South Korea’s Prime Minister Jung Hong-won (left), and North Korea’s Hwang Pyong So (far right), attend the closing ceremony of the Asian Games. (REUTERS/Jason Reed)
The Week
North Korea and South Korea agree to talks, ISIS posts a new beheading video, and more
1. North Korea, South Korea agree to new high-level talks
Less than two months after North Korea rejected a proposal from Seoul to reopen high-level talks between the two countries, South Korea released a statement on Saturday announcing a new round of upcoming discussions. The latest agreement seems to have been the result of a surprise visit by North Korean officials to the Asian Games’ closing ceremony, in Incheon. The North’s delegation included three trusted aides of Kim Jong Un, and the sides agreed to launch the new round of talks later in October or in early November. [The New York Times]
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2. ISIS posts new video showing beheading of British aid worker
ISIS released a video on Friday night showing a man who said he was Alan Henning, and that his imminent murder was in response to Britain’s decision to join other countries in deploying airstrikes against ISIS militants and their holdings in Iraq. At the end of the video, an ISIS fighter threatens to kill a fifth hostage, an American he identifies as Peter Edward Kassig. British Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the murder on Saturday, calling the videotaped beheading “absolutely appalling,” and promising that the United Kingdom would “do everything we can to defeat this organization.” [The Guardian]
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3. Washington, D.C. hospital evaluating possible Ebola patient
Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., confirmed Friday that the hospital is treating a patient who recently traveled to Nigeria and has displayed “Ebola-like symptoms.” Kerry-Ann Hamilton, a spokesperson for Howard University, said in a statement that the patient is in stable condition, and that the hospital has not yet confirmed the patient has been infected with the disease. Hamilton did not release the patient’s name, citing privacy concerns. “In an abundance of caution, we have activated the appropriate infection control protocols, including isolating the patient,” Hamilton said. [The Washington Post]
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4. Sweden to recognize state of Palestine
The first major European country to do so, Sweden’s new government announced on Friday that it will recognize Palestine as a state. While the U.N. General Assembly gave a de facto recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state in 2012, neither the European Union nor many European countries have followed suit. “The conflict between Israel and Palestine can only be solved with a two-state solution, negotiated in accordance with international law,” new Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said. [Reuters]
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5. U.S. unemployment rate lowest in six years
The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 5.9 percent — the lowest it’s been in six years — in September, as employers added 248,000 non-farm jobs, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday. Hourly wages actually dropped by a penny, to $24.53, but the better-than-forecast jobs report could boost the chances that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in mid-2015. “(Friday’s) jobs report shows, at long last, what employment growth looks like in a balanced economic expansion,” Robert Shapiro, an economist at Sonecon, said. [Reuters]
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6. Hong Kong protesters cancel talks following mob attack
Pro-democracy activists entered their sixth day of protesting against China’s interference in Hong Kong’s local politics on Friday, and a pro-government mob appeared at one protest site in the Mong Kok district to trash tents, destroy signs, and attack students. The police were initially “overwhelmed,” and there were reports that some female protesters were sexually molested. While the mob’s political affiliations were unclear, pro-democracy student activists issued a statement calling the attacks organized and canceled a planned “dialogue on political reform” with Hong Kong authorities as a result of the assaults. [Time, NPR]
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7. General Motors recalls more than 500,000 cars and SUVs
General Motors is recalling 524,384 cars and sport utility vehicles due to potential latch problems and possible loose parts, the company said on Friday. It is also recalling two truck models which may have defective air bags. The latest round brings GM’s total recalls this year to 71, with almost 30 million vehicles affected. The company reported three crashes and two injuries that had resulted from the most recent round of vehicle problems. [Reuters]
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8. Study: U.S. heroin deaths doubled in two years
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that U.S. deaths from heroin overdoses doubled between 2010 and 2012. The data was only based on 28 states with available data, but those numbers showed heroin overdose deaths rose from 1,779 to 3,665 in the two-year timeframe. The study’s authors suggest that the increase may be in part due to the drug’s relative accessibility and inexpensiveness as compared to prescription painkillers. [Time]
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9. Impostor congressman reportedly snuck into Obama event
The latest in a series of embarrassments for the Secret Service, an anonymous White House official said that a man falsely posed as a member of Congress earlier this week, gaining access to a secure area at an event where President Barack Obama had just appeared. The impostor said he was Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-N.J.) at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation awards dinner. He reached the backstage area before a member of the White House staff realized he was not the real representative. A Secret Service spokesman defended the agency’s performance, saying the man “went through security, fully screened.” [Bloomberg]
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10. Saturday morning cartoons are officially defunct
As of this morning, a 50-year-old American institution, the Saturday morning cartoon, is no more.The CW network debuted a new slate of programming called, “One Magnificent Morning,” today, aimed at teenagers and their parents. The network was the last to broadcast children’s programming on Saturday mornings — NBC switched its lineup in 1992, ABC in 2011, and CBS last year. What’s the cause? “Cable TV,” Robert Thompson, director of Syracuse’s Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture, said. And, “a lot more kids get up on Saturday morning now and actually do stuff like play soccer…or maybe they’re just playing video games.” [WTOP]
