An unidentified Chinese buyer paid a world record 1.6 million euros ($1.9 million) for a female homing pigeon called New Kim, online auctioneers Pigeon Paradise (PIPA) has said.

New Kim, a well-bred two-ear-old from a renowned Antwerp loft, was put up for auction at just 200 euros.

But the sale beat the 1.25 million euros paid for male pigeon Armando last year, according to PIPA. There has never been an officially documented sale at such a price.

New Kim won the 2018 crown as "Ace Pigeon Grand National Middle Distance" in competitions held at Chateauroux and Argenton-sur-Creuse in France.

Top European birds have won global fame in recent years and particularly in China where pigeon racing can generate huge winnings.

Pigeon fancying is rooted in Belgian and Dutch life with the tradition spreading over to northern France. The sport had been considered in decline until auctions started showing serious prices for potential champions and proven winners.

Belgium alone counts 20,000 breeders for racing birds destined to take part in major competitions.

New Kim was trained by father and son Gaston and Kurt Van De Wouwer at their world-class loft in Berlaar, near Antwerp. They sold their entire "collection" of pigeons on Sunday.

(with inputs)

An unidentified Chinese buyer paid a world record 1.6 million euros ($1.9 million) for a female homing pigeon called New Kim, online auctioneers Pigeon Paradise (PIPA) has said.

An unidentified Chinese buyer paid a world record 1.6 million euros ($1.9 million) for a female homing pigeon called New Kim, online auctioneers Pigeon Paradise (PIPA) has said. New Kim, a well-bred two-ear-old from a renowned Antwerp loft, was put up for auction at just 200 euros. But the sale beat the 1.25 million euros paid for male pigeon Armando last year, according to PIPA. There has never been an officially documented sale at such a price. New Kim won the 2018 crown as "Ace Pigeon Grand National Middle Distance" in competitions held at Chateauroux and Argenton-sur-Creuse in France. Top European birds have won global fame in recent years and particularly in China where pigeon racing can generate huge winnings. Pigeon fancying is rooted in Belgian and Dutch life with the tradition spreading over to northern France. The sport had been considered in decline until auctions started showing serious prices for potential champions and proven winners. Belgium alone counts 20,000 breeders for racing birds destined to take part in major competitions. New Kim was trained by father and son Gaston and Kurt Van De Wouwer at their world-class loft in Berlaar, near Antwerp. They sold their entire "collection" of pigeons on Sunday. (with inputs)

Belgian racing pigeon 'New Kim' sold for record $1.9 million

A few days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, David Letterman sat behind his desk at CBS’s “Late Show” and shared the story of a rally in Choteau, Montana, to raise money for New York. Getting choked up, he told his viewers, “If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about the spirit of the United States, then I can’t help you.”

Nineteen years later, with the country in the midst of a monthslong pandemic, Letterman found it difficult to conjure up any similarly inspiring anecdotes. One morning last week, this veteran late-night host, broadcaster and comedian, now 73, was sitting in a park here, contemplating the Hudson River and cracking wise about the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

“It looks kind of unfinished,” he said through a fabric mask that barely held back his unruly beard. “Doesn’t it look like the new kid got to design it?”

But truth be told, Letterman was in a more melancholy than mirthful frame of mind. Though he, his wife, Regina, and their son, Harry, have remained safe, he knows several people who were stricken by the coronavirus, some of whom died from it. And he is deeply frustrated by what he feels have been inconsistent, nationwide efforts to inform people about the pandemic and mitigate its spread.

While hardly its most devastating casualty, Letterman’s Netflix interview show, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,” returns Wednesday but nearly came to a halt. He had recorded two episodes, with Kim Kardashian West and with Robert Downey Jr., before the pandemic, and believed the season — if not the series — was finished.

Instead, he was able to produce two more episodes over the summer, under substantially different circumstances: one with Dave Chappelle, which was recorded at an outdoor pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio; and one with Lizzo, at her home studio in Los Angeles, which had no audience at all.

For Letterman, each of these episodes offered him a further education in the evolution of entertainment and deeper insights as an interviewer and observer of human nature. Even so, he found himself yearning for what he called “the carefree days of nonsense” when he could “bring people into a theater and talk to them for an hour, and when we were done I would go out into the crowd and shake hands, and everybody would want to tongue-kiss me.”

“We don’t do that anymore,” he added.

Letterman spoke further about his pandemic experience, the making of his Netflix series and what he hopes the future might hold for him. These are edited excerpts from that conversation.

Q: How has the pandemic been for you? What is it like for you now?

A: Like everybody else, you forget about it. Six, eight months into it, you go on talking as though things are normal, and then it’s, oh, no, we can’t do that because of the pandemic. In the beginning, it was more than ghastly. The husband of a woman that worked at (“Late Show”), he died. A teacher at Harry’s school died. Paul Shaffer and his wife both had it. Cathy, his wife, was hospitalized. Barbara Gaines, who was a producer on the show, she and her wife both had it. And on and on and on.

Q: How do you feel when you come into contact with people elsewhere in the country who don’t seem to be taking the pandemic as seriously?

A: That makes me very sad. Because we learned a lesson that these other people are dismissing. I was talking to a friend of mine, and he was furious at the mayor of his city for keeping it closed, and he said, “Well, that guy will never be reelected.” And I just thought, do I tell him what this really can be? We’re looking at a quarter of a million people dead soon. But I just didn’t want to have that fight. 
 
Q: After the 9/11 attacks, you gave several “Late Show” monologues where you tried to rally your viewers’ spirits and bring them together. Do you ever feel like saying anything similar now?

A: Something applicable to these times? I wish I had the wherewithal to say something meaningful. But all of these people who are resisting the idea of prevention, I just keep thinking: What about the families of the 220,000 people who are dead? I wonder how they’re feeling. I don’t get it. I have no solution other than to do what is told: Take care of yourself and your family.

Q: How did the pandemic affect your work on your Netflix series?

A: I thought we were done for good. Really. In the beginning, it really seemed like, holy God, they’re coming over the wall, we’re all going to die. People keep reminding me that, at my age, I’m particularly vulnerable. Which I don’t appreciate at all. “Dad, you know you’re close to 100, you’d better not go out.”

Q: How did you decide to continue with your season?

A: We had two more episodes (with Lizzo and Dave Chappelle) in preproduction, and we were eager to do something. We did them within a very short period of time, and then we came home. By that point, there were protocols in place from the production company and from Netflix that we had to observe, gladly, and we got through it OK.

Q: Kim Kardashian West, who is now a prized guest on your Netflix series, was a frequent target of mockery in your “Late Show” days.

A: Oh, I was at the head of that list. I can remember when she would be booked on the show, it was like, I don’t know anything about her, and I’ve never seen her show. And then when we went to talk to Kanye, I thought, oh, I’ve misjudged this woman.

Q: What changed your mind about her?

A: After we met with Kanye West (for the previous season of the Netflix series), I had a long talk with her at their home, and I started to think about how I had used her as a joke and regarded her as someone not to be taken seriously. I found that that impression was not the end of the story. She had a family. She has her prison reform program. I won’t comment on the ease of being married to Kanye West. And if she can keep a show like that on the air for all those years, that’s an accomplishment. If you can stay in business on television that long, good for you.

Q: You went to Yellow Springs, Ohio, to interview Dave Chappelle. Did you perform at his outdoor comedy show there?

A: Yes. I think I did it. (To his publicist) Did I do it? (Publicist answers: “You did it.”) I’m being told I did it (laughs). It was grand. The setting is unique. It’s outdoors. Everybody’s tested, everybody social distanced. He had three or four comics on and each comic made my heart sink deeper. Because when I was doing comedy, a lot of it was (weakly) “Hey, where you from?” But these men and women, whoa — the level of it, the intellect of it, the presentation of it is so much more than it was when me and my little buddies were, “Hey, how ya doin’, I just got in from Indiana.” Really? No one cares. Get outta here.

Q: Do you ever have moments in these interviews where you feel as if you don’t have a shared frame of reference to talk to some of these guests?

A: Yes. Because the experience is barely parallel. We’re all in show business, but that’s as close a comparison as you can make, culturally. I did feel like, is this going to look stupid? An old guy here, trying to talk to people who are thriving and alive and dominating the world through social media? I felt like it was a wreck. That’s the inner dialogue.

Q: How do you get past this?

A: Like anybody else that you talk to, every human being, there are situations that helped develop into what they are. So you’re going to get a story out of anybody. It may not happen in the first five minutes, but in every one of these experiences, there’s always a conduit for mutual experience. “Oh yeah? You think that’s something? Well, one time I choked on a peanut-butter sandwich and nearly died.” You have to make everybody a good interview.

Q: Do you think that late-night television, a genre that you helped to pioneer, has been diminished in recent years — that so much of it has become political comedy that doesn’t really move the needle and crowds out everything else?

A: I know that people have been hugely successful with it. Stephen (Colbert) has done a great job with my old show — his show now. In my day, the goal was just anything to make the audience laugh. That may be part of the dynamic now. People have this hunger to see the current administration being assailed and embarrassing itself. So I think that’s what (late-night shows) worked toward. I don’t fault them for that. After a while, it wears thin, but the appetite for it has not worn thin. I think they still do enough business to keep people happy.

Q: Do you ever find yourself fearing for the future of this country?

A: I really did, until recently. And now I am confident — or more confident than I’ve been in the last four years — that we’re changing presidents in a couple of weeks. And it will be a huge victory. Not just for our culture and our government, but the simple act of voting will have been the reason that the rest of our country is put back together and, in many ways, saved from what appears to be tyranny, certainly jeopardy. I think it will be a huge victory on many fronts, not the least of which is calling attention to the valuable freedom of voting.

Q: Please don’t mistake this for a suggestion, but do you ever think about packing it in as a broadcaster entirely?

A: First of all, you can’t hurt my feelings because I’m dead inside. But the Netflix people put me back in business in a way that has been, for me, really, really fun. On the other hand, I recognize my own shelf life. I’m way overdue. When it happens, I still will enjoy little things here and there, and that’ll be enough. But there’s other people more capable. I got no problem with that. If there is any kind of schedule, it would be when my son is finished with high school. But if it’s tomorrow, that’s fine.

Q: Your son, Harry, is 16 now. Are you worried about how the pandemic is going to affect his life?

A: I think it’s every parent’s concern, regardless of the age of their kids. But for Harry and his buddies, the junior year of high school is a crucial experience. Now they’re starting to look beyond high school, and it’s not good. For guys Harry’s age and older, it might be a setback. Time takes care of everything, and one hopes that that’s the case here.

Q: How do you talk about these feelings with him?

A: I had a conversation with my son the other night that went this way. Because of the pandemic and the fact that he’s getting older, I said, Harry, your mother and I have two responsibilities. One is to keep you safe. And other than the time that your mother let you roll off the bed and land on your head, we have kept you safe. The other responsibility is your happiness. And he said, “Have you been drinking?” So that’s how that works at my house.

&nbsp;

A few days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, David Letterman sat behind his desk at CBS’s “Late Show” and shared the story of a rally in Choteau, Montana, to raise money for New York.

A few days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, David Letterman sat behind his desk at CBS’s “Late Show” and shared the story of a rally in Choteau, Montana, to raise money for New York. Getting choked up, he told his viewers, “If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about the spirit of the United States, then I can’t help you.” Nineteen years later, with the country in the midst of a monthslong pandemic, Letterman found it difficult to conjure up any similarly inspiring anecdotes. One morning last week, this veteran late-night host, broadcaster and comedian, now 73, was sitting in a park here, contemplating the Hudson River and cracking wise about the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. “It looks kind of unfinished,” he said through a fabric mask that barely held back his unruly beard. “Doesn’t it look like the new kid got to design it?” But truth be told, Letterman was in a more melancholy than mirthful frame of mind. Though he, his wife, Regina, and their son, Harry, have remained safe, he knows several people who were stricken by the coronavirus, some of whom died from it. And he is deeply frustrated by what he feels have been inconsistent, nationwide efforts to inform people about the pandemic and mitigate its spread. While hardly its most devastating casualty, Letterman’s Netflix interview show, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,” returns Wednesday but nearly came to a halt. He had recorded two episodes, with Kim Kardashian West and with Robert Downey Jr., before the pandemic, and believed the season — if not the series — was finished. Instead, he was able to produce two more episodes over the summer, under substantially different circumstances: one with Dave Chappelle, which was recorded at an outdoor pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio; and one with Lizzo, at her home studio in Los Angeles, which had no audience at all. For Letterman, each of these episodes offered him a further education in the evolution of entertainment and deeper insights as an interviewer and observer of human nature. Even so, he found himself yearning for what he called “the carefree days of nonsense” when he could “bring people into a theater and talk to them for an hour, and when we were done I would go out into the crowd and shake hands, and everybody would want to tongue-kiss me.” “We don’t do that anymore,” he added. Letterman spoke further about his pandemic experience, the making of his Netflix series and what he hopes the future might hold for him. These are edited excerpts from that conversation. Q: How has the pandemic been for you? What is it like for you now? A: Like everybody else, you forget about it. Six, eight months into it, you go on talking as though things are normal, and then it’s, oh, no, we can’t do that because of the pandemic. In the beginning, it was more than ghastly. The husband of a woman that worked at (“Late Show”), he died. A teacher at Harry’s school died. Paul Shaffer and his wife both had it. Cathy, his wife, was hospitalized. Barbara Gaines, who was a producer on the show, she and her wife both had it. And on and on and on. Q: How do you feel when you come into contact with people elsewhere in the country who don’t seem to be taking the pandemic as seriously? A: That makes me very sad. Because we learned a lesson that these other people are dismissing. I was talking to a friend of mine, and he was furious at the mayor of his city for keeping it closed, and he said, “Well, that guy will never be reelected.” And I just thought, do I tell him what this really can be? We’re looking at a quarter of a million people dead soon. But I just didn’t want to have that fight. Q: After the 9/11 attacks, you gave several “Late Show” monologues where you tried to rally your viewers’ spirits and bring them together. Do you ever feel like saying anything similar now? A: Something applicable to these times? I wish I had the wherewithal to say something meaningful. But all of these people who are resisting the idea of prevention, I just keep thinking: What about the families of the 220,000 people who are dead? I wonder how they’re feeling. I don’t get it. I have no solution other than to do what is told: Take care of yourself and your family. Q: How did the pandemic affect your work on your Netflix series? A: I thought we were done for good. Really. In the beginning, it really seemed like, holy God, they’re coming over the wall, we’re all going to die. People keep reminding me that, at my age, I’m particularly vulnerable. Which I don’t appreciate at all. “Dad, you know you’re close to 100, you’d better not go out.” Q: How did you decide to continue with your season? A: We had two more episodes (with Lizzo and Dave Chappelle) in preproduction, and we were eager to do something. We did them within a very short period of time, and then we came home. By that point, there were protocols in place from the production company and from Netflix that we had to observe, gladly, and we got through it OK. Q: Kim Kardashian West, who is now a prized guest on your Netflix series, was a frequent target of mockery in your “Late Show” days. A: Oh, I was at the head of that list. I can remember when she would be booked on the show, it was like, I don’t know anything about her, and I’ve never seen her show. And then when we went to talk to Kanye, I thought, oh, I’ve misjudged this woman. Q: What changed your mind about her? A: After we met with Kanye West (for the previous season of the Netflix series), I had a long talk with her at their home, and I started to think about how I had used her as a joke and regarded her as someone not to be taken seriously. I found that that impression was not the end of the story. She had a family. She has her prison reform program. I won’t comment on the ease of being married to Kanye West. And if she can keep a show like that on the air for all those years, that’s an accomplishment. If you can stay in business on television that long, good for you. Q: You went to Yellow Springs, Ohio, to interview Dave Chappelle. Did you perform at his outdoor comedy show there? A: Yes. I think I did it. (To his publicist) Did I do it? (Publicist answers: “You did it.”) I’m being told I did it (laughs). It was grand. The setting is unique. It’s outdoors. Everybody’s tested, everybody social distanced. He had three or four comics on and each comic made my heart sink deeper. Because when I was doing comedy, a lot of it was (weakly) “Hey, where you from?” But these men and women, whoa — the level of it, the intellect of it, the presentation of it is so much more than it was when me and my little buddies were, “Hey, how ya doin’, I just got in from Indiana.” Really? No one cares. Get outta here. Q: Do you ever have moments in these interviews where you feel as if you don’t have a shared frame of reference to talk to some of these guests? A: Yes. Because the experience is barely parallel. We’re all in show business, but that’s as close a comparison as you can make, culturally. I did feel like, is this going to look stupid? An old guy here, trying to talk to people who are thriving and alive and dominating the world through social media? I felt like it was a wreck. That’s the inner dialogue. Q: How do you get past this? A: Like anybody else that you talk to, every human being, there are situations that helped develop into what they are. So you’re going to get a story out of anybody. It may not happen in the first five minutes, but in every one of these experiences, there’s always a conduit for mutual experience. “Oh yeah? You think that’s something? Well, one time I choked on a peanut-butter sandwich and nearly died.” You have to make everybody a good interview. Q: Do you think that late-night television, a genre that you helped to pioneer, has been diminished in recent years — that so much of it has become political comedy that doesn’t really move the needle and crowds out everything else? A: I know that people have been hugely successful with it. Stephen (Colbert) has done a great job with my old show — his show now. In my day, the goal was just anything to make the audience laugh. That may be part of the dynamic now. People have this hunger to see the current administration being assailed and embarrassing itself. So I think that’s what (late-night shows) worked toward. I don’t fault them for that. After a while, it wears thin, but the appetite for it has not worn thin. I think they still do enough business to keep people happy. Q: Do you ever find yourself fearing for the future of this country? A: I really did, until recently. And now I am confident — or more confident than I’ve been in the last four years — that we’re changing presidents in a couple of weeks. And it will be a huge victory. Not just for our culture and our government, but the simple act of voting will have been the reason that the rest of our country is put back together and, in many ways, saved from what appears to be tyranny, certainly jeopardy. I think it will be a huge victory on many fronts, not the least of which is calling attention to the valuable freedom of voting. Q: Please don’t mistake this for a suggestion, but do you ever think about packing it in as a broadcaster entirely? A: First of all, you can’t hurt my feelings because I’m dead inside. But the Netflix people put me back in business in a way that has been, for me, really, really fun. On the other hand, I recognize my own shelf life. I’m way overdue. When it happens, I still will enjoy little things here and there, and that’ll be enough. But there’s other people more capable. I got no problem with that. If there is any kind of schedule, it would be when my son is finished with high school. But if it’s tomorrow, that’s fine. Q: Your son, Harry, is 16 now. Are you worried about how the pandemic is going to affect his life? A: I think it’s every parent’s concern, regardless of the age of their kids. But for Harry and his buddies, the junior year of high school is a crucial experience. Now they’re starting to look beyond high school, and it’s not good. For guys Harry’s age and older, it might be a setback. Time takes care of everything, and one hopes that that’s the case here. Q: How do you talk about these feelings with him? A: I had a conversation with my son the other night that went this way. Because of the pandemic and the fact that he’s getting older, I said, Harry, your mother and I have two responsibilities. One is to keep you safe. And other than the time that your mother let you roll off the bed and land on your head, we have kept you safe. The other responsibility is your happiness. And he said, “Have you been drinking?” So that’s how that works at my house.

