North Korea says under Leningrad-style siege from US
April 4, 2016
ricky l1 second ago
Actually N Korea should consider giving up nuclear weapons and nuclear development in exchange for Peace Treaty as well as business/investment/trade ---- like what Iran did in the Iran Nuclear Deal.
The choice is in N Korea's hand - not in others' hands.
By not realising this fact - the seige will become tighter and tighter like the tightening of a noose and N Korea will soon not be able to breathe.
ricky l1 second ago
As long as N Korea continue to pursue nuclear development and nuclear weapons, the World will not give in to N Korea.
This is an unwavering fact.
ricky l1 second ago
And no Countries in the World (even China and Russia) - will support a nuclear N Korea.
This is the most fatal fact about insisting on nuclearising in N Korea. N Korea will end up with a blank wall - no way to go if N Korea insist in nuclear.
As long as N Korea is willing to give up nuclear - the sky will open up for N Korea.
The choice is in N Korea's hands - not in other's hands.
ricky l1 second ago
Want nuclear - means "dead end" - no where to go (everywhere block).
Renounce nuclear - means "sky open up" --- Peace Treaty, trade, investment, business will come in.
Iran nuclear deal is a shining example.
Now is the best chance for N Korea to strike a similar nuclear deal.
1 year later ---- don't know what will be the fate.
ricky l1 second ago
Very simple fact :-
If N Korea ever fire a nuclear missile into S Korea, the following scenario will happen :-
(1) China will fire a nuclear missile on N Korea - because the nuclear explosion in S Korea will definitely impact China as radiation transmit on air and blow across into China mainland.
(2) Russia may fire a nuclear missile on N Korea - because the nuclear explosion in S Korea may also impact Russia as radiation transmit on air and may blow across into Russia mainland.
(3) Not to mention US will fire nuclear missile into N Korea as well as military attack by S Korea and/or Japan.
---- so N Korea definitely "KIA" ---- no way N Korea will survive if insist on having nuclear weapons.
By giving up nuclear weapons in exchange for Peace Treaty ---- business, investment and trade is abundant just like Iran.
ricky l1 second ago
So having nuclear weapons is not a blessing.
In fact, it is a danger that will have catastrophic consequences.
North Korea can put nuclear warhead on mid-range missile - South
- Posted 05 Apr 2016 20:15
SEOUL: North Korea can mount a nuclear warhead on a medium-range missile, a South Korean official said on Tuesday in a new assessment of the capability of a country that conducted its fourth nuclear test this year.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said last month his country had miniaturised nuclear warheads to mount on ballistic missiles. It was his first direct statement of a claim often made in state media though never independently verified.
"We believe they have accomplished miniaturisation of a nuclear warhead to mount it on a Rodong missile," the South Korean official, with knowledge of South Korea's assessment of the North’s nuclear programme, told a small group of reporters on condition of anonymity.
The Rodong missile can fire a 1 tonne (1,100 lb) warhead a distance of up to 2,000 km (1,250 miles), the official said. That would put all of South Korea, most of Japan and parts of Russia and China in range.
"We believe they have the ability to mount a nuclear warhead on a Rodong. Whether they will fire it like that is a political decision," said the official.
There was no direct evidence that the North has successfully mounted a warhead on such a missile, the South Korean official said. He declined to discuss the basis for the change in assessment.
Staunch U.S. ally South Korea has been facing off against its rival to the north for decades.
The South's conservative president, Park Geun-hye, has reversed a policy of trying to engage the North in dialogue and has instead adopted a hard line against it, particularly since the North conducted its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and a month later launched a long-range rocket putting an object into space orbit.
The test and launch prompted the U.N. Security Council to impose new sanctions.
South Korea has previously said North Korea had made progress in its efforts to miniaturise a nuclear warhead but the capability was incomplete. South Korea's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that assessment remained the military's position.
Rodong missiles, developed from Soviet-era Scud missiles, make up the bulk of the North's short- and medium-range missile arsenal with an estimated stockpile of 200.
Experts have predicted that the delivery vehicle for the North's first nuclear warhead would be the medium-range Rodong missile, rather than an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which the North has yet to test.
Despite threats to strike the mainland United States, the North is seen as several years away from building an ICBM that can carry a nuclear warhead.
