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Syriza sells out: Greece's dangerous alliance with Israel

Ramzy Baroud
CounterPunch
Tue, 13 Feb 2018 17:42 UTC
syriza e israel

Syriza and Israel
For a brief historical moment, Alexis Tsipras and his political party, Syriza, ignited hope that Greece could resurrect a long-dormant Leftist tide in Europe.

A new Greece was being born out of the pangs of pain of economic austerity, imposed by the European Union and its overpowering economic institutions - a troika so ruthless, it cared little while the Greek economy collapsed and millions of people experienced the bitterness of poverty, unemployment and despair.

The Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza) came to power in January 2015 as a direct outcome of popular discontent with the EU. It was a time where ordinary people took a stance to fend for whatever semblance of sovereignty that was not wrestled away from them by politicians, bankers and powerful bureaucratic institutions.

The result, however, was quite disappointing. Tsipras, now a Prime Minister, transformed his political discourse, and gradually adopted one that that is more consistent with the very neoliberal policies that pushed his country to its knees in the first place.

Comment:

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Eye 2

Corrupt San Diego County gov't tries to silence reporter for exposing shocking number of jail deaths

Jack Burns
The Free Thought Project
Tue, 13 Feb 2018 17:11 UTC
kelly davis san diego

Free-lance reporter Kelly Davis
Even though the First Amendment of the US Constitution states "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press," one California reporter says she has been targeted by San Diego County for her investigative reports detailing extraordinary number of deaths of inmates in the county's jails. Local journalist and Voice of San Diego (VOSD) contributor Kelly Davis has been pressured to reveal her sources and has been hauled in to court to defend her reporting.

In what is shaping out to be a clear violation of the Constitution, Davis' report chronicled 60 inmate deaths in local jails from 2007 to 2012. The report should have been a wake-up call for jailers to work harder to keep people from getting killed or committing suicide while in custody, but VOSD said it was anything but a call to action.

Instead, the county's attorney's turned their attention and set their sights on one of the reporters covering the story. "They've upended her life, forcing her to do one of three things - expose sources by testifying about her work, agree to a deal that would protect her fragile health at the expense of harming the widow's case or fight back," writes VOSD.

Comment: Free speech: The blessing of the first amendment

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Megaphone

Free speech: The blessing of the first amendment

David Weissman
Source
Mon, 12 Feb 2018 12:00 UTC
first amendment
The United States of America is one of the freest countries in the world. This is no coincidence. America was founded by people with Judeo Christian values, who articulated those values in our founding documents.

In my view, the most important gift from the faith of our founding fathers was the understanding that God gave us free will.

The first amendment in the Bill of Rights lays out perhaps the most important rights an American can have: freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of the press.

Comment: While it's all well and good to believe that the US upholds its constitution, slowly but surely pathological characters have made their way into positions of power and are in the process of entirely subverting it: Also check out SOTT radio's: The Truth Perspective: Interview with Joachim Hagopian

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Bad Guys

Young Labour responds to critics of straight, white men 'ban' at 'equality' conference


RT
Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:57 UTC
jeremy corbyn
© Reuters/ Peter Nicholls
Young Labour activists have caused outrage over 'ban' of straight, white men
Young Labour activists have defended themselves against accusations that straight, white men have been 'banned' from attending an event. The move prompted fury among some Labour supporters and the party's critics on the right.

The equalities conference invites only members under the age of 27 who are self-defining as black and ethnic minority (BAME), disabled, LGBT and/or women to attend. The list of requirements for attendees infuriated Conservative MPs, party activists and employees.
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Star of David

Musician Lorde gets attacked by Zionists after canceling Tel Aviv show

Sarah Abed
American Herald Tribune
Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:36 UTC
Lorde

Lorde
The Lorde saga has now reached new riveting heights. Just a few months ago on December 21st, 2017 two young female fans from Aotearoa, New Zealand wrote an open letter urging Lorde to cancel her Tel Aviv concert, scheduled for June of this year. A few days later Lorde a 21 year old singer and songwriter canceled her Tel Aviv show.

