President Donald Trump warned North Korea on Tuesday the United States was prepared to use the full range of its military power if needed to defend itself and its allies during a visit to South Korea that took him to heart of the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.

Speaking at a joint news conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Trump said that while he hopes to use all tools short of military force, he was prepared to do whatever was necessary &quot;to prevent the North Korean dictator from threatening lives ... so needlessly.&quot;

&quot;We cannot allow North Korea to threaten all that we have built,&quot; Trump said on the first day of a two-day visit to South Korea.

But at times taking a less strident tone, Trump also urged North Korea to &ldquo;do the right thing&rdquo; and said: &ldquo;I do see some movement&rdquo; &ndash; though he declined to elaborate.

&quot;We hope to God we don&rsquo;t have to use&rdquo; the United States&rsquo; full military capabilities, he said.

Landing earlier at Osan Air Base outside Seoul, the president and First Lady Melania Trump stepped down from Air Force One onto a red carpet as he began a visit that could aggravate tensions with North Korea.

He then flew by helicopter to Camp Humphreys, the largest US&nbsp;military base in the country, and met US&nbsp;and South Korean troops, along with Moon.

The White House says Trump&#39;s trip is intended to demonstrate US&nbsp;resolve over his hardline approach to the North Korean nuclear and missile threats, but many in the region fear further bellicose presidential rhetoric could increase the potential for a devastating military conflict on the Korean peninsula.

Meeting with military commanders about the North Korea issue, Trump told reporters: &quot;Ultimately it will all work out, it always works out, it has to work out.&rdquo; He did not elaborate.

Trump praised president Moon, hailing him for &quot;great cooperation&quot; despite differences over how to confront North Korea and over a trade pact between the United States and South Korea.

When the two leaders later held formal talks after an elaborate welcoming ceremony outside the presidential Blue House in Seoul, Moon told Trump he hoped his visit would relieve some of South Koreans&#39; anxiety over North Korea and serve as a &quot;turning point in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue&quot;.

Pyongyang&rsquo;s recent nuclear and missile tests in defiance of UN&nbsp;resolutions and an exchange of insults between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have raised the stakes in the most critical international challenge of Trump&rsquo;s presidency.

Three US&nbsp;aircraft carrier strike groups will exercise together in the Western Pacific in the coming days in a show of force rarely seen in the region, US officials said.

On the second leg of his five-nation trip, Trump toured the sprawling Camp Humphreys garrison, which lies about 100 km (60 miles) from the border with reclusive North Korea.

Trump was greeted with applause and a few cheers as he and Moon entered the mess hall at lunch hour.

Trump is seeking to ratchet up pressure on Pyongyang following his visit to Tokyo, where he declared that Japan would shoot North Korean missiles &ldquo;out of the sky&rdquo; if it bought the U.S. weaponry needed to do so, suggesting the Japanese government take a stance it has avoided until now.

Donald Trump warned North Korea on Tuesday the United States was prepared to use the full range of its military power if needed to defend itself and its allies during a visit to South Korea that took him to the heart of the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.

President Donald Trump warned North Korea on Tuesday the United States was prepared to use the full range of its military power if needed to defend itself and its allies during a visit to South Korea that took him to heart of the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang. Speaking at a joint news conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Trump said that while he hopes to use all tools short of military force, he was prepared to do whatever was necessary "to prevent the North Korean dictator from threatening lives ... so needlessly." "We cannot allow North Korea to threaten all that we have built," Trump said on the first day of a two-day visit to South Korea. But at times taking a less strident tone, Trump also urged North Korea to “do the right thing” and said: “I do see some movement” – though he declined to elaborate. "We hope to God we don’t have to use” the United States’ full military capabilities, he said. Landing earlier at Osan Air Base outside Seoul, the president and First Lady Melania Trump stepped down from Air Force One onto a red carpet as he began a visit that could aggravate tensions with North Korea. He then flew by helicopter to Camp Humphreys, the largest US military base in the country, and met US and South Korean troops, along with Moon. The White House says Trump's trip is intended to demonstrate US resolve over his hardline approach to the North Korean nuclear and missile threats, but many in the region fear further bellicose presidential rhetoric could increase the potential for a devastating military conflict on the Korean peninsula. Meeting with military commanders about the North Korea issue, Trump told reporters: "Ultimately it will all work out, it always works out, it has to work out.” He did not elaborate. Trump praised president Moon, hailing him for "great cooperation" despite differences over how to confront North Korea and over a trade pact between the United States and South Korea. When the two leaders later held formal talks after an elaborate welcoming ceremony outside the presidential Blue House in Seoul, Moon told Trump he hoped his visit would relieve some of South Koreans' anxiety over North Korea and serve as a "turning point in resolving the North Korean nuclear issue". Pyongyang’s recent nuclear and missile tests in defiance of UN resolutions and an exchange of insults between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have raised the stakes in the most critical international challenge of Trump’s presidency. Three US aircraft carrier strike groups will exercise together in the Western Pacific in the coming days in a show of force rarely seen in the region, US officials said. On the second leg of his five-nation trip, Trump toured the sprawling Camp Humphreys garrison, which lies about 100 km (60 miles) from the border with reclusive North Korea. Trump was greeted with applause and a few cheers as he and Moon entered the mess hall at lunch hour. Trump is seeking to ratchet up pressure on Pyongyang following his visit to Tokyo, where he declared that Japan would shoot North Korean missiles “out of the sky” if it bought the U.S. weaponry needed to do so, suggesting the Japanese government take a stance it has avoided until now.

Hope to God we don't have to use US military capability against North Korea, says Trump in South Korea

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-due-in-south-korea-amid-north-korea-tensions-23627" target="_blank">Trump promises to &#39;figure it all out&#39; -- meaning North Korea -- with South Korean President</a>

US President Donald Trump headed to Seoul Tuesday vowing to &quot;figure it all out&quot; with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In, despite the two allies&#39; differences on how to deal with the nuclear-armed North.

&quot;Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman,&quot; Trump tweeted early Tuesday from Japan, the first stop of his Asian tour, adding: &quot;We will figure it all out!&quot;

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/enclosed-sonia-gandhis-letter-to-show-truth-behind-claims-against-me-jaya-jaitly-on-her-book-23628" target="_blank">Jaya Jaitly says Sonia Gandhi facilitated framing of corruption charges against her</a>

Former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitly has said the then UPA government and especially Congress President Sonia Gandhi had facilitated the framing of corruption charges against her.&nbsp;

Jaitly is accused of accepting a Rs two-lakh bribe in 2001.&nbsp;

She has made her accusations in her memoir &#39;Life Among the Scorpions: Memoirs of an Indian Woman in Public Life&#39;, due to be released today.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/texas-church-shooting-witness-he-wouldnt-stop-23629" target="_blank">Texas church shooting witness: &#39;He wouldn&#39;t stop&#39;</a>

Witnesses have described the horror that unfolded after 26-year-old gunman Devin Patrick Kelley started shooting at a Sunday church service congregation.&nbsp;

&quot;He wouldn&#39;t stop,&quot; said one.&nbsp;She described the one image seared into her mind: the gunman&#39;s body convulsions as he emptied his assault rifle.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nitish-bats-for-reservation-in-private-sector-23617" target="_blank">Bihar Chief Minister Nitish says time for reservation in private sector</a>

&quot;It`s my opinion that there must be reservation in the private sector too. There must be a debate on this at the national level,&quot; Nitish said.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/now-mamata-calls-gst-great-selfish-tax-23591" target="_blank">Mamata calls GST &#39;Great Selfish Tax&#39;</a>

Rahul Gandhi started by calling it the &quot;Gabbar Singh Tax&quot;. Taking her cue from him, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has now called it the &quot;Great Selfish Tax&quot;.

 
&nbsp;

Trump promises to 'figure it all out' -- meaning North Korea -- with South Korean President US President Donald Trump headed to Seoul Tuesday vowing to "figure it all out" with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In, despite the two allies' differences on how to deal with the nuclear-armed North. "Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman," Trump tweeted early Tuesday from Japan, the first stop of his Asian tour, adding: "We will figure it all out!" Jaya Jaitly says Sonia Gandhi facilitated framing of corruption charges against her Former Samata Party president Jaya Jaitly has said the then UPA government and especially Congress President Sonia Gandhi had facilitated the framing of corruption charges against her. Jaitly is accused of accepting a Rs two-lakh bribe in 2001. She has made her accusations in her memoir 'Life Among the Scorpions: Memoirs of an Indian Woman in Public Life', due to be released today. Texas church shooting witness: 'He wouldn't stop' Witnesses have described the horror that unfolded after 26-year-old gunman Devin Patrick Kelley started shooting at a Sunday church service congregation. "He wouldn't stop," said one. She described the one image seared into her mind: the gunman's body convulsions as he emptied his assault rifle. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish says time for reservation in private sector "It`s my opinion that there must be reservation in the private sector too. There must be a debate on this at the national level," Nitish said. Mamata calls GST 'Great Selfish Tax' Rahul Gandhi started by calling it the "Gabbar Singh Tax". Taking her cue from him, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has now called it the "Great Selfish Tax".

WION morning news brief, November 7, 2017

US President Donald Trump headed to Seoul Tuesday vowing to &quot;figure it all out&quot; with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In, despite the two allies&#39; differences on how to deal with the nuclear-armed North.

As tensions over Pyongyang&#39;s weapons programme have soared, the US president has traded personal insults and threats of war with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, but the South&#39;s capital and its 10 million inhabitants would be on the front line of any conflict.

&quot;Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman,&quot; Trump tweeted early Tuesday from Japan, the first stop of his Asian tour, adding: &quot;We will figure it all out!&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman. We will figure it all out!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/927648870796070912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The tone was in marked contrast to a previous Trump tweet in which he accused Moon -- who has backed engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table -- of &quot;appeasement&quot;.&nbsp;

Trump flies in from Japan after securing Tokyo&#39;s full support for Washington&#39;s stance that &quot;all options are on the table&quot; regarding Pyongyang, and declaring its nuclear ambitions &quot;a threat to the civilised world and international peace and stability&quot;.

He enjoyed three days of near-bromance with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, calling him &quot;wonderful&quot; after a round of golf and describing US-Japan ties as &quot;really extraordinary&quot;.

Trump&#39;s relationship with Moon, a former human rights lawyer, is noticeably cooler, stoking concerns about the decades-old alliance and fears in Seoul that it could be sidelined by the US in favour of Tokyo.

South Korea will roll out the red carpet for Trump as it seeks messages of assurance about the alliance and US resolve.

At the same time, while Trump has threatened Pyongyang with &quot;fire and fury&quot;, Moon is mindful that much of Seoul is within range of the North&#39;s artillery and in an address to parliament last week demanded: &quot;There should be no military action on the peninsula without our prior consent.&quot;

In an editorial Tuesday ahead of Trump&#39;s arrival, the Korea Times said of the US president: &quot;His &#39;rhetorical bombs&#39; say it all.&quot;

It added: &quot;However calm Koreans are reported to be about the Trump-Kim war of words, we cherish our lives as much as Americans do theirs and feel scared by the outlook of war.&quot;

Kim Hyun-Wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, told AFP that the two allies have &quot;subtle differences in their positions&quot; and underlying suspicions about each other.

&#39;Reckless remarks&#39; 
Citizens views are mixed, with both &quot;No Trump&quot; and &quot;Welcome President Trump&quot; demonstrations taking place in downtown Seoul since the weekend, sometimes only a few blocks apart.

North Korea -- which carried out by far its most powerful nuclear test to date in September -- itself welcomed Trump to the region with a rhetorical volley via the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, warning a &quot;spiritually instable&quot; president against making &quot;reckless remarks&quot;.

Another issue will be trade between the two nations, with Trump expected to bring up the renegotiation of the five-year-old US-Korea free trade agreement which he has called a &quot;horrible deal&quot; and a &quot;job killer&quot;.

His first stop in the South will be Camp Humphreys, where US forces stationed in the country have moved their headquarters from downtown Seoul.

Later he will have a summit with Moon at the Blue House, followed by a lavish dinner with live concerts by both Korean traditional musicians and K-pop artists.

On Wednesday, Trump will speak to South Korean MPs but his visit will not include a trip to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula, with the administration downplaying the destination as &quot;a little bit of a cliche&quot;.

Some observers have fretted that a gaffe by a president given to off-the-cuff remarks could send tensions rising on the peninsula.

&quot;If Trump says anything that can provoke North Korea, it could send military tensions soaring again,&quot; said professor Koo Kab-Woo from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

'Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman. We will figure it all out!' Trump tweeted

US President Donald Trump headed to Seoul Tuesday vowing to "figure it all out" with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In, despite the two allies' differences on how to deal with the nuclear-armed North. As tensions over Pyongyang's weapons programme have soared, the US president has traded personal insults and threats of war with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, but the South's capital and its 10 million inhabitants would be on the front line of any conflict. "Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman," Trump tweeted early Tuesday from Japan, the first stop of his Asian tour, adding: "We will figure it all out!" Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman. We will figure it all out! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 6, 2017 × The tone was in marked contrast to a previous Trump tweet in which he accused Moon -- who has backed engagement with the North to bring it to the negotiating table -- of "appeasement". Trump flies in from Japan after securing Tokyo's full support for Washington's stance that "all options are on the table" regarding Pyongyang, and declaring its nuclear ambitions "a threat to the civilised world and international peace and stability". He enjoyed three days of near-bromance with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, calling him "wonderful" after a round of golf and describing US-Japan ties as "really extraordinary". Trump's relationship with Moon, a former human rights lawyer, is noticeably cooler, stoking concerns about the decades-old alliance and fears in Seoul that it could be sidelined by the US in favour of Tokyo. South Korea will roll out the red carpet for Trump as it seeks messages of assurance about the alliance and US resolve. At the same time, while Trump has threatened Pyongyang with "fire and fury", Moon is mindful that much of Seoul is within range of the North's artillery and in an address to parliament last week demanded: "There should be no military action on the peninsula without our prior consent." In an editorial Tuesday ahead of Trump's arrival, the Korea Times said of the US president: "His 'rhetorical bombs' say it all." It added: "However calm Koreans are reported to be about the Trump-Kim war of words, we cherish our lives as much as Americans do theirs and feel scared by the outlook of war." Kim Hyun-Wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, told AFP that the two allies have "subtle differences in their positions" and underlying suspicions about each other. 'Reckless remarks' Citizens views are mixed, with both "No Trump" and "Welcome President Trump" demonstrations taking place in downtown Seoul since the weekend, sometimes only a few blocks apart. North Korea -- which carried out by far its most powerful nuclear test to date in September -- itself welcomed Trump to the region with a rhetorical volley via the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, warning a "spiritually instable" president against making "reckless remarks". Another issue will be trade between the two nations, with Trump expected to bring up the renegotiation of the five-year-old US-Korea free trade agreement which he has called a "horrible deal" and a "job killer". His first stop in the South will be Camp Humphreys, where US forces stationed in the country have moved their headquarters from downtown Seoul. Later he will have a summit with Moon at the Blue House, followed by a lavish dinner with live concerts by both Korean traditional musicians and K-pop artists. On Wednesday, Trump will speak to South Korean MPs but his visit will not include a trip to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula, with the administration downplaying the destination as "a little bit of a cliche". Some observers have fretted that a gaffe by a president given to off-the-cuff remarks could send tensions rising on the peninsula. "If Trump says anything that can provoke North Korea, it could send military tensions soaring again," said professor Koo Kab-Woo from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

Trump promises to 'figure it all out' -- meaning North Korea -- with South Korean President

Ousted Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Islamabad on Thursday morning, ahead of a crucial hearing in a graft case.

Sharif will appear before an accountability court on November 3 in connection with the corruption references filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The NAB had earlier&nbsp;approached the Airport Security Force (ASF) seeking access to former premier&#39;s flight to execute his bailable arrest warrants.

The accountability court had recently started the trial of Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar in corruption references filed by NAB.

On Tuesday, the&nbsp;court ordered Pakistan&#39;s financial regulatory agency to freeze the company shares of Sharif and his two sons in the Panama Papers case.

Sharif, who was charge-sheeted by the court last week in all three NAB references, did not turn up at the court since he is in Saudi Arabia; however, his lawyer Khawaja Haris attended the hearing.

The North's nuclear programme is 'a threat to the civilised world and international peace and stability,' Trump said

Ousted Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif arrived in Islamabad on Thursday morning, ahead of a crucial hearing in a graft case. Sharif will appear before an accountability court on November 3 in connection with the corruption references filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The NAB had earlier approached the Airport Security Force (ASF) seeking access to former premier's flight to execute his bailable arrest warrants. The accountability court had recently started the trial of Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar in corruption references filed by NAB. On Tuesday, the court ordered Pakistan's financial regulatory agency to freeze the company shares of Sharif and his two sons in the Panama Papers case. Sharif, who was charge-sheeted by the court last week in all three NAB references, did not turn up at the court since he is in Saudi Arabia; however, his lawyer Khawaja Haris attended the hearing.

Time for 'patience' on North Korea is over, says Trump

&nbsp;Every American president has a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-trump-throws-an-entire-box-of-fish-food-into-precious-koi-carp-pond-23588"> </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-trump-throws-an-entire-box-of-fish-food-into-precious-koi-carp-pond-23588">favorite</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-trump-throws-an-entire-box-of-fish-food-into-precious-koi-carp-pond-23588"> foreign leader. For Donald Trump, it seems to be Japanese</a> Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The two leaders toasted their <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/time-for-patience-on-north-korea-is-over-says-trump-23581">&quot;bromance&quot; on Monday as they wrapped up two days of golf,</a> burgers and serious talks on trade and North Korea.

The two men have met face-to-face six times since Trump was elected US&nbsp;president a year ago and had 16 telephone conversations. They&#39;ve played golf twice, once at Trump&#39;s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and again on Sunday outside Tokyo.

Abe recalled how his grandfather, then-premier Nobusuke Kishi, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower began the tradition of US-Japan golf diplomacy 60 years ago.

&quot;When you play golf not just once but two times, the person must be your favorite guy,&quot; Abe said ahead of a formal banquet with Trump on Monday. He added that never had two Japanese and American leaders forged such a close bond in just one year.

Abe was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after his election last November, a win that caught Tokyo off guard after many had expected Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton to win and worried about Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; rhetoric.

Trump told the dinner guests that for protocol reasons, he shouldn&#39;t have met a foreign leader before his inauguration - but when he tried to call Abe to wave him off, the Japanese premier was already on a plane to New York.

