Dramatic missile progress North Korea’s efforts to develop a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of hitting the US mainland have accelerated during Donald Trump’s presidency. The country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has presided over three successful ICBM tests in 2017, along with a series of shorter-range ballistic missile launches. The trajectory of the Hwasong-15 ICBM launched on 29 November was thought to place all of the continental US in range for the first time. A demonstration of this capability had been anticipated after tests of the earlier Hwasong-14 ICBM in July showed Alaska, the US west coast and possibly New York could be reached. The US now appears in range North Korea declared itself a “complete” nuclear state after launching the Hwasong-15. Using a mobile launcher to test this latest version of the regime’s ICBM technology is another significant advance as it shows Pyongyang would be able to hit back after any … [Read more...] about A guide to North Korea’s advance toward nuclear weapons – in maps and charts
Tram gold coast map
Fears grow about Sydney after Australia fires merge into giant blaze
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Bushfires fanned by winds combined into a single giant blaze north of Sydney late on Friday, blanketing Australia’s biggest city in hazardous smoke, causing weekend sports games to be canceled and prompting calls for outdoor workers to stay home. NSW Rural Fire Service crews protect properties on Waratah Road and Kelyknack Road as the Three Mile fire approaches Mangrove Mountain, Australia, December 5, 2019. AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts/via REUTERS Wildfire has killed at least four people and destroyed more than 680 homes across eastern Australia since the start of November, months earlier than the usual summer bushfire season, with the authorities blaming an extended drought, strong wind and suspected arson. Smoke and flying ash has lingered over Sydney for most of the past week, turning the daytime sky orange, obscuring visibility and prompting commuters to wear breathing masks. Satellite images spread on social media showed the smoke spreading across … [Read more...] about Fears grow about Sydney after Australia fires merge into giant blaze
Indian fugitive holy man creates new ‘cosmic’ nation for Hindus
MUMBAI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A holy man wanted by Indian police on sex assault charges has said he has created a new country for Hindus that will fight global warming, offer free healthcare and promote gender equality and vegetarianism. Nithyananda Swami, who once had thousands of followers that included film stars and politicians in India and abroad, was arrested in 2010 over a sex scandal. He was later charged with rape and abduction, and reported to have fled India. But this week, Nithyananda announced in a YouTube video that he had set up his own country called Kailaasa, dedicated to the “preservation, restoration and revival of an enlightened culture and civilization based on authentic Hinduism”. All practicing Hindus - numbering more than 1 billion - can apply for citizenship in Kailaasa, named after Mount Kailash in Tibet, which is considered sacred by Hindus and Buddhists. The website https://kailaasa.org has images of a triangular flag and a passport, … [Read more...] about Indian fugitive holy man creates new ‘cosmic’ nation for Hindus
Greece to expel Libyan ambassador over Turkey-Libya accord
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece said on Friday it was expelling Libya’s ambassador to the country, angered at an accord between Libya and Turkey signed on Nov. 27 that maps out a sea boundary between the two countries close to the Greek island of Crete. Mohamed Younis AB Menfi had 72 hours to leave the country, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias told a news briefing. Dendias called the Turkey-Libyan accord a “blatant violation of international law”. The move did not mean Greece was severing diplomatic relations with Libya, Dendias said. The expulsion is the latest twist in a saga of Mediterranean states jostling to claim yet-untapped oil and gas in the region. Turkey and the internationally recognized government of Libya signed the accord defining their boundaries and a deal on expanded security and military cooperation, a step Turkey said was protecting its rights. Greece immediately shot back, calling the accord absurd because it ignored the presence of Crete … [Read more...] about Greece to expel Libyan ambassador over Turkey-Libya accord