North Korea is claiming to have tested a new long-range rocket engine


North Korea claimed to have tested a new long-range rocket engine Saturday, The Associated Press reports. Theoretically, the move means they're closer to being capable of launching nuclear strikes on the U.S. mainland.
But there's no independent confirmation of the country's claim, and experts say the development is highly unlikely. South Korean officials claim their neighbor doesn't even have a functional intercontinental ballistic missile.
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Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.
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