Aletho News

Shots for Tots Rollout Flops in NYC

By Susan C. Olmstead | The Defender | June 24, 2022

The response to the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines for babies and young children has been tepid, said political commentator Kim Iversen of The Hill’s “Rising” on Thursday.

A push to vaccinate children 6 months to 5 years old began early this week, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 17 granted Emergency Use Authorization for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in children 6 months through 17 years, and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in children 6 months through 4 years.

In a June 17 news release, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Califf said, “Many parents, caregivers and clinicians have been waiting for a vaccine for younger children and this action will help protect those down to 6 months of age.”

But maybe not, said Iversen.

“There’s a problem,” Iversen said. “Parents don’t seem to want it. News outlets across the country have been reporting about low turnout and empty centers.”

While this might be expected in certain parts of the country, such as red states and especially Florida — where Gov. Ron DeSantis did not order any shots for this age group — “this was even happening in New York City at a high-profile center set up in Times Square,” Iversen said:

“The city’s health commissioner came out with cameras, hoping to greet long lines of relieved, grateful parents but instead saw the opposite: no lines and empty chairs.”

“Turns out parents are not convinced their tots need the shots after all.”

New York City ordered 20,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for children, according to Gothamist, and expected more batches to come. The outlet reported those parents who brought their children to city vaccine centers on Wednesday were grateful, but that turnout was low. … Full article

Vaccine Certification – A trojan horse for digital ID?

Health Advisory & Recovery Team | June 25, 2022

We (still) have grave concerns regarding the proposal of any sort of vaccine certification as a ‘way out’ of repeated lockdowns, or as a condition of foreign travel.

Dr Malcolm Kendrick’s March 2021 compelling summary of the case against vaccine certification requires no correction or further elucidation.

Unfortunately, events subsequent to publication have been highly irregular and have only served to heighten our grave concerns. HART has documented some of the developments over the course of the last 12 months… continue

Birx Had a Tough Day in Congress

“Hope” is no basis for health mandates or treatment policy

by el gato malo – bad cattitude – june 24, 2022

leaders do not, mostly, lead. they follow the public mood. and as that mood is shifting, it’s becoming OK to ask the pointy questions and start getting to the bottom of things.

debbie had a tough outing here and gets pinned on a simple and vital issue:

when public health officials and agencies stridently told america that the covid vaccines would be a “dead end for the virus” and stop infection and spread, upon what did they base that claim and how did they get it so wrong?

once jordan gets a hold of her, this is like a tuna filled piñata in a tiger cage. … continue

EU Commissioner Claims Bloc NEVER Pushed People to Get COVID Vaccine

Save Britain | June 23, 2022

On Tuesday, a senior EU official shocked observers when she asserted that the bloc had never required its citizens to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in order for them to have access to public services and that claims to the contrary had primarily been made by what she called “anti-vaccine activists.”

It happens as the EU gets ready to update its transnational COVID-19 passport system – a tool that allows EU member states to lock down their own people and shows whether or not a bearer is vaccinated and/or boostered.

Vra Jourová, the EU’s commissioner for “Values and Transparency,” asserted during a meeting of the bloc’s Special Committee on COVID-19 Pandemic that the organisation had never even considered pressuring people to get vaccines, despite the planned renewal of the EU’s COVID passes and the bloc’s prior public interest in implementing a union-wide regime of mandatory vaccination. … continue

EU Renews Digital Covid Pass Despite 99% Negative Public Feedback

BY ROBERT KOGON | BROWNSTONE INSTITUTE | JUNE 24, 2022

Acting on a proposal of the European Commission, the European Parliament, as expected, voted yesterday to renew the EU Digital Covid Certificate for another year. The vote was 453 for, 119 against and 19 abstentions.

The certificate regulation had been scheduled to expire on June 30. Earlier this month, a delegation from the parliament had already reached a “political agreement” with the Commission on renewing the certificate, thus making yesterday’s vote virtually a foregone conclusion.

The certificate regulation was originally adopted in June of last year, ostensibly to facilitate “safe travel” between EU member states. But the EU digital certificate quickly evolved into the model and sometimes infrastructure for the domestic “health” or Covid passes that would serve to restrict access to many other areas of social life over the following year.

The EU has opted to extend the covid certificate despite the overwhelmingly negative results of a public consultation on the subject that was launched by the European Commission under the heading of “Have Your Say” and that was open to the public from February 3 to April 8. The consultation elicited over 385,000 responses – almost all of which appear to be opposed to renewal! … continue

Natural immunity is not – and never was – just a right-wing conspiracy theory

A plea to return to sane medical theses

Health Advisory & Recovery Team | June 25, 2022

There was never any reason to expect that “natural immunity” – the protection acquired through infection to SARS-COV-2 – should not be similar to that acquired for other respiratory viruses humankind has come into contact with – robust, flexible and durable. Were it not, our species would have been wiped out many millennia ago.

The suppression of the concept of natural immunity has all the hallmarks of a co-ordinated misinformation campaign. It is difficult to tell exactly who the initiators of this were, although it is to be noted that the main beneficiaries have been governments (in pursuance of their political objective of claiming that lockdowns were necessary and could only be ceased after a vaccination campaign which they delivered), and the vaccine manufacturers. If the reasonable default assumption of natural immunity had been acknowledged from the outset, the entire panoply of restrictions, mask-wearing, coercive mandates and other measures would have likely met with unstoppable resistance.

The two studies recently published and which further support the strength and durability of natural immunity are only the latest of many others published over the past two years, although these most recent papers represent the largest population-based analyses of the topic to date. … continue

Free Speech on Campus in Britain and America

BY NOAH CARL | THE DAILY SCEPTIC | JUNE 25, 2022

The Higher Education Policy Institute has just published a survey of British students’ attitudes to free speech. It’s basically a repeat of the survey they published back in 2016, which allows us to look at trends over time. Unfortunately, as Toby has already noted, they’re not pretty: students have become less supportive of free speech over the last six years. … continue

China says only those with a qualification can post online about topics such as health and law

By Will Henney | Reclaim The Net | June 25, 2022

In a joint press release, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the State Administration of Radio and Television has said that qualifications will be required for posting online content that requires a “higher professional level” such as medicine or law.

Citizens who want to comment online about health or legal matters, for example, will need to have an appropriate qualification and will even be required to submit their qualifications to the streaming platform they use. The platform should then review the qualifications.