&quot;We have to spend more time together because I enjoyed every minute of it even though he (Abe) is a very tough negotiator,&quot; Trump said. &quot;We will be back soon.&quot;

Trump and Abe are hardly the only US&nbsp;and Japanese leaders to bond. Ronald Reagan and Yasuhiro Nakasone set the gold-standard for friendly ties between leaders of the two allies back in the 1980s, when they famously called each other by the nicknames &ldquo;Ron&rdquo; and &ldquo;Yasu&rdquo;.

George W. Bush and Junichiro Koizumi also bonded during Koizumi&rsquo;s 2001-2006 term as Japanese premier, playing ball, eating BBQ at Bush&rsquo;s Texas ranch, and visiting Elvis Presley&rsquo;s Graceland mansion, where Koizumi crooned Elvis tunes.

Diplomatic experts said the personal chemistry between Abe and Trump appeared real, but also noted that forging warm ties were in a way a diplomatic necessity for Japan, which ultimately relies on the US&nbsp;nuclear umbrella for its security. 
&nbsp;

Abe recalled how his grandfather, then-premier Nobusuke Kishi, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower began the tradition of US-Japan golf diplomacy 60 years ago.

Every American president has a favorite foreign leader. For Donald Trump, it seems to be Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The two leaders toasted their "bromance" on Monday as they wrapped up two days of golf, burgers and serious talks on trade and North Korea. The two men have met face-to-face six times since Trump was elected US president a year ago and had 16 telephone conversations. They've played golf twice, once at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and again on Sunday outside Tokyo. Abe recalled how his grandfather, then-premier Nobusuke Kishi, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower began the tradition of US-Japan golf diplomacy 60 years ago. "When you play golf not just once but two times, the person must be your favorite guy," Abe said ahead of a formal banquet with Trump on Monday. He added that never had two Japanese and American leaders forged such a close bond in just one year. Abe was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after his election last November, a win that caught Tokyo off guard after many had expected Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton to win and worried about Trump's "America First" rhetoric. Trump told the dinner guests that for protocol reasons, he shouldn't have met a foreign leader before his inauguration - but when he tried to call Abe to wave him off, the Japanese premier was already on a plane to New York. "We have to spend more time together because I enjoyed every minute of it even though he (Abe) is a very tough negotiator," Trump said. "We will be back soon." Trump and Abe are hardly the only US and Japanese leaders to bond. Ronald Reagan and Yasuhiro Nakasone set the gold-standard for friendly ties between leaders of the two allies back in the 1980s, when they famously called each other by the nicknames “Ron” and “Yasu”. George W. Bush and Junichiro Koizumi also bonded during Koizumi’s 2001-2006 term as Japanese premier, playing ball, eating BBQ at Bush’s Texas ranch, and visiting Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion, where Koizumi crooned Elvis tunes. Diplomatic experts said the personal chemistry between Abe and Trump appeared real, but also noted that forging warm ties were in a way a diplomatic necessity for Japan, which ultimately relies on the US nuclear umbrella for its security.

Trump wraps up Japan visit over golf, burgers and trade talks

US President Donald Trump would &quot;certainly be open&quot; to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, he said in an interview broadcast Sunday as he began an extended Asian tour.

Asked by journalist Sharyl Attkisson, host of the &quot;Full Measure&quot; TV show, whether he would ever consider sitting down with &quot;the dictator,&quot; Trump said he was holding meetings with numerous Asian leaders.

&quot;I would sit down with anybody,&quot; he said. &quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s strength or weakness, I think sitting down with people is not a bad thing.

&quot;So I would certainly be open to doing that but we&#39;ll see where it goes, I think we&#39;re far too early.&quot;

Trump&#39;s conciliatory-sounding comment came after months of fiery rhetorical exchanges between the two leaders, prompted by a series of internationally condemned nuclear and missile tests by the North.

The North has denounced Trump as a &quot;mentally deranged US dotard,&quot; or senile old man, and the country&#39;s ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun referred to him Sunday as &quot;instable.&quot;

Trump, for his part, has mocked Kim as &quot;Little Rocket Man&quot; and has vowed to rain &quot;fire and fury&quot; down on the North if it threatens the US or its allies.

Trump&#39;s latest comment appeared to be something of a reversal from a Twitter message he sent just over a month ago, in which he said that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was &quot;wasting his time&quot; trying to negotiate with the North Korean leader.

The war of words has been deeply unsettling for US allies in the region, including Japan, where Trump met Sunday with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and South Korea, where he is to meet Tuesday with President Moon Jae-In.

Trump then travels to China on Wednesday, Vietnam on Friday and the Philippines on Sunday.

The interview was broadcast as a letter by the US Defense Department emerged that said the only way to locate and secure all of North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons sites would be via ground invasion.

A spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed to AFP that Rear Admiral Michael Dumont sent a letter to several members of Congress in response to a request for details about the plan for military action against North Korea.

Ted Lieu, a Democratic member of Congress whom the letter was addressed to, posted a copy of the two-page correspondence on his website.

&quot;The only way to &#39;locate and destroy -- with complete certainty -- all components of North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons programs&#39; is through a ground invasion&quot; it said.

It added &quot;a classified briefing is the best venue for a detailed discussion&quot; of such a plan.

'I would sit down with anybody,' Trump said. 'I don't think it's strength or weakness, I think sitting down with people is not a bad thing'

US President Donald Trump would "certainly be open" to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, he said in an interview broadcast Sunday as he began an extended Asian tour. Asked by journalist Sharyl Attkisson, host of the "Full Measure" TV show, whether he would ever consider sitting down with "the dictator," Trump said he was holding meetings with numerous Asian leaders. "I would sit down with anybody," he said. "I don't think it's strength or weakness, I think sitting down with people is not a bad thing. "So I would certainly be open to doing that but we'll see where it goes, I think we're far too early." Trump's conciliatory-sounding comment came after months of fiery rhetorical exchanges between the two leaders, prompted by a series of internationally condemned nuclear and missile tests by the North. The North has denounced Trump as a "mentally deranged US dotard," or senile old man, and the country's ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun referred to him Sunday as "instable." Trump, for his part, has mocked Kim as "Little Rocket Man" and has vowed to rain "fire and fury" down on the North if it threatens the US or its allies. Trump's latest comment appeared to be something of a reversal from a Twitter message he sent just over a month ago, in which he said that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was "wasting his time" trying to negotiate with the North Korean leader. The war of words has been deeply unsettling for US allies in the region, including Japan, where Trump met Sunday with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and South Korea, where he is to meet Tuesday with President Moon Jae-In. Trump then travels to China on Wednesday, Vietnam on Friday and the Philippines on Sunday. The interview was broadcast as a letter by the US Defense Department emerged that said the only way to locate and secure all of North Korea's nuclear weapons sites would be via ground invasion. A spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed to AFP that Rear Admiral Michael Dumont sent a letter to several members of Congress in response to a request for details about the plan for military action against North Korea. Ted Lieu, a Democratic member of Congress whom the letter was addressed to, posted a copy of the two-page correspondence on his website. "The only way to 'locate and destroy -- with complete certainty -- all components of North Korea's nuclear weapons programs' is through a ground invasion" it said. It added "a classified briefing is the best venue for a detailed discussion" of such a plan.

In U-turn, Trump says he's 'open' to meeting Kim Jong-Un

President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that &#39;no dictator&#39;&nbsp;should underestimate the United States, as he launched an Asia tour that will be dominated by the North Korea nuclear crisis.&nbsp;

Speaking to cheering military personnel at Yokota Air Base just west of Tokyo, Trump donned a bomber jacket and issued a threat that &#39;no one, no dictator, no regime and no nation should underestimate american resolve.&#39;

&quot;Every once in a while in the past, they underestimated us. It was not pleasant for them, was it?&quot; roared Trump.

&quot;We will never yield, never waver and never falter in defence of our people, our freedom and our great American flag.&quot;

Trump&#39;s marathon trip comes with the North Korea crisis at fever pitch, as US bombers fly sorties over the Korean peninsula and fears mount of another Pyongyang missile test.

According to the Washington Post, Pentagon officials have warned that the only way to locate and secure North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons sites would be via a ground invasion.

The president&#39;s first stops are Japan and South Korea - frontline US allies in the effort to force Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme, and the two countries with most to fear should a full-scale conflict break out.

Trump touched down under clear blue Tokyo skies and stepped out with his wife Melania in bright sunshine to greet the crowds.

Speaking to reporters on the plane, he announced he would likely be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin during the tour, as the international community scrambles for a solution to the North Korean crisis.

&quot;I think it&#39;s expected we&#39;ll meet with Putin, yeah. We want Putin&#39;s help on North Korea, and we&#39;ll be meeting with a lot of different leaders,&quot; said Trump.

He added that North Korea was a &#39;big problem for our country and for the world, and we want to get it solved&#39;&nbsp;but had kind words for the people in the hermit state.

&quot;I think they&#39;re great people. They&#39;re industrious. They&#39;re warm, much warmer than the world really knows or understands. They&#39;re great people. And I hope it all works out for everybody,&quot; he said.

The next stop was a golfing date with his &#39;friend&#39;&nbsp;Shinzo Abe, prime minister of Japan, with whom he enjoys a close personal relationship.&nbsp;

Trump joked with reporters on Air Force One that they should not believe him if he claims to outhit Hedeki Matsuyama, one of the world&#39;s best players who joined the leaders on the course.

Abe has emerged strengthened from a crushing victory in a snap election and has firmly supported Trump in his policy of exerting maximum pressure on Kim, backed up with the threat of military force.

&quot;I want to further cement the bond of the Japan-US alliance, based on our relations of trust and friendship with President Trump,&quot; Abe said as Trump arrived.

Trump for his part described Japan as a &#39;treasured partner and crucial ally of the US.&#39;

&quot;Trump only has to play golf in Japan, as he knows Japan will follow (the US) whatever happens. Everything has been sorted out beforehand,&quot; Tetsuro Kato, political scientist at Tokyo&#39;s Hitotsubashi University, told AFP.

After Japan, Trump travels to Seoul, where his relationship with President Moon Jae-in is noticeably cooler.

While Trump has been in regular contact with the hawkish Abe during the North Korean crisis, he pointedly failed to speak to Moon for several days after Pyongyang&#39;s second intercontinental ballistic missile test in July.

Trump labelled Moon&#39;s dovish approach to North Korea as &#39;appeasement&#39;&nbsp;on Twitter, a comment that did not go down well in the Blue House.

Trump will speak to Korean MPs but not follow the well-trodden path to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula - a visit derided in Washington as a bit of a &#39;cliche.&#39;

From Seoul, Trump travels to China to meet his counterpart Xi Jinping who, like Abe, has solidified his grip on power after being handed a second term.

Trump said before his trip that China could have a &#39;big problem&#39;&nbsp;with &#39;warrior nation&#39;&nbsp;Japan if the North Korea issue is not solved.

He then travels to an Pacific Rim summit in Vietnam before heading to a gathering of Southeast Asian leaders.

Some observers have fretted that a gaffe by the famously ad-lib president could send tensions rising on the peninsula.

&quot;It will be a disaster if he speaks off the cuff and without thinking,&quot; said professor Koo Kab-Woo from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

&quot;If Trump says anything that can provoke North Korea, it could send military tensions soaring again.&quot; 
&nbsp;

According to the Washington Post, Pentagon officials have warned that the only way to locate and secure North Korea's nuclear weapons sites would be via a ground invasion.

President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that 'no dictator' should underestimate the United States, as he launched an Asia tour that will be dominated by the North Korea nuclear crisis. Speaking to cheering military personnel at Yokota Air Base just west of Tokyo, Trump donned a bomber jacket and issued a threat that 'no one, no dictator, no regime and no nation should underestimate american resolve.' "Every once in a while in the past, they underestimated us. It was not pleasant for them, was it?" roared Trump. "We will never yield, never waver and never falter in defence of our people, our freedom and our great American flag." Trump's marathon trip comes with the North Korea crisis at fever pitch, as US bombers fly sorties over the Korean peninsula and fears mount of another Pyongyang missile test. According to the Washington Post, Pentagon officials have warned that the only way to locate and secure North Korea's nuclear weapons sites would be via a ground invasion. The president's first stops are Japan and South Korea - frontline US allies in the effort to force Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme, and the two countries with most to fear should a full-scale conflict break out. Trump touched down under clear blue Tokyo skies and stepped out with his wife Melania in bright sunshine to greet the crowds. Speaking to reporters on the plane, he announced he would likely be meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin during the tour, as the international community scrambles for a solution to the North Korean crisis. "I think it's expected we'll meet with Putin, yeah. We want Putin's help on North Korea, and we'll be meeting with a lot of different leaders," said Trump. He added that North Korea was a 'big problem for our country and for the world, and we want to get it solved' but had kind words for the people in the hermit state. "I think they're great people. They're industrious. They're warm, much warmer than the world really knows or understands. They're great people. And I hope it all works out for everybody," he said. The next stop was a golfing date with his 'friend' Shinzo Abe, prime minister of Japan, with whom he enjoys a close personal relationship. Trump joked with reporters on Air Force One that they should not believe him if he claims to outhit Hedeki Matsuyama, one of the world's best players who joined the leaders on the course. Abe has emerged strengthened from a crushing victory in a snap election and has firmly supported Trump in his policy of exerting maximum pressure on Kim, backed up with the threat of military force. "I want to further cement the bond of the Japan-US alliance, based on our relations of trust and friendship with President Trump," Abe said as Trump arrived. Trump for his part described Japan as a 'treasured partner and crucial ally of the US.' "Trump only has to play golf in Japan, as he knows Japan will follow (the US) whatever happens. Everything has been sorted out beforehand," Tetsuro Kato, political scientist at Tokyo's Hitotsubashi University, told AFP. After Japan, Trump travels to Seoul, where his relationship with President Moon Jae-in is noticeably cooler. While Trump has been in regular contact with the hawkish Abe during the North Korean crisis, he pointedly failed to speak to Moon for several days after Pyongyang's second intercontinental ballistic missile test in July. Trump labelled Moon's dovish approach to North Korea as 'appeasement' on Twitter, a comment that did not go down well in the Blue House. Trump will speak to Korean MPs but not follow the well-trodden path to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula - a visit derided in Washington as a bit of a 'cliche.' From Seoul, Trump travels to China to meet his counterpart Xi Jinping who, like Abe, has solidified his grip on power after being handed a second term. Trump said before his trip that China could have a 'big problem' with 'warrior nation' Japan if the North Korea issue is not solved. He then travels to an Pacific Rim summit in Vietnam before heading to a gathering of Southeast Asian leaders. Some observers have fretted that a gaffe by the famously ad-lib president could send tensions rising on the peninsula. "It will be a disaster if he speaks off the cuff and without thinking," said professor Koo Kab-Woo from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "If Trump says anything that can provoke North Korea, it could send military tensions soaring again."

Trump: 'No dictator' should underestimate US resolve

The only certain way to locate and secure all North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons sites would be via a US ground invasion, the Washington Post reported Saturday, citing a letter from Pentagon officials sent to US lawmakers.

It said the letter, reportedly written by the vice director of the Pentagon&#39;s Joint Staff, noted that such a conflict could prompt Pyongyang to deploy biological and chemical weapons.

The report detailing the prospect of war on the Korean peninsula comes as President Donald Trump embarks on a nearly two-week Asia tour, with the North&#39;s nuclear and missile program expected to top the agenda.

The US Defense Department sent the letter in response to a request from two members of Congress for details regarding &#39;expected casualty assessments in a conflict with North Korea&#39;&nbsp;for US and allied forces in Japan, South Korea and Guam as well as civilians, the Post said.

Tensions have soared over North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile programs in recent months, goaded by Trump and Pyongyang leader Kim Jong-Un&#39;s fiery exchanges of insults and warnings of conflict.

On Saturday, North Korea welcomed Trump to the region by threatening to increase its nuclear arsenal and saying the idea of talks was &quot;daydreaming,&quot; according to the state-run KCNA news agency.

Neither the US president nor his fierce rhetoric were mentioned in the letter, the Post said.

It did however say the military backs the current US approach -&nbsp;led by state department chief Rex Tillerson -&nbsp;to wield economic sanctions and apply diplomatic pressure on the North as a means of discouraging its nuclear ambitions.

The Post reported that a statement from 16 lawmakers - all but one of them Democrats - obtained along with the Pentagon letter said the &#39;assessment underscores what we&#39;ve known all along: There are no good military options for North Korea.&#39;

The report detailing the prospect of war on the Korean peninsula comes as President Donald Trump embarks on a nearly two-week Asia tour, with the North's nuclear and missile program expected to top the agenda.

The only certain way to locate and secure all North Korea's nuclear weapons sites would be via a US ground invasion, the Washington Post reported Saturday, citing a letter from Pentagon officials sent to US lawmakers. It said the letter, reportedly written by the vice director of the Pentagon's Joint Staff, noted that such a conflict could prompt Pyongyang to deploy biological and chemical weapons. The report detailing the prospect of war on the Korean peninsula comes as President Donald Trump embarks on a nearly two-week Asia tour, with the North's nuclear and missile program expected to top the agenda. The US Defense Department sent the letter in response to a request from two members of Congress for details regarding 'expected casualty assessments in a conflict with North Korea' for US and allied forces in Japan, South Korea and Guam as well as civilians, the Post said. Tensions have soared over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs in recent months, goaded by Trump and Pyongyang leader Kim Jong-Un's fiery exchanges of insults and warnings of conflict. On Saturday, North Korea welcomed Trump to the region by threatening to increase its nuclear arsenal and saying the idea of talks was "daydreaming," according to the state-run KCNA news agency. Neither the US president nor his fierce rhetoric were mentioned in the letter, the Post said. It did however say the military backs the current US approach - led by state department chief Rex Tillerson - to wield economic sanctions and apply diplomatic pressure on the North as a means of discouraging its nuclear ambitions. The Post reported that a statement from 16 lawmakers - all but one of them Democrats - obtained along with the Pentagon letter said the 'assessment underscores what we've known all along: There are no good military options for North Korea.'

