Sep 29, 2018

North Korea says it won't denuclearize if it can't trust U.S.

Zachary Basu

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho speaking before the UN. Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said at the UN General Assembly Saturday that the U.S. must follow through on the promises it agreed to at the June 12 summit, and that the country will never denuclearize if it cannot trust the Americans, the AP reports.

Why it matters: Talks between the two countries have stalled after President Trump directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to cancel his August trip to North Korea, claiming the regime was not "making sufficient progress with respect to denuclearization." The two sides appear to still be invested in further negotiations, however, as Pompeo plans to make a trip to Pyongyang next month amid talks of a second summit between Trump and Kim Jong-un.

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Barak Ravid of Israel's Channel 13 news

Scoop: Israel cancels academic's lectures for criticizing Netanyahu's Iran policy

Prime Minister Netanyahu. Photo: Amir Levy/Getty Images

The Israeli foreign ministry has ordered its embassies in Russia, Canada and Bulgaria to cancel planned speaking events by an Israeli academic and prominent Iran expert, claiming he criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy on the Iranian nuclear program, officials told me.

Why it matters: For many years, the Israeli foreign ministry would send Israeli academics who disagree with the government for speaking tours around the world in order to convey the strength of Israeli democracy. Israeli diplomats view the move against the academic as a sign of retaliation and growing fear of dissent on politically charged issues.

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Photo: BSIP/UIG Via Getty Images

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Coronavirus spreads to new countries, while U.S. confirms 57 cases

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

Public health officials confirmed Tuesday the U.S. has 57 people with the novel coronavirus, mostly those repatriated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship — an increase they had expected after the passengers were allowed to return home from Japan against their initial advice.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed more than 2,700 people and infected more than 80,000 others, mostly in mainland China. There's only been two cases of person-to-person infections in the U.S. so far, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now warning that Americans should prepare for a much broader outbreak here.

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