New York 24 Sep (ANA) - US President Donald Trump has made new threats against North Korea in response to the country's foreign minister's fiery speech at the UN on Saturday. Ri Yong-ho described Mr Trump as a "mentally deranged person full of megalomania" on a "suicide mission".

The US president responded by saying Mr Ri and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un "won't be around much longer" if they continue their rhetoric. The fresh insults came as US bombers flew close to North Korea's east coast. The Pentagon said the aim was to demonstrate the military options available to the US to defeat any threat. It said the flight was the farthest north of the demilitarised zone between the Koreas that any US fighter jet or bomber had flown in the 21st Century. Tensions have risen recently over Pyongyang's nuclear programme. Despite weeks of angry words, experts have played down the risk of direct conflict between the two. However, there are concerns that the escalating rhetoric could lead to one side misinterpreting the other, with dangerous consequences.(ANA)

FA/ANA/24 September 2017-----