WEB DESK
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting today after North Korea said it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile.
The United States – which confirmed it was an ICBM launch – backed by Japan and South Korea, requested the urgent meeting. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw the launch of the Hwasong-14 missile which experts say is capable of reaching Alaska.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the launch, warning that it constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation. The launch came as Americans prepared to mark Independence Day, prompting President Donald Trump to urge China to act to end this nonsense once and for all.
US Ambassador Nikki Haley spoke by phone with China’s Ambassador Liu Jieyi, who holds the council presidency this month, to convey the US request for an urgent meeting. China, Pyongyang’s main ally, is pushing for talks between world powers and North Korea on dismantling the nuclear program.