North Korea's Kim ends freeze of nuclear and missile tests

North Korean leaders says Pyongyang will show 'new strategic weapon' soon as he denounces US 'gangster-like demands'.

from Al Jazeera English https://ift.tt/37tWZzk

New technology: Are we trading our privacy for convenience?

How the same devices we happily carry in our pockets are being weaponised against us.

from Al Jazeera English https://ift.tt/39ynqFV

Police fire tear gas as Hong Kong rings in New Year

Protesters at the harbourfront counted down chanting 'Ten! Nine! Liberate Hong Kong, revolution now!'.

from Al Jazeera English https://ift.tt/37wq4Kt

Is The The Picture To Close Out The Decade?

This is the picture to close out the decade pic.twitter.com/RhwSC160R4

— Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi) December 31, 2019

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New York Times Under Fire For Claiming Thousands Of Organized Iranian- Backed Militia Fighters Storming The US Embasssy In Iraq Were Grieving “Mourners”

Hundreds of Iraqi mourners tried to storm the United States Embassy in Baghdad, shouting “Down, down USA!,” in response to deadly American airstrikes this week that killed 25 fighters https://t.co/jrAtON72eR

— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 31, 2019

FOX News: NY Times tweet on 'Iraqi mourners' storming Baghdad embassy prompts backlash online

The New York Times if facing backlash for referring to the violent protestors who tried to storm the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday as "Iraqi mourners."

Crowds of angry Iraqis protesting America's recent airstrikes against an Iran-backed militia laid siege to the U.S. Embassy compound, chanting "Down, Down USA!" as they stormed through a main gate, prompting U.S. guards to fire tear gas in response.

However, the Times offered a more sympathetic description of the mob.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: What the New York Times saw is different from what I saw. Today's attack against the US embassy in Iraq was extremely well organized, with many of the top militia leadership present. These "mourners" were also armed with Molotov cocktails and smoke grenades, and most were wearing their militia uniforms.

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New top story on Hacker News: U.S. Goods Trade Deficit Declines to Smallest in Three Years

U.S. Goods Trade Deficit Declines to Smallest in Three Years
17 by whack | 8 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: A music player for the TS80 soldering iron

A music player for the TS80 soldering iron
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New top story on Hacker News: Measuring mutexes, spinlocks and how bad the Linux scheduler is

Measuring mutexes, spinlocks and how bad the Linux scheduler is
28 by bazzargh | 5 comments on Hacker News.

Iraqi Security Forces Turned A Blind Eye During Attack On US Embassy In Baghdad

Washington Examiner: ‘How did they get so close?’: Analysts ask if Iraqi security forces turned a blind eye during attack on US Embassy in Baghdad

An Iranian-controlled militia couldn’t have breached the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad without the tacit acquiescence of some Iraqi security forces, according to American government sources and analysts.

“It shows just how fragile that relationship is with the U.S. and Iraq,” a U.S. government source who has worked in Baghdad told the Washington Examiner. "It's not an Iraqi government, it's an Iranian satellite.”

Such frustrations have simmered for months amid rocket attacks on bases that house American troops in Iraq. The attacks were launched by Iranian-controlled militias that are supposed to report to the Iraqi central government. Those tensions erupted Tuesday when the militias succeeded in breaching the Green Zone in Baghdad.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Iraqi official who was recently appointed to be responsible for the security in the Green Zone is a friend of Iranian Quds General Qassem Soleimani .... Was Iran Involved In Today's Attack On The U.S. Embassy In Baghdad? Iran's fingerprints are all over this attack.

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Protesters burn security post at U.S. Embassy in Iraq in new foreign policy test for Trump

Protesters angry about U.S. air strikes on Iraq hurled stones and torched a security post at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, setting off a confrontation with guards and posing a new challenge for U.S. President Donald Trump.

from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/36fVtQS

Protect Veterans From Fraud

By BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/36oXN8x

Texas Churchgoers Welcomed the Poor, but Sensed This One Was Trouble

By BY DAVE MONTGOMERY, ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS AND RICK ROJAS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/37mK6XF

Al interior de un tribunal de guerra estadounidense: la ropa y la cultura en Guantánamo

By BY CAROL ROSENBERG AND WENDY MACNAUGHTON from NYT en Español https://ift.tt/2uaRjvL

Science Panel Staffed With Trump Appointees Says E.P.A. Rollbacks Lack Scientific Rigor

By BY CORAL DAVENPORT AND LISA FRIEDMAN from NYT Climate https://ift.tt/356WYj6

New top story on Hacker News: Happy 10th Birthday, Krebsonsecurity.com

Happy 10th Birthday, Krebsonsecurity.com
3 by utopian3 | 0 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Movie Theater in town created by Disney World closed for almost a decade (2018)

Movie Theater in town created by Disney World closed for almost a decade (2018)
12 by bryanrasmussen | 2 comments on Hacker News.

North Korean leader to end missile test ban, claims state media

Kim Jong-un also unveils plans for a ‘new strategic weapon’ after brushoff from Trump

North Korea is abandoning its moratoriums on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, state media has reported its leader Kim Jong-un as saying.

