10:03 pm MST
China's Goal To Judge Each Citizen By Their Social Behavior Is One Step Closer To Reality
*Bloomberg: **Beijing to Judge Every Resident Based on Behavior by End of 2020* * China capital plans ‘social credit’ system by end of 2020 * Citizens with poor scores will be ‘unable to move’ a step China’s plan to judge each of its 1.3 billion people based on their social behavior is moving a step closer to reality, with Beijing set to adopt a lifelong points program by 2021 that assigns personalized ratings for each resident. The capital city will pool data from several departments to reward and punish some 22 million citizens based on their actions and reputations by the end ...more »
Democratic DA Won’t Prosecute Avenatti, but Misdemeanor Charge Possible
[image: democratic-da-won-t-prosecute-avenatti-but-misdemeanor-charge-possible] It appears that Michael Avenatti, the porn lawyer who offers himself as a possible Democratic contender for president in 2020, will not face a felony domestic violence charge after all.
US reportedly paid $25 million for Patriarch Bartholomew to meddle in Ukraine
The moral flip of Russia and the US shows ever more clearly as anti-Christian forces within the US attack Orthodox Christianity in Ukraine. The post US reportedly paid $25 million for Patriarch Bartholomew to meddle in Ukraine appeared first on The Duran.
Iran's President Calls On Muslims To Unite Against The U.S.. Calls Israel A 'Cancerous Tumor'
*FOX News:* *Iran's leader calls on Muslims to unite against US, refers to Israel as 'cancerous tumor'* Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday called on the world's Muslims to unite against the United States, as his country grapples with another round of sanctions recently reimposed by the Trump administration. “Submitting to the West headed by America would be treason against our religion ... and against the future generations of this region,” Rouhani said at the Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, in a speech broadcast live on state television, Reuters reported. Earlier t... more »
Extremist backer of mass-murderous 20th Century totalitarian ideology become BBC regular. What larks!
Sometimes BBC banners go askew, to simply hilarious effect. For example - coming up shortly. Stay with us (as they say on the BBC News Channel) - here's self-declared communist Ash Sarkar:... ...(despite Communism killing over 100 million people over the previous century - a statistic that speaks of over one hundred million individual tragedies. It's like Ash herself had been murdered for political, class or religious reasons, or intentionally starved to death, or starved to death though policy errors or torture, not just once, or a hundred times, or a thousand times, or 100 thou... more »
Arctic Ice Keeps Coming
Despite the feverish reporting that last summer was hell, and that hot is now the “new normal,” the Arctic ice man is hard at work. In reality, Arctic ice is spreading everywhere. The image below shows how quickly Hudson Bay froze over in recent days. Baffin Bay in the center next to Greenland is […]
Brexit: May gives way over Gibraltar after Spain's 'veto' threat per The Guardian
'"After the United Kingdom leaves the union, Gibraltar will not be included in the territorial scope of the agreements to be concluded between the union and the United Kingdom," the EU will say.' More here https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/nov/24/brexit-may-gives-way-over-gibraltar-after-spains-veto-threat Is calling this treason over the top? Quisling May looks as though she's struck again. I am disgusted.
President Trump just won the War on Terror; He’s Playing 3 Level Chess while Progressives are Playing Marbles
Worst day for oil since 2015 as WTI price falls to $50 US a barrel (Source) The terrible murder of Jamal Khashoggi has a silver lining that may end up saving countless innocent lives. President Trump has used that leverage to persuade the Saudi Government to open the faucet and flood the globe with oil. … Continue reading "President Trump just won the War on Terror; He’s Playing 3 Level Chess while Progressives are Playing Marbles"
Sea Ice Extent (Global Antarctic and Arctic) – Day 327 – 2018
Originally posted on sunshine hours: South / North
Sea Ice Extent (Global Antarctic and Arctic) – Day 326 – 2018
Originally posted on sunshine hours: Arctic is within 1 STD ? South / North
Resplandy et al. Part 4: Further developments
Originally posted on Climate Etc.: By Nic Lewis There have been further interesting developments in this story Introduction The Resplandy et al. (2018) ocean heat uptake study (henceforth Resplandy18) is based on measured changes in the O2/N2 ratio (δO2/N2) and CO2 atmospheric concentration. These are combined to produce an estimate (ΔAPOObs) of changes in atmospheric…
Arctic Sea Ice Volume 22-Nov-2018
Originally posted on sunshine hours: ?
BREAKING: "But so did baboons," Harari says!
*SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2018How many among us believe this?* We returned last night from several days of competitive Shopkins. We've gained a great deal over the years from the two youngsters, ages 12 and 6, with whom we lustily competed, and of course from their parents. For today, we'll only invite you to take an early Harari Challenge. The passage in question bridges the first two pages of text in Professor Harari's widely-acclaimed best-seller, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. The passage in question takes us back several million years. It goes exactly like this: HARARI (p... more »
US using Daesh like ‘an ally’ against Assad – Lavrov (video)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Washington is using the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) “almost as an ally in fighting against the Syrian regime,” while speaking at a press conference alongside his Portuguese counterpart Augusto Santos Silva in Lisbon on Saturday. “So, the main [US] aim now is to once again to […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Houthi forces inflict heavy casualties in ranks of Saudi Coalition after ambush in Hodeidah
BEIRUT, LEBANON (5:00 P.M.) – The Houthi forces carried out another deadly ambush this week that targeted the troops of the Saudi Coalition in the Hodeidah Governorate. According to the official media wing of the Houthi forces, their troops killed and wounded several fighters from the Saudi Coalition after they detonated their improvised explosive devices […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Hundreds of Pashinyan supporters rally in Armenian capital
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Yerevan on Saturday, following the call of acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to protest. Demonstrators can be seen marching alongside Pashinyan, banging drums and chanting slogans. The protest was announced on November 21st as a way ‘to meet and talk to the people of Armenia.’ Pashinyan announced […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
[Graphic 18+] Mysterious group executes Turkish-backed rebel in Afrin
BEIRUT, LEBANON (4:20 P.M.) – A mysterious group calling themselves the “Wrath of Olives Operation Room” recently carried out the execution of a captured Turkish-backed rebel in the Afrin region of Aleppo. According to the group’s media wing, they recently captured a rebel fighter from Free Syrian Army’s Al-Sham Regiment in the town of Deir […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Israel yet to recover from ‘strategic blunder’ in Syria – Israeli media
This week, amid media reports about the Israeli Air Force training to destroy the Russian-made S-300 air defense systems recently delivered to Syria, outgoing IDF chief of Staff Gen. Gadi Eisenkot vowed that Tel Aviv would continue to counter alleged Iranian efforts to ‘gain a foothold’ in the Arab Republic. The Israeli public still isn’t […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Breaking: 10 civilians freed from Turkish-backed rebels in east Aleppo
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:45 P.M.) – Several civilians were freed from the Turkish-backed rebels in a new prisoner exchange in eastern Aleppo, today, a Syrian military source told Al-Masdar News this afternoon. According to the military source, at least ten civilians were released by the Turkish-backed rebels at the Tadef Crossing in eastern Aleppo. The source […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
US Coalition unleashes powerful attack as SDF troops prepare counter-offensive
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:30 P.M.) – The U.S. Coalition has responded to the so-called “Islamic State’s” (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) advances in rural Deir Ezzor, today, by launching several airstrikes over the terrorist group’s positions. According to activists from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the U.S. Coalition unleashed a powerful attack on Daesh’s positions in the town of […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Large Turkish Army enters northwestern Aleppo
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:20 P.M.) – A large Turkish Army convoy reportedly entered the northwestern countryside of the Aleppo Governorate on Saturday. According to a new report from opposition activists, the Turkish military sent a large convoy to the Afrin region of northwest Aleppo to resume their large-scale security operation. The report added that the Turkish […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
U.S. Soldier Killed In Afghanistan
FIILE PHOTO: A US Army soldier in the Afghanistan © Reuters / Bob Strong *Reuters:** U.S. service member killed in Afghanistan: NATO* KABUL (Reuters) - A U.S. service member was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday, the NATO-led Resolute Support mission said in a statement, bringing the U.S. combat death toll this year to eight. The identity of the service member and details about the incident will be shared at a later stage, said Debra Richardson spokesperson for the Resolute Support in Afghanistan. The Pentagon says there are about 14,000 U.S. service members in Afghanistan. The U... more »
CIA Has “Smoking Gun Phone Call” Of MbS Giving Order To “Silence” Khashoggi and Trump Dismisses It: Report
[image: khashoggi] The CIA concluded that the Saudi Crown Prince ordered the brutal torture and murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the White House is claiming it is no big deal. The post CIA Has “Smoking Gun Phone Call” Of MbS Giving Order To “Silence” Khashoggi and Trump Dismisses It: Report appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
Fact: During World War II, Churchill Went to 'War' Against the French Navy
*Warfare History Network, Michael D. Hull* *Security, Europe* [image: By Anonymous - Photos réalisées clandestinement au lendemain du sabordement de la Flotte française à Toulon - collection personnelle., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25676411] And for very good reasons. When the armistice between France and Germany was put into force on June 25, 1940, the fate of the powerful French Navy—the fourth largest in the world—was of critical importance to the British. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his government dreaded the prospect of the Frenc... more »
Source of the Soul
*Iam Saums* - Social reality is an illusion.
Thanksgiving
Anthony Zurcher fans (and this blog is where most of us congregate) will surely appreciate this very rare non-point-scoring post-Thanksgiving tweet: For those of you outside the US, today is the day after Thanksgiving, when those who aren’t working like crazy in retail are shopping, hanging out with family or watching sports. It’s a time when news stories go to die. Ah, but look at it in context. All is not what it seems: Oh Anthony, couldn't you spare us the 'Peas and Carrots' of your purely impartial BBC partisan point-scoring for just one day? Obviously not. Gobble, gobble.
Head of British Army: ‘Russia is Far Greater Threat to UK than ISIS or al-Qaeda’
*21WIRE* | Any country that serves as a deterrent to the regime-change architects will be castigated.
