Japan is to acquire medium-range, air-launched cruise missiles, capable of striking North Korea, a controversial purchase of what will become the longest-range munitions of a country that has renounced the right to wage war.

Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera did not refer to North Korea when announcing the planned acquisition and said the new missiles would be for defence, with Japan still relying on the United States to strike any enemy bases.

&quot;We are planning to introduce the JSM (Joint Strike Missile) that will be mounted on the F-35A (stealth fighter) as &#39;stand-off&#39;&nbsp;missiles that can be fired beyond the range of enemy threats,&quot; Onodera told a news conference.&nbsp;

Japan is also looking to mount Lockheed Martin Corp&#39;s extended-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM-ER) on its F-15 fighters, he said.

The JSM, designed by Norway&#39;s Kongsberg Defence &amp; Aerospace, has a range of 500 km (310 miles). The JASSM-ER can hit targets 1,000 km away.

The purchase plan is likely to face criticism from opposition parties in parliament, especially from politicians wary of the watering down of Japan&#39;s renunciation of the right to wage war enshrined in its post-World War Two constitution.

But the growing threat posed by North Korean ballistic missiles has spurred calls from politicians, including Onodera, for a more robust military that could deter North Korea from launching an attack. 
Japan&#39;s missile force has been limited to anti-aircraft and anti-ship munitions with ranges of less than 300 km (186 miles).&nbsp;

The change suggests the growing threat posed by North Korea has given proponents of a strike capability the upper hand in military planning.

North Korea has recently test-fired ballistic missiles over Japan and last week tested a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile that climbed to an altitude of more than 4,000 km before splashing into the sea within Japan`s exclusive economic zone.&nbsp;

Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera did not refer to North Korea when announcing the planned acquisition and said the new missiles would be for defence, with Japan still relying on the United States to strike any enemy bases

Japan is to acquire medium-range, air-launched cruise missiles, capable of striking North Korea, a controversial purchase of what will become the longest-range munitions of a country that has renounced the right to wage war. Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera did not refer to North Korea when announcing the planned acquisition and said the new missiles would be for defence, with Japan still relying on the United States to strike any enemy bases. "We are planning to introduce the JSM (Joint Strike Missile) that will be mounted on the F-35A (stealth fighter) as 'stand-off' missiles that can be fired beyond the range of enemy threats," Onodera told a news conference. Japan is also looking to mount Lockheed Martin Corp's extended-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM-ER) on its F-15 fighters, he said. The JSM, designed by Norway's Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, has a range of 500 km (310 miles). The JASSM-ER can hit targets 1,000 km away. The purchase plan is likely to face criticism from opposition parties in parliament, especially from politicians wary of the watering down of Japan's renunciation of the right to wage war enshrined in its post-World War Two constitution. But the growing threat posed by North Korean ballistic missiles has spurred calls from politicians, including Onodera, for a more robust military that could deter North Korea from launching an attack. Japan's missile force has been limited to anti-aircraft and anti-ship munitions with ranges of less than 300 km (186 miles). The change suggests the growing threat posed by North Korea has given proponents of a strike capability the upper hand in military planning. North Korea has recently test-fired ballistic missiles over Japan and last week tested a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile that climbed to an altitude of more than 4,000 km before splashing into the sea within Japan`s exclusive economic zone.

Japan to acquire air-launched missiles able to strike North Korea

Born and raised in Japan, three North Korean soccer players are expecting to face boos from the home crowd in a match that comes less than two weeks after the latest North Korean test missile splashed into the Sea of Japan.

An Byong Jun, Kim Song Gi and Lee Yong Jick, who play their club soccer for J League division 2 sides, will represent North Korea when they take on Japan in Tokyo on Saturday in the final round of the East Asian Football Championship.

The sporting contest is being held with the world still on edge after the North heightened alarm in South Korea, Japan and the United States by test firing an intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29 that appeared to demonstrate increasing range.

North Korea has test-fired missiles over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido twice earlier this year and has threatened to sink Japan into the sea with a nuclear bomb.

Unsurprisingly, Kim, a 29-year-old central defender, who hails from Hyogo prefecture in western Japan and plays his club soccer for Machida Zelvia in Tokyo, expects a hostile reception from Japanese supporters.

&quot;Bring on the booing,&quot; said Kim. &quot;Being booed actually gets me fired up. I was brought up that way and it doesn&#39;t really bother me.&quot;

He is eager to avenge a one-nil loss when he first played against Japan for North Korea six years ago.

Kim, An and Lee all took up soccer when they were children attending Pyongyang-affiliated schools in Japan and saw playing as a North Korean international as the path to the highest level.

&quot;Soccer was all I thought about when I was a kid and it was my dream to play for North Korea,&quot; Kim said. &quot;My biggest goal now is to go to the World Cup.&quot;

Japanese nationality is inherited through parents, not place of birth, meaning the three players of North Korean descent are considered foreigners and ineligible to play for Japan&#39;s national team.

The players&#39; status as permanent residents in Japan is a throwback to the complex and conflicted relationship between the countries.

Many Koreans were forced to move to Japan during its occupation of the Korean peninsula before and during World War II&nbsp;and suffered discrimination.

They and their descendants are now eligible to become naturalised Japanese citizens, but many are loath to do so because that would involve giving up their Korean nationality and suffering a perceived loss of cultural identity.

There were about 339,000 people with special permanent resident status - mostly those with Korean or Taiwanese ancestry - living in Japan last year, government data shows.

&quot;I&#39;ve never thought of taking Japanese citizenship,&quot; said Kim. &quot;My soul is 100 percent North Korean.&quot;

Lee, a 26-year-old Osaka native playing his first match against Japan, said he wasn&#39;t sure how the fans would react, noting that the team had expected boos when they played in South Korea but received applause instead.

&quot;It&#39;s complicated,&quot; said the Kamatamare Sanuki defender, who switches to midfield for North Korea.

&quot;I hope we&#39;re treated the same as other teams that play against Japan. To be honest I hope we don&#39;t get booed.&quot;

Regarding political tensions, he said that things might seem bad looking only at the news in Japan but that he and his teammates had also seen a good side to North Korea on their trips to Pyongyang, on school trips and for training camp.

An, who will also be playing his first match against Japan, said he was looking forward to playing in his hometown Tokyo and expected a good turnout from ethnic Korean fans.

He said he had a lot of J League friends on the Japanese squad with whom he exchanges text messages and he was looking forward to a good match regardless of international tensions.

&quot;Soccer&#39;s great because teams can play fair and square and those kind of politics don&#39;t matter,&quot; said the 27-year-old Roasso Kumamoto forward.

&quot;All I want to do is go out and represent my country as a soccer player.&quot;

Japan and North Korea last met in 2015, at the East Asia Football Championship in China, where North Korea prevailed 2-1.

This year&#39;s men&#39;s tournament, which also features China and South Korea, runs Dec. 9-16. The women&#39;s tournament, comprising the same countries, is being held Dec. 8-15.

The three players will take on Japan in the final round of East Asian Football Championship in Tokyo on Saturday

Born and raised in Japan, three North Korean soccer players are expecting to face boos from the home crowd in a match that comes less than two weeks after the latest North Korean test missile splashed into the Sea of Japan. An Byong Jun, Kim Song Gi and Lee Yong Jick, who play their club soccer for J League division 2 sides, will represent North Korea when they take on Japan in Tokyo on Saturday in the final round of the East Asian Football Championship. The sporting contest is being held with the world still on edge after the North heightened alarm in South Korea, Japan and the United States by test firing an intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29 that appeared to demonstrate increasing range. North Korea has test-fired missiles over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido twice earlier this year and has threatened to sink Japan into the sea with a nuclear bomb. Unsurprisingly, Kim, a 29-year-old central defender, who hails from Hyogo prefecture in western Japan and plays his club soccer for Machida Zelvia in Tokyo, expects a hostile reception from Japanese supporters. "Bring on the booing," said Kim. "Being booed actually gets me fired up. I was brought up that way and it doesn't really bother me." He is eager to avenge a one-nil loss when he first played against Japan for North Korea six years ago. Kim, An and Lee all took up soccer when they were children attending Pyongyang-affiliated schools in Japan and saw playing as a North Korean international as the path to the highest level. "Soccer was all I thought about when I was a kid and it was my dream to play for North Korea," Kim said. "My biggest goal now is to go to the World Cup." Japanese nationality is inherited through parents, not place of birth, meaning the three players of North Korean descent are considered foreigners and ineligible to play for Japan's national team. The players' status as permanent residents in Japan is a throwback to the complex and conflicted relationship between the countries. Many Koreans were forced to move to Japan during its occupation of the Korean peninsula before and during World War II and suffered discrimination. They and their descendants are now eligible to become naturalised Japanese citizens, but many are loath to do so because that would involve giving up their Korean nationality and suffering a perceived loss of cultural identity. There were about 339,000 people with special permanent resident status - mostly those with Korean or Taiwanese ancestry - living in Japan last year, government data shows. "I've never thought of taking Japanese citizenship," said Kim. "My soul is 100 percent North Korean." Lee, a 26-year-old Osaka native playing his first match against Japan, said he wasn't sure how the fans would react, noting that the team had expected boos when they played in South Korea but received applause instead. "It's complicated," said the Kamatamare Sanuki defender, who switches to midfield for North Korea. "I hope we're treated the same as other teams that play against Japan. To be honest I hope we don't get booed." Regarding political tensions, he said that things might seem bad looking only at the news in Japan but that he and his teammates had also seen a good side to North Korea on their trips to Pyongyang, on school trips and for training camp. An, who will also be playing his first match against Japan, said he was looking forward to playing in his hometown Tokyo and expected a good turnout from ethnic Korean fans. He said he had a lot of J League friends on the Japanese squad with whom he exchanges text messages and he was looking forward to a good match regardless of international tensions. "Soccer's great because teams can play fair and square and those kind of politics don't matter," said the 27-year-old Roasso Kumamoto forward. "All I want to do is go out and represent my country as a soccer player." Japan and North Korea last met in 2015, at the East Asia Football Championship in China, where North Korea prevailed 2-1. This year's men's tournament, which also features China and South Korea, runs Dec. 9-16. The women's tournament, comprising the same countries, is being held Dec. 8-15.

Born in Japan, playing for North Korea under shadow of missile crisis

Gold prices steadied on Friday but were on track for their biggest weekly fall since May ahead of US&nbsp;employment data later that could influence the pace of US&nbsp;interest rate rises.

Gold this week broke below a recent trading range and tumbled through technical levels to its lowest since July as progress on US&nbsp;tax reform fuelled optimism about the US&nbsp;economy and boosted the dollar.

&quot;You can put it down to the strength of the dollar and the ebullience of investors regarding equities and all things risk-on,&quot; said ETF Securities analyst Martin Arnold.

&quot;When in such a positive mindset investors don&#39;t look for defensive assets like gold.&quot;

The dollar was given an extra boost on Friday after a funding bill eased fears of a US&nbsp;government shutdown this month. A stronger dollar makes bullion more expensive for holders of other currencies and can dampen demand.

Spot gold was down 0.1 percent at $1,245.66 an ounce at 1109 GMT, close to Thursday&#39;s low of $1243.71, the weakest since July 26. It had fallen 2.7 percent this week, its third consecutive weekly fall and the biggest since early May.

US&nbsp;gold futures were 0.4 percent lower at $1,247.80.

Selling was triggered after gold broke below $1,260, the bottom of its trading range since September, and plunged below its 200-day moving average for the first time since July.

Technical support is now at $1,250 and a Fibonacci level at $1,240.90 but momentum indicators suggest that gold could fall to $1,204.90, the July low, said analysts at ScotiaMocatta.

However, ETF Securities&#39; Arnold said prices were supported by risks including US&nbsp;policy paralysis, tensions in North Korea and the Middle East, and a potential correction in equity valuations. He said gold&#39;s fair value was $1,260-$1,280.

Gold is traditionally seen as a safe investment in times of uncertainty.

Investors were looking ahead to US&nbsp;non-farm payrolls data at 1330 GMT. The US&nbsp;Federal Reserve is expected next week to announce a rise in interest rates and offer guidance on the pace of further increases. Strong payrolls would support the case for aggressive rate rises.

Gold is sensitive to rising interest rates because they push up bond yields, reducing the appeal of non-yielding gold, and tend to boost the dollar.

Among other precious metals, silver was up 0.4 percent at $15.78 but down 4 percent this week.

Platinum was 0.1 percent lower at $892.20 an ounce and on track to fall nearly 5 percent this week, its biggest weekly loss in nine months.

Palladium was up 0.1 percent at $1,013.75 an ounce.

Gold prices steadied on Friday but were on track for their biggest weekly fall since May ahead of US?employment data later that could influence the pace of US?interest rate rises.

Gold prices steadied on Friday but were on track for their biggest weekly fall since May ahead of US employment data later that could influence the pace of US interest rate rises. Gold this week broke below a recent trading range and tumbled through technical levels to its lowest since July as progress on US tax reform fuelled optimism about the US economy and boosted the dollar. "You can put it down to the strength of the dollar and the ebullience of investors regarding equities and all things risk-on," said ETF Securities analyst Martin Arnold. "When in such a positive mindset investors don't look for defensive assets like gold." The dollar was given an extra boost on Friday after a funding bill eased fears of a US government shutdown this month. A stronger dollar makes bullion more expensive for holders of other currencies and can dampen demand. Spot gold was down 0.1 percent at $1,245.66 an ounce at 1109 GMT, close to Thursday's low of $1243.71, the weakest since July 26. It had fallen 2.7 percent this week, its third consecutive weekly fall and the biggest since early May. US gold futures were 0.4 percent lower at $1,247.80. Selling was triggered after gold broke below $1,260, the bottom of its trading range since September, and plunged below its 200-day moving average for the first time since July. Technical support is now at $1,250 and a Fibonacci level at $1,240.90 but momentum indicators suggest that gold could fall to $1,204.90, the July low, said analysts at ScotiaMocatta. However, ETF Securities' Arnold said prices were supported by risks including US policy paralysis, tensions in North Korea and the Middle East, and a potential correction in equity valuations. He said gold's fair value was $1,260-$1,280. Gold is traditionally seen as a safe investment in times of uncertainty. Investors were looking ahead to US non-farm payrolls data at 1330 GMT. The US Federal Reserve is expected next week to announce a rise in interest rates and offer guidance on the pace of further increases. Strong payrolls would support the case for aggressive rate rises. Gold is sensitive to rising interest rates because they push up bond yields, reducing the appeal of non-yielding gold, and tend to boost the dollar. Among other precious metals, silver was up 0.4 percent at $15.78 but down 4 percent this week. Platinum was 0.1 percent lower at $892.20 an ounce and on track to fall nearly 5 percent this week, its biggest weekly loss in nine months. Palladium was up 0.1 percent at $1,013.75 an ounce.

Dollar rise pushes gold toward biggest weekly fall since May

The United States and South Korea have begun their combined combat drills as a part of their five-day exercise called &#39;Vigilant Ace&#39;.

The move came soon after North Korea test-fired its intercontinental ballistic missile which sparked a global outcry. The United States was one of the nations to have severely condemned North Korea&#39;s action and called for stringent sanctions on the Kim Jong-un regime.

