For months now, the delicate situation on the Korean peninsula has been slowly escalating. No longer mere verbal barbs, now military exercises and missile tests have come to dominate the landscape on the Korean peninsula, though the consistently bombastic rhetoric emanating from both the United States and North Korea has hardly served to temper their increasingly fraught relations. The United States has been consistently condemnatory of North Korea's missile testing programme, which flies in the face of sanctions from several countries and international bodies, while the North has cast America as the provocateur in return. UN sanctions appear to have had no effect on Pyongyang's military ambitions, and President Trump has grown frustrated with President Xi Jinping of China's inability to restrain Kim Jong-un. Indeed, the North has done nothing to suggest that it intends to temper its military ambitions, in particular its widely decried nuclear testing programme. It was with dismay that the world learned of North Korea's test firing of a missile that flew over Japan, a move that was blasted as an "unprecedented, serious and grave threat" in Tokyo. Despite some in the US believing that UN sanctions on North Korea are having little to no effect on Kim Jong-un's military ambitions, a new wave of UN restrictions were imposed, described by Pyongyang as "the most vicious, unethical and inhumane act of hostility" which aimed to "physically exterminate" their people. Now, in an apparent show of military strength, several US jets joined with four South Korean fighters to conduct "routine" exercises intended to "'improve their joint operation capabilities against contingencies". The move seems highly likely to infuriate Kim Jong-un, as North Korea has responded angrily to joint US/South Korean military exercises in the past. Mere hours after Pyongyang's missile fire over Japan earlier this month, it was reported that South Korea had dropped eight MK-84 bombs close to the country's border with North Korea in a show of military strength. The Independent says that President Moon Jae-In "ordered the strike, by four F-15K fighter-bombers, at a firing range in the country's east to 'display a strong capability to punish' North Korea if it were to attack." Meanwhile, President Trump - who earlier this summer promised "fire and fury" if North Korea did not curtail its military initiatives, took to his preferred communicative medium of Twitter to seemingly dub Kim Jong-un "Rocket Man" in a bizarre tweet that read in full "I spoke with President Moon of South Korea last night. Asked him how Rocket Man is doing. Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad!" [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/909384837018112000]] World leaders and onlookers alike will be hoping that a peaceful solution could yet be found for what appears to be an increasingly fraught situation on the Korean peninsula. With the United States determined for Kim Jong-un to temper his military ambitions, and North Korea casting the US as the chief provocateur, though, that solution seems as far away as ever.

Have tensions on the Korean peninsula finally reached breaking point? For months now relations between the United States and North Korea have been fraught; characterised by bombastic declarations, militaristic rhetoric and provocation that have left observers around the world looking on in dismay. North Korea, defiant and unwilling to acquiesce to the wants of the Trump administration, has continued a missile testing programme despite sanctions and widespread condemnation from countries and international bodies, purportedly with the intention on developing warheads with the capability of reaching the United States of America. Pyongyang has reacted with fury to President Trump's attempts to temper their military ambitions, while the latter has been left largely frustrated by what he perceives as inaction on the part of China. Sanctions placed on the North appear to have had little practical effect, and a solution to the intensifying tension on the Korean peninsula appears, regrettably, as far away as ever. The United States, its ally South Korea, and the North appear to be tiptoeing ever closer to a precipice from which a fall, one feels sure, would hold disastrous consequences for the international community. It was with dismay, then, that onlookers learned of North Korea's testing of a missile that flew over Japan yesterday, a move which was described by Tokyo as an "unprecedented, serious and grave threat". Mere hours later, South Korea dropped eight MK-84 bombs close to the country's border with North Korea in a show of military strength. The Independent says that President Moon Jae-In "ordered the strike, by four F-15K fighter-bombers, at a firing range in the country's east to 'display a strong capability to punish' North Korea if it were to attack." Now, news has emanated from the North that makes for even graver reading. The BBC, among others, reports that North Korea has described its missile firing over Japan yesterday as "the first step" of further military action in the pacific. The launch, said state media, was "the first step of the military operation of the (North Korean military) in the Pacific and a meaningful prelude to containing Guam". The BBC says that Russia and China believe that current US military operations in the region have played a part in the North's missile launch, urging negotiations on both sides. It is believed that Kim Jong-un has ordered further missile drills in the region. Earlier this summer, President Trump threatened "fire and fury" if North Korea did not temper its military ambitions and provocations, while Pyongyang has previously said that it could bomb the US territory of Guam; it is believed that the missile that was fired over Japan due to its path toward the island. In a statement released by the White House President Trump said that the global community had "received North Korea's latest message loud and clear". "This regime has signalled its contempt for its neighbours, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behaviour. "Threatening and destabilising actions only increase the North Korean regime's isolation in the region and among all nations of the world. All options are on the table." The UN Security Council has also moved to condemn North Korea's actions, describing the missile launch as "outrageous". Though world leaders and observers will be hoping that a diplomatic solution could yet be found to the fraught condition of the Korean peninsula, threats like President Trump's of "fire and fury" hardly inspires confidence.

