a giant military parade through the streets of Pyongyang.

The United States called for tougher sanctions against the North after Sunday&#39;s missile test, with the White House saying: &quot;Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea.&quot;

The North &quot;has been a flagrant menace for far too long&quot;, it added in a statement.

The missile came down in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), with Washington saying it impacted &quot;so close to Russian soil ... the president cannot imagine that Russia is pleased&quot;.

Russia&#39;s defence ministry later said the missile landed about 500 kilometres from its territory and posed no threat.&nbsp;

The United States and Japan called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, and a meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, according to the UN mission of Uruguay, which currently holds the council&#39;s presidency.

China, Pyongyang&#39;s sole major ally and main trading partner, which has been under growing US pressure to help rein in its wayward neighbour, urged restraint.

&quot;All relevant parties should exercise restraint and refrain from further aggravating tensions in the region,&quot; said Beijing&#39;s foreign ministry.

But KCNA reported Monday that Kim &quot;told the rocket scientists and technicians not to be complacent... and continue to build more... nuclear weapons and methods of delivery&quot; until the US made the &quot;right choice&quot;.

The leader also &quot;warned that the US will not be able to avoid the worst-ever catastrophe if it recklessly provokes our republic&quot;, it said, using standard language, and claimed that &quot;all US mainland and US-Pacific regions are within the range of our attacks&quot;.

Analysts believe that the North does not yet have this capability. But it described another launch earlier this year as a drill for an attack on US bases in Japan.

(AFP)

Sunday's launch was of a 'newly-developed mid/long-range strategic ballistic rocket, Hwasong-12', the official KCNA news agency said

North Korea's latest missile launch was of a successful test of a new type of rocket, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday. Sunday's launch was of a "newly-developed mid/long-range strategic ballistic rocket, Hwasong-12", the official KCNA news agency said, adding that leader Kim Jong-Un "personally oversaw the test-launch of the new type of rocket". The isolated North is under multiple sets of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes, which have set alarm bells ringing around the region and in Washington. The North says it needs atomic weapons to defend itself against the threat of invasion and is widely believed to be making progress in its quest to develop a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the continental United States -- something President Donald Trump has vowed "won't happen". Tensions between the two reached new heights in recent weeks, with Washington saying military action was an option being considered and Pyongyang issuing threats of its own, sending fears of conflict spiralling. Trump later appeared to hold open the door to negotiations, saying he would be "honoured" to meet Kim and called him a "smart cookie". Last week the South also elected a new president, Moon Jae-In, who advocates reconciliation with Pyongyang and said at his inauguration that he was willing "in the right circumstances" to visit the North to ease tensions. But he slammed the missile test as a "reckless provocation" after holding an emergency meeting with national security advisers. Dialogue would be possible "only if the North changes its attitude", he said according to his spokesman. KCNA said Sunday's test was intended to examine the "technical details and characteristics" of a new type of rocket "capable of carrying a powerful and big nuclear warhead", and also confirmed "the reliability of the newly-developed rocket engine". The missile followed its preset flight path to reach an altitude of 2,111.5 kilometres and travelled 787 kilometres, coming down at the "precise location intended", it added. 'Flagrant menace' Since the beginning of last year the North has carried out two atomic tests and dozens of missile launches as it seeks to refine its weapons. In April it put dozens of missiles on show at a giant military parade through the streets of Pyongyang. The United States called for tougher sanctions against the North after Sunday's missile test, with the White House saying: "Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea." The North "has been a flagrant menace for far too long", it added in a statement. The missile came down in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), with Washington saying it impacted "so close to Russian soil ... the president cannot imagine that Russia is pleased". Russia's defence ministry later said the missile landed about 500 kilometres from its territory and posed no threat. The United States and Japan called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, and a meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, according to the UN mission of Uruguay, which currently holds the council's presidency. China, Pyongyang's sole major ally and main trading partner, which has been under growing US pressure to help rein in its wayward neighbour, urged restraint. "All relevant parties should exercise restraint and refrain from further aggravating tensions in the region," said Beijing's foreign ministry. But KCNA reported Monday that Kim "told the rocket scientists and technicians not to be complacent... and continue to build more... nuclear weapons and methods of delivery" until the US made the "right choice". The leader also "warned that the US will not be able to avoid the worst-ever catastrophe if it recklessly provokes our republic", it said, using standard language, and claimed that "all US mainland and US-Pacific regions are within the range of our attacks". Analysts believe that the North does not yet have this capability. But it described another launch earlier this year as a drill for an attack on US bases in Japan. (AFP)

North Korea says Sunday missile launch was of 'new type of rocket'

&nbsp;The US&nbsp;House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Thursday to tighten&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;on&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;by targeting its shipping industry and companies that do business with the reclusive state.

The vote was 419 to 1.

Supporters said the legislation was intended to send a strong message to&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea, amid international concern over the escalation of its nuclear programme.

The measure would have to be approved by the Senate before it could be sent to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign into law.

Although legislation addressing&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;has been introduced in the Senate, there was no immediate word on when or if the Senate might take up a bill.

Any new US&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;against&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;would likely affect China, the&nbsp;North&#39;s most important trade partner.

While China has been angered by&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile tests, it has signed up for increasingly tough UN&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;against it, and says it is committed to enforcing them.

Asked about the latest US&nbsp;legislation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated that China opposed other countries using their own domestic law to impose unilateralsanctions.

With the situation tense on the&nbsp;Korean Peninsula, all sides need to exercise restraint and not irritate each other to avoid the situation worsening, he said.

(Reuters)

The US House of Representatives approved a legislation targeting shipping industry and companies that do business with the reclusive state

The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Thursday to tighten sanctions on North Korea by targeting its shipping industry and companies that do business with the reclusive state. The vote was 419 to 1. Supporters said the legislation was intended to send a strong message to North Korea, amid international concern over the escalation of its nuclear programme. The measure would have to be approved by the Senate before it could be sent to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign into law. Although legislation addressing North Korea has been introduced in the Senate, there was no immediate word on when or if the Senate might take up a bill. Any new US sanctions against North Korea would likely affect China, the North's most important trade partner. While China has been angered by North Korea's nuclear and missile tests, it has signed up for increasingly tough UN sanctions against it, and says it is committed to enforcing them. Asked about the latest US legislation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated that China opposed other countries using their own domestic law to impose unilateralsanctions. With the situation tense on the Korean Peninsula, all sides need to exercise restraint and not irritate each other to avoid the situation worsening, he said. (Reuters)

US House tightens sanctions on nuclear-armed North Korea

US President Donald Trump offered some backhanded praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, calling him &quot;a pretty smart cookie&quot; in a television interview that aired Sunday.

