Kim Jong Un on Monday warned the United States he has a &quot;nuclear button&quot; on his desk ready for use if North Korea is threatened, but offered an olive branch to South Korea, saying he was &quot;open to dialogue&quot; with Seoul.

After a year dominated by fiery rhetoric and escalating tensions over North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons programme, Kim used his televised New Year&#39;s Day speech to declare North Korea &quot;a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power&quot; and call for lower military tensions and improved ties with the South.

&quot;When it comes to North-South relations, we should lower the military tensions on the Korean Peninsula to create a peaceful environment,&quot; Kim said. &quot;Both the North and the South should make efforts.&quot;

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<h5>Kim said he would consider sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics Games to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February</h5>
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Kim said he would consider sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics Games to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February.

&quot;North Korea&#39;s participation in the Winter Games will be a good opportunity to showcase the national pride and we wish the Games will be a success. Officials from the two Koreas may urgently meet to discuss the possibility,&quot; Kim said.

South Korea said it welcomed Kim&#39;s offer to send a delegation to the Pyeongchang Games and hold talks with the South to discuss possible participation.

&quot;We have always stated our willingness to talk with North Korea anytime and anywhere if that would help restore inter-Korean relations and lead to peace on the Korean peninsula,&quot; a spokesman for the presidential Blue House said.

&quot;We hope the two Koreas will sit down and find a solution to lower tensions and establish peace on the Korean peninsula.&quot;

Lee Hee-beom, president of the Pyeongchang Organizing Committee, said the organisation welcomed North Korean participation.

&quot;The (organising committee) will discuss relevant matters with the South Korean government as well as the International Olympic Committee,&quot; he said in a statement.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said North Korea&#39;s participation will ensure the safety of the Pyeongchang Olympics and proposed last month that Seoul and Washington postpone large military drills that the North denounces as a rehearsal for war until after the Games.

US-based experts saw Kim&#39;s speech as a clear attempt to divide South Korea from its main ally, the United States, which has led an international campaign to pressure North Korea to give up weapons programs aimed at developing nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States.

Asked by reporters to comment on Kim&#39;s speech, US President Donald Trump simply said, &quot;we&#39;ll see, we&#39;ll see&quot;, as he walked into New Year&rsquo;s Eve celebration at Mar-a-Lago, his elite resort in Florida.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Kim&rsquo;s New Year&rsquo;s address.

&quot;This speech pokes at the fissure that has lain below the surface in US-South Korean relations, and seems designed to drive a wedge there,&quot; said Douglas Paal, a former senior U.S. diplomat who heads the Asia program at Washington&rsquo;s Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

&quot;Seoul&#39;s President Moon needs a successful Olympics and the US drive to increase pressure fits poorly with the Southern agenda.&quot;

Evans Revere, another former senior US diplomat who has taken part in unofficial talks with North Korean officials this year, said North Korea was likely to try to extract concessions as a &ldquo;price&rdquo; for Olympics participation.

&quot;It&rsquo;s hard to imagine Seoul falling for this,&quot; he said, adding that Seoul and Washington had so far stayed in synch in the pressure and isolation campaign.

Revere said Kim Jong UN&rsquo;s speech contained the strongest defense of North Korea&#39;s status as a permanently nuclear-armed country he had seen.

&quot;Implicit in Kim Jong UN&rsquo;s speech is a willingness to engage with others, including the United States, on the basis of their acceptance of the &#39;reality&#39; of North Korea&rsquo;s permanent nuclear status. That&rsquo;s not a basis on which the United States is prepared to engage,&quot; he said.

Moon took office in May last year pledging to engage Pyongyang in dialogue and restore ties strained after nearly a decade of conservative rule in the South.

But North Korea has so far snubbed his overtures, including an offer to hold inter-Korean military talks about ceasing hostile activities along the border, as it tested missiles at an unprecedented pace.

Rather than encouraging US measures that &quot;threaten the security and peace of the Korean peninsula,&quot; Seoul should instead respond to overtures from the North, and &quot;stop nuclear war exercises with foreign forces,&quot; Kim said.

North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September in defiance of international warnings and sanctions, raising fears of a new conflict on the Korean peninsula.

After North Korea tested its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in November, which it said was capable of delivering a warhead to anywhere in the United States, Kim declared his nuclear force complete.

He continued that theme in his New Year&#39;s address, announcing that North Korea would focus in the coming year on &quot;mass producing nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles for operational deployment&quot;.

This, Kim said, was &quot;irreversible with any force&quot;, making it impossible for the United States to start a war against North Korea.

&quot;The whole territory of the US is within the range of our nuclear strike and a nuclear button is always on the desk of my office and this is just a reality, not a threat,&quot; he said, while emphasising that the weapons would only be used if North Korea is threatened.

Kim&#39;s customary New Year&rsquo;s speech is closely watched for indications of the policy direction the unpredictable and reclusive leader is likely to pursue in the coming year.

Beyond listing military accomplishments, Kim also outlined economic gains as part of his two-pronged policy of developing his country&#39;s economy and military.

Despite increased international sanctions imposed over the weapons programme, North Korea made progress in areas like fabrics, shoes and tractors, Kim said.

While Kim is keen to declare his weapons programme a success, he is unlikely to completely end his contentious testing regime, said Scott LaFoy, a ballistic missile analyst at the website NK Pro, which monitors North Korea.

&quot;I&#39;m still very skeptical of the &#39;complete&#39; thing they&#39;ve been talking about, if only because we&#39;ve seen so much activity in regards to the submarine launched ballistic missile programme,&quot; he said. &quot;I think a slowdown (in testing) is very realistic, though.&quot;

Kim seems likely to tone down his weapons testing at least ahead of the Olympics, said Nam Sung-wook, a North Korea expert at Korea University in Seoul.

&quot;What North Korea is most afraid of is being forgotten in the international arena,&quot; he said. &quot;Without launching missiles and conducting a nuclear test, North Korea will be in the spotlight just by attending the Winter Olympics.&quot;

Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at Washington&#39;s conservative Center for the National Interest, said that if North Korea did participate in the Olympics, there could be a lull in tensions, but only a brief one.

&quot;As we move into the spring, Pyongyang will once again test all different types of missiles and weapons,&quot; he said.

Kim used his televised New Year's Day speech to declare North Korea 'a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power' and call for lower military tensions and improved ties with the South

Kim Jong Un on Monday warned the United States he has a "nuclear button" on his desk ready for use if North Korea is threatened, but offered an olive branch to South Korea, saying he was "open to dialogue" with Seoul. After a year dominated by fiery rhetoric and escalating tensions over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, Kim used his televised New Year's Day speech to declare North Korea "a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power" and call for lower military tensions and improved ties with the South. "When it comes to North-South relations, we should lower the military tensions on the Korean Peninsula to create a peaceful environment," Kim said. "Both the North and the South should make efforts." Kim said he would consider sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics Games to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February × Kim said he would consider sending a delegation to the Winter Olympics Games to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February. "North Korea's participation in the Winter Games will be a good opportunity to showcase the national pride and we wish the Games will be a success. Officials from the two Koreas may urgently meet to discuss the possibility," Kim said. South Korea said it welcomed Kim's offer to send a delegation to the Pyeongchang Games and hold talks with the South to discuss possible participation. "We have always stated our willingness to talk with North Korea anytime and anywhere if that would help restore inter-Korean relations and lead to peace on the Korean peninsula," a spokesman for the presidential Blue House said. "We hope the two Koreas will sit down and find a solution to lower tensions and establish peace on the Korean peninsula." Lee Hee-beom, president of the Pyeongchang Organizing Committee, said the organisation welcomed North Korean participation. "The (organising committee) will discuss relevant matters with the South Korean government as well as the International Olympic Committee," he said in a statement. South Korean President Moon Jae-in has said North Korea's participation will ensure the safety of the Pyeongchang Olympics and proposed last month that Seoul and Washington postpone large military drills that the North denounces as a rehearsal for war until after the Games. US-based experts saw Kim's speech as a clear attempt to divide South Korea from its main ally, the United States, which has led an international campaign to pressure North Korea to give up weapons programs aimed at developing nuclear missiles capable of hitting the United States. Asked by reporters to comment on Kim's speech, US President Donald Trump simply said, "we'll see, we'll see", as he walked into New Year’s Eve celebration at Mar-a-Lago, his elite resort in Florida. The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Kim’s New Year’s address. "This speech pokes at the fissure that has lain below the surface in US-South Korean relations, and seems designed to drive a wedge there," said Douglas Paal, a former senior U.S. diplomat who heads the Asia program at Washington’s Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "Seoul's President Moon needs a successful Olympics and the US drive to increase pressure fits poorly with the Southern agenda." Evans Revere, another former senior US diplomat who has taken part in unofficial talks with North Korean officials this year, said North Korea was likely to try to extract concessions as a “price” for Olympics participation. "It’s hard to imagine Seoul falling for this," he said, adding that Seoul and Washington had so far stayed in synch in the pressure and isolation campaign. Revere said Kim Jong UN’s speech contained the strongest defense of North Korea's status as a permanently nuclear-armed country he had seen. "Implicit in Kim Jong UN’s speech is a willingness to engage with others, including the United States, on the basis of their acceptance of the 'reality' of North Korea’s permanent nuclear status. That’s not a basis on which the United States is prepared to engage," he said. Moon took office in May last year pledging to engage Pyongyang in dialogue and restore ties strained after nearly a decade of conservative rule in the South. But North Korea has so far snubbed his overtures, including an offer to hold inter-Korean military talks about ceasing hostile activities along the border, as it tested missiles at an unprecedented pace. Rather than encouraging US measures that "threaten the security and peace of the Korean peninsula," Seoul should instead respond to overtures from the North, and "stop nuclear war exercises with foreign forces," Kim said. North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September in defiance of international warnings and sanctions, raising fears of a new conflict on the Korean peninsula. After North Korea tested its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in November, which it said was capable of delivering a warhead to anywhere in the United States, Kim declared his nuclear force complete. He continued that theme in his New Year's address, announcing that North Korea would focus in the coming year on "mass producing nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles for operational deployment". This, Kim said, was "irreversible with any force", making it impossible for the United States to start a war against North Korea. "The whole territory of the US is within the range of our nuclear strike and a nuclear button is always on the desk of my office and this is just a reality, not a threat," he said, while emphasising that the weapons would only be used if North Korea is threatened. Kim's customary New Year’s speech is closely watched for indications of the policy direction the unpredictable and reclusive leader is likely to pursue in the coming year. Beyond listing military accomplishments, Kim also outlined economic gains as part of his two-pronged policy of developing his country's economy and military. Despite increased international sanctions imposed over the weapons programme, North Korea made progress in areas like fabrics, shoes and tractors, Kim said. While Kim is keen to declare his weapons programme a success, he is unlikely to completely end his contentious testing regime, said Scott LaFoy, a ballistic missile analyst at the website NK Pro, which monitors North Korea. "I'm still very skeptical of the 'complete' thing they've been talking about, if only because we've seen so much activity in regards to the submarine launched ballistic missile programme," he said. "I think a slowdown (in testing) is very realistic, though." Kim seems likely to tone down his weapons testing at least ahead of the Olympics, said Nam Sung-wook, a North Korea expert at Korea University in Seoul. "What North Korea is most afraid of is being forgotten in the international arena," he said. "Without launching missiles and conducting a nuclear test, North Korea will be in the spotlight just by attending the Winter Olympics." Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at Washington's conservative Center for the National Interest, said that if North Korea did participate in the Olympics, there could be a lull in tensions, but only a brief one. "As we move into the spring, Pyongyang will once again test all different types of missiles and weapons," he said.

North Korea's Kim says 'open to dialogue' with South Korea, will use nukes only if threatened

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-summons-us-ambassador-after-trump-criticism-28272" target="_blank">Pakistan summons US ambassador, asks him to explain Trump criticism</a>

Hours after US President Donald Trump&#39;s tweet accusing it of &quot;lies and deceit&quot;, Pakistan summoned US Ambassador David Hale on Monday night to lodge a protest, news reports quoted US embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire as saying. The US envoy was summoned by the Pakistan Foreign Office at 9 pm, a report in the Express Tribune said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-says-open-to-dialogue-with-south-korea-will-only-use-nukes-if-threatened-28277" target="_blank">North Korea&#39;s Kim says &#39;open to dialogue&#39; with South Korea, will only use nukes if threatened</a>

Kim Jong Un on Monday warned the United States he has a &quot;nuclear button&quot; on his desk ready for use if North Korea is threatened, but offered an olive branch to South Korea, saying he was &quot;open to dialogue&quot; with Seoul. After a year dominated by fiery rhetoric and escalating tensions over North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons programme, Kim used his televised New Year&#39;s Day speech to declare North Korea &quot;a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power&quot; and call for lower military tensions and improved ties with the South.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/fresh-protests-in-iran-policeman-killed-28274" target="_blank">Fresh protests in Iran, policeman killed</a>

Fresh protests broke out as night fell in Iran Monday with reports of a policeman shot dead, as the authorities moved to crack down on days of unrest across the country. There was a heavy police presence in Tehran as small groups of protesters ran through the city centre shouting anti-regime slogans, local agencies reported.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-bill-to-be-tabled-in-rajya-sabha-today-28271">Triple talaq bill to be tabled in Rajya Sabha today</a>

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 seeking to criminalise instant divorce, triple talaq, is set to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The opposition party, Congress, Left, AIADMK and the DMK from Tamil Nadu have supported the bill but called for modifications of the provisions, claiming that it could hamper the sentiments of Muslim women, that leaders in Lok Sabha had earlier argued.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmavati-row-mewar-royal-questions-censor-board-over-the-clearance-of-the-film-28278" target="_blank">Padmavati row: Mewar royal questions Censor Board over clearance to film</a>

A senior member of the erstwhile Mewar royal family, Mahendra Singh, has questioned the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for endorsing Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s Padmavati claiming the film &quot;misrepresents&quot; revered heroic characters and may cause &quot;social unrest&quot;. In a letter to Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and Minister of State Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the Mewar royal alleged that CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi had not considered all factors and &quot;this public deception&quot; suggested incompetence and complicity.

Pakistan summons US ambassador, asks him to explain Trump criticism Hours after US President Donald Trump's tweet accusing it of "lies and deceit", Pakistan summoned US Ambassador David Hale on Monday night to lodge a protest, news reports quoted US embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire as saying. The US envoy was summoned by the Pakistan Foreign Office at 9 pm, a report in the Express Tribune said. North Korea's Kim says 'open to dialogue' with South Korea, will only use nukes if threatened Kim Jong Un on Monday warned the United States he has a "nuclear button" on his desk ready for use if North Korea is threatened, but offered an olive branch to South Korea, saying he was "open to dialogue" with Seoul. After a year dominated by fiery rhetoric and escalating tensions over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, Kim used his televised New Year's Day speech to declare North Korea "a peace-loving and responsible nuclear power" and call for lower military tensions and improved ties with the South. Fresh protests in Iran, policeman killed Fresh protests broke out as night fell in Iran Monday with reports of a policeman shot dead, as the authorities moved to crack down on days of unrest across the country. There was a heavy police presence in Tehran as small groups of protesters ran through the city centre shouting anti-regime slogans, local agencies reported. Triple talaq bill to be tabled in Rajya Sabha today The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 seeking to criminalise instant divorce, triple talaq, is set to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The opposition party, Congress, Left, AIADMK and the DMK from Tamil Nadu have supported the bill but called for modifications of the provisions, claiming that it could hamper the sentiments of Muslim women, that leaders in Lok Sabha had earlier argued. Padmavati row: Mewar royal questions Censor Board over clearance to film A senior member of the erstwhile Mewar royal family, Mahendra Singh, has questioned the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for endorsing Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati claiming the film "misrepresents" revered heroic characters and may cause "social unrest". In a letter to Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and Minister of State Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the Mewar royal alleged that CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi had not considered all factors and "this public deception" suggested incompetence and complicity.

