South Korea braced for a possible further missile test by North Korea when it marks its founding anniversary on Saturday, just days after its sixth and largest nuclear test, which it marks each year with a big display of pageantry and military hardware.

Throughout the week, South Korean officials have warned the North could launch another intercontinental ballistic missile, in defiance of UN&nbsp;sanctions and amid an escalating standoff with the United States.

Last year, North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test on the September&nbsp;9 anniversary.

Tension on the Korean peninsula has escalated as North Korea&#39;s young leader, Kim Jong Un, has stepped up the development of weapons, testing a string of missiles this year, including one flying over Japan, and conducting its sixth nuclear test on Sunday.

Experts believe the isolated regime is close to its goal of developing a powerful nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States, something Trump has vowed to prevent.

South Korean nuclear experts, checking for contamination, said on Friday they had found minute traces of radioactive xenon gas but that it was too early to link it to Sunday&#39;s explosion.

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) said it had been conducting tests on land, air and water samples since shortly after the North Korean nuclear test on Sunday.

Xenon is a naturally occurring, colourless gas that is used in manufacturing of some sorts of lights. But the NSSC said it had detected xenon-133, a radioactive isotope that does not occur naturally and which has in the past been linked to North Korea&#39;s nuclear tests.

There was no chance the xenon &quot;will have an impact on South Korea&#39;s territory or population&quot;, the agency said.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has repeatedly said all options are on the table in dealing with North Korea and on Thursday said he would prefer not to use military action, but if he did, it would be a &quot;very sad day&quot; for North Korea.

&quot;Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing is inevitable,&quot; Trump told reporters. &quot;If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea.&quot;

Even as Trump has insisted that now is not the time to talk, senior members of his administration have made clear that the door to a diplomatic solution is open, especially given the US&nbsp;assessment that any pre-emptive strike would unleash massive North Korean retaliation.

North Korea says it needs its weapons to protect itself from US&nbsp;aggression and regularly threatens to destroy the United States.

South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

US&nbsp;CARRIER ON THE MOVE

The USS Ronald Reagan, a nuclear-powered carrier, left its home port in Japan for a routine autumn patrol of the Western Pacific, a Navy spokeswoman said. That area included waters between Japan and the Korean peninsula, she added, without giving any further details.

The Ronald Reagan was out on routine patrol from May until August, and was sent to the Sea of Japan with the another carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, to take part in drills with Japan&#39;s Self Defence Forces as well as the South Korean military.

North Korea vehemently objects to military exercises on or near the peninsula, and China and Russia have suggested the United States and South Korea halt their exercises to lower tension.

While Trump talked tough on North Korea, China agreed on Thursday that the United Nations should take more action against it, but it also pushed for dialogue.

The UN&nbsp;Security Council is expected to vote on a new set of sanctions soon. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that it was too early to draw conclusions about the final form of the UN&nbsp;resolution, Russia&#39;s Interfax news agency quoted Lavrov as saying at a news conference on Friday.

North Korea offered fresh vitriol against the pending sanctions, specifically targeting US&nbsp;ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who this week accused North Korean leader Kim of &quot;begging for war&quot;.

&quot;There is nothing more foolish than thinking we, a strong nuclear state, will endure this evil pressure aimed at overthrowing our state,&quot; the North&#39;s official news agency said in a commentary.

&quot;Even if Nikki Haley is blind, she must use her mouth correctly. The United States administration will pay for not being able to control the mouth of their UN&nbsp;representative.&quot;

The United States wants the UN&nbsp;Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban its exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean labourers abroad, and to subject leader Kim Jong Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

China is by far North Korea&#39;s biggest trading partner, accounting for 92 percent of two-way trade last year. It also provides hundreds of thousands of tonnes of oil and fuel to the impoverished regime.

China&#39;s economic influence has been felt by South Korea as well. The two countries have been at loggerheads over South Korea&#39;s decision to deploy a US&nbsp;anti-missile system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, which has a powerful radar that can probe deep into China.

Shares in South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor and key suppliers slid on Friday on worry over its position in China after highly critical Chinese state newspaper comments.

The military section of China&#39;s Global Times newspaper on Thursday referred to THAAD as &quot;a malignant tumour&quot;.

Last year, North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test on the September 9 anniversary

South Korea braced for a possible further missile test by North Korea when it marks its founding anniversary on Saturday, just days after its sixth and largest nuclear test, which it marks each year with a big display of pageantry and military hardware. Throughout the week, South Korean officials have warned the North could launch another intercontinental ballistic missile, in defiance of UN sanctions and amid an escalating standoff with the United States. Last year, North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test on the September 9 anniversary. Tension on the Korean peninsula has escalated as North Korea's young leader, Kim Jong Un, has stepped up the development of weapons, testing a string of missiles this year, including one flying over Japan, and conducting its sixth nuclear test on Sunday. Experts believe the isolated regime is close to its goal of developing a powerful nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States, something Trump has vowed to prevent. South Korean nuclear experts, checking for contamination, said on Friday they had found minute traces of radioactive xenon gas but that it was too early to link it to Sunday's explosion. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) said it had been conducting tests on land, air and water samples since shortly after the North Korean nuclear test on Sunday. Xenon is a naturally occurring, colourless gas that is used in manufacturing of some sorts of lights. But the NSSC said it had detected xenon-133, a radioactive isotope that does not occur naturally and which has in the past been linked to North Korea's nuclear tests. There was no chance the xenon "will have an impact on South Korea's territory or population", the agency said. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said all options are on the table in dealing with North Korea and on Thursday said he would prefer not to use military action, but if he did, it would be a "very sad day" for North Korea. "Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing is inevitable," Trump told reporters. "If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea." Even as Trump has insisted that now is not the time to talk, senior members of his administration have made clear that the door to a diplomatic solution is open, especially given the US assessment that any pre-emptive strike would unleash massive North Korean retaliation. North Korea says it needs its weapons to protect itself from US aggression and regularly threatens to destroy the United States. South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty. US CARRIER ON THE MOVE The USS Ronald Reagan, a nuclear-powered carrier, left its home port in Japan for a routine autumn patrol of the Western Pacific, a Navy spokeswoman said. That area included waters between Japan and the Korean peninsula, she added, without giving any further details. The Ronald Reagan was out on routine patrol from May until August, and was sent to the Sea of Japan with the another carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, to take part in drills with Japan's Self Defence Forces as well as the South Korean military. North Korea vehemently objects to military exercises on or near the peninsula, and China and Russia have suggested the United States and South Korea halt their exercises to lower tension. While Trump talked tough on North Korea, China agreed on Thursday that the United Nations should take more action against it, but it also pushed for dialogue. The UN Security Council is expected to vote on a new set of sanctions soon. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that it was too early to draw conclusions about the final form of the UN resolution, Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Lavrov as saying at a news conference on Friday. North Korea offered fresh vitriol against the pending sanctions, specifically targeting US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who this week accused North Korean leader Kim of "begging for war". "There is nothing more foolish than thinking we, a strong nuclear state, will endure this evil pressure aimed at overthrowing our state," the North's official news agency said in a commentary. "Even if Nikki Haley is blind, she must use her mouth correctly. The United States administration will pay for not being able to control the mouth of their UN representative." The United States wants the UN Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban its exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean labourers abroad, and to subject leader Kim Jong Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Wednesday. China is by far North Korea's biggest trading partner, accounting for 92 percent of two-way trade last year. It also provides hundreds of thousands of tonnes of oil and fuel to the impoverished regime. China's economic influence has been felt by South Korea as well. The two countries have been at loggerheads over South Korea's decision to deploy a US anti-missile system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, which has a powerful radar that can probe deep into China. Shares in South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor and key suppliers slid on Friday on worry over its position in China after highly critical Chinese state newspaper comments. The military section of China's Global Times newspaper on Thursday referred to THAAD as "a malignant tumour".

South Korea braces for possible new missile test to mark North's founding day

By:&nbsp;Tridivesh Singh Maini &amp; Sandeep Sachdeva

Ties between Australia and China have been strained recently. Only a few days ago, Australian PM, Malcolm Turnbull urged China to take a tougher stand against North Korea.

On August 31, 2017, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/31/china-should-cut-off-north-korea-oil-supply-says-turnbull">Turnbull&nbsp;</a>said, &quot;China has by far the greatest leverage&quot;.&nbsp;&ldquo;China really has to step up now and bring this regime to its senses. &ldquo;They are committed to stop buying coal, iron ore, seafood and other products from North Korea. They can go further &ndash; they can cut off their oil supply for example&rdquo;, he added.&nbsp;

At the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-03/china-should-curb-unlawful,-reckless-north-korea:-turnbull/8586008">Shangri-La Dialogue in June 2017</a>, Turnbull had minced no words and urged China to play by a rule based structure (alluding it to its assertiveness on the South China Sea Issue).

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<h5>A lecturer of the University of Sydney was forced to apologise for a map which depicted Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin, and Ladakh as part of India, while China considers these as disputed territory.</h5>
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It is not just differences in the strategic sphere, which have been clearly evident in recent months. Australia has also been uncomfortable with Chinese students being excessively assertive on University campuses. There have been at least four instances, wherein Chinese international students in Australia have pressurised lecturers to apologise under the pretext of making offensive comments. <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-03/china-should-curb-unlawful,-reckless-north-korea:-turnbull/8586008">A lecturer of the University of Sydney</a> was forced to apologise for a map which depicted Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin, and Ladakh as part of India, while China considers these as disputed territory. This incident had happened 18 months ago, but the Doklam dispute provoked Chinese students to not just use harsh words for the Professor, Khimji Vaghjiani, who happened to be of Indian origin, on a University WeChat account.

Students also protested outside the <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/chinese-students-expats-flex-muscle-over-doklam-in-australia/articleshow/60304007.cms">Indian Consulate</a> in Sydney on this issue, this was during the Doklam standoff. One of the placards read: &quot;Anyone who offends China will be killed no matter how far the target is.&quot;&nbsp;

Commenting on this assertiveness by Chinese students, <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/comment/end-the-isolation-of-chinese-students-in-australia-20170902-gy9iv6.html">John Garnaut</a>, a former adviser to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, had stated, &quot;Beijing is stirring up &#39;red hot patriotism&#39; among Chinese students on Australian campuses&quot;. He went on to describe it as national security risks for Australia.

Australia needs to be commended for taking a principled stand against aggressive Chinese students in spite of having close economic ties with China. The bilateral trade between both countries is well over 100 Billion USD. Apart from it, in last ten years <a href="https://www.google.co.in/amp/amp.weforum.org/agenda/2016/04/5-things-to-know-about-china-and-australia-s-economic-ties">Australia has also received</a> the second highest volume of Chinese direct investment.&nbsp;

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<h5>Australia needs to be commended for taking a principled stand against aggressive Chinese students in spite of having close economic ties with China.</h5>
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On the other hand, Trump has spoken tough against China on not just the issue of North Korea but also dubbed China as a currency manipulator. As soon as North Korea formally announced that it has conducted hydrogen bomb test on this weekend, President Trump not only lambasted the North Korea but also took aim at China for the current political crisis as he tweeted &quot;North Korea is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success.&rdquo;

<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/04/north-korea-nuclear-test-united-states-may-sanction-chinas-major-banks-to-rein-in-pyongyang.html">Trump further tweeted</a> that the U.S. is considering &quot;Stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea.&rdquo;

<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/04/north-korea-nuclear-test-united-states-may-sanction-chinas-major-banks-to-rein-in-pyongyang.html">According to media</a> reports, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is drafting a harsher sanctions package against North Korea and its trading partner. It is especially aimed China because it is North Korea&#39;s largest trading partner, accounting for 85 per cent of its total trade. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Yet, due to economic interests of the US, as well as some voices in the state department, which urge restraint US while making belligerent noises is compelled to rightly act in a nuanced manner, which Beijing perceives as the weakness of Washington DC.&nbsp;

Even on the second issue, Chinese students have been asserting themselves on US campuses. There are over <a href="https://qz.com/908922/chinese-students-at-ucsd-are-evoking-diversity-to-justify-their-opposition-to-the-dalai-lamas-graduation-speech/">300,000 Chinese students in the US</a>. <a href="https://www.nas.org/images/documents/confucius_institutes/NAS_confuciusInstitutes.pdf">Confucius institutes on US Campuses</a> follow a Chinese agenda, and controversial issues like the Cultural Revolution, The Tiananmen Square are not discussed. A close watch is kept on the activities of Chinese students, and those criticising China. Associations always vehemently opposed Universities for their decisions on related issues. This year in June 2017, Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) opposed the <a href="https://www.google.co.in/amp/amp.timeinc.net/time/4821653/dalai-lama-university-california-san-diego-commencement-address/%3fsource=dam">Dalai Lama&rsquo;s commencement address</a> at the University of California, San Diego.

Initially, the CCSA admitted that: &quot;It had been in contact with the People&rsquo;s Republic of China Consulate General in Los Angeles at the earliest opportunity since the matter arose,&rdquo; and &ldquo;was waiting for the advice of the Consulate General.&rdquo; Later on, it issued a denial.

While the US has begun to take note of assertiveness by Chinese students, it is still excessively tolerant, towards incidents while Australia is seeking to nip the evil in the bud. While a number of countries, posing to be the beacons of democracy, do make noise about democracy and liberal values, but their economic constraints have prevented them from doing so. In this sense, Australia deserves full marks.&nbsp;

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<h5>Australia, Japan, and India can show the way, not just through strategic cooperation, but also by raising greater awareness against Chinese assertiveness in countries in South Asia and South East Asia.</h5>
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Australia&rsquo;s ties with Japan and India are more robust in the context of the Asia Pacific and are likely to get only closer with Trump&#39;s unpredictability, and American cautiousness vis-a-vis China, in spite of all the bluster. Even in the context of defending liberal values and democratic ideals, countries in the Asia-Pacific region need to work together. Australia, Japan, and India can show the way, not just through strategic cooperation, but also by raising greater awareness against Chinese assertiveness in countries in South Asia and South East Asia. While it may seem ambitious at this time, there is also scope for the three countries to work closely to send a clear message, that none of these countries is willing to make any compromise with democratic ideals like freedom of speech and diversity of opinion.

The battle in the Asia-Pacific region is not just about economics and security, but also about values. And the Australia-India-Japan tri-lateral can certainly lead the way.

John Garnaut, a former adviser to Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull, had stated, "Beijing is stirring up 'red hot patriotism' among Chinese students on Australian campuses".

