US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned on Friday that failure to curb North Korea`s nuclear and missile development could lead to `catastrophic consequences,` while China and Russia cautioned Washington against threatening military force. 
 
Washington has recently lavished praise on Beijing for its efforts to rein in its ally Pyongyang, but Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made clear to the UN&nbsp;Security Council it was not only up to China to solve the North Korean problem. 
 
&quot;The key to solving the nuclear issue on the peninsula does not lie in the hands of the Chinese side,&quot; Wang told the 15-member council in remarks contradicting the White House belief that it does wield significant influence. 
 
The ministerial meeting of the council, chaired by Tillerson, exposed old divisions between the United States and China on how to deal with North Korea. China wants talks first and action later, while the United States wants North Korea to curtail its nuclear program before such talks start. 
 
&quot;It is necessary to put aside the debate over who should take the first step and stop arguing who is right and who is wrong,&quot; Wang told the council. &quot;Now is the time to seriously consider resuming talks.&quot; 
 
Tillerson responded: &quot;We will not negotiate our way back to the negotiating table with North Korea, we will not reward their violations of past resolutions, we will not reward their bad behavior with talks.&quot; 
 
North Korea did not take part in the meeting.&nbsp; 
 
In Tillerson`s first visit to the United Nations he scolded the Security Council for not fully enforcing sanctions against North Korea, saying if the body had acted, tensions over its nuclear program might not have escalated. 
 
&quot;Failing to act now on the most pressing security issue in the world may bring catastrophic consequences,&quot; he said. 
 
The United States was not pushing for regime change and preferred a negotiated solution, but Pyongyang, for its own sake, should dismantle its nuclear and missile programs, he said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The threat of a nuclear attack on Seoul, or Tokyo, is real, and it`s only a matter of time before North Korea develops the capability to strike the US&nbsp;mainland,&quot; Tillerson said. 
 
Tillerson repeated the Trump administration`s position that all options are on the table if Pyongyang persists with its nuclear and missile development, but Wang said military threats would not help. 
 
&#39;Frightening consequences&#39; 
 
Wang said dialogue and negotiations were the &quot;only way out.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The use of force does not solve differences and will only lead to bigger disasters,&quot; he said. 
 
US&nbsp;&nbsp;President Donald Trump said in an interview with Reuters on Thursday that a &quot;major, major conflict&quot; with North Korea was possible over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.&nbsp; 
 
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov cautioned on Friday that the use of force would be &quot;completely unacceptable.&quot; 
 
&quot;The combative rhetoric coupled with reckless muscle-flexing has led to a situation where the whole world seriously is now wondering whether there`s going to be a war or not,&quot; he told the council. &quot;One ill thought out or misinterpreted step could lead to the most frightening and lamentable consequences.&quot; 
 
Gatilov said North Korea felt threatened by regular joint US&nbsp;and South Korean military exercises and the deployment of a US&nbsp;aircraft carrier group to waters off the Korean peninsula. 
 
China and Russia both also repeated their opposition to the deployment of a US&nbsp;anti-missile system in South Korea. 
 
Gatilov described it as a &quot;destabilising effort,&quot; while Wang said it damaged trust among the parties on the North Korea issue.&nbsp; 
 
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told the council that to bring North Korea back to the table the international community &quot;must send a strong message that provocation comes at a high price.&quot; 
 
&quot;There is no doubt that dialogue is necessary ... however under the current situation where North Korea continues to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, meaningful dialogue is clearly not possible,&quot; he said. 
 
The Trump administration is focusing its North Korea strategy on tougher economic sanctions, possibly including an oil embargo, a global ban on its airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang, US&nbsp;officials told Reuters earlier this month. 
 
Since 2006, North Korea has been subject to UN&nbsp;sanctions aimed at impeding the development of its nuclear and missile programs. The council has strengthened sanctions following each of North Korea`s five nuclear tests. 
 
(Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

China and Russia cautioned Washington against threatening military force

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned on Friday that failure to curb North Korea`s nuclear and missile development could lead to `catastrophic consequences,` while China and Russia cautioned Washington against threatening military force. Washington has recently lavished praise on Beijing for its efforts to rein in its ally Pyongyang, but Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made clear to the UN Security Council it was not only up to China to solve the North Korean problem. "The key to solving the nuclear issue on the peninsula does not lie in the hands of the Chinese side," Wang told the 15-member council in remarks contradicting the White House belief that it does wield significant influence. The ministerial meeting of the council, chaired by Tillerson, exposed old divisions between the United States and China on how to deal with North Korea. China wants talks first and action later, while the United States wants North Korea to curtail its nuclear program before such talks start. "It is necessary to put aside the debate over who should take the first step and stop arguing who is right and who is wrong," Wang told the council. "Now is the time to seriously consider resuming talks." Tillerson responded: "We will not negotiate our way back to the negotiating table with North Korea, we will not reward their violations of past resolutions, we will not reward their bad behavior with talks." North Korea did not take part in the meeting. In Tillerson`s first visit to the United Nations he scolded the Security Council for not fully enforcing sanctions against North Korea, saying if the body had acted, tensions over its nuclear program might not have escalated. "Failing to act now on the most pressing security issue in the world may bring catastrophic consequences," he said. The United States was not pushing for regime change and preferred a negotiated solution, but Pyongyang, for its own sake, should dismantle its nuclear and missile programs, he said. "The threat of a nuclear attack on Seoul, or Tokyo, is real, and it`s only a matter of time before North Korea develops the capability to strike the US mainland," Tillerson said. Tillerson repeated the Trump administration`s position that all options are on the table if Pyongyang persists with its nuclear and missile development, but Wang said military threats would not help. 'Frightening consequences' Wang said dialogue and negotiations were the "only way out." "The use of force does not solve differences and will only lead to bigger disasters," he said. US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Reuters on Thursday that a "major, major conflict" with North Korea was possible over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov cautioned on Friday that the use of force would be "completely unacceptable." "The combative rhetoric coupled with reckless muscle-flexing has led to a situation where the whole world seriously is now wondering whether there`s going to be a war or not," he told the council. "One ill thought out or misinterpreted step could lead to the most frightening and lamentable consequences." Gatilov said North Korea felt threatened by regular joint US and South Korean military exercises and the deployment of a US aircraft carrier group to waters off the Korean peninsula. China and Russia both also repeated their opposition to the deployment of a US anti-missile system in South Korea. Gatilov described it as a "destabilising effort," while Wang said it damaged trust among the parties on the North Korea issue. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told the council that to bring North Korea back to the table the international community "must send a strong message that provocation comes at a high price." "There is no doubt that dialogue is necessary ... however under the current situation where North Korea continues to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, meaningful dialogue is clearly not possible," he said. The Trump administration is focusing its North Korea strategy on tougher economic sanctions, possibly including an oil embargo, a global ban on its airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang, US officials told Reuters earlier this month. Since 2006, North Korea has been subject to UN sanctions aimed at impeding the development of its nuclear and missile programs. The council has strengthened sanctions following each of North Korea`s five nuclear tests. (Reuters)

US says time to act on North Korea, China says not up to Beijing alone

The United States has started installing the controversial THAAD missile defence equipment in South Korea, as Washington&#39;s relations with North Korea remains on a&nbsp;knife edge.

Yonhap, South Korea&#39;s largest news agency, reported that six trailers carrying the THAAD missile had entered a golf course in South Korea on Wednesday morning.

The deployment of the advanced missile defence system in South Korea is to counter any threat from Pyongyang, who have thumbed nose at a series of sanctions to go ahead with their ballistic missile programme.

North Korea has also been vocal about their plan to conduct their sixth nuclear weapons test.

South Korea&#39;s defence ministry said the THAAD will be fully operational by the end of 2017.