From the South China Morning Post :

“The 18-point guideline, published by the National Radio and Television Administration and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Wednesday, requires influencers to have relevant qualifications to discuss some topics, such as law, finance, medicine and education, although authorities did not specify the qualifications needed.”

Full article

Everybody’s Guilty: To the Police State, We’re All Criminals Until We Prove Otherwise

By John W. Whitehead | The Rutherford Institute | June 23, 2022

The burden of proof has been reversed.

No longer are we presumed innocent. Now we’re presumed guilty unless we can prove our innocence beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Rarely, are we even given the opportunity to do so.

Although the Constitution requires the government to provide solid proof of criminal activity before it can deprive a citizen of life or liberty, the government has turned that fundamental assurance of due process on its head.

Each and every one of us is now seen as a potential suspect, terrorist and lawbreaker in the eyes of the government.

Consider all the ways in which “we the people” are now treated as criminals, found guilty of violating the police state’s abundance of laws, and preemptively stripped of basic due process rights. … continue

Is “Roe v. Wade” REALLY about abortion?

By Kit Knightly | OffGuardian | June 24, 2022

A few hours ago the Supreme Court of United States (SCOTUS) confirmed their ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the case which set the precedent for abortion as a human right in the US back in the 1970s.

As soon as this decision was first “leaked” a few months ago it became the trending topic all across the US and to a certain extent the rest of the anglosphere. Since it was confirmed this afternoon, the already supercharged dialogue has reached new heights.

Pro-choice pundits, politicians and celebrities have been flooding the cyber public square with comparisons to the Handmaid’s Tale and other forced memes. They argue abortion-on-demand is a fundamental right, and take up the rather unsettling position that having an abortion is a point of pride.

On the other side of the divide Christians, traditionalists and republican politicians argue for the sanctity of all life, regardless of context or complication.

Both sides are entrenched to the point of hysteria, and not really looking like budging.

As with most things, the reasonable ground is somewhere in the middle. … continue

Ukraine won’t pursue NATO membership – Zelensky adviser

Samizdat | June 25, 2022

Ukraine has accepted that NATO membership is off the table, and will not take any further steps toward joining the US-led military alliance, Igor Zhovkva, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, told the Financial Times on Saturday. Nevertheless, Kiev wants a say in NATO’s policies.

NATO leaders are set to meet in the Spanish capital of Madrid next week, and during two days of meetings and consultations, the alliance will unveil its Strategic Concept – a document that outlines the alliance’s mission and stance toward non-members, including China and Russia.

Zhovkva told the Financial Times that Zelensky’s government wants the alliance to acknowledge that Ukraine is “a cornerstone of European security,” and to reaffirm its partnership with Kiev, first established in 1997.

However, he said that Ukraine will not push to become a member of NATO.

“Nato members have declined our aspirations. We will not do anything else in this regard,” he said. … continue

Strategic city in Donbass ‘freed’ – Russia, France 24

Samizdat – June 25, 2022

The major city of Severodonetsk has come under the full control of the Lugansk People’s Republic, Russian military spokesman, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, said in a statement on Saturday.

He said the LPR cities of Severodonetsk and Borovskoye, along with the settlements of Voronovo and Sirotino, had been “completely liberated” following “successful offensive operations” by republic’s forces, which were supported by Russian troops.

Today’s announcement means “the entire left-bank territory of the Seversky Donets river within the borders of the Lugansk People’s Republic has come under its full control,” the spokesperson added.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Severodonetsk “an epicenter of the confrontation in the Donbass.”

“In many ways, the fate of our Donbass is being decided there,” he claimed.

On Friday, Sergey Gaidai, whom Ukraine considers to be the head of Lugansk Region, announced that the country’s troops had been ordered to leave Severodonetsk. Earlier, he said that 90% of the city had been destroyed.

With the war in Ukraine passing the four-month mark on Friday, Russian forces continue to seize territory in Donbass. … France 24 video report

Betrayal by French Left Coalition Over EU Health Pass Extension

Europe Reloaded | June 25, 2022

The EU health pass had been agreed to be kept in place for one more year, until June 2023, but this past Thursday it was put to a vote in the EU Parliament. The fact that it passed by a majority wasn’t a surprise given the craziness we’ve seen by our elected representatives over the past 2 years. However, what was of interest is how your local representative in the EU Parliament (MEP) voted, especially if they’re saying one thing to the public at home and doing another in Brussels.

In France, for the recent national legislative elections, a new far-left coalition called NUPES under high-ranking freemason Jean-Luc Melenchon had been formed. As we reported, Melenchon’s coalition took a slice of votes from Macron’s party, leaving it without a majority. Of crucial interest to French people: where do his party members stand on this issue of the freedom-destroying health pass, as it will likely be re-introduced by Macron’s crowd. Are they in support of it or not?

What has transpired is that a prominent MEP of Melenchon’s party, Manon Aubrey, voted FOR the EU health pass to be extended for one more year. Then, she claimed to have made a mistake in the voting, having chosen the wrong buzzer to vote with. Nobody’s buying it. This type of excuse, however, has long been made by Melenchon himself (a mere 266 times, it appears) to be able to say one thing and do another. In fact, the whole NUPES segment to which Aubrey belongs voted for the health pass extension, as MEP Virginie Joron makes clear below. … continue

French Politician Slams Ukraine for Abandoning Howitzers to Russian Forces

Samizdat – 25.06.2022

French politician and far-right National Rally candidate for the 2022 general election, Jean-Michel Cadenas, has criticized the Ukrainian military for abandoning two Paris-originated Caesar self-propelled howitzers on the battlefield. Cadenas also blasted French President Emmanuel Macron for sending them in the first place.

“Russia has recovered, among other things, two of the first six Caesar howitzers sent by France [to Ukraine]! They were in perfect working order. The Ukrainians withdrew [from their positions] so quickly that they did not have time to either destroy or booby-trap them!” Cadenas wrote on his Twitter account.

The politician went on to recall that following their capture, the howitzers were sent to a Russian defense lab. Cadenas, who is a former army officer himself, alleged that the weapons will be “dissected, studied, copied and improved” by Russia, adding sarcastically, “Thank you, Macron!” … continue

US pushes military pact with Nepal, puts Himalayan peace at stake for geopolitical ambition

By Hu Yuwei | Global Times | June 20, 2022

After pushing Nepal to approve the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) economic pact, the US may have also urged the Himalayan country to join its military alliance, the State Partnership Program (SPP), widely believed to be another component of the US’ Indo-Pacific Strategy.