Thanks to China, Palladium Prices Hit Record High, Russian Producers Cash-in
*21WIRE* | Two of the biggest winners are Russia and South Africa, who produce 3/4 of world supply.
Canada's Fighter Force Is In Collapse
An RCAF CF-18A+ in Norway during Exercise Trident Juncture 2018. RCAF *Warzone/The Drive*: *Canadian Auditors Slam Surplus Aussie Hornet Buy, Describe Fighter Force In Collapse* The watchdog says that buying old jets won't make up for a worrying lack pilots and maintainers to support the jets Canada has now. Canada’s top parliamentary watchdog has released a scathing report regarding the purchase of second-hand F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets from Australia and broader plans to modernize the country’s air combat capabilities. The core complaints are that the new aircraft will still be ... more »
APEC Summit exposes deep chasm between U.S. and China (Video)
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 24. The post APEC Summit exposes deep chasm between U.S. and China (Video) appeared first on The Duran.
Sergey Lavrov warns US of dangers of military activity near Russian borders (VIDEO)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took umbrage with the US and NATO forces exercising precariously close to the Russian borders. The post Sergey Lavrov warns US of dangers of military activity near Russian borders (VIDEO) appeared first on The Duran.
Only Bernie Sanders Can Keep Ohio From Trump Again
*-by Tim Russo Listen....oooh wah oooh* Some folks know I used to have a pretty good Dem rolodex. Thus, in summer 2016 I tried in vain to raise the alarm with the highest-up Democrats I could reach, for months, that Ohio was trending heavily Trump. As a leading indicator in presidential elections my entire lifetime, Ohio trending Trump meant the entire Midwest was trending Trump, too. The response was always the same, "Ha! Eat it Bernie Bro! So what. We don't need Ohio." Now, Ohio is most definitely Trump country, just as it was Obama country the previous two presidential electi... more »
The AGENDA 2030 SMART CITY Challenge — Gov’t To Award $75 Million For Best Smart City Design
By Press For Truth Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc. owns a company called Sidewalk Labs, and they are working with the Canadian government to launch... more »
Meanwhile, in Israel...
Meanwhile, I've been glancing at the BBC News website's front page today and all day long so far (literally, as I first saw it around midnight last night), *this* has been a lead headline story for the BBC: "A year-long BBC investigation", eh? (My poor, overactive eyebrows are turning all 'Fiona Bruce' again). Given the extinction-skirting scarcity of good news stories about Israel on the BBC News website, who's surprised that the BBC would make this bad news story such a prominent piece on its news website home page? It rather reeks of malice.
Security In Iraq Nov 15-21, 2018
(Baghdad Post) Security continues to fluctuate in Iraq. In October incidents went up, but in November they have been the lowest weekly totals of the year. Despite those low numbers the Islamic State continued its recent activities of kidnappings, attacking villages, and most importantly car bombings. There were 36 incidents reported in Iraq from November 15-21. This was only the fifth time that there were 30 incidents in one week in 2018. Baghdad and Diyala had 8 incidents each to lead the country during the week. *Security Incidents In Iraq By Province Nov 15-21, 2018* Babil 1 Do... more »
This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 24
1915 Battle of Salman Pak ended British lost and withdrew to Kut Ottomans had 9500 casualties British 4500 1921 Churchill memo said when King Feisal could pay for his own govt he could decide the future of Iraq Until then UK was footing the bill (Musings On Iraq article on Churchill’s views on Mesopotamia/Iraq) 1952 Soldiers opened fire on protests against Regent of Iraq killing 18 and wounding 84 during Intifada 1967 Iraq signed deal with France ERAP to develop North Rumaila oil field 1968 7th Baath Party Congress Izzat Mustafa ousted from Revolutionary Command Council One of S... more »
Verizon Says “High-Tech” Family Kids Get Phones At 7 1/2 While Silicon Valley Parents Desperately Keep Kids Away From Screens
By B.N. Frank Technology can be very helpful when used safely. Warnings about cell phone use and exposure aren’t new – especially in regard to... more »
The Case for Leaving Syria
Douglas Macgregor at - 12 hours ago
[image: undefined] Professor Michael Howard, the eminent British historian, frequently stated , “Wars are not tactical exercises writ large… They are conflicts of societies, and they can be fully understood only if one understands the nature of the society fighting them.” The professor must have anticipated the Syrian Civil War. In Syria, the civil war that killed as many as 400,000 people is over. Moscow’s ally in Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad, is the victor. It’s true that the predominantly Sunni Arab opposition— virtually indistinguishablefrom a broad range of Sunni Islam... more »
David Horowitz and Freedom Center
“Earlier this year, MasterCard shut off our online fundraising because the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled my Freedom Center an "Islamophobic hate group," and then Discover Card came after us too. Why did MasterCard go to war against the Freedom Center? Part of the answer no doubt has to do with the invisible advance of political correctness in the corporate world which has helped create a "progressive" culture based on virtue signaling and moral preening. But there's more to it than that... The forces waging this war involve a tight network of the most powerful institutions ... more »
Global Warming is Fake News; The Proof
