Friday, July 31, 2020

Report says Microsoft in talks to acquire TikTok's US ops, Donald Trump considers...

The Wall Street Journal Friday night reported that Microsoft, headed by Indian-American Satya Nadella, is in advanced talks to acquire the US operations of TikTok. The deal could run into billions of dollars.

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Mexico now has third highest Covid-19 death toll in the world

A total of 46,688 people have died of the coronavirus disease in Mexico, putting it just ahead of the United Kingdom, which has 46,119 recorded deaths, according to the tally by Johns Hopkins University.

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Taiwan could become the next flashpoint in the global tech war

The world is becoming increasingly dependent on a Taiwanese company for the most advanced semiconductors, after a stumble by rival Intel. But TSMC is trying to pull off a high-wire act by keeping both China and the United States happy at a time of rapidly escalating geopolitical tensions.

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US Navy's first Black female tactical jet pilot gets her 'wings of gold'

The US Navy's first Black female tactical aircraft pilot, Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle, received her "wings of gold" on Friday, marking a historic milestone for naval aviation.

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Japan Acted Like the Virus Had Gone. Now It's Spread Everywhere

Experts say that Japan’s focus on the economy may have been its undoing.

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Canada's drive-in movie fest features films from 8 nations worst-hit by Covid-19

The theme for the event was Together Beyond The Pandemic, Sharing Films From The Most Affected Countries. Eight countries were featured in the festival - Canada, India, USA, UK, France, Brazil, Russia, China and Italy.

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Eat out to help out: UK govt to pay 50% of food bills from today

Under the scheme, diners who eat-in (not applicable to takeaways) will benefit from a 50% discount, up to a maximum of £10 per person, on food and non-alcoholic drinks, any Monday to Wednesday throughout August

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Un estudio revela que los niños podrían portar altos niveles de coronavirus


By BY APOORVA MANDAVILLI from NYT en Español https://ift.tt/2DaSKz1

China's Three Gorges Dam is one of the largest ever created. Was it worth it?

Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydropower project ever built.

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Six dead after explosion in coal mine in Colombia

Angelmiro Berbesi, director of the Risk Management Office in the municipality of El Zulia, was quoted as saying that the explosion apparently occurred due to the accumulation of gases inside the mine.

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Trump says he'll sign order cutting drug prices 'very soon'

Trump described on Friday a “favored nations” plan under which his administration would take the country that has the lowest drug prices as the yardstick for what Americans should be charged.

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Teenager among 3 charged for hacking prominent Twitter accounts, Bitcoin scam

Graham Ivan Clark, 17, was arrested Friday in Tampa, where the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office will prosecute him as adult.

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Donald Trump says US 'may be banning' China-owned video app TikTok

There have been reports of US tech giants and financial firms being interested in buying or investing in TikTok as the Trump administration sets its sights on the app.

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Canada’s Key Role in Creating a Once Awaited Vaccine


By BY IAN AUSTEN from NYT World https://ift.tt/2XaZ8gv

Federal Agents Don’t Need Army Fatigues


By BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2Dm00ru

Kodak’s chief executive got stock options. The next day, the share price spiked 1,000 percent.


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Court Frees Michigan Teen Who Was Held for Skipping Online Schoolwork


By BY AIMEE ORTIZ from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/33e1xe5

A Better Year for Trump’s Family Business (Last Year, That Is)


By BY BEN PROTESS, STEVE EDER AND MICHAEL H. KELLER from NYT Business https://ift.tt/3jZGstT

He held up a Black Lives Matter sign not far from KKK headquarters and recorded the reactions

A White filmmaker traveled to a town just outside the headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan to document reactions to him holding a Black Lives Matter sign.

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US Congressman condemns Chinese aggression in Ladakh

Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a bitter standoff in several areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since May 5.

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5 Baloch terrorists killed in Pakistan

The security forces received a tip-off that eight heavily-armed terrorists were present at Arbi Tibba road in Rajanpur and were planning to attack government installations and law enforcement agencies in the province.

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The Less Impossible Israeli-Palestinian Peace


By BY ROGER COHEN from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/3jTqktX

Man shaves girlfriend's head, then his own, in moving video


Man shaves girlfriend's head, then his own, in moving video



Love never fails.

