Unbelievably, North Korea is on a war footing again. Kim Jong-un is steadily asserting himself as the centre of all authority, as his grandfather did. In a country where propaganda sets reality, and the political hierarchy can be life-or-death, Kim Jong-un is unbelievably running the ambitious nuclear weapons program personally, eliminating the usual chain of command.

North Korea is not being ruled by the military anymore but by one man Kim Jong-un.

His body language is also significant: TV images show him giving advice as top military officials dutifully take notes, a show of submission to his personal authority. Some details in these images may have been deliberately revealed to demonstrate the country's growing capabilities which were mocked by American scientists last year.

North Korea released a series of photos of rocket engine tests and America experts have analysed the flame from the engine. They confirm, without any doubt, that these missiles are specifically designed to cover a range of thousands of miles - enough to reach Washington, D.C. and wake up Donald Trump from his silly outbursts against the 'fake' (as he call it) media.

The last words of Mr Obama to Donald Trump before he left office were precisely these: "North Korea's nuclear development is a deadly serious programme, specifically intended to harm America, Japan and South Korea... and I strongly suggest you tackle it as your first immediate priority."

Civil society in America needs to take a stand against Trump and urge him to take matters more seriously. He must remember that he lost the popular vote, and would have lost the Electoral College if a significant number of voters hadn't been misled by the media and the FBI into believing that Hillary Clinton was somehow even less ethical than he was. These voters are now having a rude awakening, and need to be kept awake!

Jos Edmond Zarb

Birkirkara