The US has confirmed that North Korea tested a long-range missile which some experts believe could reach Alaska.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called it a “new escalation of the threat” to the US and the world and warned that Washington “will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea”.

Pyongyang claimed on Tuesday to have successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

In response the US and South Korea fired missiles in the South’s waters.

The combined military exercise was designed to show their “precision fire capability”, the Pentagon said.

Though Tuesday’s test appeared to be a significant development, experts believe that North Korea does not yet have long-range nuclear weapon capabilities.

Tillerson also warned that any nation that provided economic or military benefits to the North or failed to fully implement UN Security Council resolution was “aiding and abetting a dangerous regime”.

The US has asked for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the issue. A closed-door session of the 15-member body is expected later on Wednesday.

The announcement on North Korea state television said the Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test was overseen by leader Kim Jong-un.

It said the projectile had reached an altitude of 2,802km (1,731 miles) and flew 933km for 39 minutes before hitting a target in the sea.

North Korea, it said, was now “a full-fledged nuclear power that has been possessed of the most powerful inter-continental ballistic rocket capable of hitting any part of the world”.

North Korea’s official KCNA news agency later quoted Kim Jong-un as saying the test was a “gift” to the Americans on their independence day.

The launch, the latest in a series of tests, was in defiance of a ban by the UN Security Council.

But most experts believe Pyongyang does not yet have the capability to miniaturise a nuclear warhead that can fit onto a long-range missile, and that such missiles cannot accurately hit targets.

The big question is what range it has, says the BBC’s Steven Evans in Seoul. Could it hit the United States?

David Wright, a physicist with the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, says that if the reports are correct, this missile could “reach a maximum range of roughly 6,700km on a standard trajectory”.

That range would allow it to reach Alaska, but not the large islands of Hawaii or the other 48 US states, he says.

It is not just a missile that North Korea would need, BBC correspondent adds.

It must also have the ability to protect a warhead as it re-enters the atmosphere, and it is not clear if North Korea can do that, reports the BBC.

A rocket hit a beach in Tripoli killing five people, including at least one child, and wounding 25 others, the Libyan health ministry said.

The blast on Tuesday hit the beach in front of Mitiga airport in the east of the Libyan capital, the ministry statement said.

An interior ministry source said there were clashes on Tuesday inside the airport perimeter between security forces and an “outlawed” group. The airport was badly damaged during fighting between rival militias in mid-2014.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, however, could not say whether the attack on the civilians was intentional.

Libya has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, with rival authorities and militias battling for control of the oil-rich country.

The North African country has rival administrations, with the authorities in the east not recognising the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital.

The top executive of Qatar Airways has warned that the blockade imposed on his country by neighbouring Gulf countries “will leave a lasting wound.”

Speaking on Monday at the Paris Air Show, Akbar Al Baker told The Associated Press news agency: “People will not forget.”

Al Baker said he expects US President Donald Trump will intervene “to make sure that this blockade is lifted soonest…especially since he knows that we are part of his alliance against terrorism.”

Earlier he had told Al Jazeera that he was “very disappointed in the leadership of the United States”.

He called the blockade illegal and said customers are returning to Qatar Airways and again using Qatar as an aviation hub after an initial hit to business.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut ties with Qatar this month and blocked air, sea and land traffic with Qatar over its support for Islamist groups and ties with Iran.

In a sign that the dispute is not cooling off, Anwar Gargash, UAE’s state minister for foreign affairs, warned earlier on Monday that Qatar’s isolation could ‘last years’.

In a separate interview with Reuters news agency, Baker also said the boycott will not halt his company’s growth or plans to accept delivery of new aircraft.

“There has been monetary impact,” Baker said in an interview onboard one of Qatar Airways’ 777 jets.

“We have had a lot of cancellations, especially to the four countries that did this illegal blockade, but we have found new markets and this is our growth strategy,” he said, adding Qatar was not the only country affected by the crisis.

