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Thailand: First Southeast Asian country plans to legalize gay marriage


RT
Fri, 27 Oct 2023 14:12 UTC
gay pride bangkok
© AP / Sakchai LalitParticipants march in a gay pride Parade in Bangkok, Thailand, June 4, 2023.
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin says he will press for reforms on prostitution and sex changes.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will introduce a bill next week to legalize same-sex marriage, a move that would make Thailand the first country in the region to do so. Both Thavisin and his opponents have promised to expand LGBTQ rights.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Thavisin said his cabinet would debate the marriage equality bill next week. If the cabinet gives its approval, the bill will be brought before parliament in December, a spokesman for the prime minister told the Bangkok Post.

Comment: See also:

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Cloud Precipitation

Hurricane Otis: Mexico troops tackle looting in devastated Acapulco

Elizabeth Wolfe and Mary Gilbert
BBC
Fri, 27 Oct 2023 00:00 UTC
hurricane mexico
© EPAOfficials believe the damage could be estimated at billions of dollars
Some 17,000 soldiers and police have been deployed in the Mexican resort city of Acapulco, where there has been widespread looting since a powerful hurricane hit the region.

Videos show people taking food and water from shops, while others walk away with expensive electronic items and clothes from shopping centres.

Thirty-nine people are now known to have died in Hurricane Otis.

Hundreds of thousands of people remain without power and water.

Comment: Footage of the looting:



CNN reports:
Mexican National Guard personnel have been working to clear stranded vehicles, downed trees and other debris scattered in the storm, the agency said in a news release.

[..]

The Acapulco International Airport has suspended operations as it recovers from the storm, the office of Mexico's Secretary of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation said in a release. The agency shared images of large piles of debris thrown around the airport
See also: Hurricane Otis smashes into Mexico's southern coast with wind speeds of up to 165mph (270km/h) - at least 27 killed (UPDATE)

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Brick Wall

Israel destroys telecommunication infrastructure: Gaza suffers near-total information blackout


RT
Sat, 28 Oct 2023 21:43 UTC
gaza internet cut off
© NetBlocks/XGaza is cut off from the rest of the world
Humanitarian organizations and international media have lost contact with their colleagues amid intensified Israeli bombardment

Internet and cell phone services stopped working in Gaza on Friday night, after Israel "expanded" its military operation against Hamas militants in the Palestinian enclave.

The largest telecommunications provider in Gaza, Paltel, has announced "a complete severance of all communications and Internet services" due to intensified Israeli strikes.

"The intense bombing in the last hour caused the destruction of all remaining international routes linking Gaza to the outside world," the company said.

Netblocks, a company that tracks internet connectivity globally, confirmed the information blackout, calling it "the largest single disruption to internet connectivity in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict and will be perceived by many as a total or near-total internet blackout."

Comment: In response to a tremendous X campaign, Elon Musk has offered to provide Starlink connection to UN and other NGO groups. Israel reacted immediately:



Criminals do not want witnesses to their crimes.

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Toys

Europe grounds own space program by cutting cooperation with Russia

Ilya Tsukanov
Sputnik
Sat, 28 Oct 2023 21:14 UTC
space rocket europe
© AFP 2023 / Jody AMIETA picture taken on December 17, 2015 shows a Soyuz rocket blasting off from the European space centre at Kourou, French Guiana
European economies and industries have taken a beating after joining the United States in trying to suffocate the Russian economy through sanctions, with politicians and business leaders warning that the downturn could culminate in the region's deindustrialization. But turns out there's more bad news.

The European Space Agency is facing the fallout of the EU's self-imposed restrictions on cooperation with Russia in space, cornering itself into a "temporary alliance" with America's SpaceX and exposing Europe's lack of independence in this crucial technological field.

That's according to an analysis by the francophone newspaper La Nouvelle Tribune, which examined Europe's situation in the context of difficulties being faced by the ESA's Galileo global navigation satellite system project - a key technology "essential for sovereignty in geolocation," which is now "at an impasse with the boycott of Russian technologies and the unavailability of the usual launchers."


Comment: It wasn't long ago that the propaganda media were claiming that Russia was raiding the washing machines of Ukrainians for the microchips.

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Footprints

First battalion of former Ukrainian soldiers to join Russian forces - media


RT
Fri, 27 Oct 2023 16:02 UTC
tank troops
© Stanislav KrasilnikovIn the field...
The unit has undergone the necessary training and is equipped for combat, the group's commander told RIA Novosti...

Russian forces fighting on the front lines of the conflict with Kiev will soon be reinforced with a battalion consisting of former Ukrainian soldiers, RIA Novosti reported on Friday, citing the unit's commander. The members either surrendered or were captured in battle before deciding to switch sides, according to the media outlet.

Named after Bogdan Khmelnitsky - a Ukrainian historical figure who started an uprising against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 17th century and led Ukraine to join Russia - the battalion has undergone three weeks of training at a Russian base, its commander, Andrey Tishenko, said. At the end of their training, they will officially take the oath, he added.