David Letterman isn’t here to cheer you up this time

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made an unusually small number of public appearances in the past two months, once again going three weeks without state media reporting his attendance at a public event, according to analysts.

Kim’s low profile comes as North Korea imposes anti-coronavirus measures, although the country says it has no confirmed cases, and follows intense speculation about his health last month after he missed a key anniversary.

Kim has appeared publicly four times in April and so far in May, compared to 27 times in the same period last year.

Since coming to power in 2011, the previous fewest public appearances Kim has made during those months was 21 in 2017, according to a tally by Chad O’Carroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, a Seoul-based organisation that tracks North Korea.

“This is not business as normal,” he said in a post on Twitter this week.

As a leader with near-absolute power over North Korea’s 25.5 million people, and access to a growing arsenal of nuclear weapons, Kim’s health and whereabouts are often scrutinized by the international community for any signs of instability.

Information in North Korea is tightly controlled, however, and independently confirmed details on Kim are almost non-existent.

South Korean officials have said they believe Kim’s limited public appearances may be precautions in the face of coronavirus concerns. North Korea has cancelled, postponed, or toned down many major public gatherings because the new coronavirus.

When asked about Kim’s absences, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said on Friday it is monitoring the situation, but noted Kim is often out of the public eye.

Citing an unnamed South Korean government official, JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported Kim may be carrying out his duties from a favoured villa in Wonsan, on the coast.

But the North Korean leader may also simply be focused on some of the domestic economic and political goals he outlined before the coronavirus crisis struck, said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a former North Korea open source intelligence analyst in the U.S. government.

“COVID does remain a major concern for the country, but state media coverage of COVID has declined over the past month or so, so I don’t seen regime’s increased concern,” she said.

Friday marks three weeks since state media last showed images of Kim attending a public event.

North Korean state media reported Kim attended the opening ceremony of a fertilizer plant on May 1. That appearance marked a reemergence for Kim, whose unprecedented absence from a major holiday on April 15 sparked weeks of international speculation over his health and whereabouts.

Since then, state media has carried a steady stream of stories on Kim sending or receiving letters and diplomatic correspondence, but have not shown him attending public events.

Kim’s longest public absence was for 40 days in 2014. South Korea’s spy agency later said Kim had undergone a medical procedure on his ankle during that time.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made an unusually small number of public appearances in the past two months, once again going three weeks without state media reporting his attendance at a public event, according to analysts.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made an unusually small number of public appearances in the past two months, once again going three weeks without state media reporting his attendance at a public event, according to analysts. Kim’s low profile comes as North Korea imposes anti-coronavirus measures, although the country says it has no confirmed cases, and follows intense speculation about his health last month after he missed a key anniversary. Kim has appeared publicly four times in April and so far in May, compared to 27 times in the same period last year. Since coming to power in 2011, the previous fewest public appearances Kim has made during those months was 21 in 2017, according to a tally by Chad O’Carroll, CEO of Korea Risk Group, a Seoul-based organisation that tracks North Korea. “This is not business as normal,” he said in a post on Twitter this week. As a leader with near-absolute power over North Korea’s 25.5 million people, and access to a growing arsenal of nuclear weapons, Kim’s health and whereabouts are often scrutinized by the international community for any signs of instability. Information in North Korea is tightly controlled, however, and independently confirmed details on Kim are almost non-existent. South Korean officials have said they believe Kim’s limited public appearances may be precautions in the face of coronavirus concerns. North Korea has cancelled, postponed, or toned down many major public gatherings because the new coronavirus. When asked about Kim’s absences, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said on Friday it is monitoring the situation, but noted Kim is often out of the public eye. Citing an unnamed South Korean government official, JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported Kim may be carrying out his duties from a favoured villa in Wonsan, on the coast. But the North Korean leader may also simply be focused on some of the domestic economic and political goals he outlined before the coronavirus crisis struck, said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a former North Korea open source intelligence analyst in the U.S. government. “COVID does remain a major concern for the country, but state media coverage of COVID has declined over the past month or so, so I don’t seen regime’s increased concern,” she said. Friday marks three weeks since state media last showed images of Kim attending a public event. North Korean state media reported Kim attended the opening ceremony of a fertilizer plant on May 1. That appearance marked a reemergence for Kim, whose unprecedented absence from a major holiday on April 15 sparked weeks of international speculation over his health and whereabouts. Since then, state media has carried a steady stream of stories on Kim sending or receiving letters and diplomatic correspondence, but have not shown him attending public events. Kim’s longest public absence was for 40 days in 2014. South Korea’s spy agency later said Kim had undergone a medical procedure on his ankle during that time.

North Korea's Kim keeps low public profile in May: Analysts

South Korea has said that Kim Jong-un, is “alive and well”, downplaying rumours that the North Korean leader was seriously ill after undergoing heart surgery. Watch report.

South Korea confirms Kim-Jong-Un is 'alive and well'

Instagram followers: Top 10 most-followed accounts, Ronaldo crosses 200m mark

The aunt of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made her first public appearance in about six years, state media reported Sunday, quelling rumours that she was purged or executed by her nephew.

According to a Korean Central News Agency dispatch, the name of Kim Kyong Hui was included in a list of top North Korean officials who watched a performance marking Lunar New Year's Day with Kim Jong Un at a Pyongyang theatre on Saturday.

North Korea's main newspaper also released a photo showing Kim Kyong Hui sitting near Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, at the Samjiyon Theater.

Kim Kyong Hui, 73, was once an influential figure in North Korea as the only sister of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un.

She held a slew of top posts such as a four-star army general and a ruling Workers' Party departmental director.

She was also believed to have played a key role in grooming Kim Jong Un as the next leader after Kim Jong Il suffered a stroke in 2008. 
&nbsp;Kim Jong Un eventually inherited power after his father died of a heart attack in late 2011.

Kim Kyong Hui's fate had been in doubt after Kim Jong Un had her husband, Jang Song Thaek, executed for treason in December 2013. 
&nbsp;He was once considered the North's No. 2.

Days after Jang's execution, Kim Kyong Hui's name was mentioned in a KCNA dispatch as a member of a funeral committee for another top official.

But she missed a state ceremony commemorating the second anniversary of Kim Jong Il's death days later. Her name had since never been mentioned in North Korean state media until Sunday's KCNA report.

Some North Korea monitoring groups in Seoul and foreign media outlets had speculated Kim Jong Un had his aunt also executed or purged, or she died of health problems.

Outside experts said Kim Kyong Hui had long suffered from liver and heart problems and high blood pressure.

Analyst Cheong Seong-Chang at South Korea's private Sejong Institute said Kim Kyong Hui's reemergence suggested Kim Jong Un was attempting to strengthen the unity of his ruling family as he's pushing to harden his position toward the United States installed nuclear negotiations.

Cheong, however, predicted that Kim Kyong Hui won't likely regain her political influence as she has no position in the North's powerful Politburo, whose memberships have already been filled with new figures.

The aunt of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made her first public appearance in about six years, state media reported Sunday, quelling rumours that she was purged or executed by her nephew.

The aunt of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made her first public appearance in about six years, state media reported Sunday, quelling rumours that she was purged or executed by her nephew. According to a Korean Central News Agency dispatch, the name of Kim Kyong Hui was included in a list of top North Korean officials who watched a performance marking Lunar New Year's Day with Kim Jong Un at a Pyongyang theatre on Saturday. North Korea's main newspaper also released a photo showing Kim Kyong Hui sitting near Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, at the Samjiyon Theater. Kim Kyong Hui, 73, was once an influential figure in North Korea as the only sister of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the father of Kim Jong Un. She held a slew of top posts such as a four-star army general and a ruling Workers' Party departmental director. She was also believed to have played a key role in grooming Kim Jong Un as the next leader after Kim Jong Il suffered a stroke in 2008. Kim Jong Un eventually inherited power after his father died of a heart attack in late 2011. Kim Kyong Hui's fate had been in doubt after Kim Jong Un had her husband, Jang Song Thaek, executed for treason in December 2013. He was once considered the North's No. 2. Days after Jang's execution, Kim Kyong Hui's name was mentioned in a KCNA dispatch as a member of a funeral committee for another top official. But she missed a state ceremony commemorating the second anniversary of Kim Jong Il's death days later. Her name had since never been mentioned in North Korean state media until Sunday's KCNA report. Some North Korea monitoring groups in Seoul and foreign media outlets had speculated Kim Jong Un had his aunt also executed or purged, or she died of health problems. Outside experts said Kim Kyong Hui had long suffered from liver and heart problems and high blood pressure. Analyst Cheong Seong-Chang at South Korea's private Sejong Institute said Kim Kyong Hui's reemergence suggested Kim Jong Un was attempting to strengthen the unity of his ruling family as he's pushing to harden his position toward the United States installed nuclear negotiations. Cheong, however, predicted that Kim Kyong Hui won't likely regain her political influence as she has no position in the North's powerful Politburo, whose memberships have already been filled with new figures.

Kim Jong Un's aunt reemerges after speculation about her fate

North Korea's state-run television KRT on Thursday (January 2) broadcast a new video of leader Kim Jong Un riding white horse at a sacred mountain with his aides in late 2019.

North Korea's state TV airs video of Kim riding horse at Mount Paektu

North Korea said Sunday the United States must not exploit the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-and-trump-have-special-relationship-state-media-257802">"close personal relations"</a> between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as negotiations over Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal remain deadlocked.

Talks between Pyongyang and Washington have stalled since a second summit between Trump and Kim in Hanoi in February broke down without an agreement.

The two have since blamed each other for the failure of the summit, with the North demanding the US bring forward a "new method" by the end of the year.

Kim Yong Chol, who served as the North's counterpart to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo until the collapse of the Hanoi meeting, credited Trump and Kim's close ties for salvaging the diplomacy but warned they were not enough.

"There is a limit to everything," Kim, now the chairman of the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

"The close personal relations can never be kept aloof from the public mindset and they are never a guarantee for preventing the DPRK-US relations from getting aggravated," he said using the acronym for the North's official name.

It was a rare statement by the former top envoy, who was rumoured to have been purged following the collapse of the Hanoi summit until he reappeared in a photo accompanying Kim Jong Un at an art performance in June.

His comment comes just days after Trump touted his close ties with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-leader-kim-vows-to-clear-south-korea-relics-from-kumgang-resort-257625">North Korean leader</a>, saying they liked each other and shared mutual "respect".

Pyongyang reciprocated in a statement by a top official, citing Kim as saying "the relationship between him and President Trump is special".

After trading threats of war and insults in 2017, the two leaders held a high-profile summit in Singapore last year, with Kim signing a vague pledge to work towards "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula".

But little progress has been made after an unsuccessful second summit in Hanoi in February, and earlier this month, the North broke off the latest round of working-level talks in Sweden.&nbsp;

North Korea said Sunday the United States must not exploit the "close personal relations" between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as negotiations over Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal remain deadlocked.

North Korea said Sunday the United States must not exploit the "close personal relations" between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump as negotiations over Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal remain deadlocked. Talks between Pyongyang and Washington have stalled since a second summit between Trump and Kim in Hanoi in February broke down without an agreement. The two have since blamed each other for the failure of the summit, with the North demanding the US bring forward a "new method" by the end of the year. Kim Yong Chol, who served as the North's counterpart to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo until the collapse of the Hanoi meeting, credited Trump and Kim's close ties for salvaging the diplomacy but warned they were not enough. "There is a limit to everything," Kim, now the chairman of the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency. "The close personal relations can never be kept aloof from the public mindset and they are never a guarantee for preventing the DPRK-US relations from getting aggravated," he said using the acronym for the North's official name. It was a rare statement by the former top envoy, who was rumoured to have been purged following the collapse of the Hanoi summit until he reappeared in a photo accompanying Kim Jong Un at an art performance in June. His comment comes just days after Trump touted his close ties with the North Korean leader, saying they liked each other and shared mutual "respect". Pyongyang reciprocated in a statement by a top official, citing Kim as saying "the relationship between him and President Trump is special". After trading threats of war and insults in 2017, the two leaders held a high-profile summit in Singapore last year, with Kim signing a vague pledge to work towards "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". But little progress has been made after an unsuccessful second summit in Hanoi in February, and earlier this month, the North broke off the latest round of working-level talks in Sweden.

