In the wake of North Korea's recent spate of anti-American rhetoric, the U.S. Navy has moved a guided-missile destroyer in the Pacific nearer to the nation, according to a report from NBC World News.
Defense officials say that the destroyer, the USS McCain, is capable of intercepting and eliminating a launched missile, although they add that the country has given no concrete indication it intends to do so:
"I would note that despite the harsh rhetoric we are hearing from Pyongyang, we are not seeing changes to the North Korean military posture, such as large-scale mobilizations and positioning of forces," a defense official told NBC.
South Korea's new president, Park Geun-hye, moved to assure its neighbor that any provocation would initiate a quick response:
"If there is any provocation against South Korea and its people, there should be a strong response in initial combat without any political considerations," Reuters reported from a meeting of high-level officials Monday.
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Political News
April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.