Korean tensions again shot up Tuesday, April 9, with Pyongyang’s warning of a ballistic missile firing Wednesday, April 10 toward the Pacific and advice to foreigners in the South to evacuate: “We do not wish harm on foreigners in the South should there be a war,” said the statement.
Last week, foreign embassies were informed that North Korea would not guarantee the safety of their staffs after April 10. Japan has deployed Patriot missile interceptors around its defense ministry headquarters in Tokyo and other key facilities including Okinawa, in the wake of North Korea’s move last week of two intermediate- missiles to its eastern coast, placing Japan, South Korea and the US bases at Guam within range.
April 19, 2013 – RUSSIA – Cameras in Russia seem to capture everything from fiery meteors to crazy crashes. The latest video comes from a camera mounted high above the main square in Smolensk, overlooking a busy parking lot on what appears to be a nice sunny day. It takes but seconds for a small cloud of steam, appearing harmless at first, to erupt into a hot water geyser rivaling Old Faithful. What you don’t see from the video are the brick-sized chunks of pavement and rocks that were launched into the air and onto the surrounding vehicles. Within minutes, a large flow of water has flooded the parking area as the natural geyser continues to spew water and steam hundreds of feet into the air. If this happened in our backyard, we would hightail it out of town fearing another eruption of Vesuvian magnitude – yet the locals in Smolensk seem only slightly disrupted, continuing to seek open spots in the parking lot despite the odd chaos mere yards away.
The US navy has used a powerful laser cannon to shoot down drone aircraft and will start deploying the weapon on its ships, saying it represents the future of warfare.
"The future is here," said Peter Morrison at the Office of Naval Research's Solid-State Laser Technology Maturation Programme.
The weapon, known as the Laser Weapon System or Laws, has so far only been used to shoot down drones in testing areas but is being billed as a step towards transforming warfare. Since it runs on electricity it can fire as long as there is power at a cost of less than US$1 dollar per shot, says the navy.
"Compare that to the hundreds of thousands of dollars it costs to fire a missile and you can begin to see the merits of this capability," said Rear Admiral Matthew Klunder, chief of naval research.
The prototype, which one official said cost $31m-$32m to make, will be installed aboard the USS Ponce, which is being used as a floating base in the Middle East, sometime after October 2013.
Klunder said the navy expected that someday incoming missiles would not be able to "simply outmanoeuvre" a highly accurate laser beam fired at the speed of light.
A report from the Congressional Research Service praised the laser technology but noted drawbacks, including the potential it could accidentally hit satellites or aircraft. Weather also affects lasers.
"Lasers might not work well, or at all, in rain or fog, preventing lasers from being an all-weather solution," it said in a report issued on 14 March.
As we see our nation wither away and our nation’s social landscape ravished beyond all repair, do not let your hearts be troubled (John 14:1). Do not deceive yourselves in these last days as millions are by putting all of their eggs in the basket of the Democratic and Republican Party.
There is ABSOLUTELY NO ESCAPE from what is at the door. These things ALL MUST come to pass as Almighty God’s Word has testified to.
There is ABSOLUTELY NO ESCAPE from what is at the door. These things ALL MUST come to pass as Almighty God’s Word has testified to(Rev. 22:20). My dear friend, have faith in Almighty God and the simplicity of His PERFECT Word and He will set you FREE(Mark 11:22, Heb. 11:1,6). Beloved, Do not let your hearts be troubled, believe in Him and place ALL your trust in Him for it is in Jesus Christ ALONE that there is EVERLASTING HOPE and FULL ASSURANCE (Acts 4:12, Rom. 1:16, Col. 2:2, 2 Tim. 1:12).
Do your part to the fullest as an America in these last days all the while knowing that NOTHING will stop the Day of Lawlessness, the Lord Jesus’ glorious second coming and the establishment of His 1000 year reign in TRUTH and RIGHTEOUSNESS! Be sure to see the BIG PICTURE first then all will fall into place! ETERNITY with our Savior is our future, NOT this fallen demonic wasteland called planet earth. The TRUTH will indeed set you free from the bondage and tyranny of Satan and his many faceted straw men, which are set up out there to distract you from the Savior and what is at hand (John 8:32, 36, 2 Cor. 4:3-4, Col 3:1-4)! Beloved use all of these things to draw you EVER closer to the Savior and never let your heart be troubled, for you safe as can be in His hands FOREVERMORE (Matt. 28:20, Luke 12:7, John 10:28, 14:18, Rom. 8:28-39, Rev. 1:17-18).
Vladimir Putin said a war in Korea could be more devastating than the Chernobyl disaster - as Pyongyang was warned against another nuclear test.
The Russian President said he was "worried about the escalation on the Korean peninsula, because we are neighbours".
And Mr Putin, who also praised a US decision to postpone a planned missile test as part of efforts to reduce tensions, said he feared a situation worse than that in Chernobyl after a nuclear accident that was later linked to thousands of deaths.
"If, God forbid, something happens, Chernobyl which we all know a lot about, may seem like a child's fairy tale," he said.
"Is there such a threat or not? I think there is ... I would urge everyone to calm down ... and start to resolve the problems that have piled up for many years there at the negotiating table."
His intervention came after United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the North not to carry out a new nuclear test - saying it would be a "provocative" act.
South Korea raised fears that a fourth test was due amid reports of increased activity at the main atomic test site Punggye-ri, but later backtracked.
Its Defence Ministry said: "We found there had been no unusual movements that indicated it wanted to carry out a nuclear test."North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un
Mr Ban said: "The Democratic People's Republic of North Korea cannot go on like this, confronting and challenging the authority of the (UN) Security Council and the international community.
"I am urging them to refrain from taking any further provocative measures."
China's Foreign Ministry also said it wanted peace on the Korean peninsula, not war, adding a proper solution to the crisis was the responsibility of all parties.
The Pentagon has already strengthened its missile defences in response to the repeated threats made by Pyongyang in recent weeks.
However, the New York Times has reported that a more thorough plan - setting out a limited but forceful response to any future provocation - has been drawn up by the US and South Korea.
It said US officials had outlined a "counter-provocation" plan that would see a "response in kind" that would hit the source of any North Korean attack with similar weapons.
Meanwhile, North Korea said it was withdrawing all workers and suspending operations at its joint industrial zone with South Korea, the only surviving symbol of inter-Korean cooperation.
South Korea has appealed for North Korea to allow access to the Kaesong joint industrial park, six miles inside its borders.
The North has banned South Korean managers and personnel from crossing the border to enter the complex since last Wednesday.
So far 13 of the 123 South Korean firms operating there have been forced to halt production due to fuel and raw material shortages. Sky News
North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un