North Korea&#39;s latest missile test prompted a warning from the United States that North Korea`s leadership would be &quot;utterly destroyed&quot; if war were to break out, a statement that drew sharp criticism from Russia.

While China, North Korea&#39;s neighbour and lone major ally, pressed for calm and peace all along, it was recently reported to have <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-holds-military-drills-near-north-korea-soon-after-us-south-korea-begin-their-massive-military-exercise-25997" target="_blank">conducted military drills</a> over the sea bordering North Korea as a &#39;warning&#39; to the United States for holding the joint military exercise with South Korea.

Besides this, the two nations continue to proceed with &#39;Vigilant Ace&#39; while North Korea takes the exercise as a threat that &quot;makes war unavoidable&quot;.&nbsp;

A spokesman for the North`s foreign ministry blamed the drills and &quot;confrontational warmongering&quot; by U.S. officials for making war inevitable.

&quot;The remaining question now is: when will the war break out?&quot; the spokesman said late on Wednesday in a statement carried by North Korea&#39;s official KCNA news agency, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&quot;We do not wish for a war but shall not hide from it.&quot;

&quot;We hope all relevant parties can maintain calm and restraint and take steps to alleviate tensions and not provoke each other,&quot; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a statement.

&quot;The outbreak of war is not in any side`s interest. The ones that will suffer the most are ordinary people.&quot;

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A U.S. B-1B bomber flew over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, as part of a large-scale joint aerial drill that has been denounced by North Korea as pushing the peninsula to the brink of nuclear war. (Reuters,Others)
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North Korea regularly threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States and says its weapons programmes are necessary to counter U.S. aggression. The United States stations 28,500 troops in the South, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.

&quot;Recently, as the U.S. is conducting the largest-ever joint aerial drill on the Korean peninsula targeting the Democratic People`s Republic of Korea, its high-level politicians are showing alarming signs by making bellicose remarks one after another,&quot; the North`s foreign ministry spokesman said, using North Korea`s official name.

&quot;These confrontational war-mongering remarks cannot be interpreted in any other way but as a warning to us to be prepared for a war on the Korean peninsula,&quot; he said.

The annual U.S.-South Korean &quot;Vigilant Ace&quot; exercises feature close to 230 aircraft, including a range of the U.S. military&#39;s most advanced stealth warplanes and the F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighter planes.

Two American B-1B heavy bombers joined large-scale combat drills over South Korea on Thursday.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, a U.S. B-1B bomber flew from the Pacific U.S.-administered territory of Guam to join the exercises, it will run until Friday.

B-1B is one of America&#39;s largest strike aircraft and has been used previously in what is believed to increase pressure on North Korea to abandon its weapons programmes.

The aircraft was also a part of the formation of U.S. military aircraft in September that flew further north up North Korea`s coast than at any time in the past 17 years, according to the U.S. Pacific Command.

While B-1Bs are no longer equipped to carry nuclear weapons of their own, they would be key to any strike targeting major North Korean facilities, he said.

&quot;B1-B bombers have been regularly dispatched to the Korean peninsula over the past years; however, it seems that the U.S. Air Force might have enhanced its training to better prepare for actual warfare,&quot; said Yang Uk, a senior fellow at the Korea Defence and Security Forum.

&quot;That&rsquo;s why North Korea has been making such a big deal when B1-B bombers are flying overhead.&quot;

Officials from both sides insist that they don&#39;t want war while also blaming each other for provocations. White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster said over the weekend that the possibility of war with North Korea was &quot;increasing every day&quot;.

On the other hand, U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham urged the Pentagon on Sunday to start moving U.S. military dependents, such as spouses and children, out of South Korea, saying conflict with North Korea was getting close. The Pentagon said it has &quot;no intent&quot; to move any dependants out of the country.

(With inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

China was recently reported to have conducted military drills over the sea bordering North Korea as a 'warning' to the United States

The United States and South Korea have begun their combined combat drills as a part of their five-day exercise called 'Vigilant Ace'. The move came soon after North Korea test-fired its intercontinental ballistic missile which sparked a global outcry. The United States was one of the nations to have severely condemned North Korea's action and called for stringent sanctions on the Kim Jong-un regime. North Korea's latest missile test prompted a warning from the United States that North Korea`s leadership would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out, a statement that drew sharp criticism from Russia. While China, North Korea's neighbour and lone major ally, pressed for calm and peace all along, it was recently reported to have conducted military drills over the sea bordering North Korea as a 'warning' to the United States for holding the joint military exercise with South Korea. Besides this, the two nations continue to proceed with 'Vigilant Ace' while North Korea takes the exercise as a threat that "makes war unavoidable". A spokesman for the North`s foreign ministry blamed the drills and "confrontational warmongering" by U.S. officials for making war inevitable. "The remaining question now is: when will the war break out?" the spokesman said late on Wednesday in a statement carried by North Korea's official KCNA news agency, Reuters reported. "We do not wish for a war but shall not hide from it." "We hope all relevant parties can maintain calm and restraint and take steps to alleviate tensions and not provoke each other," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a statement. "The outbreak of war is not in any side`s interest. The ones that will suffer the most are ordinary people." A U.S. B-1B bomber flew over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, as part of a large-scale joint aerial drill that has been denounced by North Korea as pushing the peninsula to the brink of nuclear war. (Reuters,Others) × North Korea regularly threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States and says its weapons programmes are necessary to counter U.S. aggression. The United States stations 28,500 troops in the South, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War. "Recently, as the U.S. is conducting the largest-ever joint aerial drill on the Korean peninsula targeting the Democratic People`s Republic of Korea, its high-level politicians are showing alarming signs by making bellicose remarks one after another," the North`s foreign ministry spokesman said, using North Korea`s official name. "These confrontational war-mongering remarks cannot be interpreted in any other way but as a warning to us to be prepared for a war on the Korean peninsula," he said. The annual U.S.-South Korean "Vigilant Ace" exercises feature close to 230 aircraft, including a range of the U.S. military's most advanced stealth warplanes and the F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighter planes. Two American B-1B heavy bombers joined large-scale combat drills over South Korea on Thursday. On Wednesday, a U.S. B-1B bomber flew from the Pacific U.S.-administered territory of Guam to join the exercises, it will run until Friday. B-1B is one of America's largest strike aircraft and has been used previously in what is believed to increase pressure on North Korea to abandon its weapons programmes. The aircraft was also a part of the formation of U.S. military aircraft in September that flew further north up North Korea`s coast than at any time in the past 17 years, according to the U.S. Pacific Command. While B-1Bs are no longer equipped to carry nuclear weapons of their own, they would be key to any strike targeting major North Korean facilities, he said. "B1-B bombers have been regularly dispatched to the Korean peninsula over the past years; however, it seems that the U.S. Air Force might have enhanced its training to better prepare for actual warfare," said Yang Uk, a senior fellow at the Korea Defence and Security Forum. "That’s why North Korea has been making such a big deal when B1-B bombers are flying overhead." Officials from both sides insist that they don't want war while also blaming each other for provocations. White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster said over the weekend that the possibility of war with North Korea was "increasing every day". On the other hand, U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham urged the Pentagon on Sunday to start moving U.S. military dependents, such as spouses and children, out of South Korea, saying conflict with North Korea was getting close. The Pentagon said it has "no intent" to move any dependants out of the country. (With inputs from Reuters)

US threats make war 'unavoidable': North Korea

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-ranked-no-2-in-test-rankings-following-243-runs-knock-against-sri-lanka-26127">After two double tons, Virat Kohli ranked No-2 in ICC Test rankings</a>

After registering his career-best 243 runs in the third and final test match against Sri Lanka, Indian Cricket Team skipper Virat Kohli on Thursday moved three places up to grab the second spot in the ICC Test rankings. Kohli&#39;s first innings knock was followed by another half century, 50 runs, in the second innings taking his total to 610 in the three-match series against Sri Lanka which India won 1-0. The first and third test ended in draws in Kolkata and New Delhi respectively.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-says-us-threats-make-war-unavoidable-26132">US threats make war &#39;unavoidable&#39;: North Korea</a>

The United States and South Korea have begun their combined combat drills as a part of their five-day exercise called &#39;Vigilant Ace&#39;. The move came soon after North Korea test-fired its intercontinental ballistic missile which sparked a global outcry. The United States was one of the nations to have severely condemned North Korea&#39;s action and called for stringent sanctions on the Kim Jong-un regime.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/wait-what-19-year-old-zombied-angelina-jolie-look-alike-admits-she-lied-about-her-50-cosmetic-surgeries-26118">&#39;Zombied&#39; Jolie look-alike admits she lied</a>

The world was shocked by the news that Iranian teenager Sahar Tabar had undergone 50 cosmetic surgeries to look like her idol Angelina Jolie till recently. But now the teenager has admitted that she was lying. Tabar&#39;s Instagram post had left everyone shocked as the young girl, in an attempt to look like Jolie, looked &#39;zombie-like&#39; according to many of her fans.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ngt-slams-dda-over-failing-to-protect-citys-floodplains-26129">Construct biodiversity park near </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ngt-slams-dda-over-failing-to-protect-citys-floodplains-26129">Yamuna</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ngt-slams-dda-over-failing-to-protect-citys-floodplains-26129"> with Art of Living compensation: NGT orders DDA</a>

The National Green Tribunal(NGT) ordered the Delhi Development Authority(DDA) to construct biodiversity park near Yamuna with the compensatory amount of Rs 5 crores deposited by AoL&nbsp;(Art of Living) for &quot;causing damage to Yamuna floodplains&quot; in Delhi in 2016. The green tribunal said further amount would be recovered from AoL if 5 crores fell short.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/jerusalem-status-us-decision-a-serious-violation-of-international-law-says-pak-pm-abbasi-26120">Jerusalem status: US decision a serious violation of international law, says Pak PM Abbasi</a>

Pakistan today joined the international chorus against US decision to name Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital. Trump in a speech in the White House said today that it is &quot;time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel&quot;, adding that &quot;new approach&quot; was needed to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A look at the five big stories of the day

After two double tons, Virat Kohli ranked No-2 in ICC Test rankings After registering his career-best 243 runs in the third and final test match against Sri Lanka, Indian Cricket Team skipper Virat Kohli on Thursday moved three places up to grab the second spot in the ICC Test rankings. Kohli's first innings knock was followed by another half century, 50 runs, in the second innings taking his total to 610 in the three-match series against Sri Lanka which India won 1-0. The first and third test ended in draws in Kolkata and New Delhi respectively. US threats make war 'unavoidable': North Korea The United States and South Korea have begun their combined combat drills as a part of their five-day exercise called 'Vigilant Ace'. The move came soon after North Korea test-fired its intercontinental ballistic missile which sparked a global outcry. The United States was one of the nations to have severely condemned North Korea's action and called for stringent sanctions on the Kim Jong-un regime. 'Zombied' Jolie look-alike admits she lied The world was shocked by the news that Iranian teenager Sahar Tabar had undergone 50 cosmetic surgeries to look like her idol Angelina Jolie till recently. But now the teenager has admitted that she was lying. Tabar's Instagram post had left everyone shocked as the young girl, in an attempt to look like Jolie, looked 'zombie-like' according to many of her fans. Construct biodiversity park near Yamuna with Art of Living compensation: NGT orders DDA The National Green Tribunal(NGT) ordered the Delhi Development Authority(DDA) to construct biodiversity park near Yamuna with the compensatory amount of Rs 5 crores deposited by AoL (Art of Living) for "causing damage to Yamuna floodplains" in Delhi in 2016. The green tribunal said further amount would be recovered from AoL if 5 crores fell short. Jerusalem status: US decision a serious violation of international law, says Pak PM Abbasi Pakistan today joined the international chorus against US decision to name Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Trump in a speech in the White House said today that it is "time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel", adding that "new approach" was needed to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

WION evening news brief, December 7, 2017

&#39;Vigilant Ace&#39;, the joint <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-south-korea-ariel-drills-pushing-korean-peninsula-to-brink-of-nuclear-war-north-korea-25822">aerial drill between </a>US and South Korea entered its third day today with B-1B bomber&#39;s joining the forces as tensions in the Korean peninsula continued to escalate.

The B-1B bomber <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/despite-trumps-sanctions-call-russia-china-against-oil-embargo-on-north-korea-25523">took off from the US air base in Guam </a>and joined the F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters and the rest of the South Korean and US forces.

The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- began on Monday, five days after the North&#39;s ICBM test.

Meanwhile, United Nation&#39;s political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman met North Korean officials today in an attempt to calm nerves on the ground.&nbsp;Feltman also met the North Korean vice foreign minister.&nbsp;

Feltman is also expected to meet North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho.&nbsp;

The US and its allies have been concerned over North Korea&#39;s recent ICBM test conducted a week ago which can hit targets on the US mainland.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In will visit North Korea&#39;s ally China next week for talks to press Xi&#39;s government to rein in its neighbour as tensions frayed last week with Kim&#39;s ICBM test.

Moon will arrive in Beijing next Wednesday for a four-day state visit.

The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- began on Monday

'Vigilant Ace', the joint aerial drill between US and South Korea entered its third day today with B-1B bomber's joining the forces as tensions in the Korean peninsula continued to escalate. The B-1B bomber took off from the US air base in Guam and joined the F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters and the rest of the South Korean and US forces. The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- began on Monday, five days after the North's ICBM test. Meanwhile, United Nation's political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman met North Korean officials today in an attempt to calm nerves on the ground. Feltman also met the North Korean vice foreign minister. Feltman is also expected to meet North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho. The US and its allies have been concerned over North Korea's recent ICBM test conducted a week ago which can hit targets on the US mainland. South Korean President Moon Jae-In will visit North Korea's ally China next week for talks to press Xi's government to rein in its neighbour as tensions frayed last week with Kim's ICBM test. Moon will arrive in Beijing next Wednesday for a four-day state visit.

Watch: US B-1B bombers join aerial drill with South Korea

China is holding military drills in the sea bordering North Korea in what is being seen as a reaction to the military exercises carried out by the United States and South Korea.

&quot;Analysts suggest&nbsp;Chinese military drills as a warning to the United States and South Korea against attacking North Korea, an ally of China. Through these drills China wants to uphold the balance of power in the region, say, strategic experts,&quot; <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/china-holds-military-drills-warns-us-7179" target="_blank">a WION TV report</a>&nbsp;says.&nbsp;

North Korea recently test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile which it said placed &quot;all of the mainland&nbsp;US&quot;&nbsp;within range.

The Unites States has been pressing for more sanctions against the Kim Jong-un regime, and urging nations to sever tied with North Korea.&nbsp;

South Korea and the United States kicked-off the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/week-after-north-korea-missile-test-us-south-korea-kick-off-largest-air-exercise-25783" target="_blank">largest-ever air exercise</a> Monday.

The five-day exercise is called &#39;Vigilant Ace&#39; and involves over 230 aircraft including the F22 Raptor and F35 stealth jet fighters.

