MaribuBot, of articial intelligence (she’s my hardworking, intelligent Bot), on her own, without any prompting from me, gathered these news stories on human strife, conflict, and art based on web metrics:
ξ Parties need not be marginalized to run as partylists. “xxx The SC decision states that partylist groups need not be “marginalized or underrepresented” to run in the partylist elections.xxx Majority of the 54 previously disqualified partylists might be allowed to run again in the May 13 midterm elections under the new guidelines issued by the Supreme Court (SC), Commission on Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said on Friday.” inquirer
ξ “Brillantes on party-list ruling: I don’t like it” rappler
∩ “4 die in Batangas accident” tempo.
♠ “US, Philippine troops start war games amid China tensions” by Cecil Morella, Agence France Presse thru Yahoo Philippines
ν “Caravan vs 2013 Balikatan military exercises ongoing” “Progressive groups are hounding the 2013 joint US-RP military exercises, which begins today, to protest the continuous assault on the country’s sovereignty, the human rights violations resulting from it and the toxic wastes it leaves behind.” Bulatlat
ÿ “The known unknowns of Kim Jong-un” xxx “As far as personal tastes go, his apparent affection for amusement parks and Disney characters sits oddly with his position as supreme commander of the world’s fifth-largest army with an emerging nuclear arsenal.xxx” by Giles Hewitt, Agence France-Presse thru ABS-CBN
ÿ ” Statement of support for the Korean people against US provocations and nuclear threats”xxx “We condemn in the strongest terms the continuing US military control over South Korea, the constant nuclear weapons in US military bases and aircraft carriers and the joint military exercises of the US and the South Korean puppet government. All these violate the national sovereignty of the Korean people, threaten the DPRK and run counter to the desire of the Korean people for peaceful reunification.” by Jose Maria Sison thru Bulatlat
∩ “Comelec plans to ban motorcades on 18 major Metro Manila roads” inquirer
Λ “Basic wins 3 geothermal energy contracts” inquirer
♥ “Cash prizes, scholarships for Palaro winners” rappler
♥ “Art Spark: A Guide to the Philippine Art World” Inflight thru Yahoo Philippines
A few weeks after the UN Security Council issued its March 7 resolution (Res. 2094), banning the travel of executive officers of NoKor companies tagged in the resolution as arms dealers and traders of ballistic missiles, freezing the assets of NoKor research centers and other corporations said to be involved in developing the missiles and nuclear weapons system of NoKor, and banning trade with and traffic to NoKor of missile parts, nuclear items, materials for chemical weapons, and luxury items such as jewelry with pearls, gems including diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, precious metal, and transportation items like yachts, luxury automobiles and other cars except public transport, but including station wagons, racing cars; North Korea issued its nuclear war threats that have become more aggressive each week. Some pertinent provisions of said resolution: United Nations .: General 7 March 2013 Resolution 2094 (2013) Adopted by the Security Council at its 6932nd meeting, on 7 March 2013 The Security Council, Recalling its previous relevant resolutions, xxx Reaffirming that proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, as well as their means of delivery, constitutes a threat to international peace and security, xxx Expressing the gravest concern at the nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (“the DPRK”) on 12 February 2013 (local time) in violation of resolutions xxx Concerned that the DPRK is abusing the privileges and immunities accorded under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic and Consular Relations, xxx Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, and taking measures under its Article 41, 1. Condemns in the strongest terms the nuclear test conducted by the DPRK on 12 February 2013 (local time) in violation and flagrant disregard of the Council’s relevant resolutions; a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner; xxx 12. Calls upon States to take appropriate measures to prohibit in their territories the opening of new branches, subsidiaries, or representative offices of DPRK banks, and also calls upon States to prohibit DPRK banks from establishing new joint ventures and from taking an ownership interest in or establishing or maintaining correspondent relationships with banks in their jurisdiction xxx xxx
