Society's Child

'We never sought to enter UK base, guards talked to us' - says Russian reporter accused of 'spying'

RT
Tue, 04 Dec 2018 01:37 UTC

A Russian journalist accused by British media of 'spying' on a UK cyberwarfare facility has told RT that his crew never intended to get inside, adding it was the base guards who actually spoke to the Russian TV crew first.

Russia's Channel 1 crew indeed visited Berkshire, where the 77th Brigade is based, to make a report about it, the channel's the UK Bureau chief Timur Siraziev told RT. However, the Russian journalists were open about their job, and never tried to snoop on the facility.

A routine episode in the work of pretty much any journalist has caught the obsessive attention of almost every major UK media outlet, after the British Army issued a special warning calling on soldiers to under no circumstances talk to Russian journalists and to immediately call the police if they see one.

The unusually harsh reaction to a simple news report quickly prompted the British media to squarely assume the Russians were "spying" on what turned out to be a secret UK military facility tasked with conducting psychological influence and information operations on the web.

Comment: Just reporting as usual, unless you happen to be a Russian journalist and stumble upon a cyber security facility.

The Great March of Return began 8 months ago, Palestinians vow to continue until the Gaza siege is lifted

Yumna Patel
Mondoweiss
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 00:00 UTC

© Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters
May 14, 2018: Palestinian demonstrators run for cover from Israeli fire and tear gas on Israel-Gaza border.

November 30th marked the 8 month anniversary of the Great March of Return. Every Friday since March 30th, thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have taken to the borders with Israel to demand the right of return of refugees to their ancestral homelands in present day Israel, and an end to the siege on Gaza. Israel has imposed an 11-year land, air, and sea blockade on Gaza, crippling the coastal enclave's economy.

Gazans suffer from lack of access to clean water, high unemployment rates, and electricity for only a few hours a day - contributing to growing frustrations in the coastal enclave. Despite reported efforts from political officials to bring the Great March of Return to a close, protesters maintain that they will continue demonstrating until the siege is lifted once and for all.

Comment: The five minutes of video offer a compelling touchstone to the passions, frustrations and commitment of a people demanding their rights of self-determination and equality against nearly unsurmountable circumstances.

'They are undesirable & they must feel it': Denmark planning to send unwanted refugees to remote island

RT
Tue, 04 Dec 2018 15:13 UTC

Denmark will send rejected asylum seekers to live on a remote island. Located in the freezing Baltic Sea, the island is currently home to animal research laboratories and crematoria.

"If you are unwanted in Danish society, you should not be a nuisance to ordinary Danes," immigration minister Inger Støjberg wrote in a Facebook post on Friday. "They are undesirable in Denmark and they must feel it!"

Topsy turvy world: Britain's top cop wants public to protect police

Neil Murphy
UK Mirror
Tue, 04 Dec 2018 18:00 UTC

Met Police chief Cressida Dick has urged members of the public to "get involved" if they see officers being attacked in the street.

She said it was "absolutely awful" that bystanders filmed attacks on officers and uploaded them to the internet without intervening.

The Met Commissioner was speaking on Nick Ferrari LBC radio show today and asked people to do more to help police officers in need.

Her plea came after a video of a police officer being assaulted with a flying kick was captured on a mobile phone and then circulated on social media.

She said: "What we seem to be seeing now is not only police officers being assaulted, but sometimes crowds gathering and then some people filming, laughing, joking."

Comment: Talk about missing the point. If civilians have to protect the police from attackers, and not the other way around, something is really wrong. Maybe this has something to do with it:

And this:

Fraternities and sororities sue Harvard for discouraging same-sex clubs

NBC
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 17:22 UTC

Several national fraternities and sororities sued Harvard University on Monday over a 2016 rule that discourages students from joining single-gender social clubs, marking the first legal challenge to the school's policy.

Two fraternities and two sororities filed a lawsuit in Boston's federal court, while another sorority separately sued the school in Massachusetts state court. Both cases argue that the school's policy discriminates against students based on their sex and spreads negative stereotypes about students who join all-male or all-female organizations.

Comment: Grievance politics are a knife that cuts both ways. Ironically, the policies set up to combat "isms" often embody those isms better than whatever it is they are trying to fight. Affirmative action is actually racist. Title IX rape tribunals are actually sexist.

Harvard officials did not immediately provide comment on the suits.

Starting with last year's freshman class, Harvard students who are members of single-gender clubs are barred from leading campus groups or becoming captains of sports teams. The school also refuses to endorse the students for prestigious fellowships, including the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships.

Comment: See also:

Landmark case: Tribunal to decide if veganism a 'philosophical belief' akin to 'religion' after sacked vegan claims discrimination

Clive Coleman
BBC
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 00:00 UTC

The League Against Cruel Sports said: 'Mr Casamitjana was dismissed from his position because of gross misconduct. He is seeking to use his veganism as the reason for his dismissal. We emphatically reject this claim.'

A tribunal is to be asked to decide whether veganism is a "philosophical belief" akin to a religion, in a landmark legal action.

Jordi Casamitjana says he was sacked by the League Against Cruel Sports after disclosing it invested pension funds in firms involved in animal testing.

He claims he was discriminated against, and the tribunal will now decide if veganism should be protected in law.

The League Against Cruel Sports says he was dismissed for gross misconduct.