A half-truth is often twice the lie. How do you keep the public believing in man-made climate change? Do what every totalitarian state does, only report 1/2 the story. Deceive the public into believing a lie by only providing evidence that supports your position. Freeman Dyson on Climate Change; “Those People Don’t Look at the … Continue reading "Global Warming is Fake News; The Proof"
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS FOR WHITES
This is your semi-regular reminder that the op-ed page of *The New York Times* employs *two* insufferable columnists named Brooks who write incessantly about our national anomie and why it's never, ever the result of conservative policies. Arthur C. Brooks, like his namesake David, believes we're just lonely, and it's killing us, as well as making us kill one another: America is suffering an epidemic of loneliness. According to a recent large-scale survey from the health care provider Cigna, most Americans suffer from strong feelings of loneliness and a lack of significance in thei... more »
Arctic Sea Ice – Ten Years Past The Tipping Point
Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts – Richard Feynman Arctic sea ice extent is rapidly approaching the 1981-2000 mean. Ocean and Ice Services | Danmarks Meteorologiske Institut Ten years ago, Canada’s leading Arctic expert predicted the … Continue reading →
15 Unusual Seasonal Side Gigs for Extra Money RIGHT NOW
By Meadow Clark It’s the holiday season and a great time to put a little extra jingle in the piggy bank. Here are some side... more »
Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble
A lady who favours BBC Radio 4, for some reason One of the things I like about *The Spectator *is its range of opinion. I mean, yes, I'd probably prefer James Delingpole to do the Radio reviews each week rather than Kate Chisholm, but I like reading drippingly-pro-BBC Kate too. And whilst reading her today I came across this: I wonder what Michelle Obama, the former First Lady who remade that role in her own image, would make of Hannah’s attempts on *The Archers *to embody the 2018 version of an empowered, liberated woman? Does Obama secretly listen in to Ambridge each night? Ha... more »
Untitled
From Jenna Orkin Trump names hand-picked panel to supervise, investigate intelligence community Why Cities Are Fighting the FCC's 5G Internet Rules - CityLab Retail Investor Demand For Italian Bonds Drop To Lowest On RecordTrudeau Quietly Approves $10.5 Billion Corporate Tax Cut To Compete With TrumpOne person was killed and 2 were injured during a Black Friday shooting at an Alabama mall Two Killed After Rebels Storm Chinese Consulate In PakistanUN Environment Chief Resigns After Racking Up Huge Carbon Footprint Seventeen pupils at one British school 'in the process of changing .... more »
No good deed goes unpunished – a sequel
There is an old saying in Human Resources that simply says “no good deed goes unpunished.” This saying has been around since well before social media. But, social media has highly leveraged this phrase into over-sensitive political correctness. Mind you, … Continue reading →
Weekend reads: Meet journals’ research integrity czars; Duke set to settle big grant fraud case; what a cannabis stock’s collapse can teach investors
Before we present this week’s Weekend Reads, a question: Do you enjoy our weekly roundup? If so, we could really use your help. Would you consider a tax-deductible donation to support Weekend Reads, and our daily work? Thanks in advance. The week at Retraction Watch featured some big numbers: 26 retractions for an engineer in Italy, … Continue reading Weekend reads: Meet journals’ research integrity czars; Duke set to settle big grant fraud case; what a cannabis stock’s collapse can teach investors
Claire Perry Goes Under The Stairs
By Paul Homewood https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/smart-meters-are-the-smart-choice-now-and-in-the-future?utm_source=50dd5d37-a191-462b-87be-b662e6bf7b06&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate Claire Perry is getting ever more desperate in her defence of smart meters. Reacting to the latest critical report from the NAO. she says: Dial-up internet access, VHS and rotary phones are quite rightly consigned to history, and now we can order anything at a click of a button […]
China Watch 30, Distinction between CN people and CN communist government
The China economy and people are ok, the China communist government is not. Jack Ma and other Chinese businessmen are fine, Xi Jinping and other top officials of the China Communist Party are not. Sailing in the SCS/WPS under FONOPs is ok, controlling and “owning” that sea is not. Only a communist dictator government would say that they “own and/or control” that sea by stealing territories. And only a dictatorship-leaning PH government will be happy to kowtow to China dictatorship. When Xi Jingping visited Manila this week, Nov. 20-21, see how President Duterte behaved -- he walked ... more »
A Modest Letter
I think this is going to have to go under the "...and any other matters that take our fancy" part of the blog, as it's not BBC-bias-related. It's just a letter sent today by one Conservative MP to another Conservative MP and it made me laugh. In fact as satirical letters go, its artistry is almost on a par with C.S. Lewis's *The Screwtape Letters*: (As they say on all good blogs, click to enlarge.) Ah, I can relate it to the BBC after all, as I see that ITV News has the story of John Hayes as one of its top news stories - indeed, ITV's angle is this very letter: *Shock knighthoo... more »
China building on new reef in South China Sea, think tank says
China expands its military footprint in the South China Sea with the construction of new installations on newly created land in the Paracel Islands
On Orgasm And Female Sexuality
This article contains graphic sexual content, which I guess is pretty obvious from the title. I have written the following in broad generalities that any mature adult will be able to read with the understanding that there are obviously exceptions. When I say “women” I […]
Meet the Shotgun: The Deadliest 'Gun' of All Time?
