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Updated at 8.30pm
NORTH KOREA HAS fired a ballistic missile, South Korean military officials have said, the first such launch in two months and just a week after the US slapped fresh sanctions on the hermit state and declared it a state sponsor of terrorism.
The North has stoked international alarm over its banned nuclear missile programme but before today it had not staged a missile test since 15 September, raising hopes that ramped-up sanctions were having an impact.
The missile flew east from South Pyongan Province, the military Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, adding that the South Korean and US authorities were analysing the flight route.
South Korea’s military staged a “precision strike” missile exercise in response, Yonhap news agency reported, also quoting the JCS.
US President Donald Trump was visiting Congress at the time of the launch and “was briefed, while the missile was still in the air” according to White House press secretary Sarah Sanders.
The president has since returned to the White House.
The US administration has said it will not tolerate the North’s testing or deployment of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to US cities.
Experts believe Pyongyang is within months of such a threshold, having carried out six nuclear tests since 2006 and test-fired several types of missiles, including multi-stage rockets.
Tests
In September the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and staged an intermediate-range missile launch over Japan.
The US last week raised pressure on Pyongyang by unveiling new sanctions targeting North Korean shipping.
President Donald Trump also declared North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, a spot on a US blacklist the country had shed nearly a decade ago.
Trump said that the terror designation and sanctions would be part of a series of moves over the next two weeks to reinforce his “maximum pressure campaign” against Kim Jong-Un’s regime.
But the North remained defiant, vowing to continue building up its nuclear force in the face of repeated US sanctions and threats.
It condemned the US terror listing as a “serious provocation” and warned that sanctions would never succeed.
It also slammed Washington for behaving like an “international judge on terrorism” and said the move was “clearly an absurdity and a mockery to world peace and security”.
China, the North’s sole ally, has pushed for a “dual track approach” to the crisis which would see the United States freeze its military drills in South Korea while North Korea would halt its weapons programmes.
Washington has rejected that approach.
Seoul’s unification minister earlier today said signs of unusual activity had been detected in North Korea, hinting at a possible missile test.
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Interesting, will America listen ?
They won’t bloody stop listening!
Why didn’t they lead the way against gm foods grown here even though majority of Europeans are against it. It got through cause an abstention automatically means a yes, WHY?
There should be more media coverage of EU decisions like this, as a member we implement the changes to n these decisions can often be far bigger than our own at home.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/gm-corn-gets-controversial-eu-ahead-202442678.html#6gTHmUF
What study determined that the ‘majority’ of Europeans are against it? I’m genuinely curious.
It has been shown time and time again that Europeans are against it, as are Irish people. Keep it out I say.
How has it been shown? You have to substantiate such claims.
I have no real opinion on the matter, myself.
Nevermind EU White fang it’s being rejected by people world wide China just rejected a shipment of GM corn other country’s are against GM
Take an hour or two to read up on this subject & Monsanto you will be shocked at the rejection it’s receiving and rightly so the stuffs not good for ye
I have heard bad things about Mosanto alright, Foxy. I’ve been meaning to do more research into GM foods though, before I form an opinion.
I just don’t think the majority out there oppose it. I’d say the most are like me, and know little about it. Which is worrying.
I think you found the problem and solution
It’s up to the people to educate themselves and others about subjects like this nobody else is going to
True, the media doesn’t seem too interested in the subject, so I guess it’s up to each individual to source information.
Here some mate. Just a bit to get started. If you do start to look further you might notice a lot of surveys that suggest there is less concern about gms but the have the pattern of surveys that have loaded questions and with leading results, no flat out questions asked. keep an eye for that buddy.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/europeans-wary-of-gmo-foods-2137817.html
Thanks Joe, that’s exactly what I was looking for!
The EU is a million times worse than the US
At least in the US they all speak the same language
Wrong Sean, every day you manage to outdo yourself. Haha.
What kind of clown are you?
Sean. You really are a complete hatstand.
The Internet is a wild animal, one minute they think they’ve got it tamed, Napster, Limewire etc
Good cop bad cop same agenda.
Nail on the head
The US probably has Hollandes phone bugged already thinking he’s a terrorist. Most of us are in their eyes.
Not a specy one
Interesting contrast between this and other recent stories on the same subject.
Derek Keating & Sean Kelly should really take note.
have your say