Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has supported Justice de Moraes’ decision, asserting that wealthy individuals like Musk are not above the law. Meanwhile, Musk has criticized President Lula, referring to him as de Moraes’ “lapdog.” The decision to suspend X was upheld by one of Brazil’s Supreme Court panels, though some legal experts argue that a broader consensus among justices should have been sought for such a critical action.
The Musk vs. de Moraes case exemplifies the complexities tech companies face when navigating different legal frameworks globally, highlighting growing tensions between multinational digital platforms and sovereign laws. With no immediate resolution in sight, the conflict continues to draw international attention, underscoring the intricate relationship between technology, law, and politics in today’s digital landscape.
Brazil Supreme Court panel unanimously upholds judge’s decision to block X nationwide – The Associated Press
The broader support among justices undermines the effort by Musk and his supporters to cast Justice Alexandre de Moraes as an authoritarian renegade who is intent on censoring political speech in Brazil.
The panel that voted in a virtual session was comprised of five of the full bench’s 11 justices, including de Moraes, who last Friday ordered the platform blocked for refusing to name a local legal representative, as required by law. It will stay suspended until it complies with his orders and pays outstanding fines that as of last week exceeded $3 million, according to his decision.
MSNBC calls for boycott of social media platform X, contributor calls for Elon Musk’s prosecution | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com Source Link Excerpt:
“If every moderate-to-liberal human and organization stopped using the site, that might pressure Musk or his board of directors to stop weaponizing it.”
MSNBC has called for a boycott against the social media platform X, claiming that its owner, Elon Musk, has pushed misinformation relating to the upcoming election.
An opinion piece published by MSNBC calling for the boycott cited a recent report by the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate which claimed to have identified 50 instances where Musk posted false claims about the election. The MSNBC piece also accused Musk of amplifying conspiracy theories and anti-Semitism.
“If every moderate-to-liberal human and organization stopped using the site, that might pressure Musk or his board of directors to stop weaponizing it,” the opinion, written by journalist Jay Michaelson, argued.
“It isn’t even a boycott. Leaving X isn’t like boycotting Coors because it’s too right-wing or Bud Light because it’s too left-wing. Those boycotts are fine — that’s part of capitalism too — but X is different in kind. Because unlike beer, the X product itself is the problem,” Michaelson added.
X’s Global Affairs Chief Nick Pickles Resigns After Brazil Ban – observer.com
Longtime X employee Nick Pickles is leaving the social media platform during a tumultuous time. Win McNamee/Getty Images
Elon Musk’s social media platform X is losing one of its longest-running employees. Nick Pickles, the current vice president of global affairs at the company, announced his resignation yesterday (Sept. 5) in a post on the platform. “After more than ten years, tomorrow will be my last day at X,” said Pickles, who did not provide a reason for his departure. X did not respond to requests for comment from Observer.
Pickles was one of the few employees of X, previously known as Twitter, to have survived Elon Musk’s $44 billion takeover of the company in 2022 and was a trusted member of X CEO Linda Yaccarino’s inner circle. The British executive said he was grateful for Yaccarino’s support and partnership, noting that he made the decision to leave X several months ago and is “looking forward to taking some time off before a new challenge.”
Pickles became a prominent figure throughout X’s numerous clashes with international governments. Censorship battles between X and countries like Brazil, India and Australia have proliferated since Musk’s acquisition and a loosening of content restrictions on the platform. “It’s vital that democratic governments don’t unwittingly endorse or adopt the policies of governments who do not want to protect the open, global internet,” said Pickles of government attempts to remove content from the site in a May interview with the Financial Times. “We risk a race to the bottom, with ever more aggressive sanctions being used to try and control the global internet without respect for global norms and free expression,” he added.
It’s not just Brazil v. Elon Musk’s X: Governments are seeking harsh remedies to social media abuses – Fortune
There have always been consequences in media for getting things wrong, from lawsuits and reputational damage to jail time and fines that can gut a business. You can be right and still get targeted. Just ask the Committee to Protect Journalists. Now, social media platforms are dealing with those issues. What’s different and disturbing is how many governments are aiming to essentially shut them down.
Canada’s left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP) has pulled the plug on a two-and-a-half-year-old agreement with Justin Trudeau’s Liberals that had helped keep his minority government in power.
In a video posted to social media on Wednesday, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said he had informed the prime minister of his decision, saying the Liberals were “too weak, too selfish” to fight for Canadians.
The deal – called a “supply and confidence” agreement – had the NDP supporting the Liberals in confidence votes.
The announcement does not automatically mean a federal election is imminent but that Canadians may go to the polls before the election scheduled for October 2025.
BREAKING: Pierre Poilievre responds to NDP breaking confidence agreement with Trudeau Liberals, calls for ‘Carbon Tax Election’ now – thepostmillennial.com
“In today’s media stunt, Sellout Singh refuses to state whether the NDP will vote with non-confidence to cause a carbon tax election at the first chance,” Poilievre wrote. Photo: Beth Baisch
Official Opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre responded Wednesday to the news that NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has ended his party’s loose coalition agreement with the Trudeau government, calling for an immediate “Carbon Tax Election.”
Poilievre posted on X: “Two years ago, Sellout Singh sold out workers and signed on to a costly coalition with Justin Trudeau that hiked taxes, ballooned food costs, doubled housing costs and unleashed crime and chaos in our once safe streets.”
“In today’s media stunt, Sellout Singh refuses to state whether the NDP will vote with non-confidence to cause a carbon tax election at the first chance,” Poilievere continued. “Sellout Singh has voted to quadruple the carbon tax to $0.61/L, a plan that will drive Canadians to food banks and grind our economy to a halt— killing hundreds of thousands of jobs. Sellout Singh did all of this after promising he would be an opposition voice.”
Canadians rank Trudeau as worst prime minister since the 1960s by wide margin in new poll– www.lifesitenews.com Source Link Excerpt:
(LifeSiteNews) – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was ranked Canada’s worst leader since the 1960s in a new study.
An investigation conducted by Research Co. and released September 4 shows that 38 percent of Canadians overall said they disliked Trudeau the most compared with a list of other prime ministers.
A distant second as the most disliked was Stephen Harper, who was the former head of the Conservative Party, at 14 percent. Trudeau’s dad, Pierre, came in third at 7 percent.
Trudeau has been prime minister since 2015.
In western Canada, dislike for Trudeau was the strongest, with 55 percent of Albertans and 52 percent each in Saskatchewan and Manitoba saying they are not fond of him.
Research Co. has been tracking the popularity of current and former prime ministers for the past five years. Trudeau’s unpopularity has risen dramatically since 2022, nearly doubling since that year.
Although the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party secured a first-place finish in the Saxony elections on Sunday, the party is still launching an investigation into an alleged computer error that cost them a seat in parliament and is also calling for an end to mail-in votes, citing security concerns and shady practices.