‘Ill-thought and ill-advised’

“All these countries have families on either side of the borders, they have relatives, children, investments. Eventually people will realise that the move they have done against my country was ill-thought out and ill-advised and that life has to come back to normal,” he said.

Qatar is talking with the United Nations’ aviation agency, ICAO, about the airspace rights’ dispute, and Al Baker said he was disappointed with their actions thus far.

“I don’t think they have moved enough, I don’t think they have taken this matter very seriously,” he said.

He said Qatar Airways had plenty of growth opportunities elsewhere, citing new routes opening this month to Dublin, Skopje and Sarajevo as examples.

“We are not going to defer any of our aircraft … We are continuing our aircraft deliveries at the same pace as we are contractually obligated to do,” he said, adding Qatar was in talks to add more freighter capacity.

Al Baker said Qatar Airways still wanted to buy a stake in Italian carrier Meridiana, though there were “a few things to iron out.”

However, Qatar is not interested in struggling carrier Alitalia, which is in the process of seeking a buyer.

“We are not interested to look at the books because I know how it has been left behind by one of the airlines that was too keen to relaunch it and failed,” he said.

Separately, Qatar plans to set up a full service Indian carrier to fly domestic routes with around 100 narrowbody planes after the country opened up the airline industry to foreign investors.

Al Baker said an application would be made for an operating licence soon, without giving a more precise timeframe.

Ivanka Trump on Monday expressed solidarity with worshippers attacked while leaving a London mosque, while her father — usually quick to condemn extremist attacks — was silent for the time being.

“Sending love and prayers to the victims in #FinsburyPark London. We must stand united against hatred and extremism in all it’s ugly forms,” Ivanka, a top presidential advisor, tweeted.

President Trump has taken to Twitter during previous terror attacks to make the case for tighter restrictions on travel from predominantly Muslim countries.

He has also yet to offer public comments on the deaths of seven US sailors, who were killed during a collision between their US navy destroyer and a Philippine-flagged cargo ship.

In the London attack, a van ploughed into a crowd of Muslims near a mosque early on Monday, leaving one person dead and injuring 10 others in the second terror attack this month in the British capital.

Prime Minister Theresa May condemned the “sickening” incident, saying Britain’s determination to fight “terrorism, extremism and hatred… must be the same, whoever is responsible”.

The Twitter account of Al Jazeera’s Arabic channel has been restored after being briefly suspended.

The Doha-based network said Saturday’s suspension appeared to be caused by an “organised campaign”.

The account went offline at around 10am local time [07:00 GMT] and was restored within a few hours.

Engineers at Al Jazeera Arabic who were in communication with Twitter said there was a “storm attack” of mass reports of the account to Twitter, which forced the algorithm to temporarily suspend the account.

Twitter did not immediately respond to request for comment.

According to Twitter’s website, accounts are suspended due to “spam”, if an account’s “security is at risk” or if an account is reported as “violating [Twitter’s] rules surrounding abuse”.

Al Jazeera was recently the target of coordinated hacking attacks targeting its different platforms.

The developments come as countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt have cut ties with Qatar, where the network is headquartered.

Ahead of the 2017 Father’s Day, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has stressed the need for fathers to spend more time with their children, citing critical role fathers play in early childhood learning.

Father’s Day which is on Sunday, June 18, is celebrated by Americans every third Sunday in June.

No fewer than 80 countries around the world are set to celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday.

Mr Laurence Chandy, UNICEF Director of Data, Research and Policy, in a statement on a new study released by the UN agency, said: “we must break down the barriers that prevent fathers from providing their babies and young children a conducive environment to thrive, including love, play, protection and nutritious food.”

According to the study, a majority of children aged between three- and four-years-old in 74 countries, or about 40 million, have fathers who do not play or engage in early learning activities with them.

“What these numbers show us is that father’s are struggling to play an active role in their children’s early years.

