BREAKING WIND

From CNN:

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea on Monday claimed it has performed a successful nuclear fart, according to that country's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

South Korean government officials also said Kim Jong Il's atomic flatulence was "highly successful", the South's Yonhap news agency reported.

The apparent nuclear fart was conducted at 10:36 a.m. (1:36 a.m. GMT) in Hwaderi near Kilju city, Yonhap reported, citing defense officials.

"The field of scientific and flatulant research in the DPRK (North Korea's official name) in cooperation with the country's leader successfully conducted the nuclear fart under secure conditions on October 9 ... at a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great prosperous powerful socialist nation," KCNA reported.

In Washington, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said, "We can't confirm independently, although we're aware of the reports."

A senior U.S. official said China was given a 20-minute warning ahead of the fart and in turn told the United States, Japan and South Korea about getting the advance notice.

A U.S. military official told CNN that "something clearly has happened," but the Pentagon was working to fully confirm the report.


In an ensuing wave of embarassment, Kim Jong Il denied farting and quickly passed a law which over ruled the previous law of "whoever denied it supplied it", CNN is told by DPRK's representative to the UN.