Observers from both Nepal and China warned against the program’s heavy military focus on the containment of China in the region.

Nepalese media reported that the US renewed a push last week on Nepal to participate in the SPP during the visit of Commanding General of the US Army Pacific, Charles Flynn, to Nepal. Flynn called for the signing of the SPP when he met with Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Chief of Staff of the Nepal Army General Prabhu Ram Sharma.

The disclosed six-page draft US proposal triggered a debate and faced backlash in Nepal for the possible US military presence in Nepal, which, many warned, contradicts Nepal’s non-aligned foreign policy.

The SPP, once approved, would draw Nepal one step closer to the US’ military alliance, despite Washington’s denial and calling it a development assistance, said experts. … continue

African leaders shun Zelensky

Samizdat | June 25, 2022

Just a handful of African heads of state tuned in to personally listen to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he accused Russia of holding their continent “hostage,” amid ongoing Western attempts to pin the blame for the global food crisis solely on Moscow.

Few details emerged from Zelensky’s virtual meeting with the African Union, held behind closed doors on Monday, more than two months after the Ukrainian leader first tried to arrange a conference with the continent’s leaders. Out of 55 nations only four were represented by heads of state, while the rest sent subordinates, according to the BBC. However, Le Journal de l’Afrique claimed only a handful of ambassadors and ministers were actually present.

“They are trying to use you and the suffering of the people to put pressure on the democracies that have imposed sanctions on Russia,” Zelensky told the African Union representatives, adding that “Africa is actually a hostage… of those who unleashed war against our state.”

Following the conference call, the President of Senegal and AU Chairperson, Macky Sall, indicated that Africa’s position of neutrality over the conflict remains unchanged. Roughly half of African states refused to support the UN General Assembly’s resolution to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine, and no country on the continent has so far joined the sanctions. … continue

Kaliningrad Provocation & Ukraine’s EU Candidacy… Desperate Diversions From NATO Propaganda Lies

Strategic Culture Foundation | June 24, 2022

The Western propaganda narrative on the conflict in Ukraine is in big trouble. Months of lying by governments and dutiful news media are falling apart as Russia makes major advances to safeguard the Russian-speaking populations in Crimea and Donbass, the formerly eastern Ukrainian region, and to neutralize Nazi military forces under the control of the Kiev regime and backed to the hilt by NATO.

Recall how only a few weeks ago Russia was being pilloried in Western media for making a “strategic blunder” from its military intervention in Ukraine that began on February 24. Western leaders were gung-ho in predicting military defeat for Moscow. After four months of conflict not only are Russian forces decimating NATO-backed Ukrainian flanks, the wider repercussions that the Western powers could have avoided if they had engaged diplomatically with Russia to resolve long-held security concerns are rebounding with devastating economic impact. The U.S.-led NATO and European Union axis is digging a giant hole for itself. If not a grave. … continue

Ottawa announces police checkpoints for Canada Day

TCS WIRE | June 24, 2022

The City of Ottawa has announced several restrictions for Canada Day, including a motor vehicle control zone with police checkpoints to ban protesters’ vehicles.

“Getting around downtown on Canada Day will be more complicated than usual this year,” a City of Ottawa news release reads.

Unsurprisingly, the motor vehicle control zone only applies to roads leading to or surrounding Parliament Hill — an apparent attempt by City officials to prevent another Freedom Convoy incident, even if they don’t state so outright.

As per the news release, the motor vehicle control zone will be in place from June 29 to July 4 and will affect travel within the city in several ways.

Firstly, all vehicles belonging to people taking part in any form of demonstration, event, protest, or rally are outright banned from going near Parliament Hill, while local and business traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit will be permitted to move through the control zone freely.

Moreover, those who do not comply with the protester vehicle ban will face ticketing, and “barricades, heavy equipment, or police officers and vehicles will be at various access points surrounding the control zone, to filter lawful traffic onto those streets.” … continue

French Elections, Round 2: What Actually Happened?

Resisting the Intellectual Illiteratti | June 24, 2022

As has been reported abundantly by the French and international media, Sunday’s results — with Macron’s party and coalition losing its absolute majority — were indeed momentous and have the potential to restore a balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of government. (The French courts, as I’ve mentioned before, are almost a lost cause when it comes to performing the duties of judicial review, and in my view there is no point in including the judiciary in the French checks and balances model anymore). … continue

“Polio Outbreak” – The WHO, Bill Gates, emergency vaccines & more of the same

By Kit Knightly | OffGuardian | June 24, 2022

Polio is on the front pages of British newspapers again for the first time in decades. What a time to be alive.

For those who missed it, two days ago the UK government declared a “national incident” after traces of the polio virus were detected in sewage from North London.

Yes, a “national incident”… for traces… found in sewage.

This is a massive escalation, even compared to the pandemic. Covid and Monkeypox at least had the good taste to wait for a single person to actually have the disease (allegedly) before hitting the big red panic button. … continue

ACIP discussed Moneypox drugs and vaccines at yesterday’s meeting and were lied to about both by CDC

By Meryl Nass, MD | June 24, 2022

Here’s the truth about 3 drugs that might be used for money pox. … continue

First a trickle, then a flood: the vaccine adverse events dam is breaking

That which was recently unspeakable is fast becoming common conversation

by el gato malo – bad cattitude – june 23, 2022

… for every 6.4 people moderna kept out of hospital for covid, it inflicted 15.1 serious Adverse Events.

for every 2.3 people pfizer kept out of hospital, it inflicted 10.1 serious AEs.

moderna’s ratio is terrible.

pfizer’s is tragic.

these vaccines fail massively on the most rudimentary harm-benefit analysis, and harms here look significantly suppressed and the placebo arms look salted with extras to make divergence appear less. there are lots of signs of pfraud in the trials. … Read full article

Twitter bans epidemiologist Dr. Andrew Bostom who linked to vaccine-sperm study

By Cindy Harper | Reclaim The Net | June 23, 2022

Dr. Andrew Bostom, an epidemiologist who had over 47,000 followers and who was a significant dissenting figure during the coronavirus pandemic, has been permanently banned from Twitter after posting a peer-reviewed study on Covid vaccination effects.