Kim also reportedly said his country planned to introduce a “new strategic weapon” in the near future.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/39wlptu

Let's resolve to reconnect, says Welby in new year message

Archbishop of Canterbury urges people to reach out to others and help build unity

The archbishop of Canterbury will urge people to make personal connections with others in 2020 to create a new unity in a divided society.

In his new year message, to be broadcast on BBC One at 1pm on Wednesday, Justin Welby will say: “Let’s go for a heroic new year’s resolution. Let’s resolve to reconnect. To reach out to just one person we don’t know, or from whom we have drifted apart.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/36d8PNL

'Apocalyptic': New Zealand shrouded in smoke from Australian bushfires

Swathes of the South Island are affected by haze with the sky in places turning orange

New Zealanders in the South Island of the country have woken up to a red sun and orange skies on new year’s day, with the smoke from Australia’s catastrophic bushfires drifting east overnight.

The Met service, New Zealand’s meteorological agency, said the smoke had drifted 2000km east across the Tasman sea and was “clearly visible” in satellite imagery taken from above the South Island. Smoke had been drifting east for weeks, the agency said, but had increased on Wednesday due to the severity of the Australian fires and an unbroken northwest flow.

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100 US Marines And Apache Helicopters Deployed To Reinforce U.S. Embassy In Baghdad After Iraqi Protesters Storm Gates

VIDEO: AH-64 Apaches protect @USEmbBaghdad. 🚁“We have taken appropriate force protection actions to ensure the safety of American citizens...and to ensure our right of self-defense. We are sending additional forces to support our personnel at the Embassy.”~@EsperDoD 🇺🇸🇮🇶 pic.twitter.com/amABHBAOcL

— OIR Spokesman Col. Myles B. Caggins III (@OIRSpox) December 31, 2019

Daily Mail: Trump says Iran 'will pay a very BIG PRICE' after US embassy in Baghdad was attacked by pro-Tehran mob forcing Pentagon to deploy 100 Marines in Chinooks to reinforce the compound

* A swarm of protesters attacked the US embassy in Baghdad, Iraq on Tuesday
* Militia fighters broke through the compound gate and set fires within the high-security complex
* American soldiers inside the embassy have fired tear gas, stun grenades and warning shots at the fighters
* The ambassador was on leave at the time of the attack and embassy staff had already been evacuated before the US Marine guard became besieged at the compound
* The Pentagon deployed 100 additional Marines to the embassy in Chinook helicopters in wake of attack
* Trump has vowed to hold Tehran accountable for the embassy attack, which is in retaliation for US air strikes on the Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah on Sunday night
* Those USAF strikes were themselves in retaliation for last week's killing of an American contractor in Kirkuk
* Trump tweeted Tuesday: 'Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible'
* The embassy's security team evacuated some local staff through a rear gate while others left by helicopter as the rest remained inside 'safe' areas within the embassy, an employee said
* 62 protesters have been reported injured in the carnage by the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces
* The State Department said that all embassy personnel were safe and that no evacuation was planned

Donald Trump announced that the US embassy in Baghdad is safe after some 6,000 pro-Iran militia fighters stormed the compound on Tuesday, set walls ablaze and chanted 'Death to America!' in a violent retaliation for American air strikes.

The president doubled down in his warning to Iran, saying their government will be held 'fully responsible' for the attack that forced the Pentagon to send 100 Marines as reinforcements to the Iraqi embassy.

'The U.S. Embassy in Iraq is, & has been for hours, SAFE! Many of our great Warfighters, together with the most lethal military equipment in the world, was immediately rushed to the site. Thank you to the President & Prime Minister of Iraq for their rapid response upon request,' Trump tweeted Tuesday evening.

'Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat. Happy New Year!' he added.

Read more ....

More News On 100 US Marines And Apache Helicopters Deployed To Reinforce The U.S. Embassy In Baghdad

U.S. Sending Troops to Protect Iraqi Embassy Following Protests in Baghdad -- Time/AP
100 Marines from Crisis Response Unit Sent to Secure US Embassy in Iraq -- Military.com
US sending additional forces to protect embassy threatened by protesters in Iraq -- CNN
Baghdad embassy attack: US Marines and Apache helicopters reinforce compound after Iraqi protesters storm gates -- The Independent
Trump blames Iran for embassy attack as US says all personnel safe -- Reuters
US presses Iraq to protect American personnel after embassy attack: ‘There will be no Benghazis’ -- FOX News
Pompeo speaks with Iraq's prime minister, president after protesters breach US Embassy in Baghdad -- The Hill

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Britain Floated NATO Membership For Russia In 1995

First Russian President Boris Yeltsin

Daily Mail: Secret plan to bring Russia in from the cold and make it an 'associate member' of Nato in the 1990s was dismissed as 'farcical' by MPs, memo reveals

* Cabinet held foreign policy discussion on the subject at Chequers in 1995
* Defence secretary Malcolm Rifkind's department said 'integrating Russia into the Western family...' was 'the most difficult problem we face'
* Russia couldn't have full membership and military commitment that went with it
Possible solution was to 'create a new category of associate member' - giving Russia the status to attend meetings

Russia could have been made an 'associate member' of Nato to bring it back into the fold after the Cold War, declassified files reveal.

A discussion of foreign policy at Chequers – the prime minister's countryside retreat – reveals that the prospect was considered by the Cabinet in 1995.

