TP MAZEMBE HAS BEEN DEFEATED BY ORLANDO PIRATES 3-1 AT ORLANDO STUDIUM

Monday, 22 April 2013 09:42

Dar es Salaam. Orlando Pirates defeated DR Congo giants TP Mazembe 3-1 in the first leg of their Caf Champions League tie on Saturday night at the Orlando Stadium. A largely second-string Pirates outfit took an early lead via a first-minute Onyekachi Okonkwo goal, but his strike was cancelled out by Paotu Kabangu in the 44th minute. This was after a cross by Tresor Mputu for Mbwana Samata who headed across goal for Kabangu to supply the easy finish. Samata,  the former Simba SC forward, had a decent game, providing several assists, only for his striking partners to fluff the opportunities. Pirates failed to finish a myriad opportunities during the match, but Collins Mbesuma was able to score in the 55th minute to regain the Buccaneers lead. In the final minutes of the game TP Mazembe goalkeeper Kidiaba brought down Mbesuma in the box, with a penalty the result. The Zambian international stepped up to net his second goal of the game and give his side a vital two goal lead in their Caf Champions League tie.  Played in cold conditions at the Orlando Stadium, Pirates made a perfect start to the tie with Onyekachi Okonkwo netting a sublime strike which curled into the top right corner of the net with merely one minute on the clock. Collins Mbesuma should have doubled the lead in the 10th minute when he surged forward free on goal, but his low shot was well-saved by Kidiaba. The DR Congo champions had to make an early substitution when Eric Nkulukuta’s injury saw him replaced by Herve Ndonga in the 28th minute. As the first half continued, TP Mazembe’s defence continued to look fragile under pressure as Pirates piled forward in numbers, seeking to build on their early lead. In the 35th minute Gcaba forced a brave block from Kidiaba who looked vulnerable under the high ball throughout proceedings.

IF THIS IS DEMOCRACY WE ARE PREACHING IT IS TOO MUCH,TANZANIAN MP MISCONDUCT GOES BEYOND POLITICAL DIVIDE

By Peter Nyanje
Political Editor

Hell no, I won’t go: Mbeya Urban MP Joseph Mbilinyi resists after Deputy Speaker Job Ndugai ordered him removed from debate chambers. He was subsequently barred from Bunge for five days. PHOTO | FILE

Dodoma. After three weeks of proceedings many Tanzanians are obviously fed up with the way the Budget meeting is being conducted.

Many observers see nothing worth to write home as far as debates in the august House are concerned.

Deputy Speaker Job Ndugai last week suspended six Members of Parliament on a Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) ticket allegedly for undermining his authority.

These were Opposition Chief Whip Tundu Lissu (Singida East), Godbless Lema (Arusha Urban), Joseph Mbilinyi (Mbeya Urban), Rev Peter Msigwa (Iringa Urban), Highness Kiwia (Ilemela) and Ezekiah Wenje (Nyamagana).

Leader of Official Opposition in the House Freeman Mbowe attempted to inquiry nature of the penalty, but hit a hard wall, as Speaker Anne Makinda graced the punishment meted out to the ill-fated lawmakers.

The two conflicting have since been separately trading blame with the Speaker pointing an accusing finger at Chadema for turning the House into a political pulpit.

The MPs on the Chadema ticket have, in turn, been blaming the Speaker and her deputy for running Parliament in favour of the government and the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

The controversy does not end there, as the suspended MPs and their party have resolved to take the ‘case’ outside Parliament.

They are now zooming around constituencies ‘charging’ the Speaker and her deputy before wananchi, accusing them of turning Parliament into the government and CCM branch.

Mbowe, who doubles as Chadema national chairman and Hai MP, believes Ndugai erred in suspending his colleagues.

He told a public rally held here last Saturday that Speaker Makinda was unfair to Chadema in Parliament.

“Speaker Makinda has lied to the nation and the world,” he said, explaining that the penalty in question was not provided for in the regulations which Ndugai used for suspend his colleagues.

“As long as Speaker Makinda has decided to use her post to target our party, let her know that we will never retreat from fighting in and outside Parliament until Tanzanians are redeemed from this misery,” Mr Mbowe said.