By: Tridivesh Singh Maini & Sandeep Sachdeva Ties between Australia and China have been strained recently. Only a few days ago, Australian PM, Malcolm Turnbull urged China to take a tougher stand against North Korea. On August 31, 2017, Turnbull said, "China has by far the greatest leverage". “China really has to step up now and bring this regime to its senses. “They are committed to stop buying coal, iron ore, seafood and other products from North Korea. They can go further – they can cut off their oil supply for example”, he added. At the Shangri-La Dialogue in June 2017, Turnbull had minced no words and urged China to play by a rule based structure (alluding it to its assertiveness on the South China Sea Issue). A lecturer of the University of Sydney was forced to apologise for a map which depicted Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin, and Ladakh as part of India, while China considers these as disputed territory. × It is not just differences in the strategic sphere, which have been clearly evident in recent months. Australia has also been uncomfortable with Chinese students being excessively assertive on University campuses. There have been at least four instances, wherein Chinese international students in Australia have pressurised lecturers to apologise under the pretext of making offensive comments. A lecturer of the University of Sydney was forced to apologise for a map which depicted Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin, and Ladakh as part of India, while China considers these as disputed territory. This incident had happened 18 months ago, but the Doklam dispute provoked Chinese students to not just use harsh words for the Professor, Khimji Vaghjiani, who happened to be of Indian origin, on a University WeChat account. Students also protested outside the Indian Consulate in Sydney on this issue, this was during the Doklam standoff. One of the placards read: "Anyone who offends China will be killed no matter how far the target is." Commenting on this assertiveness by Chinese students, John Garnaut, a former adviser to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, had stated, "Beijing is stirring up 'red hot patriotism' among Chinese students on Australian campuses". He went on to describe it as national security risks for Australia. Australia needs to be commended for taking a principled stand against aggressive Chinese students in spite of having close economic ties with China. The bilateral trade between both countries is well over 100 Billion USD. Apart from it, in last ten years Australia has also received the second highest volume of Chinese direct investment. Australia needs to be commended for taking a principled stand against aggressive Chinese students in spite of having close economic ties with China. × On the other hand, Trump has spoken tough against China on not just the issue of North Korea but also dubbed China as a currency manipulator. As soon as North Korea formally announced that it has conducted hydrogen bomb test on this weekend, President Trump not only lambasted the North Korea but also took aim at China for the current political crisis as he tweeted "North Korea is a rogue nation which has become a great threat and embarrassment to China, which is trying to help but with little success.” Trump further tweeted that the U.S. is considering "Stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea.” According to media reports, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is drafting a harsher sanctions package against North Korea and its trading partner. It is especially aimed China because it is North Korea's largest trading partner, accounting for 85 per cent of its total trade. Yet, due to economic interests of the US, as well as some voices in the state department, which urge restraint US while making belligerent noises is compelled to rightly act in a nuanced manner, which Beijing perceives as the weakness of Washington DC. Even on the second issue, Chinese students have been asserting themselves on US campuses. There are over 300,000 Chinese students in the US. Confucius institutes on US Campuses follow a Chinese agenda, and controversial issues like the Cultural Revolution, The Tiananmen Square are not discussed. A close watch is kept on the activities of Chinese students, and those criticising China. Associations always vehemently opposed Universities for their decisions on related issues. This year in June 2017, Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) opposed the Dalai Lama’s commencement address at the University of California, San Diego. Initially, the CCSA admitted that: "It had been in contact with the People’s Republic of China Consulate General in Los Angeles at the earliest opportunity since the matter arose,” and “was waiting for the advice of the Consulate General.” Later on, it issued a denial. While the US has begun to take note of assertiveness by Chinese students, it is still excessively tolerant, towards incidents while Australia is seeking to nip the evil in the bud. While a number of countries, posing to be the beacons of democracy, do make noise about democracy and liberal values, but their economic constraints have prevented them from doing so. In this sense, Australia deserves full marks. Australia, Japan, and India can show the way, not just through strategic cooperation, but also by raising greater awareness against Chinese assertiveness in countries in South Asia and South East Asia. × Australia’s ties with Japan and India are more robust in the context of the Asia Pacific and are likely to get only closer with Trump's unpredictability, and American cautiousness vis-a-vis China, in spite of all the bluster. Even in the context of defending liberal values and democratic ideals, countries in the Asia-Pacific region need to work together. Australia, Japan, and India can show the way, not just through strategic cooperation, but also by raising greater awareness against Chinese assertiveness in countries in South Asia and South East Asia. While it may seem ambitious at this time, there is also scope for the three countries to work closely to send a clear message, that none of these countries is willing to make any compromise with democratic ideals like freedom of speech and diversity of opinion. The battle in the Asia-Pacific region is not just about economics and security, but also about values. And the Australia-India-Japan tri-lateral can certainly lead the way.

Australia determined to curb Chinese students making anti-India comments. Should US follow the same?

China said on Thursday it agreed the United Nations Security Council should take further actions against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/46-quake-detected-in-n-korea-due-to-cave-in-china-19810">North Korea in the wake of its latest nuclear test</a> while continuing to push for more dialogue to resolve the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

The United States wants the UN&nbsp;Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban its exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean labourers abroad, and subject leader Kim Jong Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Pressure from Washington has ratcheted up since <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-warns-north-may-launch-icbms-after-nuclear-test-19857">North Korea conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sunday</a>. That test, along with a series of missile launches, showed Pyongyang was close to achieving its goal of developing a powerful nuclear weapon that could reach the United States.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has urged China to do more to rein in its neighbour, which has pursued its weapons programmes in defiance of UN&nbsp;sanctions and international condemnation.

China said on Thursday it hoped North Korea refrained from further challenging the international consensus.

&quot;Given the new developments on the Korean peninsula, China agrees that the UN Security Council should make a further response and take necessary measures,&quot; Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters, without elaborating.

&quot;Any new actions taken by the international community against the DPRK should serve the purpose of curbing the DPRK&#39;s nuclear and missile programmes, while at the same time be conducive to restarting dialogue and consultation,&quot; he said, using the initials of North Korea&#39;s official name, the Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea.

China is by far North Korea&#39;s biggest trading partner, accounting for 92 percent of two-way trade last year. It also provides tonnes of oil and fuel to the impoverished regime.

US&nbsp;Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said he had an executive order ready for Trump to sign that would impose sanctions on any country that trades with Pyongyang if the United Nations does not put additional sanctions on North Korea.

THAAD DEPLOYMENT

Amid the rising tensions, Seoul installed the four remaining launchers of the US&nbsp;anti-missile Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on a former golf course in the south early on Thursday. Two launchers had already been deployed.

More than 30 people were wounded when around 8,000 South Korean police broke up a blockade of about 300 villagers and civic groups opposed to the THAAD system deployment, fire officials said.

&quot;It is very unfortunate there some wounded, but it was an inevitable choice in order to protect the lives of the people in this situation made serious by North Korea&#39;s recent nuclear test,&quot; South Korean Interior and Safety Minister Kim Boo-kyum told reporters.

The decision to deploy the THAAD system has drawn strong objections from China, which believes its radar could be used to look deeply into its territory and will upset the regional security balance.

China said it had lodged another stern protest over the THAAD deployment on Thursday.

&quot;We again urge South Korea and the United States to take seriously China&#39;s and regional nations&#39; security interests and concerns, stop the relevant deployment progress, and remove the relevant equipment,&quot; Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular media briefing.

&quot;China has already lodged stern representations with South Korea over this,&quot; he said.

MOON, ABE MEET

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in spoke at a regional meeting in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok and agreed to try to persuade China and Russia to cut off oil to North Korea as much as possible, according to South Korean officials.

The European Union&#39;s foreign and defence ministers will discuss further sanctions for North Korea on Thursday, the bloc&#39;s top diplomat said ahead of an EU ministers&#39; meeting in the Estonian capital.

However, sanctions have so far done little to stop North Korea boosting its nuclear and missile capacity as it faces off with Trump.

China and Russia have advocated a &quot;freeze for freeze&quot; plan, where the United States and South Korea would stop major military exercises in exchange for North Korea halting its weapons programmes, but neither side appears willing to budge.

South Korean Marines wrapped up a three-day firing drill on Thursday aimed at protecting its islands just south of the border with North Korea, while the air force will finish up a week-long drill on Friday.

North Korea says it needs to develop its weapons to defend itself against what it sees as US&nbsp;aggression.

South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

The United States wants the UN Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban its exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean labourers abroad, and subject leader Kim Jong Un to an asset freeze and travel ban

China said on Thursday it agreed the United Nations Security Council should take further actions against North Korea in the wake of its latest nuclear test while continuing to push for more dialogue to resolve the crisis on the Korean peninsula. The United States wants the UN Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban its exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean labourers abroad, and subject leader Kim Jong Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Wednesday. Pressure from Washington has ratcheted up since North Korea conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sunday. That test, along with a series of missile launches, showed Pyongyang was close to achieving its goal of developing a powerful nuclear weapon that could reach the United States. US President Donald Trump has urged China to do more to rein in its neighbour, which has pursued its weapons programmes in defiance of UN sanctions and international condemnation. China said on Thursday it hoped North Korea refrained from further challenging the international consensus. "Given the new developments on the Korean peninsula, China agrees that the UN Security Council should make a further response and take necessary measures," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters, without elaborating. "Any new actions taken by the international community against the DPRK should serve the purpose of curbing the DPRK's nuclear and missile programmes, while at the same time be conducive to restarting dialogue and consultation," he said, using the initials of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. China is by far North Korea's biggest trading partner, accounting for 92 percent of two-way trade last year. It also provides tonnes of oil and fuel to the impoverished regime. US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said he had an executive order ready for Trump to sign that would impose sanctions on any country that trades with Pyongyang if the United Nations does not put additional sanctions on North Korea. THAAD DEPLOYMENT Amid the rising tensions, Seoul installed the four remaining launchers of the US anti-missile Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on a former golf course in the south early on Thursday. Two launchers had already been deployed. More than 30 people were wounded when around 8,000 South Korean police broke up a blockade of about 300 villagers and civic groups opposed to the THAAD system deployment, fire officials said. "It is very unfortunate there some wounded, but it was an inevitable choice in order to protect the lives of the people in this situation made serious by North Korea's recent nuclear test," South Korean Interior and Safety Minister Kim Boo-kyum told reporters. The decision to deploy the THAAD system has drawn strong objections from China, which believes its radar could be used to look deeply into its territory and will upset the regional security balance. China said it had lodged another stern protest over the THAAD deployment on Thursday. "We again urge South Korea and the United States to take seriously China's and regional nations' security interests and concerns, stop the relevant deployment progress, and remove the relevant equipment," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular media briefing. "China has already lodged stern representations with South Korea over this," he said. MOON, ABE MEET Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in spoke at a regional meeting in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok and agreed to try to persuade China and Russia to cut off oil to North Korea as much as possible, according to South Korean officials. The European Union's foreign and defence ministers will discuss further sanctions for North Korea on Thursday, the bloc's top diplomat said ahead of an EU ministers' meeting in the Estonian capital. However, sanctions have so far done little to stop North Korea boosting its nuclear and missile capacity as it faces off with Trump. China and Russia have advocated a "freeze for freeze" plan, where the United States and South Korea would stop major military exercises in exchange for North Korea halting its weapons programmes, but neither side appears willing to budge. South Korean Marines wrapped up a three-day firing drill on Thursday aimed at protecting its islands just south of the border with North Korea, while the air force will finish up a week-long drill on Friday. North Korea says it needs to develop its weapons to defend itself against what it sees as US aggression. South Korea and the United States are technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

China agrees more UN actions needed against North Korea after nuclear test

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

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

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

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

Asian shares eked out small gains on Tuesday as expectations that Beijing will maintain support for its economy ahead of a key congress supported Chinese stocks and metals prices, but worries about North Korea kept many investors on edge.

European shares were expected rise slightly after a slide on Monday. Spread betters see Germany&#39;s DAX and France&#39;s CAC gaining 0.3 percent and Britain&#39;s FTSE 0.1 percent.

But Wall Street looked set to open slightly softer after a long holiday weekend during which Pyongyang triggered its most powerful nuclear test yet. S&amp;P500 mini futures, which had slid on Monday, last stood at 2,469, 0.2 percent below Friday&#39;s close.

MSCI&#39;s index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.2 percent thanks to gains in Chinese shares, though many markets were in the red.

Japan&#39;s Nikkei fell 0.6 percent on fears that more provocation from North Korea is possible. Media said the North appeared to be preparing for further ballistic missile tests.

The White House said on Monday that &quot;all options to address the North Korean threat are on the table&quot; while US&nbsp;Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged the 15-member UN&nbsp;Security Council to impose the &quot;strongest possible&quot; sanctions to deter Pyongyang.

&quot;It&#39;s not clear whether diplomacy can solve this problem given it has failed for the last 25 years,&quot; said Norihiro Fujito, senior investment strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities.

&quot;But the US&nbsp;doesn&#39;t seem to be ready for a military action soon, either. So we are likely to see continued stalemate, which will keep a tab on share prices.&quot;

Fears about North Korea kept safe-haven assets in demand, with gold rising 0.1 percent to $1,336 per ounce, after having hit a 11-month high of $1,339.8 on Monday.

In the currency market, the yen, which usually gains on risk aversion due to Japan&#39;s net creditor nation status, gained 0.4 percent to 109.32 yen to the dollar, near Monday&#39;s high of 109.22 yen.

The euro slightly extended its gains to trade at $1.1905.

But it kept some distance from a 2-1/2-year high of $1.2070 hit last week on rising expectations that a stronger euro could slow the European Central Bank&#39;s (ECB) plans to rein in its bond-buying stimulus scheme.

The Chinese yuan hit a near 16-month high of 6.515 per dollar. It has gained 2.0 percent in less than two weeks, a sizable move for the pair, in response to dollar weakness and a series of stronger midpoints set by the central bank.

The Shanghai composite index of mainland Chinese shares hit its highest levels since January 2016, due to solid economic and earnings growth in China in recent months and expectations that Beijing will not tolerate any disruptions ahead of a key Communist Party Congress in mid-October.

Such expectations also helped to lift copper to a near three-year of $6,944.5 per tonne. It last stood at $6,933, up 0.2 percent on the day.

The prices of steel and iron ore have rallied in recent weeks.

But some analysts say profit-taking in base metals could start soon.

&quot;Now that Beijing fixed its schedule on the national congress, it may no longer accelerate infrastructure spending,&quot; said Tatsufumi Okoshi, senior economist at Nomura Securities.

&quot;We should be mindful of the possibility that iron ores, steel and other non-ferrous metals will peak out soon.&quot;

US&nbsp;crude oil prices edged higher while U.S. gasoline prices slumped to pre-Hurricane Harvey levels, as oil refineries and pipelines in the US&nbsp;Gulf Coast slowly resumed activity, easing supply concerns.

US&nbsp;West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures ticked up 0.2 percent to trade at $47.38 per barrel.

The return of US&nbsp;refineries ended a spike in gasoline prices as initial fears of a serious supply crunch faded.

US&nbsp;gasoline futures dropped 4.1 percent from their last close, to $1.67 per gallon, down from $2.17 touched on Aug. 31 and back to levels last seen before Harvey hit the US&nbsp;Gulf coast and its large refining industry.

Elsewhere, bitcoin dropped further from Saturday&#39;s all-time high of $4,979.9 to trade at $4,012 after China on Monday banned the practice of raising funds through launches of token-based digital currencies, or so-called initial coin offerings (ICO).

European shares were expected rise slightly after a slide on Monday. Spread betters see Germany's DAX and France's CAC gaining 0.3 percent and Britain's FTSE 0.1 percent.

Asian shares eked out small gains on Tuesday as expectations that Beijing will maintain support for its economy ahead of a key congress supported Chinese stocks and metals prices, but worries about North Korea kept many investors on edge. European shares were expected rise slightly after a slide on Monday. Spread betters see Germany's DAX and France's CAC gaining 0.3 percent and Britain's FTSE 0.1 percent. But Wall Street looked set to open slightly softer after a long holiday weekend during which Pyongyang triggered its most powerful nuclear test yet. S&P500 mini futures, which had slid on Monday, last stood at 2,469, 0.2 percent below Friday's close. MSCI's index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.2 percent thanks to gains in Chinese shares, though many markets were in the red. Japan's Nikkei fell 0.6 percent on fears that more provocation from North Korea is possible. Media said the North appeared to be preparing for further ballistic missile tests. The White House said on Monday that "all options to address the North Korean threat are on the table" while US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged the 15-member UN Security Council to impose the "strongest possible" sanctions to deter Pyongyang. "It's not clear whether diplomacy can solve this problem given it has failed for the last 25 years," said Norihiro Fujito, senior investment strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. "But the US doesn't seem to be ready for a military action soon, either. So we are likely to see continued stalemate, which will keep a tab on share prices." Fears about North Korea kept safe-haven assets in demand, with gold rising 0.1 percent to $1,336 per ounce, after having hit a 11-month high of $1,339.8 on Monday. In the currency market, the yen, which usually gains on risk aversion due to Japan's net creditor nation status, gained 0.4 percent to 109.32 yen to the dollar, near Monday's high of 109.22 yen. The euro slightly extended its gains to trade at $1.1905. But it kept some distance from a 2-1/2-year high of $1.2070 hit last week on rising expectations that a stronger euro could slow the European Central Bank's (ECB) plans to rein in its bond-buying stimulus scheme. The Chinese yuan hit a near 16-month high of 6.515 per dollar. It has gained 2.0 percent in less than two weeks, a sizable move for the pair, in response to dollar weakness and a series of stronger midpoints set by the central bank. The Shanghai composite index of mainland Chinese shares hit its highest levels since January 2016, due to solid economic and earnings growth in China in recent months and expectations that Beijing will not tolerate any disruptions ahead of a key Communist Party Congress in mid-October. Such expectations also helped to lift copper to a near three-year of $6,944.5 per tonne. It last stood at $6,933, up 0.2 percent on the day. The prices of steel and iron ore have rallied in recent weeks. But some analysts say profit-taking in base metals could start soon. "Now that Beijing fixed its schedule on the national congress, it may no longer accelerate infrastructure spending," said Tatsufumi Okoshi, senior economist at Nomura Securities. "We should be mindful of the possibility that iron ores, steel and other non-ferrous metals will peak out soon." US crude oil prices edged higher while U.S. gasoline prices slumped to pre-Hurricane Harvey levels, as oil refineries and pipelines in the US Gulf Coast slowly resumed activity, easing supply concerns. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures ticked up 0.2 percent to trade at $47.38 per barrel. The return of US refineries ended a spike in gasoline prices as initial fears of a serious supply crunch faded. US gasoline futures dropped 4.1 percent from their last close, to $1.67 per gallon, down from $2.17 touched on Aug. 31 and back to levels last seen before Harvey hit the US Gulf coast and its large refining industry. Elsewhere, bitcoin dropped further from Saturday's all-time high of $4,979.9 to trade at $4,012 after China on Monday banned the practice of raising funds through launches of token-based digital currencies, or so-called initial coin offerings (ICO).

