upi--2020-11-30--North Korea turns down $11 million of food aid from South

Nov. 30 ( UPI ) -- North Korea has rejected South Korean food assistance through the World Food Program , according to a South Korean press report .
Donga Ilbo reported Monday Pyongyang recently turned down a South Korea-funded donation of 50,000 tons of rice .
Seoul 's unification ministry is also planning to recover the cost of the project , or $ 11.77 million , from the U.N. agency , the report said .
`` Through the WFP [ Seoul ] has pursued the donation of 50,000 tons of rice , '' South Korean ministry spokesman Yoh Sang-key said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes in [ North Korea 's ] response . ''
Yoh also said the government is in discussions with the WFP to redeem the cost of the project .
Seoul has struggled to resume talks with Pyongyang since the coronavirus pandemic .
President Moon Jae-in has proposed economic cooperation and reconnecting railroads across the demilitarized zone .
The North has rejected all offers .
In June , the Kim Jong Un regime demolished the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong , a symbol of cooperation between the two Koreas .
South Korea decided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 .
The multimillion-dollar project was the biggest donation to the North since 2010 , when Seoul sent the North 5,000 tons of rice , according to the Donga .
Food aid was suspended after 2010 , the year a South Korean warship was torpedoed and North Korea shelled a remote South Korean island .
A South Korean unification ministry source who spoke to the Donga said the government decided to seek cost recovery because local laws prohibit the cost of unexecuted projects to be carried over to the next fiscal year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korean aid and champions `` self-reliance '' in agriculture and economic development .
On Monday , North Korean state media reported thousands of homes have been built in North Hamgyong Province in an area affected by heavy flooding this summer .
Officials said the `` benevolence of Kim Jong Un '' is the source of the new homes , according to Korean Workers ' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun .

Food insecurity in North Korea remains a concern, the World Food Program noted in its November early warning analysis published with the Food and Agricultural Organization. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 30 (UPI) -- North Korea has rejected South Korean food assistance through the World Food Program, according to a South Korean press report. Donga Ilbo reported Monday Pyongyang recently turned down a South Korea-funded donation of 50,000 tons of rice. Seoul's unification ministry is also planning to recover the cost of the project, or $11.77 million, from the U.N. agency, the report said. Advertisement
"Through the WFP [Seoul] has pursued the donation of 50,000 tons of rice," South Korean ministry spokesman Yoh Sang-key said Monday. "There have been no changes in [North Korea's] response."
Yoh also said the government is in discussions with the WFP to redeem the cost of the project.
Seoul has struggled to resume talks with Pyongyang since the coronavirus pandemic. President Moon Jae-in has proposed economic cooperation and reconnecting railroads across the demilitarized zone.
The North has rejected all offers. In June, the Kim Jong Un regime demolished the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, a symbol of cooperation between the two Koreas.
South Korea decided to deliver the rice through WFP in June 2019. The multimillion-dollar project was the biggest donation to the North since 2010, when Seoul sent the North 5,000 tons of rice, according to the Donga.
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Food aid was suspended after 2010, the year a South Korean warship was torpedoed and North Korea shelled a remote South Korean island.
A South Korean unification ministry source who spoke to the Donga said the government decided to seek cost recovery because local laws prohibit the cost of unexecuted projects to be carried over to the next fiscal year.
North Korea has historically denied receipt of South Korean aid and champions "self-reliance" in agriculture and economic development.
On Monday, North Korean state media reported thousands of homes have been built in North Hamgyong Province in an area affected by heavy flooding this summer.
Officials said the "benevolence of Kim Jong Un" is the source of the new homes, according to Korean Workers' Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun.


upi--2020-11-30--In photos: Moments from the National Football League for the week of Nov. 29, 2020

From left to right , the Chiefs ' Deon Yelder tries to loosen the grip of the Buccaneers ' Devin @ @ @ @ @ during the fourth quarter .
Photo by Steve Nesius/UPI

Seattle Seahawks Russell Wilson throws a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Monday, where the Seahawks defeated the Eagles 23-17. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI


upi--2020-11-30--British foreign secretary: Brexit negotiations face major issues

Nov. 30 ( UPI ) -- British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Sunday that Brexit talks between the country and the European Union are in their `` last week or so , '' but `` substantive '' issues remain that could scuttle a trade deal .
Britain and the EU need to have a deal in place by year 's end to prevent possible tariffs , trade confusion and complications at the border , particularly between Ireland and Northern Ireland where there is strong concern about a physical barrier there .
The two sides continue to struggle with issues over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any future deal .
The problems include how much access European fishing crews should have to British waters , along with market competition rules that govern Britain and the EU 's single market .
Raab said the EU should accept a `` point of principle '' on fishing , which is admitted remains a major snag in reaching a deal .
`` We can talk about transitions and things like that and we recognize the impact it has on other countries around Europe , '' Raab said Sunday .
`` But that principle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just the EU but the transition period .
I think the answer is , can the EU accept that point of principle that comes with us leaving the political club ? ''
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last week the alliance was in the `` decisive days '' of Brexit negotiations and hoped a deal would still be worked out before the looming deadline .
`` There has been genuine progress on a number of important questions : on law enforcement and judicial cooperation ; on social security coordination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also on goods , services and transport we now have the outline of a possible final text .
In these areas there are still some important issues to agree but they should be manageable . ''

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, shown near 10 Downing Street in London on January 28, said Sunday that Brexit talks with the European Union are in their last week or so. Photo by Andy Rain/EPA-EFE
Nov. 30 (UPI) -- British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Sunday that Brexit talks between the country and the European Union are in their "last week or so," but "substantive" issues remain that could scuttle a trade deal. Britain and the EU need to have a deal in place by year's end to prevent possible tariffs, trade confusion and complications at the border, particularly between Ireland and Northern Ireland where there is strong concern about a physical barrier there. Advertisement
The two sides continue to struggle with issues over fishing, competition policy and governance of any future deal. The problems include how much access European fishing crews should have to British waters, along with market competition rules that govern Britain and the EU's single market.
Raab said the EU should accept a "point of principle" on fishing, which is admitted remains a major snag in reaching a deal.
"We can talk about transitions and things like that and we recognize the impact it has on other countries around Europe," Raab said Sunday. "But that principle comes with sovereignty, comes with leaving not just the EU but the transition period. I think the answer is, can the EU accept that point of principle that comes with us leaving the political club?"
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last week the alliance was in the "decisive days" of Brexit negotiations and hoped a deal would still be worked out before the looming deadline.
"There has been genuine progress on a number of important questions: on law enforcement and judicial cooperation; on social security coordination," she said.
"And also on goods, services and transport we now have the outline of a possible final text. In these areas there are still some important issues to agree but they should be manageable."