Securing N. Korea nukes would require US ground invasion: Reports

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-beats-china-in-womens-asia-cup-hockey-2017-23548">India beat China to win Asia Cup, qualify for Hockey World Cup</a>

The Indian women&rsquo;s hockey team qualified for next year&rsquo;s World Cup after defeating China 5-4 via a shootout in a nail-biting Asia Cup final on Sunday. It was 1-1 at full-time after China found a late equaliser by Tiantian Luo, who converted a penalty corner in the 47th minute.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cong-has-run-away-hp-poll-one-sided-modi-at-rally-23538">Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban: Modi</a>

&quot;Former prime minister Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban. Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task,&#39;&#39; said PM&nbsp;Narendra Modi. Stressing that the implementation of demonetisation policy was required in 1971, but it was implemented by the BJP government, he added.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-tells-modi-to-quit-if-unable-to-control-price-rise-give-jobs-23545">Rahul asks Modi to quit if unable to control price rise, give jobs</a>

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today asked the Narendra Modi government to stop delivering &quot;hollow&quot; speeches and quit if it was unable to stop prices from rising and give jobs to the people. Gandhi tweeted: &quot;Mehngi gas, mehnga ration, band karo khokhla bhashan, daam bandho, kaam do, varna khali karo singhasan. 
&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/securing-n-korea-nukes-would-require-us-ground-invasion-reports-23528">Securing N. Korea nukes would require US ground invasion: Reports</a>

The only certain way to locate and secure all North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons sites would be via a US ground invasion, the Washington Post reported Saturday, citing a letter from Pentagon officials sent to US lawmakers.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/council-to-consider-slashing-gst-on-common-use-goods-23536">Council to consider slashing GST on common use goods</a>

The all-powerful GST Council may consider lowering tax rates on a host of goods such as handmade furniture, plastic products and daily use items like shampoo, and simplify return filing rules in its meeting this week.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

"Former prime minister Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban. Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task,'' said PM?Narendra Modi.

India beat China to win Asia Cup, qualify for Hockey World Cup The Indian women’s hockey team qualified for next year’s World Cup after defeating China 5-4 via a shootout in a nail-biting Asia Cup final on Sunday. It was 1-1 at full-time after China found a late equaliser by Tiantian Luo, who converted a penalty corner in the 47th minute. Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban: Modi "Former prime minister Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban. Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task,'' said PM Narendra Modi. Stressing that the implementation of demonetisation policy was required in 1971, but it was implemented by the BJP government, he added. Rahul asks Modi to quit if unable to control price rise, give jobs Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today asked the Narendra Modi government to stop delivering "hollow" speeches and quit if it was unable to stop prices from rising and give jobs to the people. Gandhi tweeted: "Mehngi gas, mehnga ration, band karo khokhla bhashan, daam bandho, kaam do, varna khali karo singhasan. Securing N. Korea nukes would require US ground invasion: Reports The only certain way to locate and secure all North Korea's nuclear weapons sites would be via a US ground invasion, the Washington Post reported Saturday, citing a letter from Pentagon officials sent to US lawmakers. Council to consider slashing GST on common use goods The all-powerful GST Council may consider lowering tax rates on a host of goods such as handmade furniture, plastic products and daily use items like shampoo, and simplify return filing rules in its meeting this week.

WION evening news brief, Nov 5, 2017

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump heads to Japan on the first stop of his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-leaves-for-asia-with-heavy-domestic-baggage-23482">five-nation tour of Asia </a>on Saturday, looking to present a united front with the Japanese against North Korea as tensions run high over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and missile tests.

Trump, who is on a 12-day trip, is to speak to US&nbsp;and Japanese forces at Yokota air base shortly after arriving in Japan on Sunday and looked to stress the importance of the alliance to regional security.

Ballistic missile tests by North Korea and its sixth and largest nuclear test, in defiance of UN&nbsp;Security Council resolutions, have exacerbated the most critical international challenge of Trump&#39;s presidency.

Aerial drills conducted over South Korea by two US&nbsp;strategic bombers have raised tensions in recent days.

In a display of golf diplomacy, Trump is to play a round of golf with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The two leaders also played together in Florida earlier this year.

Trump will also have a state call with the Imperial Family at Akasaka Palace during his visit. Abe and Trump will meet families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea.

Joined by his wife Melania on part of the trip, Trump&#39;s tour of Asia is the longest by an American president since George H.W. Bush in 1992. Besides Japan, he will visit South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Trump extended the trip by a day on Friday when he agreed to participate in a summit of East Asian nations in Manila.

His trip got off to a colorful start in Hawaii. He was taken by boat out to the USS Arizona Memorial, where lies the World War Two ship that was sunk by the Japanese during the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941.

The Trumps tossed white flower petals into the waters at the memorial in honor of those who died at Pearl Harbor.

Trade, North Korea

Trump&#39;s trip is to be dominated by trade and how to muster more international pressure on North Korea to give up nuclear weapons.

&quot;We&#39;ll be talking about trade,&quot; Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday. &quot;We&#39;ll be talking about obviously North Korea. We&#39;ll be enlisting the help of a lot of people and countries and we&#39;ll see what happens. But I think we&#39;re going to have a very successful trip. There is a lot of good will.&quot;

Trump has rattled some allies with his vow to &quot;totally destroy&quot; North Korea if it threatens the United States and his dismissal of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a &quot;rocket man&quot; on a suicide mission.

White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster, briefing reporters on Friday, defended Trump&#39;s colorful language.

&quot;What&#39;s inflammatory is the North Korean regime and what they&#39;re doing to threaten the world,&quot; McMaster said.

Trump will seek a united front with the leaders of Japan and South Korea against North Korea before visiting Beijing to make the case to Chinese President Xi Jinping that he should do more to rein in Pyongyang.

Trade will factor heavily during Trump&#39;s trip as he tries to persuade Asian allies to agree to trade policies more favorable to the United States.

A centerpiece of the trip will be a visit to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Danang, Vietnam, where he will deliver a speech in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is seen as offering a bulwark in response to expansionist Chinese policies.

US?President Donald Trump heads to Japan on the first stop of his five-nation tour of Asia on Saturday, looking to present a united front with the Japanese against North Korea as tensions run high over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests.

US President Donald Trump heads to Japan on the first stop of his five-nation tour of Asia on Saturday, looking to present a united front with the Japanese against North Korea as tensions run high over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests. Trump, who is on a 12-day trip, is to speak to US and Japanese forces at Yokota air base shortly after arriving in Japan on Sunday and looked to stress the importance of the alliance to regional security. Ballistic missile tests by North Korea and its sixth and largest nuclear test, in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions, have exacerbated the most critical international challenge of Trump's presidency. Aerial drills conducted over South Korea by two US strategic bombers have raised tensions in recent days. In a display of golf diplomacy, Trump is to play a round of golf with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The two leaders also played together in Florida earlier this year. Trump will also have a state call with the Imperial Family at Akasaka Palace during his visit. Abe and Trump will meet families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea. Joined by his wife Melania on part of the trip, Trump's tour of Asia is the longest by an American president since George H.W. Bush in 1992. Besides Japan, he will visit South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. Trump extended the trip by a day on Friday when he agreed to participate in a summit of East Asian nations in Manila. His trip got off to a colorful start in Hawaii. He was taken by boat out to the USS Arizona Memorial, where lies the World War Two ship that was sunk by the Japanese during the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. The Trumps tossed white flower petals into the waters at the memorial in honor of those who died at Pearl Harbor. Trade, North Korea Trump's trip is to be dominated by trade and how to muster more international pressure on North Korea to give up nuclear weapons. "We'll be talking about trade," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday. "We'll be talking about obviously North Korea. We'll be enlisting the help of a lot of people and countries and we'll see what happens. But I think we're going to have a very successful trip. There is a lot of good will." Trump has rattled some allies with his vow to "totally destroy" North Korea if it threatens the United States and his dismissal of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a "rocket man" on a suicide mission. White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster, briefing reporters on Friday, defended Trump's colorful language. "What's inflammatory is the North Korean regime and what they're doing to threaten the world," McMaster said. Trump will seek a united front with the leaders of Japan and South Korea against North Korea before visiting Beijing to make the case to Chinese President Xi Jinping that he should do more to rein in Pyongyang. Trade will factor heavily during Trump's trip as he tries to persuade Asian allies to agree to trade policies more favorable to the United States. A centerpiece of the trip will be a visit to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Danang, Vietnam, where he will deliver a speech in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, which is seen as offering a bulwark in response to expansionist Chinese policies.

Trump heads to Japan with North Korea on his mind

&#39;Take the dregs left from making soy bean oil, which usually go to feed the pigs. Press and roll them into a sandy-coloured paste. Stuff with rice, and top with chilli sauce.&#39;&nbsp;The dish&#39;s name, injogogi, means &quot;man-made meat.&quot;

In North Korea for years it was a recipe for survival. Today it is a popular street food, traded alongside other goods and services on informal markets, known as jangmadang. Defectors say there are hundreds of these markets. The creation and informal trade of injogogi and other foods offers a window into a barter economy that has kept North Korea afloat despite years of isolation, abuse, and sanctions.

&quot;Back in the day, people had injogogi to fill themselves up as a substitute for meat,&quot; said Cho Ui-sung, a North Korean who defected to the South in 2014. &quot;Now people eat it for its taste.&quot;

North Korea was set up with backing from the Soviet Union as a socialist state. The Soviet collapse in 1991 crippled the North Korean economy and brought down its centralised food distribution system. As many as three million people died. Those who survived were forced to forage, barter and invent meals from whatever they found. Since people started to use their own initiative, studies indicate, person-to-person dealings have become the way millions of North Koreans procure basic necessities such as food and clothing.

But the prevalence of informal markets also makes it hard to understand the exact state of the North Korean economy. And this makes it hard to measure how badly sanctions, which do not apply to North Korean food imports, are hurting ordinary people.

Pyongyang has said the curbs threaten the survival of its children. Defectors say a poor corn harvest this year has made it hard for people in rural areas to feed themselves. The agencies who want to help find all this hard to measure.

Pyongyang says 70 per cent of North Koreans still use the state&#39;s central distribution system as their main source of food, the same number of people that the UN estimates are &quot;food insecure.&quot; The system consistently provides lower food rations than the government&#39;s daily target, according to UN food agency the World Food Programme (WFP). The UN uses this information to call on member states to provide food aid for North Korea - $76 million for &quot;nutrition support&quot; alone at its last request of which it has received $42 million.

But surveys and anecdotal evidence from defectors suggest private markets are the main source of supply for most North Koreans.

&quot;It becomes sort of ridiculous to analyse food distribution in North Korea by focusing on an archaic system that&#39;s lost so much of its significance over the past couple of decades,&quot; said Benjamin Silberstein, an associate scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute who researches the North Korean economy.

The WFP and the UN&#39;s other main food aid agency, the Food and Agricultural Organisation, said the UN relies on all available information and inputs, including official statistics. The agencies have a permanent office in Pyongyang and make regular visits to Public Distribution Centres, farms and occasionally markets in North Korea.

&quot;We recognise that the data and their sources are limited but it&#39;s the best we have available at present,&quot; said the UN agencies in a joint statement, referring to the official North Korean government data.

The agencies said they have seen no sign that more food than needed is delivered to North Koreans. &quot;The main issue is a monotonous diet &ndash; mainly rice/maize, kimchi and bean paste &ndash; lacking in essential fats and protein,&quot; the statement said.

The North Korean diplomatic mission in Geneva did not respond to questions about how international sanctions might be harming food availability and whether U.N. aid agencies had access to markets in North Korea to assess the products on offer.

&nbsp;Sand Eel Sauce

Last year, North Korea&#39;s economy grew by 3.9 percent - its fastest in 17 years and faster than many developed economies, according to South Korea&#39;s central bank. It was helped largely by mining, market reforms, and dealings with China, its neighbour and now the world&#39;s largest economy. Reporters saw signs of chronic hunger in North Korea as recently as 2013, but people who have defected say the food supply has improved in recent years.

Eight defectors told Reuters they ate much the same thing as people in the South. Asked about the contents of their food cupboards, most said they were stocked with privately grown vegetables, locally made snacks, and rice, or if they were poor, corn, which is a cheaper staple.

Younger and wealthier defectors say they had plenty of meat, although it was often seasonal because electric power is too erratic to power fridges. Pork is common, but defectors also talked of eating dog meat, rabbit, and badger.

Even so, on average North Koreans are less well nourished than their Southern neighbours. The WFP says around one in four children have grown less tall than their South Korean counterparts. A study from 2009 said pre-school children in the North were up to 13 cm (5 inches) shorter and up to 7 kg (15 pounds) lighter than those brought up in the South.

The North&#39;s Public Distribution System (PDS) stipulates that 70 percent of people receive ration coupons to spend at state distribution shops. The other 30 percent are farmers who are not eligible for rations because they grow their own vegetables in private plots. According to the WFP, the PDS had been reinstated by 2006.

Defectors say Kim Jong Un, who came to power in 2011, also quietly loosened the rules on private trade.

Some markets, known as &quot;grasshopper markets&quot; for the speed with which traders set up and take down the stalls, are still illegal. But there are also officially sanctioned markets, where traders are free to buy and sell provided they pay stall fees to the state.

Inventions like injogogi are among foods traded on these stalls. It is low in calories but rich in protein and fibre, to help muscle growth and keep hunger at bay, said Lee Ae-ran, a chef from the North Korean town of Hyesan who took a doctorate in nutrition in Seoul. &quot;Because it contains so much protein, it&#39;s also very chewy,&quot; Lee said.

The sauce can be delicious, said Cho. &quot;People who lived by the sea put shredded anchovies in the sauce; people living in the countryside used spicy peppers. I lived close by shore so I used shredded sand eels.&quot;

The jangmadang are remotely monitored by a website called Daily NK, a Seoul-based operation staffed by North Korean defector journalists. It said in a report released this August that there are 387 officially sanctioned markets in the country, encompassing more than half a million stalls. Over 5 million people are either &quot;directly or indirectly&quot; reliant on the markets, &quot;solidifying their place in North Korean society as an integral and irreversible means of survival,&quot; the report said.

In 2015, a survey of 1,017 defectors by Seoul University professor Byung-yeon Kim found that official channels such as the PDS accounted for just 23.5 percent of people&#39;s food intake. Around 61 percent of respondents said private markets were their most important source of food, and the remaining 15.5 percent came from self-cultivated crops.

So the official system may mean little to many North Koreans.

&quot;WFP has consistently been asking (the North Korean government) to carry out a more detailed study on market activity and the role of markets in achieving household food security,&quot; a spokeswoman said.

&nbsp;Pizza in Pyongyang&nbsp;

As in other countries, North Korea&#39;s wealthy have choice. Residents of the capital can order up a pizza in one of Pyongyang&#39;s hundreds of restaurants, say regular visitors. Many of the eateries are operated by state-owned enterprises. Some used to cater only to tourists. Increasingly they now also collect dollars and euros from locals.

At a place people know as the &quot;Italian on Kwangbok Street,&quot; for example, moneyed locals and western tourists alike can pick vongole pasta for $3.50, or pepperoni pizzas for $10, the menu says. This compares with $0.30 for a kilo of corn or $0.50 for a portion of injogogi in the markets.

Reuters was unable to determine how the restaurant sources its ingredients such as pepperoni, although North Korea imports processed meats and cheeses from European countries and Southeast Asia - such imports are legal. Calls to the phone numbers on the menu failed and an operator for the Pyongyang switchboard said the numbers could not be connected to international lines.

As the economy in North Korea has changed, so have the tastes of a moneyed middle class keen to try new foods. Kim Jong Un has called for more domestically produced goods, according to state media, and there are more locally made sweets, snacks and candies. The country does not publish detailed import data but China&#39;s exports of sugar to North Korea in January to September this year ballooned to 44,725 tonnes, Chinese data shows. That is about half of all China&#39;s global sugar exports and compares with 1,236 tonnes in 2016 and 2,843 in 2015.

North Korea does not produce sugar. According to the International Sugar Organization, the North&#39;s sugar consumption is fairly steady at around 89,000-90,000 tonnes a year &ndash; a very modest amount per head. Each South Korean consumes about nine times more than that.

At the other end of the social scale, Chinese data shows corn exports to North Korea also jumped in the first nine months of this year, to nearly 50,000 tonnes, compared with just over 3,000 tonnes in the whole of 2016.

Daily NK reporters say they call secret sources in North Korea several times a week to get the market price of rice, corn, pork, fuels and the won currency - which is traded at around 8,100 to the dollar, as opposed to the official rate of around 100 to the dollar.

So far, their reports suggest, petrol and diesel prices have doubled since the most recent round of UN Security Council resolutions. The market price of rice and corn has increased less sharply. Reuters was not able to independently confirm their reports.

And there are other ways North Koreans can supplement their diets.

&quot;My dad often received bribes,&quot; said one 28-year-old defector who asked to be identified only by her surname, Kang, because when she moved out in late 2010 she left her father behind.

He was a high-ranking public official. The bribes he received included goat meat, dog meat, and deer meat, she said.

