News Stories

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Vexx

China is asking "for calm" but the investigation is pretty clear (especially that NK torpedo remnant...).

Seriously, China may prefer the status quo but its becoming untenable for them not to drop *some* kind of foot on NK. China's move towards globalization and dependence on trading partners make the continued misbehavior of NK a boat anchor for them.

It's more of an issue for the world because the world has practically all their factories and manufacturing outsourced to largely China, so the latter actually controlled largely the world's manufacturing processes.

China still can do what they like......but they have to follow the world because they have an image to uphold.

On the smaller note :

SINGAPORE'S BP : Scramble to contain oil spill after ships collide

SINGAPORE - Something was not smelling right between noon and 3pm yesterday to people in the business district and the port at Tanjong Pagar.

Like some residents in the East who called the MediaCorp hotline said there was a kerosene-like smell in the air.

He could also smell smoke, said Mr Yow from Marina Bay who called the hotline at 1.45pm.

Two ships - a Malaysian registered oil tanker and a St Vincents and The Grenadines-registered bulk carrier - had collided in the commercial stretch of the Singapore Strait just 13km off Changi.

The accident happened just after 6am.

The tanker's left cargo tank had a 10-metre gash, resulting in an oil spill which - by afternoon - covered an area of about 4km by 1km.

The kerosene-like smell that wafted to shore was due to some of the lighter portions of the oil evaporating, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA).

The NEA did not detect any toxic chemicals in the air.

The waters around Ubin and Pasir Ris were not contaminated at press time, but the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority has given fish farm owners plastic sheets that can protect these stock to a depth of 3 metres.

Most of the fish are kept 3m below the water's surface, but farm owners felt that the spill will not cause as much damage as the plankton bloom last December.

"We are now experiencing southern winds. So, the oil spill is expected to reach the farm in two or three days.

"Fortunately, by then, the toxicity would be less and the oil would have diluted," said Mr Philip Lim, the owner of a fish farm.

Waterways Watch chairman Eugene Heng said there are concerns over the oil spill regardless of its severity.

"Even if it doesn't reach our shores, the pollution could affect marine life," he said.

It is estimated that some 2,500 tonnes of crude oil were spilled into the waters.

Containment and clean-up efforts were led by MPA, with more than 80 people on site yesterday evening.

About 20 vessels - some equipped with non-toxic and bio-degradable agents - were deployed to break up the slick.

A total of 1,500 metres of containment booms were used to stop the slick from spreading and to facilitate collection by two skimmers.

MPA is also working with AET, the operator of the tanker, the MT Bunga Kelana 3, to have 200 personnel on standby to clean up the coast should the need arise.

Operators of marinas and waterfront facilities near the area have been alerted, but a salvage expert said much of the oil would evaporate.

"It seems to be a lot but if it is light crude, it will just evaporate," said Mr Ho Yew Weng, response and projects manager of disaster management firm Oil Spill Response Singapore. The hot weather could make the crude disperse even faster.

The tanker - which was carrying almost 62,000 tonnes of crude oil - has been towed to Changi port for repairs. The MV Waily was still anchored at the collision site.

MPA said both parties involved are liable for the costs of the clean up effort.

Where the heck did this guy get his degree? Ashtown University?

Though light crude DOES evaporate, the fumes are highly volatile and reacts exothermically with oxygen. The hot weather DOES NOT make it disperse faster, it increases the saturation of volatile fumes in the air over the area, it is the WIND that makes the evaporated oil disperse. The increase in saturation might cause a thermobaric (fuel-air) bomb reaction to the slightest spark.

P.S He is right about the hot weather though. It's bloody damn hot over here...I am boiling in my own sweat.

[Nosauz]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

It's more of an issue for the world because the world has practically all their factories and manufacturing outsourced to largely China, so the latter actually controlled largely the world's manufacturing processes.

China still can do what they like......but they have to follow the world because they have an image to uphold.

Not really, China provides a relatively stable work place to house abusive manufacturing centers, if there was an alternative business would have moved. This really isn't a world issue it's a corporate issue, unless the corporations deem china unstable to maintain their slave labor manufacturing zones they wont' move and china will continue to maintain it's manufacturing prowess.

[Haruka_Kitten]

VIDEO

Oh bloody hell....
Driver praised after baby survives pram being struck by train

Originally Posted by
Driver praised after baby survives pram being struck by train

UPDATE 3.40pm: A TRAIN driver has been praised for his quick reactions to stop as a pram fell on the tracks.

Metro corporate communications general manager Leah Waymark said not only did the driver’s swift actions help save the 15-month-old boy from more serious injuries, but he also jumped from the train to pull him out from being face down and under the first carriage.

