Kim rattles a sabre

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, struck a defiant pose as he attended what was described by official media as the state’s largest ever live-fire military drill. The massive show of force took place as a US naval force, including the carrier USS Carl Vinson, steamed ever closer to the hermit state’s waters amid continued tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.

The official KCNA news agency said “more than 300 large-calibre selfpropelled guns” took part. It said Kim supervised as “the brave artillerymen mercilessly and satisfactorily hit the targets”.

The drill was carried out to mark the 85th anniversary of the creation of the North Korean army. Meanwhile, US forces conducted nearby drills with forces from both South Korea and Japan.