From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Jonathan Smith reporting.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the U.N. Security Council Wednesday that the United States is prepared to use military means to defend itself and its allies from the growing threat of North Korea.

From the United Nations, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.

In an emergency meeting called by the U.S., Japan and South Korea following Pyongyang's launch Tuesday of an intercontinental ballistic missile, Nikki Haley laid out the Trump administration's options as it sees them.

"One of our capabilities lies with our considerable military forces. We will use them if we must, but we prefer not to have to go in that direction. We have other methods of addressing those who threaten us and of addressing those who supply the threats. We have great capabilities in the area of trade."

China is North Korea's largest trade partner, accounting for some 90 percent of trade with the rogue nation.

Haley was clear that countries which allow or encourage trade with North Korea that violates U.N. resolutions would see their trade agreements with the United States suffer as a result.

"Our attitude on trade changes when countries do not take international security threats seriously."

Ambassador Haley said she would circulate a new draft sanctions resolution among Council members in the coming days which would be proportionate to North Korea's escalation.

China has not indicated whether it would be willing to support new sanctions. Russia expressed opposition. Both countries said any military solution to the problem must not be an option.

Margaret Besheer, VOA news, the United Nations.

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Shell fire from fighting at an airport in Libya has killed five people and wounded at least 25 others on a nearby beach in Tripoli.

A Libyan Interior Ministry official said the battle Wednesday was between security forces and what he said was outlaws. But it is unclear exactly who was involved and what started the fighting.

A Somali official says thirteen al-Shabaab militants have been killed in an apparent joint attack by U.S. and Somali government forces near the Somali city of Kismayo.

In a statement, the U.S. Africa Command said the units and assets involved would not be identified to ensure operational security. But it said that "working from actionable intelligence," American forces conducted a "successful collective self-defense strike operation against an al-Shabaab troop cooperation" in the early hours of Wednesday Somali time.

However, a Somali military source says U.S. helicopters carried [special] Somali special forces to the site of the attack, about 500 kilometers south of Mogadishu, and fired on the militants during the battle.

Armed supporters of Venezuelan President Nicholás Maduro are holding the entire 112-member opposition-controlled legislature hostage along with civilians and reporters.

VOA's Alvaro Algarra says, Algarra who is one of those trapped inside says, "they will not let us out. It is suicide to try to leave."

The building is surrounded by the national guard, which is taking no action to clear out the gunmen and free those being detained

The Maduro supporters, who call themselves "colectivos," have not made any demands. They had in the past insisted the entire national assembly resign.

Earlier Wednesday, dozens of colectivos burst into the legislature, setting off a huge brawl that left at least 15 people injured.

Rescuers were scrambling Thursday to reach areas of southern Japan hit by flash flooding in the aftermath of Typhoon Nanmadol, which swept through the area earlier this week.

At least one person was killed, several were reported missing after torrential rains swelled rivers and triggered landslides in Fukuoka and Oita prefectures.

Armed police in Kyiv have raided a software firm that supplies Ukraine's most widely used tax and accounting programs and said they acted to prevent another major cyberattack.

Ukraine blamed the Kremlin for the cyberattack but Russia has denied any involvement.

You can find more on these and other stories from around the world around the clock at voanews.com. I'm Jonathan Smith in Washington.

That's the latest world news from VOA.