The first issue is the alleged software glitch that resulted in the AfD and the Christian Democrats (CDU) both losing a seat, while the Greens and Social Democrats (SPD) both gained one seat. The party says that it is launching an investigation into this.
“We want to know exactly what went wrong,” said the AfD’s state and parliamentary group leader Jörg Urban in a statement. He is demanding an exact error analysis. “If there are any irregularities, we will take legal action.”
Notably, the loss of one seat resulted in the AfD losing its blocking majority, which would have allowed the party, for example, to block the appointment of certain judges in the state.
🇩🇪 NEW: Alleged software error in Germany means the AfD and CDU both lose one seat in Saxony.
That seat was important for the AfD, as it provided the party with a “blocking minority” during crucial votes that require a two-thirds majority. pic.twitter.com/kqmCw3nLdR
The error initially gave the AfD and CDU an incorrect number of seats. After a review, “the state election management corrected the allocation of seats,” according to the German news outlet Leipziger Volkzeitung.
Viktor Orban praises Germany for leading the EU in major migrant crackdown | World | News– www.express.co.uk Source Link Excerpt:
Hungary’s Viktor Orban praised his liberal German counterpart Olaf Scholz for cracking down on migrants. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stunned his pro-EU allies after unveiling strict border rules which will allow for a “massive step-up in rejections” of asylum seekers.
Mr Orban whose anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions has sparked huge rows with Brussels, sent a message of support to Mr Scholz: “Germany has decided to impose strict border controls to stop illegal migration. Scholz, welcome to the club! #StopMigration.”
EU officials have warned that Mr Scholz’s new policy threatens to unravel the entire European bloc, as one leading German politician remarked: “Border controls would be the beginning of the end for the EU.”
Unveiling the plan on Monday, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) said: “Until we achieve stronger border protection with the joint European asylum system, we must further protect our national borders.”
Keir Starmer vows to stop people-smuggling gangs with tactics used to jail rioters – theguardian.com
Keir Starmer has pledged to break up people-smuggling gangs in the same manner used to apprehend and jail hundreds of rioters this summer.
Following a meeting with law enforcement agencies and cabinet ministers on plans to stop small boats crossing the Channel on Friday, the prime minister said that the “high-level summit” mirrored the approach taken after disturbances fuelled by far-right activists.
“We sat round the table with law enforcement and the police to make sure that we got the desired outcome and made sure we could deliver – in that case – swift justice.
“I’m absolutely determined to take the same approach here, active government, an operational summit, making sure that we are going to retake control of our borders, take these gangs down,” he said.
Telling uncomfortable truths is now considered ‘terrorism’ in Britain – lifesitenews.com
(LifeSiteNews) — In a further sign of the United Kingdom’s increasingly aggressive policing of speech, two British journalists documenting genocide have been arrested under section 12 of the Terrorism Act in the past month.
Richard Medhurst documents Israel’s genocide. He was arrested on disembarking at Heathrow Airport on Thursday, August 15, under the Terrorism Act.
Sarah Wilkinson was arrested in her home days ago by ten non-uniformed police officers under the Terrorism Act – for documenting Israel’s genocide. A shocking account of her ordeal can be read here.
France has a new prime minister. Who is Michel Barnier? – globalnews.ca
President Emmanuel Macron named on Thusday the EU’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as France’s new prime minister, after more than 50 days of a caretaker government.
The appointment of the 73-year-old Barnier follows weeks of intense efforts by Macron and his aides to bring an intense period of political turmoil to an end by finding a government leader who can survive in France’s newly fractured political landscape.
Barnier faces the tough task of having to work with the bitterly divided, hung parliament that emerged from legislative elections that Macron called in June, in a huge surprise.
Without a legislative majority of his own behind him, Barnier will need to find loose ad hoc groupings of backers in the National Assembly to tackle France’s pressing issues — including the budget for 2025.
Barnier could quickly face possible attempts in parliament to topple the new government he will now put together and lead. Opponents of Macron on the left of French politics immediately portrayed the appointment of the conservative Barnier as a slap in the face of those who voted for them.
Myanmar’s military government will conduct a nationwide population and household census in October, state media said on Monday, paving the way for a promised election next year amid raging conflict across swathes of the country.
The census data collected between Oct 1-15 will be used to hold a general election next year, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing told a meeting on Sunday, state media reported. “The census can be used in compilation of correct and accurate voter lists which is a basic need for successfully holding a free and fair multi-party democratic general election,” Min Aung Hlaing said separately in a televised speech on Sunday.
Myanmar junta says fifth batch of conscripts begins training– Frontier Myanmar Source Link Excerpt:
A fifth batch of conscripts Myanmar’s junta hopes will help reverse its battlefield losses has begun training, state media reported on Tuesday.
A military source also told Agence France-Presse the new batch followed around 15,000 other conscripts who had already completed their training.
The junta enforced a conscription law in February, three years after its coup that sparked armed uprisings across Myanmar and as it reeled from a string of defeats.
The law allows the military to summon any man aged 18-35 and woman aged 18-27 to serve in the armed forces for at least two years.
“Eligible citizens” from the fifth batch arrived at the “respective military training depots” on Monday, according to state-run outlet The Global New Light of Myanmar, without saying how many were involved.
Myanmar junta chief warns of ‘counterattacks’ in opponent-held areas – VOA Asia
Myanmar’s embattled junta chief has warned civilians in territory recently captured by ethnic minority armed groups to prepare for military counterattacks, state media reported on Wednesday.
The military has lost swaths of territory near the border with China in northern Shan state to an alliance of armed ethnic minority groups and “People’s Defence Forces” battling to overturn the junta’s 2021 coup.
The groups have seized a regional military command and taken control of lucrative border trade crossings, prompting rare public criticism by military supporters of the junta’s top leadership.
Junta troops “will… launch counterattacks,” junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said on Tuesday in the Shan state capital Taunggyi, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar.
Junta’s airstrikes on No-2 border police battalion in Maungdaw, over 50 killed, many injured – narinjara.com Source Link Excerpt:
Naung Min Thu, Narinjara News, 10 September 2024
The junta forces carried out airstrikes on 2nd border guard police
battalion (NaKhaKha-2) in 4-mile of Maungdaw town, which was occupied by
the Arakan Army (AA) fighters. The attack, conducted by two jet fighters,
resulted in the death of more than 50 people, including prisoners of war and
civilian inmates, with many others injured.
According to a statement issued by the AA, two airstrikes were
conducted by jet fighters on 9 September at around 9:30 pm. The casualties
included prisoners of war and civilian inmates temporarily detained at
NaKhaKha-2 base in Arakan State.
Flooding death toll climbs after delayed warning from Myanmar junta – myanmar-now Source Link Excerpt:
More than 60 have died this week in floods caused by Typhoon Yagi in various parts of Myanmar, with most of the confirmed deaths occurring between Mandalay and the junta’s administrative capital of Naypyitaw, according to rescue workers.