South Korea and the US decided to position the THAAD weeks back following an increasingly bellicose rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang.

The THAAD system is meant to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.

Controversial THAAD

Although THAAD will ease South Korea&#39;s security, China has been a vocal critic of the advanced missile interceptor.

Beijing feels the deployment of THAAD not only enables US&#39; presence in the region, the defence system will also help Washington monitor and disrupt their missile tests.

China has long been against the deployment of THAAD in the region, but South Korea&#39;s decision to install it amid the sabre-rattling of their neighbours has angered Beijing.

In recent days, China has not only put an unofficial sanction on South Korean companies operating in their country, its hackers linked to &quot;military and intelligence agencies&quot; have &quot;launched a variety of attacks against the South Korea&#39;s government, military and a big conglomerate&quot;, according to a report in the Journal.

Local unrest

The deployment has also raised concerns among locals.

Residents of Seongju county in South Korea and the police clashed with each other over the deployment of THAAD in one of the region&#39;s golf courses.

The residents have been against the positioning of THAAD there because they believe it would infuriate North leader Kim Jong-Un and would prompt him to attack them.

They also cite environmental concerns.

On Wednesday, all hands were on the deck for the police as they had to contend with about 8,000 angry residents. The police had to call for back-up as scuffles erupted between the two factions.

US offensive

The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson to the western Pacific.

Trump has indicated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, and reject bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang.

The US has long pushed for China to make more efforts to curb Pyongyang&#39;s behaviour.

But Beijing has resisted, concerned that a regime collapse could trigger a flood of refugees across the border and leave the US military on its doorstep.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called Monday for &quot;restraint&quot; regarding North Korea in a telephone conversation with Trump.

US defence leaders and other top officials are to give a classified briefing on North Korea to all senators in an unusual meeting at the White House later Wednesday.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The THAAD arrived in the South as North Korea continues with its ballistic missile programme

The United States has started installing the controversial THAAD missile defence equipment in South Korea, as Washington's relations with North Korea remains on a knife edge. Yonhap, South Korea's largest news agency, reported that six trailers carrying the THAAD missile had entered a golf course in South Korea on Wednesday morning. The deployment of the advanced missile defence system in South Korea is to counter any threat from Pyongyang, who have thumbed nose at a series of sanctions to go ahead with their ballistic missile programme. North Korea has also been vocal about their plan to conduct their sixth nuclear weapons test. South Korea's defence ministry said the THAAD will be fully operational by the end of 2017. South Korea and the US decided to position the THAAD weeks back following an increasingly bellicose rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang. The THAAD system is meant to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. Controversial THAAD Although THAAD will ease South Korea's security, China has been a vocal critic of the advanced missile interceptor. Beijing feels the deployment of THAAD not only enables US' presence in the region, the defence system will also help Washington monitor and disrupt their missile tests. China has long been against the deployment of THAAD in the region, but South Korea's decision to install it amid the sabre-rattling of their neighbours has angered Beijing. In recent days, China has not only put an unofficial sanction on South Korean companies operating in their country, its hackers linked to "military and intelligence agencies" have "launched a variety of attacks against the South Korea's government, military and a big conglomerate", according to a report in the Journal. Local unrest The deployment has also raised concerns among locals. Residents of Seongju county in South Korea and the police clashed with each other over the deployment of THAAD in one of the region's golf courses. The residents have been against the positioning of THAAD there because they believe it would infuriate North leader Kim Jong-Un and would prompt him to attack them. They also cite environmental concerns. On Wednesday, all hands were on the deck for the police as they had to contend with about 8,000 angry residents. The police had to call for back-up as scuffles erupted between the two factions. US offensive The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson to the western Pacific. Trump has indicated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, and reject bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang. The US has long pushed for China to make more efforts to curb Pyongyang's behaviour. But Beijing has resisted, concerned that a regime collapse could trigger a flood of refugees across the border and leave the US military on its doorstep. Chinese President Xi Jinping called Monday for "restraint" regarding North Korea in a telephone conversation with Trump. US defence leaders and other top officials are to give a classified briefing on North Korea to all senators in an unusual meeting at the White House later Wednesday. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US' missile defence interceptor arrives in South Korea to counter North's threat

