South and North Korea exchange fire as tensions rise with US Marines exercise

At The Daily News Source, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by The Daily News Source and how it is used.

Log Files

Like many other Web sites, The Daily News Source makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons

The Daily News Source does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

DoubleClick DART Cookie

• Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on The Daily News Source.


• Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to The Daily News Source and other sites on the Internet.


• Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on The Daily News Source send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

The Daily News Source has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. The Daily News Source"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.

var addthis_config = "data_track_clickback":false,"data_track_addressbar":false,"data_track_textcopy":false,"ui_atversion":"300";
var addthis_product = "wpp-3.5.9";

South and North Korea exchange fire as tensions rise with US Marines exercise

North and South Korea firing huge amounts of artillery across maritime border

By End the Lie

U.S. artillerymen with Battery I prepare to demonstrate the fire sequence of an M777A2 155 mm lightweight howitzer for Republic of Korea (ROK) Marines at the Rodriguez Live-Fire Complex during Korean Marine Exchange Program (KMEP) 13-8 on August 17, 2013 (Image credit: Lance Cpl. Kasey Peacock/U.S. Pacific Command/Flickr)

North and South Korea have exchanged artillery fire into each other’s waters a day after North Korea raised the possibility of more nuclear tests, according to reports.

Read our latest: “Reports: NSA spied on 122 world leaders, had over 300 reports on Merkel” and “Obama: Russia must move troops away from border with Ukraine”

The exchange of fire came after North Korea carried out what CNN called “provocative live-fire exercises near the South Korean maritime border.”

North Korea began the drill just after noon Monday, semiofficial South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that some ordnance fired by North Korea landed in the waters of South Korea and that they responded with fire.

The two countries fired almost 1,000 artillery shells total, with North Korea firing some 500 over more than three hours.

Some 100 of the North Korean artillery shells fell south of the water border, according to South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok.

South Korea responded by firing 300 artillery shells into the waters of North Korea, he said, according to the Associated Press.

While the firing of artillery shells can be seen as an escalation of tensions between the two countries, no shells by either side were fired at land or military installations.

Still, the spokesman said that North Korea’s actions are a provocation aimed at testing the security posture of South Korea.

In addition to firing the some 300 shells back into North Korean waters, South Korea dispatched fighter jets near the Northern Limit Line, the disputed maritime border between North Korea and South Korea.

When the defense spokesman was asked what South Korea was firing back at, he said, “We are not shooting at North Korea, just shooting into the sea.”

The North Korean exercise “appeared to be more saber-rattling from Pyongyang rather than the start of a military standoff,” according to Reuters.

This comes after North Korea said South Korea was guilty of “gangster-like” behavior for “abducting” a North Korean fishing boat.

South Korea, however, maintained tat they sent the boat back after drifting into its waters.

The actions by North Korea were criticized by the White House, who called them “dangerous and provocative.”

The White House said that North Korea’s threats and provocations are only acting to isolate it further.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment (to) the defense of our allies and remain in close coordination with both the Republic of Korea and Japan,” said White House National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Lalley, according to Reuters.

Residents of five of the front-line South Korean islands were sent to shelters during the North Korean artillery fire and the ferry service that links the islands to the mainland was stopped temporarily, according to an official with Ongjin county, which governs the islands.

No immediate comment was issued by North Korea, the AP reports.

We would love to hear your opinion, take a look at your story tips and even your original writing if you would like to get it published. Please email us at contact@EndtheLie.com.

Please support alternative news and help us start paying contributors by donating, doing your shopping through our Amazon link or check out some must-have products at our store.

End the Lie – Independent News

North and South Korea firing huge amounts of artillery across maritime border

China rejects UN report accusing North Korea of crimes against humanity

China dismissed a UN report alleging North Korea has committed crimes against humanity, effectively confirming the fears of human rights advocates that Beijing will shield its ally Pyongyang from international prosecution.

The report, published in February, accused the reclusive country of mass killings and torture comparable to Nazi-era atrocities and said officials, possibly even Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un himself, should face the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Chen Chuandong, a counselor at China’s mission in Geneva, told the UN Human Rights Council on Monday that the independent commission of inquiry had made unfounded accusations and made recommendations that were “divorced from reality.”

“The inability of the commission to get support and cooperation from the country concerned makes it impossible for the commission to carry out its mandate in an impartial, objective and effective manner,” Chen said.

