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‘Dotage of the old’: Kim’s powerful sister slams Biden over nuclear threat


The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un slammed US President Joe Biden for making nuclear threats, saying it marked the “dotage of the old” and would be met by a boost in her country’s atomic arsenal.

Kim Yo Jong’s comments, released on state media on Saturday, marks the first official reaction from North Korea to a meeting this week in Washington between Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to boost their deterrence against Pyongyang, and includes a rare mention of the US president in its propaganda apparatus.

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She called the “Washington Declaration” reached between Biden and Yoon “a product of the vicious hostile policy toward the DPRK which reflected the most antagonistic and aggressive will of action, the official Korean Central News Agency reported, referring to the country by its formal name.

Kim Yo Jong, who has been used as the face of the pressure campaign against the US and South Korea, added that while the two countries bring more nuclear assets into the region, North Korea will respond by boosting its arsenal “in direct proportion to it.”
South Korea’s Unification Ministry denounced Kim Yo Jong’s claims as “far-fetched and showing the low level of the regime,” Yonhap News reported.

North Korea added to the rhetoric on Sunday with a vow to step up its “military deterrence,” according to state media. The South Korean president’s US visit was described as “the most hostile, aggressive, and provocative trip and a dangerous one for a nuclear war,” in a commentary carried by KCNA.

It remains to be seen if the statements will be marked by a ramping up of provocations by Pyongyang, which has been firing ballistic missiles at a blistering pace. It’s seeking to enhance its ability to deliver a credible nuclear strike to the US mainland and the two allies in Asia who host the bulk of America’s military personnel in the region — South Korea and Japan.

Biden stressed in his meeting with Yoon that a North Korean nuclear attack on the US and its allies would be the end of Kim Jong Un’s regime, as he announced new efforts with South Korea to counter Pyongyang’s nuclear buildup. Yoon was rewarded with a greater say in how America deploys its nuclear umbrella and assurances it would be used to retaliate against a North Korean strike.

KCNA has only mentioned Biden by name on its English-language service six times previously in a database search that goes back to 2000, usually in insult-laced barbs such as calling him “an imbecile bereft of elementary quality as a human being,” in a 2019 dispatch.

At the same time, it was lavishing praise on then-President Donald Trump who met three times with leader Kim Jong Un.

While the meetings were historic, they resulted in no concrete measures to wind down North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, which only grows larger and more lethal.

Kim Yo Jong also made a dig at Biden, as he seeks reelection in 2024.

“Of course, it may be called a nonsense of the old without future who will not be responsible for the security and prospect of the United States at all and considers it to be burdensome to stand only two years of his term of office in the future,” she said.
North Korea has already fired 17 ballistic missiles this year, which included three intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to deliver a nuclear warhead to the US mainland. The country fired off more than 70 ballistic missiles last year, a record for the state.

North Korea has demonstrated its missiles could fly as far as the US, but there are questions as to whether the warheads would be able to stay intact long enough to reach their targets.

Read more:

Biden says nuclear attack by North Korea would result in ‘end’ of regime
North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong says US-South Korea agreement will worsen insecurity
Japan PM Kishida to visit South Korea for summit with Yoon: Reports

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Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

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At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

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US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM

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