Experts have previously said a functioning mid-range nuclear missile would need the technology to overcome the stress of launch and re-entry and to strike the target with precision, which requires repeated testing.
The North fired a Rodong missile in March. It flew about 800 km (500 miles) into the sea, in the first such launch since two Rodongs were fired in 2014.
(Editing by Tony Munroe, Robert Birsel)
- Reuters
China announces restrictions on trade with North Korea
China on Tuesday banned imports of gold and rare earths from North Korea as well as exports to the country of jet fuel and other oil products used to make rocket fuel, a move in line with new United Nations sanctions on Pyongyang.
- Posted 05 Apr 2016 17:20
- Updated 05 Apr 2016 18:30
BEIJING: China on Tuesday banned imports of gold and rare earths from North Korea as well as exports to the country of jet fuel and other oil products used to make rocket fuel, a move in line with new United Nations sanctions on Pyongyang.
The Security Council unanimously passed a resolution in early March expanding U.N. sanctions aimed at starving North Korea of funds for its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes after Pyongyang conducted a fourth nuclear test in January and launched a long-range rocket in February.
The mining sector is a key part of North Korea's economy, which is already largely cut off from the rest of the world. Experts believe revenue from the sector helps underwrite North Korea's military expenditures.
The ministry said it would also ban coal shipments from North Korea, although it made exemptions consistent with sanctions, including uses intended for "the people's well-being" and not connected to nuclear or missile programmes.
North Korea delivered around 20 million tonnes of coal to China last year, up 27 percent on the year, overtaking Russia and Mongolia to become China's third biggest supplier, behind Australia and Indonesia.
An exception was made for coal originating in third countries and supplied via North Korea's port of Rason. Landlocked Mongolia, looking for alternative supply routes for its commodities, has already signed an agreement with the port that gave its exporters preferential treatment.
Export bans on jet and rocket fuel included exemptions for "basic humanitarian needs" in conjunction with inspections, and for civilian passenger jets flying outside of North Korea.
Other restricted minerals include vanadium and titanium, both used in steel alloys.
Independent experts have frequently questioned China's resolve to enforce sanctions against North Korea, whose economy is heavily dependent on its neighbour. China has said it will enforce the measures "conscientiously".
U.S. State Department officials have expressed optimism the sanctions will be more effective than earlier attempts to curtail North Korea's nuclear program, pointing to China's apparent willingness to support them.
China disapproves of North Korea's nuclear programme, although, as its sole major ally, it has supplied large quantities of aid off the books for decades.
(Reporting by Michael Martina and David Stanway; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
- Reuters
A white-tailed eagle lands on a wolf's carcass in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, in the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, February 15, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
An elk runs in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, near the village of Babchin, Belarus, January 27, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
A radiation sign is seen in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
An abandoned house is seen in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
A white-tailed eagle sits on the roof of an abandoned school near the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, in the abandoned village of Tulgovichi, Belarus, January 29, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
A fox walks through the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Babchin, Belarus, March 5, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
A tawny owl leaves a chimney in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Kazhushki, Belarus, March 16, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
A yellowhammer is seen on the remains of a house at the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Orevichi, Belarus, March 12, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
An otter swims in a river in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Pogonnoe, Belarus, March 13, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
A black stork flies through the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, April 2, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
A woodpecker looks out of a hollow in a tree in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Babchin, Belarus, April 3, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
A golden eagle approaches the remains of an elk in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Babchin, Belarus, March 16, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
A wolf crosses a road in a forest in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, April 2, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
Elks are seen in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
Ruined farm's buildings are seen in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Pogonnoe, Belarus, March 13, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
A magpie flies over a barbed wire fence at the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Babchin, Belarus, February 18, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
Wolves walk in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Orevichi, Belarus, February 25, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
A wolf looks into the camera at the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Orevichi, Belarus, March 2, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
A World War Two monument is seen near the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, near the village of Babchin, Belarus, January 26, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
Bisons are seen at a bison nursery in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
Bisons are seen at a bison nursery in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
Hunters drag wolves killed in a field outside of the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, near the village of Khrapkov, Belarus, January 27, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
In Chernobyl nuclear zone, animals thrive without humans
What happens to the environment when humans disappear? Thirty years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, booming populations of wolf, elk and other wildlife in the vast contaminated zone in Belarus and Ukraine provide a clue.