And in an indication that the altercations between the two sides are not going to end soon, Chadema secretary-general Willibrod Slaa directed the so called ‘errant’ MPs to continue with what led to their suspension.

“I don’t feel sorry for them because they are our heroes,” Dr Slaa said, instructing them to use the suspension for scrutinising pending motions for them to strongly criticise them once they return in the House.

“Show those in the government that they are not critically thinking about quandaries facing Tanzanians,” he said during the rally.

The Chadema MPs’ suspension notwithstanding, last week saw lawmakers using an abusive language to the chagrin of majority of Tanzanians.

Speaker Makinda was not where to be seen in the House to walk her rhetoric that she would never hesitate to expel any MP caught using foul language in the debate chamber.

Observers could not believe their ears, asking themselves if the MPs had reached such a low state of mind.

They were eagerly waiting for the lawmakers to come up with proposals for spicing up the government’s financial plans for the next fiscal year only to witness incredible deeds from them.

Dirty politics might be depriving lawmakers of sanity, some think as they reflect on unconstructive political rivalry going on between MPs of the mainstream parties.

But whoever critically analyses the chaotic House proceedings and correlates them with events outside Parliament realises that the misconduct goes beyond the difference in political ideologies.

The august House being a replica of the society with full of misdemeanours also comprises wayward Members of Parliament.

We will be cheating ourselves to expectangels from a society with a disobedient culture.

Our skewed education system is partly to blame for mentoring members of the society who are never bothered with interests of their nation.

As long as errant members are scattered around all sections of the society, Bunge cannot be an exception.

  

AIR FORCE GENERAL: ACTIONS AIM TO DETER NORTH KOREA

 

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AP) — The United States sent its most powerful airplanes to the Korean peninsula in recent weeks in part because it wants North Korea to know what the American military is capable of doing, the top U.S. Air Force commander in the Pacific said.

B-2 stealth bombers, F-22 stealth fighters and B-52 bombers have recently all flown to South Korea for exercises or short deployments in what amounted to a dramatic display of U.S. air power. The stealth planes are capable of sneaking past radar undetected. B-2 and B-52 bombers are capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

Two U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters fly near Andersen Air Force Base

"Every morning that a potential adversary gets up and goes, 'You know what, I'm not going to mess with America today' — that's a good morning," Gen. Herbert Carlisle said Tuesday in an interview at his headquarters in Hawaii. "We need all those mornings to keep coming."

The U.S. is hoping a missile defense system it's sending to Guam, a U.S. territory and strategically important military outpost 1,500 miles south of Tokyo, will have the same deterrent effect, he said.

If "they know we got something that can knock down their missiles — it may stop them from shooting them," Carlisle said.

The U.S. has also explained it's reassuring its allies by showing it's prepared to defend them.

The missile defense system — called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense — is designed to intercept missiles during their final stage of flight. It joins other technology the military has to intercept missiles during their initial and midflight phases.

Carlisle said the U.S. also is considering sending high-altitude surveillance planes from Guam to Japan during the tropical island's summer storm season. Often, typhoons and thunderstorms around Guam ground the Global Hawk drones from April through November. The planes would be less likely to face weather problems if they were flying out of a place like Misawa Air Base in northern Japan, Carlisle said.

The U.S. uses the drones to monitor North Korea and could do so from Japan as well, Carlisle said.

"They could do all the missions that they do now if they were flying out of Japanese bases," he said.

Tokyo is also considering buying some of the drones for its own use, Carlisle said.

"We're still working it with the Japanese government. I don't know whether we'll do it this year or not. It does cost money to do that, again that's another factor. We're still examining it and looking at how to make it happen. When we do it is another question," he said.

Cost is an issue as the Air Force copes with automatic federal budget cuts imposed when Congress failed to reach a deal to avert them.

The Pacific is least affected among other parts of the Air Force because of the Obama administration's emphasis on Asia and the Pacific and because of current tensions on the Korean peninsula. Even so, an F-16 squadron in Alaska — 18th Aggressor Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base— is being grounded along with others elsewhere in the country.

Carlisle said the Air Force's core activities — maintenance and operations — are disproportionately affected because the military lacks the flexibility to cut other spending.

