Tillerson: Military action against North Korea 'an option'

Military action against North Korea is "an option on the table", US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said during a visit to South Korea.

The policy of "strategic patience" had ended, he said, and the US was exploring a new range of diplomatic, security and economic measures.

He also defended the deployment of a US missile defence system in South Korea - a move that has angered Beijing.

Seoul and Washington say the system is needed to defend against North Korea.

Mr Tillerson spoke shortly after visiting the demilitarised zone which divides the two Koreas.

He arrived in South Korea from Japan, where he said that 20 years of efforts aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions had failed.

• How do you fix North Korea?
• What is Tillerson facing in Asia?

Asked if the possibility for military action existed, he said: "Certainly we do not want to, for things to get to military conflict."

But he added: "If they elevate the threat of their weapons programme to a level that we believe requires action, then, that option's on the table."

He also called on China to fully implement sanctions imposed by the UN in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile tests.

"I don't believe we have ever fully achieved the maximum level of action that can be taken under the UN Security Council resolution with full participation of all countries," he said.

The US accuses China, North Korea's main ally, of not doing enough to rein it in. But Beijing remains wary of any action that could destabilise the North Korean regime and potentially create chaos on its border.

China is also strongly opposed to the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) system in South Korea.

The US says the system is aimed at countering the threat from Pyongyang but China says its powerful radar will allow the US to spy on its territory.

In recent days there have been multiple reports of apparent economic retaliation aimed at South Korea by Beijing.

Rex Tillerson called these actions "unnecessary and troubling".

"We also believe it is not the way for a regional power to help resolve what is a serious threat for everyone," he said.

BBC NEWS

Mount Etna: BBC crew caught up in volcano blast

A BBC team and a number of tourists have suffered minor injuries after being caught up in an incident on the erupting volcano Mount Etna in Sicily.

"Many injured - some head injuries, burns, cuts and bruises," tweeted BBC science reporter Rebecca Morelle.

Lava flow mixed with steam had caused a huge explosion, which pelted the group with boiling rocks and steam, she said.

About eight people had been injured, with some evacuated from the mountain by rescue teams, she added."Bbc team all ok - some cuts/ bruises and burns. Very shaken though - it was extremely scary," she relayed in one of a series of tweets as she ran down the mountain.

The BBC reporter said a volcanologist at the scene told her it was the most dangerous incident he had experienced in his 30-year-career.

Lava ran into snow - Jonathan Amos, BBC science correspondent

Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. That makes it a big draw not only for the scientists who want to understand better how these mountains work, but also for tourists who want to be amazed by a spectacular show of fire.

But you do not just wander up the mountain. If you're a reporter, you go with an experienced science team; if you're a tourist, you go with guides who are familiar with the sights and sounds that spell danger.

But even so, a volcano can often do something that catches everyone by surprise.

In this case a flow of lava ran into snow, producing superheated steam that sent fragments of rock flying in all directions. Everyone counts themselves lucky to have escaped with just cuts and bruises.

Rebecca Morelle's team was on site filming for a report about advances in volcano monitoring. What happened illustrates just how much we still need to learn about these mountains.

BBC

Senate intelligence panel rejects Trump wiretap claim

There are "no indications" that Trump Tower was under surveillance by the US government before or after the election, a Senate committee has said.

The statement from Republican Senator Richard Burr, Senate Intelligence Committee chairman, dismissed Donald Trump's claim his phones were tapped.

Mr Trump had accused his predecessor Barack Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower during the presidential race.

But White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Mr Trump maintains his claims.

"He stands by it," Mr Spicer said at a daily news briefing on Thursday.

The press secretary refused to accept the Senate Intelligence Committee report, saying "they're not findings".

Mr Spicer quoted at length from an unproven Fox News report suggesting Mr Obama had dodged US restrictions by asking Britain's GCHQ electronic surveillance agency to monitor Mr Trump, an allegation already dismissed as "utterly ridiculous" by the Cheltenham-based complex.

