(SEOUL) — North Korea is yet again threatening nuclear strikes on the United States and South Korea, this time in reaction to the start of huge U.S.-South Korean military drills.
Belligerent threats have been a staple of young North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. But they spike especially when Washington and Seoul stage what they say are annual defensive springtime war games. Pyongyang says the drills, which start Monday and run through the end of April, are invasion rehearsals.
Always ragged relations between North Korea and its rivals Seoul and Washington have worsened following North Korea’s nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket test last month.
The United Nations has slapped the North with harsh sanctions, and South Korea has taken a harder than usual line on the North.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Gunman Kills Himself After Deadly Shooting
A gunman who shot dead one person and injured two others is believed to have killed himself after a six-hour stand-off with police in Australia.
Three people who had been hiding inside the building on the outskirts of Sydney managed to escape unhurt after officers entered the premises.
During their search the police found one man dead, who is thought to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Heavily armed officers surrounded the premises in an industrial area of Ingleburn, a suburb 25 miles southwest of Sydney, after reports of gunfire at the sign-making business on Monday morning.
A 43-year-old victim died at the scene while the two men wounded were taken to hospital.
Workers at nearby businesses were told to stay inside and roads were blocked off in the area.
Announcing the end of the armed siege Detective Inspector Mark Brett of New South Wales Police said: "The matter has been resolved.
"Shortly after 5pm today specialist police entered the unit where they located three persons hiding in that unit.
"A further search of the unit located a male deceased.
"It's believed the person died from a self inflicted gunshot wound."
North Korea threatens 'nuclear strike'
North Korea has pledged a "sacred war of justice for reunification" including a nuclear strike against the United States, saying joint military exercises by Seoul and Washington were being carried out to prepare for an invasion.
South Korean and United States troops began large-scale military exercises on Monday in an annual test of their defences against North Korea, which called the drills "nuclear war moves" and threatened to respond with an "all-out offensive".
South Korea said the exercises would be the largest ever following North Korea's fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch last month that triggered a United Nations Security Council resolution and tough new sanctions.
Isolated North Korea has rejected criticism of is nuclear and rocket programmes, even from old ally China, and last week leader Kim Jong-un ordered his country to be ready to use nuclear weapons in the face of what he sees as growing threats from enemies.
The joint US and South Korean military command said it had notified North Korea of "the non-provocative nature of this training" involving about 17,000 American troops and more than 300,000 South Koreans.
South Korea's defence ministry said it had seen no sign of any unusual military activity by the North.
Still, it issued a statement on Monday warning the North that it "should immediately stop its reckless behaviour that would drive them to their own destruction".
"If North Korea ignores our warning and conduct provocations, our military will relentlessly respond and we warn that North Korea will be held fully responsible for any situation leading to North Korea's reckless provocation," the statement said.
North Korea's National Defence Commission said the North Korean army and people would "realise the greatest desire of the Korean nation through a sacred war of justice for reunification", in response to any attack by US and South Korean forces.
Its response would include nuclear weapons and their use against the United States, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a statement on Monday.
"We have a military operation plan of our style to liberate South Korea and strike the US mainland," the KCNA report said, also adding a "powerful nuclear strike means targeting the US imperialist aggressor forces bases in the Asia-Pacific region".
The North, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as it is officially known, routinely issues threats of military action in response to the annual exercises that it sees as preparation for war against it.
The threat on Monday was in line with the usual rhetoric it uses to denounce the drills.
The latest UN sanctions imposed on North Korea were drafted by the US and China as punishment for its nuclear test and satellite launch, which the US and others say was really a test of ballistic missile technology.
South Korea and the US militaries began talks on Friday on the deployment of an advanced anti-missile Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in South Korea.
South Korean and United States troops began large-scale military exercises on Monday in an annual test of their defences against North Korea, which called the drills "nuclear war moves" and threatened to respond with an "all-out offensive".
South Korea said the exercises would be the largest ever following North Korea's fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch last month that triggered a United Nations Security Council resolution and tough new sanctions.
Isolated North Korea has rejected criticism of is nuclear and rocket programmes, even from old ally China, and last week leader Kim Jong-un ordered his country to be ready to use nuclear weapons in the face of what he sees as growing threats from enemies.
The joint US and South Korean military command said it had notified North Korea of "the non-provocative nature of this training" involving about 17,000 American troops and more than 300,000 South Koreans.