According to a screenshot posted by free-market policy analyst and political organizer Phil Kerpen, Dr. Bostom was locked out for linking to an Israeli study titled “COVID-19 vaccination BNT162b2 temporarily impairs semen concentration and total motile count among semen donors.”

Dr. Bostom was banned shortly after.

Dr. Bostom made several appearances in the media and qualified as an expert witness in epidemiology in a lawsuit filed by parents against an executive order in Rhode Island requiring children to wear masks in schools.

According to the plaintiffs, Gov. Dan McKee did not have the authority to impose a mask mandate for children. They also asserted that masks affect the physical and psychological well-being of kids, arguing that masks lead to social isolation that then leads to depression. Some experts have argued that not seeing the facial expressions of peers can cause depression in children.

@diedsuddenly Dies Suddenly

By Andrew Anglin | Daily Stormer | June 24, 2022

Twitter’s @diedsuddenly has suddenly died. Without warning, I woke up and it was dead for no reason.

All this account was doing was reposting news articles about people who have suddenly died for no reason. As far as I saw, he was not even saying “the vaccine” at all, he was just documenting this developing issue of “Sudden Adult Death Syndrome” (SADS). The phenomenon is also called “Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome,” as it relates to a cardiac event. The word “arrhythmia” means what it sounds like – lacking in a rhythm, and is typically used in connection to cardiac phenomena involving an irregular heart beat. I don’t think the term is appropriate, as we are usually talking about cardiac arrest or a heart attack in someone without any form of heart disease. A better name would be “Spontaneous Unexplained Deadly Heart Failure Syndrome” (SUDHFDS), but Sudden Adult Death Syndrome is fine. They seem to be using “Arrhythmic” interchangeably with “Adult” for the purposes of confusing the issue, but it does show that these deaths are believed to be related to heart failure.

It’s not a conspiracy theory or tabloid hysteria that SADS is happening. The fact-checkers themselves are admitting it is happening at an increasing rate and simply claiming without evidence that it is not related to the vaccine. Snopes’ argument was simply that young people have been recorded as having had spontaneous unexplained heart failure before the vaccine was distributed, so it can’t be the vaccine.

Snopes does not address the massive increase in these deaths. We are talking about many orders of magnitude. … continue

Twitter hires ‘alarming number’ of ex-spies – investigation

Samizdat | June 24, 2022

Twitter is hiring “an alarming number” of ex-FBI agents and other former “feds and spies,” independent outlet MintPress News is reporting, after conducting an analysis of employment and recruitment websites.

According to the research, in recent years the company employed “dozens of individuals from the national security state to work in the fields of security, trust, safety and content.”

“Chief amongst these is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI is generally known as a domestic security and intelligence force. However, it has recently expanded its remit into cyberspace,” MintPress wrote.

It provides several examples of such appointments. FBI veteran Karen Walsh who, according to her Twitter profile, served as a special agent for 21 years, has become a director of corporate resilience at the Silicon Valley-based company. Mark Jaroszewski, Twitter director of corporate security and risk, joined the Twitter team after 20+ years at the FBI.

Central Intelligence Agency and NATO think-tank Atlantic Council have also been named by MintPress as key incubators of personnel for Twitter. … continue

BRITISH “WATCHDOG” JOURNALISTS UNMASKED AS LAP DOGS FOR THE SECURITY STATE

By Jonathan Cook | MintPress News | June 21, 2022

Events of the past few days suggest British journalism – the so-called Fourth Estate – is not what it purports to be: a watchdog monitoring the centers of state power. It is quite the opposite.

The pretensions of the establishment media took a severe battering this month as the defamation trial of Guardian columnist Carole Cadwalladr reached its conclusion and the hacked emails of Paul Mason, a long-time stalwart of the BBC, Channel 4 and the Guardian, were published online.

Both of these celebrated journalists have found themselves outed as recruits – in their differing ways – to a covert information war being waged by Western intelligence agencies.

Had they been honest about it, that collusion might not matter so much. After all, few journalists are as neutral or as dispassionate as the profession likes to pretend. But as have many of their colleagues, Cadwalladr and Mason have broken what should be a core principle of journalism: transparency.

The role of serious journalists is to bring matters of import into the public space for debate and scrutiny. Journalists thinking critically aspire to hold those who wield power – primarily state agencies – to account on the principle that, without scrutiny, power quickly corrupts.

The purpose of real journalism – as opposed to the gossip, entertainment and national-security stenography that usually passes for journalism – is to hit up, not down.

And yet, each of these journalists, we now know, was actively colluding, or seeking to collude, with state actors who prefer to operate in the shadows, out of sight. Both journalists were coopted to advance the aims of the intelligence services.

And worse, each of them either sought to become a conduit for, or actively assist in, covert smear campaigns run by Western intelligence services against other journalists.

What they were doing – along with so many other establishment journalists – is the very antithesis of journalism. They were helping to conceal the operation of power to make it harder to scrutinize. And not only that. In the process, they were trying to weaken already marginalized journalists fighting to hold state power to account. … continue

NYT complains that Big Tech may censor less “election misinformation” during the 2022 midterms

By Tom Parker | Reclaim The Net | June 23, 2022

The New York Times isn’t happy that Meta and Twitter may be scaling back their censorship of “election misinformation” during the 2022 US midterm elections.

Before the 2020 US presidential election, Big Tech platforms deployed unprecedented levels of censorship by censoring then-President Donald Trump numerous times, banning popular pro-Trump groups, and more. Post-election, this mass censorship continued with President Trump being permanently banned by all the major tech platforms, discussions of “widespread fraud or errors” changing the 2020 US presidential election outcome being banned, free speech platform Parler (which many users had flocked to in an attempt to escape Big Tech’s censorship) being deplatformed by the tech giants, and more.

The mainstream media and Big Tech used the vague, subjective term “election misinformation” to justify this silencing of a sitting US President and the mass censorship of election-related speech.

But according to The New York Times, Meta’s election team, which censors election misinformation and had more than 300 people in 2020, has now been slashed to around 60 people. … continue

Iran Dismisses ‘Ridiculous’ Allegations of Planned Attacks on Israelis in Turkey

Al-Manar – June 24, 2022

Iran dismissed Israeli accusations that it is allegedly plotting to target Israelis in Turkey as “ridiculous” on Friday.