15. Decides that all Member States shall not provide public financial support xxx xxx 16. Decides that all States shall inspect all cargo within or transiting through their territory that has originated in the DPRK, or that is destined for the DPRK, or has been brokered or facilitated by the DPRK or its nationals, xxx xxx 18. Calls upon States to deny permission to any aircraft to take off from, land in or overfly their territory, xxx 37. Decides to remain seized of the matter. Annex I Travel ban/asset freeze 1. YO’N CHO’NG NAM. (a) Description: Chief Representative for the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID). The KOMID was designated by the Committee in April 2009 and is the DPRK’s primary arms dealer and main exporter of goods and equipment related to ballistic missiles and conventional weapons. 2. KO CH’O’L-CHAE. (a) Description: Deputy Chief Representative for the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID). The KOMID was designated by the Committee in April 2009 and is the DPRK’s primary arms dealer and main exporter of goods and equipment related to ballistic missiles and conventional weapons. 3. MUN CHO’NG-CH’O’L. (a) Description: Mun Cho’ng-Ch’o’l is a TCB official. In this capacity he has facilitated transactions for TCB. Tanchon was designated by the Committee in April 2009 and is the main DPRK financial entity for sales of conventional arms, ballistic missiles, and goods related to the assembly and manufacture of such weapons. Annex II Asset freeze 1. SECOND ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. (a) Description: The Second Academy of Natural Sciences is a national-level organization responsible for research and development of the DPRK’s advanced weapons systems, including missiles and probably nuclear weapons. The Second Academy of Natural Sciences uses a number of subordinate organizations to obtain technology, equipment, and information from overseas, including Tangun Trading Corporation, for use in the DPRK’s missile and probably nuclear weapons programmes. Tangun Trading Corporation was designated by the Committee in July 2009 and is primarily responsible for the procurement of commodities and technologies to support DPRK’s defence research and development programmes, including, but not limited to, weapons of mass destruction and delivery system programmes and procurement, including materials that are controlled or prohibited under relevant multilateral control regimes. (b) AKA: 2ND ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES; CHE 2 CHAYON; KWAHAKWON; ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES; CHAYON KWAHAK-WON; NATIONAL DEFENSE ACADEMY; KUKPANG KWAHAK-WON; SECOND ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES RESEARCH INSTITUTE; SANSRI (c) Location: Pyongyang, DPRK 2. KOREA COMPLEX EQUIPMENT IMPORT CORPORATION. (a) Description: Korea Ryonbong General Corporation is the parent company of Korea Complex Equipment Import Corporation. Korea Ryonbong General Corporation was designated by the Committee in April 2009 and is a defence conglomerate specializing in acquisition for DPRK defence industries and support to that country’s military-related sales. (b) Location: Rakwon-dong, Pothonggang District, Pyongyang, DPRK Annex III Items, materials, equipment, goods and technology Nuclear items 1. Perfluorinated Lubricants. • They can be used for lubricating vacuum pump and compressor bearings. They have a low vapour pressure, are resistant to uranium hexafluoride (UF6), the gaseous uranium compound used in the gas centrifuge process, and are used for pumping fluorine. 2. UF6 Corrosion Resistant Bellow-sealed Valves. • They can be used in uranium enrichment facilities (such as gas centrifuge and gaseous diffusion plants), in facilities that produce uranium hexafluoride (UF6), the gaseous uranium compound used in the gas centrifuge process, in fuel fabrication facilities and in facilities handling tritium. Missile items 1. Special corrosion resistant steels — limited to steels resistant to Inhibited Red Fuming Nitric Acid (IRFNA) or nitric acid, such as nitrogen stabilized duplex stainless steel (N-DSS). 2. Ultra high-temperature ceramic composite materials in solid form (i.e. blocks, cylinders, tubes or ingots) in any of the following form factors: (a) Cylinders having a diameter of 120 mm or greater and a length of 50 mm or greater; (b) Tubes having an inner diameter of 65 mm or greater and a wall thickness of 25 mm or greater and a length of 50 mm or greater; or (c) Blocks having a size of 120 mm x 120 mm x 50 mm or greater. 3. Pyrotechnically Actuated Valves. 4. Measurement and control equipment usable for wind tunnels (balance, thermal stream measurement, flow control). 5. Sodium Perchlorate. Chemical weapons list 1. Vacuum pumps with a manufacturer’s specified maximum flow-rate greater than 1 m3/h (under standard temperature and pressure conditions), casings (pump bodies), preformed casing-liners, impellers, rotors, and jet pump nozzles designed for such pumps, in which all surfaces that come into direct contact with the chemicals being processed are made from controlled materials. Annex IV Luxury goods 1. Jewelry: (a) Jewelry with pearls; (b) Gems; (c) Precious and semi-precious stones (including diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds); (d) Jewelry of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal. 2. Transportation items, as follows: (a) Yachts; (b) Luxury automobiles (and motor vehicles): automobiles and other motor vehicles to transport people (other than public transport), including station wagons; (c) Racing cars.