Pyongyang appears to be developing warheads to penetrate a ballistic missile shield defending Japan, the country's defence chief said on Tuesday, pointing to the irregular trajectories of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-launches-short-range-missiles-again-complicating-us-attempts-for-talks-245221">latest missiles launched by North Korea</a>.

Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya told a news conference that Japan believes the rockets were a new short-range ballistic missile, according to a ministry spokesman who confirmed his comments carried by domestic media.

Recent short-range missile tests by Pyongyang have stoked alarm in neighbouring Japan even as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-us-has-really-good-relationship-with-north-korea-245245">US&nbsp;President Donald Trump</a> has dismissed the launches as unimportant.

Saturday's test firings came a day after Seoul said it was ending a military intelligence-sharing pact with Tokyo, amid a worsening spat over wartime forced labour.

Iwaya and other Japanese officials called Seoul's decision "irrational" as the threat posed by North Korea grows.

Japan and the United States have Aegis destroyers deployed in the Sea of Japan armed with interceptor missiles designed to destroy warheads in space. Japan also plans to build two land-based Aegis batteries to bolster its ballistic missile shield.

Those defence systems, however, are designed to counter projectiles on regular and therefore, predictable, trajectories, and any variation in flight path would make interception trickier.

Detailed analysis of the latest North Korean launches was underway with the United States, an official of South Korea's defence ministry said on Tuesday.

Pyongyang appears to be developing warheads to penetrate a ballistic missile shield defending Japan, the country's defence chief said on Tuesday, pointing to the irregular trajectories of the latest missiles launched by North Korea.

Pyongyang appears to be developing warheads to penetrate a ballistic missile shield defending Japan, the country's defence chief said on Tuesday, pointing to the irregular trajectories of the latest missiles launched by North Korea. Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya told a news conference that Japan believes the rockets were a new short-range ballistic missile, according to a ministry spokesman who confirmed his comments carried by domestic media. Recent short-range missile tests by Pyongyang have stoked alarm in neighbouring Japan even as US President Donald Trump has dismissed the launches as unimportant. Saturday's test firings came a day after Seoul said it was ending a military intelligence-sharing pact with Tokyo, amid a worsening spat over wartime forced labour. Iwaya and other Japanese officials called Seoul's decision "irrational" as the threat posed by North Korea grows. Japan and the United States have Aegis destroyers deployed in the Sea of Japan armed with interceptor missiles designed to destroy warheads in space. Japan also plans to build two land-based Aegis batteries to bolster its ballistic missile shield. Those defence systems, however, are designed to counter projectiles on regular and therefore, predictable, trajectories, and any variation in flight path would make interception trickier. Detailed analysis of the latest North Korean launches was underway with the United States, an official of South Korea's defence ministry said on Tuesday.

North Korea developing warheads to penetrate missile defences: Japan

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oil-prices-slip-for-second-day-on-global-growth-fears-228302">Oil prices fell on Wednesday on disappointing </a>economic data from China and a rise in US crude inventories, erasing some of the sharp gains in the previous session after the US said it would delay tariffs on some Chinese products, easing trade tensions.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-inches-down-as-inventory-data-counters-trade-deal-hopes-228693">Brent crude was down 46 cents</a>, or 0.8 per cents, at $60.84 a barrel at 0639 GMT, after rising 4.7 per cents on Tuesday, the biggest percentage gain since December.

US oil was down 62 cents, or 1.1per cents, at $56.48 a barrel, having risen 4per cents the previous session, the most in just over a month.

China reported a raft of unexpectedly weak data for July, including a surprise drop in industrial output growth to a more than 17-year low, underlining widening economic cracks as the trade war with the United States intensifies.

"Deteriorating China industrial output and consumer spending suggest the fundamental picture isn't great and the demand for energy may be under the pressure," said Margaret Yang, market analyst at CMC Markets.

Profit-taking after Tuesday's sharp gains also weighed on crude prices on Wednesday, analysts said.

"The moves in oil were so outsized overnight, that some profit-taking in Asia was logical," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst, Asia Pacific at OANDA.

Benchmark crude prices surged on Tuesday after US&nbsp;President Donald Trump backed off his Sept. 1 deadline for 10per cents tariffs on some products affecting about half of the $300 billion target list of Chinese goods.

But with about $110 billion worth of Chinese imports still subject to the tariffs increase next month, the delay will not solve the core issues between the US and China, said Yang.

"Markets will perhaps soon come down to earth and face the reality of a world of elevated trade tariffs, slower growth and policy inconsistency," Yang said.

Markets have been pummelled in recent weeks amid tough talk from Trump on trade.

China's commerce ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that US and Chinese trade officials spoke on the phone and agreed to talk again within two weeks.

Data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute (API) showed US crude stocks unexpectedly rose last week.

Crude inventories increased by 3.7 million barrels to 443 million, compared with analyst expectations for a decrease of 2.8 million barrels, the API said.

Oil prices fell on Wednesday on disappointing economic data from China and a rise in US crude inventories, erasing some of the sharp gains in the previous session after the US said it would delay tariffs on some Chinese products, easing trade tensions.

