North Korea Just Made Chilling Announcement That Might Have US Leaders Worried

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North Korea now claims it has brought the United States within its nuclear reach.

The renegade nation, which has conducted four atomic weapons tests this year, said Saturday it has successfully tested a new engine for an intercontinental ballistic rocket that can reach the American mainland.

Critics note that North Korean claims have often far outstripped reality.

South Korean officials have said that despite some progress with its missile technology and nuclear program, North Korea does not yet have a fully functioning, reliable intercontinental ballistic missile and may not be able to arm what it has with a nuclear warhead.

However, analysts warned that the North cannot be disregarded.

“With all the missiles they’re building, the ranges are getting longer and they’re going to be able to throw more stuff further,” said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Monterey, Calif. (Read more from “North Korea Just Made Chilling Announcement That Might Have US Leaders Worried” HERE)

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Iran Spurns Kerry Bid for ‘New Arrangement’ on Missile Tests

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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday rebuffed US Secretary of State John Kerry’s proposal Thursday to negotiate a “new arrangement” for Tehran’s ballistic missile program.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Tehran with Estonia’s foreign minister, Zarif said that Iran’s missile and defense programs are nonnegotiable, echoing similar statements by other Iranian officials over the weekend.

Washington has denounced Iran’s ballistic missiles program, including a March 9 test of two ballistic missiles, as a violation of a United Nations ban. Iran maintains they not covered by the UN ban, which is linked to last year’s landmark nuclear agreement.

Kerry said the US and its partners were telling Iran that they were “prepared to work on a new arrangement to find a peaceful solution,” but that Iran first had to “make it clear to everybody that they are prepared to cease these kinds of activities that raise questions about credibility and questions about intentions.”

Zarif retorted Sunday saying Kerry’s comments were “baseless.” He said that if the US were serious about the issue, it should stop selling weapons “which are used for killing innocent Yemenis or used by the Zionist regime against civilians,” the Iranian Students’ News Agency reported. (Read more from “Iran Spurns Kerry Bid for ‘New Arrangement’ on Missile Tests” HERE)

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Brazilian Scientists Find New Zika-Linked Brain Disorder in Adults

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Scientists in Brazil have uncovered a new brain disorder associated with Zika infections in adults: an autoimmune syndrome called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, or ADEM, that attacks the brain and spinal cord.

Zika has already been linked with the autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome, which attacks peripheral nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, causing temporary paralysis that can in some cases require patients to rely on respirators for breathing.

The new discovery now shows Zika may provoke an immune attack on the central nervous system as well . . .

According to the World Health Organization, there is a strong scientific consensus that, in addition to Guillain-Barre, Zika can cause the birth defect microcephaly, though conclusive proof may take months or years. Microcephaly is defined by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems . . .

In addition to autoimmune disease, some researchers also have reported patients with Zika infections developing encephalitis and myelitis – nerve disorders typically caused by direct infections in nerve cells. (Read more from “Brazilian Scientists Find New Zika-Linked Brain Disorder in Adults” HERE)

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North Korea Claims Successful Test of ICBM Engine

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North Korea said Saturday it has successfully tested the booster capability of a new intercontinental ballistic rocket engine that could give it the power to target the United States with nuclear strikes.

“We have learned from North Korea’s official Central News Agency’s news that North Korea has conducted another test in securing another technical step in developing its intercontinental ballistic rocket (ICBM) engine,” said a South Korean military official from the Ministry of National Defense . . .

The test, if true, would mean that North Korea made another step towards an ICBM program that could be used in an attack on U.S. soil, according to a North Korean expert in South Korea.

“North Korea seems to be trying to tell the world that their repeated recent threats about launching nuclear strikes on the U.S. are not bluffing,” Uk Yang, a North Korea expert at Korea Defense and Security Forum. “By disclosing their ICBM technology bit by bit and today’s test, if successful, confirms that they have booster technology for ICBM missile.” (Read more from “North Korea Claims Successful Test of ICBM Engine” HERE)

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Thousands of Iraq, Afghan War Vets Sickened After Working at ‘Burn Pits’

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Thousands of U.S. military personnel who served on bases in Iraq and Afghanistan recall the dense black smoke from burn pits where everything from IEDs to human waste was incinerated.