North Korea was set up with backing from the Soviet Union as a socialist state. The Soviet collapse in 1991 crippled the North Korean economy and brought down its centralised food distribution system. Those who survived were forced to forage, barter and invent meals from whatever they found

'Take the dregs left from making soy bean oil, which usually go to feed the pigs. Press and roll them into a sandy-coloured paste. Stuff with rice, and top with chilli sauce.' The dish's name, injogogi, means "man-made meat." In North Korea for years it was a recipe for survival. Today it is a popular street food, traded alongside other goods and services on informal markets, known as jangmadang. Defectors say there are hundreds of these markets. The creation and informal trade of injogogi and other foods offers a window into a barter economy that has kept North Korea afloat despite years of isolation, abuse, and sanctions. "Back in the day, people had injogogi to fill themselves up as a substitute for meat," said Cho Ui-sung, a North Korean who defected to the South in 2014. "Now people eat it for its taste." North Korea was set up with backing from the Soviet Union as a socialist state. The Soviet collapse in 1991 crippled the North Korean economy and brought down its centralised food distribution system. As many as three million people died. Those who survived were forced to forage, barter and invent meals from whatever they found. Since people started to use their own initiative, studies indicate, person-to-person dealings have become the way millions of North Koreans procure basic necessities such as food and clothing. But the prevalence of informal markets also makes it hard to understand the exact state of the North Korean economy. And this makes it hard to measure how badly sanctions, which do not apply to North Korean food imports, are hurting ordinary people. Pyongyang has said the curbs threaten the survival of its children. Defectors say a poor corn harvest this year has made it hard for people in rural areas to feed themselves. The agencies who want to help find all this hard to measure. Pyongyang says 70 per cent of North Koreans still use the state's central distribution system as their main source of food, the same number of people that the UN estimates are "food insecure." The system consistently provides lower food rations than the government's daily target, according to UN food agency the World Food Programme (WFP). The UN uses this information to call on member states to provide food aid for North Korea - $76 million for "nutrition support" alone at its last request of which it has received $42 million. But surveys and anecdotal evidence from defectors suggest private markets are the main source of supply for most North Koreans. "It becomes sort of ridiculous to analyse food distribution in North Korea by focusing on an archaic system that's lost so much of its significance over the past couple of decades," said Benjamin Silberstein, an associate scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute who researches the North Korean economy. The WFP and the UN's other main food aid agency, the Food and Agricultural Organisation, said the UN relies on all available information and inputs, including official statistics. The agencies have a permanent office in Pyongyang and make regular visits to Public Distribution Centres, farms and occasionally markets in North Korea. "We recognise that the data and their sources are limited but it's the best we have available at present," said the UN agencies in a joint statement, referring to the official North Korean government data. The agencies said they have seen no sign that more food than needed is delivered to North Koreans. "The main issue is a monotonous diet – mainly rice/maize, kimchi and bean paste – lacking in essential fats and protein," the statement said. The North Korean diplomatic mission in Geneva did not respond to questions about how international sanctions might be harming food availability and whether U.N. aid agencies had access to markets in North Korea to assess the products on offer. Sand Eel Sauce Last year, North Korea's economy grew by 3.9 percent - its fastest in 17 years and faster than many developed economies, according to South Korea's central bank. It was helped largely by mining, market reforms, and dealings with China, its neighbour and now the world's largest economy. Reporters saw signs of chronic hunger in North Korea as recently as 2013, but people who have defected say the food supply has improved in recent years. Eight defectors told Reuters they ate much the same thing as people in the South. Asked about the contents of their food cupboards, most said they were stocked with privately grown vegetables, locally made snacks, and rice, or if they were poor, corn, which is a cheaper staple. Younger and wealthier defectors say they had plenty of meat, although it was often seasonal because electric power is too erratic to power fridges. Pork is common, but defectors also talked of eating dog meat, rabbit, and badger. Even so, on average North Koreans are less well nourished than their Southern neighbours. The WFP says around one in four children have grown less tall than their South Korean counterparts. A study from 2009 said pre-school children in the North were up to 13 cm (5 inches) shorter and up to 7 kg (15 pounds) lighter than those brought up in the South. The North's Public Distribution System (PDS) stipulates that 70 percent of people receive ration coupons to spend at state distribution shops. The other 30 percent are farmers who are not eligible for rations because they grow their own vegetables in private plots. According to the WFP, the PDS had been reinstated by 2006. Defectors say Kim Jong Un, who came to power in 2011, also quietly loosened the rules on private trade. Some markets, known as "grasshopper markets" for the speed with which traders set up and take down the stalls, are still illegal. But there are also officially sanctioned markets, where traders are free to buy and sell provided they pay stall fees to the state. Inventions like injogogi are among foods traded on these stalls. It is low in calories but rich in protein and fibre, to help muscle growth and keep hunger at bay, said Lee Ae-ran, a chef from the North Korean town of Hyesan who took a doctorate in nutrition in Seoul. "Because it contains so much protein, it's also very chewy," Lee said. The sauce can be delicious, said Cho. "People who lived by the sea put shredded anchovies in the sauce; people living in the countryside used spicy peppers. I lived close by shore so I used shredded sand eels." The jangmadang are remotely monitored by a website called Daily NK, a Seoul-based operation staffed by North Korean defector journalists. It said in a report released this August that there are 387 officially sanctioned markets in the country, encompassing more than half a million stalls. Over 5 million people are either "directly or indirectly" reliant on the markets, "solidifying their place in North Korean society as an integral and irreversible means of survival," the report said. In 2015, a survey of 1,017 defectors by Seoul University professor Byung-yeon Kim found that official channels such as the PDS accounted for just 23.5 percent of people's food intake. Around 61 percent of respondents said private markets were their most important source of food, and the remaining 15.5 percent came from self-cultivated crops. So the official system may mean little to many North Koreans. "WFP has consistently been asking (the North Korean government) to carry out a more detailed study on market activity and the role of markets in achieving household food security," a spokeswoman said. Pizza in Pyongyang As in other countries, North Korea's wealthy have choice. Residents of the capital can order up a pizza in one of Pyongyang's hundreds of restaurants, say regular visitors. Many of the eateries are operated by state-owned enterprises. Some used to cater only to tourists. Increasingly they now also collect dollars and euros from locals. At a place people know as the "Italian on Kwangbok Street," for example, moneyed locals and western tourists alike can pick vongole pasta for $3.50, or pepperoni pizzas for $10, the menu says. This compares with $0.30 for a kilo of corn or $0.50 for a portion of injogogi in the markets. Reuters was unable to determine how the restaurant sources its ingredients such as pepperoni, although North Korea imports processed meats and cheeses from European countries and Southeast Asia - such imports are legal. Calls to the phone numbers on the menu failed and an operator for the Pyongyang switchboard said the numbers could not be connected to international lines. As the economy in North Korea has changed, so have the tastes of a moneyed middle class keen to try new foods. Kim Jong Un has called for more domestically produced goods, according to state media, and there are more locally made sweets, snacks and candies. The country does not publish detailed import data but China's exports of sugar to North Korea in January to September this year ballooned to 44,725 tonnes, Chinese data shows. That is about half of all China's global sugar exports and compares with 1,236 tonnes in 2016 and 2,843 in 2015. North Korea does not produce sugar. According to the International Sugar Organization, the North's sugar consumption is fairly steady at around 89,000-90,000 tonnes a year – a very modest amount per head. Each South Korean consumes about nine times more than that. At the other end of the social scale, Chinese data shows corn exports to North Korea also jumped in the first nine months of this year, to nearly 50,000 tonnes, compared with just over 3,000 tonnes in the whole of 2016. Daily NK reporters say they call secret sources in North Korea several times a week to get the market price of rice, corn, pork, fuels and the won currency - which is traded at around 8,100 to the dollar, as opposed to the official rate of around 100 to the dollar. So far, their reports suggest, petrol and diesel prices have doubled since the most recent round of UN Security Council resolutions. The market price of rice and corn has increased less sharply. Reuters was not able to independently confirm their reports. And there are other ways North Koreans can supplement their diets. "My dad often received bribes," said one 28-year-old defector who asked to be identified only by her surname, Kang, because when she moved out in late 2010 she left her father behind. He was a high-ranking public official. The bribes he received included goat meat, dog meat, and deer meat, she said.

Fake meat, free markets ease North Koreans' hunger

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un a rare message, Pyongyang&#39;s official news agency reported Thursday, in his first public communication with his wayward neighbour for more than a year.

The note signalled a possible improvement in their strained relationships, which has soured over Pyongyang&#39;s growing weapons ambitions even though Beijing is its longtime ally and economic benefactor.

Xi&#39;s message, dated Wednesday, was sent in response to congratulations from Kim last week for securing a second term as the head of China&#39;s ruling party.

&quot;I wish that under the new situation the Chinese side would make efforts with the DPRK side to promote the relations between the two parties and the two countries to sustainable soundness and stable development,&quot; Xi said, according to the North&#39;s KCNA news agency said, addressing Kim as &quot;Comrade Chairman&quot;.

In his earlier note, Kim had offered Xi his &quot;sincere congratulations&quot; and expressed his belief that their relations would develop &quot;in the interests of the people of the two countries&quot;.

The last time KCNA reported a message from Xi was in July 2016.

Analysts say that such exchanges have become extremely rare under the current leaders, even though Beijing and Pyongyang traditionally sent greetings and congratulations on each other&#39;s key anniversaries in the past.

Their relationship was forged in the blood of the Korean War, when Mao Zedong sent millions of &quot;volunteers&quot; to fight US-led United Nations forces to a standstill.

Mao described the allies as close as &quot;lips and teeth&quot;, and China has long been accused of failing to enforce United Nations sanctions against the North for its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, even after voting for them in the Security Council.

But Beijing has grown increasingly frustrated by its belligerent neighbour, and rapidly backed a new set of UN measures after a flurry of missile launches by the North and its sixth nuclear test in September.

Professor Yang Moo-Jin of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul said the public exchange of messages signalled a willingness on both sides to improve relations.

&quot;The fact that both sides are swiftly trading letters and announcing it carries a symbolic meaning,&quot; said Yang.

&quot;If the message was more intimate, we could expect a faster thawing of ties,&quot; he added, &quot;but for now, it shows that both sides agree on the need to improve their relations&quot;.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un a rare message

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un a rare message, Pyongyang's official news agency reported Thursday, in his first public communication with his wayward neighbour for more than a year. The note signalled a possible improvement in their strained relationships, which has soured over Pyongyang's growing weapons ambitions even though Beijing is its longtime ally and economic benefactor. Xi's message, dated Wednesday, was sent in response to congratulations from Kim last week for securing a second term as the head of China's ruling party. "I wish that under the new situation the Chinese side would make efforts with the DPRK side to promote the relations between the two parties and the two countries to sustainable soundness and stable development," Xi said, according to the North's KCNA news agency said, addressing Kim as "Comrade Chairman". In his earlier note, Kim had offered Xi his "sincere congratulations" and expressed his belief that their relations would develop "in the interests of the people of the two countries". The last time KCNA reported a message from Xi was in July 2016. Analysts say that such exchanges have become extremely rare under the current leaders, even though Beijing and Pyongyang traditionally sent greetings and congratulations on each other's key anniversaries in the past. Their relationship was forged in the blood of the Korean War, when Mao Zedong sent millions of "volunteers" to fight US-led United Nations forces to a standstill. Mao described the allies as close as "lips and teeth", and China has long been accused of failing to enforce United Nations sanctions against the North for its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, even after voting for them in the Security Council. But Beijing has grown increasingly frustrated by its belligerent neighbour, and rapidly backed a new set of UN measures after a flurry of missile launches by the North and its sixth nuclear test in September. Professor Yang Moo-Jin of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul said the public exchange of messages signalled a willingness on both sides to improve relations. "The fact that both sides are swiftly trading letters and announcing it carries a symbolic meaning," said Yang. "If the message was more intimate, we could expect a faster thawing of ties," he added, "but for now, it shows that both sides agree on the need to improve their relations".

China's President Xi Jinping sends rare message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

North Korea slammed US President Donald Trump as &quot;incurably mentally deranged&quot; in a personal diatribe ahead of his first visit to Asia as head of state, amid high tensions over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear ambitions.

Trump and the North&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults against each other in recent months, heightening worries about a potential conflict on the divided Korean peninsula.

Trump has warned of &quot;fire and fury&quot; and &quot;calm before the storm&quot;, telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would &quot;totally destroy North Korea&quot; if it had to defend itself or its allies.

He dubbed Kim &quot;Rocket Man&quot; in the same speech -&nbsp;Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland -&nbsp;and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling Trump a &quot;dotard&quot;, an obscure term for a weak or senile old man.

The US president is due in Asia at the weekend and ahead of his arrival the North&#39;s state-run KCNA news agency lashed out at &quot;bellicose and irresponsible rhetoric&quot; by the &quot;master of invective&quot;.

&quot;He absolutely needs medicine for curing his psychical disorder,&quot; it said.

The US has deployed key military assets including jet fighters and aircraft carriers near the peninsula following the North&#39;s sixth nuclear test in September, which also saw the United Nations impose an eighth set of sanctions on the isolated country.

KCNA described the sanctions drive as &quot;desperate efforts&quot; that would prove ineffective and Trump&#39;s hostile rhetoric as &quot;hysteric spasmodic symptoms&quot;.

Trump, it said late yesterday, &quot;disclosed his true nature as a nuclear war maniac before the world and was diagnosed as &#39;incurably mentally deranged&#39;&quot;.

Trump&#39;s itinerary includes Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, with all eyes on his message to the North and Kim.

Pyongyang says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against possible invasion by the US.

During a November 7-8 visit to the South -&nbsp;a security ally of Washington that hosts 28,500 US troops - Trump is due to address Seoul&#39;s parliament and visit a US military base, although he will not go to the Demilitarised Zone that divides the Koreas.

Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults against each other in recent months, heightening worries about a potential conflict on the divided Korean peninsula.

North Korea slammed US President Donald Trump as "incurably mentally deranged" in a personal diatribe ahead of his first visit to Asia as head of state, amid high tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults against each other in recent months, heightening worries about a potential conflict on the divided Korean peninsula. Trump has warned of "fire and fury" and "calm before the storm", telling the UN General Assembly that Washington would "totally destroy North Korea" if it had to defend itself or its allies. He dubbed Kim "Rocket Man" in the same speech - Pyongyang has tested missiles apparently capable of reaching much of the US mainland - and days later Kim responded with a personal statement calling Trump a "dotard", an obscure term for a weak or senile old man. The US president is due in Asia at the weekend and ahead of his arrival the North's state-run KCNA news agency lashed out at "bellicose and irresponsible rhetoric" by the "master of invective". "He absolutely needs medicine for curing his psychical disorder," it said. The US has deployed key military assets including jet fighters and aircraft carriers near the peninsula following the North's sixth nuclear test in September, which also saw the United Nations impose an eighth set of sanctions on the isolated country. KCNA described the sanctions drive as "desperate efforts" that would prove ineffective and Trump's hostile rhetoric as "hysteric spasmodic symptoms". Trump, it said late yesterday, "disclosed his true nature as a nuclear war maniac before the world and was diagnosed as 'incurably mentally deranged'". Trump's itinerary includes Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, with all eyes on his message to the North and Kim. Pyongyang says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself against possible invasion by the US. During a November 7-8 visit to the South - a security ally of Washington that hosts 28,500 US troops - Trump is due to address Seoul's parliament and visit a US military base, although he will not go to the Demilitarised Zone that divides the Koreas.

North Korea slams 'incurably mentally deranged' Trump

Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi said on Tuesday that a tunnel collapse at North Korea&#39;s nuclear site may have killed at least 200 people.

About 100 workers at the Punggye-ri nuclear site were affected by the initial collapse, which took place around September 10, the broadcaster said.

A second collapse during a rescue operation meant it was possible the death toll could have exceeded 200, TV Asahi said citing unnamed sources familiar with the situation.

A second collapse during a rescue operation meant it was possible the death toll could have exceeded 200, TV Asahi said

Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi said on Tuesday that a tunnel collapse at North Korea's nuclear site may have killed at least 200 people. About 100 workers at the Punggye-ri nuclear site were affected by the initial collapse, which took place around September 10, the broadcaster said. A second collapse during a rescue operation meant it was possible the death toll could have exceeded 200, TV Asahi said citing unnamed sources familiar with the situation.

Nuclear tunnel collapse may have killed 200 in North Korea: Report

South Korea and China have agreed to work swiftly to get their relations back on track following a year-long standoff over the deployment of a controversial US&nbsp;anti-missile system in South Korea.

The installation of the US&nbsp;Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system had angered China and spilled over into trade, hurting South Korean business interests in the country.

China believed the system&rsquo;s powerful radar could be used to look inside its territory. South Korea and the United States have repeatedly said THAAD only serves to defend against the growing missile threat from North Korea.

&#39;Both sides shared the view that the strengthening of exchange and cooperation between Korea and China serves their common interests and agreed to expeditiously bring exchange and cooperation in all areas back on a normal development track,&#39; South Korea&rsquo;s foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

&#39;South Korea&rsquo;s President Moon Jae-in will meet with China&rsquo;s President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an upcoming summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries in Vietnam on November&nbsp;10-11.&#39;&nbsp;South Korea&rsquo;s presidential office said.

The two heads of state are likely to discuss North Korea&rsquo;s missile and nuclear programme as well as ways to develop bilateral ties, a senior South Korean presidential Blue House official later told reporters, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Pyongyang has undertaken an unprecedented missile testing programme in recent months, as well as its biggest nuclear test yet in early September, as it seeks to develop a powerful nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States.

The moves have angered China, North Korea&rsquo;s only major ally, and drawn further tough sanctions from the United Nations and the United States.

The recent deterioration in ties between China and North Korea may have contributed to Tuesday&rsquo;s agreement, the Blue House official said.

The head of NATO on Tuesday urged all United Nation members to fully and transparently implement sanctions against North Korea, which he said has emerged as a global threat able to fire ballistic missiles as far as Europe and North America.

&#39;North Korea&rsquo;s ballistic and nuclear tests are an affront to the United Nations Security Council,&#39;&nbsp;North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Tokyo, where he met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

ANNOUNCEMENT WELCOMED, SHARES RALLY

In statement coordinated with South Korea&rsquo;s announcement, China&rsquo;s foreign ministry said the two countries would get relations back onto a normal track &#39;at an early date&#39;.

South Korea recognised China&rsquo;s concerns on the THAAD issue and made it clear the deployment was not aimed at any third country and did not harm China&rsquo;s strategic security interests, China&rsquo;s foreign ministry said.

China reiterated its opposition to the deployment of THAAD, but noted South Korea&rsquo;s position and hoped South Korea could appropriately handle the issue, it added.

South Korean companies operating in China have suffered since the spat erupted last year, although Beijing has never specifically linked its actions to the THAAD deployment.

&#39;China repeated this stance during discussions, saying difficulties faced by South Korean companies were prompted by individual Chinese citizens angered by the THAAD deployment,&#39;&nbsp;the Blue House official said, adding that improvements for South Korean companies would come slowly.

Lotte Group, which provided the land where THAAD was installed, has suffered most. It faces a costly overhaul and is expected to sell its Chinese hypermarket stores for a fraction of what it invested.

A spokesman for Lotte Corp, the holding company of Lotte Group, expressed hope South Korean firms&rsquo; business activity in China would improve following the announcement.

South Korean tourism and retail shares rallied, with Lotte Tour surging more than 18 percent and Lotte Shopping up as much as 5.7 percent.

Shares of Asiana Airlines gained as much as 4.6 percent.

Hopes have been growing for a thaw in the frosty bilateral ties following China&rsquo;s recently completed Congress Party conclave, during which President Xi Jinping cemented his status as China&rsquo;s most powerful leader after Mao Zedong.

Earlier this month, South Korea and China agreed to renew a $56 billion currency swap agreement, while Chinese airlines are reportedly planning to restore flight routes to South Korea that had been cut during the spat.

