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N.Korea Wasted Chance To Improve Relations Under Trump U.S. Envoy...

2021-01-25T22:47:21Z

LowellKnowles:

By Josh Smith and [http://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpenzu.com%2Fp%2Fc3ab3978/ http://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpenzu.com%2Fp%2Fc3ab3978/] Hyonhee Shin SEOUL, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Pyongyang squandered an opportunity to fundamentally reinvent its relationship with the United States during Donald Trump's presidency, Washington's top North Korea envoy said on Thursday, adding he will urge his successors to continue engagement. Speaking to a think tank in Seoul during a visit to meet with South Korean security officials, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun admitted he was disappointed denuclearisation negotiations had stalled and that more progress was not made during his time leading those efforts. "Regrettably, much opportunity has been squandered by our North Korean counterparts over the past two years, who too often have devoted themselves to the search for obstacles to negotiations instead of seizing opportunities for engagement," he said, according to his prepared remarks. Still, he defended Trump's decision to focus on top-level diplomacy with leader Kim Jong Un, and to eschew small steps in favour of seeking a major agreement under which North Korea would surrender its nuclear weapons and the two sides would normalize relations. "This vision was a bold one, and it made the many advocates of incrementalism uncomfortable," Biegun said. After trading insults and nuclear threats that had pushed their countries to the brink of war, Trump and Kim met for the first time in Singapore in 2018, where they signed a general declaration calling for denuclearisation and new relations between the two old adversaries. After working-level talks Biegun helped lead, the two leaders held their second meeting in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi in 2019 but failed to reach a deal. Subsequent talks failed to make progress and Pyongyang has rebuffed Biegun's calls for more engagement, saying the U.S. does not appear serious about dropping its hostile policies. Biegun called for North Korea to resume talks in the coming months. With Democratic president-elect Joe Biden due to replace Trump in January, Biegun said he had a message for the incoming team: "The war is over; the time for conflict has ended, and the time for peace has arrived." (Reporting by Josh Smith)

Vietnam Steps Up Online Crackdown Jailed Activists At Record High...

2021-01-25T20:00:38Z

LowellKnowles:

HANOI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The number of jailed activists in Vietnam has reached its highest on record, according to a tally by Amnesty International, which in a report on Tuesday accused Facebook and Google of censorship in the Southeast Asian country. There are at least 170 "prisoners of conscience" in Vietnam, the report said, of which around 70 are currently serving jail terms for online activism, mainly on Facebook and Google's YouTube. "Once the great hope for the expansion of freedom of expression in the country, social media platforms are fast becoming human rights-free zones, where any peaceful dissent or criticism of the Vietnamese government is liable to be censored," the report said. The current number of prisoners of conscience in Vietnam is the highest that London-based Amnesty has reported since it began publishing the figures in 1996, an Amnesty spokesman told Reuters. Amnesty defines prisoners of conscience as people who have not used or advocated violence, but were imprisoned because of their identity or beliefs. Vietnam's foreign ministry, which handles enquires from foreign media, did not respond to a request for comment. Despite sweeping economic reform and openness to social change, Vietnam's ruling Communist Party retains tight control on media, tolerates little opposition and has intensified a crackdown on dissidents and online activists ahead of a key Party meeting next year. Last month, Reuters reported that Vietnam had threatened to shut down Facebook locally if it did not agree to censor [https://www.gazprombank.ru/bitrix/redirect.php?goto=https://penzu.com/p/c3ab3978 www.gazprombank.ru] more political content. Vietnam's government said at the time that Facebook should abide by local laws. Amnesty's report said the U.S. social media giants do not do enough to resist government pressure to censor posts. It cited interviews with Vietnamese activists who said their posts had been censored. Both Facebook and Google have said that they only restrict access to content if it violates local laws. One such law, Article 117, prohibits Vietnamese citizens from "making, storing or spreading" anti-state materials. (Reporting by James Pearson; Editing by Martin Petty)

US Hits Iran apos;s Envoy To Yemen Chinese Firms With Sanctions

2021-01-25T11:54:16Z

LowellKnowles: Created page with " WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration on Tuesday escalated steps to rein in Iran´s activities in the Middle East and North Korea´s efforts to evade international sa..."

