Here is a news article: Yahoo is poised to confirm a massive data breach of its service, according to several sources close to the situation. The company was the victim of hacking that has exposed several hundred million user accounts.

 While sources were unspecific about the extent of the incursion, since there is the likelihood of government investigations and legal action related to the breach, they noted that it is widespread and serious.

 Earlier this summer, Yahoo said it was investigating a data breach in which hackers claimed to have access to 200 million user accounts and one was selling them online. “It’s as bad as that,” said one source. “Worse, really.”

 The announcement, which is expected to come this week, also has possible larger implications for the $4.8 billion sale of Yahoo’s core business — which is at the core of this hack — to Verizon. The scale of the liability could bring untold headaches to the new owners. Shareholders are likely to worry that it could lead to an adjustment in the price of the transaction.

 That deal is now moving to completion, but the companies cannot be integrated until it is approved by a number of regulatory agencies, as well as Yahoo shareholders. Representatives of Verizon and Yahoo started meeting recently to review the Yahoo business, so that the acquisition would run smoothly once complete.

 But there’s nothing smooth about this hack, said sources, which became known in August when an infamous cybercriminal named “Peace” claimed on a website that he was selling credentials of 200 million Yahoo users from 2012 on the dark web for just over $1,800. The data allegedly included user names, easily decrypted passwords and personal information like birth dates and other email addresses.

 At the time, Yahoo said it was “aware of the claim,” but the company declined to say if it was legitimate and said that it was investigating the information. But it did not issue a call for a password reset to users. Now, said sources, Yahoo might have to, although it will be a case of too little, too late.

 The confirmation of such an extensive hack is another blemish on the record of CEO Marissa Mayer, a vaunted former Google exec who has presided over numerous declines in the business since she arrived four years ago. Her inability to turn Yahoo around or innovate any new products eventually led to the sale.

 I reached out to Yahoo for comment and will update this post if I get a response (don’t wait up late for that!). ||||| Yahoo! is expected to confirm its unwelcome distinction of being the victim of the largest data breach on record. A report has the tech giant is expected to disclose details of a hack that has affected some 200 million Yahoo users.

 Yahoo! Inc., is preparing to confirm a “massive data breach” of its core service, one that could affect and expose ‘several’ hundred million user accounts.

 Tech news site Recode broke the news, citing sources who noted the breach to be “widespread and serious”, with the likelihood of legal action and investigations led by the government.

 The revelation would come at a time when Yahoo is the midst of a mega-acquisition by Verizon in a $4.8 billion deal and it remains to be seen if the deal could see repercussions due to the breach.

 Earlier in August, Motherboard reported that a cybercriminal hacker who goes by the moniker “Peace” was advertising the sale of 200 million Yahoo accounts. The same hacker has previously sold large data dumps of breaches related to Myspace and LinkedIn on a dark web marketplace called the Real Deal.

 While the lagging technology giant admitted that it was investigating the data breach, a Recode source confirmed that the number of users affected could be more than the 200 million advertised by Peace.

 “It’s as bad as that,” said the Recode source. “Worse, really.”

 The data trove reportedly contains Yahoo users’ usernames, scrambled passwords, birthdates and other information, likely dated from 2012.

 Peace was hawking the alleged data of 200 million users for a relatively mere 3 bitcoins, around $1900 in value at the time.

 Featured image from iStock/4×6. ||||| Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer. Getty/Kimberly White Yahoo is getting ready to confirm a huge, historic hack affecting 200 million users, Recode reports.

 Back in August, Motherboard's Joseph Cox reported that 200 million apparent Yahoo user credentials were being sold on the dark web. At the time, the company's response was only that it was "aware of [the] claim."

 But now Kara Swisher, one of the tech industry's most respected journalists, is reporting for Recode that Yahoo sources tell her the company is preparing to publicly confirm the hack. (Her sources did not confirm its exact size, only that it was "widespread and serious.")

 Yahoo did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

 Motherboard was told by the hacker who held the data (and was selling it for 3 bitcoins, worth $1,860 at the time) that the breach was carried out in 2012 — and was never made public. Data included usernames, encrypted passwords, date-of-births, and some email addresses.

 A spate of historic data breaches affecting millions of users have recently been coming to light, affecting companies including LinkedIn, MySpace, and Tumblr. If user passwords are unencrypted (or not encrypted properly), hackers can then use this login data to break into individual user accounts — and often, because people reuse passwords across multiple sites, the hackers can use the information to break into accounts on other sites as well.

 We saw multiple high-profile demonstrations of this problem this summer, as celebrities and public figures including Mark Zuckerberg and Drake had their Twitter accounts broken into. Twitter wasn't hacked — but the victims had reused passwords that were also used on hacked websites.

 This new attention on the alleged breach comes at an awkward time for Yahoo. The tech company is selling its core business to Verizon for $4.8 billion (£3.7 billion) after years of flagging fortunes.

 There's nothing ordinary users can do to prevent these kinds of breaches, but using a strong, unique password on each website or service you have an account on (managing those passwords with a password-manager app if necessary) will help limit the damage. ||||| A notorious cybercriminal is advertising 200 million of alleged Yahoo user credentials on the dark web, and the company has said it is “aware” of the hacker’s claims, but has not confirmed nor denied the legitimacy of the data.

 On Monday, the hacker known as Peace, who has previously sold dumps of Myspace and LinkedIn, listed supposed credentials of Yahoo users on The Real Deal marketplace. Peace told Motherboard that he has been trading the data privately for some time, but only now decided to sell it openly.

 “We are aware of a claim,” a Yahoo spokesperson told Motherboard in an email, before the data was made public. The company did not deny that the customer details were Yahoo users, despite being asked if it corresponded to the company's own records.

 “We are committed to protecting the security of our users’ information and we take any such claim very seriously. Our security team is working to determine the facts. Yahoo works hard to keep our users safe, and we always encourage our users to create strong passwords, or give up passwords altogether by using Yahoo Account Key, and use different passwords for different platforms.”

 A screenshot of the listing for the sale of the alleged hacked Yahoo data.

 According to a sample of the data, it contains usernames, hashed passwords (created with md5 algorithm), dates of birth, and in some cases back-up email addresses. The data is being sold for 3 bitcoins, or around $1,860, and supposedly contains 200 million records from “2012 most likely,” according to Peace. Until Yahoo confirms a breach, however, or the full dataset is released for verification, it is possible that the data is collated and repackaged from other major data leaks.

 Peace told Motherboard, “well fuck them they dont want to confirm well better for me they dont do password reset.” Many companies issue password resets to accounts affected by data breaches, or even preemptively in a case like this in which the provenance of leaked data is not entirely clear.

 Motherboard obtained a very small sample of the data—only 5000 records—before it was publicly listed, and found that most of the two dozen Yahoo usernames tested by Motherboard did correspond to actual accounts on the service. (This was done by going to the login section of Yahoo, entering the email address, and clicking next; when the email address wasn’t recognised, it was not possible to continue.)

 However, when Motherboard attempted to contact over 100 of the addresses in the sample set, many returned as undeliverable. “This account has been disabled or discontinued,” read one autoresponse to many of the emails that failed to deliver properly, while others read “This user doesn’t have a yahoo.com account.” ||||| FILE - In this June 5, 2014, file photo, people walk in front of a Yahoo sign at the company's headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif. Yahoo says the personal information of 500 million accounts have been stolen... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this June 5, 2014, file photo, people walk in front of a Yahoo sign at the company's headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif. Yahoo says the personal information of 500 million accounts have been stolen... (Associated Press)

 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yahoo said hackers stole personal information from 500 million of its user accounts, a massive security breakdown it attributed to a "state sponsored actor." The breach disclosed Thursday, the latest setback for the beleaguered internet company, dates back to late 2014.

 That's when high-tech thieves hacked into Yahoo's data centers, the company said. But Yahoo only recently discovered the break-in as part of an ongoing internal investigation.

 The stolen data includes users' names, email addresses, telephone numbers, birth dates, hashed passwords, and the security questions — and answers — used to verify an accountholder's identity.

 Last month, the tech site Motherboard reported that a hacker who uses the name "Peace" boasted that he had account information belonging to 200 million Yahoo users and was trying to sell the data on the web.

 Yahoo recommends that users change their passwords if they haven't done so since 2014. The Sunnyvale, California, company said its investigation so far hasn't found any evidence that information about users' bank accounts or credit and debit cards were swiped in the hacking attack. It said it has "no evidence" that the attacker is still in Yahoo's network.

 News of the security lapse could cause some people to have second thoughts about relying on Yahoo's services, raising a prickly issue for the company as it tries to sell its digital operations to Verizon Communications for $4.8 billion.

 That deal, announced two months ago, isn't supposed to close until early next year. That leaves Verizon with wiggle room to renegotiate the purchase price or even back out if it believes the security breach will harm Yahoo's business. That could happen if users shun Yahoo or file lawsuits because they're incensed by the theft of their personal information.

 Verizon said it still doesn't know enough about the Yahoo break-in to assess the potential consequences. "We will evaluate as the investigation continues through the lens of overall Verizon interests, including consumers, customers, shareholders and related communities," the company said in a statement. |||||
A summary of this is?