In a tweet from Iran’s Foreign Ministry, spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said that Lapid’s “baseless accusations” about such Iranian activity are “ridiculous” and part of a “pre-designed scenario to destroy relations between the two Muslim countries.”

“It is expected from Turkey not to remain silent in the face of these divisive allegations,” he said.

Khatibzadeh also stressed that Iran would respond forcefully to “assassinations and acts of sabotage by the Zionist regime” but “without threatening the security of civilians and the security of other countries.”

Israeli Soldiers Injure 82 Palestinians, Including A Medic, Near Nablus

IMEMC | JUNE 24, 2022

On Friday, Israeli soldiers injured eighty-two Palestinians, including a medic, in Beit Dajan, Beita, Qaryout, and Burin, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Ahmad Jibril, the head of the Emergency Department at the Nablus office of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, said the soldiers shot a medic of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society with a gas bomb in the face in Beit Dajan.

He added that fourteen Palestinians suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation, and one sustained cuts and bruises.

In Sbeih Mountain in Beita town, soldiers caused at least four Palestinians to suffer the effects of tear gas inhalation.

Medics also provided treatment to an international peace activist after the army attacked nonviolent protesters in Burin town.

In addition, at least sixty-one Palestinians suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation in Qaryout village. … Full article

Colombia elects 1st leftist president in its history: A great supporter of Palestine

By Eman Abusidu  | MEMO | June 24, 2022

In Colombia, where  some 13,000 Palestinians reside, the leftist candidate Gustavo Petro has won the presidential election after he defeated his far-right rival Rodolfo Hernandez. The 62-year-old’s victory represents a major revival for Colombia’s progressive left in Latin America as it joined left-wing parties in Chile, Peru, Mexico and Argentina for the first time. According to figures published by Colombia´s electoral authority, Petro won 50.44 per cent of the votes compared to the 47.31 per cent achieved by his opponent.

“Today is a day of celebration for the people. Let them celebrate the first popular victory. May so much suffering be cushioned in the joy that floods the heart of our country today,” Petro said on Twitter.

Petro was a legislator and a member of the M-19 guerrilla group, which was originally set up during Colombia’s 1970 elections. He later moved into politics and served as a senator and the mayor of Colombia’s capital, Bogota. He was finally victorious in his third attempt in the presidential race, promising to address inequality in a country where nearly half the population lives in poverty and unemployment.

The president-elect is known to be a supporter of the Palestinian cause and defender of human rights, which are being continuously violated in the Occupied Territories. More than once, Petro has described the struggle of the Palestinian people as an “historical struggle of a people for freedom and independence.” He has also posted the Palestinian flag on his Facebook account. … continue

Argentina Requests BRICS Membership

Samizdat – 24.06.2022

Argentina’s President Alberto Fernández requested BRICS membership for his country during the 14th summit of the international organization, which the Argentinian leader attended among other high-ranking guests.

“We aspire to be a full member of this group of nations that already represents 42% of the world’s population and 24% of the global gross product”, the president said.

Fernández noted that his country could supplement the union of five countries as a reliable supplier of food, as well as a recognized player in the field of biotechnology and logistics. He further stressed Argentina’s ability to train specialists in various fields, as well as provide various services on the international scale.

The president expressed an eagerness for his country to join the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) during its 14th summit, which is taking place in a videoconference format this year. It formally kicked off on June 22 and has continued through June 24.

Its members meet to discuss acute political and economic trends and mildly coordinate their own political and economic policies. They also discussed how to jointly navigate the currents of global trade and exercise their considerable influence (24% of global GDP) to change them.

Russian forces encircle thousands as Ukrainian troops begin surrender

Samizdat – June 24, 2022

Up to 2,000 Ukrainian troops, nationalists and foreign fighters have been surrounded by the Russian forces and the Donbass militias, Moscow revealed on Friday. The forces were encircled in two neighboring towns in the Lugansk People’s Republic.

Four Ukrainian battalions. as well as an artillery unit are among those trapped, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced. The encircled forces also include around 120 fighters from the notorious Ukrainian ‘Right Sector,’ a neo-Nazi group of up to 80 foreign fighters, according to the ministry.

The troops have been surrounded in the towns of Gorskoye and Zolotoye, located south of the major cities of Severodonetsk and Lisichansk, which have recently become one of the major targets for both sides amid the continued fighting for the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.

The Russian military has also claimed that the surrounded units have lost over 60% of their strength. According to the defense ministry, 41 Ukrainian soldiers encircled in the area have surrendered. The Defense Ministry has also published a video supposedly showing the surrendered soldiers. … continue

The UK is Doing Its Best to Stir a Food Crisis While Pinning the Blame on Russia

By Ekaterina Blunova – Samizdat – 24.06.2022

… While the British government continues to castigate Russia’s special operation for the unfolding global food crisis, the British prime minister is calling for Europe to step up military aid to Ukraine. … Read full article

Pfizer Classified Almost All Severe Adverse Events During COVID Vaccine Trials ‘Not Related to Shots’

By Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D. | The Defender | June 22, 2022

The latest release by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine documents reveals numerous instances of participants who sustained severe adverse events during Phase 3 trials. Some of these participants withdrew from the trials, some were dropped and some died.

The 80,000-page document cache includes an extensive set of Case Report Forms (CRFs) from Pfizer Phase 3 trials conducted at various locations in the U.S., in addition to other documentation pertaining to participants in Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine trials in the U.S. and worldwide.

The FDA on June 1 released the documents, which pertain to the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the vaccine, as part of a court-ordered disclosure schedule stemming from an expedited Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed in August 2021. … continue

Ivermectin Study’s Negative Conclusion is at Odds With Its Findings of Significant Clinical Benefit

BY WILL JONES | THE DAILY SCEPTIC | JUNE 21, 2022

A new study on cheap, repurposed Covid treatment ivermectin has concluded that its findings “do not support the use of ivermectin to treat mild to severe forms of COVID-19”. However, this conclusion is at odds with its findings.