South Korea's defence ministry said it had seen no sign of any unusual military activity by the North.
Still, it issued a statement on Monday warning the North that it "should immediately stop its reckless behaviour that would drive them to their own destruction".
"If North Korea ignores our warning and conduct provocations, our military will relentlessly respond and we warn that North Korea will be held fully responsible for any situation leading to North Korea's reckless provocation," the statement said.
North Korea's National Defence Commission said the North Korean army and people would "realise the greatest desire of the Korean nation through a sacred war of justice for reunification", in response to any attack by US and South Korean forces.
Its response would include nuclear weapons and their use against the United States, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a statement on Monday.
"We have a military operation plan of our style to liberate South Korea and strike the US mainland," the KCNA report said, also adding a "powerful nuclear strike means targeting the US imperialist aggressor forces bases in the Asia-Pacific region".
The North, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), as it is officially known, routinely issues threats of military action in response to the annual exercises that it sees as preparation for war against it.
The threat on Monday was in line with the usual rhetoric it uses to denounce the drills.
The latest UN sanctions imposed on North Korea were drafted by the US and China as punishment for its nuclear test and satellite launch, which the US and others say was really a test of ballistic missile technology.
South Korea and the US militaries began talks on Friday on the deployment of an advanced anti-missile Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in South Korea.
Apple Users Locked Out Of Files And Ransomed
A virus which locks computer users out of their files until they pay a ransom has started targeting Apple devices for the first time.
Hackers have infected a number of Macs with "KeRanger" malware which demands owners pay one bitcoin (about £280) for their files to be unencrypted.
Users began unwittingly downloading the malicious programme as they tried to install popular software called Transmission, which is used to transfer data on BitTorrent.
The "ransomware" stays quiet for three days after infecting each computer - and then starts to make documents, photographs, videos and other precious files inaccessible.
Cyber security experts believe the "KeRanger" virus was loaded onto the Transmission website on Friday - meaning affected Apple users could start receiving ransom demands from Monday unless they immediately install an updated version of the software.
Ryan Olson from Palo Alto Networks, which uncovered the threat, told the Reuters news agency: "This is the first one in the wild that is definitely functional, encrypts your files and seeks a ransom."
An Apple spokesperson has said the technology giant has also taken steps to prevent further infections, by revoking a digital certificate which had enabled the ransomware to be installed onto Macs in the first place.
Ransomware has long been known to target users of Microsoft Windows, often generating hundreds of millions of pounds a year in revenue for cyber criminals.
'Platoons' Of Driverless Lorries For UK Roads
"Platoons" of up to 10 driveless lorries travelling just metres apart could be coming to Britain's motorways.
The automated juggernauts are set to take to UK roads for the first time this year in testing backed by the Government.
In next week's Budget, Chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce funding for the trial as part of an initiative to improve the fuel efficiency of long-haul journeys.
A driver in the lead vehicle would control the steering, acceleration and braking of the convoy.
But the drones would have a driver in each cab as a safety measure and would regain control if there was an emergency.
The Government wants to bring major improvements to journeys in a technological revolution of roads, including better safety.
By travelling in a tightly-packed convoy, it is hoped the lorries' fuel consumption will improve by reducing drag.
A stretch of the M6 near Carlisle has reportedly been earmarked as a potential test route for the automated juggernauts.
In Germany, a driverless lorry developed by Daimler was tested on a public road last October.
But transport groups have raised doubts about plans for the UK.
The AA said although such a scheme could work in other countries, it may not be right for the UK as Britain has more motorway entrances and exits.
Spokesman Paul Watters explained a procession of driverless lorries would block slip roads.
He said: "Motorists will certainly be very nervous about the prospect and will need considerable reassurance that it will be safe.
"Motorways are pretty congested in the UK, they are about the most congested in Europe, and there will be problems in how they access and exit the roads."
"There are lots of logistical problems," he added.
The Department for Transport could not confirm the location of the test route or timetable and would not speculate on whether the research will receive funding in the Budget, although it said planning for trials was under way.
A spokeswoman said: "New technology has the potential to bring major improvements to journeys and the UK is in a unique position to lead the way for the testing of connected and driverless vehicles.
"We are planning trials of HGV platoons - which enable vehicles to move in a group so they use less fuel - and will be in a position to say more in due course."
Obituary: Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan was her husband's greatest supporter.
Like Ronald, she was a former Hollywood performer who made it all the way to the White House.
