WorldNuclear-armed North Korea said Tuesday its missile launches were training for a strike on US bases in Japan, as global condemnation of the regime swelled. In separate phone calls, Trump -- whose rhetoric on the campaign trail had raised doubts about the issue -- reaffirmed Washington's “ironclad commitment” to Japan and South Korea. The Korean version of the KCNA report said the North's missile launch demonstrated its readiness to “wipe out” enemy forces with a “merciless nuclear strike”. Trump has described North Korea as a “big, big problem” and vowed to deal with the issue “very strongly”. With diplomatic tensions soaring, Pyongyang announced Tuesday it was banning Malaysians in North Korea from leaving the country, prompting a similar response from Kuala Lumpur.

Source: Sunday Times March 07, 2017 09:39 UTC