North Korea warns United States not to exploit 'close' Trump-Kim ties

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-developing-warheads-to-penetrate-missile-defences-japan-245932">North Korea</a>`s parliament has approved changes to the country`s constitution to solidify leader Kim Jong Un`s role as head of state, official state media said on Thursday.

The move comes after Kim was formally named head of state and commander-in-chief of the military in a new constitution in July that analysts said was possibly aimed at preparing for a peace treaty with the United States.

North Korea has long called for a<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-says-ready-for-dialogue-or-confrontation-with-us-244911"> peace deal with the United States</a> to normalise relations and end the technical state of war that has existed since the 1950-1953 Korean War, which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.&nbsp;

Kim`s legal status as "representing our state has been further consolidated to firmly ensure the monolithic guidance of the Supreme Leader over all state affairs", state news agency KCNA quoted Choe Ryong Hae, president of the presidium of the supreme people`s assembly, as saying.&nbsp;

The presidium president had historically been the nominal head of state.

But the new constitution said Kim, as chairman of the State Affairs Commission (SAC), a top governing body created in 2016, was the supreme representative of all the Korean people, as well as "commander-in-chief".

A previous constitution simply called Kim the "supreme leader" who commanded the country`s "overall military force".

Thursday`s constitutional amendments appear to confirm that North Korea`s legal system will now recognise Kim as head of state.

The new constitution authorises Kim to promulgate legislative ordinances and major decrees and decisions and appoint or recall diplomatic envoys to foreign countries, KCNA said.

"With the amendment, Kim Jong Un is reviving his grandfather’s head of state system," said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute. "He has become a de facto head of state."

In reality Kim, a third-generation hereditary leader, rules North Korea with an iron fist and the title change will mean little to the way he wields power.

The back-to-back constitutional revision is unprecedented and Kim is emerging as perhaps the most powerful leader since his grandfather Kim Il Sung, who founded North Korea, said Rachel Minyoung Lee, an analyst with NK News, a website that tracks North Korea.

"By further bolstering the SAC chairman`s authority, Kim Jong Un is now on par with Kim Il Sung," she said.

Other analysts noted that the moves simply codified the power Kim Jong Un already wields as supreme leader.

"This is more a matter of shuffling the card deck and clarifying a few lines of authority," said Michael Madden, an expert on North Korean leadership and a fellow at the US-based Stimson Center.

"There is no question that Kim Jong Un is the regime`s key and - on strategic policy - sole decider," he said.

There has been scant progress in the US&nbsp;aim of getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programme despite three meetings between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Trump has said he and Kim agreed at their last meeting to resume working-level talks, although these have yet to happen. North Korea has since conducted multiple missile tests, while accusing Washington of breaking a pledge to stop joint military exercises with South Korea.

North Korea`s parliament has approved changes to the country`s constitution to solidify leader Kim Jong Un`s role as head of state, official state media said on Thursday.

North Korea`s parliament has approved changes to the country`s constitution to solidify leader Kim Jong Un`s role as head of state, official state media said on Thursday. The move comes after Kim was formally named head of state and commander-in-chief of the military in a new constitution in July that analysts said was possibly aimed at preparing for a peace treaty with the United States. North Korea has long called for a peace deal with the United States to normalise relations and end the technical state of war that has existed since the 1950-1953 Korean War, which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Kim`s legal status as "representing our state has been further consolidated to firmly ensure the monolithic guidance of the Supreme Leader over all state affairs", state news agency KCNA quoted Choe Ryong Hae, president of the presidium of the supreme people`s assembly, as saying. The presidium president had historically been the nominal head of state. But the new constitution said Kim, as chairman of the State Affairs Commission (SAC), a top governing body created in 2016, was the supreme representative of all the Korean people, as well as "commander-in-chief". A previous constitution simply called Kim the "supreme leader" who commanded the country`s "overall military force". Thursday`s constitutional amendments appear to confirm that North Korea`s legal system will now recognise Kim as head of state. The new constitution authorises Kim to promulgate legislative ordinances and major decrees and decisions and appoint or recall diplomatic envoys to foreign countries, KCNA said. "With the amendment, Kim Jong Un is reviving his grandfather’s head of state system," said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute. "He has become a de facto head of state." In reality Kim, a third-generation hereditary leader, rules North Korea with an iron fist and the title change will mean little to the way he wields power. The back-to-back constitutional revision is unprecedented and Kim is emerging as perhaps the most powerful leader since his grandfather Kim Il Sung, who founded North Korea, said Rachel Minyoung Lee, an analyst with NK News, a website that tracks North Korea. "By further bolstering the SAC chairman`s authority, Kim Jong Un is now on par with Kim Il Sung," she said. Other analysts noted that the moves simply codified the power Kim Jong Un already wields as supreme leader. "This is more a matter of shuffling the card deck and clarifying a few lines of authority," said Michael Madden, an expert on North Korean leadership and a fellow at the US-based Stimson Center. "There is no question that Kim Jong Un is the regime`s key and - on strategic policy - sole decider," he said. There has been scant progress in the US aim of getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons programme despite three meetings between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. Trump has said he and Kim agreed at their last meeting to resume working-level talks, although these have yet to happen. North Korea has since conducted multiple missile tests, while accusing Washington of breaking a pledge to stop joint military exercises with South Korea.

North Korea changes constitution to solidify Kim Jong Un’s rule

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-south-korea-lack-political-willon-peace-talks-north-korea-241083">North Korea</a>'s leader Kim Jong-un&nbsp;says the country's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-conducts-new-launches-threatens-to-take-new-road-240949">latest missile launches</a> were a warning to Washington and Seoul over their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-south-korea-defy-norths-warnings-start-joint-drills-240816">joint war games</a>, state news agency KCNA reported on Wednesday, as tensions rise on the Korean peninsula.

The latest launch by the nuclear-armed North came after the South Korean and US militaries began mainly computer-simulated joint exercises on Monday to test Seoul's ability to take operational control in wartime.

Those drills are taking place despite Pyongyang's warnings that the exercises would jeopardise nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea.

KCNA said Kim had watched the launches early Tuesday, which verified the "war capacity" of the "new-type tactical guided missiles".

With the launches carried out satisfactorily, "Kim Jong Un noted that the said military action would be an occasion to send an adequate warning to the joint military drill now underway by the US and South Korean authorities," KCNA said.

Pyongyang on Tuesday fired two projectiles that "are assumed to be short-range ballistic missiles" into the sea, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said earlier.

The latest weapons tests were the fourth pair of projectiles fired in less than two weeks, and the North has threatened more.

US President Donald Trump last week downplayed the North's launches, saying Kim would not want to "disappoint" him.

Trump and Kim held a historic summit in Singapore last year, where the North made a vague pledge on denuclearisation.&nbsp;

A second summit in Hanoi this February broke up amid disagreements over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang might be willing to give up in return.

The two agreed to resume nuclear talks during their impromptu June meeting in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula, but working-level dialogue has yet to begin.

Analysts say the military manoeuvres on both sides could see discussions pushed back until the autumn, and Pyongyang signalled Tuesday that it was in no mood to talk.

It called the drills a "flagrant violation" of the diplomatic process between Pyongyang, Washington and Seoul.

Pyongyang has always been infuriated by military exercises between the South and US, seeing them as rehearsals for invasion, but in the past it has tended to avoid carrying out missile tests while the war games were taking place.

After the Singapore summit, Trump made a shock announcement halting joint drills, adopting Pyongyang's own description of them as "provocative".

War games known as Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) scheduled for August last year were subsequently suspended and the allies' biggest annual drills, Foal Eagle and Key Resolve, were replaced with a shorter "Dong Maeng" or "Alliance" exercise in March.

US National Security Advisor John Bolton on Tuesday said the latest drills are "consistent with the partnership we have with South Korea.&nbsp;

"North Korea has continued its exercises unabated. So they don't really have a lot to complain about," he told the "Fox and Friends" television show.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un says the country's latest missile launches were a warning to Washington and Seoul over their joint war games, state news agency KCNA reported on Wednesday, as tensions rise on the Korean peninsula.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un says the country's latest missile launches were a warning to Washington and Seoul over their joint war games, state news agency KCNA reported on Wednesday, as tensions rise on the Korean peninsula. The latest launch by the nuclear-armed North came after the South Korean and US militaries began mainly computer-simulated joint exercises on Monday to test Seoul's ability to take operational control in wartime. Those drills are taking place despite Pyongyang's warnings that the exercises would jeopardise nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea. KCNA said Kim had watched the launches early Tuesday, which verified the "war capacity" of the "new-type tactical guided missiles". With the launches carried out satisfactorily, "Kim Jong Un noted that the said military action would be an occasion to send an adequate warning to the joint military drill now underway by the US and South Korean authorities," KCNA said. Pyongyang on Tuesday fired two projectiles that "are assumed to be short-range ballistic missiles" into the sea, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said earlier. The latest weapons tests were the fourth pair of projectiles fired in less than two weeks, and the North has threatened more. US President Donald Trump last week downplayed the North's launches, saying Kim would not want to "disappoint" him. Trump and Kim held a historic summit in Singapore last year, where the North made a vague pledge on denuclearisation. A second summit in Hanoi this February broke up amid disagreements over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang might be willing to give up in return. The two agreed to resume nuclear talks during their impromptu June meeting in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula, but working-level dialogue has yet to begin. Analysts say the military manoeuvres on both sides could see discussions pushed back until the autumn, and Pyongyang signalled Tuesday that it was in no mood to talk. It called the drills a "flagrant violation" of the diplomatic process between Pyongyang, Washington and Seoul. Pyongyang has always been infuriated by military exercises between the South and US, seeing them as rehearsals for invasion, but in the past it has tended to avoid carrying out missile tests while the war games were taking place. After the Singapore summit, Trump made a shock announcement halting joint drills, adopting Pyongyang's own description of them as "provocative". War games known as Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) scheduled for August last year were subsequently suspended and the allies' biggest annual drills, Foal Eagle and Key Resolve, were replaced with a shorter "Dong Maeng" or "Alliance" exercise in March. US National Security Advisor John Bolton on Tuesday said the latest drills are "consistent with the partnership we have with South Korea. "North Korea has continued its exercises unabated. So they don't really have a lot to complain about," he told the "Fox and Friends" television show.

Kim Jong-un sends missile 'warning' to South Korea, US as tensions rise

Seoul and Washington began annual joint military exercises on Monday, defying warnings from Pyongyang that the war games will jeopardise nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea.

Seoul and Washington began annual joint military exercises on Monday, defying warnings from Pyongyang that the war games will jeopardise nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea. The drills come after Pyongyang tested a series of short-range projectiles in recent days, calling one of them a "solemn warning" to Seoul against pursuing the mainly computer-simulated drills with Washington. South Korean defence minister Jeong Kyeong-doo told parliament that the joint exercise began Monday, adding that Seoul was "clearly maintaining its readiness posture against any military action by North Korea". Details about the training have not been disclosed, but a ministry official in Seoul said this year's exercise will include verifying South Korea's abilities to take operational control in wartime. Under the US-South Korea security treaty, an American general will take command of their combined forces in the event of armed conflict, but Seoul has long sought to reverse the position. Analysts say the military activities by both sides could delay talks on the North's weapons programmes - which have seen it subjected to multiple sets of UN Security Council sanctions - until later this year. After a year of mutual threats and mounting tensions, US President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un held a historic meeting in Singapore last year, when Kim signed a vague pledge to work towards "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". A second summit in Hanoi in February broke up amid disagreement on sanctions relief and what the North might be willing to give up in return. Trump and Kim agreed to resume nuclear talks during their impromptu June meeting in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula, but that working-level dialogue has yet to begin. The nuclear-armed North - which attacked its neighbour in 1950, triggering the Korean War - has always been infuriated by military exercises between the US and the South, decrying them as rehearsals for invasion. After the Singapore summit, Trump made a shock announcement halting joint drills, adopting Pyongyang's description of them as "provocative" at an extraordinary, freewheeling press conference. War games known as Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) and scheduled for August last year were subsequently suspended. And the allies' biggest annual drills, Foal Eagle and Key Resolve, which took place every spring and involved tens of thousands of troops, were replaced with a shorter "Dong Maeng" or "Alliance" exercise in March. Changing stance The August drills were scaled down earlier this year, Yonhap news agency reported, and have not been named, with an official from Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) telling AFP that they "cannot comment any further" on their designation. South Korean media have dubbed the command post exercise "19-2 Dong Maeng", indicating the second Dong Maeng exercise of 2019. Pyongyang warned last week that further nuclear talks could be derailed if Seoul and Washington push ahead with the manoeuvres. And on Friday, North Korea carried out its third weapons test in the space of eight days, firing what it called a new "large calibre multiple launch guided rocket system". Seoul's presidential office said it was highly likely to be "a new type of short-range ballistic missile". Ahn Chan-il, a North Korean defector and researcher in Seoul, told AFP: "Drills might not have taken place today if there had been some concrete progress with the nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington, considering UFG was suspended last year." The North's recent launches also affected the allies' decision, he added. "This also signals Seoul's changing stance on Pyongyang." Trump has brushed off the North's tests, saying Kim will not want to "disappoint" him because he has "far too much to lose". "He will do the right thing because he is far too smart not to, and he does not want to disappoint his friend, President Trump!" he said. There are 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea to protect it against its neighbour, many of them based south of Seoul at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek - Washington's biggest overseas military facility.

US, South Korea defy North's warnings, start joint drills

North Korean launched yet another projectile. According to the reports, the North Korean projectiles launched early Friday are believed to be short-range ballistic missiles, Kyodo News reported, citing unnamed Japanese government officials.

North Korea: 3rd missile test in over a week

North Korea test more missiles, South Korea holds emergency meeting

Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/donald-trump-meets-kim-jong-un-becomes-first-sitting-united-states-president-to-set-foot-in-north-korea-231748">meeting in the Korean Demilitarized Zone</a> produced a barrage of headlines and images, but left analysts questioning whether it was a small step for publicity or a giant leap for peace.

The impromptu encounter saw Trump briefly crossing over the demarcation line -- becoming the first sitting US president to step into Pyongyang's territory.

It came months after their second summit in Hanoi broke down over what the nuclear-armed North would be willing to give up in exchange for sanctions relief.

After around an hour of talks in Panmunjom -- the "truce village" in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/demilitarised-zone-the-worlds-last-cold-war-frontier-231677">DMZ </a>that has divided the peninsula since the two sides and their allies fought each other to a stalemate in 1953 -- Trump emerged to say the two would begin working-level talks in the next few weeks.

He also invited the North's leader to Washington "at the right time", he added.

It was a more substantive outcome than many had expected after Trump issued his Twitter invitation to Kim and said the meeting could be as short as two minutes to simply "say hello".

But analysts questioned whether it would be enough to create sustainable progress in a process that has already been running for years and has regularly become bogged down.

Vipin Narang, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the "reality show theatrics" of Panmunjom were worth it if they led to effective working-level talks.

"If not, then we will keep tuning into this same show for the next 15 months," he added.

While the Trump administration is adamant it wants to see North Korea give up its nuclear arsenal, Pyongyang has never publicly declared it is willing to do so, referring instead to the wider and more ambiguous "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula".

The North is seeking relief from wide-ranging sanctions imposed on it over its weapons programmes, and has offered to close part of its Yongbyon nuclear centre, but specialists say it has other facilities producing material for weapons.

