The Associated Press

SEOUL (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un thanked workers during a visit to a
factory that built the tires for a huge vehicle used to transport a new
intercontinental ballistic missile that was test-launched this week, the countrys
media reported Sunday.

The launch of the Hwasong-15 ICBM in violation of international sanctions was

celebrated Friday with a massive public rally and fireworks in Pyongyang.

At the tire factory, Kim complimented workers for manufacturing the large-size
tires for the 9-axle missile truck without relying on imported equipment and called
for efforts to raise production to satisfy the daily-increasing needs in
developing the countrys economy and beefing up national defense capabilities, the
Norths official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday.

Kim in September tasked the Amnokgang Tire Factory to make the tires for the great
event in November, the agency reported

TOKYO (Reuters) Toyota Motor Corp and Panasonic Corp. said Wednesday they are
considering jointly developing batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), a partnership
that could help Panasonic extend its market lead in automotive lithium-ion
batteries.

The announcement builds on an existing agreement under which Panasonic manufactures

batteries for Toyotas gasoline-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Toyota said last year it was planning to add fully electric vehicles to its product
line-up in a shift away from its previous green-car strategy of focusing on plug-in
hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles. It has said it plans to start marketing pure EVs in
the early 2020s.

Panasonic is the main EV battery supplier for luxury U.S. car maker Tesla Inc. The
electronics firm commands 29 percent of the market for batteries used in plug-in
hybrids and EVs, showed Nomura Research data for the first half of 2017.

Nearest rival LG Chem Ltd holds 13 percent of the market, followed by Chinas BYD
Co. at 10 percent and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL) at 9 percent