- Posted 06 Apr 2016 21:10
A white-tailed eagle lands on a wolf's carcass in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, in the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, February 15, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoAn elk runs in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, near the village of Babchin, Belarus, January 27, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoA radiation sign is seen in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoAn abandoned house is seen in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoA white-tailed eagle sits on the roof of an abandoned school near the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, in the abandoned village of Tulgovichi, Belarus, January 29, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoA fox walks through the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Babchin, Belarus, March 5, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoA tawny owl leaves a chimney in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Kazhushki, Belarus, March 16, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoA yellowhammer is seen on the remains of a house at the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Orevichi, Belarus, March 12, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoAn otter swims in a river in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Pogonnoe, Belarus, March 13, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoA black stork flies through the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, April 2, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoA woodpecker looks out of a hollow in a tree in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Babchin, Belarus, April 3, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoA golden eagle approaches the remains of an elk in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Babchin, Belarus, March 16, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoA wolf crosses a road in a forest in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, April 2, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoElks are seen in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoRuined farm's buildings are seen in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Pogonnoe, Belarus, March 13, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoA magpie flies over a barbed wire fence at the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Babchin, Belarus, February 18, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoWolves walk in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Orevichi, Belarus, February 25, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoA wolf looks into the camera at the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the abandoned village of Orevichi, Belarus, March 2, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoA World War Two monument is seen near the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, near the village of Babchin, Belarus, January 26, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoBisons are seen at a bison nursery in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoBisons are seen at a bison nursery in the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor near the abandoned village of Dronki, Belarus, January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily FedosenkoHunters drag wolves killed in a field outside of the 30 km (19 miles) exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, near the village of Khrapkov, Belarus, January 27, 2016. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
CHERNOBYL EXCLUSION ZONE, Belarus: What happens to the environment when humans disappear? Thirty years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, booming populations of wolf, elk and other wildlife in the vast contaminated zone in Belarus and Ukraine provide a clue.
On April 26, 1986, a botched test at the nuclear plant in Ukraine, then a Soviet republic, sent clouds of smouldering radioactive material across large swathes of Europe.
Over 100,000 people had to abandon the area permanently, leaving native animals the sole occupants of a cross-border "exclusion zone" roughly the size of Luxembourg.
In the Belarussian part of the zone, tumble-down villages marked with yellow and red radiation warning signs have become hunting grounds for predators such as wolves and hawks. Birds, including tawny owls and magpies, nest in the roofs and chimneys of abandoned buildings.
Images of the wildlife can be seen at http://reut.rs/1M9EiFk
"People can never live there - it's impossible - not even for the next 24,000 years," Ukrainian Ecology Minister Hanna Vronska said of the zone, which encompasses 2,600 sq km (1,000 square miles) of forest, marsh and open countryside.
The long-term impact of the radiation on animal populations is a subject of intense debate because scientists have struggled to untangle the positive effects of human absence from the negative effects of living in a poisoned environment.
Despite the radiation, wolf numbers are over seven times higher in the Belarussian part of the zone compared with uncontaminated areas elsewhere, according to a study published in scientific journal Current Biology last October.
Some wolves have taken to straying outside the zone to steal calves from nearby farms, prompting hunters to set traps or shoot them as a deterrent.
International donors have funded the building of a 30,000 tonne "safe confinement" arch to prevent more deadly particles spewing from the stricken nuclear reactor's site for the next 100 years. Nevertheless, nothing can be done to decontaminate trees and soil that suffered the worst of the nuclear fallout within a 30-km radius of the plant.
In March, Vronska said authorities were considering turning the uninhabitable zone into a biosphere to protect and study its native animal populations in what would be the largest nature reserve in Europe. There are also plans to use parts of the area to store nuclear waste and for solar power.
Special government permits, usually valid for a few days, are required for anyone wishing to visit the exclusion zone from the Belarussian side. Roads going into the zone are guarded to prevent any unauthorised person entering.
While the rules of access are also strict on the Ukrainian side, small tour groups can visit sites within the zone, including the "ghost town" of Pripyat.
(Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
- Reuters
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