Jul 4, 2019 - World

North Korea says U.S. "hell-bent on hostile acts" despite Trump-Kim talks

President Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un at the DMZ in North Korea. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

North Korea's mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Wednesday the U.S. is "obsessed with sanctions" and "more and more hell-bent on hostile acts."

The big picture: Pyongyang's delegation to the U.N. made the comments despite Sunday's meeting between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at which they agreed to resume stalled nuclear talks and a top U.S negotiator signaling flexibility in negotiations.

Context: The representatives made the comments in response to a U.S. accusation that North Korea breached a cap on refined petroleum imports and a letter dated June 29, sent by the United States, France, the U.K. and Germany to all UN member states calling on them to implement sanctions against Pyongyang, Reuters notes.

"What can’t be overlooked is the fact that this joint letter game was carried out by the permanent mission of the United States to the U.N. under instruction of the State Department, on the very same day when President Trump proposed for the summit meeting."
— North Korea's mission to the United Nations' statement

Go deeper: In photos: Trump and Kim hold historic meeting

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Barak Ravid
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Scoop: Decisive meeting could lead to Israeli-Sudanese normalization

Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan's head of the Sovereign Council, meets with Bahraini aid officials in Khartoum, Sept. 15. Photo: Mazen Mahdi/AFP via Getty Images

U.S., Emirati and Sudanese officials will hold a decisive meeting in Abu Dhabi on Monday on a possible normalization agreement between Sudan and Israel, Sudanese sources told me.

Why it matters: If the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates accommodate Sudan’s requests for economic aid, an announcement on a normalization agreement with Israel similar to the ones struck with the UAE and Bahrain could be made within days, sources briefed on the process tell me.

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Data: Compiled by Axios; Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios

Seven states set new highs last week for coronavirus infections recorded in a single day, according to the COVID Tracking Project and state health departments. Wisconsin and Nebraska surpassed records set the previous week.

Why it matters: Problem spots are sticking in the Midwest, although the U.S. is moving in the right direction overall after massive infection spikes this summer.

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