This quickly prompted outspoken celebrity Rabbi Shmuley Boteach to take out a full page "ad" in the Washington Post to initiate a smear campaign against the New Zealand artist. In his ad the rabbi falsely claims Lorde is a "bigot" and calls her a "hypocrite". Soon after the Tel Aviv concert was canceled, three Israeli teenagers sued the activists that wrote the open letter.

This tale of vindictive Zionist retaliation against freedom of speech and expression as well as the right to support BDS takes another interesting turn now that Florida State Representative Randy Fine has joined the circus act. Fine is calling for entertainment venues in Miami and Tampa to cancel their June shows for the popular songwriter and singer or face financial penalties.
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Star of David

Extremist Israeli colonists attempt to kidnap Palestinian children


The New Arab
Thu, 08 Feb 2018 16:33 UTC
yitzhar jewish settlers
© Getty
Jewish Yitzhar terrorists
Palestinian villagers thwarted an attempt by Israeli settlers to kidnap two Palestinian children in the village of Madma south of Nablus on Wednesday, it was reported by al-Araby al-Jadeed.

The head of the village council, Ehab Qat, told al-Araby that a number of settlers from the nearby settlement of Yitzhar stormed the village and attempted to kidnap the two children, aged between 10 and 14, as they were tending to sheep in the eastern outskirts of the village.

Local sources said that the settlers, while in the presence of Israeli forces, followed the two children, who retreated back to their homes.

Another source told Quds Press that clashes broke out following the kidnapping attempt, during which Israeli forces launched gas and sound bombs at locals.

The villagers are fearful of another attack as settlers and Israeli forces remain in the area south of the village, it was reported.

The area surrounding the northern West Bank city of Nablus has one of the highest concentrations of Israeli settlements and has often been a flashpoint for violence.

Yitzhar settlers are especially notorious for their fanaticism and violent acts against Palestinians, having routinely destroyed Palestinian olive groves and vandalised Palestinian property.

Comment: Pro-Zionists like to claim that Israel is unfairly held to a higher standard than other countries. To which we would only reply: what standard should Israel be held to? If it claims to be a democracy, it should act like one. Until then, and as long as it practices arbitrary detention, extrajudicial murder (assassination), fewer rights for its Palestinian citizens, no rights for the occupied Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, illegal colonies, land appropriation, collective punishment, home demolitions, and torture, Israel does everything it can to deserve the level of criticism it receives.

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War Whore

Police officer fired for refusing to shoot armed black suspect settles in court


RT
Tue, 13 Feb 2018 09:36 UTC
Police
© Louie Palu / Global Look Press
A former police officer in West Virginia who sued for wrongful termination has accepted a settlement. He was let go for refusing to shoot an armed African-American suspect during a confrontation.

Stephen Mader was awarded $175,000 and a pledge that his former employer will not prevent him from obtaining a job in law enforcement elsewhere, according to details of the settlement published Monday.

"At the end of the day, I'm happy to put this chapter of my life to bed," said Mader, 27.

As a police officer in Weirton, West Virginia in May 2016, Mader responded to a call about an armed man. Upon arriving at the scene, he confronted the suspect, identified as RJ Williams of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.
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Ambulance

71 dead in Moscow passenger plane crash - UPDATES


RT
Sun, 11 Feb 2018 20:00 UTC
antonov an-148
© Marina Lystseva / Sputnik
Saratov Airlines' Antonov An-148 jet carrying 65 passengers and six crew crashed after take-off outside Moscow. As salvage efforts are underway at the crash site, we sum up everything we know so far about the deadly accident.

HOW IT WENT MISSING

Domodedovo air traffic control lost contact with Saratov Airlines flight 703, bound for Orsk, several minutes after take off, an official from Russia's Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) told local media. He said communication with the crew was cut and the plane vanished from radar screens.

Earlier in the day, debris was spotted from the air. Emergency services immediately deployed rapid response teams to the reported crash site, but rescuers and medics had to reach it on foot, walking through the countryside buried under snow.