The two heads of state are likely to discuss North Korea?s missile and nuclear programme as well as ways to develop bilateral ties

South Korea and China have agreed to work swiftly to get their relations back on track following a year-long standoff over the deployment of a controversial US anti-missile system in South Korea. The installation of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system had angered China and spilled over into trade, hurting South Korean business interests in the country. China believed the system’s powerful radar could be used to look inside its territory. South Korea and the United States have repeatedly said THAAD only serves to defend against the growing missile threat from North Korea. 'Both sides shared the view that the strengthening of exchange and cooperation between Korea and China serves their common interests and agreed to expeditiously bring exchange and cooperation in all areas back on a normal development track,' South Korea’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. 'South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in will meet with China’s President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an upcoming summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries in Vietnam on November 10-11.' South Korea’s presidential office said. The two heads of state are likely to discuss North Korea’s missile and nuclear programme as well as ways to develop bilateral ties, a senior South Korean presidential Blue House official later told reporters, declining to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Pyongyang has undertaken an unprecedented missile testing programme in recent months, as well as its biggest nuclear test yet in early September, as it seeks to develop a powerful nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States. The moves have angered China, North Korea’s only major ally, and drawn further tough sanctions from the United Nations and the United States. The recent deterioration in ties between China and North Korea may have contributed to Tuesday’s agreement, the Blue House official said. The head of NATO on Tuesday urged all United Nation members to fully and transparently implement sanctions against North Korea, which he said has emerged as a global threat able to fire ballistic missiles as far as Europe and North America. 'North Korea’s ballistic and nuclear tests are an affront to the United Nations Security Council,' North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Tokyo, where he met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. ANNOUNCEMENT WELCOMED, SHARES RALLY In statement coordinated with South Korea’s announcement, China’s foreign ministry said the two countries would get relations back onto a normal track 'at an early date'. South Korea recognised China’s concerns on the THAAD issue and made it clear the deployment was not aimed at any third country and did not harm China’s strategic security interests, China’s foreign ministry said. China reiterated its opposition to the deployment of THAAD, but noted South Korea’s position and hoped South Korea could appropriately handle the issue, it added. South Korean companies operating in China have suffered since the spat erupted last year, although Beijing has never specifically linked its actions to the THAAD deployment. 'China repeated this stance during discussions, saying difficulties faced by South Korean companies were prompted by individual Chinese citizens angered by the THAAD deployment,' the Blue House official said, adding that improvements for South Korean companies would come slowly. Lotte Group, which provided the land where THAAD was installed, has suffered most. It faces a costly overhaul and is expected to sell its Chinese hypermarket stores for a fraction of what it invested. A spokesman for Lotte Corp, the holding company of Lotte Group, expressed hope South Korean firms’ business activity in China would improve following the announcement. South Korean tourism and retail shares rallied, with Lotte Tour surging more than 18 percent and Lotte Shopping up as much as 5.7 percent. Shares of Asiana Airlines gained as much as 4.6 percent. Hopes have been growing for a thaw in the frosty bilateral ties following China’s recently completed Congress Party conclave, during which President Xi Jinping cemented his status as China’s most powerful leader after Mao Zedong. Earlier this month, South Korea and China agreed to renew a $56 billion currency swap agreement, while Chinese airlines are reportedly planning to restore flight routes to South Korea that had been cut during the spat.

After THAAD fallout, South Korea, China would get relations back onto a normal track

In the latest release report by the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, former UN human rights official, David Hawk has described the brutal conditions faced by the prisoners of North Korea.&nbsp;

The report also included satellite images of the country showing a series of prisons.

Hawk describes the political prisons as &quot;system of arbitrary detention and severe repression&quot;.

The report highlights the horrific treatment of the prisons which includes &quot;grossly inadequate food rations&quot; resulting in consistent hunger and malnutrition.&nbsp;

The prisoners are also forced to do extremely dangerous and manual labour such as mining, farming, and logging.

The report&nbsp;mention of a large number of deaths occurred due to lack of medicine, inadequate diet, and brutal labour.&nbsp;

To top it all the report also reveals that many people are detained for &quot;crimes that are not really crimes&quot;.

The North Korean Criminal Code awards severe punishment for anything that it considers dissent and against the state. Similar treatment is given to unauthorised gatherings, hostile and superstitious activities.

Pyongyang&nbsp;refuses to accept the existence of its political penal labour camps called kwan-li-so. It says prisoners in its long term &quot;re-education&quot; penitentiaries known as kyo-hwa-so and run by police force are treated with &quot;warm love and consideration&quot;.

The UN has also accused North Korea authorities of committing crimes against humanity in political prisons.

The United States has sanctioned North Korea on Thursday for &quot;flagrant abuses of human rights&quot; by military and regime officials.

The report mention of a large number of deaths due to lack of medicine, inadequate diet, and brutal labour

In the latest release report by the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, former UN human rights official, David Hawk has described the brutal conditions faced by the prisoners of North Korea. The report also included satellite images of the country showing a series of prisons. Hawk describes the political prisons as "system of arbitrary detention and severe repression". The report highlights the horrific treatment of the prisons which includes "grossly inadequate food rations" resulting in consistent hunger and malnutrition. The prisoners are also forced to do extremely dangerous and manual labour such as mining, farming, and logging. The report mention of a large number of deaths occurred due to lack of medicine, inadequate diet, and brutal labour. To top it all the report also reveals that many people are detained for "crimes that are not really crimes". The North Korean Criminal Code awards severe punishment for anything that it considers dissent and against the state. Similar treatment is given to unauthorised gatherings, hostile and superstitious activities. Pyongyang refuses to accept the existence of its political penal labour camps called kwan-li-so. It says prisoners in its long term "re-education" penitentiaries known as kyo-hwa-so and run by police force are treated with "warm love and consideration". The UN has also accused North Korea authorities of committing crimes against humanity in political prisons. The United States has sanctioned North Korea on Thursday for "flagrant abuses of human rights" by military and regime officials.

Brutal torture in network of prisons in North Korea: Report

US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis on Saturday warned North Korea of a &quot;massive military response&quot; to any use of nuclear weapons as tensions remain sky-high ahead of Donald Trump&#39;s visit to South Korea.&nbsp;

Pyongyang in recent months has sparked global alarm by conducting a sixth nuclear test and test-launching missiles capable of reaching the US mainland, while Trump and the North&#39;s young ruler Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults.&nbsp;

Mattis, on a trip to Seoul for annual defence talks, maintained that diplomacy remained a &quot;preferred course of action&quot; but stressed, &quot;our diplomats are most effective when backed by credible military force&quot;.

&quot;Make no mistake -- any attack on the United States or our allies will be defeated,&quot; Mattis said at a joint press conference with his South Korean counterpart Song Young-Moo.&nbsp;

&quot;Any use of nuclear weapons by the North will be met with a massive military response, effective and overwhelming,&quot; Mattis said, adding Washington &quot;does not accept a nuclear North Korea.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;I cannot imagine a condition under which the United States will accept North Korea as a nuclear power,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Mattis did not specify the threshold of nuclear weapon activity that would trigger a military response. Pyongyang&#39;s Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month that his country could test a nuclear bomb over the Pacific.

But Mattis said Pyongyang should &quot;harbour no illusion&quot;, saying the isolated state is militarily &quot;overmatched&quot; by the US and South Korea -- a key ally of Washington that hosts 28,500 US troops.&nbsp;

&#39;Not rushing to war&#39; 
Mattis&#39; trip comes ahead of Trump&#39;s first presidential visit to South Korea next month as part of his Asia tour which also includes Japan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.&nbsp;

All eyes will be on Trump&#39;s message to the North and Kim. Trump is expected to deliver a speech at the South&#39;s parliament and to visit an US military base during a November 7-8 trip to Seoul. &nbsp;

Trump&#39;s recent remark that &quot;only one thing will work&quot; with the North fuelled concerns of a potential conflict on the divided peninsula where the 1950-53 Korean War had left millions dead.

But Mattis has repeatedly stressed a diplomatic solution to ease tension during his trip to Asia this week, saying Washington was &quot;not rushing to war&quot; and its goal was &quot;not war.&quot;&nbsp;

Some Trump advisers have said US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South&#39;s capital Seoul -- only about 50 kilometres from the border and home to 10 million people.&nbsp;

The North is estimated to have some 10,000 artillery pieces and at least 50 short-range missiles stationed along its heavily fortified border with the South.&nbsp;

The country has made significant progress in its atomic and missile technology under Kim, who took power after the death of his father and longtime ruler, Kim Jong-Il, in 2011.&nbsp;

Since then he has overseen four of the country&#39;s six nuclear tests and hailed its nuclear weapons as a &quot;treasured sword&quot; to protect itself from potential invasion by the &quot;imperialist enemy&quot; the US.

Growing nuclear threats by the North prompted calls by some Seoul lawmakers to deploy tactical US nuclear weapons in the South, but Song dismissed such a possibility.&nbsp;

&quot;We believe that tactical nukes are not worth deploying to the Korean peninsula,&quot; Song said, adding Seoul was capable of responding to potential nuclear attacks by the North without its own atomic weapon.&nbsp;

'Any use of nuclear weapons by the North will be met with a massive military response, effective and overwhelming,' Mattis said

US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis on Saturday warned North Korea of a "massive military response" to any use of nuclear weapons as tensions remain sky-high ahead of Donald Trump's visit to South Korea. Pyongyang in recent months has sparked global alarm by conducting a sixth nuclear test and test-launching missiles capable of reaching the US mainland, while Trump and the North's young ruler Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults. Mattis, on a trip to Seoul for annual defence talks, maintained that diplomacy remained a "preferred course of action" but stressed, "our diplomats are most effective when backed by credible military force". "Make no mistake -- any attack on the United States or our allies will be defeated," Mattis said at a joint press conference with his South Korean counterpart Song Young-Moo. "Any use of nuclear weapons by the North will be met with a massive military response, effective and overwhelming," Mattis said, adding Washington "does not accept a nuclear North Korea." "I cannot imagine a condition under which the United States will accept North Korea as a nuclear power," he said. Mattis did not specify the threshold of nuclear weapon activity that would trigger a military response. Pyongyang's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month that his country could test a nuclear bomb over the Pacific. But Mattis said Pyongyang should "harbour no illusion", saying the isolated state is militarily "overmatched" by the US and South Korea -- a key ally of Washington that hosts 28,500 US troops. 'Not rushing to war' Mattis' trip comes ahead of Trump's first presidential visit to South Korea next month as part of his Asia tour which also includes Japan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. All eyes will be on Trump's message to the North and Kim. Trump is expected to deliver a speech at the South's parliament and to visit an US military base during a November 7-8 trip to Seoul. Trump's recent remark that "only one thing will work" with the North fuelled concerns of a potential conflict on the divided peninsula where the 1950-53 Korean War had left millions dead. But Mattis has repeatedly stressed a diplomatic solution to ease tension during his trip to Asia this week, saying Washington was "not rushing to war" and its goal was "not war." Some Trump advisers have said US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South's capital Seoul -- only about 50 kilometres from the border and home to 10 million people. The North is estimated to have some 10,000 artillery pieces and at least 50 short-range missiles stationed along its heavily fortified border with the South. The country has made significant progress in its atomic and missile technology under Kim, who took power after the death of his father and longtime ruler, Kim Jong-Il, in 2011. Since then he has overseen four of the country's six nuclear tests and hailed its nuclear weapons as a "treasured sword" to protect itself from potential invasion by the "imperialist enemy" the US. Growing nuclear threats by the North prompted calls by some Seoul lawmakers to deploy tactical US nuclear weapons in the South, but Song dismissed such a possibility. "We believe that tactical nukes are not worth deploying to the Korean peninsula," Song said, adding Seoul was capable of responding to potential nuclear attacks by the North without its own atomic weapon.

Mattis warns 'massive' response to North Korea nuclear weapon use

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-more-dangerous-than-north-korea-ex-us-senator-22963" target="_blank">Washington&#39;s goal &quot;is not war&quot;</a> as it seeks to ease high military tension with Pyongyang, US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Friday, standing at the heavily-fortified border between the two Koreas.

Tension has flared on the Korean peninsula as US President Donald Trump and the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/why-north-koreas-nuclear-threat-must-be-taken-more-seriously-than-ever-22933" target="_blank">North&#39;s ruler Kim Jong-Un</a> have traded threats of war and personal insults that sparked global alarm.

Mattis, who visited the tense Demilitarised Zone during a trip to South Korea, criticised the North&#39;s &quot;pursuit of nuclear weapons... in order to threaten others with catastrophe&quot;.

But he maintained that the US was still committed to a &quot;diplomatic solution&quot;.

&quot;As the US Secretary of State Tillerson has made clear, our goal is not war but rather the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula,&quot; he said in the truce village of Panmunjom.

Mattis also stressed he and his South Korean counterpart Song Young-Moo had &quot;made clear our mutual commitment to a diplomatic solution to address North Korea&#39;s reckless, outlaw behaviour&quot;.

The remarks came a day after Mattis had said Washington was &quot;not rushing to war&quot; and was looking for a &quot;peaceful resolution&quot;.

He is set to hold annual defence talks with Song on Saturday during the two-day trip, which comes ahead of a planned trip by Trump to the South, a key US ally in Asia, next month.

Trump is set to visit Seoul from November 7 to 8 with all eyes on his message to the North and Kim.&nbsp;

The isolated North carried out its sixth nuclear test in September and has launched several missiles in recent months potentially capable of reaching the mainland of its &quot;imperialist enemy&quot; the US.&nbsp;

The moves staged in violation of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/not-scared-of-us-sanctions-north-korean-envoy-13640" target="_blank">UN resolutions banning the North from any use of atomic and ballistic technology</a>, prompted new US-led UN sanctions against the impoverished state.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Pyongyang reacted angrily to the new sanctions and Trump&#39;s recent remark that &quot;only one thing will work&quot; with the North fuelled concerns of a potential conflict.

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 North says its atomic weapons are &quot;treasured sword&quot; to protect itself from potential invasion by the US. Its missile technology has made significant progress under Kim, who took power after the death of his father in 2011.&nbsp;

But following a flurry of nuclear and missile tests, the North has gone more than a month without such provocations, leaving Seoul and Washington officials perplexed about its intention.

Also in a rare humanitarian gesture at a time of heightened tension, the North said Friday it would return a South Korean fishing boat captured after crossing the sea border.

The ship, captured last Saturday after &quot;illegally&quot; crossing the border off the east coast, would be repatriated Friday evening &quot;from the humanitarian point of view&quot;, state-run news agency KCNA said.

The North has been accused of abducting many South Korean fishermen and Japanese civilians in the 1960s, 70s and 80s to use some of them as tutors to train North Korean spies to be sent abroad.

The moves staged in violation of UN resolutions banning the North from any use of atomic and ballistic technology, prompted new US-led UN sanctions against the impoverished state. Pyongyang reacted angrily to the new sanctions

Washington's goal "is not war" as it seeks to ease high military tension with Pyongyang, US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Friday, standing at the heavily-fortified border between the two Koreas. Tension has flared on the Korean peninsula as US President Donald Trump and the North's ruler Kim Jong-Un have traded threats of war and personal insults that sparked global alarm. Mattis, who visited the tense Demilitarised Zone during a trip to South Korea, criticised the North's "pursuit of nuclear weapons... in order to threaten others with catastrophe". But he maintained that the US was still committed to a "diplomatic solution". "As the US Secretary of State Tillerson has made clear, our goal is not war but rather the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," he said in the truce village of Panmunjom. Mattis also stressed he and his South Korean counterpart Song Young-Moo had "made clear our mutual commitment to a diplomatic solution to address North Korea's reckless, outlaw behaviour". The remarks came a day after Mattis had said Washington was "not rushing to war" and was looking for a "peaceful resolution". He is set to hold annual defence talks with Song on Saturday during the two-day trip, which comes ahead of a planned trip by Trump to the South, a key US ally in Asia, next month. Trump is set to visit Seoul from November 7 to 8 with all eyes on his message to the North and Kim. The isolated North carried out its sixth nuclear test in September and has launched several missiles in recent months potentially capable of reaching the mainland of its "imperialist enemy" the US. The moves staged in violation of UN resolutions banning the North from any use of atomic and ballistic technology, prompted new US-led UN sanctions against the impoverished state. Pyongyang reacted angrily to the new sanctions and Trump's recent remark that "only one thing will work" with the North fuelled concerns of a potential conflict. 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 North says its atomic weapons are "treasured sword" to protect itself from potential invasion by the US. Its missile technology has made significant progress under Kim, who took power after the death of his father in 2011. But following a flurry of nuclear and missile tests, the North has gone more than a month without such provocations, leaving Seoul and Washington officials perplexed about its intention. Also in a rare humanitarian gesture at a time of heightened tension, the North said Friday it would return a South Korean fishing boat captured after crossing the sea border. The ship, captured last Saturday after "illegally" crossing the border off the east coast, would be repatriated Friday evening "from the humanitarian point of view", state-run news agency KCNA said. The North has been accused of abducting many South Korean fishermen and Japanese civilians in the 1960s, 70s and 80s to use some of them as tutors to train North Korean spies to be sent abroad.

Mattis says US goal is 'not war' over North Korea, bans use of atomic and ballistic technology

Britain said on Friday it believed North Korea was behind the WannaCry&nbsp;cyber attack in May that disrupted businesses and government services worldwide, including the National Health Service (NHS) in England.

Security Minister Ben Wallace said Britain believed quite strongly&nbsp;that the ransomware attack came from a foreign state.&nbsp;

&quot;North Korea was the state that we believe was involved in this worldwide attack on our systems&quot; he told BBC radio.

&quot;We can be as sure as possible - I can`t obviously go into the detailed intelligence but it is widely believed in the community and across a number of countries that North Korea had taken this role.&quot;

WannaCry infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries in a matter of days, demanding victims pay ransoms starting at $300 to regain access to their machines.

Cyber security researchers quickly identified a possible link to North Korea.

More than a third of England&#39;s 236 NHS trusts and an estimated 19,000 appointments were affected, Britain`s National Audit Office said on Friday in a report on the attack.

It also said that WannaCry was a relatively unsophisticated attack that could have been prevented by the NHS had it followed basic IT security best practice.

No NHS organisation had paid the ransom but the government did&nbsp;not know how much the disruption to services costed the NHS.&nbsp;

Wallace said Britain needed to redouble its efforts to strengthen cyber security.

&quot;It&#39;s a salient lesson for us all that all of us, from individuals to governments to large organisations, have a role to play in maintaining the security of our networks,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Security Minister Ben Wallace said Britain believed quite strongly?that the ransomware attack came from a foreign state.

Britain said on Friday it believed North Korea was behind the WannaCry cyber attack in May that disrupted businesses and government services worldwide, including the National Health Service (NHS) in England. Security Minister Ben Wallace said Britain believed quite strongly that the ransomware attack came from a foreign state. "North Korea was the state that we believe was involved in this worldwide attack on our systems" he told BBC radio. "We can be as sure as possible - I can`t obviously go into the detailed intelligence but it is widely believed in the community and across a number of countries that North Korea had taken this role." WannaCry infected more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries in a matter of days, demanding victims pay ransoms starting at $300 to regain access to their machines. Cyber security researchers quickly identified a possible link to North Korea. More than a third of England's 236 NHS trusts and an estimated 19,000 appointments were affected, Britain`s National Audit Office said on Friday in a report on the attack. It also said that WannaCry was a relatively unsophisticated attack that could have been prevented by the NHS had it followed basic IT security best practice. No NHS organisation had paid the ransom but the government did not know how much the disruption to services costed the NHS. Wallace said Britain needed to redouble its efforts to strengthen cyber security. "It's a salient lesson for us all that all of us, from individuals to governments to large organisations, have a role to play in maintaining the security of our networks," he said.

