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Released Swedish privacy activist, Ola Bini: Ecuador prison conditions are 'inhuman'


RT
Wed, 03 Jul 2019 03:18 UTC
OlaBini
© REUTERS/Daniel TapiaSwedish software developer Ola Bini reacts while leaving a provisional detention centre in Quito, Ecuador June 20, 2019.
Ola Bini, who spent over two months in an Ecuadorian jail after being arrested on the same day as his "friend" Julian Assange, has said he doesn't know why he was detained, and decried the squalid conditions in which he was kept.

Bini, a Swedish software developer and digital privacy enthusiast, told RIA Novosti that he is still being kept in the dark about the true reasons for his 79-day detention. He said that he had never been charged with any crime and was still waiting for the authorities to present any incriminating evidence.

"They have not provided any evidence of a crime. I don't know why they put me in jail, I don't know why they repeatedly violated Ecuadorian laws in order to keep me in jail," Bini said.

Speaking about the conditions during his extended pretrial detention, Bini said he was kept in an overcrowded cell and had to sleep on a concrete floor with other detainees. Some 95 prisoners were crammed into 17 cells, with each cell having only one bed, he said. The cells had no running water or heating, "which made hygiene impossible."

"The life was very hard. The worst part was not knowing when I would be free, and whether I would be free at all," he said. The programmer was released on June 20 after successfully contesting his arrest.

Comment: See also:

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Windsock

Organizers of Georgia protests to change tactics


RFE/RL
Wed, 03 Jul 2019 12:43 UTC
Tbilisi protest
© Zurab Kurtsikidze/EPA-EFE
As mass demonstrations in Georgia near the two-week mark, organizers calling for the resignation of the country's interior minister over police violence during the initial rally against Russian influence are changing their tactics to ensure that their protests do not fade away without results.

One of the organizers, Giga Makarishvili, said to RFE/RL on July 3 that from now on rallies will be held using what he called "guerrilla tactics."

Makarishvili explained that protesters will be following Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia everywhere he goes, demanding his resignation.

More than 240 people were injured when police fired rubber bullets and water cannons to turn back crowds trying to enter the parliament building on June 20. The opposition accuses Gakharia of using excessive force to break up the demonstration, and protesters have gathered nightly in front of the parliament building to demand his resignation.


Comment: See also:

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Handcuffs

Afghan asylum seeker attacks multiple people with knife in London after asking if they're English

Richard Hartley-Parkinson
Metro, UK
Wed, 03 Jul 2019 17:58 UTC
Samiulahaq Akbari
© Met PoliceSamiulahaq Akbari, 32, allegedly tried to stab people because they were English
A man was fuelled by a desire to kill English people as he attacked people at random at a branch of Tesco, a court has heard. Samiulahaq Akbari, 32, allegedly stalked the aisles of Tesco Extra in Thornton heath, south London, and targeted people. Footage shows him as he walked behind Nicholas Speight on January 8 then tapping him on the shoulder. He asked what his nationality was and when he replied that he was from the UK he swung a 10-inch knife at him, the Old Bailey was told yesterday.

Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe said that unsuspecting Mr Speight would not have known that 'events would unfold with such frightening speed.' She said: 'On that evening in January this year this defendant had set out deliberately to threaten, harm and kill members of the public by virtue of their nationality, or what Mr Akbari perceived to be their nationality - they were English.'

Mr Speight fought back and it was only 'by luck' that he escaped without a mark on him. Within 10 minutes Akbari allegedly pulled a knife on two other men, one in the Kebabish restaurant nearby and then at the Plough on the Pond pub in London Road, Croydon. He approached John Hoy as he sat at a table with three friends having food after a pool tournament. Jurors heard Akbari 'aggressively and repeatedly' asked Mr Hoy where he was from before going behind the counter, arming himself with the huge red-handled knife and lunging at him. It was only when the men fought back that Akbari fled, Ms Stonecliffe said.

Akbari then made his way to the pub where he confronted Barry Watkins, who was on his way out holding his pool cue and case. He was marched back into the pub and Akbari demanded to know their nationality. Ms Stonecliffe said: 'He and his friends replied that they were English, at which point the defendant started lunging at them with the knife.' They wedged a table between them and the knifeman, forcing Akbari to flee again. He denies attempted murder and wounding with intent.
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Heart - Black

Former Disney star says she was molested for years as a child in Hollywood, and no one did a thing about it

Sarah Taylor
The Blaze
Wed, 03 Jul 2019 17:41 UTC
bella thorne
Actress Bella Thorne, former Disney child star, says she was victimized repeatedly by sexual molestation while working in the entertainment industry as a child.

What are the details?

While promoting her latest book, The Life of a Wannabe Mogul: Mental Disarray, Thorne revealed that she suffered at the hands of pedophiles from the time that she was 6 years old until she turned 14.

In a June interview, Thorne said that everyone around her in the entertainment industry saw what was happening, but "did nothing" to stop it.

