World PM News Briefs For Wednesday, 9 March 2016

Hello Australia!! - Four cops are shot in what's being called a "Crisis Situation" in New Zealand - The "fifth Beatle" has died - Does Kim Jong-un have a deadly new toy? - And more in your CareerSpot Global News Briefs:

Legendary record producer Sir George Martin, who guided The Beatles to what was at the time unprecedented commercial and artistic success, has died at age 90.  This is confirmed by Ringo Starr on his Twitter account.  "God bless George Martin peace and love to Judy and his family love Ringo and Barbara George will be missed," Ringo said.  "Thank you for all your love and kindness George peace and love," he added.  Martin signed The Beatles to their recording contract, cut their first breakthrough singles, and indulged their whims to add more instruments and sounds to their changing music, inventing new studio recording techniques along the way.  He produced some 700 records.

Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, and is "expected to make a full recovery as it was caught in the early stages", according to a spokesman.  Now 79-years old, Wyman was with the Stones from 1962 through 1993, leaving to record and tour with his own outfit called Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings.

Police in New Zealand are confirming that four officers are wounded in a shooting incident in Kawerau at a rural property in the Bay of Plenty on the north coast of the north island.  At least one of the officers was taken to hospital in a serious condition.  The area is cordoned off.  A Maori elder who lives within the sealed-off area says he heard shots fired:  "I just heard a shot behind me, a high powered rifle but the thing is when I went to have a nosey I get a bit of a shock because all of the police there," said Mr. Hori Raerino.  Others reported that the shots came after police arrived in teh area on a cannabis recovery mission.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un claims his military have developed miniaturized nuclear warheads that can be mounted on the tips of missiles.  He even posed beside a purported mock-up of one of them, and the images were broadcast media and plastered on the cover of the ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun.  There's been considerable disagreement among experts on whether North Korea can do it, but if Kim's claims are true it means that North Korea poses a much graver threat to its neighbors and the US.

Amnesty International says North Korea is stepping up telecom surveillance to further isolate its citizens.  The regime is also jamming mobile phone signals, and those caught using mobiles to contact family members abroad risk being sent to political reeducation camps.  Police often turn off the power to homes prior to raiding them to prevent people inside from being able to eject any DVDs that might have been bought on the black market, where there is also a growing trade in used Chinese mobile phones and simm cards.