It denies the sacking was because of his veganism.

Mr Casamitjana says he is an "ethical" vegan.

"Some people only eat a vegan diet but they don't care about the environment or the animals, they only care about their health," he told the BBC.

"I care about the animals and the environment and my health and everything.

"That's why I use this term 'ethical veganism' because for me veganism is a belief and affects every single aspect of my life."

Comment: Predictably, the Twitterverse erupts:

Infirm woman left alone to languish in wheelchair after flight at O'Hare cancelled

Jeremy Ross
CBS Chicago
Sat, 01 Dec 2018 20:42 UTC

Olimpia Warsaw flew into Chicago to attend a relative's funeral. The 67-year-old made it to O'Hare, but family member Julian Coltea can't say the same for her luggage.

"She had to miss the first part of his funeral because she had to get clothes," Coltea said.

Warsaw has Parkinson's and diabetes and has trouble walking.

Claude Coltea said Friday after his father's funeral, his mom was set to return to Detroit. He would catch his flight shortly after.

"I walked with her all the way to her gate," he said. "I confirmed with the gate agent that the flight was on time. Everything was ok. She said, 'Yup, all's fine. We'll take good care of your mom'."

But, it turns out, Warsaw's flight was canceled.

End racism..but bashing white people is A-ok: California university hosts 'critical look at whiteness' forum

Drew Dan Voorhis
The College Fix
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 00:00 UTC

The Christian cartoon "VeggieTales" is racist because the villains are vegetables of color. The NFL is racist since most players are black and most coaches and owners are white. White women advance white supremacy when they support President Donald Trump.

These are some of the arguments made by students at a "Whiteness Forum" held at Cal State San Marcos on Thursday that aimed to take a "critical look at whiteness," according to organizers.

The two-hour event took place in a large multipurpose room, with more than a dozen poster board projects lined up in a circle around the room for viewers to review.

The forum is a result of Professor Dreama Moon's Communications 454 class titled "The Communication of Whiteness," with the annual event serving as a showcase of students' final projects for the class.

UC Berkeley settles lawsuit for discriminating against conservative speakers; agrees to stop charging 'security fees'

Jonathan Stempel
WSAU.com
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 20:12 UTC

Conservative counterprotesters at UC-Berkeley

The University of California at Berkeley on Monday settled a free speech lawsuit accusing the school of discriminating against speakers with conservative views.

Under the settlement filed with the federal court in San Francisco, the university will modify its procedures for handling "major events," which typically draw hundreds of people, and agreed not to charge "security" fees for a variety of activities, including lectures and speeches.

It will also pay $70,000 to cover legal costs of the Berkeley College Republicans and the Tennessee-based Young America's Foundation, which filed the lawsuit in April 2017.

The settlement followed an April 27 decision by U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney letting the plaintiffs challenge what they called the university's "secret" or unfairly restrictive policies toward conservative speakers.

Comment: Judge rules UC Berkeley must face lawsuit alleging bias against conservative speakers

Comment: See also:

Chinese creator of first gene-edited babies now missing, reportedly under campus house arrest

Brendan Cole
Newsweek
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 13:58 UTC

© Anthony Wallace / Getty
He Jiankui at the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong, on November 28. His whereabouts are unknown since the summit took place.

Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of a Chinese scientist who claimed to have produced the world's first gene-edited babies.

He Jiankui appeared in Hong Kong last week at the second International Summit on Human Genome Editing and has not been seen since.

He was called "China's Frankenstein" after he released a video on YouTube in which he claimed that his team had modified the embryos of two sisters to switch off an HIV-related gene because their father had the virus.

The claim sparked controversy and criticism among the medical community. Scientists said implanting such an embryo was a boundary that should not be crossed until the associated risks were known and eliminated.

Comment: The University has denied reports the scientist is under house arrest but has refused to elaborate.

When is Space Weather Scary? & Top Science Updates | S0 News Nov.5.2021 [Link]

parzival

'Pfizer Shares Surge After Release Of 'Miracle' COVID Pill That Is 89% Effective At Preventing Hospitalization' [Link] * 'Take four red capsules....

parzival

.. .. RT, airplanes, 9/11 & Pelostine: [Link]

Jibrish

Let's go pfizzer! or, Rumor is these 'inexplicably timed, heavily publicized, odd' funds are an additional, off the books entitlement to them...

Jibrish

"Although there isn't a currently known asteroid that's on an impact course with the Earth,…..” They might just fix that next October.

L. Wood

Society's Child

'We never sought to enter UK base, guards talked to us' - says Russian reporter accused of 'spying'

The Great March of Return began 8 months ago, Palestinians vow to continue until the Gaza siege is lifted

'They are undesirable & they must feel it': Denmark planning to send unwanted refugees to remote island

Topsy turvy world: Britain's top cop wants public to protect police

Fraternities and sororities sue Harvard for discouraging same-sex clubs

Landmark case: Tribunal to decide if veganism a 'philosophical belief' akin to 'religion' after sacked vegan claims discrimination

Infirm woman left alone to languish in wheelchair after flight at O'Hare cancelled

End racism..but bashing white people is A-ok: California university hosts 'critical look at whiteness' forum

UC Berkeley settles lawsuit for discriminating against conservative speakers; agrees to stop charging 'security fees'

Chinese creator of first gene-edited babies now missing, reportedly under campus house arrest

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