WION morning news brief, January 2, 2018

In a defiant New Year message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said today that he was always within the reach of the nuclear button. He also said that North Korea must mass-produce nuclear weapons and missiles. 
 
&quot;The nuclear button is always on my table. The US must realise this is not blackmail but reality, said Kim, reiterating his claims that North Korea was a nuclear state.

&quot;(The North) can cope with any kind of nuclear threats from the US and has a strong nuclear deterrence that is able to prevent the US from playing with fire,&quot; Kim said in his annual address to the nation.

&quot;We must mass-produce nuclear warheads and ballistic missile and speed up their deployment,&quot; said Kim.

The message comes after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-says-us-threats-make-war-unavoidable-26132">months of escalating tensions</a> over his country&#39;s weapons programme. &nbsp;&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump has responded to each test with his own counter-threats, threatening to &quot;totally destroy&quot; Pyongyang and saying Kim Jong-Un was on &quot;a suicide mission&quot;.

Analysts say Trump&#39;s tough talk may have prompted the North Korean leader to drive through with his dangerous quest, AFP reported.

Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, said the Trump presidency had helped create &quot;an incredibly dangerous climate&quot;, in an interview on ABC&#39;s &quot;This Week&quot;. &nbsp;

&quot;We&#39;re actually closer, in my view, to a nuclear war with North Korea and in that region than we have ever been,&quot; he said.

Kim Jong-Un has presided over multiple missile tests in recent months and the North&#39;s sixth and most powerful nuclear test -- which it said was a hydrogen bomb -- in September.&nbsp;

In December the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed new, US-drafted sanctions to restrict oil supplies vital for the impoverished state. The sanctions also received the backing of China, the North&#39;s sole major ally and economic lifeline&nbsp;

The third raft of sanctions imposed last year, which the North slammed as an<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-says-us-threats-make-war-unavoidable-26132"> &quot;act of war&quot;</a>.

Ties with South Korea must improve: Kim Jong-Un

The North Korean firebrand leader said inter-Korean ties must improve ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics.

North Korea could send a delegation to the South for the Olympics, the first indication Pyongyang may participate in next month&#39;s Games despite tensions over its weapons programme.

Kim said, &quot;We are willing to take necessary measures including to dispatch our delegation&quot; to the Pyeongchang Games which Seoul and organisers have billed as a &quot;peace Olympics&quot; and have been keen for North Korea to take part.

&quot;I sincerely hope the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will be staged successfully,&quot; Kim said in his new year&#39;s address to the nation.

He also said that the &quot;sharp military tension between the North and the South must be eased and peaceful atmosphere should be in place.&quot;

&quot;As long as an unstable state which is neither a war nor peace continues, the North and the South cannot guarantee a success of the Olympics, sit down for talks or move forward for reunification.&quot;&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

Kim Jong-Un also said that North Korea must mass-produce nuclear weapons and missiles

In a defiant New Year message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said today that he was always within the reach of the nuclear button. He also said that North Korea must mass-produce nuclear weapons and missiles. "The nuclear button is always on my table. The US must realise this is not blackmail but reality, said Kim, reiterating his claims that North Korea was a nuclear state. "(The North) can cope with any kind of nuclear threats from the US and has a strong nuclear deterrence that is able to prevent the US from playing with fire," Kim said in his annual address to the nation. "We must mass-produce nuclear warheads and ballistic missile and speed up their deployment," said Kim. The message comes after months of escalating tensions over his country's weapons programme. US President Donald Trump has responded to each test with his own counter-threats, threatening to "totally destroy" Pyongyang and saying Kim Jong-Un was on "a suicide mission". Analysts say Trump's tough talk may have prompted the North Korean leader to drive through with his dangerous quest, AFP reported. Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, said the Trump presidency had helped create "an incredibly dangerous climate", in an interview on ABC's "This Week". "We're actually closer, in my view, to a nuclear war with North Korea and in that region than we have ever been," he said. Kim Jong-Un has presided over multiple missile tests in recent months and the North's sixth and most powerful nuclear test -- which it said was a hydrogen bomb -- in September. In December the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed new, US-drafted sanctions to restrict oil supplies vital for the impoverished state. The sanctions also received the backing of China, the North's sole major ally and economic lifeline The third raft of sanctions imposed last year, which the North slammed as an "act of war". Ties with South Korea must improve: Kim Jong-Un The North Korean firebrand leader said inter-Korean ties must improve ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics. North Korea could send a delegation to the South for the Olympics, the first indication Pyongyang may participate in next month's Games despite tensions over its weapons programme. Kim said, "We are willing to take necessary measures including to dispatch our delegation" to the Pyeongchang Games which Seoul and organisers have billed as a "peace Olympics" and have been keen for North Korea to take part. "I sincerely hope the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will be staged successfully," Kim said in his new year's address to the nation. He also said that the "sharp military tension between the North and the South must be eased and peaceful atmosphere should be in place." "As long as an unstable state which is neither a war nor peace continues, the North and the South cannot guarantee a success of the Olympics, sit down for talks or move forward for reunification." (With inputs from AFP)

'Nuclear button is always on my table': North Korea's Kim Jong-Un

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has imposed ten rounds of punitive sanctions on North Korea. The United States has imposed additional sanctions. In the normal course, these should have brought Pyongyang to its knees. Practically all its avenues of earning foreign exchange have been choked. Its main export items (seafood, minerals, coal, iron ore, textiles etc) have been blocked. Since last year, restrictions have been imposed and progressively tightened on its imports of oil and petroleum products, which are critical to the regime&rsquo;s survival. Yet, North Korea is undaunted.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It has simply shrugged off the sanctions. Reportedly even gasoline is not in short supply in the country. Its GDP is growing at 3.5 to 4 per cent annually. From all indications, life continues to be normal for the ordinary citizen. How has Pyongyang managed to do so?

&nbsp;

North Korea conducted its sixth and to date the most powerful nuclear test on 3rd September 2017. On 29th November it tested Hwasong-15 ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) which on a standard trajectory could have travelled some 13,000 kms, reaching any part of the continental United States. It carried a (dummy?) warhead. It is merely a matter of time before it perfects the re-entry technology. The speed at which North Korea is mastering the sophisticated ballistic missile technology has taken even the experts by surprise.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Now the question is, who has been enabling this pariah state to pose the biggest threat to the peace and security architecture in East Asia and beyond?

&nbsp;

The simple truth is that it is none other than North Korea&rsquo;s patron and neighbour with which it shares a 1420 kms border along the Yalu and Tumen rivers. It is a &lsquo;responsible major country&rsquo; (as described by its President) which is a permanent member of the UNSC and poised to become the biggest economy in the world within twenty years. It is the country which has two allies &ndash; Pakistan and North Korea &ndash; both rogue nations. The country in question is -&nbsp; China.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Beijing has perfected the art of voting for sanctions in New York and then finding imaginative ways of neutralising or blunting them, on the ground. Be it the import of coal or export of petroleum products, Beijing has been merrily circumventing sanctions. In recent days, several reports have emerged of Chinese and Russian ships transferring oil to North Korean vessels in international waters.

It is, however, also a fact that Beijing too is getting increasingly concerned by the turn of events. Given its self-image and posturing as a responsible player in the global arena, it is queasy to be seen as the principal protector of a rogue regime. It is also true that Pyongyang no longer does Beijing&rsquo;s bidding unquestionably.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The verbal slugfest between Washington and Pyongyang, that is getting sharper by the day, is anything but good news for China. The possibility of conflict in the Korean Peninsula is growing by the day. Pyongyang which sees WMD (weapons of mass destruction) as an insurance for regime survival, is determined not to roll back its nuclear or missile development programme. On the other hand, a nuclearised North Korea has far-reaching negative implications for the strategic balance in East Asia.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Thus, in some ways, Beijing is caught in a cleft-stick, of its own making. Yet it is not willing to let the Kim regime crumble, purportedly to avert instability. The real reason is that China cannot countenance a pro-west regime along its north-eastern border.&nbsp;

Will China succeed in its game of shadow-boxing? There are no easy answers. In some ways, the world is confronted with a stalemate.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Kim regime will not give up its WMD programme without a fight. For over two decades, it has been successful in stringing its interlocutors along by going through the motions of a negotiated settlement, while stealthily advancing its nuclear ambitions. Conflict is not a realistic option, given the huge human and material cost it will entail, especially for South Korea. Sanctions are not having the desired impact. North Korea seeks unconditional direct talks with the USA. Secretary Tillerson has alluded to such a possibility only to be undermined by President Trump. The biggest fear at the moment is of a miscalculation by either side, setting in motion a chain of events which would be difficult to predict or calibrate.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

China has been enabling North Korea, the pariah state to pose the biggest threat to the peace and security architecture in East Asia and beyond

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has imposed ten rounds of punitive sanctions on North Korea. The United States has imposed additional sanctions. In the normal course, these should have brought Pyongyang to its knees. Practically all its avenues of earning foreign exchange have been choked. Its main export items (seafood, minerals, coal, iron ore, textiles etc) have been blocked. Since last year, restrictions have been imposed and progressively tightened on its imports of oil and petroleum products, which are critical to the regime’s survival. Yet, North Korea is undaunted. It has simply shrugged off the sanctions. Reportedly even gasoline is not in short supply in the country. Its GDP is growing at 3.5 to 4 per cent annually. From all indications, life continues to be normal for the ordinary citizen. How has Pyongyang managed to do so? North Korea conducted its sixth and to date the most powerful nuclear test on 3rd September 2017. On 29th November it tested Hwasong-15 ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) which on a standard trajectory could have travelled some 13,000 kms, reaching any part of the continental United States. It carried a (dummy?) warhead. It is merely a matter of time before it perfects the re-entry technology. The speed at which North Korea is mastering the sophisticated ballistic missile technology has taken even the experts by surprise. Now the question is, who has been enabling this pariah state to pose the biggest threat to the peace and security architecture in East Asia and beyond? The simple truth is that it is none other than North Korea’s patron and neighbour with which it shares a 1420 kms border along the Yalu and Tumen rivers. It is a ‘responsible major country’ (as described by its President) which is a permanent member of the UNSC and poised to become the biggest economy in the world within twenty years. It is the country which has two allies – Pakistan and North Korea – both rogue nations. The country in question is - China. Beijing has perfected the art of voting for sanctions in New York and then finding imaginative ways of neutralising or blunting them, on the ground. Be it the import of coal or export of petroleum products, Beijing has been merrily circumventing sanctions. In recent days, several reports have emerged of Chinese and Russian ships transferring oil to North Korean vessels in international waters. It is, however, also a fact that Beijing too is getting increasingly concerned by the turn of events. Given its self-image and posturing as a responsible player in the global arena, it is queasy to be seen as the principal protector of a rogue regime. It is also true that Pyongyang no longer does Beijing’s bidding unquestionably. The verbal slugfest between Washington and Pyongyang, that is getting sharper by the day, is anything but good news for China. The possibility of conflict in the Korean Peninsula is growing by the day. Pyongyang which sees WMD (weapons of mass destruction) as an insurance for regime survival, is determined not to roll back its nuclear or missile development programme. On the other hand, a nuclearised North Korea has far-reaching negative implications for the strategic balance in East Asia. Thus, in some ways, Beijing is caught in a cleft-stick, of its own making. Yet it is not willing to let the Kim regime crumble, purportedly to avert instability. The real reason is that China cannot countenance a pro-west regime along its north-eastern border. Will China succeed in its game of shadow-boxing? There are no easy answers. In some ways, the world is confronted with a stalemate. The Kim regime will not give up its WMD programme without a fight. For over two decades, it has been successful in stringing its interlocutors along by going through the motions of a negotiated settlement, while stealthily advancing its nuclear ambitions. Conflict is not a realistic option, given the huge human and material cost it will entail, especially for South Korea. Sanctions are not having the desired impact. North Korea seeks unconditional direct talks with the USA. Secretary Tillerson has alluded to such a possibility only to be undermined by President Trump. The biggest fear at the moment is of a miscalculation by either side, setting in motion a chain of events which would be difficult to predict or calibrate. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: The China-North Korea unholy nexus

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-fog-flights-trains-delayed-28207" target="_blank">Operations at Delhi airport suspended because of heavy fog</a>

Operations at Delhi airport were suspended on Sunday morning as visibility dropped below 50 metres because of heavy fog. The blanket of fog earlier lead to the cancellation of one flight and the delay and rescheduling of trains.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nuclear-button-is-always-on-my-table-north-koreas-kim-jong-un-28204" target="_blank">&#39;Nuclear button is always on my table&#39;: North Korea&#39;s Kim Jong-Un</a>

In a defiant New Year message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said today that he was always within the reach of the nuclear button. He also said that North Korea must mass-produce nuclear weapons and missiles. &quot;The nuclear button is always on my table. This is not blackmail but reality,&quot; said Kim, reiterating his claims that North Korea was a nuclear state.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/palestine-recalls-its-ambassador-to-us-over-jerusalem-crisis-28202">Palestine recalls its ambassador to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/palestine-recalls-its-ambassador-to-us-over-jerusalem-crisis-28202">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/palestine-recalls-its-ambassador-to-us-over-jerusalem-crisis-28202"> over Jerusalem crisis</a>

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) recalled its ambassador to the US on Sunday in Washington following US President Donald Trump&#39;s controversial decision of recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel a few weeks ago. The PNA&#39;s move was done in order to have &quot;consultations&quot; over the crisis with Washington after its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nrc-releases-first-draft-with-19-crore-names-as-legal-in-assam-28208">Assam releases </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nrc-releases-first-draft-with-19-crore-names-as-legal-in-assam-28208">first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nrc-releases-first-draft-with-19-crore-names-as-legal-in-assam-28208"> draft with 1.9 crore names as &#39;legal&#39; residents</a>

The much-anticipated first draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published on Sunday where almost 1.9 crore Assam residents have been tagged as &quot;legal&quot;.&nbsp;Out of the total population of around 3.29 crore in Assam, 1.9 crore have been declared legal while the rest await further stages of verification.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/4-jawans-3-terrorists-killed-in-pre-dawn-attack-in-pulwama-crpf-28180" target="_blank">5 jawans, 3 terrorists killed in Pulwama attack: CRPF</a>

Heavily armed terrorists on Sunday launched a pre-dawn attack on a CRPF camp in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, killing five personnel of the force and injuring three others, a security forces spokesperson said. CRPF spokesperson Rajesh Yadav said the bodies of two terrorists have also been recovered while one more is believed to have been killed.

