Assuming President Obama has finished taunting the press with his delicious coconut beverage, he might want to check up on the news. This week alone, Iranian vessels again harassed a U.S. Navy patrol ship, a Russian fighter buzzed a Navy surveillance plane over the Black Sea, and North Korea, by all appearances, conducted another nuclear weapons test.
BREAKING: it looks like North Korea has conducted a nuclear test. Working to confirm now
— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) September 9, 2016
BREAKING: South Korea's Yonhap news agency says European monitoring agency reports 5.0 magnitude quake in North Korea.
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 9, 2016
Listed as an "explosion" at a depth of 0.0 km according to https://t.co/wWLLEcd2cN
— Phyzin (@Phyzin) September 9, 2016
Japan and China are both monitoring for radiation following that man-made “quake,” which was reportedly twice as powerful as North Korea’s last nuclear test. So, they’re not assuming hydraulic fracking was to blame?
China starts radiation monitoring after suspected North Korea blast https://t.co/Fk8b6tsP2T
— Jean Yoon 윤화진 (@TheJeanYoon) September 9, 2016
China's earthquake detectors also recorded the explosion in North Korea. (h/t @ArmsControlWonk) pic.twitter.com/PmXOoD5CdU
— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) September 9, 2016
Japan military jets checking for radiation from suspected North Korean nuke test https://t.co/OXsIqwy7Fs
— Jean Yoon 윤화진 (@TheJeanYoon) September 9, 2016
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North Korea tremor emitted energy double that of last nuclear test: South Korea https://t.co/gBNAtwAq3f
— Jean Yoon 윤화진 (@TheJeanYoon) September 9, 2016
Curiously, the earthquake struck a known nuclear test site in North Korea on a national holiday, Sept. 9 being the anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
South Korea reports a magnitude 5 earthquake near North Korea's nuclear test site at about 9am. Today is an important national holiday in NK
— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) September 9, 2016
The earthquake was articifial, happened around 9:30am. This is the fifth North Korean nuclear test y'all
— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) September 9, 2016
North Korea's 5th nuclear test on Obama's watch? https://t.co/L2itfdHwK5
— Evan Siegfried (@evansiegfried) September 9, 2016
It’s a good bet he wasn’t watching. But someone let him know.
President Obama, on Air Force One, and Park Geun-hye, in Laos, spoke for 15 minutes on the phone about North Korean nuclear test this am
— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) September 9, 2016
Speaking of presidents, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sent his best wishes to Kim Jong Un on North Korea’s special day and expressed his desire to “further develop the mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation … of our two countries.”
Putin sent Kim a congratulation message for today's holiday, the one North Korea just celebrated with a nuclear test pic.twitter.com/5DHcMOYA9z
— Anna Fifield (@annafifield) September 9, 2016