Defence secretary Malcolm Rifkind's department said that 'integrating Russia into the Western family of nations in a realistic and sensitive way' was 'the most difficult problem we face'.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:  Russia would not have accepted such a proposal. Even if it was serious. Call it pride.

More News On Britain Floating NATO Membership For Russia In 1995

MoD proposed Russian membership of Nato in 1995, files reveal -- The Guardian
National archives: Officials floated 'farcical' idea of Russia joining Nato -- BBC
Secret documents from 1990s reveal ‘farcical’ plans to allow Russia to join Nato -- The Independent
Britain Floated NATO Membership for Russia, Archives Reveal -- Moscow Times
UK Mulled Offering Russia Spot in NATO to Aid Alliance's Expansion to East -- Sputnik

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Kim Says North Korea Not Bound to Test Freeze, Built New Weapon

(Bloomberg) -- Kim Jong Un declared that he was no longer bound by his pledge to freeze major weapons tests, saying the regime would soon debut a “new strategic weapon” and take “shocking” action toward the U.S.The North Korean leader told a gathering of party leaders in Pyongyang that the new weapon system had been “perfectly carried out” by scientists, designers and “workers in the field of the munitions industry,” the state-run Korean Central News Agency said Wednesday. The comments were released early New Year’s Day in North Korea, an occasion when Kim has previously made a televised address announcing big policy shifts.“The world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by the DPRK in the near future,” KCNA said, citing Kim and referring to the country’s formal name.While showing his frustration for sputtering nuclear talks with the U.S., Kim still left an opening for President Donald Trump by not explicitly stating he would resume tests or break off the nuclear negotiations that have seen three face-to-face meeting since June 2018. Kim expressed his anger at joint U.S.-South Korean militarily drills, new U.S. weapons being deployed on the peninsula and sanctions, which have been choking North Korea’s paltry economy.Kim said the U.S. actions had forced him to reconsider a moratorium on tests of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles that could deliver them to the U.S. “He stressed that under such condition, there is no ground for us to get unilaterally bound to the commitment any longer,” KCNA said.“North Korea’s moratoriums are meant to be broken,” said Sung-yoon Lee, a professor of U.S.-East Asia relations at Tufts University’s Fletcher School. “North Korea always lays the blame for its actions on the U.S. Kim Jong Un, I believe is setting the stage for the next big provocation to come.”It was unclear whether Kim would also deliver a separate new year’s speech. Kim could replace his annual address with a policy statement from the plenary, the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported before KCNA issued the report.In a previous New Year’s address, Kim said he planned to resume tests of ICBMs, but no mention was made of new testing in the latest report. Kim didn’t specify what the new strategic weapon was, or when it would be deployed.How Kim Jong Un Keeps Advancing His Nuclear Program: QuickTakeNorth Korea had expressed increasing frustration with the U.S. since Trump walked out of their last formal summit in February. Kim resumed launches of mostly short-range ballistic missiles at a record-setting pace and repeatedly warned that his freeze on tests on ICBMs might be coming to an end. Trump was not mentioned by name in the report, a sign that Kim has not resorted to the name-calling that punctuated their relationship ahead of their detente.“In the future, the more the U.S. stalls for time and hesitates in the settlement of the DPRK-U.S. relations, the more helpless it will find itself before the might of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” Kim told the four-day party gathering that ended Tuesday.‘Fell in Love’While Trump in 2018 claimed that North Korea was “no longer a nuclear threat” and that he and Kim “fell in love,” a deal between the two countries has remained elusive.Neither side can agree on the terms of disarmament or U.S.-imposed economic sanctions. Meanwhile, North Korea has continued to conduct missile tests and build its nuclear arsenal.North Korea had suggested a “Christmas gift” would be forthcoming after demanding additional concessions as part of the stalled nuclear talks. Earlier this year, Kim’s regime set a Dec. 31 deadline for a breakthrough. Trump has downplayed any threat, saying on Christmas Eve that the U.S. will “deal with it” and joking that Kim’s “gift” could be a “beautiful vase.”Robert O’Brien, Trump’s national security adviser, said in December that the U.S. will be ready to respond should Kim fire additional long-range missiles or conduct further nuclear weapons tests.“We’ll reserve judgment, but the United States will take action as we do in these situations,” O’Brien said on ABC’s “This Week.” “If Kim Jong Un takes that approach, we’ll be extraordinarily disappointed and we’ll demonstrate that disappointment.”Kim, however, had some ominous words for the U.S. “He said that we will never allow the impudent U.S. to abuse the DPRK-U.S. dialogue for meeting its sordid aim but will shift to a shocking actual action to make it pay for the pains sustained by our people so far and for the development so far restrained,” KCNA reported.\--With assistance from Shinhye Kang.To contact the reporters on this story: John Harney in Washington at jharney2@bloomberg.net;Jihye Lee in Seoul at jlee2352@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Jon HerskovitzFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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Donald Trump warns Iran it will pay 'big price' as protesters try to storm US embassy in Baghdad