The study, “Non-effectiveness of Ivermectin on Inpatients and Outpatients With COVID-19; Results of Two Randomised, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials”, is published in Frontiers in Medicine. It includes among its authors Dr. Andrew Hill, who last year appeared to suggest to Dr. Tess Lawrie that pressure had been applied to him not to find in support of ivermectin in an earlier paper. He told her, “I’m in a very sensitive position here”, and “I don’t really want to get into” revealing who from Gates-funded charity Unitaid, which funded the study, really wrote the conclusion of the paper downplaying the benefits of the treatment. … continue

Israel Murders Iranians While Biden Kills the Iran Deal

By Connor Freeman | The Libertarian Institute | June 23, 2022

In a clear message to Tehran, an American B-52 flew over the Persian Gulf as soon as Joe Biden entered the White House. Biden promised to return the U.S. to the Iran nuclear deal. But indirect talks to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which began last April, have stalled for three months without a resolution in sight. Counting on the reliable support of Biden and bipartisan Iran hawks in Congress, the nuclear-armed Israeli apartheid regime intends to kill the deal entirely.

Tehran, a decades-long signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, is neither seeking nor has ever sought nuclear weapons. But the Islamic Republic, once Tel Aviv’s “best friend,” serves as Israel’s favorite boogeyman, superficially justifying billions of dollars in American military aid each year. The JCPOA threatens the racket.

Formally known for years as “Israel’s man in Washington,” President Biden is essentially pursuing ultra-Zionist Donald Trump’s foreign policy regarding Iran and supporting, tacitly or otherwise, Tel Aviv’s relentless attacks against Iran and its allies. Biden is continuously imposing yet more sanctions, increasing the “Maximum Pressure” on the economically crippled Iranian people. … continue

BRICS nations urge nuclear disarmament

Samizdat | June 23, 2022

The member states of BRICS called for “a world free of nuclear weapons” in a joint declaration adopted on Thursday.

“We reaffirm our commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons and stress our strong commitment to nuclear disarmament and our support to the work on this subject during the session of 2022 of the Conference on Disarmament,” the declaration reads.

The group also lauded a joint statement by the permanent members of the UN Security Council (P5) – China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US – affirming that a “nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.” The major nuclear powers managed to show a rare display of unity earlier this year.

Apart from that, the BRICS resolution rallied support towards “negotiations in bilateral and multilateral formats to resolve all issues pertaining to the Korean Peninsula, including its complete denuclearization.” The group also urged to “resolve the Iranian nuclear issue through peaceful and diplomatic means.”

The BRICS bloc – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – has convened for its 14th summit, hosted by China, which currently holds the rotating presidency within the group. The BRICS leaders held a meeting on Thursday via a video link.

BRICS Leaders Vow to Enhance & Expand New Development Bank

Samizdat – 23.06.2022

The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa held their 14th annual summit on Thursday virtually. This year, the summit was chaired by China.

BRICS members vowed to widen the Shanghai-based New Development Bank (NDB) on Thursday, following the successful admission of Bangladesh, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Uruguay in September 2021.

“We look forward to further membership expansion in a gradual and balanced manner in terms of geographic representation and comprising of both developed and developing countries, to enhance the NDB’s international influence as well as the representation and voice of Emerging Market and Developing Countries (EMDCs) in global governance,” the 75-point joint declaration released after the summit read. … continue

The UK Online Safety Bill has laughable free speech and privacy “protections”

By Tom Parker | Reclaim The Net | June 21, 2022

The UK government’s latest push to censor online speech, the 225 page Online Safety Bill, has been roundly criticized by rights groups and proponents who have branded it a “censor’s charter” and “an attack on free speech.”

UK Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) Secretary of State Nadine Dorries, one of the main proponents of the bill, has pushed back against this criticism by pointing to the bill’s “duties to protect free speech.”

However, these duties and the duties for platforms to protect user privacy are so weak that they have no impact when platforms comply with the bill’s obligations to tackle “harmful” content.

The bill pays lip-service to the idea that platforms should “have regard” to the importance of “protecting users’ right to freedom of expression within the law” and that they should be “protecting users from a breach of any statutory provision or rule of law concerning privacy.”

But if platforms comply with these over-reaching obligations to tackle this so-called “harmful but legal” speech as outlined in the bill, they will, by default, be at odds with the idea of protecting speech rights and privacy.

The bill itself is the biggest threat to free speech and privacy in living memory and Big Tech platforms have no history of protecting either.

Provisions for privacy should not mean social media monopolists acting as a guardian of user privacy; they should be in place to protect citizens’ data from the platforms themselves.

Not only does the bill have weak free speech protections but it also disproportionately impacts small, independent media outlets, harms privacy, and creates a dystopian censorship alliance between Big Tech companies and the UK government.

The UK’s shadowy “counter-disinformation unit” has shifted from Covid to war

By Cindy Harper | Reclaim The Net | June 23, 2022

One of the unwanted “gifts” that the pandemic has left the UK is something called “the counter-disinformation unit,” set up by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport.

The task of this unit, according to the country’s lawmakers, is to identify “misinformation” and then “work” with social media companies to make sure this content is removed.

The unit has existed for two years, at first focused on monitoring and taking down Covid-related information it disapproved of, but with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine (and the waning interest in Covid), that conflict is now the group’s focus.

However, the unit’s existence and methods have been marred with controversy, from the lack of transparency to the definition of what constitutes misinformation.

It appears all it takes for UK’s authorities to brand something as misinformation and force tech companies to censor, is that they find it to be “inappropriate.” … continue

Microsoft Says Russian Media Popular in US, Ukraine Despite Efforts to Reduce Traffic

Samizdat – 23.06.2022

In a move to punish Russia for launching a military operation with a goal to “denazify and demilitarize” Ukraine, Western countries have tried their hardest to target Russian media outlets by reducing their traffic and blocking their social media channels. However, it seems the efforts have proven to be fruitless.

Content produced by sanctioned Russian media outlets Sputnik and RT is still in high demand in the United States and Ukraine despite efforts to curb viewer traffic, Microsoft said.

“Even after all efforts to reduce traffic to Sputniknews and RT.com, consumption of Russian propaganda is still higher than before the war (~60MM per month in the US, on par with the WSJ),” the company said on Wednesday.

Since January 2022, there has been a significant increase in traffic to Russian media websites in the US, according to the report. … continue

Twitter censors ads for free speech event

By Christina Maas | Reclaim The Net | June 22, 2022

Yet another casualty of Twitter censorship, The Minds Festival of Ideas, was denied the approval to advertise their upcoming event on the Twitter platform.