"He braked, got out of his cabin as quickly as he could, making sure the train was safe, and moved the child and pram from just underneath the front of the train."


Click here to see more pictures from the scene

She said the pram was put back on the platform, but was unsure what had caused the pram to roll and fall onto the tracks with the train just metres away.

"When it was down on the tracks it was face down, so he obviously righted that and put it back on the platform.

"It’s not a great thing ever for our drivers to face these kinds of situations."

The grandmother of the baby boy told paramedics she only turned away for a moment when near disaster occurred.

The 15-month-old boy suffered minor bruising and grazes to his face after the pram rolled off the platform into the path of the citybound Glen Waverley train at Tooronga railway station in Melbourne’s east at 11.15am.

The pram was dragged a short distance along the tracks while the boy’s distraught grandmother and other shocked travellers looked on.

The boy's three-year-old brother, who often travelled in the double-pram, was luckily standing on the platform at the time.

A police spokeswoman also said it was lucky that the driver managed to stop the train so quickly and averted disaster.

The child was taken by paramedics to the Royal Children's Hospital, where he was met by his shocked mother.

Ambulance Victoria paramedic Kate Jessop was called to the emergency and says she is stunned the boy was not more seriously hurt.

She said the boy suffered "mild facial bruising and some grazes to his head".

"It’s absolutely amazing that this child isn’t more injured than what he is, given the circumstances of the accident," Ms Jessop said at the scene.

She says the call for a pram being hit by a tram was a "paramedic's worst nightmare", but instead the boy was conscious and alert when crews arrived.

She said the boy's grandmother had been treated for shock, and was still trying to understand what happened.

"All she recalls is seeing the pram on the platform and then the next time she turned around it was on the tracks. She’s had an incredible fright and it’s the most miraculous circumstances ... he is as uninjured as he is."

She said the grandmother was “very distressed” and the biggest message was for parents to leave the pram brakes on at all times.

Metro spokesman Chris Whitefield said the 10.56am Glen Waverley train was travelling slowly at the time of the shocking incident.

He said Metro continued to warn passengers to take care when handling prams on platforms and trains.

"It’s shocking for anyone who would have witnessed that," he said.

It comes just months after Saurish Verma narrowly escaped death when his pram rolled forward on the platform of Ashburton station and toppled onto the tracks just as a city-bound train pulled into the platform.

The miracle tot, who suffered nothing more than a bump on his head in the ordeal last October, celebrated his first birthday earlier this month.

CCTV footage of the amazing incident was viewed millions of times around the globe.

[MrTerrorist]

World Cup opera singer Siphiwo Ntshebe dies
Well that's a downer. Just when i was getting use to his song, this happens.

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by MitsubishiZero

You are a really selfish and arrogant arse, if i am honest. What you said just insulted the people of Japan and South Korea and in the meantime explained why many people in the world don't like Americans very much. It is people like YOU disgracing your own people on the internet, showing arrogance while displaying no intelligence at all.

How is pointing that South Korea and Japan share important economic ties a sign of arrogance?

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Given that US is economically overstretched and its military is spreaded out in many countries, I doubt it can provide real assistance to North Korea. Besides, I think China has a mutual obligation (probably signed) to help defend North Korea in times of conflict, no matter who strikes first.

This may be the case with actual ground forces. But the United States can still provide a significant amount of support in other ways to support the South Korean army. Like it's information networks. Air support from Carriers, bases in Japan and our strategic bomber force along with cruise missle attacks.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

N.K's weapons may be outdated, but as long as it still work to the extent of sinking a technologically superior SK ship, and that their forces outnumber SK's, the latter may not be able to hold back an assault.

A civil war soldier with a rifled musket can also catch a modern day soldier with an automatic rifle and body armor by surprise and kill him if he gets lucky. Doesn't translate that well for the Civil war soldier in a stand up fight though. Though this might be an extreme example.

Given the quality disparities between the South Korean and North Korean armies I really doubt that the North Koreans 1.8/1 numerical advantage is going to be sufficient. Between comparable armies it'd be difficult since the South Koreans would be initially defending their territory. With the South Koreans pretty much guaranteed total air supremacy it's dubious whether or not the North Koreans will be able to really push their million man army at the defending better equipped South Korean troops.


The North Koreans ability to defeat large South Korean formations in stand up fights is dubious. What they can do however is wreck havoc on the South Korean citizenry with their massed artillery fire and by having their special forces carry out terrorist attacks...or god forbid they launch a nuclear attack.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

This may be the case with actual ground forces. But the United States can still provide a significant amount of support in other ways to support the South Korean army. Like it's information networks. Air support from Carriers, bases in Japan and our strategic bomber force along with cruise missle attacks.