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Thursday, July 30, 2020

Mark Levin says Barack Obama abused the Black community more than any other modern president


Mark Levin says Barack Obama abused the Black community more than any other modern president



Mark Levin, host of 'Life, Liberty and Levin' and author of 'Unfreedom of the Press,' joins Sean Hannity on 'Hannity.'

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Kevin McCarthy says Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer to blame for delays in COVID relief


Kevin McCarthy says Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer to blame for delays in COVID relief



House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy joins Sean Hannity with insight on 'Hannity.'

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Michael Flynn's attorney on latest twist in her client's legal saga: 'Sad day for the rule of law'


Michael Flynn's attorney on latest twist in her client's legal saga: 'Sad day for the rule of law'



The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals now says the order instructing Judge Sullivan to dismiss the case will get a rehearing by all 11 judges on the court; reaction from attorney Sidney Powell.

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Feinstein: Letting Americans sue China over coronavirus response would be 'huge mistake'


Feinstein: Letting Americans sue China over coronavirus response would be 'huge mistake'



Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Thursday that allowing citizens to sue China for damages caused by the novel coronavirus would backfire and open up the United States to the same level of scrutiny from other countries around the world. 

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Delay the election? Victor Davis Hanson explains why President Trump doesn't need to alter the system


Delay the election? Victor Davis Hanson explains why President Trump doesn't need to alter the system



President Trump should remind voters that he is the protector and guarantor of our constitutional frameworks, says the Hoover Institute's Victor Davis Hanson.

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Federalist Society co-founder says Trump’s tweet about postponing the election is grounds for ‘immediate impeachment’


Federalist Society co-founder says Trump’s tweet about postponing the election is grounds for ‘immediate impeachment’



Federalist Society co-founder Stephen Calabresi said that President Trump’s tweet suggesting to postpone the election is “fascistic” and “grounds for the president’s immediate impeachment.”

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Twitter says hackers broke Into system by calling employees

In an update on its internal investigation, Twitter said the July 15 incident targeted employees using a phone spear phishing attack. By misleading workers and exploiting human vulnerabilities, the hackers were able to obtain credentials and access 130 accounts.

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UK scientists to immunize hundreds with experimental Covid-19 vaccine

A said that a very slow and arduous process of testing the Covid-19 vaccine at a low dose in the initial participants has been completed and would now expand the trial to about 300 people

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J&J starts human study of Covid-19 vaccine after promising monkey data

The drugmaker said it had started early-stage human trials in the United States and Belgium and would test its vaccine candidate in more than 1,000 healthy adults aged 18 to 55 years, as well as adults aged 65 years and older.

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Covid-19 vaccine development progressing well, says AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca’s vaccine is being widely considered the leading candidate after results from early-stage human trials showed it was safe and produced an immune response.

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'Not in a position of conflict of interest': Trudeau on WE Charity controversy

He said he “should have recused” himself from the Cabinet meeting where the decision was taken to give the contract to WE Charity.

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Facebook, Google told they must pay Australian media for news

The move is about ensuring a “level playing field” for Australian media companies.

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'Don't want to wait for 3 months and then find out ballots were missing': Donald...

US president Donald Trump said he did not want to change the US election date but didn’t want to see a crooked election.

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Chinese consulate in Houston was a 'den of spies', says Mike Pompeo

The US had recently ordered China to close its Consulate General in Houston. In retaliation, China ordered US to close its diplomatic facility in Chengdu.

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Donald Trump, GOP suggest temporary fix for $600 jobless benefit

Talks on the relief bill are at a standstill with few reasons for optimism despite sweeping agreement among Washington’s top power players that Congress must pass further relief in coming days and weeks.

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Republicans and White House at Odds Over Kansas Senate Race


By BY JONATHAN MARTIN AND KATIE GLUECK from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2PbxtYh

Ellen DeGeneres Apologizes to Staff Members as WarnerMedia Investigates Show


By BY NICOLE SPERLING from NYT Business https://ift.tt/3jZ6kG4

Brazil President Bolsonaro says on antibiotics after feeling weak

The president fell ill with the novel coronavirus earlier this month, but has subsequently recovered and tested negative.

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New York City steels itself for Covid-19 to return in the fall

The city has been a success story in combating Covid-19 since March and April, when the pandemic swept through its boroughs killing thousands of people.

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4 Guards Charged in Inmate’s Beating at Alabama Prison


By BY NEIL VIGDOR from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/339JIg7

Will Herman Cain’s Death Change Republican Views on the Virus and Masks?