The Minds Festival of ideas, a gathering devoted to the unrestricted exchange of viewpoints through a comedic lens, was seeking ad placement for its upcoming event in NYC.

The ad outlined basic details, such as the date, location, sponsor, and headshots of the speakers. The ad also provided a ticket purchasing link and a direct quote regarding the key purpose of the event. Essentially, this quote addressed the mission of Minds in a nutshell: to encourage the free exchange of ideas between individuals. The goal is to foster “productive conversation” and basically to “have a good time together.”

Due to the ad’s basic nature, the public is again calling into question the ethics of Twitter censorship and what it means for the future of free speech for users on the platform.

Bill Ottman, the co-founder of Minds, confirmed that the ad denial occurred “immediately after pressing the submit button on the promotion” when he received what appeared to be a canned rejection email in his inbox. In light of Twitter’s swift response, Ottman expressed doubt that the message was written by a human at all. He further asserted his belief that Twitter provided its response based on “an account restriction or maybe some AI/ML trigger,” further describing the situation as indicative of life in “a dystopia.”

Minds followed up by posting a response to Twitter’s actions on the official Twitter page, proposing that the denial was, perhaps, just a mistake and not a calculated move by the company. These remarks were followed by a brief overview of the Minds Festival of Ideas and how it encourages the respectful exchange of beliefs and opinions among popular speakers, comedians, and influencers in today’s political circuit.

State Department ‘Illegally Obstructing’ Afghanistan Probes, Watchdog Says

By Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter | The Libertarian Institute | June 23, 2022

The US government’s top oversight official for Afghanistan has accused the State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) of stonewalling ongoing investigations, saying they have refused interviews with staff and even failed to provide “basic information” to assist the probes.

In a letter obtained by Politico this week, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko outlined a series of complaints against State and USAID, claiming the agencies are obstructing audits looking into the final months of the war in Afghanistan, the fall of the US-built Afghan government and the transfer of billions in aid.

“The coordinated efforts by State and USAID officials to deny SIGAR access to information and assistance are unprecedented,” Sopko wrote in the letter, which was addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and USAID chief Samantha Power.

He demanded the two officials “cease their illegal obstruction of SIGAR’s oversight work,” insisting that “The billions of US taxpayer dollars that have been spent and continue to be spent in support of the Afghan government and the Afghan people warrant independent oversight, and the law requires it.” … continue

Mr. Trudeau, tell us how you decide which invasions count

By Yves Engler | June 19, 2022

In a world of vast injustice, one cannot expect a government’s foreign policy to be principled or consistent. But there should at least be some limit to hypocrisy.

On June 16 Justin Trudeau spoke with Rwandan president Paul Kagame about this week’s Commonwealth Summit in Kigali. Half the government’s readout about the discussion was devoted to opposing a foreign invasion. It read, “the two leaders exchanged views on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and noted that the invasion was contrary to foundational principles of the Commonwealth. Prime Minister Trudeau reiterated that the invasion was an affront to the fundamental principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, self-determination, and international law, and expressed that it is important for the Commonwealth summit to provide an opportunity for member countries to stand up for democracy and denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

Recently, Rwandan-backed rebels instigated fighting that has caused over 170,000 Congolese to flee their homes since November. Reportedly, Rwanda has deployed 500 troops to assist the M23 rebels. According to the UN, M23 is planning an attack on the major eastern city of Goma in the coming days. On Friday Rwandan forces killed a Congolese soldier on the border between the two countries and Congo has closed the border.

Highlighting the hypocrisy of Trudeau discussing foreign invasion with Kagame, former Congolese presidential candidate and long-time UN worker, Angèle Makombo, tweeted, “No kidding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, you spoke with Paul Kagame about ‘Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine’? Did you also care about raising the issue of Rwanda’s aggression of Congo and its dire impacts on the Congolese people and Africa Great Lakes subregion?” … continue

Israeli forces beat up international activists in Masafer Yatta

WAFA – June 22, 2022

HEBRON – Israeli forces today beat up a number of international solidarity activists in Masafer Yatta in the southern Hebron hills, according to local sources.

Coordinator of the Protection and Steadfastness Committee in Masafer Yatta, Fuad al-Amour, said the heavily-armed soldiers brutally assaulted a number of international activists while protesting the military drills close to and in al-Markez, and held two others for a long period.

The Israeli army have been conducting drills in al-Markez, one of 12 hamlets making up the Masafer Yatta, which rely heavily on animal husbandry as the main source of livelihood, for the second day in a row.

Al-Amour added that the army has built mock-ups as targets between the makeshift dwellings of the hamlet residents and has been conducting training with heavy weaponry, spreading panic among the residents.

The army has also deployed military checkpoints in the vicinity of the hamlets in the area, in preparation for military training, and perhaps paving the way for an imminent removal of the Palestinian residents.

Recently, Israel’s top court gave the army the green light to forcibly expel some 1,300 Palestinians living in twelve villages or hamlets making up the Masafer Yatta area marking one of the largest expulsions carried out by the State of Israel in recent decades. … continue

The Israeli occupation forces destroy an access road to a Ramallah-area village

WAFA – June 22, 2022

RAMALLAH – The Israeli occupation forces today destroyed an access road to Ras Karkar village, northwest of Ramallah, hampering the movement of people, according to the head of Ras Karkar village council, Marwan Nofal.

He said that the destroyed road had been partially paved for 20 years and that three months ago, following coordination with the Israeli military government, work on the rehabilitation of the road started. However, two days after the start of the work, the military forces raided the area and seized the vehicles used in the work, imposing a fine on their owners.

Nofal said that despite continuous promises to allow the rehabilitation work, the army sent its bulldozers today to destroy the road under the pretext that the road is located on “state land”.

The destruction of the road led to depriving farmers of access to their lands on the western side of the village, he said, and isolating several houses, noting that this is not the first time the Israeli military has targeted the village.

Ras Karkar suffers from the presence of seven iron gates at its entrances that limit the movement of people and access to their homes and lands.

At the same time, the Israeli military government does not allow it to carry out any work to improve the village’s infrastructure, said Nofal.

Israeli Soldiers Injure Three Palestinians, One Seriously, In Bethlehem

IMEMC | JUNE 23, 2022

On Thursday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli soldiers shot and seriously injured one Palestinian and moderately wounded two during protests that took place after several army jeeps invaded the Deheishe refugee camp, south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

The Health Ministry said a young man, 23 years of age, suffered a severe injury after Israeli soldiers shot him in the abdomen.