A weapons test ordered by North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, has just been confirmed by the country's state news as a "perfect success". The weapon is believed to be a hydrogen bomb made for use in an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile), and could have catastrophic consequences if used in warfare. Several nations have already condemned the test, with China, Russia and France offering formal statements expressing their objection to Kim Jong-Un's actions. Japan has also spoken out about the use of nuclear weapons, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saying that, "North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programme is a threat that is more grave and urgent to the safety of our country and has entered a new stage. It is significantly hurting regional and international peace and stability. Our country lodge a strict protest against North Korea and condemns it in the strongest words." In response, the US has stated that they are "firmly committed" to defending Japan as part of their alliance treaty. Shortly after the test took place, an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale was detecting near to an area where previous tests have taken place in the past. According to Japan's meteorological agency, the resulting tremors were reportedly over ten times as powerful as the last time North Korea an atomic weapons test was carried out. Chinese president, Xi Jinping, did not directly address the weapons test, but expressed concern over nations who appear to be "posing challenges to world peace". He said, “The intertwined threats of terrorism and a lack of cybersecurity – among others – have cast a dark shadow over the world. People around the world want peace and cooperation, not conflict or confrontation.” South Korea have also spoken out against their neighbour's actions, saying they should be responded to with the "strongest possible" force. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/YonhapNews/status/904247867103100928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2Flive%2F2017%2Fsep%2F03%2Fnorth-korea-nuclear-test-south-korea-yohap-kim-jong-un-live%3Fpage%3Dwith%253Ablock-59abb872e4b0be1f0a693aed]] Citizens of South Korea do not seem as concerned, however, with one resident telling The Guardian newspaper that, "To be honest, not many South Koreans realise the reality [of the situation] including myself. What North Korea is doing is on air everyday on the news, but I don’t think people here care about it a lot. Even I don’t really care about it as this kind of news has occurred many times." Whether or not this is cause for panic appears to be debatable, but Kim Jong-un is undeniably making progress in his endeavours to expand North Korea's capacity for nuclear attack. Since the leader assumed power six years ago, the country's missile programme has expanded significantly. Just earlier today, the North Korean government released photos showing Kim observing a weapon that is believed to be the hydrogen bomb. The leader can be seen inspecting the bomb, which, according to some scientists, could be "50 to 100 times the power of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki". As the first test since President Donald Trump took office, analysts fear that this is just another step towards Pyongyang's goal of developing a weapon capable of striking the US. With tensions mounting between the two nations, it is vital that any further moves towards nuclear attack are avoided.  

New video footage has emerged online, showcasing the latest addition to Russia's arsenal and the potential devastating effects of the weapon in question.

Russia has test-fired its newest intercontinental ballistic missile, as President Vladimir Putin further flexed his muscles with the nation's nuclear-capable Sarmat weapon.

It has been branded as the world’s 'most powerful' missile, with videos of the warhead being launched doing the rounds online.

State television broadcast footage of the commander of Russia’s strategic missile forces, Sergei Karakayev, showed the Kremlin official reporting to Putin on their successful launch on Tuesday (May 12).

The horrifying footage has done no favors in easing the concerns of a potential third World War, as Putin also addressed the progress that Russia has made in military development.

Putin's claims about the Sarmat missile

The Russian leader claimed the warhead would be in combat service by the year's end, claiming on local TV that 'this is the most powerful missile in the world.'

Putin added that its warhead yield was over four times more powerful than anything in the West, and that it was also capable of suborbital flight, with a range of over 35,000km.

He also said that it had the capability to 'penetrate all existing and future anti-missile defence systems'.

It has been called 'Satan II' in the West, with the warhead set to replace around 40 Soviet-built Voyevoda missiles.