Trump&#39;s almost admiring remarks came amid soaring tensions with North Korea over its missile and nuclear programs, with an alarmed Washington looking to China for help in reining in Kim.

Trump said he had &quot;no idea&quot; whether Kim was sane or not, but said the North Korean leader had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father&#39;s death in 2011.

&quot;He&#39;s dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others. And at a very young age, he was able to assume power,&quot; Trump said in the interview with CBS&#39;s &quot;Face the Nation.&quot;

&quot;A lot of people, I&#39;m sure, tried to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anybody else. And he was able to do it.

&quot;So obviously, he&#39;s a pretty smart cookie,&quot; he said.

&quot;But we have a situation that we just cannot let -- we cannot let what&#39;s been going on for a long period of years continue,&quot; Trump added.

North Korea has kept the West on edge for weeks over signs it may conduct a sixth nuclear test, punctuated by a series of missile tests that have aroused US fears that the regime may be close to developing a ballistic missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead.

It&#39;s a&nbsp;chess game: Trump on North Korea missile test 
 
The North, defying mounting US pressure, launched its latest missile test on Saturday, which South Korea said failed.

Trump refused comment on whether the United States had anything to do with the missile test failure.

&quot;It is a chess game. I just don&#39;t want people to know what my thinking is. So eventually, he will have a better delivery system. And if that happens, we can&#39;t allow it to happen.&quot;

Hours before the North Korean test, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned of &quot;catastrophic consequences&quot; if the international community does not act more forcefully to sanction Pyongyang.

The United States has deployed a naval strike group to the area led by the carrier USS Carl Vinson, which on Saturday began drilling with the South Korean navy to practice procedures for tracking and intercepting enemy ballistic missiles.

On Sunday, the two allies concluded a massive annual military exercise called &quot;Foal Eagle,&quot; which involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops.

Betting on China 
 
If North Korea carries out a nuclear test, Trump told CBS, &quot;I would not be happy.&quot;

&quot;And I can tell you also, I don&#39;t believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either,&quot; Trump said.

Asked if &quot;not happy&quot; signified &quot;military action,&quot; Trump answered: &quot;I don&#39;t know. I mean, we&#39;ll see.&quot;

So far, Trump has placed his biggest bet on getting China to use its leverage to pressure Pyongyang to change its behavior, a strategy that has failed to produce results in the past.

Since meeting with China&#39;s President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida April 6-7, Trump has set aside his campaign threats to impose tariffs on Chinese imports and declare Beijing a currency manipulator.

&quot;I think that, frankly, North Korea is maybe more important than trade. Trade is very important. But massive warfare with millions, potentially millions of people being killed? That, as we would say, trumps trade,&quot; he told CBS.

&quot;Now, if China can help us with North Korea and can solve that problem -- that&#39;s worth making not as good a trade deal for the United States,&quot; he said. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

North Korea has kept the West on edge for weeks over signs it may conduct a sixth nuclear test

US President Donald Trump offered some backhanded praise for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, calling him "a pretty smart cookie" in a television interview that aired Sunday. Trump's almost admiring remarks came amid soaring tensions with North Korea over its missile and nuclear programs, with an alarmed Washington looking to China for help in reining in Kim. Trump said he had "no idea" whether Kim was sane or not, but said the North Korean leader had faced a formidable challenge in taking over the country at a reported age of 27 after his father's death in 2011. "He's dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others. And at a very young age, he was able to assume power," Trump said in the interview with CBS's "Face the Nation." "A lot of people, I'm sure, tried to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anybody else. And he was able to do it. "So obviously, he's a pretty smart cookie," he said. "But we have a situation that we just cannot let -- we cannot let what's been going on for a long period of years continue," Trump added. North Korea has kept the West on edge for weeks over signs it may conduct a sixth nuclear test, punctuated by a series of missile tests that have aroused US fears that the regime may be close to developing a ballistic missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead. It's a chess game: Trump on North Korea missile test The North, defying mounting US pressure, launched its latest missile test on Saturday, which South Korea said failed. Trump refused comment on whether the United States had anything to do with the missile test failure. "It is a chess game. I just don't want people to know what my thinking is. So eventually, he will have a better delivery system. And if that happens, we can't allow it to happen." Hours before the North Korean test, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned of "catastrophic consequences" if the international community does not act more forcefully to sanction Pyongyang. The United States has deployed a naval strike group to the area led by the carrier USS Carl Vinson, which on Saturday began drilling with the South Korean navy to practice procedures for tracking and intercepting enemy ballistic missiles. On Sunday, the two allies concluded a massive annual military exercise called "Foal Eagle," which involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops. Betting on China If North Korea carries out a nuclear test, Trump told CBS, "I would not be happy." "And I can tell you also, I don't believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either," Trump said. Asked if "not happy" signified "military action," Trump answered: "I don't know. I mean, we'll see." So far, Trump has placed his biggest bet on getting China to use its leverage to pressure Pyongyang to change its behavior, a strategy that has failed to produce results in the past. Since meeting with China's President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida April 6-7, Trump has set aside his campaign threats to impose tariffs on Chinese imports and declare Beijing a currency manipulator. "I think that, frankly, North Korea is maybe more important than trade. Trade is very important. But massive warfare with millions, potentially millions of people being killed? That, as we would say, trumps trade," he told CBS. "Now, if China can help us with North Korea and can solve that problem -- that's worth making not as good a trade deal for the United States," he said. (AFP)

Trump says North Korea's Kim is 'a pretty smart cookie'

The United States has spelled out its desire to ramp up sanctions against North Korea in order to bring its leader Kim Jong-Un &quot;to his senses&quot;.

The Pentagon released a statement that underlined Washington&#39;s tough stance on North Korea, which has pooh-poohed several economic sanctions in the past to continue with its ballistic missile programme.

After briefing senators at the White House, a&nbsp;statement from Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats stated US President Donald Trump&#39;s desire to &quot;dismantle&quot; North Korea&#39;s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes by &quot;tightening economic sanctions&quot;.

Although Washington remained on the front foot about its policies towards Pyongyang, the joint statement said they were involved in getting help from the &quot;international community to incrcease pressure&quot; on North Korea and convice them to &quot;return to the path of dialogue&quot;.

Reiterating its statement that &quot;all options were on the table&quot;, the statement further said: &quot;We want to bring Kim Jong-Un to his senses, not to his knees.&quot;

The Trump administration has been wary of North Korea&#39;s intention to continue with their nuclear testing and has warned about military action if needed.