China, as a member of the UN Security Council, would have the power to veto any move to refer North Korea to the Hague-based ICC. Diplomats had already warned China was likely to object to the report, which also criticized Beijing for its treatment of North Korean defectors.

The chief author of the report, retired Australian judge Michael Kirby, had opened the debate urging the United Nations to take action.

“Contending with the scourges of Nazism, apartheid, the Khmer Rouge and other affronts required courage by great nations and ordinary human beings alike,” Kirby said.

“It is now your solemn duty to address the scourge of human rights violations and crimes against humanity in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”

Kirby said the team’s findings, based on testimony from hundreds of victims, defectors and witnesses, were unequivocal, and demanded closure of political prison camps believed to hold up to 120,000 people.

But Chen said the report was based on information and interviews collected outside the country, without first hand information. “The question then arises: can such an inquiry be truly credible?”

The commission has been seeking a meeting with Chinese officials in Geneva, UN officials said. “We are not very optimistic that it will happen,” a UN official told Reuters.

Defector

Shin Dong Hyuk, a North Korean born in a political prison camp who escaped after his mother and brother were publicly executed, told Reuters he had expected China to reject the report.

But the “big purpose” of establishing the inquiry was to get the report discussed at the UN Security Council, he added.

In a speech at the Geneva debate, he noted that millions of people had been slaughtered in Nazi concentration camps during World War II.

“And 60 years later, at this moment in North Korea, hundreds of thousands of political prisoners are waiting for their death,” he said, adding that the report could not be “thrown away like a used tissue and forgotten”.

US Ambassador Robert King, the US envoy on North Korean human rights issues, said pressure on Pyongyang would go on even if China blocked a UN Security Council resolution.

“The fact that right now we may not be able to go forward as far as we’d like to go does not mean that we’re going to stop and say we can’t do anything more, and we’re not going to do it,” he told reporters. “Human rights are not a quick and easy fix and we’re not going to stop.”

North Korean Ambassador So Se Pyong reiterated Pyongyang’s rejection of the report, rubbishing it as a ridiculous provocation and a fabrication instigated by the United States and other “hostile forces,” who he said should be investigated for their own human rights records.

(Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/140317/china-rejects-un-report-alleging-north-korea-crimes-agains

GlobalPost – Home

China rejects UN report accusing North Korea of crimes against humanity

North Korea Cerebrates Mardi Gras

At Hey WTF? News, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by Hey WTF? News and how it is used.

Log Files

Like many other Web sites, Hey WTF? News makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons

Hey WTF? News does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

DoubleClick DART Cookie

• Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on Hey WTF? News.
• Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to Hey WTF? News and other sites on the Internet.
• Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on Hey WTF? News send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

Hey WTF? News has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. Hey WTF? News"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.

North Korea Cerebrates Mardi Gras

Explainer: Why North Korea is acting like a 2-year-old again

SEOUL, South Korea — Last week, the US and South Korean militaries launched their annual war-game ritual, the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle military exercises, which will last until April 18.

On a peninsula divided for more than 60 years, the games have long been condemned from across the border as a contentious show of force.

As to be expected, this year’s games have already raised a fuss from Kim Jong Un’s coterie of propaganda writers, who consider the Key Resolve/Foal Eagle exercises to be preparation for an American-led invasion. Washington and Seoul insist they are only for self-defense.

On the international stage, North Korea has begun flailing and showing its irritation. Twice — on Feb. 27 and March 3 — the isolated nation test-fired short-range missiles into the Yellow Sea. Although such tests occur every few months or so, these latest launches have been interpreted as “provocative” efforts to send a message. And on Feb. 24, hours after the office-based computer simulation portion commenced, a North Korean ship crossed the contested sea border three times. It retreated with no shots fired.

These moves are “not terribly unusual,” said John Delury, a professor of international studies at Yonsei University in Seoul. “This is North Korea’s way of drawing attention to the unresolved nature of borders and military exercises,” according to Delury. “The rationale of these exercises is to deter the North, but given the territorial disputes, [they’re] also an irritant,” he said.

Washington and Seoul may seek to hold back the North, but is Kim Jong Un out to test Washington’s meddle? Here are the three key things to understand.

North Korea essentially has itself to blame for the exercises

Even though the Korean War ended in 1953, both sides signed an armistice, not a peace treaty. The North Korean government and United Nations command agreed to divide the Korean peninsula into the communist North and nominally democratic South.

