Daily Archives: December 15, 2020

2020-12-15: News Headlines

John Pilger (2020-12-15). The Most Lethal Virus is Not COVID. It is War. counterpunch.org In the midst of the greatest health emergency in modern times, with more than 4 million surgical procedures delayed by the National Health Service, Boris Johnson has announced a record increase of £16.5 billion in so-called defence spending — a figure that would restore the under-resourced NHS many times over.

Alex MacDonald (2020-12-15). Iraqi activist shot dead in Baghdad. middleeasteye.net Iraqi activist shot dead in Baghdad | Local media reports that Salah al-Iraqi was shot five times in suburb of Baghdad al-Jadeed | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 17: 02 | A social media picture of Salah al-Iraqi (Facebook) | A well-known Iraqi activist has been shot dead in Baghdad on Tuesday evening, the latest in a long line of assassinations in the country. | According to local media, Salah al-Iraqi was s…

MEE and agencies (2020-12-15). Lebanon sentences activist for allegedly collaborating with Israel. middleeasteye.net Lebanon sentences activist for allegedly collaborating with Israel | Family and activists have denounced Kinda al-Khatib's case as political because of her stance against parties in power | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 10: 23 | Prior to her arrest, Khatib had criticised Hezbollah on social media (Twitter) | Lebanon's military prosecution has sentenced prominent activist Kinda al-Khatib to three years…

RT (2020-12-15). Facebook's latest troll-hunt in Africa leads them to point to FRANCE — first NATO country to get the honor. rt.com On the latest hunt for 'trolls' in Africa and the Middle East, in addition to the usual 'Russians' Facebook for the first time banned a network of French accounts fighting for influence in former colonies. | On Tuesday, Facebook

MEE staff (2020-12-14). Loujain al-Hathloul: Saudi Arabia uses tweets supporting women's rights as evidence. middleeasteye.net Loujain al-Hathloul: Saudi Arabia uses tweets supporting women's rights as evidence | Activist's support for women's right to drive and criticism of kingdom's guardianship system cited by prosecutor in terrorism court | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 14: 29 | Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul is being tried in a terrorism court (AFP) | The Saudi public prosecutor on Monday cited tweets about a campaign to let women drive…

Staff (2020-12-14). Greta Thunberg: 5 Years After Paris Agreement, World Is "Speeding in the Wrong Direction" on Climate. democracynow.org Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who launched the global Fridays for Future youth climate movement, issued a stark warning on the fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement that the world is not doing enough to keep global heating below 2 degrees Celsius — the target set in the landmark 2015 deal. "The gap between what we need to do and what is actually being done is widening by the minute. We are still speeding in the wrong direction," Thunberg said in a video message posted on social media.

teleSUR (2020-12-14). ALBA-TCP Celebrates XVIII Summit Virtually. telesurenglish.net The XVIII Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People's Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP), is being held this Monday in a virtual manner and in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, coordinator of the event, and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro opened the event by means of vituar interventions transmitted from the Twitter account of the pres…

sputniknews (2020-12-14). Yankee Detectives Are Always on the TV. sputniknews.com On today's episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events, including Pastor Mark Burns announcing on Twitter the pardoning of Julian Assange by President Trump, the Electoral College counting votes for the President, and the Washington Post announcing Russia's alleged hacking of US agencies.

Alan Macleod (2020-12-14). US Embassy Caught Scrubbing Tweets Urging Venezuelans Not To Vote. mintpressnews.com It is not clear why the embassy decided to go back and delete its posting history, especially as undermining Venezuela's elections continues to be the official line of the US government.