The US has also reached out to China to placate the isolated regime.&nbsp;

But if China&#39;s efforts are not enough to deter North Korea, the Trump administration has underscored the possibilities of a military solution.

THAAD trouble

The US sent the THAAD defence intercepting equipment to be installed in South Korea on Wednesday morning.

But the installation of the THAAD in a golf course in Seongju county has elicited heated protests from residents, who believe that the presence of the missile interceptor would goad North leader Kim Jong-Un to attack their region.

THAAD&#39;s deployment in South Korea has also vexed and angered Beijing in equal measure.

Its presence angers Beijing as it would help the US to monitor and perhaps scuttle their missile programmes. And it angers them because it is likely to escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula.

But the US and South Korea governments have remained steadfast about their decision to install THAAD.

They feel the increasing bellicosity of the North has left them with little option but to place the THAAD in South Korea.

THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.

North&#39;s defiance

North Korea has been ruffling feathers by flexing its military might.

Apart from test-firing missiles and threatening to launch ballistic missiles towards the US, Pyongyang has been recently busy in tom-tomming its largest-ever firing drill to mark the&nbsp;founding anniversary of its military.

The regime has, like in the past, routinely dismissed suggestions of sanctions and military threat to continue building their weaponry.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

While a military solution remains an option, the US first wants to impose tough economic sanctions to deter North Korea from its nuclear programme

The United States has spelled out its desire to ramp up sanctions against North Korea in order to bring its leader Kim Jong-Un "to his senses". The Pentagon released a statement that underlined Washington's tough stance on North Korea, which has pooh-poohed several economic sanctions in the past to continue with its ballistic missile programme. After briefing senators at the White House, a statement from Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats stated US President Donald Trump's desire to "dismantle" North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes by "tightening economic sanctions". Although Washington remained on the front foot about its policies towards Pyongyang, the joint statement said they were involved in getting help from the "international community to incrcease pressure" on North Korea and convice them to "return to the path of dialogue". Reiterating its statement that "all options were on the table", the statement further said: "We want to bring Kim Jong-Un to his senses, not to his knees." The Trump administration has been wary of North Korea's intention to continue with their nuclear testing and has warned about military action if needed. The US has also reached out to China to placate the isolated regime. But if China's efforts are not enough to deter North Korea, the Trump administration has underscored the possibilities of a military solution. THAAD trouble The US sent the THAAD defence intercepting equipment to be installed in South Korea on Wednesday morning. But the installation of the THAAD in a golf course in Seongju county has elicited heated protests from residents, who believe that the presence of the missile interceptor would goad North leader Kim Jong-Un to attack their region. THAAD's deployment in South Korea has also vexed and angered Beijing in equal measure. Its presence angers Beijing as it would help the US to monitor and perhaps scuttle their missile programmes. And it angers them because it is likely to escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula. But the US and South Korea governments have remained steadfast about their decision to install THAAD. They feel the increasing bellicosity of the North has left them with little option but to place the THAAD in South Korea. THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. North's defiance North Korea has been ruffling feathers by flexing its military might. Apart from test-firing missiles and threatening to launch ballistic missiles towards the US, Pyongyang has been recently busy in tom-tomming its largest-ever firing drill to mark the founding anniversary of its military. The regime has, like in the past, routinely dismissed suggestions of sanctions and military threat to continue building their weaponry. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US wants to ramp up North Korea sanctions to bring Kim 'to his senses'

Nuclear-armed North Korea on Tuesday marked a military anniversary with a massive conventional firing drill, Seoul said, as a US guided-missile submarine docked in South Korea amid tensions over Pyongyang&#39;s weapons ambitions.

Speculation had mounted that the North could carry out a sixth nuclear test or another missile launch to mark 85 years since the founding of its army.

But no such event -- which usually happens in the morning -- had taken place by the evening, and instead Seoul&#39;s defence ministry said Pyongyang was conducting a &quot;massive fire drill&quot; in the eastern port city of Wonsan.

The South&#39;s Yonhap news agency cited a government source as saying the exercise was the North&#39;s &quot;largest ever&quot; and was presumed to have been overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un.

Washington has sent the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to the Korean peninsula, where it is expected to arrive -- after a derision-provoking delay -- later this week.

Confusion had clouded the carrier&#39;s whereabouts earlier this month after US officials indicated it was sailing towards North Korea when in fact it was heading south.

The vessel will take part in joint naval drills with the South&#39;s forces to &quot;demonstrate Seoul and Washington&#39;s strong determination to punish North Korean provocations&quot;, the South Korean Navy said in a statement.

They will take place in the East Sea, the South&#39;s name for the Sea of Japan, it said, and the two allies will also begin joint naval exercises in the West Sea -- what it calls the Yellow Sea -- on Tuesday &quot;in relation to the current security situation&quot;.

The nuclear-powered US submarine USS Michigan also made a port call at Busan in the South on Tuesday in another show of force, while US navy destroyers carried out separate joint exercises with Japanese and South Korean vessels.

President Donald Trump has said the US was sending an &quot;armada&quot; to the Korean peninsula, including submarines.

According to the US Navy&#39;s Submarine Force Pacific website, the USS Michigan carries more than 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

They are capable of precision strikes against the North&#39;s nuclear facilities, but the South Korean Navy called the visit &quot;routine&quot; and said the submarine would not take part in any joint exercises.

&nbsp;

&#39;Brutal punishment&#39;

North Korea has ambitions to build a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the US mainland. Tensions have soared in recent months as it carried out a string of missile tests that sparked tit-for-tat sabre-rattling between it and Washington.

Pyongyang&#39;s rhetoric always intensifies in the spring, when Seoul and Washington hold joint military drills which it sees as rehearsals for an invasion.

The North&#39;s Rodong Sinmun -- the official mouthpiece of the ruling Workers&#39; Party of Korea -- warned Tuesday of dire consequences in the event of a US-led pre-emptive strike.

It promised &quot;the most brutal punishment... in the sky and land as well as at sea and from underwater without any warning or prior notice&quot;.

North Korea launched two missile tests this month while Trump and his senior aides have warned that &quot;all options are on the table&quot; against Pyongyang, including military action.

Trump on Monday urged UN Security Council ambassadors to consider stronger sanctions against Pyongyang, and US senators will be briefed on North Korea at the White House on Wednesday.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to chair a ministerial-level Security Council meeting on the North on Friday.

The North says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against invasion. A spokesman for its foreign ministry on Tuesday claimed the meetings -- coupled with Trump&#39;s fresh policy of &quot;maximum pressure and engagement&quot; on Pyongyang -- showed the threat it faced from the US.

&quot;They are explicitly advocating pressure on us, which is as dangerous as lighting the fuse on an all-out war,&quot; he said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency.