Donald Trump accused Iran of orchestrating the attack on the US embassy in Baghdad as he said he expected Iraq to “use its forces” to intervene. "Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a Warning, it is a Threat," he wrote on Twitter. "The US Embassy in Iraq is, & has been for hours, SAFE! Many of our great Warfighters, together with the most lethal military equipment in the world, was immediately rushed to the site," Mr Trump  intensified pressure on the Iraqi authorities who had been powerless to prevent hundreds of demonstrators breaching the outer wall of the embassy compound in the heavily fortified green zone. He pressed the case for action in a call to  Iraq's caretaker  Prime Minister Adel Abd al-Mahd, urging him to protect US personnel and property. Chanting "death to America", the protesters set fire to a sentry box, pulled security cameras away from walls and hurled a barrage of missiles including Molotov cocktails. At one point the mob, which was protesting against US airstrikes on an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq on Sunday, used a drainpipe in an attempt to smash an embassy window. US troops tried to disperse the crowd firing warning shots before using teargas and stun grenades.  At least 62 people were reported to have been injured. Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 31 December 2019 Amid mounting tension, the US announced it would be deploying additional marines to increase security. Two Apache helicopters flew over the compound in a show of force. Matt Tueller, the US ambassador in Iraq, was not in the embassy at the time, but will be returning to join staff in the compound, the US State Department said. Under pressure from Mr Trump to protect US personnel, Mr Mahdi  had deployed special forces at the main gate in an attempt to prevent hundreds of protesters forcing their way in. Some of the crowd did withdraw, while others pitched tents, paving the way for a siege, which a spokesman for the militant group said would remain until US diplomats leave the country. As the violence unfolded in Iraq, Mr Trump intensified pressure on both Iraq and Iran with a series of tweets. "We expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!" Mr Trump tweeted, saying Iran "will be held fully responsible" for the unrest. Mr Trump was unapologetic for the military action which killed at least 25 fighters from Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah, a militant group with the US holds responsible for the death of an American contractor. "Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will," the US president wrote. Supporters of Kataeb Hezbollah were prominent among the demonstrators in Baghdad, with the group's flags hanging on the fence surrounding the embassy. The Iraqi government, which is already facing a wave of protests across the country, has found itself caught in the crossfire between Tehran and Washington. Thousands of protesters and militia fighters outside the gate denounced U.S. air strikes in Iraq. Credit: AFP Mr Mahdi condemned the weekend's airstrikes, but Mr Trump remained unrepentant as he urged the country to stand up to Iran "To those many millions of people in Iraq who want freedom and who don't want to be dominated and controlled by Iran, this is your time!" the president tweeted. In response, Tehran accused the US of "audacity" in blaming Iran for the demonstrations. "The surprising audacity of American officials is so much that after killing at least 25... and violating the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, that now... they attribute the Iraqi people's protest against their cruel acts to the Islamic Republic of Iran," said foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi. In the US, Republican hawks praised Mr Trump's tough response to the attack on the embassy. "He has put the world on notice - there will be no Benghazi's on his watch," tweeted Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally and GOP senator from South Carolina. Newt Gingrich called for even tougher action. "The United States should respond to Iran in Iran. The Iranian dictatorship doesn't care how many of its allies we hit in Iraq. We have to go after the heart of the enemy and make them pay decisively."

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2QdxtID

Jeffrey Epstein: woman sues estate alleging encounter when she was 14

Lawsuit filed in Florida says teen was approached in 2003 when she was ‘a vulnerable child without adequate parental support’

A woman who says she was 14 when she had a sexual encounter with the financier Jeffrey Epstein at his mansion sued his estate in Florida court on Monday for coercion, inflicting emotional distress and battery.

The lawsuit filed in Palm Beach county asks for an undisclosed amount of money. The lawsuit doesn’t give the woman’s name and only refers to her as “JJ Doe”.

Continue reading...

from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2rFFwo3

Aotearoa is at last finding its voice, helping us heal after a year of tragedy

Through Christchurch, Whakaari, the murder of Grace Millane, it is the Māori rituals, and each other, that sustain us

The phrase “a year that was bookended by tragedy” is too neat, somehow.

Tragedy moves through time differently from other events. Time seems to stop then start again fitfully. As it gathers momentum, its passing feels cruel, as if demanding that we gain perspective and return to our ordinary lives. Those early and late events of 2019 in Aotearoa – the massacre in Christchurch in March, and the eruption of Whakaari in November – did strange things to the future, too.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2QalUSn