Congress didn't allow the branch, for example, to cancel acquisitions programs even when they're behind schedule or not meeting requirements, he said. It also can't cut airmen salaries or health care coverage.

On top of this, the Air Force is implementing a year's worth of budget cuts in six months. That's because the services were told Congress would come to an agreement to avoid the budget cuts and so the Air Force didn't plan for them when the current fiscal year started in October.

"It's our ability to do the mission when we're asked to do it. It's flying hours, it's training, it's fixing airplanes, it's buying parts for airplanes. All of those things were cut 40 percent for the rest of the year," Carlisle said.

GET TO KNOW AS TO HOW PENTAGON LOOKS TO CUT 40,000 TO 50,000 CIVILIANS OVER FIVE YEARS

View Photo

Reuters/REUTERS - U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel (L) listens as Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff General Martin Dempsey (R) speaks during a briefing on the Defense Department's FY2014 budget at the Pentagon in Washington April 10, 2013. The Pentagon unveiled a $526.6 billion budget on Wednesday that calls for base closures, program cancellations and smaller pay increases, but which is still $52 billion higher than spending caps set by law, putting the department on a path toward another year of financial uncertainty. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS MILITARY)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon is looking to reduce the size of its nearly 800,000 civilian workforce by 40,000 to 50,000 employees over the next five years, mainly through attrition as it closes bases and consolidates healthcare facilities, the department's comptroller said on Wednesday.

"I would hope that given the time to prepare, we could do this through attrition, but we aren't far enough along to really know for sure as to how we do it," said Undersecretary of Defense Robert Hale, the Pentagon's comptroller.

Hale said the employee reductions were tied to Pentagon plans to close excess bases and consolidate healthcare facilities, which were proposed on Wednesday and would have to be accepted by Congress before going into effect.

BARCELONA 1-1 PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (AGG 3-3): BARCA ADVANCES TO SEMIFINALS ON AWAY GOALS

 
Barcelona was forced to dig deep to book its place in the Champions League semifinals on away goals with a narrow 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in their quarterfinal second-leg at Camp Nou on Wednesday. 

With Lionel Messi at less than full fitness and consigned to the bench for over an hour, the Catalans appeared blunted up front, and were run ragged at the back by the ferocity of PSG's counterattacking approach. 

And it was one such sequence that saw the Ligue 1 side break the deadlock minutes into the second-half, as Javier Pastore cleverly finished from Zlatan Ibrahimovic's through pass to round off a magnificent break. 

But Messi's arrival in the latter stages of the second half swung the tie on its head, and with 71 minutes on the clock, a driving run from the Argentine was critical in setting up Pedro for a superbly taken equalizer. 

The Blaugrana would hold on in the remaining minutes to ensure their progression, joining Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and eternal rival Real Madrid in the hat for the last-four draw. 

Cesc Fabregas was the man chosen to replace Messi in the home side’s front three, while for the visitors Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Motta and Maxwell all started against their former club, with David Beckhambenched.

Xavi could have gotten the ball rolling as early as the third minute when his 20-yard free kick was curled agonizingly wide of the top corner, withSalvatore Sirigu beaten.

The pace of the match seemed to be picking up where the first leg’s emphatic finish left off, and Gerard Pique had to be alert to harry Exequiel Lavezzi off the ball from a dangerous run through on goal.

Lavezzi was proving himself to be a menace on the break, but his finishing let him down more than once. The Argentine drilled over the bar after wriggling free at the top of the box, before firing straight at Victor Valdeswith the goal at his mercy.

Pedro forced Sirigu into a safety-first parry at the near post, missing the rebound to boot, but by far the better chances belonged to PSG, which, at times, had Barca on the ropes.

With half an hour gone, Ibrahimovic did excellently to stand a cross up at the far post, where Lucas connected with a header, but Valdes was there to tip over, and the keeper also stood tall to thwart Alex from the resulting corner.

But the tempo of the game would settle as halftime approached, as Barca began to regain some semblance of solidarity at the back, though its efforts in the final third remained nullified.

However, with one scintillating counter attack five minutes into the second half, PSG carved the Catalans completely apart. Lucas and Ibrahimovic were both involved, with the latter slipping in Pastore for a delicate finish.