Operations at Delhi airport suspended because of heavy fog Operations at Delhi airport were suspended on Sunday morning as visibility dropped below 50 metres because of heavy fog. The blanket of fog earlier lead to the cancellation of one flight and the delay and rescheduling of trains. 'Nuclear button is always on my table': North Korea's Kim Jong-Un In a defiant New Year message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said today that he was always within the reach of the nuclear button. He also said that North Korea must mass-produce nuclear weapons and missiles. "The nuclear button is always on my table. This is not blackmail but reality," said Kim, reiterating his claims that North Korea was a nuclear state. Palestine recalls its ambassador to US over Jerusalem crisis The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) recalled its ambassador to the US on Sunday in Washington following US President Donald Trump's controversial decision of recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel a few weeks ago. The PNA's move was done in order to have "consultations" over the crisis with Washington after its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Assam releases first draft with 1.9 crore names as 'legal' residents The much-anticipated first draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published on Sunday where almost 1.9 crore Assam residents have been tagged as "legal". Out of the total population of around 3.29 crore in Assam, 1.9 crore have been declared legal while the rest await further stages of verification. 5 jawans, 3 terrorists killed in Pulwama attack: CRPF Heavily armed terrorists on Sunday launched a pre-dawn attack on a CRPF camp in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, killing five personnel of the force and injuring three others, a security forces spokesperson said. CRPF spokesperson Rajesh Yadav said the bodies of two terrorists have also been recovered while one more is believed to have been killed.

WION morning news brief, January 1, 2018

South Korean authorities have seized a Panama-flagged vessel suspected of transferring oil products to North Korea in violation of international sanctions, a customs official said on Sunday.

The seizure was the second to be revealed by South Korea within a few days, as the United Nations steps up efforts to squeeze essential oil supplies to the reclusive North following its nuclear or ballistic missile tests.

The ship, KOTI, was seized at Pyeongtaek-Dangjin port, the official told Reuters, without elaborating, due to the sensitivity of the issue. The port is on the west coast, south of Incheon.

A marine official also confirmed the seizure, which he said was done &quot;recently&quot;.

The KOTI&#39;s estimated time of arrival at the port was December 19, according to VesselFinder Ltd., a tracking service provider,

The ship can carry 5,100 tonnes of oil and has a crew mostly from China and Myanmar, Yonhap News Agency reported, adding that South Korea&#39;s intelligence and customs officials are conducting a joint probe into the vessel.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed the probe, declining to provide details.

&quot;The government has been in close consultations with related countries and ministries to thoroughly implement the sanctions by the U.N. Security Council,&quot; the spokesman said.

PROPOSED BLACKLISTING

On Friday, South Korea said that in late November it seized the Hong Kong-flagged Lighthouse Winmore, which is suspected of transferring as much as 600 tons of oil to the North Korea-flagged Sam Jong 2.

The U.N. Security Council last month unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil.

The United States has also proposed that the United Nations Security Council blacklist 10 ships for transporting banned items from North Korea, according to documents seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

The Lighthouse Winmore is one of the 10 ships proposed to be blacklisted. The KOTI does not seem to be included on the list.

On Thursday, China blocked a U.S. effort at the United Nations to blacklist six foreign-flagged ships, a U.N. Security Council diplomat said.

China&#39;s Foreign Ministry, responding to a question from Reuters on the blocking, said Beijing always fully and strictly implemented Security Council resolutions.

&quot;At the same time, any measures taken by the Security Council must have a basis in conclusive and actual proof. China will continue to participate in the work of the relevant Security Council sanctions committee on this principle,&quot; it said in a short statement, without elaborating.

China also denied reports it had been illicitly selling oil products to North Korea in defiance of U.N. sanctions, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was unhappy that China had allowed oil to reach the isolated nation.

Russian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea, breaching U.N. sanctions, sources told Reuters.

South Korean authorities have seized a Panama-flagged vessel suspected of transferring oil products to North Korea in violation of international sanctions, a customs official said on Sunday

South Korean authorities have seized a Panama-flagged vessel suspected of transferring oil products to North Korea in violation of international sanctions, a customs official said on Sunday. The seizure was the second to be revealed by South Korea within a few days, as the United Nations steps up efforts to squeeze essential oil supplies to the reclusive North following its nuclear or ballistic missile tests. The ship, KOTI, was seized at Pyeongtaek-Dangjin port, the official told Reuters, without elaborating, due to the sensitivity of the issue. The port is on the west coast, south of Incheon. A marine official also confirmed the seizure, which he said was done "recently". The KOTI's estimated time of arrival at the port was December 19, according to VesselFinder Ltd., a tracking service provider, The ship can carry 5,100 tonnes of oil and has a crew mostly from China and Myanmar, Yonhap News Agency reported, adding that South Korea's intelligence and customs officials are conducting a joint probe into the vessel. A Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed the probe, declining to provide details. "The government has been in close consultations with related countries and ministries to thoroughly implement the sanctions by the U.N. Security Council," the spokesman said. PROPOSED BLACKLISTING On Friday, South Korea said that in late November it seized the Hong Kong-flagged Lighthouse Winmore, which is suspected of transferring as much as 600 tons of oil to the North Korea-flagged Sam Jong 2. The U.N. Security Council last month unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seeking to limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil. The United States has also proposed that the United Nations Security Council blacklist 10 ships for transporting banned items from North Korea, according to documents seen by Reuters on Tuesday. The Lighthouse Winmore is one of the 10 ships proposed to be blacklisted. The KOTI does not seem to be included on the list. On Thursday, China blocked a U.S. effort at the United Nations to blacklist six foreign-flagged ships, a U.N. Security Council diplomat said. China's Foreign Ministry, responding to a question from Reuters on the blocking, said Beijing always fully and strictly implemented Security Council resolutions. "At the same time, any measures taken by the Security Council must have a basis in conclusive and actual proof. China will continue to participate in the work of the relevant Security Council sanctions committee on this principle," it said in a short statement, without elaborating. China also denied reports it had been illicitly selling oil products to North Korea in defiance of U.N. sanctions, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was unhappy that China had allowed oil to reach the isolated nation. Russian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea, breaching U.N. sanctions, sources told Reuters.

South Korea seizes second ship suspected of providing oil to North Korea

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-seizes-second-ship-suspected-of-providing-oil-to-north-korea-28181">South Korea seizes&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-seizes-second-ship-suspected-of-providing-oil-to-north-korea-28181">second</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-seizes-second-ship-suspected-of-providing-oil-to-north-korea-28181"> ship suspected of providing oil to North Korea</a>

South Korean authorities have seized a Panama-flagged vessel suspected of transferring oil products to North Korea in violation of international sanctions, a customs official said on Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/muslim-women-can-travel-for-haj-without-male-guardian-prime-minister-modi-28167">Muslim women can travel </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/muslim-women-can-travel-for-haj-without-male-guardian-prime-minister-modi-28167">for</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/muslim-women-can-travel-for-haj-without-male-guardian-prime-minister-modi-28167"> Haj without male guardian: Prime Minister Modi</a>

Terming the policy of allowing Muslim women to perform Haj only in the company of a male guardian as &quot;injustice&quot;, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his government has removed the restriction following which hundreds of women have applied to travel alone for the pilgrimage.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/have-been-assured-that-i-will-be-given-suitable-departments-nitin-patel-28155">Have been assured that I will be given suitable departments: Nitin Patel as he takes charge</a>

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel today said he had been assured by BJP chief Amit Shah that he would be given &quot;suitable departments&quot; in the newly-appointed government in the state.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/amitabh-bachchan-congratulates-rajinikanth-on-his-political-debut-28172">Amitabh Bachchan congratulates Rajinikanth on his political debut</a>

As Tamil Superstar Rajinikanth announced his much-anticipated entry into politics, wishes poured in from fans and eminent personalities from all across.

Bollywood&#39;s megastar Amitabh Bachchan also congratulated his long-time friend Rajinikanth and conveyed his wishes on the start of his political journey.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-interior-minister-warns-government-will-confront-disorder-28162">Iran interior minister warns government &#39;will confront&#39; disorder</a>

Iran&#39;s interior minister warned Sunday that &quot;violence, fear and terror&quot; will be confronted after a third night of protests against the regime.

&quot;Those who damage public property, disrupt the order and break the law must be responsible for their behaviour and pay the price,&quot; Abdolrahman Rahmani Fazli said on state television.

South Korea seizes second ship suspected of providing oil to North Korea South Korean authorities have seized a Panama-flagged vessel suspected of transferring oil products to North Korea in violation of international sanctions, a customs official said on Sunday. Muslim women can travel for Haj without male guardian: Prime Minister Modi Terming the policy of allowing Muslim women to perform Haj only in the company of a male guardian as "injustice", Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his government has removed the restriction following which hundreds of women have applied to travel alone for the pilgrimage. Have been assured that I will be given suitable departments: Nitin Patel as he takes charge Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel today said he had been assured by BJP chief Amit Shah that he would be given "suitable departments" in the newly-appointed government in the state. Amitabh Bachchan congratulates Rajinikanth on his political debut As Tamil Superstar Rajinikanth announced his much-anticipated entry into politics, wishes poured in from fans and eminent personalities from all across. Bollywood's megastar Amitabh Bachchan also congratulated his long-time friend Rajinikanth and conveyed his wishes on the start of his political journey. Iran interior minister warns government 'will confront' disorder Iran's interior minister warned Sunday that "violence, fear and terror" will be confronted after a third night of protests against the regime. "Those who damage public property, disrupt the order and break the law must be responsible for their behaviour and pay the price," Abdolrahman Rahmani Fazli said on state television.

WION Evening News Brief, December 31, 2017

Russian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea, according to two senior Western European security sources, providing an economic lifeline to the secretive Communist state.

The sales of oil or oil products from Russia, the world&#39;s second-biggest oil exporter and a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council, breach UN sanctions, the security sources said.

The transfers in October and November indicate that smuggling from Russia to North Korea has evolved to loading cargoes at sea since Reuters reported in September that North Korean ships were sailing directly from Russia to their homeland.

&quot;Russian vessels have made ship-to-ship transfers of petrochemicals to North Korean vessels on several occasions this year in breach of sanctions,&quot; the first security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

A second source, who independently confirmed the existence of the Russian ship-to-ship fuel trade with North Korea, said there was no evidence of Russian state involvement in the latest transfers.

&quot;There is no evidence that this is backed by the Russian state but these Russian vessels are giving a lifeline to the North Koreans,&quot; the second European security source said.

The two security sources cited naval intelligence and satellite imagery of the vessels operating out of Russian Far Eastern ports on the Pacific but declined to disclose further details to Reuters, saying it was classified.

Russia&#39;s Foreign Ministry and the Russian Customs Service both declined to comment when asked on Wednesday if Russian ships had supplied fuel to North Korean vessels. The owner of one ship accused of smuggling oil to North Korea denied any such activity.

The US State Department, in a statement, called on Russia and other UN members to &quot;strictly implement&quot; sanctions on North Korea and to work &quot;more closely together to shut down UN-prohibited activities, including ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum and the transport of coal from North Korea.&quot;

The latest report came as China, responding on Friday to criticism from US President Donald Trump, denied it had illicitly shipped oil products to North Korea.

North Korea relies on imported fuel to keep its struggling economy functioning. It also requires oil for its intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear programme that the United States says threatens the peace in Asia.

&quot;The vessels are smuggling Russian fuel from Russian Far Eastern ports to North Korea,&quot; said the first security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Reuters was unable to independently verify that the vessels had transferred fuel to North Korean vessels, whether the Russian state knew about the sales or how many Russian vessels were involved in the transfers. It was also unclear how much fuel may have been smuggled.

Ship satellite positioning data consulted by Reuters and available on Reuters Eikon shows unusual movements by some of the Russian vessels named by the security sources including switching off the transponders which give a precise location.

The security sources said the Russian-flagged tanker Vityaz was one vessel that had transferred fuel to North Korean vessels.

The Vityaz left the port of Slavyanka near Vladivostok in Russia on October 15 with 1,600 tonnes of oil, according to Russian port control documents.

Documents submitted by the vessel&#39;s agent to the Russian State Port Control authority showed its destination as a fishing fleet in the Japan Sea. Shipping data showed the vessel switched off its transponder for a few days as it sailed into open waters.

According to the European security sources, the Vityaz conducted a ship-to-ship transfer with the North Korean Flagged Sam Ma 2 tanker in open seas during October.

Reuters could not independently verify the transfer as ship tracking data showed that the Sam Ma 2 had turned off its transponder from the start of August.

The owner of the Russian vessel denied any contact with North Korean vessels but also said it was unaware that the vessel was fuelling fishing boats.

Yaroslav Guk, deputy director of the tanker&#39;s owner, Vladivostok-based Alisa Ltd, said the vessel had no contacts with North Korean vessels.

&quot;Absolutely no, this is very dangerous,&quot; Guk told Reuters by telephone. &quot;It would be complete madness.&quot;

When contacted a second time, Guk said the vessel did not have any contacts with North Korean ships and that he would not answer further questions.

An official at East Coast Ltd, the vessel&#39;s transport agent, declined to comment.

Two other Russian flagged tankers made similar journeys between the middle of October and November, leaving from the ports of Slavyanka and Nakhodka into open seas where they switched off their transponders, shipping data showed.

In September, Reuters reported that at least eight North Korean ships that left Russia loaded with fuel this year headed for their homeland despite declaring other destinations, a ploy that US officials say is often used to undermine sanctions.

A Russian shipping source with knowledge of Far Eastern marine practices said North Korean vessels had stopped loading fuel in Russia&#39;s Far Eastern ports but that fuel is delivered at sea by tankers using ship-to-ship transfers, or even by fishing vessels.

China on Friday denied reports it had been illicitly selling oil products to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions after US President Donald Trump said he was unhappy that China had allowed oil to reach the isolated nation.

China&#39;s denial came a day after it blocked a US effort at the United Nations to blacklist six ships Washington believes had engaged in illicit trade with North Korea, a UN Security Council diplomat said.

According to documents seen by Reuters this month, the United States had proposed that the UN Security Council blacklist 10 ships for illicit trade with North Korea.

It accused the vessels of &quot;conducting illegal ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum products to North Korean vessels or illegally transporting North Korean coal to other countries for exports.&quot;

Three North Korean ships among the 10 were blacklisted, along with a Panama-registered vessel.