The absence of a treaty, unfortunately, means the North and South are still technically at war. About 28,500 American soldiers continue to be stationed in South Korea, while every able-bodied South Korean male is required to serve two years in the military. The legacy of the Korean War can be seen at Panmujeon, the village at the de-militarized zone (DMZ) where South and North Korean military police chillingly stand at the border face-to-face.

Every year American soldiers deliver the message to North Korean forces at the DMZ village that the training is purely defensive. Considering North Korea ignited the Korean War with a surprise attack on the South in 1950, the goal since then has been to show that American and South Korean forces — two very different armies with different strategic philosophies — can work in harmony in a chaotic, large-scale hypothetical war. That involves moving loads of tanks and heavy equipment across a rugged and mountainous nation, no easy task when calamity erupts.

North Korea, meanwhile, carries out frequent trainings of its own. The scary part: Many are actually geared toward offensive tactics.

Although the war games are merely exercises, they sometimes dramatically heighten tensions

During past exercises, critics have railed at the US military for taking things too far. Last year, when North Korea was busy rattling the saber with unfulfilled rhetoric of war and a coming death by inferno, the Pentagon responded with a flyover of nuclear-capable B-52s not far from North Korea. That’s the sort of gesture that risks escalating into a tit-for-tat.

Still, North Korea survives in a constant state of military emergency, so it’s no wonder the paranoid leadership plays up the threat of Foal Eagle/Key Resolve being the pretext for an American-led invasion. Occassionally, the rhetoric has erupted into something bigger. During war games in 2010, the North allegedly torpedoed and sank a naval corvette, killing 46 sailors not far from where the Korean and American navies were carrying out anti-submarine exercises. (While a Western investigation implicated North Korea, Pyongyang denies culpability and the United Nations punted on the matter.)

South Koreans aren’t always fond of the war games, either

Even though the American and South Korean governments enjoy good relations, Korean protestors have raised hackles at Key Resolve/Foal Eagle. In addition to the risks of sparking the North’s anger with war games, say some left-wing Koreans, the presence of American military bases is exacerbating the division, and contributing to pollution and crime in the surrounding communities.

In 2006, when US Marines simulated an amphibious landing on Malipo Beach, dozens of protestors ran along the coast and slapped anti-US stickers on the vehicles. The following year, more than 800 Korean military police had to be deployed in the same zone. That time the US Marines didn’t exit the amphibious carriers to storm the beachhead by foot, citing security reasons.

“Yankees, go home!” protesters shouted behind barbed wire from a nearby street, a common refrain at demonstrations at the time.

Nowadays, the movement against the American military presence has died down, even though many Koreans continue to harbor bitterness. That’s thanks in part to an escalation of tensions with North Korea since the mid-2000s. Seoul has even signaled that it wants the US to keep wartime operational command over all forces on the peninsula, a move that would squash plans for a command handover to South Korea in 2016.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/south-korea/140303/north-korea-kim-jong-un-war-games-retaliation

GlobalPost – Home

Explainer: Why North Korea is acting like a 2-year-old again

North Korea fires short-range missiles, which South calls "reckless provocation"

North Korea fired short-range missiles into the sea off its eastern coast for the second time in a week Monday, prompting a warning from South Korea of “reckless provocation.”

The missile tests have clearly been timed to coincide with annual South Korea-US military exercises which kicked off a week ago and run until mid-April.

Two missiles were fired Monday and both flew around 500 kilometers (310 miles) into the Sea of Japan, according to South Korea’s Defense Ministry.

Four short-range Scud missiles were fired in similar fashion on Thursday.

Both tests were condemned by Seoul, which urged the North to cease all testing immediately and said it would consider calling for sanctions.

“The North is taking a double-faced stance by making conciliatory gestures on one hand and pushing ahead with reckless provocation on the other,” said Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok.

The Scuds are at the longer edge of the short-range spectrum, with an estimated reach of 300-800 kilometres (185-500 miles) — capable of striking any target in the South.

It is not unusual for North Korea to carry out such tests, which often go unreported by South Korea.

But Kim said the Scud firings were of particular concern.

“We believe that the North is testing various ballistic missiles with various ranges as a show of force to threaten us,” he said.

Washington initially played down Thursday’s firings, but later suggested they violated UN sanctions imposed on the North’s missile program.

UN Security Council resolutions prohibit North Korea “from launching any ballistic missile, and this includes any Scud missile,” Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren said Friday.

Pyongyang routinely condemns the South-US joint exercises as rehearsals for invasion.