Preliminary reports say the wreckage is spread across an area between adjacent villages. The Emergencies Ministry said the search-and-rescue operation will work around the clock, with the crash site observed by drones.

Comment: Putin has offered his condolences to the families of the deceased:
Vladimir Putin "offers his deep condolences to those who lost their loved ones in this accident," Dmitry Peskov said in a statement. He added that Putin had instructed the appropriate authorities to probe the Saratov Airlines plane crash.

"The President ordered the government to create a task force [to investigate] the air accident in the Moscow region,"Peskov said, adding, "he also directed the agencies concerned to carry out necessary search and rescue operations."

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has also conveyed his sympathies to families affected by the Antonov An-148 crash. Moscow city authorities are ready to offer "any assistance" to the Emergencies Ministry, the mayor wrote on Twitter.
Update (February 13)

Russia's state bank, Sberbank, has decided to cancel the debts of all the flight's victims. Hundreds of rescuers continue to comb the crash site for debris and victims.


The moment of the crash was caught on CCTV:


While the cause is still being investigated, eyewitnesses described seeing a flash in the sky:
"At first, something exploded under the wing and caught fire. After that, there was another flash and the plane fell sharply down. Everyone saw the flash. Everything was so quick," another witness told Mash Telegram-channel. Preliminary reports however indicate the pilots did not report any technical failures, nor did they activate a mayday call, according to Russia's Investigative Committee.
The plane that crashed had made several flights the day of the crash, and routine inspections before its final flight did not reveal anything wrong. Data from the recovered flight recorders may have found the cause, however:
The crash of An-148 passenger plane in the Moscow Region may have been caused by incorrect flight speed data due to icing, the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) said after deciphering the flight data recorder.

On Tuesday, the IAC announced it had completed the deciphering of information contained in the one of the black boxes - the on-board data flight recorder - of the crashed plane. It is still working on the other black box, the voice recorder.

The preliminary analysis suggests that the "incorrect data about flight speed on the pilots' indicators, which in turn was linked to the icing of the pitot-static [sensor] system" led to a "special situation" with the plane, according to the IAC statement.


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Pills

Study finds opioid prescriptions on the rise in UK despite poor results


RT
Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:17 UTC
opioids
© Diez, O. / Global Look Press
The prescription of highly addictive opioids by GPs in England is steadily rising, especially in deprived areas, a new study shows. The rise comes despite the drugs being potentially dangerous and the ongoing US opioid crisis.

Published in the British Journal Of General Practice, the research found an increase in long-term opioid prescriptions by doctors "despite poor efficacy for non-cancer pain, potential harm, and incompatibility with best practice."

The study found a clear north-south divide. Almost all of the low-prescribing areas were in the south of England while nine of the 10 highest-prescribing areas, including Blackburn, Middlesbrough and parts of Liverpool, were in the north. The exception was Bristol.

The number of prescriptions for opioids was higher in areas of socio-economic deprivation, the study added.
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Stormtrooper

Russian Skiing Federation chief: Rodchenkov was recruited by foreign special services in Canada


RT
Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:10 UTC
Grigory Rodchenkov
© Viktor Chernov / Global Look Press
Grigory Rodchenkov
The president of Russia's Cross-Country Skiing Federation, Yelena Valbe, thinks that former Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory head Grigory Rodchenkov was recruited by foreign special services while working in Canada.

Fugitive doctor Rodchenkov, whose testimony formed the basis of the anti-Russian Olympic campaign, has become a hot topic once again with the Winter Games underway in South Korea.

Last weekend he was featured in the CBS program 60 Minutes, where he once again claimed to have played a key role in the Sochi 2014 "doping scheme," which in his words was backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself, and discussed the doping situation in the global Olympic movement.

In her recent interview with kp.ru, Russian Cross-Country Skiing Federation chief Valbe said that information provided by Rodchenkov cannot be treated as trustworthy, as the 59-year-old doctor might suffer from mental illness.
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