Military is ‘locked and loaded,’ Trump says in latest warning to North Korea

The U.S. president continues to ratchet up his rhetoric as the outlaw nation threatens Guam.

President Trump on Friday offered a fresh threat of force against North Korea, writing on Twitter that “military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded” if the regime of Kim Jong Un should “act unwisely.”

“Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!” Trump added in reference to the North’s development of nuclear weapons despite increased United Nations sanctions.

Trump’s latest warning came a day after he cautioned North Korea that “things will happen to them like they never thought possible” should the isolated country attack the United States or its allies.

Trump also told reporters that his previous day’s threat of “fire and fury” may not have been “tough enough,” even as he sought to reassure an anxious world that he has the situation under control.

Military solutions are now fully in place,locked and loaded,should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!

Source: Military is ‘locked and loaded,’ Trump says in latest warning to North Korea – The Washington Post

Property developer Luke Wyllie injured in surfing accident, fractured neck

PROMINENT Perth developer and keen big wave surfer Luke Wyllie is in hospital tonight with a suspected fractured neck after suffering an horrific wipe-out while surfing in WA’s North West.

Although details were sketchy, it is understood Mr Wyllie came to grief when surfing a big swell at a famed yet notorious left-hand reef break known as Gnaraloo, 120km north of Carnarvon.

The father of two had to be evacuated out of the remote location before he was flown to Royal Perth Hospital for medical treatment.

A RPH spokeswoman confirmed Mr Wyllie was “unwell but stable” yesterday amid reports he had had an MRI scan and been put in a brace.

It is believed Mr Wyllie fractured vertebrae in his neck and has multiple fractured ribs, while also being left with lacerations to his body.

The incident has shocked WA’s tight-knit big wave surfing community, where Mr Wyllie is well known for chasing big swells.

Mr Wyllie, 36, is the son of late property scion Bill Wyllie and Perth socialite and philanthropist Rhonda, who flew back to WA from Europe yesterday to be by his side.

He is believed to have been holidaying in Exmouth, with pictures posted on Mrs Wyllie’s Instagram account showing the family at the popular spot last week.

Big wave surfer Mick Corbett said Mr Wyllie was an accomplished surfer in dangerous conditions and would have known what he was doing at Gnaraloo.

However, Mr Corbett said Gnaraloo was treacherous, and noted that people had died while surfing there before.

“One time I actually flew up to Gnaraloo with him and he was one of if not the best surfers out there,” he said.

“There was some pretty heavy hitters in the water at the time and it was about as big as Gnaraloo gets. So he definitely knows his way around there.”

Source: Property developer injured in surfing accident | Perth Now

Adele Wembley shows cancelled after singer damages vocal chords

Adele has been forced to cancel the final two shows of her world tour after damaging her vocal cords. The “devastated” singer was scheduled to perform two more nights at London’s Wembley Stadium, but has taken the decision to pull out on medical advice. “To say I’m heartbroken would be a complete understatement,” she wrote wrote in a Twitter post.

The 29-year-old said her first two Wembley shows this week had been “the biggest and best shows of my life”, but that she had struggled vocally.

“I had to push a lot harder than I normally do… it turns out I have damaged my vocal cords,” she explained. “On medical advice, I am simply unable to perform over the weekend.

“I’ve considered doing Saturday night’s show, but it’s highly unlikely I’d even make it through the set and I simply can’t crumble in front of you all and walk out on you in that way.”

Source: Adele Wembley shows cancelled after singer damages vocal chords | The Independent

Koi pla, raw fish ground with spices kill up to 20,000 people in Thailand every year

Koi pla, raw fish ground with spices and lime, is thought to kill up to 20,000 people in Thailand every year

A doctor in Thailand whose parents died from liver cancer after eating a much-loved raw fish dish is travelling the country’s rural north-east to warn people off the recipe.

Koi pla, a cheap plate of raw fish ground with spices and lime, is eaten by millions of Thais, especially in one of the nation’s poorest provinces, Isaan.

But the meal often contains parasites that cause a type of liver cancer believed to be killing up to 20,000 Thais per year. Isaan has the highest reported instance of cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, in the world.

The aggressive cancer is often caused by a parasitic flatworm – or liver fluke – native to fresh water fish in the Mekong region.

“It’s a very big health burden around here,” Narong Khuntikeo, who went on to become a liver surgeon after he lost his parents, told Agence France-Presse.

“But nobody knows about this because they die quietly, like leaves falling from a tree.”

Without surgery, the disease has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers, according to cholangiocarcinoma charities.

Narong has brought together scientists, doctors and anthropologists in his fight against the “silent killer”.

His team has spent four years driving ultrasound machines and urine testing kits around the Isaan region, testing villagers for the parasite. Up to 80% of the inhabitants of some communities were found to have ingested the parasite. At a recent testing visited by AFP, a third of villagers showed abnormal liver symptoms and four were suspected to have cancer.

Source: Thai doctor fights against carcinogenic raw fish dish that killed his parents | World news | The Guardian

Native Aussie plant kills Zika virus

Queensland researchers have found a way to kill the Zika virus using compounds found in an Australian native plant.

The compounds halt the virus, which causes birth defects, and stop it replicating without damage to host mammalian cells, QUT scientists say.

“The research is in the early stages, but we are aiming to ultimately synthesise the compounds in question and turn our attention to preclinical testing,” lead researcher Dr Trudi Collet said in a statement.

She didn’t name the plant, presumably for commercial reasons, but said it was fairly common, and its compounds were found to kill 100 per cent of the Zika infection in cells.

“It’s also exciting because of the implications of this work for other viruses. Zika, dengue, West Nile, Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever are all from the same family of viruses – flaviviridae.”

MORE: Native Aussie plant kills Zika virus | Perth Now

Google robot revealed: Boston Dynamics’ ‘Handle’ has wheels for feet

Handle, the latest robot from Google-owned Boston Dynamics, can jump higher than the typical NBA slam dunk champion.

If there were an Olympics for robots, Boston Dynamics appears ready to enter.

The Google-owned robotics company officially unveiled its latest robot, Handle, in a YouTube video posted Wednesday that immediately captivated the Internet. Handle, which stands 6-foot-6, looks vaguely human with a torso, arms and legs that have wheels instead of feet.

Boston Dynamics described the combination of legs and wheels as the best of both worlds. The wheels make Handle energy efficient on flat surfaces. (It has a 15-mile range on one charge.) With legs it’s able to manage uneven terrain, and go nearly anywhere.

Related: Google shows off ‘nightmare-inducing’ robot

Handle shows an unusual amount of grace for a hulking robot. In the video Handle rolls down steps, jumps over barriers and onto tables. It boasts a vertical leap of 48 inches, which compares favorably to great human athletes like the winners of the NBA’s dunk contest.

In the 96-second video, Handle also shows speed and agility. It can quickly accelerate to 9 miles per hour. Handle is also capable of carrying heavy loads, displaying its strength in one clip in which it lifts 100 pounds.

VIDEO: Google robot revealed: Boston Dynamics’ ‘Handle’ has wheels for feet – Feb. 28, 2017