In a dramatic move that has far-reaching implications, North Korea has sentenced two American women journalists 12 years of hard labour.
'What if Kim is alive as the latest reappearance suggests, but unable to rule?' 'Will his sister be installed as the leader to continue with the Kims's hereditary dynasty that began with the present ruler's grandfather?' asks Dr Rajaram Panda.
Meanwhile, the test drew strong criticism from North Korea's neighbours and the West which warned of a robust response to its "grave provocations".
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un attended the re-launch of a 5,000-ton destroyer that had partially capsized in May, calling the accident a 'criminal act' and vowing to strengthen the country's naval power.
This is the first time North Korea has fired what is thought to be a ballistic weapon over Japan.
The UN Security Council statement was a result of consultations by all members of the body and reflects the basic consensus of the international community, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Liu Weimin said.
John Duerden, football correspondent of the Pyongyang-based Korean Herald, who is covering the World Cup in South Africa, writes an exclusive for rediff.com on the fortunes and future of the North Korean team.
The White House has said that it has put all options on table to tackle the threat posed by nuclear-armed North Korea.
Major General (retired) G D Bakshi, a combat veteran of many counter-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, has said that Pakistan has copied the concept of building secret tunnels from North Korea with an aim to infiltrate in Jammu and Kashmir and spread terror.
The Obama administration has said that North Korea should give up its ambition of becoming a nuclear power before returning to the denuclearisation talks.
"My visit has cleared the air and created a positive atmosphere for future relationship with the IAEA," ElBaradei told a crowded press conference.
Britain's National Cyber Security Centre, leading the international investigation, believes that a hacking group known as Lazarus launched the attack.
Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, sentenced to hard labour in prison for 15 years for stealing a political poster from a restricted floor in his hotel.
The new US national security strategy signals a retreat from global dominance while reaffirming continuity in India's role in Indo-Pacific security and Quad cooperation, points out former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Media reports said North Korea has successfully miniaturised a nuclear warhead that can fit inside its missiles.
In the wake of continued heated rhetoric from North Korea, the United States is deploying a ballistic missile defence system in Pacific Island of Guam.
A pair of short-range missiles -- one surface-to-air and one surface-to-water with a range of 130 km -- were fired from its east coast launch pad, Yonhap news agency reported quoting an unnamed government official in Seoul
The letter comes as the two sides negotiate details of a second meeting between the two leaders. It was flown to Pyongyang and delivered by hand, the CNN reported, quoting a source familiar with the ongoing talks between Washington and Pyongyang on denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.
The White House, from where the final nod would have to come from before the State Department gets into the operating mode, has indicated that apart from staying with the Thursday deadline the Communist nation would have to come clean on all aspects, including the nuclear cooperation with Syria.
Trump hopes that the US will be able to deal in a very open and honorable fashion with North Korea.
Trump and Kim have traded increasingly threatening and personal insults as Pyongyang races towards its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the US.
Firing squad seems to be a 'standard' form of punishment in North Korea, and is often freely used for various offences, ranging from murder, rape, grand theft, drug smuggling, treason, piracy, cellphone use, and stealing food.
Former NBA basketball star Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea on Monday with a team of retired professional basketball players to mark the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his North Korean teammates as the national anthem echoed around Ellis Park, proud striker Jong Tae-se let the tears flow as it dawned on him his World Cup dreams had come true.
North Korea are banking on team spirit, surprise and sheer determination to upset expectations and get them through to the knockout stages at the World Cup finals in South Africa. Aware his team are being written off as the weakest at the June 11-July 11 tournament, coach Kim Jong-hun is nevertheless backing them to spring a surprise.
Mirabai Chanu (48kg) clinched a silver medal at the World Championships in the 48kg category in Forde, Norway.
The US also blasted China and Russia for not joining hands with the international community in their efforts to combat the North Korean threat.
CIA director George Tenet personally briefed Musharraf that AQ Khan "was betraying Pakistan's nuclear secrets to at least the Libyans and maybe others," prompting an explosive reaction before Khan was placed under years-long house arrest.
With the Department of Telecom asking mobile phone makers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi application in new handsets, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday described it as a 'snooping app' and alleged that the government is turning the country into a dictatorship.
The US president said the lines of communication had opened between the two countries after Trump administration officials on Thursday said that the North Koreans had become unresponsive, leading to the planned summit's cancellation.
Brazil made a strong statement with a 2-1 victory over Spain in their opening Group D clash on October 7, and they would now look to build on the winning momentum.
'Trump had done a deal with the current regime minus Maduro. The current regime is giving Trump entry into Venezuelan oil. They are obeying him and doing whatever he says.' 'They are happy because they have saved their heads by sacrificing only two, Maduro and his wife. Thousands of Venezuelan military leaders would have been jailed or killed in American action had Maduro stayed in power.'
North Korea, with the help of Pakistan, may have opened an alternative way to clandestinely build nuclear weapons as early as 1990s by constructing a plant to manufacture a gas needed for uranium enrichment. Pyongyang may have been enriching uranium on a small scale by 2002.
The South Korean military on Monday fired shells into disputed waters in the Yellow Sea in a live-fire drill that could re-ignite tensions with North Korea
The country ranked 100th out of 119 countries on the global hunger index, slipping three positions from last year.
Zelenskyy confirmed that the soldiers, despite being wounded, have been transported to Kyiv and are now in communication with the Security Service of Ukraine.
The Al Duhail forward was in rampant form for the Qataris as he became only the fourth player in Asian Cup history to score four in a single game.
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