LIMA (Reuters) - Athletes preparing for next year's Pyeongchang Winter Olympics have not expressed concerns about their safety amid an escalating crisis with North Korea, international federation chiefs said. Further sanctions imposed by the United Nations this week have angered North Korea and a state agency in the country threatened to use nuclear weapons to "sink" Japan and reduce the United States to "ashes and darkness". Rene Fasel, who heads the international ice hockey federation, also said he had not heard of any concerns from hockey players. China has ties with North Korea and the United States has urged Beijing to use it leverage, including oil, to sway North Korea. "North Korea would not do anything with a large Chinese team in town," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Source: The Star September 14, 2017 18:56 UTC