Foreign Service Updates

#SouthKorea US amb. Mark Lippert scored a crap post. Survived knife attack.  Now receives threat to kill. http://nation.com.pk/international/25-Jul-2015/s-korean-man-arrested-for-threat-to-kill-us-envoy #Cambodia rigid registration & reporting regime for NGOs PASSED + requirement that NGOs remain politically neutral http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/senate-passes-ngo-law-amid-boycott #Russia opposes Malaysia’s draft res. on MH17 no transparency no precedent on interl tribunals re civilian airliners http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/russian-envoy-no-precedent-for-proposed-mh17-probe-team *Demonised Russia *Russia excluded *call for US surveillance satellite data release = NO RESPONSE / { sounds like a fake inquiry } #Somalia 2013 - Britain reopened embassy in Mogadishu, which was closed in 1991 (civil war). UK pledge support http://horseedmedia.net/2015/07/24/britain-pledges-continued-support-to-somalia/ #Japan #RUSSIA urged Russian PM Medvedev not to visit disputed islands off Hokkaido / Moscow reasserting control 4 islands http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/07/24/national/politics-diplomacy/japan-urges-russian-prime-minister-not-visit-disputed-isles/ #USA DIPLOMAT US diplomat used his-government-issued email to meet women on the internet & talk about sex http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3137631/US-diplomat-abused-child-posted-abroad-exposed-minor-received-nude-photos-female-colleagues-email-t-know-sacked-s-SECRET.html #Czech President Miloš Zeman sees a time to call up military to protect borders against immigrants http://www.praguepost.com/viewpoint/48984-zeman-criticized-for-provoking-france #Malaysia NGO hands memo to  British High Commission re Clare Rewcastle-Brown / news portal The Sarawak Report Malaysia NGO memo to Swiss Embassy next week to Bruno Manser Foundation to stop channelling money to news portal. Malaysian Communication & Multimedia Commission blocked The Sarawak Report for undermining national security. Looks like the news portal may be seen as contributing indirectly to efforts to topple:  Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v8/newsindex.php?id=1155267 Clare Rewcastle Brown = British investigative journalist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_Rewcastle_Brown ---------------------- COMMENT Sounds like there might be a bit of a story in Malaysia.  Something interesting going on there.  That journalist is Gordon Brown's sister-in-law. The Russia and Japan issue over islands could be interesting.