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration on Tuesday escalated steps to rein in Iran´s activities in the Middle East and North Korea´s efforts to evade international sanctions with new penalties against both nations and [http://new.x0.com/bbs.x/nyaponika.cgi? http://new.x0.com/bbs.x/nyaponika.cgi?] proxies. As it winds down its term, the administration announced that it had imposed sanctions on Iran´s envoy to Yemen's Houthi rebels, Hasan Irlu, and Al-Mustafa International University for recruiting fighters for the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps to foment instability in Yemen and in Syria. In a separate statement, the Treasury Department said it also was imposing sanctions on six Chinese and Vietnamese companies and four ships for selling and transporting North Korean coal in violation of U.N. sanctions. The moves come as the administration seeks to step up pressure on governments it opposes in various parts of the world before President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January. The penalties freeze any assets the targets may already have in or that enter U.S. jurisdictions and bar Americans from doing business with them. Several of those identified for the North Korean violations are already subject to U.S. sanctions. The measures may also subject third country companies and individuals to U.S. sanctions if they are found to be engaging in transactions with them.

The Best Museum In Hanoi

2021-01-25T11:22:05Z

LowellKnowles:

There are many interesting museums in Hanoi, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Ethnology Museum, the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the Museum of Vietnamese History, which are all well worth visiting, but in my opinion, the often overlooked Vietnam Women's Museum at 36 Ly Thuong Kiet Street is by far the best. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push(); Most notably, it is the only museum in the city I've been to that features exhibitions addressing pressing social issues facing Vietnam (and the world) today. Its impressive collection of vintage propaganda posters, many on permanent display throughout the building, is also the best I've seen so far. The museum has undergone extensive renovations over the past few years and, in late 2011, celebrated the opening of its new exhibition spaces that proudly show off its fascinating collections of artefacts related to all aspects of Vietnamese women's lives today and throughout history. The permanent exhibitions include sections on marriage and family life (including many of the country's 54 ethnic minorities) a costume collection that rivals those in the Ethnology and Fine Arts Museums; street vendors; and, the best of all, women in history, which explains the extraordinary roles ordinary women have played in Vietnamese history, particularly during the national resistance wars against the French and the US. Perhaps the most interesting and relevant aspects of the museum are its temporary exhibitions about current social issues such domestic violence, mass migration from rural to urban areas, human trafficking, and the plight of single women. Its strong connections to the Vietnam Women's Union and numerous governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have enabled the museum to present these exhibitions and raise public awareness of these critical issues. In this capacity it is actively making many positive contributions to national development. Sadly however, this impressive museum is generally overlooked in most tour itineraries, which is a great detriment to both tourists and the country alike. Since it reopened in its newly renovated form, the number of Vietnamese visitors has risen considerably, which is very good, but I feel it should be promoted further in the Vietnamese tourism sector and included in more standard tour itineraries. It is centrally located on a main street and [http://www.google.co.ve/url?q=https://www.datafilehost.com/d/d7b91f05 www.google.co.ve] within walking distance of other popular attractions such as Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter, and the water puppet theatre so it could easily be included in most tour programs. Many foreigners visiting Hanoi are very interested in Vietnam's history as well as its current situation as a developing country. The Women's Museum offers a well presented, original, and enlightening view of both, as well as ongoing efforts in the country to positively address many current international issues. Anyone visiting Hanoi, regardless of gender, is well advised to visit the Vietnam Women's Museum for a unique glimpse of Vietnamese history that cannot be seen anywhere else. The museum is open every day except Monday and is wheelchair accessible. If you want a holiday in Vietnam, please contact us! [ ], [ ], [ ] . Vietnam Paradise Travel

User:LowellKnowles

2021-01-25T11:22:02Z

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