&nbsp;

Russian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea, according to two senior Western European security sources, providing an economic lifeline to the secretive Communist state

Russian tankers have supplied fuel to North Korea on at least three occasions in recent months by transferring cargoes at sea, according to two senior Western European security sources, providing an economic lifeline to the secretive Communist state. The sales of oil or oil products from Russia, the world's second-biggest oil exporter and a veto-wielding member of the United Nations Security Council, breach UN sanctions, the security sources said. The transfers in October and November indicate that smuggling from Russia to North Korea has evolved to loading cargoes at sea since Reuters reported in September that North Korean ships were sailing directly from Russia to their homeland. "Russian vessels have made ship-to-ship transfers of petrochemicals to North Korean vessels on several occasions this year in breach of sanctions," the first security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. A second source, who independently confirmed the existence of the Russian ship-to-ship fuel trade with North Korea, said there was no evidence of Russian state involvement in the latest transfers. "There is no evidence that this is backed by the Russian state but these Russian vessels are giving a lifeline to the North Koreans," the second European security source said. The two security sources cited naval intelligence and satellite imagery of the vessels operating out of Russian Far Eastern ports on the Pacific but declined to disclose further details to Reuters, saying it was classified. Russia's Foreign Ministry and the Russian Customs Service both declined to comment when asked on Wednesday if Russian ships had supplied fuel to North Korean vessels. The owner of one ship accused of smuggling oil to North Korea denied any such activity. The US State Department, in a statement, called on Russia and other UN members to "strictly implement" sanctions on North Korea and to work "more closely together to shut down UN-prohibited activities, including ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum and the transport of coal from North Korea." The latest report came as China, responding on Friday to criticism from US President Donald Trump, denied it had illicitly shipped oil products to North Korea. North Korea relies on imported fuel to keep its struggling economy functioning. It also requires oil for its intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear programme that the United States says threatens the peace in Asia. "The vessels are smuggling Russian fuel from Russian Far Eastern ports to North Korea," said the first security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Reuters was unable to independently verify that the vessels had transferred fuel to North Korean vessels, whether the Russian state knew about the sales or how many Russian vessels were involved in the transfers. It was also unclear how much fuel may have been smuggled. Ship satellite positioning data consulted by Reuters and available on Reuters Eikon shows unusual movements by some of the Russian vessels named by the security sources including switching off the transponders which give a precise location. The security sources said the Russian-flagged tanker Vityaz was one vessel that had transferred fuel to North Korean vessels. The Vityaz left the port of Slavyanka near Vladivostok in Russia on October 15 with 1,600 tonnes of oil, according to Russian port control documents. Documents submitted by the vessel's agent to the Russian State Port Control authority showed its destination as a fishing fleet in the Japan Sea. Shipping data showed the vessel switched off its transponder for a few days as it sailed into open waters. According to the European security sources, the Vityaz conducted a ship-to-ship transfer with the North Korean Flagged Sam Ma 2 tanker in open seas during October. Reuters could not independently verify the transfer as ship tracking data showed that the Sam Ma 2 had turned off its transponder from the start of August. The owner of the Russian vessel denied any contact with North Korean vessels but also said it was unaware that the vessel was fuelling fishing boats. Yaroslav Guk, deputy director of the tanker's owner, Vladivostok-based Alisa Ltd, said the vessel had no contacts with North Korean vessels. "Absolutely no, this is very dangerous," Guk told Reuters by telephone. "It would be complete madness." When contacted a second time, Guk said the vessel did not have any contacts with North Korean ships and that he would not answer further questions. An official at East Coast Ltd, the vessel's transport agent, declined to comment. Two other Russian flagged tankers made similar journeys between the middle of October and November, leaving from the ports of Slavyanka and Nakhodka into open seas where they switched off their transponders, shipping data showed. In September, Reuters reported that at least eight North Korean ships that left Russia loaded with fuel this year headed for their homeland despite declaring other destinations, a ploy that US officials say is often used to undermine sanctions. A Russian shipping source with knowledge of Far Eastern marine practices said North Korean vessels had stopped loading fuel in Russia's Far Eastern ports but that fuel is delivered at sea by tankers using ship-to-ship transfers, or even by fishing vessels. China on Friday denied reports it had been illicitly selling oil products to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions after US President Donald Trump said he was unhappy that China had allowed oil to reach the isolated nation. China's denial came a day after it blocked a US effort at the United Nations to blacklist six ships Washington believes had engaged in illicit trade with North Korea, a UN Security Council diplomat said. According to documents seen by Reuters this month, the United States had proposed that the UN Security Council blacklist 10 ships for illicit trade with North Korea. It accused the vessels of "conducting illegal ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum products to North Korean vessels or illegally transporting North Korean coal to other countries for exports." Three North Korean ships among the 10 were blacklisted, along with a Panama-registered vessel.

Russian tankers fuelled North Korea via transfers at sea: Sources

China on Friday rejected accusations that it had helped Pyongyang skirt sanctions after US President Donald Trump claimed on Twitter that Beijing was turning a blind eye to oil transfers to North Korea.

Trump&#39;s tweet was the latest salvo in his battle to persuade China to tighten the economic screws on Pyongyang over its missile and nuclear programme, in a campaign that has seen him heap both praise and criticism on Beijing.

&quot;Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea,&quot; Trump wrote Thursday. &quot;There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!&quot;

The United Nations -- at the urging of the US -- has imposed a series of sanctions against North Korea aimed at getting it to halt its weapons development.&nbsp;

China has supported the moves, but critics claim it is not rigidly enforcing the sanctions, fearful that too much pressure will cause the unpredictable regime to collapse.

South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, citing government sources in Seoul, reported earlier this week that US satellites had spotted Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels at sea dozens of times since October.

&quot;The recent series of reports on this situation do not conform with the facts&quot;, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, adding that Beijing did not allow its &quot;citizens or companies to engage in any activities that violate&quot; UN resolutions.

Hua said China had looked into the report of a Chinese ship transferring oil to a North Korean vessel and found it to be inaccurate.&nbsp;

&quot;There is no record of the (Chinese) vessel visiting a Chinese port&quot; since August, she said.

&quot;I think making pointless hype through the media is not conducive to enhancing mutual trust and cooperation.&quot;

A defiant Pyongyang has said there is no possibility of its weapons programmes being rolled back, and that they have been developed to defend against what it terms aggression by the US and its allies.&nbsp;

Washington insists a resolution of the crisis on the Korean peninsula depends on the North&#39;s denuclearisation.

&#39;Shrewd&#39; breaches&nbsp;

The United Nations Security Council last week imposed new sanctions on Pyongyang further restricting oil supplies, and ordering North Korean nationals working abroad to be sent back by the end of 2019.

It was not immediately clear what prompted Trump&#39;s tweet, or if he was accusing China -- the North&#39;s main ally -- of directly violating sanctions targeting Pyongyang.

A State Department official later said the US was aware that &quot;certain vessels have engaged in UN-prohibited activities, including ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum and the transport of coal from North Korea.&quot;

&quot;We have evidence that some of the vessels engaged in these activities are owned by companies in several countries, including China,&quot; the senior official said.

Separately, a foreign ministry official in Seoul said Friday that a Hong Kong-registered vessel was seized and inspected in November for transferring oil products to a North Korean ship in breach of UN sanctions.

The official described the incident as Pyongyang &quot;shrewdly circumventing&quot; sanctions, adding that South Korea had shared intelligence on the case with the US.

&nbsp;&#39;No good for China&#39;&nbsp;

In recent months, the White House has praised Beijing for its efforts to tame North Korea, and China has voted in favour of three UN Security Council resolutions strengthening sanctions against the North.

But Washington convinced that only Chinese pressure will persuade North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to back down, has demanded that Beijing do more.

&quot;China has a tremendous power over North Korea. Far greater than anyone knows,&quot; Trump told the New York Times in an interview Thursday.

The US president hinted at the possibility of trade action against China over the matter.

&quot;Oil is going into North Korea. That wasn&#39;t my deal!&quot; he said. &quot;If they don&#39;t help us with North Korea, then I do what I&#39;ve always said I want to do.&quot;

Describing Kim regime as a &quot;nuclear menace&quot; that is &quot;no good for China&quot;, Trump added that Chinese President Xi Jinping&#39;s government has to &quot;help us much more.&quot;

The UN Security Council on Thursday meanwhile denied international port access to four ships -- three registered in North Korea and a fourth in Palau -- suspected of carrying or having transported goods banned by international sanctions targeting Pyongyang, according to the final list adopted by the world body.

Diplomats had said on Thursday that all four were North Korean vessels.

The ban of the four vessels brings the UN&#39;s total number of blocked ships to eight.&nbsp;

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China had looked into the report of a Chinese ship transferring oil to a North Korean vessel and found it to be inaccurate

China on Friday rejected accusations that it had helped Pyongyang skirt sanctions after US President Donald Trump claimed on Twitter that Beijing was turning a blind eye to oil transfers to North Korea. Trump's tweet was the latest salvo in his battle to persuade China to tighten the economic screws on Pyongyang over its missile and nuclear programme, in a campaign that has seen him heap both praise and criticism on Beijing. "Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea," Trump wrote Thursday. "There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!" The United Nations -- at the urging of the US -- has imposed a series of sanctions against North Korea aimed at getting it to halt its weapons development. China has supported the moves, but critics claim it is not rigidly enforcing the sanctions, fearful that too much pressure will cause the unpredictable regime to collapse. South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, citing government sources in Seoul, reported earlier this week that US satellites had spotted Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels at sea dozens of times since October. "The recent series of reports on this situation do not conform with the facts", Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, adding that Beijing did not allow its "citizens or companies to engage in any activities that violate" UN resolutions. Hua said China had looked into the report of a Chinese ship transferring oil to a North Korean vessel and found it to be inaccurate. "There is no record of the (Chinese) vessel visiting a Chinese port" since August, she said. "I think making pointless hype through the media is not conducive to enhancing mutual trust and cooperation." A defiant Pyongyang has said there is no possibility of its weapons programmes being rolled back, and that they have been developed to defend against what it terms aggression by the US and its allies. Washington insists a resolution of the crisis on the Korean peninsula depends on the North's denuclearisation. 'Shrewd' breaches The United Nations Security Council last week imposed new sanctions on Pyongyang further restricting oil supplies, and ordering North Korean nationals working abroad to be sent back by the end of 2019. It was not immediately clear what prompted Trump's tweet, or if he was accusing China -- the North's main ally -- of directly violating sanctions targeting Pyongyang. A State Department official later said the US was aware that "certain vessels have engaged in UN-prohibited activities, including ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum and the transport of coal from North Korea." "We have evidence that some of the vessels engaged in these activities are owned by companies in several countries, including China," the senior official said. Separately, a foreign ministry official in Seoul said Friday that a Hong Kong-registered vessel was seized and inspected in November for transferring oil products to a North Korean ship in breach of UN sanctions. The official described the incident as Pyongyang "shrewdly circumventing" sanctions, adding that South Korea had shared intelligence on the case with the US. 'No good for China' In recent months, the White House has praised Beijing for its efforts to tame North Korea, and China has voted in favour of three UN Security Council resolutions strengthening sanctions against the North. But Washington convinced that only Chinese pressure will persuade North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to back down, has demanded that Beijing do more. "China has a tremendous power over North Korea. Far greater than anyone knows," Trump told the New York Times in an interview Thursday. The US president hinted at the possibility of trade action against China over the matter. "Oil is going into North Korea. That wasn't my deal!" he said. "If they don't help us with North Korea, then I do what I've always said I want to do." Describing Kim regime as a "nuclear menace" that is "no good for China", Trump added that Chinese President Xi Jinping's government has to "help us much more." The UN Security Council on Thursday meanwhile denied international port access to four ships -- three registered in North Korea and a fourth in Palau -- suspected of carrying or having transported goods banned by international sanctions targeting Pyongyang, according to the final list adopted by the world body. Diplomats had said on Thursday that all four were North Korean vessels. The ban of the four vessels brings the UN's total number of blocked ships to eight.

China rejects Trump accusation on North Korea sanction breaches

China on Friday denied reports it has been illicitly selling oil products to North Korea, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was not happy that China had allowed oil to reach the isolated nation.

Trump said on Twitter the previous day that China had been &quot;caught&quot; allowing oil into North Korea and that would prevent &quot;a friendly solution&quot; to the crisis over North Korea&#39;s nuclear programme.

&quot;I have been soft on China because the only thing more important to me than trade is war,&quot; Trump said in a separate interview with The New York Times.

South Korea&#39;s Chosun Ilbo newspaper this week quoted South Korean government sources as saying that U.S. spy satellites had detected Chinese ships transferring oil to North Korean vessels about 30 times since October.

US&nbsp;officials have not confirmed details of this report.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters she had noted recent media reports including suggestions a Chinese vessel was suspected of transporting oil to a North Korean vessel on October&nbsp;19.

&quot;The Chinese side has conducted immediate investigation. In reality, the ship in question has, since August, not docked at a Chinese port and there is no record of it entering or leaving a Chinese port,&quot; Hua said.

She said she was not aware if the vessel had docked at the port in other countries but the relevant media reports &quot;did not accord with facts&quot;.

&quot;China has always implemented UN&nbsp;Security Council resolutions pertaining to North Korea in their entirety and fulfils its international obligations. We never allow Chinese companies and citizens to violate the resolutions,&quot; Hua said.&nbsp;

&quot;If, through investigation, it`s confirmed there are violations of the UN&nbsp;Security Council resolutions, China will deal with them seriously in accordance with laws and regulations.&quot;

In the New York Times interview, Trump explicitly tied his administration&#39;s trade policy with China to its perceived cooperation in resolving the North Korea nuclear crisis.

&quot;When I campaigned, I was very tough on China in terms of trade. They made &mdash; last year, we had a trade deficit with China of $350 billion, minimum. That doesn&#39;t include the theft of intellectual property, O.K., which is another $300 billion,&quot; Trump said, according to a transcript of the interview.

&quot;If they&#39;re helping me with North Korea, I can look at trade a little bit differently, at least for a period of time. And that&#39;s what I&#39;ve been doing. But when oil is going in, I&#39;m not happy about that.&quot;

An official of the U.S. State Department said the U.S. government was aware of vessels engaged in such activity involving refined petroleum and coal.

&quot;We have evidence that some of the vessels engaged in these activities are owned by companies in several countries, including China,&quot; the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The United States says the full cooperation of China, North Korea&#39;s neighbour and main trading partner, is vital to the success of efforts to rein in North Korea, while warning that all options are on the table, including military ones, in dealing with it.

China has repeatedly said it is fully enforcing all resolutions against North Korea, despite suspicion in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo that loopholes still exist.

Evading sanctions&nbsp;

South Korea said on Friday it had seized a Hong Kong-flagged ship suspected of transferring oil to North Korea in defiance of the sanctions.

A senior South Korean foreign ministry official said the ship, the Lighthouse Winmore, was seized when it arrived at a South Korean port in late November.

&quot;It&#39;s unclear how much oil the ship had transferred to North Korea for how long and on how many occasions, but it clearly showed North Korea is engaged in evading the sanctions,&quot; the official told Reuters.

South Korea&#39;s customs service concluded that the Lighthouse Winmore had loaded about 14,000 tons of Japanese refined petroleum products in South Korea on Oct. 11, reportedly bound for Taiwan, the official said.&nbsp;

But instead, it transferred as much as 600 tons to the North Korea-flagged Sam Jong 2 on October 19 in international waters between China and the Korean peninsula, on the order of its charterer, Billions Bunker Group Corp., based in Taiwan, the ministry official said.

It was not immediately possible to find contact information for the company.

The Hong Kong government said it was &quot;liaising with the Korean parties concerned to obtain further information about the incident, and will take appropriate actions as necessary&quot;.

Employees at the office of Lighthouse Ship Management, the ship&#39;s registered manager, in the Chinese port city of Guangzhou, declined to comment and said they had no knowledge of the situation.&nbsp;

China&#39;s foreign ministry spokeswoman said she did not have any information about the matter.

Both ships were among 10 vessels that the United States had proposed that the UN&nbsp;Security Council should blacklist for transporting banned items from North

Korea, documents seen by Reuters this month showed.