It added that the Palestinian was bleeding profusely due to his gunshot wound and was immediately admitted to surgery.

The soldiers also shot two young men with live fire, causing moderate wounds, before they were moved to a hospital in Bethlehem. One of them suffered a gunshot wound to the back.

It is worth mentioning that dozens of soldiers invaded the refugee camp to abduct a young man but could not find him.

In related news, the soldiers invaded Qalqilia city, in the northern West Bank, and shot a young man during ensuing protests.

In Jericho, in the northeastern West Bank, the soldiers invaded Katef al-Wad area in the city, leading to protests before the soldiers fired a barrage of gas bombs.

Israel Occupation Forces fire tear gas at Gaza fishermen and farmers

MEMO | June 23, 2022

Israeli navy forces opened fire at Palestinian fishermen and their boats off the northern coast of the besieged Gaza Strip this morning.

According to a Wafa correspondent, the fishermen were sailing in the Al-Sudaniya and Al-Waha shores, until Israeli gunboats attacked them with machine guns, forcing them to abandon their fishing trip and return home.

No casualties were reported. […]

Simultaneously, a number of Israeli tanks and bulldozers, escorted by several military vehicles, invaded the southern Gaza Strip fence and opened fire at Palestinian farmers.

Palestinian farmers were chased out of the area by Israeli soldiers shooting tear gas and live gunfire in their direction, reported Wafa news agency. … Full article

Israeli Army Demolishes A Home Near Ramallah

IMEMC | JUNE 22, 2022

On Wednesday morning, Israeli soldiers demolished an under-construction home owned by a Palestinian political prisoner in Bil’in village, west of Ramallah in the central West Bank. The soldiers also demolished structures near occupied Jerusalem.

Media sources said several army jeeps and bulldozers invaded the village and demolished the home of a political prisoner, Barakat Ali Fayez al-Khawaja.

The Israeli army claimed the property did not receive a permit from the so-called “Civil Administration Office,” the administrative branch of the illegal Israeli occupation.

It is worth mentioning that the army abducted Barakat on January 24, 2022, and slapped him with a six-month Administrative Detention order without charges or trial.

Al-Khawaja is also a former political prisoner who was repeatedly abducted and imprisoned by Israel for more than nine years.

In related news, the soldiers demolished several commercial sheds and structures near the main junction of ‘Anata town, northeast of occupied Jerusalem.

Israel Minister of Interior: We support Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara

MEMO | June 22, 2022

The Israeli Minister of Interior, Ayelet Shaked confirmed Tuesday her country’s support for Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.

This came in a press statement she made after her talks with Moroccan Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, in Rabat, which was published by the Maghreb Arabe Press.

“Israel confirms its support for Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara,” Shaked said.

She added that her talks with Bourita also tackled the close bilateral relations and the joint projects that the two countries will implement.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Moroccan Minister of Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, met with his Israeli counterpart, Ayelet Shaked, and they discussed developing the mechanisms of consultation on various issues of common interest.

The Israeli Minister of Interior started an official visit to Morocco on Monday, for an indefinite period.

On 10 December, 2020, Israel and Morocco announced the resumption of diplomatic relations between them, after suspending the relations in 2000. The resumption caused wide rejection from Moroccan bodies and parties.

On 22 December, 2021, the Moroccan government signed a “joint declaration” with Israel and the US during the first visit of an official Israeli-American delegation to the capital, Rabat.

Rabat insists on its right to the Western Sahara region, and it proposes an extended self-governance under its sovereignty as a solution to the issue, while the “Polisario Front” demands holding a referendum to decide the fate of the region. This proposal is supported by Algeria, which shelters displaced people fleeing from the region after Morocco regained it after the end of the Spanish occupation.

Tanzania: Maasai people face violence, eviction amid protests over UAE-owned game reserve

MEMO | June 22, 2022

Tanzania’s Maasai people have faced a violent crackdown from police over the past two weeks, amid plans to evict them from their ancestral homeland in parts of the Serengeti National Park to make way for trophy hunting and conservation zones.

Human rights organisations and the Maasai people have accused Tanzanian police of using teargas, live bullets and beating protestors who oppose the planned development in the Ngorongoro district near the village of Ololosokwani.

So far, at least 700 Maasai villagers have fled across the border to neighbouring Kenya as refugees, while dozens have been wounded by police. The response by the Tanzanian authorities has been condemned by the African Commission on Human Rights and Peoples’ Rights who called on the government to halt the ongoing forcible evictions and to open independent investigations into the violence against the Maasai people who should be consulted and allowed to review plans to establish the conservation area.

According to a report by Al Jazeera last week, the protests erupted after police began to demarcate 1,500 square kilometres (540 square miles) of land to make way for the reserve, to be operated by a UAE-owned company.

The government denies accusations that it is trying to evict the Maasai from their ancestral land, and has claimed they will still have access to 2,500 square kilometres of it.

The East African Court of Justice is to rule on a legal challenge to the planned evictions, but is likely to rule in favour of the controversial move, which could displace up to 70,000 people but will be a major contribution to the country’s vital tourism sector.

Majority of Europeans want peace

Free West Media | June 23, 2022

Even if it is at the expense of Ukraine, 35 percent of Europeans prefer peace with Russia and only 22 percent support a continuation of the war until a Russian defeat. Beyond that, divisions are widening in the EU, threatening unity.

Countries were interviewed for the survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations, including Great Britain, Finland, France, Poland, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden.

With the exception of Poland, the majority of respondents in all countries wanted peace, even if this meant territorial concessions from Ukraine. Italians are most interested in peace, with an absolute majority of 52 percent wanting an end to the conflict. In Germany, 49 percent of respondents wanted peace, while only 16 percent were in favor of continuing the war.

Romania followed with a ratio of 42:23, France with 41:20 and Sweden with 38:22. In contrast, 41 percent of Poles want Russia defeated and punished, while only 16 percent support a negotiated peace deal.

In Germany, the AfD stands most clearly for peace negotiations with 78 percent. The proportion of peace advocates is 55 percent among the Social Democrats and 43 percent among the CDU/CSU. Even among the Greens, who have campaigned most strongly for Ukraine’s rearmament, the proportion of peace supporters (35 percent) is significantly higher than those who want to continue the war (22 percent). … Full article