Australia, New Zealand hit back at North Korea threat

SYDNEY AFP April23, 2017- 
Australia and New Zealand stiffened their rhetoric against North Korea Sunday after the isolated state threatened Canberra with a nuclear strike, urging it to think twice before “blindly and zealously toeing the US line”.   

The move comes as US Vice President Mike Pence wraps up an Asia tour, which has included visits to South Korea, Japan and Australia partly to reassure allies amid fears that Pyongyang may be readying for a sixth nuclear test.   

 “If Australia persists in following the US’ moves to isolate and stifle North Korea... this will be a suicidal act,” a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman said after Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop called the hermit state a “serious threat”.   

The spokesman, speaking to the North’s official KCNA news agency, warned Bishop to “think twice about the consequences”.   

Australia’s close ally New Zealand has since accused North Korea of having “evil intent”.    Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee told Television New Zealand Sunday people knew little about Kim Jong-Un’s regime but “you would assume that underneath him there is a very big machinery of people who have equally evil intent”.