&quot;The exercise is to improve and airforce capabilities of both the nations noted the South Korean defence ministry,&quot; the WION TV report said.&nbsp;

'Analysts suggest Chinese military drills as a warning to the United States and South Korea against attacking North Korea,' a WION TV report said

China is holding military drills in the sea bordering North Korea in what is being seen as a reaction to the military exercises carried out by the United States and South Korea. "Analysts suggest Chinese military drills as a warning to the United States and South Korea against attacking North Korea, an ally of China. Through these drills China wants to uphold the balance of power in the region, say, strategic experts," a WION TV report says. North Korea recently test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile which it said placed "all of the mainland US" within range. The Unites States has been pressing for more sanctions against the Kim Jong-un regime, and urging nations to sever tied with North Korea. South Korea and the United States kicked-off the largest-ever air exercise Monday. The five-day exercise is called 'Vigilant Ace' and involves over 230 aircraft including the F22 Raptor and F35 stealth jet fighters. "The exercise is to improve and airforce capabilities of both the nations noted the South Korean defence ministry," the WION TV report said.

China holds military drills near North Korea border, 'warns' US

South Korean President Moon Jae-In will visit China next week for talks on North Korea and other issues, his office said Wednesday, amid tentative signs of diplomatic movement after months of high tensions over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and missile threats.

The announcement came as a high-level United Nations representative held talks with a senior North Korean official during a rare trip to Pyongyang.

Jeffrey Feltman, UN undersecretary general for political affairs, arrived Tuesday to discuss what the world body described as &quot;issues of mutual interest and concern&quot;.

He and vice foreign minister Pak Myong-Kuk discussed &quot;cooperation between the DPRK and the UN Secretariat and assistance from UN agencies to the DPRK and other matters of mutual interest&quot;, the North&#39;s KCNA news agency reported, using the acronym for the country&#39;s official name.

Feltman&#39;s trip -- the first by a UN diplomat of his rank since 2010 -- comes less than a week after North Korea test-fired a new ballistic missile said to be capable of reaching the United States.

Discussing ways to &quot;peacefully resolve North Korea&#39;s nuclear issue&quot; will be on Moon&#39;s agenda when he meets President Xi Jinping next week, Moon&#39;s office said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the visit would discuss &quot;international and regional issues of common concern&quot; including &quot;increasing communication and coordination on the Korean peninsula nuclear issue&quot;.&nbsp;

China has proposed that the North suspend missile and nuclear tests in exchange for a suspension of US-South Korean military exercises, a suggestion Washington has repeatedly rejected.

Strained ties

A US B-1B bomber flew over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday, Seoul&#39;s defence ministry said, as part of a major joint air exercise.

The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- began Monday, five days after the North&#39;s ICBM test.

A spokesperson for the North&#39;s foreign ministry said the military exercises were &quot;creating touch-and-go situation on the Korean peninsula&quot;, KCNA reported Wednesday.&nbsp;

The spokesperson also slammed recent comments by Trump&#39;s National Security Adviser HR McMaster who warned the potential for war with the North was increasing every day.

&quot;Violent war remarks... amid such circumstances have made an outbreak of war on the Korean peninsula an established fact,&quot; the spokesman said, according to KCNA.&nbsp;

&quot;The remaining question now is: when will the war break out&quot;.

Moon will arrive in Beijing next Wednesday for a four-day state visit, his first trip to China since taking office in May. The two countries are trying to improve ties strained by Seoul&#39;s deployment of a US missile defence system.

Seoul and Washington say the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is intended solely to counter missile threats from North Korea but Beijing sees it as a threat to its own military capabilities.&nbsp;

It has imposed a series of sanctions on South Korean firms and banned Chinese tour groups from going to the country in moves seen as economic retaliation. The tour group ban has since been partially lifted.

China is South Korea&#39;s biggest trading partner and the measures have had a big impact on some of the South&#39;s biggest companies, including retail conglomerate Lotte -- which provided a golf course for the THAAD deployment -- and auto giant Hyundai.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In will visit China next week for talks on North Korea and other issues, his office said Wednesday, amid tentative signs of diplomatic movement after months of high tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats

South Korean President Moon Jae-In will visit China next week for talks on North Korea and other issues, his office said Wednesday, amid tentative signs of diplomatic movement after months of high tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats. The announcement came as a high-level United Nations representative held talks with a senior North Korean official during a rare trip to Pyongyang. Jeffrey Feltman, UN undersecretary general for political affairs, arrived Tuesday to discuss what the world body described as "issues of mutual interest and concern". He and vice foreign minister Pak Myong-Kuk discussed "cooperation between the DPRK and the UN Secretariat and assistance from UN agencies to the DPRK and other matters of mutual interest", the North's KCNA news agency reported, using the acronym for the country's official name. Feltman's trip -- the first by a UN diplomat of his rank since 2010 -- comes less than a week after North Korea test-fired a new ballistic missile said to be capable of reaching the United States. Discussing ways to "peacefully resolve North Korea's nuclear issue" will be on Moon's agenda when he meets President Xi Jinping next week, Moon's office said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the visit would discuss "international and regional issues of common concern" including "increasing communication and coordination on the Korean peninsula nuclear issue". China has proposed that the North suspend missile and nuclear tests in exchange for a suspension of US-South Korean military exercises, a suggestion Washington has repeatedly rejected. Strained ties A US B-1B bomber flew over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday, Seoul's defence ministry said, as part of a major joint air exercise. The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- began Monday, five days after the North's ICBM test. A spokesperson for the North's foreign ministry said the military exercises were "creating touch-and-go situation on the Korean peninsula", KCNA reported Wednesday. The spokesperson also slammed recent comments by Trump's National Security Adviser HR McMaster who warned the potential for war with the North was increasing every day. "Violent war remarks... amid such circumstances have made an outbreak of war on the Korean peninsula an established fact," the spokesman said, according to KCNA. "The remaining question now is: when will the war break out". Moon will arrive in Beijing next Wednesday for a four-day state visit, his first trip to China since taking office in May. The two countries are trying to improve ties strained by Seoul's deployment of a US missile defence system. Seoul and Washington say the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is intended solely to counter missile threats from North Korea but Beijing sees it as a threat to its own military capabilities. It has imposed a series of sanctions on South Korean firms and banned Chinese tour groups from going to the country in moves seen as economic retaliation. The tour group ban has since been partially lifted. China is South Korea's biggest trading partner and the measures have had a big impact on some of the South's biggest companies, including retail conglomerate Lotte -- which provided a golf course for the THAAD deployment -- and auto giant Hyundai.

South Korea's Moon to visit China for talks on North Korea

&nbsp;US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets his EU and NATO counterparts in Brussels today to shore up ties, with allies insisting he still plays a &quot;key role&quot; despite doubts over his future.

Tillerson will hold talks over lunch with European Union foreign ministers and the bloc&#39;s diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, before a two-day NATO meeting set to focus on North Korea&#39;s missile programme and concerns over perceived hostility from Russia.

But his visit comes against a difficult backdrop - a rift with President Donald Trump has led to reports he could be replaced within weeks, calling into question his authority to speak for Washington.

And there are major differences between Washington and Europe on a number of key policy areas, notably the Iran nuclear deal which Trump has vehemently condemned but which Brussels is desperate to preserve.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday it was vital international powers worked together to tackle the North Korean crisis, after Pyongyang tested a long-range missile it said could hit anywhere in the continental United States.

&quot;Last week&#39;s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile showed that all allied nations could be within range,&quot; Stoltenberg said yesterday.

&quot;The whole world needs to apply maximum pressure on North Korea in order to achieve a peacefully negotiated solution.&quot;

He said the 29-member alliance had been &quot;clear and consistent&quot; in its condemnation of Pyongyang&#39;s weapons programme, which has seen the reclusive state carry out a series of ballistic missile and nuclear tests in defiance of international sanctions.

The EU has been ramping up economic sanctions on the North in a bid to force it to the negotiating table - but with no success so far.

But if the US and EU can present a unified front on North Korea, the deal with Iran to end the Islamic republic&#39;s nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions is more problematic.

Trump has slammed the historic 2015 accord, agreed after years of painstaking talks between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, China, Germany and Russia, as a bad deal and threatened to pull America out.

European powers are keen to maintain the deal and Mogherini last month travelled to Washington to lobby US lawmakers not to withdraw from the agreement.

&quot;Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran and its full implementation is a key security priority for Europe,&quot; Mogherini said on Friday.

Tillerson&#39;s Brussels visit comes at the start of a European tour taking in Paris and Vienna for the 57-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Anonymous White House leaks have suggested Tillerson could be out of a job within weeks and even while denying this on Friday, President Donald Trump reminded him: &quot;I call the final shots.&quot;

Yesterday Stoltenberg gave his backing to Tillerson&#39;s efforts in tackling the North Korean crisis - an issue where Trump has publicly criticised his top diplomat, saying he was &quot;wasting his time&quot; pursuing contacts with Pyongyang.

&quot;Secretary Tillerson has played a key role, both in sending the message of deterrence, the unity and the resolve of the whole alliance, but also when it comes to the need for continuing to work for a peaceful solution,&quot; Stoltenberg said.

Tillerson has dismissed as &quot;laughable&quot; reports that Trump&#39;s closest aides want him to resign, but rumours will inevitably dog him when he sits down with his European peers.

Rex Tillerson will hold talks over lunch with European Union foreign ministers and the bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, before a two-day NATO meeting set to focus on North Korea's missile programme and concerns over perceived hostility from Russia

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets his EU and NATO counterparts in Brussels today to shore up ties, with allies insisting he still plays a "key role" despite doubts over his future. Tillerson will hold talks over lunch with European Union foreign ministers and the bloc's diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, before a two-day NATO meeting set to focus on North Korea's missile programme and concerns over perceived hostility from Russia. But his visit comes against a difficult backdrop - a rift with President Donald Trump has led to reports he could be replaced within weeks, calling into question his authority to speak for Washington. And there are major differences between Washington and Europe on a number of key policy areas, notably the Iran nuclear deal which Trump has vehemently condemned but which Brussels is desperate to preserve. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday it was vital international powers worked together to tackle the North Korean crisis, after Pyongyang tested a long-range missile it said could hit anywhere in the continental United States. "Last week's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile showed that all allied nations could be within range," Stoltenberg said yesterday. "The whole world needs to apply maximum pressure on North Korea in order to achieve a peacefully negotiated solution." He said the 29-member alliance had been "clear and consistent" in its condemnation of Pyongyang's weapons programme, which has seen the reclusive state carry out a series of ballistic missile and nuclear tests in defiance of international sanctions. The EU has been ramping up economic sanctions on the North in a bid to force it to the negotiating table - but with no success so far. But if the US and EU can present a unified front on North Korea, the deal with Iran to end the Islamic republic's nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions is more problematic. Trump has slammed the historic 2015 accord, agreed after years of painstaking talks between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, China, Germany and Russia, as a bad deal and threatened to pull America out. European powers are keen to maintain the deal and Mogherini last month travelled to Washington to lobby US lawmakers not to withdraw from the agreement. "Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran and its full implementation is a key security priority for Europe," Mogherini said on Friday. Tillerson's Brussels visit comes at the start of a European tour taking in Paris and Vienna for the 57-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Anonymous White House leaks have suggested Tillerson could be out of a job within weeks and even while denying this on Friday, President Donald Trump reminded him: "I call the final shots." Yesterday Stoltenberg gave his backing to Tillerson's efforts in tackling the North Korean crisis - an issue where Trump has publicly criticised his top diplomat, saying he was "wasting his time" pursuing contacts with Pyongyang. "Secretary Tillerson has played a key role, both in sending the message of deterrence, the unity and the resolve of the whole alliance, but also when it comes to the need for continuing to work for a peaceful solution," Stoltenberg said. Tillerson has dismissed as "laughable" reports that Trump's closest aides want him to resign, but rumours will inevitably dog him when he sits down with his European peers.

Tillerson to meet EU, NATO leaders to discuss North Korea

With every new North Korean missile &ndash; such as the one launched on Tuesday, November 28 &ndash; or nuclear test, all eyes are on China. Like previous American presidents, Donald Trump believes that the road to a diplomatic solution on North Korea runs through Beijing. He holds the view that, of any country, China has the most leverage over North Korea and therefore could &ldquo;quickly and easily&rdquo; solve the problem with the Kim Jung-un regime &ndash; but is just not willing to do so.

For Washington, North Korea has become a top national security priority, in particular, because of Pyongyang&rsquo;s unexpectedly fast progress in developing intercontinental nuclear capabilities that may be able to reach the US mainland. Since assuming office, Trump has made North Korea the main focus of US-China relations. His main strategy has been to use trade issues as a bargaining chip to pressure China on North Korea, convinced that exerting enough economic pressure on Beijing will eventually force China to do what he wants.

Not budging

While recent measures &ndash; such as closing joint ventures with North Korean entities in China &ndash; have been viewed as signs of Beijing getting tougher on North Korea, the actions of the Chinese government are unlikely to be overly tough in the future. If it really wanted to take North Korea to task, China has a number of important economic levers at its disposal that it could use. The most effective measure against Kim Jong-un&rsquo;s regime would be for Beijing to completely stop its crude oil supply to its neighbour and thus cut off North Korea&rsquo;s main lifeline. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, China is the largest oil supplier to Pyongyang and accounts for about 90% of North Korea&rsquo;s total trade.

This is why most experts outside of China believe that Beijing is the key to solving the North Korean problem. But why are the Chinese so reluctant to do more despite the increasingly troubling behaviour of their neighbour?

China keeps Pyongyang economically viable because it fears the possible implications for China of the collapse of Kim Jong-un&rsquo;s regime. For a start, it would bring chaos and refugees to China&rsquo;s border. It would also induce an important foreign policy shift for Beijing in north-east Asia. And such interests are all related to one main actor: the United States.

Clash with US interests

Washington&rsquo;s aspirations for the endgame in North Korea are clearly in stark contrast to China&rsquo;s own long-term national interests. Beijing would certainly want to avoid a reunification of two Koreas under the banner of a democratic pro-American Republic of Korea &ndash; especially if this meant the presence of around 28,000 US troops next to its borders.

However, regardless of whether the US military moves north of the 38th parallel, in China&rsquo;s assessment, the US influence and its alliances on the whole Korean peninsula would likely remain. This would not only negatively affect China&rsquo;s security environment but also ultimately have a considerable impact on the balance of power in north-east Asia to Beijing&rsquo;s disadvantage.

In general, Chinese policy-makers view North Korea primarily through the prism of its greater rivalry with the US in Asia. Historically, Pyongyang has been regarded as an important strategic buffer zone against American influence. The very fact that the Chinese government continues to support the Kim regime suggests that this strategic thinking continues to play a substantive role in the calculus of China&rsquo;s foreign policy-making.

North Korea has also become an asset as a bargaining leverage vis-&agrave;-vis the US with respect to other conflicts between Washington and Beijing: for instance the maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas as well as the question of Taiwan&rsquo;s status.

The shift of US foreign policy towards the Asia-pacific region initiated by the Obama administration appears to have increased the value of North Korea for China. As part of its rebalancing strategy, the US has strengthened its relations and military cooperations with regional allies and partners, as well as expanding its institutional involvement in the region.