Global stocks on defensive after selloff on North Korea fears

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/46-quake-detected-in-n-korea-due-to-cave-in-china-19810">Just two days after North Korea donated a hydrogen bomb</a>, South Korean navy held live fire drills on Tuesday as the Korean peninsula continued to be the focus of world attention.

&quot;If the enemy launches a provocation above water or under water, we will immediately hit back to bury them at sea,&quot; Captain Choi Young-chan, commander of South Korea&#39;s 13th Maritime Battle Group, said in a statement.

In fact, on Monday, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-warns-north-may-launch-icbms-after-nuclear-test-19857">South Korea had said it was talking to the United States</a> on deploying aircraft carriers and bombers to counter the North Korean threat after it picked up signals its neighbour might launch more missiles. 
&nbsp; 
North Korea had on Sunday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-declares-h-bomb-test-a-perfect-success-19816">conducted its sixth nuclear test which was widely</a> condemned by Japan, South Korea, US including the United Nations. Japan had lodged a formal complaint with Pyongyang.

The explosion caused a 6.3 magnitude tremor at North&#39;s nuclear testing site.

South Korea&#39;s fire drills was conducted in the&nbsp;sea of Japan in which frigate Gangwon, patrol ships and guided missile vessels participated.

&nbsp;

 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0BENS_k5fj4" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

South Korea had said on Monday it was talking to the United States on deploying aircraft carriers and bombers to counter the North Korean threat

Just two days after North Korea donated a hydrogen bomb, South Korean navy held live fire drills on Tuesday as the Korean peninsula continued to be the focus of world attention. "If the enemy launches a provocation above water or under water, we will immediately hit back to bury them at sea," Captain Choi Young-chan, commander of South Korea's 13th Maritime Battle Group, said in a statement. In fact, on Monday, South Korea had said it was talking to the United States on deploying aircraft carriers and bombers to counter the North Korean threat after it picked up signals its neighbour might launch more missiles. North Korea had on Sunday conducted its sixth nuclear test which was widely condemned by Japan, South Korea, US including the United Nations. Japan had lodged a formal complaint with Pyongyang. The explosion caused a 6.3 magnitude tremor at North's nuclear testing site. South Korea's fire drills was conducted in the sea of Japan in which frigate Gangwon, patrol ships and guided missile vessels participated.

After North Korea's Hydrogen bomb test, South Korea conducts live-fire drills

Indian shares fell on Monday in line with Asian markets as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-declares-h-bomb-test-a-perfect-success-19816">North Korea&#39;s latest nuclear test</a> prompted investors to seek refuge in safe havens such as gold.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/46-quake-detected-in-n-korea-due-to-cave-in-china-19810">North Korea on Sunday conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test</a>, which it said was of an advanced hydrogen bomb for a long-range missile, marking a dramatic escalation of the regime&#39;s stand-off with the United States and its allies.

Japan&#39;s Nikkei closed about 1 per cent lower, while MSCI&#39;s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dipped 0.8 per cent.

&quot;The markets are struggling to go up because of North Korea tensions,&quot; said Deven Choksey, promoter, KR Choksey.

The broader Nifty was down 0.97 per cent at9,877.70 as of 0637 GMT, while the benchmark Sensex was 0.87 per cent lower at 31,613.89.

Technical charts showed the NSE index broke out of a triangle formation last week, suggesting consolidation was complete and a rally might resume.

&quot;Banking stocks such as HDFC Bank are a bit highly valued and are seeing some corrections,&quot; Choksey said.

HDFC Bank and Housing Development Finance Corp were down for a second straight session, trading 0.9 per cent and 0.7 per cent lower respectively.

The Nifty Auto index fell 0.8 per cent after gaining nearly 2 per cent on Friday when most automakers reported August sales numbers. Hero MotoCorp, which reported a 10 per cent rise in sales, was trading 1.6 per cent lower.

Meanwhile, Coal India surged as much as 2.9 per cent after the miner said on Friday that the company along with its units produced 37.63 million tonnes of coal in August, beating its target of 36.96 million tonnes.

North Korea's latest nuclear test prompted investors to seek refuge in safe havens such as gold

Indian shares fell on Monday in line with Asian markets as North Korea's latest nuclear test prompted investors to seek refuge in safe havens such as gold. North Korea on Sunday conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test, which it said was of an advanced hydrogen bomb for a long-range missile, marking a dramatic escalation of the regime's stand-off with the United States and its allies. Japan's Nikkei closed about 1 per cent lower, while MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan dipped 0.8 per cent. "The markets are struggling to go up because of North Korea tensions," said Deven Choksey, promoter, KR Choksey. The broader Nifty was down 0.97 per cent at9,877.70 as of 0637 GMT, while the benchmark Sensex was 0.87 per cent lower at 31,613.89. Technical charts showed the NSE index broke out of a triangle formation last week, suggesting consolidation was complete and a rally might resume. "Banking stocks such as HDFC Bank are a bit highly valued and are seeing some corrections," Choksey said. HDFC Bank and Housing Development Finance Corp were down for a second straight session, trading 0.9 per cent and 0.7 per cent lower respectively. The Nifty Auto index fell 0.8 per cent after gaining nearly 2 per cent on Friday when most automakers reported August sales numbers. Hero MotoCorp, which reported a 10 per cent rise in sales, was trading 1.6 per cent lower. Meanwhile, Coal India surged as much as 2.9 per cent after the miner said on Friday that the company along with its units produced 37.63 million tonnes of coal in August, beating its target of 36.96 million tonnes.

Sensex, Nifty snap gains over North Korea tensions

The United States&nbsp;on Monday&nbsp;said countries trading with North Korea were aiding its &quot;dangerous nuclear intentions&quot; as the United Nations Security Council mulled tough new sanctions and the isolated regime showed signs of planning more missile tests.

South Korea said it was talking to Washington about deploying aircraft carriers and strategic bombers to the Korean peninsula following the North&#39;s sixth and most powerful nuclear test&nbsp;on Sunday.

At a Security Council meeting, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said North Korea&#39;s Kim Jong Un was &quot;begging for war&quot; and urged the 15-member group to adopt the strongest possible measures to deter him.

&quot;War is never something the United States wants. We don&#39;t want it now. But our country&#39;s patience is not unlimited. We will defend our allies and our territory,&quot; Haley said.

&quot;The United States will look at every country that does business with North Korea as a country that is giving aid to their reckless and dangerous nuclear intentions,&quot; she said.

Haley said the United States will circulate a new Security Council resolution on North Korea this week and wants a vote on it&nbsp;next Monday.

China, a top trading partner with North Korea, and Russia called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

&quot;China will never allow chaos and war on the (Korean) Peninsula,&quot; said Liu Jieyi, the Chinese ambassador to the United Nations.

Russia said peace in the region was in jeopardy.

&quot;A comprehensive settlement to the nuclear and other issues plaguing the Korean peninsula can be arrived at solely through political diplomatic channels,&quot; Russia&#39;s UN&nbsp;Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said.

North Korea has been under UN&nbsp;sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs. Typically, China and Russia only view a test of a long-range missile or a nuclear weapon as a trigger for further possible UN sanctions.

US President Donald Trump had asked to be briefed on all available military options, according to his defence chief.

Officials said activity around missile launch sites suggested North Korea planned more missile tests.

&quot;We have continued to see signs of possibly more ballistic missile launches. We also forecast North Korea could fire an intercontinental ballistic missile,&quot; Jang Kyoung-soo, acting deputy minister of national defense policy, told a parliament hearing on Monday.

North Korea tested two ICBMs in July that could fly about 10,000 km (6,200 miles), putting many parts of the US&nbsp;mainland within range and prompting a new round of tough international sanctions.

The UN Security Council is mulling tough new sanctions on North Korea

The United States on Monday said countries trading with North Korea were aiding its "dangerous nuclear intentions" as the United Nations Security Council mulled tough new sanctions and the isolated regime showed signs of planning more missile tests. South Korea said it was talking to Washington about deploying aircraft carriers and strategic bombers to the Korean peninsula following the North's sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sunday. At a Security Council meeting, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said North Korea's Kim Jong Un was "begging for war" and urged the 15-member group to adopt the strongest possible measures to deter him. "War is never something the United States wants. We don't want it now. But our country's patience is not unlimited. We will defend our allies and our territory," Haley said. "The United States will look at every country that does business with North Korea as a country that is giving aid to their reckless and dangerous nuclear intentions," she said. Haley said the United States will circulate a new Security Council resolution on North Korea this week and wants a vote on it next Monday. China, a top trading partner with North Korea, and Russia called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis. "China will never allow chaos and war on the (Korean) Peninsula," said Liu Jieyi, the Chinese ambassador to the United Nations. Russia said peace in the region was in jeopardy. "A comprehensive settlement to the nuclear and other issues plaguing the Korean peninsula can be arrived at solely through political diplomatic channels," Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said. North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs. Typically, China and Russia only view a test of a long-range missile or a nuclear weapon as a trigger for further possible UN sanctions. US President Donald Trump had asked to be briefed on all available military options, according to his defence chief. Officials said activity around missile launch sites suggested North Korea planned more missile tests. "We have continued to see signs of possibly more ballistic missile launches. We also forecast North Korea could fire an intercontinental ballistic missile," Jang Kyoung-soo, acting deputy minister of national defense policy, told a parliament hearing on Monday. North Korea tested two ICBMs in July that could fly about 10,000 km (6,200 miles), putting many parts of the US mainland within range and prompting a new round of tough international sanctions.

North Korean leader 'begging for war', says US ambassador to UN

The United States on Monday urged the UN Security Council to impose the &quot;strongest possible measures&quot; against <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-warns-north-may-launch-icbms-after-nuclear-test-19857">North Korea in response to its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.</a>

&quot;Only the strongest sanctions will enable us to resolve this problem through diplomacy,&quot; US Ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency council meeting.

After N Korea conducted 6th nuclear test, US ambassador urges UN to take measures

The United States on Monday urged the UN Security Council to impose the "strongest possible measures" against North Korea in response to its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. "Only the strongest sanctions will enable us to resolve this problem through diplomacy," US Ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency council meeting.

US at UN urges 'strongest possible measures' to punish North Korea

Russia&#39;s President Vlamidir Putin has ordered almost 1,500 people to move away from the North Korean border where they are currently residing. He has instructed the civil defence officials to shift to safer areas in the country&#39;s far east, as quoted by The Daily Mail.

As Russia shares a 24-mile land border with North Korea, tensions have increased <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-fires-missile-over-japan-19605">after the missile launch by North Korea over Japan </a>last Tuesday.

The regional department of the Russian ministry has ordered for relocation.&nbsp;

According to a source, the relocation scheme is being exercised as part of the training. 
&nbsp; 
Russian foreign ministry has warned <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-security-council-condemns-north-korean-missile-launch-calls-it-outrageous-19650">North Korea that these practices could lead to an armed confrontation</a> and can cause critical situations in the world.

After the latest missile launch, Sakhalin, Russia&#39;s largest island has disappeared from the country&#39;s online maps of IT company Yandex. The company said that it was due to some technical issues.&nbsp;

The missile launch has not charged the radiation in the border region, as announced by Officials in Vladivostok.&nbsp;

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered 1,500 to shift after the missile was launched by North Korea

Russia's President Vlamidir Putin has ordered almost 1,500 people to move away from the North Korean border where they are currently residing. He has instructed the civil defence officials to shift to safer areas in the country's far east, as quoted by The Daily Mail. As Russia shares a 24-mile land border with North Korea, tensions have increased after the missile launch by North Korea over Japan last Tuesday. The regional department of the Russian ministry has ordered for relocation. According to a source, the relocation scheme is being exercised as part of the training. Russian foreign ministry has warned North Korea that these practices could lead to an armed confrontation and can cause critical situations in the world. After the latest missile launch, Sakhalin, Russia's largest island has disappeared from the country's online maps of IT company Yandex. The company said that it was due to some technical issues. The missile launch has not charged the radiation in the border region, as announced by Officials in Vladivostok.

Putin ordered 1,500 to relocate from North Korean border

Russia insists North Korea abide by UN&nbsp;Security Council resolutions regarding its missile program, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday, reacting to the reclusive state&#39;s launch of a projectile over Japan.

&quot;Regarding the launching of the missiles from North Korea, we stick to the resolutions of the United Nations and we insist on the fact that the North Koreans must respect those resolutions from the United Nations,&quot; Lavrov told a news conference on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, according to a simultaneous translation of his remarks.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-fires-missile-over-japan-19605">North Korea fired a missile early on Tuesday that flew over Japan</a> and landed in the Pacific about 1,180 km (735 miles) off Hokkaido. The test was seen as one of the most provocative ever from the reclusive state.

North Korea fired a missile early on Tuesday that flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific

Russia insists North Korea abide by UN Security Council resolutions regarding its missile program, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday, reacting to the reclusive state's launch of a projectile over Japan. "Regarding the launching of the missiles from North Korea, we stick to the resolutions of the United Nations and we insist on the fact that the North Koreans must respect those resolutions from the United Nations," Lavrov told a news conference on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, according to a simultaneous translation of his remarks. North Korea fired a missile early on Tuesday that flew over Japan and landed in the Pacific about 1,180 km (735 miles) off Hokkaido. The test was seen as one of the most provocative ever from the reclusive state.

Insist that North Korea respect UN resolutions: Russia

North Korea today <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-fires-three-short-range-missiles-us-army-19527">fired a missile over Japan which experts</a> said was an intermediate-range Hwasong-12 missile escalating tensions in the Korean peninsula even as US and South Korean forces continue to conduct military drills in the region.

Japanese air defence personnel participated in a drill just hours after North Korea launched a ballistic missile over its territory.&nbsp;

The drill was conducted at Yokota US air&nbsp;base on the outskirts of Tokyo with Japan&#39;s air defence personnel conducting drills with radars, antennas and Patriot Advanced Capability 3 and PAC-3, Reuters reported.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-orders-more-production-of-icbms-state-media-19343">North Korea had fired three short-range ballistic missiles on Saturday</a>, two missiles failed in flight and the third blew up &quot;almost immediately&quot; however this time the missile flew over Japan and landed in waters off northern Hokkaido.&nbsp;

The missile launch led to a huge panic&nbsp;with Japan warning its citizens of a missile launch in the J-Alert system, bullet trains were stopped and Japan&#39;s stock market the Nikkei fell one per cent.

&quot;North Korea&#39;s reckless action is an unprecedented, serious and a grave threat to our nation,&quot; Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters.

PM Abe said Japan is seeking an urgent UN meeting to pressure North Korea, the test he said was a clear violation of the UN resolution. South Korea too condemned the recent missile launch by its neighbour.

North Korea&#39;s state media <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-photos-north-korea-signals-a-more-powerful-icbm-in-the-works-19490">had published photographs last Wednesday of Kim standing next to a diagram</a> of a three-stage rocket it called the Hwasong-13. Missile experts were unsure whether it was fully developed, some felt it&nbsp;could even be a ploy by Kim&#39;s government to tacitly warn its neighbours including the US but the latest missile test has almost made Pyongyang&#39;s intentions clear.

South Korea&#39;s military said the missile was launched from the Sunan region near the North Korean capital in the morning before 6am and flew 2,700 km, reaching an altitude of about 550 km.