A cruise missile costs a hefty $569,000 - $1,000,000 each, and it is a strategic weapon targeted at single buildings of interest. Strategic bombers such as B2s aren't really fit for bombing out the mountainous and forested N.K, not much of a use if you ask me.

Mountain warfare is probably the mainstay of fighting N.K, and that requires infantry. Unless the US sends their entire regiment of Rangers and recruit aid from the Royal Marine Commandos (probably the best trained Western unit in mountain warfare), fighting chances are pretty low and air-support capabilities are pretty much nerfed.

A civil war soldier with a rifled musket can also catch a modern day soldier with an automatic rifle and body armor by surprise and kill him if he gets lucky. Doesn't translate that well for the Civil war soldier in a stand up fight though. Though this might be an extreme example.

Given the quality disparities between the South Korean and North Korean armies I really doubt that the North Koreans 1.8/1 numerical advantage is going to be sufficient. Between comparable armies it'd be difficult since the South Koreans would be initially defending their territory. With the South Koreans pretty much guaranteed total air supremacy it's dubious whether or not the North Koreans will be able to really push their million man army at the defending better equipped South Korean troops.

The North Koreans ability to defeat large South Korean formations in stand up fights is dubious. What they can do however is wreck havoc on the South Korean citizenry with their massed artillery fire and by having their special forces carry out terrorist attacks...or god forbid they launch a nuclear attack.

If China isn't supplying them, a drawn out war could probably defeat N.K. Their armies are under-equipped and have supply-logistics problems.

However they may use nukes, Kimmy is about to die and when you die, you can't worry. So just nuke away and don't bother about the War Crimes Tribunal could be his mindset.

[justinstrife]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

However they may use nukes, Kimmy is about to die and when you die, you can't worry. So just nuke away and don't bother about the War Crimes Tribunal could be his mindset.

This is why countries like NK and Iran should NOT have nuclear weapons and why we must stop them from acquiring them. Unlike countries such as Russia and China, they are less likely to care about surviving a nuclear war. Meaning, they are far more likely to use them, or sell them to terrorist organizations.

[Seitsuki]

The idea of nuclear weapons is that they act as a deterrent. However there are many countries which are mistrustful of those who do have them and, fearing a first strike, want to acquire their own to increase their safety. NK is pretty much a blowout, and the sooner that time-bomb is neutralized the better, but it seems it's easily forgotten that very close to Iran is a country which has also proved to be very trigger-happy in the past and in addition are nuclear armed themselves. The root causes of the fear of Iran possessing nuclear weapons, including Israel, extremism as well as the perceived incursions by the 'West' are much harder to address than simply preventing them from gaining those abilities, but it should not be forgotten the situation is hardly as black and white and one-sided as many people seem to believe.

[Azuma Denton]

North Korea scraps South Korea military safeguard pact

Expect a war declaration in a few weeks if no other measure to be taken...

[Arbitres]

*sigh* That has me depressed. The South may be forced to evacuate to Japan or China depending on how North Korea strikes. This is absolutely ridiculous - my condolences goes to those that live in Korea or in Japan/China.

As for nuclear weaponry.... I'd rather not see that kind of sadness and malice. But it's as Saint said,

However they may use nukes, Kimmy is about to die and when you die, you can't worry. So just nuke away and don't bother about the War Crimes Tribunal could be his mindset.

This doesn't make me happy in the least.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

If China isn't supplying them, a drawn out war could probably defeat N.K. Their armies are under-equipped and have supply-logistics problems.

However they may use nukes, Kimmy is about to die and when you die, you can't worry. So just nuke away and don't bother about the War Crimes Tribunal could be his mindset.

Even if the Chinese was supplying North Korea, I doubt they'd win because if war breaks out, I have no doubt the US would rush to support South Korea. That would directly involve China (again, that is if they are supplying NK), and considering there's already some bad beef between them, they'll bring up plenty of other reasons to fight the US. Things aren't looking too good....

[justsomeguy]

Originally Posted by Yoko Takeo

Even if the Chinese was supplying North Korea, I doubt they'd win because if war breaks out, I have no doubt the US would rush to support South Korea. That would directly involve China (again, that is if they are supplying NK), and considering there's already some bad beef between them, they'll bring up plenty of other reasons to fight the US. Things aren't looking too good....

