
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to implement the “toughest” anti-U.S. policy, state media reported Sunday, less than a month before Donald Trump takes office as U.S. president. Trump’s return to the White House raises prospects for high-profile diplomacy with North Korea. During his first term, Trump met Kim three times for talks on the North’s nuclear program. Many experts however say a quick resumption of Kim-Trump summitry is unlikely as Trump would first focus on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. North Korea’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine also poses a challenge to efforts to revive diplomacy, experts say. During a five-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party that ended Friday, Kim called the U.S. “the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy.” Kim said that the U.S.-South Korea-Japan security partnership is expanding into “a nuclear military bloc for aggression.” “This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how,” Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. It said Kim’s speech “clarified the strategy for the toughest anti-U.S. counteraction to be launched aggressively” by North Korea for its long-term national interests and security. KCNA didn’t elaborate on the anti-U.S. strategy. But it said Kim set forth tasks to bolster military capability through defense technology advancements and stressed the need to improve the mental toughness of North Korean soldiers. The previous meetings between Trump and Kim had not only put an end to their exchanges of fiery rhetoric and threats of destruction, but they developed personal connections. Trump once famously said he and Kim “fell in love.” But their talks eventually collapsed in 2019, as they wrangled over U.S.-led sanctions on the North. North Korea has since sharply increased the pace of its weapons testing activities to build more reliable nuclear missiles targeting the U.S. and its allies. The U.S. and South Korea have responded by expanding their military bilateral drills and also trilateral ones involving Japan, drawing strong rebukes from the North, which views such U.S.-led exercises as invasion rehearsals. Further complicating efforts to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons in return for economic and political benefits is its deepening military cooperation with Russia. According to U.S., Ukrainian and South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons systems to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine. There are concerns that Russia could give North Korea advanced weapons technology in return, including help to build more powerful nuclear missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in Russia’s Kursk region. It was the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties since the North Korean troop deployment to Russia began in October. Russia and China, locked in separate disputes with the U.S., have repeatedly blocked U.S.-led pushes to levy more U.N. sanctions on North Korea despite its repeated missile tests in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Last month, Kim said that his past negotiations with the United States only confirmed Washington’s “unchangeable” hostility toward his country and described his nuclear buildup as the only way to counter external threats.
The public will have another chance to see Dundee-Crown High School’s acclaimed fall production of “Deadline” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, at the school’s theater, 1500 Kings Road, Carpentersville. The production was among those chosen to be part of the Illinois High School Theatre Festival from Jan. 9-11 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, according to a news release. The cast and crew will stage the murder mystery comedy twice at the event. Admission to pre-fest performance on Jan. 8 is free, but seating is limited. To reserve tickets, go to gofan.co/event/2430550?schoolId=IL15461_1 . Attendees are encouraged to donate canned goods for the D300 Food Pantry at the door. Wanda the Groundhog will be the guest of honor at Anderson Humane’s “Groundhog Day Celebration” breakfast on Feb. 2, a fundraiser for the nonprofit being held at Enticing Cuisine Banquets & Catering in Batavia. (Anderson Humane) Tickets are on sale for “Groundhog Day Celebration: Breakfast with Wanda,” a fundraiser for Anderson Humane being held from 9 to 11 am. Sunday, Feb. 2, at Enticing Cuisine Banquets & Catering, 1117 N. Washington Ave., Batavia. Attendees will get to meet Wanda the Groundhog, learn about her role in the ecosystem and snap photos to commemorate Groundhog Day, according to the South Elgin-based Anderson Humane social media post. Admission is $35 and includes a breakfast buffet, a Bloody Mary and mimosa bar, and photo opportunities with Wanda and other animals. To purchase tickets, go to bit.ly/3BATPhS . For more information go to ahconnects.org/events . WGN-TV viewers will be able to see the Fox River and downtown Elgin via a new weather camera the station placed on top of The Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin. (City of Elgin) WGN-TV has placed a working weather camera on the top of The Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin. This camera is part of WGN’s annual installation of WeatherBug cameras throughout the region, adding to a network that already includes locations in St. Charles, Woodstock, DeKalb, Joliet and various spots in Chicago, according to the city of Elgin’s Facebook page. While radar detects weather events, this camera will provide real-time visual confirmation of conditions, filling in gaps in information, the announcement said. It also improves weather forecasts by offering localized insights. Elgin Mayor Dave Kaptain said WGN staff picked the location because of its view of the Fox River and downtown Elgin and because it provides information from a location relatively close to Interstate 90. The expense of installation and maintenance was paid for by the television station, he said.Loo-less town's battle illustrates national problem
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ORONO, Maine (AP) — Michael McNair scored 16 points to lead Boston University and Malcolm Chimezie sealed the victory with a layup with 20 seconds left as the Terriers took down Maine 59-56 on Sunday. McNair also had six rebounds for the Terriers (6-7). Kyrone Alexander scored 13 points and added five rebounds. Chimezie shot 4 of 7 from the field and 0 for 3 from the line to finish with eight points. Kellen Tynes led the way for the Black Bears (8-7) with 17 points, four assists and three steals. Maine also got 12 points from Christopher Mantis. Quion Burns had eight points. McNair scored seven points in the first half and Boston University went into halftime trailing 27-19. Alexander scored a team-high 10 points for Boston University in the second half. Boston University outscored Maine by 11 points over the final half. Boston University's next game is Thursday against Lafayette on the road, and Maine visits Bryant on Saturday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Should AI be used to resurrect extinct species like the Neanderthal? | Mohammad HosseiniTechnology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid mixed trading. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Monday after closing November at an all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. Super Micro Computer, a stock that’s been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared after saying an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or the company’s board. Retailers were mixed coming off Black Friday and heading into what’s expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. On Monday: The S&P 500 rose 14.77 points, or 0.2%, to 6,047.15. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128.65 points, or 0.3%, to 44,782. The Nasdaq composite rose 185.78 points, or 1%, to 19,403.95. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 0.59 points, or less than 0.1%, to 2,434.14. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 1,277.32 points, or 26.8%. The Dow is up 7,092.46 points, or 18.8%. The Nasdaq is up 4,392.60 points, or 29.3%. The Russell 2000 is up 407.06 points, or 20.1%.
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