Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has accused China of not doing enough to control the reclusive North Korean regime, which has threatened a nuclear attack on the United States.
Key points:
World concerned about "reckless and dangerous" conduct of North Korea, Malcolm Turnbull says
Christopher Pyne says North Korea poses "greatest threat" to global security
Mr Turnbull stressed sanctions, "other means" to put pressure on the regime
Last week that threat led US President Donald Trump to declare that he would "solve the problem" of North Korea with or without China, which shares a border with the regime.
Speaking in India today, Mr Turnbull said the entire world was concerned about the "reckless and dangerous" conduct of the North Korean regime, which threatens regional stability and global peace.
"The time has come for all parties but particularly China, which has the closest relationship with North Korea to bring pressure to bear through the sanctions regime and other means to ensure they cease this reckless and dangerous conduct," he said.
Mr Turnbull said China was "clearly not doing enough" to control North Korea.
"The Chinese side would say they have imposed some sanctions, but the reality is the regime is threatening peace and stability in the world," he told Sky News.
"The Chinese are the parties with the greatest leverage over North Korea, that"s a fact."
North Korea poses "greatest threat" to global security, Pyne says
Late last year, China, which is believed to be the only country buying North Korean coal, announced it would slash its imports in line with international sanctions after a ballistic missile test.
US officials have stressed that stronger sanctions are the most likely US course to press North Korea to abandon its nuclear program.
Mr Trump has accused North Korea of "looking for trouble" and recently diverted a US Navy strike group towards the peninsula as a show of force amid concerns about its nuclear program.
"We welcome the US taking a firm line with North Korea and as Malcolm Turnbull has said, it is very important that China takes full responsibility for what it can do to settle that part of the world," he said.
Mr Pyne said the unpredictability of the regime was "of significant consequence to Australia".
"I know it seems surprising to say so, but there is a predictability about the war in the Middle East, in Syria and Iraq, and of course the allies there are winning that war slowly but surely," he told Adelaide radio station 5AA.
Washington officials have said all options, including military ones, are on the table and that a US strike last week against Syria should serve as a warning to Pyongyang.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Mr Trump had put North Korea "clearly on notice" that he would not tolerate certain actions, but dismissed Pyongyang"s nuclear attack threat.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at a rally with supporters in Council Bluffs, Iowa, September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Aly Song/File Photos
White House press secretary sean spicer shut down speculation that President Trump"s emotional reaction to the chemical weapons attack that killed 80 in Syria last week had altered the administration"s stance on Syrian refugees.
In response to a question from a reporter about whether Trump was rethinking his travel ban"sstipulation barring Syrian refugees from entering the US, Spicer began, "I think you"ve heard a lot of these refugees talk about the fact in particular that they"re not looking to flee" Syria.
When reporters specified that the question was with regardto those who did want to leave the war-torn country, he said that the administration"s priority was to protect Americans" safety and to create a situation in which Syrians did not have to flee their home country.
"That"s our number one goal: creating a safer environment, deescalating the conflict there," Spicer said. "The goal isn"t to figure out how many people we can just import to this country."
Despite his assertion that Trump had been "touched" by images of victims of the chemical weapons, he implied that the attackwould not prompt a change in US policy towards accepting Syrian refugees.
"They have touched him, and I think that"s what he made very clear. That"s why, with the consent and guidance of his national security team" Trump ordered a military strike targeting the airfield from which the chemical weapons had been deployed, Spicer said.
"It was very extreme, it was moving. I don"t think you can watch those things ... when you see young children and babies being gassed, it should move any human being," he added, before saying that images of young children and babies who had been injured or killed as a result of the attack had played a role in Trump"s final decision to authorize the strike.
The Evolution of Kendrick Lamar’s Cover Art From His First EP to "DAMN"
On Kendrick Lamars new single, The Heart Part 4, he fired off a rather ferocious warning:
Yall got till April 7 to get yall together.
Many assumed thats when the Compton rapper was dropping his next album. Turns out he was simply whetting our appetite for the album, which will be released on April 14.
Hours before the clock hit midnight on his April 7 deadline, the pre-order for Lamars new record appeared on iTunes.There arent many details about the project his first proper studio album since 2015s "To Pimp a Butterfly. Neither the title, cover art nor tracklist was revealed when the pre-order went live.
Currently bearing the placeholder title of ALBUM with a black album cover, the 14-track project includes the Mike WiLL Made-It-produced banger Humble, whose accompanying video sparked much celebration, and debate, about lamars representation of black women.
Humble is the only song title listed on the pre-order link. The Heart Part 4, his fourth entry in a career-spanning series of freestyles, isnt listed here.
