--- title: "While you were sleeping: 19th February 2017" description: "Trump knew of Flynn debacle weeks prior, Kim Jong Un's half-brother apparently assassinated, and Harrison Ford in yet another air mishap." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "Newsdeck" author: "John Stupart" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/johnstupart/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2017-02-15-while-you-were-sleeping-19th-february-2017/" published: "2017-02-15T06:03:27" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 795 --- # While you were sleeping: 19th February 2017 > Trump knew of Flynn debacle weeks prior, Kim Jong Un's half-brother apparently assassinated, and Harrison Ford in yet another air mishap. By John Stupart · Published 15 February 2017, 08:03 SAST ## Content **Wednesday, 15th February 2017** *“I refuse to live in this world of shame and silent apologies. Life cannot be dictated by the perceptions of others, and I wish the world had made it clear to me that people's reactions to my sexuality were not my problems, they were theirs.”* **Emily Ratajkowski** ![Image](https://i2.createsend1.com/ei/d/6E/B2A/5E8/csimport/849x493q70Ranjeni-SONA-debate1.050512.jpg) STORY OF THE DAY [SONA2017 aftermath: The radical dud and the radical sideshow](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-u/) By RANJENI MUNUSAMY There has been a lot of noise around the State of the Nation Address (SONA). Much of it centred on the enormous security presence, including soldiers, in the Cape Town city centre, and the parliamentary precinct in particular. Then there was the interruption of President Jacob Zuma’s speech, the violent eviction of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the walk-out by the Democratic Alliance (DA). But what did Zuma actually say? Judging by the first day’s SONA debate in Parliament, not many people can decipher this. Amid the uproar and heated exchanges, Zuma will wriggle out of committing to anything tangible for another year, while throwing about the obligatory “radical” like the F-word in a rap song. WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING [Trump knew of Flynn issues weeks before](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-o/) Continuing with the Michael Flynn saga, reports have emerged that President Donald Trump had been aware of Flynn's potential issues in terms of his briefing of a Russian ambassador weeks before it became a public issue. Combined with an FBI interview wherein Flynn might well have misled authorities, and the former general could be in for one hell of an investigation. [Kim Jong-Un's half brother assassinated](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-b/) The North Korean dictator's vocal anti-regime half brother has died in a Malaysian hospital following what appears to be a Cold War-styled assassination. Kim Jong-Nam was attacked from behind by two women at an airport, who he claimed sprayed him with some type of chemical. Within minutes he was experiencing seizures, dying before reaching a local hospital. [US steps back from two-state solution](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-n/) The White House has distanced itself from encouraging a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to visit with President Donald Trump today, the White House stated it would support any solution both sides could agree on. With little to no engagement by the White House with Palestinian officials, that solution may well be far off in the distance. [Harrison Ford in taxiway near-miss](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-p/) Harrison Ford has been involved in yet another aviation mishap. Landing at John Wayne Airport, Ford appeared to have landed on the taxiway and not the runway. Ford narrowly missed a Boeing 737 with over a hundred passengers in the process, remarking on the radio: "Was that airliner meant to be underneath me?" On the plus side, Ford can now boast having navigated his ship to the taxiway in 12 parsecs, a new record. IN NUMBERS 2.8 Million The dollar amount owed by Will Smith to the IRS just before he signed on for the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. FACTS OF THE DAY Today in 2001 the first draft of the **human genome**is published. **Sylvester Stallone** speaks the way he does due to a partial paralysis of the face that occurred during his birth. FEATURED ARTICLES ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Ranjeni-SONA-debate.jpg) [SONA2017 aftermath: The radical dud and the radical sideshow](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-e/) BY RANJENI MUNUSAMY ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Poplak-SONA2017-EFF-conference.jpg) [TRAINSPOTTER: Point of Disorder – Julius Malema sums up his SONA2017](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-g/) BY RICHARD POPLAK ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Merten-SONA-debate-day-1.jpg) [SONA2017 Debate, Day One: Insults, heckling and profanity in the House](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-yd/) BY MARIANNE MERTEN ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Greg-Mashaba-Law.jpg) [Analysis: Mayor Mashaba’s aggressive tactics may alienate friends and embolden opponents](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-yk/) BY GREG NICOLSON ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Becs-statscrime.jpg) [Analysis: South Africa a country of fear, say latest crime perception stats](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-jl/) BY REBECCA DAVIS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Brooks-Michael-Flynn.jpg) [General Mayhem: Michael Flynn resigns in disgrace; the world scratches its collective head](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-jy/) BY J BROOKS SPECTOR ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Allison-Zim-PF.jpg) [Zimbabwe: ZimPF’s implosion is good news for Tsvangirai](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-jt/) BY SIMON ALLISON ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70ISS-Congo-political-football.jpg) [ISS Today: Death becomes a political football in the DRC](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-jd/) BY ISS TODAY ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70Gates-to-Buffett.jpg) [Dear Warren, love, Bill: What billionaires talk about when they talk about the poor](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-jk/) BY SIMON ALLISON ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/849x493q70groundup-marikanaland.jpg) [GroundUp: City of Cape Town asks court to order national government to compensate land owners](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-tl/) BY GROUNDUP OPINIONISTAS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70e41a4dfa4a643c00376ac2cc63396bfb.jpg) [The law says Zuma is our president, Nkandla judgment or not](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-ty/) A column by PIERRE DE VOS ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70Vukani%20Mde.jpg) [Radical economic transformation? Bollocks. It’s a rent extraction opportunity](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-tt/) A column by VUKANI MDE ![Image](https://images.www.dailymaverick.co.za/images/resized_images/190x170q70Julius-Malama-for-column.jpg) [Zuma is an illegitimate president](http://email.touchbasepro.com/t/d-l-hjhljjd-l-td/) A column by JULIUS MALEMA — **Weather** BFN: min: 19° max: 31°, rainy CPT: min: 17° max: 28°, sunny DBN: min: 22° max: 30°, cloudy EL: min: 21° max: 30°, cloudy JHB: min: 16° max: 27°, rainy KIM: min: 22° max: 39°, PM rain NLP: min: 17° max: 31°, cloudy PMB: min: 18° max: 31°, rainy PE: min: 20° max: 30°, cloudy PTA: min: 18° max: 29°, sunny **Financial Data** Oil=$55.60 Gold=$1,226.15 Platinum=$1,000.08 R/$=13.05 R/€=13.81 R/£=16.27 $/€=1.05 JSE All Share=52,465.64 DJIA=20,412.20 FTSE 100=7,268.56