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North Korea on Monday fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the Pacific Ocean, with the sister of leader Kim Jong Un saying that the nation’s use of the waters as “our firing range” depends on the “action” of U.S. forces. 

“… Using the Pacific as our firing range depends on the character of the action of US forces,” said Kim Yo Jong in a statement shared by North Korean state news media.

The new launches come after North Korea on Saturday fired a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the ocean off Japan’s coast, a move the U.S. National Security Council called “a flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.” 

Though the U.S. assessed no imminent threat, it said North Korea’s move “needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region.”

North Korea fired dozens of missiles last year, and the latest two launches come as North Korea appears angered by joint military exercises from the U.S. and South Korea, and by a U.S. bomber flight that flew in response to the earlier ICBM.

Jong said in her statement that North Korea will “closely examine the state of influence” of US forces active in the Korean peninsula and vowed to “take corresponding countermeasure[s] if it is judged to cause any concern.”  Zelensky on Biden visit to Ukraine: ‘Historic. Timely. Brave.’ Which parts of Mexico are on the ‘do not travel’ list?

“There is no change in our will to make the top-class fanatics straining the situation pay dearly,” the leader’s sister said.

In the wake of the firings, Japan has requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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UK

UK weather: Warning over flight delays as fog forces ‘air traffic restrictions’

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UK weather: Warning over flight delays as fog forces 'air traffic restrictions'

Flight delays are expected as the UK sees more heavy fog.

It comes after 20,000 people were affected by airport disruption on Thursday, according to travel journalist Simon Calder.

“Temporary air traffic restrictions have been put in place due to fog causing poor visibility. Some flights may be delayed throughout the day,” a spokesperson for Gatwick Airport said.

“London Gatwick apologises for any inconvenience. Passengers should contact their airline for further information,” they added.

At Gatwick 35 departures scheduled up to 11am are delayed and 26 flight arrivals are delayed up to the same time. Two flights are cancelled. At Heathrow 20 flight departures scheduled to leave before 11am are delayed. At Manchester airport 16 arrivals are delayed up to 11am.

Speaking to Anna Jones on Sky News Breakfast about the disruption yesterday Mr Calder said: “We had at London City Airport, at London Heathrow, the busiest in Britain, at London Gatwick, the second busiest, more than 40 cancellations in and out from each of those airports.”

The thick fog will continue on Saturday according to the Met Office, with some areas seeing visibility reduced to just 100 metres.

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The worst of the fog is forecast to hit the South East and central England, while East Anglia and parts of South Wales will also be affected.

Cars navigate foggy conditions on the M3 near Basingstoke on Friday.
Pic: PA
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Cars navigate foggy conditions on the M3 near Basingstoke on Friday.
Pic: PA


Forecasters have not issued any fog weather warnings yet but the Met Office said it will monitor the situation across the weekend.

Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick said: “It’s that time of year when people are travelling around the country a lot and there are a lot of people on the roads.

“There is a lot of fog covering much of England, mainly the South East and central England, but the rest of the country is seeing quite a bit of thick fog too.

“It will be pretty murky on Saturday morning and there will still be fog patches that will take a little longer to clear.”

Meanwhile, there is a yellow warning in place for heavy rain in parts of Scotland for Monday and New Year’s Eve on Tuesday, leaving the start of 2025 “distinctly unsettled”.

Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations could face “significant disruption” from rain, with organisers warning audiences to “prepare for all weather, wrap up warm and double-check with your travel operator for the latest updates.”

Fog at Half Moon Bay in Morecombe on Friday
Image:
Fog at Half Moon Bay in Morecombe on Friday

The yellow warning could see as much as 140mm (5.5in) of rain in places, as other parts of the UK will likely see rain, wind and possibly even snow later on next week.

The Met Office added that “more warnings are likely to be issued”.

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At Heathrow, British Airways was forced to cancel a handful of flights due to fog on Friday, while others were delayed.

Flights at both Gatwick and Manchester Airport were disrupted, with delays of up to three hours at Gatwick, and some passengers were diverted to other airports.

“The diversions were absolutely extreme,” said Mr Calder. At Teesside Airport, flights were diverted to Newcastle, Aberdeen and even Dublin.

This could continue into the weekend if the misty weather persists.

A spokesperson for the UK’s main air traffic control provider Nats said it had implemented “temporary air traffic restrictions” at several airports on Friday due to the fog.

Can I get compensation if my flight is delayed?

If your flight is affected by the disruption, you won’t be able to get any cash back, according to Mr Calder, as “bad weather is beyond the airline’s control”.

“However, every airline that cancels a flight is obliged to find for its passengers an alternative flight as soon as possible,” he said.

While the fog likely won’t remain past the weekend, people should not hold out hope for sustained sunshine with wet and windy conditions expected for much of the country, the Met Office said.

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Bregman, Buehler team up for big Santa Anita win

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Bregman, Buehler team up for big Santa Anita win

ARCADIA, Calif. — All-Stars Alex Bregman and Walker Buehler have teamed as owners of a 3-year-old colt that won for the first time at Santa Anita on Friday.

March of Time defeated four rivals by 2¼ lengths to win a six-furlong sprint race worth $60,000 that was designated for horses that had never won. The $60,000 purse was representative of the quality of the horses entered.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, March of Time paid $4.60 to win as the wagering favorite. The colt took over the lead in the upper stretch and put away eventual runner-up Santarena with a furlong to go.

Sired by 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, who was trained by Baffert, the colt’s other owner is Baffert’s wife, Jill.

Buehler, who helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series this year and reportedly has agreed to a free agent deal with the Boston Red Sox, is a longtime friend of the couple.

Bregman, also a free agent, spent the past nine seasons playing third base for the Houston Astros and helped them to a pair of World Series titles.

March of Time was previously owned by the high-powered trio of Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith of Coolmore. The colt finished second in his racing debut a year ago.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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US

Scottie Scheffler: Freak Christmas dinner injury forces world’s best golfer to undergo surgery

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Scottie Scheffler: Freak Christmas dinner injury forces world's best golfer to undergo surgery

The world’s best golfer has suffered a freak injury while cooking Christmas dinner, forcing him to undergo surgery.

Scottie Scheffler sustained a puncture wound after cutting the palm of his right hand on broken glass.

The world number one required surgery as small glass fragments remained in the palm after the accident.

The injury has forced him out of the first tournament of the season, next week’s The Sentry in Hawaii.

Scottie Scheffler. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

But the 28-year-old has been told he will recover in three to four weeks, and he hopes to be back in action at The American Express tournament in California on 16 January.

Scheffler won an Olympic gold and seven PGA Tour titles in the last year and was recently named PGA Tour’s Player of the Year for a third season in a row.

In May, he was arrested by police during the US PGA Championship after he was accused of trying to drive around a traffic jam caused by a fatal accident.

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Spectators wore Free Scottie t-shirts and one wore an orange jumpsuit. Pic: Matt Stone-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
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Scheffler’s arrest became a major story at the US PGA Championship. Pic: Matt Stone-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters

Just hours later, he was released and allowed to return to Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky to play his second round of the tournament.

Criminal charges against Scheffler were later dismissed due to a lack of evidence and a police officer who arrested him was disciplined for not having his bodycam on at the time of the incident.

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