Heavy rains started in and near Tachileik, eastern Shan State on Monday, causing floods by the next day. Flooding also occurred in Myawaddy, Karen State and in southern Shan State over the next few days.
Since Thursday, flooding has impacted Mandalay Region’s Kyaukse, Myittha, Pyawbwe, Thazi and Yamethin townships along the road from Mandalay to Naypyitaw, as well as Pyinmana, Tatkon, and Zayathiri townships in the Naypyitaw Union Territory, rescue workers said.
10 people have died in the floods in Yamethin Township, according to the rescue workers, with as many as 200 missing and feared dead after dozens were carried off in floodwaters in rural villages. In Pyawbwe Township, 15 people are reported missing and three bodies have been recovered, they said.
Putin vows WW3 if Ukraine allowed to use British missiles to fire into Russia – but PM insists tyrant ‘started it’– www.thesun.co.uk Source Link Excerpt:
MAD Vlad Putin vowed World War Three if the West allows British missiles to be fired on Russia by Ukraine.
But last night Sir Keir Starmer told The Sun the Kremlin tyrant “started it.”
The PM was on his way to Washington DC for crunch talks with US President Joe Biden over whether to allow the dramatic escalation in support for war torn Ukraine.
Putin yesterday warned granting permission for the Ukranians to use British and French kit to pound targets deep within Russian territory would mean war.
He said: “This would in a significant way change the very nature of the conflict… It would mean that Nato countries are at war with Russia.”
Biden and Starmer to meet as decision nears on plan to allow Ukraine to use Western weapons for deeper strikes into Russia.– www.washingtonexaminer.com Source Link Excerpt:
BLINKEN: ‘WE WANT UKRAINE TO WIN’: The U.S. and the U.K. appear close to approving a plan that would loosen the restrictions placed on the use of Western long-range weapons by Ukraine to counter Russia’s relentless attacks on civilian targets and vital energy infrastructure.
President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will confer tomorrow in Washington after being briefed by their emissaries, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine yesterday.
“And among other things, we discussed long-range fires, but a number of other things as well,” Blinken said at a news conference in Kyiv. “We’re going to take what we learned back to President Biden in my case, and the prime minister in David’s case. The two of them will meet in just a few days’ time in Washington to discuss how our countries will continue to support Ukraine.”
Blinken and Lammy arrive in Kyiv as Ukraine pushes for long-range strikes on Russia– abcnews.go.com Source Link Excerpt:
KYIV, Ukraine — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived in Kyiv on a joint visit Wednesday, as Ukraine presses the West to allow it to use long-range missiles against Russia.
The top diplomats reached the Ukrainian capital by train hours after the U.S. presidential debate during which Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump sparred over the 2 1/2-year war in Ukraine.
For months, Ukraine has been requesting approval to use long-range weapons from the United States and Western allies to strike targets in Russia, and is expected to press harder given Russia’s latest reported weapons acquisition.
EU at UN Security Council: Ukraine has lost up to 80% of its pre-war thermal electricity production capacity – euneighbourseast.eu Source Link Excerpt:
On 10 September, the Head of the EU Delegation to the United Nations, Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, speaking in New York at the UN Security Council on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security, repeated the EU’s call on Russia immediately to halt its illegal war of aggression, including its unrelenting air strikes against Ukraine’s civilians and civilian and critical infrastructure.
On 26 August, Russia launched an unprecedented number of 236 missiles and drones. On 3 September, at least 55 people were killed and 328 injured in Poltava alone.
“It has hit residential buildings, hospitals, schools, power plants and playgrounds. This is unacceptable under any circumstances. Ukraine has lost up to 80% of its pre-war thermal electricity production capacity. It is clear Russia is attempting to pile the pressure on the Ukrainian people ahead of a cold winter,” Lambrinidis said.
He said the EU is “very concerned” by the recent reports indicating that Iran has supplied Russia with ballistic missiles and called upon all countries, including the DPRK and Belarus, to refrain from any actions that may amount to complicity in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Zelensky Pushes Ahead With Cabinet Overhaul – nytimes.com
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party announced a slate of nine candidates for cabinet posts on Wednesday, marking the biggest shake-up in the government since the war against Russia started.
Vance says Trump’s plan to end the war would likely force Ukraine to give up land, NATO aspirations– www.washingtonexaminer.com Source Link Excerpt:
VANCE’S VISION OF UKRAINE PEACE: Former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), has laid out a vision of how he expects Trump’s plan to bring the war in Ukraine to a quick end will play out, and it’s pretty much everything Russian President Vladimir Putin could have hoped for.
Trump has repeatedly refused to say he wants Ukraine to win but has promised to end the war as soon as he wins the November election — before he actually takes office. “I will get that settled and fast, and I’ll get the war with Ukraine and Russia ended,” Trump said at this week’s debate with Vice President Kamala Harris. “If I’m president-elect, I’ll get it done before even becoming president.”
“I think what this looks like is, Trump sits down, he says to the Russians, the Ukrainians, the Europeans, you guys need to figure out, ‘what does a peaceful settlement look like?’” Vance said in a podcast interview Thursday with former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan.
“And what it probably looks like is something like the current line of demarcation between Russia and Ukraine — that becomes like a demilitarized zone, it’s heavily fortified so the Russians don’t invade again,” Vance said. “Ukraine retains its independent sovereignty. Russia gets the guarantee of neutrality from Ukraine, it doesn’t join NATO, it doesn’t join you know some of these sort of allied institutions. And I think that’s ultimately what this looks like.”
Ukraine mourns dead from major Russian strike, vows response with underground weapons production– abcnews.go.com Source Link Excerpt:
POLTAVA, Ukraine — Funeral services were held Saturday for victims of one of the deadliest Russian airstrikes since the war in Ukraine began, as Ukraine’s president vowed to increase domestic military production by creating underground weapons factories.
The funerals took place in the eastern Ukrainian city of Poltava for the victims of a Russian missile attack on a military training facility that left over 50 dead and more than 300 injured.
Hundreds of mourners, including grieving families, local residents, and officials, gathered at the Cathedral of the Assumption in the city, some 350 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Kyiv, for the solemn ceremony. Sobbing relatives, many holding red carnations, stood over caskets placed outside the church, draped in yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flags. An air raid siren sounded during the service.
Russia loses 1,300 soldiers in one day as Putin’s troops suffer blow – express.co.uk
Russia lost an eye-watering 1,300 soldiers in one day on Sunday, bringing Moscow’s total casualties to 617,000, Ukraine‘s General Staff of the Armed Forces has claimed.
Kyiv’s forces claim that it has destroyed 8,601 (+9) Russian tanks, 16,786 (+26) armored combat vehicles, and 17,646 (+10) artillery systems since the start of the war.
Russia Says Army Seized New Village in Eastern Ukraine– www.themoscowtimes.com Source Link Excerpt:
Russia said on Saturday it had seized another village in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow’s troops are continuing to advance.
The defense ministry said Russian forces “have liberated the village of Kalynove” in the Donetsk region, which lies around 25 kilometers (16 miles) southeast of the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk, held by Kyiv’s forces.