– Yahoo is confirming what Recode describes as a "widespread and serious" data breach affecting 500 million users. Yahoo blames "state-sponsored actors" for the personal data that was stolen in 2014 but only recently discovered to have been stolen, the AP reports. Yahoo had previously been expected to confirm an estimated 200 million users were affected. Motherboard spoke in August to a hacker known as "Peace” who claimed to be hawking data from 200 million Yahoo accounts on the dark web, per Business Insider. The hacker said the data—which includes usernames, passwords, security questions and answers, birth dates, phone numbers, and email addresses—was likely stolen in 2012. No such breach was ever made public. However, Yahoo said at the time that it was "aware of the claim" and was investigating. Confirmation of such a breach—which Hacked.com says could be "the largest data breach on record"—could now affect Yahoo's $4.8 billion sale to Verizon. Not only is it a pain for Verizon, but Yahoo shareholders will be concerned about a possible drop in the company's sale price. The sources tell Recode that government investigations and legal action in regards to breach are expected. In its confirmation of the breach, Yahoo suggested users change their passwords, assuming they haven't already done so since 2014.


Article:

From the air it looks like a huge lake, fed by many tributaries, but on the ground it turns out to be a murky expanse of water, in which no fish or algae can survive. The shore is coated with a black crust, so thick you can walk on it. Into this huge, 10 sq km tailings pond nearby factories discharge water loaded with chemicals used to process the 17 most sought after minerals in the world, collectively known as rare earths.

 The town of Baotou, in Inner Mongolia, is the largest Chinese source of these strategic elements, essential to advanced technology, from smartphones to GPS receivers, but also to wind farms and, above all, electric cars. The minerals are mined at Bayan Obo, 120km farther north, then brought to Baotou for processing.

 The concentration of rare earths in the ore is very low, so they must be separated and purified, using hydro-metallurgical techniques and acid baths. China accounts for 97% of global output of these precious substances, with two-thirds produced in Baotou.

 The foul waters of the tailings pond contain all sorts of toxic chemicals, but also radioactive elements such as thorium which, if ingested, cause cancers of the pancreas and lungs, and leukaemia. "Before the factories were built, there were just fields here as far as the eye can see. In the place of this radioactive sludge, there were watermelons, aubergines and tomatoes," says Li Guirong with a sigh.

 It was in 1958 – when he was 10 – that a state-owned concern, the Baotou Iron and Steel company (Baogang), started producing rare-earth minerals. The lake appeared at that time. "To begin with we didn't notice the pollution it was causing. How could we have known?" As secretary general of the local branch of the Communist party, he is one of the few residents who dares to speak out.

 Towards the end of the 1980s, Li explains, crops in nearby villages started to fail: "Plants grew badly. They would flower all right, but sometimes there was no fruit or they were small or smelt awful." Ten years later the villagers had to accept that vegetables simply would not grow any longer. In the village of Xinguang Sancun – much as in all those near the Baotou factories – farmers let some fields run wild and stopped planting anything but wheat and corn.

 A study by the municipal environmental protection agency showed that rare-earth minerals were the source of their problems. The minerals themselves caused pollution, but also the dozens of new factories that had sprung up around the processing facilities and a fossil-fuel power station feeding Baotou's new industrial fabric. Residents of what was now known as the "rare-earth capital of the world" were inhaling solvent vapour, particularly sulphuric acid, as well as coal dust, clearly visible in the air between houses.

 Now the soil and groundwater are saturated with toxic substances. Five years ago Li had to get rid of his sick pigs, the last survivors of a collection of cows, horses, chickens and goats, killed off by the toxins.

 The farmers have moved away. Most of the small brick houses in Xinguang Sancun, huddling close to one another, are going to rack and ruin. In just 10 years the population has dropped from 2,000 to 300 people.

 Lu Yongqing, 56, was one of the first to go. "I couldn't feed my family any longer," he says. He tried his luck at Baotou, working as a mason, then carrying bricks in a factory, finally resorting to selling vegetables at local markets, with odd jobs on the side. Registered as farmers in their identity papers, the refugees from Xinguang Sancun are treated as second-class citizens and mercilessly exploited.

 The farmers who have stayed on tend to gather near the mahjong hall. "I have aching legs, like many of the villagers. There's a lot of diabetes, osteoporosis and chest problems. All the families are affected by illness," says He Guixiang, 60. "I've been knocking on government doors for nearly 20 years," she says. "To begin with I'd go every day, except Sundays."

 By maintaining the pressure, the villagers have obtained the promise of financial compensation, as yet only partly fulfilled. There has been talk of new housing, too. Neatly arranged tower blocks have gone up a few kilometres west of their homes. They were funded by compensation paid by Baogang to the local government.

 But the buildings stand empty. The government is demanding that the villagers buy the right to occupy their flat, but they will not be able to pass it on to their children.

 Some tried to sell waste from the pond, which still has a high rare-earth content, to reprocessing plants. The sludge fetched about $300 a tonne.

 But the central government has recently deprived them of even this resource. One of their number is on trial and may incur a 10-year prison sentence.

 This article originally appeared in Le Monde ||||| From where I'm standing, the city-sized Baogang Steel and Rare Earth complex dominates the horizon, its endless cooling towers and chimneys reaching up into grey, washed-out sky. Between it and me, stretching into the distance, lies an artificial lake filled with a black, barely-liquid, toxic sludge.

 Dozens of pipes line the shore, churning out a torrent of thick, black, chemical waste from the refineries that surround the lake. The smell of sulphur and the roar of the pipes invades my senses. It feels like hell on Earth.

 Welcome to Baotou, the largest industrial city in Inner Mongolia. I'm here with a group of architects and designers called the Unknown Fields Division, and this is the final stop on a three-week-long journey up the global supply chain, tracing back the route consumer goods take from China to our shops and homes, via container ships and factories.

 You may not have heard of Baotou, but the mines and factories here help to keep our modern lives ticking. It is one of the world’s biggest suppliers of “rare earth” minerals. These elements can be found in everything from magnets in wind turbines and electric car motors, to the electronic guts of smartphones and flatscreen TVs. In 2009 China produced 95% of the world's supply of these elements, and it's estimated that the Bayan Obo mines just north of Baotou contain 70% of the world's reserves. But, as we would discover, at what cost?

 Element of success

 Rare earth minerals have played a key role in the transformation and explosive growth of China's world-beating economy over the last few decades. It's clear from visiting Baotou that it's had a huge, transformative impact on the city too. As the centre of this 21st Century gold-rush, Baotou feels very much like a frontier town.

 In 1950, before rare earth mining started in earnest, the city had a population of 97,000. Today, the population is more than two-and-a-half million. There is only one reason for this huge influx of people - minerals. As a result Baotou often feels stuck somewhere between a brave new world of opportunity presented by the global capitalism that depends on it, and the fading memories of Communism that still line its Soviet era boulevards. Billboards for expensive American brands stand next to revolution-era propaganda murals, as the disinterested faces of Western supermodels gaze down on statues of Chairman Mao. At night, multicoloured lights, glass-dyed by rare earth elements, line the larger roads, turning the city into a scene from the movie Tron, while the smaller side streets are filled with drunk, vomiting refinery workers that spill from bars and barbecue joints.

 Even before getting to the toxic lake, the environmental impact the rare earth industry has had on the city is painfully clear. At times it’s impossible to tell where the vast structure of the Baogang refineries complex ends and the city begins. Massive pipes erupt from the ground and run along roadways and sidewalks, arching into the air to cross roads like bridges. The streets here are wide, built to accommodate the constant stream of huge diesel-belching coal trucks that dwarf all other traffic.

 After it rains they plough, unstoppable, through roads flooded with water turned black by coal dust. They line up by the sides of the road, queuing to turn into one of Baotou’s many coal-burning power stations that sit unsettlingly close to freshly built apartment towers. Everywhere you look, between the half-completed tower blocks and hastily thrown up multi-storey parking lots, is a forest of flame-tipped refinery towers and endless electricity pylons. The air is filled with a constant, ambient, smell of sulphur. It’s the kind of industrial landscape that America and Europe has largely forgotten – at one time parts of Detroit or Sheffield must have looked and smelled like this.

 Quiet plant

 One of our first visits in the city is to a processing plant that specialises mainly in producing cerium, one of the most abundant rare earth minerals. Cerium has a huge number of commercial applications, from colouring glass to making catalytic converters. The guide who shows us around the plant explains that they mainly produce cerium oxide, used to polish touchscreens on smartphones and tablets.

 As we are wandering through the factory’s hangar-like rooms, it’s impossible not to notice that something is missing. Amongst the mazes of pipes, tanks, and centrifuges, there are no people. In fact there’s no activity at all. Apart from our voices, which echo through the huge sheds, the plant is silent. It’s very obviously not operating. When asked, our guide tells us the plant is closed for maintenance – but there’s no sign of that either: no maintenance crews, no cleaning or repairs being done. When pushed further our guide gets suspicious, wonders why we are asking so many questions, and clams up. It’s a behaviour we’ll encounter a lot in Baotou – a refusal to answer questions or stray off a strictly worded script.

 As we leave, one of our party who has visited the area before suggests a possible explanation: could local industry be artificially controlling market scarcity of products like cerium oxide, in order to keep rare earth prices high? We can’t know for sure that this was the case the day we visited. Yet it would not be unprecedented: in 2012, for example, the news agency Xinhua reported that China’s largest rare earth producer was suspending operations to prevent price drops.