Putin claimed that Sarmat is as powerful as the Voyevoda, but with better precision.

Development of the missile began in 2011, with the missile only having one previously known successful test and a massive explosion during an abortive test in 2024.

Global concern over arms control

The latest test of the Sarmat missile comes after the collapse of the arms control agreement, which was in place between the two nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia for decades.

New START, which was the last treaty between Russia and the US that capped strategic warheads and delivery systems, officially expired in February, leaving the world's two nuclear superpowers with no formal constraints.

This is the first time that has happened in over 50 years.

While the Kremlin and the US have agreed to start discussions over a potential new treaty, there have been no signs of progress.

Each side has consistently accused the other of non-compliance with New START's provisions, while Trump has also pushed for any new treaty to include China, despite its arsenal being far smaller than that of Russia or the US.

Putin's focus on upgrading Russia's arsenal

Since coming to power in 2000, the Russian President has led efforts to improve on the Soviet-built components of the nuclear triad.

This has included deploying hundreds of intercontinental ballistic missiles, commissioning new nuclear submarines, and modernizing nuclear-capable bombers.

Putin unveiled the Sarmat in 2018 along with several new weapons systems, including the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, which can fly at 27 times the speed of sound.

Other military-grade vehicles have also been introduced, such as the nuclear-capable Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, and used its conventionally-armed version to strike Ukraine.

Putin also said that the nation was in its 'final stages' of developing the nuclear-armed Poseidon underwater drone and the Burevestnik cruise missile.

He claimed that these new weapons were developed in response to the US missile shield developed after it withdrew from a Cold War-era US-Soviet Union pact in 2001, which limited missile defences.

"We were forced to consider ensuring our strategic security in the face of the new reality and the need to maintain a strategic balance of power and parity,” Putin said of Russia's development of military weapons.

Featured image credit: Contributor / Getty

A simulation has shown what would happen in the first 30 minutes should a nuclear war suddenly break out.

Before you go off selling your car like some people are currently doing for the apparent rapture, I need to reassure you that nuclear war has NOT been declared.

But if you're like me and have a morbid fascination with doomsday, then the YouTube channel Modern Muscle has got us covered.

The First 30 Minutes of Nuclear War

The simulation begins in the U.S., where it details that 40 LGM-30 Minuteman III ICBM's are launched via silos.

Each of those missiles carries a single warhead, which carries around 40 times the power of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan in the Second World War.

Off the coast of America sits submarines that carry Trident II ballistic missiles, which the video describes as the most destructive weapon that the military owns.

These missiles travel at 18,000mph and can travel 7,500 miles.

Russia could be gearing up for nuclear war. Credit: Mikhail Svetlov / Getty

Around 16 minutes after the launch of the U.S. nuclear weapons, Russia begins to prepare its forces for retaliation.

The video claims that Russia has around 126 ICBMs ready for launch in four different locations.

It then explains that a dedicated number of U.S. missiles would be targeted towards Russia's arsenal, including their Pacific Fleet.

Not only would Russia's nuclear weapons be targeted, but so would their communication radars and telecommunication centers.

Around 30 minutes in, all Russian targets would be destroyed, and the land surrounding them would be uninhabitable.

But one thing the video doesn't appear to show is how Russia would reply. As one commenter summed up: "The reality is. The exact moment we launch everyone launches.:

Best avoid it then.

Tensions Rise as Russia Conducts Military Drills

The growing concern over potential conflict is exacerbated by Russia’s military exercises in Belarus, which have raised alarm within NATO.

General Carsten Breuer, Germany’s top military officer, has expressed concerns that these drills could be a cover for more aggressive military actions.

Although there is no solid evidence to suggest an impending attack, NATO is taking no chances and remains on high alert.

"We don’t have any indication that preparations for an attack are taken under the cover of the exercise," General Breuer stated, per The Sun.

"But we will be on our guard, not just the German forces, but NATO." NATO’s vigilance is heightened, with military forces across Europe ready to respond to any potential escalation in tensions with Russia.

Nuclear Alliances and the Growing Fear of Global War

Amid these growing fears, France and the United Kingdom have solidified their nuclear partnership, agreeing to coordinate their nuclear strike plans in the event of a global conflict.

This heightened military cooperation underscores the seriousness with which European leaders are preparing for the possibility of World War III.

Featured image credit: Rusm / Getty