I highly doubt that China will support NK seriously. Going to war on the side of NK is a liability. Who would China support, the multiple nations around the world it trades profitably with, or a single small nation run by a lunatic nobody likes? As for NK attempting to use its few newly developed, unreliable, and relatively weak nukes, even attempting such an act would ensure total loss of any support it has, and quite possibly becoming a radioactive wasteland.
South Korea will not attack first. The US prefers economic and diplomatic sanctions and discourages this, and China is behind NK geographically and wants to maintain some balance of power in Asia.
North Korea either shakes its fist and whines loudly, or attacks first and loses support.

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

A cruise missile costs a hefty $569,000 - $1,000,000 each, and it is a strategic weapon targeted at single buildings of interest. Strategic bombers such as B2s aren't really fit for bombing out the mountainous and forested N.K, not much of a use if you ask me.

They can still be used to take out hardened North Korean positions. Like their fortified artillery emplacements and their supply lines.

The latter is very important, cause a million man army that can't hope to get resupplied gets crushed.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Mountain warfare is probably the mainstay of fighting N.K, and that requires infantry. Unless the US sends their entire regiment of Rangers and recruit aid from the Royal Marine Commandos (probably the best trained Western unit in mountain warfare), fighting chances are pretty low and air-support capabilities are pretty much nerfed.

You can easily hide small bands of guerilla fighters in the mountains from airplanes and satellites, especially when you can't just turn everything into a free fire zone because of civilians. Keeping countless corps sized formations from being seen is extremely more difficult.

The Chinese were able to do it in the first Korean war when they intervened. But that's significantly different in that they were only going up against what bassically amounted to World War 2 air recon. Plus the fact that the Red Army had been hardened by years of insurgency operations against the Imperial Japanese and Chinese nationalists into the most skilled and hardened large scale light infantry army in modern history. Also, the North Koreans would be trying to infiltrate heavily defended positions, as opposed to just trying to a rapidly advancing and unwary US expeditionary force.

I just don't see the average North Korean soldier being like that, especially when you hear of stories about some North Korean troops that stopped training for awhile to conserve energy due to food shortages.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

If China isn't supplying them, a drawn out war could probably defeat N.K. Their armies are under-equipped and have supply-logistics problems.

China has to be pretty obvious about supplying North Korea with high tech weapons for this to work. Cause just sending over a handful of systems here and there isn't going to be adequate. It'd have to be large scale. Even if this doesn't drag China into war with the USA, they've bassically guaranteed creating a very open and antagonistic relationship with the USA. And I'm not sure how much the Chinese want that...even they decide to more openly challenge the USA, it's going to be over something more important than North Korea.

And I'm still not seeing the North Korean being able to force a really protracted conflict when faced against Total air and technological supremacy. If their fortified artillery emplacements and supply lines are bombed, I don't see them being able to engage in Stand up fights against the South Koreans.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

However they may use nukes, Kimmy is about to die and when you die, you can't worry. So just nuke away and don't bother about the War Crimes Tribunal could be his mindset.

If that happens very few of the North Korean military/political leadership is going to survive to face any kind of war crimes tribunal. I just can't see the United States seeing a nation under their nuclear umbrella get attack with nukes and respond in a very dramatic fashion.

[MrTerrorist]

Twilight series is top winner at National Movie Awards
Must. Destroy. The. Sparkling Vampire!

[Arbitres]

Wtf? How that happen?

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

However they may use nukes, Kimmy is about to die and when you die, you can't worry. So just nuke away and don't bother about the War Crimes Tribunal could be his mindset.

i am not that worry about nukes actually, while Kimmy might not mind since he is dying anyway. The others in the NK high command are probably looking into cutting deals where they not hang after the war. And pressing the big red button is a guarantee hanging.

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

Twilight series is top winner at National Movie Awards
Must. Destroy. The. Sparkling Vampire!

Originally Posted by Arbitres

Wtf? How that happen?

Fangirls are scary, the voters are receive death threats if they didn't vote for the emo vampires.

I ultimately blame Ann Rice for the emo Vamps.

[Zu Ra]

Source

Teacher suspended for Obama Assassination Lesson

An Alabama teacher has been suspended after a national outcry for using an assassination attempt against President Obama to illustrate a maths problem to his class.

Gregory Harrison, the teacher at Corner High School in Jefferson County, Alabama, was to receive a slap on the wrist in the form of a "long conversation" with the local school authorities, after sparking a Secret Service investigation when he discussed possible angles to use in shooting at the president. But officials only later decided they needed to take tougher action against Harrison following a flood of calls from people outraged at the lenient treatment. Harrison's deadly lesson was revealed this week by the local newspaper, Birmingham News, which reported:

Another student said: "We were going over a test and getting reviewed for our finals and were going over tangency. A student walked in and said, 'Well, if you shoot the president...' and the teacher picked up on it and said, 'OK, if you shoot off his ear, that is a point of tangency.'" District schools superintendent Phil Hammonds said Harrison had shown a lack of judgment and was now suspended pending further investigation. "As a district, we are embarrassed by his actions and what he said. There is nothing that can be said to rationalise what was said. We take this very seriously. There is no place in our society for a person to make these comments," Hammonds said.