 One of Baotou’s other main exports is neodymium, another rare earth with a variety of applications. Again it is used to dye glass, especially for making lasers, but perhaps its most important use is in making powerful yet lightweight magnets. Neodymium magnets are used in consumer electronics items such as in-ear headphones, cellphone microphones, and computer hard-drives. At the other end of the scale they are a vital component in large equipment that requires powerful magnetic fields, such as wind farm turbines and the motors that power the new generation of electric cars. We’re shown around a neodymium magnet factory by a guide who seems more open than our friend at the cerium plant. We’re even given some magnets to play with. But again, when our questions stray too far from applications and to production and associated environmental costs, the answers are less forthcoming, and pretty soon the visit is over.

 The intriguing thing about both neodymium and cerium is that while they’re called rare earth minerals, they're actually fairly common. Neodymium is no rarer than copper or nickel and quite evenly distributed throughout the world’s crust. While China produces 90% of the global market’s neodymium, only 30% of the world’s deposits are located there. Arguably, what makes it, and cerium, scarce enough to be profitable are the hugely hazardous and toxic process needed to extract them from ore and to refine them into usable products. For example, cerium is extracted by crushing mineral mixtures and dissolving them in sulphuric and nitric acid, and this has to be done on a huge industrial scale, resulting in a vast amount of poisonous waste as a byproduct. It could be argued that China’s dominance of the rare earth market is less about geology and far more about the country’s willingness to take an environmental hit that other nations shy away from.

 And there’s no better place to understand China’s true sacrifice than the shores of Baotou toxic lake. Apparently created by damming a river and flooding what was once farm land, the lake is a “tailings pond”: a dumping ground for waste byproducts. It takes just 20 minutes to reach the lake by car from the centre of the city, passing through abandoned countryside dominated by the industrial architecture on the horizon. Earlier reports claim the lake is guarded by the military, but we see no sign. We pass a shack that was presumably a guard hut at one point but it’s abandoned now; whoever was here left in a hurry, leaving their bedding, cooking stove, and instant noodle packets behind when they did.

 We reached the shore, and looked across the lake. I’d seen some photos before I left for Inner Mongolia, but nothing prepared me for the sight. It’s a truly alien environment, dystopian and horrifying. The thought that it is man-made depressed and terrified me, as did the realisation that this was the byproduct not just of the consumer electronics in my pocket, but also green technologies like wind turbines and electric cars that we get so smugly excited about in the West. Unsure of quite how to react, I take photos and shoot video on my cerium polished iPhone.

 You can see the lake on Google Maps, and that hints at the scale. Zoom in far enough and you can make out the dozens of pipes that line the shore. Unknown Fields’ Liam Young collected some samples of the waste and took it back to the UK to be tested. “The clay we collected from the toxic lake tested at around three times background radiation,” he later tells me.

 Watch the black byproduct of rare earth mining pouring into the lake at Baotao (Credit: Richard John Seymour/Unknown Fields)

 Unknown Fields has an unusual plan for the stuff. “We are using this radioactive clay to make a series of ceramic vessels modelled on traditional Ming vases,” Young explains, “each proportioned based on the amount of toxic waste produced by the rare earth minerals used in a particular tech gadget.” The idea is to illustrate the impact our consumer goods have on the environment, even when that environment might be unseen and thousands of miles away.

 After seeing the impact of rare earth mining myself, it’s impossible to view the gadgets I use everyday in the same way. As I watched Apple announce their smart watch recently, a thought crossed my mind: once we made watches with minerals mined from the Earth and treated them like precious heirlooms; now we use even rarer minerals and we'll want to update them yearly. Technology companies continually urge us to upgrade; to buy the newest tablet or phone. But I cannot forget that it all begins in a place like Bautou, and a terrible toxic lake that stretches to the horizon.

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 Read the first two instalments in this series, where Tim Maughan and the Unknown Fields group visits the Chinese city of Yiwu, the real home of Christmas and explore the invisible shipping network that keeps the world running

 .

 This trip was organised and funded by the Unknown Fields Division, a group of architects, academics and designers at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. ||||| Rare earths play a crucial role in the manufacture of modern electronics gear.

 In technologies including smartphones, flat-panel TVs, hybrid cars and wind turbines, a number of elements with exotic names represent crucial components. But the elements’ rapid rise from lab curiosities to helping supply the hearts of modern electronics has put strain upon existing supply chains, and experts worry that any supply disruptions could slow the pace of innovation. Now countries all over the world have begun racing to secure new reserves, boost recycling and find material substitutes for these energy-critical materials.

 Energy-Critical Elements and their Usage:

 • Helium chills magnets used in medical scanners and pressurizes rockets.

 • Indium is used in liquid crystal displays and a component for solar panels.

 • Platinum is used in pollution control devices for cars, and in fuel cells.

 Rare Earth Elements:

 • Yttrium is used in laser technology, superconductors and microwave filters.

 • Neodymium is used in magnets, laser technology and radiation filtering.

 • Europium is used in televisions, laser technology and nuclear reactors.

 • Terbium is used in fuel cells, electronic devices and sonar systems.

 Dysprosium is used in magnets, laser technology and nuclear reactors.

 In 2009, world production of rare earth elements totaled 126,230 metric tons, with China producing 95% of the world’s total. The U.S. currently imports all of its rare earths from China, France, Japan and Austria. |||||
What is a summary?

– "Dystopian" and "horrifying" are just two adjectives Tim Maughan uses to describe for the BBC what he recently witnessed in the remote industrial city of Baotou in Inner Mongolia. Most disturbing was his visit to a man-made lake filled with toxic sludge that makes the surrounding area smell like sulfur, wielding an environmental impact that has turned the place into what Maughan says is "like hell on Earth." The wasteland is the site of one of the world's largest rare-earth-mineral productions, where processing plants churn out cerium oxide, neodymium, and other rare earth elements necessary for everything from consumer electronics (cellphones, tablet touchscreens) to the magnets in "green" products such as wind turbines and electric car motors, per the BBC. The unfortunate byproduct of this venture: the dangerous chemical waste in the lake right outside of the city, Maughan notes. China claims the lion's share of the world's production of these minerals: LiveScience has reported it produced about 95% of our rare earth elements in 2009. A local pol told the Guardian in 2012 that before the factories were erected in the late '50s, "there were watermelons, aubergines, and tomatoes." But Maughan—who traveled there with a design research group to "[trace] back the route consumer goods take from China to our shops and homes"—now found just abandoned outposts, "huge diesel-belching coal trucks," and the sludge-filled lake. "Nothing prepared me for the sight," he writes. "It's a truly alien environment. … The thought that it is man-made depressed and terrified me, as did the realization that this was the byproduct not just of the consumer electronics in my pocket, but also green technologies like wind turbines and electric cars that we get so smugly excited about in the West." (If you need happier environmental news, here's one good story.)


CENTER LOVELL, Maine (AP) — A Virgin Islands couple will be trading the Caribbean breezes of St. John for the rigors of Maine's four seasons after winning a "Win an Inn" essay contest.

 Prince and Rose Adams, both 45 and originally from New York City, entered the contest organized by Janice Sage. The retiring owner of the Center Lovell Inn had won the restaurant and hostelry in a similar writing contest 22 years ago.

 The Boston Globe reports (bit.ly/1IQUHLX) that the Adamses were notified last week that they had been picked by a local panel of judges assembled by Sage.

 They're closing their restaurant in St. John and expect to be open for business in Center Lovell by July 10. ||||| The Maine State Police are investigating whether a Maine woman broke the law in a recent essay contest to give away her 210-year-old inn, Sergeant Michael Johnston of the State Police’s special investigations unit said.

 The Center Lovell Inn and Restaurant, with spectacular views of the White Mountains, was awarded June 6 to a US Virgin Islands couple who ran a Caribbean-style restaurant on St. John. Janice Sage, the Maine innkeeper who held the essay contest, said Prince and Rose Adams were chosen from thousands of entrants who each submitted a 200-word essay and $125 entry fee.

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 Now, dozens of unsuccessful contestants are crying foul about what they argue, among other concerns, was deceptive advertising. The group has organized as the Center Lovell Contest Fair Practices Commission and complained that Sage incorrectly stated that no advantage would be granted to restaurant or inn owners.

 “One of the many allegations against Janice Sage and the contest she sponsored is that the advertising of the contest . . . was illegally deceptive and violated consumer-rights regulations, intentionally coercing thousands of people to enter a contest that they never had an actual chance of winning,” said Kelley Prass Collins, who founded the group.

 “In short, Janice Sage was advertising a contest for ‘dreamers’ who would never have the chance to own an inn and restaurant, and then handed the prize to just such a business owner.”

 Neither Sage nor the Adamses could be reached for comment Monday.

 Maine State Police said their investigation is narrowly tailored to determine whether the contest violated state law on games of skill. Under the law, which is an older statute primarily written to cover carnival games, operators of such games are prohibited from partially or completely controlling the outcome.

 Entrants into the Center Lovell Inn contest had been told the winner would be chosen by an independent, local panel of judges.

 “We have received some complaints, so we are being responsive to that and are looking into it to determine if any violations of the [state] law occurred,” Johnston said. “We’re not there to determine if other federal laws or rules may have been violated, such as through the Federal Trade Commission, or whether any potential civil liability may exist.”