China and Russia subsequently asked for more time to consider the U.S. proposal.&nbsp;

Ship tracking data in Thomson Reuters Eikon shows that the Lighthouse Winmore has mainly been doing supply runs between China and Taiwan since August.&nbsp;

Prior to that, it was active between India and the United Arab Emirates. In October, when it allegedly transferred petroleum products to the North Korean ship, the Lighthouse Winmore had its tracking transponder switched off.

The Trump administration has led a drive to step up global sanctions on North Korea in response to its efforts to develop nuclear-tipped missiles capable of hitting the United States.

The UN&nbsp;Security Council last week unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, seeking to further limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil.

The US-drafted UN&nbsp;resolution seeks to ban nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year.

It also caps crude oil supplies to North Korea at 4 million barrels a year and commits the Security Council to further cuts if North Korea conducts another nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile test.

In September, the Security Council put a cap of 2 million barrels a year on refined petroleum products exports to North Korea.

Trump said on Twitter that China had been "caught" allowing oil into North Korea

China on Friday denied reports it has been illicitly selling oil products to North Korea, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was not happy that China had allowed oil to reach the isolated nation. Trump said on Twitter the previous day that China had been "caught" allowing oil into North Korea and that would prevent "a friendly solution" to the crisis over North Korea's nuclear programme. "I have been soft on China because the only thing more important to me than trade is war," Trump said in a separate interview with The New York Times. South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper this week quoted South Korean government sources as saying that U.S. spy satellites had detected Chinese ships transferring oil to North Korean vessels about 30 times since October. US officials have not confirmed details of this report. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters she had noted recent media reports including suggestions a Chinese vessel was suspected of transporting oil to a North Korean vessel on October 19. "The Chinese side has conducted immediate investigation. In reality, the ship in question has, since August, not docked at a Chinese port and there is no record of it entering or leaving a Chinese port," Hua said. She said she was not aware if the vessel had docked at the port in other countries but the relevant media reports "did not accord with facts". "China has always implemented UN Security Council resolutions pertaining to North Korea in their entirety and fulfils its international obligations. We never allow Chinese companies and citizens to violate the resolutions," Hua said. "If, through investigation, it`s confirmed there are violations of the UN Security Council resolutions, China will deal with them seriously in accordance with laws and regulations." In the New York Times interview, Trump explicitly tied his administration's trade policy with China to its perceived cooperation in resolving the North Korea nuclear crisis. "When I campaigned, I was very tough on China in terms of trade. They made — last year, we had a trade deficit with China of $350 billion, minimum. That doesn't include the theft of intellectual property, O.K., which is another $300 billion," Trump said, according to a transcript of the interview. "If they're helping me with North Korea, I can look at trade a little bit differently, at least for a period of time. And that's what I've been doing. But when oil is going in, I'm not happy about that." An official of the U.S. State Department said the U.S. government was aware of vessels engaged in such activity involving refined petroleum and coal. "We have evidence that some of the vessels engaged in these activities are owned by companies in several countries, including China," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The United States says the full cooperation of China, North Korea's neighbour and main trading partner, is vital to the success of efforts to rein in North Korea, while warning that all options are on the table, including military ones, in dealing with it. China has repeatedly said it is fully enforcing all resolutions against North Korea, despite suspicion in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo that loopholes still exist. Evading sanctions South Korea said on Friday it had seized a Hong Kong-flagged ship suspected of transferring oil to North Korea in defiance of the sanctions. A senior South Korean foreign ministry official said the ship, the Lighthouse Winmore, was seized when it arrived at a South Korean port in late November. "It's unclear how much oil the ship had transferred to North Korea for how long and on how many occasions, but it clearly showed North Korea is engaged in evading the sanctions," the official told Reuters. South Korea's customs service concluded that the Lighthouse Winmore had loaded about 14,000 tons of Japanese refined petroleum products in South Korea on Oct. 11, reportedly bound for Taiwan, the official said. But instead, it transferred as much as 600 tons to the North Korea-flagged Sam Jong 2 on October 19 in international waters between China and the Korean peninsula, on the order of its charterer, Billions Bunker Group Corp., based in Taiwan, the ministry official said. It was not immediately possible to find contact information for the company. The Hong Kong government said it was "liaising with the Korean parties concerned to obtain further information about the incident, and will take appropriate actions as necessary". Employees at the office of Lighthouse Ship Management, the ship's registered manager, in the Chinese port city of Guangzhou, declined to comment and said they had no knowledge of the situation. China's foreign ministry spokeswoman said she did not have any information about the matter. Both ships were among 10 vessels that the United States had proposed that the UN Security Council should blacklist for transporting banned items from North Korea, documents seen by Reuters this month showed. China and Russia subsequently asked for more time to consider the U.S. proposal. Ship tracking data in Thomson Reuters Eikon shows that the Lighthouse Winmore has mainly been doing supply runs between China and Taiwan since August. Prior to that, it was active between India and the United Arab Emirates. In October, when it allegedly transferred petroleum products to the North Korean ship, the Lighthouse Winmore had its tracking transponder switched off. The Trump administration has led a drive to step up global sanctions on North Korea in response to its efforts to develop nuclear-tipped missiles capable of hitting the United States. The UN Security Council last week unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, seeking to further limit its access to refined petroleum products and crude oil. The US-drafted UN resolution seeks to ban nearly 90 percent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea by capping them at 500,000 barrels a year. It also caps crude oil supplies to North Korea at 4 million barrels a year and commits the Security Council to further cuts if North Korea conducts another nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile test. In September, the Security Council put a cap of 2 million barrels a year on refined petroleum products exports to North Korea.

After Trump criticism, China says no illicit oil sales to North Korea

The UN Security Council on Thursday denied international port access to four North Korean ships suspected of carrying or having transported goods banned by international sanctions targeting Pyongyang, diplomats told AFP.

The ban of the four vessels -- the Ul Ji Bong 6, Rung Ra 2, Sam Jong 2 and Rye Song Gang 1 -- brings the UN&#39;s total number of blocked ships to eight. The United States requested the most recent ban along with measures targeting ships registered in other countries, diplomats said on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;

But China only agreed to target the four ships flying North Korean flags, diplomats said, as part of international efforts to curb Pyongyang&#39;s missile and nuclear programs.

&quot;Only four ships have been accepted&quot; for the ban but &quot;the procedure remains open&quot; to include other vessels in the future, one diplomat said.

The list submitted by the US in December had also included ships flying flags from Belize, China, Hong Kong, Palau and Panama.

Shortly before the Council decision US President Donald Trump -- who has often hailed China&#39;s efforts to put pressure on North Korea -- sharply criticised Beijing for failing to cut off Pyongyang&#39;s oil supply.

&quot;Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea,&quot; Trump said on Twitter.&nbsp;

&quot;There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/946416486054285314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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It was not immediately clear if Trump was referring to the report or US intelligence in his tweet, or if he was accusing China -- the North&#39;s main ally -- of directly violating sanctions targeting Pyongyang.

Transshipment at sea

In 2017, the Security Council has slapped three sets of sanctions on North Korea: one on August 5 targeting the iron, coal and fishing industries; another set on September 11 aimed at textiles and limiting oil supply; and the most recent on December 22 focused on refined petroleum products.

The US has denounced trafficking of banned goods that allows North Korea to stock up, particularly the transfer of cargo between different ships on the high seas.

Blocking suspected vessels from ports -- except in the case of humanitarian need as determined by the council&#39;s sanctions committee -- is provided for in the August resolution.

On October 5, the UN had already identified four ships &quot;carrying prohibited goods,&quot; resulting in a ban on port access that was a &quot;first in United Nations&quot; history, according to Hugh Griffiths, part of a UN panel of experts monitoring the application of sanctions on Pyongyang.

Those four vessels were registered in the Comoros, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Cambodia and North Korea, and were targeted for the illegal transport of coal, iron and North Korean fish.

South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, citing government sources in Seoul, reported earlier this week that US satellites had spotted Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels dozens of times since October.

Washington remains convinced that only pressure from the government of Chinese President Xi Jinping will persuade Kim to back down and negotiate an end to the nuclear standoff.

The ban of the four vessels -- the Ul Ji Bong 6, Rung Ra 2, Sam Jong 2 and Rye Song Gang 1 -- brings the UN's total number of blocked ships to eight

The UN Security Council on Thursday denied international port access to four North Korean ships suspected of carrying or having transported goods banned by international sanctions targeting Pyongyang, diplomats told AFP. The ban of the four vessels -- the Ul Ji Bong 6, Rung Ra 2, Sam Jong 2 and Rye Song Gang 1 -- brings the UN's total number of blocked ships to eight. The United States requested the most recent ban along with measures targeting ships registered in other countries, diplomats said on condition of anonymity. But China only agreed to target the four ships flying North Korean flags, diplomats said, as part of international efforts to curb Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs. "Only four ships have been accepted" for the ban but "the procedure remains open" to include other vessels in the future, one diplomat said. The list submitted by the US in December had also included ships flying flags from Belize, China, Hong Kong, Palau and Panama. Shortly before the Council decision US President Donald Trump -- who has often hailed China's efforts to put pressure on North Korea -- sharply criticised Beijing for failing to cut off Pyongyang's oil supply. "Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea," Trump said on Twitter. "There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!" Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2017 × It was not immediately clear if Trump was referring to the report or US intelligence in his tweet, or if he was accusing China -- the North's main ally -- of directly violating sanctions targeting Pyongyang. Transshipment at sea In 2017, the Security Council has slapped three sets of sanctions on North Korea: one on August 5 targeting the iron, coal and fishing industries; another set on September 11 aimed at textiles and limiting oil supply; and the most recent on December 22 focused on refined petroleum products. The US has denounced trafficking of banned goods that allows North Korea to stock up, particularly the transfer of cargo between different ships on the high seas. Blocking suspected vessels from ports -- except in the case of humanitarian need as determined by the council's sanctions committee -- is provided for in the August resolution. On October 5, the UN had already identified four ships "carrying prohibited goods," resulting in a ban on port access that was a "first in United Nations" history, according to Hugh Griffiths, part of a UN panel of experts monitoring the application of sanctions on Pyongyang. Those four vessels were registered in the Comoros, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Cambodia and North Korea, and were targeted for the illegal transport of coal, iron and North Korean fish. South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, citing government sources in Seoul, reported earlier this week that US satellites had spotted Chinese ships selling oil to North Korean vessels dozens of times since October. Washington remains convinced that only pressure from the government of Chinese President Xi Jinping will persuade Kim to back down and negotiate an end to the nuclear standoff.

UN bars four North Korean ships from international ports

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was &quot;very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea&quot; and that such moves would prevent &quot;a friendly solution&quot; to the crisis over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear program.

&quot;Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!&quot; Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/946416486054285314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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China earlier on Thursday said there had been no UN&nbsp;sanction-breaking oil sales by Chinese ships to North Korea after a South Korea newspaper said Chinese and North Korean vessels had been illicitly linking up at sea to get oil to North Korea.&nbsp;

China earlier on Thursday said there had been no UN?sanction-breaking oil sales by Chinese ships to North Korea

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was "very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea" and that such moves would prevent "a friendly solution" to the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear program. "Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!" Trump wrote in a post on Twitter. Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea. There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2017 × China earlier on Thursday said there had been no UN sanction-breaking oil sales by Chinese ships to North Korea after a South Korea newspaper said Chinese and North Korean vessels had been illicitly linking up at sea to get oil to North Korea.

'Disappointed' on China allowing oil into North Korea, Trump tweets

The United States and Russia have agreed to work together and continue diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis over North Korea&#39;s nuclear missile programme, the US State Department said on Wednesday.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke over the phone Tuesday, a day after the US announced sanctions against North Korea.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The two discussed concerns related to the DPRK&rsquo;s destabilizing nuclear program and emphasized that neither the United States nor Russia accepts the DPRK as a nuclear power,&rdquo; US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement, using the acronym for North Korea&rsquo;s official name, the Democratic People&rsquo;s Republic of Korea.

The move follows mixed signals from Washington on how President Donald Trump plans to fulfil his promise to &quot;take care of&quot; the North.

On Tuesday, Russia reiterated an offer to mediate to ease tensions between Washington and Pyongyang that have raised fears of a new conflict on the peninsula.

Lavrov told Tillerson &ldquo;Washington&rsquo;s aggressive rhetoric&rdquo; and beefing up of its military presence in the region had heightened tension and was unacceptable.

Tillerson stressed that they do not intend to&nbsp;go to war with North Korea and will use every measure possible for defence but hopes that diplomacy will produce a resolution.

However, in October Trump told Tillerson that this was a waste of time which was followed by talks between the secretary of state with no pre-conditions by saying that no negotiations could be held until North Korea improves its behaviour.&nbsp;&nbsp;

North Korea has test-fired 15 missiles so far in 2017 and conducted its sixth underground nuclear test in September.

The United States has placed sanctions on two North Koreans who it says are part of the country&#39;s nuclear missile programme, while Russia has reiterated its offer to mediate between the two countries.&nbsp;

The UN had on Friday imposed new sanctions on North Korea in response to its ICMB test conducted last month, which Pyongyang said put all of the US mainlands within range of its nuclear weapons.&nbsp;

North Korea has also argued that the nuclear weapon tests are a self-defensive deterrence, not in contradiction of international law. It also warned other countries that those who would support the sanctions would pay a &#39;heavy price&#39;.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke over the phone a day after the US announced sanctions against North Korea

The United States and Russia have agreed to work together and continue diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis over North Korea's nuclear missile programme, the US State Department said on Wednesday. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke over the phone Tuesday, a day after the US announced sanctions against North Korea. “The two discussed concerns related to the DPRK’s destabilizing nuclear program and emphasized that neither the United States nor Russia accepts the DPRK as a nuclear power,” US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement, using the acronym for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The move follows mixed signals from Washington on how President Donald Trump plans to fulfil his promise to "take care of" the North. On Tuesday, Russia reiterated an offer to mediate to ease tensions between Washington and Pyongyang that have raised fears of a new conflict on the peninsula. Lavrov told Tillerson “Washington’s aggressive rhetoric” and beefing up of its military presence in the region had heightened tension and was unacceptable. Tillerson stressed that they do not intend to go to war with North Korea and will use every measure possible for defence but hopes that diplomacy will produce a resolution. However, in October Trump told Tillerson that this was a waste of time which was followed by talks between the secretary of state with no pre-conditions by saying that no negotiations could be held until North Korea improves its behaviour. North Korea has test-fired 15 missiles so far in 2017 and conducted its sixth underground nuclear test in September. The United States has placed sanctions on two North Koreans who it says are part of the country's nuclear missile programme, while Russia has reiterated its offer to mediate between the two countries. The UN had on Friday imposed new sanctions on North Korea in response to its ICMB test conducted last month, which Pyongyang said put all of the US mainlands within range of its nuclear weapons. North Korea has also argued that the nuclear weapon tests are a self-defensive deterrence, not in contradiction of international law. It also warned other countries that those who would support the sanctions would pay a 'heavy price'.

US, Russia agree to work on diplomatic solution to North Korea crisis

North Korea is preparing to launch a satellite, a Seoul newspaper said today, as outside observers warn that the nuclear-armed regime&#39;s space programme is a fig leaf for weapons tests.