The Panmunjom meeting gave both leaders "a good reason to seek dialogue again", said Hong Min, a senior researcher at the South's state-run Korea Institute for National Unification.

'Pushes and nudges'

But Mintaro Oba, a former State Department official in the Obama administration, called it a "temporary burst of momentum".

"We are engaged in a sort of 'defibrillator diplomacy' with North Korea: keeping the process alive through an occasional injection of energy, but never treating the underlying disease," Oba tweeted.

How much progress the talks will make is open to question, experts say.

Since the Hanoi summit collapse, Pyongyang has accused Washington of acting in "bad faith" and given it until the end of the year to change its approach, and last month fired short-range missiles for the first time since November 2017.

In recent months Pyongyang has also slammed Trump's top aides -- National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- and demanded their removal from talks.

"That could create problems," said Go Myong-hyun, an analyst at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies.

For both participants, though, the meeting had its uses.

With a presidential election in the US next year, Trump's dramatic steps into North Korea will be a "useful tool" on the campaign trail, said Koo Kab-woo, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

For its part, the North has long wanted to be treated as an equal to the US and sought to have Bill Clinton visit Pyongyang before his term expired.

It will welcome Sunday's symbolism, said former CIA analyst Soo Kim.

"Kim didn't have to lift a finger to get Trump to cross the DMZ," she told AFP, even though there had been "no progress on denuclearisation", and the North was continuing to advance its nuclear capabilities, test missiles and evade sanctions.

The short-notice meeting fits right into Pyongyang's playbook, she said, sending a message to the North that US policy was "quite porous" and suggesting that "with subsequent pushes and nudges, Kim will get his own way". 
&nbsp;

Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un's meeting in the Korean Demilitarized Zone produced a barrage of headlines and images, but left analysts questioning whether it was a small step for publicity or a giant leap for peace.

Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un's meeting in the Korean Demilitarized Zone produced a barrage of headlines and images, but left analysts questioning whether it was a small step for publicity or a giant leap for peace. The impromptu encounter saw Trump briefly crossing over the demarcation line -- becoming the first sitting US president to step into Pyongyang's territory. It came months after their second summit in Hanoi broke down over what the nuclear-armed North would be willing to give up in exchange for sanctions relief. After around an hour of talks in Panmunjom -- the "truce village" in the DMZ that has divided the peninsula since the two sides and their allies fought each other to a stalemate in 1953 -- Trump emerged to say the two would begin working-level talks in the next few weeks. He also invited the North's leader to Washington "at the right time", he added. It was a more substantive outcome than many had expected after Trump issued his Twitter invitation to Kim and said the meeting could be as short as two minutes to simply "say hello". But analysts questioned whether it would be enough to create sustainable progress in a process that has already been running for years and has regularly become bogged down. Vipin Narang, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the "reality show theatrics" of Panmunjom were worth it if they led to effective working-level talks. "If not, then we will keep tuning into this same show for the next 15 months," he added. While the Trump administration is adamant it wants to see North Korea give up its nuclear arsenal, Pyongyang has never publicly declared it is willing to do so, referring instead to the wider and more ambiguous "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula". The North is seeking relief from wide-ranging sanctions imposed on it over its weapons programmes, and has offered to close part of its Yongbyon nuclear centre, but specialists say it has other facilities producing material for weapons. The Panmunjom meeting gave both leaders "a good reason to seek dialogue again", said Hong Min, a senior researcher at the South's state-run Korea Institute for National Unification. 'Pushes and nudges' But Mintaro Oba, a former State Department official in the Obama administration, called it a "temporary burst of momentum". "We are engaged in a sort of 'defibrillator diplomacy' with North Korea: keeping the process alive through an occasional injection of energy, but never treating the underlying disease," Oba tweeted. How much progress the talks will make is open to question, experts say. Since the Hanoi summit collapse, Pyongyang has accused Washington of acting in "bad faith" and given it until the end of the year to change its approach, and last month fired short-range missiles for the first time since November 2017. In recent months Pyongyang has also slammed Trump's top aides -- National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- and demanded their removal from talks. "That could create problems," said Go Myong-hyun, an analyst at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies. For both participants, though, the meeting had its uses. With a presidential election in the US next year, Trump's dramatic steps into North Korea will be a "useful tool" on the campaign trail, said Koo Kab-woo, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. For its part, the North has long wanted to be treated as an equal to the US and sought to have Bill Clinton visit Pyongyang before his term expired. It will welcome Sunday's symbolism, said former CIA analyst Soo Kim. "Kim didn't have to lift a finger to get Trump to cross the DMZ," she told AFP, even though there had been "no progress on denuclearisation", and the North was continuing to advance its nuclear capabilities, test missiles and evade sanctions. The short-notice meeting fits right into Pyongyang's playbook, she said, sending a message to the North that US policy was "quite porous" and suggesting that "with subsequent pushes and nudges, Kim will get his own way".

Trump-Kim III: Publicity stunt or leap for peace?

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-signs-rs-200-crore-anti-tank-missile-deal-with-russia-231721">India signs Rs 200 crore anti-tank missile deal with Russia</a>

Seeking to keep itself battle-ready in situations like the one post-Balakot aerial strikes, India has signed a deal to acquire 'Strum Ataka'&nbsp;anti-tank&nbsp;missile from Russia&nbsp;for its fleet of Mi-35 attack choppers.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-calls-daughter-ivanka-and-pompeo-beautiful-couple-beauty-and-the-beast-231774">Trump tries off-hand humour again, calls daughter Ivanka and Pompeo 'beautiful couple'</a>

US President Donald Trump is known for his slapstick humour and off-hand comments. On Sunday, the US president went on to launch another remark, this time involving&nbsp;his daughter Ivanka Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/huawei-allowed-to-buy-from-us-suppliers-as-relations-with-china-are-back-on-track-231743">Huawei allowed to buy from US suppliers as relations with China are 'back on track'</a>

United States President Donald Trump in a series of tweets on Saturday said he had a great meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the&nbsp;G20 summit in Japan's Osaka&nbsp;where he also agreed to continue negotiations over the stalled trade talks between the two world economies.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/money-in-swiss-banks-india-slips-to-74th-place-uk-remains-on-top-231751">Money in Swiss banks: India slips to 74th place, UK remains on top&nbsp;</a>

India has moved down one place to 74th rank in terms of&nbsp;money parked by its citizens and enterprises with Swiss banks, while the UK has retained its top position, as per data released by the central banking authority of the Alpine nation.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/donald-trump-meets-kim-jong-un-becomes-first-sitting-united-states-president-to-set-foot-in-north-korea-231748">Donald Trump meets Kim Jong-un, becomes first sitting United States president to set foot in North Korea</a>

US President Donald Trump became the first sitting US president to set foot in North Korea on Sunday when he met its leader, Kim Jong Un, in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas.

India signs Rs 200 crore anti-tank missile deal with Russia Seeking to keep itself battle-ready in situations like the one post-Balakot aerial strikes, India has signed a deal to acquire 'Strum Ataka' anti-tank missile from Russia for its fleet of Mi-35 attack choppers.

India signs Rs 200 crore anti-tank missile deal with Russia Seeking to keep itself battle-ready in situations like the one post-Balakot aerial strikes, India has signed a deal to acquire 'Strum Ataka' anti-tank missile from Russia for its fleet of Mi-35 attack choppers. Trump tries off-hand humour again, calls daughter Ivanka and Pompeo 'beautiful couple' US President Donald Trump is known for his slapstick humour and off-hand comments. On Sunday, the US president went on to launch another remark, this time involving his daughter Ivanka Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Huawei allowed to buy from US suppliers as relations with China are 'back on track' United States President Donald Trump in a series of tweets on Saturday said he had a great meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan's Osaka where he also agreed to continue negotiations over the stalled trade talks between the two world economies. Money in Swiss banks: India slips to 74th place, UK remains on top India has moved down one place to 74th rank in terms of money parked by its citizens and enterprises with Swiss banks, while the UK has retained its top position, as per data released by the central banking authority of the Alpine nation. Donald Trump meets Kim Jong-un, becomes first sitting United States president to set foot in North Korea US President Donald Trump became the first sitting US president to set foot in North Korea on Sunday when he met its leader, Kim Jong Un, in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un who was killed in Malaysia in 2017, had been an informant for the US Central Intelligence Agency, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

The Journal cited an unnamed "person knowledgeable about the matter" for the report, and said many details of Kim Jong Nam`s relationship with the CIA remained unclear.

Reuters could not independently confirm the story. The CIA declined to comment.

The Journal quoted the person as saying "There was a nexus" between the CIA and Kim Jong Nam.

"Several former US officials said the half brother, who had lived outside of North Korea for many years and had no known power base in Pyongyang, was unlikely to be able to provide details of the secretive country`s inner workings," the Journal said.

The former officials also said Kim Jong Nam had been almost certainly in contact with security services of other countries, particularly China`s, the Journal said.

Kim Jong Nam`s role as a CIA informant is mentioned in a new book about Kim Jong Un, "The Great Successor," by Washington Post reporter Anna Fifield that is due to be published on Tuesday. Fifield says Kim Jong Nam usually met his handlers in Singapore and Malaysia, citing a source with knowledge of the intelligence.

The book says that security camera footage from Kim Jong Nam`s last trip to Malaysia showed him in a hotel elevator with an Asian-looking man who was reported to be a US &nbsp;intelligence agent. It said Ki`s backpack contained $120,000 in cash, which could have been payment for intelligence-related activities, or earnings from his casino businesses.

South Korean and US officials have said the North Korean authorities had ordered the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, who had been critical of his family`s dynastic rule. Pyongyang has denied the allegation.

Two women were charged with poisoning Kim Jong Nam by smearing his face with liquid VX, a banned chemical weapon, at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017. Malaysia released Doan Thi Huong, who is Vietnamese, in May, and Indonesian Siti Aisyah in March.

According to the Journal, the person said Kim Jong Nam had traveled to Malaysia in February 2017 to meet his CIA contact, although that may not have been the sole purpose of the trip.

US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un have met twice, in Hanoi in February and Singapore last June, seeming to build personal goodwill but failing to agree on a deal to lift US sanctions in exchange for North Korea abandoning its nuclear and missile programs.

Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un who was killed in Malaysia in 2017, had been an informant for the US Central Intelligence Agency, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un who was killed in Malaysia in 2017, had been an informant for the US Central Intelligence Agency, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The Journal cited an unnamed "person knowledgeable about the matter" for the report, and said many details of Kim Jong Nam`s relationship with the CIA remained unclear. Reuters could not independently confirm the story. The CIA declined to comment. The Journal quoted the person as saying "There was a nexus" between the CIA and Kim Jong Nam. "Several former US officials said the half brother, who had lived outside of North Korea for many years and had no known power base in Pyongyang, was unlikely to be able to provide details of the secretive country`s inner workings," the Journal said. The former officials also said Kim Jong Nam had been almost certainly in contact with security services of other countries, particularly China`s, the Journal said. Kim Jong Nam`s role as a CIA informant is mentioned in a new book about Kim Jong Un, "The Great Successor," by Washington Post reporter Anna Fifield that is due to be published on Tuesday. Fifield says Kim Jong Nam usually met his handlers in Singapore and Malaysia, citing a source with knowledge of the intelligence. The book says that security camera footage from Kim Jong Nam`s last trip to Malaysia showed him in a hotel elevator with an Asian-looking man who was reported to be a US intelligence agent. It said Ki`s backpack contained $120,000 in cash, which could have been payment for intelligence-related activities, or earnings from his casino businesses. South Korean and US officials have said the North Korean authorities had ordered the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, who had been critical of his family`s dynastic rule. Pyongyang has denied the allegation. Two women were charged with poisoning Kim Jong Nam by smearing his face with liquid VX, a banned chemical weapon, at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017. Malaysia released Doan Thi Huong, who is Vietnamese, in May, and Indonesian Siti Aisyah in March. According to the Journal, the person said Kim Jong Nam had traveled to Malaysia in February 2017 to meet his CIA contact, although that may not have been the sole purpose of the trip. US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un have met twice, in Hanoi in February and Singapore last June, seeming to build personal goodwill but failing to agree on a deal to lift US sanctions in exchange for North Korea abandoning its nuclear and missile programs.

North Korean leader's slain half-brother was a CIA informant: Report

Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, had been a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) informant, according to a report. Watch this video to know more.

Was Kim's brother a CIA informant?

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lots-to-be-done-to-take-country-forward-im-here-to-complete-that-work-pm-modi-206738">Lots to be done to take the country forward, I'm here to complete that work: PM Modi</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said&nbsp;although a lot has been done by his government, a lot more is left to be done to take the country forward.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/with-a-piece-of-paper-trump-called-on-kim-to-hand-over-nuclear-weapons-206692">With a piece of paper, Trump called on Kim to hand over nuclear weapons: Report</a>

On the day that their&nbsp;talks in Hanoi&nbsp;collapsed last month, US&nbsp;President Donald Trump handed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a piece of paper that included a blunt call for the transfer of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and bomb fuel to the United States, according to the document seen by Reuters.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-president-amit-shah-files-nomination-for-gandhinagar-seat-206682">BJP president Amit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar seat</a>

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah filed his nomination papers on Saturday for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-floods-kill-17-worsen-already-desperate-situation-206696">Afghanistan floods kill 17, worsen already desperate situation</a>

Heavy rains caused flash floods in western Afghanistan that killed at least 17 people, destroying homes and sweeping through makeshift shelters that housed displaced families, a government official said on Saturday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-gather-at-gaza-israel-border-on-anniversary-in-test-of-truce-206722">Thousands gather at Gaza-Israel border on </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-gather-at-gaza-israel-border-on-anniversary-in-test-of-truce-206722">anniversary</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-gather-at-gaza-israel-border-on-anniversary-in-test-of-truce-206722"> in </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-gather-at-gaza-israel-border-on-anniversary-in-test-of-truce-206722">test</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thousands-gather-at-gaza-israel-border-on-anniversary-in-test-of-truce-206722"> of truce</a>

Thousands of Gazans began gathering to mark the first anniversary of mass&nbsp;protests along the Israeli border&nbsp;on Saturday, testing a fragile truce only 10 days ahead of an Israeli general election.

Lots to be done to take the country forward, I'm here to complete that work: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said although a lot has been done by his government, a lot more is left to be done to take the country forward.

Lots to be done to take the country forward, I'm here to complete that work: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said although a lot has been done by his government, a lot more is left to be done to take the country forward. With a piece of paper, Trump called on Kim to hand over nuclear weapons: Report On the day that their talks in Hanoi collapsed last month, US President Donald Trump handed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a piece of paper that included a blunt call for the transfer of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and bomb fuel to the United States, according to the document seen by Reuters. BJP president Amit Shah files nomination from Gandhinagar seat Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah filed his nomination papers on Saturday for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat. Afghanistan floods kill 17, worsen already desperate situation Heavy rains caused flash floods in western Afghanistan that killed at least 17 people, destroying homes and sweeping through makeshift shelters that housed displaced families, a government official said on Saturday. Thousands gather at Gaza-Israel border on anniversary in test of truce Thousands of Gazans began gathering to mark the first anniversary of mass protests along the Israeli border on Saturday, testing a fragile truce only 10 days ahead of an Israeli general election.

US President Donald <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/trump-meets-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-in-hanoi-as-second-summit-begins-200106">Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un</a> smiled, shook hands and dined Wednesday in Hanoi, expressing optimism that their highly personal brand of diplomacy will lead to a deal on the totalitarian state's nuclear weapons.

At the start of around two hours of talks and dinner at a luxury hotel in the Vietnamese capital, Trump predicted a "very successful" summit, due to resume Thursday and end in a still unspecified signing ceremony.