By BY JEREMY W. PETERS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2XeUQVj

Louie Gohmert’s Coronavirus Case Reveals a Dangerous Reality in Congress


By BY NICHOLAS FANDOS AND CATIE EDMONDSON from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/39EFAGk

Trump Floats an Election Delay, and Republicans Shoot It Down


By BY MAGGIE HABERMAN, JONATHAN MARTIN AND REID J. EPSTEIN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/30ehQWo

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Portland police union blasts city commissioner who'd said officers may have sparked some fires


Portland police union blasts city commissioner who'd said officers may have sparked some fires



Portland's police union president is calling for an investigation into comments made by a city commissioner who alleged officers may have sparked fires and lied about the damage sustained during weeks of protests and clashes between authorities and demonstrators. 

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Trump administration taps Kodak to make drug ingredients in US instead of relying on China


Trump administration taps Kodak to make drug ingredients in US instead of relying on China



White House trade adviser Peter Navarro on how Kodak is reinventing themselves to manufacture pharmaceutical ingredients.

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75 percent of Americans eating more comfort food during the pandemic


75 percent of Americans eating more comfort food during the pandemic



Majority favoring ice cream and chocolate as their go-to snacks; Fox Biz Flash: 7/29.

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LAPD 'SWAT Mafia' encouraged deadly force and retaliation, officer's lawsuit claims


LAPD 'SWAT Mafia' encouraged deadly force and retaliation, officer's lawsuit claims



A former member of a Los Angeles police SWAT unit is alleging officers encouraged the use of deadly force and retaliated against him for speaking out against misconduct, according to a lawsuit. 

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Officials sound the alarm after Americans receive unsolicited seed packets from China


Officials sound the alarm after Americans receive unsolicited seed packets from China



State agriculture officials warn the seeds could be invasive species or part of a coordinated effort to impact America’s food supply; Garrett Tenney reports.

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Federal agents to begin phased withdrawal from Portland


Federal agents to begin phased withdrawal from Portland



The federal agents who have clashed with protesters in Portland will begin a phased withdrawal from the city's downtown area, Oregon's Gov. Kate Brown announces; William La Jeunesse reports.

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Covid-19 surges in China, Hong Kong fears mass spread

In China, 89 cases were reported from Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in a record single-day spike. It took the total number of infections in the province to more than 320.

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Australia sets Covid-19 record as Melbourne lockdown struggles

He said mask-wearing would be mandatory across the state, extending the order from just Melbourne. Residents in several regional centers, including Geelong, would not be allowed to have visitors in their homes from midnight.

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FATF related legislation will move Pakistan from grey list to white list, claims...

According to a report, the Pakistan government on Wednesday “managed to get two Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-related bills passed by the National Assembly amidst a noisy protest by the opposition.”

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Ghislaine Maxwell seeks appeal of judge's order to unseal documents

Maxwell’s lawyer Laura Menninger immediately notified Preska that she will ask the federal appeals court in Manhattan to review the decision.

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Justice Ginsburg in the Hospital Again


By BY ADAM LIPTAK from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/39Iv0Or

Corrections: July 30, 2020


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Ashleigh Barty Will Skip U.S. Open


By BY CHRISTOPHER CLAREY from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/3jSMNaA

The Tanned Man Has a Green Monster


By BY CHARLES M. BLOW from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/3168Wts

Ruth Bader Ginsburg resting comfortably in New York City hospital after non-surgical procedure

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is resting comfortably in a New York City hospital after undergoing a medical procedure to replace a bile duct stent that was originally placed last year, according to the court.

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Couple sues California hotel for 'miserable' wedding experience: report


Couple sues California hotel for 'miserable' wedding experience: report



It’s never a good idea to add stress to a couple’s wedding weekend.

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Brazil hits record 69,000 daily coronavirus cases as restrictions eased

Last week, Brazil recorded 7,677 deaths from Covid-19, the most fatalities in any week since the pandemic began, defying repeated predictions that the outbreak had peaked.

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Lawmakers pummel Big Tech CEOs at US antitrust hearing

While the hearing was called to focus on whether the companies have abused their dominant positions in the market, it veered quickly into other topics including political bias, privacy, dealings with China and how platforms deal with misinformation.