 Sage said she received fewer than the 7,500 entries she had sought. But at $125 per essay, Sage said, she secured enough money for retirement after running the inn for 22 years.

 Sage won the inn in much the same way. After managing a busy Maryland restaurant for years, Sage said, she wanted a change and submitted the winning essay to acquire the sprawling inn and restaurant in a previous contest.

 Johnston said the investigation is expected to be completed within a week.

 “The contestants may want to consult a qualified private attorney to determine if there are any other options,” Johnston said. |||||
What is a one-paragraph summary of the above article?

– Maine State Police are investigating whether an innkeeper violated state law in an essay contest with her 210-year-old country inn as the prize. Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland said today an investigation was opened into whether the "Win an Inn" contest violated laws governing games of chance. The Boston Globe first reported that some contest losers felt the odds were stacked against them, contending that Center Lovell Inn owner Janice Sage marketed the contest to "dreamers" but instead awarded the prize to a couple with hospitality business experience in the Virgin Islands. "One of the many allegations against Janice Sage and the contest she sponsored is that the advertising of the contest ... was illegally deceptive and violated consumer-rights regulations, intentionally coercing thousands of people to enter a contest that they never had an actual chance of winning," says the founder of the Center Lovell Contest Fair Practices Commission, a group made up of dozens of unhappy contestants. The entry fee was $125. Sage told the Globe she received fewer than the 7,500 entries she sought, but it was still enough to fund her retirement.


Write an article based on this summary:

– It's not a good Saturday night buffet until someone loses a tooth and the pepper spray gets used—all in an argument over crab legs. This was the case at the Royal Buffet in Manchester, Conn., on Saturday when a fight broke out and a 21-year-old man lost the aforementioned tooth, his mother pepper-sprayed his attackers, and a married couple was arrested, NBC Connecticut reports. Clifford Knight, 46, was arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault and disorderly conduct, FOX 61 reports, while his wife, 38-year-old Lataya Knight, was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and threatening. Released on $5,000 and $2,500 bail, respectively, both are due in court April 14. The woman who used the pepper spray wasn't charged, because police say she acted in self-defense. But firefighters did respond to vent the restaurant from the pepper spray fumes, and the health department temporarily closed the restaurant to assess the air quality. However, the Royal Buffet tells NBC they were open for business as usual by Sunday. Details of the argument were unclear.

× Two arrested after fight over crab legs at Manchester buffet

 MANCHESTER — Police said two people were arrested after a fight over crab legs in a buffet line. The fight happened Saturday at around 8 p.m. at the Royal Buffet at 410 West Middle Turnpike, according to police.

 A situation escalated into a physical altercation, during which a 21-year-old man suffered a cut lip and broken front tooth after being punched in the face.

 His mother used pepper spray on his assailant in an attempt to keep her son from being assaulted further and wasn’t facing any charges because it was self-defense.

 Clifford Knight, 46, and Lataya Knight, 38, were arrested. Clifford Knight is facing third-degree assault and disorderly conduct. Lataya Knight is charged with disorderly conduct and threatening.

 Lataya Knight was released on $2,500 bail and was given a court date of Thursday, April 14.

 Clifford Knight was released on $5,000 bail and was also given a court date of Thursday, April 14

 The Manchester Fire Department responded to vent the restaurant and the Health Department closed it down to check out the air, due to the use of pepper spray. ||||| Police arrested Clifford Knight, 45, and Latoya Knight, 38, both of Windsor. Clifford Knight is charged with third-degree assault and disorder conduct. Latoya Knight is charged with disorderly conduct and threatening. Police said the suspects are husband and wife.

 Police in Manchester, Connecticut arrested a husband and wife after an argument at Royal Buffet got out of hand on Saturday night.

 Manchester police say they were called to 410 West Middle Turnpike for a dispute that started as an argument over crab legs at the buffet table and escalated into a physical confrontation. During the scuffle, a 21-year-old man was punched in the face and lost a tooth.

 That man's mother jumped in and used pepper spray on her son's attackers. Her actions were in self-defense and she is not facing any charges, according to police.

 Police arrested Clifford Knight, 45, and Latoya Knight, 38, both of Windsor. Clifford Knight is charged with third-degree assault and disorder conduct. Latoya Knight is charged with disorderly conduct and threatening. Police said the suspects are husband and wife.

 Clifford Knight was released on a $5,000 non-surety bond and Lataya Knight was released on a $2,500 non-surety bond. They are both expected in court on April 14.

 The Manchester Fire Department responded to vent out the restaurant after the pepper spray was deployed.

 The restaurant had to close while the health department assessed the air quality, but the restaurant said they opened for business at the usual time Sunday.

 Editor’s note: Police previously thought the injured victim was a juvenile but have since determined the victim was a young adult. This story has been updated to reflect this.

  |||||


Summarize this article:

An airline passenger has spoken of her horror when her battery-operated headphones exploded on her face mid-flight.

 The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has issued a warning after the woman, travelling from Beijing to Melbourne on February 19, was left with a burnt face, hand and burnt hair.

 The woman, whose identity has been concealed by the ATSB, said she was listening to music on a pair of battery-operated headphones when she fell asleep about two hours into the flight.

 She woke to a loud explosion.

 Related Articles Why Qantas won't let you pick up your phone if you drop it on board

 "As I went to turn around I felt burning on my face," she said.

 "I just grabbed my face which caused the headphones to go around my neck.

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 "I continued to feel burning so I grabbed them off and threw them on the floor. They were sparking and had small amounts of fire."

 Flight attendants quickly poured a bucket of water on the headphones but the battery and cover were melted and stuck to the floor of the aircraft.

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 Link The woman was badly burnt when her headphones exploded on a flight from Beijing to Melbourne. Photos: Australian Transport Safety Bureau

 Photos show her hair and eyebrows singed and filled with black soot.

 For the remainder of the flight, passengers endured the smell of melted plastic, burnt electronics and burnt hair.

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 Link The woman's hand was also burnt. Photo: Australian Transport Safety Bureau

 "People were coughing and choking the entire way home," the passenger said.

 A spokesman for the ATSB declined to reveal the brand of the headphones, saying all batteries are potentially risky.

 "The ATSB has assessed that it is the batteries, as the power source, that caught on fire and are therefore the issue... All batteries contain stored energy and are therefore potentially risky."

 In its safety warning, the ATSB said the potential for in-flight issues is increasing as the range of products using batteries grows.

 Battery-powered devices should be stowed when not in use and spare batteries must be kept in carry-on baggage, not checked baggage, the warning said.

 The incident follows several incidents of Samsung Galaxy phones and hoverboards exploding and being banned on planes.

 Samsung recalled their Galaxy Note 7s due to faulty batteries that were catching fire.

 In another incident, a phone battery caused a fire on a Qantas plane last year when the phone became stuck in a reclining chair and was crushed.

 Lithium ion batteries, commonly used in phones and handheld electronics because they charge quickly and are compact, use highly flammable liquid that can explode if a battery short circuits.

 Poorly constructed or older model lithium batteries are more likely to short circuit however tech website Gizmodo said over-heating and over-charging can also potentially cause an explosion in a 'perfect' battery.

 The chance of your device exploding is "something like one in 10 million," Ken Boyce, from American safety consulting and certification company UL, told Gizmodo.

 The Civil Aviation and Safety Authority has more information about travelling safely with batteries and portable power packs. ||||| As the range of products using batteries grows, the potential for in-flight issues increases.

 On a recent flight from Beijing to Melbourne, a passenger was listening to music using a pair of her own battery-operated headphones.

 About two hours into the flight while sleeping, the passenger heard a loud explosion. “As I went to turn around I felt burning on my face,” she said. “I just grabbed my face which caused the headphones to go around my neck.

 “I continued to feel burning so I grabbed them off and threw them on the floor. They were sparking and had small amounts of fire.

 “As I went to stamp my foot on them the flight attendants were already there with a bucket of water to pour on them. They put them into the bucket at the rear of the plane.” The battery and cover were both melted and stuck to the floor of the aircraft.

 Flight attendants returned to check on her wellbeing. For the remainder of the flight, passengers endured the smell of melted plastic, burnt electronics and burnt hair. “People were coughing and choking the entire way home,” the passenger said.

 The ATSB assessed that the batteries in the device likely caught on fire. The ATSB reminds passengers using battery-powered devices that:

 batteries should be kept in an approved stowage, unless in use

 spare batteries must be in your carry-on baggage NOT checked baggage

 if a passenger’s smart phone or other device has fallen into the seat gap, locate their device before moving powered seats

 if a passenger cannot locate their device, they should refrain from moving their seat and immediately contact a cabin crew member.

 More information about Travelling safely with batteries and portable power packs.

 Other ATSB news stories and investigation reports about lithium ion batteries: ||||| (CNN) Australian authorities will investigate why a pair of battery-powered headphones caught fire two hours into a flight between Beijing and Melbourne, blackening and blistering a female passenger's face and hands.

 The woman was sleeping and listening to music about two hours into the trip when she heard an explosion.

 "As I went to turn around I felt burning on my face," she told the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which issued a statement Wednesday as a warning to other passengers.

 A passenger on an international flight, pictured, said her headphones caught on fire midflight.