Oil prices fell on Wednesday on disappointing economic data from China and a rise in US crude inventories, erasing some of the sharp gains in the previous session after the US said it would delay tariffs on some Chinese products, easing trade tensions. Brent crude was down 46 cents, or 0.8 per cents, at $60.84 a barrel at 0639 GMT, after rising 4.7 per cents on Tuesday, the biggest percentage gain since December. US oil was down 62 cents, or 1.1per cents, at $56.48 a barrel, having risen 4per cents the previous session, the most in just over a month. China reported a raft of unexpectedly weak data for July, including a surprise drop in industrial output growth to a more than 17-year low, underlining widening economic cracks as the trade war with the United States intensifies. "Deteriorating China industrial output and consumer spending suggest the fundamental picture isn't great and the demand for energy may be under the pressure," said Margaret Yang, market analyst at CMC Markets. Profit-taking after Tuesday's sharp gains also weighed on crude prices on Wednesday, analysts said. "The moves in oil were so outsized overnight, that some profit-taking in Asia was logical," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst, Asia Pacific at OANDA. Benchmark crude prices surged on Tuesday after US President Donald Trump backed off his Sept. 1 deadline for 10per cents tariffs on some products affecting about half of the $300 billion target list of Chinese goods. But with about $110 billion worth of Chinese imports still subject to the tariffs increase next month, the delay will not solve the core issues between the US and China, said Yang. "Markets will perhaps soon come down to earth and face the reality of a world of elevated trade tariffs, slower growth and policy inconsistency," Yang said. Markets have been pummelled in recent weeks amid tough talk from Trump on trade. China's commerce ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that US and Chinese trade officials spoke on the phone and agreed to talk again within two weeks. Data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute (API) showed US crude stocks unexpectedly rose last week. Crude inventories increased by 3.7 million barrels to 443 million, compared with analyst expectations for a decrease of 2.8 million barrels, the API said.

Oil prices fall as China economic data disappoints, US inventories gain

Spying is getting harder because the same technologies that catch terrorists can sometimes uncover foreign intelligence operations, the director of Israel's Mossad said on Monday.

Joseph (Yossi) Cohen delivered rare public remarks at a budget conference held by Israel's Finance Ministry. That suggested he may have emerged from the shadows to safeguard the funds and personnel allotment that, according to Israeli daily Haaretz, have made Mossad "the second largest spy organisation in the West" after the US&nbsp;Central Intelligence Agency.

Cohen described Mossad as the tip of Israel's spear against threats like Iranian nuclear and missile projects and Iranian backing for Palestinian Islamist Hamas militants.

But, outlining challenges to covert Mossad officers such as facial recognition technology and digitally enhanced identification documents, he said: "Everywhere we go, we have to take into account the fact that security services are getting stronger.

"For normal people, this (technology) is good. For people who don't want it so much, the matter is, of course, a challenge of a different order."

"You can imagine that a large part of the agency's problems or challenges speak to the fact that your passport is, essentially, in your fingerprint, in your retina, or in your face," Cohen said, describing such measures as often designed primarily for counter-terrorism rather than counter-espionage.

"This arena, which very much affects us, has changed beyond recognition and is ballooning."

In 2010, the United Arab Emirates accused Mossad of killing a Hamas arms procurer in Dubai and published CCTV video of the fugitive hit team as well as their forged Western passports - an embarrassment for Israel, although it declined comment.

Since Cohen took over in 2016, Mossad is widely believed to have assassinated Hamas men in Malaysia and Tunisia. In neither incident was Dubai-like footage made public - an indication that the killers eluded surveillance.

Cohen praised US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, who has withdrawn from the international nuclear deal with Iran and recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital - moves that, respectively, dismayed Washington's major European allies and angered Palestinians, who claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a state they seek in Israeli-occupied territory.

Cohen said various powers' handling of Middle East hotspots like Syria "is, of course, very much affected by the change in approach since President Trump took office, which, I think, is very pleasant for us, as the State of Israel.

"There is a kind of feeling - including in me - that there is a differentiation, between the good guys and the bad guys, being done in a more dichotomous, simpler and clearer manner."

Spying is getting harder because the same technologies that catch terrorists can sometimes uncover foreign intelligence operations, the director of Israel's Mossad said on Monday.

Spying is getting harder because the same technologies that catch terrorists can sometimes uncover foreign intelligence operations, the director of Israel's Mossad said on Monday. Joseph (Yossi) Cohen delivered rare public remarks at a budget conference held by Israel's Finance Ministry. That suggested he may have emerged from the shadows to safeguard the funds and personnel allotment that, according to Israeli daily Haaretz, have made Mossad "the second largest spy organisation in the West" after the US Central Intelligence Agency. Cohen described Mossad as the tip of Israel's spear against threats like Iranian nuclear and missile projects and Iranian backing for Palestinian Islamist Hamas militants. But, outlining challenges to covert Mossad officers such as facial recognition technology and digitally enhanced identification documents, he said: "Everywhere we go, we have to take into account the fact that security services are getting stronger. "For normal people, this (technology) is good. For people who don't want it so much, the matter is, of course, a challenge of a different order." "You can imagine that a large part of the agency's problems or challenges speak to the fact that your passport is, essentially, in your fingerprint, in your retina, or in your face," Cohen said, describing such measures as often designed primarily for counter-terrorism rather than counter-espionage. "This arena, which very much affects us, has changed beyond recognition and is ballooning." In 2010, the United Arab Emirates accused Mossad of killing a Hamas arms procurer in Dubai and published CCTV video of the fugitive hit team as well as their forged Western passports - an embarrassment for Israel, although it declined comment. Since Cohen took over in 2016, Mossad is widely believed to have assassinated Hamas men in Malaysia and Tunisia. In neither incident was Dubai-like footage made public - an indication that the killers eluded surveillance. Cohen praised US President Donald Trump, who has withdrawn from the international nuclear deal with Iran and recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital - moves that, respectively, dismayed Washington's major European allies and angered Palestinians, who claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a state they seek in Israeli-occupied territory. Cohen said various powers' handling of Middle East hotspots like Syria "is, of course, very much affected by the change in approach since President Trump took office, which, I think, is very pleasant for us, as the State of Israel. "There is a kind of feeling - including in me - that there is a differentiation, between the good guys and the bad guys, being done in a more dichotomous, simpler and clearer manner."

Spying is getting harder: Israel's Mossad chief