The UNICEF analysis examined whether children aged three and four engaged in any play and early learning activities with their fathers, such as having their fathers read to the children or tell them stories or sing with them.

Other analysis included having their fathers taking them outside and playing with them as well as naming, counting or drawing with them.

UNICEF urged governments and the private sector to increase spending and influence policies to support early childhood development programmes that focus on providing parents with the resources and information they needed to provide nurturing care to their children.

“We must ensure that all parents have the time, resources and knowledge they need to fully support their children’s early development,” Chandy said.

According to him, advances in neuroscience have proven that when children spend their earliest years in a nurturing, stimulating environment, new neural connections can form at a once-in-a-lifetime speed of 1,000 per second.

“These connections help determine their health, ability to learn and deal with stress, and even influence their earning capacity as adults,” he said.

Research also suggests that exposure to violence and a lack of stimulation and care can prevent neural connections from occurring, according to the report.

It added that when children positively interacted with their fathers, they had better psychological health, self-esteem and life-satisfaction in the long-term.

This month, UNICEF is inviting families to post photos and videos of what it takes to be ‘super dads,’ using the hashtag #EarlyMomentsMatter on their Instagram and Twitter accounts.

Photos and videos of UNICEF ambassadors and supporters who have got behind the campaign are being posted on UNICEF’s Instagram and Twitter.

They also featured on the campaign’s gallery, to inspire families across the world to share their ‘super dads’ moments.

Theresa May swung the axe on four ministers tonight as she consolidated her fragile grip on power.

The Prime Minister made the changes as No. 10 remains in chaos – with the Queen’s Speech delayed and a deal with the hard-right DUP still not hammered out.

Apprenticeships minister Robert Halfon, Armed Forces minister Mike Penning and Justice minister Oliver Heald were all out, Downing Street announced.

Mr. Halfon, a former top aide to ex-Chancellor George Osborne who yesterday branded Mrs. May a “dead woman walking”, said he was not given a reason for his sacking.

He said he had “loved” the job, adding: “The Prime Minister has to make these decisions, I wasn’t really given a reason”.

Also gone was Brexit minister David Jones, who said it was “impossible to say” if his boss would still be Prime Minister in six months after her election drubbing.

Meanwhile, Mrs. May brought back two MPs she dumped from her team last summer.

Brexit-backer Dominic Raab will return as a Justice minister while Remainer Claire Perry will work on business.

Deputy whips Anne Milton and Mel Stride were also promoted to ministerial jobs in education and the Treasury.

And three ministers were moved to new departments – Nick Hurd from business to the Home Office, Robert Goodwill from the Home Office to the Department for Education and Baroness Anelay from the Foreign Office to the Brexit Department.

Mrs. May had already completed her Cabinet reshuffle on Sunday but was continuing to jostle MPs into junior roles tonight.

She promoted Brexit backstabber Michael Gove to Environment Secretary in the shake-up – but paralysed by her lack of a majority, was unable to make bigger changes.

Six reasons Michael Gove is an absolutely terrible choice for Environment Secretary in Theresa May’s cabinet reshuffle.

Unsackable Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt kept his job as lame duck Mrs May unveiled her reshuffle, dubbed “the most boring ever”.

A procession of ministers sashayed into Downing Street as the Tory leader rejigged her team ahead of a deal with the DUP to stay in power.

But with calls for her to quit in the Conservative Party, Mrs May had no choice but to send most ministers out with the jobs they already had.

Only Liz Truss, who faced fury for failing to swiftly defend judges as Justice Secretary, had been demoted with most jobs announced.

She was named Chief Secretary to the Treasury, not a full Cabinet job.

Tonight Mrs May managed to head off the prospect of a leadership challenge as she apologised to a crunch meeting of backbench MPs.

She said “I got us into this mess, I’m going to get us out” as she vowed to help MPs who had lost their seats when she failed to win a majority.

WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump’s tweets have yet again hurt him in court.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit on Monday upheld a block on Trump’s executive order that sought a 90-day travel ban to the U.S. for most nationals of six Muslim-majority nations and to suspend all refugee resettlement for 120 days.

In doing so, the court cited one of Trump’s tweets ― and the fact that the White House acknowledged last week that they can be considered “official statements” of the administration.

“[T]he President recently confirmed his assessment that it is the ‘countries’ that are inherently dangerous, rather than the 180 million individual nationals of those countries who are barred from entry under the President’s ‘travel ban,’” the ruling says.

The judges then quoted a tweet from Trump on June 5, which said the U.S. needs “a TRAVEL BAN for certain DANGEROUS countries, not some politically correct term that won’t help us protect our people!”

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The ruling said that Trump’s order “does not provide a rationale explaining why permitting entry of nationals from the six designated countries under current protocols would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.”

It also says the order “does not tie these nationals in any way to terrorist organizations within the six designated countries. It does not identify these nationals as contributors to active conflict or as those responsible for insecure country conditions. It does not provide any link between an individual’s nationality and their propensity to commit terrorism or their inherent dangerousness.”

Trump and the Department of Justice have claimed he has every right to temporarily suspend entry by certain foreign nationals and refugees, and claimed it has nothing to do with the “Muslim ban” he proposed as a candidate. 

But Trump’s words have been cited in court multiple times as evidence that the order is based, at least in part, on religious animus, which was part of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit’s opinion smacking down the the order in May.

Both that ruling and today’s 9th Circuit opinion are likely to go before the Supreme Court.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Monday the administration is reviewing today’s opinion but stands behind the executive order.

“I think we can all attest that these are very dangerous times and we need every available tool at our disposal to prevent terrorists from entering the United States and committing acts of bloodshed and violence,” he said. “We continue to be confident that the president’s executive order to protect this country is fully lawful and ultimately will be upheld by the Supreme Court.”

The People’s Republic of China on Monday donated N60 million to support the Future Assured Initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife, Aisha Buhari.

The official presentation of the cheque was performed by the Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission, Lin Jing, who represented the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Zhou Pinjian, at the State House in Abuja.

Mr Pinjian said the gesture was part of the Chinese commitment to assist Mrs Buhari’s efforts in addressing the challenges faced by the victims of insurgency in the North East.

He also said the Chinese government appreciated the effort of Future Assured programme in tackling malnutrition, maternal and child mortality as well as social problems facing vulnerable group in Nigeria.

The Chinese Ambassador assured the wife of the president of their continued support toward improving health and well-being of women and children in Nigeria.

Mr. Pinjian, who expressed Chinese’s appreciation to the long standing relationship between Nigeria and China, promised their continued support to Mrs. Buhari’s pet project as it affects the vulnerable in the society.

He, therefore, used the occasion to convey the goodwill message of Chinese President Mr Xi Jinping, to President Buhari and prayed that almighty God grant him good health and return to Nigeria safely.

While receiving the cheque, Mrs. Buhari expressed appreciation to the People’s Republic of China for identifying with the less privileged group in Nigeria.

Mrs. Buhari, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Hajo Sani, said since the inception of this current administration, the Future Assured Programme had made several interventions in the provision of relief materials to the IDPs in the North East.

Mrs. Buhari said the Chinese donation would go a long way in assisting the victims of insurgency in the North East and the Lake Chad region.

The wife of the President thanked the Chinese government for making such a huge humanitarian effort.

According to her, the N60 million donation made by the Chinese government was the highest ever made to the pet project by any international body.

She said that the gesture was aim at strengthening the activities of Mrs. Buhari’s Future Assured Programme.

“All the activities of Future Assured is based on humanitarian services and it is on this respect that the Peoples Republic of China decided to come on their own to make this donation,” she said.

She, therefore, encouraged well-meaning Nigerians to support the less privileged, especially those affected by the Boko Haram crisis.