Russian troops have been advancing on Pokrovsk for months and Ukraine has ordered the mandatory evacuation of children from the city.
Moscow has claimed to have captured a string of villages in the area, even as it struggles to fight off a major Ukrainian counter-attack into its own western Kursk region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia’s “primary objective” in the conflict was to capture the entire Donbas region – which consists of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
War in Ukraine is “serfs killing serfs” claims Ukraine anarchists that advocate desertion – Indybay
“Since the morning of August 6, when Ukrainian troops broke through the border and occupied some border settlements in the Kursk region of Russia, debates have not subsided about the meaning and consequences of this sortie from a military-political point of view. The end of the battles for this territory are still far away. At the moment, it is only clear that such an attack against the backdrop of the collapsing Ukrainian defense in the Donetsk region came as a complete surprise to many.
In particular, the focus of attention during the battles for the Kursk region was on the border gas metering station in Sudzha (Suja), through which Russian gas is supplied to Europe. Its continued work despite hostilities around it became another symbol of the fact that war is war but international business continues as usual. From the posts of Netherlands-based Donetsk emigrant Andrey Shokotko:
“Dutch families will be warm this winter. With full gas reserves, the chances of an extreme increase in energy bills are limited.” Thanks to Zelensky and Putin, whose reliable partnership (so brilliantly confirmed in Sudzha) does not allow us in Europe to freeze. But it is not entirely clear – why do they send their serfs to kill each other? And why do slaves, knowing about the Russian-Ukrainian business partnership, go to kill each other?
Zelenskyy accuses Brazil of being pro-Russia, slams peace proposal – POLITICO Source Link Excerpt:
“We are not stupid,” Zelenskyy said during the interview. “How can you offer ‘here is our initiative’ without asking anything from us?” He added, “This is a lack of respect toward Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy expressed doubt over Brazil’s efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the war, arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he described as a “murderer,” has no intention of ending the conflict.
When asked about Brazil’s position on the war, Zelenskyy said, “Unfortunately, I believe that they [the Brazilian government] are taking Russia’s side.”
“I had a good conversation with President Lula and I thought he understood me. I was grateful to meet him, and I was very open, absolutely open. I thought I would see in his experience an understanding of what is happening, and not just a political pacification,” he added.
Muslim, European FMs to meet in Madrid on Israel-Palestine two-state solution today – Tribune UK Source Link Excerpt:
The foreign ministers of several Muslim and European countries will meet in Madrid on Friday to discuss how to implement a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Spanish and Norwegian governments said.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares will host the meeting, which will be attended by his European counterparts, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, and members of the Arab-Islamic Contact Group for Gaza.
The two-state solution set out in the 1991 Madrid Conference and the 1993-95 Oslo Accords has long been seen by the international community as the best way to settle the decades-long conflict, but the peace process has been moribund for years.
However, the search for a peaceful solution has been given new urgency by the 11-month-long war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas – the bloodiest episode yet in the overall conflict – as well as escalating violence in the occupied West Bank.
On May 28, Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognised a unified Palestinian state ruled by the Palestinian Authority comprising the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital. With them, 146 of the 193 member states of the United Nations now recognise Palestinian statehood.
U.S. moves USS Theodore Roosevelt from Middle East, leaving USS Abraham Lincoln as sole carrier in vicinity – 13 News Now Source Link Excerpt:
WASHINGTON — The United States has reduced the number of aircraft carriers it has stationed in the Middle East,
The Pentagon announced Thursday that it has moved USS Theodore Roosevelt from the region. That decision leaves the U.S. with just one carrier in the vicinity: USS Abraham Lincoln.
Both carriers have been in place since August 23 to provide presence, as Israel continues its war with Hamas.
“Following a period of dual carrier coverage by the Theodore Roosevelt CSG and the Abraham Lincoln CSG in the CENTCOM region, the Theodore Rosevelt has departed and begun its transit into the Indo-Pacific area of operations,” said Major General Pat Ryder, Department of Defense Press Secretary.
Foreign Anarchists Instructed to Deceive Israeli Authorities, Document Reveals – The Jewish Press – JewishPress.com Source Link Excerpt:
Anti-Israel foreign activists, including American students, are being used by a radical Palestinian organization and told to lie their way into Israel, according to a document obtained by The Press Service of Israel.
The annual Faz3a campaign, organized by the Ramallah-based Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, is timed around the olive harvest season, which typically takes place in October and November.
“When asked about where you are going, you can say Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. Do not mention Palestine, the West Bank, nor your intentions to go there. When asked why you are coming, answer tourism. Do not wear anything that can be connected to Palestine,” the document advises the foreigners.
Hamas Using Hostages to Wage Psychological Warfare on Israel, Terror Group’s Leaked Document Shows– legalinsurrection.com Source Link Excerpt:
A newly leaked top-secret Hamas document exposes the terrorist group’s negotiation strategy and its ongoing phycological warfare against Israel. The document, described as Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar’s “secret war paper,” was published by the German newspaper BILD on Friday.
Hamas is negotiating to survive the current Israeli offensive and regain its lost terrorist capabilities to stage future attacks on Israel, the document shows.
The Gaza-based terrorist group’s current negotiation strategy is to restore the “ability of [its] armed forces” to act against Israel. Israel should be “exhausted” and international pressure on country should be “increased,” the German daily reported, quoting from the document.
The aim of the ceasefire talks is to further Hamas terrorist aims — “ending the war is not a priority for Hamas,” the BILD added.
Israeli intelligence commander to resign after being accused of failing to prevent Oct. 7– www.ctvnews.ca Source Link Excerpt:
An Israeli intelligence commander, who critics say played a pivotal role in failing to prevent the Oct. 7 attacks, is resigning, Israel’s military told CNN.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Brigadier General Yossi Sariel, who led its 8200 intelligence unit, has informed them he will “conclude his role in the near future.”
The country’s public broadcaster Kan and several other media outlets have published excerpts of his resignation letter stating he feels personally responsible for not preventing Hamas from launching the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
“On October 7th at 06:29 I did not fulfill the task as I expected of myself, those at my command and commanders expected me and the citizens of the state I love so much,” the letter said, according to Kan.
“Today, in accordance with the state of the war, the processes of the gathering ranks and the building of the unit’s resilience, and after the completion of the initial investigative processes, I request to fulfill my personal responsibility as the commander of the unit on October 7 and at a time to be determined by my commanders to pass the baton to the next shift,” Kan reported Thursday.
US military says destroyed five Houthi drones, two missile systems in Yemen – Social News XYZ Source Link Excerpt:
Sanaa, Sep 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) The US Central Command said early Wednesday that its naval forces destroyed five Houthi drones and two missile systems in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in the past 24 hours.
“It was determined these (equipment and) systems presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” it said on social media platform X, without disclosing the name of the areas targeted.
