There seems to be a growing concern that Kim Jung Eun, the young dictator of North Korea, may be backing himself into a corner. His threats to make war on the U.S. and South Korea have reached levels that can only be exceeded by actual violence itself. There’s a feeling that Kim, who is seen to be a rather superficial individual, has been rattled by the appearance of USAF  B-2 stealth bombers over South Korea yesterday. They have the capability to pierce the north’s air defenses unannounced. Some fear Kim is coming to rely more on his own judgment rather than on the strategies that characterized the rule of his father. Analysts say it is possible that he will maintain the current state of tension, yet without a concrete plan of action for the future. The South Korean monitoring agency Daily NK says it is difficult to predict Kim’s actions, and a dangerous provocation cannot be ruled out. “Many believe that Kim’s aim is to wait for the United States to yield in some way that will permit him to stand his forces down and relax the tension. However, this plan is unrealistic, because the U.S. has repeatedly stated that it has no wish to negotiate with North Korea unless there is a set agreement for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in place,” say Daily NK. 

As the new Chinese president Xi Jinping made the rounds on his state visit to Russia, it seemed to be his wife, the poised and stylish Peng Liyuan who was getting most of the attention both in Russia and back home in China. Among those apparently quite charmed by China’s first lady was Vladimir Putin. The president’s wife has had a considerable career as a singer and television personality. Chinese state media, which usually ignore the wives of political leaders, praised the dress sense and hairstyle of Peng Liyuan.  It seems now however that she will try to recede into the background a bit so she doesn’t upstage the president.