North Korea Deports Detained U.S. Citizen; U.S. Sanctions 17 Saudis in Jamal Khashoggi's Death
ROMANS: Breaking overnight. North Korea deporting a U.S. citizen who was detained last month after illegally entering the country. That's according to the nation's state-run media. The expulsion just hours after the news agency's report that Kim Jong-un just supervised the test of a newly developed ultra-modern tactical military weapon. CNN's Alexandra Field live in Hong Kong with more. What's going on?</s>ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Christine, look, word on both of these fronts came from state news in North Korea. Just a couple of hours ago they announced they had released a U.S. citizen who had been detained since October 16th. North Korean state news says that this is a citizen who illegally crossed from China into North Korea. Admitted to his offense and has now been deported outside of North Korea over a border but did not specify which border. We're still waiting for a confirmation from U.S. officials about the conditions of that detainment and how this release came about but it was announced by North Korea at the same time they announced that they had conducted a weapons test. They didn't specify when that test was conducted but this is the first time that state news has announced that Kim Jong-un supervised a weapons test himself for about a year now. The last time was when he was on the ground supervising the test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. A move that clearly ratcheted up tensions in a profound way on the peninsula. This a very different kind of test. They called it a tactical weapons test. A source tells CNN that the South Korean government believes that it was a long-range artillery test, perhaps a multiple rocket launcher but because it's a tactical system, the South Korean government does not perceive this as military provocation. However, Christine, this is a test that happened with some pomp and circumstance considering the fact that Kim Jong-un was there, considering the fact that this was reported by state news. It certainly does appear to be a bit of posturing from North Korea which has recently raised its rhetoric against the United States saying they want an end to sanctions against them, they want an easing of sanctions against them, even cancelling a meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. All of it creating a bit of an impasse when it comes to these talks about denuclearization between North Korea and the United States. What could break the impasse? A second summit. Certainly that is something that the administration is working for.</s>ROMANS: Absolutely. All right, Alex, thank you so much for that for us this morning in Hong Kong.</s>BRIGGS: The Trump administration imposing sanctions on 17 Saudi officials over their roles in the killing of "Washington Post" journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The U.S. Treasury announced the penalties just hours after Saudi prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty for five people charged in a Virginia resident's death. For the latest let's go live to CNN's Jomana Karadsheh live in Istanbul this morning. Good morning, Jomana. Clearly U.S. officials and Saudi officials want some resolution here. Will we get it?</s>JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is the big question, Dave, as you mentioned, there in the United States announcing these sanctions targeting 17 Saudi individuals under the Magnisky Act that they say those individuals were involved in the killings of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Now this coming after the statement from Saudi prosecutors with the latest on their investigation where they say they have charged 11 individuals and they are seeking the death penalty for five. They say that the result of the investigation so far was that those individuals were carrying out an operation where -- to capture Jamal Khashoggi initially to convince him to go back to Saudi Arabia. That failed. They say that there was an argument that ensued. There was a fight. And they tried to take him back by force. But instead they ended up with them injecting him and then overdosing him with sedative and that killed him. And then they said his body was dismembered. They deny that the crown prince has any knowledge of this operation and say it was ordered by the deputy head of the intelligence services in Saudi Arabia. I have to say, Dave, the response here in Turkey, they have been quite skeptical about this. They say they're not getting any satisfactory answers and they're worried about a cover-up that's taking place in Saudi Arabia and they want to know where is the body of Jamal Khashoggi. Today here in Istanbul, absentee funeral prayers will be taken place for Jamal Khashoggi because his friends, his family, people have lost hope that his body will ever be found and that he will ever get a proper burial -- Dave.</s>BRIGGS: All right. Jomana Karadsheh live as prayers are under way there in Istanbul. Thanks.</s>ROMANS: All right. Let's get a check on CNN Business this morning. Markets around the world mostly higher. The Nikkei down a little bit here but Shanghai and Hang Seng both up. European markets also opening positive. The DAX, the FTSE and the CAC</s>BRIGGS: Yes. Sure.</s>ROMANS: The government subsidizes them and this is a big growing part of the economy.</s>BRIGGS: And that Walmart v. Amazon is going to be an interesting story in the years ahead.</s>ROMANS: Yes.</s>BRIGGS: All right. EARLY START continues right now.