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Ashley Judd Can Sue Harvey Weinstein for Sexual Harassment, Court Rules


By BY NEIL VIGDOR from NYT Business https://ift.tt/2DfpBCo

One in Three Children Have Unacceptably High Lead Levels, Study Says


By BY RICK GLADSTONE from NYT World https://ift.tt/2BGK4jb

Lawmakers, United in Their Ire, Lash Out at Big Tech’s Leaders


By BY CECILIA KANG AND DAVID MCCABE from NYT Technology https://ift.tt/2DfEeFN

As Trump Undercuts Aid Talks, White House Says Extra Jobless Benefits Will Lapse


By BY EMILY COCHRANE AND JIM TANKERSLEY from NYT Business https://ift.tt/39PSGkh

Atlanta Mourns John Lewis and Ponders Carrying on With ‘Good Trouble’


By BY RICK ROJAS AND RICHARD FAUSSET from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3hJlqxu

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Minnesota Republican county official resigns after posting image comparing mask wearing to Nazi Germany

A Minnesota Republican Party county official has resigned after posting an image on Facebook comparing mask mandates to Jews being forced to wear Stars of David in Nazi Germany, the state party said on Tuesday.

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Masked mourners brave heat, Covid-19 fears to honour John Lewis

The spectre of the Covid-19 pandemic hung over all aspects of the mourning. In addition to face coverings, which were declared mandatory outdoors by Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, yellow dots on the grounds reminded mourners to stand 6 feet (1.8 metres) apart.

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Ghislaine Maxwell wants Epstein's accusers names to be made in public

While not objecting to Maxwell identifying accusers who’ve already come forward, Rossmiller said those who haven’t gone public should have their privacy protected under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act.

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Trump tweets in defense of disproved Covid-19 treatment

US President Trump took to Twitter to promote hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19.

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Remdesivir Could Be in Short Supply. Here’s a Fix.


By BY AMY KAPCZYNSKI, PAUL BIDDINGER AND ROCHELLE WALENSKY from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/307N2GL

‘Nobody Likes Me,’ Trump Complains, Renewing Defense of Dubious Science


By BY MICHAEL CROWLEY from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2X8PVW2

Corrections: July 29, 2020


By Unknown Author from NYT Corrections https://ift.tt/3gaSOwL

Minneapolis Police Link Mystery ‘Umbrella Man’ to White Supremacy Group


By BY NEIL MACFARQUHAR from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3f9kLE2

Barr spars with Democrats over policing and DOJ decisions in fiery hearing at Congress



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Most Americans support national protests over race, poll finds



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Donald Trump Jr. joins Tucker to discuss Big Tech censorship: It only hurts conservatives


Donald Trump Jr. joins Tucker to discuss Big Tech censorship: It only hurts conservatives



Donald Trump Jr., author of 'Liberal Privilege,' responds to temporary Twitter ban.

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Moderna aims to price coronavirus vaccine at $50-$60 per course: Report

Industry analysts said Pfizer and BioNTech’s $2 billion deal to cover 50 million patients, which is contingent on an approvable product, would likely pressure other manufacturers to set similar prices.

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Scientists get closer to blood test for Alzheimer's disease

The disease is usually diagnosed through tests of memory and thinking skills, but that’s very imprecise and usually involves a referral to a neurologist.

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'Nobody likes me': Trump on Fauci's high approval ratings

Fauci, an infectious disease expert who is on Trump’s coronavirus task force, is one of the most trusted people in government and many Americans listen to his advice diligently on how to protect themselves from infection.

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US officials say Russia is spreading virus disinformation

Two Russians who have held senior roles in Moscow’s military intelligence service known as the GRU have been identified as responsible for a disinformation effort directed at American and Western audiences.

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China freezes Hong Kong's extradition treaties with UK, Australia, Canada

Earlier, New Zealand said it will suspend its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. Foreign minister Winston Peters said the new law went against commitments China had made to the international community.

