SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to implement the “toughest” anti-U.S. policy, state media reported Sunday, less than a month before Donald Trump takes office as U.S. president. Trump’s return to the White House raises prospects for high-profile diplomacy with North Korea. During his first term, Trump met Kim three times for talks on the North’s nuclear program. Many experts however say a quick resumption of Kim-Trump summitry is unlikely as Trump would first focus on conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. North Korea’s support for Russia’s war against Ukraine also poses a challenge to efforts to revive diplomacy, experts say. During a five-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party that ended Friday, Kim called the U.S. “the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy.” Kim said that the U.S.-South Korea-Japan security partnership is expanding into “a nuclear military bloc for aggression.” “This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how,” Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. It said Kim’s speech “clarified the strategy for the toughest anti-U.S. counteraction to be launched aggressively” by North Korea for its long-term national interests and security. KCNA didn’t elaborate on the anti-U.S. strategy. But it said Kim set forth tasks to bolster military capability through defense technology advancements and stressed the need to improve the mental toughness of North Korean soldiers. The previous meetings between Trump and Kim had not only put an end to their exchanges of fiery rhetoric and threats of destruction, but they developed personal connections. Trump once famously said he and Kim “fell in love.” But their talks eventually collapsed in 2019, as they wrangled over U.S.-led sanctions on the North. North Korea has since sharply increased the pace of its weapons testing activities to build more reliable nuclear missiles targeting the U.S. and its allies. The U.S. and South Korea have responded by expanding their military bilateral drills and also trilateral ones involving Japan, drawing strong rebukes from the North, which views such U.S.-led exercises as invasion rehearsals. Further complicating efforts to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons in return for economic and political benefits is its deepening military cooperation with Russia. According to U.S., Ukrainian and South Korean assessments, North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons systems to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine. There are concerns that Russia could give North Korea advanced weapons technology in return, including help to build more powerful nuclear missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in Russia’s Kursk region. It was the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties since the North Korean troop deployment to Russia began in October. Russia and China, locked in separate disputes with the U.S., have repeatedly blocked U.S.-led pushes to levy more U.N. sanctions on North Korea despite its repeated missile tests in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Last month, Kim said that his past negotiations with the United States only confirmed Washington’s “unchangeable” hostility toward his country and described his nuclear buildup as the only way to counter external threats.Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of guest commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• When my son Alec passed away after rationing his insulin, my world shattered. Alec, like many people with diabetes, found himself stuck in a cycle of soaring insulin prices. With insurance, he was paying hundreds of dollars monthly for insulin. Without insurance, the cost of that monthly supply jumped to $1,300. The sky-high price forced Alec to stretch out his doses, and less than a week later, he died from diabetic ketoacidosis. Tragically, Alec wasn’t alone. As I shared his story with local news stations and reached out through social media, I was flooded with responses from others in similar situations — people rationing insulin, resorting to desperate measures to survive. I learned of individuals traveling to Canada or Mexico to buy insulin more affordably or meeting strangers in back alleys to exchange lifesaving supplies. It was a heartbreaking realization: Alec’s death was part of a much larger crisis. When state Sen. Erin Murphy, herself a nurse, heard Alec’s story, she reached out. She wanted to help, and together we discussed the importance of an emergency insulin affordability program that could prevent future deaths due to rationing. In testimony before Minnesota’s Health and Human Services Committee, I shared Alec’s story, and the support was overwhelming. Sen. Michael Howard also stepped forward, motivated to make a difference as he ran for office. Working alongside Gov. Tim Walz, they championed what would become the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act, turning a vision into reality. The legislation established the Minnesota Insulin Safety Net Program, which has since provided relief to countless Minnesotans. The program allows individuals in need of insulin to access a 30-day emergency supply through their pharmacy and, more importantly, gives them a path to longer-term assistance. The continuing-need branch of the program allows eligible Minnesotans who cannot afford their insulin on an ongoing basis to receive a 90-day supply for no more than $50. As we approach the new year, the need for this program is particularly high. Individuals with high-deductible health insurance plans may face hundreds of dollars in out-of-pocket costs for their prescribed insulin in the first several months of the year. The Insulin Safety Net Program can be a lifeline, helping them afford insulin before they meet their deductible. Additionally, many Minnesotans are traveling to see loved ones during the holidays and battling extreme weather, creating more possibilities for a vial to be left at home, spoil in excessive cold or shatter while on the go. The urgent-need program offers a life-saving option in potential emergency situations. We’ve made significant strides in Minnesota, but no one should have to cross state lines or choose between survival and financial ruin for a medication they depend on daily. Access to insulin should never be a privilege — it must be a guarantee. We need to honor the life Alec lived and ensure the pain of our loss drives meaningful, lasting change for everyone who relies on insulin. Minnesotans have access to an innovative solution, and it’s up to all of us to ensure the program reaches those who need it most. This holiday season, take a moment to share this vital resource with friends, family and neighbors. Ask if they are familiar with the Insulin Safety Net Program and encourage them to spread the word. Every conversation has the potential to create change and, ultimately, save a life. Together, we can make access to insulin a reality for all. Nicole Smith-Holt lives in the Minneapolis area and is a mother of four. She became a policy advocate for insulin access and affordability after the death of her son Alec in 2017. She serves as a co-chair of the Minnesota Advisory Task Force on Lowering Pharmaceutical Drug Prices and is part of the Founder’s Council for United States of Care.Texas hospitals are now required to ask for patients' citizenship. Here's what you should know.

Mr Carter, a former peanut farmer, served one term in the White House between 1977 and 1981, taking over in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the end of the Vietnam War. After his defeat by Ronald Reagan, he spent his post-presidency years as a global humanitarian, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. His death on Sunday was announced by his family and came more than a year after he decided to enter hospice care. He was the longest-lived US president. His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love. “My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. “The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honouring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” Mr Carter is expected to receive a state funeral featuring public observances in Atlanta and Washington DC before being buried in his home town of Plains, Georgia. A moderate democrat born in Plains in October 1924, Mr Carter’s political career took him from the Georgia state senate to the state governorship and finally the White House, where he took office as the 39th president. His presidency saw economic disruption amid volatile oil prices, along with social tensions at home and challenges abroad including the Iranian revolution that sparked a 444-day hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. But he also brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to a peace treaty between the two countries in 1979. After his defeat in the 1980 presidential election, he worked for more than four decades leading the Carter Centre, which he and his late wife Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope”. Mrs Carter, who died last year aged 96, had played a more active role in her husband’s presidency than previous first ladies, with Mr Carter saying she had been “my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished”. Earlier this year, on his 100th birthday, Mr Carter received a private congratulatory message from the King, expressing admiration for his life of public service.7-month-old has cerebral palsy after ‘shocking’ abuse from Care.com nanny, WA officials saySnowflake EVP Christian Kleinerman sells $2.7 million in stock