*Warfare History Network* *Security, * Or just for short-range? We take a look. *The use of the shotgun in warfare dates back centuries. Particularly in the modern era, when small arms can achieve considerable range, the weapon fills no more than a specialist position for employment under only specific conditions. * Coming upon the enemy’s rear guard outside the western Kentucky village of Sacramento, four days after Christmas 1861, Confederate Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest ordered his cavalry to advance. Ahead of them, a line of Union soldiers started to form, bayonets gleami... more »
Meet Paket: The Russian Navy's Latest Weapon (To Hunt Submarines and Torpedoes)
*Mark Episkopos* *Security, Europe* Paket is a naval weapon consisting of an integrated central control system, a “hydroacoustic station” for sonar target detection, and a launcher equipped with anti-submarine MTT torpedoes as well as heat-seeking M-15 anti-torpedoes. Against the backdrop of escalating Russia-NATO military tensions, Russia’s Ministry of Defense has equipped yet another one of *its Steregushchiy-class corvettes* with the navy’s latest anti-submarine/anti-torpedo system in preparation for the Baltic Fleet’s November military exercise. The vessel, Boiky, is the th... more »
Meet the Russia Military's New Plane (And It Could Not Come Soon Enough)
*Mark Episkopos* *Security, Europe* And Putin seems pretty pleased. Here's why. The first production-line Il-76MD-90A military transport plane had its debut flight earlier this month, on the heels of several years of technical delays. This is the *first of 39* aircraft to be delivered to the Russian Defense Ministry as part of a $4 billion contract signed in 2012. Russian *President Vladimir Putin projected* confidence about the deal: "This is the first, essentially new plane, that Russia's aviation industry has produced in the past 21 years." President Putin said, "I am confide... more »
China's Air Force Wants to Make Sure It Can Beat America in a War: Study
*David Axe* *Security, Asia* A new study could help to cue American military planners to U.S. forces' vulnerabilities in a war with China, as well as to China's perceptions of its own weaknesses. The Chinese air force aims not just to compete with the U.S. Air Force, but to defeat it. All in pursuit of a uniquely Chinese strategy. To do so, Beijing's air arm buys technology where it can, steals or copies or it where it must and innovates new tech where there's nothing available to buy or steal. That's the conclusion of a new study by Scott Harold, an analyst for the California-...more »
Meet Russia's Alfa-Class Submarine: She Can Dive Deeper and Move Faster Than Any Other Sub
*Robert Farley* *Security, Europe* But she was noisy. *The Soviets learned a great deal from the Lyra experience, not least that the combination of a series of innovative technologies often results in an unreliable vessel. * The Soviet Union began the Cold War well behind the United States in submarine technology. Although the Soviets acquired several of the most advanced German submarine types towards the end of the war, the United States had amassed a wealth of experience in submarine and antisubmarine practice from the Pacific War and the Battle of the Atlantic. Combined wit... more »
Meet Russia's Severodvinsk-Class Submarine (the U.S. Navy's Worst Nightmare)
*Dave Majumdar* *Security, Europe* We explain why. *Though Severodvinsk—and her more modern sister ships like Kazan—are very capable submarines, Foggo had said, the U.S. Navy still retains an edge.* Russia’s second Severodvinsk-class submarine K-561 Kazan, which is a modified Project 08851 Yasen-M design, went to sea for the first time for builder’s trials on September 24. *(This first appeared several months ago.)* The massive nuclear-powered guided missile submarine (SSGN) was designed by the Malachite design bureau in St. Petersburg and was built in the northern Russian cit... more »
Study This Picture: This Could Be Japan's New Aircraft Carrier (Armed with F-35s)
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, Asia* A very real possibility. *Although F-35Bs are appealing because their lift fans would allow them to operate from the shorter civilian airfields of remote Japanese islands, the Tokyo has also studied the cost of modifying the Izumo-class carriers to accommodate up to ten of them at a time.* Meet the Izumo—the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force’s largest ship, displacing a gargantuan twenty seven thousand tons. The vessel’s lengthy, flat deck measures the length of two-and-a-half football fields at 248-meters. The Izumo typically hosts seven ... more »
Venezuela's Oil Infrastructure Is Falling Apart
*Bloomberg*: *Venezuela Is Leaking Oil Everywhere* (Bloomberg) -- From a distance, the scene is beautiful, a dark pool shimmering under the midday sun, reflecting billowing clouds. But when you close in on the dirt-packed trail leading toward a trio of storage tanks, a pungent odor makes it clear. It’s not pretty; it’s an oil spill. In this one spot in the Orinoco Belt, a region in Venezuela named for the river that flows above the world’s largest deposits of crude, so many barrels have escaped from underground pipes that a 2,150-square-foot pit around the tanks is filled to the ... more »
Senior Saudi Prince Says CIA Cannot Be Trusted. Crown Prince Salman Is Here To Stay
*Photo:* Prince Turki Al Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Wikipedia *Reuters: **Senior Saudi prince says CIA cannot be trusted on Khashoggi conclusion* ABU DHABI (Reuters) - A senior Saudi prince cast doubt upon the reported CIA finding that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul last month, saying the agency could not be counted on to reach a credible conclusion. “The CIA is not necessarily the highest standard of veracity or accuracy in assessing situations. The examples of that are multitude,” Prince Turki al-Faisal, a... more »
Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. - Andrea Germanos discusses the problems with relying on the charity of the uber-wealthy rather than stable and sustainable public revenues to meet the needs of the people with the least. - Dan Fumano reports on the City of Vancouver's call for a shift toward tenant protections and non-profit housing, while Seila Rizvic offers some ideas to alleviate housing crises by focusing on residents rather than developers. And Steve Meaghar notes that Toronto's emergency shelters are already over capacity long before the worst of winter hits, while... more »
Ten Reasons Why Governments Fail
The very nature of government administration is weighted against success. The post Ten Reasons Why Governments Fail appeared first on The Duran.