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The Director Gina Prince-Bythewood Has Always Had Game


By BY MANOHLA DARGIS from NYT Movies https://ift.tt/30VwYaj

177 Questions to Inspire Writing, Discussion, Debate and Reflection


By BY THE LEARNING NETWORK from NYT The Learning Network https://ift.tt/3082ToX

If Our Masks Could Speak


By BY THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/308oUny

Banksy and Rembrandt Boost Sotheby’s Sale to $192.7 Million


By BY SCOTT REYBURN from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2BCTxb8

Niels Lauersen, Fallen Fertility Doctor to the Stars, Dies at 84


By BY PENELOPE GREEN from NYT New York https://ift.tt/3g8l1UZ

‘I Just Don’t Get It’: Republicans Balk at Funding F.B.I. Building in Virus Bill


By BY KATIE ROGERS AND EMILY COCHRANE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2DbnuzF

Russia prepares for vaccine approval less than two weeks from now, but questions remain



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Monday, July 27, 2020

New world news from Time: Kim Jong Un Says Nuclear Weapons Ensure North Korea’s Security: ‘There Won’t Be Any War on This Land Again’



(SEOUL, South Korea) — North Korea leader Kim Jong Un said his country’s hard-won nuclear weapons were a solid security guarantee and a “reliable, effective” deterrent that could prevent a second Korean War, state media reported Tuesday.

Kim’s comments before war veterans marking the 67th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War again show he has no intention of abandoning his weapons as prospects dim for resuming diplomacy with the United States.

North Korea has previously ratcheted up fiery rhetoric or conducted weapons tests to wrest outside concessions. But some experts say Pyongyang will likely avoid serious talks with Washington before the U.S. presidential elections in November as there is a chance for a U.S. leadership change.

Kim said in his speech Monday his country has tried to become “a nuclear state” with “an absolute might” to prevent another war and that it has now built such a deterrent, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

“Now, we’ve changed to a country which can defend itself reliably and unwaveringly against high-intensity pressures and military threats and blackmailing by imperialistic reactionaries and hostile forces,” Kim said.

“There won’t be any war on this land again and our national security and future will be guaranteed firmly and permanently because of our reliable, effective self-defensive nuclear deterrent,” Kim said.

Kim’s speech followed recent remarks by both North Korean and U.S. officials suggesting they were reluctant to engage in a new round of diplomacy on the North’s nuclear program anytime soon.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said President Donald Trump would only want to engage with Kim if there were real prospects of progress. Kim’s sister and senior ruling party official, Kim Yo Jong, said a new summit would be “unpractical” for North Korea and that Pyongyang won’t gift Trump a high-level meeting that he can boast as a foreign policy achievement.

Kim Jong Un and Trump met three times since Kim in 2018 abruptly reached out to Washington and Seoul for talks after expressing his intent to deal away his advancing nuclear arsenals. Many experts were skeptical of Kim’s disarmament commitment and said he only aimed to weaken U.S.-led sanctions and perfect his nuclear program.

The nuclear diplomacy remains largely stalled since a second Kim-Trump meeting in February 2019 in Vietnam collapsed without reaching any agreement because Trump Kim rejected Kim’s proposal to get extensive sanctions relief in return for a limited denuclearization step.

Kim entered this year with a vow to bolster his nuclear program and threatened to unveil a new “strategic” weapon. He also said he would no longer be bound by a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests. Kim hasn’t performed such high-profile weapons tests, which some analysts say could completely derail diplomacy with the United States.

New world news from Time: For Myanmar’s Elections to Be Free and Fair Rohingya Must Get the Right to Vote



Americans won’t be the only voters going to the polls in November. Myanmar’s third national election since transitioning from half a century of military rule is slated for Nov. 8.

Already, several questions loom over this test of the country’s democratic trajectory. How will the government ensure ethnic civilians displaced by armed conflict can vote? How will Facebook protect voters from disinformation? How will the government manage campaigns and polling in the age of COVID-19?

These are tough challenges. But there is another critical question, easy to resolve, that will also determine whether the exercise is free and fair: Will the government ensure the right to vote for Rohingya?

The Rohingya are an ethnic and religious minority, mostly Muslim, indigenous to western Myanmar; and today, far more live outside the country than inside. The reason for this is summed up in a word: genocide.

In October 2016 and August 2017, the Myanmar military responded to nascent Rohingya militancy with full-scale attacks on civilians, forcing more than 800,000 to flee into neighboring Bangladesh. They have no hope of safely returning to Myanmar anytime soon, and this creates new but surmountable logistical challenges for the 2020 elections.

Rohingya-led refugee groups have already said they want the government to facilitate voting from the camps in Bangladesh. One of these organizations, called the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights (ARSPH), has urged Myanmar to set up voter registration and polling in collaboration with the Bangladesh authorities. Many other Rohingya have since reiterated the request.