Top nuclear envoys from Japan, South Korea and the United States met Tuesday in Tokyo and vowed &quot;stern action&quot; against any fresh North Korean provocations.

US special representative Joseph Yun said he discussed American policy to &quot;enhance pressure&quot; on Pyongyang &quot;because we really do not believe that North Korea is ready to engage us towards denuclearisation&quot;.

The trio also agreed that China and Russia should play a bigger role in reining in the North, said Kim Hong-Kyun, South Korea&#39;s chief envoy on the issue.

&quot;Cooperation with China and Russia is the most important for effective pressure on North Korea,&quot; he said.

(AFP)

A government source said the exercise was the North's 'largest ever' and presumably was watched by Kim Jung Un

Nuclear-armed North Korea on Tuesday marked a military anniversary with a massive conventional firing drill, Seoul said, as a US guided-missile submarine docked in South Korea amid tensions over Pyongyang's weapons ambitions. Speculation had mounted that the North could carry out a sixth nuclear test or another missile launch to mark 85 years since the founding of its army. But no such event -- which usually happens in the morning -- had taken place by the evening, and instead Seoul's defence ministry said Pyongyang was conducting a "massive fire drill" in the eastern port city of Wonsan. The South's Yonhap news agency cited a government source as saying the exercise was the North's "largest ever" and was presumed to have been overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un. Washington has sent the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to the Korean peninsula, where it is expected to arrive -- after a derision-provoking delay -- later this week. Confusion had clouded the carrier's whereabouts earlier this month after US officials indicated it was sailing towards North Korea when in fact it was heading south. The vessel will take part in joint naval drills with the South's forces to "demonstrate Seoul and Washington's strong determination to punish North Korean provocations", the South Korean Navy said in a statement. They will take place in the East Sea, the South's name for the Sea of Japan, it said, and the two allies will also begin joint naval exercises in the West Sea -- what it calls the Yellow Sea -- on Tuesday "in relation to the current security situation". The nuclear-powered US submarine USS Michigan also made a port call at Busan in the South on Tuesday in another show of force, while US navy destroyers carried out separate joint exercises with Japanese and South Korean vessels. President Donald Trump has said the US was sending an "armada" to the Korean peninsula, including submarines. According to the US Navy's Submarine Force Pacific website, the USS Michigan carries more than 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles. They are capable of precision strikes against the North's nuclear facilities, but the South Korean Navy called the visit "routine" and said the submarine would not take part in any joint exercises. 'Brutal punishment' North Korea has ambitions to build a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the US mainland. Tensions have soared in recent months as it carried out a string of missile tests that sparked tit-for-tat sabre-rattling between it and Washington. Pyongyang's rhetoric always intensifies in the spring, when Seoul and Washington hold joint military drills which it sees as rehearsals for an invasion. The North's Rodong Sinmun -- the official mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea -- warned Tuesday of dire consequences in the event of a US-led pre-emptive strike. It promised "the most brutal punishment... in the sky and land as well as at sea and from underwater without any warning or prior notice". North Korea launched two missile tests this month while Trump and his senior aides have warned that "all options are on the table" against Pyongyang, including military action. Trump on Monday urged UN Security Council ambassadors to consider stronger sanctions against Pyongyang, and US senators will be briefed on North Korea at the White House on Wednesday. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to chair a ministerial-level Security Council meeting on the North on Friday. The North says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against invasion. A spokesman for its foreign ministry on Tuesday claimed the meetings -- coupled with Trump's fresh policy of "maximum pressure and engagement" on Pyongyang -- showed the threat it faced from the US. "They are explicitly advocating pressure on us, which is as dangerous as lighting the fuse on an all-out war," he said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency. Top nuclear envoys from Japan, South Korea and the United States met Tuesday in Tokyo and vowed "stern action" against any fresh North Korean provocations. US special representative Joseph Yun said he discussed American policy to "enhance pressure" on Pyongyang "because we really do not believe that North Korea is ready to engage us towards denuclearisation". The trio also agreed that China and Russia should play a bigger role in reining in the North, said Kim Hong-Kyun, South Korea's chief envoy on the issue. "Cooperation with China and Russia is the most important for effective pressure on North Korea," he said. (AFP)

North Korea marks military anniversary with firing drill

China issued a stern warning Friday that a conflict over North Korea could break out &quot;at any moment&quot;, as Pyongyang vowed a &quot;merciless&quot; response to any US military action. 
 
Tensions in the region have surged to fresh heights in recent days with speculation mounting that the North is preparing a sixth nuclear test.&nbsp; 
 
A US naval strike force has been deployed near the Korean peninsula, and President Donald Trump has issued stark warnings that the threat posed by Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear weapons programme &quot;will be taken care of&quot;. 
 
A clearly rattled China, under pressure from Trump to prevent any North Korean provocation, said the situation had reached breaking point. 
 
&quot;One has the feeling that a conflict could break out at any moment,&quot; Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;If a war occurs, the result is a situation in which everybody loses and there can be no winner,&quot; he added during a joint press conference in Beijing with the visiting French foreign minister. 
 
Wang`s comments mirrored a warning from the North Korean foreign ministry`s Institute for Disarmament and Peace that &quot;thermo-nuclear war may break out any moment&quot;. North Korea has invoked similarly dire scenarios on previous occasions when tensions on the Korean peninsula have spiked, but Beijing`s warnings have fuelled international concerns that the current situation is reaching tipping point. 
 
The North&#39;s Korean People`s Army (KPA) added its voice to the bellicose rhetoric on Friday with a statement threatening strikes against US military bases and other targets in South Korea. 
 
&quot;The closer such big targets as nuclear powered aircraft carriers come, the greater would be the effect of merciless strikes,&quot; said the statement carried by the North`s official KCNA news agency. 
Citing the recent missile strike Trump ordered against Syria -- which was widely interpreted as a warning to Pyongyang -- the KPA denounced the US president for embarking on a path of &quot;open threat and blackmail&quot; against the North. 
 
It also urged Washington to &quot;come to its senses&quot; and find a &quot;proper&quot; solution to the current stand-off.&nbsp; 
 
Trump&#39;s military muscle-flexing was on display again Thursday when the US on dropped the biggest non-nuclear bomb it possesses on Afghanistan, targeting a complex used by the Islamic State group. 
 
The American president has repeatedly said he will prevent Pyongyang from its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States. 
 
