Wednesday, 5 July 2017

Russia, China: N Korea missile test 'unacceptable'

Putin, Xi urge "comprehensive resolution" to Korean Peninsula issue as UN Security Council calls emergency meeting.


During his Moscow visit, Xi said Russian-Chinese relations 'are now the best ever' [Reuters]
Russia and China have called for a simultaneous freeze on North Korean nuclear and missile tests and military exercises by the United States and South Korea.
The positions were announced in a joint document issued after a meeting between leaders Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in the Russian capital of Moscow on Tuesday, in which they also condemned Pyongyang's latest missile test as "unacceptable" and urged against "any statements or actions that could lead to an increase in tensions".
"The two sides propose that the DPRK (North Korea) as a voluntary political decision declares a moratorium on testing nuclear explosive devices and ballistic rocket launches, and the US and South Korea refrain from carrying out large-scale joint exercises," the two countries' foreign ministries said in a joint statement.

"Parallel to this, the opposing sides should start negotiations and affirm general principles of their relations including the non-use of force, rejection of aggression and peaceful co-existence," the statement added.
In comments carried by the state news agency TASS, Putin was also quoted as saying: "Our mutual priorities include a comprehensive resolution of the problems of the Korean Peninsula in order to ensure lasting peace and stability in northeastern Asia."
Russia and China have the closest diplomatic relations with the insular nation of North Korea.
The joint statement followed an announcement by North Korea that it had test-fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile.
The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the launch, warning that it "constitutes a dangerous escalation of the situation."
The test also sparked a Twitter outburst from US President Donald Trump, who urged China, North Korea's closest ally, to act to "end this nonsense once and for all".
Beijing has previously called for a "dual-track" approach of "suspension for suspension" that would see North Korea and the US ease up on tensions, and now Moscow has added its weight to the plan.
Putin hailed Xi as a 'big friend' and presented him with Russia's highest award for his efforts to strengthen ties [Reuters]

'Confronting parties'

The two countries urged "the confronting parties" involved to sit down for talks, to agree on principles that include a refusal to use force and a pledge to make the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons.
At the same time, their document emphasised that the North's "sensible concerns" must be respected and urged other nations to create a "peaceful atmosphere of mutual trust" to help to launch the talks.
In an apparent hint at the US, Beijing and Moscow spoke against the "non-regional powers' military presence in Northeast Asia and its buildup under the pretext of countering North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes".
North Korea claims successful launch of intercontinental missile
They specifically opposed US missile defence systems in the region, saying their deployment "seriously damages strategic security interests of regional powers, including Russia and China" and hinders peace and stability.
Xi's visit to Russia also comes amid a flare-up of tensions between China and the US over an American destroyer sailing within the territorial waters of a Chinese-claimed island in the South China Sea.
During their meeting, Putin hailed Xi as a "big friend" and presented him with Russia's highest award for his efforts to strengthen ties.
Xi said "the Russian-Chinese relations are now the best ever".
Putin and Xi are scheduled to attend the Group of 20 summit in Germany later this week. Putin and Trump are to hold their first meeting there.
Source: News agencies in Al jazeera
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Tuesday, 4 July 2017

Fascinating pictures show how Disneyland remains almost identical to when it opened more than 60 years ago

It is the world's most famous theme park, enjoyed by children and their parents alike every year. Since opening in 1955, Disneyland's popularity has continued to grow attracting tens of millions of people. But as these incredible pictures show, despite continually attracting children from different generations, little has actually changed
  1. This collection of photographs taken from inside the theme park compare vintage pictures of Disneyland with current ones.1 of 23
  2. They show that despite being separated by decades, much of the famous Californian park remains exactly the same.2 of 23
  3. The world's most famous theme park is enjoyed by children and their parents alike every year.3 of 23
  4. Only the shrubbery has changed in 60 years.4 of 23
  5. The buildings are almost identical.5 of 23
  6. Frontierland has barely changed.6 of 23
  7. The incredible collection of photographs has been collated by Imagineering Disney.7 of 23
  8. The visitors may have changed but the surroundings have stayed the same.8 of 23
  9. Disneyland is located in Anaheim in California and is owned by The Walt Disney Company.9 of 23
  10. It is the only theme park to be built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney.10 of 23
  11. Sweet shops are still enjoyed as much as they always were.11 of 23
  12. Walt came up with the idea of Disneyland after visiting a number of different amusement parks with his family in the 1930s and 40s.12 of 23
  13. Construction began in 1954 and it opened on July 17, 1955.13 of 23
  14. It has had 650 million guests since it opened and in 2011 hosted 16.14 million guests in just one year.14 of 23
  15. The streets are almost frozen in time.15 of 23
  16. Other images show how the famous Sleeping Beauty Castle has remained untouched.16 of 23
  17. Some TLC has keep the buildings looking as good as new.17 of 23
  18. Where did the scuba diver go?18 of 23
  19. The park is still in great condition after more than 60 years19 of 23
  20. Walt Disney surveys his kingdom.20 of 23
  21. There have been slight changes here and there, but the magic remains the same.21 of 23
  22. Walt took a keen interest in everything that went on at his theme park.22 of 23
  23. The Petrified Tree was a present from Mrs Lillian Disney.23 of 

