North Korea ATTACKS Japan? South Korea on VITAL THREAT Alert WATCHCON 4!

Seems emergency response workers in the Japanese city of Yokohama are a little trigger happy after mistakenly announcing the launch of a North Korean missile to 40,000 followers on Twitter.. The city, south of Tokyo, prematurely fired its tweet just before noon (local time), announcing “North Korea has launched a missile” with blank spaces to indicate the exact time.

Apparently a worker at the Yokohama Crisis Management Centre had prepared a draft Tweet that was to be released IF North Korea launched a missile attack on the city. geez… who hasn’t hit the publish button to early, and mistakenly sent something live. The city retracted the tweet about 20 minutes later and apologised to followers of @yokohama_saigai, the official said. Japan is on full alert ahead of an expected mid-range missile launch by North Korea, with Patriot missiles stationed in its capital to protect the 30 million people who live there.

TENSIONS RISE! South Korean and US forces have raised their alert status to “vital threat” before an expected North Korean missile test, with tensions high in the run-up to a key anniversary. Any launch could coincide with visits by US secretary of state John Kerry and NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who will both be in South Korea this Friday.

The North last week told foreign diplomats in Pyongyang they had until April 10 to consider evacuation, fuelling speculation of a launch between Wednesday and April 15 birthday celebrations for late founder Kim Il-Sung. On Tuesday the North reiterated a warning that the peninsula was headed for “thermo-nuclear” war and advised foreigners to consider leaving South Korea.

South Korean foreign minister Yun Byung-Se told parliament the launch could take place “any time” and warned Pyongyang it risked triggering a fresh round of UN sanctions. There is growing global concern that sky-high tensions might trigger an incident that could swiftly escalate. UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said during a visit to Rome that he had spoken to the Chinese leadership to try to calm tensions, and would discuss the issue with US President Barack Obama :: Read the full article »»»»

RELATED! For a blow-by-blow on the escalating stand-off check: www.indeepmedia.com.au

UPDATE! North Korea Gets ALL Vocal! Threatens to Ditch Armistace

North Korea has threatened to scrap the armistice which ended the Korean War in 1953, citing US moves to impose sanctions for its nuclear test and tensions over South Korean-US exercises.

The threat comes amid reports from the United Nations that China and the United States have reached agreement on new measures to punish the North for last month’s nuclear weapons test.

The North’s military said it could launch a “precise” strike anytime, unrestrained by the armistice. It also warned it could mount a strike with atomic weapons to counter any US nuclear threat.

In a statement on official media yesterday, the military called the joint exercise a “most blatant” provocation and slammed a “vicious” scheme by the US and its allies to push for tougher United Nations sanctions

UPDATE! March 18 2013: The North’s foreign ministry, in a statement carried by state TV on Sunday, rejected suggestions that the impoverished state was using its weapons program as a way of bullying neighbours into offering much-needed aid.

“The US is seriously mistaken if it thinks that [North Korea] had access to nukes as a bargaining chip to barter them for what it called economic reward,” the statement said :: Read the full article »»»»

Julian Assange Confirms New Australian WikiLeaks Political Party

Julian Assange says he intends to run for a Senate seat in the next election, with plans for an Australian WikiLeaks party “significantly advanced”. The Australian has been holed up in Ecuador’s London embassy since June in a bid to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces questioning over sexual assault allegations.

Mr Assange is concerned that if he goes to Sweden, authorities will allow him to be extradited to the United States to be questioned over WikiLeaks’ release of thousands of US diplomatic cables.

Mr Assange has told Fairfax Media he intends to push ahead with previously-announced plans to run for the Australian Senate. He said he had not yet registered to vote, but told Fairfax he believes he will be able to register in either New South Wales or Victoria as an overseas voter.

Mr Assange said a “strategic decision” would determine which state he would run to represent. He also said “a number of very worthy people admired by the Australian public” have expressed interest in standing for a yet-to-be registered Australian WikiLeaks party  :: Read the full article »»»»

The Sandilands Money Exodus Continues

It seems even without Sandilands around the exodus of money hasn’t slowed at radio network Austrereo? That beast that is Kyle Sandilands, may be on his summer break, but it hasn’t stopped advertisers from extending their boycott of his breakfast radio show. In a new blow to Southern Cross Austereo, at least 15 major brands have pledged to not advertise on any of Sandilands’s programs in 2012. Some of big brand names including Coles, Bunnings, Vodafone, McDonald’s, Ford and Blackmores said their boycott of the 2Day FM host would extend into next year. The Sandilands debacle started after a female journalist wrote a review of Seven’s Kyle and Jackie O television show which aired on November 21. The following morning Sandilands launched into an on-air attack of the News Ltd journalist. A statement released by Australian grocery behemoth Coles, on the Change.org website Tuesday said: “Our very clear position in relation to the offensive and inappropriate comments made by Kyle Sandilands remains that we are not and will not advertise on programs hosted by him.” The gorgeous Jackie O must be wondering who she’s going to be sat next to in the new year? READ MORE

The Sandilands Exodus Continues

It seems even an exodus of money won’t quiet Kyle Sandilands? The enormous mouth of the kiwi radio personality has churned out some rubbish in it’s time. Sandilands was pulled from the air more than once in 2009 after one bad taste stunt turned into several absolutely shameful acts:  ”Magda Szubanski would lose more weight in a concentration camp” and then of course there was the moral high Sandilands reached when a 14 year old girl who he’d had hooked up to a lie detector revealed she was raped when she was 12. Sandilands’ latest on-air rant against journalist Alison Stephenson will not likely get him permanently removed from any form of lens or microphone? It will cost Austero a pretty penny though!

On-air, Sandilands branded Ms Stephenson “a fat bitter thing”, a “fat slag” and a “little troll” after she wrote an article critical of his Seven Network TV show A Night With The Stars. Sandilands threatened to “hunt down” the news.com.au journalist.

While it’s little surprise that more high-profile companies are pulling advertising dollars from the Austereo network’s Kyle and Jackie O Show, it will however be a major surprise if Austereo’s lackluster management does much more than it’s usual 2 week suspension of the tiresome Sandilands. Having someone with moral fortitude or talent  has never been a focus for Austereo, a shock jock without a thought, seems to be the future of inane radio.

Even as the dollars exodus continues, it’s unlikely we’ll ever be rid of the ranting Sandilands, the math is pretty simple, his shock sells! Read the full article »»»»