The UN Security Council has to be ready to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, US President Donald Trump said Monday, calling the status quo &quot;unacceptable.&quot;

&quot;This is a real threat to the world,&quot; Trump said while hosting UN Security Council ambassadors at the White House. &quot;North Korea is a big world problem. And it&#39;s a problem we have to finally solve.&quot;

&quot;The council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on the North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs,&quot; he said.

The comments are sure to once again ratchet up tensions.

North Korea is pushing on with its ballistic missile program, believed to be preparing a sixth nuclear weapons test, and has detained a US citizen -- the third to be held in the country.

At the same time, the United States has ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to the western Pacific, near North Korea. The group is due to arrive by the end of April.

The Pentagon said its leaders and other top officials will give a classified briefing on North Korea to US senators on Wednesday at the White House, rather than the usual secure rooms at the Capitol.

US Vice President Mike Pence is heading back to Washington after visits to Asia and Australia, with North Korea headlining talks.

Trump has intimated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, while rejecting bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang.

&quot;People have put blindfolds on for decades and now it&#39;s time to solve the problem,&quot; he said.

The US leader spoke about North Korea in telephone conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday and with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, the White House said.

In the call with Xi, &quot;the two leaders reaffirmed the urgency of the threat posed by North Korea&#39;s missile and nuclear programs, and committed to strengthen coordination in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,&quot; a White House statement said.

(AFP)

Pyongyang is a real threat to the world, the US president told the United Nations Security Council ambassadors

The UN Security Council has to be ready to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, US President Donald Trump said Monday, calling the status quo "unacceptable." "This is a real threat to the world," Trump said while hosting UN Security Council ambassadors at the White House. "North Korea is a big world problem. And it's a problem we have to finally solve." "The council must be prepared to impose additional and stronger sanctions on the North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs," he said. The comments are sure to once again ratchet up tensions. North Korea is pushing on with its ballistic missile program, believed to be preparing a sixth nuclear weapons test, and has detained a US citizen -- the third to be held in the country. At the same time, the United States has ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to the western Pacific, near North Korea. The group is due to arrive by the end of April. The Pentagon said its leaders and other top officials will give a classified briefing on North Korea to US senators on Wednesday at the White House, rather than the usual secure rooms at the Capitol. US Vice President Mike Pence is heading back to Washington after visits to Asia and Australia, with North Korea headlining talks. Trump has intimated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, while rejecting bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang. "People have put blindfolds on for decades and now it's time to solve the problem," he said. The US leader spoke about North Korea in telephone conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday and with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, the White House said. In the call with Xi, "the two leaders reaffirmed the urgency of the threat posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, and committed to strengthen coordination in achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," a White House statement said. (AFP)

Trump urges UN to impose 'stronger sanctions' on North Korea

US federal prosecutors suspect the North Korean government directed last year&#39;s theft of $81 million from Bangladesh&#39;s account at the New York Federal Reserve Bank, according to a media report Wednesday.

Citing unnamed sources, The Wall Street Journal said prosecutors were developing cases showing Chinese middlemen helped the North Korean government orchestrate the enormous theft from the&nbsp;Bangladesh central bank.

In February 2016, thieves transferred the funds from Bangladesh&#39;s account at the New York Fed to accounts in the Philippines using authenticated international bank access codes in the SWIFT system, not by hacking the bank.

It was unclear when or if any charges would be filed but any case might implicate North Korea without charging North Korean officials.

The Justice Department and the New York Fed declined to comment on the report.

The New York Fed over the past year has issued several statements, including joint statements with the central bank of Bangladesh and SWIFT, pledging to recover the stolen funds and enhance security of the payments system.