Pastore could have had another just before the hour mark when he strode into the area to meet Ibrahimovic’s low cross, but this time he scuffed his shot.

Messi had already been put through his paces since the opening goal, and with 28 minutes remaining, he made his appearance off the bench, replacing the disappointing Fabregas.

And the Argentine was barely on the pitch for 10 minutes before making his presence felt, accelerating straight through the midfield and finding David Villa, who teed up Pedro to rifle home an exquisite equalizer from 18 yards.

Iniesta came close to putting the finishing touches on the tie with a mazy run through the defense with minutes remaining, but he could not place his angled finish anywhere but the side netting. 

But despite a few nervy moments for Barca in the closing stages from set-pieces, time was simply not on PSG's side, and the Catalans held on to triumph.

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JUVENTUS 0 BAYERN MUNICH 2 (AGG. 0-4) - RESULT

Juventus 0 Bayern Munich 2 - Champions League quarter-final, second-leg result.

Bayern Munich win 4-0 on aggregate

At the Juventus stadium

Scorers: Mario Mandzukic 64, Claudio Pizarro 90+1

Halftime: 0-0

Teams:

Juventus: 1-Gianluigi Buffon; 15-Andrea Barzagli, 3-Giorgio Chiellini, 19-Leonardo Bonucci; 20-Simone Padoin (33-Mauricio Isla 69), 21-Andrea Pirlo, 6-Paul Pogba, 8-Claudio Marchisio (24-Emanuele Giaccherini 79), 22-Kwadwo Asamoah; 9-Mirko Vucinic, 27-Fabio Quagliarella (32-Alessandro Matri 66).

Bayern Munich: 1-Manuel Neuer; 21-Philipp Lahm, 5-Daniel van Buyten (17-Jerome Boateng 35), 4-Dante, 27-David Alaba; 31-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 8-Javi Martinez; 10-Arjen Robben, 25-Thomas Mueller, 7-Franck Ribery (30-Luiz Gustavo 80); 9-Mario Mandzukic (14-Claudio Pizarro 83)

Referee: Carlos Velasco (Spain) (Editing by Toby Davis)

TABLE: TEAMS WHO SCORED MOST LEAGUE GOALS THIS SEASON

CHINA'S BIRD FLU OUTBREAK NOT CAUSE FOR PANIC: ACCORDING TO WHO

By Michael Martina

BEIJING (Reuters) - A strain of bird flu that has been found in humans for the first time in eastern China is not a cause for panic, the World Health Organization said on Monday, as the number of people infected rose to 21, with six deaths.

The WHO praised China for mobilizing resources nationwide to combat the H7N9 flu strain by culling tens of thousands of birds and monitoring hundreds of people close to those infected.

"So far, we really only have sporadic cases of a rare disease, and perhaps it will remain that way. So this is not a time for over-reaction or panic," said the WHO's representative to China, Michael O'Leary.

The head of China's National Health and Family Planning Commission Li Bin said on Sunday she was confident authorities could contain the virus.

"These are a relatively small number of serious cases with personal health, medical implications, but not at this stage known public health implications," O'Leary told reporters at a joint press briefing with the Chinese government.

But he warned that information on the virus was still incomplete.

"We really can't rely on information from other viruses. H7N9 is a new virus in humans and the pattern that it follows cannot be predicted by the patterns that we have from other influenza viruses," O'Leary said.

No cases have yet been reported outside of China, he said.

In total, 621 close contacts of the 21 people known to have been infected are being closely monitored and have yet to show symptoms of infection, the director of China's H7N9 prevention and control office, Liang Wannian, said.

"In recent years, there have been huge changes in our national epidemic system, especially our health emergency response ability," Liang said.

The bird flu outbreak has caused global concern and some Chinese internet users and newspapers have questioned why it took so long for the government to announce the new cases, especially as two of the victims fell ill in February.

Airline shares have fallen in Europe and in Hong Kong over fears that the new virus could be lead to an epidemic like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which emerged in China in 2002 and killed about 10 percent of the 8,000 people it infected worldwide.

Chinese authorities initially tried to cover up the outbreak of SARS.

