Kim ready to talk more with Trump but says not to test North

Kim Jong Un said he's ready to meet with President Trump but warned Washington not to test North Koreans' patience with sanctions and pressure.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Tuesday he hopes to extend his high-stakes nuclear summitry with President Donald Trump into 2019, but also warned Washington not to test North Koreans' patience with sanctions and pressure.

During his televised New Year's speech, Kim said he's ready to meet with Trump at any time to produce an outcome "welcomed by the international community." However, he said the North will be forced to take a different path if the United States "continues to break its promises and misjudges the patience of our people by unilaterally demanding certain things and pushes ahead with sanctions and pressure."

Kim also said the United States should continue to halt its joint military exercises with ally South Korea and not deploy strategic military assets to the South. He also made a nationalistic call urging for stronger inter-Korean cooperation and said the North is ready to resume operations at a jointly run factory park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong and restart South Korean tours to the North's Diamond Mountain resort. Neither of those is possible for South Korea unless sanctions are removed.

Some analysts say North Korea has been trying to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul while putting the larger burden of action on the United States. Pyongyang over the past months has accused Washington of failing to take corresponding measures following the North's unilateral dismantlement of a nuclear testing ground and suspension of nuclear and long-range missile tests.

Washington and Pyongyang are trying to arrange a second summit between Trump and Kim, who met in Singapore on June 12.

"If the United States takes sincere measures and corresponding action to our leading and pre-emptive efforts, then (U.S.-North Korea) relations will advance at a fast and excellent pace through the process of implementing (such) definite and groundbreaking measures," said Kim, who delivered the speech sitting on a leather chair, wearing a black suit and gray-blue tie.

https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/kim-ready-to-talk-more-with-trump-but-says-not-to-test-north/293-625648447

long article, just posted a small part

Judge orders Kevin Spacey to appear at Monday's arraignment

Jan. 1 (UPI) – A Massachusetts judge has ordered actor Kevin Spacey to appear at his arraignment next week on a sexual assault charge.

The decision on Monday was in response to a motion Spacey filed asking permission to miss the proceeding.

"I am requesting that this court excuse my physical presence at the arraignment as I reside out-of-state and believe that my presence will amplify the negative publicity already generated in connection with this case," Spacey's affidavit read.

Spacey said in his court papers that he intends to plead not guilty at Monday's arraignment.

Prosecutors announced last month that they were charging the Oscar-winning actor with felony indecent assault and battery stemming from an alleged encounter with a then-18-year-old at a Nantucket bar in July 2016.

The same day the charge was made public, the fired House of Cards star posted a video on YouTube appearing to defend himself.

https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2019/01/01/Judge-orders-Kevin-Spacey-to-appear-at-Mondays-arraignment/3411546355036/