Rare Chinese Bureaucratic Shakeup Reveals Future Leaders

(Bloomberg) -- China’s sprawling bureaucracy is undergoing a regional reshuffle of a rare scale, with new appointments and job swaps offering hints of potential future leaders being groomed by Beijing.At least 32 new mayoral-level officials have been appointed since Dec. 21, with 29 of them being relocated to a new province for the first time, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News. The other three are being moved for just the second time. While the Communist Party has routinely relocated minister-level officials from one province to another, that’s less common among lower-level officials.“We have almost never seen the transfer of mid-level officials between provinces at a scale this massive,” said Suisheng Zhao, executive director of the Center for China-U.S. Cooperation at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies. “Grooming the party’s talent pipeline is the most important aspect of Xi Jinping’s reform of governance modernization.”Xi has repeatedly called for training more capable cadres and the Communist Party’s Central Committee vowed in March to accelerate that by promoting the exchange of officials across local areas, departments and state-owned enterprises. The equivalent of the party’s human resources department is overseeing the current spate of new appointments, underscoring their importance.The personnel moves come has Xi seeks to control a nationwide economic slowdown amid high pork prices and a trade war with the U.S. The Chinese president might touch on the challenges facing the nation Tuesday evening, when he’s expected to deliver an annual New Year’s Eve address.Future LeadersSince Dec. 21, when two officials from Zhejiang and Shandong in the east were sent to the predominately-Muslim western region of Xinjiang, new positions have been announced every day.On Monday, Huaian -- a city of about 5 million in Jiangsu -- welcomed its new mayor, Chen Zhichang, the former head of Beijing’s Shijingshan district. Born in 1974, Chen spent his whole career in Beijing aside from a short stint in Tibet. His profile is similar to most of the cadres who were moved around this month, who spent most of their working lives in one place.Of the 32 officials who got new jobs, 21 were born after 1970, signaling the emergence of a new generation of leaders.Wang Liqi, born in 1977, was appointed China’s youngest mayor. He was nominated to manage Jiuquan City in Gansu, pending rubber-stamp approval by the local legislature. Since graduating from Tsinghua University with a master’s degree in engineering in 2003, Wang spent his entire political career in Heilongjiang, a northeastern province bordering Russia.Top-down CampaignA local bureaucrat from Inner Mongolia’s Organization Department shed light on the changes when welcoming an official from Chongqing as the new mayor of its Wuhai city.The change in leadership was part of the Central Organization Department’s decision “to select and send outstanding cadres on cross-provincial and regional exchanges,” local media cited Sun Fulong, the director of Inner Mongolia’s Civil Service Bureau as saying on Dec. 24.Sun said the swapping of officials across regions was done to implement Xi’s instructions on bureaucratic organization and of “extreme significance to the modernization of national governance.”Xi has repeatedly complained about a lack of drive among some local officials, and urged cadres to be more daring and take on more challenges. He warned in January that “the party is facing sharp and serious dangers of a slackness in spirit, lack of ability, distance from the people, and being passive and corrupt.”As these reshuffles become more institutionalized, they will help “break the curse of the central government’s orders not being able to travel beyond the top leadership’s compound of Zhongnanhai,” said Zhao. “Party central wants to select people who are not only politically reliable but also have an outstanding performance record, and send them to other provinces to effectively disrupt the intertwined local interest groups.”(Updates with Xi’s speech in fifth paragraph.)To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Dandan Li in Beijing at dli395@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Sharon Chen, John LiuFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Germany's Merkel urges climate action in New Year message

Chancellor Angela Merkel is telling Germans in her New Year message that “everything humanly possible” must be done to tackle climate change. Merkel said that was the principle behind a recently agreed German package of measures aimed at addressing climate change, which include a carbon dioxide pricing system for the transport and heating sectors and lowering value-added tax on long-distance rail tickets. “It's true that, at 65, I am at an age where I personally won't experience all the consequences of climate change that would arise if politicians didn't act,” she said.

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Hong Kong's year of protest set to continue into 2020

Protests that began in June over a now-shelved extradition bill likely to continue without political response.

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The Pentagon Is Preparing To Fight The Wrong War

David Axe, Daily Beast: This Is What War Looks Like in 2029

America has the most military hardware of any country—but experts say the nature of war is shifting underground and online, and the U.S. may struggle to keep up.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 11 passed its version of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, clearing the way for the U.S. Senate to approve the measure. If President Donald Trump signs the bill, it will channel a staggering $740 billion into the Pentagon’s accounts.

That’s by far the biggest military budget of any country. The United States lavishes on its armed forces more than twice as much as No. 2 spender China does, and more than 10 times what No. 6 Russia does.

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WNU Editor: This is one of those must reads.

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The digital links of 2019's global protests

Protests in Hong Kong, Chile and the Middle East all shared an online presence which helped connect the movements.

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UK and US considered Nigeria naval blockade over Saro-Wiwa execution

The UK and US considered an oil embargo after activist Ken Saro-Wiwa was hanged, document reveals.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2tfGc3Z

Pompeo to Meet With Ukraine’s Zelensky in Kyiv

By BY EDWARD WONG from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2QBrqwz

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit by Ex-Trump Aide Subpoenaed in Impeachment Inquiry

By BY CHARLIE SAVAGE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2F9n62h

Schumer Demands Witnesses Be Called at Senate Impeachment Trial

By BY ERIC LIPTON AND MAGGIE HABERMAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2ZCv39z

Double the Federal Minimum Wage

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

After Death From Falling Debris, Violations Found at 220 Buildings

By BY AZI PAYBARAH from NYT New York https://ift.tt/36acVGp

The Legacy of Destructive Austerity

By BY PAUL KRUGMAN from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2QcEadO

American Airstrikes Rally Iraqis Against U.S.

