NKorea stokes Japan fury with missile testSEOUL: North Korea on Wednesday fired a ballistic missile into the sea off northern Japan, drawing an outraged response from Tokyo and ramping up already elevated tensions with the United States and South Korea. While some experts say the claims are exaggerated, most acknowledge that the North’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs have made significant strides. Since its fourth nuclear test, North Korea has claimed a series of technical breakthroughs for its weapons program. North Korea says the annual drills are a provocative rehearsal for invasion, while Washington and Seoul insist they are purely defensive in nature. It said it had miniaturized a nuclear warhead and successfully tested an engine designed for an inter-continental ballistic missile that could reach the US mainland.

Source: Manila Times August 03, 2016 03:56 UTC