upi--2020-11-30--Laverne Cox details transphobic attack: 'Be careful out there'

Nov. 30 ( UPI ) -- Laverne Cox said on Instagram that she and a friend endured a transphobic attack while walking in Los Angeles .
`` We were just attacked in Griffith Park .
We are fine .
Be careful out there .
# TransIsBeautiful , '' Cox captioned a video on Sunday that features the actress recounting the incident .
Cox says a man aggressively asked her and her friend for the time .
The man , after hearing the time from the friend , then asked , 'Guy or girl ? '
in reference to Cox .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ friend after the friend verbally dismissed them .
Cox called the police and the attacker fled the scene .
`` It 's not safe in the world .
I do n't like to think about that a lot , but it is the truth .
It 's the truth and it 's not safe if you 're a trans person , '' Cox says in the video .
`` It does n't matter who you are .
You can be Laverne Cox , you know , or whatever that means .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience stuff like this , '' she continued .
A number of celebrities commented on Cox 's video with words of encouragement .
`` Woman !
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Ugh .
I am so sorry .
Love you , '' Kerry Washington said .
`` Good lord .
I 'm so thankful for your friend , '' Peppermint of RuPaul 's Drag Race fame said .
`` I 'm so sorry .
So glad you are safe , '' Jessica Alba said .
`` I always say we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would do in that sort of situation or if that was me I would have done this or that ... ?
But then the time comes Bam ... !
And your in it and your forced to move with instincts which I always say its God Talking to you , '' J. Alexander of American 's Next Top Model said .
`` And New York will teach a girl quick street navigation for her travels through a walk in the park or around the world .
Being who you are in never anything @ @ @ @ @ @

1/2
Laverne Cox says she was attacked while walking with a friend in Los Angeles. The actress says the attacker wanted to know if she was male or female. File Photo by Christine Chew/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Laverne Cox said on Instagram that she and a friend endured a transphobic attack while walking in Los Angeles. "We were just attacked in Griffith Park. We are fine. Be careful out there. #TransIsBeautiful," Cox captioned a video on Sunday that features the actress recounting the incident. Advertisement
Cox says a man aggressively asked her and her friend for the time. The man, after hearing the time from the friend, then asked, 'Guy or girl?' in reference to Cox.
The man then started attacking Cox's friend after the friend verbally dismissed them. Cox called the police and the attacker fled the scene.
"It's not safe in the world. I don't like to think about that a lot, but it is the truth. It's the truth and it's not safe if you're a trans person," Cox says in the video.
"It doesn't matter who you are. You can be Laverne Cox, you know, or whatever that means. If you're trans, you're going to experience stuff like this," she continued.
A number of celebrities commented on Cox's video with words of encouragement.
"I love you," Pose star Indya Moore said.
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"Woman!!!!!!!! Ugh. I am so sorry. Love you," Kerry Washington said.
"Good lord. I'm so thankful for your friend," Peppermint of RuPaul's Drag Race fame said.
"I'm so sorry. So glad you are safe," Jessica Alba said.
"I always say we can plan years in advance on what we would do in that sort of situation or if that was me I would have done this or that...? But then the time comes Bam...! And your in it and your forced to move with instincts which I always say its God Talking to you," J. Alexander of American's Next Top Model said.
"And New York will teach a girl quick street navigation for her travels through a walk in the park or around the world. Being who you are in never anything Wrong," Alexander continued.


upi--2020-11-30--Florida State has third-straight football game nixed due to COVID-19

Nov. 30 ( UPI ) -- The Florida State Seminoles football team has had its third-consecutive game nixed due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing .
The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Sunday that the Seminoles ' game at Duke -- planned for Saturday in Durham , N.C. -- will not be played .
Instead , Duke will host Miami at 8 p.m. EST Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium .
The Seminoles also removed Duke from their schedule of remaining games .
Each of Florida State 's previous two games were postponed hours before their scheduled kickoffs .
Florida State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Seminoles learned they had one positive test Friday , the night before they were scheduled to host Virginia in Tallahassee , Fla. Additional contract tracing , injuries and opt-outs resulted in the Seminoles having just 44 scholarship players available to play against the Cavaliers .
Coburn said some of the Seminoles ' position groups were `` depleted almost entirely . ''
`` We made every effort to play , but we could not do so in a way that was safe for the players , '' Coburn said .
The Seminoles were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before neither teams ' medical advisors could agree to move forward with that game .
Clemson learned that a Tigers player tested positive for COVID-19 after the team had traveled to Tallahassee before that game was nixed .
The ACC has completed 74 of 85 scheduled games this season .
Conference COVID-19 protocol requires players who test positive to isolate for 10 days and players involved in contract tracing to be quarantined for 14 days .
The Seminoles are 2-6 this season .

Florida State was scheduled to host Virginia on Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla., but that game was canceled due to COVID-19-related issues. SeminoleNation / Wikimedia Commons
Nov. 30 (UPI) -- The Florida State Seminoles football team has had its third-consecutive game nixed due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing. The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Sunday that the Seminoles' game at Duke -- planned for Saturday in Durham, N.C. -- will not be played. Advertisement
Instead, Duke will host Miami at 8 p.m. EST Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium. The Seminoles also removed Duke from their schedule of remaining games.
Each of Florida State's previous two games were postponed hours before their scheduled kickoffs.
Florida State athletic director David Coburn said Saturday that the Seminoles learned they had one positive test Friday, the night before they were scheduled to host Virginia in Tallahassee, Fla.
Additional contract tracing, injuries and opt-outs resulted in the Seminoles having just 44 scholarship players available to play against the Cavaliers. Coburn said some of the Seminoles' position groups were "depleted almost entirely."
"We made every effort to play, but we could not do so in a way that was safe for the players," Coburn said.
The Seminoles were scheduled to host Clemson on Nov. 21 before neither teams' medical advisors could agree to move forward with that game. Clemson learned that a Tigers player tested positive for COVID-19 after the team had traveled to Tallahassee before that game was nixed.
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The ACC has completed 74 of 85 scheduled games this season. Conference COVID-19 protocol requires players who test positive to isolate for 10 days and players involved in contract tracing to be quarantined for 14 days.
The Seminoles are 2-6 this season.


upi--2020-11-30--Atlantic hurricane season ends with records driven by climate change