In the H7N9 case, it has said it needed time to correctly identify the virus, with cases spread between Shanghai and eastern Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Anhui provinces.

Other strains of bird flu, such as H5N1, have been circulating for many years and can be transmitted from bird to bird, and bird to human, but not generally from human to human.

(Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

PHOTO: SEE KIM KARDASHIAN’S BARE BABY BUMP

Kim Kardashian (Instagram)
We've all been keeping a close eye on Kim Kardashian's maternity fashion, but it appears her bump has finally "popped," to use her own words.

The reality TV starlet, who's expecting her first child with boyfriend Kanye West in July, posted side-by-side images of her pregnant belly on Instagram alongside the caption, "Baby Love." And, while that bump may just be the most photographed ever, this is the first time we've seen it uncovered.

After magazine covers and constant scrutiny over weight gain and unorthodox maternity clothes, Kardashian defended herself last month in her blog. "I've found that I’ve gained inches and I’ve gotten wider but my belly hasn’t popped yet, so I struggle finding things that don’t make me look heavy."

[Related: Fashion Faceoff - Kim Kardashian vs. Kourtney Kardashian]

With these adorable new pics, we're guessing we might start to see her dressing a little differently.

She's also got one heck of a team behind her ready to get her back into shape once the baby comes.

"Enjoy your pregnancy and relax because I'm going to get you back," her trainer, Tracy Anderson,told omg! on Thursday. "Everyone's journey is completely unique, no one should ever judge that path. I've got her back."

[Related: Kim Kardashian Flunks 'Tyler Perry's Temptation' Test]

That's probably nice to hear for the super-busy mom and dad-to-be. According to our calculations, Kim and Kanye have only spent 18 days together since the pregnancy was announced.

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 24: Television Personality Kim Kardashian arrives at the 21st Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar Viewing Party on February 24, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

STANDARD CHARTERED PUTTING FNAL TOUCHES ON DAR DIGITAL BRANCH

Standard Chartered bank consumer banking for Africa head Kariuki Ngari, briefs journalists in Dar es Salaam last week. With him is the bank’s Corporate Affairs manager Beda Biswalo. PHOTO | FIDELIS FELI

By Alawi Masare
The Citizen Reporter

Dar es Salaam. Standard Chartered Bank Tanzania is putting final touches to establish a digital branch at which customers will interact with automated facilities to enable them to undertake banking services as per their needs.

The modern technology -- christened Standard Chartered Electronic Banking Unit (EBU) will be located at Shamo Towers, Mbezi Tangi Bovu, along Bagamoyo Road.

According to the bank’s corporate affairs manager, Mr Beda Biswalo, the automated branch was now undergoing final stages before it is launched for business.

“We are finalising some technical details and we’ll launch it soon. It’s a new technology and the first of its kind in Tanzania,” said Mr Biswalo.

According to him, the EBU will enable the bank’s customers to access banking services including cash deposits, withdrawals and cheque services, among others, without physically interacting with human tellers.

Mr Biswalo revealed this on Thursday when introducing the bank’s new head of consumer banking for Africa to the media, Mr Kariuki Ngari, appointed early this month.

Mr Ngari, a Kenyan, was the head of consumer banking for East Africa and now he is the first African to lead the 100 year-old international bank in that capacity.

As head of consumer banking, Mr Ngari will lead the Standard Chartered’s consumer banking strategy and its implementation in Africa capturing growth opportunities to strengthen the bank’s market position.

“The challenge ahead is how to take Standard Chartered to the next level by coming up with innovative products for various consumers. Again, we are supposed to ensure that whatever we fund should be relevant to the communities,” he commented.

CHINA WARNS AGAINST "TROUBLEMAKING" ON KOREAN PENINSULA

By Ben Blanchard and Jane Chung

BEIJING/SEOUL (Reuters) -

 China warned against "troublemaking" on its doorstep, in an apparent rebuke to North Korea, and the United Statessaid it was postponing a missile test to help calm high tension on the divided Korean peninsula.

The North, led by 30-year-old Kim Jong-un, has been issuing vitriolic threats of war against the United States and U.S.-backed South Koreasince the United Nations imposed sanctions in response to its third nuclear weapon test in February.