Last year, Lamar issued "Untitled Unmastered, a collection of recordings pulled from the To Pimp a Butterfly sessions.
The arrival of Lamars new album is just in time for his gig at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival next weekend. Two days after its release, he will close out the festival with a headlining show that will see the live debut of his new material.
See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour
gerrick.kennedy@latimes.com
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Kendrick Lamar’s “Damn.” Album Features Guest Appearances From Rihanna & U2
Kendrick Lamar a.k.a. The King of Rap is releasing his fourth studio album this Friday. So we here at TNJN thought that we would honor Kendricks divine status by providing you all with our scorching Kendrick Lamar takes. David Bradford, Quinn Pilkey and Robert Hughes will reveal their favorite Kendrick feature, verse, song and album.
BEST VERSE
Kendrick Lamar is a rapper who raps verses. Most of the time (read 100 percent of the time), he transports you to an alternate dimension. And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.And in that alternate dimension, he still exists, so you go to another alternate dimension.
You get the point.
Bradford
First verse of HiiiPower. Shut up and dont @ me with another verse, peasants. This is early Kendrick its onSection.80 but this is the verse that catapulted his confidence so he could give the worldgood kid, m.A.A.d. cityandTo Pimp a Butterfly.
Lets take this line-by-line, word-by-word and syllable-by-syllable.
Visions of Martin Luther staring at me/Malcolm X put the hex on my future some catch me.
Immediately, we see Kendrick bringing up two prominent Civil Rights figures (MLK and Malcolm X), but whats interesting is his exclusion of MLKs last name, which makes me think this is a double entendre for Martin Luther King Jr. and Martin Luther. I could be wrong because my IQ resembles the plastic bag I just put over my head. I just thought it was interesting.
Im falling victim to a revolutionary song/The Serengetis Clone/Back to put you backstabbers back on your spinal bone.
Ive had plenty of backstabbers in my life. Two of my ex-girlfriends cheated on me. So I want to put them on their spinal bones. Haha jk i dont actually care.
You slipped your disc when I slid you my disc/You wanted to diss but jumped on my d***.
HOW. DOES. HE. DO. THIS.
Refer to the back on your spinal bone part in the previous line. Kendrick then says You slipped your disc when I slid you my disc, which refers to a spinal injury when listening to his music.
Then, of course, people want to diss Kendrick. But then they hear his verses, re-evaluate if they enjoy existing on this planet and become faux fans.
Grown men never should bite their tongue/Unless you eating p**** that smell like its a stale plum.
No comment.
I got my finger on the morthaf***** pistol/Aiming it at a pig, Charlottes web is going to miss you.
WHAT.
HOW.
OMG.
The first time I heard this line, I went repeated it at least a dozen times. ACharlottes Webreference in a song is so dope. Wow, Kendrick, please! I have a family!
My issue isnt televised and you aint gotta tell the wise/How to stay on beat because our lifes an instrumental.
This is getting ridiculous. The words beat and instrumental are obviously related, as instrumentals are usually centered around beats. Haha.
This is physical and mental, I wont sugar coat it/Youd die from diabetes if these other n***** wrote it.
My. Word.
This verse isnt even humanat this point. Kendrick wont sugar coat what hes saying, but if somebody else said it, there would be so much sugar coating or in LeBrons case, sugar coding that youll get diabetes and die.
Kendrick, not in front of my children!
And everything on TV just a figment of imagination/I dont want a plastic nation, dread that like a Haitian/While you mothaf***** waiting, I be off the slave ships/Building pyramids, writing my own hieroglyphs.
The perfect ending to this monstrous verse. Kendrick fears a plastic nation, but while everybody is sitting around, he started making moves.
Six years later, hes the King.
Bow.
Hughes
My personal favorite is one of his longest verses, but his rhythm, rhyme, storytelling and speed are just too good for me to overlook.
Spoiler: Its the first verse in m.A.A.d. city from the albumgood kid, m.A.A.d. city.
Strap on your seat belts and bring your inhaler; heck, bring an EpiPen, because this verse is a lot to handle. Here we go.
Like David did, were going to take this a few lines at a time.
Brace yourself
Dangit, I couldnt even make it past this line without stopping. Kendrick is literally telling all of us to brace ourselves because hes about to spit a verse so mind-boggling that we need to take some time to prepare ourselves, but then he keeps going and you are already playing catch-up, just trying to hang on for dear life the rest of the verse. Anyway, lets start back from the top
Brace yourself/Ill take you on a trip down memory lane/This is not a rap on how Im slinging crack or move cocaine/This is cul-de-sac and plenty Cognac and major pain/Not the drill sergeant but the stress that weighin on your brain.