&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dXHXLcbVVv0" width="560"></iframe>

Missile experts said the latest missile fired by North Korea could be an intermediate-range Hwasong-12 missile

North Korea today fired a missile over Japan which experts said was an intermediate-range Hwasong-12 missile escalating tensions in the Korean peninsula even as US and South Korean forces continue to conduct military drills in the region. Japanese air defence personnel participated in a drill just hours after North Korea launched a ballistic missile over its territory. The drill was conducted at Yokota US air base on the outskirts of Tokyo with Japan's air defence personnel conducting drills with radars, antennas and Patriot Advanced Capability 3 and PAC-3, Reuters reported. North Korea had fired three short-range ballistic missiles on Saturday, two missiles failed in flight and the third blew up "almost immediately" however this time the missile flew over Japan and landed in waters off northern Hokkaido. The missile launch led to a huge panic with Japan warning its citizens of a missile launch in the J-Alert system, bullet trains were stopped and Japan's stock market the Nikkei fell one per cent. "North Korea's reckless action is an unprecedented, serious and a grave threat to our nation," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters. PM Abe said Japan is seeking an urgent UN meeting to pressure North Korea, the test he said was a clear violation of the UN resolution. South Korea too condemned the recent missile launch by its neighbour. North Korea's state media had published photographs last Wednesday of Kim standing next to a diagram of a three-stage rocket it called the Hwasong-13. Missile experts were unsure whether it was fully developed, some felt it could even be a ploy by Kim's government to tacitly warn its neighbours including the US but the latest missile test has almost made Pyongyang's intentions clear. South Korea's military said the missile was launched from the Sunan region near the North Korean capital in the morning before 6am and flew 2,700 km, reaching an altitude of about 550 km.

North Korea fires missile over Japan

With photographs obliquely showing a new rocket design, North Korea has sent a message that it is working on an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) more powerful than any it has previously tested, weapons experts said on Thursday.

If developed, such a missile could possibly reach any place on the US mainland, including Washington and New York, they said.

North Korea&#39;s state media published photographs late on Wednesday of leader Kim Jong Un standing next to a diagram of a three-stage rocket it called the Hwasong-13.

Missile experts, who scrutinise such pictures for clues about North Korea&#39;s weapons programmes, said there is no indication the rocket has been fully developed. In any case, it had not been flight tested and it was impossible to calculate its potential range.

However, a three-stage rocket would be more powerful than the two-stage Hwasong-14 ICBM tested twice in July, they said. South Korean and US officials and experts have said the Hwasong-14 may have a range of about 10,000 km (6,200 miles) and could possibly strike many parts of the United States, but not the East Coast.

&quot;We should be looking at Hwasong-13 as a 12,000-km class ICBM that can strike all of the mainland United States,&quot; said Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Seoul&#39;s Kyungnam University.

&quot;It&#39;s likely meant to show that they are working on a three-stage design with greater boost and range,&quot; said retired Brigadier General Moon Sung-muk, an arms control expert who has represented South Korea in military talks with North Korea.

He said the pictures were intended to show that North Korea was refusing to bow to international pressure to abandon its weapons programmes.

&quot;The North is trying to be in control of the playing field,&quot; Moon said.

Tensions Ease &nbsp;

Wednesday&#39;s report carried by the KCNA news agency lacked the traditionally robust threats against the United States, and US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about a possible improvement in relations.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said it was unclear if the photos were taken before or after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday welcomed what he called the restraint North Korea had shown recently in its weapons programmes and said he hoped a path could be opening for dialogue &quot;sometime in the near future.&quot;

&quot;We consider it overall a good first step that there haven&#39;t been any missile launches or testing for ...three-plus weeks or so,&quot; Nauert told a regular briefing.

However Pyongyang needed to do a lot more to show it was willing to negotiate in good faith, she said.

The photographs were accompanied by a report of Kim issuing instructions for the production of more rocket engines and warheads during a visit to the Academy of Defense Sciences, an agency he set up to develop ballistic missiles.

&quot;We&#39;re getting a look at it to emphasise domestic production of missiles, and to advertise what&#39;s coming next,&quot; said Joshua Pollack, a nuclear weapon and missile systems expert who edits the US based Nonproliferation Review.

The photographs were published as tensions between North Korea and the United States appeared to have eased slightly since North Korea tested the Hwasong-14 and later threatened to fire missiles towards the US Pacific territory of Guam.

Kyungnam University&#39;s Kim said the Hwasong-13 appeared similar to the KN-08, a three-stage missile of which only a mockup has previously been seen at military parades. But the new images show a modified design for the main booster stage that clusters two engines.

Another picture published by North Korean state media showed Kim Jong Un standing next to a rocket casing that appeared to be made of a material that could include plastic. Experts said if such material were used in the missile, it would be intended to reduce weight and boost range.

The photographs also showed the design for the Pukguksong-3, likely a new solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile being developed for submarine launches.

With photographs obliquely showing a new rocket design, North Korea has sent a message that it is working on an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) more powerful than any it has previously tested

With photographs obliquely showing a new rocket design, North Korea has sent a message that it is working on an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) more powerful than any it has previously tested, weapons experts said on Thursday. If developed, such a missile could possibly reach any place on the US mainland, including Washington and New York, they said. North Korea's state media published photographs late on Wednesday of leader Kim Jong Un standing next to a diagram of a three-stage rocket it called the Hwasong-13. Missile experts, who scrutinise such pictures for clues about North Korea's weapons programmes, said there is no indication the rocket has been fully developed. In any case, it had not been flight tested and it was impossible to calculate its potential range. However, a three-stage rocket would be more powerful than the two-stage Hwasong-14 ICBM tested twice in July, they said. South Korean and US officials and experts have said the Hwasong-14 may have a range of about 10,000 km (6,200 miles) and could possibly strike many parts of the United States, but not the East Coast. "We should be looking at Hwasong-13 as a 12,000-km class ICBM that can strike all of the mainland United States," said Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Seoul's Kyungnam University. "It's likely meant to show that they are working on a three-stage design with greater boost and range," said retired Brigadier General Moon Sung-muk, an arms control expert who has represented South Korea in military talks with North Korea. He said the pictures were intended to show that North Korea was refusing to bow to international pressure to abandon its weapons programmes. "The North is trying to be in control of the playing field," Moon said. Tensions Ease Wednesday's report carried by the KCNA news agency lacked the traditionally robust threats against the United States, and US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about a possible improvement in relations. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said it was unclear if the photos were taken before or after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday welcomed what he called the restraint North Korea had shown recently in its weapons programmes and said he hoped a path could be opening for dialogue "sometime in the near future." "We consider it overall a good first step that there haven't been any missile launches or testing for ...three-plus weeks or so," Nauert told a regular briefing. However Pyongyang needed to do a lot more to show it was willing to negotiate in good faith, she said. The photographs were accompanied by a report of Kim issuing instructions for the production of more rocket engines and warheads during a visit to the Academy of Defense Sciences, an agency he set up to develop ballistic missiles. "We're getting a look at it to emphasise domestic production of missiles, and to advertise what's coming next," said Joshua Pollack, a nuclear weapon and missile systems expert who edits the US based Nonproliferation Review. The photographs were published as tensions between North Korea and the United States appeared to have eased slightly since North Korea tested the Hwasong-14 and later threatened to fire missiles towards the US Pacific territory of Guam. Kyungnam University's Kim said the Hwasong-13 appeared similar to the KN-08, a three-stage missile of which only a mockup has previously been seen at military parades. But the new images show a modified design for the main booster stage that clusters two engines. Another picture published by North Korean state media showed Kim Jong Un standing next to a rocket casing that appeared to be made of a material that could include plastic. Experts said if such material were used in the missile, it would be intended to reduce weight and boost range. The photographs also showed the design for the Pukguksong-3, likely a new solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile being developed for submarine launches.

In photos, North Korea signals a more powerful ICBM in the works

Japan said Friday it will impose fresh sanctions on North Korea by freezing the assets of Chinese and Namibian firms doing business with the nuclear-armed state.

The move against a half dozen organisations and a couple of individuals comes days after Washington expanded its own punitive measures against Chinese and Russian firms, as well as people linked to Pyongyang.

The US move drew an angry response from Beijing, North Korea&#39;s key ally, while Japanese media said Friday that Namibia has been tightening its links to the North in recent years.

&quot;We will continue to make strong calls (for North Korea) to take actions toward denuclearisation,&quot; Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese government&#39;s top spokesman, told a regular press briefing.

&quot;Now is the time to apply pressure,&quot; he added.

The sanctions are aimed at disrupting the flow of cash funding North Korean weapons programmes, which are in violation of United Nations resolutions.

Japan has previously frozen the assets of entities and individuals involved in natural resources and research work related to Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and missile development programmes.

The US and its allies, particularly Japan and South Korea, have been on high alert in recent months as North Korea carried out successive missile tests.

Tensions have eased since North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un pulled back from a plan to send a salvo of missiles towards the US Pacific territory of Guam.

But Pyongyang Wednesday disclosed significant technological advances and ambitious plans to further improve its missile capabilities.

US President Donald Trump, like his predecessors, has called on China to play more active roles in convincing North Korea to stop threatening its neighbours and the US.

But China has so far been lukewarm on the idea, preferring to address the issue through long-stalled talks.

Japan has frozen the assets of Chinese and Namibian firms doing business with North Korea

Japan said Friday it will impose fresh sanctions on North Korea by freezing the assets of Chinese and Namibian firms doing business with the nuclear-armed state. The move against a half dozen organisations and a couple of individuals comes days after Washington expanded its own punitive measures against Chinese and Russian firms, as well as people linked to Pyongyang. The US move drew an angry response from Beijing, North Korea's key ally, while Japanese media said Friday that Namibia has been tightening its links to the North in recent years. "We will continue to make strong calls (for North Korea) to take actions toward denuclearisation," Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese government's top spokesman, told a regular press briefing. "Now is the time to apply pressure," he added. The sanctions are aimed at disrupting the flow of cash funding North Korean weapons programmes, which are in violation of United Nations resolutions. Japan has previously frozen the assets of entities and individuals involved in natural resources and research work related to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development programmes. The US and its allies, particularly Japan and South Korea, have been on high alert in recent months as North Korea carried out successive missile tests. Tensions have eased since North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un pulled back from a plan to send a salvo of missiles towards the US Pacific territory of Guam. But Pyongyang Wednesday disclosed significant technological advances and ambitious plans to further improve its missile capabilities. US President Donald Trump, like his predecessors, has called on China to play more active roles in convincing North Korea to stop threatening its neighbours and the US. But China has so far been lukewarm on the idea, preferring to address the issue through long-stalled talks.

Japan hits nuclear-armed North Korea with fresh sanctions

The United States said Tuesday that talks with North Korea may be possible &quot;in the near future&quot; after Pyongyang reacted to tough new UN sanctions with a level of restraint.

But, in keeping with a &quot;dual track&quot; strategy of reaching out to the North diplomatically while increasing economic pressure, Washington also imposed new sanctions on Chinese and Russian firms suspected of doing business with Pyongyang.

Briefing reporters, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made a point of acknowledging that Kim Jong-Un&#39;s regime has not carried out any new nuclear or ballistic missile tests since the UN Security Council imposed a new round of tougher sanctions last month.

&quot;I am pleased to see that the regime in Pyongyang has certainly demonstrated some level of restraint that we&#39;ve not seen in the past,&quot; Tillerson said.

&quot;We need to see more on their part, but I want to acknowledge the steps they&#39;ve taken thus far. I think it&#39;s important to take note of that.&quot;

US officials told AFP that Tillerson was not thanking Pyongyang, nor making any concession on Washington&#39;s determination to halt Kim&#39;s missile program and negotiate the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

But they said he did want to note what the US administration sees as a lowering in immediate tensions, in the hope that the isolated authoritarian regime will see an opening that could lead to dialogue.

&nbsp;&#39;Ready to restrain&#39;?&nbsp;

Tensions between North Korea and the United States and its allies soared last month after Pyongyang tested two long-range missiles that appeared to bring US cities within its range.

US President Donald Trump vowed to respond with &quot;fire and fury,&quot; raising fears of a devastating regional conflict, and the UN Security Council scrambled to impose new punitive measures on the North.

Kim&#39;s regime later postponed a threat to fire missiles towards the US Pacific island territory of Guam, and Washington said it would be open to dialogue if Pyongyang were to take steps to calm tensions.

On Tuesday, Tillerson suggested that progress can now be made.

&quot;I think it is worth noting that we have had no missile launches or provocative acts on the part of North Korea since the unanimous adoption of the UN Security Council resolution,&quot; he said.

&quot;And I want to take note of that. I want to acknowledge it.&quot;

&quot;We hope that this is the beginning of this signal that we&#39;ve been looking for -- that they are ready to restrain their level of tensions, they&#39;re ready to restrain their provocative acts and that perhaps we are seeing our pathway to sometime in the near future having some dialogue.&quot;

Just before Tillerson alluded to the existence of a carrot to tempt North Korea, however, the US Treasury brandished its stick.

The agency slapped sanctions on 16 Chinese and Russian individuals and companies, accusing them of supporting North Korea&#39;s nuclear program and attempting to evade US sanctions.

The sanctions are part of a broader US effort to disrupt the funding of North Korea&#39;s weapons programs through its export of natural resources such as coal and minerals and foreign-based financial transactions undertaken for North Korean interests.

&quot;It is unacceptable for individuals and companies in China, Russia, and elsewhere to enable North Korea to generate income used to develop weapons of mass destruction and destabilize the region,&quot; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.

Trump has urged Beijing, North Korea&#39;s only major ally, to bring greater pressure to bear in reining in its neighbor&#39;s nuclear efforts, suggesting that the United States may offer concessions on trade in return.

But a spokesperson at the Chinese embassy in Washington told AFP &quot;we strongly urge the US to immediately correct its mistake, so as not to impact bilateral cooperation on relevant issues.&quot;

&quot;China opposes unilateral sanctions out of the UN Security Council framework, especially the &#39;long-arm jurisdiction&#39; over Chinese entities and individuals exercised by any country in accordance with its domestic laws.&quot;

Targets of sanctions

The sanctions block those targeted from accessing much of the global financial system and freeze any assets they might hold in areas under US jurisdiction.

Among those hit was Russian national Ruben Kirakosyan and his Moscow-based company Gefest-M LLC, which the Treasury accuses of procuring metals for a company involved in North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons program known as Korean Tangun Trading Corp.

Also targeted is China&#39;s Dandong Rich Earth Trading, which the United States says has acted on behalf of North Korea&#39;s General Bureau of Atomic Energy -- responsible for the North&#39;s nuclear program -- and has facilitated prohibited North Korean exports of vanadium ore.

A third company, Mingzheng International Trading Limited, which maintains offices in Hong Kong and mainland China, is in fact a front for Foreign Trade Bank, North Korea&#39;s main foreign exchange bank, the Treasury said.

The Treasury also alleged that three Chinese companies -- Dandong Zhicheng Metallic Materials, JinHou International Holding and Dandong Tianfu Trade -- had collectively imported nearly a half billion dollars&#39; worth of North Korean coal between 2013 and 2016.