Nov. 30 ( UPI ) -- Earlier this month , Iota became the 30th named storm in 2020 , making this year 's Atlantic hurricane season -- which ends today -- one for the record books .
According to a number of climate scientists , global warming set the stage for this year 's surge of storms .
In addition to testing the infrastructure and emergency response capabilities of coastal communities , the season 's storms put stress on both hurricane forecasting models and storm-naming protocols .
`` I did n't think I would live to see that , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gotten so far into the Greek alphabet , '' climatologist Michael Mann told UPI in an email .
`` In fact , people have asked me , what happens if we run out of Greek letters ?
That 's not a question I ever thought I would be asked , '' said Mann , director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State University .
Each year , the Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1 , but for the sixth year in a row , a name-worthy storm system surfaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Southeast coast before heading back out to sea , dissipating without causing much damage .
On Nov. 13 , weeks before the official end of hurricane season , a tropical depression in the southern Caribbean strengthened to become Tropical Storm Iota , the season 's 30th named storm .
A few days later , Iota reached reached Category 5 intensity , though it dropped back to Category 4 before making landfall .
Iota killed a few dozen people and displaced hundreds in northern Colombia and Central America , and Honduras and Nicaragua @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's high winds and torrential rains .
Between Arthur and Iota , 28 other storms -- 13 of them hurricanes -- earned official names .
Twelve named storms made landfall in the United States , six were hurricanes and five hit the state of Louisiana -- all records .
The prolificacy exceeded even those who expected a big year for Atlantic storms , researchers say .
In the lead-up to the 2020 hurricane season , modelers predicted the Atlantic was ripe for storms -- hurricane forecasters suggested the season would produce as many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to understand human-caused climate change have helped scientists build more robust hurricane models , rising ocean temperatures have made short-term forecasting quite difficult .
`` One of the real challenges in hurricane forecasting has been predicting rapid intensification , defined as a 35-mph or greater increase in wind speed over 24 hours , '' Mann said .
`` It is something we 've seen a lot of in recent years , and often catches us by surprise because the models do n't do a good job predicting it .
That 's problematic because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potentially catastrophic increases in intensity of landfalling storms , '' Mann said .
In total , 10 of the season 's hurricanes underwent rapid intensification .
Three storms -- Iota , Delta and Eta -- intensified by 100 mph in fewer than 36 hours , a phenomenon that researchers say has happened four times in more than a century and a half of record-keeping .
Rapid intensification has complicated forecasting efforts , but it 's also helped highlight the influence of climate change on ocean storm patterns , researchers say .
Hurricanes derive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy .
As a result of climate change , the oceans and atmosphere have an excess of thermal energy .
Scientists have long suspected that global warming was increasing the threat of extreme weather , including hurricanes .
Separating the signals of climate change from natural variability in a given year or individual weather event , however , has proven difficult , they say .
But according to Mann , the climate change signal `` has now risen well out of the noise . ''
Reduced vertical wind shear set up by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural variability -- left the Atlantic ripe for the formation of tropical depressions this year , but models suggest hurricanes continue to get bigger and more powerful as a result of rising air and water temperatures .
`` We expect a roughly 7 percent increase in maximum windspeed of the strongest storms for each 1 degree Fahrenheit of warming , '' Mann said .
`` Since intensity increases as the 3rd power of the windspeed , that corresponds to a 23 percent increase in the destructive potential , a signal that 's large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air can hold more water , hurricanes are carrying more and more water , increasing their flooding potential .
`` Over the years , climate models have improved and some simulations have shown that the number of intense storms has increased -- and are likely to continue increasing -- and that warmer sea surface temperatures have provided rainier storms , '' climate researcher Jhordanne Jones told UPI in an email .
Jones said scientists still do n't know enough about hurricanes and their inner dynamics to determine how much climate change accounts for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storm .
But when looking at the hurricane season as a whole , he said the influence of climate is more apparent .
`` For example , we understand that the Gulf of Mexico and western Caribbean remained -- and is still currently -- warm throughout the year , '' said Jones , a graduate research assistant in the atmospheric science department at Colorado State University .
`` This prolonged warmth is likely due to climate change as the eastern U.S. coast is expected to warm more than the rest of the Atlantic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along the coasts than in deep ocean , '' Jones said .
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was tough on coastlines , but it was a boon for modelers like Jones and Mann .
`` Observations are always helpful for improving prediction models , '' Jones said .
`` Each hurricane is a unique event and allows us to incorporate different possibilities into model forecasts .
Observations also help us to verify whether or not our models were on track and helps us interpret what aspects of the environment led to differences in @ @ @ @

1/4
U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., conducts an overflight to survey the damage after Hurricane Laura near Orange, Texas, on August 27. File Photo by PO3 Paige Hause/U.S. Coast Guard | License Photo
Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Earlier this month, Iota became the 30th named storm in 2020, making this year's Atlantic hurricane season -- which ends today -- one for the record books. According to a number of climate scientists, global warming set the stage for this year's surge of storms. Advertisement
In addition to testing the infrastructure and emergency response capabilities of coastal communities, the season's storms put stress on both hurricane forecasting models and storm-naming protocols.
"I didn't think I would live to see that, but it's happened. We've never gotten so far into the Greek alphabet," climatologist Michael Mann told UPI in an email.
"In fact, people have asked me, what happens if we run out of Greek letters? That's not a question I ever thought I would be asked," said Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State University.
Advertisement
Record-setting season
Each year, the Atlantic hurricane season officially begins on June 1, but for the sixth year in a row, a name-worthy storm system surfaced in May. Tropical Storm Arthur skirted the Southeast coast before heading back out to sea, dissipating without causing much damage.
On Nov. 13, weeks before the official end of hurricane season, a tropical depression in the southern Caribbean strengthened to become Tropical Storm Iota, the season's 30th named storm.
A few days later, Iota reached reached Category 5 intensity, though it dropped back to Category 4 before making landfall.
Iota killed a few dozen people and displaced hundreds in northern Colombia and Central America, and Honduras and Nicaragua were hit especially hard by the hurricane's high winds and torrential rains.
Between Arthur and Iota, 28 other storms -- 13 of them hurricanes -- earned official names. Twelve named storms made landfall in the United States, six were hurricanes and five hit the state of Louisiana -- all records.
The prolificacy exceeded even those who expected a big year for Atlantic storms, researchers say.
Rapid intensification
In the lead-up to the 2020 hurricane season, modelers predicted the Atlantic was ripe for storms -- hurricane forecasters suggested the season would produce as many as 25 storms.
Advertisement
But while efforts to understand human-caused climate change have helped scientists build more robust hurricane models, rising ocean temperatures have made short-term forecasting quite difficult.
"One of the real challenges in hurricane forecasting has been predicting rapid intensification, defined as a 35-mph or greater increase in wind speed over 24 hours," Mann said.
"It is something we've seen a lot of in recent years, and often catches us by surprise because the models don't do a good job predicting it. That's problematic because it gives us little advance warning of potentially catastrophic increases in intensity of landfalling storms," Mann said.
In total, 10 of the season's hurricanes underwent rapid intensification. Three storms -- Iota, Delta and Eta -- intensified by 100 mph in fewer than 36 hours, a phenomenon that researchers say has happened four times in more than a century and a half of record-keeping.
Rapid intensification has complicated forecasting efforts, but it's also helped highlight the influence of climate change on ocean storm patterns, researchers say.
Climate change
Hurricanes derive their power from the ocean's thermal energy. As a result of climate change, the oceans and atmosphere have an excess of thermal energy.
Scientists have long suspected that global warming was increasing the threat of extreme weather, including hurricanes.
Advertisement
Separating the signals of climate change from natural variability in a given year or individual weather event, however, has proven difficult, they say.
But according to Mann, the climate change signal "has now risen well out of the noise."
Reduced vertical wind shear set up by a La Nina -- a form of so-called natural variability -- left the Atlantic ripe for the formation of tropical depressions this year, but models suggest hurricanes continue to get bigger and more powerful as a result of rising air and water temperatures.
"We expect a roughly 7 percent increase in maximum windspeed of the strongest storms for each 1 degree Fahrenheit of warming," Mann said. "Since intensity increases as the 3rd power of the windspeed, that corresponds to a 23 percent increase in the destructive potential, a signal that's large enough to see."
Because warm air can hold more water, hurricanes are carrying more and more water, increasing their flooding potential.
"Over the years, climate models have improved and some simulations have shown that the number of intense storms has increased -- and are likely to continue increasing -- and that warmer sea surface temperatures have provided rainier storms," climate researcher Jhordanne Jones told UPI in an email.
Advertisement
Jones said scientists still don't know enough about hurricanes and their inner dynamics to determine how much climate change accounts for the size or behavior of any specific storm.
But when looking at the hurricane season as a whole, he said the influence of climate is more apparent.
"For example, we understand that the Gulf of Mexico and western Caribbean remained -- and is still currently -- warm throughout the year," said Jones, a graduate research assistant in the atmospheric science department at Colorado State University.
"This prolonged warmth is likely due to climate change as the eastern U.S. coast is expected to warm more than the rest of the Atlantic because the sea is so much shallower along the coasts than in deep ocean," Jones said.
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was tough on coastlines, but it was a boon for modelers like Jones and Mann.
"Observations are always helpful for improving prediction models," Jones said. "Each hurricane is a unique event and allows us to incorporate different possibilities into model forecasts. Observations also help us to verify whether or not our models were on track and helps us interpret what aspects of the environment led to differences in hurricane activity."