Washington&rsquo;s strategy in Asia has mainly focused on military issues. Most of China&rsquo;s foreign policy thinkers believe that the US wants to contain China&rsquo;s rise and influence while trying to preserve US dominance in the region. The fear of a strategic encirclement by a chain of US and allied air and military bases has grown in recent years. Moreover, China worries about being surrounded by a gradually expanding US missile defence system in Asia.

Fear of US surveillance&nbsp;

Beijing views the recent instalment of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) in South Korea (which Washington bills as a protection against the missile threat from North Korea) primarily as part of a US-led regional missile defence network serving the larger purpose of weakening China&rsquo;s nuclear deterrence capability. Chinese military and security experts believe that the X-band radar system which comes with the THAAD missile defence battery enables the US to conduct surveillance deep into the Chinese and Russian territory.

The Chinese are particularly concerned that the THAAD system in Seoul will be connected to the other two American X-band radars stationed in the north and the south of Japan &ndash; expanding further data exchange and strengthening the US missile defence system in China&rsquo;s close neighbourhood.

<div class="ui-state-default"><img alt="" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/file-20171129-28917-oeyxue-20171205072955.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
The mobile Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system at a golf course in Seongju, South Korea. (Others)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)">&times;</a></div>

This would also be likely to foster a trilateral US-South Korea-Japan military alliance countering China. China also worries that the deployment of THAAD in Seoul might trigger other countries such as Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines to follow suit. Chinese analysts argue that the US is using the North Korea crisis as a pretext to expand its military capabilities in the region.

Whether the crisis amplifies or declines, Washington&rsquo;s interests are at stake in the region &ndash; so, for Beijing, the greatest threat to its national security is not the Kim regime but the US.

So far, US officials have failed to provide China with any good reasons why it should abandon its strategic leverage on North Korea and risk chaos on its doorstep.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-beijing-the-greatest-threat-to-chinas-national-security-is-not-the-kim-regime-it-is-the-us-88271" rel="nofollow">original article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Image credit: EPA

China is reluctant to be more active in dealing with Pyongyang for fear of consolidating the US take over in the region

With every new North Korean missile – such as the one launched on Tuesday, November 28 – or nuclear test, all eyes are on China. Like previous American presidents, Donald Trump believes that the road to a diplomatic solution on North Korea runs through Beijing. He holds the view that, of any country, China has the most leverage over North Korea and therefore could “quickly and easily” solve the problem with the Kim Jung-un regime – but is just not willing to do so. For Washington, North Korea has become a top national security priority, in particular, because of Pyongyang’s unexpectedly fast progress in developing intercontinental nuclear capabilities that may be able to reach the US mainland. Since assuming office, Trump has made North Korea the main focus of US-China relations. His main strategy has been to use trade issues as a bargaining chip to pressure China on North Korea, convinced that exerting enough economic pressure on Beijing will eventually force China to do what he wants. Not budging While recent measures – such as closing joint ventures with North Korean entities in China – have been viewed as signs of Beijing getting tougher on North Korea, the actions of the Chinese government are unlikely to be overly tough in the future. If it really wanted to take North Korea to task, China has a number of important economic levers at its disposal that it could use. The most effective measure against Kim Jong-un’s regime would be for Beijing to completely stop its crude oil supply to its neighbour and thus cut off North Korea’s main lifeline. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, China is the largest oil supplier to Pyongyang and accounts for about 90% of North Korea’s total trade. This is why most experts outside of China believe that Beijing is the key to solving the North Korean problem. But why are the Chinese so reluctant to do more despite the increasingly troubling behaviour of their neighbour? China keeps Pyongyang economically viable because it fears the possible implications for China of the collapse of Kim Jong-un’s regime. For a start, it would bring chaos and refugees to China’s border. It would also induce an important foreign policy shift for Beijing in north-east Asia. And such interests are all related to one main actor: the United States. Clash with US interests Washington’s aspirations for the endgame in North Korea are clearly in stark contrast to China’s own long-term national interests. Beijing would certainly want to avoid a reunification of two Koreas under the banner of a democratic pro-American Republic of Korea – especially if this meant the presence of around 28,000 US troops next to its borders. However, regardless of whether the US military moves north of the 38th parallel, in China’s assessment, the US influence and its alliances on the whole Korean peninsula would likely remain. This would not only negatively affect China’s security environment but also ultimately have a considerable impact on the balance of power in north-east Asia to Beijing’s disadvantage. In general, Chinese policy-makers view North Korea primarily through the prism of its greater rivalry with the US in Asia. Historically, Pyongyang has been regarded as an important strategic buffer zone against American influence. The very fact that the Chinese government continues to support the Kim regime suggests that this strategic thinking continues to play a substantive role in the calculus of China’s foreign policy-making. North Korea has also become an asset as a bargaining leverage vis-à-vis the US with respect to other conflicts between Washington and Beijing: for instance the maritime disputes in the East and South China Seas as well as the question of Taiwan’s status. The shift of US foreign policy towards the Asia-pacific region initiated by the Obama administration appears to have increased the value of North Korea for China. As part of its rebalancing strategy, the US has strengthened its relations and military cooperations with regional allies and partners, as well as expanding its institutional involvement in the region. Washington’s strategy in Asia has mainly focused on military issues. Most of China’s foreign policy thinkers believe that the US wants to contain China’s rise and influence while trying to preserve US dominance in the region. The fear of a strategic encirclement by a chain of US and allied air and military bases has grown in recent years. Moreover, China worries about being surrounded by a gradually expanding US missile defence system in Asia. Fear of US surveillance Beijing views the recent instalment of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) in South Korea (which Washington bills as a protection against the missile threat from North Korea) primarily as part of a US-led regional missile defence network serving the larger purpose of weakening China’s nuclear deterrence capability. Chinese military and security experts believe that the X-band radar system which comes with the THAAD missile defence battery enables the US to conduct surveillance deep into the Chinese and Russian territory. The Chinese are particularly concerned that the THAAD system in Seoul will be connected to the other two American X-band radars stationed in the north and the south of Japan – expanding further data exchange and strengthening the US missile defence system in China’s close neighbourhood. The mobile Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system at a golf course in Seongju, South Korea. (Others) × This would also be likely to foster a trilateral US-South Korea-Japan military alliance countering China. China also worries that the deployment of THAAD in Seoul might trigger other countries such as Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines to follow suit. Chinese analysts argue that the US is using the North Korea crisis as a pretext to expand its military capabilities in the region. Whether the crisis amplifies or declines, Washington’s interests are at stake in the region – so, for Beijing, the greatest threat to its national security is not the Kim regime but the US. So far, US officials have failed to provide China with any good reasons why it should abandon its strategic leverage on North Korea and risk chaos on its doorstep. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity). Image credit: EPA

Opinion: The greatest threat to China is US, not the Kim regime

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

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

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

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

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-council-to-meet-on-north-korea-rights-abuses-nuclear-programme-in-december-25674">North Korea</a> Sunday blasted the United States and South Korea as &quot;warmongers&quot; on the eve of their largest-ever joint air exercise, saying it could trigger a nuclear war.

The comments came as White House National Security Advisor H.R McMaster warned of the &quot;increasing&quot; possibility of war with the impoverished but nuclear-armed North.&nbsp;

The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- begins Monday, five days after the&nbsp; North test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile believed capable of hitting the US mainland in a fresh challenge to&nbsp; President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

The North&#39;s ruling party Rodong newspaper slammed the upcoming drill.

&quot;It is an open, all-out provocation against the DPRK, which may lead to a nuclear war any moment,&quot; it said in an editorial Sunday, using the North&#39;s official name.&nbsp;

&quot;The US and South Korean puppet warmongers would be well advised to bear in mind that their DPRK-targeted military drill will be as foolish as an act precipitating their self-destruction,&quot; it said.&nbsp;

The commentary was published a day after Pyongyang&#39;s foreign ministry&nbsp; accused the Trump administration of &quot;begging for nuclear war&quot; by staging what it called the reckless air drills.

McMaster said the possibility of war with the North was &quot;increasing every day&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;I think it&#39;s increasing every day, which means that...we are in a race to be able to solve this problem,&quot; he said at a forum on Saturday.&nbsp;

&quot;There are ways to address this problem short of armed conflict, but it is a race because he&#39;s getting closer and closer, and there&#39;s not much time left,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-images-suggest-missile-capable-of-hitting-all-america-us-experts-25573">The North says the Hwasong-15 missile fired Wednesday</a> can be tipped with a &quot;super-large heavy warhead&quot; capable of striking the whole US mainland.&nbsp;

But analysts remain unconvinced that it has mastered the advanced technology to allow the rocket to survive re-entry to the Earth&#39;s atmosphere.&nbsp;

The months-long nuclear standoff between Kim and Trump has fuelled concerns of another conflict, after the 1950-53 Korean War left much of the peninsula in ruin.&nbsp;

But even some Trump advisers say US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South Korean capital Seoul -- only around 50 kilometres from the border and home to 10 million people.

The comments came as White House National Security Advisor H.R McMaster warned of the "increasing" possibility of war with the impoverished but nuclear-armed North

North Korea Sunday blasted the United States and South Korea as "warmongers" on the eve of their largest-ever joint air exercise, saying it could trigger a nuclear war. The comments came as White House National Security Advisor H.R McMaster warned of the "increasing" possibility of war with the impoverished but nuclear-armed North. The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- begins Monday, five days after the North test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile believed capable of hitting the US mainland in a fresh challenge to President Donald Trump. The North's ruling party Rodong newspaper slammed the upcoming drill. "It is an open, all-out provocation against the DPRK, which may lead to a nuclear war any moment," it said in an editorial Sunday, using the North's official name. "The US and South Korean puppet warmongers would be well advised to bear in mind that their DPRK-targeted military drill will be as foolish as an act precipitating their self-destruction," it said. The commentary was published a day after Pyongyang's foreign ministry accused the Trump administration of "begging for nuclear war" by staging what it called the reckless air drills. McMaster said the possibility of war with the North was "increasing every day". "I think it's increasing every day, which means that...we are in a race to be able to solve this problem," he said at a forum on Saturday. "There are ways to address this problem short of armed conflict, but it is a race because he's getting closer and closer, and there's not much time left," he said. The North says the Hwasong-15 missile fired Wednesday can be tipped with a "super-large heavy warhead" capable of striking the whole US mainland. But analysts remain unconvinced that it has mastered the advanced technology to allow the rocket to survive re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere. The months-long nuclear standoff between Kim and Trump has fuelled concerns of another conflict, after the 1950-53 Korean War left much of the peninsula in ruin. But even some Trump advisers say US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South Korean capital Seoul -- only around 50 kilometres from the border and home to 10 million people.

North Korea today blasted US and South Korea as 'warmongers'

United Nations Security Council ministers will meet on December 15 to discuss North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missiles programs and the body will also meet separately this month to discuss human rights abuses in the North Asian country, an annual meeting that its ally China has tried to prevent for the past three years.

Japan&#39;s UN&nbsp;Ambassador Koro Bessho, president of the 15-member council for December, said several ministers were confirmed to attend the December 15 meeting. He also said the meeting on human rights in North Korea could be held on December 11.

China has unsuccessfully tried to stop three previous human rights meetings by calling a procedural vote. A minimum of nine votes are needed to win such a vote and China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France cannot wield their vetoes.

This year&#39;s meeting has the backing of nine members - the United States, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Sweden, Ukraine and Uruguay.

Last year, the United States angered North Korea by blacklisting its leader Kim Jong Un for human rights abuses.

A landmark 2014 UN&nbsp;report on North Korean human rights concluded that North Korean security chiefs - and possibly Kim himself - should face justice for overseeing a state-controlled system of Nazi-style atrocities.

Michael Kirby, chairman of the UN&nbsp;Commission of Inquiry that drew up the report, said at the time that the crimes the team had catalogued were reminiscent of those committed by the Nazis during World War Two. &quot;Some of them are strikingly similar,&quot; he said.

North Korea has repeatedly rejected accusations of human rights abuses and blames sanctions for a dire humanitarian situation. Pyongyang has been under UN&nbsp;sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missiles and nuclear programs.

&quot;Despite persistent sanctions and pressure by the US&nbsp;and other hostile forces, my government concentrates all its efforts on improving people&#39;s livelihood and providing them with a better future,&quot; the North Korean Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a statement on November 14.

The body will also meet separately this month to discuss human rights abuses in the North Asian country, an annual meeting that its ally China has tried to prevent for the past three years

United Nations Security Council ministers will meet on December 15 to discuss North Korea's nuclear and missiles programs and the body will also meet separately this month to discuss human rights abuses in the North Asian country, an annual meeting that its ally China has tried to prevent for the past three years. Japan's UN Ambassador Koro Bessho, president of the 15-member council for December, said several ministers were confirmed to attend the December 15 meeting. He also said the meeting on human rights in North Korea could be held on December 11. China has unsuccessfully tried to stop three previous human rights meetings by calling a procedural vote. A minimum of nine votes are needed to win such a vote and China, Russia, the United States, Britain and France cannot wield their vetoes. This year's meeting has the backing of nine members - the United States, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, Senegal, Sweden, Ukraine and Uruguay. Last year, the United States angered North Korea by blacklisting its leader Kim Jong Un for human rights abuses. A landmark 2014 UN report on North Korean human rights concluded that North Korean security chiefs - and possibly Kim himself - should face justice for overseeing a state-controlled system of Nazi-style atrocities. Michael Kirby, chairman of the UN Commission of Inquiry that drew up the report, said at the time that the crimes the team had catalogued were reminiscent of those committed by the Nazis during World War Two. "Some of them are strikingly similar," he said. North Korea has repeatedly rejected accusations of human rights abuses and blames sanctions for a dire humanitarian situation. Pyongyang has been under UN sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missiles and nuclear programs. "Despite persistent sanctions and pressure by the US and other hostile forces, my government concentrates all its efforts on improving people's livelihood and providing them with a better future," the North Korean Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a statement on November 14.

UN council to meet on North Korea rights abuses, nuclear programme in December

The White House has responded to the speculations surrounding replacing of Secretary of state, Rex Tillerson on Thursday.

The White House said that he is still in the job and there are no personnel announcements at this time.

&quot;Secretary Tillerson continues to lead the State Department and the entire cabinet is focused on completing this incredibly successful first year of President Trump&#39;s administration,&quot; AFP reported press secretary Sarah Sanders as saying.

The dismissal by White House came after several media reports were doing rounds that plans are being drawn up to replace him with CIA chief Mike Pompeo.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-has-plan-to-replace-secretary-of-state-rex-tillerson-with-cia-chief-us-official-25545">White House has plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA chief: US official</a>

US President Donald Trump and Rex Tillerson also had policy differences.