The Houthi group, which controls much of northern Yemen since late 2014 after the outbreak of a civil war with the Yemeni government, has not yet made any comment, Xinhua news agency reported.
Israeli forces withdraw from Jenin, step up raids in other West Bank areas – aljazeera.com
The Israeli military has withdrawn from the occupied West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp after a military offensive that killed many and destroyed critical infrastructure.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa confirmed on Friday that Israeli forces had pulled out of the city following a 10-day siege, but residents feared soldiers would return after temporarily moving to surrounding military checkpoints.
At least 21 Palestinians, including children and the elderly, have been killed in Jenin over the last few days, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement on Friday, and at least 130 more were injured.
The Israeli military said on Friday that its forces had been “conducting counterterrorism activity in the area of Jenin”, without confirming the withdrawal.
Iran Ally Shoots Down NATO Military Drone Over Arab Airspace; Rare Escalation Amid Israel-Hamas War – MSN
In a rare incident, Middle East Monitor reported that Iraq shot down a Turkish military drone which was flying over Iraqi air space last week. According to Reuters news agency, an armed drone fell in the centre of the city of Kirkuk in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region. No casualty has been reported in the incident. Iran Ally Shoots Down NATO Military Drone Over Arab Airspace; Rare Escalation Amid Israel-Hamas War
Netanyahu insists Israel will not withdraw from strategic Philadelphi corridor – euronews.com
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his stance on keeping an Israeli presence along the Philadelphi corridor, while thousands protested against the government’s failure to secure a hostage deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he will continue to insist on maintaining an Israeli presence along the Philadelphi corridor.
The strategic border between Gaza and Egypt has been a main point of discussion in recent ceasefire talks. Hamas is demanding a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, but Netanyahu claims Israel’s control of the corridor is vital to ensure the militant group cannot rearm via tunnels.
Strikes begin after huge anti-government protests erupt in Israel – Thred
The Israeli government is facing pressure for not doing enough to retrieve hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Tel Aviv to protest on Sunday, while widespread labour strikes are planned for the rest of the week.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Sunday, demanding their government agree to a ceasefire in order to secure a hostage return deal with Hamas.
The protests were sparked after the bodies of six captives were recovered by Israeli Defence Force (IDF) soldiers from underground tunnels in southern Gaza on Saturday.
Forensic examinations conducted by Israel’s health ministry suggest they were killed 48–72 hours before being found.
Israel brought to a near halt as strikes and protests pressure Netanyahu to secure a Gaza hostage deal – CNN
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to Israel’s streets in fresh fury on Monday over the government’s failure to secure a ceasefire-for-hostages deal with Hamas. Demonstrations could be seen in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Caesarea and other sites across the country, fueled by the killing in Gaza of six hostages, whose bodies were retrieved by Israeli soldiers this weekend.
Several gatherings targeted the homes of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with protesters lighting fires and chanting: “You are the leader – you are guilty!” near one of Netanyahu’s private residences in Caesarea. In Tel Aviv, protesters outside the US Embassy chanted “Shame!” late into the evening, video showed.
Netanyahu has been accused of stalling efforts for a deal by some hostage families and their supporters. More than 100 hostages, including 35 believed to be dead, are still being held in Gaza – the vast majority of them taken during Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, when some 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken captive
The scenes outside the Israeli leader’s homes culminated a day of anger that brought much of the country to a halt, following a call by the country’s largest labor union, known as Histadrut, to shut down the “entire” economy. Flights in and out of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport were also stopped for two hours.
Israeli court orders end of nationwide strike called over handling of hostage talks – The Guardian
Israel’s first nationwide general strike since the Hamas attacks of 7 October, which was convened in support of a deal to free hostages held in Gaza, has ended after eight hours with a court order for workers to go back to their jobs.
The strike was organised amid widespread public anger at the government’s handling of the war in Gaza after the discovery of the bodies of six hostages at the weekend.
It was called by Israel’s largest trade union, Histadrut, from 6am on Monday, closing government and municipal offices as well as schools and many private businesses. Israel’s international airport, Ben Gurion, was reported to have shut down at 8am local time (6am BST) for two hours.
Israel seeking to close down Unrwa, says agency’s chief after school bombing | United Nations– www.theguardian.com Source Link Excerpt:
A campaign is under way to drive the UN relief agency for Palestinians, Unrwa, out of existence, its commissioner general has said, days after 18 people were killed when Israeli jets bombed an Unrwa school in Gaza.
Philippe Lazzarini said in an interview that the Israeli government was seeking to close down the agency, having failed to persuade western donors to stop funding it on the grounds of allegations about links between Unrwa staff and Hamas.
“This deliberate attempt to eliminate Unrwa and prevent it from operating would have devastating consequences for the multilateral system, the UN and the cause of a Palestinian transition to self-determination,” Lazzarini said.
DOJ charges Hamas leader, other militants over Oct. 7 attacks – thehill.com
The Department of Justice has charged Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other militants over the group’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Tuesday.
The charges, unsealed Tuesday, accuse Sinwar and other senior Hamas leaders of “financing and directing a decades-long campaign to murder American citizens and endanger the security of the United States.”
The criminal complaint, filed in federal court in New York City, includes seven counts, including charges of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, resulting in death.
“In its attacks over the past three decades, Hamas has murdered or injured thousands of civilians, including dozens of American citizens,” Garland said in a video announcement.
Former British diplomat: Benjamin Netanyahu is the enemy of peace in Israel – lifesitenews.com
(LifeSiteNews) — In his latest interviews with Judge Antony Napolitano, former British diplomat and highly influential MI6 operative Alastair Crooke brings to his audience a view of the crisis in world events notably absent from the mainstream headlines.
In one of two videos below, Crooke argues that it is the Netanyahu regime rather than Hamas which is making any peace or hostage deal impossible – to prolong and escalate war in the region.
His work offers a comprehensive appraisal of the system of “mind management” pursued by the liberal-globalist West, whose partnership with Israel sees it focused on “narrative control” through media propaganda, while it loses wars in reality. Crooke is strongly committed to trying to bring about peace between warring factions.
After the killing of a Hezbollah leader, the terrorist organization launched a rocket campaign against Northern Israel that was met with the largest air attack by Israel against Lebanon since 2006. The war in Gaza is pressing on, with still no signs of an end as efforts to broker cease-fire deals failed. Following the massive air assault on Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, Israel also began an expanded West Bank operation, claiming “this is a war for everything.”
Israelis unleash deadly assault on West Bank: ‘This is a war for everything’
The Israeli military conducted a massive operation in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, killing at least nine people in a string of fierce gun battles across Jenin and other major cities as tensions heightened in a war that already has laid to waste most of Gaza.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday called on Israel to consider temporarily relocating Palestinians in Jenin and elsewhere during a major anti-terror raid. The Israeli military said it is allowing residents who wish to flee the combat zones to safely leave.