upi--2020-11-30--Ex-South Korea dictator receives suspended sentence for libel

Nov. 30 ( UPI ) -- A South Korean dictator in power during the 1980 Gwangju Uprising has been sentenced to prison for eight months for defaming a Roman Catholic priest .
South Korea 's Gwangju District Court sentenced former President Chun Doo-hwan , 89 , to prison for libel , but suspended incarceration for two years .
Chun had been convicted of defaming Cho Chul-hyun , the priest who claimed military helicopters fired at civilians in Gwangju , the Korea Herald reported Monday .
In 2017 , Chun had described Cho as `` Satan wearing a mask '' in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shots were fired at protesters in the city .
During the trial prosecutors introduced as many as 20 witnesses who said they saw helicopters firing at civilians .
Following the court decision Monday , prosecutors could appeal and seek a longer prison term of 18 months for Chun , according to the report .
Chun was a South Korean army major general in 1979 when he staged a military coup .
Newly declassified U.S. documents released to Seoul this year show Washington 's top envoy to Korea warning of a group of `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power from the established authorities . ''
The Gwangju Uprising began after Chun expanded martial law on May 17 , 1980 .
South Korea 's ruling Democratic Party condemned Chun on Monday after the court decision .
`` Mr. Chun Doo-hwan again appeared today in court and uttered not one word of apology , '' said Choi In-ho , chief spokesman of the party , according to News 1 .
`` He was also busy dozing off at the time of his sentencing . ''
Chun was diagnosed previously with Alzheimer 's disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Top politicians in the ruling party said the suspended sentence is `` regrettable , '' according to Yonhap .
Gov .
Lee Jae-myung of Gyeonggi Province suggested heavier punishment is appropriate for Chun , according to Yonhap .
`` The machine-gunning of civilians would be impossible without the order of the ultimate commander of the military , '' Lee said Monday on Facebook .

South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan (L) came to power following a military coup in 1979. File Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Defense
Nov. 30 (UPI) -- A South Korean dictator in power during the 1980 Gwangju Uprising has been sentenced to prison for eight months for defaming a Roman Catholic priest. South Korea's Gwangju District Court sentenced former President Chun Doo-hwan, 89, to prison for libel, but suspended incarceration for two years. Chun had been convicted of defaming Cho Chul-hyun, the priest who claimed military helicopters fired at civilians in Gwangju, the Korea Herald reported Monday. Advertisement
In 2017, Chun had described Cho as "Satan wearing a mask" in his memoir, while denying any helicopter shots were fired at protesters in the city.
During the trial prosecutors introduced as many as 20 witnesses who said they saw helicopters firing at civilians. Following the court decision Monday, prosecutors could appeal and seek a longer prison term of 18 months for Chun, according to the report.
Chun was a South Korean army major general in 1979 when he staged a military coup. Newly declassified U.S. documents released to Seoul this year show Washington's top envoy to Korea warning of a group of "Young Turks" who had "seized power from the established authorities."
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The Gwangju Uprising began after Chun expanded martial law on May 17, 1980.
South Korea's ruling Democratic Party condemned Chun on Monday after the court decision.
"Mr. Chun Doo-hwan again appeared today in court and uttered not one word of apology," said Choi In-ho, chief spokesman of the party, according to News 1. "He was also busy dozing off at the time of his sentencing."
Chun was diagnosed previously with Alzheimer's disease, according to local press reports.
Top politicians in the ruling party said the suspended sentence is "regrettable," according to Yonhap.
Gov. Lee Jae-myung of Gyeonggi Province suggested heavier punishment is appropriate for Chun, according to Yonhap.
"The machine-gunning of civilians would be impossible without the order of the ultimate commander of the military," Lee said Monday on Facebook.