The former Ukrainian soldiers have already been equipped for battle, Tishenko said, adding that they received their uniforms, protective gear, and weapons before the training even started. The soldiers received guidance from battle-hardened, experienced instructors, he added.
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Stop

Blinken says he asked Qatari PM to rein in Al Jazeera war coverage, per sources

Barak Ravid
Axios
Wed, 25 Oct 2023 00:00 UTC
AlJaz bldg
© Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty ImagesAl Jazeera headquarters in Doha, Qatar
U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken told a group of American Jewish community leaders on Monday that he asked the Qatari prime minister less than two weeks ago to tone down Al Jazeera's rhetoric about the war in Gaza, according to three people who attended the meeting.

Why it matters: Blinken's comments suggest the administration, which has asserted its support for the independent press globally, is concerned Al Jazeera's framing of the conflict could escalate tensions in the region.


Comment: The US is doing just fine escalating tensions without AJ.


Background: The Al Jazeera Media Network is funded by the Qatari government but maintains it operates independently. Critics have said it reflects the foreign policy position of Qatar, which has faced scrutiny over its ties to Hamas.
  • Israel has accused Al Jazeera of being "a propaganda mouthpiece" for Hamas.
  • The Al Jazeera press office did not respond to requests for comment.
  • Al Jazeera has been described by the Council on Foreign Relations as one of the Qatari government's soft power tools that allows it to have political influence in the Middle East and around the world.
  • Blinken appeared to be talking about Al Jazeera Arabic, not Al Jazeera English.
Behind the scenes: Blinken told American Jewish leaders on Monday that when he was in Doha on Oct. 13 he asked the Qatari government to change its public posture towards Hamas, three people who attended the meeting said.

Comment: Nothing is straight-forward in this horrible and deadly conflict - certainly not the requests nor demands by Tony Blinken.


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Bad Guys

Israel poised to pass Ben-Gvir bill that 'could allow' police to kill it's own citizens


New Arab
Fri, 27 Oct 2023 07:00 UTC
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, in the Knesset
© Yonatan Sindel/Flash90National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, in the Knesset, Jerusalem on September 19, 2023.
The Israeli cabinet is set to pass a law permitting police officers to shoot at protesters "obstructing roads or town entrances", according to local media.

Under the new rules, which were fast-tracked by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, law enforcement police would require approval from a senior officer before opening fire at demonstrators, the Israeli broadcaster Kan 11 said on Thursday.

It comes amid waves of anti-government protests in Israel, which has led to roads being occupied and ministers' homes surrounded, but also sparked fears that Palestinian citizens of Israel could be victims of such a policy.

Comment: Times of Israel states:
The government is slated to advance new measures that will allow police to use live fire against Israeli citizens who are blocking roads or entrances to towns during a "multi-front war," the Kan public broadcaster reports.

Police will only need approval from a senior officer before opening fire under the loosened rules, Kan says, adding that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara agreed to fast-track the legislation, which had been pushed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir earlier this year.


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Family

Pro-Palestine protests erupt around world


WION
Sat, 28 Oct 2023 14:31 UTC
WATCH: Global protests in support of Palestine after deadly Israeli bombing
Global protests in support of Palestine after deadly Israeli bombing
The Israeli military maintained an active presence in southern Israel near the border with Gaza Saturday (October 28), after widening its air and ground attacks on the Palestinian enclave.

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Bomb

Israel bombing 'everything but Hamas in Gaza' - Jackson Hinkle


RT
Fri, 27 Oct 2023 11:13 UTC
gaza bombing
© Getty Images / Mohammed Fayq; AnadoluAn aerial view of destruction as a result of Israeli attacks in Khan Yunis, Gaza
Israel's claims that it is only bombing Gaza to eliminate Hamas are "insane," political analyst Jackson Hinkle said in an interview with RT on Thursday. He argued that Israeli forces appear to be focusing on targeting the civilian population of Gaza in their ongoing campaign.

"They've bombed everything but Hamas inside of Gaza," the host of 'The Dive with Jackson Hinkle' said, accusing Israel of targeting various civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, UN and Red Crescent facilities, mosques, churches, homes, and even evacuee convoys.

The analyst suggested that this is because Israel does not want a Palestinian state, and that the true purpose of its operation in Gaza is not to defeat Hamas, but rather to force Palestinians out and take over the enclave "once and for all."
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Folder

Dozens of FBI sources gave 'criminal information' on Bidens that DOJ tried to discredit as 'foreign disinformation': Grassley

Victor Nava
New York Post
Wed, 25 Oct 2023 18:38 UTC
joe hunter biden
© APThe confidential human sources were managed by several different FBI field offices, according to Grassley.
More than 40 confidential sources provided "criminal information" related to the Biden family to the FBI — which the Justice Department tried to discredit as "foreign disinformation," according to Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley.

The confidential human sources, managed by several different FBI field offices, supplied the bureau with details of potential crimes by Hunter Biden, James Biden and Joe Biden dating back to his time as vice president, according to a letter, obtained by The Post, that was sent by the Iowa Republican to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday.

"This letter is based on years of investigation, including the provision of information, records, and allegations from multiple Justice Department whistleblowers that indicate there is - and has been - an effort among certain Justice Department and FBI officials to improperly delay and stop full and complete investigative activity into the Biden family," Grassley wrote.

Comment: See also:

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