Tensions between North Korea and the United States and its allies soared last month after Pyongyang tested two long-range missiles that appeared to bring US cities within its range

The United States said Tuesday that talks with North Korea may be possible "in the near future" after Pyongyang reacted to tough new UN sanctions with a level of restraint. But, in keeping with a "dual track" strategy of reaching out to the North diplomatically while increasing economic pressure, Washington also imposed new sanctions on Chinese and Russian firms suspected of doing business with Pyongyang. Briefing reporters, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made a point of acknowledging that Kim Jong-Un's regime has not carried out any new nuclear or ballistic missile tests since the UN Security Council imposed a new round of tougher sanctions last month. "I am pleased to see that the regime in Pyongyang has certainly demonstrated some level of restraint that we've not seen in the past," Tillerson said. "We need to see more on their part, but I want to acknowledge the steps they've taken thus far. I think it's important to take note of that." US officials told AFP that Tillerson was not thanking Pyongyang, nor making any concession on Washington's determination to halt Kim's missile program and negotiate the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. But they said he did want to note what the US administration sees as a lowering in immediate tensions, in the hope that the isolated authoritarian regime will see an opening that could lead to dialogue. 'Ready to restrain'? Tensions between North Korea and the United States and its allies soared last month after Pyongyang tested two long-range missiles that appeared to bring US cities within its range. US President Donald Trump vowed to respond with "fire and fury," raising fears of a devastating regional conflict, and the UN Security Council scrambled to impose new punitive measures on the North. Kim's regime later postponed a threat to fire missiles towards the US Pacific island territory of Guam, and Washington said it would be open to dialogue if Pyongyang were to take steps to calm tensions. On Tuesday, Tillerson suggested that progress can now be made. "I think it is worth noting that we have had no missile launches or provocative acts on the part of North Korea since the unanimous adoption of the UN Security Council resolution," he said. "And I want to take note of that. I want to acknowledge it." "We hope that this is the beginning of this signal that we've been looking for -- that they are ready to restrain their level of tensions, they're ready to restrain their provocative acts and that perhaps we are seeing our pathway to sometime in the near future having some dialogue." Just before Tillerson alluded to the existence of a carrot to tempt North Korea, however, the US Treasury brandished its stick. The agency slapped sanctions on 16 Chinese and Russian individuals and companies, accusing them of supporting North Korea's nuclear program and attempting to evade US sanctions. The sanctions are part of a broader US effort to disrupt the funding of North Korea's weapons programs through its export of natural resources such as coal and minerals and foreign-based financial transactions undertaken for North Korean interests. "It is unacceptable for individuals and companies in China, Russia, and elsewhere to enable North Korea to generate income used to develop weapons of mass destruction and destabilize the region," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said. Trump has urged Beijing, North Korea's only major ally, to bring greater pressure to bear in reining in its neighbor's nuclear efforts, suggesting that the United States may offer concessions on trade in return. But a spokesperson at the Chinese embassy in Washington told AFP "we strongly urge the US to immediately correct its mistake, so as not to impact bilateral cooperation on relevant issues." "China opposes unilateral sanctions out of the UN Security Council framework, especially the 'long-arm jurisdiction' over Chinese entities and individuals exercised by any country in accordance with its domestic laws." Targets of sanctions The sanctions block those targeted from accessing much of the global financial system and freeze any assets they might hold in areas under US jurisdiction. Among those hit was Russian national Ruben Kirakosyan and his Moscow-based company Gefest-M LLC, which the Treasury accuses of procuring metals for a company involved in North Korea's nuclear weapons program known as Korean Tangun Trading Corp. Also targeted is China's Dandong Rich Earth Trading, which the United States says has acted on behalf of North Korea's General Bureau of Atomic Energy -- responsible for the North's nuclear program -- and has facilitated prohibited North Korean exports of vanadium ore. A third company, Mingzheng International Trading Limited, which maintains offices in Hong Kong and mainland China, is in fact a front for Foreign Trade Bank, North Korea's main foreign exchange bank, the Treasury said. The Treasury also alleged that three Chinese companies -- Dandong Zhicheng Metallic Materials, JinHou International Holding and Dandong Tianfu Trade -- had collectively imported nearly a half billion dollars' worth of North Korean coal between 2013 and 2016.

Talks with North Korea may be close, says Tillerson

The United States on Tuesday slapped sanctions on 16 Chinese and Russian individuals and companies, accusing them of supporting the North Korean nuclear program and attempting to evade US sanctions.

&quot;It is unacceptable for individuals and companies in China, Russia, and elsewhere to enable North Korea to generate income used to develop weapons of mass destruction and destabilize the region,&quot; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

The Treasury Department, which oversees US sanctions programs, said those targeted by the sanctions had helped people known to support the North&#39;s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, had dealt in the reclusive country&#39;s energy trade, had helped exploit North Korean workers or enabled North Korean entities to gain access to the international financial system.

The move follows a war of words between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korean missile tests that show it is capable of reaching the US mainland.

 
&nbsp;

The US slapped sanctions on 16 Chinese and Russian individuals and companies, accusing them of supporting the North Korean nuclear program and attempting to evade US sanctions

The United States on Tuesday slapped sanctions on 16 Chinese and Russian individuals and companies, accusing them of supporting the North Korean nuclear program and attempting to evade US sanctions. "It is unacceptable for individuals and companies in China, Russia, and elsewhere to enable North Korea to generate income used to develop weapons of mass destruction and destabilize the region," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. The Treasury Department, which oversees US sanctions programs, said those targeted by the sanctions had helped people known to support the North's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, had dealt in the reclusive country's energy trade, had helped exploit North Korean workers or enabled North Korean entities to gain access to the international financial system. The move follows a war of words between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korean missile tests that show it is capable of reaching the US mainland.

US sanctions Chinese, Russians over support to North Korea nuclear programme

North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons programme will never be up for negotiation as long as the US&nbsp;government&#39;s &quot;hostile policy and nuclear threat continue,&quot; Pyongyang&#39;s deputy UN&nbsp;ambassador told United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Guterres spoke by telephone with Deputy Ambassador Kim In Ryong on Tuesday, the North Korean mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Thursday. North Korea&#39;s UN&nbsp;Ambassador Ja Song Nam is currently in North Korea, also known as DPRK.

&quot;As long as the US&nbsp;hostile policy and nuclear threat continue, the DPRK ... will never place its self-defensive nuclear deterrence on the negotiation table or flinch an inch from the road chosen by itself, the road of bolstering up the state nuclear force,&quot; Kim told Guterres according to an account of the phone call given by the North Korea UN&nbsp;mission.

Guerres said on Wednesday it was time to &quot;dial down rhetoric and dial up diplomacy&quot; on North Korea and that he had told Russia, Japan, the United States, China and North and South Korea that he was available to help broker talks.

US&nbsp;President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;warned North Korea last week it would face &quot;fire and fury&quot; if it threatened the United States, prompting North Korea to say it was considering plans to fire missiles towards Guam.

But North Korean media reported on Tuesday that Kim delayed the decision while he waited to see what the United States did next, prompting&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;to praise Kim&#39;s &quot;wise&quot; decision.

&quot;As the US&nbsp;launched full-scale provocation against the DPRK across all fields of politics, economy and military, nothing can alter the will and resolve of the army and people of the DPRK to respond by taking resolute retaliatory measures,&quot; Kim told Guterres according to the North Korean statement.

The UN Security Council unanimously a US-drafted resolution to impose new sanctions on North Korea on August 5 that could slash by a third the Asian state&#39;s $3 billion annual export revenue.

Kim told Guterres the resolution &quot;constitutes a flagrant infringement upon (North Korea&#39;s) sovereignty and an open challenge to it.&quot;

North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs and the Security Council has ratcheted up the measures in response to five nuclear weapons tests and four long-range missile launches.

&quot;The DPRK will make the US pay dearly for all the heinous crime it commits against the state and people of this country,&quot; the North Korea UN&nbsp;mission said Kim told Guterres

&nbsp;

UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday it was time to 'dial down rhetoric and dial up diplomacy'?on North Korea and that he had told Russia, Japan, the United States, China and North and South Korea that he was available to help broker talks

North Korea's nuclear weapons programme will never be up for negotiation as long as the US government's "hostile policy and nuclear threat continue," Pyongyang's deputy UN ambassador told United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Guterres spoke by telephone with Deputy Ambassador Kim In Ryong on Tuesday, the North Korean mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Thursday. North Korea's UN Ambassador Ja Song Nam is currently in North Korea, also known as DPRK. "As long as the US hostile policy and nuclear threat continue, the DPRK ... will never place its self-defensive nuclear deterrence on the negotiation table or flinch an inch from the road chosen by itself, the road of bolstering up the state nuclear force," Kim told Guterres according to an account of the phone call given by the North Korea UN mission. Guerres said on Wednesday it was time to "dial down rhetoric and dial up diplomacy" on North Korea and that he had told Russia, Japan, the United States, China and North and South Korea that he was available to help broker talks. US President Donald Trump warned North Korea last week it would face "fire and fury" if it threatened the United States, prompting North Korea to say it was considering plans to fire missiles towards Guam. But North Korean media reported on Tuesday that Kim delayed the decision while he waited to see what the United States did next, prompting Trump to praise Kim's "wise" decision. "As the US launched full-scale provocation against the DPRK across all fields of politics, economy and military, nothing can alter the will and resolve of the army and people of the DPRK to respond by taking resolute retaliatory measures," Kim told Guterres according to the North Korean statement. The UN Security Council unanimously a US-drafted resolution to impose new sanctions on North Korea on August 5 that could slash by a third the Asian state's $3 billion annual export revenue. Kim told Guterres the resolution "constitutes a flagrant infringement upon (North Korea's) sovereignty and an open challenge to it." North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs and the Security Council has ratcheted up the measures in response to five nuclear weapons tests and four long-range missile launches. "The DPRK will make the US pay dearly for all the heinous crime it commits against the state and people of this country," the North Korea UN mission said Kim told Guterres

North Korea to UN chief: Nuclear programme not up for negotiation

South Korean President Moon Jae-In declared today that<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-defers-decision-on-firing-missiles-at-us-kim-jong-spotted-examining-strike-plan-19015"> there will be no war on the Korean peninsula</a> during a press conference to mark his government&#39;s hundred days in office.

&quot;All South Koreans have worked so hard together to rebuild the country from the ruins of the Korean War,&quot; Moon said at a press conference.

&quot;I will prevent war at all cost,&quot; he added. &quot;So I want all South Koreans to believe with confidence that there will be no war.&quot;

&quot;No one can make a decision on military action on the Korean peninsula without our agreement,&quot; &nbsp;he said.&nbsp;

&quot;The<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/over-phone-call-xi-urges-trump-to-avoid-exacerbating-north-korea-tensions-18922"> US and President Trump also said, no matter what option they take about North Korea</a>, all decisions will be made after consulting with and getting an agreement with the Republic of Korea,&quot; he insisted while addressing journalists.

Talking about Trump&#39;s war rhetoric, Moon said: &quot;US President Trump is trying to pressure North Korea by showing a firm resolution,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;I don&#39;t think that he is trying to show a certain willingness to launch military action,&quot; Moon said on President&#39;s Trump&#39;s moves in the Korean peninsula.

On the question of talks with North Korea, the South Korean president said, &quot;I don&#39;t think we must rush into it. There must be a guarantee that it will lead to a fruitful outcome.&quot;

&quot;North Korea must at least end additional provocations to create the mood for dialogue. Only then could Seoul consider sending an envoy to the North.&quot;

&quot;The red line would be North Korea completing its ICBM and mounting it with a nuclear warhead and weaponising it,&quot; he added.

&quot;If North Korea launches another provocation, it will face even stronger sanctions and it will not be able to survive them. I would like to warn North Korea to end its dangerous gamble,&quot; the president told reporters. 
&nbsp;

I will prevent war at all cost, South Korean president Moon Jae-In told reporters at a press confrence

South Korean President Moon Jae-In declared today that there will be no war on the Korean peninsula during a press conference to mark his government's hundred days in office. "All South Koreans have worked so hard together to rebuild the country from the ruins of the Korean War," Moon said at a press conference. "I will prevent war at all cost," he added. "So I want all South Koreans to believe with confidence that there will be no war." "No one can make a decision on military action on the Korean peninsula without our agreement," he said. "The US and President Trump also said, no matter what option they take about North Korea, all decisions will be made after consulting with and getting an agreement with the Republic of Korea," he insisted while addressing journalists. Talking about Trump's war rhetoric, Moon said: "US President Trump is trying to pressure North Korea by showing a firm resolution," he said. "I don't think that he is trying to show a certain willingness to launch military action," Moon said on President's Trump's moves in the Korean peninsula. On the question of talks with North Korea, the South Korean president said, "I don't think we must rush into it. There must be a guarantee that it will lead to a fruitful outcome." "North Korea must at least end additional provocations to create the mood for dialogue. Only then could Seoul consider sending an envoy to the North." "The red line would be North Korea completing its ICBM and mounting it with a nuclear warhead and weaponising it," he added. "If North Korea launches another provocation, it will face even stronger sanctions and it will not be able to survive them. I would like to warn North Korea to end its dangerous gamble," the president told reporters.

No military action on Korean peninsula without our agreement, says South Korean President

Ukraine denied on Monday that it had ever supplied defence technology to North Korea, responding to an article in the New York Times that said North Korea may have purchased rocket engines from Ukrainian factory&nbsp;Yuzhmash.

Concern that North Korea is close to achieving its goal of putting the mainland United States within the range of a nuclear weapon has raised global tensions in recent weeks. The United States is a key backer of Ukraine.

The secretary of the Ukrainian Security and Defence Council, Oleksandr Turchynov, said Ukraine &quot;has never supplied rocket engines or any kind of missile technology to North Korea.&quot;

State-owned Yuzhmash said it had not produced military-grade ballistic missiles since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

&quot;In the years of independence, Yuzhmash has not produced, and is not producing, missiles and military missile systems,&quot; it said in a statement published on their company&#39;s website.

President Donald Trump warned at the weekend that the US&nbsp;military was &quot;locked and loaded&quot; if North Korea acted unwisely after threatening last week to land missiles near the US&nbsp;Pacific territory of Guam.

North Korean officials, in turn, have accused the US&nbsp;leader of driving the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war.

On Sunday, the head of the US&nbsp;Central Intelligence Agency said he would not be surprised if North Korea tested another missile after it conducted two tests in July.

State-owned Yuzhmash said it had not produced military-grade ballistic missiles since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991

Ukraine denied on Monday that it had ever supplied defence technology to North Korea, responding to an article in the New York Times that said North Korea may have purchased rocket engines from Ukrainian factory Yuzhmash. Concern that North Korea is close to achieving its goal of putting the mainland United States within the range of a nuclear weapon has raised global tensions in recent weeks. The United States is a key backer of Ukraine. The secretary of the Ukrainian Security and Defence Council, Oleksandr Turchynov, said Ukraine "has never supplied rocket engines or any kind of missile technology to North Korea." State-owned Yuzhmash said it had not produced military-grade ballistic missiles since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. "In the years of independence, Yuzhmash has not produced, and is not producing, missiles and military missile systems," it said in a statement published on their company's website. President Donald Trump warned at the weekend that the US military was "locked and loaded" if North Korea acted unwisely after threatening last week to land missiles near the US Pacific territory of Guam. North Korean officials, in turn, have accused the US leader of driving the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war. On Sunday, the head of the US Central Intelligence Agency said he would not be surprised if North Korea tested another missile after it conducted two tests in July.

Ukraine denies selling missile technology to North Korea

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday praised North Korea&#39;s leader for backing off on plans to fire missiles toward the US Pacific territory of Guam.

&quot;Kim Jong-Un of North Korea made a very wise and well-reasoned decision.The alternative would have been both catastrophic and unacceptable!&quot; Trump wrote on Twitter.

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Kim Jong Un of North Korea made a very wise and well reasoned decision. The alternative would have been both catastrophic and unacceptable!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/897784898865553409">August 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Trump stunned the world last week by warning North Korea it faced &quot;fire and fury&quot; if it continued to threaten the US or its allies with its ballistic missile program. His impromptu comments while on vacation in New Jersey were interpreted as raising the prospect of a US nuclear attack against North Korea.

The unpredictable and isolated North Korean leader on Tuesday had been briefed by his missile forces on a &quot;plan for an enveloping fire at Guam,&quot; according to the North&#39;s official KCNA news agency.

But afterward, according to KCNA, he decided to postpone the operation to &quot;watch a little more the foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees&quot; and not to go ahead unless the US commits more &quot;reckless actions.&quot;

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said after Kim postponed the threat that Washington remains ready for talks.

But he added that would be up to Kim when such negotiations would begin.

Meanwhile, the head of the US military has asked China to step up pressure on North Korea, Pentagon spokesman reports.&nbsp;

The administration of US President Donald Trump has exhorted China to strong arm its diplomatic ally into dropping its rogue weapons programmes.

China, which is Pyongyang&#39;s main economic partner, announced this week that it was banning imports of iron, iron ore, lead and seafood from North Korea in accordance with new United Nations sanctions.

Meanwhile, the head of the US military has asked China to step up pressure on North Korea, Pentagon spokesman reports

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday praised North Korea's leader for backing off on plans to fire missiles toward the US Pacific territory of Guam. "Kim Jong-Un of North Korea made a very wise and well-reasoned decision.The alternative would have been both catastrophic and unacceptable!" Trump wrote on Twitter. Kim Jong Un of North Korea made a very wise and well reasoned decision. The alternative would have been both catastrophic and unacceptable! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2017 × Trump stunned the world last week by warning North Korea it faced "fire and fury" if it continued to threaten the US or its allies with its ballistic missile program. His impromptu comments while on vacation in New Jersey were interpreted as raising the prospect of a US nuclear attack against North Korea. The unpredictable and isolated North Korean leader on Tuesday had been briefed by his missile forces on a "plan for an enveloping fire at Guam," according to the North's official KCNA news agency. But afterward, according to KCNA, he decided to postpone the operation to "watch a little more the foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees" and not to go ahead unless the US commits more "reckless actions." Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said after Kim postponed the threat that Washington remains ready for talks. But he added that would be up to Kim when such negotiations would begin. Meanwhile, the head of the US military has asked China to step up pressure on North Korea, Pentagon spokesman reports. The administration of US President Donald Trump has exhorted China to strong arm its diplomatic ally into dropping its rogue weapons programmes. China, which is Pyongyang's main economic partner, announced this week that it was banning imports of iron, iron ore, lead and seafood from North Korea in accordance with new United Nations sanctions.