Last year they coincided with a sharp and unusually protracted surge in military tensions, that saw North Korea issuing apocalyptic threats of pre-emptive nuclear strikes.

By contrast, this year’s drills began as relations between Seoul and Pyongyang were enjoying something of a thaw.

They overlapped with the end of the first reunion for more than three years of families divided by the Korean War — an event that raised hopes of greater cross-border cooperation.

Pyongyang had initially insisted that the joint exercises be postponed until after the reunions finished. But Seoul refused and — in a rare concession — the North allowed the family gatherings on its territory to go ahead as scheduled.

Most analysts believe the missile tests reflect Pyongyang’s need to flex its muscles in the wake of the reunion compromise.

Last week also saw an incursion by a North Korean patrol boat across the disputed Yellow Sea border that has been the scene of brief but bloody naval clashes in the past.

No shots were fired and the vessel retreated to its side of the boundary after repeated warnings from the South Korean navy.

North Korea has hundreds of short-range missiles and has developed and tested — with limited success — several intermediate-range models.

Its claims to have a working inter-continental ballistic missile have been treated with scepticism by most experts, but there is no doubt that it is pushing ahead with an active, ambitious missile development program.

gh/sls

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/north-korea/140303/north-korea-fires-short-range-missiles-which-s

GlobalPost – Home

North Korea fires short-range missiles, which South calls "reckless provocation"

North Korea Puts Yorkshire Terriers In Zoo

A zoo in North Korea has reportedly welcomed its newest animal attraction – a pack of Yorkshire Terriers.

The miniature dogs have been introduced to Central Zoo in the capital Pyongyang, according to state media.

Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) said the dogs are now learning “several feats”, although it did not elaborate on the type of tricks they might perform.

North Koreans not familiar with ‘Yorkies’, which were bred in Yorkshire to catch rats and mice by scuttling around clothing mills, were given a helpful guide to the pint-sized pet.

“Each one has long hair – tan on its head and legs and blue grey on its body,” KCNA reported.

“It is 22-24cm tall and weighs 2.5-3.5kg. It lives about 14 years on an average.”

A picture released by KCNA appeared to show three Yorkshire Terriers in seemingly good condition.

However, Central Zoo was previously condemned by travel publication Lonely Planet, whose website claims most of the animals kept there “look pretty forlorn”.

“Worst off are the big cats, nearly all gifts of long-dead communist big wigs around the world – the wonderful lions, tigers and leopards are kept in woefully inadequate compounds, and many have lost the plot as a result,” it says.

“The zoo’s two elephants and its hippo all look exceptionally lacklustre as well.”

Footage uploaded to YouTube in December 2012 by documentary maker Alun Hill appeared to show bears and elephants trudging around largely concrete enclosures, and tigers staring at visitors from behind bars.

According to the video, the zoo houses more than 6,000 animals of about 650 different species in 60 animal shed and aquariums.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

Odd News

North Korea Puts Yorkshire Terriers In Zoo

Here"s a shocker: North Korea is going to be short on grain in 2014

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea is likely to face a shortage of 340,000 tons of grain this year, a report showed Sunday, which would mean another year to its chronic food scarcity.

The report contributed to the Korea Development Institute said Pyongyang is estimated to need some 5.37 million tons of grain this year.

The estimate was based on assumptions that the population of the communist country is 24.8 million and that each person consumed an annual average of 175 kilograms of grain in 2013.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program, who had visited the North for about two weeks in late September to survey food production, forecast the communist country’s grain production at 5.03 million tons this year.

“While North Korea can cover a shortage of 300,000 tons with imports, it will have to rely on international aid for the remaining 40,000 tons,” the report written by the Korea Rural Economic Institute said.

The report noted that the country’s grain production in the last few years falls far short of 6 million tons during the 1980s.

It said while North Korea is making efforts to cultivate food from all arable lands, the country is suffering losses in productivity due to soil erosion and floods.

North Korea suffers from chronic food shortages with the average amount of rice and corn consumed by the people said to be only half of the daily consumption recommended by the United Nations.

Yonhap News Agency contributed to this report.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/north-korea/140201/grain-shortage-2014

GlobalPost – Home

Here"s a shocker: North Korea is going to be short on grain in 2014

​US, S. Korea special forces train for guerrilla warfare in N. Korea - report

At Not Just The News, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by Not Just The News and how it is used.