"The transition [from child actress to adult], it's definitely tough," she said. "But it is what it is. It's like anything in my life. If you read the book, you'll be like, 'Haha, transitioning from Disney to this was f***ing easy. I don't know — getting molested for f***ing from when you're 6 to you're 14 seems like way harder circumstances."

Thorne went on to explain the hardships she endured while employed by Disney, comparing them to celebrities complaining about intrusive press.

"You're being physically abused all the time," she insisted. "Seems like a much more difficult situation than f***ing having paparazzi following you since you were 12. Um, I don't know. I was still being molested when paparazzi were still f***ing following me."

Comment: That's Hollywood. Funny that Weinstein's depraved sex life is common knowledge, but seemingly no one is willing to tackle the even bigger scandal of widespread pedophilia in the industry. See also:

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Bad Guys

Hispanic pastors tour same border facility lambasted by AOC: They are 'shocked by misinformation'

Caleb Parke
Fox News
Tue, 02 Jul 2019 17:08 UTC
ocasio cortez fake photo op border facility
© GettyOcasio-Cortez stages a photo op at a border facility parking lot
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez was "full of indignation" when he saw the reports and heard from politicians about the deplorable and inhumane conditions for illegal immigrants at an El Paso County, Texas migrant detention center. But what he saw at the same facility toured by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. with a group of pastors was "drastically different."

The president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, the world's largest Hispanic Christian organization, and senior pastor of New Seasons Christian Worship Center in Sacramento shared his firsthand experience touring a migrant detention center during a press briefing Monday.

"I read the reports, saw the news clips. I just wanted to see what was actually happening in order to better enable our efforts to find a fair and a just solution to our broken immigration system," Rodriguez, who has advised President Trump and both Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush on immigration reform, noted. "To my surprise, I saw something drastically different from the stories I've been hearing in our national discourse. Even as a veteran of immigration advocacy in the U.S., I was shocked at the misinformation of the crisis at the border."

Comment: More from the Daily Caller:
A group of pastors led by the president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference is outraged over the depiction of migrant detention centers as inhumane and filthy.

And there appears to be inconsistencies in Ocasio-Cortez's story.

She also reportedly screamed at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) guard.

The pastors said the narrative being offered by some Democratic politicians is like an alternate reality.

"We found no soiled diapers, no deplorable conditions and no lack of basic necessities," Rodriguez continued, noting that he made a point about asking the CBP agents if they had cleaned up the facility in anticipation of an inspection.

"They unequivocally denied it — we were witnessing the identical conditions the attorneys saw when they toured the facility days earlier," he said.

Rather than feeling dismayed, the pastors say their faith in the motives and abilities of the CBP agents has been refreshed — especially since many of the federal workers "are Latinos, by the way."

Rodriguez left reporters with the words of one CBP agent who expressed his frustration over being demonized by politicians: "Pastor Sam, what they're saying about us is completely false. We care about these kids and have a passion for our calling."


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Ambulance

At least 14 Russian Navy servicemen have died in fire on Russian deep submersible - UPDATE


RT
Tue, 02 Jul 2019 15:40 UTC
russian navy
© Sputnik / Pavel Lvov
At least 14 Russian Navy servicemen have died after a scientific deep submersible caught fire while on a mission, Russia's Defense Ministry has said. The cause of the incident is still unknown.

A deep-water research apparatus belonging to the Russian Navy was conducting a bathymetric measurement operation in Russian territorial waters when a fire broke out on board, the ministry's statement said.

The incident claimed the lives of 14 seamen, who were suffocated by smoke. Despite this, the crew managed to extinguish the flames.

The deep submersible has since returned to the Russian Navy base in the northern city of Severomorsk. The cause of the incident is still being investigated. Russian Navy chief, Nikolay Efimov, has taken the issue under personal control.

Comment: UPDATE July 3: RT reports Putin's comments on the disaster, noting that several high ranking officers were among those killed in the fire:
In a first public statement about the fatal incident on board of a Russian deep sea research vehicle, President Vladimir Putin said that it's a "great loss," adding that 2 heroes of Russia and 7 high-ranking officers were killed.

"It is not an ordinary vessel, it is a research vessel," the president said while meeting with the Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu in the wake of the tragedy.

Putin referred to the vessel's crew as "highly qualified professionals" and called the deaths of 14 sailors a "great loss for Russia and our fleet."

He specified that two of those who died in the fire on board the research vessel were previously awarded the nation's highest honorary title - the Hero of Russia - while seven were navy officers in the rank of 'captain 1st class' (Russian equivalent to NATO OF-5/US O-6 captain rank).