Ok, Kendrick, chill out. Thats a lot for me to process. So youre going to tell me a a little about your past and how you werent a drug dealer, but you were still caught up with the pressures of substance abuse (all while making a reference to a pretty good movie). Thats cool, but just give me some t
Nope. He just keeps going.
It was me, L Boog, and Yan Yan/YG lucky ride down Rosecrans/It got ugly waving your hand out the windowCheck yourself, uh.
I assume all of those people are his friends, but the most important part of this verse is the uh. He gives us, if only for a moment, a split-second to (attempt to) catch up to what hes said and what hes about to say.
Warriors and Conans/Hope euphoria can slow dance/with society/the driver seat/the first one to get killed/Seen a light-skinned [expletive] with his brains blown out/At the same burger stand where *beep* [a gang] hang out/Now this is not a tape recorder saying that he did it/But ever since that day, I was looking at him different.
Stop. The. Match.
Kendrick, please, man, youve already told us enough. I dont want to be an accessory to the crime you are talking about or the crime you are currently committing by murdering this verse. Just stop, man. You win.
Nope, he continues.
That was back when I was nine/Joey packed the nine/Pakistan on every porch is fine/We adapt to crime/Pack a van with four guns at a time/With the sliding door.
You witnessed this when you were nine years old? NINE. YEARS. OLD?! And then he just keeps going, like its not a big deal. He was used to the violence and being around guns all the time already. Wow. But hes not done, not even close.
[Expletive] you shooting for if you aint walking up you [expletive] punk?/Picking up the [expletive] pump/Picking off you suckers/Suck a [expletive] or die or sucker punch/A wall of bullets coming from/AKs, ARs, Aye yall, duck,/Thats what momma said when we was eating that free lunch.
This portion is a blend of tragedies. Violence is so prevalent in his life that hes not afraid to tempt death, but then he hits you with more sadness when he says that his family has to be wary of gang violence, even while eating a lunch that his family cannot afford themselves.
Aw man, [expletive]/All h**l broke loose/You killed my cousin back in 94/[Expletive] your truce/Now crawl your head in that noose/You wind up dead on the news/Aint no peace treaty/Just pieces BGs up to pre-approve.
Now, its personal for him, so he goes even harder these last few lines.
Bodies on top of bodies/IVs on top of IVs/Obviously the coroner between the sheets like the Isleys/When you hop on the trolley/Make sure your colors correct/Make sure youre corporate or theyll be calling your mother collect/They say the governor collect/all of our taxes, except/when we in traffic and tragic happens/That [expletive] aint no threat/You moving backwards if you suggest that you sleep with a TEC/Go buy a chopper and have a doctor on speed dial, I guess/m.A.A.d. city.
How? How is he this good? Hes telling a story about gang violence and how nobody cares about it while absolutely destroying a verse at the same time. I dont understand.
Thats why hes the best, and thats why I cannot contain my excitement for his new album.
Pilkey
Theres no verse in Kendrick Lamars entire discography that evokes more emotion than the second verse on Sing About Me. The song comes near the end of good kid, m.A.A.d City, after the climax of the albums story. The entire song is gut-wrenching in the way it paints characters of Compton residents that Kendrick knew in his early life. The second and most powerful verse is sung from the perspective of a young prostitute, the sister of the titular character in Section.80s Keishas Song. The narrator berates Kendrick for using her sisters story to sell albums:
You wrote a song about my sister on your tape / And called it Section.80, the message resembled Brendas Got a Baby / Whats crazy was, I was hearing about it / But doubted your ignorance how could you ever just put her on blast and sh*t / Judging her past and sh*t, well, its completely my future
She feels that Kendrick has co-opted a deeply personal story for his own gain. It seems to be a sensitive subject for kendrick: he attempts to bring light to serious issues he faced in his youth without exploiting those around him. The emotion in his voice is palpable through this verse as he views things from the perspective of someone who feels used by him. Still, as the narrator says several bars later, she doesnt care about Kendricks intentions.
And Im exhausted, but f*ck that Sorry for your loss sh*t / My sister died in vain, but what point are you trying to gain / If you cant fit the pumps I walk in? Ill wait / Your rebuttal a little too late / And if you have an album date, just make sure Im not in the song / Cause I dont need the attention bring enough of that on my own
Kendrick shows empathy for the narrator and is able to see things from her perspective. Still, he knows that he wants to get her story out into the world and ultimately decides to do just that yet still show a different perspective by including this verse on the album.
