News Briefs

North Korean nuclear test site appears active

Satellite images from last month show signs of heightened activity at the North Korean Yongbyon nuclear complex. Despite international pressure and sanctions, North Korea appears to preparing for the testing of a third nuclear weapon.

The previous nuclear tests, carried out in 2006 and 2009, led to strict sanctions imposed by the UN. North Korea has since expressed interest in restarting talks for international nuclear disarmament, citing the struggles the country is undergoing as a result of the sanctions.

The third test is apparently not imminent, according to sources that say at least three months are needed to prepare for a nuclear test.

Experts worry that with Kim Jong-il's health failing, his son Kim Jong-un may attempt to bolster the country's no-nonsense image with an act of defiance.

Muslim comments lead to Williams firing

National Public Radio has fired analyst Juan Williams for the insensitive comments about Muslims he made on Fox News.

Williams appeared on the popular Fox News program The O'Reilly Factor, where a discussion about "Muslim threats" was brought up. Williams said that he himself is not a bigot but cannot deny the fact that he gets nervous whenever he sees a Muslim on an airplane.

NPR terminated Williams' contract on Wednesday and stated that his comments were inconsistent with the standards held by NPR and its news analysts.

Williams was once a reporter and columnist for The Washington Post. He also wrote several books about race and the civil rights movement.

Local employment still on the decline

September marked the third straight month that the Buffalo-Niagara region has lost jobs.

The Labor Department announced that while local private sector employment showed signs of improvement, local government agencies have had to cut jobs to save money.

September had massive cuts in government employment, especially at the local level. In the past year, the manufacturing sector has lost 1,500 jobs, which is 3 percent of all factory employment.

The few sectors that have had promising signs are leisure, hospitality and retail.

Regional unemployment is now at 7.5 percent, improving on the 8.1 percent from last September but still at the highest levels since the mid-1980s.