Britain believes North Korea was behind ransomware 'WannaCry' NHS cyber attack

Pakistan is more dangerous than North Korea as it does not have a centralised control on its nuclear weapons, making them vulnerable to theft and sale, a former top American Senator warned, describing both the nations as rogue states.

Larry Pressler, who served as chairman of the US Senate&#39;s Arms Control Subcommittee, feared that Pakistan&#39;s nuclear weapons might be used against the US, warning of the possibility of someone buying these nuclear weapons from generals or colonels.

As chairman of Senate Arms Control Subcommittee, Pressler advocated the now-famous Pressler Amendment, enforced in 1990.

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<h5>When a Pakistani embassy official asked Pressler if it is appropriate to categorise Pakistan and North Korea on the same page, the former Senator said &#39;Yes&#39;</h5>
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Aid and military sales to Pakistan were blocked, including a consignment of F-16 fighter aircraft, changing forever the tenor of the US relationships with Pakistan and India. &quot;Their weapons could be transported to the US fairly simply. Just as 9/11 was a very simple operation run by 20 or 30 people,&quot; he said.

&quot;The Pakistani nuclear bombs are not controlled. They are subject to sale or stealing and they could be easily gotten out of Pakistan to just about anywhere in the world,&quot; he said speaking at an event organised by The Hudson Institute, a top American think-tank.

&quot;I consider Pakistan more dangerous than North Korea in the sense that Pakistan doesn&#39;t have a centralised control of their nuclear weapons,&quot; Pressler said while discussing his latest book &#39;Neighbours in Arms: An American Senator&#39;s Quest for Disarmament in a Nuclear Subcontinent&#39;.

The former top American Senator, however, said he does not think that Pakistan&#39;s nuclear weapons are going to be used against India.

&quot;I think what North Korea needs is just a lot of attention and hand-holding. Pakistan is a different thing because you don&#39;t really have one person in charge. I think Pakistan is more dangerous to the US,&quot; he reiterated in response to a question.

With Secretary of State Rex Tillerson having just concluded his India trip wherein he sought to elevate India-US relationship, Pressler said the US should declare Pakistan a terrorist state.

&quot;We should declare Pakistan a terrorist state. We should put certain sanctions on Pakistan,&quot;&nbsp;he said.

Pressler said in his book he has made recommendations for some reforms to treat India at a higher level.

When a Pakistani embassy official asked Pressler, if it is appropriate to categorise Pakistan and North Korea on the same page, the former Senator said &quot;Yes&quot;.

&quot;From a nuclear dangerous point of view, I think they are both the rogue states in my opinion. They both do not have the interests of the US in mind. Pakistan has and is harbouring terrorists. And North Korea is a threat to the US,&quot; he said.

He said President Donald Trump may be one of the best presidents of US&nbsp;for India in terms of Indo-US relationship.

Trump, Tillerson and the secretary of defense are advocating closer relationships with India, he said.

&quot;They are coming close to declaring Pakistan a terrorist state or at least in effect. And they are very interested in moving toward more free trade with India of course,&quot; the former Senator from South Dakota said.

Moderating the session, former Pakistan&#39;s ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani said American officials have acknowledged that Pakistan has a stable command and control system over its nuclear programme. 
Haqqani, however, said, &quot;Pakistanis are living in a narrative that is purely Pakistani.&quot;

&quot;One should pay attention to what Pressler said that while he started out by being critical of the nuclear programme of everybody it was Pakistan&#39;s repeated inability to keep the promises that made him particularly critical,&quot; he said.

&quot;I&#39;m a Pakistani too and I would say that there is some merit to that argument where the Pakistanis want to recognise it or not. We have a tendency to over promise and then later on give excuses for why we couldn&#39;t keep our promise that&#39;s not just in relation to the nuclear issue, we have seen that over Afghanistan in the last two decades, he said.&nbsp;

Pakistan is more dangerous than North Korea becuase it does not have centralised control over its nuclear weapons, making them vulnerable to theft and sale, said Larry Pressler

Pakistan is more dangerous than North Korea as it does not have a centralised control on its nuclear weapons, making them vulnerable to theft and sale, a former top American Senator warned, describing both the nations as rogue states. Larry Pressler, who served as chairman of the US Senate's Arms Control Subcommittee, feared that Pakistan's nuclear weapons might be used against the US, warning of the possibility of someone buying these nuclear weapons from generals or colonels. As chairman of Senate Arms Control Subcommittee, Pressler advocated the now-famous Pressler Amendment, enforced in 1990. When a Pakistani embassy official asked Pressler if it is appropriate to categorise Pakistan and North Korea on the same page, the former Senator said 'Yes' × Aid and military sales to Pakistan were blocked, including a consignment of F-16 fighter aircraft, changing forever the tenor of the US relationships with Pakistan and India. "Their weapons could be transported to the US fairly simply. Just as 9/11 was a very simple operation run by 20 or 30 people," he said. "The Pakistani nuclear bombs are not controlled. They are subject to sale or stealing and they could be easily gotten out of Pakistan to just about anywhere in the world," he said speaking at an event organised by The Hudson Institute, a top American think-tank. "I consider Pakistan more dangerous than North Korea in the sense that Pakistan doesn't have a centralised control of their nuclear weapons," Pressler said while discussing his latest book 'Neighbours in Arms: An American Senator's Quest for Disarmament in a Nuclear Subcontinent'. The former top American Senator, however, said he does not think that Pakistan's nuclear weapons are going to be used against India. "I think what North Korea needs is just a lot of attention and hand-holding. Pakistan is a different thing because you don't really have one person in charge. I think Pakistan is more dangerous to the US," he reiterated in response to a question. With Secretary of State Rex Tillerson having just concluded his India trip wherein he sought to elevate India-US relationship, Pressler said the US should declare Pakistan a terrorist state. "We should declare Pakistan a terrorist state. We should put certain sanctions on Pakistan," he said. Pressler said in his book he has made recommendations for some reforms to treat India at a higher level. When a Pakistani embassy official asked Pressler, if it is appropriate to categorise Pakistan and North Korea on the same page, the former Senator said "Yes". "From a nuclear dangerous point of view, I think they are both the rogue states in my opinion. They both do not have the interests of the US in mind. Pakistan has and is harbouring terrorists. And North Korea is a threat to the US," he said. He said President Donald Trump may be one of the best presidents of US for India in terms of Indo-US relationship. Trump, Tillerson and the secretary of defense are advocating closer relationships with India, he said. "They are coming close to declaring Pakistan a terrorist state or at least in effect. And they are very interested in moving toward more free trade with India of course," the former Senator from South Dakota said. Moderating the session, former Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani said American officials have acknowledged that Pakistan has a stable command and control system over its nuclear programme. Haqqani, however, said, "Pakistanis are living in a narrative that is purely Pakistani." "One should pay attention to what Pressler said that while he started out by being critical of the nuclear programme of everybody it was Pakistan's repeated inability to keep the promises that made him particularly critical," he said. "I'm a Pakistani too and I would say that there is some merit to that argument where the Pakistanis want to recognise it or not. We have a tendency to over promise and then later on give excuses for why we couldn't keep our promise that's not just in relation to the nuclear issue, we have seen that over Afghanistan in the last two decades, he said.

Pak more dangerous than North Korea: Ex-US Senator

During what was the 2017 Easter weekend for most of the world, North Koreans celebrated the &ldquo;Day of the Sun&rdquo;. It was the 105th birthday of the country&rsquo;s late founding leader and &ldquo;eternal president&rdquo; Kim Il-sung (1912-1994).

Thousands of soldiers, military vehicles and, most notably, various ballistic missiles were paraded for the inspection of current supreme leader Kim Jong-Un (Kim Il-sung&rsquo;s grandson).

But it wasn&rsquo;t the parade that signalled North Korea&rsquo;s belligerence; numerous other countries hold military parades to mark some significant occasion or another.

Instead, what was clearly aggressive was the presentation of a mock-up video of the country&rsquo;s ballistic missiles destroying an American city during a national musical performance.

This video is the most visceral expression yet of Pyongyang&rsquo;s intentions. Its telecast was likely timed to coincide with the expected arrival of the US Navy&rsquo;s aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, and its accompanying fleet of warships in Korean waters.

Inching closer

On April 8, US President Donald Trump and other American officials told the media that the Carl Vinson had been ordered to make its way towards the Korean peninsula. The likely plan was to demonstrate American resolve in managing the crisis that North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear weapons program has created.

Subsequent revelations that the warship was actually heading south for exercises with the Australian Navy at the time showed a series of blunders in internal communication. But the fact that the Carl Vinson has arrived off Korean waters two weeks later does not change the prospect of a military conflict between North Korea and the United States.

The key question is whether North Korea does have nuclear weapons that it can readily use against the United States and its regional allies, South Korea and Japan. It&rsquo;s still unlikely North Korea has the current capability to launch a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile that can destroy an American city.

North Korea&rsquo;s scientists have yet to master the technology to build missiles that can traverse this distance and to construct warheads that can survive re-entry into the Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere after space flight.

But years of testing has allowed North Korea to inch closer to getting right the extremely demanding science of building and launching viable intercontinental nuclear weapons. And this is why the United States is against further testing, to the point that the Trump administration seems serious about justifying pre-emptive strikes on the basis of further nuclear and missile tests.

What is of immediate concern is that previous tests have led to North Korea being able to achieve the relatively easier requirements of building workable medium-range ballistic missiles, with small enough warheads, to strike American bases in South Korea and Japan. These have about 80,000 US military personnel in total.

Approaching catastrophe

North Korea may already have as many 20 nuclear warheads that are small enough to be carried on its Nodong (or Rodong-1) medium-range missiles that can reach these bases. And the Trump administration seems to not want to risk the lives of American soldiers by assuming that North Korea doesn&rsquo;t already have this nuclear capability.

The cost of that mistake would be the lives of not just 80,000 American military personnel but also countless South Korean and Japanese lives as well. In fact, a North Korean nuclear attack, which will likely develop into war, can be expected to create a humanitarian, environmental and economic catastrophe that will set back the international community.

This is what&rsquo;s immediately at stake for everyone. And it explains why the United States is putting pressure on China, as an ally of North Korea, to influence it to stop its nuclear weapons program.

But if China and other countries fail to stop North Korea building nuclear weapons, the United States will feel pressured to use military force to destroy whatever nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles sites it can locate by satellite surveillance.

The decision to divert the Carl Vinson to waters near the Korean peninsula may also be driven by new intelligence on North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear threat. The challenge is that sending an American naval armada towards North Korea risks triggering the very nuclear attack against US bases that the Trump administration is trying to avoid in the first place.

This could explain why the administration said it was sending its naval vessels two weeks ago when it really did so later. It may have been to test North Korea&rsquo;s attitude without escalating the situation by the actual presence of American naval forces that could trigger military action by Kim Jong-Un&rsquo;s regime.

A worrying stand-off

Why would North Korea want to use nuclear weapons against American bases in Northeast Asia in the first place? It is helpful to remember that, technically, North and South Korea have been at war since 1950 (the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice rather than peace). And that the United States has chosen to provide military assistance to the South to help protect it from any aggression by the North.

North Korea may have a very large army of about one million soldiers. South Korea effectively has half that number. Although the majority of South Korea&rsquo;s able-bodied male citizens may contribute to a military reserve of a few million soldiers, mobilising them in time to respond to a conflict is another question and their role is often excluded from analyses.

As such, the American military personnel and the superior equipment, aircraft and ships that they operate provide the South with a better chance of avoiding defeat should war break out.

Pyongyang&rsquo;s intention in using nuclear weapons would be to destroy these American bases to remove the advantage they give to South Korea&rsquo;s national defence. This is why the threat of nuclear use, especially by a more brazen regime under Kim Jong-Un, needs to be taken very seriously.

Such is the current quagmire as the world waits to see how the geopolitics of the Korean peninsula will unfold over the next few months. And as strategists and policymakers scramble to find other approaches for halting North Korea&rsquo;s growing nuclear threat.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-north-koreas-nuclear-threat-must-be-taken-more-seriously-than-ever-76592" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

North Korea?s growing nuclear power intends to destroy the US army bases in Korean region

During what was the 2017 Easter weekend for most of the world, North Koreans celebrated the “Day of the Sun”. It was the 105th birthday of the country’s late founding leader and “eternal president” Kim Il-sung (1912-1994). Thousands of soldiers, military vehicles and, most notably, various ballistic missiles were paraded for the inspection of current supreme leader Kim Jong-Un (Kim Il-sung’s grandson). But it wasn’t the parade that signalled North Korea’s belligerence; numerous other countries hold military parades to mark some significant occasion or another. Instead, what was clearly aggressive was the presentation of a mock-up video of the country’s ballistic missiles destroying an American city during a national musical performance. This video is the most visceral expression yet of Pyongyang’s intentions. Its telecast was likely timed to coincide with the expected arrival of the US Navy’s aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, and its accompanying fleet of warships in Korean waters. Inching closer On April 8, US President Donald Trump and other American officials told the media that the Carl Vinson had been ordered to make its way towards the Korean peninsula. The likely plan was to demonstrate American resolve in managing the crisis that North Korea’s nuclear weapons program has created. Subsequent revelations that the warship was actually heading south for exercises with the Australian Navy at the time showed a series of blunders in internal communication. But the fact that the Carl Vinson has arrived off Korean waters two weeks later does not change the prospect of a military conflict between North Korea and the United States. The key question is whether North Korea does have nuclear weapons that it can readily use against the United States and its regional allies, South Korea and Japan. It’s still unlikely North Korea has the current capability to launch a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile that can destroy an American city. North Korea’s scientists have yet to master the technology to build missiles that can traverse this distance and to construct warheads that can survive re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere after space flight. But years of testing has allowed North Korea to inch closer to getting right the extremely demanding science of building and launching viable intercontinental nuclear weapons. And this is why the United States is against further testing, to the point that the Trump administration seems serious about justifying pre-emptive strikes on the basis of further nuclear and missile tests. What is of immediate concern is that previous tests have led to North Korea being able to achieve the relatively easier requirements of building workable medium-range ballistic missiles, with small enough warheads, to strike American bases in South Korea and Japan. These have about 80,000 US military personnel in total. Approaching catastrophe North Korea may already have as many 20 nuclear warheads that are small enough to be carried on its Nodong (or Rodong-1) medium-range missiles that can reach these bases. And the Trump administration seems to not want to risk the lives of American soldiers by assuming that North Korea doesn’t already have this nuclear capability. The cost of that mistake would be the lives of not just 80,000 American military personnel but also countless South Korean and Japanese lives as well. In fact, a North Korean nuclear attack, which will likely develop into war, can be expected to create a humanitarian, environmental and economic catastrophe that will set back the international community. This is what’s immediately at stake for everyone. And it explains why the United States is putting pressure on China, as an ally of North Korea, to influence it to stop its nuclear weapons program. But if China and other countries fail to stop North Korea building nuclear weapons, the United States will feel pressured to use military force to destroy whatever nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles sites it can locate by satellite surveillance. The decision to divert the Carl Vinson to waters near the Korean peninsula may also be driven by new intelligence on North Korea’s nuclear threat. The challenge is that sending an American naval armada towards North Korea risks triggering the very nuclear attack against US bases that the Trump administration is trying to avoid in the first place. This could explain why the administration said it was sending its naval vessels two weeks ago when it really did so later. It may have been to test North Korea’s attitude without escalating the situation by the actual presence of American naval forces that could trigger military action by Kim Jong-Un’s regime. A worrying stand-off Why would North Korea want to use nuclear weapons against American bases in Northeast Asia in the first place? It is helpful to remember that, technically, North and South Korea have been at war since 1950 (the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice rather than peace). And that the United States has chosen to provide military assistance to the South to help protect it from any aggression by the North. North Korea may have a very large army of about one million soldiers. South Korea effectively has half that number. Although the majority of South Korea’s able-bodied male citizens may contribute to a military reserve of a few million soldiers, mobilising them in time to respond to a conflict is another question and their role is often excluded from analyses. As such, the American military personnel and the superior equipment, aircraft and ships that they operate provide the South with a better chance of avoiding defeat should war break out. Pyongyang’s intention in using nuclear weapons would be to destroy these American bases to remove the advantage they give to South Korea’s national defence. This is why the threat of nuclear use, especially by a more brazen regime under Kim Jong-Un, needs to be taken very seriously. Such is the current quagmire as the world waits to see how the geopolitics of the Korean peninsula will unfold over the next few months. And as strategists and policymakers scramble to find other approaches for halting North Korea’s growing nuclear threat. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Why North Korea's nuclear threat must be taken more seriously than ever

The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015 requires every country to make pledges to tackle climate change. North Korea is no exception.

Given that air pollution doesn&rsquo;t recognise borders, there are already several emissions-reduction projects underway that will require cooperation between Asian nations.

To meet its obligations, South Korea has pledged to buy emissions credits on the international market, offsetting 11.3 per cent of its business-as-usual emissions in 2030. That is 96.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions &ndash; already more than North Korea&rsquo;s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2013 (78 million tonnes).

Because North Korea has its own obligations now, foreign countries including South Korea can no longer earn carbon credits from their carbon-offsetting projects in the country.

But if South Korea provides technical assistance such as satellite monitoring of North Korea&rsquo;s reforestation progression and then can obtain the country&rsquo;s &ldquo;informed consent&rdquo;, a mutual effort to generate carbon credits could be discussed.

Air pollution

Addressing transboundary air pollution is the latest development in regional cooperation. North Korea has been an inaugural member (since 1993) of the North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC), one goal of which is to mitigate transboundary air pollution.

A recent study by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (written in Korean) revealed that 38 per cent of pollution particles in the city&rsquo;s ambient air come from China and another 7 per cent from North Korea.

A Japanese air-transport model estimated that more than 45 per cent of ambient PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) concentration in Nonodake (350km north of Tokyo) is from China. Although reducing this pollution in a coordinated way will be a difficult task, real-time data exchange (as proposed by NEASPEC) might be relatively easier.

If the Northeast Asian countries share real-time emissions data as well as the currently available meteorological data, they could generate more reliable pollution forecasts and help people prepare for high-pollution events. The harder task of particle pollution mitigation will be better addressed when the level of negotiating partners is upgraded from the current ministerial level to head of state level.