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I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man...
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/914497877543735296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/whos-the-moron-trump-challenges-tillerson-to-iq-test-21258">Who&#39;s the moron? Trump challenges Tillerson to IQ test</a>

The White House said that he is still in the job and there are no personnel announcements at this time

The White House has responded to the speculations surrounding replacing of Secretary of state, Rex Tillerson on Thursday. The White House said that he is still in the job and there are no personnel announcements at this time. "Secretary Tillerson continues to lead the State Department and the entire cabinet is focused on completing this incredibly successful first year of President Trump's administration," AFP reported press secretary Sarah Sanders as saying. The dismissal by White House came after several media reports were doing rounds that plans are being drawn up to replace him with CIA chief Mike Pompeo. Also read: White House has plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA chief: US official US President Donald Trump and Rex Tillerson also had policy differences. I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017 × Also read: Who's the moron? Trump challenges Tillerson to IQ test

White House dismisses reports of Tillerson replacement

On an icy December day in 2011, North Korea&#39;s new leader&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Un was accompanied by seven advisers as they escorted the hearse that carried his father,&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Il, through the streets of Pyongyang.

None of the men remain with the young&nbsp;Kim. This October, he demoted the last of his father&#39;s aides, both men in their nineties. They were among around 340 people he has purged or executed, according to the Institute for National Security Strategy, a think tank of South Korea&#39;s National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Kim, &quot;obviously a madman&quot; in the eyes of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, has completed a six-year transition to what the South calls a reign of terror. His unpredictability and belligerence have instilled fear worldwide: After he tested a &quot;breakthrough&quot; missile earlier this week, he pronounced North Korea a nuclear power capable of striking the United States. But a closer look at his leadership reveals a method&nbsp;behind&nbsp;the &quot;madness.&quot;

At 33,&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Un is one of the world&#39;s youngest heads of state. He inherited a nation with a proud history, onto which a socialist state had essentially been grafted by Cold War superpowers to create a buffer between Communist China and the capitalist South. Under&nbsp;Kim&#39;s father, the economy was mismanaged, and the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union eliminated an important source of support. Up to three million people starved.

To consolidate a weak position, the young leader has been cultivating three main forces: military and nuclear power, a tacit private sector market economy, and the fear and adoration of a god. To this end, he has executed two powerful men and promoted one young woman &ndash;&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Yo&nbsp;Jong, his younger sister, who Korea-watchers say is also&nbsp;Kim&#39;s chief propagandist. She is&nbsp;Kim&#39;s only other blood relative to be involved in politics: His elder brother,&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Chol, was rejected by their father as heir.

Over the five years to December 2016,&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;spent $300 million on 29 nuclear and missile tests, $180 million on building some 460 family statues, and as much as $1 billion on a party congress in 2016 &ndash; including $26.8 million on fireworks alone, according to the Institute, which employs high-level defectors.

&quot;Yes, he has replaced many top commanders and officials so easily and ruthlessly killed some of them, which could make you wonder if he&#39;s sane,&quot; said Lee Sang-keun, a North Korean leadership expert at the Institute of Unification Studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

&quot;But this is a historical way of governing that can put you in power for a long time.&quot;

Great Leader

In ancient days, Pyongyang was the capital of a mighty empire, Koguryo, the root of the modern word &quot;Korea.&quot; Going back through history, the Great Leader concept is a blend of several ideas handed down through time: an almighty god, the Confucian worship of a parent, and a king with the Mandate of Heaven, according to Lee Seung-yeol, a senior researcher at the National Assembly Research Service in Seoul.

Lee, a leading North Korea leadership researcher, said the state&#39;s theory of succession meansKim&nbsp;the younger&#39;s rise should have been completed while his father was alive:&nbsp;Kim&#39;s father was anointed 20 years before he took over, giving him time to build allies and a leadership system.

Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Un had just three years as leader-in-waiting.

Born in 1984, he was third in line for power and a fractious, competitive child, according to Kenji Fujimoto, a Japanese chef who worked for the family and one of the few people to recount meetings with the young&nbsp;Kim. In his memoirs published in 2010, Fujimoto, who now runs a sushi restaurant in Pyongyang, said&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;once snapped at his aunt Ko Yong Suk for calling him &quot;Little General.&quot;&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;wanted to be called &quot;Comrade General.&quot;

When&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Il knew his young son would soon succeed him, researchers have said, the father took several measures to protect the boy. Lee said these included shifting the country&#39;s power base to create rivalry between the elites so&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;the younger could play one group off against another.

Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Il had declared the military the country&#39;s supreme power &ndash; a policy known as songun, which means &quot;military first.&quot; At a party conference in 2010, he changed the setup so the military had to compete with the party administration for the leader&#39;s favour.

&quot;Poor man&#39;s weapon&quot;

Military strategy was the first thing&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;changed. His father had used the promise of nuclear disarmament as a bargaining chip for aid, and in February 2012, young&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;started in his father&#39;s footsteps, promising to freeze North Korea&#39;s nuclear programme in return for food aid from the United States.

But weeks later he changed tack, saying North Korea would fire a long-range rocket. &quot;The negotiations were carried on as the legacy of&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Il,&quot; said Wi Sung-lac, a former South Korean envoy to talks in 2011 that contributed to the February deal. &quot;Since then his strategicthinking&nbsp;has shaped up.&quot;

In&nbsp;Kim&#39;s view, Saddam Hussein of Iraq and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya were fatally weakened by not having nuclear weapons, North Korean media say. &quot;History proves that powerful nuclear deterrence serves as the strongest treasured sword for frustrating outsiders&#39; aggression,&quot; the official KCNA news agency said in an editorial in January 2016.

North Korea is racing to achieve a nuclear deterrent because the state feels threatened, worrying particularly that&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;may face a fate like Gaddafi. The Libyan leader agreed in 2003 to eliminate his weapons of mass destruction; in 2011, he was killed by rebels that the United States and its allies had supported.

Months after&nbsp;Kim&#39;s accession, North Korea updated its constitution to declare itself a nuclear weapons state.

One leading pallbearer at&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Il&#39;s funeral was Ri Yong Ho, Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People&#39;s Army.&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;sacked him in July 2012. South Korean intelligence later confirmed that Ri had been executed.

By December 2012, North Korea had carried out another, successful, rocket test.

In 2013,&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;outlined a new policy: The &quot;byungjin line,&quot; or parallel development, to combine the nuclear buildup and economic growth.

A nuclear deterrent is essential to that, says Thae Yong-ho, North Korea&#39;s former deputy ambassador to London, who staged a high-profile defection to South Korea in 2016. The threat of absolute destruction makes a nuclear bomb a &quot;poor man&#39;s weapon&quot; with which to tighten control of the country and ensure long-term rule, Thae said.

&quot;Once he has assumed control of usable nuclear weapons, he has more room to allocate resources more flexibly, and allocate the military forces for civilian construction,&quot; said Thae.

&quot;Foolish dream&quot;

North Korea spends about a quarter of its GDP on defence: Russia&#39;s President Vladimir Putin has said&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Un would have his people &quot;eat grass&quot; rather than give up its nuclear programme.

But with a legacy of famine,&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;also says he wants to boost people&#39;s prosperity.

The former chef, Fujimoto, said that on one summer break from school in Switzerland in 2000, the young&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;was preoccupied with a visit to Beijing his father had made.

&quot;Let&#39;s talk,&quot; Fujimoto recalled the future leader saying over drinks on his father&#39;s private train. &quot;I hear from higher up that China seems to be succeeding on many fronts &ndash; engineering, commerce, hotels, agriculture - everything,&quot;&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;said. &quot;In many ways, don&#39;t we need to take them as a model example for us?&quot;

In 2012, shortly after taking power,&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;went a small way to mimic reforms China made in the 1980s. Farmers were allowed to keep most of the harvest. State enterprises were given the right to buy and sell at market prices and to hire and fire workers. Private entrepreneurs and traders were encouraged to invest in state projects or with party and military entities.&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;also began to turn a blind eye to informal markets &ndash; a force his father tried in vain to contain.

That April,&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;addressed the nation - the first time in 17 years North Koreans had heard the voice of their leader. &quot;It is the party&#39;s steadfast determination to ensure that the people will never have to tighten their belt again,&quot; he said.

Outsiders hoped the reform signaled a new political openness as&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;drove to promote the North in the world: In 2012 Antonio Razzi, an Italian senator for Forza Italia who calls himself the only Italian to have met the leader, said&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;had asked him to find training facilities for soccer players in Italy.

&quot;I have talked with many (North Korean) local leaders,&quot; Razzi said. &quot;They have no plan to attack anybody. North Korea is interested in nuclear only as a form of defence.&quot;

Kim&nbsp;worked to ensure the economic freedom would not unseat him.

Also escorting his father&#39;s funeral car in 2011 was Jang Song Thaek, an administrator at the vanguard of the reforms. He was married to&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Il&#39;s sister, was a special envoy to China and had overseen a host of new Special Economic Zones all over the country.

In December 2013, Jang was hauled out of the Politburo in front of the cameras and accused of plotting a coup. &quot;Jang dreamed such a foolish dream,&quot; state media said, adding Jang hoped his reformist plans would help him &quot;get &#39;recognised&#39; by foreign countries.&quot;

Jang was shot &quot;dozens of times&quot; by an anti-aircraft gun and his remains removed with a flamethrower, according to South Korea&#39;s National Intelligence Service (NIS) &ndash; an account no one has confirmed.

&quot;Development dictator&quot;

From that point on,&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;honed his personality cult. On the day Jang&#39;s purge was announced, North Korea&#39;s official daily the Rodong Sinmun unveiled a song dedicated to&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Un, titled &quot;We Know Nothing But You.&quot; More were to follow.

The next year,&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;also ordered school textbooks be revised to focus on idolisation of himself and include images of nuclear weapons and missiles, according to the NIS-affiliated Institute for National Security Strategy.

The idolisation campaign kicked into high gear in 2016, focused on pop culture and youth:&nbsp;Kim&#39;s chosen female singers, the Moranbong Band, staged a series of musical performances and plays calling for loyalty to the leader, while the Shock Brigade, a crew of young North Koreans in charge of major economic construction, produced about 1,200 poems and other literary works, the Institute said.

&quot;He has linked his own legitimacy to improving the economic situation in the country,&quot; said John Delury of Seoul&#39;s Yonsei University. &quot;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Un wants to become a development dictator.&quot;

At home, he casts himself as a bringer of plenty. In 2015, almost half the times he was photographed were at economic events, data from Seoul&#39;s Unification Ministry shows. Only this year, as his weapons tests multiplied and met an angry response in the United States, have military appearances come back into prominence.

Standing tearfully&nbsp;behind&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Un at their father&#39;s funeral was his younger sister, 28-year-oldKim&nbsp;Yo&nbsp;Jong. On the same October day that&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;dropped the last two of his father&#39;s aides, he included her in his Politburo.&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Chol, their elder brother, leads a quiet life in Pyongyang where he plays guitar in a band, according to former ambassador Thae.

&quot;I think&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong&nbsp;Un has been making good use of the existing system, while strengthening his power base and dictator regime in a very shrewd manner,&quot; said Lee Su-seok, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy.

North Korea's Kim?Jong?Un has completed a six-year transition to what the South calls a reign of terror