 "I just grabbed my face which caused the headphones to go around my neck," she said.

 The woman, who was not identified, said she tore off the headphones and threw them to the floor, where she saw they were shooting off sparks and small flames.

 "As I went to stamp my foot on them the flight attendants were already there with a bucket of water to pour on them. They put them into the bucket at the rear of the plane," she said.

 They couldn't remove all of the headphones however -- both the battery and cover had melted into the aircraft floor.

 The woman threw the headphones off and they melted into the aircraft floor.

 "People were coughing and choking the entire way home," the passenger told the ATSB, adding the cabin reeked of melted plastic and burned hair.

 Peter Gibson, communications manager for Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority, told CNN they would be investigating the incident.

 "If it seems the device was damaged, then that will explain it ... but you know if it was a genuine battery and hadn't been abused then we will go to the manufacturer and see what's going on," he said.

 Batteries known to cause plane fires

 In a statement, the ATSB said it was likely the batteries inside the headphones had caught fire, rather than the headphones themselves.

 However, a spokesman wouldn't reveal what type of batteries or headphones were involved. He said the incident had occurred on February 19.

 Burns left on the passenger's skin following the incident.

 Only a day before the incident, an Airbus A320 that took off from China reportedly had to make an emergency landing in Nagoya, Japan, after a portable power pack started a fire inside an overhead locker.

 Gibson said lithium batteries were often the cause of fires on board planes. He advised travelers to carry any spare batteries in a separate plastic bag within carry-on luggage.

 "You must carry it in the cabin because downstairs, if it shorts out, it will smolder away ... by the time it's detected by the fire alarms it's a big problem. Upstairs, as soon as it starts smoking, the cabin crew can react quickly," he said.

 Last year, US authorities banned Samsung Galaxy Note 7 from all US flights after its lithium battery was found to spontaneously ignite. The ban extended to shipping the phones as air cargo.

 Samsung blamed faulty lithium-ion batteries, which it was said were overheating and causing the device to catch fire. Attempts to fix the problem failed and it later permanently halted production. ||||| Headphones catch fire on flight from Beijing to Melbourne, burning sleeping passenger's face and hands

 Updated

 A woman has suffered burns to her face and hands after her headphones caught fire and melted on a flight from Beijing to Melbourne, prompting warnings about battery-operated devices on aeroplanes.

 The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said a woman was using her personal noise-cancelling headphones on a flight from China to Melbourne on February 19.

 While she was sleeping, about two hours into the flight, she heard a loud explosion.

 She told the ATSB she then felt burning on her face, before the headphones slipped around her neck.

 "I continued to feel burning so I grabbed them off and threw them on the floor," she said in a statement issued by the ATSB.

 "They were sparking and had small amounts of fire.

 "As I went to stamp my foot on them the flight attendants were already there with a bucket of water to pour on them."

 The flight attendants then put the headphones into a bucket at the back of the plane.

 The ATSB has not revealed the brand of headphones.

 Phones, air purifier among flight fire hazards

 Stuart Godley from the ATSB said it was the first time a set of headphones catching on fire had been reported in Australia.

 "It seems to be [that] what happened was the batteries have caught on fire while she's wearing them," he said.

 "Besides her hair being singed and her hair blackened, I don't think she's had any serious burns," he said.

 "She's had some burns on her hands where she's grabbed her headphones, and also her clothes were burnt."

 But Mr Godley said there had been a number of phone and device battery fires.

 "We've also had a case of a person using personal air purifier and the batteries in that have caught on fire on a flight," he said.

 Passengers 'coughing, choking' for rest of flight

 The battery and cover melted and stuck to the floor of the plane, the ATSB said, and the smell of melted plastic, burnt electronics and burnt hair filled the cabin for the rest of the flight.

 "People were coughing and choking the entire way home," the woman said in the statement.

 Mr Godley said there was no need to ban lithium battery devices on planes as long as people took the right precautions.

 "There is a bit more of a fire risk for lithium batteries than for other batteries. If you're carrying spare batteries always have them in your carry-on baggage," he said.

 "Never put them underneath in your cargo because if it does catch on fire or short and there are other batteries nearby, they can get thermal runaway where each of the batteries catch on fire.

 "Makes sure the ends of them are protected and they can't rub together.

 "If you do have personal device that gets caught down in between the gaps of the seats don't move your seat, just call a flight attendant ... because the movement of the seat could crush the phone and start a fire."

 Topics: community-and-society, travel-health-and-safety, lifestyle-and-leisure, travel-and-tourism, china, melbourne-3000, vic

 First posted |||||

– A flight from Beijing to Melbourne, Australia, turned terrifying last month when a woman's headphones exploded midflight, burning her hands, face, and hair, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. The unidentified woman had dozed off a couple of hours into the Feb. 19 flight while wearing the headphones, and per an Australian Transport Safety Bureau warning issued about the incident, she awoke to a loud bang and a burning sensation on her face. She was able to gather her wits, grab the headphones, and hurl them to the floor, where she says they were "sparking" and "had small amounts of fire." Flight attendants came running with a bucket of water to douse the device, part of which had melted and stuck to the floor of the plane. The ATSB release shows images of the woman's face and neck covered in black soot and with burns and blisters on her hand. "People were coughing and choking the entire way home," one passenger says about the cabin's acrid smell. An ATSB rep tells ABC Australia that although this is the first report in the country about a pair of headphones exploding, other devices—including phones and a personal air purifier—have gone up in smoke. An Australia Civil Aviation Safety Authority rep tells CNN they'll be looking more into what happened to see if the headphones themselves were damaged, sparking the explosion, or if the blame falls on the batteries. In the meantime, the ATSB, which has declined to say what battery brand was involved, reminds travelers that extra device batteries should go in carry-on bags, not checked luggage, and that if a phone or other device falls between the seats, one should dig the device out or call for the crew's help before moving the seat. (Exploding e-cigs have also been an issue.)


Article:
FILE - In this March 4, 2015, file photo, Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington about bipartisan legislation on gun safety. Esty is apologizing for failing to protect female... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this March 4, 2015, file photo, Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington about bipartisan legislation on gun safety. Esty is apologizing for failing to protect female employees who say they were harassed by her former chief of staff. Current chief of staff Timothy... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this March 4, 2015, file photo, Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington about bipartisan legislation on gun safety. Esty is apologizing for failing to protect female employees who say they were harassed by her former chief of staff. Current chief of staff Timothy... (Associated Press) FILE - In this March 4, 2015, file photo, Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington about bipartisan legislation on gun safety. Esty is apologizing for failing to protect female... (Associated Press)

 HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, an outspoken advocate for the #MeToo movement, has found herself in the awkward position of apologizing for not protecting female staffers in her Washington office who say they experienced violence, death threats and sexual harassment by her former chief of staff.

 She dismissed calls Friday to step down.

 The Democrat has issued press releases calling for tougher harassment protections for congressional staff and was among those demanding that then-U.S. Rep. John Conyers of Michigan resign amid allegations of misconduct with staff. She issued her own public mea culpa Thursday following newspaper reports she did not suspend or fire the chief of staff until three months after learning about allegations against him in 2016.

 Esty said she regrets not moving along an internal investigation into the allegations, which revealed more widespread alleged abuse, and regrets providing "even the slightest assistance to this individual as he sought a new job."

 In advance of the news stories published by Hearst Connecticut Media and the Washington Post, Esty made it a point to call or meet with representatives of at least three grassroots Connecticut groups that have been allies of hers on issues affecting women.

 "I felt that she wanted to let me know what the situation was as someone who is involved in women's issues," said Cindy Wolfe Boynton, president of CT Now, a group that has endorsed Esty in past elections. "She did say more than once during the telephone call how she felt that she really did handle the situation poorly and was extremely remorseful for that."

 Boynton said it seemed Esty was "doing her best to handle the situation" in her office, but the group wants to know more about what happened.

 "As things stand now, I think there's a lot more information about the case that needs to come out," she said.

 In her apology, Esty said she was "horrified and angry" to learn in 2016 that a former employee had been harassed and physically harmed, allegedly by former chief of staff Tony Baker. She said she demanded Baker receive counseling.

 She then conducted an internal review of her office practices, later learning "the threat of violence was not an isolated incident" but a pattern of behavior by Baker affecting many female staffers.

 She said she was advised by the Office of House Employment Counsel to enter into a nondisclosure agreement with Baker, who then went to work as the Ohio state director of Sandy Hook Promise, an anti-gun violence advocacy group created in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Esty's district. He no longer works for the group.

 A spokesman for Baker told Hearst Connecticut Media and the Washington Post that he denies some of the allegations. A number listed for a Tony Baker in Columbus, Ohio, was disconnected.

 Karen Jarmoc, executive director of the coalition against domestic violence, said Esty reached out to her last weekend and asked to meet at Jarmoc's office.

 "This is a really troubling circumstance, but my sense that I received from her on Monday is that her priority was looking out for the survivor ultimately. Initially there were clearly some missteps," Jarmoc said. "What I received from her on Monday was a genuine desire to make things better" for employees the workplace.

 In an editorial calling on Esty to resign, the Hartford Courant said Esty's answers so far have been disappointing, saying "she has blamed the system and hasn't taken nearly enough responsibility for her own actions." The Courant added that "time was up for John Conyers and now time is up for Elizabeth Esty."