By BY ALISSA J. RUBIN AND BEN HUBBARD from NYT World https://ift.tt/37ofNjf

New top story on Hacker News: The Red and The Black

The Red and The Black
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New top story on Hacker News: Deep learning approach demonstrates improved accuracy of screening mammography

Deep learning approach demonstrates improved accuracy of screening mammography
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New top story on Hacker News: Researchers observe brain-like behavior in nanoscale device

Researchers observe brain-like behavior in nanoscale device
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MoD proposed Russian membership of Nato in 1995, files reveal

Released papers expose ‘associate membership’ plan and Yeltsin’s drinking habits

Russia could have become an “associate member” of Nato 25 years ago if a Ministry of Defence proposal had gained support, according to confidential Downing Street files which also expose Boris Yeltsin’s drinking habits.

The suggestion, aimed at reversing a century of east-west antagonism, is revealed in documents released on Tuesday by the National Archives at Kew.

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Papers reveal Anglo-French distrust before Srebrenica massacre

Archives show British PM was warned France may have made secret deal with Bosnian Serbs

Days before the Srebrenica massacre in July 1995, John Major was warned France had possibly brokered a secret deal with the Bosnian Serbs to halt airstrikes in return for the release of western military hostages.

This claim, detailed in a secret Foreign Office note to the prime minister, is among documents available to read at the National Archives in Kew fromTuesday that expose the depth of Anglo-French distrust during the Balkans conflict.

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John Major aide blasted Foreign Office ‘camels’ over Israel trip, archive reveals

Papers shed light on wrangling over plans to visit Palestinian centre during PM’s 1995 tour

Foreign Office “camels” and senior No 10 aides were embroiled in behind-the-scenes wrangling over whether a government minister should visit a prominent Palestinian centre in Jerusalem during John Major’s 1995 tour of Israel, documents reveal.

The dispute arose over plans for the then Foreign Office minister Douglas Hogg to visit Orient House, the centre of Palestinian life in Jerusalem for more than a century, occupied by a leading PLO member, and a key political symbol of the Palestinian presence in the city.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 30, 2019

From left, protests in 2019 in Paris, France, in Baghdad, Iraq, and in Hong Kong. Stephane de Sakutin, AFP; Khalid al-Mousily, REUTERS; Danish Siddiqui, REUTERS

Tamar Shiloh Vidon, France 24: A year of discontent: Protests of 2019 toppled world leaders from Bolivia to Sudan

Street demonstrations rocked cities around the world in 2019, with some leading to the downfall of longtime leaders who once appeared invulnerable while others put their governments on notice in a year that proved to be one of widespread discontent.

Protesters are demanding the removal of corrupt governments, better living standards, greater freedoms and more rights.

The leaders of Bolivia, Algeria, Lebanon, Iraq and Sudan have been pushed out as a consequence. Elsewhere, such as in Chile and Ecuador, protesters have won concessions from their governments.

FRANCE 24 takes a look at some of the popular movements that have successfully led to the ouster of political leaders in 2019 – some of them after decades in power.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 30, 2019

Are the US and Iran heading for a confrontation on Iraqi soil? -- Ali Younes, Al Jazeera

Erdogan eyes early poll as time not on his side -- Ömer Taşpınar, Asia Times

US isolationism leaves Middle East on edge as new decade dawns -- Martin Chulov, The Guardian

China’s sea claims to face stiff test in 2020 -- Richard Javad Heydarian, Asia Times

Trying To Form The World's Newest Country, Bougainville Has A Road Ahead -- Ashley Westerma, NPR

Central Asia’s seething Uighurs -- Alexander Kruglov, Asia Times

Xenophobia threatens to undermine Sudan's revolution -- Magdi el-Gizouli & Abraham T Zere, Al Jazeera

Putin weighs future options as he marks 20 years in power -- Vladimir Isachenkov, AP

Russia Rubs Its Hands At The Prospect Of Profit From Climate Change -- Michael Scollon, RFE

Angela Merkel and her view of the world -- Christoph Hasselbach, Michaela Küfner, Maximiliane Koschyk, Kay-Alexander Scholz, DW

30 Years After Romania's Revolution, Questions Remain -- Carmen Paun, Politico EU

The US is to blame for its foreign policy paralysis over the past decade -- Hussein Ibish, The National

Ignore the So-Called Experts; They Keep Getting It Wrong. -- Adriana Cohen, RCP

Crowdfunding and solidarity: How French rail workers sustain a record-long strike -- Camille Nedelec, France 24

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Microsoft says North Korea-linked hackers stole sensitive information

Thallium is believed to be operating from North Korea, Microsoft said in a blog post, and the hackers targeted government employees, think tanks, university staff members and individuals working on nuclear proliferation issues, among others. Most of the targets were based in the United States, as well as Japan and South Korea, the company said. Thallium tricked victims through a technique known as "spear phishing", using credible-looking emails that appear legitimate at first glance.

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Hunting the missing millions from collapsed cryptocurrency

On the trail of almost half a billion dollars lost when the Wex exchange collapsed in 2018.

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Medieval combat: A Chinese knight fights for his dream

A Chinese teacher with a passion for medieval combat hopes to take his hobby to the next level.

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New top story on Hacker News: Principles of the American Cargo Cult (2003)

Principles of the American Cargo Cult (2003)
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North Korea's Kim Jong-un calls for 'offensive' measures as nuclear deadline looms

Dictator’s comments come ahead of a year-end deadline for US to soften stance on missile programme

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for “positive and offensive measures” to ensure security at a ruling party meeting ahead of a year-end deadline he has set for denuclearisation talks with the United States, state media said on Monday.