Log Files

Like many other Web sites, Not Just The News makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons

Not Just The News does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

DoubleClick DART Cookie

• Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on Not Just The News.


• Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to Not Just The News and other sites on the Internet.


• Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on Not Just The News send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

Not Just The News has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. Not Just The News"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.

​US, S. Korea special forces train for guerrilla warfare in N. Korea - report

South Korea to contribute $867 million for U.S. military forces in 2014

A U.S. soldier participates in a decontamination training against possible chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats at Steel Zenith Field Training Exercise in Yeoncheon, about 65 km (40 miles) north of Seoul, May 16, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Lee Jae-Won

Reuters: Top News

South Korea to contribute $867 million for U.S. military forces in 2014

US to boost military presence in South Korea

At Not Just The News, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us (See this article to learn more about Privacy Policies.). This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by Not Just The News and how it is used.

Log Files

Like many other Web sites, Not Just The News makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user"s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons

Not Just The News does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

DoubleClick DART Cookie

• Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on Not Just The News.


• Google"s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to Not Just The News and other sites on the Internet.


• Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html.

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on Not Just The News send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

Not Just The News has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. Not Just The News"s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browser"s respective websites.

US to boost military presence in South Korea

January 3 2014 Breaking News North Korea Kim Jung Un Threatens USA Nuclear War last days news

January 3 2014 Breaking News North Korea Kim Jung Un Threatens USA Nuclear War last days news
http://img.youtube.com/vi/b36olC5Yu-w/0.jpg

Read more about January 3 2014 Breaking News North Korea Kim Jung Un Threatens USA Nuclear War last days news and other interesting subjects concerning Hot Topics at TheDailyNewsReport.com

VIDEO: New Year"s Fireworks From Around the World

Remember that in other parts of the world it is already 2014. See fireworks shows from New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world. (Photo: AP)

Thanks for checking us out. Please take a look at the rest of our videos and articles.

To stay in the loop, bookmark our homepage.

VIDEO: New Year"s Fireworks From Around the World

Dennis Miller On North Korea, Boehner & Joe Biden Groping A Woman

Dennis Miller joins Bill O’Reilly to weigh in on winning the lottery, Dennis Rodman in North Korea, John Boehner’s tan, and Joe Biden groping women at Christmas parties.

RealClearPolitics Video Log

Dennis Miller On North Korea, Boehner & Joe Biden Groping A Woman

Uh oh, North Korea tries to use editing software again

Uh oh, North Korea tries to use editing software again
http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2013/12/09/1226778/338959-4031b3bc-6001-11e3-bb71-e2c853748ae0.jpg

NOW you see him … now you don’t.

North Korea has fired up its editing software again, in a move that has never served the regime well in the past.

This time a relative of the nation’s leader Kim Jong-un appears to have found himself deleted from a propaganda documentary that was rerun on the North Korean Central Television.

In previous airings of the film Jong-un’s uncle, the powerful military official Jang Song-thaek, accompanied the nation’s leader on visits to various military installations.

But he was conspicuously absent from the latest broadcast.

The latest alteration gives credence to intelligence reports that the key leader had fallen out of his nephew’s favour.

At least the regime appears to have mastered Final Cut Pro because it has had no such luck with Photoshop in the past.

Just last October, the secretive state was caught in a photo-editing fail when leader Kim Jong-un and his staff were superimposed at a new children’s hospital under construction in Pyongyang.

The North Korean leader appears to have gained supernatural powers in this image. Picture: Supplied Source: NewsComAu

###

NEWS.com.au | Technology News

Read more about Uh oh, North Korea tries to use editing software again and other interesting subjects concerning Technology at TheDailyNewsReport.com

U.S. war veteran released by North Korea returns home

By Ben Blanchard

BEIJING Sat Dec 7, 2013 1:46am EST

1 of 3. Veteran U.S. soldier Merrill Newman (C), who was detained for over a month in North Korea, arrives at Beijing airport in Beijing, in this photo taken by Kyodo December 7, 2013. Mandatory credit

Credit: Reuters/Kyodo

BEIJING (Reuters) – North Korea freed an 85-year-old retired American soldier on Saturday after detaining him for more than a month for crimes it said he committed during the Korean War six decades ago.

The veteran, Merrill E. Newman, has arrived in China from North Korea and is likely to fly home soon.

North Korea’s official KCNA news agency earlier said he was being deported on humanitarian grounds and because he had admitted to his wrongdoing and apologized.