Raymond Nat Turner (2020-12-13). Bankrolling blu klux klans? dissidentvoice.org Rhythms of red, white, blue 'party' lights flashing beneath screaming sirens; The rush of warm crimson drawing 2, 4, 6, 8, 10—and then some… Robotic legs, arms—possessed— punching, kicking a fetal fraction— prone red shirt; black face; fractured eye socket, exploding eyeball; broken ribs drowning in swarming blue savagery: The viral video sparks flashbacks to …

Newsclick (2020-12-13). Will Facebook have to give up WhatsApp and Instagram? peoplesdispatch.org Newsclick's Prabir Purkayastha analyzes the latest antitrust case against Facebook. He looks at the growing global consensus on action against the tech giants, and talks about the situation in the developing countries…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-13). Protesters in London march against police atrocity against Black teenager. peoplesdispatch.org On Friday, December 11, anti-racism groups in the UK protested police atrocity against a Black teenager in North London. Video footage which shows a police officer punching the teenager in the head while he was pressed against a police car, was widely circulated on social media on Thursday night and triggered widespread outrage across the UK. Scores of people under the leadership of Black Lives Matter Movement and Stand Up to Racism (SUTR) marched to North London's Tottenham police station and protested the police brutality and demanded punishment for the officers involved in the incident. | According to a Mornin…

_____ (2020-12-13). Workers Speak Out In Defense Of COVID-19 Whistleblower Rebekah Jones. popularresistance.org On Monday, Florida state police forcefully entered the home of Rebekah Jones with guns drawn at her and her family. Jones is a data scientist and whistleblower who has faced backlash from the political establishment for aggregating and publishing data on the spread of COVID-19 throughout the country, including The COVID Monitor, the most comprehensive tracker of outbreaks in schools. Police took Jones' phone, computer and several hard drives in an effort to prevent her from continuing to publish data on COVID-19 outbreaks. | Video footage of the fascistic police raid has gone viral on social media and has been me…

2020-12-15: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

The Most Lethal Virus Is Not COVID. It Is War
John Pilger | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-15
John Pilger describes the invisible weapon of past and current wars, and the threat of nuclear war, under cover of the Covid pandemic. This is propaganda, aided by censorship by omission. | Watch Pilger's 2010 film The War You Don't See…
globalresearch.ca/most-lethal-virus-not-covid-war/5732310

Facebook's latest troll-hunt in Africa leads them to point to FRANCE — first NATO country to get the honor
rt.com | 2020-12-15
On the latest hunt for 'trolls' in Africa and the Middle East, in addition to the usual 'Russians' Facebook for the first time banned a network of French accounts fighting for influence in former colonies. | On Tuesday, Facebook announced the ban on 84 Facebook accounts, 6 pages, 9 groups and 14 Instagram accounts, citing policy against "coordinated inauthentic behavior." Their activity originated in France and targeted mainly the Central African Republic and Mali, but also Niger,…
rt.com/news/509785-facebook-french-trolls-russia-africa/

Iraqi activist shot dead in Baghdad
Alex MacDonald | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-15
Iraqi activist shot dead in Baghdad | Local media reports that Salah al-Iraqi was shot five times in suburb of Baghdad al-Jadeed | Alex MacDonald | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 17: 02 | A social media picture of Salah al-Iraqi (Facebook) | A well-known Iraqi activist has been shot dead in Baghdad on Tuesday evening, the latest in a long line of assassinations in the country. | According to local media, Salah al-Iraqi was s…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/iraq-activist-shot-dead-baghdad

Lebanon sentences activist for allegedly collaborating with Israel
MEE and agencies | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-15
Lebanon sentences activist for allegedly collaborating with Israel | Family and activists have denounced Kinda al-Khatib's case as political because of her stance against parties in power | MEE and agencies | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 10: 23 | Prior to her arrest, Khatib had criticised Hezbollah on social media (Twitter) | Lebanon's military prosecution has sentenced prominent activist Kinda al-Khatib to three years…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/lebanon-israel-activist-jailed-collaborating

US Embassy Caught Scrubbing Tweets Urging Venezuelans Not To Vote
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-12-14
It is not clear why the embassy decided to go back and delete its posting history, especially as undermining Venezuela's elections continues to be the official line of the US government.
mintpressnews.com/us-embassy-caught-scrubbing-tweets-urging-venezuela-not-to-vote/273633/

