New documents show how a retail chain’s sales practices helped put guns on US streets 
Singapore a battleground of commodities fraud lawsuits 
From Propagandist to Criminal 
As the war on Iran continues to command global attention, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stepped up his appearances at military events, using drills and missile tests to project confidence at home and defiance abroad.
His heightened visibility suggests that Kim feels more secure in his country’s nuclear deterrence as Washington’s focus is pulled in several directions, analysts say.
Kim has cast himself as increasingly assertive and is distancing himself from the symbolic rituals observed by his father and grandfather before him.
Advertisement
Koh Yu-hwan, professor emeritus at Dongguk University, said Kim was determined to maintain a strong public profile after the kidnapping of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and the US and Israeli strikes on Iran aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear enrichment programme.
His father Kim Jong-il, by contrast, often retreated to underground bunkers during periods of perceived threat – most notably at the height of tensions with the US during the 2002 nuclear crisis, Koh said.
Advertisement
“Kim Jong-un is boldly standing up to US threats, displaying confidence in the country’s strategic status backed by its nuclear arsenal,” Koh said, adding that security crises could help Pyongyang tighten internal control.
Don't Miss:
-
Former American Idol singer Caleb Flynn sentenced to life in prison for wife’s murder
-
Bogota mayor presses Chinese-led consortium for more metro workers as auditors flag delays
-
ICC unseals arrest warrants for 4 Taliban leaders wanted on gender persecution charges
-
Quebec votes in provincial election as separatist surge poses test for Canada’s PM Carney
-
“Here, We Confront Drug Traffickers Daily… And The U.S.?”