“I’m very glad to be on my way home,” Newman told Japanese reporters at Beijing airport. “And I appreciate the tolerance the DPRK government has given to me to be on my way. I feel good, I feel good. I want to go home to see my wife.”

The DPRK – Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – is the official name of North Korea.

Newman looked healthy in pictures taken at the airport. He later left the terminal with two men believed to be U.S. diplomats. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing declined to comment.

Newman, who was a U.S. special forces soldier during the 1950-53 Korean War and worked with guerrillas fighting behind the lines against the socialist North, has been held by the Pyongyang regime since late October.

North Korea has called him a war criminal. “He masterminded espionage and subversive activities against the DPRK and in this course he was involved in killings of service personnel of the Korean People’s Army and innocent civilians,” KCNA has said.

He was visiting North Korea as a tourist when he was pulled off an Air Koryo flight in North Korea minutes before it was due to depart for Beijing on October 26.

KCNA said the secretive North had decided to let Newman leave “taking into consideration his admittance of the act committed by him on the basis of his wrong understanding, apology made by him for it, his sincere repentance of it and his advanced age and health condition”.

SECOND AMERICAN

The United States quickly welcomed North Korea’s decision to release Newman and called on Pyongyang to pardon another U.S. citizen being held since November last year and release him to his family.

Kenneth Bae, a Korean American who worked as a Christian missionary and was convicted by the North in May of crimes against the state, has been serving a 15-year hard labor sentence.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who is visiting South Korea, said he spoke to Newman by telephone.

“I offered him a ride home on Air Force Two but as it was pointed out, there is a direct flight to San Francisco, his home. So I don’t blame him, I’d be on that flight too,” said Biden.

“It’s a positive thing they have done but they have Mr Bae who has no reason being held in the North and should be released immediately and we are going to continue to demand his release as well.”

U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel, a fellow Korean War veteran who last month wrote to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calling for Newman’s release, also welcomed the news.

“His release is a step towards building good will and trust with the international community,” said the New York Democrat.

“As a member of Congress who has long advocated for peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula, I am pleased that we are making progress on the humanitarian front with North Korea.”

North Korea had accused Newman of being a criminal who took part in the killings of innocent civilians during the war. Last week, KCNA published what it said was an apology by him for “a long list of indelible crimes against the DPRK government and Korean people”.

The regime also released a video of Newman making the confession and apology.

The United States and Newman’s family had called on the North for his release given his age and medical conditions that required him to take medications.

Newman lives in a retirement community in Palo Alto, California.

(Additional reporting by Jack Kim in Seoul, Jeff Mason in Washington; Writing by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Alex Richardson)

• Link this


• Share this


• Digg this


• Email


• Print


• Reprints

Reuters: Top News

U.S. war veteran released by North Korea returns home

US vet Merrill Newman, 85, home from North Korea

Merrill Newman, center, walks beside his wife Lee, left, and his son Jeffrey after arriving at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013. Newman was detained in North Korea late October at the end of a 10-day trip to North Korea, a visit that came six decades after he oversaw a group of South Korean wartime guerrillas during the 1950-53 war. He was released from North Korea early Saturday. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Merrill Newman, center, walks beside his wife Lee, left, and his son Jeffrey after arriving at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013. Newman was detained in North Korea late October at the end of a 10-day trip to North Korea, a visit that came six decades after he oversaw a group of South Korean wartime guerrillas during the 1950-53 war. He was released from North Korea early Saturday. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Merrill Newman, center, walks beside his wife Lee and his son Jeffrey, left, as they leave San Francisco International Airport, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, in San Francisco. Newman was detained in North Korea late October at the end of a 10-day trip to North Korea, a visit that came six decades after he oversaw a group of South Korean wartime guerrillas during the 1950-53 war. He was released from North Korea early Saturday. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Merrill Newman, center, walks beside his wife Lee and his son Jeffrey, left, after arriving at San Francisco International Airport, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, in San Francisco. Newman was detained in North Korea late October at the end of a 10-day trip to North Korea, a visit that came six decades after he oversaw a group of South Korean wartime guerrillas during the 1950-53 war. He was released from North Korea early Saturday. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Merrill Newman, center, walks beside his wife Lee after arriving at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013. Newman was detained in North Korea late October at the end of a 10-day trip to North Korea, a visit that came six decades after he oversaw a group of South Korean wartime guerrillas during the 1950-53 war. He was released from North Korea early Saturday. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Merrill Newman speaks to reporters after arriving at San Francisco International Airport, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, in San Francisco. Newman was detained in North Korea late October at the end of a 10-day trip to North Korea, a visit that came six decades after he oversaw a group of South Korean wartime guerrillas during the 1950-53 war. He was released from North Korea early Saturday. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Buy AP Photo Reprints

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Merrill Newman was tired and looking forward to reuniting with his family, but he was all smiles Saturday after arriving at the San Francisco airport after being detained for several weeks in North Korea.