 JR Romano, the state's Republican Party chairman, also has called on Esty to step down. The state GOP sent out emails, accusing Esty of being "complicit in covering up assault."

 Esty received mild criticism from fellow Democratic members of Connecticut's congressional delegation, with nearly all noting that Esty acknowledged she had made mistakes.

 "I'm deeply disappointed. I'm just learning the facts," U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal told reporters while attending an event in Connecticut.

 Asked whether Esty should resign, the senator said, "what she does in the future is really a decision for her constituents. She needs to talk to her constituents." ||||| FILE - In this March 4, 2015, file photo, Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Esty on Monday, April 2, 2018, asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate whether she... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this March 4, 2015, file photo, Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Esty on Monday, April 2, 2018, asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate whether she did anything wrong in her handling of the firing of her former chief of staff accused of harassment,... (Associated Press)

 FILE - In this March 4, 2015, file photo, Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Esty on Monday, April 2, 2018, asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate whether she did anything wrong in her handling of the firing of her former chief of staff accused of harassment,... (Associated Press) FILE - In this March 4, 2015, file photo, Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Esty on Monday, April 2, 2018, asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate whether she... (Associated Press)

 HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The Latest on Rep. Elizabeth Esty's handling of a sexual harassment case in her office (all times local):

 4:55 p.m.

 Connecticut U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty says she won't seek re-election amid calls for her to resign because of her handling of a sexual harassment case involving her former chief of staff.

 The Democrat issued a statement Monday saying she has determined it's in the best interest of her constituents and her family to end her time in Congress at the end of this year "and not seek re-election." Esty is in the middle of her third term.

 Esty is again apologizing to a former female member of her staff who said she was punched in the back and received death threats in 2016. The man accused of punching her was not fired for several months, pending an internal investigation.

 Esty says she'll work to improve workplace protections during her final months in office.

 __

 11:30

 Connecticut U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty is asking the House Ethics Committee to investigate whether she committed any wrongdoing in how she handled the firing of a former chief of staff accused of harassment, threats and violence.

 The 5th District congresswoman's formal request on Monday comes amid calls for her resignation from state politicians, including fellow Democrats.

 In her letter to committee members, Esty says she learned through a third party in 2016 about possible misconduct involving her then-chief of staff. Esty has said she fired him three months later, after an internal investigation revealed widespread harassment allegations from staff.

 Esty says questions have been raised about her handling of the dismissal and she wants the panel to decide whether she violated any law, rule or other standard of conduct. |||||Summary:

– Rep. Elizabeth Esty announced Monday she will not seek re-election this year amid calls for her resignation over her handling of the firing of a former chief of staff accused of harassment and violence against female staffers in her office, the AP reports. The Democrat from Connecticut and an outspoken #MeToo advocate was accused of not protecting female staffers from the ex-chief of staff. Esty has said she regrets not moving along an internal investigation into the allegations, which revealed more widespread allegations of abuse, and regrets providing "even the slightest assistance to this individual as he sought a new job." Esty said she determined "that it is in the best interest of my constituents and my family to end my time in Congress at the end of this year and not seek re-election." Her announcement came hours after she asked the House Ethics Committee to review her actions. "Although we worked with the House Employment Counsel to investigate and ultimately dismiss this employee for his outrageous behavior with a former staffer, I believe it is important for the House Ethics Committee to conduct its own inquiry into this matter," Esty said in a written statement, acknowledging "it certainly was far from a perfect process." Esty said she wants the committee to "clarify whether there was any wrongdoing" on her part. A lawyer for the committee said he could not comment on Esty's request for an investigation. It's unclear whether an investigative subcommittee will be created or how long the process might take.


News article:

SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea said it successfully tested a powerful nuclear bomb on Wednesday, drawing threats of further sanctions even though the United States and weapons experts voiced doubts the device was as advanced as the isolated nation claimed.

 The underground explosion shook the earth so hard that it registered as a seismic event with U.S. earthquake monitors. It put pressure on China to rein in neighboring North Korea.

 The U.N. Security Council said it would begin working immediately on significant new measures in response to North Korea, a threat diplomats said could mean an expansion of sanctions.

 North Korea has been under Security Council sanctions since it first tested an atomic device in 2006. After a nuclear test in 2013, the Security Council took about three weeks to agree a resolution that tightened financial restrictions and cracked down on Pyongyang’s attempts to ship and receive banned cargo.

 In the United States, Republican presidential candidates seized on the test to accuse President Barack Obama of running a “feckless” foreign policy that enabled North Korea to bolster its nuclear arms capabilities.

 U.S. congressional sources said Republican leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives were considering a vote as soon as next week to broaden sanctions against North Korea by imposing stiffer punishments on foreign companies doing business with Pyongyang.

 While North Korea has a long history of voicing bellicose rhetoric against the United States and its Asian allies without acting on it, the assertion by Pyongyang on Wednesday that it had tested a hydrogen device, much more powerful than an atomic bomb, came as a surprise.

 North Korea also said it was capable of miniaturizing the H-bomb, in theory allowing it to be placed on a missile and potentially posing a new threat to the U.S. West Coast, South Korea and Japan.

 The U.S. State Department confirmed North Korea had conducted a nuclear test but the Obama administration disputed the hydrogen bomb claim.

 “The initial analysis is not consistent with the claim the regime has made of a successful hydrogen bomb test,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. He said any nuclear test would be a “flagrant violation” of Security Council resolutions.

 The explosion drew criticism, including from China and Russia. Beijing, the North’s main economic and diplomatic backer, said it will lodge a protest with Pyongyang.

 ‘H-BOMB OF JUSTICE’

 Wednesday’s nuclear test took place two days ahead of what is believed to be North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s birthday.

 “Let the world look up to the strong, self-reliant nuclear-armed state,” Kim wrote in what North Korean state TV displayed as a handwritten note.

 North Korea called the device the “H-bomb of justice.”

 While the Kim government boasts of its military might to project strength globally, it also plays up the need to defend itself from external threats as a way to maintain control domestically.

 It will likely take several days to determine more precisely what kind of nuclear device Pyongyang set off as a variety of sensors, including “sniffer planes,” collect evidence.

 Hydrogen bombs pack an explosion that can be more powerful than an atomic bomb as it uses a two-step process of fission and fusion that releases substantially more energy.

 Ko Yun-hwa (L), Administrator of Korea Meteorological Administration, points at where seismic waves observed in South Korea came from, during a media briefing at Korea Meteorological Administration in Seoul, South Korea, January 6, 2016. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

 A U.S. government source said the United States believes North Korea had set off the latest in a series of tests of old-fashioned atomic bombs of which it has dozens.

 The source said the size of the latest explosion was roughly consistent with previous tests believed to have been conducted with A-bombs rather than H-bombs. The latest test occurred in the same geographical location, with the same geological profile, as earlier tests.

 The United States had been anticipating a North Korean nuclear test for some time, as intelligence surveillance produced indications of possible preparations, including evidence of new excavations of underground tunnels at the site.

 The USGS reported a 5.1 magnitude seismic event that South Korea said was 49 km (30 miles) from the Punggye-ri site where the North has conducted nuclear tests in the past.

 South Korean intelligence officials and several analysts also questioned whether Wednesday’s explosion was a test of a full-fledged hydrogen device, pointing to its having been roughly as powerful as North Korea’s last atomic test.

 Stocks across the world fell for a fifth consecutive day as the North Korea tension added to a growing list of geopolitical worries and China fueled fears about its economy by allowing the yuan to weaken further.

 The Republicans added North Korea to a list of what they assert are Obama’s foreign policy failures, including Syria’s civil war, the rise of Islamic State and the agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program.

 They also blamed his former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party front-runner in the race for the November presidential election.

 Asked about North Korea, Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump told CNN that “China should solve that problem” or face trade retaliation from the United States. “South Korea should pay us and pay us very substantially for protecting them,” he said.

 Clinton condemned North Korea’s action as a “dangerous and provocative act” and said the United States should respond with more sanctions and stronger missile defenses.

 Slideshow (25 Images)

 North Korea has long coveted diplomatic recognition from Washington, but sees its nuclear deterrent as crucial to ensuring the survival of its third-generation dictatorship.

 The North’s state news agency said Pyongyang would act as a responsible nuclear state and vowed not to use its nuclear weapons unless its sovereignty was infringed.

 Joe Cirincione, a nuclear expert who is president of Ploughshares Fund, a global security organization, said North Korea may have mixed a hydrogen isotope in a normal atomic fission bomb.

 “Because it is, in fact, hydrogen, they could claim it is a hydrogen bomb,” he said. “But it is not a true fusion bomb capable of the massive multi-megaton yields these bombs produce.” ||||| North Korea carries out 'successful' hydrogen bomb test; 'Man-made earthquake' suspected after tremor

 Updated

 North Korea says it has conducted a "successful" hydrogen bomb test, which is believed to have caused a massive tremor that prompted evacuations as far away as China.

 Key points: North Korea claims to have successfully carried out its first hydrogen bomb test

 Magnitude-5.1 tremor at surface depth registered near Punggye-ri nuclear testing facility at 12:30pm AEDT

 The North has previously conducted tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013 at location of latest tremor

 South Korea, US and Chinese authorities have scrambled for confirmation of the test, however officials in Seoul have cast doubt on the claim it was a hydrogen bomb saying no radiation had been detected.

