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North Korea continue to enhance its nuclear and ballistic missile program

  
Analysis, Politics

UN confidential report on the North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile program

A confidential UN report saying:

  • North Korea continue to enhance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in 2019 in violation of UN sanctions
  • North Korea violated UN sanctions in 2019 by importing refined petroleum and exporting commodities including $370 million worth of coal
Earlier today, it was reported that Pres. Trump said to aides that he does not not want to have another summit with North Korea’s Kim.

China’s Global Times says Wuhan coronavirus infections could be much higher

  
Analysis, Politics
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A bleak piece from China’s Global Times

  • inflection point of the outbreak has not emerged yet
  • the number of new infection cases nationwide has been dropping for the third consecutive day on Sunday
  • However, the accumulated number of cases in Hubei and Wuhan has continued climbing since the city lockdown
  • The capital city of the province reported 14,982 cases as of Sunday, with the death rate hitting 4.06 percent. 
  • There are in total 23,638 suspected cases within which 12,918 in collective quarantine.
  • Some 123,827 people who had close contact with infected patients are under close watch in Hubei. However, the number of suspected cases and close contacts under observation in Wuhan are still unknown.
Jiang Chaoliang, secretary of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the CPC, urged on Saturday to implement “wartime shift measures” of 24 hours a day to coordinate epidemic control work to deal with issues such as medical treatment, transport, and security and material supplies.
A bleak piece from China's Global Times 

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un cancelled a big parade on the weekend

  
Analysis, Politics
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This was an important event, to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the country’s armed forces.

  • The parade was scheduled for Saturday in central Pyongyang.
  • Last year Kim Jong Un presided over the procession.
News on how the coronavirus has spread, and what impact it has head, in NK is, of course, sparse. Media in the South report there have been 5 fatalities, but how accurate that is, who knows?
North Koreas has closed its border with China – all 880 miles of it -and its border with Russia .
This was an important event, to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the country's armed forces. 

Pres. Trump is weighing exiting from WTOs $1.7 trillion procurement pact

  
Analysis, Politics
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Pres. Trump on WTO procurement pact

The WTO procurement pactregulates the procurement of goods and services by the public authorities of the parties to the agreement, based on the principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination.

The aim of the Agreement is to mutually open government procurement markets among its parties, consistent with principles of reciprocity. There are 48 nations in the pact.
The government procurement agreement (GPA) parties opens procurement activities worth an estimated USD 1.7 trillion annually to international competition (i.e. to suppliers from GPA parties offering goods, services or construction services).

Michael Bloomberg climbs into 2nd place on PredictIt for Democratic nominee

  
Analysis, Politics
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Michael Bloomberg is going to get a chance to make his case

Michael Bloomberg is going to get a chance to make his case
We’re still waiting for results from the Iowa caucus but it’s expected to be a win for Bernie or Pete Buttigieg. The story in betting markets, however, is the poor performance from Joe Biden. The market is coming around to the idea that he can’t win and that establishment voters may turn elsewhere.
That leaves Klobuchar, who remains distantly behind, and Bloomberg, who is having his moment.
The billionaire has risen to 20% on PredictIt and passed Joe Biden. I think he lacks the charisma and ability to connect with people to sustain any real momentum, but he certainly has the deep pockets to sustain a run.
If he loses to Bernie, he’s ruled out a 3rd party run but I’m sure he will be dogged by those questions.

Count now up to 64 US military personnel in Iraq suffered brain trauma in a Iranian missile attack

  
Analysis, Politics
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Originally it was no one was injured

  • Then it went to 11
  • Then 34
  • Then 50
  • And now its 64
64 service members — 14 more than previously reported — have been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injuries, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Campbell, a Defense Department spokesman, said in a statement on Thursday night. 
Of those, 39 have returned to duty; at least 21 have gone to Germany for “further evaluation and treatment.”
The steady drip feed of more and more brain injured personnel suggests even further bad news to come on this. Are those screeching about misinformation coming out of China doing the same on how the US is treating its people?
All is not well.
Originally it was no one was injured

US politics impeachment news – Republican senator hints at calling witnesses

  
Analysis, Politics
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Reuters with the item of note:

  • U.S Republican senator Murkowski, in question, says ‘dispute about material facts weighs in favour of calling additional witnesses’ in Trump impeachment trial
This, of course, does not mean witnesses will be called. The farcical circus is set to continue. But, for the politics folks, a glimmer of a crack appearing?

Pres. Trump proposes 2 state solution for Israel and Palestinians

  
Analysis, Politics
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Mideast peace plan from Pres. Trump

  • Pres. Trump proposes 2 state solution for Israel and Palestinians with Palestinian capital in east Jerusalem
  • Israel has agreed to negotiate on the basis of a detailed proposed the map
  • Israel agreement on statehood for Palestinians is dependent on security arrangement to protect Israelis
  • Israel respect historic role of Al-Aqsa mosque and Jordan’s role with regard to holy sites with the aim of allowing Muslims to visit mosque
  • Palestinian state hold is dependent on Palestinians respecting human rights, freedom of the press, and having a transparent and credible judiciary
  • Israelis West Bank settlements would be recognized by the United States
  • in exchange for Israel’s agreeing to the proposed map, the US will recognize the map
  • Israeli would agree to 4 year freeze on settlement activity while Palestinian statehood negotiated
  • we bought 4 more years for Palestinians to get their act together and negotiate state
  • question for Palestinians. The question is is will they come to the table and negotiate
  • if Palestinians agree to negotiate there are some areas that can be compromised in the future
  • proposed Palestinian state would be connected with roads, bridges and tunnels with connectivity between Gaza and West Bank
  • Trump plan calls for Palestinian refugees to be able to return to a future state of Palestine and creates generous compensation fund.
Israel and Palestinian talks broke down in 2014.  US officials are bracing for initial Palestinian skepticism, but hope that over time they will agree to negotiate.
US plan represent the most dramatic and detailed attempt to break the historic deadlock. The Palestinians are skeptical as they say the US administration is biased toward Israel.
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