Pyongyang is under multiple UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile tests and is prohibited from carrying out any launch using ballistic missile technology including satellites.

&quot;Through various channels, we&#39;ve recently learned that the North has completed a new satellite and named it Kwangmyongsong-5&quot;, the Joongang Ilbo daily reported, quoting a South Korean government source.

&quot;Their plan is to put a satellite equipped with cameras and telecommunication devices into orbit&quot;, he said.

Pyongyang launched their Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite in February 2016, which most in the international community viewed as a disguised ballistic missile test.

A spokesman for the South Korean military joint chiefs of staff said there was &quot;nothing out of ordinary at this moment&quot; but added that Seoul was watching out for any provocative acts &quot;including the test of a long-range missile disguised as a satellite launch&quot;.

The report came as the North&#39;s ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reasserted the regime&#39;s right to launch satellites and develop its space technology.

In a commentary published yesterday and titled &quot;peaceful space programmes are sovereign countries&#39; legitimate rights&quot;, the daily said Pyongyang&#39;s satellite launches &quot;absolutely correspond&quot; with international laws concerning space development.

At a UN General Assembly committee meeting in October, North Korea&#39;s deputy UN ambassador Kim In-Ryong said his country has a 2016-2020 plan to develop &quot;practical satellites that can contribute to the economic development and improvement of the people&#39;s living&quot;.

He stressed North Korea&#39;s right to produce and launch satellites &quot;will not be changed just because the US denies it&quot;.

North Korea is believed to have successfully put a satellite into orbit in December 2012 after years of failures dating back to 1998 when it launched a pilot satellite and named it Kwangmyongsong-1.

Earlier this month, the Russian newspaper Rossiyskaia Gazeta quoted a Russian military expert, Vladimir Khrustalev, as saying that North Korea was expected to launch two satellites -- an Earth exploration-satellite and a communications satellite -- in the near future.

Khrustalev made the remark after returning from his week-long trip to North Korea in mid-November when he met with representatives of the country&#39;s National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA), the Russian daily said.

Tensions have soared as the isolated regime has staged a series of atomic and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests -- most recently on November 29.&nbsp;

Pyongyang is under multiple UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile tests and is prohibited from carrying out any launch using ballistic missile technology including satellites

North Korea is preparing to launch a satellite, a Seoul newspaper said today, as outside observers warn that the nuclear-armed regime's space programme is a fig leaf for weapons tests. Pyongyang is under multiple UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile tests and is prohibited from carrying out any launch using ballistic missile technology including satellites. "Through various channels, we've recently learned that the North has completed a new satellite and named it Kwangmyongsong-5", the Joongang Ilbo daily reported, quoting a South Korean government source. "Their plan is to put a satellite equipped with cameras and telecommunication devices into orbit", he said. Pyongyang launched their Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite in February 2016, which most in the international community viewed as a disguised ballistic missile test. A spokesman for the South Korean military joint chiefs of staff said there was "nothing out of ordinary at this moment" but added that Seoul was watching out for any provocative acts "including the test of a long-range missile disguised as a satellite launch". The report came as the North's ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun reasserted the regime's right to launch satellites and develop its space technology. In a commentary published yesterday and titled "peaceful space programmes are sovereign countries' legitimate rights", the daily said Pyongyang's satellite launches "absolutely correspond" with international laws concerning space development. At a UN General Assembly committee meeting in October, North Korea's deputy UN ambassador Kim In-Ryong said his country has a 2016-2020 plan to develop "practical satellites that can contribute to the economic development and improvement of the people's living". He stressed North Korea's right to produce and launch satellites "will not be changed just because the US denies it". North Korea is believed to have successfully put a satellite into orbit in December 2012 after years of failures dating back to 1998 when it launched a pilot satellite and named it Kwangmyongsong-1. Earlier this month, the Russian newspaper Rossiyskaia Gazeta quoted a Russian military expert, Vladimir Khrustalev, as saying that North Korea was expected to launch two satellites -- an Earth exploration-satellite and a communications satellite -- in the near future. Khrustalev made the remark after returning from his week-long trip to North Korea in mid-November when he met with representatives of the country's National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA), the Russian daily said. Tensions have soared as the isolated regime has staged a series of atomic and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests -- most recently on November 29.

North Korea preparing to launch satellite: Report

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-imposes-new-sanctions-against-north-korea-trump-hails-decision-27503">UN imposes new sanctions against North Korea, Trump hails decision</a>

The UN Security Council today imposed new sanctions on North Korea seeking to ban refined petroleum product export after its ICBM missile test last month.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-threats-against-pakistan-can-negatively-affect-relations-ispr-chief-major-general-ghafoor-27505">US threats against Pakistan can &#39;negatively&#39; affect relations: ISPR chief Major General Ghafoor</a>

Ghafoor&#39;s statement comes after US vice president Mike Pence on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Friday said President Trump had put Pakistan on notice.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/man-held-over-christmas-attack-plot-in-san-francisco-fbi-27499">Man held over Christmas attack plot in San Francisco: FBI</a>

US Federal agents arrested a former US Marine on Friday for allegedly plotting a Christmas attack in San Francisco inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-spacex-successfully-deploys-10-satellites-into-low-earth-orbit-27507">Watch: SpaceX successfully deploys 10 satellites into low-earth orbit</a>

EIon&nbsp;Musk-led SpaceX broke new ground in space with the launch of rocket Falcon 9 which successfully deployed 10 satellites into earth&#39;s orbit.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/34-trains-late-15-cancelled-due-to-low-visibility-in-delhi-27506">34 trains late, 15 cancelled due to low visibility in Delhi</a>

According to reports, most trains running on Amritsar/Ludhiana to New Delhi route were running late or had to be rescheduled.

According to reports, most trains running on Amritsar/Ludhiana to New Delhi route were running late or had to be rescheduled.

UN imposes new sanctions against North Korea, Trump hails decision The UN Security Council today imposed new sanctions on North Korea seeking to ban refined petroleum product export after its ICBM missile test last month. US threats against Pakistan can 'negatively' affect relations: ISPR chief Major General Ghafoor Ghafoor's statement comes after US vice president Mike Pence on a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Friday said President Trump had put Pakistan on notice. Man held over Christmas attack plot in San Francisco: FBI US Federal agents arrested a former US Marine on Friday for allegedly plotting a Christmas attack in San Francisco inspired by the Islamic State jihadist group. Watch: SpaceX successfully deploys 10 satellites into low-earth orbit EIon Musk-led SpaceX broke new ground in space with the launch of rocket Falcon 9 which successfully deployed 10 satellites into earth's orbit. 34 trains late, 15 cancelled due to low visibility in Delhi According to reports, most trains running on Amritsar/Ludhiana to New Delhi route were running late or had to be rescheduled.

WION morning news brief, December 23, 2017

The UN Security Council today<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/japan-and-south-korea-urge-china-to-do-more-to-pressure-north-korea-27163"> imposed new sanctions on North Korea </a>seeking to ban refined petroleum product export after its ICBM missile test last month.

Japan which holds the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/japan-to-bolster-its-missile-defence-system-against-north-koreas-threats-27161">presidency of the Security Council </a>this month said the resolution against North Korea was passed by 15-0 vote.

The US has been pressing Russia and China to cut down on oil supply to North Korea but both countries haven&#39;t responded to Trump administration&#39;s demand.

The new sanctions aim to limit refined petroleum exports at 500,000 barrels a year and capped crude oil supplies to 4 million barrels a year.

The resolution also laid down repatriation rules for North Koreans working abroad to be sent home within two years many of whom work in China and Russia, instead of one year as initially proposed by the world body. &nbsp;

After the vote, US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said: &quot;The resolution sends the unambiguous message to Pyongyang that further defiance will invite further punishments and isolation.&quot;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The United Nations Security Council just voted 15-0 in favor of additional Sanctions on North Korea. The World wants Peace, not Death!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/944308373373308929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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US Trump hailed the adoption of new sanctions targeting North Korea saying the international community was pushing for peace with the isolated regime.

Japan which holds the presidency of the Security Council this month said the resolution against North Korea was passed by 15-0 vote.

The UN Security Council today imposed new sanctions on North Korea seeking to ban refined petroleum product export after its ICBM missile test last month. Japan which holds the presidency of the Security Council this month said the resolution against North Korea was passed by 15-0 vote. The US has been pressing Russia and China to cut down on oil supply to North Korea but both countries haven't responded to Trump administration's demand. The new sanctions aim to limit refined petroleum exports at 500,000 barrels a year and capped crude oil supplies to 4 million barrels a year. The resolution also laid down repatriation rules for North Koreans working abroad to be sent home within two years many of whom work in China and Russia, instead of one year as initially proposed by the world body. After the vote, US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said: "The resolution sends the unambiguous message to Pyongyang that further defiance will invite further punishments and isolation." The United Nations Security Council just voted 15-0 in favor of additional Sanctions on North Korea. The World wants Peace, not Death! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2017 × US Trump hailed the adoption of new sanctions targeting North Korea saying the international community was pushing for peace with the isolated regime.

UN imposes new sanctions against North Korea, Trump hails decision

The United States and Canada will be co-hosting a meeting of foreign ministers in Vancouver to demonstrate international solidarity against North Korea&#39;s continued nuclear and missile tests.

The meeting is scheduled for January 2018.

The so-called Vancouver Group will also include Australia, Belgium, Britain, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey.

Canada&#39;s Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland met with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this Tuesday.

Freeland noted that the pressure campaign on North Korea would not abate until the country agreed to give up its nuclear ambitions.

North Korea&#39;s intercontinental ballistic missile stunt sparked an outcry among world leaders with US President Donald Trump calling for more stringent sanctions on the Pyongyang regime.

Kim Jong-un&#39;s government also fired two missiles over Japan previously this year, threatening to &quot;sink&quot; Japan into the sea.

Japan, on the other hand, has signed a deal with the US to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/japan-to-bolster-its-missile-defence-system-against-north-koreas-threats-27161">introduce Aegis Ashore</a> missile in a move to combat &#39;increasing North Korean threats&#39;.&nbsp;

&quot;Japan is reportedly planning a record $46 billion defence budget for the next fiscal year in the wake of the North Korean threat,&quot; reported AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Japan, on the other hand, has signed a deal with the US to introduce Aegis Ashore missile in a move to combat 'increasing North Korean threats'

The United States and Canada will be co-hosting a meeting of foreign ministers in Vancouver to demonstrate international solidarity against North Korea's continued nuclear and missile tests. The meeting is scheduled for January 2018. The so-called Vancouver Group will also include Australia, Belgium, Britain, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey. Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland met with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this Tuesday. Freeland noted that the pressure campaign on North Korea would not abate until the country agreed to give up its nuclear ambitions. North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile stunt sparked an outcry among world leaders with US President Donald Trump calling for more stringent sanctions on the Pyongyang regime. Kim Jong-un's government also fired two missiles over Japan previously this year, threatening to "sink" Japan into the sea. Japan, on the other hand, has signed a deal with the US to introduce Aegis Ashore missile in a move to combat 'increasing North Korean threats'. "Japan is reportedly planning a record $46 billion defence budget for the next fiscal year in the wake of the North Korean threat," reported AFP. (With inputs from agencies)

US, Canada to host talks to keep 'pressure' on North Korea

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

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

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

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

Shortly after North Korea test-fired its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-launched-missile-may-have-landed-in-japans-exclusive-economic-zone-pm-shinzo-abe-18367">intercontinental ballistic missile</a> (ICBM) -- that dived into the sea near Japan&#39;s economic zone -- Japan a gave nod to the introduction of the US military&#39;s land-based Aegis missile interceptor system during a cabinet meeting.

The move aimed at bolstering the country&#39;s defence against &quot;serious&quot; and &quot;imminent&quot; threats from North Korea.

Japan is reportedly planning a record $46 billion defence budget for the next fiscal year in the wake of the North Korean threat.

The Aegis Ashore system shall be introduced at two locations, covering the entire nation with powerful radars. However, it will take years before the Aegis Ashore system is operational, noted Japanese officials.

North Korea&#39;s intercontinental ballistic stunt garnered condemnation from leaders all across the globe.

The Pyongyang regime also fired two missiles over Japan previously this year, threatening to &quot;sink&quot; the country into the sea.&nbsp;

The Japanese government is yet to sign the contract with the US that could cost a total of 200 billion yen ($1.8 billion), inclusive of building new facilities.

Japan is also in talks with the US to purchase long-range cruise missiles with a range of some 900 kilometres (560 miles), noted Japan&#39;s Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera.

(With inputs from AFP)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Aegis Ashore system shall be introduced at two locations

Shortly after North Korea test-fired its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) -- that dived into the sea near Japan's economic zone -- Japan a gave nod to the introduction of the US military's land-based Aegis missile interceptor system during a cabinet meeting. The move aimed at bolstering the country's defence against "serious" and "imminent" threats from North Korea. Japan is reportedly planning a record $46 billion defence budget for the next fiscal year in the wake of the North Korean threat. The Aegis Ashore system shall be introduced at two locations, covering the entire nation with powerful radars. However, it will take years before the Aegis Ashore system is operational, noted Japanese officials. North Korea's intercontinental ballistic stunt garnered condemnation from leaders all across the globe. The Pyongyang regime also fired two missiles over Japan previously this year, threatening to "sink" the country into the sea. The Japanese government is yet to sign the contract with the US that could cost a total of 200 billion yen ($1.8 billion), inclusive of building new facilities. Japan is also in talks with the US to purchase long-range cruise missiles with a range of some 900 kilometres (560 miles), noted Japan's Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera. (With inputs from AFP)

Japan to bolster missile defence system against North Korea's 'threats'

Tom Bossert, homeland security adviser at the White House blamed North Korea for the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/science-tech/wannacry-security-experts-find-clues-to-ransomware-worms-lingering-risks-15772">WannaCry cyber-attack</a> that crippled the internet world earlier this year.&nbsp;

In an opinion piece published online in Wall Street Journal, Bossert noted, &quot;the attack was widespread and cost billions, and North Korea is directly responsible.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;Anyone who harmed the United States would be held accountable,&quot; Bossert was quoted in a Reuters report.

Bossert did not give out any specific details regarding Washington&#39;s actions against Pyongyang other than saying that it would continue to pursue a &quot;maximum pressure strategy.&quot;

WannaCry ransomware attack was a global cyber-threat triggered by WannaCry crypto-worm earlier in May this year.