• White House softens Trump wiretap claims
• Did Obama really wiretap Trump Tower?
• Why Republican support for Trump is sky-high
• Russia: The scandal Trump can't shake

Mr Burr joins a cadre of Republican lawmakers who have rejected the allegation.

"Based on the information available to us, we see no indications that Trump Tower was the subject of surveillance by any element of the United States government either before or after Election Day 2016" Mr Burr said in a joint statement with Senator Mark Warner, the committee's vice-chairman.

Earlier on Thursday, House Speaker Paul Ryan also said "no such wiretap existed".

Republican chairman of the House intelligence committee Devin Nunes said on Wednesday he doesn't believe "there was an actual tap of Trump Tower".

But that has not deterred Mr Trump, who on Wednesday told Fox News a "wiretap covers a lot of different things".

He also hinted that more details about the alleged surveillance could be revealed in the coming weeks.

"Wiretap covers a lot of different things. I think you're going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks," he said in an interview broadcast on Wednesday night.

---

No evidence of wiretapping, according to:

• former President Barack Obama
• FBI Director James Comey
• ex-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper
• ex-CIA Director John Brennan
• Republican chairman of House intelligence committee, Devin Nunes
• Republican John McCain, who chairs Senate Committee on Armed Services
• House Speaker Paul Ryan
• Former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough

---

Mr Trump echoed comments from White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who said the president used the word "wiretap" in quotes to broadly refer to "surveillance and other activities".

The White House has yet to provide any evidence of the president's claims, and instead has asked Congress to examine the allegation as part of a wider investigation into alleged Russian interference in last year's election.

BBC NEWS

Trump White House sees 'deep state' behind leaks, opposition

The "deep state," an alleged shadowy network of powerful entrenched federal and military interests, has increasingly become the focus of Republicans who accuse such forces of trying to undermine the new president.

                      sri lanka beautiful forest photo

There are very large image collection rarely you can find about Meemure nature. Meemure is located near the border between Kandy District and Matale District in the Knuckles Mountain Range. You can only get these images via this site. Thanks for visiting.

Meemure is a village in Sri Lanka with a population of about 400.Meemure is located near the border between Kandy District and Matale District in the Knuckles Mountain Range. It is one of the most remote villages in Sri Lanka with the only access via a 14 km (9 mi) trail from the town of Loolwatte. There is no landline telephone service to the village, but cellular service is available. There is no direct mail delivery to the village; a villager journeys each day to Thapal Junction (literally meaning Mail Junction) to exchange incoming and outgoing postal mail with a postman.

Residents of the village depend on several staple crops including pepper, cardamom, paddy and ginger.Sri Lanka is a country which is not second to any other nation from her Natural Beauty. The Village like “Meemure” proves this to the world. The village Meemure is Rich with natural Beauty and Traditional Sri Lankan styles. It is a remote village far away from Colombo Capital and it is about 175 km. If you go there from an Off Road vehicle it is 6 Hour Drive from Colombo.

Lakegala mountain is in Meemure village. It is the place where King Ravana lifted the Dhadu Monara or Dhandu Monara

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Here is how you can go there; First go to Kandy city which is 116 km away from Colombo. Then Kandy-Mahiyangana Road (A26) towards to Mahiyangana. Turn to Left from Hunnasgiriya Junction which is 35 km away from Kandy. Then go towards the Loolwatte Village which is 15 km away from Hunnasiriya Junction. Then from Loolwatte it is about another 15 km to the Meemure Village.

Sri Lankan housemaid murdered – Kuwait media reports

A Sri Lankan housemaid has been murdered in Kuwait. Kuwait media has revealed that her employer’s son had allegedly murdered her at the house in which she was employed in.  The house is...


link :- http://newsfirst.lk/english/2015/11/sri-lankan-housemaid-murdered-kuwait-media-reports/117021

Dengue outbreak forces school closure in Kinniya

All schools in the Kinniya educational zone in Trincomalee will be closed for three days due to an outbreak of  Dengue. Trincomalee Zonal Director in charge of education, Ahmed Lebbe said that these..


link :- http://newsfirst.lk/english/2017/03/kinniya-zone-schools-close-due-dengue-outbreak/163906