 If confirmed, the explosion marks a major step forward in the country's nuclear development.

 The surprise test was personally ordered by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and came just two days before his birthday.

 "Let the world look up to the strong, self-reliant nuclear-armed state," Mr Kim wrote in what North Korean state television displayed as a handwritten note.

 "The republic's first hydrogen bomb test has been successfully performed ... based on the strategic determination of the Workers' Party," a news reader announced on Wednesday.

 "With the perfect success of our historic H-bomb, we have joined the rank of advanced nuclear states.

 "The latest test, completely based on our technology and our manpower, confirmed that our newly-developed technological resources are accurate and scientifically demonstrated the impact of our miniaturised H-bomb."

 A magnitude-5.1 tremor was earlier detected by the US Geological Survey (USGS) and South Korean officials said they suspected it was an explosion.

 H-bomb or A-bomb? Sorry, this video has expired Video: Fact box: H-bomb or A-bomb? (ABC News) Simply put, atomic bombs' nuclear fission is the process of splitting atomic nuclei, while hydrogen bombs' fusion is joining them

 In H-bombs, TNT ignites an A-bomb to detonate adjacent to a fusion fuel such as tritium, deuterium or lithium deuteride, compressing them at extreme pressures and at a very rapid rate to start a fusion reaction

 Nuclear fusion is the process that occurs in the heart of the sun, and requires immense temperatures to ignite

 H-bombs, thermonuclear bombs and fusion bombs can be thousands of times more powerful than atomic bombs, atom bombs, A-bombs, or fission bombs

 Source: ABC/AFP

 Source: ABC/AFP

 "We suspect a man-made earthquake, and are analysing the scale and epicentre of the quake with the geoscience and mineral resource institute of South Korea," a Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) official said.

 A revised location of the tremor by the USGS put it at the same location as previous tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013, and at surface depth.

 Chinese border residents, however, were evacuated from buildings after feeling the tremors, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said on a verified social media account.

 The areas included Yanji, Hunchun and Changbai in Jilin province, some of the counties closest to the North's nuclear test site.

 Students at a senior high school were dismissed during an examination after its recreation ground cracked, it added.

 Last month, Mr Kim suggested Pyongyang had already developed a hydrogen bomb, although the claim was greeted with scepticism by international experts.

 The North's miniaturisation claims have also not been independently verified.

 A hydrogen, or thermonuclear, device uses fusion in a chain reaction that results in a powerful explosion.

 Unexpected test draws immediate condemnation

 The nuclear test drew condemnation abroad, with China, the North's chief ally, expressing "resolute opposition" and saying it would lodge a protest with Pyongyang.

 The United Nations Security Council is planning to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday (New York time) to discuss the test, three council diplomats have said.

 It was not immediately clear what action, if any, the 15-nation council was planning to take in response to the statement.

 Analysis: North Asia correspondent Matthew Carney in Beijing

 The last bomb, in 2013, was about magnitude 4.9 on the Richter scale. This time, it was only 5.1.

 Experts have said if this really was a true H-bomb, then you could expect up to 10 times this on the Richter scale, which obviously leads us to two conclusions.

 One, the regime is actually lying about it. A couple of weeks ago, we had North Korea's leaders saying that they would do it and that they did have the capacity, so maybe he is carrying on that threat.

 Or secondly and probably more likely, it was perhaps a failure to ignite this H-bomb and start this two-stage thermonuclear process.

 What they are trying to do is miniaturise the technology, to put the device on top of their inter-continental ballistic missiles, to hit the coast of America.

 This is the fourth test and in 10 years, they're really just still at the stage of a Hiroshima-style bomb that America dropped in Japan.

 Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has called on international bodies, including the council, to provide a strong response to North Korea's actions.

 "[The] nuclear test confirms North Korea's status as a rogue state and a continuing threat to international peace and security," Ms Bishop's statement said.

 While vowing to stick by a no-first-use policy, North Korea said it would continue to pursue an advanced nuclear strike capability.

 "As long as the vicious anti-North policy of the US persists, we will never stop development of our nuclear program," its state television news reader said.

 The White House said it could not confirm the claims of miniaturisation and a hydrogen bomb test, but added the United States would respond appropriately to provocations and defend its allies.

 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan would make a firm response to North Korea's challenge against nuclear non-proliferation.

 "North Korea's nuclear test is a serious threat to our nation's security and we absolutely cannot tolerate it," Mr Abe told reporters.

 "We strongly denounce it."

 South Korea's intelligence agency said the device may not have been a hydrogen nuclear bomb, Yonhap news agency reported.

 Its meteorological agency said separately that it had not detected any radiation.

 In Seoul, the presidential Blue House called an emergency meeting of the National Security Council as officials scrambled to confirm the precise nature of the tremor.

 South Korean President Park Geun-hye said the country will take decisive measures against any additional provocations by the North, and work with the international community to make sure the isolated country pays the price for its latest nuclear test.

 China's Xinhua state news agency said a new test runs counter to the goal of denuclearisation, and warned that any practice that disrupts stability in northeast Asia is "undesirable and unwise".

 A nuclear test is as a major slap in the face to its chief ally China, and extinguishes any chance of a resumption of six-country talks on North Korea's nuclear program that Beijing has been pushing for.

 ABC/wires

 Topics: nuclear-issues, earthquake, korea-democratic-peoples-republic-of, asia

 First posted ||||| SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Wednesday it had conducted a powerful hydrogen bomb test, a defiant and surprising move that, if confirmed, would be a huge jump in Pyongyang's quest to improve its still-limited nuclear arsenal.

 People watch a TV news program showing North Korea's announcement, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. North Korea said Wednesday it had conducted a hydrogen bomb... (Associated Press)

 People watch a TV news program showing North Korea's announcement, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. North Korea said Wednesday it had conducted a hydrogen bomb... (Associated Press)

 In this Oct. 10, 2015, file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers remarks at a military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea said on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, it has conducted a hydrogen... (Associated Press)

 People watch a TV news program showing North Korea's announcement, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. North Korea said Wednesday it had conducted a hydrogen bomb... (Associated Press)

 North Koreans watch a news broadcast on a video screen outside Pyongyang Railway Station in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. North Korea said Wednesday it had conducted a hydrogen bomb... (Associated Press)

 In this image made from video from KRT, the North Korean state broadcaster, a North Korean woman speaks during a broadcast aired on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. North Korea says it has conducted a hydrogen... (Associated Press)

 North Koreans react as they watch a news broadcast on a video screen outside Pyongyang Railway Station in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. North Korea said Wednesday it had conducted a... (Associated Press)

 North Koreans watch a news broadcast on a video screen outside Pyongyang Railway Station in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. North Korea said Wednesday it had conducted a hydrogen bomb... (Associated Press)

 People walk by a screen showing the news reporting about an earthquake near North Korea's nuclear facility, in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. South Korean officials detected an "artificial... (Associated Press)

 A television anchor said in a typically propaganda-heavy statement that the North had tested a "miniaturized" hydrogen bomb, elevating the country's "nuclear might to the next level" and providing it with a weapon to defend against the United States and its other enemies.

 The statement said the test was a "perfect success," and the announcement was celebrated on the streets of Pyongyang.

 South Korean President Park Geun-hye ordered her military to bolster its combined defense posture with U.S. forces and called the test a "grave provocation" and "an act that threatens our lives and future."

 There has long been skepticism by Washington and nuclear experts about past North Korean claims about H-bombs, which are much more powerful, and much more difficult to make, than atomic bombs. A confirmed test, however, would be seen as extremely worrying and lead to a strong push for new, tougher sanctions on North Korea at the United Nations, which quickly announced an emergency Security Council meeting on North Korea. It would also further worsen already abysmal relations between Pyongyang and its neighbors.

 North Korean nuclear tests catch global attention because each new blast is seen as pushing North Korea's scientists and engineers closer to their goal of building a bomb small enough to place on a missile that can reach the U.S. mainland.

 A successful H-bomb test would be a big step for the North, and the announcement prompted skepticism. Fusion is the main principle behind the hydrogen bomb, which can be hundreds of times more powerful than atomic weapons that use fission. In a hydrogen bomb, radiation from a nuclear fission explosion sets off a fusion reaction responsible for a powerful blast and radioactivity.

 Writing in December, after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un bragged of H-bomb capabilities, nuclear expert Jeffrey Lewis noted that building such a bomb "would seem to be a bit of a stretch for the North Koreans."

 But, he wrote on the North Korea-focused 38 North website, "The North has now had a nuclear weapons program for more than 20 years. This program has yielded three nuclear tests. North Korean nuclear scientists have access to their counterparts in Pakistan, possibly Iran and maybe a few other places. We should not expect that they will test the same fission device over and over again."

 One expert in Seoul said the 5.1 magnitude of the quake set off by Wednesday's test was likely too small to be an H-bomb test. However, the North could have experimented with a "boosted" bomb that uses some nuclear fusion fuel along with more conventional uranium or plutonium fuel, said Jaiki Lee, a professor of nuclear engineering at Seoul's Hanyang University.

 In Pyongyang, meanwhile, the announcement was greeted with an expected rush of nationalistic pride, and some bewilderment.