How the world will look like in 2050?
Public surveillance and social scoring as they have in China will be commonplace. The post How the world will look like in 2050? appeared first on The Duran.
CIA Has “Smoking Gun Phone Call” Of MbS Giving Order To “Silence” Khashoggi: Report
The crown prince gave an instruction to silence Khashoggi as soon as possible and this instruction was captured during CIA wiretapping. The post CIA Has “Smoking Gun Phone Call” Of MbS Giving Order To “Silence” Khashoggi: Report appeared first on The Duran.
Paul Craig Roberts: Revenge Is Mine Saith Washington
There is no legal difference whatsoever between Wikileaks publishing the documents leaked to Wikileaks, and the New York Times publishing the Pentagon Papers leaked to the New York Times. The post Paul Craig Roberts: Revenge Is Mine Saith Washington appeared first on The Duran.
House Republicans launch last minute Hail Mary to uncover Deep State crimes (Video)
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 23. The post House Republicans launch last minute Hail Mary to uncover Deep State crimes (Video) appeared first on The Duran.
BWorld 268, Market-oriented reforms in the Senate
* This is my article in BusinessWorld on November 20, 2018. *“Every family should have the right to spend their money, after tax, as they wish, and not as the government dictates. Let us extend choice, extend the will to choose and the chance to choose.”* — Margaret Thatcher, UK Prime Minister (1979-1990) Advocates of forced collectivism, health socialism in particular, will be unhappy with that advice from the Iron Lady of the United Kingdom. For them, health care, education, many other services are not personal and parental responsibility but state responsibility. So the state is ... more »
Gerard Batten v Nigel Farage
*Transcript of BBC Radio 4, ‘The World at One’, Interview with Gerard Batten, 23 November 2018, 1.34pm* *MARK MARDELL*: Gerard Batten is the leader of UKIP who made that appointment. Earlier, I spoke to him and asked him what he thought of Tommy Robinson. *GERARD BATTEN*: What do I think of him? Well, I mean, I think he's very courageous. He's very brave in what he does. He stands up for these victims of industrialised sexual abuse, and by and large, I think he does positive things. *MM*: He once said, "I'd personally send out every adult male Muslim that's come into the EU over... more »
Saturday Bonus Transcripts
Posted below are two transcripts - one prepared by my own loving hand, the other by the diligent hands of Andrew and David at News-watch. I thought it might interest you to read them, and compare and contrast them.
Nigel Farage v Justin Webb
*Transcript of BBC Radio 4, ‘Today’, Interview with Nigel Farage, 23 November 2018, 7.10am* *JUSTIN WEBB*: The news that the UKIP leader, Gerard Batten has appointed Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who uses the name Tommy Robinson as his advisor on rape gangs and prison reform is being greeted by some with a shrug – a sense that that was anyway the direction that UKIP was travelling in, but by others with either outrage, because Tommy Robinson is regarded by them as a thug, or with concern about UKIP’s ability to influence people in the mainstream of British politics. Among those who've ex... more »
Remembrance Day in London
On the 100th anniversary of the end of the 1st World War, Veterans for Peace bring together English, German, French, American and Israeli veterans at the Cenotaph under the banner "NEVER AGAIN".
Mutiny?
