North Korea can't hit America, but South Korea and Japan in range

North Korea can't hit America, but South Korea and Japan in range

(Reuters) - North Korea has plenty of military firepower even if its threat this week of a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the United States is a hollow one, with South Korea most at risk from the isolated regime's artillery and rockets.

Japan, separated by less than 1,000 km (625 miles) of water and a frequent target of North Korea's ire, is also in easy range of Pyongyang's short- and mid-range missiles.

In pure numbers, North Korea's military looks formidable, much larger than the more affluent South in both personnel and equipment. The North's 1.2 million soldiers face off against 640,000 South Korean troops who are backed up by 26,000 U.S. personnel stationed in the country.

However, Pyongyang's capabilities are not what the figures would suggest. Impoverished North Korea has all but abandoned running a conventional military that can engage in sustained battle because of scare resources and has instead focused on nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technology, experts said.

"A conventional military is very costly, and overwhelmingly so for North Korea. It quickly becomes a money fight and North Korea cannot win that," said Shin In-kyun, head of the Korea Defence Network, an alliance of defence experts based in Seoul.

Nevertheless, a defence policy statement from South Korea in December noted that North Korea's frontline artillery pieces could launch a "sudden and massive" barrage on the capital Seoul, a mere 50 km (31 miles) from the Demilitarized Zone border that separates the two Koreas.

North Korea has around 12,000 artillery guns, many arrayed near the border. It also has an arsenal of intermediate range missiles in operational deployment, some of which can travel more than 3,000 km (1,875 miles). That puts South Korea and Japan in range as well as the U.S. territory of Guam.

"They have the capability to strike anywhere in the South and Japan," said Shin.

North Korea has also shown it has submarine capabilities.

In 2010, a North Korean submarine was widely believed to have sunk a South Korean naval vessel, killing 46 sailors. Pyongyang has denied it was behind the attack. In the same year, North Korea shelled a South Korean island in a disputed area, killing civilians.

One military expert said the North might be careful before launching another blatant attack, given Seoul has vowed to respond vigorously next time.

MAXIMUM CONFUSION

"The greatest realistic threat from North Korea is a type of attack that will create maximum confusion in the South but one that will be confusing as to who instigated it so that it will not invite immediate retaliation on Pyongyang," said Song Young-keun, a retired Army general who was once head of the intelligence arm of the South's military, the Defense Security Command.

Cyber warfare or a possible attack on the intricate communication and utility networks in the South could have just as much impact as any outright military action, Song said.

Outside its artillery and missiles, North Korea struggles to match the South.

Many of the soldiers that make North Korea the world's most heavily militarized state are poorly trained or even properly fed and are deployed in hard labor or farming to supplement the meager resources of their units.

The North's air force has more than 820 fighter jets, according to South Korea's Defence Ministry, but it does not have enough fuel to fly sorties or conduct needed drills to maintain combat effectiveness. South Korea has 460 jets.

North Korea has 4,200 tanks, according to South Korea, although Seoul's 2,400 are more modern and better maintained.

The question of North Korea's atomic capability was thrust to the headlines when Pyongyang on Thursday threatened the United States with a nuclear strike.

That came in the wake of accusations from Pyongyang that Washington was using military drills in South Korea as a launch pad for a nuclear war.

Experts say North Korea is years away from being able to hit continental America with a nuclear weapon despite a decades-long push toward an atomic capability.

The core of the North's unconventional military focus is a stockpile of fissile material that could be enough for six to eight nuclear weapons, and up to 5,000 metric tons of biological and chemical weapons that can wipe out a mid-size industrial city.

North Korea claims to have developed a miniaturized nuclear weapon while the launch of a long-range rocket in December that for the first time put an object into orbit indicated progress in its attempt to build an intercontinental nuclear missile.

"But for a weapons system to be viable, it has to be in production and deployed. I don't think we can say that about the Unha-3," Shin said, referring to the rocket launched on December 12.

Song said the general consensus was the North had yet to shrink a nuclear warhead to put on an intercontinental ballistic missile and more crucially there had been no tests to prove it has mastered the re-entry technology needed to bring a payload back into the atmosphere.