Kim convened a weekend meeting of party officials to pore over important policy matters amid rising tension over his deadline for Washington to soften its stance in stalled negotiations aimed at dismantling Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes.

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Taliban Council Agrees To A Temporary Ceasefire In Afghanistan

Daily Mail: Taliban agrees to ‘10-day ceasefire’ in Afghanistan to boost hopes of US peace deal

* A peace deal would allow Washington to bring home its troops from Afghanistan
* The US wants deal to include promise country not used as a base for terrorists
* The Taliban chief must approve the agreement but that is expected to happen

The Taliban said it has agreed to a temporary nationwide ceasefire in Afghanistan, providing a window during which a peace agreement with the United States could be signed.

A peace deal would allow Washington to bring home its troops from Afghanistan and end its 18-year military engagement in the country.

The US wants any deal to include a promise from the Taliban that Afghanistan would not be used as a base by terrorist groups. The US has an estimated 12,000 troops in the country.

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More News On The Taliban Council Agreeing To A Temporary Ceasefire In Afghanistan

Taliban council agrees to cease-fire in Afghanistan -- AP
Taliban agrees to temporary ceasefire in Afghanistan -- The Hill
Taliban Has Agreed to Cease-Fire in Afghanistan, With Possibility of Peace Deal: Report -- Newsweek
Taliban agrees to Afghanistan ceasefire, boosting chances of US peace deal -- The Independent
Taliban agree Afghanistan ceasefire to allow US peace deal to be signed -- Sydney Morning Herald
Afghanistan Taliban agrees to temporary cease-fire -- CGTN

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Eagles Overwhelm Giants to Clinch a Playoff Berth

By BY BILL PENNINGTON from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2ZxWKAe

New top story on Hacker News: How writing began, and other unexpectedly funny stories about cuneiform [video]

How writing began, and other unexpectedly funny stories about cuneiform [video]
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New top story on Hacker News: Taking a look at a covert CIA virtual fencing solution [video]

Taking a look at a covert CIA virtual fencing solution [video]
11 by Jerry2 | 0 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: Video: A Language for Making Movies

Video: A Language for Making Movies
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New top story on Hacker News: Quanta’s Year in Math and Computer Science (2019)

Quanta’s Year in Math and Computer Science (2019)
7 by Anon84 | 1 comments on Hacker News.

North Korea's Kim urges 'positive and offensive' security measures at key party meeting

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called at a ruling party meeting for "positive and offensive measures" to ensure security ahead of a year-end deadline he has set for denuclearization talks with the United States, state media KCNA said on Monday.

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Trump briefed by top aides on 'successful' U.S. airstrikes in Iraq, Syria

U.S. President Donald Trump was briefed by his top national security advisers on Sunday on U.S. airstrikes against what U.S. officials said was an Iran-sponsored group in Iraq and Syria, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

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Bahrain expresses support for U.S. strikes on Kataib Hizbollah facilities in Iraq, Syria: statement

Bahrain expressed support for strikes conducted by the United States targeting Kataib Hezbollah facilities in Iraq and Syria, Bahrain's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

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John Lewis, Congressman and Civil Rights Icon, Has Pancreatic Cancer

By BY EMILY COCHRANE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Q8dTO8

Bill Barr Thinks America Is Going to Hell

By BY KATHERINE STEWART AND CAROLINE FREDRICKSON from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2SBnazG

The Presidential Nominating Process Is Absurd

By BY DAVID LEONHARDT from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2MFgEEt

New top story on Hacker News: The StingRay Is Why the 4th Amendment Was Written

The StingRay Is Why the 4th Amendment Was Written
36 by jseliger | 10 comments on Hacker News.

New top story on Hacker News: California is booming, but Californians are unhappy

California is booming, but Californians are unhappy
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Some of IRA's victims mistakenly killed as 'informers', files show

Government list includes some of most notorious cases from the Northern Ireland Troubles

Some of the dozens of victims killed by the IRA for supposedly “informing” during Northern Ireland’s Troubles were not working for the police or security services, according to official documents released in Belfast.

A sample list of alleged informers shot dead by the Provisional IRA between 1978 and the 1994 ceasefire has emerged from government files released to the Northern Ireland public records office on Monday.

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Civil rights leader John Lewis has stage 4 pancreatic cancer

Democrat is ‘clear-eyed about the prognosis’ but plans to return to Washington soon

Congressman John Lewis, the civil rights leader and Democrat representative for Georgia, is receiving treatment for stage 4 pancreatic cancer, his office has said.

“I have been in some kind of fight – for freedom, equality, basic human rights – for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now,” Lewis, 79, said in a statement released on Sunday evening.

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U.S. Launches Air-Strikes Against Iranian-Backed Shi'ite Muslim Militia Groups In Iraq And Syria

Reuters: U.S. strikes in Iraq, Syria target Iranian-backed Shi'ite Muslim militia group

WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military carried out air strikes in Iraq and Syria against the Kataib Hezbollah militia group in response to the killing of a U.S. civilian contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base, U.S. officials said on Sunday.