upi--2020-11-30--Iranian diplomat on trial for terrorism

Iranian diplomat on trial for terrorism

Nov. 30 ( UPI ) -- On Friday , the trial began for Assadollah Assadi , a senior diplomat from the Iranian Embassy in Vienna , and three co-conspirators on charges of terrorism .
Assadi refused to appear in the Antwerp court in Belgium , claiming immunity as a diplomat .
If he is found guilty , he could face life in prison .
It is the first time ever that a serving diplomat has faced a European court on such momentous charges .
On July 1 , 2018 , Assadi was arrested and charged with passing 550gms of TATP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an Iranian-Belgian couple from Antwerp .
He had given the bomb to Amir Saadouni , 40 , and his wife , Nasimeh Naami , 36 , at a Pizza Hut restaurant in Luxembourg .
Assadi had instructed them to detonate the bomb at a major gathering of the National Council of Resistance of Iran , attended by tens of thousands of people at Villepinte near Paris .
The rally was addressed by leading international politicians and senior government officials like Newt Gingrich , the former U.S. House speaker , former New Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the former prime minister of Canada , and Theresa Villiers MP , the former U.K .
Cabinet minister .
The court will hear how the Belgian security service had received a tipoff from a foreign security agency alerting them that an attack involving Belgians was being planned .
An intensive security operation was put in place and the Iranian-Belgian couple , Saadouni and Naami , were closely monitored .
On June 28 , 2018 , the Iranian diplomat , Assadi , was seen entering Pizza Hut in Place d'Armes , Luxembourg , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shirt and a fedora , with a camera draped around his neck .
He handed the couple a package containing the bomb and a cellphone with an Austrian SIM card , together with an envelope containing about $ 26,000 .
In the days that followed , there was extensive text messaging between the three , with Saadouni and Naami indicating they had learned how to detonate the bomb .
On June 30 , 2018 , the couple set out on the A12 highway to Villepinte in their new , dark blue Mercedes CLC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extensive text messages from the couple to Assadi saying : `` We are going to win the cup .
Everything is arranged .
Your team will win , Inshallah '' ( God willing ) .
For many years , Saadouni and Naami had pretended to support the Iranian democratic opposition movement , the People 's Mojahedin of Iran ( MEK ) .
Saadouni had lived in Belgium since 2003 , working in the docks at Antwerp and as a warehouse keeper .
He had taken part in various Iranian opposition protests against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brussels .
His wife , Naami , had entered Belgium in 2010 , registered as an Iranian refugee .
Between 2010 and her arrest in 2018 , it was discovered that she had travelled to Iran 13 times , although there were no stamps indicating this in her passport .
It was also discovered that during the same period , $ 127,500 had been deposited in her bank account and about $ 120,000 in her husband 's , which neither could explain .
It seems clear that she was a spy , working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security and that her frequent trips to Iran were for training purposes .
It is also known from their travel history and statements by one of the suspects , that the couple had met Assadi regularly in different parts of Europe , including Vienna , Salzburg , Austria , Munich , Germany , Milan and Venice , Italy , and in the Iranian capital Tehran .
The bomb plot was well prepared .
Saadouni and Naami had registered as employees for the Iranian opposition event in Villepinte and Assadi had instructed them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before detonating it from a safe distance .
They were tracked on their journey to Villepinte by agents from the Belgian Police Directorate of the Special Units ( DSU ) , who watched them perform a variety of evasive maneuvers , presumably to shake off any tails .
Finally , the car took an abrupt exit and headed to Brussels , where they were stopped in the Woluwe-Saint-Pierre district and arrested .
Bomb disposal experts discovered the 550gms bomb in a suitcase in the couple 's Mercedes , hidden in a toilet bag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken by a robot , showed the explosives and a wireless detonator .
The bomb exploded as attempts were made to defuse it , destroying the robot and injuring a police officer who was standing more than 300 feet away , indicating the massive destructive power of the device .
An envelope containing €22,000 ( $ 26,350 ) in cash was also found in the couple 's car .
On July 1 , 2018 , Assadi was apprehended by German security when he stopped at a motorway restaurant near Frankfurt .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sons .
His rented red Ford S-Max was found to contain a `` treasure trove '' of evidence , including a notebook with instructions in Farsi on how to use the bomb , given the codename of `` Playstation 4 . ''
Police research revealed that in the months before the attack , Assadi had travelled frequently to Iran , including six times in the first months of 2018 .
Assadi had gone to Tehran days before the Villepinte event to test and collect the device , concealing it in his diplomatic bag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled flight to Austria .
A fourth Iranian-Belgian man , Mehrdad Arefani , was arrested in Paris .
He had also posed as a supporter of the MEK and was present at the rally in Villepinte .
He was clearly a `` backup '' spy at the event .
He was found to have a cellphone in his possession that only contained a single number -- Assadi 's .
French security officers discovered that in 2017 , Assadi had hired a French rental car and driven to the venue for the Iranian opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the annual meeting always takes place .
The car 's GPS showed that he had also visited the hotel where VIPs would stay .
In one of his emails to Naami , he said : `` I 've been hunting those bastards of the Iranian opposition for 30 years . ''
According to the Belgian state security service , Assadi is an agent of the Iranian MOIS , who posed as a diplomat as cover .
The MOIS is on the European Union 's terror list .
Jaak Raes , head of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service , said : `` The plan for the attack was conceived in the name of Iran and under its leadership .
It was not a matter of Assadi 's personal initiative . ''
Assadi has , of course , tried to claim diplomatic immunity and has refused to make a statement to the police , apart from threatening that if he is found guilty , armed groups in Iran , Syria , Yemen and Lebanon will retaliate .
There is no doubt that orders for this terrorist attack , that could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countless people on European soil , came from the top in Tehran .
With the newly elected U.S. President Joe Biden and his nominated Secretary of State Tony Blinken keen to reopen negotiations on the Iranian nuclear deal , surely this groundbreaking trial that has finally exposed the deadly hand of Iranian state terrorism , will make them think again .
Struan Stevenson is the coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change .
He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland ( 1999-2014 ) , president of the Parliament 's Delegation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup ( 2004-14 ) .
He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and is also president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association .