The 85-year-old U.S. veteran of the Korean War held the hand of his wife and was accompanied by his adult son when he briefly addressed the assembled media after disembarking from a direct flight from Beijing.

“I’m delighted to be home,” he said. “It’s been a great homecoming. I’m tired, but ready to be with my family.”

He also thanked the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, North Korea, and U.S. Embassy in Beijing for helping to secure his release. He declined to answer any questions and didn’t discuss his headline-grabbing captivity.

Newman was detained in late October at the end of a 10-day trip to North Korea, a visit that came six decades after he oversaw a group of South Korean wartime guerrillas during the 1950-53 war.

Last month, Newman read from an awkwardly worded alleged confession that apologized for, among other things, killing North Koreans during the war. Analysts questioned whether the statement was coerced, and former South Korean guerrillas who had worked with Newman and fought behind enemy lines during the war disputed some of the details.

North Korea cited Newman’s age and medical condition in allowing him to leave the country.

Newman’s detention highlighted the extreme sensitivity with which Pyongyang views the war, which ended without a formal peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula still technically in a state of war. The conflict is a regular focus of North Korean propaganda and media, which accuse Pyongyang’s wartime enemies Washington and Seoul of carrying on the fighting by continuing to push for the North’s overthrow.

The televised statement read last month by Newman said he was attempting to meet surviving guerrilla fighters he had trained during the conflict so he could reconnect them with their wartime colleagues living in South Korea and that he had criticized the North during his recent trip.

Members of the former South Korean guerrilla group said in an interview last week with The Associated Press that Newman was their adviser. Some have expressed surprise that Newman would take the risk of visiting North Korea given his association with their group, which is still remembered with keen hatred in the North. Others were amazed that Pyongyang still considered Newman a threat.

“As you can imagine this has been a very difficult ordeal for us as a family, and particularly for him,” Newman’s son Jeff Newman said in a statement read outside his home in Pasadena Friday night, adding that they will say more about this unusual journey after Newman has rested.

Newman’s release comes as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visit to the region brought him to Seoul. Biden said Saturday that he welcomed the release and said he talked by phone with Newman in Beijing, offering him a ride home on Air Force Two.

___

Associated Press writers Eun-Young Jeong, Hyung-jin Kim, Foster Klug and Josh Lederman in Seoul, Martha Mendoza and Paul Elias in San Francisco, and Didi Tang and Aritz Parra in Beijing contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

U.S. Headlines

US vet Merrill Newman, 85, home from North Korea

Report: Afghanistan, Somalia and North Korea most corrupt

The United States continues to lag behind the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and numerous Scandinavian countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2013, a list that is the most widely used indicator of national corruption.

This year the US ranked 19^th out of 177 countries and territories, with an overall score of 73. Scores range from zero to 100, with a higher score indicating less corruption. While the US score remained unchanged from last year, other countries have improved their performances relative to the US. The UK, for example, which was ranked 17^th in 2012 with a score of 74, has now climbed to 14^th place. Denmark and Finland share the top spot.

Afghanistan’s score on the CPI also remains unchanged in 2013 – as does the fact that it continues to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world, according to the index. Afghanistan scored an 8 on the CPI this year. This is the lowest score listed on the index, and is shared by Afghanistan, Somalia and North Korea.

It’s troubling that Afghanistan continues to be plagued by some of the worst corruption in the world despite the US pouring over half a trillion dollars into the country. Earlier this year a dramatic showdown in the Afghan parliament had lawmakers openly flinging allegations of corruption at each other. Following this, the director of Integrity Watch Afghanistan blamed international aid and military organizations for fueling the cycle of corruption in the country.

---

---

Similarly conflict-ridden countries continued to perform badly on the CPI this year, with Syria and Yemen slipping closer to the bottom of the ranks. The index reveals that the Middle East is a hotbed of corruption, with 84% of Middle East and North African countries scoring below 50 on the CPI. Transparency International says the average regional score is 37 – significantly below the global average of 43.

