The Hangover News

Big Statements
NORTH KOREA DECLARED "A STATE OF WAR" WITH SOUTH KOREA
But they've technically been at war for 50 years, so it isn't anything new 

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North Korea has said it is entering into a "state of war" with South Korea – either the latest ploy to piss off its neighbours in the south and America, or a genuine statement of intent to get the world to take their previous threats seriously.

The problem is that no one seems to be doing that, and considering the two countries have technically been at war since 1953 – as no peace treaty was ever signed – you'll probably understand why.

The aforementioned previous threats include a warning of a "pre-emptive nuclear strike" on the US and the scrapping of the Korean war armistice, as well as a recent announcement that the North Korean parliament has endorsed plans to give nuclear weapons greater prominence in the country's defences..

However, North Korea's most advanced missiles are thought to be able to reach Alaska, but not the rest of the US mainland, which presumably was another reason why people haven't been taking their threats very seriously.

Nevertheless, the US Navy have shifted a guided-missile destroyer to waters off the Korean peninsula just in case, while officials in Seoul have promised a "strrong response" to any aggression from the north, but US defence officials insist there is nothing to indicate that North Korea is on the verge of launching any nuclear warheads.

Protests
A LOAD OF PEOPLE IN LONDON PROTESTED AGAINST THE BEDROOM TAX
For whatever reason, no one seemed very happy that the Tories want to make life worse for poor people

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Several hundred people gathered in Trafalgar Square to protest against welfare cuts and the "bedroom tax", which is set to cut housing benefits for any claimants with a spare room in their house.

Lots of people were wearing Anonymous masks, as is now due course with these kinds of things, and everyone was outraged at the government's plans to effectively tax poor people for having extra space in their homes.

John MacDonald, a 66-year-old from Norfolk, said, "I'd like to know if the second homes we pay for MPs are all one bedroom." John makes a good point.

The protest was peaceful and, as you can see from the video above, the police seemed to have a pretty nice time throughout, which is nice.

Audacious Ideas
NASA WANT TO CAPTURE AN ASTEROID IN A GIANT BAG
Because why the hell not?

Photo by Norris Wong. 

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The 2014 NASA budget is reportedly going to include $100 million set aside (£65,663,000) for catching an asteroid in a giant bag.

The idea is to capture an Earth-approaching asteroid of about 500 tonnes and seven metres in diameter, before moving it to a safe orbit around the moon by 2025.

The rationale behind NASA's real life Bruce Willis moment could, according to pundits, be down to two things: strengthening defence against asteroids, or – more likely – in order to mine asteroids for their resources.

Two companies – Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries – have similar plans to NASA (trap an asteroid, mine it) and the NASA mission could be a test to see if the idea is a feasible one or a ridiculous one.

Racist Toys
LEGO ARE GOING TO STOP MAKING THEIR "ANTI-ISLAMIC" JABBA THE HUT TOYS
Muslim critics say it plays into a load of pretty negative stereotypes

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Renowned racists, Lego, have agreed to stop producing their Star Wars Jabba the Hut toys after complaints from Austria's Islamic community that the toys were offensive to Muslims.

Furious Muslim critics complained that the Lego set’s Asian and oriental figures were “deceitful and criminal” characters, like gun-runners, slave masters and terrorists.

Melissa Gunes, a spokeswoman for Austria’s Turkish Cultural Association, said that, "This sort of thing doesn't belong in a child's bedroom" and that Jabba was shown to be a “terrorist who likes to smoke hookah and have his victims killed”.

Lego initially refused to halt production on the toy, saying it was simply a reproduction of what had been in the original Star Wars film, but this weekend relinquished their protest and announced it would be off the shelves by 2014.

Fascist Football
LOTS OF PEOPLE AREN'T HAPPY THAT PAOLO DI CANIO IS MANAGING SUNDERLAND AFC
He celebrated a goal with a Nazi salute once, which isn't a traditional way of winning people over

Photo via.

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Among other loud criticism, ex-foreign secretary David Miliband has resigned from the board of Sunderland AFC over new head coach Paolo Di Canio's "past political statements".

Those political statements include remarking that he is "a fascist, not a racist".

Di Canio also said that fascist dictator Mussolini was "deeply misunderstood" and once celebrated a goal by making a Nazi salute and a face that made him look a bit like a donkey being branded.

The new manager's first game with Sunderland will be against Chelsea next Sunday where, presumably, he'll play down the whole fascist thing.