A couple of weeks ago, the Ford government increased the number of seats necessary for official party status in the Ontario legislature to 12 from 10. Today, the *Toronto Star* reports the reason for that move: The Progressive Conservatives fear some disgruntled MPPs are set to cross the floor to join the Liberals, the Star has learned. “There are at least two we’re concerned about,” a senior Conservative insider said, speaking like others from the Liberals and PCs on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal machinations. “We’ve been watching this closely,” the PC sourc... more »
Rousseau’s Account of General Will and Freedom
A Painting of Rousseau (1753)Rousseau’s communitarian vision of General Will can be seen as a forerunner of the Marxist vision of dictatorship of the proletariat. Both Rousseau and Marx believed that people do not subject themselves to any authority, except to the collective will of the people. For Rousseau, the collective will, is the General will; for Marx, it is the dictatorship of the proletariat. Susan Dunn offers the following definition of General Will in *The Social Contract and The First and Second Discourses: Jean-Jacques Rousseau* (Page 19): Rousseau held that a democr... more »
Seven-Year-Old Boy Invents Wolf Holiday and People Are Already Onboard
The holidays are fast approaching, but this year people aren’t just excited to celebrate Thanksgiving, Hannukkah, Kwanza, Christmas, and the New Year. This year, though, a considerable number of people online are particularly looking forward to celebrating Wolfenoot. Wolfenoot is a brand-new holiday created by a 7-year old boy in New Zealand. According to his mother, author Jax Goss, Wolfenoot is “when the Spirit of the Wolf brings and hides small gifts around the house for everyone.” As for where the idea for the new holiday came from, Goss says, with a laugh: “I asked him this. He... more »
Riots Break-Out In Paris
*Daily Mail:* *Battlefield on the Champs Elysee: Paris riot police blast water cannon and fire tear gas at thousands of demonstrators protesting Macron's fuel tax rise* * The worst violence took place in Paris where a huge crowd called for President Emmanuel Macron to resign * Demonstrators, part of grassroots movement dubbed 'yellow vests', were rallying against the fuel tax hikes * Two road deaths have been linked with protests so far, both at illegal road blocks set up by the yellow vests A water cannon and rounds of teargas were used by riot police against thousands of Fren... more »
Picture Of The Day
Photo: Protesters have donned 'yellow vests', which are required in all French cars, as symbols of their frustration. (Reuters: Benoit Tessier) *WNU Editor*: For more pictures on today's riots in Paris .... *'Gilets jaunes' protest against Macron policies in Paris and across France – in pictures* (The Guardian).
Two Syrian Army soldiers killed in west Daraa ambush
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:20 P.M.) – Two Syrian Arab Army (SAA) soldiers were killed on Saturday after unknown assailants opened fire on their military post in west Daraa. According to a military report from Daraa, the unknown assailants ambushed the two soldiers at their military post near the large town of Jassim. No group has claimed […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Jihadist group admits losing 700 fighters during east Idlib battle (video)
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:10 P.M.) – The jihadist group “Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham” admitted in a new video that they lost hundreds of soldiers during the east Idlib battle against the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). According to the jihadist group, they lost 700 fighters, half of which were foreigners, during the three-month long battle against the Syrian […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Breaking: Daesh captures new town in southeast Deir Ezzor
BEIRUT, LEBANON (3:00 P.M.) – The so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS/ISIL/IS/Daesh) launched a big assault in the southeastern countryside of the Deir Ezzor Governorate, today, after failing to advance on Friday. According to local reports from Deir Ezzor, Daesh was able to overwhelm the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) at the town of Al-Bahra this afternoon. […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Russia accuses US of allying with Daesh to push regime change in Syria
The United States is using Daesh as a pretext for continuing its illegal presence in Syria, and regards the terrorist group almost like an ally for carrying out regime change in the Arab Republic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday. “The US State Department has declared that Daesh has not been completely defeated, and that the main condition for its defeat is […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
US demands Lebanon halt political concessions to Hezbollah
BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:10 P.M.) – The U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Levant Joel Rayburn stated recently that Lebanon must halt all political concessions to Hezbollah, the Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Saturday. Rayburn warned that future military aid to Lebanon is contingent on the Lebanese government’s obstruction of anymore political gains to Hezbollah. “The U.S. […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Russian and Indian armed forces hold joint drills in Uttar Pradesh (video)
BEIRUT, LEBANON (2:00 P.M.) – Russian and Indian armed forces carried out joint drills dubbed ‘Indra-2018’ in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, footage released by Russian Ministry of Defense on Saturday shows. Footage shows various drills, including the storming of a building supposedly captured by terrorists. As well as soldiers working in collaboration with armoured […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Turkey upset US military is blocking their expansion in northern Syria
BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:40 P.M.) – The Turkish regime has conveyed their agitation to Washington over their new plan to setup observation posts in northern Syria. “We have expressed our discomfort to our US military and civilian counterparts,” Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar told state-owned Anadolu Agency on Saturday. According to Turkish Defense Minister, the U.S.’ […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Rouhani calls Israel ‘cancerous tumour’ at Islamic Unity Conference (video)