Now many have died, and more are gravely ill. Those battling a grim menu of cancers, as well as their loved ones and advocates, trace their condition to breathing in the toxic fumes they say could be the most recent wars’ version of Agent Orange or Gulf War Illness.

“The clouds of smoke would just hang throughout the base,” Army Sgt. Daniel Diaz, who was stationed at Joint Base Balad, in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle from 2004-2005, told FoxNews.com. “No one ever gave it any thought. You are just so focused on the mission at hand. In my mind, I was just getting ready for the fight.”

Diaz returned from duty in 2008. A year later, he started developing health problems including cancer, chronic fatigue and weakness, neuropathy and hypothyroidism. Nearly every base he was stationed at during his four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan had burn pits nearby – and pungent smoke everywhere . . .

During the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the burn pit method was adopted originally as a temporary measure to get rid of waste and garbage generated on bases. Everything was incinerated in the pits, say soldiers, including plastics, batteries, appliances, medicine, dead animals and even human waste. The items were often set ablaze with jet fuel as the accelerant. (Read more from “Thousands of Iraq, Afghan War Vets Sickened After Working at ‘Burn Pits'” HERE)

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Chinese Scientists Genetically Modify Human Embryos—Again

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Just one year after scientists in China made history by modifying the DNA of human embryos, a second team of Chinese researchers has done it again. Using CRISPR/Cas9, the researchers introduced HIV-resistance into the embryos, showcasing the tremendous potential for gene-editing.

In that earlier work, the Chinese scientists modified a gene responsible for a fatal blood disorder, but the embryos were quickly destroyed after the experiment. It was a watershed moment in biotechnology, showcasing the tremendous potential of CRISPR—a powerful gene editing tool—to alter our offspring at the genetic level. Should this technology ever reach the clinical stage, it could be used to eliminate all sorts of genetic diseases, but it could also be used to introduce entirely new capacities.

Now, as reported in Nature News, a research team led by Yong Fan at Guangzhou Medical University has used CRISPR to introduce a beneficial mutation that cripples an immune-cell gene called CCR5. Some humans naturally have this built-in immunity to HIV, making it impossible for the virus to infiltrate human immune cells.

For the study, the researchers collected 213 fertilized human eggs, donated by 87 patients. All of the embryos were unsuitable for in vitro fertilization because they contained an extra set of chromosomes. The researchers destroyed the embryos after three days. (Read more from “Chinese Scientists Genetically Modify Human Embryos—Again” HERE)

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Palestinian Authority Calls Netanyahu “The Partner for Peace”, Calls for Increased Cooperation With Israel

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Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas gave a rare interview on Thursday for Israeli television in which he stated he views Prime Minister Netanyahu as a “the partner for peace” and is ready to meet with the Prime Minister and renew peace talks. He also as spoke of efforts by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to deter terror attacks and violence perpetuated by Palestinian youth and called for an end to violence.

The interview aired on Thursday evening, Abbas speaking at length on coordination between Israel and the PA to hinder attacks by Palestinian youth on Israelis. He stated “Our security forces go into the schools to search pupils’ bags and see if they have knives. You don’t know this… In one school, we found 70 boys and girls who were carrying knives. We took the knives and spoke to them and said ‘This is a mistake. We do not want you to kill and be killed. We want you to live, and for the other side to live as well.’”

He spoke of the chaos and reality of the Palestinian Authority on the “brink of collapse” calling that responsibility be given to him to deal with the situation, and for Israel to assist. He stated “Give me responsibility for the Palestinian territories, and test me… if Israel has specific intelligence information, give it to me and I’ll handle it.” He stated that he is not given intelligence information and asked, “So what am I doing here? Where is the security cooperation? You want me to be your employee, your agent. I don’t accept this, I want to do it myself.”

