North Korea's Kim testing limits of diplomacy as sanctions bite
The two Koreas remain trapped in cycle of engagement and isolation, 70 years after war that has technically never ended.by Kate Mayberry
In February 2018, Kim Yo Jong was the friendly face of North Korea, smiling and waving as she joined the crowds in South Korea at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
The two Koreas had entered the stadium together at the opening ceremony and fielded a joint women's ice hockey team. Kim was not only the first member of the North's ruling family to visit the South, but also shook President Moon Jae-in's hand. Relations were set to improve.
China targeting non-English-speaking journalists in new push for influence – study
Exclusive: International Federation of Journalists finds tours, control of infrastructure and provision of pro-China content part of escalating campaign
China is attempting to use journalists from non-English speaking countries to promote its policies beyond its borders in a concerted new push for influence, a report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has found.
A survey of journalist unions across 58 countries found that through study tours, control of media infrastructure, and the provision of pro-Beijing content, China is “running an extensive and sophisticated long-term outreach campaign … [in] a strategic, long-term effort to reshape the global news landscape with a China-friendly global narrative”.
The IFJ report, The China Story: reshaping the world’s media, argues Beijing is also seeking to build control over messaging infrastructure – effectively the channels by which countries receive news – through foreign media acquisitions and large-scale telecommunications ventures. The report found the decade-long campaign “seems to be escalating”.
Seattle businesses sue authorities over ‘perpetual block party’ inside Capitol Hill protest zone
Lawsuit stressed support for protests but said zone had been ‘abandoned’
About a dozen businesses and residents located around Seattle’s autonomous protest zone have sued authorities who “abandoned” the area to protests.
The lawsuit, submitted on Wednesday, argued that businesses in and around the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) had been “overrun” since Seattle authorities took the “unprecedented decision to abandon and close” the area.
That withdrawal started some weeks ago when Seattle’s police department abandoned a precinct now positioned inside the CHAZ, also known by the acronym CHOP (Capital Hill Organised Protest), amid Black Lives Matter protests.
FBI EXPANDS ABILITY TO COLLECT CELLPHONE LOCATION DATA, MONITOR SOCIAL MEDIA, RECENT CONTRACTS SHOW
THE FEDERAL BUREAU of Investigation may be watching what you tweet and where people gather.
The federal law enforcement agency’s records show a growing focus on harnessing the latest private sector tools for mass surveillance, including recent contracts with companies that monitor social media posts and collect cellphone location data.
On May 26, as demonstrations around the country erupted over the police killing of George Floyd, the FBI signed an expedited agreement to extend its relationship with Dataminr, a company that monitors social media.
A few days later, the agency modified an agreement it signed in February with Venntel, Inc., a Virginia technology firm that maps and sells the movements of millions of Americans. The company purchases bulk location data and sells it largely to government agencies.
Belarus president accuses Russia, Poland of election interference
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday accused Russia and Poland of interfering in upcoming presidential elections, claims that were quickly denied by the Kremlin.
The interference is coming from "those who live in Poland and those who incite from Russia," Lukashenko said according to the Belta news agency.
Lukashenko said he would discuss the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in the near future but cautioned that the situation remained "extremely difficult."
Coronavirus: New York imposes quarantine on eight US states
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have asked people travelling from states where Covid-19 cases are rising to go into self-isolation for 14 days.
New Jersey's Phil Murphy said people in the three states had been "through hell and back" and did not want "another round" of virus infections.
Some southern and western states have been reporting record numbers of cases.
The University of Washington predicts 180,000 US deaths by October - or 146,000 if 95% of Americans wear masks.
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