 A large crowd gathered in front of the city's main train station to watch the special bulletin announcing the news of the test on a big screen in the station's plaza. Some took videos or photos of the screen on their mobile phones. Others applauded and cheered as the TV announcer, wearing a pink traditional Korean gown, announced the news.

 One of the people in the plaza, Kim Sok Chol, 32, told The Associated Press that he doesn't know much about H-bombs, but added that "Since we have it the U.S. will not attack us."

 University student Ri Sol Yong, 22, said, "If we didn't have powerful nuclear weapons, we would already have been turned into the slaves of the U.S."

 Just how big a threat North Korea's nuclear program currently poses to the outside world is something of a mystery. North Korea is thought to have a handful of rudimentary nuclear bombs and has spent decades trying to perfect a multistage, long-range missile to eventually carry smaller versions of those bombs.

 Some analysts say the North hasn't likely achieved the technology needed to manufacture a miniaturized warhead that could fit on a long-range missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. But there is a growing debate on just how far the North has advanced in its secretive nuclear and missile programs.

 North Korea needs nuclear tests for practical military reasons. To build a credible nuclear program, the North must explode new nuclear devices — including miniaturized ones — so its scientists can continually improve their designs and technology. Nuclear-tipped missiles could then be used as deterrents, and diplomatic bargaining chips, against its enemies — and especially against the United States, which Pyongyang has long pushed to withdraw its troops from the region and to sign a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War.

 Strong condemnation of the announced test rolled in from around the world, including from Lassina Zerbo, the head of the Vienna-based CTBTO, which has a worldwide network of monitoring stations to detect nuclear testing. Zerbo told AP by phone, "This is indeed a wakeup call ... and I am convinced it will have repercussions on North Korea and international peace and stability."

 On Wednesday, the first indication of a possible test came when the U.S. Geological Survey measured an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1. An official from the Korea Metrological Administration, South Korea's weather agency, said the agency believed the earthquake was caused artificially, based on an analysis of the seismic waves; it originated 49 kilometers (30 miles) north of Kilju, the northeastern area where North Korea's main nuclear test site is located. The country conducted all three previous atomic detonations there.

 The announcement came as a surprise.

 North Korea hadn't conducted a nuclear explosion since early 2013, and leader Kim Jong Un did not mention the country's nuclear weapons in his New Year's speech. Some outside analysts speculated that Kim was worried about deteriorating ties with China, the North's last major ally, which has shown signs of greater frustration at provocations and a possible willingness to allow stronger U.N. sanctions.

 Pyongyang says its nuclear weapons program is necessary to defend itself against the United States. North Korea under Kim Jong Un has pledged to bolster its nuclear arsenal unless Washington scraps what Pyongyang calls a hostile policy.

 Washington sees North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles as a threat to world security and to its Asian allies, Japan and South Korea.

 The Korean Peninsula remains technically at war, as the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice. Washington stations more than 28,000 troops in South Korea as a buttress against any North Korean aggression. Tens of thousands more are in nearby Japan.

 The test announcement comes amid failed diplomatic efforts to persuade the North to give up its nuclear ambitions. Six-nation negotiations on dismantling North Korea's nuclear program in exchange for aid were last held in late 2008 and fell apart in early 2009, when North Korea was led by Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il, who died in late 2011.

 ___

 AP writer Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul and George Jahn in Vienna contributed to this story.

 Follow Foster Klug on Twitter: @APKlug ||||| North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gives a new year’s address for 2016 in Pyongyang, in this photo released Friday. (Kyodo/Reuters)

 North Korea claimed Wednesday that it had successfully tested a hydrogen bomb, a claim that, if true, would mark a huge step forward in its nuclear capability.

 “We’ve carried out a hydrogen bomb test,” a newsreader on the state-run Korean Central Television station announced in a special broadcast from Pyongyang.

 “North Korea was forced to develop its nuclear arsenal because of the U.S.’s hostile policy against North Korea,” she said. “However, as a peaceful nation and a nuclear powered-nation, North Korea will be a responsible state and will not use its nuclear power before [an attack] and will not transfer the technology to others.”

 There was some skepticism about the claim, with nuclear experts noting that the yield appeared to be similar to North Korea’s three previous atomic tests, rather than the “enormous” yield that would be expected if it had been a thermonuclear test.

 “We are aware of seismic activity on the Korean Peninsula in the vicinity of a known North Korean nuclear test site and have seen Pyongyang’s claims of a nuclear test,” said John Kirby, a spokesman at the State Department. “We are monitoring and continuing to assess the situation in close coordination with our regional partners.”

 Either way, Pyongyang’s provocative action will present a new challenge to the outside world, which has struggled to find ways to end North Korea’s nuclear defiance.

 “North Korea’s fourth test — in the context of repeated statements by U.S., Chinese, and South Korean leaders — throws down the gauntlet to the international community to go beyond paper resolutions and find a way to impose real costs on North Korea for pursuing this course of action,” said Scott Snyder, a Korea expert at the Council on Foreign Relations.

 Kim Jong Un’s regime hinted in December that it had built a hydrogen bomb to “defend its sovereignty and the dignity of the nation.” Some analysts were doubtful, saying the young leader appeared primarily concerned with trying to bolster his legitimacy.

 But on Wednesday, North Korea said in a special broadcast that it had carried out a “successful” hydrogen bomb test. “With this hydrogen bomb test, we have joined the major nuclear powers,” the newsreader said.

 Hydrogen, or thermonuclear, bombs are exponentially more powerful and destructive than atomic devices. An atomic bomb uses fission to break up the atomic nucleus and release energy, while a hydrogen or thermonuclear bomb uses fusion to add to the nucleus. This leads to an enormous explosion resulting from an uncontrolled, self-sustaining chain reaction.

 Kim has repeatedly asserted North Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed country and has resolutely refused to return to multilateral talks aimed at persuading it to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

 North Korea had conducted three nuclear tests since 2006 but only one during Kim’s reign, in February 2013.To the surprise of many analysts, there had been no fourth test.

 Then, there were signs of unusual seismic activity around North Korea’s main nuclear test site Wednesday morning, sparking fears that Pyongyang ordered the detonation of another atomic device two days before Kim’s birthday.

 “We have consistently made clear that we will not accept [North Korea] as a nuclear state,” Kirby said. “We will continue to protect and defend our allies in the region, including the Republic of Korea, and will respond appropriately to any and all North Korean provocations.”

 Earthquake agencies in China, Japan and the United States all recorded unusual seismic activity in the northeastern corner of North Korea at 10 a.m. local time Wednesday.

 The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a shallow 5.1-magnitude quake about 20 miles from the facility at Punggye-ri, where North Korea has carried out its three previous nuclear tests. Japan’s Meteorological Agency said that it appeared to be some kind of artificial explosion and that the waveform was very similar to the ones detected at the past nuclear tests, public broadcaster NHK reported.

 Many analysts have been surprised that such a long period has passed without another test, because it is by testing that North Korea can advance its program.

 “I think they have a technological path in mind,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif.

 In December, Lewis noted that satellite pictures showed North Korea appeared to be building a new tunnel at its nuclear test site, warning that the Pyongyang regime might be preparing to conduct a fourth atomic test. “There is a lot of tunneling at the test site, which could mean they have a bunch of tests planned,” he said.

 Although analysts were still awaiting more data, Lewis said that Wednesday’s explosion looked very similar to past tests and was not enormous, suggesting it was not a hydrogen bomb.

 In Seoul and Tokyo, the governments called emergency national security meetings to discuss the possibility of a nuclear test.

 “This nuclear test by North Korea is a major threat to our country’s security, and I absolutely cannot accept it,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday. “Also, it is clearly a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions so . . . we will take strong measure, including steps within the U.N. Security Council.”

 Joel Wit, a former U.S. diplomat who runs the 38 North website dedicated to North Korea, said that the purpose of the test remained unclear.

 “What is clear is that North Korea is moving forward with its nuclear weapons program and that the United States, China and the international community need to come up with more effective ways to deal with this growing threat,” he said.

 Yoonjung Seo in Seoul and Yuki Oda in Tokyo contributed to this report. |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– A tense 2016 lies ahead on the Korean Peninsula after a North Korean nuclear test that could mark an alarming leap forward in the country's technology. Pyongyang claims that it successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb for the first time, though experts say the Wednesday morning explosion— believed to have caused a 5.1-magnitude quake—was closer in size to North Korea's three previous nuclear tests than to a hydrogen bomb explosion, reports the Washington Post. Kim Jong Un claimed last month that the country had an H-bomb, a weapon much more powerful and harder to make than an atomic bomb, and a confirmed test would almost certainly lead to tough new sanctions against North Korea, the AP reports. North Korean state media reported that the test of the "miniaturized" H-bomb was a "perfect success." It could be weeks before an H-bomb test can be confirmed by outside experts, who seem skeptical of Pyongyang's claims. "Given the scale, it is hard to believe this is a real hydrogen bomb," a rep from the Korea Defense and Security Forum tells Reuters. "They could have tested some middle stage kind [of device] between an A-bomb and H-bomb, but unless they come up with any clear evidence, it is difficult to trust their claim." The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that the United Nations Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss the nuclear test. (At the start of 2016, Kim said he was ready for war.)