Putin ordered Shoigu to personally travel to Severomorsk, where the research vessel is currently stationed, to oversee the investigation and to report to him upon return.
Meanwhile, rumors are flying as people attempt to connect Pence's abrupt cancellation of his trip to New Hampshire with the emergency security meetings in Moscow and Brussels after the submarine accident. Both the VP and WH spokesmen said there was 'no emergency callback' or 'cause for concern", adding that the change of plans was not related to Pence's or Trump's health.This hasn't helped put rumors to rest:





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USA

SOTT Focus: Jingoistic Military Fetishization is as American as Bald Eagle McNuggets

Caitlin Johnstone
caitlinjohnstone.com
Wed, 03 Jul 2019 00:01 UTC
tanks washington
"Putin's America," tweeted Anand Giridharadas, a pundit who was genetically engineered in a Monsanto laboratory to appeal to NPR listeners on every possible level.

Giridharadas used these words yesterday to caption a short video clip of two tanks being carted through the streets of DC in preparation for their appearance in a parade for Independence Day, a holiday in which Americans gather to eat hot dogs and drink Mountain Dew in celebration of the anniversary of their lateral transfer from monarchy to corporatist oligarchy.

The military hardware parade is taking place at the behest of President Bolton's social media assistant Donald Trump, and critics have been vocally decrying it as alien and un-American. Pundits like Giridharadas and Steve Silberman have been saying it's something Russia would do. The Independent said it's a spectacle you'd see in "authoritarian regimes such as North Korea, Iran and China." Adam Best and Charles Pierce both likened it to something that would be done in a "banana republic", an interesting choice of phrase for a gratuitous display of American military bravado given that term's blood-soaked origins in US corporate colonialism.
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Piggy Bank

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio wants govt. (i.e. taxpayers) to fork over for gender reassignment surgery

John Gage
The Washington Examiner
Tue, 02 Jul 2019 17:19 UTC
Bill de Blasio
© R. Umar Abbasi
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he supports the federal government paying for gender reassignment surgery under his Medicare for All plan.

"Absolutely," de Blasio said Saturday in response to CBS News asking him if he supports Medicare for All paying for gender reassignment operations. "We have to respect everyone's medical needs, and if someone needs a surgery to be whole and to live their life fully. The idea is a healthcare system that actually serves everyone to the fullest, not a healthcare system that rations and causes people to struggle to get just a little healthcare."


Comment: Ticking all the correct boxes...

More on NYC's liberal icon and his policies:

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V

Remember: The goal is always to make dissident ideas mainstream

Caitlin Johnstone
caitlinjohnstone.com
Wed, 03 Jul 2019 00:01 UTC
rally
It's amazing how many people confuse egoic masturbation for revolutionary political activism.

We talk a lot about how you can discern the real intentions of a given politician, plutocrat or official by ignoring their words and watching their behavior, but this principle can be applied equally to everyone. And if you were to ignore the words of the people you see sharing dissident ideas in revolutionary-minded circles today and watch their behavior instead, you'd come away with the impression that most of them are actually interested in drama, conflict, social climbing, accolades, and scoring points on social media.

They want dominance and approval from their tribe, in the same way our evolutionary ancestors wanted dominance and approval in theirs. It's the same primitive, hardwired impulse. The majority of the people who find themselves moving in circles that are dedicated to upheaving the status quo in some way are primarily motivated first and foremost by this impulse, no different from anyone else in any other clique.
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Blue Planet

Eastern Europe's emigration crisis

Josh Adams
Quillette
Sat, 29 Jun 2019 12:00 UTC
Latvia
Latvia
In recent years, most of the debate around the global migration of people has focused on the movement into developed countries and the political battles that ensue. Most famously, Trump has overturned the wisdom of the American political establishment by saying the unsayable on immigration. Politicians from Riga to Rome have won votes (and office) by exploiting similar anxieties. But we seldom talk about the places which, year after year, see more people leave than arrive, and the consequences of countries saying goodbye to some of their best and brightest — often for good.

Nowhere is this concern more pressing than in Eastern Europe. According to the UN, of all the countries that are expected to shrink the most in the coming decades, the top 10 are all in the eastern half of the continent, and seven of those are in the European Union. One cause for concern among many of these countries is the EU's freedom of movement, one of the four "fundamental freedoms" of goods, capital, services, and people that bind the 28. Although most press coverage of the bloc's easternmost nations has focused on the rise of anti-immigration populism, there is mounting concern about the brain drain of its most highly qualified citizens to better jobs abroad. In at least six of the EU, the people leaving have become as controversial as those arriving, with some countries now favouring emigration controls.

Comment: France and Germany have seen a significant influx of migrants, the UK's NHS is kept afloat by foreign born staff, yet these countries are seeing a deterioration in living standards, and so evidently the crisis throughout Europe that isn't simply down to demographics.

Should these foreign workers ever choose to return home, as many are want to do, should the conditions improve in their homeland, then these Western European countries could suffer a similar fate as those in the East. Clearly there are some fundamental flaws in the current structure, no society can truly benefit in the long term, and until these imbalances are addressed the potential fallout only increases: Also check out SOTT radio's:

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