"It's hogwash, blackmail," Song said of Thursday's threat against the United States.

Source : http://www.reuters.com

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North Korea vows end to nonaggression pacts after U.N. vote

North Korea vows end to nonaggression pacts after U.N. vote

North Korea on Friday responded to tougher sanctions from the U.N. Security Council with another barrage of vitriol, repeating a vow to ditch all nonaggression pacts with the South.

A day after the isolated regime in Pyongyang had threatened a possible "preemptive nuclear attack" -- something analysts say they think it is unlikely and currently unable to do -- its official news agency reeled off a number of agreements with South Korea that it said would no longer apply.

It's the latest installment in a week of furious rhetoric from the North, fueled by its anger over the U.N. vote on the new sanctions, a response to the Pyongyang's recent nuclear test, and joint military drills by the United States and South Korea, which take place in the region each year.

North Korea watchers and U.S. officials say that the recent frenzy of ominous language from North Korea under its young leader Kim Jong Un makes the situation on the Korean Peninsula more worrying and unpredictable.

South Korea has warned the North that it will retaliate strongly and sternly if its citizens are threatened.

"This surge in provocative rhetoric is particularly dangerous," said Michael Auslin of the American Enterprise Institute. "South Korea's new president (Park Geun Hye) can't be seen to back down in the face of the North's threats, while Kim Jong Un may feel that his successful missile and nuclear tests give him the ability to keep pressuring Seoul. The two may wind up talking themselves into conflict."

South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who took office late last month, said Friday that Seoul would respond strongly to any provocation from Pyongyang, the semiofficial news agency Yonhap reported.

The possibility of flare up was highlighted by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, which predicted a provocative move from the North "in the coming weeks."

The center said that according to its research, Pyongyang has carried out "a military provocation of some form within weeks of every South Korean presidential inauguration dating back to 1992."

A military clash could risk drawing in the United States, which has about 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea as part of the security alliance between the two countries.

The most recent skirmish between the two Koreas took place in November 2010, when the North shelled an island on the South's side of the border, killing several people. Pyongyang claimed Seoul had provoked it by carrying out training exercises off their shared coast.

A week of strong threats

The North's comments Friday doubled down on statements it had made earlier this week, promising to abolish the armistice agreement that stopped the Korean War in 1953, and threatening strikes on the United States and South Korea.

Claiming its enemies are "hell bent on confrontation and war fever," Pyongyang said it was now revoking "all agreements on nonaggression reached between the north and the south," a declaration it has made in previous years

It also said it was nullifying the joint declaration on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The North, which conducted its third underground nuclear test last month, had said recently that denuclearization of the region was "impossible" because of what it described as the United States' hostile policy toward it.

And it stated that it was immediately cutting off the "north-south hotline," three days after it had already said it planned to terminate its military telephone line with the United States.

The phone line is meant to serve as a tool to defuse potential flash points along the heavily militarized border between the two Koreas.

But Andre Kok, deputy public affairs officer for U.S. Forces in Korea, said that reports of the North's Korean People's Army (KPA) cutting off communication often arise when military training exercises are taking place, as they are at the moment.

"When we place a call on the direct phone line and the KPA does not answer, we have no way of knowing if the KPA has actually disconnected the phone lines or are just not answering the phone," he said.

New U.N. measures

Tensions are particularly high at the moment because of the new measures against the North adopted unanimously Thursday by the U.N. Security Council.

"These sanctions will bite, and bite hard," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, said after the vote.

China, North Korea's key ally, could have used its veto power to block the sanctions. Instead, after weeks of negotiating, it signed on to the final draft.

"China is a country of principle," China's U.N. Ambassador Li Baodong said. "We are firmly committed to safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean peninsula."

On Friday, China's Foreign Ministry called upon "all relative parties to stay calm and refrain from taking actions that may escalate tension." Spokeswoman Hua Chunying reiterated China's support for the sanctions, which have stoked Pyongyang's fury.

The goal of the new sanctions is to stymie the activities of North Korean banks and cash couriers who might be funneling money to the secretive regime's nuclear and missile programs.