The cyber-attack aimed at encrypting data on systems running on Microsoft Windows operating system and demanded ransom in the form Bitcoin currency.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/science-tech/wannacry-what-is-ransomware-and-how-to-protect-yourself-from-it-15608">The cyber-threat</a> paralysed companies, banks, hospitals and digitised sectors all across the globe.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

'The attack was widespread and cost billions, and North Korea is directly responsible,' Tom Bossert, homeland security adviser at the White House

Tom Bossert, homeland security adviser at the White House blamed North Korea for the WannaCry cyber-attack that crippled the internet world earlier this year. In an opinion piece published online in Wall Street Journal, Bossert noted, "the attack was widespread and cost billions, and North Korea is directly responsible." "Anyone who harmed the United States would be held accountable," Bossert was quoted in a Reuters report. Bossert did not give out any specific details regarding Washington's actions against Pyongyang other than saying that it would continue to pursue a "maximum pressure strategy." WannaCry ransomware attack was a global cyber-threat triggered by WannaCry crypto-worm earlier in May this year. The cyber-attack aimed at encrypting data on systems running on Microsoft Windows operating system and demanded ransom in the form Bitcoin currency. The cyber-threat paralysed companies, banks, hospitals and digitised sectors all across the globe. (With inputs from Reuters)

North Korea 'directly responsible' for WannaCry cyber attack: US homeland security adviser

The Australian Federal Police arrested a 59-year-old Korean man from Sydney for allegedly working as an economic agent for North Korea, reports said on Sunday.&nbsp;

Chan Han Choi was the first person in Australia charged with working as a black-market agent, brokering sales and discussing the supply of weapons of mass destruction.&nbsp;

He had reportedly been getting income from the North Korean government for sale of ballistic missile technology to foreign entities, reports further claimed.&nbsp;

Choi has broken the UN and Australian sanctions and has also been charged with attempts to brokering the sale of coal from North Korea to groups in Indonesia and Vietnam, media reports say.&nbsp;

The 59-year-old has been charged under the 1995 Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act for being in touch with top officials from North Korea.&nbsp;

The arrested man is facing six charges in connection with the acts.

There was no threat to Australians and that the man was not considered a &quot;spy&quot;, AFP assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan told the media in Sydney on Sunday.

&quot;This man was acting as a loyal agent for North Korea who believed he was acting to serve some higher patriotic purpose,&quot; he said.

&quot;At the end of the day, he would sell whatever he could to make money for the North Korean government&quot; and is believed to have endeavored to sell gemstones and other product as well.

The man who has been identified as Choi Han Chan, a 59-year-old from Sydney's Eastwood, allegedly breached United Nation's sanctions and Australian federal law, and has been charged with brokering sales and discussing the supply of weapons of mass destruction

The Australian Federal Police arrested a 59-year-old Korean man from Sydney for allegedly working as an economic agent for North Korea, reports said on Sunday. Chan Han Choi was the first person in Australia charged with working as a black-market agent, brokering sales and discussing the supply of weapons of mass destruction. He had reportedly been getting income from the North Korean government for sale of ballistic missile technology to foreign entities, reports further claimed. Choi has broken the UN and Australian sanctions and has also been charged with attempts to brokering the sale of coal from North Korea to groups in Indonesia and Vietnam, media reports say. The 59-year-old has been charged under the 1995 Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act for being in touch with top officials from North Korea. The arrested man is facing six charges in connection with the acts. There was no threat to Australians and that the man was not considered a "spy", AFP assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan told the media in Sydney on Sunday. "This man was acting as a loyal agent for North Korea who believed he was acting to serve some higher patriotic purpose," he said. "At the end of the day, he would sell whatever he could to make money for the North Korean government" and is believed to have endeavored to sell gemstones and other product as well.

Sydney man charged with acting as agent for North Korea

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday that analysis continued on North Korea`s most recent missile test, but he did not believe its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) posed an imminent threat to the United States.

&quot;It has not yet shown to be a capable threat against us right now ... we`re still doing the forensics analysis,&quot; Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon.

Last month, North Korea said it had successfully tested a new type of ICBM that could reach all of the US mainland and South Korea and US-based experts said data from the November&nbsp;29 test appeared to support that.

Mattis did not elaborate on what was lacking in the test to show it was not a capable threat.

He said himself immediately after the test that the missile had gone higher than any previous North Korean launch and that it was part of a research and development effort &quot;to continue building ballistic missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically.&quot;

US-based experts, some of whom have been sceptical about past North Korean claims, said last month that data and photos from the test appeared to confirm North Korea had a missile of sufficient power to deliver a nuclear warhead anywhere in America.

But experts and US officials have said questions remain about whether it has a re-entry vehicle capable of protecting a nuclear warhead as it speeds toward its target and about the accuracy of its guidance systems.

South Korea`s Defense Ministry said this latest test put Washington within range, but Pyongyang still needed to prove it had mastered re-entry, terminal stage guidance and warhead activation.

Some US-based experts believe North Korea could be only two or three tests away from being able to declare the missile operational.

US President Donald Trump vowed &quot;it won`t happen&quot; after North Korean said in January is was in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States.

Trump has said all options are on the table, including military ones, although his administration has made clear it prefers a diplomatic solution. 
&quot;It continues to be a diplomatically led effort,&quot; Mattis said. &quot;When we`re ready to have conversations ... dialogues, that will be up to the president and secretary of state.&quot;

At a UN Security Council session on the crisis on Friday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged North Korea to carry out a &quot;sustained cessation&quot; of weapons testing to allow the two countries to hold talks.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday that analysis continued on North Korea`s most recent missile test, but he did not believe its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) posed an imminent threat to the United States

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday that analysis continued on North Korea`s most recent missile test, but he did not believe its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) posed an imminent threat to the United States. "It has not yet shown to be a capable threat against us right now ... we`re still doing the forensics analysis," Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon. Last month, North Korea said it had successfully tested a new type of ICBM that could reach all of the US mainland and South Korea and US-based experts said data from the November 29 test appeared to support that. Mattis did not elaborate on what was lacking in the test to show it was not a capable threat. He said himself immediately after the test that the missile had gone higher than any previous North Korean launch and that it was part of a research and development effort "to continue building ballistic missiles that can threaten everywhere in the world, basically." US-based experts, some of whom have been sceptical about past North Korean claims, said last month that data and photos from the test appeared to confirm North Korea had a missile of sufficient power to deliver a nuclear warhead anywhere in America. But experts and US officials have said questions remain about whether it has a re-entry vehicle capable of protecting a nuclear warhead as it speeds toward its target and about the accuracy of its guidance systems. South Korea`s Defense Ministry said this latest test put Washington within range, but Pyongyang still needed to prove it had mastered re-entry, terminal stage guidance and warhead activation. Some US-based experts believe North Korea could be only two or three tests away from being able to declare the missile operational. US President Donald Trump vowed "it won`t happen" after North Korean said in January is was in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States. Trump has said all options are on the table, including military ones, although his administration has made clear it prefers a diplomatic solution. "It continues to be a diplomatically led effort," Mattis said. "When we`re ready to have conversations ... dialogues, that will be up to the president and secretary of state." At a UN Security Council session on the crisis on Friday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged North Korea to carry out a "sustained cessation" of weapons testing to allow the two countries to hold talks.

Mattis says North Korean ICBM not yet a 'capable threat' against US

US President Trump <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ready-to-talk-but-north-korea-should-be-ready-to-make-a-choice-tillerson-26589">discussed &quot;dangerous situation in North Korea&quot;</a> with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone, White House said today.

The Kremlin said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-talks-to-un-blames-us-for-tensions-26314">Trump and Putin discussed bilateral</a> relations and the situation in the Korean peninsula.

The phone call follows talks earlier between Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilovand with China&#39;s ambassador to Russia Li Hui. The US has been concerned about Kim&#39;s ballistic missile programme and has been pressing Russia and China, North Korea&#39;s key allies to taper down Kim&#39;s ambitious nuclear plans.

Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council with President Trump keen to keep the North Korean debate going at the world body in an attempt to keep peace in the Korean peninsula.

Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment.

An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 per cent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide which serves as a &quot;lifeline&quot; for the country.

Earlier, the Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang&#39;s ally.

China had requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support.&nbsp;

Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained.

At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply. 
&nbsp;

Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council

US President Trump discussed "dangerous situation in North Korea" with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone, White House said today. The Kremlin said Trump and Putin discussed bilateral relations and the situation in the Korean peninsula. The phone call follows talks earlier between Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilovand with China's ambassador to Russia Li Hui. The US has been concerned about Kim's ballistic missile programme and has been pressing Russia and China, North Korea's key allies to taper down Kim's ambitious nuclear plans. Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council with President Trump keen to keep the North Korean debate going at the world body in an attempt to keep peace in the Korean peninsula. Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment. An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 per cent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide which serves as a "lifeline" for the country. Earlier, the Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang's ally. China had requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support. Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained. At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply.

Trump calls Putin to discuss North Korea as Korean peninsula simmers

War must not be allowed to break out on the Korean peninsula and the issue must be resolved through talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday, while U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the danger of &quot;sleepwalking&quot; into conflict.

Xi made his comments to visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in just days after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered to begin direct talks with North Korea without pre-conditions.

But the White House said on Wednesday that no negotiations could be held until North Korea improved its behaviour. The White House has declined to say whether President Donald Trump, who has taken a tougher rhetorical line toward North Korea, approved Tillerson&#39;s overture.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tillerson&#39;s offer of direct contacts with North Korea was &quot;a very good signal&quot;, while warning that a U.S. strike on the North would have catastrophic consequences.

North Korea tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29, which it said could put all of the United States within range, in defiance of international pressure and U.N. sanctions.

The United States has said all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea, including military action.

While South Korea and China share the goal of getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and stop testing increasingly sophisticated long-range missiles, the two have not seen eye-to-eye on how to achieve this.

Meeting in Beijing&#39;s Great Hall of the People, Xi told Moon that the goal of denuclearising the Korean peninsula must be stuck to, and war and chaos cannot be allowed, Chinese state media said.

&quot;The peninsula issue must, in the end, be resolved via dialogue and consultation,&quot; Xi was cited as saying.

China and South Korea have an important shared interest in maintaining peace, and China was willing to work with South Korea to promote talks and support North and South to improve relations, Xi said.

South Korea&#39;s Yonhap news agency said Xi and Moon agreed war on the peninsula would not be tolerated and they would cooperate in applying sanctions and pressure on North Korea.

The apparently warm tone of their talks followed nearly a year of tense relations between the two countries.

&#39;Dramatic circumstances&#39;

China has been furious about the deployment of the U.S.-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea, saying its powerful radar can see far into China and will do nothing to ease tension with North Korea.

China and South Korea agreed in October to normalise exchanges and move past the dispute, which froze trade and business exchanges.

Xi reiterated China&#39;s position on THAAD and said he hoped South Korea would continue to &quot;appropriately handle&quot; the issue.

Guterres, speaking to reporters in Tokyo after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said Security Council resolutions on North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile programmes must be fully implemented by Pyongyang and other countries.

&quot;Security Council resolutions must be fully implemented, first of all by North Korea, but by all other countries whose role is crucial,&quot; Guterres said.

He said he expected a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday would deliver a strong expression of unity and the need for diplomacy to resolve the issue.

&quot;The worst possible thing that could happen is for us all to sleepwalk into a war.&quot;

Japan says now is the time to keep up pressure on North Korea, not start talks on its missile and nuclear programmes.

China and Russia, however, have welcomed Tillerson&#39;s overture.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said a U.S. strike on North Korea by the United States would have catastrophic consequences and he hoped to work with Washington eventually to resolve the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

Russia does not accept North Korea&#39;s nuclear status, Putin told a news conference. But he also said some U.S. actions had provoked North Korea.

&quot;We believe the two sides should now stop aggravating the situation,&quot; Putin said.

North Korea justifies its weapons programmes as necessary defence against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean war, denies any such intention.

The North&#39;s state news agency KCNA said Trump was taking a big step towards nuclear war in seeking a naval blockade and North Korea would take &quot;merciless self-defence&quot; measures if the United States tried to impose one.

North Korea would regard a naval blockade as &quot;an act of war&quot; and a &quot;wanton violation&quot; of its sovereignty and dignity, the agency cited a foreign ministry spokesman as saying, adding that North Korea was a responsible nuclear power.

White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said in September that even military options short of a preventative strike, such as a naval blockade meant to enforce sanctions, carried risks of military escalation.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Thursday of the danger of 'sleepwalking' into conflict

War must not be allowed to break out on the Korean peninsula and the issue must be resolved through talks, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday, while U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the danger of "sleepwalking" into conflict. Xi made his comments to visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in just days after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson offered to begin direct talks with North Korea without pre-conditions. But the White House said on Wednesday that no negotiations could be held until North Korea improved its behaviour. The White House has declined to say whether President Donald Trump, who has taken a tougher rhetorical line toward North Korea, approved Tillerson's overture. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tillerson's offer of direct contacts with North Korea was "a very good signal", while warning that a U.S. strike on the North would have catastrophic consequences. North Korea tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29, which it said could put all of the United States within range, in defiance of international pressure and U.N. sanctions. The United States has said all options were on the table in dealing with North Korea, including military action. While South Korea and China share the goal of getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and stop testing increasingly sophisticated long-range missiles, the two have not seen eye-to-eye on how to achieve this. Meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Xi told Moon that the goal of denuclearising the Korean peninsula must be stuck to, and war and chaos cannot be allowed, Chinese state media said. "The peninsula issue must, in the end, be resolved via dialogue and consultation," Xi was cited as saying. China and South Korea have an important shared interest in maintaining peace, and China was willing to work with South Korea to promote talks and support North and South to improve relations, Xi said. South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Xi and Moon agreed war on the peninsula would not be tolerated and they would cooperate in applying sanctions and pressure on North Korea. The apparently warm tone of their talks followed nearly a year of tense relations between the two countries. 'Dramatic circumstances' China has been furious about the deployment of the U.S.-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea, saying its powerful radar can see far into China and will do nothing to ease tension with North Korea. China and South Korea agreed in October to normalise exchanges and move past the dispute, which froze trade and business exchanges. Xi reiterated China's position on THAAD and said he hoped South Korea would continue to "appropriately handle" the issue. Guterres, speaking to reporters in Tokyo after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said Security Council resolutions on North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes must be fully implemented by Pyongyang and other countries. "Security Council resolutions must be fully implemented, first of all by North Korea, but by all other countries whose role is crucial," Guterres said. He said he expected a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday would deliver a strong expression of unity and the need for diplomacy to resolve the issue. "The worst possible thing that could happen is for us all to sleepwalk into a war." Japan says now is the time to keep up pressure on North Korea, not start talks on its missile and nuclear programmes. China and Russia, however, have welcomed Tillerson's overture. Russian President Vladimir Putin said a U.S. strike on North Korea by the United States would have catastrophic consequences and he hoped to work with Washington eventually to resolve the crisis on the Korean peninsula. Russia does not accept North Korea's nuclear status, Putin told a news conference. But he also said some U.S. actions had provoked North Korea. "We believe the two sides should now stop aggravating the situation," Putin said. North Korea justifies its weapons programmes as necessary defence against U.S. plans to invade. The United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean war, denies any such intention. The North's state news agency KCNA said Trump was taking a big step towards nuclear war in seeking a naval blockade and North Korea would take "merciless self-defence" measures if the United States tried to impose one. North Korea would regard a naval blockade as "an act of war" and a "wanton violation" of its sovereignty and dignity, the agency cited a foreign ministry spokesman as saying, adding that North Korea was a responsible nuclear power. White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said in September that even military options short of a preventative strike, such as a naval blockade meant to enforce sanctions, carried risks of military escalation.

China's Xi says war must not be allowed to break out on Korean peninsula

A day after secretary of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ready-to-talk-but-north-korea-should-be-ready-to-make-a-choice-tillerson-26589"> state Rex Tillerson said the US was ready</a> for talks with North, the White House said &quot;clearly the time is not right now&quot; and that the US State Department was on the &quot;same page&quot;.