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called Israel a “cancerous tumour” and a “fabricated regime” created by Western powers while speaking at a conference of Islamic scholars in Tehran on Saturday. “One of the ominous effects of World War Two was creating the cancerous tumour [Israel] in this region,” Rouhani said. In his speech, the President also […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Opposition groups used Dutch aid in fight against Syrian Army – report
BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:20 P.M.) – The aid provided to the Syrian opposition groups by the Dutch government were mostly used by militant groups, a joint investigation by the Dutch Television and Radio Broadcasting Corporation (NOS) and the newspaper Trouw revealed, as reported by Russia’s Sputnik News Agency. According to the findings from the investigation, “almost […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Syrian Army foils militant infiltration attempt in northern Hama
BEIRUT, LEBANON (1:00 P.M.) – For the fourth time this week, the Islamist rebels attempted to sneak past the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) lines near the Idlib buffer zone and attack the government troops in the northern countryside of Hama. According to a military report from Hama, the militants of Jaysh Al-‘Izza attempted to bypass […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
Broadly landing in the right place
This week's Saturday transcript also comes from the BBC's *Newswatch* and introduces us to a thrilling new variant on the time-honoured BBC editors' catchphrase "I think we got it about right". (Even Brucie never wore out a catchphrase so much). Paul Royall, editor of the BBC's* News at Six* and *News at Ten*, here rejects all criticism in the usual BBC way but then, just before the end, concedes "Occasionally, we're not perfect". (Given that he'd previously been pretty much saying they* are* perfect, that's quite something!) And then comes the fresh variant on the BBC editors'... more »
US Leads, But No One Follows
*Lost in the Memory Palace:US Leads, But No One Follows* By Patrick Lawrence Special to Consortium News You would hardly know it from reading the U.S. press, but a summit of considerable significance took place late last month. German, French, Russian, and Turkish leaders convened in Istanbul Oct. 27 to create a comprehensive plan to end the seven-year war in Syria. On the agenda: increase humanitarian aid, rebuild ruined towns and cities, assist returning refugees, draft a new constitution and arrange internationally supervised elections. All this will take time, but the Syria s... more »
China's Attack Helicopters Are Preparing for Urban Warfare
*Michael Peck* *Security, Asia* [image: Wikimedia Commons] But the question is why? China’s attack helicopter pilots have had a revelation: flying choppers in cities is difficult. But Chinese pilots are training for urban warfare, which suggests that the People's Liberation Army is reorienting itself toward a different kind of warfare. “While China’s attack helicopter forces were first developed in the 1970s to help counter tanks in an anticipated Soviet invasion from the north, with the shifting of strategic priorities—and growth of China’s cities—knowledge of urban environmen... more »
The Terrifying Story of Hitler’s Stolen Children
*Warfare History Network, Brent Douglas Dyck* *Security, Europe* [image: By Unknown - Józef Fajkowski: Wieś w ogniu. Eksterminacja wsi polskiej w okresie okupacji hitlerowskiej. Warszawa: Ludowa Spółdzielnia Wydawnicza, 1972, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32625355] The Nazi regime kidnapped hundreds of Polish children to raise them as sons and daughters of the Third Reich. In the summer of 1943, Malgorzata Twardecki, a single mother living in Nazi-occupied Poland, received an ominous order to bring her five-year-old son to the local town council ... more »
Kicking Off Ohio Day At DownWith Tyranny
In the mad dash into Thanksgiving on Wednesday, I hope you had a chance to read There Was A Red Wave-- In Ohio because the topic is going to be hashed over *ad nauseam* between now and November 2020, or, if Trump takes the Buckeye State again, forever. Next post up today is a look from inside by Tim Russo. First I just want to make few comments on *John* Russo's piece from yesterday in the *American Prospect*, Ohio: Another Brick In The Red Wall? First a note: Tim Russo understands who and what Sherrod Brown is; John Russo's understanding of Sherrod is... well, generously, about a ... more »
A satisfied customer
Now, of course, Samira's *Newswatch *does occasionally feature some praise for the BBC, including one this week concerning the famous Chris Morris and his 'Reality Check'. *Jenny Budden*: Having Chris Morris' Reality Check this morning was a godsend. I hope as the process goes on, *especially if there is a second referendum*, that the BBC keeps doing this, so we are all informed of the facts. Thank you. I think I know where she's coming from, and why she might well approve of Chris Morris' Reality Check!
Andrew didn't intend anything more
Continuing with *Newswatch*... And Andrew Marr got it in the neck for his "Don't try and patronise me" outburst at Shami Chakrabarti on last Sunday's *Andrew Marr* show. Apparently "many" people had objected to his behaviour. Including Patrick Edwards: I think she was going to go on to explain that as a democrat she accepted the will of the people and would therefore support Britain leaving the EU. Before she could say all of this, Andrew Marr interrupted her saying, "don't patronise me, I'm as much of a democrat as you are". He said it in such an aggressive tone, I was shocked.... more »
Ruddy Hooligans!
Norman, looking hard Credit to Samira's *Newswatch* this week for featuring a couple of complaints about hardline BBC labeller Norman Smith. The background was that *Newsnight*'s Nick Watt had asked Jacob Rees-Mogg about the ERG-led attempt on Mrs May's premiership, "Doesn't it has more of the Dad's Army feel about it?", and Mr Rees-Mogg had replied in his deadpan way, "I always admired Captain Mainwaring". On Thursday's *News at One*, however, Norman Smith said: Hope will be, no it's not going to win over the hard-Brexiteers, the Dad's Army Brigade, but there may be enough in t... more »
100% renewable deception
There are a number of studies that seem to say that 100% renewables is feasible without filling the world with batteries. How do they do that? It turns out that there are several common tricks. The post 100% renewable deception appeared first on CFACT.
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