Israel is ramping up its efforts in the West Bank while continuing operations in Gaza, clashing with Iran-backed Hezbollah on its northern border with Lebanon at the same time commercial ships − some with Israeli ties − are threatened by Iran-backed, Yemen-based Houthi militants.
Netanyahu says won’t accept proposal ending Gaza war
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out accepting a ceasefire proposal that includes ending the war in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday.
The report comes after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the Israeli leader on Monday to discuss efforts to reduce tensions and reach an agreement on a ceasefire and release of hostages. Blinken claimed that Netanyahu had accepted the US ceasefire proposal.
The White House later claimed that significant progress had been made during the latest round of talks involving officials from Israel, Qatar, the US, and Egypt in the Qatari capital of Doha last week. Hamas skipped the negotiations, citing the absence of a clear plan.
Iran signals promised strike on Israel may not be imminent
Iranian officials are signaling this week that an attack against Israel may not be imminent, tamping down some of the more urgent rhetoric around threats to avenge Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed last month in a blast at his guesthouse in Tehran.
Iran had warned early on of a “devastating” reprisal to “punish” Israel for the assassination — but it later adjusted its language, and, in a statement Wednesday, the Iranian mission to the United Nations reinforced the government’s position that any response “must be carefully calibrated” to avoid affecting a potential cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
US Secretary of State Blinken urges Hamas to accept US proposal to end Gaza war
On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Hamas to accept a US proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza. This appeal came after a “very constructive” meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv.
Blinken emphasized that the latest effort to secure an agreement might be the best and possibly last opportunity for both sides.
The negotiations, which had stalled last week in Qatar, are expected to resume with the US proposal aimed at bridging the gaps between Israel and Hamas.
Despite Blinken’s optimism, tensions remain high. Hamas announced the resumption of suicide bombings in Israel after many years, and Israeli military strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians in Gaza on Monday.
“In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal – that he supports it,” Blinken stated. “It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same.”
Hamas: New U.S. proposal accommodates Netanyahu’s demands, prevents deal
Vice President Kamala Harris, asked outside a campaign event in Pennsylvania whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prepared to agree to a ceasefire, said that the U.S. is not giving up.
“I will not speak for him, but I will tell you these conversations are ongoing, and we’re not giving up. We’re going to continue to work very hard on this. We’ve got to get a cease-fire and we’ve got to get those hostages out,” Harris said.
U.S. President Joe Biden, when asked about the status of cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas after landing at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday, said “It’s still underway, we’re not giving up, [it’s] still possible.”
Turkey Tells Iran To Bring USA, Israel To ‘Knees’? Erdogan Abandons NATO After Invasion Threat?
NATO Nation Turkey made explosive remarks against the U.S. and Israel. Turkey’s ambassador to Iran, Hicabi Kırlangıç, asserted that Ankara will not dictate Iran’s response to Israeli actions, suggesting that “aggressor countries” like Israel and the U.S. should be “brought to their knees.” Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan also condemned U.S. support for Israeli actions. Watch for more.
The Myanmar Junta is extending its state of emergency an additional six months in what appears to be a bid to have to avoid facing elections. The junta took over after Aung San Suu Kyi won the election in 2021. She was arrested February 1, 2021, and has been imprisoned ever since.
The announcement comes at the same time as the junta lost a military base near the border with China, which is the northeastern command located in the city of Lashio, which is in the Shan State. The junta leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, made the announcement as he also accused “foreign countries” of providing arms to the junta, saying, “We need to investigate where these [drone] factories are getting their funds and technological support from.”
China Advised to Pick Friends More Wisely in Myanmar After Schmoozing With Junta
China will be unable to solve the crisis in Myanmar by holding talks with “untrustworthy” military dictators, U Kyaw Zaw, the spokesman of the President’s Office of the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) told The Irrawaddy.
He made the comment following the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Myanmar last week.
Wang visited Naypyitaw on August 14, holding talks with junta boss Min Aung Hlaing, the junta’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Than Swe as well as former military dictator Than Shwe.
During the meeting with the coup leader, Wang said China opposes chaos or conflict in Myanmar as well as any remarks that attempt to sow discord in China-Myanmar relations.
China hopes “Myanmar finds a path to long-term peace and stability,” he said.
His visit coincided with a string of humiliating defeats of Myanmar’s military in northern Shan State, Mandalay Region and Rakhine State.
Myanmar Junta Troops ‘Cornered’ in Two Northern Shan Townships
Heavy fighting is ongoing between Myanmar junta troops and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA)-led forces in the neighboring townships of Nawnghkio and Hsipaw, northern Shan State, according to residents and resistance forces.
Clashes erupted around Nawnghkio Township’s Taung Khan and Mat Man Taw villages on Sunday, said the TNLA, a member of the ethnic Brotherhood Alliance.
A junta Y-12 transport plane dropped at least 20 bombs on Nawnghkio Township hotspots on Sunday alone, according to the TNLA’s statement.
Fighting around the two villages continued on Monday, residents said.
Myanmar’s military regime extends state of emergency by 6 months as civil war rages
The military regime that seized power in Myanmar 3 1/2 years ago extended a state of emergency in the civil war-wracked country for another six months, saying Wednesday it needs time to prepare for long-promised elections.
The state of emergency was initially declared when troops ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021, arresting her and members of her National League for Democracy party.
The emergency decree empowers the military to assume all government functions, giving the head of the ruling military council, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, legislative, judicial and executive powers.
At the moment, the military regime is facing its greatest challenge since taking power. Powerful ethnic minority militias and people’s defense forces that support Myanmar’s main opposition have taken wide swaths of territory in fierce fighting in recent months.
The military is now estimated to control less than half the country, but is holding on tenaciously to much of central Myanmar, including the capital, Naypyidaw, which was recently targeted by small rocket attacks and two bombings.
Myanmar Rebels Claim Regional Military Base in Major Victory
A rebel army in Myanmar announced this weekend that it had overrun a regional military base near the border with China in what is likely to be the most significant victory yet for a patchwork of resistance groups that have challenged the country’s junta.
On Monday, Myanmar’s military rulers signaled that the insurgents had, in fact, made a major advance, saying the junta had lost contact with the base, the northeastern command in the city of Lashio in Shan State.
The junta leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, said in a speech later Monday that security forces had withdrawn in northern Shan State because they were “prioritizing the safety of the people.” He said the rebels were getting weapons and other supplies, including drones and short-range missiles, from “foreign countries,” which he didn’t identify. Some arms and ammunition were coming from factories just across the China-Myanmar border, he said.
“We need to investigate where these factories are getting their funds and technological support from,” the military leader said.
Bangkok, Aug 5 (EFE).- A powerful Myanmar guerrilla said Monday it had taken complete control of the Lashio military base, headquarters of the military junta in the northeast of the country, in one of the biggest rebel forces victories since the 2021 coup.
The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army said it completely took over the base Sunday, along with other allied forces against the junta, the northeast region headquarters. It also captured three senior army commanders, including a major general, a milestone for the rebels.