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Thursday, 22 June 2017

EXCLUSIVE: Naturi Naughton's Baby Bump Photo Shoot Is An Ode To Black Culture

Photo by Joey Rosado @islandboiphotography

By Britni Danielle

'We always try to incorporate African proverbs or Kente cloth or use different images to celebrate this beautiful Black girl that’s coming into the world," the 'Power' star told ESSENCE
Naturi Naughton is having a great year. After putting in work for years as a singer and actress, Naughton is not only gearing up for the return of the wildly popular Starz drama, Power (June 25), but she’s preparing to welcome her first child into the world.
Understandably, she’s overflowing with happiness.
RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: 'Power' Star Naturi Naughton Reveals Her Baby's Gender At Intimate Shower
“I feel really happy; pregnancy has been good to me,” Naughton confesses. “I’m in love, I’m looking forward to just sharing this next level of life. My whole life has been about working and being in the girl group and being on stage and being an actress, but now I get to really enjoy a bigger purpose, which is motherhood, so I’m really excited.”
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Recently, ESSENCE spoke with the Power star about the show, her pregnancy and why it’s so important that she makes sure her baby girl is surrounded by Black girl magic.
RELATED: Naturi Naughton Expecting First Child
This is your first child, so how have you been preparing to be a mom?
Logistically, just trying to prepare my home, my nursery, prepare my mind. I don’t really know a perfect way to be prepared to be a mother. It’s really hard because there’s so many things that keep running through my mind and it feels like it’s never enough. However, talking to my mother more and just thinking about the examples I had through my grandmothers and my mother and I think just being prepared is just readying myself for what’s to come and just being ready for the blessing.
Have you and your partner, Ben, talked about how having a child will affect your relationship?
Maybe it’s naive, but we feel like we’ll still be out on the town. It’s going to take adjustments and we definitely talked about it. We’re definitely doing the best to prepare for all of the things that will change, but we want to maintain us. A little bit of the fun and romance, that’s important to me. Hopefully we’ll still grow through the changes and continue to love each other.
Have people been pressuring you to get married?
I don’t feel crazy pressure anymore. Naturally, the way I grew up and the way I was raised...I didn’t anticipate being pregnant at this time. Of course I wanted to be a mom and have children, but the reality is God’s plan is not always in alignment with my plan. I wanted to do it my way, but it doesn’t always work out that way. I still think I can still have that dream, and I want to be married — and I will — I think we’re just taking it step-by-step and not worrying about what other people’s judgments or thoughts are because at the end of the day, they’re not living for me, or for us.
One of the really great moments is this photo shoot. What was it like getting all dolled up and sharing this moment with your partner?
It’s kind of like our first family photo shoot. I felt gorgeous and he was looking all good, and we just made the best of something that I didn’t even know if it would fit into the schedule. The photographer [Joey Rosado] was so wonderful and he made me feel beautiful, but I feel beautiful every day with my man. He tells me everyday, and he talks to my stomach and we do a little thing where we just have a moment where we’re really appreciative of every blessing. I think the photo shoot captured that love and the love inside of me.
When it comes to the color scheme, I’m sensing a theme. At your babyshower you were dressed in all white, but it was very colorful and afrocentric. Is that something you’re attracted to?
We both just really appreciate Black culture. Ben wore a shirt from Ghana and my theme was “It takes a village to raise a child” for my baby shower. We just always try to incorporate African proverbs or Kente cloth or using different images to celebrate this beautiful Black girl that’s coming into the world. I think in society we get so caught up trying to assimilate and be like other people, but in reality what we feel is that we just want to celebrate who we are.
We’re in an interesting time. On one hand we’ve made so much progress as Black people in general, despite the current political climate, and then we’re having this really powerful #BlackGirlMagic moment. What kinds of things do you plan to impart to your daughter?
Everything that my parents imparted to me. When I was coming up we didn’t have the movement of Black Girl Magic or Black Girls Rock, but my parents made it their business to make sure I saw positive images of myself and celebrated images of Black women. I want to implement those same things but thank goodness today there’s a movement that celebrates all of our hues, our shades, our beauty, our lips, our noses--there’s a celebration surrounding Black women.
I grew up with insecurities about those things because people made fun of my complexion or made fun of how big my lips were when I was a kid. Even when I was a professional singer, I went through things in 3LW that really weighed on my self-esteem. I’m just sick of it. Thank God, now we have a time where we can make sure these girls know how beautiful they are, how special they are, and how worthy they are.
I know how difficult it is to stay firm in who you are, so I’m going to do the work. Me and my man are going to do the work. Little girls need their fathers, little girls need their mothers, but little girls need support from the world, particularly when they’re Black.
You mentioned 3LW and recently reunited with one of your group mates on TV. You guys had moment and Adrienne Bailon apologized. Is that chapter closed?
I was asked to be a guest on The Real to promote Power and then they told me that she wanted to apologize. I had already closed that chapter and worked through some of those painful memories on my own, but it was definitely public closure between her and I, and I accepted her apology. To me, it’s not worth holding grudges and being bitter and being angry when there are so many blessings that have happened in my life because of 3LW.
After it aired, there’s still some bitterness, I guess we can call it, from the group’s former manager, Tse Williams, who was going off on Twitter.
All I can say is bitterness is simply what it is. It shines through just the way that happiness does, you can’t really hide bitterness. But it’s kinda sad and I wish her well.
I can’t let you go without asking about Power. What can we expect from Tasha in season four?
In season four Tasha is the strongest she’s ever been. You’ll really get to see her pick up the pieces and handle her business while Ghost is in jail. You also can expect to see Tasha--without telling too much--fall in love this year. You get to see Tasha step up as a mother, this year she really has to fight to save her son Tariq and fight to protect her children while Ghost is in prison. He’s been gallivanting around for three seasons with Angela and now he’s like, oh it backfired. Duh, yes it backfired! So this year people will continue to root for Tasha she’s the woman you want on your side, even when you mess up.
Power returns on Sunday June 25 on Starz  

Essense
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