The two-day get-together follows up on the leaders' initial historic meeting in Singapore in June, where Trump launched his charm offensive to try and get Kim to give up his nuclear arsenal.

Shaking hands and smiling in front of a bank of a dozen alternating <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-meets-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-in-hanoi-as-second-summit-begins-200070">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-meets-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-in-hanoi-as-second-summit-begins-200070"> and North Korean</a> flags, they briefly took questions from reporters before starting one-on-one talks, then the dinner.

Critics said the Singapore summit was light on concrete results but Trump said the Hanoi talks would be "equal or better than the first" time. Kim said: "I am certain that a great outcome will be achieved this time that will be welcomed by all people."

The White House said that on Thursday Trump and Kim will meet again one-on-one, before continuing talks alongside advisers throughout the morning.

This will culminate in a "Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony," the White House said without providing further detail.

A press conference is also scheduled before Trump returns to Washington.

But the president has been dogged by scandal at home, where his former lawyer Michael Cohen described him as a "conman" in nationally televised testimony to Congress starting shortly after Trump finished Wednesday's negotiations on the other side of the world.

Asked by reporters if he had any reaction to Cohen's bombshell testimony about hush money payments and murky business dealings in Russia, Trump simply shook his head.

Bidding to make history

Seeking a big foreign policy win to push back against domestic troubles, Trump believes he can make history with North Korea and claims Japan's prime minister has already nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize.

His goal is to persuade Kim to dismantle his nuclear weapons and resolve a stand-off with the deeply isolated state that has bedevilled US leaders since the end of the Korean war in 1953.

To lure Kim into radical change, Trump is believed to be considering offering a formal peace declaration -- though perhaps not a formal treaty -- to draw a line under the technically still unfinished war.

At the same time, Washington faces mounting pressure to extract significant concessions from Kim, who has so far shown little desire to ditch his nuclear capability.

Washington and Pyongyang disagree even on what denuclearisation means precisely. And while North Korea has now gone more than a year without conducting missile and nuclear tests, it has done nothing to roll back the weapons already built.

From insults to love

A former real estate tycoon who often boasts he is one of the world's best negotiators, Trump is pitching a vision of North Korea as a new Asian economic tiger if it surrenders its nuclear status.

He said the country could quickly emulate the summit's host, Vietnam -- a communist state once locked in devastating conflict with the United States, but now a thriving trade partner.

Trump sent a tweet touting North Korea's "AWESOME" potential if his "friend" Kim takes the non-nuclear route.

And Trump has invested himself personally in the relationship with Kim, creating the diplomatic equivalent of a Hollywood odd-couple bromance.

Before Singapore, they were slinging bizarre insults -- Trump calling Kim "rocket man" and Kim calling him a "dotard."

With North Korea then busily testing missiles and conducting underground nuclear tests, analysts feared the duo were egging each other on towards a catastrophic confrontation.

Now, Trump talks of "love" and claims that his ground-breaking policies defused the threat posed by Kim. 
Critics warn Trump is so keen to score a deal that he could give away too much, too quickly, endangering US allies South Korea and Japan.

In Singapore, Trump took his own generals by surprise when he announced a suspension of military exercises with the South -- something the North badly wanted.

Washington would ideally like Kim to dismantle a key nuclear facility at Yongbyon, allow in international inspectors, or even hand over a list of all his nuclear assets -- something the North Koreans have categorically refused to do.

In return, Trump is believed to be considering dangling relief from tough international sanctions. Opening diplomatic liaison offices is another possible US concession.&nbsp;

Another possibility is a joint declaration to end the Korean War -- a hugely symbolic gesture which some analysts fear would upset the delicate power balance in a region where the US and China are already struggling for influence.

Those pushing for a scaled-back US foreign policy footprint around the world would welcome the gambit.

"If you get an end of war declaration, I think that's really important symbolically because it starts to change the mentality," Daniel Davis, at the conservative Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank, told AFP.

And Trump deserves credit, he said.

"You just can't ignore the fact that he's the only one of the last nine American presidents that has even gotten to this point. No one else has even had the conversations, no one else has had these summits."

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiled, shook hands and dined Wednesday in Hanoi, expressing optimism that their highly personal brand of diplomacy will lead to a deal on the totalitarian state's nuclear weapons.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un smiled, shook hands and dined Wednesday in Hanoi, expressing optimism that their highly personal brand of diplomacy will lead to a deal on the totalitarian state's nuclear weapons. At the start of around two hours of talks and dinner at a luxury hotel in the Vietnamese capital, Trump predicted a "very successful" summit, due to resume Thursday and end in a still unspecified signing ceremony. The two-day get-together follows up on the leaders' initial historic meeting in Singapore in June, where Trump launched his charm offensive to try and get Kim to give up his nuclear arsenal. Shaking hands and smiling in front of a bank of a dozen alternating US and North Korean flags, they briefly took questions from reporters before starting one-on-one talks, then the dinner. Critics said the Singapore summit was light on concrete results but Trump said the Hanoi talks would be "equal or better than the first" time. Kim said: "I am certain that a great outcome will be achieved this time that will be welcomed by all people." The White House said that on Thursday Trump and Kim will meet again one-on-one, before continuing talks alongside advisers throughout the morning. This will culminate in a "Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony," the White House said without providing further detail. A press conference is also scheduled before Trump returns to Washington. But the president has been dogged by scandal at home, where his former lawyer Michael Cohen described him as a "conman" in nationally televised testimony to Congress starting shortly after Trump finished Wednesday's negotiations on the other side of the world. Asked by reporters if he had any reaction to Cohen's bombshell testimony about hush money payments and murky business dealings in Russia, Trump simply shook his head. Bidding to make history Seeking a big foreign policy win to push back against domestic troubles, Trump believes he can make history with North Korea and claims Japan's prime minister has already nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize. His goal is to persuade Kim to dismantle his nuclear weapons and resolve a stand-off with the deeply isolated state that has bedevilled US leaders since the end of the Korean war in 1953. To lure Kim into radical change, Trump is believed to be considering offering a formal peace declaration -- though perhaps not a formal treaty -- to draw a line under the technically still unfinished war. At the same time, Washington faces mounting pressure to extract significant concessions from Kim, who has so far shown little desire to ditch his nuclear capability. Washington and Pyongyang disagree even on what denuclearisation means precisely. And while North Korea has now gone more than a year without conducting missile and nuclear tests, it has done nothing to roll back the weapons already built. From insults to love A former real estate tycoon who often boasts he is one of the world's best negotiators, Trump is pitching a vision of North Korea as a new Asian economic tiger if it surrenders its nuclear status. He said the country could quickly emulate the summit's host, Vietnam -- a communist state once locked in devastating conflict with the United States, but now a thriving trade partner. Trump sent a tweet touting North Korea's "AWESOME" potential if his "friend" Kim takes the non-nuclear route. And Trump has invested himself personally in the relationship with Kim, creating the diplomatic equivalent of a Hollywood odd-couple bromance. Before Singapore, they were slinging bizarre insults -- Trump calling Kim "rocket man" and Kim calling him a "dotard." With North Korea then busily testing missiles and conducting underground nuclear tests, analysts feared the duo were egging each other on towards a catastrophic confrontation. Now, Trump talks of "love" and claims that his ground-breaking policies defused the threat posed by Kim. Critics warn Trump is so keen to score a deal that he could give away too much, too quickly, endangering US allies South Korea and Japan. In Singapore, Trump took his own generals by surprise when he announced a suspension of military exercises with the South -- something the North badly wanted. Washington would ideally like Kim to dismantle a key nuclear facility at Yongbyon, allow in international inspectors, or even hand over a list of all his nuclear assets -- something the North Koreans have categorically refused to do. In return, Trump is believed to be considering dangling relief from tough international sanctions. Opening diplomatic liaison offices is another possible US concession. Another possibility is a joint declaration to end the Korean War -- a hugely symbolic gesture which some analysts fear would upset the delicate power balance in a region where the US and China are already struggling for influence. Those pushing for a scaled-back US foreign policy footprint around the world would welcome the gambit. "If you get an end of war declaration, I think that's really important symbolically because it starts to change the mentality," Daniel Davis, at the conservative Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank, told AFP. And Trump deserves credit, he said. "You just can't ignore the fact that he's the only one of the last nine American presidents that has even gotten to this point. No one else has even had the conversations, no one else has had these summits."

Trump, Kim express optimism over second summit in Vietnam

Several dissidents were detained in Hanoi on Wednesday as North Korea's Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump kicked off their second summit in the Vietnamese capital.&nbsp;

Vietnam, a one-party state with little tolerance for dissent, is working hard to control every aspect of the closely-watched meeting to avoid even the most minor embarrassment on the world stage.&nbsp;

At least three dissidents were hauled off by police Wednesday as they tried to catch a glimpse of the leaders' motorcades in the streets of Hanoi.&nbsp;

"We were just taking photos then seven (plainclothes) men jumped into us and brought us here to the station," said Le Dung, livestreaming from a police post in Hanoi.&nbsp;

He was locked in a room with two other activists, he said, adding: "We are now guarded by only one militiaman, who knows nothing."

His live feed suddenly died late Wednesday and he could not be reached on his mobile phone.

Other dissidents said they were closely followed by plainclothes police or kept under de-facto house arrest with officers standing guard outside their homes.

"They are stationed outside my house and follow me whenever I go out," said Nguyen Chi Tuyen, an activist better known by his online nickname Anh Chi.

"For activists like me, the summit just means more trouble." 
Vietnam routinely locks up its critics, and has seen a spike in arrests since a hardline administration came to power in 2016.

Amnesty International called on Trump to press Kim on North Korea's dismal rights record at the summit.

The US president's "silence in the face of relentless and grave human rights violations has been deafening", said Francisco Bencosme, advocacy manager for Asia-Pacific at Amnesty's US branch.

Hanoi authorities deported Kim impersonator Howard X earlier this week after he appeared in public with Trump lookalike Russell White.

On Wednesday another Kim doppelganger, Thai Uthen Lueangsaengthong, was put on a plane home after he went on a walkabout in Hanoi, Thai press reported.&nbsp;

Several dissidents were detained in Hanoi on Wednesday as North Korea's Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump kicked off their second summit in the Vietnamese capital.

Several dissidents were detained in Hanoi on Wednesday as North Korea's Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump kicked off their second summit in the Vietnamese capital. Vietnam, a one-party state with little tolerance for dissent, is working hard to control every aspect of the closely-watched meeting to avoid even the most minor embarrassment on the world stage. At least three dissidents were hauled off by police Wednesday as they tried to catch a glimpse of the leaders' motorcades in the streets of Hanoi. "We were just taking photos then seven (plainclothes) men jumped into us and brought us here to the station," said Le Dung, livestreaming from a police post in Hanoi. He was locked in a room with two other activists, he said, adding: "We are now guarded by only one militiaman, who knows nothing." His live feed suddenly died late Wednesday and he could not be reached on his mobile phone. Other dissidents said they were closely followed by plainclothes police or kept under de-facto house arrest with officers standing guard outside their homes. "They are stationed outside my house and follow me whenever I go out," said Nguyen Chi Tuyen, an activist better known by his online nickname Anh Chi. "For activists like me, the summit just means more trouble." Vietnam routinely locks up its critics, and has seen a spike in arrests since a hardline administration came to power in 2016. Amnesty International called on Trump to press Kim on North Korea's dismal rights record at the summit. The US president's "silence in the face of relentless and grave human rights violations has been deafening", said Francisco Bencosme, advocacy manager for Asia-Pacific at Amnesty's US branch. Hanoi authorities deported Kim impersonator Howard X earlier this week after he appeared in public with Trump lookalike Russell White. On Wednesday another Kim doppelganger, Thai Uthen Lueangsaengthong, was put on a plane home after he went on a walkabout in Hanoi, Thai press reported.

Dissidents detained in Hanoi as Trump-Kim summit opens

As US President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un prepare for their second summit in Vietnam, analysts say the top-down approach to diplomacy may help ease the difficult negotiations which have made little progress since their historic summit in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, where they pledged to work toward the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

"Trump, while this is an unconventional approach especially for America in terms of doing diplomacy top-down summit-driven incrementally-paced is actually more effective when working with the North Koreans and working with a very top-down system. So there is some room for him to claim success on building a different starting to build a different relationship with North Korea and opening a door to a very real opportunity. It's not helpful for him to overstate where we are. Certainly North Korea's nuclear capabilities have not changed yet and their military capabilities have not changed yet. And until it does, certainly that threat is still there," said Stimson Center analyst and Managing Director of 38 North, Jenny Town.

The Trump administration has pressed North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program, which threatens the United States, before it can expect any concessions. That means elimination of all weapons of mass destruction programmes in North Korea - the production of those weapons, as well as the intercontinental ballistic missiles that can deliver them.

North Korea has publicly called for an end to the crippling economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the United Nations, which will be its main aim at the summit. But its concept of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula could include removal of the US nuclear umbrella for South Korea and nuclear-capable forces.

Some officials in South Korea, the US Congress and elsewhere have expressed concern that North Korea is calling for changes to the level of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, but Trump said on Friday that drawing down US troops in South Korea is not on the table.

North Korea has also long called for a peace deal with the United States to normalise relations and end the technical state of war that has existed since the 1950-1953 Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Town is hopeful that concrete steps will emerge from the second summit, specifically that Pyongyang will allow visits at Yongbyon nuclear facility after Kim expressed willingness in September to take steps, including the permanent dismantlement of nuclear facilities at Yongbyon, in return for "corresponding measures" by the United States.

As the United States will seek to form a shared understanding with North Korea of what denuclearisation means at the summit, Washington is also expected to seek to establish a roadmap that sets expectations and the process for negotiations on denuclearisation beyond this week's summit.

Victor Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that Trump has much political capital at stake in the negotiations. While agreeing that the US president's strong personal interest in negotiating with the North Koreans was promising, he warned that the North Koreans are likely to offer a number of hollow steps.

"They are things that they've already talked about giving up and in fact have stopped operations right after the Singapore summit. And you know my guess is that they're going to allow the United States or some international body to go in and sort of monitor this, the decommissioning of the of these sites. And as we saw in Kim Jong Un's New Year's speech in January, he has put forward the idea of stopping further production in the future, as well as a pledge not to transfer any capabilities or knowledge. So if you think about those things, that is negotiating your past-- things that you don't need anymore-- and it's negotiating your future-- things you promise not to do in the future. So you're actually not really giving up anything. And in the meantime I'm pretty certain they're going to be clear demands for the United States to give up things very much in the present whether that's exercises, whether it's the deployment of troops, sanctions, a variety of different things," he said.

CSIS Korea Chair Sue Mi Terry said that as Pyongyang seeks the removal of economic sanctions, it will probably put three things at the table: Punggye-ri nuclear test site, Sohae satellite launch site and some, but perhaps not all, of Yongbyon. She said she expected them to go no further in a process she said resembled an arms agreement more than a denuclearization process, and to stall for the next several years as the sides negotiate the details of those three sites. Terry warned that Trump may be too willing to give up too much in exchange for a process that did not include full denuclearization.

"North Korea is not going to go beyond that. I think these three sites are going to be good enough from North Korea's perspective to just drag this out ... and that's going to be enough to last the entire Trump administration. And I think that is North Korea's game plan," she said.

While a freeze on North Korea's weapons of mass destruction and missile programs is also likely to be on the agenda, North Korea appears to have produced enough bomb fuel in the past year to add as many as seven nuclear weapons to its arsenal, a report by Stanford University's Centre for International Security and Cooperation said earlier this month.