Iranian opposition activists, members of the National council of Resistance of Iran, protest with portrait depicting Iranian official Asadollah Assadi, in Brussels, Belgium, on October 22, 2018. File Photo by Olivier Hoslet/EPA-EFE
Nov. 30 (UPI) -- On Friday, the trial began for Assadollah Assadi, a senior diplomat from the Iranian Embassy in Vienna, and three co-conspirators on charges of terrorism. Assadi refused to appear in the Antwerp court in Belgium, claiming immunity as a diplomat. If he is found guilty, he could face life in prison. It is the first time ever that a serving diplomat has faced a European court on such momentous charges. On July 1, 2018, Assadi was arrested and charged with passing 550gms of TATP triacetone triperoxide high explosives and a detonator to an Iranian-Belgian couple from Antwerp. He had given the bomb to Amir Saadouni, 40, and his wife, Nasimeh Naami, 36, at a Pizza Hut restaurant in Luxembourg. Assadi had instructed them to detonate the bomb at a major gathering of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, attended by tens of thousands of people at Villepinte near Paris. Advertisement Advertisement
The rally was addressed by leading international politicians and senior government officials like Newt Gingrich, the former U.S. House speaker, former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Stephen Harper, the former prime minister of Canada, and Theresa Villiers MP, the former U.K. Cabinet minister.
The court will hear how the Belgian security service had received a tipoff from a foreign security agency alerting them that an attack involving Belgians was being planned. An intensive security operation was put in place and the Iranian-Belgian couple, Saadouni and Naami, were closely monitored.
On June 28, 2018, the Iranian diplomat, Assadi, was seen entering Pizza Hut in Place d'Armes, Luxembourg, disguised as a tourist wearing a casual shirt and a fedora, with a camera draped around his neck. He handed the couple a package containing the bomb and a cellphone with an Austrian SIM card, together with an envelope containing about $26,000.
In the days that followed, there was extensive text messaging between the three, with Saadouni and Naami indicating they had learned how to detonate the bomb. On June 30, 2018, the couple set out on the A12 highway to Villepinte in their new, dark blue Mercedes CLC. Again, the security services intercepted extensive text messages from the couple to Assadi saying: "We are going to win the cup. Everything is arranged. Your team will win, Inshallah" (God willing).
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For many years, Saadouni and Naami had pretended to support the Iranian democratic opposition movement, the People's Mojahedin of Iran (MEK). Saadouni had lived in Belgium since 2003, working in the docks at Antwerp and as a warehouse keeper. He had taken part in various Iranian opposition protests against the Iranian regime outside the European Parliament in Brussels. His wife, Naami, had entered Belgium in 2010, registered as an Iranian refugee.
Between 2010 and her arrest in 2018, it was discovered that she had travelled to Iran 13 times, although there were no stamps indicating this in her passport. It was also discovered that during the same period, $127,500 had been deposited in her bank account and about $120,000 in her husband's, which neither could explain. It seems clear that she was a spy, working for the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security and that her frequent trips to Iran were for training purposes.
It is also known from their travel history and statements by one of the suspects, that the couple had met Assadi regularly in different parts of Europe, including Vienna, Salzburg, Austria, Munich, Germany, Milan and Venice, Italy, and in the Iranian capital Tehran.
The bomb plot was well prepared. Saadouni and Naami had registered as employees for the Iranian opposition event in Villepinte and Assadi had instructed them to place the bomb inside the main hall before detonating it from a safe distance. They were tracked on their journey to Villepinte by agents from the Belgian Police Directorate of the Special Units (DSU), who watched them perform a variety of evasive maneuvers, presumably to shake off any tails. Finally, the car took an abrupt exit and headed to Brussels, where they were stopped in the Woluwe-Saint-Pierre district and arrested.
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Bomb disposal experts discovered the 550gms bomb in a suitcase in the couple's Mercedes, hidden in a toilet bag. An X-ray of the device, taken by a robot, showed the explosives and a wireless detonator. The bomb exploded as attempts were made to defuse it, destroying the robot and injuring a police officer who was standing more than 300 feet away, indicating the massive destructive power of the device. An envelope containing €22,000 ($26,350) in cash was also found in the couple's car.
On July 1, 2018, Assadi was apprehended by German security when he stopped at a motorway restaurant near Frankfurt. He was travelling with his wife and two grown sons. His rented red Ford S-Max was found to contain a "treasure trove" of evidence, including a notebook with instructions in Farsi on how to use the bomb, given the codename of "Playstation 4."
Police research revealed that in the months before the attack, Assadi had travelled frequently to Iran, including six times in the first months of 2018. Assadi had gone to Tehran days before the Villepinte event to test and collect the device, concealing it in his diplomatic bag on his return to Europe on a scheduled flight to Austria.
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A fourth Iranian-Belgian man, Mehrdad Arefani, was arrested in Paris. He had also posed as a supporter of the MEK and was present at the rally in Villepinte. He was clearly a "backup" spy at the event. He was found to have a cellphone in his possession that only contained a single number -- Assadi's.
French security officers discovered that in 2017, Assadi had hired a French rental car and driven to the venue for the Iranian opposition rally at Villepinte, exploring the room where the annual meeting always takes place. The car's GPS showed that he had also visited the hotel where VIPs would stay. In one of his emails to Naami, he said: "I've been hunting those bastards of the Iranian opposition for 30 years."
According to the Belgian state security service, Assadi is an agent of the Iranian MOIS, who posed as a diplomat as cover. The MOIS is on the European Union's terror list. Jaak Raes, head of the VSSE, Belgium's state security service, said: "The plan for the attack was conceived in the name of Iran and under its leadership. It was not a matter of Assadi's personal initiative."
Assadi has, of course, tried to claim diplomatic immunity and has refused to make a statement to the police, apart from threatening that if he is found guilty, armed groups in Iran, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon will retaliate.
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There is no doubt that orders for this terrorist attack, that could have caused carnage and claimed the lives of countless people on European soil, came from the top in Tehran. With the newly elected U.S. President Joe Biden and his nominated Secretary of State Tony Blinken keen to reopen negotiations on the Iranian nuclear deal, surely this groundbreaking trial that has finally exposed the deadly hand of Iranian state terrorism, will make them think again.
Struan Stevenson is the coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change. He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland (1999-2014), president of the Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009-14) and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (2004-14). He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and is also president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association.


upi--2020-11-30--Moderna to seek FDA approval for COVID-19 vaccine

Nov. 30 ( UPI ) -- U.S. biotech firm Moderna said Monday it will seek an emergency use authorization from U.S. regulators for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate after further clinical trials confirmed it is 94 % effective .
Moderna plans to request an `` EUA '' from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and conditional approval from the European Medicines Agency after the latest positive results , company officials said in a press release .
`` This positive primary analysis confirms the ability of our vaccine to prevent COVID-19 disease with 94.1 % efficacy and importantly , the ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stéphane Bancel said .
`` We believe that our vaccine will provide a new and powerful tool that may change the course of this pandemic and help prevent severe disease , hospitalizations and death , '' he said .
With the expected FDA approval , the first doses of Moderna 's `` mRNA-1273 '' vaccine could become available within weeks .
The company is the second drugmaker to seek an emergency use authorization from the FDA .
The team of Pfizer and BioNTech sought the same authorization on Nov. 20 .
The FDA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee will meet Dec. 10 to review Pfizer 's vaccine and recommend whether it should be cleared for use in health workers and other vulnerable populations .
A review of Moderna 's data is set for a week later .
Moderna announced interim results from its late-stage , 30,000-participant `` COVE '' study earlier this month , indicating the vaccine is 94.5 % effective in preventing infection , and those results were largely confirmed Monday using a bigger sample size .
The primary analysis found that in 196 confirmed COVID-19 case among participants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a group receiving a placebo group while just 11 cases were seen in the mRNA-1273 group , resulting in an vaccine efficacy of 94.1 % .
The result `` confirms the high efficacy observed at the first interim analysis , '' Bancel said .
Moderna 's announcement comes as the total global death toll from COVID-19 reached 1.46 million with new cases growing by 1 million every two days , mainly in Europe and the United States , according to Johns Hopkins University .