Developing neighbour-friendly energies

If Northeast Asia is to have a sustainable energy future, more regional cooperation will be required.

The trilateral Russia-China-Korea natural gas pipeline is bringing Russian natural gas to South Korea. Natural gas is not a sustainable energy source, but it can be a &ldquo;bridging fuel&rdquo; to help countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by replacing coal until their renewable energy technology and systems evolve. Then, a natural gas pipeline is an attractive option for South Korea, the world&rsquo;s second-biggest LNG importer after Japan.

Currently, South Korea&rsquo;s natural gas imports consist entirely of more expensive LNG. In the early 2000s, the Trans-Korean natural gas pipeline proposal was planned to supply Russian natural gas to South Korea using a shortcut pipeline passing through North Korea.

Reportedly, South Korean President Moon has shown interest in the project too. However, the project is not possible until the nuclear crisis in the Korean Peninsula is resolved.

Instead, there is an alternative for South Korea to seek a regional d&eacute;tente with a natural gas pipeline. Russia&rsquo;s &ldquo;Power of Siberia&rdquo; pipeline is planned to connect into the capital region of China. If this happens, extending the supply chain to South Korea via an undersea pipeline between China&rsquo;s Shandong peninsula and Korea&rsquo;s Incheon will be simpler. The pipeline would enhance the three countries&rsquo; economic ties and political cooperation.

Asia clean grid connections

The other energy option, the Asia international grid connection, is a project promoted by South Korea, Japan, and Mongolia. The basic idea is that vast solar and wind energy potential of Mongolia&rsquo;s Gobi Desert can be utilised by South Korea and Japan. A super grid would connect the countries in Northeast Asia.

This option&rsquo;s most prominent supporter is Masayoshi Son, chief executive of SoftBank, Japan&rsquo;s third-largest public company. Several research institutions and the Korea Electric Power Corporation, South Korea&rsquo;s only operator of the national grid, have been studying its feasibility.

The Asian Development Bank is conducting a technical feasibility assessment, at Mongolia&rsquo;s request. In April, the Renewable Energy Institute, an organisation founded by Mr Son in Tokyo, found the project will benefit all participating countries, citing many successfully operating international grid connections. But it lacks China&rsquo;s active participation.

If further research can find evidence that the project will significantly improve China&rsquo;s air quality by reducing coal consumption, national governments of the region might help make it happen.

Of course, true green d&eacute;tente in Northeast Asia cannot happen without North Korea&rsquo;s support and participation. However, if any of the reviewed four options become reality, it will give North Korea a strong incentive to cooperate.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/tackling-climate-change-could-bring-north-and-south-korea-closer-and-help-stabilise-the-region-82046" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

&nbsp;

Green d?tente options could help South Korea ease the diplomatic tensions in the region

The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015 requires every country to make pledges to tackle climate change. North Korea is no exception. Given that air pollution doesn’t recognise borders, there are already several emissions-reduction projects underway that will require cooperation between Asian nations. To meet its obligations, South Korea has pledged to buy emissions credits on the international market, offsetting 11.3 per cent of its business-as-usual emissions in 2030. That is 96.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions – already more than North Korea’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2013 (78 million tonnes). Because North Korea has its own obligations now, foreign countries including South Korea can no longer earn carbon credits from their carbon-offsetting projects in the country. But if South Korea provides technical assistance such as satellite monitoring of North Korea’s reforestation progression and then can obtain the country’s “informed consent”, a mutual effort to generate carbon credits could be discussed. Air pollution Addressing transboundary air pollution is the latest development in regional cooperation. North Korea has been an inaugural member (since 1993) of the North-East Asian Subregional Programme for Environmental Cooperation (NEASPEC), one goal of which is to mitigate transboundary air pollution. A recent study by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (written in Korean) revealed that 38 per cent of pollution particles in the city’s ambient air come from China and another 7 per cent from North Korea. A Japanese air-transport model estimated that more than 45 per cent of ambient PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) concentration in Nonodake (350km north of Tokyo) is from China. Although reducing this pollution in a coordinated way will be a difficult task, real-time data exchange (as proposed by NEASPEC) might be relatively easier. If the Northeast Asian countries share real-time emissions data as well as the currently available meteorological data, they could generate more reliable pollution forecasts and help people prepare for high-pollution events. The harder task of particle pollution mitigation will be better addressed when the level of negotiating partners is upgraded from the current ministerial level to head of state level. Developing neighbour-friendly energies If Northeast Asia is to have a sustainable energy future, more regional cooperation will be required. The trilateral Russia-China-Korea natural gas pipeline is bringing Russian natural gas to South Korea. Natural gas is not a sustainable energy source, but it can be a “bridging fuel” to help countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by replacing coal until their renewable energy technology and systems evolve. Then, a natural gas pipeline is an attractive option for South Korea, the world’s second-biggest LNG importer after Japan. Currently, South Korea’s natural gas imports consist entirely of more expensive LNG. In the early 2000s, the Trans-Korean natural gas pipeline proposal was planned to supply Russian natural gas to South Korea using a shortcut pipeline passing through North Korea. Reportedly, South Korean President Moon has shown interest in the project too. However, the project is not possible until the nuclear crisis in the Korean Peninsula is resolved. Instead, there is an alternative for South Korea to seek a regional détente with a natural gas pipeline. Russia’s “Power of Siberia” pipeline is planned to connect into the capital region of China. If this happens, extending the supply chain to South Korea via an undersea pipeline between China’s Shandong peninsula and Korea’s Incheon will be simpler. The pipeline would enhance the three countries’ economic ties and political cooperation. Asia clean grid connections The other energy option, the Asia international grid connection, is a project promoted by South Korea, Japan, and Mongolia. The basic idea is that vast solar and wind energy potential of Mongolia’s Gobi Desert can be utilised by South Korea and Japan. A super grid would connect the countries in Northeast Asia. This option’s most prominent supporter is Masayoshi Son, chief executive of SoftBank, Japan’s third-largest public company. Several research institutions and the Korea Electric Power Corporation, South Korea’s only operator of the national grid, have been studying its feasibility. The Asian Development Bank is conducting a technical feasibility assessment, at Mongolia’s request. In April, the Renewable Energy Institute, an organisation founded by Mr Son in Tokyo, found the project will benefit all participating countries, citing many successfully operating international grid connections. But it lacks China’s active participation. If further research can find evidence that the project will significantly improve China’s air quality by reducing coal consumption, national governments of the region might help make it happen. Of course, true green détente in Northeast Asia cannot happen without North Korea’s support and participation. However, if any of the reviewed four options become reality, it will give North Korea a strong incentive to cooperate. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Tackling climate change could bring North and South Korea closer

US President Donald Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka&nbsp;extended Diwali wishes to the people around the world on Twitter.

&nbsp;The advisor to the US President wrote on Twitter:&nbsp;Wishing Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains around the world a joyful Diwali. Saal Mubarak to all!

She also added that she is looking forward to her visit to India for Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Wishing Hindus, Sikhs &amp; Jains around the world a joyful <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Diwali?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Diwali</a>. Saal Mubarak to all! Looking forward to my visit to India for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GES2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GES2017</a>. <a href="https://t.co/O1tmiFzECc">pic.twitter.com/O1tmiFzECc</a>
&mdash; Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump/status/920731344220680194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

GES will be held in Hyderabad on November 28-30.

The theme of the 2017 summit is &quot;Women First, Prosperity for All.&quot;

The summit will highlight the crucial role played by women in fostering global growth and prosperity.

Earlier, US president <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/watch-inside-president-trumps-diwali-celebrations-at-the-white-house-22571" target="_blank">Donald Trump also wished&nbsp;&quot;Happy Diwali&quot; to the people of India through a Facebook post</a>.&nbsp;

In his post, the US President wrote that he greatly valued his &quot;very strong relationship&quot; with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="527" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FDonaldTrump%2Fvideos%2F10160011016295725%2F&amp;show_text=1&amp;width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

The exercise is being held off the coasts of South Korea and Japan which is the southern side of the de facto maritime border known as the Northern Limit Line.

US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka extended Diwali wishes to the people around the world on Twitter. The advisor to the US President wrote on Twitter: Wishing Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains around the world a joyful Diwali. Saal Mubarak to all! She also added that she is looking forward to her visit to India for Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017. Wishing Hindus, Sikhs & Jains around the world a joyful #Diwali. Saal Mubarak to all! Looking forward to my visit to India for #GES2017. pic.twitter.com/O1tmiFzECc — Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) October 18, 2017 × GES will be held in Hyderabad on November 28-30. The theme of the 2017 summit is "Women First, Prosperity for All." The summit will highlight the crucial role played by women in fostering global growth and prosperity. Earlier, US president Donald Trump also wished "Happy Diwali" to the people of India through a Facebook post. In his post, the US President wrote that he greatly valued his "very strong relationship" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ×

South Korea, US and Japan begin missile tracking drill

Fresh off a decisive election victory, Japan&#39;s leader pledged today to tackle what he called Japan&#39;s two national crises, the military threat from North Korea and an aging and shrinking population.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a news conference that he is committed to protecting the Japanese people&#39;s prosperity and peace from any contingency. He also referred to the Japanese kidnapped years ago and believed still held by North Korea.

&quot;I will pursue decisive and strong diplomacy to tackle North Korea&#39;s missile, nuclear and abduction issues and put further pressure to get it to change its policy,&quot; he said.

His ruling coalition was returned to power in elections yesterday for Japan&#39;s more powerful lower house. Abe said the result showed &quot;strong support&quot; and thanked the people for backing stability and his government&#39;s policies.

He promised a comprehensive package by the end of the year to deal with Japan&#39;s demographic challenges, including investments in education, productivity improvements, and pension system reform.

Abe called them Japan's two national crises

Fresh off a decisive election victory, Japan's leader pledged today to tackle what he called Japan's two national crises, the military threat from North Korea and an aging and shrinking population. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a news conference that he is committed to protecting the Japanese people's prosperity and peace from any contingency. He also referred to the Japanese kidnapped years ago and believed still held by North Korea. "I will pursue decisive and strong diplomacy to tackle North Korea's missile, nuclear and abduction issues and put further pressure to get it to change its policy," he said. His ruling coalition was returned to power in elections yesterday for Japan's more powerful lower house. Abe said the result showed "strong support" and thanked the people for backing stability and his government's policies. He promised a comprehensive package by the end of the year to deal with Japan's demographic challenges, including investments in education, productivity improvements, and pension system reform.

After election win, Shinzo Abe says his priorities are North Korea and ageing Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe swept to a resounding victory in a snap election Sunday and immediately vowed to &quot;deal firmly&quot; with threats from North Korea that dominated the campaign.

Abe&#39;s ruling conservative coalition was on track to win more than 310 seats in the 465-seat parliament, according to a projection from public broadcaster NHK, handing the premier a two-thirds &quot;super-majority.&quot;

This allows nationalist Abe to propose changes to pacifist Japan&#39;s US-imposed constitution, which forces it to renounce war and effectively limits its military to a self-defence role.

Abe said the comfortable election win had stiffened his resolve to tackle North Korea&#39;s nuclear threat, as the key US regional ally seeks to step up pressure on Pyongyang after it fired two missiles over Japan in the space of a month.

&quot;As I promised in the election, my imminent task is to firmly deal with North Korea,&quot; said Abe, who is now on course to become the country&#39;s longest-serving leader.

&quot;For that, strong diplomacy is required,&quot; stressed the 63 year-old, who has courted both US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Abe said he would &quot;deepen&quot; debate on the divisive constitution issue in parliament but stressed: &quot;I don&#39;t plan to propose (changes) via the ruling bloc alone. We&#39;ll make efforts to gain support from as many people as possible.&quot;

As results came in, television images showed jubilant victorious lawmakers bowing deeply before punching the air with cries of &quot;Banzai&quot;, the Japanese equivalent of three cheers.

&#39;Very severe result&#39;&nbsp;

Millions of Japanese braved torrential rain and driving winds to vote as a typhoon lashed the country, with many heeding warnings to cast their ballots early.

&quot;I support Abe&#39;s stance not to give in to North Korea&#39;s pressure,&quot; said Yoshihisa Iemori as he cast his ballot in a rainswept Tokyo.

Abe&#39;s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) benefited from a weak and splintered opposition, with the two main parties facing him created only a matter of weeks ago.

Support for the Party of Hope founded by popular Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike fizzled after an initial blaze of publicity and was on track to win around 50 seats, according to the NHK projection with a handful still to call.

Speaking from Paris where she was attending an event in her capacity as leader of the world&#39;s biggest city, a sullen-faced Koike said it was a &quot;very severe result.&quot;

&quot;As the person who launched the party, I will take responsibility,&quot; pledged Koike.

The new centre-left Constitutional Democratic Party fared slightly better than expected but still trailed far behind Abe with a projected 50 seats.

&quot;The LDP&#39;s victory is simply because the opposition couldn&#39;t form a united front,&quot; political scientist Mikitaka Masuyama from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, told AFP.

&nbsp;&#39;Sink&#39; Japan&nbsp;

The short 12-day campaign was dominated by the economy and the global crisis over North Korea, which has threatened to &quot;sink&quot; Japan into the sea and engaged in a war of words with Trump.

Hawkish Abe stuck to a hardline stance throughout, stressing that Japan &quot;would not waver&quot; in the face of an increasingly belligerent regime in Pyongyang.

But many voters said reviving the once-mighty Japanese economy was the top priority, with Abe&#39;s trademark &quot;Abenomics&quot; growth policy failing to trickle down to the general public.

&quot;Neither pensions nor wages are getting better... I don&#39;t feel the economy is recovering at all,&quot; said 67-year-old pensioner Hideki Kawasaki.

Although voters turned out in their millions to back Abe, he enjoys only lukewarm support and surveys showed his decision to call a snap election a year earlier than expected was unpopular.

&quot;I totally oppose the current government. Morals collapsed. I&#39;m afraid this country will be broken,&quot; said 84-year-old voter Etsuko Nakajima.

&#39;I&#39;m quite disappointed&#39;&nbsp;

Koike briefly promised to shake up Japan&#39;s sleepy political scene with her new party but she declined to run herself for a seat, sparking confusion over who would be prime minister if she won.

In the end the 65-year-old former TV presenter was not even in Japan on election day.

&quot;I thought that I would vote for the Party of Hope if it&#39;s strong enough to beat the Abe administration. But the party has been in confusion ... I&#39;m quite disappointed,&quot; said 80-year-old pensioner Kumiko Fujimori.

The campaign was marked by a near-constant drizzle in large parts of the country and rallies frequently took place under shelter and a sea of umbrellas.&nbsp;

But this did not dampen the enthusiasm of hundreds of doughty, sash-wearing parliamentary hopefuls, who have driven around in minibusses pleading for votes via loudspeaker and bowing deeply to every potential voter.

Abe's ruling conservative coalition was on track to win more than 310 seats in the 465-seat parliament, according to a projection from public broadcaster NHK, handing the premier a two-thirds 'super-majority'.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe swept to a resounding victory in a snap election Sunday and immediately vowed to "deal firmly" with threats from North Korea that dominated the campaign. Abe's ruling conservative coalition was on track to win more than 310 seats in the 465-seat parliament, according to a projection from public broadcaster NHK, handing the premier a two-thirds "super-majority." This allows nationalist Abe to propose changes to pacifist Japan's US-imposed constitution, which forces it to renounce war and effectively limits its military to a self-defence role. Abe said the comfortable election win had stiffened his resolve to tackle North Korea's nuclear threat, as the key US regional ally seeks to step up pressure on Pyongyang after it fired two missiles over Japan in the space of a month. "As I promised in the election, my imminent task is to firmly deal with North Korea," said Abe, who is now on course to become the country's longest-serving leader. "For that, strong diplomacy is required," stressed the 63 year-old, who has courted both US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Abe said he would "deepen" debate on the divisive constitution issue in parliament but stressed: "I don't plan to propose (changes) via the ruling bloc alone. We'll make efforts to gain support from as many people as possible." As results came in, television images showed jubilant victorious lawmakers bowing deeply before punching the air with cries of "Banzai", the Japanese equivalent of three cheers. 'Very severe result' Millions of Japanese braved torrential rain and driving winds to vote as a typhoon lashed the country, with many heeding warnings to cast their ballots early. "I support Abe's stance not to give in to North Korea's pressure," said Yoshihisa Iemori as he cast his ballot in a rainswept Tokyo. Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) benefited from a weak and splintered opposition, with the two main parties facing him created only a matter of weeks ago. Support for the Party of Hope founded by popular Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike fizzled after an initial blaze of publicity and was on track to win around 50 seats, according to the NHK projection with a handful still to call. Speaking from Paris where she was attending an event in her capacity as leader of the world's biggest city, a sullen-faced Koike said it was a "very severe result." "As the person who launched the party, I will take responsibility," pledged Koike. The new centre-left Constitutional Democratic Party fared slightly better than expected but still trailed far behind Abe with a projected 50 seats. "The LDP's victory is simply because the opposition couldn't form a united front," political scientist Mikitaka Masuyama from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, told AFP. 'Sink' Japan The short 12-day campaign was dominated by the economy and the global crisis over North Korea, which has threatened to "sink" Japan into the sea and engaged in a war of words with Trump. Hawkish Abe stuck to a hardline stance throughout, stressing that Japan "would not waver" in the face of an increasingly belligerent regime in Pyongyang. But many voters said reviving the once-mighty Japanese economy was the top priority, with Abe's trademark "Abenomics" growth policy failing to trickle down to the general public. "Neither pensions nor wages are getting better... I don't feel the economy is recovering at all," said 67-year-old pensioner Hideki Kawasaki. Although voters turned out in their millions to back Abe, he enjoys only lukewarm support and surveys showed his decision to call a snap election a year earlier than expected was unpopular. "I totally oppose the current government. Morals collapsed. I'm afraid this country will be broken," said 84-year-old voter Etsuko Nakajima. 'I'm quite disappointed' Koike briefly promised to shake up Japan's sleepy political scene with her new party but she declined to run herself for a seat, sparking confusion over who would be prime minister if she won. In the end the 65-year-old former TV presenter was not even in Japan on election day. "I thought that I would vote for the Party of Hope if it's strong enough to beat the Abe administration. But the party has been in confusion ... I'm quite disappointed," said 80-year-old pensioner Kumiko Fujimori. The campaign was marked by a near-constant drizzle in large parts of the country and rallies frequently took place under shelter and a sea of umbrellas. But this did not dampen the enthusiasm of hundreds of doughty, sash-wearing parliamentary hopefuls, who have driven around in minibusses pleading for votes via loudspeaker and bowing deeply to every potential voter.