Greta Thunberg: 5 Years After Paris Agreement, World Is "Speeding in the Wrong Direction" on Climate
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-12-14
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who launched the global Fridays for Future youth climate movement, issued a stark warning on the fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement that the world is not doing enough to keep global heating below 2 degrees Celsius — the target set in the landmark 2015 deal. "The gap between what we need to do and what is actually being done is widening by the minute. We are still speeding in the wrong direction," Thunberg said in a video message posted on social media.
www.democracynow.org/2020/12/14/greta_thunberg_paris_agreement_5th_anniversary

Yankee Detectives Are Always on the TV
sputniknews.com | 2020-12-14
On today's episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events, including Pastor Mark Burns announcing on Twitter the pardoning of Julian Assange by President Trump, the Electoral College counting votes for the President, and the Washington Post announcing Russia's alleged hacking of US agencies.
sputniknews.com/radio-the-backstory/202012141081460687-yankee-detectives-are-always-on-the-tv/

ALBA-TCP Celebrates XVIII Summit Virtually
telesurenglish.net | 2020-12-14
The XVIII Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People's Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP), is being held this Monday in a virtual manner and in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Bolivia Returns as ALBA-TCP Holds XVIII Virtual Summit | Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, coordinator of the event, and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro opened the event by means of vituar interventions transmitted from the Twitter account of the pres…
telesurenglish.net/news/ALBA-TCP-Celebrates-XVIII-Summit-Virtually-20201214-0014.html

John Pilger: The Most Lethal Virus Is Not COVID. It Is War
John Pilger | mintpressnews.com | 2020-12-14
In the midst of the greatest health emergency in modern times, with more than 4 million surgical procedures delayed by the National Health Service, Britain has announced a record increase of £16.5 billion in so-called defense spending.
mintpressnews.com/john-pilger-lethal-virus-not-covid-war/273597/

Sudan Is Removed From List of Countries Sponsoring Terrorism
telesurenglish.net | 2020-12-14
Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on Monday welcomed the announcement that the United States has removed his country from the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSTL) list. | RELATED: | Ethiopia and Sudan Talk Over Tigray's Displaced Population | "After 3 decades of global isolation on the SSTL, Sudan officially rejoins the international community as a peaceful nation supporting global stability. This achievement comes with numerous opportunities for Sudan's development," Hamdok tweet…
telesurenglish.net/news/Sudan-Is-Removed-From-List-of-Countries-Sponsoring-Terrorism-20201214-0004.html

Loujain al-Hathloul: Saudi Arabia uses tweets supporting women's rights as evidence
MEE staff | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-14
Loujain al-Hathloul: Saudi Arabia uses tweets supporting women's rights as evidence | Activist's support for women's right to drive and criticism of kingdom's guardianship system cited by prosecutor in terrorism court | MEE staff | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 14: 29 | Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul is being tried in a terrorism court (AFP) | The Saudi public prosecutor on Monday cited tweets about a campaign to let women drive…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-arabia-loujain-hathloul-women-rights-tweets-evidence

'Inhumane treatment': Turkey accuses Greece of migrant 'pushbacks' into Turkish waters
rt.com | 2020-12-13
The Greek Coast Guard has been sending illegal migrants stranded on islands in the Aegean back to Turkish territorial waters, Turkey's Interior Minister has said, accusing Athens of "torture." | The Greek coast guards have been engaged in "torture and inhumane treatment every day," Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said in a Twitter post, addressing Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum, Notis Mitarachi. | Dear Minister @nmitarakis | Your Coast Guard units are leveling up the torture and inhumane treatment everyday. | Watch your forces engaging…
rt.com/news/509555-greece-push-back-migrants-turkey/

Bankrolling blu klux klans?
Raymond Nat Turner | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-12-13