Iraqi security and militia sources said at least 25 militia fighters were killed and at least 55 wounded following three U.S. air strikes in Iraq on Sunday.

At least four local Kataib Hezbollah commanders were among the dead, the sources said, adding that one of the strikes had targeted the militia group’s headquarters near the western Qaim district on the border with Syria.

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WNU Editor: There are now reports of high casualties .... US Drone Attacks in Iraq Leave 25 Fighters Killed, 51 Injured - Iraqi Paramilitary Forces (Sputnik).

More News On The U.S. Launching Air-Strikes Against Iranian-Backed Shi'ite Muslim Militia Groups In Iraq And Syria

US strikes hit Iraqi militia blamed in contractor’s death -- AP
US forces hit pro-Iran group in Iraq after contractor killed -- France 24
US bombs militant group in Iraq, Syria in retaliation for contractor's killing -- France 24
U.S. Launches Attacks on Iranian-Backed Forces in Iraq and Syria -- The New York Times
US conducts strikes in Iraq, Syria on Iran-backed militia behind attack that killed American, Pentagon says -- USA Today
US conducts airstrikes in Iraq, Syria after contractor killed, American troops injured in rocket attack -- FOX News
US bombs headquarters of pro-Iran group in Iraq -- Arutz Sheva
US strikes 5 facilities in Iraq and Syria linked to Iranian-backed militia -- CNN
US hits back at Iran-linked militia in Iraq after rocket attack -- DW
US Hits Iran-Backed Militia Bases in Iraq and Syria Following Deadly Rocket Attack -- Military.com
US targets five facilities controlled by Iranian-backed militias in drone strikes -- Washington Examiner
US Carries Out 'Defensive Strikes' Against Five Shia Militia Facilities in Syria and Iraq -- Sputnik

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US Rep John Lewis of Georgia says he has pancreatic cancer

Congressman John Lewis of Georgia announced Sunday that he has stage IV pancreatic cancer, vowing he will stay in office and fight the disease with the tenacity with which he fought racial discrimination and other inequalities dating to the civil rights era. Lewis, the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists in a group once led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., said in a statement that the cancer was detected earlier this month during a routine medical visit.

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Trump Retweet of Alleged Whistle-Blower’s Name is Back on Twitter

(Bloomberg) -- A retweet by President Donald Trump, naming the alleged whistle-blower whose complaint triggered the investigation that resulted in his impeachment, was restored to Twitter late Saturday.The post, originally from the handle @Surfermom77, was retweeted by Trump to his 68 million followers about midnight Friday and by Saturday morning was no longer visible in the president’s Twitter feed. CNN first reported late Saturday that the temporary removal followed a Twitter glitch that affected certain accounts, not deliberate action to delete the tweet by Trump or someone with access to his account.“Due to an outage with one of our systems, tweets on account profiles were visible to some, but not others,” the social media site posted on its @TwitterSupport account.The tweet identifies an individual it says is the whistle-blower: the person who first raised the alarm about the president’s conduct in his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.A mystery also surrounded the @Surfermom77 Twitter handle, which by Sunday night appeared to have been wiped from the social media site. Trump’s retweet was being directed to a different account, @4Shereene4, or “Leona.” @Surfermom77 had described herself as living in California and a “100% Trump supporter” -- as did the @4Shereen4 handle. On Saturday afternoon the account, with its pro-Trump and anti-Democratic material, was shown as having been “temporarily restricted.” It was visible again on Sunday morning but by late Sunday afternoon appeared to have been erased, with followers down to five from 78,000 and no biographical information.Confirming the identify of the account holder is next to impossible, but the original @Surfermom77 handle shared some traits common to fake accounts. Since its inception in 2013, the user’s profession evolved from “historian-documentary writer” to “educator” to “image model,” according to older versions of the account archived by the Wayback Machine. The name of the account holder also changed, from “Sophia” to “Evonne” and back to “Sophia.”Surfermom77 also appeared more than 1,000 times in Twitter’s own data set detailing accounts the company has removed and attributed to state-backed operations. The handle appeared in conversations Twitter deemed to be run by Russia and its Internet Research Agency, along with Iran and Venezuela. In late 2016 the account was linked to Gab, another social media platform popular among the extreme right wing.The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment on Trump’s Twitter activity.Trump has posted about the whistle-blower dozens of times over the months and also suggested in comments to reporters that he would like to unmask or face the individual.“Like every American, I deserve to meet my accuser,” Trump tweeted in September.On Thursday Trump also retweeted a link to a Dec. 3 article from the conservative Washington Examiner newspaper that carried the name of the alleged whistle-blower.Attorney Andrew Bakaj, who represents the whistle-blower, lamented in a tweet on Saturday that U.S. lawmakers, who in the past have championed the privacy rights of whistle-blowers, including Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, have shown “deafening” silence recently.“This is a defining moment where legacies will either be solidified or destroyed,” Bakaj said on Twitter.(Updates with details of Twitter activity from eight paragraph.)To contact the reporters on this story: Ros Krasny in Washington at rkrasny1@bloomberg.net;Kartikay Mehrotra in San Francisco at kmehrotra2@bloomberg.netTo contact the editors responsible for this story: James Ludden at jludden@bloomberg.net, Ros Krasny, Steve GeimannFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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