Moderna, based in Cambridge, Mass., said further clinical trial data has confirmed the high efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. File Photo by CJ Gunther/EPA-EFE
Nov. 30 (UPI) -- U.S. biotech firm Moderna said Monday it will seek an emergency use authorization from U.S. regulators for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate after further clinical trials confirmed it is 94% effective. Moderna plans to request an "EUA" from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and conditional approval from the European Medicines Agency after the latest positive results, company officials said in a press release. Advertisement
"This positive primary analysis confirms the ability of our vaccine to prevent COVID-19 disease with 94.1% efficacy and importantly, the ability to prevent severe COVID-19 disease," CEO Stéphane Bancel said.
"We believe that our vaccine will provide a new and powerful tool that may change the course of this pandemic and help prevent severe disease, hospitalizations and death," he said.
With the expected FDA approval, the first doses of Moderna's "mRNA-1273" vaccine could become available within weeks. The company is the second drugmaker to seek an emergency use authorization from the FDA. The team of Pfizer and BioNTech sought the same authorization on Nov. 20.
The FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet Dec. 10 to review Pfizer's vaccine and recommend whether it should be cleared for use in health workers and other vulnerable populations. A review of Moderna's data is set for a week later.
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Moderna announced interim results from its late-stage, 30,000-participant "COVE" study earlier this month, indicating the vaccine is 94.5% effective in preventing infection, and those results were largely confirmed Monday using a bigger sample size.
The primary analysis found that in 196 confirmed COVID-19 case among participants in the COVE study, 185 were in a group receiving a placebo group while just 11 cases were seen in the mRNA-1273 group, resulting in an vaccine efficacy of 94.1%.
The result "confirms the high efficacy observed at the first interim analysis," Bancel said.
Moderna's announcement comes as the total global death toll from COVID-19 reached 1.46 million with new cases growing by 1 million every two days, mainly in Europe and the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University.


upi--2020-11-30--Chris Brown wins big at BET Soul Train Awards

Nov. 30 ( UPI ) -- Chris Brown was the big winner at the 2020 BET Soul Train Awards .
He took home four awards , including Song of the Year for `` Go Crazy , '' his collaboration with Young Thug .
Brown also earned Best R & B/Soul Male Artist while `` Go Crazy '' additionally picked up Best Collaboration and Best Dance Performance .
Summer Walker 's Over It won Album of the Year , Beyonce , Blue Ivy Saint JHN and Wizkid won Video of the Year for `` Brown Skin Girl '' and Snoh Aalegra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won two awards including Best R & B/Soul Female Artist and The Ashford and Simpson songwriter 's award for `` I Ca n't Breathe . ''
Brandy won the Soul Train Certified Award and performed her songs `` Say Something '' and `` Borderline . ''
Monica was honored with the Lady of Soul Award and performed a medley of her hit songs including `` Everything To Me , '' `` Angel Of Mine '' and more .
Legends Charlie Wilson and Smokey Robinson teamed up for a performance of `` All Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green , Lucky Dave and Babyface , Shanice , PJ Morton , Chanté Moore , Stokley Bring , Jazmine Sullivan , Ella Mai also performed .
Martin stars Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold served as hosts .

Chris Brown won multiple awards at the 2020 BET Soul Train Awards including Best R&B/Soul Male Artist. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Chris Brown was the big winner at the 2020 BET Soul Train Awards. He took home four awards, including Song of the Year for "Go Crazy," his collaboration with Young Thug. Brown also earned Best R&B/Soul Male Artist while "Go Crazy" additionally picked up Best Collaboration and Best Dance Performance. Advertisement
Summer Walker's Over It won Album of the Year, Beyonce, Blue Ivy Saint JHN and Wizkid won Video of the Year for "Brown Skin Girl" and Snoh Aalegra won Best New Artist.
H.E.R. won two awards including Best R&B/Soul Female Artist and The Ashford and Simpson songwriter's award for "I Can't Breathe."
Brandy won the Soul Train Certified Award and performed her songs "Say Something" and "Borderline."
Monica was honored with the Lady of Soul Award and performed a medley of her hit songs including "Everything To Me," "Angel Of Mine" and more.
Advertisement Congratulations to one and only @MonicaDenise - our 2020 #SoulTrainAwards Lady of Soul Honoree! pic.twitter.com/RVDplEO3ny— BET (@BET) November 30, 2020
Legends Charlie Wilson and Smokey Robinson teamed up for a performance of "All Of My Love."
Aalegra, Cee-Lo Green, Lucky Dave and Babyface, Shanice, PJ Morton, Chanté Moore, Stokley Bring, Jazmine Sullivan, Ella Mai also performed. Martin stars Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold served as hosts.


upi--2020-11-30--Naomi Osaka inspires Japanese comic character

Nov. 30 ( UPI ) -- Naomi Osaka -- the world 's No .
3 tennis player -- serves as the inspiration for a new manga character next month in a Japanese comic book aimed at teenage women , the publishers said .
The character -- called Unrivaled Naomi Tenka-ichi -- debuts on Dec. 28 in Nakayoshi magazine .
Tenka-ichi means world No .
1 in Japanese .
Osaka shared a photo of her cartoon depiction Saturday on social media .
The manga character features pink and purple hair , an orange visor , a purple tennis racket and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manga/watching anime was something that bonded me and my sister immensely so this is really exciting for both of us , '' Osaka tweeted .
The 23-year-old tennis star was born in Osaka , Japan , and moved to the United States when she was 3 .
Her older sister , Mari , helped to develop Naomi 's manga character .
Osaka -- the world 's highest-paid female athlete -- beat Victoria Azarenka in three sets to win the 2020 U.S. Open on Sept. 12 in Flushing , N.Y .
The former world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Open and 2019 Australian Open .