A White House foreign policy advisor said Friday that the US was assessing military options, and added that another provocative test was a question of &quot;when&quot; rather than &quot;if.&quot; 
 
Satellite imagery analysis has noted activity at the North`s main nuclear test site ahead of Saturday`s 105th anniversary of the birth of the country`s founder leader Kim Il-Sung.The North&#39;s sabre-rattling has encouraged a rapprochement between Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, who met face-to-face for the first time late last week at Trump`s Mar-a-Lago resort.&nbsp; 
 
Though his election campaign was marked with acerbic denouncements of China`s &quot;rape&quot; of the US economy, Trump dropped his anti-China bombast in Florida, afterwards hailing an &quot;outstanding&quot; relationship with Xi.&nbsp; 
 
But he insists China -- the North`s sole major ally and economic lifeline -- must exert more leverage on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions or suffer the consequences. 
 
Beijing has long opposed dramatic action against the North, fearing the regime`s collapse would send a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep. 
 
China&#39;s state broadcaster CCTV announced Friday that Air China -- the only foreign carrier operating commercial flights into North Korea -- would suspend services to Pyongyang from next week. 
The report gave no reason for the suspension, but noted that Air China has taken similar action in the past because of low passenger volumes. 
 
Despite the mounting tensions, there has been little sign of strain on the streets of Pyongyang in recent days, where the focus has been on preparations for Saturday`s anniversary. 
 
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on Thursday unveiled the sprawling Ryomyong street development, a prestige housing project repeatedly promised in time to mark the occasion.&nbsp; 
 
Before the international press and tens of thousands of his adoring citizens, he cut a wide red ribbon to rhythmic cheers, before waving and returning to his Mercedes limousine.&nbsp;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

A US naval strike force has been deployed near the Korean peninsula. A clearly rattled China says the situation has reached breaking point

China issued a stern warning Friday that a conflict over North Korea could break out "at any moment", as Pyongyang vowed a "merciless" response to any US military action. Tensions in the region have surged to fresh heights in recent days with speculation mounting that the North is preparing a sixth nuclear test. A US naval strike force has been deployed near the Korean peninsula, and President Donald Trump has issued stark warnings that the threat posed by Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme "will be taken care of". A clearly rattled China, under pressure from Trump to prevent any North Korean provocation, said the situation had reached breaking point. "One has the feeling that a conflict could break out at any moment," Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said. "If a war occurs, the result is a situation in which everybody loses and there can be no winner," he added during a joint press conference in Beijing with the visiting French foreign minister. Wang`s comments mirrored a warning from the North Korean foreign ministry`s Institute for Disarmament and Peace that "thermo-nuclear war may break out any moment". North Korea has invoked similarly dire scenarios on previous occasions when tensions on the Korean peninsula have spiked, but Beijing`s warnings have fuelled international concerns that the current situation is reaching tipping point. The North's Korean People`s Army (KPA) added its voice to the bellicose rhetoric on Friday with a statement threatening strikes against US military bases and other targets in South Korea. "The closer such big targets as nuclear powered aircraft carriers come, the greater would be the effect of merciless strikes," said the statement carried by the North`s official KCNA news agency. Citing the recent missile strike Trump ordered against Syria -- which was widely interpreted as a warning to Pyongyang -- the KPA denounced the US president for embarking on a path of "open threat and blackmail" against the North. It also urged Washington to "come to its senses" and find a "proper" solution to the current stand-off. Trump's military muscle-flexing was on display again Thursday when the US on dropped the biggest non-nuclear bomb it possesses on Afghanistan, targeting a complex used by the Islamic State group. The American president has repeatedly said he will prevent Pyongyang from its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States. A White House foreign policy advisor said Friday that the US was assessing military options, and added that another provocative test was a question of "when" rather than "if." Satellite imagery analysis has noted activity at the North`s main nuclear test site ahead of Saturday`s 105th anniversary of the birth of the country`s founder leader Kim Il-Sung.The North's sabre-rattling has encouraged a rapprochement between Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, who met face-to-face for the first time late last week at Trump`s Mar-a-Lago resort. Though his election campaign was marked with acerbic denouncements of China`s "rape" of the US economy, Trump dropped his anti-China bombast in Florida, afterwards hailing an "outstanding" relationship with Xi. But he insists China -- the North`s sole major ally and economic lifeline -- must exert more leverage on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions or suffer the consequences. Beijing has long opposed dramatic action against the North, fearing the regime`s collapse would send a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep. China's state broadcaster CCTV announced Friday that Air China -- the only foreign carrier operating commercial flights into North Korea -- would suspend services to Pyongyang from next week. The report gave no reason for the suspension, but noted that Air China has taken similar action in the past because of low passenger volumes. Despite the mounting tensions, there has been little sign of strain on the streets of Pyongyang in recent days, where the focus has been on preparations for Saturday`s anniversary. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on Thursday unveiled the sprawling Ryomyong street development, a prestige housing project repeatedly promised in time to mark the occasion. Before the international press and tens of thousands of his adoring citizens, he cut a wide red ribbon to rhythmic cheers, before waving and returning to his Mercedes limousine. (AFP)

China warns of war 'at any moment' as North Korea vows 'merciless' response to US

Nuclear-armed North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, just ahead of a highly-anticipated China-US summit at which Pyongyang&rsquo;s accelerating atomic weapons programme is set to top the agenda.

South Korea&#39;s defence ministry said the missile -&ndash; launched days after Pyongyang warned of retaliation if the global community ramps up sanctions -- had flown 60 kilometres (about 40 miles).

South Korea&#39;s foreign ministry strongly condemned the launch, which it said represented a &quot;threat to peace and stability of the whole world&quot;.

The US military said it was a KN-15 medium-range ballistic missile which they had determined posed no threat to America.

&quot;US Pacific Command is fully committed to working closely with our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies to maintain security,&quot; the military command in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region said.

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<h5>Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the launch was a &#39;grave provocation&#39; that &#39;clearly violates UN Security Council resolutions&#39;</h5>
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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed Pyongyang had launched &quot;yet another&quot; ballistic missile.&nbsp;

&quot;The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment,&quot; he said in a statement.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the launch was a &quot;grave provocation&quot; that &quot;clearly violates UN Security Council resolutions&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;It is possible that (the North) will take further provocative actions,&quot; he added.

The launch will fuel international concerns about the hermit state&#39;s weapons programme.

Pyongyang is on a quest to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead, and has so far staged five nuclear tests, two of them last year.

Trump-Xi meeting

The latest launch came after President Donald Trump threatened the US was prepared to go it alone in bringing the North to heel if China did not step in.

His comments, in an interview with the Financial Times, were interpreted as an effort to up the pressure on Beijing ahead of a summit on Thursday and Friday.

Trump will host China&#39;s President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for their first face-to-face meeting this week where the growing tensions on the Korean peninsula are expected to be high on the agenda.