Washington has balked at signing a comprehensive peace treaty before North Korea completely denuclearises, but US officials have signalled they may be willing to conclude a more limited agreement to reduce tensions, open liaison offices, and move toward normalising relations.

"On the US side, I think it's a little less clear but there has been some indications coming from the administration or through leaks to talk about some of the things that they've been considering such as an end of war declaration, opening up a liaison office, having liaison officers, potentially expanding some kind of cultural or educational exchanges, potentially some level of exemptions for specific inter-Korean economic projects as well," she said.

Kim said in January that North Korea is "ready to re-open Kaesong industrial park and tours to Mount Kumgang without any preconditions or price." The two inter-Korean projects require at least partial easing of sanctions to resume operations.

Still, experts warned that the top-down approach could backfire if at any time, Trump seems to suggest further U.S. concessions than what the negotiators have agreed upon.

"In many ways, I think that it's both what's in the document and is President Trump consistent with what's in that because if he's not, Kim Jong Un wIll see no reason to follow the letter of what is in a statement and wIll just go with where President Trump goes," she said.

As the two sides negotiate, the long shadows of Russia and China hang over the talks. Town warned that regional powers will be watching closely any possibility of shifting political alliances.

"Any kind of progress on that side will be sort of a double-edged sword for the Chinese and the Russians who obviously want negotiations to keep going but also do worry about where loyalties lie as those relationships start to change. I think the Japanese of everyone in this process are probably the most nervous about success or failure because they're less involved and they haven't been part of the inner circle of states negotiating," she said.

The high-stakes nuclear summit is set to take place in Vietnam's capital of Hanoi on February 27 and 28.

As US President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un prepare for their second summit in Vietnam, analysts say the top-down approach to diplomacy may help ease the difficult negotiations which have made little progress since their historic summit in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, where they pledged to work toward the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

As US President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un prepare for their second summit in Vietnam, analysts say the top-down approach to diplomacy may help ease the difficult negotiations which have made little progress since their historic summit in Singapore, the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, where they pledged to work toward the complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. "Trump, while this is an unconventional approach especially for America in terms of doing diplomacy top-down summit-driven incrementally-paced is actually more effective when working with the North Koreans and working with a very top-down system. So there is some room for him to claim success on building a different starting to build a different relationship with North Korea and opening a door to a very real opportunity. It's not helpful for him to overstate where we are. Certainly North Korea's nuclear capabilities have not changed yet and their military capabilities have not changed yet. And until it does, certainly that threat is still there," said Stimson Center analyst and Managing Director of 38 North, Jenny Town. The Trump administration has pressed North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program, which threatens the United States, before it can expect any concessions. That means elimination of all weapons of mass destruction programmes in North Korea - the production of those weapons, as well as the intercontinental ballistic missiles that can deliver them. North Korea has publicly called for an end to the crippling economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the United Nations, which will be its main aim at the summit. But its concept of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula could include removal of the US nuclear umbrella for South Korea and nuclear-capable forces. Some officials in South Korea, the US Congress and elsewhere have expressed concern that North Korea is calling for changes to the level of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, but Trump said on Friday that drawing down US troops in South Korea is not on the table. North Korea has also long called for a peace deal with the United States to normalise relations and end the technical state of war that has existed since the 1950-1953 Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Town is hopeful that concrete steps will emerge from the second summit, specifically that Pyongyang will allow visits at Yongbyon nuclear facility after Kim expressed willingness in September to take steps, including the permanent dismantlement of nuclear facilities at Yongbyon, in return for "corresponding measures" by the United States. As the United States will seek to form a shared understanding with North Korea of what denuclearisation means at the summit, Washington is also expected to seek to establish a roadmap that sets expectations and the process for negotiations on denuclearisation beyond this week's summit. Victor Cha, Senior Adviser and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that Trump has much political capital at stake in the negotiations. While agreeing that the US president's strong personal interest in negotiating with the North Koreans was promising, he warned that the North Koreans are likely to offer a number of hollow steps. "They are things that they've already talked about giving up and in fact have stopped operations right after the Singapore summit. And you know my guess is that they're going to allow the United States or some international body to go in and sort of monitor this, the decommissioning of the of these sites. And as we saw in Kim Jong Un's New Year's speech in January, he has put forward the idea of stopping further production in the future, as well as a pledge not to transfer any capabilities or knowledge. So if you think about those things, that is negotiating your past-- things that you don't need anymore-- and it's negotiating your future-- things you promise not to do in the future. So you're actually not really giving up anything. And in the meantime I'm pretty certain they're going to be clear demands for the United States to give up things very much in the present whether that's exercises, whether it's the deployment of troops, sanctions, a variety of different things," he said. CSIS Korea Chair Sue Mi Terry said that as Pyongyang seeks the removal of economic sanctions, it will probably put three things at the table: Punggye-ri nuclear test site, Sohae satellite launch site and some, but perhaps not all, of Yongbyon. She said she expected them to go no further in a process she said resembled an arms agreement more than a denuclearization process, and to stall for the next several years as the sides negotiate the details of those three sites. Terry warned that Trump may be too willing to give up too much in exchange for a process that did not include full denuclearization. "North Korea is not going to go beyond that. I think these three sites are going to be good enough from North Korea's perspective to just drag this out ... and that's going to be enough to last the entire Trump administration. And I think that is North Korea's game plan," she said. While a freeze on North Korea's weapons of mass destruction and missile programs is also likely to be on the agenda, North Korea appears to have produced enough bomb fuel in the past year to add as many as seven nuclear weapons to its arsenal, a report by Stanford University's Centre for International Security and Cooperation said earlier this month. Washington has balked at signing a comprehensive peace treaty before North Korea completely denuclearises, but US officials have signalled they may be willing to conclude a more limited agreement to reduce tensions, open liaison offices, and move toward normalising relations. "On the US side, I think it's a little less clear but there has been some indications coming from the administration or through leaks to talk about some of the things that they've been considering such as an end of war declaration, opening up a liaison office, having liaison officers, potentially expanding some kind of cultural or educational exchanges, potentially some level of exemptions for specific inter-Korean economic projects as well," she said. Kim said in January that North Korea is "ready to re-open Kaesong industrial park and tours to Mount Kumgang without any preconditions or price." The two inter-Korean projects require at least partial easing of sanctions to resume operations. Still, experts warned that the top-down approach could backfire if at any time, Trump seems to suggest further U.S. concessions than what the negotiators have agreed upon. "In many ways, I think that it's both what's in the document and is President Trump consistent with what's in that because if he's not, Kim Jong Un wIll see no reason to follow the letter of what is in a statement and wIll just go with where President Trump goes," she said. As the two sides negotiate, the long shadows of Russia and China hang over the talks. Town warned that regional powers will be watching closely any possibility of shifting political alliances. "Any kind of progress on that side will be sort of a double-edged sword for the Chinese and the Russians who obviously want negotiations to keep going but also do worry about where loyalties lie as those relationships start to change. I think the Japanese of everyone in this process are probably the most nervous about success or failure because they're less involved and they haven't been part of the inner circle of states negotiating," she said. The high-stakes nuclear summit is set to take place in Vietnam's capital of Hanoi on February 27 and 28.

What's at stake at the Hanoi summit between Trump and Kim

US President Donald <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-predicts-awesome-future-for-north-korea-if-kim-jong-un-gives-up-nukes-199965">Trump hailed North Korea</a>`s "awesome" potential on Wednesday and said its leader, Kim Jong Un, wanted to do something great, hours before they were due to meet to try to break a stalemate over the North`s nuclear weapons.

Despite little progress on his goal of ridding North Korea of its weapons programmes, Trump appeared to be betting on his personal relationship with North Korea`s young leader, and the economic incentive after 70 years of hostility between their countries.

"<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-meets-vietnamese-president-nguyen-phu-trong-before-second-north-korea-summit-199964">Vietnam</a> is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearise," Trump said on Twitter, the morning after he arrived in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi for a second summit with Kim.

"The potential is AWESOME, a great opportunity, like almost none other in history, for my friend Kim Jong Un. We will know fairly soon - Very Interesting!" 
He later said he was looking forward to the talks with Kim and hoped for success. "He wants to do something great," he said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/i-like-trump-more-than-kim-because-he-is-rich-powerful-says-vietnams-resident-ahead-of-summit-199974">Trump and Kim </a>will meet at the Metropole hotel at 6:30 p.m. (1130 GMT) for a 20-minute, one-on-one chat followed by a dinner with aides, the White House said.

Trump would be accompanied by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Kim will be joined by his top envoy, Kim Yong Chol, and Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho.

The elegant interior of the 118-year-old Metropole thronged with security and diplomatic personnel from both sides - some snapping pictures - as hotel staff set up tables in a hotel lounge bar.

On Thursday, the two leaders will hold "a series of back and forth" meetings, the White House said. The venue has not been announced.

Trump said late last year he and Kim "fell in love", and on the eve of his departure for the second summit said they had developed "a very, very good relationship".

Whether the bonhomie can move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating Pyongyang`s nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States is the question that will dominate the talks.

Trump met Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong at the grand, colonial-era presidential palace in the morning to oversee the formal signing of deals by Vietnamese carriers VietJet and Bamboo Airways with Boeing Co to buy 110 planes worth more than $15 billion.&nbsp;

He later met Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for lunch.

PRESSURE

At their historic first summit in Singapore last June, Trump and Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation and permanent peace on the Korean peninsula. North and South Korea have been technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict, with the Americans backing the South, ended in a truce, not a treaty.

That first meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader ended with great fanfare but little substance over how to dismantle North Korea`s nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

This time, both sides are likely to feel pressure to agree on specific measures - what concrete steps North Korea will take to give up the weapons, and what the United States will offer in return.

While the United States is demanding North Korea give up all of its nuclear and missile programmes, the North wants to see the removal of a US nuclear umbrella for South Korea.

US intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea will ever give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which it sees as its guarantee of national security. Analysts say it won`t commit to significant disarmament unless punishing US-led economic sanctions are eased.&nbsp;

In the run-up to the summit, Trump has indicated a more flexible stance, saying he was in no rush to secure North Korea`s denuclearisation. He has held out the prospect of easing sanctions if North Korea does something "meaningful".

The two sides have discussed specific and verifiable denuclearisation measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantlement of North Korea`s Yongbyon nuclear reactor, US and South Korean officials say.

US concessions could include opening liaison offices, declaring an end to the technical state of the Korean War or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects.

Any deal will face scrutiny from American lawmakers and other sceptics who doubt North Korea is willing to give up the weapons, and who worry a compromise could squander US leverage and undermine regional interests.

`STOP TALKING`

Trump derides the doubters, citing a freeze in North Korea`s nuclear and missile tests since 2017, and saying the United States would have gone to war with North Korea if he had not been president.

"The Democrats should stop talking about what I should do with North Korea and ask themselves instead why they didn’t do “it” during eight years of the Obama Administration?" he said on Twitter.

Whatever the outcome, the summit should boost Kim`s bid to end his country`s pariah status - despite its dire record on human rights - and cement his place, both on the world stage and at home.

As the third-generation leader of one of the world`s most impoverished and isolated nations, Kim will again stand as an equal to the president of the world`s most powerful country.

For Trump, a deal that eases the North Korean threat could hand him a big foreign-policy achievement in the midst of domestic troubles.

While he is in Hanoi, his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen is testifying before US congressional committees, with the president`s business practices the main focus.

Cohen, in testimony he is due to deliver on Wednesday, refers to a comment Trump made to him about avoiding the US military draft for the Vietnam War on medical grounds: "`You think I`m stupid, I wasn`t going to Vietnam`," Cohen cites Trump as saying.

"I find it ironic, President Trump, that you are in Vietnam right now," Cohen said, according to a draft statement seen by Reuters.

US President Donald Trump hailed North Korea`s "awesome" potential on Wednesday and said its leader, Kim Jong Un, wanted to do something great, hours before they were due to meet to try to break a stalemate over the North`s nuclear weapons.

US President Donald Trump hailed North Korea`s "awesome" potential on Wednesday and said its leader, Kim Jong Un, wanted to do something great, hours before they were due to meet to try to break a stalemate over the North`s nuclear weapons. Despite little progress on his goal of ridding North Korea of its weapons programmes, Trump appeared to be betting on his personal relationship with North Korea`s young leader, and the economic incentive after 70 years of hostility between their countries. "Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearise," Trump said on Twitter, the morning after he arrived in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi for a second summit with Kim. "The potential is AWESOME, a great opportunity, like almost none other in history, for my friend Kim Jong Un. We will know fairly soon - Very Interesting!" He later said he was looking forward to the talks with Kim and hoped for success. "He wants to do something great," he said. Trump and Kim will meet at the Metropole hotel at 6:30 p.m. (1130 GMT) for a 20-minute, one-on-one chat followed by a dinner with aides, the White House said. Trump would be accompanied by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Kim will be joined by his top envoy, Kim Yong Chol, and Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. The elegant interior of the 118-year-old Metropole thronged with security and diplomatic personnel from both sides - some snapping pictures - as hotel staff set up tables in a hotel lounge bar. On Thursday, the two leaders will hold "a series of back and forth" meetings, the White House said. The venue has not been announced. Trump said late last year he and Kim "fell in love", and on the eve of his departure for the second summit said they had developed "a very, very good relationship". Whether the bonhomie can move them beyond summit pageantry to substantive progress on eliminating Pyongyang`s nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States is the question that will dominate the talks. Trump met Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong at the grand, colonial-era presidential palace in the morning to oversee the formal signing of deals by Vietnamese carriers VietJet and Bamboo Airways with Boeing Co to buy 110 planes worth more than $15 billion. He later met Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for lunch. PRESSURE At their historic first summit in Singapore last June, Trump and Kim pledged to work toward denuclearisation and permanent peace on the Korean peninsula. North and South Korea have been technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict, with the Americans backing the South, ended in a truce, not a treaty. That first meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader ended with great fanfare but little substance over how to dismantle North Korea`s nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. This time, both sides are likely to feel pressure to agree on specific measures - what concrete steps North Korea will take to give up the weapons, and what the United States will offer in return. While the United States is demanding North Korea give up all of its nuclear and missile programmes, the North wants to see the removal of a US nuclear umbrella for South Korea. US intelligence officials have said there is no sign North Korea will ever give up its entire arsenal of nuclear weapons, which it sees as its guarantee of national security. Analysts say it won`t commit to significant disarmament unless punishing US-led economic sanctions are eased. In the run-up to the summit, Trump has indicated a more flexible stance, saying he was in no rush to secure North Korea`s denuclearisation. He has held out the prospect of easing sanctions if North Korea does something "meaningful". The two sides have discussed specific and verifiable denuclearisation measures, such as allowing inspectors to observe the dismantlement of North Korea`s Yongbyon nuclear reactor, US and South Korean officials say. US concessions could include opening liaison offices, declaring an end to the technical state of the Korean War or clearing the way for inter-Korean projects. Any deal will face scrutiny from American lawmakers and other sceptics who doubt North Korea is willing to give up the weapons, and who worry a compromise could squander US leverage and undermine regional interests. `STOP TALKING` Trump derides the doubters, citing a freeze in North Korea`s nuclear and missile tests since 2017, and saying the United States would have gone to war with North Korea if he had not been president. "The Democrats should stop talking about what I should do with North Korea and ask themselves instead why they didn’t do “it” during eight years of the Obama Administration?" he said on Twitter. Whatever the outcome, the summit should boost Kim`s bid to end his country`s pariah status - despite its dire record on human rights - and cement his place, both on the world stage and at home. As the third-generation leader of one of the world`s most impoverished and isolated nations, Kim will again stand as an equal to the president of the world`s most powerful country. For Trump, a deal that eases the North Korean threat could hand him a big foreign-policy achievement in the midst of domestic troubles. While he is in Hanoi, his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen is testifying before US congressional committees, with the president`s business practices the main focus. Cohen, in testimony he is due to deliver on Wednesday, refers to a comment Trump made to him about avoiding the US military draft for the Vietnam War on medical grounds: "`You think I`m stupid, I wasn`t going to Vietnam`," Cohen cites Trump as saying. "I find it ironic, President Trump, that you are in Vietnam right now," Cohen said, according to a draft statement seen by Reuters.