The Reagans' 52-year marriage was once described as the greatest love affair in the history of the American presidency.
"My life really began when I met my husband," she once wrote.
She was born Anne Frances Robbins in New York on 6 July 1921 but was known as Nancy from an early age.
Her father, a car salesman, separated from her mother before she was born.
When she was six, her mother Edith - a stage actress - married Loyal Davis, a wealthy neurosurgeon. Dr Davis adopted Nancy, and she grew up in Chicago.
Intent on becoming an actress, she joined a touring theatre company in 1946. Her stepfather's money cushioned her against the rigours that confront many young would-be performers.
She eventually appeared on Broadway, and finally went to Hollywood, where - as Nancy Davis - she made 11 films between 1946 and 1959. Stardom, however, eluded her.
In 1951 she met Ronald Reagan, who had just divorced his first wife, Jane Wyman. By then he was president of the Screen Actors Guild, and the couple worked together on the film Hellcats of the Navy.
They married a year later and went on to have son and a daughter, Ron and Patti. Reagan also had two children from his first marriage, Maureen, who died in 2001, and Michael.
Nancy Reagan retired from films soon after her marriage and for the rest of her life devoted herself to her family.
When her husband became governor of California - and later president - Nancy, an amalgam of protector and mother confessor, was always just behind his shoulder.
As First Lady, she sought to emulate the style of one of her predecessors, Jackie Kennedy.
To this end, she extensively redecorated the White House, accepted designer dresses worth $1m (£600,000) and a 4,732-piece set of china worth $209,000.
But this spending spree provoked a huge outcry from people outraged by what they saw as profligacy and waste while millions of Americans were losing their jobs.
Public opinion was also swayed by accusations that Mrs Reagan had a frosty personality, often consulted astrologers, and ordered the dismissal of White House chief of staff Donald Regan in 1987.
The former First Lady always rejected the harsh image she acquired during the White House years, and President Reagan himself had to deny that his wife was "some kind of dragon lady".
"I often cried during those eight years," she wrote in her 1989 memoirs My Turn. "There were times when I just didn't know what to do, or how I would survive."
During her time in the White House, Reagan became well-known as an anti-drugs campaigner. Though undoubtedly pithy, her slogan "Just say no" went unheeded by many young Americans who just said "yes" instead.
But there was much public sympathy when in November 1994, Reagan announced that he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
She nursed him as his mental faculties declined and led the nation's mourning when the former president died, aged 93, in June 2004.
She continued to campaign after his death, notably for US government funding of stem cell research; it brought her into conflict with her husband's fellow Republican, President George W Bush, who was opposed to the plan.
Reflecting on her husband's final years, Mrs Reagan was wistful.
"The golden years are when you can sit back, hopefully, and exchange memories, and that's the worst part about this disease," she said in a 2000 interview on CBS television. "There's nobody to exchange memories with... and we had a lot of memories."
She came out in support of Republican John McCain in his 2008 bid for the presidency, making a public appearance with the candidate in front of her home in the affluent Bel Air district of Los Angeles.
Nancy Reagan's political views encompassed opposition to the legalisation of marijuana and abortions, support for the death penalty and horror at the thought of pre-marital sex, even though she was three months pregnant when she married.
Some saw Nancy Reagan as a political innocent, others as a shrewd behind-the-scenes manipulator, who became more and more the power behind White House appointments.
Whatever the case, she was a central figure in her husband's political life and an unswerving supporter of the man known as the "great communicator".
Corpse Found In Chinese Elevator After Month-Long Shutdown
A woman’s corpse was found in an elevator in China about a month after an elevator maintenance crew improperly shut off its power, trapping her inside, without checking to see if it was empty.
The body of the 43-year-old building resident, who was living by herself, was discovered on March 1, several weeks after the elevator in Xi’an had been turned off over complaints about a glitch, the Associated Press reports.
Foul play was ruled out. However, the woman’s death was caused by the gross negligence on the part of the maintenance crew in a case of involuntary manslaughter, according to the AP, which cited the Gaoling district government.
The body of the 43-year-old building resident, who was living by herself, was discovered on March 1, several weeks after the elevator in Xi’an had been turned off over complaints about a glitch, the Associated Press reports.
Foul play was ruled out. However, the woman’s death was caused by the gross negligence on the part of the maintenance crew in a case of involuntary manslaughter, according to the AP, which cited the Gaoling district government.
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