The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted that Beijing holds the key to stopping its errant neighbour and is not doing enough to control it.

China is North Korea&#39;s sole major diplomatic friend and a key trading partner that supplies the isolated state with much of its hard currency in the face of stringent global sanctions.

But Beijing is wary of putting too much pressure on North Korea for fear of the unpredictable consequences if the state collapses.

North Korea&#39;s foreign ministry on Monday assailed Washington for its tough talk and for an ongoing joint military exercise with South Korea and Japan which Pyongyang sees as a dress rehearsal for invasion.

The &quot;reckless actions&quot; are driving the tense situation on the Korean peninsula &quot;to the brink of a war&quot;, a ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency.

The idea that the US could deprive Pyongyang of its &quot;nuclear deterrent&quot; through sanctions is &quot;the wildest dream&quot;, it said.

The hardened US stance followed recent North Korean missile launches that Pyongyang described as practice for an attack on US bases in Japan.

In February the North simultaneously fired four ballistic missiles off its east coast, three of which fell provocatively close to Japan.

Last August Pyongyang also successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile 500 kilometres towards Japan, far exceeding any previous sub-launched tests, in what the North&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un hailed as the &quot;greatest success&quot;.

A nuclear-capable SLBM system would take the North&#39;s threat to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula and a &quot;second-strike&quot; capability in the event of an attack on its army bases.

Analysts say that while Pyongyang has made faster progress in its SLBM system than originally expected, it is still years away from deployment.

Pyongyang is barred under UN resolutions from carrying out ballistic missile launches or nuclear tests.

(AFP)

Pyongyang is on a quest to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead

Nuclear-armed North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, just ahead of a highly-anticipated China-US summit at which Pyongyang’s accelerating atomic weapons programme is set to top the agenda. South Korea's defence ministry said the missile -– launched days after Pyongyang warned of retaliation if the global community ramps up sanctions -- had flown 60 kilometres (about 40 miles). South Korea's foreign ministry strongly condemned the launch, which it said represented a "threat to peace and stability of the whole world". The US military said it was a KN-15 medium-range ballistic missile which they had determined posed no threat to America. "US Pacific Command is fully committed to working closely with our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies to maintain security," the military command in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region said. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the launch was a 'grave provocation' that 'clearly violates UN Security Council resolutions' × US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed Pyongyang had launched "yet another" ballistic missile. "The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment," he said in a statement. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the launch was a "grave provocation" that "clearly violates UN Security Council resolutions". "It is possible that (the North) will take further provocative actions," he added. The launch will fuel international concerns about the hermit state's weapons programme. Pyongyang is on a quest to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a nuclear warhead, and has so far staged five nuclear tests, two of them last year. Trump-Xi meeting The latest launch came after President Donald Trump threatened the US was prepared to go it alone in bringing the North to heel if China did not step in. His comments, in an interview with the Financial Times, were interpreted as an effort to up the pressure on Beijing ahead of a summit on Thursday and Friday. Trump will host China's President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for their first face-to-face meeting this week where the growing tensions on the Korean peninsula are expected to be high on the agenda. The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted that Beijing holds the key to stopping its errant neighbour and is not doing enough to control it. China is North Korea's sole major diplomatic friend and a key trading partner that supplies the isolated state with much of its hard currency in the face of stringent global sanctions. But Beijing is wary of putting too much pressure on North Korea for fear of the unpredictable consequences if the state collapses. North Korea's foreign ministry on Monday assailed Washington for its tough talk and for an ongoing joint military exercise with South Korea and Japan which Pyongyang sees as a dress rehearsal for invasion. The "reckless actions" are driving the tense situation on the Korean peninsula "to the brink of a war", a ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency. The idea that the US could deprive Pyongyang of its "nuclear deterrent" through sanctions is "the wildest dream", it said. The hardened US stance followed recent North Korean missile launches that Pyongyang described as practice for an attack on US bases in Japan. In February the North simultaneously fired four ballistic missiles off its east coast, three of which fell provocatively close to Japan. Last August Pyongyang also successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile 500 kilometres towards Japan, far exceeding any previous sub-launched tests, in what the North's leader Kim Jong-Un hailed as the "greatest success". A nuclear-capable SLBM system would take the North's threat to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula and a "second-strike" capability in the event of an attack on its army bases. Analysts say that while Pyongyang has made faster progress in its SLBM system than originally expected, it is still years away from deployment. Pyongyang is barred under UN resolutions from carrying out ballistic missile launches or nuclear tests. (AFP)

North Korea fires ballistic missile into Sea of Japan

North Korea is close to developing nuclear weaponry and will use it at the first sign of threat, according to the most high-profile Pyongyang diplomat to have defected in the last two decades.

Thae Yong Ho, who defected from the regime last year, told NBC News&#39; Lester Holt that the current dictator Kim Jong-Un would not hesitate to strike the United States with a nuclear weapon or an intercontinential ballistic missile (ICBM).

Thae said Kim was &quot;desperate in maintaining his rule by relying on nuclear weapons and ICBM&quot;.&nbsp;

Although Thae was not directly involved with the nuclear weapon programme, he said North Korea had reached a &quot;very significant level of nuclear development&quot;.

&quot;Once he (Kim) sees that there is a kind of sign of a tank or an imminent threat from America, then he would use his nuclear weapons with ICBM,&quot; Thae said.

Thae was serving as North Korea&#39;s deputy ambassador to the United Nations in London before he and his family defected to South Korea last August.&nbsp;

North Korea has claimed it has conducted five successful nuclear tests, twice in 2016 alone.

Some analysts reckon that North Korea has at least eight nuclear weapons, but the country has yet to successfully test-fire an ICBM capable of striking the United States.

But North Korea leader Kim had earlier this year said that they were ready to test-fire an ICBM &quot;at any time, at any place&quot;.

Pyongyang has defied multiple UN sanctions aimed to curtail their nuclear programme. Since coming to power five years back, Kim has bolstered the alienated nation&#39;s nuclear programme and increased the number of test-fires of various rockets.

Thae, in the interview with the US broadcaster, said he believed the only way to rein in North Korea would be to eliminate its leader.

While US President Donald Trump has vowed to take strict action against North Korea, Pyongyang has continued to thumb its nose by test-firing rockets.

Recently, Trump asked for China&#39;s help in curbing North Korea, but declared that even if they didn&#39;t, Washington would &quot;solve&quot; the protracted issue by themselves.