Trump hails North Korea's 'awesome' potential ahead of talks with Kim

There was still some hard work to be done ahead of the upcoming <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-envoy-back-from-north-korea-after-talks-on-trump-kim-summit-196109">summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un</a>, a Washington envoy said on Saturday.

Stephen Biegun, the US Special Representative for North Korea, said three days of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-summit-with-kim-to-take-place-in-hanoi-196131"> preparatory talks </a>in Pyongyang that ended Friday had been productive, but more dialogue was needed ahead of the summit scheduled for Vietnam from February 27-28.

Biegun on Saturday briefed South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa on his Pyongyang visit, also confirming the summit would be held in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.

"We have some hard work to do with the DPRK," Biegun told Kang, adding: "I'm confident that if both sides stay committed we can make real progress here.

"We don't know where it's going to go, but we are in the midst of a conversation ... our discussions (with Pyongyang) were productive."

Kang told Biegun that the US had South Korea's "full support" for the summit.

The US State Department said Biegun will meet again with Pyongyang officials ahead of the Trump-Kim talks.

Trump earlier announced Hanoi as the venue in a tweet, saying: "I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim &amp; advancing the cause of peace."

At their landmark summit in Singapore last year, the mercurial US and North Korean leaders produced a vaguely worded document in which Kim pledged to work towards "the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula".

But progress has since stalled, with the two sides disagreeing over what that means.

Experts say tangible progress on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons will be needed for the second summit if it is to avoid being dismissed as "reality TV".

On Friday Trump tweeted that North Korea will become a "great Economic Powerhouse" under Kim.

"He may surprise some but he won't surprise me, because I have gotten to know him &amp; fully understand how capable he is," said Trump.

There was still some hard work to be done ahead of the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a Washington envoy said on Saturday.

There was still some hard work to be done ahead of the upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a Washington envoy said on Saturday. Stephen Biegun, the US Special Representative for North Korea, said three days of preparatory talks in Pyongyang that ended Friday had been productive, but more dialogue was needed ahead of the summit scheduled for Vietnam from February 27-28. Biegun on Saturday briefed South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa on his Pyongyang visit, also confirming the summit would be held in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi. "We have some hard work to do with the DPRK," Biegun told Kang, adding: "I'm confident that if both sides stay committed we can make real progress here. "We don't know where it's going to go, but we are in the midst of a conversation ... our discussions (with Pyongyang) were productive." Kang told Biegun that the US had South Korea's "full support" for the summit. The US State Department said Biegun will meet again with Pyongyang officials ahead of the Trump-Kim talks. Trump earlier announced Hanoi as the venue in a tweet, saying: "I look forward to seeing Chairman Kim & advancing the cause of peace." At their landmark summit in Singapore last year, the mercurial US and North Korean leaders produced a vaguely worded document in which Kim pledged to work towards "the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula". But progress has since stalled, with the two sides disagreeing over what that means. Experts say tangible progress on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons will be needed for the second summit if it is to avoid being dismissed as "reality TV". On Friday Trump tweeted that North Korea will become a "great Economic Powerhouse" under Kim. "He may surprise some but he won't surprise me, because I have gotten to know him & fully understand how capable he is," said Trump.

Hard work still needed before Kim-Trump summit: US envoy

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/will-make-major-announcement-saturday-on-shutdown-donald-trump-191318">Will make 'major' announcement Saturday on government shutdown: Donald Trump</a>

US President Donald Trump said on Friday&nbsp;he will make a "major" announcement on Saturday at 3 pm&nbsp;EST (2000 GMT) on "the humanitarian crisis on our southern border" and the partial government shutdown, now in its 28th day.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-north-koreas-kim-to-hold-second-summit-in-late-february-191316">Trump, North Korea's Kim to hold </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-north-koreas-kim-to-hold-second-summit-in-late-february-191316">second</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-north-koreas-kim-to-hold-second-summit-in-late-february-191316"> summit in late February</a>

US President Donald Trump will hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in late February but will maintain economic sanctions on Pyongyang, the White House said on Friday after&nbsp;Trump met Pyongyang's top nuclear negotiator.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/havent-received-requests-to-launch-criminal-probe-into-khashoggis-murder-united-nations-191325">Haven't received requests to launch </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/havent-received-requests-to-launch-criminal-probe-into-khashoggis-murder-united-nations-191325">criminal</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/havent-received-requests-to-launch-criminal-probe-into-khashoggis-murder-united-nations-191325"> probe into Khashoggi's murder: United Nations</a>

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday said that the world body has not received requests from other countries to initiate a criminal investigation into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/mamata-banerjees-mega-rally-at-kolkatas-brigade-ground-today-security-beefed-up-191323">Mamata Banerjee's mega rally at Kolkata's Brigade ground today, security beefed up</a>

The stage is set for West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's mega Opposition rally against the Narendra Modi government.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/it-is-based-on-fudged-arithmetic-jaitley-dismisses-report-of-rafale-price-escalation-191327">It is based on fudged arithmetic: Jaitley dismisses report of Rafale price escalation</a>

Finance Minister&nbsp;Arun Jaitley on Friday&nbsp;dismissed a news report of price escalation in the Rafale deal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and said it was based on "fudged arithmetic".

Will make 'major' announcement Saturday on government shutdown: Donald Trump US President Donald Trump said on Friday he will make a "major" announcement on Saturday at 3 pm EST (2000 GMT) on "the humanitarian crisis on our southern border" and the partial government shutdown, now in its 28th day.

Will make 'major' announcement Saturday on government shutdown: Donald Trump US President Donald Trump said on Friday he will make a "major" announcement on Saturday at 3 pm EST (2000 GMT) on "the humanitarian crisis on our southern border" and the partial government shutdown, now in its 28th day. Trump, North Korea's Kim to hold second summit in late February US President Donald Trump will hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in late February but will maintain economic sanctions on Pyongyang, the White House said on Friday after Trump met Pyongyang's top nuclear negotiator. Haven't received requests to launch criminal probe into Khashoggi's murder: United Nations United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday said that the world body has not received requests from other countries to initiate a criminal investigation into the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mamata Banerjee's mega rally at Kolkata's Brigade ground today, security beefed up The stage is set for West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's mega Opposition rally against the Narendra Modi government. It is based on fudged arithmetic: Jaitley dismisses report of Rafale price escalation Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday dismissed a news report of price escalation in the Rafale deal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government and said it was based on "fudged arithmetic".

The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/east-asia/denuclearisation-includes-eliminating-us-nuclear-threat-in-korean-peninsula-north-korean-state-media-185456"> US awaits "concrete steps" by North Korea </a>to dismantle its nuclear weapons that threaten America and other countries in the region, Vice President Mike Pence has said.

Pence's statement came during his address to the global chief of mission conference on Wednesday and gains significance as the White House is preparing for another summit between President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The two leaders have recently exchanged letters.

Kim and Trump held a historic meeting in Singapore on June 12 last year where they issued a vague goal for the "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur.

Pence said that the US awaits North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons.

"While the president has started a promising dialogue with Chairman Kim, we still await concrete steps by North Korea to dismantle the nuclear weapons that threaten our people and our allies in the region," Pence said.

In his address, Pence also said that Russia seeks to overturn the international order that the US has upheld for more than half a century.&nbsp;

"Unlike the Soviet Union and its many client states, no shared ideology or objective unites our competitors and adversaries except this one. They seek to overturn the international order that the US has upheld for more than half a century," he said.

"Truthfully, it is a pact surrounding what they perceive to be a common enemy, but the truth is the US will rise to that challenge, we will stand with our allies and we will advance our values and our principles in the world," Pence added. 
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
Targeting Iran, Pence said that president Trump is standing up to the Iranian regime which is making the west Asian nation change its ways.&nbsp;

"And as we stand today, Iran is now under unprecedented pressure to change its ways," he said.

"The message that the disastrous nuclear deal benefited the very mullahs who oppressed their people. And even as we've striven mightily to protect our most important interests, we've also fought hard. We have also fought hard not only to stand up to those who would challenge us but to advance American values on the world stage," Pence said.

The US awaits "concrete steps" by North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons that threaten America and other countries in the region, Vice President Mike Pence has said.

The US awaits "concrete steps" by North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons that threaten America and other countries in the region, Vice President Mike Pence has said. Pence's statement came during his address to the global chief of mission conference on Wednesday and gains significance as the White House is preparing for another summit between President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The two leaders have recently exchanged letters. Kim and Trump held a historic meeting in Singapore on June 12 last year where they issued a vague goal for the "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean Peninsula without describing when and how it would occur. Pence said that the US awaits North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons. "While the president has started a promising dialogue with Chairman Kim, we still await concrete steps by North Korea to dismantle the nuclear weapons that threaten our people and our allies in the region," Pence said. In his address, Pence also said that Russia seeks to overturn the international order that the US has upheld for more than half a century. "Unlike the Soviet Union and its many client states, no shared ideology or objective unites our competitors and adversaries except this one. They seek to overturn the international order that the US has upheld for more than half a century," he said. "Truthfully, it is a pact surrounding what they perceive to be a common enemy, but the truth is the US will rise to that challenge, we will stand with our allies and we will advance our values and our principles in the world," Pence added. Targeting Iran, Pence said that president Trump is standing up to the Iranian regime which is making the west Asian nation change its ways. "And as we stand today, Iran is now under unprecedented pressure to change its ways," he said. "The message that the disastrous nuclear deal benefited the very mullahs who oppressed their people. And even as we've striven mightily to protect our most important interests, we've also fought hard. We have also fought hard not only to stand up to those who would challenge us but to advance American values on the world stage," Pence said.

North Korea yet to take concrete steps to dismantle nukes: Mike Pence

The second meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may happen sooner than expected, recent reports have stated.

According to a Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, Trump has proposed holding the second summit with Kim in mid-February.

The reports have mentioned Vietnam as the potential venue for the meeting.

Vietnam which hosts a North Korean embassy is also located within the limited flying range of Kim's personal jet.&nbsp;

The North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-ho had met Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi in December.&nbsp;

US Secretary of state Mike Pompeo had also visited Vietnam in June last year during which he called on Kim to "seize the moment and replicate Hanoi's economic reforms".

Trump had said earlier that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-us-nkorea-negotiating-on-location-for-next-kim-summit-188593">negotiations were underway</a> to decide on the location of the next summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump, who held a historic summit with Kim in Singapore in June, said: "We are negotiating a location".

He had also mentioned about a receiving a "great letter" from North Korean leader.

The second meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may happen sooner than expected, recent reports have stated. According to a Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, Trump has proposed holding the second summit with Kim in mid-February.

The second meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may happen sooner than expected, recent reports have stated. According to a Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, Trump has proposed holding the second summit with Kim in mid-February. The reports have mentioned Vietnam as the potential venue for the meeting. Vietnam which hosts a North Korean embassy is also located within the limited flying range of Kim's personal jet. The North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-ho had met Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi in December. US Secretary of state Mike Pompeo had also visited Vietnam in June last year during which he called on Kim to "seize the moment and replicate Hanoi's economic reforms". Trump had said earlier that negotiations were underway to decide on the location of the next summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump, who held a historic summit with Kim in Singapore in June, said: "We are negotiating a location". He had also mentioned about a receiving a "great letter" from North Korean leader.

Second Trump-Kim Summit likely in February: Report

Nepal on Friday strongly pitched for convening of the SAARC summit, saying differences should be resolved through dialogue and the grouping should collectively deal with terrorism and other key challenges facing the region.

Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali also cited last year's historic talks between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore, saying dialogue was the only way to address differences.

"If US President Trump and North Korea's Kim can meet, then why not (leaders of) other countries," he asked during an interaction with a group of foreign policy experts and reporters.

It is Pakistan's turn to host the summit. However, India, citing continued support to cross-border terrorism by Pakistan, has been maintaining that it is difficult to proceed with the summit.&nbsp;

The 2016 SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation) Summit was to be held in Islamabad. But after a deadly terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir that year, India expressed its inability to participate in it.&nbsp;

The summit was called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate in the meet. Maldives and Sri Lanka are the seventh and eighth members of the grouping.&nbsp;

"There is no alternative to sitting together and mitigating differences. The problems we (the region) are facing cannot be resolved alone. We need to put collective efforts to deal with various key challenges like climate change and terrorism," Gyawali said.

The Nepalese foreign minister, who held bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday, said his country has been raising the issue of the SAARC summit with India.

"I am hopeful the summit will be held soon," Gyawali said.&nbsp;

SAARC summits are usually held biennially, hosted by a member state in alphabetical order. The member state hosting the summit assumes the chair of the Association. The last SAARC Summit in 2014 was held in Kathmandu, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Nepalese foreign minister also said he has requested the Indian government to replace Rs 7 crore worth of old Indian currency notes with new ones. 
Following the demonetisation exercise in India, people in Nepal deposited the old notes in banks in Nepal. Indian currency is extensively used by Nepalese people and businesses.

The Nepalese government last month asked its citizens to refrain from keeping or carrying Indian bank notes higher than Rs 100 denomination. 
On Nepal's ties with China, Gyawali said Nepal has very close ties with India and it will be unfair to compare his country's relationship with India to that of China.

"We have a wonderful relationship with India. I do not want to compare it with our ties with China. We have a good relationship with China and I do not want to compare it with India," he said.

The minister also said the Eminent Persons' Group (EPG) on Nepal-India relations was finalising its report covering all aspects of the bilateral ties and asserted that there was no difference of opinion between the two sides on the issue.

The EPG was formed in January 2016 with the mandate to review various aspects of the bilateral relations including Nepal-India Friendship Treaty 1950.&nbsp;

Nepal on Friday strongly pitched for convening of the SAARC summit, saying differences should be resolved through dialogue and the grouping should collectively deal with terrorism and other key challenges facing the region.

Nepal on Friday strongly pitched for convening of the SAARC summit, saying differences should be resolved through dialogue and the grouping should collectively deal with terrorism and other key challenges facing the region. Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali also cited last year's historic talks between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore, saying dialogue was the only way to address differences. "If US President Trump and North Korea's Kim can meet, then why not (leaders of) other countries," he asked during an interaction with a group of foreign policy experts and reporters. It is Pakistan's turn to host the summit. However, India, citing continued support to cross-border terrorism by Pakistan, has been maintaining that it is difficult to proceed with the summit. The 2016 SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation) Summit was to be held in Islamabad. But after a deadly terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir that year, India expressed its inability to participate in it. The summit was called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate in the meet. Maldives and Sri Lanka are the seventh and eighth members of the grouping. "There is no alternative to sitting together and mitigating differences. The problems we (the region) are facing cannot be resolved alone. We need to put collective efforts to deal with various key challenges like climate change and terrorism," Gyawali said. The Nepalese foreign minister, who held bilateral talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday, said his country has been raising the issue of the SAARC summit with India. "I am hopeful the summit will be held soon," Gyawali said. SAARC summits are usually held biennially, hosted by a member state in alphabetical order. The member state hosting the summit assumes the chair of the Association. The last SAARC Summit in 2014 was held in Kathmandu, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Nepalese foreign minister also said he has requested the Indian government to replace Rs 7 crore worth of old Indian currency notes with new ones. Following the demonetisation exercise in India, people in Nepal deposited the old notes in banks in Nepal. Indian currency is extensively used by Nepalese people and businesses. The Nepalese government last month asked its citizens to refrain from keeping or carrying Indian bank notes higher than Rs 100 denomination. On Nepal's ties with China, Gyawali said Nepal has very close ties with India and it will be unfair to compare his country's relationship with India to that of China. "We have a wonderful relationship with India. I do not want to compare it with our ties with China. We have a good relationship with China and I do not want to compare it with India," he said. The minister also said the Eminent Persons' Group (EPG) on Nepal-India relations was finalising its report covering all aspects of the bilateral ties and asserted that there was no difference of opinion between the two sides on the issue. The EPG was formed in January 2016 with the mandate to review various aspects of the bilateral relations including Nepal-India Friendship Treaty 1950.