Trump praises Kim Jong-Un's 'wise' decision to halt Guam missile test

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

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

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

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

China will halt iron, iron ore and seafood imports from North Korea starting Tuesday as it implements new UN sanctions, the commerce ministry said Monday.

Beijing had pledged to fully enforce the latest sanctions against its diplomatic ally after coming under pressure from the United States to do more to compel Pyongyang to drop its nuclear weapons programme.

The ministry said on its website that all imports of coal, iron, iron ore and seafood will be &quot;completely prohibited&quot; from Tuesday.

The announcement follows days of increasingly bellicose rhetoric between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un&#39;s regime, which has raised the international alarm.

The United Nations Security Council, including permanent member Beijing, approved tough sanctions against Pyongyang on August 6 that could cost the hermetic country $1 billion a year.

The sanctions were in response to the North&#39;s two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month, after which Kim boasted that he could now strike any part of the United States.

The US has accused China, which is North Korea&#39;s main economic lifeline, of not doing enough to rein in its neighbour.

But Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi vowed after the UN sanctions were given the green light that his country &quot;will for sure implement that new resolution 100 per cent, fully and strictly&quot;.

Beijing had pledged to fully enforce the latest sanctions against its diplomatic ally after coming under pressure from the United States to do more to compel Pyongyang to drop its nuclear weapons programme

China will halt iron, iron ore and seafood imports from North Korea starting Tuesday as it implements new UN sanctions, the commerce ministry said Monday. Beijing had pledged to fully enforce the latest sanctions against its diplomatic ally after coming under pressure from the United States to do more to compel Pyongyang to drop its nuclear weapons programme. The ministry said on its website that all imports of coal, iron, iron ore and seafood will be "completely prohibited" from Tuesday. The announcement follows days of increasingly bellicose rhetoric between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un's regime, which has raised the international alarm. The United Nations Security Council, including permanent member Beijing, approved tough sanctions against Pyongyang on August 6 that could cost the hermetic country $1 billion a year. The sanctions were in response to the North's two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month, after which Kim boasted that he could now strike any part of the United States. The US has accused China, which is North Korea's main economic lifeline, of not doing enough to rein in its neighbour. But Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi vowed after the UN sanctions were given the green light that his country "will for sure implement that new resolution 100 per cent, fully and strictly".

China halts iron, seafood imports from North Korea

US President Donald Trump on Friday said a military option against North Korea was &quot;locked and loaded,&quot; his latest salvo in an escalating war of words with Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear-armed regime.

&quot;Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!&quot; Trump tweeted.

The US president&#39;s Twitter missive ratcheted up his already bellicose rhetoric with Kim over North Korea&#39;s weapons program, as Beijing appealed to the two leaders to dampen their fiery exchange.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/any-new-korean-war-could-quickly-escalate-to-catastrophe-18910" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Any new Korean war could quickly escalate to catastrophe</a>

A day prior Trump had hardened his warning that Pyongyang would face &quot;fire and fury&quot; if it kept threatening the United States, saying maybe his tough talk &quot;wasn&#39;t tough enough.&quot;

Trump also warned North Korea it should be &quot;very, very nervous&quot; of the consequences if it even thinks of attacking US soil, after Pyongyang said it was readying plans to launch missiles towards the Pacific territory of Guam.

Pyongyang said the scheme to target the island, a key US military outpost in the western Pacific, was intended to &quot;signal a crucial warning&quot; as &quot;only absolute force&quot; would have an effect on a US leader &quot;bereft of reason.&quot;

Beijing on Friday pleaded with the US and North Korea for restraint, urging the two parties &quot;to be cautious with their words and actions.&quot;

China has repeatedly urged a resumption of long-dormant six-party talks to peacefully resolve the crisis, but its position has been overshadowed by the emerging brinkmanship between Trump and Kim.

On Thursday Trump had warned that Pyongyang would face 'fire and fury' if it kept threatening the United States

US President Donald Trump on Friday said a military option against North Korea was "locked and loaded," his latest salvo in an escalating war of words with Pyongyang's nuclear-armed regime. "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!" Trump tweeted. The US president's Twitter missive ratcheted up his already bellicose rhetoric with Kim over North Korea's weapons program, as Beijing appealed to the two leaders to dampen their fiery exchange. Also read: Any new Korean war could quickly escalate to catastrophe A day prior Trump had hardened his warning that Pyongyang would face "fire and fury" if it kept threatening the United States, saying maybe his tough talk "wasn't tough enough." Trump also warned North Korea it should be "very, very nervous" of the consequences if it even thinks of attacking US soil, after Pyongyang said it was readying plans to launch missiles towards the Pacific territory of Guam. Pyongyang said the scheme to target the island, a key US military outpost in the western Pacific, was intended to "signal a crucial warning" as "only absolute force" would have an effect on a US leader "bereft of reason." Beijing on Friday pleaded with the US and North Korea for restraint, urging the two parties "to be cautious with their words and actions." China has repeatedly urged a resumption of long-dormant six-party talks to peacefully resolve the crisis, but its position has been overshadowed by the emerging brinkmanship between Trump and Kim.

Military option with North Korea 'locked and loaded': Trump

President Donald Trump on Thursday hardened his warning that&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;would face &quot;fire and fury&quot; if it kept threatening the US, saying maybe that tough talk &quot;wasn&#39;t tough enough.&quot;

However, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis later appeared to step back from the dire rhetoric of his boss. He described the prospect of war as &quot;catastrophic&quot; and added that diplomatic efforts to solve the&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;nuclear crisis were yielding results.

Trump in his new remarks Thursday also warned&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;it should be &quot;very, very nervous&quot; of the consequences if it even thinks of attacking US soil, after nuclear-armed Pyongyang said it was readying missile launch plans on the Pacific territory of Guam.

The Republican billionaire dismissed any criticism of his &quot;fire and fury&quot; warning of Tuesday, citing threats made by the regime of Kim Jong-Un to both Washington and its allies.

&quot;It&#39;s about time that somebody stuck up for the people of this country and for the people of other countries. So if anything, maybe that statement wasn&#39;t tough enough,&quot; Trump said.

Trump also said China, Pyongyang&#39;s main diplomatic ally, could &quot;do a lot more&quot; to pressure Kim to end his country&#39;s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

Trump&#39;s comments, made from his golf club retreat in New Jersey, came after the&nbsp;North&nbsp;announced a detailed plan to send four missiles over Japan and towards Guam, where some 6,000 US soldiers are based.&nbsp;

Pyongyang said the scheme to target the island, a key US military outpost in the western Pacific, was intended to &quot;signal a crucial warning&quot; as &quot;only absolute force&quot; would have an effect on a US leader &quot;bereft of reason.&quot;

Trump fired back with gusto.

&quot;If&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;does anything in terms of even thinking about an attack on anybody we love or we represent or our allies or us, they can be very, very nervous,&quot; he told reporters, with Vice President Mike Pence at his side.&nbsp;

&quot;And they should be... because things will happen to them like they never thought possible.&quot;

&#39;Better get their act together&#39;&nbsp;

Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have been tense for months, in the wake of the&nbsp;North&#39;s repeated missile tests, including two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launches in July.

Those launches put the US mainland in range. Some experts believe the second missile could potentially reach New York.

The escalating saber-rattling took an unexpected turn Tuesday when Trump seemed to borrow from the&nbsp;North&#39;s arsenal of rhetoric and said it faced &quot;fire and fury like the world has never seen&quot; if it continued to threaten the US.

That prompted a defiant Pyongyang to threaten the missile attack on Guam.

The war of words has set off diplomatic alarm bells, and raised fears of a miscalculation that could lead to catastrophic consequences on the Korean peninsula and beyond.

The region is facing &quot;a mini Cuban missile crisis,&quot; John Delury, a professor at Seoul&#39;s Yonsei University, told AFP.

And speaking at an event in California, Mattis appeared intent on dialing back the &nbsp;tension, explaining his mission and responsibility was to have military options ready &quot;should they be needed&quot; but stressing the US effort is currently focused on diplomacy.

&quot;The American effort is diplomatically led, it has diplomatic traction, it is gaining diplomatic results and I want to stay right there right now,&quot; Mattis said at an event in California.&nbsp;

&quot;The tragedy of war is well-enough known it doesn&#39;t need another characterization beyond the fact that it would be catastrophic,&quot; he added.

Mattis did not elaborate on the diplomatic results he referenced, but the UN Security Council at the weekend passed a new set of sanctions against Pyongyang over its weapons program, including bans on the export of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore as well as fish and seafood.&nbsp;

The new punishment could cost&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;$1 billion a year, and even China voted for the US-drafted proposal.

Trump dismissed the notion that his administration was delivering mixed messages and said Washington remained open to negotiations.

But he once again suggested that he expected China to &quot;do a lot more&quot; to bring&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;into line.

&quot;I will tell you this,&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;better get their act together or they&#39;re going to be in trouble like few nations have ever been in trouble in this world, okay?&quot; he added.

Unusual detail

In&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea, General Kim Rak-Gyom, the commander of the&nbsp;North&#39;s missile forces, dismissed Trump&#39;s &quot;fire and fury&quot; remarks as &quot;a load of nonsense,&quot; according to Pyongyang&#39;s official Korean Central News Agency.

&quot;Sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason,&quot; he added.

The military was expected to finalize its Guam plan by mid-August and submit it to Kim for consideration,he said.

The unusually precise statement said the four missiles would be launched simultaneously and overfly the Japanese prefectures of Shimane, Hiroshima and Kochi.&nbsp;

They would have a flight time of 17 minutes 45 seconds, travel 3,356.7 kilometers (around 2,086 miles) and come down 30 to 40 kilometers away from Guam, it said -- just outside US territorial waters.

Japan, which has in the past warned it would shoot down any&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean missiles that threaten its territory, responded that it could &quot;never tolerate&quot; provocations from the reclusive state.

Analysts said a&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean launch towards Guam would put the US in a dilemma: if it did not try to intercept the missiles, its credibility would be damaged and the&nbsp;North&nbsp;would feel emboldened to carry out a full-range ICBM test.

But if an intercept were attempted and failed in any way, it would undermine the effectiveness of the United States&#39; ballistic missile defense system.

The war of words has set off diplomatic alarm bells, and raised fears of a miscalculation that could lead to catastrophic consequences on the Korean peninsula and beyond.

President Donald Trump on Thursday hardened his warning that North Korea would face "fire and fury" if it kept threatening the US, saying maybe that tough talk "wasn't tough enough." However, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis later appeared to step back from the dire rhetoric of his boss. He described the prospect of war as "catastrophic" and added that diplomatic efforts to solve the North Korea nuclear crisis were yielding results. Trump in his new remarks Thursday also warned North Korea it should be "very, very nervous" of the consequences if it even thinks of attacking US soil, after nuclear-armed Pyongyang said it was readying missile launch plans on the Pacific territory of Guam. The Republican billionaire dismissed any criticism of his "fire and fury" warning of Tuesday, citing threats made by the regime of Kim Jong-Un to both Washington and its allies. "It's about time that somebody stuck up for the people of this country and for the people of other countries. So if anything, maybe that statement wasn't tough enough," Trump said. Trump also said China, Pyongyang's main diplomatic ally, could "do a lot more" to pressure Kim to end his country's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Trump's comments, made from his golf club retreat in New Jersey, came after the North announced a detailed plan to send four missiles over Japan and towards Guam, where some 6,000 US soldiers are based. Pyongyang said the scheme to target the island, a key US military outpost in the western Pacific, was intended to "signal a crucial warning" as "only absolute force" would have an effect on a US leader "bereft of reason." Trump fired back with gusto. "If North Korea does anything in terms of even thinking about an attack on anybody we love or we represent or our allies or us, they can be very, very nervous," he told reporters, with Vice President Mike Pence at his side. "And they should be... because things will happen to them like they never thought possible." 'Better get their act together' Relations between Washington and Pyongyang have been tense for months, in the wake of the North's repeated missile tests, including two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launches in July. Those launches put the US mainland in range. Some experts believe the second missile could potentially reach New York. The escalating saber-rattling took an unexpected turn Tuesday when Trump seemed to borrow from the North's arsenal of rhetoric and said it faced "fire and fury like the world has never seen" if it continued to threaten the US. That prompted a defiant Pyongyang to threaten the missile attack on Guam. The war of words has set off diplomatic alarm bells, and raised fears of a miscalculation that could lead to catastrophic consequences on the Korean peninsula and beyond. The region is facing "a mini Cuban missile crisis," John Delury, a professor at Seoul's Yonsei University, told AFP. And speaking at an event in California, Mattis appeared intent on dialing back the tension, explaining his mission and responsibility was to have military options ready "should they be needed" but stressing the US effort is currently focused on diplomacy. "The American effort is diplomatically led, it has diplomatic traction, it is gaining diplomatic results and I want to stay right there right now," Mattis said at an event in California. "The tragedy of war is well-enough known it doesn't need another characterization beyond the fact that it would be catastrophic," he added. Mattis did not elaborate on the diplomatic results he referenced, but the UN Security Council at the weekend passed a new set of sanctions against Pyongyang over its weapons program, including bans on the export of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore as well as fish and seafood. The new punishment could cost North Korea $1 billion a year, and even China voted for the US-drafted proposal. Trump dismissed the notion that his administration was delivering mixed messages and said Washington remained open to negotiations. But he once again suggested that he expected China to "do a lot more" to bring North Korea into line. "I will tell you this, North Korea better get their act together or they're going to be in trouble like few nations have ever been in trouble in this world, okay?" he added. Unusual detail In North Korea, General Kim Rak-Gyom, the commander of the North's missile forces, dismissed Trump's "fire and fury" remarks as "a load of nonsense," according to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency. "Sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason," he added. The military was expected to finalize its Guam plan by mid-August and submit it to Kim for consideration,he said. The unusually precise statement said the four missiles would be launched simultaneously and overfly the Japanese prefectures of Shimane, Hiroshima and Kochi. They would have a flight time of 17 minutes 45 seconds, travel 3,356.7 kilometers (around 2,086 miles) and come down 30 to 40 kilometers away from Guam, it said -- just outside US territorial waters. Japan, which has in the past warned it would shoot down any North Korean missiles that threaten its territory, responded that it could "never tolerate" provocations from the reclusive state. Analysts said a North Korean launch towards Guam would put the US in a dilemma: if it did not try to intercept the missiles, its credibility would be damaged and the North would feel emboldened to carry out a full-range ICBM test. But if an intercept were attempted and failed in any way, it would undermine the effectiveness of the United States' ballistic missile defense system.

Fire and fury warning to North Korea maybe not enough: Trump

Any new military conflict with North Korea would likely escalate quickly to the use of nuclear weapons, bringing catastrophic casualties not seen since World War Two and an untold economic impact worldwide, former U.S. defence officials and experts say.

While the United States has maintained an uneasy calm with North Korea for more than six decades and spikes in tensions are not new, recent supercharged rhetoric between the unpredictable U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have heightened the risk of miscalculation that could make that nightmare a reality, they say.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/military-option-with-north-korea-locked-and-loaded-trump-18908" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Military option with North Korea &#39;locked and loaded&#39;</a>

On Thursday, North Korea upped the ante by saying it would complete plans by mid-August to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land near the U.S. Pacific island territory of Guam, after Trump said that any threats by Pyongyang would be &quot;met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/fire-and-fury-warning-to-north-korea-maybe-not-enough-trump-18872" target="_blank">Also read: &#39;Fire and fury&#39;&nbsp;warning to North Korea maybe not enough, says Trump</a>

The exchange followed a United Nations resolution tightening sanctions on North Korea after it tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads to the United States.

Trump said on Thursday his fire and fury comment was not tough enough.

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Despite the war of words, for now the U.S. military says there has been no change in its readiness posture in South Korea or elsewhere in Asia. Analysts say they have seen no evidence of any increased alert in North Korea.

But they warned the bluster could raise the risk of miscalculation that could result in conflict far beyond the scale of the 1950-53 Korean War, which claimed the lives of more than 50,000 Americans and millions of Koreans and ended in an armed truce, not a peace treaty.

