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North Korea

Ideas

On Democracy, Republics And Lula's Theory Of Relativity

A democracy is not just the vague and dangerously malleable promise of popular rule. It is instead an institutional regime or "republic" that defines and protects the rights of the people, and of individuals.

-Analysis-

BUENOS AIRES — In a column in this newspaper (Clarín) earlier this year, Professor Loris Zanatta drew our attention to declarations made in July by Brazil's President Lula da Silva rejecting criticisms against Venezuela's socialist regime. Lula said "democracy is a relative concept, for you and for me," when asked if Venezuela is a democracy.

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Delayed Gaza Truce, Populist Wins Dutch Election, Thanksgiving Buffett

👋 ສະບາຍດີ!*

Welcome to Thursday, where the four-day truce between Hamas and Israel is delayed, anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders scores a dramatic victory in the Netherlands, and U.S. magnate Warren Buffett makes a big Thanksgiving donation. Meanwhile, we take a look at what’s causing massive teacher shortages around the world.

[*Sabaidee - Lao, Laos]

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This Happened – October 19: Battle of Pyongyang Ends

The Battle of Pyongyang ended in a U.S.-led United Nations victory on this day in 1950. Hours later, the Chinese Army began crossing the border into Korea.

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This Happened — October 9: North Korea's First Nuclear Test

North Korea conducted its first nuclear weapon test on this day in 2006. The test marked a significant development in North Korea's nuclear capabilities.

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In The News
Michelle Courtois, Valeria Berghinz and Anne-Sophie Goninet

Nagorno-Karabakh Dissolution, Gaza Crossings Reopen, Microplastic Clouds

👋 Guuten takh!*

Welcome to Thursday, where the separatist government of Nagorno-Karabakh announces that the region will “cease to exist” by the end of the year, Burkina Faso’s military junta says it thwarted plans to overthrow the government, and Japanese scientists find evidence of microplastics in the clouds. Meanwhile, in Berlin-based daily Die Welt, Marie-Luise Goldmann analyzes the German factors driving the latest Netflix hit thriller, Dear Child.

[*Cimbrian, northeastern Italy]

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Geopolitics
Pierre Haski

Putin & Kim: What Happens When Two Pariahs Have Nothing Left To Lose

North Korea lends its full support to Russia's war in Ukraine, and will supply ammunition to Moscow, which in return will help Kim Jong-un with his space ambitions. With the whiff of a Cold War alliance, it shows how two regimes that have become so isolated they multiply the risks for the rest of the world.

-Analysis-

There's a feeling of nostalgia watching the meeting between Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia's Far East.

To hear the third descendant of North Korea's communist dynasty tell the Russian president that they were fighting imperialism together recalls a past that seemed long forgotten.

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It reminds us of how Joseph Stalin backed the founder of Pyongyang's ruling dynasty, Kim Il Sung, the current leader's grandfather, in his quest to take over Korea. Since succeeding his father 11 years ago, Kim Jong-un has looked to follow the model of his grandfather.

There's no doubt that North Korea's talented propaganda team will make good use of this anti-imperialism remake, even if times and men have changed. Seen from Pyongyang, not so much. But beyond the symbols, which have their importance, this meeting may have tangible consequences.

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In The News
Emma Albright, Valeria Berghinz and Anne-Sophie Goninet

20,000 Feared Dead In Libya Floods, Brazil Rioters On Trial, Giraffe Oracle

👋 Nyob zoo!*

Welcome to Thursday, where Libya floods may have killed as many as 20,000 people, trials begin for pro-Bolsonaro rioters accused of staging a coup in January, and Obano the rugby-loving giraffe is put to the test. Meanwhile, Maria Corbi in Italian daily La Stampa looks at the man’s man’s world of influencers, and the one Italian woman who puts them all to shame.

[*Nyaw zhong - Hmong, China, Vietnam, Laos]

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Geopolitics
Cameron Manley

What Kim Wants From Putin: Hardware And Know-How For North Korea's Space Program

Vladimir Putin was eager to welcome Kim Jong-un for a rare visit to Russia in order to replenish depleting supplies of shells and ammunition. But North Korea has its own demands help to build satellites as part of an advanced space program.

-Analysis-

Much of the focus from Wednesday's highly anticipated Putin-Kim summit has been on the weapons that North Korea will be sending to Russia, which is short on ammunition for its war against Ukraine.

But since every bilateral summit is a give-and-take, what will North Korean leader Kim Jong-un take home to Pyongyang?

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed during the summit at a Cosmodrome in Russia's far east that Moscow is ready to assist North Korea in the construction of satellites.

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This announcement comes as North Korea aims to transform itself into a "world-class space power."

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This Happened

This Happened — July 27: Korean War Armistice

The Korean War armistice agreement at Panmunjom was signed on this day in 1953, ending three years of fighting.

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This Happened

This Happened — July 18: Kim Jong-un Becomes Supreme Leader Of North Korea

On this day in 2012, Kim Jong-un was officially appointed as the Supreme Leader of North Korea and given the rank of Marshal in the Korean People's Army by the Workers' Party of Korea, the ruling party in North Korea.

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This Happened

This Happened — June 30: Trump Visits North Korea

Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, visited North Korea on this day in 2019. Trump and Kim Jong-un met at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), specifically at the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the village of Panmunjom. This location is a historic site where previous meetings between North and South Korea had taken place.

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Future
Xu Kaiming

Will Hack For Nukes: Inside North Korea's Cryptocurrency Extortion Ring

North Korea has industrialized the theft of cryptocurrency to finance its nuclear weapons program and its state-sponsored hackers are getting better at emptying digital wallets. But global law enforcement agents are in hot pursuit, and cashing in crypto is harder than ever.

The threat on the screen was clear and simple enough: I've encrypted your files — and if you don't pay me within a week, you'll never be able to recover them.

At noon on May 12, 2017, a red alert page popped up on the computer screens of more than 300,000 Windows users worldwide, asking them to transfer approximately $300 worth of Bitcoin to recover their files.

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