One statement said officials &quot;remain concerned about this event and recommitted to working together to recover the entire proceeds of the fraud as expeditiously as possible, bring the perpetrators to justice in cooperation with law enforcement from other jurisdictions, and lend support to multilateral international efforts to further protect the global financial system from these types of attacks in the future.&quot;

However, the New York Fed did not respond to a request from AFP for comment on the status of the investigation.

Researchers at the security firm Symantec previously had linked the theft to a series of cyber-attacks on the US financial system and the 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures.

(AFP)

US prosecutors believe Chinese middlemen helped the North Korean government orchestrate the theft from the?Bangladesh central bank

US federal prosecutors suspect the North Korean government directed last year's theft of $81 million from Bangladesh's account at the New York Federal Reserve Bank, according to a media report Wednesday. Citing unnamed sources, The Wall Street Journal said prosecutors were developing cases showing Chinese middlemen helped the North Korean government orchestrate the enormous theft from the Bangladesh central bank. In February 2016, thieves transferred the funds from Bangladesh's account at the New York Fed to accounts in the Philippines using authenticated international bank access codes in the SWIFT system, not by hacking the bank. It was unclear when or if any charges would be filed but any case might implicate North Korea without charging North Korean officials. The Justice Department and the New York Fed declined to comment on the report. The New York Fed over the past year has issued several statements, including joint statements with the central bank of Bangladesh and SWIFT, pledging to recover the stolen funds and enhance security of the payments system. One statement said officials "remain concerned about this event and recommitted to working together to recover the entire proceeds of the fraud as expeditiously as possible, bring the perpetrators to justice in cooperation with law enforcement from other jurisdictions, and lend support to multilateral international efforts to further protect the global financial system from these types of attacks in the future." However, the New York Fed did not respond to a request from AFP for comment on the status of the investigation. Researchers at the security firm Symantec previously had linked the theft to a series of cyber-attacks on the US financial system and the 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures. (AFP)

US accuses North Korea of multi-million dollar theft from Bangladesh's account

Planned talks in New York between North Korea and former US officials were canceled following the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un&#39;s half brother, US media reported today.

The unofficial meeting which was to have taken place next week fell through when the State Department refused to issue visas for&nbsp;diplomats coming from Pyongyang, The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources who knew of the decision.

It would have been the first meeting between the two countries to have taken place inside the United States in more than five years.

The meeting was organized by Donald Zagoria, a senior official at the non-profit National Committee on American Foreign Policy,&nbsp;who according to the Wall Street Journal has been involved in previous back-channel talks with North Korea.

Both newspapers said the North Korean delegation was to have been led by Choe Son Hui, head of the US affairs department at&nbsp;the foreign ministry in Pyongyang.

Washington was to have been represented by Robert Gallucci, the main US negotiator during the 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis,&nbsp;and Victor Cha, who headed Asian affairs in George W Bush&#39;s National Security Council, the Journal said.

But plans for the unofficial talks ran into difficulties after North Korea launched a ballistic missile earlier this month.

According to the Post, Washington decided to cancel the talks after Malaysian police confirmed that Kim Jong Nam was&nbsp;assassinated with VX, a lethal nerve agent manufactured for chemical warfare and listed by the United Nations as a weapon of&nbsp;mass destruction.

Kim died on February 13 after being attacked by two women at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. He suffered a seizure and&nbsp;died before reaching hospital.&nbsp;

(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

It would have been the first meeting between the two countries to have taken place inside the United States in more than five years