If Trump and Kim can meet, why not other countries: Nepal on stalled SAARC summit

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed an<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-seeks-to-up-ante-with-xi-summit-analysts-189006"> expected US-North Korea summit in talks </a>in Beijing on Tuesday, Yonhap news agency said, days after Kim warned he may take an alternative path if the United States does not ease sanctions.&nbsp;

Kim's visit to China, confirmed by North Korean and Chinese state media, comes amid plans for a second summit with US President Donald Trump aimed at denuclearising the Korean peninsula.

South Korea's Yonhap, without identifying its sources, said the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-on-4-day-visit-to-china-to-meet-president-xi-report-188901">two leaders held talks</a>&nbsp;for an hour in which they discussed the second US-North Korea summit and strengthening bilateral ties.

The meeting was followed by a dinner hosted by Xi and his wife, Yonhap said.

Kim held three summits last year with Xi, his most important ally, before and after summits with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

Kim and Trump pledged to work towards denuclearisation at their landmark June summit in Singapore, but the agreement was short on specifics. Negotiations have made little headway since.

"Kim is eager to remind the Trump administration that he does have diplomatic and economic options besides what Washington and Seoul can offer," Harry J. Kazianis, Director of Defence Studies at the US-based Centre for the National Interest, said in an e-mailed statement.&nbsp;

"In fact, during his New Year`s Day speech, Kim`s `new way` that he referred to may well have been a veiled threat to move closer to Beijing. That should make America quite concerned."&nbsp;

Kim left for China on a private train on Monday afternoon accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and senior North Korean officials, including Kim Yong Chol, a key negotiator in talks with the United States, and foreign minister Ri Yong Ho, North Korea`s state-run KCNA news agency said.&nbsp;

China`s official Xinhua news agency confirmed that Kim was visiting from Monday to Thursday at Xi`s invitation.

The visit coincides with what South Korean officials say is Kim`s 35th birthday on Tuesday.

Kim`s visit to North Korea`s most important economic and diplomatic ally follows reports of advanced negotiations for a second summit between Washington and Pyongyang aimed at resolving the standoff over North Korea`s nuclear and missile programmes.&nbsp;

Kim said in his New Year speech he was ready to meet Trump any time to achieve their common goal of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But he warned that he may seek an alternative path if US sanctions and pressure against the country continued.

`GOOD PARTNER`&nbsp;

In an interview with CNBC on Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised China`s support for resolving the North Korean crisis and said he did not think the US trade dispute with China would affect this.

Kim`s visit comes as a US delegation opened a second day of talks with Chinese counterparts in Beijing aimed at ending the trade war between the world`s two largest economies.&nbsp;

"The Chinese have been very clear to us that these are separate issues," Pompeo said.

"Their behaviour has demonstrated that as well and we appreciate that. China has actually been a good partner in our efforts to reduce the risk to the world from North Korea`s nuclear capability; I expect they will continue to do so."

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang, asked during a daily briefing whether there was a connection between Kim`s visit and the possibility of another meeting between Kim and Trump, said China believed contact between the United States and North Korea was important.&nbsp;

"China has always supported both sides to continue to hold talks and to reach a positive outcome," Lu said.&nbsp;

Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing, said Kim`s trip would have no direct influence on the progress of trade talks.&nbsp;

While no details were released about an agenda in China, Kim has been seeking relief from sanctions, a peace declaration to formally end the 1950-1953 Korean War and more investment.&nbsp;

Ties between China and North Korea, which had frayed as Pyongyang stepped up its missile and nuclear tests up to late 2017, warmed over the past year as Kim engaged with China, South Korea and the United States.

 
&nbsp;

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed an expected US-North Korea summit in talks in Beijing on Tuesday, Yonhap news agency said, days after Kim warned he may take an alternative path if the United States does not ease sanctions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed an expected US-North Korea summit in talks in Beijing on Tuesday, Yonhap news agency said, days after Kim warned he may take an alternative path if the United States does not ease sanctions. Kim's visit to China, confirmed by North Korean and Chinese state media, comes amid plans for a second summit with US President Donald Trump aimed at denuclearising the Korean peninsula. South Korea's Yonhap, without identifying its sources, said the two leaders held talks for an hour in which they discussed the second US-North Korea summit and strengthening bilateral ties. The meeting was followed by a dinner hosted by Xi and his wife, Yonhap said. Kim held three summits last year with Xi, his most important ally, before and after summits with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Kim and Trump pledged to work towards denuclearisation at their landmark June summit in Singapore, but the agreement was short on specifics. Negotiations have made little headway since. "Kim is eager to remind the Trump administration that he does have diplomatic and economic options besides what Washington and Seoul can offer," Harry J. Kazianis, Director of Defence Studies at the US-based Centre for the National Interest, said in an e-mailed statement. "In fact, during his New Year`s Day speech, Kim`s `new way` that he referred to may well have been a veiled threat to move closer to Beijing. That should make America quite concerned." Kim left for China on a private train on Monday afternoon accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and senior North Korean officials, including Kim Yong Chol, a key negotiator in talks with the United States, and foreign minister Ri Yong Ho, North Korea`s state-run KCNA news agency said. China`s official Xinhua news agency confirmed that Kim was visiting from Monday to Thursday at Xi`s invitation. The visit coincides with what South Korean officials say is Kim`s 35th birthday on Tuesday. Kim`s visit to North Korea`s most important economic and diplomatic ally follows reports of advanced negotiations for a second summit between Washington and Pyongyang aimed at resolving the standoff over North Korea`s nuclear and missile programmes. Kim said in his New Year speech he was ready to meet Trump any time to achieve their common goal of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. But he warned that he may seek an alternative path if US sanctions and pressure against the country continued. `GOOD PARTNER` In an interview with CNBC on Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised China`s support for resolving the North Korean crisis and said he did not think the US trade dispute with China would affect this. Kim`s visit comes as a US delegation opened a second day of talks with Chinese counterparts in Beijing aimed at ending the trade war between the world`s two largest economies. "The Chinese have been very clear to us that these are separate issues," Pompeo said. "Their behaviour has demonstrated that as well and we appreciate that. China has actually been a good partner in our efforts to reduce the risk to the world from North Korea`s nuclear capability; I expect they will continue to do so." Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang, asked during a daily briefing whether there was a connection between Kim`s visit and the possibility of another meeting between Kim and Trump, said China believed contact between the United States and North Korea was important. "China has always supported both sides to continue to hold talks and to reach a positive outcome," Lu said. Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing, said Kim`s trip would have no direct influence on the progress of trade talks. While no details were released about an agenda in China, Kim has been seeking relief from sanctions, a peace declaration to formally end the 1950-1953 Korean War and more investment. Ties between China and North Korea, which had frayed as Pyongyang stepped up its missile and nuclear tests up to late 2017, warmed over the past year as Kim engaged with China, South Korea and the United States.

North Korea's Kim meets with China's Xi, discusses expected summit with Trump: Report

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on his way to China for his fourth summit with China`s Xi Jinping, South Korean media said on Monday.&nbsp;

South Korea's Hankyoreh newspaper, citing an unidentified source with close knowledge of North Korea-China affairs, reported that Kim was travelling to Beijing late on Monday to meet with Xi.&nbsp;

South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing an unspecified source familiar with North Korea issues, said a North Korean train carrying a "high-level" official had cross the border into China. 
&nbsp;

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on his way to China for his fourth summit with China`s Xi Jinping, South Korean media said on Monday. South Korea's Hankyoreh newspaper, citing an unidentified source with close knowledge of North Korea-China affairs, reported that Kim was travelling to Beijing late on Monday to meet with Xi.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on his way to China for his fourth summit with China`s Xi Jinping, South Korean media said on Monday. South Korea's Hankyoreh newspaper, citing an unidentified source with close knowledge of North Korea-China affairs, reported that Kim was travelling to Beijing late on Monday to meet with Xi. South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing an unspecified source familiar with North Korea issues, said a North Korean train carrying a "high-level" official had cross the border into China.

North Korea's Kim to visit China for fourth summit: Report

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-says-new-path-inevitable-if-us-demands-unilateral-action-187606">North Korea warns: Kim says 'new path' inevitable if </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-says-new-path-inevitable-if-us-demands-unilateral-action-187606">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-says-new-path-inevitable-if-us-demands-unilateral-action-187606"> demands unilateral action</a>

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Tuesday that his resolve for complete denuclearisation remains unchanged but he may have no option but to seek a "new path" if the United States continues to demand unilateral action from North Korea.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/23-goods-and-services-to-get-cheaper-from-january-1-as-reduced-gst-rates-kick-in-187607">New GST rates in effect from today: 23 goods and services to get cheaper</a>

In a new year gift to the common man, the government has notified reduction in GST rates on 23 goods and services, including movie tickets, TV and monitor screen.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/democrat-warren-takes-step-to-challenge-trump-in-2020-187610">Democrat Warren takes </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/democrat-warren-takes-step-to-challenge-trump-in-2020-187610">step</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/democrat-warren-takes-step-to-challenge-trump-in-2020-187610"> to challenge Trump in 2020 presidential polls</a>

US Senator Elizabeth Warren, a liberal firebrand who has taken on Wall Street and traded barbs with Donald Trump, on Monday became the most prominent Democrat to announce a challenge to the Republican president in 2020.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-appears-to-slow-syria-troop-pullout-plan-187612">Trump appears to slow Syria troop pullout plan</a>

President Donald Trump appeared to backtrack Monday on shock plans for an immediate pullout of US troops from Syria, but said his drive to end American involvement in wars made him a "hero."

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lpg-to-get-cheap-from-january-1-187614">LPG to get cheap from today, cooking gas price cut by Rs 5.91</a>

The price of Non-Subsidised LPG in Delhi will be decreased by Rs 120.50 per cylinder from January 1, due to fall in the price of the domestic cooking gas in international market and strengthening of US dollar-rupee exchange rate.

North Korea warns: Kim says 'new path' inevitable if US demands unilateral action North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Tuesday that his resolve for complete denuclearisation remains unchanged but he may have no option but to seek a "new path" if the United States continues to demand unilateral action from North Korea.

North Korea warns: Kim says 'new path' inevitable if US demands unilateral action North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Tuesday that his resolve for complete denuclearisation remains unchanged but he may have no option but to seek a "new path" if the United States continues to demand unilateral action from North Korea. New GST rates in effect from today: 23 goods and services to get cheaper In a new year gift to the common man, the government has notified reduction in GST rates on 23 goods and services, including movie tickets, TV and monitor screen. Democrat Warren takes step to challenge Trump in 2020 presidential polls US Senator Elizabeth Warren, a liberal firebrand who has taken on Wall Street and traded barbs with Donald Trump, on Monday became the most prominent Democrat to announce a challenge to the Republican president in 2020. Trump appears to slow Syria troop pullout plan President Donald Trump appeared to backtrack Monday on shock plans for an immediate pullout of US troops from Syria, but said his drive to end American involvement in wars made him a "hero." LPG to get cheap from today, cooking gas price cut by Rs 5.91 The price of Non-Subsidised LPG in Delhi will be decreased by Rs 120.50 per cylinder from January 1, due to fall in the price of the domestic cooking gas in international market and strengthening of US dollar-rupee exchange rate.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he is likely to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in January or February and that three sites for their <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-trump---kim-summit-is-a-gamble-beyond-optics-144380?amp">second meeting</a> are under consideration.

"We`re getting along very well. We have a good relationship," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his return from a G20 summit in Argentina.&nbsp;

Trump added that at some point he will invite Kim to the United States.

The two sides have been engaged in talks on the leaders` second meeting after the first, unprecedented, one in Singapore in June, Reuters reported in October, citing a senior official.

The White House said in a statement on Saturday after Trump`s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that they and Kim will strive "to see a nuclear free Korean Peninsula."

The statement said Xi and Trump "agreed that great progress has been made with respect to North Korea."&nbsp;

Last month, Vice President Mike Pence said Trump would push for a concrete plan outlining Pyongyang`s moves to end its arms programs.

Pence told NBC News last month the United States would not require Pyongyang to provide a complete list of nuclear weapons and locations before the second summit, but that the meeting must produce a concrete plan.

"I think it will be absolutely imperative in this next summit that we come away with a plan for identifying all of the weapons in question, identifying all the development sites, allowing for inspections of the sites and the plan for dismantling nuclear weapons," Pence said.

Pence said last month it was essential that international sanctions pressure be maintained on North Korea until its complete denuclearization was achieved.

North Korea had been angered by Washington`s refusal to ease sanctions and has warned it could resume development of its nuclear program if the United States did not drop its campaign.

A U.S. think tank said last month it had identified at least 13 of an estimated 20 active, undeclared missile bases inside North Korea, underscoring the challenge for American negotiators hoping to persuade Kim to give up his weapons programs.

North Korea had entered into agreements with regional powers in 1994 and in 2005 to dismantle its nuclear program in return for economic benefits and diplomatic rewards, but those deals broke down after Pyongyang clandestinely continued to pursue building weapons of mass destruction.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he is likely to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in January or February and that three sites for their second meeting are under consideration.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he is likely to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in January or February and that three sites for their second meeting are under consideration. "We`re getting along very well. We have a good relationship," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his return from a G20 summit in Argentina. Trump added that at some point he will invite Kim to the United States. The two sides have been engaged in talks on the leaders` second meeting after the first, unprecedented, one in Singapore in June, Reuters reported in October, citing a senior official. The White House said in a statement on Saturday after Trump`s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping that they and Kim will strive "to see a nuclear free Korean Peninsula." The statement said Xi and Trump "agreed that great progress has been made with respect to North Korea." Last month, Vice President Mike Pence said Trump would push for a concrete plan outlining Pyongyang`s moves to end its arms programs. Pence told NBC News last month the United States would not require Pyongyang to provide a complete list of nuclear weapons and locations before the second summit, but that the meeting must produce a concrete plan. "I think it will be absolutely imperative in this next summit that we come away with a plan for identifying all of the weapons in question, identifying all the development sites, allowing for inspections of the sites and the plan for dismantling nuclear weapons," Pence said. Pence said last month it was essential that international sanctions pressure be maintained on North Korea until its complete denuclearization was achieved. North Korea had been angered by Washington`s refusal to ease sanctions and has warned it could resume development of its nuclear program if the United States did not drop its campaign. A U.S. think tank said last month it had identified at least 13 of an estimated 20 active, undeclared missile bases inside North Korea, underscoring the challenge for American negotiators hoping to persuade Kim to give up his weapons programs. North Korea had entered into agreements with regional powers in 1994 and in 2005 to dismantle its nuclear program in return for economic benefits and diplomatic rewards, but those deals broke down after Pyongyang clandestinely continued to pursue building weapons of mass destruction.

Trump says he is likely to meet North Korea's Kim again in Jan or Feb

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