&quot;The major thing people are talking about is miscalculation - we could easily stumble into something with the rhetoric being so heated,&quot; said Philip Yun, a Korea expert who was an Asia adviser under former President Bill Clinton.

Yun, now executive director of the Ploughshares Fund, an anti-proliferation initiative, said the risks were exacerbated by the &quot;credibility problem&quot; Trump has acquired due to his frequent off-the-cuff remarks that often appear to go counter to the more measured remarks of his officials.

&quot;In nuclear deterrence, credibility is everything and there&#39;s a situation that if no-one takes you seriously, you have to do something to make sure you are taken seriously, and that&#39;s where the miscalculation can happen,&quot; Yun said.

With hundreds of thousands of troops and huge arsenals arrayed on both sides of a tense demilitarized zone, the Korean peninsula has long been a tinder box.

North Korea&#39;s acquisition of nuclear weapons and its hell-for-leather development of an array of missiles to deliver them, have raised the stakes further.

Catastrophic casualties

Even a conventional clash could cause catastrophic casualties, given the thousands of North Korean artillery pieces ranged along the border, at least 1,000 of which are capable of reaching the densely populated South Korean capital Seoul and its metropolitan area, home to some 25 million people.

&quot;It would be very difficult to eliminate that threat before the artillery fire could create a lot of damage on the southern side,&quot; David Shear, who served as the senior U.S. defence official for east Asia under former president Barack Obama, told Reuters.

&quot;I take projections of casualties of thousands to tens of thousands quite seriously and that&#39;s just in South Korea - it&#39;s possible North Korea could attack Japan as well.&quot;

The real danger of any preemptive U.S. strikes against North Korea&#39;s weapons sites would be that Pyongyang, whose conventional forces are considered no match for those of the United States and its allies, might resort to using its chemical and biological weapons and ultimately its nuclear arsenal.

Then there is the potential for casualties running into the millions.

&quot;If they did launch they could potentially wipe out cities in South Korea and Japan, and in the longer term maybe reach the U.S. West Coast and even further inland,&quot; said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Program at the Federation of American Scientists.

Even if everything went right for the Pentagon, a U.S. strike campaign against North Korea would take up to a week to be effective, said Kristensen.

A former U.S. military officer who served multiple tours in South Korea and Japan said that to succeed completely, it would take at least a month, given how well protected and dispersed North Korean targets were.

&quot;And it would provoke a massive North Korean reaction, even when they spotted preparation for such a strike, or the instant one began.&quot;

Yun said the catastrophe would not just be human.

&quot;If we had a war, think about what it means. You are talking South Korea, the 11th largest economy in the world, Japan, the third largest economy, and you are talking about ground troops on the Korean peninsula.

&quot;Donald Trump&#39;s agenda would be consumed by this. Nothing else would get done. It&#39;s against his interest and it&#39;s not really an option.&quot;

 
&nbsp;

Any conflict would likely escalate quickly to the use of nuclear weapons

Any new military conflict with North Korea would likely escalate quickly to the use of nuclear weapons, bringing catastrophic casualties not seen since World War Two and an untold economic impact worldwide, former U.S. defence officials and experts say. While the United States has maintained an uneasy calm with North Korea for more than six decades and spikes in tensions are not new, recent supercharged rhetoric between the unpredictable U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have heightened the risk of miscalculation that could make that nightmare a reality, they say. Also read: Military option with North Korea 'locked and loaded' On Thursday, North Korea upped the ante by saying it would complete plans by mid-August to fire four intermediate-range missiles over Japan to land near the U.S. Pacific island territory of Guam, after Trump said that any threats by Pyongyang would be "met with fire and fury like the world has never seen." Also read: 'Fire and fury' warning to North Korea maybe not enough, says Trump The exchange followed a United Nations resolution tightening sanctions on North Korea after it tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads to the United States. Trump said on Thursday his fire and fury comment was not tough enough. While the United States has maintained an uneasy calm with North Korea for more than six decades and spikes in tensions are not new, recent supercharged rhetoric between the unpredictable US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have heightened the risk of miscalculation that could make that nightmare a reality × Despite the war of words, for now the U.S. military says there has been no change in its readiness posture in South Korea or elsewhere in Asia. Analysts say they have seen no evidence of any increased alert in North Korea. But they warned the bluster could raise the risk of miscalculation that could result in conflict far beyond the scale of the 1950-53 Korean War, which claimed the lives of more than 50,000 Americans and millions of Koreans and ended in an armed truce, not a peace treaty. "The major thing people are talking about is miscalculation - we could easily stumble into something with the rhetoric being so heated," said Philip Yun, a Korea expert who was an Asia adviser under former President Bill Clinton. Yun, now executive director of the Ploughshares Fund, an anti-proliferation initiative, said the risks were exacerbated by the "credibility problem" Trump has acquired due to his frequent off-the-cuff remarks that often appear to go counter to the more measured remarks of his officials. "In nuclear deterrence, credibility is everything and there's a situation that if no-one takes you seriously, you have to do something to make sure you are taken seriously, and that's where the miscalculation can happen," Yun said. With hundreds of thousands of troops and huge arsenals arrayed on both sides of a tense demilitarized zone, the Korean peninsula has long been a tinder box. North Korea's acquisition of nuclear weapons and its hell-for-leather development of an array of missiles to deliver them, have raised the stakes further. Catastrophic casualties Even a conventional clash could cause catastrophic casualties, given the thousands of North Korean artillery pieces ranged along the border, at least 1,000 of which are capable of reaching the densely populated South Korean capital Seoul and its metropolitan area, home to some 25 million people. "It would be very difficult to eliminate that threat before the artillery fire could create a lot of damage on the southern side," David Shear, who served as the senior U.S. defence official for east Asia under former president Barack Obama, told Reuters. "I take projections of casualties of thousands to tens of thousands quite seriously and that's just in South Korea - it's possible North Korea could attack Japan as well." The real danger of any preemptive U.S. strikes against North Korea's weapons sites would be that Pyongyang, whose conventional forces are considered no match for those of the United States and its allies, might resort to using its chemical and biological weapons and ultimately its nuclear arsenal. Then there is the potential for casualties running into the millions. "If they did launch they could potentially wipe out cities in South Korea and Japan, and in the longer term maybe reach the U.S. West Coast and even further inland," said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Program at the Federation of American Scientists. Even if everything went right for the Pentagon, a U.S. strike campaign against North Korea would take up to a week to be effective, said Kristensen. A former U.S. military officer who served multiple tours in South Korea and Japan said that to succeed completely, it would take at least a month, given how well protected and dispersed North Korean targets were. "And it would provoke a massive North Korean reaction, even when they spotted preparation for such a strike, or the instant one began." Yun said the catastrophe would not just be human. "If we had a war, think about what it means. You are talking South Korea, the 11th largest economy in the world, Japan, the third largest economy, and you are talking about ground troops on the Korean peninsula. "Donald Trump's agenda would be consumed by this. Nothing else would get done. It's against his interest and it's not really an option."

Any new Korean war could quickly escalate to catastrophe

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un are playing a dangerous game of brinkmanship.

North Korea got the world&rsquo;s attention &ndash; and Trump&rsquo;s &ndash; when it <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/north-korea-missile-icbm-pentagon-trump-not-seen-before-a7825541.html">successfully launched</a> an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time on July 4. In response, the United Nations <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/un-imposes-new-sanctions-on-north-korea-following-missile-tests/2017/08/05/dc382962-7a29-11e7-8f39-eeb7d3a2d304_story.html">approved new economic sanctions</a> against North Korea which, predictably, inspired a bellicose response from the rogue regime.

Trump <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/08/north-korea-trump-ratchet-up-tension-with-threats-fire-hours-apart.html">threatened</a> that further provocations will be met with &ldquo;fire and fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.&rdquo;

In response, North Korea issued a threat of its own &ndash; <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/north-korea-says-seriously-considering-plan-strike-guam-222757124.html">missile strikes</a> on the U.S. territory of Guam.

With tensions escalating, it is important to be realistic about how we can get out of this mess.

In short, any non-military solution will rely on China choosing to apply its massive economic leverage over the North Korean regime. This is a point that Trump clearly recognizes. In July, he tweeted that Chinese trade with North Korea &ldquo;<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/882560030884716544">rose 40 per cent in the first quarter</a>,&rdquo; highlighting China&rsquo;s reluctance to punish North Korea for its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

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Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/882560030884716544">5 July 2017</a></blockquote>
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While the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/07/05/the-messy-data-behind-chinas-growing-trade-with-north-korea/?utm_term=.41435ab3f758">poor quality of the data</a> hinders a detailed analysis, Trump&rsquo;s overall sentiment is correct. China has increased its trade with North Korea in recent years and done little to forestall North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear ambitions besides backing the most recent round of U.N. sanctions. China&rsquo;s foremost objective seems to be promoting greater stability from its volatile neighbor.

Yet a quick look at the data, however murky, shows just how much leverage China has if it wishes to use it.

In general, exports from one country to another <a href="http://www.cepii.fr/pdf_pub/wp/2013/wp2013-27.pdf" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">can be mostly explained</a> by the distance between them and the sizes of their markets, a pattern that holds for China and North Korea.

Geographically, they share a long border, which makes China a natural, though not inevitable, partner for trade. As a case in point, North Korea also shares a long border with South Korea, but these countries have almost no trade between them. In addition, North Korea shares a small border with Russia, with whom it has little, though ever-increasing, trade, as I discuss below.

China&rsquo;s large market, proximity and &ndash; most importantly &ndash; willingness to trade with North Korea has led to a situation in which North Korea has become highly dependent on trade with what has become its primary patron. <a href="http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/prk/">About half</a> of North Korean exports and imports go directly to and from China and most of the rest of its trade is handled indirectly by Chinese middlemen.

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North Korea&rsquo;s dependence on its neighbor has grown hand-in-hand with China&rsquo;s increasing economic dominance of East Asia, which gained momentum 15 years ago when China <a href="https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/countries_e/china_e.htm">joined the World Trade Organization</a>. Since then, both Chinese gross domestic product, as well as its annual trade with North Korea, have increased nearly tenfold, to around <a href="http://data.worldbank.org/country/china">US$11 trillion</a> and <a href="http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/prk/">$6 billion</a>, respectively.

North Korea <a href="http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/visualize/tree_map/hs92/export/chn/prk/show/2015/">imports nearly everything</a> from China, from rubber tires to refined petroleum to pears, with no single category dominating. Meanwhile, <a href="http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/visualize/tree_map/hs92/import/chn/prk/show/2015/">coal constitutes about 40 per cent</a> of North Korean exports to China, followed by &ldquo;non-knit men&rsquo;s coats.&rdquo;

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Time to use that leverage?

However, recent events &ndash; such as the use of front companies by Chinese firms to <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-nuclear-usa-idUSKCN11W1SL">evade sanctions</a> imposed on North Korea and China&rsquo;s <a href="http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2017/01/05/2017010501412.html">reluctance to cut off</a> energy supplies to the country &ndash; have led to some uncertainty about the extent to which China is willing to use this economic leverage to rein in North Korea&rsquo;s military ambitions.

On one hand, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/18/world/asia/north-korea-china-coal-imports-suspended.html">China claims</a> that coal imports from North Korea have recently been stopped as part of an effort to punish the regime for recent missile tests and the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/20/asia/kim-jong-nam-death-timeline/index.html">suspected assassination of Kim Jong-nam</a>, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-makes-kim-jong-un-tick-77143">Kim Jong Un</a>. If true, this would be an important signal of China&rsquo;s willingness to support U.S. concerns about the missile program as it would represent a loss of <a href="http://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/prk/">about a third</a> ($930 million) of North Korea&rsquo;s import revenue.

However, there is evidence that coal shipments in fact <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/07/05/trump_tried_to_make_china_to_do_his_bidding_against_north_korea_and_is_shocked.html">never ceased</a>. And, in any case, China <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/07/05/the-messy-data-behind-chinas-growing-trade-with-north-korea/?utm_term=.41435ab3f758">may have dramatically increased</a> its imports of iron ore from North Korea to offset the lost coal revenues.

This is consistent with the idea that China carefully considers the resources and revenue that are available to the North Korean regime at any moment, and uses trade as a lever to control them. In this way, China walks a fine line between providing too many resources, and thus allowing the regime to prosper, and not enough resources, such that North Korea is in danger of collapsing. Ultimately, trade may be used as a lever to do some light scolding, but China&rsquo;s overwhelming concern is preventing North Korea&rsquo;s collapse.

Further evidence that China has tight control over the North Korean economy comes from <a href="https://c4ads.org/reports/">a recent report</a> from <a href="https://c4ads.org">C4ADS</a>. The research group found close, and often common, ownership ties between most of the major Chinese companies who do business with North Korea. This suggests that trade with North Korea is highly centralized and thus easily controlled.

Russia: North Korea&rsquo;s other &lsquo;friend&rsquo;

China is not the only country that North Korea trades with, though the others currently pale in comparison. Other top export destinations include India ($97.8 million), Pakistan ($43.1 million) and Burkina Faso ($32.8 million). In terms of imports, India ($108 million), Russia ($78.3 million) and Thailand ($73.8 million) currently sell the most to North Korea.

Russia, in particular, may soon complicate <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/nikki-haley-says-u-s-will-propose-tougher-sanctions-against-north-korea/">U.S. efforts to isolate the regime</a>. While still small, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/06/05/russia-boosts-trade-north-korea-china-cuts/102389824/">Russian trade with North Korea increased</a> 73 per cent over the first two months of 2017 compared with the same period of the previous year.

But whereas China is legitimately worried that an economic crisis in North Korea could lead to a flood of refugees or all-out war, Russia likely sees engagement with North Korea in much simpler terms, namely as an additional way to gain geopolitical advantage relative to the U.S.

A way out?

Nearly all experts agree that there is no easy way to &ldquo;solve&rdquo; the North Korea problem. However, one plausible approach is to encourage South Korea and Japan to begin to develop nuclear weapons programs of their own and to only discontinue these programs if China takes meaningful steps to use its trade with North Korea to reign in the regime.

Threatening to introduce new nuclear powers to the world is clearly risky, however stable and peaceful South Korea and Japan currently are. But China is highly averse to having these economic and political rivals acquire nuclear capabilities, as it would threaten China&rsquo;s ongoing pursuit of regional control. In short, this is a sensitive pressure point that could be used to sway the Chinese leadership.

One way or another, China must become convinced that the costs of propping up the North Korean regime through trade are higher than the costs of an increased probability that the regime will collapse.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/china-is-the-key-to-avoiding-nuclear-fire-and-fury-in-north-korea-82257">original article</a>.

China has increased its trade with North Korea in recent years and done little to forestall North Korea?s nuclear ambitions.