On an icy December day in 2011, North Korea's new leader Kim Jong Un was accompanied by seven advisers as they escorted the hearse that carried his father, Kim Jong Il, through the streets of Pyongyang. None of the men remain with the young Kim. This October, he demoted the last of his father's aides, both men in their nineties. They were among around 340 people he has purged or executed, according to the Institute for National Security Strategy, a think tank of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS). Kim, "obviously a madman" in the eyes of US President Donald Trump, has completed a six-year transition to what the South calls a reign of terror. His unpredictability and belligerence have instilled fear worldwide: After he tested a "breakthrough" missile earlier this week, he pronounced North Korea a nuclear power capable of striking the United States. But a closer look at his leadership reveals a method behind the "madness." At 33, Kim Jong Un is one of the world's youngest heads of state. He inherited a nation with a proud history, onto which a socialist state had essentially been grafted by Cold War superpowers to create a buffer between Communist China and the capitalist South. Under Kim's father, the economy was mismanaged, and the collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union eliminated an important source of support. Up to three million people starved. To consolidate a weak position, the young leader has been cultivating three main forces: military and nuclear power, a tacit private sector market economy, and the fear and adoration of a god. To this end, he has executed two powerful men and promoted one young woman – Kim Yo Jong, his younger sister, who Korea-watchers say is also Kim's chief propagandist. She is Kim's only other blood relative to be involved in politics: His elder brother, Kim Jong Chol, was rejected by their father as heir. Over the five years to December 2016, Kim spent $300 million on 29 nuclear and missile tests, $180 million on building some 460 family statues, and as much as $1 billion on a party congress in 2016 – including $26.8 million on fireworks alone, according to the Institute, which employs high-level defectors. "Yes, he has replaced many top commanders and officials so easily and ruthlessly killed some of them, which could make you wonder if he's sane," said Lee Sang-keun, a North Korean leadership expert at the Institute of Unification Studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. "But this is a historical way of governing that can put you in power for a long time." Great Leader In ancient days, Pyongyang was the capital of a mighty empire, Koguryo, the root of the modern word "Korea." Going back through history, the Great Leader concept is a blend of several ideas handed down through time: an almighty god, the Confucian worship of a parent, and a king with the Mandate of Heaven, according to Lee Seung-yeol, a senior researcher at the National Assembly Research Service in Seoul. Lee, a leading North Korea leadership researcher, said the state's theory of succession meansKim the younger's rise should have been completed while his father was alive: Kim's father was anointed 20 years before he took over, giving him time to build allies and a leadership system. Kim Jong Un had just three years as leader-in-waiting. Born in 1984, he was third in line for power and a fractious, competitive child, according to Kenji Fujimoto, a Japanese chef who worked for the family and one of the few people to recount meetings with the young Kim. In his memoirs published in 2010, Fujimoto, who now runs a sushi restaurant in Pyongyang, said Kim once snapped at his aunt Ko Yong Suk for calling him "Little General." Kim wanted to be called "Comrade General." When Kim Jong Il knew his young son would soon succeed him, researchers have said, the father took several measures to protect the boy. Lee said these included shifting the country's power base to create rivalry between the elites so Kim the younger could play one group off against another. Kim Jong Il had declared the military the country's supreme power – a policy known as songun, which means "military first." At a party conference in 2010, he changed the setup so the military had to compete with the party administration for the leader's favour. "Poor man's weapon" Military strategy was the first thing Kim changed. His father had used the promise of nuclear disarmament as a bargaining chip for aid, and in February 2012, young Kim started in his father's footsteps, promising to freeze North Korea's nuclear programme in return for food aid from the United States. But weeks later he changed tack, saying North Korea would fire a long-range rocket. "The negotiations were carried on as the legacy of Kim Jong Il," said Wi Sung-lac, a former South Korean envoy to talks in 2011 that contributed to the February deal. "Since then his strategicthinking has shaped up." In Kim's view, Saddam Hussein of Iraq and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya were fatally weakened by not having nuclear weapons, North Korean media say. "History proves that powerful nuclear deterrence serves as the strongest treasured sword for frustrating outsiders' aggression," the official KCNA news agency said in an editorial in January 2016. North Korea is racing to achieve a nuclear deterrent because the state feels threatened, worrying particularly that Kim may face a fate like Gaddafi. The Libyan leader agreed in 2003 to eliminate his weapons of mass destruction; in 2011, he was killed by rebels that the United States and its allies had supported. Months after Kim's accession, North Korea updated its constitution to declare itself a nuclear weapons state. One leading pallbearer at Kim Jong Il's funeral was Ri Yong Ho, Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army. Kim sacked him in July 2012. South Korean intelligence later confirmed that Ri had been executed. By December 2012, North Korea had carried out another, successful, rocket test. In 2013, Kim outlined a new policy: The "byungjin line," or parallel development, to combine the nuclear buildup and economic growth. A nuclear deterrent is essential to that, says Thae Yong-ho, North Korea's former deputy ambassador to London, who staged a high-profile defection to South Korea in 2016. The threat of absolute destruction makes a nuclear bomb a "poor man's weapon" with which to tighten control of the country and ensure long-term rule, Thae said. "Once he has assumed control of usable nuclear weapons, he has more room to allocate resources more flexibly, and allocate the military forces for civilian construction," said Thae. "Foolish dream" North Korea spends about a quarter of its GDP on defence: Russia's President Vladimir Putin has said Kim Jong Un would have his people "eat grass" rather than give up its nuclear programme. But with a legacy of famine, Kim also says he wants to boost people's prosperity. The former chef, Fujimoto, said that on one summer break from school in Switzerland in 2000, the young Kim was preoccupied with a visit to Beijing his father had made. "Let's talk," Fujimoto recalled the future leader saying over drinks on his father's private train. "I hear from higher up that China seems to be succeeding on many fronts – engineering, commerce, hotels, agriculture - everything," Kim said. "In many ways, don't we need to take them as a model example for us?" In 2012, shortly after taking power, Kim went a small way to mimic reforms China made in the 1980s. Farmers were allowed to keep most of the harvest. State enterprises were given the right to buy and sell at market prices and to hire and fire workers. Private entrepreneurs and traders were encouraged to invest in state projects or with party and military entities. Kim also began to turn a blind eye to informal markets – a force his father tried in vain to contain. That April, Kim addressed the nation - the first time in 17 years North Koreans had heard the voice of their leader. "It is the party's steadfast determination to ensure that the people will never have to tighten their belt again," he said. Outsiders hoped the reform signaled a new political openness as Kim drove to promote the North in the world: In 2012 Antonio Razzi, an Italian senator for Forza Italia who calls himself the only Italian to have met the leader, said Kim had asked him to find training facilities for soccer players in Italy. "I have talked with many (North Korean) local leaders," Razzi said. "They have no plan to attack anybody. North Korea is interested in nuclear only as a form of defence." Kim worked to ensure the economic freedom would not unseat him. Also escorting his father's funeral car in 2011 was Jang Song Thaek, an administrator at the vanguard of the reforms. He was married to Kim Jong Il's sister, was a special envoy to China and had overseen a host of new Special Economic Zones all over the country. In December 2013, Jang was hauled out of the Politburo in front of the cameras and accused of plotting a coup. "Jang dreamed such a foolish dream," state media said, adding Jang hoped his reformist plans would help him "get 'recognised' by foreign countries." Jang was shot "dozens of times" by an anti-aircraft gun and his remains removed with a flamethrower, according to South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) – an account no one has confirmed. "Development dictator" From that point on, Kim honed his personality cult. On the day Jang's purge was announced, North Korea's official daily the Rodong Sinmun unveiled a song dedicated to Kim Jong Un, titled "We Know Nothing But You." More were to follow. The next year, Kim also ordered school textbooks be revised to focus on idolisation of himself and include images of nuclear weapons and missiles, according to the NIS-affiliated Institute for National Security Strategy. The idolisation campaign kicked into high gear in 2016, focused on pop culture and youth: Kim's chosen female singers, the Moranbong Band, staged a series of musical performances and plays calling for loyalty to the leader, while the Shock Brigade, a crew of young North Koreans in charge of major economic construction, produced about 1,200 poems and other literary works, the Institute said. "He has linked his own legitimacy to improving the economic situation in the country," said John Delury of Seoul's Yonsei University. "Kim Jong Un wants to become a development dictator." At home, he casts himself as a bringer of plenty. In 2015, almost half the times he was photographed were at economic events, data from Seoul's Unification Ministry shows. Only this year, as his weapons tests multiplied and met an angry response in the United States, have military appearances come back into prominence. Standing tearfully behind Kim Jong Un at their father's funeral was his younger sister, 28-year-oldKim Yo Jong. On the same October day that Kim dropped the last two of his father's aides, he included her in his Politburo. Kim Jong Chol, their elder brother, leads a quiet life in Pyongyang where he plays guitar in a band, according to former ambassador Thae. "I think Kim Jong Un has been making good use of the existing system, while strengthening his power base and dictator regime in a very shrewd manner," said Lee Su-seok, a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy.

The thinking behind Kim Jong Un's 'madness'

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

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

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

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

Russia today rejected <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/major-sanctions-coming-against-north-korea-china-must-press-all-levers-to-influence-kim-trump-25465">US call to cut ties with North Korea </a>even as the Trump administration upped the ante on China to stop crude oil shipment to Kim&#39;s regime.

On Wednesday, President Trump had warned of &quot;major sanctions&quot; against North Korea after Kim&#39;s regime test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile targeting the whole of United States.

Trump spoke to President Xi to rein in Kim, tweeting later that he had asked the Chinese leader to&nbsp;use &quot;all available levers&quot; to press North Korea to stop its weapons programme.

During the phone call, Trump appealed to Xi to turn off oil trade with North Korea in an attempt to economically strangle Kim&#39;s regime.&nbsp;

US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley later told the United Nations at an emergency meeting after North Korea&#39;s missile test that it &quot;would be a pivotal step in the world&#39;s effort to stop this international pariah&quot;.

The US Energy Information Administration estimates North Korea consumes around 15,000 barrels a day, the majority of it comes from China. 
According to UN customs data, China sent 6,000 barrels a day of oil products to North Korea in 2016. 
&nbsp; 
Both Russia and China who are North Korea&#39;s principal oil suppliers have refused to toe the US line.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said: &quot;We see this negatively. We have repeatedly stated that the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted.&quot;

China too has indicated it won&#39;t be turning off the oil tap on North Korea, just yet. President Xi&nbsp;is not keen&nbsp;to shut the &quot;Sino-DPRK Friendship Oil Pipeline&quot;.

For North Korea, crude oil flows across the Yalu River from the Chinese city of Dandong to the Sinuiju oil depot in North Korea through the 30-kilometre (18-mile) &quot;Sino-DPRK Friendship Oil Pipeline&quot;.

The pipeline went into operation in 1975 with a capacity of three million tonnes per year, but the China National Petroleum Corporation said in 2015 that annual capacity stood at 520,000 tonnes.

Meanwhile, North Korea released latest missile test with new rocket engines and a larger design that likely puts Kim Jong Un closer to his goal of being able to deliver a nuclear warhead to a target anywhere in the world, analysts told Reuters. 
&nbsp;

Trump spoke to President Xi to rein in Kim, tweeting later that he had asked the Chinese leader to?use "all available levers" to press North Korea to stop its weapons programme

Russia today rejected US call to cut ties with North Korea even as the Trump administration upped the ante on China to stop crude oil shipment to Kim's regime. On Wednesday, President Trump had warned of "major sanctions" against North Korea after Kim's regime test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile targeting the whole of United States. Trump spoke to President Xi to rein in Kim, tweeting later that he had asked the Chinese leader to use "all available levers" to press North Korea to stop its weapons programme. During the phone call, Trump appealed to Xi to turn off oil trade with North Korea in an attempt to economically strangle Kim's regime. US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley later told the United Nations at an emergency meeting after North Korea's missile test that it "would be a pivotal step in the world's effort to stop this international pariah". The US Energy Information Administration estimates North Korea consumes around 15,000 barrels a day, the majority of it comes from China. According to UN customs data, China sent 6,000 barrels a day of oil products to North Korea in 2016. Both Russia and China who are North Korea's principal oil suppliers have refused to toe the US line. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said: "We see this negatively. We have repeatedly stated that the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted." China too has indicated it won't be turning off the oil tap on North Korea, just yet. President Xi is not keen to shut the "Sino-DPRK Friendship Oil Pipeline". For North Korea, crude oil flows across the Yalu River from the Chinese city of Dandong to the Sinuiju oil depot in North Korea through the 30-kilometre (18-mile) "Sino-DPRK Friendship Oil Pipeline". The pipeline went into operation in 1975 with a capacity of three million tonnes per year, but the China National Petroleum Corporation said in 2015 that annual capacity stood at 520,000 tonnes. Meanwhile, North Korea released latest missile test with new rocket engines and a larger design that likely puts Kim Jong Un closer to his goal of being able to deliver a nuclear warhead to a target anywhere in the world, analysts told Reuters.

Despite Trump's sanctions call, Russia, China against oil embargo on North Korea

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US warns North Korean leadership will be 'utterly destroyed' if war breaks out The United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test-fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range. Now, Assam's Brahmaputra river also turns black: Report After reports that the colour of the water of the river Siang in Arunachal Pradesh turned black, comes a report that the water downstream of the river Brahmaputra in Assam has changed to black as well. Trump attacks British PM May after she criticises his retweeting of anti-Islam videos Donald Trump hit back publicly at British Prime Minister Theresa May after she criticised his retweeting of anti-Islam videos. Bosnian-Croat war crimes convict dies after taking 'poison' in court: Report A Bosnian Croat wartime commander died after swallowing what he said was poison in a UN war crimes courtroom on Wednesday after losing an appeal against a 20-year prison sentence, Croatian state TV said. EPL: League leaders Manchester City win, chasers keep chasing With Manchester United having cut the gap with league leaders Manchester City to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola's side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory.

WION morning news brief, November 30, 2017

Japan&#39;s prime minister said&nbsp;Wednesday&nbsp;that the latest North Korean missile launch was a &quot;violent act&quot; that &quot;can never be tolerated&quot; after the ICBM splashed down in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

&quot;We will never yield to any provocative act. We will maximise our pressure&quot; on Pyongyang, Shinzo Abe told reporters.

The defence minister said earlier the missile was thought to have landed within Japan&#39;s EEZ. The Pentagon said it flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) before splashing down in the Sea of Japan.

Japan had &quot;completely tracked&quot; the missile, Abe told reporters.

&quot;We have made a strong complaint,&quot; he added.

By launching the missile, North Korea has ignored the international community&#39;s &quot;united, strong will toward a peaceful solution,&quot; the prime minister said.

&quot;The international community needs to perfectly implement sanctions, in unison.&quot;

Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera later told reporters that the missile had flown for 53 minutes &quot;at an altitude far above 4,000 kilometres.&quot;

&quot;We have not received any reports of damage to airplanes or vessels operating near the area,&quot; said the minister, adding that the missile was fired &quot;at a lofted trajectory.&quot;

Speaking later in parliament, Abe said he had reaffirmed the importance of China in the crisis during a call with US President Donald Trump and praised Beijing for upholding sanctions on North Korea.

&quot;The government welcomes the fact that China is taking concrete steps such as an embargo on imports of North Korea&#39;s coal, marine products, textile products, among others,&quot; Abe told a parliamentary committee.

&quot;Frankly speaking, I feel that China is playing its role&quot; over the UN-agreed sanctions, he said.&nbsp;

UN chief strongly condemns North Korea missile launch

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres&nbsp;on Tuesday&nbsp;strongly condemned North Korea&#39;s latest missile test and urged Pyongyang to &quot;desist taking any further destabilizing steps.&quot;

&quot;This is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions and shows complete disregard for the united view of the international community,&quot; Guterres said in a statement.

North Korea earlier fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that the Japanese defense ministry said landed in Japan&#39;s exclusive economic zone.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting&nbsp;on Wednesday&nbsp;to discuss the latest launch and calls from the United States for more sanctions to be imposed on North Korea over its rogue behavior.

Guterres said he was ready to work with all parties to reduce tensions.

'This is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions and shows complete disregard for the united view of the international community,' the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said

Japan's prime minister said Wednesday that the latest North Korean missile launch was a "violent act" that "can never be tolerated" after the ICBM splashed down in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). "We will never yield to any provocative act. We will maximise our pressure" on Pyongyang, Shinzo Abe told reporters. The defence minister said earlier the missile was thought to have landed within Japan's EEZ. The Pentagon said it flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) before splashing down in the Sea of Japan. Japan had "completely tracked" the missile, Abe told reporters. "We have made a strong complaint," he added. By launching the missile, North Korea has ignored the international community's "united, strong will toward a peaceful solution," the prime minister said. "The international community needs to perfectly implement sanctions, in unison." Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera later told reporters that the missile had flown for 53 minutes "at an altitude far above 4,000 kilometres." "We have not received any reports of damage to airplanes or vessels operating near the area," said the minister, adding that the missile was fired "at a lofted trajectory." Speaking later in parliament, Abe said he had reaffirmed the importance of China in the crisis during a call with US President Donald Trump and praised Beijing for upholding sanctions on North Korea. "The government welcomes the fact that China is taking concrete steps such as an embargo on imports of North Korea's coal, marine products, textile products, among others," Abe told a parliamentary committee. "Frankly speaking, I feel that China is playing its role" over the UN-agreed sanctions, he said. UN chief strongly condemns North Korea missile launch UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday strongly condemned North Korea's latest missile test and urged Pyongyang to "desist taking any further destabilizing steps." "This is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions and shows complete disregard for the united view of the international community," Guterres said in a statement. North Korea earlier fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that the Japanese defense ministry said landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone. The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the latest launch and calls from the United States for more sanctions to be imposed on North Korea over its rogue behavior. Guterres said he was ready to work with all parties to reduce tensions.

North Korea launch 'violent act' that can't be tolerated: Japan

North Korea said Wednesday it had achieved its goal of becoming a nuclear state after successfully testing a new intercontinental ballistic missile that put the &quot;whole mainland of the US&quot; within its range.&nbsp;

After watching the launch of the Hwasong-15, the North&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un &quot;declared with pride that now we have finally realised the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force&quot;, the official KCNA news agency said.

The test triggered global outrage with US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis saying it marked a significant step toward North Korea building missiles that can &quot;threaten everywhere in the world, basically.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-tests-icbm-in-fresh-challenge-to-trump-25388" target="_blank">Also </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-tests-icbm-in-fresh-challenge-to-trump-25388" target="_blank">read:</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-tests-icbm-in-fresh-challenge-to-trump-25388" target="_blank">&nbsp;North Korea test-fires ICBM; &#39;will take care of it,&#39; says Trump</a>

It was the first missile test of any kind since September 15, and squashed speculation that the North may have held back in order to open the door to a negotiated solution to a nuclear standoff.

&quot;The ICBM Hwasong-15 type weaponry system is an intercontinental ballistic rocket tipped with super-large heavy warhead which is capable of striking the whole mainland of the US,&quot; KCNA said.

It said the development of the weapon would defend the North against the &quot;US imperialists&#39; nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat&quot;.

While Pyongyang has yet to prove its mastery of the re-entry technology required to bring a warhead back through the Earth&#39;s atmosphere, experts believe it is on the threshold of developing a working intercontinental nuclear strike capability.