Some in Myanmar dismiss this option out-of-hand, calling it unfeasible. But this is a cop-out.

In 2004, some 850,000 Afghan refugees voted in their country’s first presidential election from camps in Pakistan and Iran and through absentee ballots. In that case, concerned governments and international humanitarian organizations did their part to ensure refugees could exercise their right to vote. Myanmar and its bilateral partners could do the same.

There are also an estimated 600,000 Rohingya still in Myanmar, and many there are also anxiously awaiting news about the election. The three Rohingya-led political parties in the country—the Democracy and Human Rights Party (DHRP), the National Democratic Party for Development (NDPD), and the National Democracy and Peace Party (NDPP)—are all registered and intending to field candidates.

But Myanmar has denied Rohingya the right to vote since the 2015 elections that brought Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), to power. Despite Myanmar’s wholesale exclusion of Rohingya, the international community made the profound mistake of lauding those elections. President Barack Obama, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon all congratulated Aung San Suu Kyi on the outcome. Hillary Clinton even claimed partial credit for nudging Myanmar onto the reform path during her tenure as Secretary of State, recognizing the election was “imperfect” but calling it “an affirmation of the indispensable role the United States can and should play in the world as a champion of peace and progress.”

Few stopped to consider the repercussions the disenfranchisement of the Rohingya could have. Some analysts suggested that Aung San Suu Kyi would have to build a constructive working relationship with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in order for her government to be effective. None imagined she’d do so in the commission of genocide against Rohingya, but that’s precisely what happened.

In December last year, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi went so far as to represent Myanmar at the International Court of Justice, defending the military from allegations of genocide in a historic, ongoing lawsuit brought by The Gambia.

By wholly denying any intent to destroy Rohingya, Aung San Suu Kyi won military favor, and by taking aim at Rohingya on the global stage she strategically scored perverse ethno-nationalist points ahead of the elections.

Now, the cycle is poised to continue. Government insiders, diplomats and even representatives of international non-governmental organizations are saying that if all Rohingya were in Myanmar, they would still not meet the requirements of the election law because they lack citizenship. This is a politically convenient excuse.

Not only did Rohingya vote in past elections—during which they were still unjustly denied full citizenship rights—but since the 1990s, Myanmar authorities have kept detailed records of Rohingya through “household lists.” The government has other sources of data on Rohingya as well, including former identity cards and other evidence it could use to determine Rohingya voter eligibility.

Officials may suggest that Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and those in Myanmar will have the right to vote only if they accept National Verification Cards (NVCs). However, these cards are discriminatory, effectively requiring Rohingya to identify as outsiders, thereby foregoing any chance to restore full citizenship under the current law. Any demand that Rohingya accept NVCs in exchange for the right to vote would be unacceptably coercive.

As November approaches, Rohingya in Myanmar and Bangladesh are hoping that access to the polls might help them secure a better future.

“Rohingya need a voice in parliament,” Abdul Rasheed, an expected candidate with DHRP in Sittwe Township, tells me from Yangon. This will be his second attempt to seek office.

“This is not only about voting and democracy, it’s also about dignity and protection,” he says.

The international community, including the U.N. and other organizations, must now do everything in their power to ensure the Rohingya have the right to vote.

Governments around the world overlooked Rohingya disenfranchisement in 2015, and that was at least one paver on the road to genocide. They must not make the same mistake twice.

Former UCLA soccer coach Jorge Salcedo pleads guilty in college admissions scandal

Former UCLA men's soccer coach Jorge Salcedo pleaded guilty Monday for his role in the college admissions scandal, the US Attorney's Office in Massachusetts said.

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Iraq PM Mustafa Al-Kadhimi orders probe after 2 protesters killed in clashes

The violence comes after months of quiet in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and were an embarrassment to prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who has vowed to meet protester demands by holding early elections and investigating the death of hundreds of protesters.

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'Americans need help': GOP rolls out $1 tn stimulus to start talks with Democra...

The package was pulled together after days of negotiations between Senate Republicans and President Donald Trump’s emissaries that didn’t completely settle differences within the GOP over the size and scope of additional federal spending in response to the pandemic

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Peaceful Protesters With ‘Room for Rage’ Sympathize With Aggressive Tactics


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