The prisoners are Gen. Soe Tint, Brigade Chief Thant Htin Soe and Brigade Chief Myo Min Htwe, captured alive and with whom the military junta has acknowledged losing contact since Saturday.
According to the statement, on the morning of Aug. 3, the entire military headquarters of the Northeast Region, called Ramakha and based in Lashio, in conflict-ridden Shan State, was attacked and captured by joint rebel forces.
During the battle, both sides fought and thousands of people, including members of the Myanmar army and their families, surrendered, although the exact number is unknown.
The just-elected Labour government of Britain has come out in support of illegal immigrants, Islam, and anything that opposes British national pride. As a result, protests and riots have exploded throughout Britian, with some being led by Brits and other being led by anti-Brits.
The anti-Brits get special treatment while the Brits get arrested, not just for being part of the riots, but for posting “mean” things online. So far, more than 2,000 people have been arrested. While the riots and protests are dying out, the discontent is only growing, and the arrests are only continuing. Britain is on the brink of civil war at this point.
UK Descends into Chaos as “Rule of Law” Apparently has Been Rescinded
On Sunday, I summarized new reports about the anti-immigration protests and unrest that erupted after three young girls were murdered at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in northwest England last week.
However, I want to go back and focus on the victims of the Southport stabbing, as the response of the elite media and the United Kingdom’s political elite have made choices that seem to be upending the rule of law that all citizens and institutions within a country, state, or community are accountable to the same laws,
You know…like the one first established in England by the Magna Carta.
To begin with, I tried to locate an in-depth summary of the victims, Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar. It was a challenge, as their names have been lost in an avalanche of reports attacking the far right”.
The heartbreak for the loss of little girls, who should have been safe in a children’s dance class, is palpable.
Jean Stevenson said Elsie Dot Stancombe was “absolutely the sweetest child you could ever wish to meet”.
Ms Stevenson said she had been teaching Elsie to sew, and remembered her delight at being able to make her own top.
“I thought I could go on giving her lessons and passing my skills on,” Ms Stevenson said as she laid flowers close to where Elsie was killed.
…Ms Stevenson was one of the thousands of people who have laid flowers or attended vigils since the attack.
She said: “It’s true what they say about the Southport community: a very close knit community, a very family-orientated area.
UK government calls on Elon Musk to act responsibly amid provocative posts as unrest grips country
LONDON — The British government has called on Elon Musk to act responsibly after the tech billionaire used his social media platform X to unleash a barrage of posts that officials say risk inflaming the violent unrest gripping the country.
Justice Minister Heidi Alexander made the comments Tuesday morning after Musk posted a comment saying that “Civil war is inevitable” in the U.K. Musk later doubled down, highlighting complaints that the British criminal justice system treats Muslims more leniently than far-right activists and comparing Britain’s crackdown on social media users to the Soviet Union.
“Use of language such as a ‘civil war’ is in no way acceptable,’’ Alexander told Times Radio. “We are seeing police officers being seriously injured, buildings set alight, and so I really do think that everyone who has a platform should be exercising their power responsibly.’’
Britain has been shaken by violence for more than a week, as police clashed with crowds spouting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans in cities and towns from Northern Ireland to the south coast of England. The unrest began after right-wing activists used social media to spread misinformation about a knife attack that killed three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event on July 29.
Musk stirs UK divisions, sparks calls for faster rollout of online safety laws
Elon Musk has been accused of exacerbating tensions after a week of far-right rioting in Britain, sparking calls for the government to speed up the rollout of laws policing harmful online content.
Misinformation and calls to violence have spread on social media over the past week after far-right and anti-Muslim groups seized on the fatal stabbing of three young girls in the English town of Southport.
Hundreds of counter-protestors gather ahead of 100 far-Right rallies
Far-Right demonstrators were left outnumbered on Wednesday night as thousands of counter-protesters crowded them out in towns and cities across England.
Police forces across the country braced for more than 100 far-Right demonstrations, with almost 4,000 specially-trained public order officers taking to the streets in anticipation of unrest.
Another 2,000 officers were placed on standby, meanwhile GP surgeries closed early and City workers were told to leave the office. In many towns and cities shops were also boarded up over fears of further rioting.
But it was the counter-protesters who turned out in far greater numbers.
In London, more than 5,000 people amassed in Walthamstow carrying banners of ‘Oppose Tommy Robinson’ and ‘Refugees Welcome’.
Hundreds of counter-protesters also gathered outside an immigration advice centre in Brentford and the Old Fire Station in Hackney.
Hundreds Arrested In UK As Rioters Clash With Police, Attack Buildings Following Stabbing Spree
Police arrested hundreds of rioters Sunday in violent clashes that erupted after a stabbing spree in the U.K., Fox News reported.
Rioters in the U.K. have set fires, beseiged mosques and clashed with police amid false rumors blaming an asylum-seeker for a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event, according to Fox News. The attack reportedly left three girls dead and others injured. A U.K. judge named Axel Rudakubana, a 17-year-old native of Rwandan descent, as the suspect charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder, the outlet reported.
Riots erupt in UK after stabbing spree falsely blamed on asylum seeker https://t.co/VHy5hABKsW
The revelation — unusual due to U.K. laws purposed to protect minors’ identities — aimed to stop the misinformation which reportedly sparked riots. In response to escalating violence, including the torching of a library and attacks on a Winston Churchill statue, U.K. authorities arrested hundreds while deploying substantial police forces, the outlet reported. In addition, the town of Rotherham reportedly experienced severe clashes, with rioters allegedly trying to storm a hotel sheltering asylum-seekers. Police reported multiple officer injuries, Fox News stated.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attacks and labeled the attacks as far-right thuggery.
“I guarantee you will regret taking part in this disorder, whether directly or those whipping up this action online and then running away themselves,” he said in a statement. “This is not a protest. It is organized, violent thuggery, and it has no place on our streets or online.”
On Sunday, the UK woke up to turmoil as the far right and anti-immigrant protests spread across Britain, resulting in violence, including clashes with riot police outside the hotel housing asylum seekers and looting shops. This chaos followed alleged misinformation about a…1/2 pic.twitter.com/vJVmxFz6Wr
Far right racist thugs control a traffic light in Middlesbrough according to colour of skin. Frightening and unsettling scenes from across the UK.#Riot#RiotsUKpic.twitter.com/z7iUSNPraW
— Bashir Gharwal غروال (@bashir_gharwall) August 4, 2024
“People in this country have a right to be safe, and yet we’ve seen Muslim communities targeted, attacks on mosques, other minority communities singled out, Nazi salutes in the street, attacks on the police, wanton violence alongside racist rhetoric, so no, I won’t shy away from calling it what it is: far-right thuggery,” he added.
The police have the means to deal with the raging violence, according to Defense Secretary John Healey
The British Army will not be involved in dealing with widespread rioting across the UK, Defense Secretary John Healey has said, insisting that police have the powers to protect the nation.
Healey was speaking to Sky News on Monday in Rotherham, where protesters set fire to a hotel housing asylum seekers.