Wednesday&#39;s test caused deep consternation among the North&#39;s neighbours.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called it an intolerable, &quot;violent&quot; act and South Korean President Moon Jae-In condemned Pyongyang&#39;s &quot;reckless&quot; behaviour.

North Korea said the new intercontinental ballistic missile -- the Hwasong 15 -- it tested on Wednesday placed the 'whole mainland of the US' within range

North Korea said Wednesday it had achieved its goal of becoming a nuclear state after successfully testing a new intercontinental ballistic missile that put the "whole mainland of the US" within its range. After watching the launch of the Hwasong-15, the North's leader Kim Jong-Un "declared with pride that now we have finally realised the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force", the official KCNA news agency said. The test triggered global outrage with US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis saying it marked a significant step toward North Korea building missiles that can "threaten everywhere in the world, basically." Also read: North Korea test-fires ICBM; 'will take care of it,' says Trump It was the first missile test of any kind since September 15, and squashed speculation that the North may have held back in order to open the door to a negotiated solution to a nuclear standoff. "The ICBM Hwasong-15 type weaponry system is an intercontinental ballistic rocket tipped with super-large heavy warhead which is capable of striking the whole mainland of the US," KCNA said. It said the development of the weapon would defend the North against the "US imperialists' nuclear blackmail policy and nuclear threat". While Pyongyang has yet to prove its mastery of the re-entry technology required to bring a warhead back through the Earth's atmosphere, experts believe it is on the threshold of developing a working intercontinental nuclear strike capability. Wednesday's test caused deep consternation among the North's neighbours. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called it an intolerable, "violent" act and South Korean President Moon Jae-In condemned Pyongyang's "reckless" behaviour.

North Korea says 'whole of mainland US' in nuclear missile range

As <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-tests-icbm-in-fresh-challenge-to-trump-25388">North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic </a>missile on Wednesday, US President Trump said his administration will impose major sanctions against Kim Jong-un&#39;s regime.

Earlier in the day, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nkorea-launch-a-grave-threat-to-entire-world-trump-moon-25386">North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic</a> missile as the Korean peninsula slipped into a major crisis mode on Wednesday morning with South Korea and Japan terming the missile tests as a &quot;violent&quot; and &quot;reckless&quot; act.

President Trump tweeted saying he spoke to Chinese President Xi on North Korea&#39;s &quot;provocative actions&quot;, adding that &quot;major sanctions will be imposed on the country&quot;.

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Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/935881037254725632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;This situation will be handled!,&quot; the US&nbsp;president added in his tweet.

Trump during his call with Xi asked the Chinese leader to use &quot;all available levers&quot; to press North Korea.

The White House said that Trump and Xi discussed North Korea&#39;s latest ballistic missile test, with Trump again pressing China to take a tougher line against Kim.

&nbsp;

President Trump tweeted saying he spoke to Chinese President Xi on North Korea's "provocative actions", adding that "major sanctions will be imposed on the country".

As North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday, US President Trump said his administration will impose major sanctions against Kim Jong-un's regime. Earlier in the day, North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile as the Korean peninsula slipped into a major crisis mode on Wednesday morning with South Korea and Japan terming the missile tests as a "violent" and "reckless" act. President Trump tweeted saying he spoke to Chinese President Xi on North Korea's "provocative actions", adding that "major sanctions will be imposed on the country". Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017 × "This situation will be handled!," the US president added in his tweet. Trump during his call with Xi asked the Chinese leader to use "all available levers" to press North Korea. The White House said that Trump and Xi discussed North Korea's latest ballistic missile test, with Trump again pressing China to take a tougher line against Kim.

Major sanctions coming against North Korea, China must 'press all levers' to influence Kim: Trump

US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In warned Tuesday that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-tests-icbm-in-fresh-challenge-to-trump-25388">Pyongyang&#39;s latest ballistic missile launch</a> posed a &quot;grave&quot; global threat.&nbsp;

&quot;Both leaders underscored the grave threat that North Korea&#39;s latest provocation poses not only to the United States and the Republic of Korea, but to the entire world,&quot; the White House said in an account of a crisis call between Trump and Moon.

Trump also spoke Tuesday with Japan&#39;s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the United States, Japan and South Korea requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting to address Pyongyang&#39;s launch of what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Trump also spoke Tuesday with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the US, Japan and South Korea requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting to address Pyongyang's launch

US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In warned Tuesday that Pyongyang's latest ballistic missile launch posed a "grave" global threat. "Both leaders underscored the grave threat that North Korea's latest provocation poses not only to the United States and the Republic of Korea, but to the entire world," the White House said in an account of a crisis call between Trump and Moon. Trump also spoke Tuesday with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as the United States, Japan and South Korea requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting to address Pyongyang's launch of what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile.

North Korea missile test 'grave threat' to 'entire world': Trump, Moon

North Korea may announce the completion of its nuclear programme within a year, South Korea&#39;s unification minister said on Tuesday, as the isolated country is moving more faster than expected in developing its weapons arsenal.

&quot;Experts think North Korea will take two to three more years but they are developing their nuclear capabilities faster than expected and we cannot rule out the possibility Pyongyang may declare the completion of their nuclear programme in a year,&quot; said Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon at a media event in Seoul.

'Experts think North Korea will take two to three more years, but they are developing their nuclear capabilities faster than expected,' said Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon

North Korea may announce the completion of its nuclear programme within a year, South Korea's unification minister said on Tuesday, as the isolated country is moving more faster than expected in developing its weapons arsenal. "Experts think North Korea will take two to three more years but they are developing their nuclear capabilities faster than expected and we cannot rule out the possibility Pyongyang may declare the completion of their nuclear programme in a year," said Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon at a media event in Seoul.

North Korea may announce completion of nuclear programme within a year: South Korea minister

North Korea may declare the&nbsp;completion of its nuclear programme in a year&#39;s time, South Korea&#39;s unification minister said Tuesday.

&quot;Experts think North Korea will take two to three more years but they are developing their nuclear capabilities faster than expected and we cannot rule out the possibility Pyongyang may declare the completion of their nuclear programme in a year,&quot; Reuters reported Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon&nbsp;as saying at a media event in Seoul.

It was earlier reported on Tuesday that<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/flurry-of-activity-hints-at-another-north-korea-missile-test-reports-25310"> </a>North Korea might be preparing for yet another missile test.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/flurry-of-activity-hints-at-another-north-korea-missile-test-reports-25310" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Flurry of activity hints at another North Korea missile test</a>

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-japan-and-south-korea-in-north-koreas-nuclear-hit-list-think-tank-24995">US, Japan, and South Korea in North Korea&#39;s nuclear hit-list, says think tank</a>

'We cannot rule out the possibility Pyongyang may declare the completion of their nuclear programme in a year,' Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said

North Korea may declare the completion of its nuclear programme in a year's time, South Korea's unification minister said Tuesday. "Experts think North Korea will take two to three more years but they are developing their nuclear capabilities faster than expected and we cannot rule out the possibility Pyongyang may declare the completion of their nuclear programme in a year," Reuters reported Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon as saying at a media event in Seoul. It was earlier reported on Tuesday that North Korea might be preparing for yet another missile test. Also read: Flurry of activity hints at another North Korea missile test Also read: US, Japan, and South Korea in North Korea's nuclear hit-list, says think tank

North Korea may announce completion of nuclear programme in year's time: South Korea minister

Radio signals and radar activity detected at a North Korean missile base have raised concerns the reclusive regime may be preparing a new missile test, news reports in Seoul and Tokyo said Tuesday.

The North has stoked international alarm over its banned nuclear missile programme, but it has not launched a missile test since September 15, raising hopes that ramped-up sanctions are having an impact.

However, the South Korean news agency Yonhap cited a government source as saying that a missile-tracing radar was switched on at an unspecified base on Monday, and there had been a flurry of telecoms traffic.

&quot;It&#39;s true that active movements have been detected at a North Korean missile base,&quot; the source reportedly said. &quot;Signs like those spotted Monday have recently been detected frequently.&quot;

&quot;We need to watch a while longer before determining whether the North is preparing a missile launch or gearing up for (its own) winter drill that starts Friday.&quot;

A South Korean defence ministry spokesman declined to comment on the report, but similar accounts from Tokyo caused a temporary slump on the stock exchange there.

The Kyodo news agency quoted sources as saying the Japanese government was on alert after detecting radio signals suggesting North Korea might be preparing for a missile launch.

&quot;North Korea might launch a missile within the next few days,&quot; one of the sources was quoted as saying.

However, the Japanese sources also said that as satellite images have not shown any missile or moveable launch pad, the signals might only be related to winter training for the North Korean military.

North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un visited a new catfish farm northeast of Pyongyang, its state media said Tuesday, in the latest of a series of economic outings that have coincided with a lull in weapons testing.

In September the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and staged an intermediate-range missile launch over Japan.

But tensions are expected to spike again as the United States and South Korea kick off a large-scale air force drill on Monday in a new show of force against the North.

The five-day exercise, Vigilant Ace, involves 12,000 US personnel and an unspecified number of South Korean service members flying more than 230 aircraft including F-22 Rapter stealth fighters and other cutting-edge weapons at US and South Korean military bases.

Pyongyang routinely condemns such exercises, labelling them preparation for war.

The US last week unveiled fresh sanctions that target North Korean shipping, raising pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme.

Pyongyang condemned the move as a &quot;serious provocation&quot; on Wednesday and warned that sanctions would never succeed.

Radio signals and radar activity detected at a North Korean missile base have raised concerns

Radio signals and radar activity detected at a North Korean missile base have raised concerns the reclusive regime may be preparing a new missile test, news reports in Seoul and Tokyo said Tuesday. The North has stoked international alarm over its banned nuclear missile programme, but it has not launched a missile test since September 15, raising hopes that ramped-up sanctions are having an impact. However, the South Korean news agency Yonhap cited a government source as saying that a missile-tracing radar was switched on at an unspecified base on Monday, and there had been a flurry of telecoms traffic. "It's true that active movements have been detected at a North Korean missile base," the source reportedly said. "Signs like those spotted Monday have recently been detected frequently." "We need to watch a while longer before determining whether the North is preparing a missile launch or gearing up for (its own) winter drill that starts Friday." A South Korean defence ministry spokesman declined to comment on the report, but similar accounts from Tokyo caused a temporary slump on the stock exchange there. The Kyodo news agency quoted sources as saying the Japanese government was on alert after detecting radio signals suggesting North Korea might be preparing for a missile launch. "North Korea might launch a missile within the next few days," one of the sources was quoted as saying. However, the Japanese sources also said that as satellite images have not shown any missile or moveable launch pad, the signals might only be related to winter training for the North Korean military. North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un visited a new catfish farm northeast of Pyongyang, its state media said Tuesday, in the latest of a series of economic outings that have coincided with a lull in weapons testing. In September the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and staged an intermediate-range missile launch over Japan. But tensions are expected to spike again as the United States and South Korea kick off a large-scale air force drill on Monday in a new show of force against the North. The five-day exercise, Vigilant Ace, involves 12,000 US personnel and an unspecified number of South Korean service members flying more than 230 aircraft including F-22 Rapter stealth fighters and other cutting-edge weapons at US and South Korean military bases. Pyongyang routinely condemns such exercises, labelling them preparation for war. The US last week unveiled fresh sanctions that target North Korean shipping, raising pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme. Pyongyang condemned the move as a "serious provocation" on Wednesday and warned that sanctions would never succeed.

Flurry of activity hints at another North Korea missile test: Reports

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

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

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

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

A shocking report was released&nbsp;on Thursday, enlisting Kim Jong-un&#39;s nuclear hit-list and identified 15 cities and landmarks around the world that it believes North Korea is targeting.&nbsp;

A think tank drew up the hit-list after viewing announcements in Pyongyang&#39;s state media threatening&nbsp;death and destruction&nbsp;on the nation&#39;s numerous enemies, UK-based&nbsp;Express reported.

According to the list &#39;US mainland, major cities like New York, Manhattan, The White House, The Pentagon and US military bases in the operational theaters in the Pacific&#39; are some of the top targets.

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The hit-list also mention The White House as one of its targets. (Others)
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Other than that, prominent government landmarks like Guam, Kyoto, and Tokyo have made the list.&nbsp;

A robust report, published on Thursday, states that &ldquo;North Korea lacks a clear distinction between the use of nuclear weapons against military targets and their use against civilian targets.&rdquo;

&quot;Without certainty that its arsenal could survive the first strike by its enemies, Pyongyang&rsquo;s deterrence relies on the threat of launching the first strike itself,&quot; the report states.

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New: North Korea&#39;s nuclear targets, according to official sources <a href="https://t.co/2pqB86FGMm">https://t.co/2pqB86FGMm</a> <a href="https://t.co/4GRYHq4Ku0">pic.twitter.com/4GRYHq4Ku0</a>
&mdash; ECFR (@ecfr) <a href="https://twitter.com/ecfr/status/933424353328488448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Further, it aims to &quot;predict Pyongyang&rsquo;s response to different scenarios, and to avoid war, the international community needs to understand how the regime sees its nuclear weapons, and when it would use them.&quot;

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Major American cities like New York, Manhattan top the list (Others)
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The report&nbsp;also said that &#39;Pyongyang repeatedly threatens both US bases in the Asia-Pacific and cities on the US mainland, while the media repeats the threat that North Korean &ldquo;strategic forces&rdquo; are ready at any time to strike the US mainland, their stronghold, their military bases in the operational theatres in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in South Korea.&#39;

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The Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense is one of the top targets (Others)
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Cities in Japan and South Korea such ad Yokosuka, Misawa, Okinawa and Pyeongtaek, Jungwon, Degu, and Gyeryongdae have also made the list respectively.&nbsp;

North Korea carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in early September and has marked a record of 15 missile tests, Daily Mirror reports.&nbsp;

In July, it successfully tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for the first time, declaring that the US mainland was now within reach.

Trump and the North&#39;s leader Kim have exchanged a number of threats in the past, creating concerns another conflict on the peninsula where the 1950-53 Korean War left millions dead.

The European Commission of Foreign Relations has identified 15 cities and landmarks around the world that it believes North Korea is targeting.