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un are playing a dangerous game of brinkmanship. North Korea got the world’s attention – and Trump’s – when it successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time on July 4. In response, the United Nations approved new economic sanctions against North Korea which, predictably, inspired a bellicose response from the rogue regime. Trump threatened that further provocations will be met with “fire and fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.” In response, North Korea issued a threat of its own – missile strikes on the U.S. territory of Guam. With tensions escalating, it is important to be realistic about how we can get out of this mess. In short, any non-military solution will rely on China choosing to apply its massive economic leverage over the North Korean regime. This is a point that Trump clearly recognizes. In July, he tweeted that Chinese trade with North Korea “rose 40 per cent in the first quarter,” highlighting China’s reluctance to punish North Korea for its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 5 July 2017 × While the poor quality of the data hinders a detailed analysis, Trump’s overall sentiment is correct. China has increased its trade with North Korea in recent years and done little to forestall North Korea’s nuclear ambitions besides backing the most recent round of U.N. sanctions. China’s foremost objective seems to be promoting greater stability from its volatile neighbor. Yet a quick look at the data, however murky, shows just how much leverage China has if it wishes to use it. In general, exports from one country to another can be mostly explained by the distance between them and the sizes of their markets, a pattern that holds for China and North Korea. Geographically, they share a long border, which makes China a natural, though not inevitable, partner for trade. As a case in point, North Korea also shares a long border with South Korea, but these countries have almost no trade between them. In addition, North Korea shares a small border with Russia, with whom it has little, though ever-increasing, trade, as I discuss below. China’s large market, proximity and – most importantly – willingness to trade with North Korea has led to a situation in which North Korea has become highly dependent on trade with what has become its primary patron. About half of North Korean exports and imports go directly to and from China and most of the rest of its trade is handled indirectly by Chinese middlemen. North Korea’s dependence on its neighbor has grown hand-in-hand with China’s increasing economic dominance of East Asia, which gained momentum 15 years ago when China joined the World Trade Organization. Since then, both Chinese gross domestic product, as well as its annual trade with North Korea, have increased nearly tenfold, to around US$11 trillion and $6 billion, respectively. North Korea imports nearly everything from China, from rubber tires to refined petroleum to pears, with no single category dominating. Meanwhile, coal constitutes about 40 per cent of North Korean exports to China, followed by “non-knit men’s coats.” Time to use that leverage? However, recent events – such as the use of front companies by Chinese firms to evade sanctions imposed on North Korea and China’s reluctance to cut off energy supplies to the country – have led to some uncertainty about the extent to which China is willing to use this economic leverage to rein in North Korea’s military ambitions. On one hand, China claims that coal imports from North Korea have recently been stopped as part of an effort to punish the regime for recent missile tests and the suspected assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. If true, this would be an important signal of China’s willingness to support U.S. concerns about the missile program as it would represent a loss of about a third ($930 million) of North Korea’s import revenue. However, there is evidence that coal shipments in fact never ceased. And, in any case, China may have dramatically increased its imports of iron ore from North Korea to offset the lost coal revenues. This is consistent with the idea that China carefully considers the resources and revenue that are available to the North Korean regime at any moment, and uses trade as a lever to control them. In this way, China walks a fine line between providing too many resources, and thus allowing the regime to prosper, and not enough resources, such that North Korea is in danger of collapsing. Ultimately, trade may be used as a lever to do some light scolding, but China’s overwhelming concern is preventing North Korea’s collapse. Further evidence that China has tight control over the North Korean economy comes from a recent report from C4ADS. The research group found close, and often common, ownership ties between most of the major Chinese companies who do business with North Korea. This suggests that trade with North Korea is highly centralized and thus easily controlled. Russia: North Korea’s other ‘friend’ China is not the only country that North Korea trades with, though the others currently pale in comparison. Other top export destinations include India ($97.8 million), Pakistan ($43.1 million) and Burkina Faso ($32.8 million). In terms of imports, India ($108 million), Russia ($78.3 million) and Thailand ($73.8 million) currently sell the most to North Korea. Russia, in particular, may soon complicate U.S. efforts to isolate the regime. While still small, Russian trade with North Korea increased 73 per cent over the first two months of 2017 compared with the same period of the previous year. But whereas China is legitimately worried that an economic crisis in North Korea could lead to a flood of refugees or all-out war, Russia likely sees engagement with North Korea in much simpler terms, namely as an additional way to gain geopolitical advantage relative to the U.S. A way out? Nearly all experts agree that there is no easy way to “solve” the North Korea problem. However, one plausible approach is to encourage South Korea and Japan to begin to develop nuclear weapons programs of their own and to only discontinue these programs if China takes meaningful steps to use its trade with North Korea to reign in the regime. Threatening to introduce new nuclear powers to the world is clearly risky, however stable and peaceful South Korea and Japan currently are. But China is highly averse to having these economic and political rivals acquire nuclear capabilities, as it would threaten China’s ongoing pursuit of regional control. In short, this is a sensitive pressure point that could be used to sway the Chinese leadership. One way or another, China must become convinced that the costs of propping up the North Korean regime through trade are higher than the costs of an increased probability that the regime will collapse. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

China is the key to avoiding nuclear 'fire and fury' in North Korea

The United States is speaking out with a unified message on North Korea, the US State Department insisted Wednesday, playing down divergent comments from President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

&quot;Whether it&#39;s the White House, the State Department, the Department of Defense, we are speaking with one voice,&quot; said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

&quot;And the world is, in fact, speaking with one voice, and we saw that as it came out of the UN Security Council with the resolution that passed less than a week ago&quot; approving more sanctions against Pyongyang, she said.

She was speaking after Trump warned North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un that he faced &quot;fire and fury&quot; over his weapons and ballistic missile programs.

Trump, enjoying a working holiday at his New Jersey golf course, went on to boast that the US nuclear arsenal was &quot;more powerful than ever.&quot; &nbsp;&nbsp;

As tensions on the Korean peninsula flared, Tillerson took a very different tone, insisting there was &quot;no immediate threat&quot; from North Korea.&nbsp;

Nauert said Trump&#39;s remarks fit into a &quot;pressure campaign&quot; to force North Korea to back off from its nuclear development and further missile tests.&nbsp;

&quot;That campaign is working,&quot; she said, adding that Trump and Tillerson held an hour-long phone conversation after the president&#39;s comments.

&quot;Let&#39;s consider what is alarming,&quot; she said. &quot;What is alarming, two ICBM tests in less than a month, two nuclear tests that took place last year.&quot;

Trump, enjoying a working holiday at his New Jersey golf course, went on to boast that the US nuclear arsenal was 'more powerful than ever'

The United States is speaking out with a unified message on North Korea, the US State Department insisted Wednesday, playing down divergent comments from President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. "Whether it's the White House, the State Department, the Department of Defense, we are speaking with one voice," said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert. "And the world is, in fact, speaking with one voice, and we saw that as it came out of the UN Security Council with the resolution that passed less than a week ago" approving more sanctions against Pyongyang, she said. She was speaking after Trump warned North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un that he faced "fire and fury" over his weapons and ballistic missile programs. Trump, enjoying a working holiday at his New Jersey golf course, went on to boast that the US nuclear arsenal was "more powerful than ever." As tensions on the Korean peninsula flared, Tillerson took a very different tone, insisting there was "no immediate threat" from North Korea. Nauert said Trump's remarks fit into a "pressure campaign" to force North Korea to back off from its nuclear development and further missile tests. "That campaign is working," she said, adding that Trump and Tillerson held an hour-long phone conversation after the president's comments. "Let's consider what is alarming," she said. "What is alarming, two ICBM tests in less than a month, two nuclear tests that took place last year."

US on North Korea: 'speaking with one voice'

North Korea on Thursday said it will be ready by mid-August to fire four missiles near the US territory of Guam after Trump&#39;s warning to Pyongyang that any additional threats will be met with &quot;fire and fury&quot;.

Hwasong-12 rockets would pass over Japan and land in the sea about 30km (17 miles) from Guam, if the plan was approved by Kim Jong-un, the official KCNA news agency said.

&quot;They will fly 3,356.7km for 1,065 seconds and hit the waters 30-40km away from Guam,&quot; KCNA quoted army chief General Kim Rak Gyom as saying.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/japan-could-legally-intercept-a-guam-bound-north-korea-missile-report-18792" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Japan could legally intercept a Guam-bound North Korea missile, says report</a>

Guam is home to about 163,000 people and a US military base that includes a submarine squadron, an air base and a Coast Guard group.

It also said&nbsp;Donald Trump&#39;s &quot;fire and fury&quot; comments earlier this week are a &quot;load of nonsense&quot;, saying only &quot;absolute force can work on him&quot;.

&quot;Sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason and only absolute force can work on him,&quot; Kim Rak Gyom said.

North Korea earlier this week said&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/18729">it is considering missile strikes on the US Pacific territory of Guam</a>, just hours after Trump&rsquo;s &quot;fire and fury&quot; comment.

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Hwasong-12 rockets would pass over Japan and land in the sea about 30km (17 miles) from Guam if the plan was approved by Kim Jong-un, the official KCNA news agency said

North Korea on Thursday said it will be ready by mid-August to fire four missiles near the US territory of Guam after Trump's warning to Pyongyang that any additional threats will be met with "fire and fury". Hwasong-12 rockets would pass over Japan and land in the sea about 30km (17 miles) from Guam, if the plan was approved by Kim Jong-un, the official KCNA news agency said. "They will fly 3,356.7km for 1,065 seconds and hit the waters 30-40km away from Guam," KCNA quoted army chief General Kim Rak Gyom as saying. Also read: Japan could legally intercept a Guam-bound North Korea missile, says report Guam is home to about 163,000 people and a US military base that includes a submarine squadron, an air base and a Coast Guard group. It also said Donald Trump's "fire and fury" comments earlier this week are a "load of nonsense", saying only "absolute force can work on him". "Sound dialogue is not possible with such a guy bereft of reason and only absolute force can work on him," Kim Rak Gyom said. North Korea earlier this week said it is considering missile strikes on the US Pacific territory of Guam, just hours after Trump’s "fire and fury" comment.

North Korea says it will develop Guam strike plan by 'mid-August'

Indian shares fell for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, dragged down by financial and healthcare stocks, as escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula hit regional markets.

Asian shares and US stock futures slipped after Pyongyang said it is considering plans to attack Guam, just hours after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-threatens-strike-on-guam-after-trumps-fire-and-fury-warning-18729">US President Donald Trump told North Korea</a> that any threat to the United States would be met with &quot;fire and fury.&quot;

Analysts said any fall in domestic equities could be limited. Shares have hit records highs this year on prospects of improving earnings and economic and fiscal reforms from the government.

&quot;Global news flow is weighing heavy on the markets. I don&#39;t think there is more than 4-5 pct downside from the levels we&#39;ve seen recently,&quot; said Gaurang Shah, head investment strategist, Geojit Financial Services.

The broader NSE Nifty was down 0.29 per cent at 9,949.50 as of 0528 GMT, while the benchmark BSE&nbsp;Sensex&nbsp;was 0.38 per cent lower at 31,893.61.

Drugmaker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries&#39; shares slumped as much as 5 per cent to their lowest in over four years after unit Taro Pharmaceutical Industries June-qtr profit halved to $54.5 million.

The Nifty Pharma index fell as much as 2.2 per cent to its lowest in over two months.

Nifty Bank index was trading 0.5 per cent lower, after falling nearly a per cent in the last two sessions.

Asian shares and US stock futures slipped after Pyongyang said it is considering plans to attack Guam, just hours after US President Donald Trump told North Korea that any threat to the United States would be met with "fire and fury."

Indian shares fell for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, dragged down by financial and healthcare stocks, as escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula hit regional markets. Asian shares and US stock futures slipped after Pyongyang said it is considering plans to attack Guam, just hours after US President Donald Trump told North Korea that any threat to the United States would be met with "fire and fury." Analysts said any fall in domestic equities could be limited. Shares have hit records highs this year on prospects of improving earnings and economic and fiscal reforms from the government. "Global news flow is weighing heavy on the markets. I don't think there is more than 4-5 pct downside from the levels we've seen recently," said Gaurang Shah, head investment strategist, Geojit Financial Services. The broader NSE Nifty was down 0.29 per cent at 9,949.50 as of 0528 GMT, while the benchmark BSE Sensex was 0.38 per cent lower at 31,893.61. Drugmaker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries' shares slumped as much as 5 per cent to their lowest in over four years after unit Taro Pharmaceutical Industries June-qtr profit halved to $54.5 million. The Nifty Pharma index fell as much as 2.2 per cent to its lowest in over two months. Nifty Bank index was trading 0.5 per cent lower, after falling nearly a per cent in the last two sessions.

Sensex dips over Korea tension

Japan said it had conducted joint air drills with U.S. supersonic bombers in Japanese skies close to the Korean peninsula on Tuesday as tension in the region escalates amid North Korea&#39;s continued ballistic missile tests.

The exercise around Japan&#39;s southern Kyushu island involved two US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers and two Japanese F-2 jet fighters, Japan&#39;s Air Self Defence Force (ASDF) said in a news release.

North Korea said on Wednesday<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-threatens-strike-on-guam-after-trumps-fire-and-fury-warning-18729"> it is considering a strike on the US Pacific territory of Guam</a>, hours after President Donald trump said any threat from Pyongyang would be met with &quot;fire and fury.&quot;

Andersen Air Force Base on Guam is where the US&nbsp;keeps its B1-B bombers deployed to the Asia Pacific.

The US&nbsp;planes, which are capable of carrying nuclear bombs, followed up the drills with Japan with a separate exercise with South Korean Forces, the ASDF said.

The exercise around Japan's southern Kyushu island involved two US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers and two Japanese F-2 jet fighters, Japan's Air Self Defence Force (ASDF) said in a news release

Japan said it had conducted joint air drills with U.S. supersonic bombers in Japanese skies close to the Korean peninsula on Tuesday as tension in the region escalates amid North Korea's continued ballistic missile tests. The exercise around Japan's southern Kyushu island involved two US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers and two Japanese F-2 jet fighters, Japan's Air Self Defence Force (ASDF) said in a news release. North Korea said on Wednesday it is considering a strike on the US Pacific territory of Guam, hours after President Donald trump said any threat from Pyongyang would be met with "fire and fury." Andersen Air Force Base on Guam is where the US keeps its B1-B bombers deployed to the Asia Pacific. The US planes, which are capable of carrying nuclear bombs, followed up the drills with Japan with a separate exercise with South Korean Forces, the ASDF said.

Japanese fighters conducted air drills with US B-1B bombers on Tuesday

In his fresh warning to North Korea, President Donald Trump has said that the US nuclear arsenal had grown more powerful than ever before.&nbsp;

&quot;My first order as President was to renovate and modernise our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before,&quot; Trump wrote on Twitter, adding that &quot;hopefully we will never have to use this power.&quot;

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My first order as President was to renovate and modernize our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before....
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/895252459152711680">August 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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...Hopefully we will never have to use this power, but there will never be a time that we are not the most powerful nation in the world!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/895254168570605568">August 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The US President&#39;s comments come a day after the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/guam-keeps-its-cool-after-north-korea-strike-threat-18781">verbal war between North Korea and the United States.</a> North Korea had threatened a nuclear war on the US after Trump&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-threatens-strike-on-guam-after-trumps-fire-and-fury-warning-18729">&quot;fire and fury&quot;</a>&nbsp;reaction to Korea&#39;s nuclear ambitions.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson justified Trump&#39;s rhetoric of &quot;fire and fury&quot; saying President Donald Trump was simply using the language &quot;that Kim Jong-Un would understand&quot;. He added while talking to journalists, that Kim doesn&#39;t seem to understand diplomatic language.

Germany intervened in the mounting war of words between the two&nbsp;countries, urging them to show &quot;restraint&quot;. It came down on the side of the US and called North Korea the clear &quot;provocateur in this case and the source of our worries&quot;. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The German foreign ministry, Martin Schaefer, urged United Nations Security Council to &quot;thoroughly implement&quot; the latest round of sanctions against North Korea.

He stressed on continuing the diplomatic efforts among the countries and ensured it as the only way to contain the North Korean threat.&nbsp;

He added that Germany will consult with the United States and China &quot;to find the right approach to dealing with the existential danger to the region and the world posed by nuclear proliferation and threats from North Korea&quot;.&nbsp;

The North&#39;s main ally China warned against &quot;words and actions&quot; that would stoke tensions.

France meanwhile praised Trump&#39;s &quot;determination&quot; in standing up to Pyongyang.

&nbsp;

The comments have come a day after the verbal war between North Korea and the United States

In his fresh warning to North Korea, President Donald Trump has said that the US nuclear arsenal had grown more powerful than ever before. "My first order as President was to renovate and modernise our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before," Trump wrote on Twitter, adding that "hopefully we will never have to use this power." My first order as President was to renovate and modernize our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2017 × ...Hopefully we will never have to use this power, but there will never be a time that we are not the most powerful nation in the world! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 9, 2017 × The US President's comments come a day after the verbal war between North Korea and the United States. North Korea had threatened a nuclear war on the US after Trump's "fire and fury" reaction to Korea's nuclear ambitions. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson justified Trump's rhetoric of "fire and fury" saying President Donald Trump was simply using the language "that Kim Jong-Un would understand". He added while talking to journalists, that Kim doesn't seem to understand diplomatic language. Germany intervened in the mounting war of words between the two countries, urging them to show "restraint". It came down on the side of the US and called North Korea the clear "provocateur in this case and the source of our worries". The German foreign ministry, Martin Schaefer, urged United Nations Security Council to "thoroughly implement" the latest round of sanctions against North Korea. He stressed on continuing the diplomatic efforts among the countries and ensured it as the only way to contain the North Korean threat. He added that Germany will consult with the United States and China "to find the right approach to dealing with the existential danger to the region and the world posed by nuclear proliferation and threats from North Korea". The North's main ally China warned against "words and actions" that would stoke tensions. France meanwhile praised Trump's "determination" in standing up to Pyongyang.

Trump now threatens North Korea with US nuclear might

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