1/3
Nakayoshi. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | Naomi Osaka will appear as a cartoon in a comic in a Dec. 28 edition of the Japanese magazine. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Naomi Osaka -- the world's No. 3 tennis player -- serves as the inspiration for a new manga character next month in a Japanese comic book aimed at teenage women, the publishers said. The character -- called Unrivaled Naomi Tenka-ichi -- debuts on Dec. 28 in Nakayoshi magazine. Tenka-ichi means world No. 1 in Japanese. Advertisement
Osaka shared a photo of her cartoon depiction Saturday on social media. The manga character features pink and purple hair, an orange visor, a purple tennis racket and a green shirt.
"Growing up reading manga/watching anime was something that bonded me and my sister immensely so this is really exciting for both of us," Osaka tweeted.
The 23-year-old tennis star was born in Osaka, Japan, and moved to the United States when she was 3. Her older sister, Mari, helped to develop Naomi's manga character.
Osaka -- the world's highest-paid female athlete -- beat Victoria Azarenka in three sets to win the 2020 U.S. Open on Sept. 12 in Flushing, N.Y. The former world No. 1 also won the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Australian Open.


upi--2020-11-30--4 officers charged in Paris beating

4 officers charged in Paris beating

Nov. 30 ( UPI ) -- Four French police officers connected with the brutal beating of a Black music producer for not wearing a face mask have been charged in connection with the incident .
The police officers attacked Michel Zecler , 41 , in Paris on Nov. 21 after seeing that he was not wearing a face mask as he entered his music studio .
Police brutally beat Zecler for five minutes , which was call caught on security cameras .
The video contradicted police reports , which initially charged with Zecler with resisting arrest .
The case was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The case brought a wave of protests around France , including those opposing a bill that would restrict the filming of police .
Three of the officers were accused of deliberate violence by a person in public authority and with falsifying statements .
Another officer who shot a teargas canister into Zecler 's music studio had been accused of deliberate violence , The Guardian reported .
Two officers are being held Sunday while the other two were given conditional release .
The police stopped beating Zecler when other people in the building intervened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the studio .
Police then arrested Zecler when he was forced to leave the gassing .
Video of the incident was posted on the French online news outlet Loopsider , which has been viewed more than 8 million times .

Paris Public Prosecutor, French magistrate Remy Heitz holds a press conference concerning the four police officers who were detained Sunday in the brutal beating of a Black music producer. Photo by Christophe Petit Tesson/EPA-EFE
Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Four French police officers connected with the brutal beating of a Black music producer for not wearing a face mask have been charged in connection with the incident. The police officers attacked Michel Zecler, 41, in Paris on Nov. 21 after seeing that he was not wearing a face mask as he entered his music studio. Police brutally beat Zecler for five minutes, which was call caught on security cameras. Advertisement
The video contradicted police reports, which initially charged with Zecler with resisting arrest. The case was dropped after the video was released. The case brought a wave of protests around France, including those opposing a bill that would restrict the filming of police.
Three of the officers were accused of deliberate violence by a person in public authority and with falsifying statements. Another officer who shot a teargas canister into Zecler's music studio had been accused of deliberate violence, The Guardian reported.
Two officers are being held Sunday while the other two were given conditional release.
The police stopped beating Zecler when other people in the building intervened, but authorities later tossed tear gas into the studio. Police then arrested Zecler when he was forced to leave the gassing.
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Video of the incident was posted on the French online news outlet Loopsider, which has been viewed more than 8 million times.


upi--2020-11-30--Biden, Harris to receive first presidential intelligence briefings

Nov. 30 ( UPI ) -- U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is scheduled to receive his first presidential intelligence briefing on national security threats Monday as he prepares for his transition into office .
He and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will receive their initial Presidential Daily Briefing -- a classified document assessing current and possible future threats to the United States , transition team officials confirmed Sunday .
Presidents-elect are required by law to receive the `` PDB '' as an initial step toward the transfer of power to a new administration .
While they normally begin receiving them within days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transition team has been blocked from receiving classified information for nearly a month as President Donald Trump has refused to accept his defeat .
Biden previously received lower-level intelligence briefings as a candidate , but the Office of the Director of National Intelligence had not received approval to deliver the classified intelligence report until last week .
Trump has yet to concede the election , maintaining multiple legal challenges over results in key states , but last week he directed General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy to officially begin the transition process .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee .
After receiving the PDB on Monday , Biden will then meet with his advisers , transition officials said .
Biden and Harris are also expected to name their picks for high-level economic Cabinet posts as early as Monday , including choices for the White House budget office and chair of the Council of Economic Advisers .
The president-elect will be carrying out Monday 's schedule in a walking boot after he fractured bones in his foot while playing with his German shepherd dog , Major @ @ @ @

President-elect Joe Biden delivers his victory speech after defeating President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, in Wilmington, Delaware, on November 7. File photo by Pat Benic/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 30 (UPI) -- U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is scheduled to receive his first presidential intelligence briefing on national security threats Monday as he prepares for his transition into office. He and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will receive their initial Presidential Daily Briefing -- a classified document assessing current and possible future threats to the United States, transition team officials confirmed Sunday. Advertisement
Presidents-elect are required by law to receive the "PDB" as an initial step toward the transfer of power to a new administration.
While they normally begin receiving them within days of winning the election, Biden's transition team has been blocked from receiving classified information for nearly a month as President Donald Trump has refused to accept his defeat.
Biden previously received lower-level intelligence briefings as a candidate, but the Office of the Director of National Intelligence had not received approval to deliver the classified intelligence report until last week.
Trump has yet to concede the election, maintaining multiple legal challenges over results in key states, but last week he directed General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy to officially begin the transition process.
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Harris was already receiving classified intelligence as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
After receiving the PDB on Monday, Biden will then meet with his advisers, transition officials said.
Biden and Harris are also expected to name their picks for high-level economic Cabinet posts as early as Monday, including choices for the White House budget office and chair of the Council of Economic Advisers.
The president-elect will be carrying out Monday's schedule in a walking boot after he fractured bones in his foot while playing with his German shepherd dog, Major, on Saturday.


upi--2020-11-30--Watch: Disney honors Chadwick Boseman with new 'Black Panther' opening

Nov. 30 ( UPI ) -- Disney added a new opening credits sequence to Marvel 's Black Panther on Disney+ @ @ @ @ @ Boseman .
The sequence was added to the streaming service on Sunday , which would @ @ @ @ @ birthday .
`` Long live the King .
# WakandaForever , '' Marvel Studios said @ @ @ @ @ opening credits , which pay homage to Boseman 's time as Black Panther .
Boseman @ @ @ @ @ age of 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer .
The actor also portrayed @ @ @ @ @ : Civil War , Avengers : Infinity War and Avengers : Endgame .
Boseman additionally @ @ @ @ @ 42 , as James Brown in Get On Up and as Thurgood Marshall in Marshall @

Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Disney added a new opening credits sequence to Marvel's Black Panther on Disney+ to honor the late Chadwick Boseman.
The sequence was added to the streaming service on Sunday, which would have been Boseman's 44th birthday.
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"Long live the King. #WakandaForever," Marvel Studios said on Twitter alongside the new opening credits, which pay homage to Boseman's time as Black Panther.
Boseman died in August at the age of 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer.
The actor also portrayed Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Boseman additionally starred as Jackie Robinson in 42, as James Brown in Get On Up and as Thurgood Marshall in Marshall.