Before the flood of complaints, however, Birmingham News reported that Hammonds's initial response was: "We are going to have a long conversation with him about what's appropriate." The Secret Service confirmed that it investigated Harrison before the story was made public, saying: "We did not find a credible threat."

Malia Drummond, a student in Harrison's class during the lesson, defended him as an conscientious teacher who didn't deserve to be fired. She told Birmingham News: "Yeah, the comment was probably inappropriate, but who in America hasn't make a joke about Obama? They make it sound like he was plotting an assassination, but it wasn't like that."

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

China has to be pretty obvious about supplying North Korea with high tech weapons for this to work. Cause just sending over a handful of systems here and there isn't going to be adequate. It'd have to be large scale. Even if this doesn't drag China into war with the USA, they've bassically guaranteed creating a very open and antagonistic relationship with the USA. And I'm not sure how much the Chinese want that...even they decide to more openly challenge the USA, it's going to be over something more important than North Korea.

We need to look at what China's interests would be in such a conflict. Specifically, they want North Korea as a buffer state. As such, they would want an independent, unoccupied North Korea at the end of such a conflict. If it looks like the US and South Korea are content to reach a new peace accord with the North leaving the nation unoccupied, China is very unlikely to intervene.

If it looks like The US and South Korea are intend on forcing regime change and occupy the North though, China would have to intervene to maintain their goal of having a buffer state. Still, there are several ways that can go. If China thinks their troops can turn the tide of the war, it's possible they intervene on the North's behalf. However, if they come the the conclusion that it wouldn't help and they'd take unacceptable losses in the process, China might decide to instead sweep in and capture Pyongyang, joining the US and South Korea. This would put China in a strong position, as they can demand to be part of the occupation and that North Korea remains independent, while in essence putting a loyal puppet government in place.

Not that I think either of the two are likely. Odds are China would just supply the North with as much as they can while retaining deniability of official support. Openly supporting North Korea would invite an embargo, which could severely damage the already shaky Chinese economy.

[Nosauz]

Shaky Chinese economy? Compared to the global economy China is not shaky at all since they surfed the downturn with controlled debt management. Embargo would cripple the Chinese economy due to lack of consumer demand in the mainland, but not due to China's shaky economy.

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by Kamui4356

If it looks like The US and South Korea are intend on forcing regime change and occupy the North though, China would have to intervene to maintain their goal of having a buffer state. Still, there are several ways that can go. If China thinks their troops can turn the tide of the war, it's possible they intervene on the North's behalf. However, if they come the the conclusion that it wouldn't help and they'd take unacceptable losses in the process, China might decide to instead sweep in and capture Pyongyang, joining the US and South Korea. This would put China in a strong position, as they can demand to be part of the occupation and that North Korea remains independent, while in essence putting a loyal puppet government in place.

Not that I think either of the two are likely. Odds are China would just supply the North with as much as they can while retaining deniability of official support. Openly supporting North Korea would invite an embargo, which could severely damage the already shaky Chinese economy.

Given the lack of any statements from the Chinese defending or supporting the North, I find it extremely doubtful that the Chinese will be willing to back North Korea up if they launch an offensive to the south. At least not on a scale that matters.

Getting the transfer of modern weapon systems/equipment done quickly and in the scale that the North would need while still maintaining some secrecy is going to be difficult. The effectiveness of those systems will also be debatable, given the lack of high tech sophistication personell in the North Korean army and the lack of time to properly familiarize with those systems.

Then there's the simple fact that if the North Koreans start to use high end Chinese weapon systems all of the sudden in the conflict, there really isn't going to be any ambivalence or plausible deniability about where they got them. It'd be like Thailand attacking the Philippines with F22's. It's pretty obvious to everyone where they got the stuff from. They could ship their lower tech inventory...but the North Koreans already have tons of that and it's questionable how useful they'd be in a war against the South Koreans and their American allies.



You also need to consider that in order for the Chinese to want to support North Korea as a buffer state is reliant on two things. That they feel a strong need for a buffer state, and that their buffer state can be reliably expected to do what is good for Chinese foreign policy. If you feel like you need to be buffered from your enemies less, and the buffer state is picking fights rather than quitely holding the line, then how much you wanna support that buffer state comes into question.