Dozens of British towns and cities have been rocked by right-wing protests and riots against immigration and Islam since last Monday, when a British teenager of Rwandan descent stabbed three children to death and injured ten others in the town of Southport, near Liverpool.
Asked whether the army might have to be brought in to deal with any future riots, Healey replied: “No… it’s the police’s responsibility to respond first and currently they’ve got the means to do it.”
“They will make sure that people are safe,” Healey added.
Elon Musk calls PM ‘two-tier Keir’ over police response to UK riots
Elon Musk has called the prime minister “two-tier Keir” in reference to the conspiracy theory that police are treating white far-right “protesters” more harshly than minority groups.
Downing Street would not engage again with the billionaire owner of X, having previously said his comments about a potential civil war in the UK had “no justification”. Since that criticism, Musk has been repeatedly targeting Keir Starmer on his social media platform.
However, the Guardian understands Labour MPs have been privately warned not to engage in debate on Twitter about the far-right violence and to instead amplify calls for unity.
In a letter to MPs from the chief whip Alan Campbell, he says it is “important that you do not do anything that risks amplifying misinformation on social media and do not get drawn into debates online.”
UK riots raise the spectre of racism and evoke haunting memories
Since riots broke out across Britain, news outlets have focused on the role of disinformation shared on social media.
As far-right mobs rage in several towns, questions abound: should social media platforms crack down on the proliferation of dangerous conspiracy theories – primarily that people of immigrant and Muslim backgrounds are more likely to commit deadly crimes or sexual abuse? Are companies like TikTok inflammatory, allowing rioters to flaunt footage of their hate crimes with abandon?
There’s little doubt that social media plays a significant role in stoking tensions. However, the threat of the far right is not new, and many of their views entered the political mainstream long before we were glued to our screens.
Violence first flared after three girls – Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Bebe King, six – were stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift-themed summer holiday camp in Southport.
Far-right protesters clash with anti-racism groups, police across U.K.
A number of British police officers were injured Saturday as far-right activists faced off with anti-racism protesters. The clashes come following a stabbing attack at a dance class earlier this week that left three girls dead and several wounded.
With dozens of similar gatherings scheduled to take place around the country this weekend, police have mounted a significant security operation, deploying thousands more officers onto the streets, many in riot gear. Police have also made more prison cells available and are using surveillance and facial recognition technology.
On Saturday, Merseyside Police said a number of officers were injured in “serious disorder” in the centre of Liverpool, about 32 kilometres away from the scene of the stabbing attack in the seaside town of Southport, in England’s northwest.
In a series of posts on the social media platform X, the police force that covers Liverpool and Southport said there is “no place for this despicable behaviour which disrupts the lives of members of the public who live in the city, or are visiting to enjoy the amenities the city has to offer.”
Far-right riots erupt in U.K. in the wake of child murders
The United Kingdom woke up Sunday morning to city streets covered in debris and smoldering rubbish as a weekend of far-right, anti-immigration demonstrations — stoked by conspiracy theories spread on social media — erupted into violence in seven cities across the nation.
Police arrested at least 100 people, and riot police wearing helmets and holding shields came out in force as Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to take action against “extremists.”
On Saturday, groups in Leeds waving St. George’s Cross flags, England’s national flag regularly flown by far-right groups, shouted “Muslims off our streets,” pairing it with a slur suggesting they were criminal child abusers. In the city of Hull, rioters threw bottles and smashed a window at a hotel housing asylum-seekers as demonstrators clashed with police.
What started as targeted anti-immigration demonstrations quickly descended into directionless disorder. A library in Liverpool, reopened in 2023 as an “education to employment” service for people of all abilities, was set ablaze.
One police officer in the city was hit on the head with a chair and another kicked and knocked off his motorcycle. The police force responsible for the region has confirmed that two officers were taken to the hospital with injuries.
The protesters clashed as campaign group Stand Up To Racism and a “stop the boats” rally met at Guildhall Square in Plymouth this evening.
Devon and Cornwall Police also said violence had been carried out against its officers and a riot van had been damaged during the confrontation.
It comes as almost 400 people have been arrested over the mob violence spreading across the UK, with the prime minister setting up a “standing army” of specialist police officers to deal with further attacks.
Sir Keir Starmer has held an emergency Cobra meeting after far-right mobs carried out racist attacks and set fire to hotels housing asylum seekers in Rotherham and Tamworth.
Meanwhile, Australia, Nigeria, Malaysia and Indonesia have all issued travel alerts to their nationals visiting the UK as far-right violence sweeps across the country.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators across Europe demand cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war
Protests and counter-protests are continuing across Europe as the Israel-Hamas war exceeds 300 days.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators took part in cease-fire rallies across Europe as the Israel-Hamas war passes 300 days.
Dozens of pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered in Paris on Saturday, demanding a solution to the ongoing war and calling for a boycott of Israel at the ongoing Olympic Games.
The protesters held banners calling for “sanctions against Israeli war criminals,” “Save Palestine” and “Stop the genocide of Palestinians.”
Many also expressed anger at seeing Israel’s flag at the Paris Olympic Games.
Activists said Israeli athletes should have competed with a neutral status like those from Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine.
“My opinion is that Israel should not have anything to do with the (Olympic) Games,” said 59-year-old demonstrator Abdelali Mebarki, “Russians are taking part in the games without a banner, why not Israel as well?”
UK police arrest two pro-Palestine activists under organised crime laws
Two men who supported a direct action protest by a pro-Palestine campaign at an arms factory have been arrested on suspicion of being part of an organised crime group.
Police swooped on the pair last week over the roles they played in a Palestine Action protest two months ago. It is believed to be the first use of organised crime laws against protesters in the UK.
Lawyers criticised the arrests. Raj Chada of Hodge Jones & Allen one of the UK’s leading protest lawyers who has represented Palestine Action, Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion supporters in court, called them “a very concerning development”.
Seven protesters broke into the Instro Precision factory in Sandwich, Kent, in June. Activists say the facility makes targeting equipment for the Israeli military.
Once inside they smashed equipment, doused the walls with red paint and barricaded the doors before waited for police to arrive. All were arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary.
Kent police said: “Two people have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and suspicion of participating in the activities of an organised crime group following a report of a protest at Discovery Park, Sandwich, on Monday 17 June 2024.
UK proposes giving digital workers the ‘right to switch off’
Britain’s new Labour government is the latest legislature to consider how it might make it easier for digital workers using always-on technologies to turn them off at the end of the working day.
In Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay, published before it won the UK’s July general election, it promised to address the issue, saying “We will bring in the ‘right to switch off’ so working from home does not result in homes turning into 24/7 offices.”
And this week it brought the issue back into the spotlight, with a government spokesperson telling the BBC, “Good employers understand that for workers to stay motivated and productive they do need to be able to switch off, and a culture presenteeism can be damaging to productivity,” a government spokesperson told the BBC on Monday.