It will be tougher for the regime to move large sums of cash stuffed into suitcases, Rice said.

The U.N. resolution also outlines measures to step up scrutiny of suspicious sea shipments and air cargo. And it expands restrictions to encompass several institutions and senior officials in the North's weapons industry, as well as a range of materials and technology known to be used in uranium enrichment.

It also blocks the sale of luxury goods -- such as yachts and certain high-end jewelry -- to North Korea.

"As a result, North Korea's ruling elite, who have been living large while impoverishing their people, will pay a price" for the ongoing nuclear activities, Rice said.

Questions over sanctions' effectiveness

Some doubt whether the new measures will make much difference.

Sanctions imposed after previous nuclear tests and rocket launches have failed to deter Pyongyang.

China will go a long way toward determining whether the new sanctions really do have "bite," analysts say.

"As long as China allows North Korea to operate, as long as China provides food, energy assistance, and investment, the sanctions really don't matter," said Doug Bandow of the Cato Institute.

North Korea notoriously allows many of its people to live in malnutrition and starvation. Still, the country needs a functioning economy, partly to finance its military, Bandow explained.

Source : http://edition.cnn.com/

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'Hangover 3' trailer sees a giraffe come to a bad end

'Hangover 3' trailer sees a giraffe come to a bad end

Not even Hollywood insiders could’ve predicted the success of the low-budget, boys-go-to-Vegas themed “Hangover” movie series. The 2009 original went on to snag a Golden Globe, launch Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis’ careers, and end up spawning two sequels. The trilogy that no one thought would become a trilogy is coming to a close, and the first full-length "Hangover Part III" trailer, released Thursday, is being well-received by fans of the series.

In the movie, the Wolf Pack returns to Las Vegas and to all sorts of madness. Mr. Chow is back. Men in frightening pig masks confront the gang. And perhaps most inexplicably, Galifianakis’ Alan is happily driving a giraffe down the highway – that is, until an unfortunate accident that causes some serious destruction.

The trailer starts off melancholic with Schubert’s “Ave Maria” playing over a scene of a funeral. Turns out, it’s Alan’s dad’s funeral. More surprisingly, it’s Alan singing.

“My god,” Phil (Cooper) whispers to Stu (Ed Helms). “He has the voice of an angel.”

Hearing Alan, a bearded man-child, sing such a classically refined song, even though his father has just died, throws us right back into the weird and fantastically vulgar world of “The Hangover.” Heather Graham makes a return, “Bridesmaids’” Melissa McCarthy shares a lollipop with Alan (love at first sight), and the Wolf Pack is back to getting trashed and making more horrible decisions.

Yet, with the plot still generally under wraps, we have to wonder where Doug (Justin Bartha) is during the trailer? Do we have another kidnapping on our hands?

Angry with Stu, Allen presciently tells him, “We’ve been on a lot of adventures together but it seems like you haven’t learned anything. Anything!”

If the boys have learned anything, they should check the hotel’s rooftop first.

“The Hangover Part III” hits theaters May 24.

Source : http://entertainment.nbcnews.com

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The Wolfpack Is Back in 'The Hangover 3' Trailer

The Wolfpack Is Back in 'The Hangover 3' Trailer

Bless the comedy gods, because the wolfpack is back and up to more hilarious antics in The Hangover 3.

The official trailer, which dropped Thursday, features the boys out of Thailand — the setting for the second movie — and returning to their original stomping grounds in Vegas.

Even Mr. Chow has made a comeback (this time with clothes, it seems) and beloved Melissa McCarthy seems to be stopping by the Strip. Who wouldn't love to see a romance bud between the Bridesmaids star and wolfpack leader Alan (played by Zach Galifianakis)?

Even the movie's poster proved funny, spoofing the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 poster that also read "It all ends."

Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

And just for giggles, let's all remember the bonding experience that was Alan's wolfpack speech from the first movie:

Here's hoping that Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan will be up to plenty more heartwarming shenanigans to keep moviegoers amused a third time around.

Do you think the third installment of the movie will be better than the first? Tell us in the comments below.