(WION)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A former North Korea diplomat said 'desperate' North leader Kim would not hesitate to attack US if there was a 'threat'

North Korea is close to developing nuclear weaponry and will use it at the first sign of threat, according to the most high-profile Pyongyang diplomat to have defected in the last two decades. Thae Yong Ho, who defected from the regime last year, told NBC News' Lester Holt that the current dictator Kim Jong-Un would not hesitate to strike the United States with a nuclear weapon or an intercontinential ballistic missile (ICBM). Thae said Kim was "desperate in maintaining his rule by relying on nuclear weapons and ICBM". Although Thae was not directly involved with the nuclear weapon programme, he said North Korea had reached a "very significant level of nuclear development". "Once he (Kim) sees that there is a kind of sign of a tank or an imminent threat from America, then he would use his nuclear weapons with ICBM," Thae said. Thae was serving as North Korea's deputy ambassador to the United Nations in London before he and his family defected to South Korea last August. North Korea has claimed it has conducted five successful nuclear tests, twice in 2016 alone. Some analysts reckon that North Korea has at least eight nuclear weapons, but the country has yet to successfully test-fire an ICBM capable of striking the United States. But North Korea leader Kim had earlier this year said that they were ready to test-fire an ICBM "at any time, at any place". Pyongyang has defied multiple UN sanctions aimed to curtail their nuclear programme. Since coming to power five years back, Kim has bolstered the alienated nation's nuclear programme and increased the number of test-fires of various rockets. Thae, in the interview with the US broadcaster, said he believed the only way to rein in North Korea would be to eliminate its leader. While US President Donald Trump has vowed to take strict action against North Korea, Pyongyang has continued to thumb its nose by test-firing rockets. Recently, Trump asked for China's help in curbing North Korea, but declared that even if they didn't, Washington would "solve" the protracted issue by themselves. (WION)

North Korea capable of striking US with nuclear weapons: Defector

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Thursday that the body of Kim Jong Nam, half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has been released to North Korea, bringing an end to a diplomatic spat that escalated over nearly seven weeks.

&quot;Following the completion of the autopsy on the deceased and receipt of a letter from his family requesting the remains be returned to North Korea, the coroner has approved the release of the body,&quot; Najib said in a statement.

The statement did not mention Kim by name. Kim was assassinated at Kuala Lumpur airport on February 13.

A joint statement by the North Korean government released simultaneously said both countries managed to &quot;resolve issues arising from the death of a DPRK national&quot; in Malaysia at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur. DPRK stands for North Korea&#39;s official name, the Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea.

&quot;The importance of bilateral relations was reaffirmed. In this connection, both countries agreed to positively discuss the re-introduction of the visa-free system and work towards bringing the relations to a higher level,&quot; read the statement from North Korea.

Najib said nine Malaysians barred from leaving North Korea had been allowed to board a plane to leave Pyongyang, adding on Twitter that the plane was expected to reach Kuala Lumpur at 5 am Malaysian time (21:00 GMT).

The Malaysians left Pyongyang in a Royal Malaysian Air Force business jet, which headed immediately west out of North Korean airspace before turning south towards Malaysia, according to flight tracking website planefinder.net.

Malaysian police say Kim was killed by two women who smeared super toxic VX nerve agent on his face. An Indonesian woman and Vietnamese woman have been charged.

Malaysia imposed a travel ban on North Koreans leaving the Southeast Asian country in a tit-for-tat move after Pyongyang barred Malaysians from leaving its borders.

Najib said on Thursday that North Koreans will now be allowed to leave Malaysia.

North Korea were angered by Malaysian authorities, who identified North Korean suspects and wanted to question others, including a diplomat at their embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Pyongyang has maintained that the body was that of Kim Chol as stated in his passport, and not Kim Jong Nam.

Malaysia also expelled the North Korean ambassador for being &quot;diplomatically rude&quot;, though Najib later said that ties with Pyongyang would not be severed in a bid to calm relations.

(Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

Malaysian PM Najib Razak also said 9 Malaysians barred from leaving North Korea had been allowed to board a plane to leave Pyongyang

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Thursday that the body of Kim Jong Nam, half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has been released to North Korea, bringing an end to a diplomatic spat that escalated over nearly seven weeks. "Following the completion of the autopsy on the deceased and receipt of a letter from his family requesting the remains be returned to North Korea, the coroner has approved the release of the body," Najib said in a statement. The statement did not mention Kim by name. Kim was assassinated at Kuala Lumpur airport on February 13. A joint statement by the North Korean government released simultaneously said both countries managed to "resolve issues arising from the death of a DPRK national" in Malaysia at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur. DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "The importance of bilateral relations was reaffirmed. In this connection, both countries agreed to positively discuss the re-introduction of the visa-free system and work towards bringing the relations to a higher level," read the statement from North Korea. Najib said nine Malaysians barred from leaving North Korea had been allowed to board a plane to leave Pyongyang, adding on Twitter that the plane was expected to reach Kuala Lumpur at 5 am Malaysian time (21:00 GMT). The Malaysians left Pyongyang in a Royal Malaysian Air Force business jet, which headed immediately west out of North Korean airspace before turning south towards Malaysia, according to flight tracking website planefinder.net. Malaysian police say Kim was killed by two women who smeared super toxic VX nerve agent on his face. An Indonesian woman and Vietnamese woman have been charged. Malaysia imposed a travel ban on North Koreans leaving the Southeast Asian country in a tit-for-tat move after Pyongyang barred Malaysians from leaving its borders. Najib said on Thursday that North Koreans will now be allowed to leave Malaysia. North Korea were angered by Malaysian authorities, who identified North Korean suspects and wanted to question others, including a diplomat at their embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Pyongyang has maintained that the body was that of Kim Chol as stated in his passport, and not Kim Jong Nam. Malaysia also expelled the North Korean ambassador for being "diplomatically rude", though Najib later said that ties with Pyongyang would not be severed in a bid to calm relations. (Reuters)

Kim Jong Nam murder: Malaysia releases body ending spat with North Korea

The body of Kim Jong-Nam will be returned to North Korea and nine Malaysians in Pyongyang allowed to leave under a deal struck between the two countries, Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak said Thursday.&nbsp;

North Korean citizens in Kuala Lumpur will also be allowed to return home, Najib said in a statement, which was confirmed by North Korean state media.

&quot;... following the completion of the autopsy on the deceased and receipt of a letter from his family requesting the remains be returned to North Korea, the coroner has approved the release of the body,&quot; said Najib.

The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un was poisoned with the lethal nerve agent VX in a brazen Cold War-style assassination on February 13 in Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The killing triggered a bitter row between Malaysia and North Korea, which expelled each other&#39;s ambassadors and barred their citizens from leaving.