A shocking report was released on Thursday, enlisting Kim Jong-un's nuclear hit-list and identified 15 cities and landmarks around the world that it believes North Korea is targeting. A think tank drew up the hit-list after viewing announcements in Pyongyang's state media threatening death and destruction on the nation's numerous enemies, UK-based Express reported. According to the list 'US mainland, major cities like New York, Manhattan, The White House, The Pentagon and US military bases in the operational theaters in the Pacific' are some of the top targets. The hit-list also mention The White House as one of its targets. (Others) × Other than that, prominent government landmarks like Guam, Kyoto, and Tokyo have made the list. A robust report, published on Thursday, states that “North Korea lacks a clear distinction between the use of nuclear weapons against military targets and their use against civilian targets.” "Without certainty that its arsenal could survive the first strike by its enemies, Pyongyang’s deterrence relies on the threat of launching the first strike itself," the report states. New: North Korea's nuclear targets, according to official sources https://t.co/2pqB86FGMm pic.twitter.com/4GRYHq4Ku0 — ECFR (@ecfr) November 22, 2017 × Further, it aims to "predict Pyongyang’s response to different scenarios, and to avoid war, the international community needs to understand how the regime sees its nuclear weapons, and when it would use them." Major American cities like New York, Manhattan top the list (Others) × The report also said that 'Pyongyang repeatedly threatens both US bases in the Asia-Pacific and cities on the US mainland, while the media repeats the threat that North Korean “strategic forces” are ready at any time to strike the US mainland, their stronghold, their military bases in the operational theatres in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in South Korea.' The Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense is one of the top targets (Others) × Cities in Japan and South Korea such ad Yokosuka, Misawa, Okinawa and Pyeongtaek, Jungwon, Degu, and Gyeryongdae have also made the list respectively. North Korea carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in early September and has marked a record of 15 missile tests, Daily Mirror reports. In July, it successfully tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for the first time, declaring that the US mainland was now within reach. Trump and the North's leader Kim have exchanged a number of threats in the past, creating concerns another conflict on the peninsula where the 1950-53 Korean War left millions dead.

US, Japan, and South Korea in North Korea's nuclear hit-list: Think tank

Russia said Thursday that the US decision to add North Korea to its terror blacklist was a &quot;PR move&quot; that could allow the situation on the peninsula to escalate into a global &quot;catastrophe&quot;.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called US President Donald Trump&#39;s move to place North Korea on the list of state sponsors of terrorism &quot;another scaremongering act and PR move&quot; that would not reduce tensions on the ground. &nbsp;

&quot;The answer to the question whether such actions help in lessening the tensions is clear: no, they do not.&quot;

&quot;These sorts of actions push the situation (around North Korea) to the extreme, this can end with a big catastrophe not only of a regional but also of global scale,&quot; Zakharova told journalists in Moscow.&nbsp;

Russia&#39;s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will discuss the North Korea crisis with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono during his visit to Russia on Friday, Zakharova said.&nbsp;

&quot;They will concentrate on bilateral relations but the international situation will be discussed, including the situation in the Korean peninsula as well as the Syrian question,&quot; Zakharova said.&nbsp;

Russia said the US decision to add North Korea to its terror blacklist was a 'PR move'

Russia said Thursday that the US decision to add North Korea to its terror blacklist was a "PR move" that could allow the situation on the peninsula to escalate into a global "catastrophe". Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called US President Donald Trump's move to place North Korea on the list of state sponsors of terrorism "another scaremongering act and PR move" that would not reduce tensions on the ground. "The answer to the question whether such actions help in lessening the tensions is clear: no, they do not." "These sorts of actions push the situation (around North Korea) to the extreme, this can end with a big catastrophe not only of a regional but also of global scale," Zakharova told journalists in Moscow. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will discuss the North Korea crisis with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono during his visit to Russia on Friday, Zakharova said. "They will concentrate on bilateral relations but the international situation will be discussed, including the situation in the Korean peninsula as well as the Syrian question," Zakharova said.

Russia says US terror listing of North Korea could lead to 'catastrophe'

North Korea denounced on Wednesday US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s decision to relist it as a state sponsor of terrorism, calling it a &quot;serious provocation and violent infringement&quot;, North Korean state media reported.

Trump put North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, a designation that allows the United States to impose more sanctions and risks inflaming tension over North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

In North Korea&#39;s first reaction to the designation, a spokesman for the foreign ministry denied in an interview with the state media outlet KCNA, that his government engaged in any terrorism.

He called the state sponsor of terrorism label &quot;just a tool for American style authoritarianism that can be attached or removed at any time in accordance with its interests&quot;.

The US&nbsp;designation only made North Korea more committed to retaining its nuclear arsenal, the official said.

&quot;As long as the US&nbsp;continues with its anti-DPRK hostile policy, our deterrence will be further strengthened,&quot; he said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea.

&quot;The US&nbsp;will be held entirely accountable for all the consequences to be entailed by its impudent provocation to the DPRK.&quot;

The designation came a week after Trump returned from a 12-day, five-nation trip to Asia in which he made containing North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear ambitions a centerpiece of his discussions.

Announcing the designation, Trump told reporters at the White House: &quot;In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil.&quot;

Trump put North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, a designation that allows the US to impose more sanctions and risks inflaming tension over North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programmes

North Korea denounced on Wednesday US President Donald Trump's decision to relist it as a state sponsor of terrorism, calling it a "serious provocation and violent infringement", North Korean state media reported. Trump put North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, a designation that allows the United States to impose more sanctions and risks inflaming tension over North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programmes. In North Korea's first reaction to the designation, a spokesman for the foreign ministry denied in an interview with the state media outlet KCNA, that his government engaged in any terrorism. He called the state sponsor of terrorism label "just a tool for American style authoritarianism that can be attached or removed at any time in accordance with its interests". The US designation only made North Korea more committed to retaining its nuclear arsenal, the official said. "As long as the US continues with its anti-DPRK hostile policy, our deterrence will be further strengthened," he said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "The US will be held entirely accountable for all the consequences to be entailed by its impudent provocation to the DPRK." The designation came a week after Trump returned from a 12-day, five-nation trip to Asia in which he made containing North Korea’s nuclear ambitions a centerpiece of his discussions. Announcing the designation, Trump told reporters at the White House: "In addition to threatening the world by nuclear devastation, North Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism, including assassinations on foreign soil."

North Korea calls terror relisting 'serious provocation' by Trump

China on Wednesday rejected new United States sanctions targeting Chinese traders doing business with North Korea as &quot;wrong&quot;, stressing that it has enforced UN sanctions over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear provocations.

The Chinese companies were hit by punitive measures along with North Korean shipping interests after US President Donald Trump put Pyongyang back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Trump warned this week that the sanctions announcement would be the first in a series of moves over the next two weeks that would reinforce his &quot;maximum pressure campaign&quot; against Kim Jong-Un&#39;s regime.

As had been expected, the US Treasury Department&#39;s measures unveiled on Tuesday make use of existing US directives against North Korean trade but expand their scope to take in more companies and individuals.

Most importantly, they expand the list of Chinese firms accused of doing business with the North despite promises from Beijing that it will honour UN-backed punitive measures.

&quot;We consistently oppose any country adopting unilateral sanctions based on its own domestic laws and regulations and the wrong method of exercising long-arm jurisdiction,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular news briefing.

Trump met China&#39;s President Xi Jinping earlier this month and is bullish about the US-China relationship, but concerns remain that Beijing is not ready to take tough measures against Kim.

&quot;China has been comprehensively respecting and strictly implementing (UN) Security Council resolutions and our efforts in this regard are witnessed by all,&quot; Lu said.

The spokesman called on Washington to provide &quot;any solid evidence&quot; that Chinese companies have violated the UN sanctions.

He said that if any companies or individuals have violated domestic laws, &quot;we will severely deal with that in accordance with our laws and regulations&quot;.

&nbsp;&#39;More should be done&#39;

While China has backed the UN measures, it has been reluctant to take the more drastic step of cutting off oil supplies through a pipeline to North Korea&#39;s lone refinery, fearing that regime collapse could lead to chaos on their common border.

And, according to US officials, some Chinese-based banks and trading firms continue to do business with the North in defiance of UN sanctions and US threats of unilateral measures.

China has pressed for dialogue, saying this week that &quot;more should be done&quot; to hold talks to resolve the crisis.

A Chinese special envoy also wrapped up a four-day trip to the North on Monday, during which the two sides discussed regional concerns but made no direct statements about the nuclear standoff.

Beijing has pushed for a &quot;dual-track approach&quot; which would see the United States freeze its military drills in South Korea while North Korea would halt its weapons programs.

Washington has rejected that approach.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the sanctions would not only increase Pyongyang&#39;s isolation but also expose &quot;its evasive tactics.&quot;

&quot;These designations include companies that have engaged in trade with North Korea cumulatively worth hundreds of millions of dollars,&quot; Mnuchin said.

&quot;We are also sanctioning the shipping and transportation companies, and their vessels, that facilitate North Korea&#39;s trade and its deceptive manoeuvres.&quot;

In all, the new measures add one individual, 13 trading entities and 20 ships to US sanctions lists.

Any property or assets of the firms involved found to be in areas under US jurisdiction are to be frozen, and Americans are banned from trading with them.

Three Chinese firms -&nbsp;Dandong Kehua Economy and Trade, Dandong Xianghe Trading Company and Dandong Hongda Trade -&nbsp;are said to have sold computers, minerals and ore to North Korea.

Chinese businessman Sun Sidong and his company Dandong Dongyuan Industrial are accused of exporting vehicles, machinery, radio navigation and &quot;items associated with nuclear reactors.&quot;

&nbsp;&#39;We suspended trading&#39;&nbsp;

A woman who answered the phone at the company said it was not doing business with North Korea and suggested that the firm had halted its operations.

&quot;We are not operating,&quot; she said.

Another woman at Dandong Kehua Economy and Trade denied knowing about the sanctions.

&quot;We have temporarily suspended (trading),&quot; she said.

The Chinese companies were hit by punitive measures along with North Korean shipping interests after US President Donald Trump put Pyongyang back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism

China on Wednesday rejected new United States sanctions targeting Chinese traders doing business with North Korea as "wrong", stressing that it has enforced UN sanctions over Pyongyang's nuclear provocations. The Chinese companies were hit by punitive measures along with North Korean shipping interests after US President Donald Trump put Pyongyang back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism. Trump warned this week that the sanctions announcement would be the first in a series of moves over the next two weeks that would reinforce his "maximum pressure campaign" against Kim Jong-Un's regime. As had been expected, the US Treasury Department's measures unveiled on Tuesday make use of existing US directives against North Korean trade but expand their scope to take in more companies and individuals. Most importantly, they expand the list of Chinese firms accused of doing business with the North despite promises from Beijing that it will honour UN-backed punitive measures. "We consistently oppose any country adopting unilateral sanctions based on its own domestic laws and regulations and the wrong method of exercising long-arm jurisdiction," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular news briefing. Trump met China's President Xi Jinping earlier this month and is bullish about the US-China relationship, but concerns remain that Beijing is not ready to take tough measures against Kim. "China has been comprehensively respecting and strictly implementing (UN) Security Council resolutions and our efforts in this regard are witnessed by all," Lu said. The spokesman called on Washington to provide "any solid evidence" that Chinese companies have violated the UN sanctions. He said that if any companies or individuals have violated domestic laws, "we will severely deal with that in accordance with our laws and regulations". 'More should be done' While China has backed the UN measures, it has been reluctant to take the more drastic step of cutting off oil supplies through a pipeline to North Korea's lone refinery, fearing that regime collapse could lead to chaos on their common border. And, according to US officials, some Chinese-based banks and trading firms continue to do business with the North in defiance of UN sanctions and US threats of unilateral measures. China has pressed for dialogue, saying this week that "more should be done" to hold talks to resolve the crisis. A Chinese special envoy also wrapped up a four-day trip to the North on Monday, during which the two sides discussed regional concerns but made no direct statements about the nuclear standoff. Beijing has pushed for a "dual-track approach" which would see the United States freeze its military drills in South Korea while North Korea would halt its weapons programs. Washington has rejected that approach. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the sanctions would not only increase Pyongyang's isolation but also expose "its evasive tactics." "These designations include companies that have engaged in trade with North Korea cumulatively worth hundreds of millions of dollars," Mnuchin said. "We are also sanctioning the shipping and transportation companies, and their vessels, that facilitate North Korea's trade and its deceptive manoeuvres." In all, the new measures add one individual, 13 trading entities and 20 ships to US sanctions lists. Any property or assets of the firms involved found to be in areas under US jurisdiction are to be frozen, and Americans are banned from trading with them. Three Chinese firms - Dandong Kehua Economy and Trade, Dandong Xianghe Trading Company and Dandong Hongda Trade - are said to have sold computers, minerals and ore to North Korea. Chinese businessman Sun Sidong and his company Dandong Dongyuan Industrial are accused of exporting vehicles, machinery, radio navigation and "items associated with nuclear reactors." 'We suspended trading' A woman who answered the phone at the company said it was not doing business with North Korea and suggested that the firm had halted its operations. "We are not operating," she said. Another woman at Dandong Kehua Economy and Trade denied knowing about the sanctions. "We have temporarily suspended (trading)," she said.

China slams 'wrong' US sanctions on North Korea-tied Chinese firms

The UN Command released dramatic<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korean-defector-was-shot-six-times-by-border-troops-unc-24148"> CCTV footage of the North Korean soldier </a>who had crossed over to South Korea a fortnight ago.

UN Command spokesman Colonel Chad Carroll said one of the border guards ran across the military demarcation line for a &quot;few seconds before returning back to the north side.&quot;

The defector was shot at least six times as tried to escape to Panmunjom truce village on November 13.

The man who is reportedly a low ranking soldier was shot in the shoulder and elbow and was picked up bleeding on the south side of the border known as the Joint Security Area (JSA). The UN had called it a serious &quot;breach of the 1953 ceasefire&quot;.

No tourists were in the Joint Security Area at the time and there was no exchange of gunfire between the two sides.

Meanwhile, the defector who is being treated at a hospital in Seoul has regained consciousness, reports said.

He was still &quot;depressed&quot; and would spend several more days in intensive care, AFP reported.

&quot;As the patient is showing signs of depression due to intense psychological stress following two rounds of major surgeries, he will undergo tests for post-traumatic stress disorder,&quot; doctor Lee Cook-Jong told reporters.

&quot;It&#39;s not like the patient will open his eyes and walk out of the hospital after surgery as you see in movies,&quot; he said.

UN Command spokesman&nbsp;said UNC has requested a meeting with North Korean officials to discuss measures to prevent future such violations along the demilitarized zone.

UN Command spokesman Colonel Chad Carroll said one of the border guards ran across the military demarcation line for a "few seconds before returning back to the north side."

The UN Command released dramatic CCTV footage of the North Korean soldier who had crossed over to South Korea a fortnight ago. UN Command spokesman Colonel Chad Carroll said one of the border guards ran across the military demarcation line for a "few seconds before returning back to the north side." The defector was shot at least six times as tried to escape to Panmunjom truce village on November 13. The man who is reportedly a low ranking soldier was shot in the shoulder and elbow and was picked up bleeding on the south side of the border known as the Joint Security Area (JSA). The UN had called it a serious "breach of the 1953 ceasefire". No tourists were in the Joint Security Area at the time and there was no exchange of gunfire between the two sides. Meanwhile, the defector who is being treated at a hospital in Seoul has regained consciousness, reports said. He was still "depressed" and would spend several more days in intensive care, AFP reported. "As the patient is showing signs of depression due to intense psychological stress following two rounds of major surgeries, he will undergo tests for post-traumatic stress disorder," doctor Lee Cook-Jong told reporters. "It's not like the patient will open his eyes and walk out of the hospital after surgery as you see in movies," he said. UN Command spokesman said UNC has requested a meeting with North Korean officials to discuss measures to prevent future such violations along the demilitarized zone.

Watch: CCTV footage of North Korean soldier crossing to South Korea

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