The Corruption Perceptions Index defines “corruption” as “generally comprising illegal activities, which are deliberately hidden and only come to light through scandals, investigations or prosecutions.”

According to the index, this year’s most improved countries are Myanmar, Brunei, Laos, Senegal, Nepal, Estonia, Greece, Lesotho and Latvia, and the biggest decliners are Syria, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Mali, Spain, Eritrea, Mauritius, Yemen, Australia, Iceland, Slovenia, Guatemala, Madagascar and Congo Republic.

Salon.com

Report: Afghanistan, Somalia and North Korea most corrupt

U.S. extends Iran oil sanctions waivers to China, India, Korea

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry waves before getting into his motorcade vehicle as he arrives at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, November 25, 2013, as he returns from London.

Credit: Reuters/Carolyn Kaster/Pool

Reuters: Politics

U.S. extends Iran oil sanctions waivers to China, India, Korea

Vet"s wife makes plea to North Korea leaders

News

Scott Stump TODAY contributor

• Facebook Share on Facebook


• Reddit


• Pinterest


• Email

3 hours ago

The wife of an 85-year-old military veteran who has been detained in North Korea spoke out Monday in an emotional interview in which she expressed concern for his health.  

“One day is as hard as another,’’ Lee Newman told Miguel Almaguer on TODAY Monday. “He just needs to be home, and we want him home for the holidays.”

She has not spoken to her husband, Merrill, since he was taken off a plane by a North Korean military official on Oct. 26 while on vacation there. 

TODAY

Lee Newman, Merrill Newman’s wife of 56 years, became emotional when talking about her worry over her husbands health and her hopes for his safe return from detainment in North Korea.

“It’s hard for his grandchildren,’’ she said. “It’s hard for his whole family. It’s been hard. We have a lot of support but when you don’t know where your husband of 56 years is, you don’t know his health, you don’t know when he will be home with us, it’s not an easy situation.

“He has people that he loves here and he needs to be back at home.”

Newman, a grandfather, retired technology executive and Korean War veteran, took a 10-day trip on a tourist visa to the peninsula where he once fought. After boarding his flight home with a friend, he was suddenly pulled off the aircraft at Pyongyang’s international airport and has not been in contact with his family in Palo Alto, Calif., since. Newman’s friend from his retirement home who traveled with him, Bob Hamrdla, is currently back in California. 

Courtesy of the Newman family

The family of Korean War veteran, retired technology executive and grandfather Merrill Newman, 85, is working to secure his return to his home in Palo Alto, Calif., after he was detained in North Korea on vacation on Oct. 26.

Newman was detained a day after he and his tour guide had been interviewed by North Korean authorities at a meeting in which his military service during the Korean War was discussed, according to his son, Jeff Newman.

“There’s some terrible misunderstanding that’s taken place here,’’ Jeff Newman said on TODAY. “There was a conversation that took place about the Korean War and my dad’s service that might have had some tension in it.”

TODAY

The couple’s son, Jeff, said there has been “a terrible misunderstanding” in the detainment of his father by North Korean authorities.

Newman has a heart ailment, and is in need of medication, according to his family. The U.S. State Department is working with Swedish officials who represent American interests in North Korea. The U.S. has no diplomatic relations with North Korea, so Sweden handles the consular issues for the United States in the Asian nation. 

No one has spoken with Newman or seen him since he was detained. North Korea has confirmed through Swedish officials in Pyongyang that a U.S. citizen has been detained, but because consular access has not been granted, the detainee’s identity is not yet confirmed. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told NBC News that the Swedish embassy has been making daily requests for access.

Courtesy of the Newman family

Merrill Newman was at the end of a 10-day vacation in North Korea, where he once fought in the Korean War, when he was taken off his flight home by a military official.

Jeff Newman told NBC News that he has been in contact with the U.S. State Department and has reached out to former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a former ambassador to the United Nations in the 1990s who has experience with issues involving North Korea. Richardson has reached out to his North Korean contacts, a spokeswoman for his office told NBC News last week. 

On Nov. 18, the U.S. State Department issued a warning against Americans traveling to North Korea, marking the first warning since Americans began traveling there in 1995. Two other Americans have been arrested in recent years over alleged illegal religious missionary activities, including Korean-American Christian missionary Kenneth Bae, who has been detained since November 2012. 

Tags:

• TODAY News,


• News,


• On the show

Vet"s wife makes plea to North Korea leaders