Najib said the nine Malaysians prevented from leaving North Korea &quot;have now been allowed to return to Malaysia&quot;.

&quot;They took off from Pyongyang today at 7:45 pm (1145 GMT) Malaysian time, and will land in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow around 5:00 am,&quot; he said in the statement that referred to Kim Jong-Nam as &quot;the deceased&quot; rather than by name.

&quot;I had a deep personal concern about this matter, and we worked intensively behind the scenes to achieve this successful outcome.

&quot;Many challenges were overcome to ensure the return of our fellow Malaysians. The safety and security of our citizens will always be my first priority.&quot;

Two women -- one Vietnamese and one Indonesian -- have been arrested and charged with the murder. Airport CCTV footage shows them approaching the 45-year-old victim and apparently smearing his face with a piece of cloth.

South Korea has blamed Pyongyang for the killing, citing what they say was a standing order from Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother.

But the North denies this and has denounced Malaysia&#39;s investigation as an attempt to smear the secretive regime.

Pyongyang has also refused to confirm the identity of the victim, who was carrying a North Korean passport bearing the name of Kim Chol when he was killed.

It had insisted that the man died of a heart attack and his body should be handed over to them.

Malaysia however has officially confirmed his identity using DNA evidence and had said it was waiting for his next of kin to claim the body.

(AFP)

The two countries have also decided to release each other's citizens, weeks after Kim Jong-Nam was killed in Kuala Lumpur airport

The body of Kim Jong-Nam will be returned to North Korea and nine Malaysians in Pyongyang allowed to leave under a deal struck between the two countries, Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak said Thursday. North Korean citizens in Kuala Lumpur will also be allowed to return home, Najib said in a statement, which was confirmed by North Korean state media. "... following the completion of the autopsy on the deceased and receipt of a letter from his family requesting the remains be returned to North Korea, the coroner has approved the release of the body," said Najib. The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un was poisoned with the lethal nerve agent VX in a brazen Cold War-style assassination on February 13 in Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The killing triggered a bitter row between Malaysia and North Korea, which expelled each other's ambassadors and barred their citizens from leaving. Najib said the nine Malaysians prevented from leaving North Korea "have now been allowed to return to Malaysia". "They took off from Pyongyang today at 7:45 pm (1145 GMT) Malaysian time, and will land in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow around 5:00 am," he said in the statement that referred to Kim Jong-Nam as "the deceased" rather than by name. "I had a deep personal concern about this matter, and we worked intensively behind the scenes to achieve this successful outcome. "Many challenges were overcome to ensure the return of our fellow Malaysians. The safety and security of our citizens will always be my first priority." Two women -- one Vietnamese and one Indonesian -- have been arrested and charged with the murder. Airport CCTV footage shows them approaching the 45-year-old victim and apparently smearing his face with a piece of cloth. South Korea has blamed Pyongyang for the killing, citing what they say was a standing order from Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother. But the North denies this and has denounced Malaysia's investigation as an attempt to smear the secretive regime. Pyongyang has also refused to confirm the identity of the victim, who was carrying a North Korean passport bearing the name of Kim Chol when he was killed. It had insisted that the man died of a heart attack and his body should be handed over to them. Malaysia however has officially confirmed his identity using DNA evidence and had said it was waiting for his next of kin to claim the body. (AFP)

Malaysia to return Kim's body to North Korea after thaw in bilateral chill

North Korea has conducted a test of a new high-thrust engine at its Tongchang-ri rocket launch station and leader Kim Jong Un said the successful test was &quot;a new birth&quot; of its rocket industry, the reclusive North&#39;s official media said on Sunday.

The engine would help North Korea achieve world-class satellite launch capability, KCNA said, indicating the test was of a new type of rocket engine for long-range missiles.

The United States and China pledged to work together to get the North to take &quot;a different course&quot; and move away from its weapons programmes after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met his Chinese counterpart on Saturday.

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests and a series of missile launches, in defiance of U.N. sanctions, and is believed by experts and government officials to be working to develop nuclear-warhead missiles that could reach the United States.

Kim Jong Un has said North Korea is close to a test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

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KCNA said the test was carried out at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, where North Korea has conducted long-range rocket tests.

South Korea&#39;s military declined to comment.

The Washington-based think tank 38 North said last week satellite imagery indicated activity at the site&#39;s vertical engine stand, possibly in preparation for a rocket engine test.

&quot;The rail-mounted environmental shelter has been moved up against the engine test stand since February 5, either for maintenance or to position a rocket engine for testing,&quot; 38 North said in a note.

It said North Korea had installed the environmental shelter in late 2015 to conceal detection of test preparations.

KCNA cited leader Kim as saying the significance of the test would soon be evident.

&quot;He noted that the success made in the current test marked a great event of historic significance as it declared a new birth of the Juche-based rocket industry,&quot; KCNA said. Juche refers to North Korea&#39;s homegrown ideology of self-reliance.

&quot;He emphasised that the whole world will soon witness what eventful significance the great victory won today carries,&quot; it said.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

North Korea conducted a test of a new high-thrust engine Sunday

North Korea has conducted a test of a new high-thrust engine at its Tongchang-ri rocket launch station and leader Kim Jong Un said the successful test was "a new birth" of its rocket industry, the reclusive North's official media said on Sunday. The engine would help North Korea achieve world-class satellite launch capability, KCNA said, indicating the test was of a new type of rocket engine for long-range missiles. The United States and China pledged to work together to get the North to take "a different course" and move away from its weapons programmes after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met his Chinese counterpart on Saturday. North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests and a series of missile launches, in defiance of U.N. sanctions, and is believed by experts and government officials to be working to develop nuclear-warhead missiles that could reach the United States. Kim Jong Un has said North Korea is close to a test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Kim Jong Un has said North Korea is close to a test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile × KCNA said the test was carried out at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground, where North Korea has conducted long-range rocket tests. South Korea's military declined to comment. The Washington-based think tank 38 North said last week satellite imagery indicated activity at the site's vertical engine stand, possibly in preparation for a rocket engine test. "The rail-mounted environmental shelter has been moved up against the engine test stand since February 5, either for maintenance or to position a rocket engine for testing," 38 North said in a note. It said North Korea had installed the environmental shelter in late 2015 to conceal detection of test preparations. KCNA cited leader Kim as saying the significance of the test would soon be evident. "He noted that the success made in the current test marked a great event of historic significance as it declared a new birth of the Juche-based rocket industry," KCNA said. Juche refers to North Korea's homegrown ideology of self-reliance. "He emphasised that the whole world will soon witness what eventful significance the great victory won today carries," it said. (Reuters)

North Korea's Kim says engine test is 'new birth' of rocket industry

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