And matter fact, did I mention I physically feel great? / A doctors approval is a waste of time, I know Im straight / Ill probably live longer than you and never fade away / Ill never fade away, Ill never fade away, I know my fate
There are inherent dangers in the narrators line of work, but she doesnt care. In fact, she feels immune from those dangers. She attacks Kendricks career as rap, implying that his fame will fade as she continues to thrive. She repeats that point several times. The verse continues, but the voice fades out. Just seconds after she announces she will never fade away, she literally fades away. The next verse is from Kendrick Lamars perspective.
Its not his most exciting verse or his most impressive technically. But if theres one verse that combines Kendricks natural rapping ability, the emotions that he can evoke and his social consciousness and empathy, its this one. And thats what makes it his best.
How Rashad Jennings Overcame The Odds En Route To The NFL
Another week down!
On Monday evening, Dancing With The Stars said goodbye to yet another celeb but not before making us bawl like babies first. In case you didn"t know, this week"s theme of DWTS was "most memorable year," which meant each contestant told a personal story and channeled that into a choreographed number.
Related: Nancy Loved Kristi Yamaguchi"s "Break A Leg" Comment!
While most of the pairs walked away with high scores, it was shocking to see The Bachelor"s Nick Viall and NFL stud rashad jennings as the standout performers of the night. We guess, William Shatner will be bummed by this news.
After weeks of poor performances, we can"t say we"re surprised to report that it was Mr. T and partner Kym Herjavec who were given the boot. Whomp, whomp.
Be sure to ch-ch-check out the HIGHlights from the the ABC dancing competition for yourself (below)!
The Good
The Bad
The Goodbye
[Image via ABC/YouTube.]
Tags: dance, dancing with the stars, nfl, nick viall, rashad jennings, reality tv, tv news
The first trailer for Thor: Ragnarok Taika Waititis next indie film has been taking the internet by storm this morning, with its neon-soaked color scheme, lighthearted humor, and incredible helmets.
Alongside fellow 2017 Marvel movies Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming, Ragnarok seems to have a certain life to it that other films in the superhero genre including Marvels own recent efforts have been lacking. And a lot of that, I think, has to do with Ragnaroks setting, which seems to be ditching the tired scenery of Earth for something a little more... extravagant.
Putting aside the original Guardians of the Galaxy for a moment, almost every Marvel movie has been centered around good old planet Earth. Which makes sense, given that these movies, especially at the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, needed to attract an audience far larger than comic book fans. And so they found ways to ground the fantastical ideas of the original comics, whether that was as vaguely realistic as a man flying in a superpowered iron suit or a fish-out-of-water Norse G*d of thunder. Placing the action in familiar environs like New York City or Albuquerque made superhuman stories feel human and intergalactic stakes feel immediate and relatable.
But were nearly 10 years into Marvels superhero franchise at this point, and what once was fresh is growing old and tired. Thor: ragnarok seems to be taking the same approach as Guardians of the Galaxy (itself a breath of fresh air for superhero cinema) by moving the action to a more fantastical setting. Or to put it another way, weve seen everything these heroes can save (and destroy) on Earth now, its time for a road trip.
Weve known for a while that Ragnorak would be more of a road trip movie showing off a buddy dynamic between Chris Hemsworths Thor and Mark Ruffalos Hulk. And if the trailer (or at the very least, Hemsworths trillion-watt smile in this GIF) is anything to go by, taking these characters weve gotten to know over the last few films and shaking up the setting looks like its going to lead to some results that, at the very least, will be distinguishable from the superhero movie churn.
I have watched this roughly two dozen times and Im still smiling.
You only need to look at recent entries like Ant-Man or Doctor Strange to see that some change was needed. Both films were perfectly fine entries in Marvels lineup, but suffered from the same simple problem that wed seen those same stories before. Doctor Stranges origin played like Iron Man with more cultural appropriation and, somehow, a thinner love story. The best parts of those films were scenes like Michael Peas scene-stealing exposition monologue or the mind-bending visuals from Stranges trips among the multiverse things that were wholly new to Marvels sprawling franchise.
And the new road trip direction is especially significant for Marvel given the state of its competition. After all, DC looks to be making up ground this year by borrowing from Marvels playbook through with a one-two punch of the character-driven Wonder Woman and a more lighthearted Justice League. And Universals Fast and Furious franchise is resembling a superhero franchise with each passing submarine missile.
Its time for Marvels heroes to start shooting for the stars
Its obviously too early to call Ragnarok a success at this admittedly early stage. We already know from the Doctor Strange credits teaser that the action will be making its way back to the more familiar streets of New York at some point in the film, and its possible the change of pace is only temporary at best. But for now, its nice to see that, in a series full of extraordinary heroes with abilities from some of comics wildest imaginations, were finally getting settings to match. Because while its films may have spent almost a decade stuck firmly on the ground, its time for Marvels heroes to start shooting for the stars.