Pyongyang's anger appears heightened by U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises. But most analysts say it has no intention of starting a conflict that would bring its own destruction and instead is out to wring concessions from a nervous international community.

The North told diplomats late last week to consider leaving Pyongyang because of the tension, but embassies appeared to view the appeal as more rhetoric and staff have stayed put.

South Korea said it was ready for any kind of action that the North's unpredictable leaders might make - including a possible missile launch - by Wednesday, after which the North said it could not guarantee diplomats' safety.

China, North Korea's sole financial and diplomatic backer, has shown growing irritation with Pyongyang's warnings of nuclear war.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, addressing a forum on the southern island of Hainan, did not name North Korea but said no country "should be allowed to throw a region and even the whole world into chaos for selfish gain".

Stability in Asia, he said, "faces new challenges, as hot spot issues keep emerging and both traditional and non-traditional security threats exist".

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed similar frustration in a statement late on Saturday, relating a telephone conversation with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

"We oppose provocative words and actions from any party in the region and do not allow trouble making on China's doorstep," Wang said, according to a ministry statement on its website.

On Sunday, the ministry expressed "grave concern" at rising tension and said China had asked North Korea to "ensure the safety of Chinese diplomats in North Korea, in accordance with the Vienna Convention and international laws and norms".

China's embassy, it said, was "understood" to be operating normally in Pyongyang.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, addressing the Hainan forum, said avoiding conflict on the peninsula was vital. "There, any aggression is a threat to the interests of every country in the region," she said.

British Foreign Minister William Hague said North Korea's nuclear ambitions had to be taken seriously.

Interviewed by Sky News, he said the international response "should also be very clear, very united and calm at all times because it's important not to feed that frenetic rhetoric that we've seen over the last few weeks".

Switzerland's Foreign Ministry offered to mediate, saying it was "always willing to help find a solution, if this is the wish of the parties, such as hosting meetings between them".

Kim, the third member of his dynasty to rule North Korea, is thought to have spent several years in Switzerland being educated under a pseudonym. He took over in December 2011 after the death of his father Kim Jong-il, who confronted South Korea and the United States throughout his 17-year rule.

FEAR OF "MISCALCULATION"

In Washington, a defense official said a long-scheduled test of the Minuteman III intercontinental missile, due to take place at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, would be postponed.

"This test ... has been delayed to avoid any misperception or miscalculation in light of recent tensions on the Korean peninsula," the official said on Saturday. "This is the logical, prudent and responsible course of action to take."

He said the test had been unconnected to "anything related to North Korea" and added that another test launch could be expected next month. The United States remained fully prepared to respond to any North Korean threat, the official said.

The South Korean president's office said the country had a "firm military readiness" for any eventuality. It described as "planned behavior" the North's call for South Korean workers to leave the Kaesong joint industrial park, just inside North Korea, and for diplomats to evacuate Pyongyang by Wednesday.

"Ahead of that time, a situation like a North Korean missile launch could occur," Kim Haing, a spokeswoman for the presidential Blue House, quoted the chief of the National Security office as saying. "As of now, there are no signs of all-out war, but if a local conflict breaks out, North Korea should be aware that it will pay the price."

South Korean media said on Friday the North had moved two medium-range missiles to the country's east coast, but there has been no confirmation of such a move.

The North has always condemned joint exercises off the South Korean coast, but its rhetoric has been especially furious this year as the United States sent nuclear-capable stealth bombers from their home bases.

North Korean state television showed a military training session, with soldiers putting dogs through their paces, including one seen tearing to pieces an effigy of South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin. Soldiers were shown firing at pictures of the minister and a depiction of a U.S. serviceman.

"As you all know, on the Korean peninsula, it is not a matter of whether we will have a war or not, but whether it will take place today or tomorrow," an unidentified soldier said.

"This is a situation like being on the eve of a big explosion. Every minute, every second counts. We are right now set to march, once the order is given."

There was no evidence of any tension in the South Korean capital, Seoul, with residents strolling in the city center on a chilly spring day.

(Writing by Ron Popeski and Andrew Roche; Additional reporting by Koh Gui Qing in Hainan and Phil Stewart in Washington; Editing by David Stamp)