Shinzo Abe cruises to 'super-majority' win in Japan vote

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to work together to raise pressure on North Korea, Yasutoshi Nishimura, a deputy chief cabinet secretary, said on Monday.

Abe and Trump spoke by telephone after the Japanese premier&#39;s ruling coalition scored a big win in an election on Sunday.

Nishimura told reporters that Abe and Trump were planning to play golf together on Nov. 5, when Trump makes his first visit to Japan.

&nbsp;

Abe and Trump spoke by telephone after the Japanese premier's ruling coalition scored a big win in an election on Sunday.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to work together to raise pressure on North Korea, Yasutoshi Nishimura, a deputy chief cabinet secretary, said on Monday. Abe and Trump spoke by telephone after the Japanese premier's ruling coalition scored a big win in an election on Sunday. Nishimura told reporters that Abe and Trump were planning to play golf together on Nov. 5, when Trump makes his first visit to Japan.

Abe, Trump agree to raise pressure on North Korea: Japan government

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

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

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

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

North Korea has sent a letter to Australia&#39;s parliament, warning it is a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nuclear-war-may-break-out-at-any-time-warns-north-korea-22539" target="_blank">nuclear power and will not be cowed by US President Donald Trump&#39;s threats to destroy it</a>, according to a copy of the letter published in an Australian newspaper on Friday.

&quot;If Trump thinks that he would bring the DPRK, a nuclear power, to its knees through nuclear war threat, it will be a big miscalculation and an expression of ignorance,&quot; said a facsimile of the letter, published by the Sydney Morning Herald and verified by Australia&#39;s foreign ministry.

&quot;Trump threatened to totally destroy the DPRK ... it is an extreme act of threatening to totally destroy the whole world.&quot;

A spokeswoman for Australia&#39;s Foreign Minister told Reuters the Herald report was accurate and the paper&#39;s copy of the letter, dated September 28, was genuine.

Titled &quot;Open Letter to Parliaments of Different Countries,&quot; the note said it was sent from North Korea&#39;s Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, to Australia&#39;s Embassy in the same city, as well as to other countries, without naming them.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea, North Korea&#39;s official name.

Tension has soared on the peninsula following a series of weapons tests by North Korea and a string of increasingly bellicose exchanges between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/absurd-us-on-north-koreas-allegations-of-trump-declaring-war-20652" target="_blank">Trump, in a speech last month at the United Nations, threatened to &quot;totally destroy&quot; North Korea</a> if necessary to defend itself and allies and called the North&#39;s leader Kim Jong Un a &quot;rocket man&quot; on a suicide mission.

The letter calls for &quot;countries loving independence, peace and justice&quot; to discharge their duty and keep &quot;sharp vigilance against the heinous and reckless moves of the Trump administration trying to drive the world into a horrible nuclear disaster.&quot;

At a press conference in Sydney, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the note was an &quot;unprecedented&quot; communication.

&quot;It is not the way they usually publish their global messages. The collective strategy of imposing maximum diplomatic and economic pressure through sanctions on North Korea is working. This is a response to the pressure.&quot;

Titled 'Open Letter to Parliaments of Different Countries,' the note says North Korea is a nuclear power and will not be cowed by US President Donald Trump's threats to destroy it

North Korea has sent a letter to Australia's parliament, warning it is a nuclear power and will not be cowed by US President Donald Trump's threats to destroy it, according to a copy of the letter published in an Australian newspaper on Friday. "If Trump thinks that he would bring the DPRK, a nuclear power, to its knees through nuclear war threat, it will be a big miscalculation and an expression of ignorance," said a facsimile of the letter, published by the Sydney Morning Herald and verified by Australia's foreign ministry. "Trump threatened to totally destroy the DPRK ... it is an extreme act of threatening to totally destroy the whole world." A spokeswoman for Australia's Foreign Minister told Reuters the Herald report was accurate and the paper's copy of the letter, dated September 28, was genuine. Titled "Open Letter to Parliaments of Different Countries," the note said it was sent from North Korea's Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, to Australia's Embassy in the same city, as well as to other countries, without naming them. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. Tension has soared on the peninsula following a series of weapons tests by North Korea and a string of increasingly bellicose exchanges between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump, in a speech last month at the United Nations, threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if necessary to defend itself and allies and called the North's leader Kim Jong Un a "rocket man" on a suicide mission. The letter calls for "countries loving independence, peace and justice" to discharge their duty and keep "sharp vigilance against the heinous and reckless moves of the Trump administration trying to drive the world into a horrible nuclear disaster." At a press conference in Sydney, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the note was an "unprecedented" communication. "It is not the way they usually publish their global messages. The collective strategy of imposing maximum diplomatic and economic pressure through sanctions on North Korea is working. This is a response to the pressure."

North Korea warns threats a 'big miscalculation' in letter to Australia lawmakers

Former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday that &quot;cavalier&quot; threats to start a war on the Korean peninsula are &quot;dangerous and short-sighted&quot;, urging the United States to get all parties to the negotiating table.

Clinton also called on China to take a &quot;more out front role&quot; in enforcing sanctions against North Korea aimed at curbing its missile and nuclear development.

&quot;There is no need for us to be bellicose and aggressive (over North Korea),&quot; said Clinton at a forum in the South Korean capital Seoul, stressing the need for greater pressure on North Korea and diplomacy to bring Pyongyang to talks.

Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have soared following a series of weapons tests by North Korea and a string of increasingly bellicose exchanges between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

&quot;Picking fights with Kim Jong Un puts a smile on his face,&quot; Clinton said, without mentioning Trump by name.

Clinton also indirectly referred to Trump&#39;s comments towards North Korea on social media, saying &quot;the insults on Twitter have benefited North Korea, I don&#39;t think they&#39;ve benefited the United States&quot;.

The war of words has seen Trump call the North Korean leader &quot;little rocket man&quot; on a suicide mission, and vowed to destroy North Korea if it threatens the United States or its allies. North Korea has in turn called Trump &quot;mentally deranged&quot; and a &quot;mad dog&quot;.

Talks between the adversaries have long been urged by China in particular, but Washington and its ally Japan have been reluctant to sit down at the table while Pyongyang continues to pursue a goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States.

On Tuesday, Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan said the United States didn&#39;t rule out the eventual possibility of direct talks with North Korea.

North Korea&rsquo;s Deputy UN Ambassador Kim In Ryong told a UN General Assembly committee on Monday that the situation on the Korean peninsula was now touch-and-go point &quot;and a nuclear war may break out any moment&quot;.

China pressure&nbsp;

Clinton, a former US secretary of state, said Washington&#39;s allies have increasingly been expressing concerns over the reliability of the United States, advising Washington to avoid becoming distracted with North Korean threats and be &quot;as forcefully patient&quot; as possible.

Regarding China&#39;s role in reining in North Korea, Clinton said Beijing would be better off trying to &quot;tighten and absolutely enforce sanctions&quot; against North Korea.

North Korea&#39;s relationship with its main ally and trading partner China have been strained by the rapid pursuit of its weapons programmes, with many of Pyongyang&#39;s recent tests coinciding with major Chinese events.

There had been fears that North Korea would conduct another test to coincide with the start of China&#39;s five-yearly party congress on Wednesday. Instead, Pyongyang sent Beijing a congratulatory message.

The central committee of the North&#39;s ruling Workers&#39; Party of Korea said China had made &quot;great progress in accomplishing the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics&quot; under the guidance of the Communist Party of China.

&quot;We are greatly pleased over this,&quot; the party central committee said in the message carried by the official KCNA news agency, adding that it &quot;sincerely wished&quot; the China congress &quot;satisfactory success.&quot;

Can&#39;t have it both ways

Clinton said China&#39;s retaliatory actions against South Korean companies doing business in China following the deployment of a US anti-missile system in South Korea would be unnecessary had Beijing done a better job containing and deterring North Korea.

China has been curbing South Korean businesses there since Seoul decided to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system, saying its powerful radar could be used to pierce its territory. South Korea and the United States have repeatedly told China that THAAD aims only to defend against North Korea&#39;s missile threats.

&quot;The Chinese can&#39;t have it both ways. They can&#39;t do less than they could to tighten economic pressures on North Korea and same time discount the real threat South Korea and its citizens face,&quot; she said.

Clinton also called on China to take a "more out front role" in enforcing sanctions against North Korea aimed at curbing its missile and nuclear development

Former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday that "cavalier" threats to start a war on the Korean peninsula are "dangerous and short-sighted", urging the United States to get all parties to the negotiating table. Clinton also called on China to take a "more out front role" in enforcing sanctions against North Korea aimed at curbing its missile and nuclear development. "There is no need for us to be bellicose and aggressive (over North Korea)," said Clinton at a forum in the South Korean capital Seoul, stressing the need for greater pressure on North Korea and diplomacy to bring Pyongyang to talks. Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have soared following a series of weapons tests by North Korea and a string of increasingly bellicose exchanges between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "Picking fights with Kim Jong Un puts a smile on his face," Clinton said, without mentioning Trump by name. Clinton also indirectly referred to Trump's comments towards North Korea on social media, saying "the insults on Twitter have benefited North Korea, I don't think they've benefited the United States". The war of words has seen Trump call the North Korean leader "little rocket man" on a suicide mission, and vowed to destroy North Korea if it threatens the United States or its allies. North Korea has in turn called Trump "mentally deranged" and a "mad dog". Talks between the adversaries have long been urged by China in particular, but Washington and its ally Japan have been reluctant to sit down at the table while Pyongyang continues to pursue a goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States. On Tuesday, Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan said the United States didn't rule out the eventual possibility of direct talks with North Korea. North Korea’s Deputy UN Ambassador Kim In Ryong told a UN General Assembly committee on Monday that the situation on the Korean peninsula was now touch-and-go point "and a nuclear war may break out any moment". China pressure Clinton, a former US secretary of state, said Washington's allies have increasingly been expressing concerns over the reliability of the United States, advising Washington to avoid becoming distracted with North Korean threats and be "as forcefully patient" as possible. Regarding China's role in reining in North Korea, Clinton said Beijing would be better off trying to "tighten and absolutely enforce sanctions" against North Korea. North Korea's relationship with its main ally and trading partner China have been strained by the rapid pursuit of its weapons programmes, with many of Pyongyang's recent tests coinciding with major Chinese events. There had been fears that North Korea would conduct another test to coincide with the start of China's five-yearly party congress on Wednesday. Instead, Pyongyang sent Beijing a congratulatory message. The central committee of the North's ruling Workers' Party of Korea said China had made "great progress in accomplishing the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics" under the guidance of the Communist Party of China. "We are greatly pleased over this," the party central committee said in the message carried by the official KCNA news agency, adding that it "sincerely wished" the China congress "satisfactory success." Can't have it both ways Clinton said China's retaliatory actions against South Korean companies doing business in China following the deployment of a US anti-missile system in South Korea would be unnecessary had Beijing done a better job containing and deterring North Korea. China has been curbing South Korean businesses there since Seoul decided to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system, saying its powerful radar could be used to pierce its territory. South Korea and the United States have repeatedly told China that THAAD aims only to defend against North Korea's missile threats. "The Chinese can't have it both ways. They can't do less than they could to tighten economic pressures on North Korea and same time discount the real threat South Korea and its citizens face," she said.

Hillary Clinton says US threats of war with N.Korea 'dangerous, short-sighted'

North Korea has warned that a nuclear war may break out at any time as the situation on the Korean peninsula has reached the &quot;touch-and-go point&quot;.

North Korea&#39;s deputy UN ambassador Kim In-ryong told the UN general assembly&#39;s disarmament committee that Pyongyang has the right to possess defence nuclear weapons, media reports said.

He said North Korea is the only country in the world that has been subjected to &quot;such an extreme and direct nuclear threat&quot; from the United States since the 1970s.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday asserted that his diplomatic efforts to relax tensed relations with North Korea will continue &quot;until the first bomb drops&quot;.

Tillerson averred that United States President Donald Trump has instructed him to try and reduce stress between the two nations through diplomatic efforts.

North Korea had recently called on its citizens to be ready for a nation-wide struggle against &quot;war thirsty&quot; US President Donald Trump and his &quot;gangster-like moves for domination and aggression.&quot;

&quot;The US gangster-like moves for domination, subjugation, aggression and war are getting even more reckless and dangerous in the wake of the frenzy of war thirsty (US President Donald) Trump who spat out the remarks of `total destruction of North Korea` without hesitation,&quot; state-run KCNA agency quoted a spokesman for the National Peace Committee of North Korea as saying.

The tension between the two nuclear power countries have intensified as North Korea continues to develop and threaten the use of its nuclear weapons.Trump on the other hand has issued sanctions to completely isolate Pyongyang if it continues to test its ballistic missiles.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

North Korea has warned that a nuclear war may break out at any time as the situation on the Korean peninsula has reached the 'touch-and-go point'

North Korea has warned that a nuclear war may break out at any time as the situation on the Korean peninsula has reached the "touch-and-go point". North Korea's deputy UN ambassador Kim In-ryong told the UN general assembly's disarmament committee that Pyongyang has the right to possess defence nuclear weapons, media reports said. He said North Korea is the only country in the world that has been subjected to "such an extreme and direct nuclear threat" from the United States since the 1970s. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday asserted that his diplomatic efforts to relax tensed relations with North Korea will continue "until the first bomb drops". Tillerson averred that United States President Donald Trump has instructed him to try and reduce stress between the two nations through diplomatic efforts. North Korea had recently called on its citizens to be ready for a nation-wide struggle against "war thirsty" US President Donald Trump and his "gangster-like moves for domination and aggression." "The US gangster-like moves for domination, subjugation, aggression and war are getting even more reckless and dangerous in the wake of the frenzy of war thirsty (US President Donald) Trump who spat out the remarks of `total destruction of North Korea` without hesitation," state-run KCNA agency quoted a spokesman for the National Peace Committee of North Korea as saying. The tension between the two nuclear power countries have intensified as North Korea continues to develop and threaten the use of its nuclear weapons.Trump on the other hand has issued sanctions to completely isolate Pyongyang if it continues to test its ballistic missiles.

Nuclear war may break out at any time, warns North Korea

Propaganda fliers presumed to be&nbsp;from&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;and calling US&nbsp;President Donald Trump a &quot;mad dog&quot; have&nbsp;turned&nbsp;up&nbsp;across central&nbsp;Seoul, including near the presidential Blue House, according to posts on social media and people who found them.

&quot;Death to old lunatic Trump!&quot; reads one poster, with a&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean soldier with rifle in hand, crushing what looks to be Trump&#39;s head with his tongue dangling out of his mouth. Near the soldier&#39;s head is the line: &quot;Complete obliteration.&quot;

Another poster shows Trump with the body of a dog being decapitated by an axe. Blood is shown splattered on the axe in the poster, which states: &quot;Let&#39;s behead mad dog Trump for the future of a peaceful and warless world and mankind!&quot;

Both were in colour.

It is not difficult to find&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean propaganda posters in South&nbsp;Korea, usually flown by balloon over the highly fortified demilitarized zone. Military images and anti-US threats are common in North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;propaganda as Pyongyang demands the United States cease what it says is its preparations for an invasion.

But the new series of fliers posted recently on Twitter and other social media target Trump specifically.

Trump last month, in a speech to the United Nations, threatened to &quot;totally destroy&quot;&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;if needed to defend itself and allies and called the&nbsp;North&#39;s leader Kim Jong Un a &quot;rocket man&quot; on a suicide mission.

&quot;I am pretty sure it came&nbsp;from&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;by balloon, since the prevailing winds during October have been&nbsp;from&nbsp;north&nbsp;to south and we&#39;ve been getting reports of others finding them throughout Seoul,&quot; said Chad O&#39;Carroll, managing director of NK News, a&nbsp;Seoul-based news subscription service, who found the&nbsp;leaflets&nbsp;while jogging in central&nbsp;Seoul.

In an apparent jab at Trump&#39;s UN&nbsp;speech, one of the propaganda posters featured Trump standing behind a podium with a rocket in his mouth painted with the words &quot;totally destroy&nbsp;North Korea&quot;.

Again, Trump is depicted as a dog with a human face and labelled as &quot;mad dog Trump&quot;.

Men in suits with surprised looks on their faces are shown in the poster saying &quot;He&#39;s gone completely insane&quot; and &quot;If we let him be, there will be war&quot;.

Reclusive&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea, which has carried out a series of nuclear and missile tests in defiance of UN&nbsp;sanctions, and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The&nbsp;North&nbsp;regularly threatens to destroy the South and its main ally, the United States.

Propaganda fliers presumed to be?from?North?Korea?and calling US?President Donald Trump a "mad dog" have?turned?up?across central?Seoul, including near the presidential Blue House

Propaganda fliers presumed to be from North Korea and calling US President Donald Trump a "mad dog" have turned up across central Seoul, including near the presidential Blue House, according to posts on social media and people who found them. "Death to old lunatic Trump!" reads one poster, with a North Korean soldier with rifle in hand, crushing what looks to be Trump's head with his tongue dangling out of his mouth. Near the soldier's head is the line: "Complete obliteration." Another poster shows Trump with the body of a dog being decapitated by an axe. Blood is shown splattered on the axe in the poster, which states: "Let's behead mad dog Trump for the future of a peaceful and warless world and mankind!" Both were in colour. It is not difficult to find North Korean propaganda posters in South Korea, usually flown by balloon over the highly fortified demilitarized zone. Military images and anti-US threats are common in North Korea propaganda as Pyongyang demands the United States cease what it says is its preparations for an invasion. But the new series of fliers posted recently on Twitter and other social media target Trump specifically. Trump last month, in a speech to the United Nations, threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea if needed to defend itself and allies and called the North's leader Kim Jong Un a "rocket man" on a suicide mission. "I am pretty sure it came from North Korea by balloon, since the prevailing winds during October have been from north to south and we've been getting reports of others finding them throughout Seoul," said Chad O'Carroll, managing director of NK News, a Seoul-based news subscription service, who found the leaflets while jogging in central Seoul. In an apparent jab at Trump's UN speech, one of the propaganda posters featured Trump standing behind a podium with a rocket in his mouth painted with the words "totally destroy North Korea". Again, Trump is depicted as a dog with a human face and labelled as "mad dog Trump". Men in suits with surprised looks on their faces are shown in the poster saying "He's gone completely insane" and "If we let him be, there will be war". Reclusive North Korea, which has carried out a series of nuclear and missile tests in defiance of UN sanctions, and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The North regularly threatens to destroy the South and its main ally, the United States.

'Mad dog' anti-Trump leaflets, suspected floated in from North Korea, turn up in Seoul

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