On Wednesday, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-and-china-discuss-coordination-on-north-korea-26673">Tillerson had said: &quot;We&#39;re ready to </a>talk whenever they&#39;re(North Korea) ready to talk,&quot; adding that North Korea must be &quot;ready to make a choice.&quot; However, Tillerson&#39;s statement was contradicted by the US state department today which said its policy on North Korea &quot;has not changed.&quot;

&quot;The secretary was not creating a new policy, our policy remains exactly the same as it was,&quot; State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

&quot;We remain open to dialogue when North Korea is willing to conduct a credible dialogue on the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula,&quot; she said.

President Trump&#39;s national security advisor(NSA), H.R. McMaster, said that denuclearization is &quot;the only viable objective in North Korea.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;Talks with North Korea won&#39;t be an end in themselves,&quot; McMaster added.

McMaster said Tillerson&#39;s comment on talks without preconditions does not mean the US will &quot;relieve any pressure on North Korea, or cave in to any demands for pay-offs.&quot;

Talking to the Atlantic Council policy Tillerson had said North Korea was welcome to talk about anything at a first meeting - even the weather, however, he insisted that sanctions on Kim&#39;s regime would continue until &quot;the first bomb drops.&quot;

President Trump's national security advisor(NSA), H.R. McMaster, said that denuclearization is "the only viable objective in North Korea."?

A day after secretary of state Rex Tillerson said the US was ready for talks with North, the White House said "clearly the time is not right now" and that the US State Department was on the "same page". On Wednesday, Tillerson had said: "We're ready to talk whenever they're(North Korea) ready to talk," adding that North Korea must be "ready to make a choice." However, Tillerson's statement was contradicted by the US state department today which said its policy on North Korea "has not changed." "The secretary was not creating a new policy, our policy remains exactly the same as it was," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. "We remain open to dialogue when North Korea is willing to conduct a credible dialogue on the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," she said. President Trump's national security advisor(NSA), H.R. McMaster, said that denuclearization is "the only viable objective in North Korea." "Talks with North Korea won't be an end in themselves," McMaster added. McMaster said Tillerson's comment on talks without preconditions does not mean the US will "relieve any pressure on North Korea, or cave in to any demands for pay-offs." Talking to the Atlantic Council policy Tillerson had said North Korea was welcome to talk about anything at a first meeting - even the weather, however, he insisted that sanctions on Kim's regime would continue until "the first bomb drops."

Tillerson not creating new policy on North Korea: US State Department

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov had held talks with China`s ambassador to Russia Li Hui.

The interaction was primarily about Moscow and Beijing coordinating action on North Korea at the U.N. Security Council.

The officials exchanged views on &quot;joint steps,&quot; the ministry said in a statement.

The officials exchanged views on 'joint steps,' the ministry said in a statement.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov had held talks with China`s ambassador to Russia Li Hui. The interaction was primarily about Moscow and Beijing coordinating action on North Korea at the U.N. Security Council. The officials exchanged views on "joint steps," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia and China discuss coordination on North Korea

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

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

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

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

The UN rights chief told the Security Council on Monday that tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment.

An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 percent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide &quot;literally a lifeline&quot; for 13 million of them, said UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein.

&quot;But sanctions may be adversely affecting this essential help,&quot; he told a special Security Council meeting on human rights in North Korea.

Sanctions that have tightened controls over international bank transfers &quot;have caused a slowdown in UN ground operations, affecting the delivery of food rations, health kits and other humanitarian aid,&quot; he said.

The rights chief asked the council to conduct an assessment of the human rights impact of sanctions and urged them to take action to minimize consequences.

Over the past year, the council has adopted three rounds of sanctions aimed at choking off revenue to Pyongyang&#39;s military programs after Kim Jong-Un&#39;s regime carried out a sixth nuclear test and a series of advanced missile launches.

The council&#39;s sanctions committee on North Korea will meet later Monday to hear a briefing from a UN humanitarian official on the impact of recent punitive measures.

China fails to block rights meeting&nbsp;

The Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang&#39;s ally.

China requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support.&nbsp;

Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained.

At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply.

Chinese Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao said the council&#39;s discussion of rights abuses in North Korea was &quot;counterproductive&quot; at a time when tensions are running high on the Korean peninsula.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley said human rights should be discussed more often by the top UN body as a way to bolster conflict prevention.

&quot;Any country that does not take care of its people ends up in conflict,&quot; said Haley.

The United States, Britain, France, Sweden, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay had requested the meeting, the fourth to be held since 2014.

China has sought every year to block the special meeting, arguing that the Human Rights Council in Geneva was the forum to address concerns about North Korea&#39;s rights record, and not the Security Council.

Pyongyang is accused by a UN commission of inquiry of running a vast network of prison camps, resorting to torture, arbitrary detentions among other widespread abuses.&nbsp;

The rights chief told the council that &quot;the context of military tensions seems to have deepened the extremely serious human rights violations&quot; endured by the country&#39;s 25 million citizens.

The UN&#39;s political affairs chief, Jeffrey Feltman, returned at the weekend from a visit to Pyongyang, the first by a high-ranking UN diplomat since 2010.

Feltman will report to the council during a closed-door session on his visit on Tuesday ahead of a ministerial-level meeting on North Korea on Friday.

The council's sanctions committee on North Korea will meet later Monday to hear a briefing from a UN humanitarian official on the impact of recent punitive measures

The UN rights chief told the Security Council on Monday that tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment. An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 percent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide "literally a lifeline" for 13 million of them, said UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein. "But sanctions may be adversely affecting this essential help," he told a special Security Council meeting on human rights in North Korea. Sanctions that have tightened controls over international bank transfers "have caused a slowdown in UN ground operations, affecting the delivery of food rations, health kits and other humanitarian aid," he said. The rights chief asked the council to conduct an assessment of the human rights impact of sanctions and urged them to take action to minimize consequences. Over the past year, the council has adopted three rounds of sanctions aimed at choking off revenue to Pyongyang's military programs after Kim Jong-Un's regime carried out a sixth nuclear test and a series of advanced missile launches. The council's sanctions committee on North Korea will meet later Monday to hear a briefing from a UN humanitarian official on the impact of recent punitive measures. China fails to block rights meeting The Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang's ally. China requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support. Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained. At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply. Chinese Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao said the council's discussion of rights abuses in North Korea was "counterproductive" at a time when tensions are running high on the Korean peninsula. US Ambassador Nikki Haley said human rights should be discussed more often by the top UN body as a way to bolster conflict prevention. "Any country that does not take care of its people ends up in conflict," said Haley. The United States, Britain, France, Sweden, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay had requested the meeting, the fourth to be held since 2014. China has sought every year to block the special meeting, arguing that the Human Rights Council in Geneva was the forum to address concerns about North Korea's rights record, and not the Security Council. Pyongyang is accused by a UN commission of inquiry of running a vast network of prison camps, resorting to torture, arbitrary detentions among other widespread abuses. The rights chief told the council that "the context of military tensions seems to have deepened the extremely serious human rights violations" endured by the country's 25 million citizens. The UN's political affairs chief, Jeffrey Feltman, returned at the weekend from a visit to Pyongyang, the first by a high-ranking UN diplomat since 2010. Feltman will report to the council during a closed-door session on his visit on Tuesday ahead of a ministerial-level meeting on North Korea on Friday.

UN sanctions affecting aid in North Korea: Rights chief

North Korea blamed US &quot;nuclear blackmail&quot; for soaring tensions over its weapons programme following rare meetings with a senior UN official, but agreed to regular communication with the organisation, state media said Saturday.

Jeffrey Feltman flew to Beijing Saturday after wrapping up a five-day visit to Pyongyang aimed at defusing the crisis, just a week after North Korea said it test-fired a new ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.

His trip -- the first by a UN diplomat of his rank since 2010 -- saw him meet Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho and vice foreign minister Pak Myong-Kuk, and visit medical facilities supported by the UN, the North&#39;s state news agency KCNA said.

&quot;At these meetings, our side said the US policy of hostility toward the DPRK (North Korea) and its nuclear blackmail are to blame for the current tense situation on the Korean peninsula,&quot; the report said.

It added that the North had agreed with the UN &quot;to regularize communications through visits at various levels&quot;.

The report did not mention any meetings with leader Kim Jong-Un, who has ramped up his impoverished nation&#39;s missile and nuclear programme in recent years in order to achieve Pyongyang&#39;s stated goal of developing a warhead capable of hitting the US mainland.

Feltman, the UN&#39;s under-secretary-general for political affairs, visited the country just after the United States and South Korea launched their biggest-ever joint air exercise.

Pyongyang reiterated its view that these maneuvers were a provocation on Saturday, accusing the drills of &quot;revealing its intention to mount a surprise nuclear pre-emptive strike against the DPRK&quot;, using the initials of the country&#39;s official name.

The UN Security Council has hit the isolated and impoverished North with a package of sanctions over its increasingly powerful missile and nuclear tests, which have rattled Washington and its regional allies South Korea and Japan.

Feltman arrived in Beijing, a key transit point with the North, and left the airport without speaking to reporters.

China, Pyongyang&#39;s sole major diplomatic and military ally, has called on the United States to freeze military drills and on North Korea to halt weapons tests.

The Chinese foreign ministry on Saturday published a speech from four days ago by foreign minister Wang Yi in which he warned that the Korean Peninsula &quot;remains deeply entrenched in a vicious cycle of demonstrations of strength and confrontation.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;The outlook is not optimistic,&quot; Beijing&#39;s top diplomat added.

&#39;Emotion-charged days&#39;

Pyongyang ramped up already high tensions on the Korean Peninsula at the end of November when it announced it had successfully test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which it says brings the whole of the continental United States within range.

Analysts say it is unclear whether the missile survived re-entry into the earth&#39;s atmosphere or could successfully deliver a warhead to its target -- key technological hurdles for Pyongyang.

US President Donald Trump has engaged in months of tit-for-tat rhetoric with Kim, pejoratively dubbing him &quot;Little Rocket Man&quot; and a &quot;sick puppy&quot;.

Kim has called the 71-year-old president a &quot;dotard&quot;, meaning a weak or senile old man -- an insult that was renewed Saturday as the North condemned Trump for recognising Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

&quot;Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising&quot;, KCNA quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying.

&quot;The US will be held accountable for all consequences from this reckless, wicked act.&quot;

The North on Saturday released photographs of Kim on the summit of the country&#39;s highest peak, the fabled 2,750-metre (9,020-foot) Mount Paektu, which he climbed to ponder recent successes in his drive for nuclear statehood.

KCNA said the young leader, who was pictured strolling across the snow-covered peak sporting a heavy black coat, fur hat, and buffed leather shoes, had climbed the &quot;sublime mountain of the revolution&quot;, which is on the border with China.

Kim, described in the fulsome language of Pyongyang&#39;s mouthpiece as &quot;the peerlessly illustrious commander who controls the nature&quot;, used the opportunity to dwell on the &quot;emotion-charged days when he realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force without yielding even a moment&quot;.

Mount Paektu is considered a sacred place in Korean folklore and plays a central role in the propaganda glorifying the Kim family.

Officially, Kim&#39;s father Kim Jong-Il was born on its slopes in 1942, though independent historians say he was actually born a year earlier and in the Soviet Union, where his own father was in exile.

North Korea blamed US 'nuclear blackmail' for the soaring tensions over its weapons programme

North Korea blamed US "nuclear blackmail" for soaring tensions over its weapons programme following rare meetings with a senior UN official, but agreed to regular communication with the organisation, state media said Saturday. Jeffrey Feltman flew to Beijing Saturday after wrapping up a five-day visit to Pyongyang aimed at defusing the crisis, just a week after North Korea said it test-fired a new ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States. His trip -- the first by a UN diplomat of his rank since 2010 -- saw him meet Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho and vice foreign minister Pak Myong-Kuk, and visit medical facilities supported by the UN, the North's state news agency KCNA said. "At these meetings, our side said the US policy of hostility toward the DPRK (North Korea) and its nuclear blackmail are to blame for the current tense situation on the Korean peninsula," the report said. It added that the North had agreed with the UN "to regularize communications through visits at various levels". The report did not mention any meetings with leader Kim Jong-Un, who has ramped up his impoverished nation's missile and nuclear programme in recent years in order to achieve Pyongyang's stated goal of developing a warhead capable of hitting the US mainland. Feltman, the UN's under-secretary-general for political affairs, visited the country just after the United States and South Korea launched their biggest-ever joint air exercise. Pyongyang reiterated its view that these maneuvers were a provocation on Saturday, accusing the drills of "revealing its intention to mount a surprise nuclear pre-emptive strike against the DPRK", using the initials of the country's official name. The UN Security Council has hit the isolated and impoverished North with a package of sanctions over its increasingly powerful missile and nuclear tests, which have rattled Washington and its regional allies South Korea and Japan. Feltman arrived in Beijing, a key transit point with the North, and left the airport without speaking to reporters. China, Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic and military ally, has called on the United States to freeze military drills and on North Korea to halt weapons tests. The Chinese foreign ministry on Saturday published a speech from four days ago by foreign minister Wang Yi in which he warned that the Korean Peninsula "remains deeply entrenched in a vicious cycle of demonstrations of strength and confrontation." "The outlook is not optimistic," Beijing's top diplomat added. 'Emotion-charged days' Pyongyang ramped up already high tensions on the Korean Peninsula at the end of November when it announced it had successfully test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which it says brings the whole of the continental United States within range. Analysts say it is unclear whether the missile survived re-entry into the earth's atmosphere or could successfully deliver a warhead to its target -- key technological hurdles for Pyongyang. US President Donald Trump has engaged in months of tit-for-tat rhetoric with Kim, pejoratively dubbing him "Little Rocket Man" and a "sick puppy". Kim has called the 71-year-old president a "dotard", meaning a weak or senile old man -- an insult that was renewed Saturday as the North condemned Trump for recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "Considering the fact that the mentally deranged dotard openly called for a total destruction of a sovereign state at the UN, this action is not so surprising", KCNA quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying. "The US will be held accountable for all consequences from this reckless, wicked act." The North on Saturday released photographs of Kim on the summit of the country's highest peak, the fabled 2,750-metre (9,020-foot) Mount Paektu, which he climbed to ponder recent successes in his drive for nuclear statehood. KCNA said the young leader, who was pictured strolling across the snow-covered peak sporting a heavy black coat, fur hat, and buffed leather shoes, had climbed the "sublime mountain of the revolution", which is on the border with China. Kim, described in the fulsome language of Pyongyang's mouthpiece as "the peerlessly illustrious commander who controls the nature", used the opportunity to dwell on the "emotion-charged days when he realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force without yielding even a moment". Mount Paektu is considered a sacred place in Korean folklore and plays a central role in the propaganda glorifying the Kim family. Officially, Kim's father Kim Jong-Il was born on its slopes in 1942, though independent historians say he was actually born a year earlier and in the Soviet Union, where his own father was in exile.

North Korea talks to UN, blames US for tensions

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

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

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

North Korea condemns 'mentally deranged dotard' Trump over Jerusalem

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

Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults in recent months

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

North Korea condemns 'dotard' Trump over Jerusalem

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