Planned talks in New York between North Korea and former US officials were canceled following the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's half brother, US media reported today. The unofficial meeting which was to have taken place next week fell through when the State Department refused to issue visas for diplomats coming from Pyongyang, The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources who knew of the decision. It would have been the first meeting between the two countries to have taken place inside the United States in more than five years. The meeting was organized by Donald Zagoria, a senior official at the non-profit National Committee on American Foreign Policy, who according to the Wall Street Journal has been involved in previous back-channel talks with North Korea. Both newspapers said the North Korean delegation was to have been led by Choe Son Hui, head of the US affairs department at the foreign ministry in Pyongyang. Washington was to have been represented by Robert Gallucci, the main US negotiator during the 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis, and Victor Cha, who headed Asian affairs in George W Bush's National Security Council, the Journal said. But plans for the unofficial talks ran into difficulties after North Korea launched a ballistic missile earlier this month. According to the Post, Washington decided to cancel the talks after Malaysian police confirmed that Kim Jong Nam was assassinated with VX, a lethal nerve agent manufactured for chemical warfare and listed by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction. Kim died on February 13 after being attacked by two women at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. He suffered a seizure and died before reaching hospital. (AFP)

US axes North Korea talks after Kim murder: Report

North Korea has conducted yet another unsuccessful test-launch of a powerful medium-range Musudan missile, the US military said yesterday. Existing UN sanctions prohibit North Korea from using ballistic missile technology.

This makes it the seventh test-launch of the much-hyped Musudan missile which has a range of anywhere between 2500 and 4000 kilometres, making it capable of striking the US military bases in Guam, AFP reported. Only one met with partial success - the launch in June that flew 400 kilometres into the Sea of Japan.

The US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) said in a statement that the launch, detected just after midday did not pose a threat to North America.&quot;The North American Aerospace Defense Command determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America.&quot;

Saturday&#39;s launch was detected at 1203 Pyongyang time (0333 GMT) from the northwestern North Korean town of Kusong. Such launches are usually detected within hours or even minutes by the South Korean and US militaries, and it was unclear why Sunday&#39;s USSTRATCOM announcement came so long after the event, AFP reported.

There was no immediate confirmation from the South Korean side.

The June test was hailed by leader Kim Jong-Un as a complete success and proof of the North&#39;s ability to strike US bases across &quot;the Pacific operation theatre.&quot; 
 
Despite being banned by the UN, North Korea has made a number of missile-related tests this year

US weapons analysts fear that a successful Musudan testing could help the nuclear-armed country develop an operational intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking the US mainland.

After satellite imagery showed one of its nuclear site buzzing with activity, there are fears that the country may conduct a nuclear test as well - it has already conducted two in January and September.

The previous tests were held in 2006, 2009 and 2013.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Existing UN sanctions prohibit North Korea from using ballistic missile technology

North Korea has conducted yet another unsuccessful test-launch of a powerful medium-range Musudan missile, the US military said yesterday. Existing UN sanctions prohibit North Korea from using ballistic missile technology. This makes it the seventh test-launch of the much-hyped Musudan missile which has a range of anywhere between 2500 and 4000 kilometres, making it capable of striking the US military bases in Guam, AFP reported. Only one met with partial success - the launch in June that flew 400 kilometres into the Sea of Japan. The US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) said in a statement that the launch, detected just after midday did not pose a threat to North America."The North American Aerospace Defense Command determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America." Saturday's launch was detected at 1203 Pyongyang time (0333 GMT) from the northwestern North Korean town of Kusong. Such launches are usually detected within hours or even minutes by the South Korean and US militaries, and it was unclear why Sunday's USSTRATCOM announcement came so long after the event, AFP reported. There was no immediate confirmation from the South Korean side. The June test was hailed by leader Kim Jong-Un as a complete success and proof of the North's ability to strike US bases across "the Pacific operation theatre." Despite being banned by the UN, North Korea has made a number of missile-related tests this year US weapons analysts fear that a successful Musudan testing could help the nuclear-armed country develop an operational intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking the US mainland. After satellite imagery showed one of its nuclear site buzzing with activity, there are fears that the country may conduct a nuclear test as well - it has already conducted two in January and September. The previous tests were held in 2006, 2009 and 2013. (WION with inputs from AFP)

North Korea conducts unsuccessful missile launch, says US

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