Abbas called Netanyahu “the partner for peace” stating that he wants to see peace in his lifetime and that “I still extend a hand to Netanyahu because I believe in peace. I believe that the people of Israel want peace and that the Palestinian people want peace.” He added that “If he [Netanyahu] gives me responsibility and tells me that he believes in two-state solution and we sit around the table to talk about the two-state solution, this will give my people hope, and nobody dares to go and stab or shoot or do anything here or there.” (Read more from “Palestinian Authority Calls Netanyahu “The Partner for Peace”, Calls for Increased Cooperation With Israel” HERE)

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Right on Time: U.S. Navy Seizes HUGE Shipment of Iranian Weapons En Route to Terrorists

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As one might expect, the fanatical Islamic regime of Iran is dedicated to advancing Shariah doctrine through violence. The Iranian government has been instrumental in providing material support for terrorist operations around the globe and as President Obama crusaded tirelessly to offer them economic relief to bolster their economy, the zealots in Tehran simultaneously pledged to continue to mount militant efforts against the West and Israel.

The Iranians might be fanatics but it seems that they are not liars. The U.S. Navy, in late March, seized a shipment of Iranian weapons that were en route to Yemen to likely aid in terrorist efforts.

On March 28th, the Navy encountered an Iranian ship carrying a massive shipment of weapons including AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades. The Pentagon revealed the discovery on Monday.

The shipment was the third such shipment discovered in recent weeks and the Pentagon believes the weapons were heading to Yemen to aid Houthi rebels in a war against a Saudi-led coalition that is backed by the United States. Then Houthi rebels, like Iran, are Shia.

For years, Obama worked behind the scenes to try and secure a deal with Iran that gave the despotic state sponsor of terrorism a hefty payday in exchange for meaningless promises. The U.S. was instrumental in lifting economic sanctions that had long hindered the regime, a move that infused Iran with roughly $150 billion. The U.S. also sweetened the pot with an additional $1.7 billion in taxpayer dollars for reparations when the U.S. did not follow-through on an agreement after Islamic revolutionaries took-over the government in the 1970s. State officials have claimed that they intend to pay more to Iran over the coming years. (Read more from “Right on Time: U.S. Navy Seizes HUGE Shipment of Iranian Weapons En Route to Terrorists” HERE)

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‘Suspicious’ Activity at North Korea Nuclear Complex

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Recent satellite images of North Korea’s main nuclear complex show suspicious activity that could be linked to re-processing plutonium for additional nuclear bombs, a US think tank said on Tuesday.

Analysis of the images focused on exhaust plumes from a steam plant used to heat a radiochemical laboratory facility at the Yongbyon complex.

The facility is used for processing plutonium from a five-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon into weapons-grade fissile material.

Whether the exhaust plumes mean “re-processing additional plutonium is under way or will be in the near future remains unclear”, analysts at the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University concluded.

However, they noted a recent statement by US National Intelligence Director James Clapper that North Korea could be ready to extract weapons-grade plutonium from the nearby reactor’s spent fuel rods in a matter of weeks. (Read more from “‘Suspicious’ Activity at North Korea Nuclear Complex” HERE)

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Germany Said to Spy on Israeli Prime Minister’s Office

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Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND) has been spying on Israel in recent years, specifically the Prime Minister’s Office, German newspaper Der Spiegel reported Saturday.

The report noted that other targets of the BND included the US State Department, the British Defense Ministry, NASA, the US Air Force, and the interior ministries of Austria and Belgium.

There were no further details on the alleged information collected from Israel, or when the reported espionage took place.

In October the German government was put on the defensive after reports surfaced that the BND spied on the United States and other allies.

Der Spiegel, public broadcaster rbb-Inforadio and the Sueddeutsche daily reported then that until the fall of 2013 the BND’s selectors included targets belonging to the United States and other European countries. (Read more from “Germany Said to Spy on Israeli Prime Minister’s Office” HERE)

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