Source : http://mashable.com

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56 Billion Reasons Why You Need the Two-Second Advantage

56 Billion Reasons Why You Need the Two-Second Advantage

The story goes that a motor bike roars up to a red traffic light in La Coruna in Northern Spain. It stops alongside a black town car. From inside, the passenger glances out and sees the young biker leaning over the handlebars. His jean jacket has appliqued patches… a throwback to the 1970s. The old man grabs his phone and calls an aide in the office. Without taking his eyes off the jacket, he describes the jacket’s stitching, its shape and color. He finished the call with a single instruction – ¡Hácedla!“ – Make it.

40 years ago, Amancio Ortega founded Zara on two key principles: give the customers what they want and give it to them faster than anyone else. As the story illustrates even today, those two key principles are at the heart of Zara, the world’s biggest fashion retailer.

Zara stores refresh their stock twice a week and receive orders in 48 hours or less. That has required some key organizational and supply chain decisions. “We never go to fashion shows,” says Loreta Garcia, a 23-year Zara veteran who heads up Zara Woman’s trends department. “We track bloggers and listen to customers, but we change our opinions all the time,” she says. “What seems great today, in two weeks is the worst idea ever.”

The old man in the car was the reclusive founder of Zara, a Spaniard who is now the third richest man in the world, worth over $56 billion. The empire he’s built has revenues of nearly $20 billions and stores in 80 countries.

At a time where Spain has 24% unemployment and crippling debt, Zara announced revenue was up 17% YOY for the first three quarters. And that growth shows no sign of slowing.

There can be no better proof of the importance of speed to market, or the Two-Second Advantage as TIBCO’s CEO Vivek Ranadive describes it in his latest book: The Two-Second Advantage – How We Succeed by Anticipating the Future – Just Enough. But combine that with driving great customer experience and the results can be stunning, which is why the acquisition by TIBCO of LoyaltyLab has been so critical.

The story of Ortega, from 14 years old folding shirts in the local Gala store to leader of arguably the most successful fashion retailer is compelling. If you want to understand the whole story, read the excellent Fortune article, Meet Amancio Ortega: The third-richest man in the world, which inspired this blog.

So, 40 years ago with a small chain of shops in Northern Spain you can probably understand how Ortega achieved his objectives. But, how can he still with a huge business spread over multiple continents and global online competition?

The secret is the effective use of technology everywhere, but nowhere more so than in logistics. The 400,000-square-foot logistics building is organized around a labyrinth of conveyor belts extending up five stories. From here, customized orders are delivered to Zara stores around the world with an SLA of 24 hours for Europe and Middle East, and 48 hours for the rest of the world.

But to make the company function so effectively is the culture – an “entrepreneurial, self-critical, completely flat organization.” Ortega has an uncanny ability to connect with employees at every level. Perhaps this is borne out of his upbringing, which was dire poverty with little education.

This is another story of a fantastically successful business founded on some strong customer-centric philosophies which has exploited technology to stay ahead in a globally connected world.

Inspiring.

Source : http://www.thetibcoblog.com

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Topless women protest against Berlusconi as he votes in election

Topless women protest against Berlusconi as he votes in election

A group of topless women were dragged away by police on Sunday when they protested against former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as he voted in Italy's election.

The protesters, from the Ukrainian women's rights group Femen, shouted "Basta (Enough) Berlusconi", as the media tycoon was voting in a polling station in a Milan school.

The same words were painted on their bodies.

Police quickly grabbed the women and roughly bundled them away.

Berlusconi, who is seeking his fifth term in government, is on trial for having sex with an underage prostitute during alleged "bunga bunga" orgies at his Milan villa, a charge he denies.

The 76-year-old billionaire, who was pushed out of power in November 2011 as Italy faced a grave financial crisis, enrages feminists who accuse him of exploiting scantily-clad showgirls on his television shows and degrading women with off-colour jokes.

During the election campaign his center-left rival Pier Luigi Bersani accused him of treating women like inflatable dolls.

An Italian woman has demanded an apology after he made suggestive remarks to her while they were on stage together at a business event.

He says he holds women in high respect and that he does not mean to offend anyone with his jokes.

Source : http://www.reuters.com

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