For North Korea, the war is not over, says veterinarian released U.S. Merrill Newman

Until I went home this weekend , Merrill Newman - an American held in North Korea - I had no idea what a story that he had become.
During his arrest, the 85 - year-old veteran of the Korean War had no access to the news. He has seen since the flood .
" As for the television reports and newspapers , I've seen a lot of speculation about why I stopped. I've given considerable attention to this attention and I have come to the conclusion that I did not understand that , for the North Korean regime , the Korean War is not over and that even innocent comments about war can cause big problems if you are a foreigner , "he said in a statement Monday .
Newman traveled in October as a tourist to North Korea on a package tour 10 days. The authorities caught him just minutes before his flight to Beijing was set from Pyongyang.
In his statement, Newman describes what he thinks might be activate .
" I innocently asked my North Korean guides if some of those who fought in the war in the area of Mount Kuwol could stay alive , and expressed interest in meeting them possibly if I were . The North Koreans seem to have misunderstood my curiosity as something more sinister , "he wrote .
" It is now clear to me that the North Koreans still feel much anger about the war than I thought . With the benefit of hindsight, should have been more sensitive to that . "
For weeks , the North Korean government gave no explanation of why they were holding Newman.
An explanation finally came last month when state media published and broadcast what they described as Veteran Korean War " apology." The word was written on the first of four handwritten pages detailing his alleged indiscretions.
In the note dated November 9, Newman spoke of his having advised the Kuwol unit , part of the " intelligence office " fighting Pyongyang during the Korean War . He explained how he sent troops to collect "information" and wage deadly attacks .
"After I killed many civilians and (North Korea ) soldiers and destroyed strategic objects in the DPRK during the Korean War , I made indelible offensive acts against the government of the DPRK and the Korean people ," Newman said , according to that report.
In his statement, Newman distanced himself from the comments.
" Anyone who has read the text of it or saw the video of my reader knows that the words were not mine and not surrendered voluntarily . Anyone who knows me knows that I could not have done the things that had me " confess "to " he wrote.
Newman said he was treated well while in custody.
Its release coincided with a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to South Korea , where he laid a wreath in honor of those who died in the war that pitted North against South .
A senior administration official said that the release of Newman was the result of direct contact between Washington and Pyongyang. The official said the North Koreans had told the Obama administration in a phone call that they were throwing Newman , no explanation was offered .
Newman thanked Biden, the U.S. State Department The Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang and friends and family in his statement.
He also asked that people forget to Kenneth Bae , another American to be in North Korea . Bae was arrested in 2012 and sentenced in May to 15 years for so-called acts of hostility and attempts to overthrow the government.
"I know there is much interest in this, and I will do my best to answer as many questions as possible," Newman wrote .
"For now , let me close by saying again how good it is to be back home , safe and with my loved ones . "

For North Korea, the war is not over, says veterinarian released U.S. Merrill Newman

Antarctica recorded the coldest temperature ever on Earth

Feeling cold ? Here's one consolation: You could be in East Antarctica , the new data says that set a record for the "soul - crushing " cold , from a way of measuring temperature.

Try 135.8 degrees F below zero , that is 93.2 degrees Celsius , which sounds very little toastier . Better yet, do not try. That's what scientists say cold it hurts to breathe.

A new look at NASA satellite data showed that the Earth set a new record for the coldest temperature , as recorded by satellite. It happened in August 2010 when he came to -135.8 degrees. Then on July 31 of this year , approached again : -135.3 degrees.

The previous record , measured by thermometers , is -128.6 degrees, located in Vostok , Antarctica , in 1983.

Scientific Ice Ted Scambos the National Snow Ice Data Center said the new album is " 50 degrees cooler than anything ever seen in Alaska or Siberia or certainly North Dakota. "

" It's more like you would see on Mars in an enjoyable summer at the poles ," said Scambos , of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco scientific meeting on Monday announced that data . "I am sure that these bags are the coldest places on Earth . "

However, it will not be in the Guinness Book of Records - or recognized by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO ) , the official guardians of the World Weather Records - because the readings were measured by satellites , not thermometers , said Scambos .

"Vostok is still recorded coldest location in the world ," said Randy Cerveny , a professor at Arizona State University , Geography and the rapporteur on climate extremes in WMO. "They are using remote sensing , non-standard weather stations , so that the World Meteorological Organization does not recognize that. "

Regardless of whether or not an official document , it is still incredibly cold : "Thank God , I do not know exactly how you feel ," said Scambos . But she said that scientists routinely make naked 100 degrees below zero outside scripts at the South Pole , so that people can survive that temperature for about three minutes.

Most of the time researchers need to breathe through a tube that brings air into the layer through a sleeve and heats up " so they do not accidentally inhale " , cold air , Scambos said.

On Monday, the coldest temperature U.S. was relatively warm 27 degrees Celsius in Yellowstone , Wyoming, said Jeff Masters, director of meteorology for Weather Underground private firm .

As brand cooler U.S. on record is -80 degrees F , located in Alaska in 1971.

"If you want soul crushing cold , you really have to go abroad ," Scambos said in a telephone interview. "It's just a whole other level because this cold cold plateau , the conditions are perfect. "

Scambos said the air is dry , cold ground, clear skies and cold air swoops down a dome and is trapped at a point less cold " hugging the surface and falls off."

The fact that a point on the Earth has enjoyed record cold that has little to do with global warming, as it is a point in one place , said Waleed Abdalati , ice scientist at the University of Colorado, and former chief scientist at NASA. Both Abdalati , which was not part of the measuring equipment and Scambos said this is probably an unusual random read in a place that has not been measured earlier and could have been colder or warmer in the past and we would not know .

"They talk about the range of conditions on this earth, some of which have not been able to observe ," said Abdalati .

Antarctica recorded the coldest temperature ever on Earth

International Dubai Film Festival

Past Film Festivals Dubai have been attended by the likes Starry Tom Cruise, George Clooney, Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan and Omar Sharif, and its motto is "Bridging Cultures. Meeting minds." This year is the 10th anniversary of festival. More U.S. $ 575,000 in prize money is awarded.

There is also plenty for the public to enjoy. The Rhythm and Reels segment of the festival is showing films with live music. The selection of movies on display for the public is very varied and fall into different categories, including Arabian Nights, Gulf Voices, Cinema World, Celebration of Indian Cinema, Cinema of Asia and Africa and Films for Children.

International Dubai Film Festival