10 pm MST
Midnight Meme Of The Day!
*by Noah* At this point in time, we can only logically assume that those in the House and Senate that insist on continuing to protect Trump are guilty of similar if not the same things. They are all implicated, if not by their actions then by their choices. They are more than just mere accomplices. They are more than accessories after the fact. They are, now, at the least, co-conspirators. How deep does this go? For instance, what did the Moscow 8 (7 $enators, 1 Congresswoman) discuss with the Russians when they flew to Moscow for July 4th(!) 2018 meetings at the Kremlin. They ha... more »
Brazil and Paraguay to Enter Automotive Agreement
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The Brazilian government is close to closing an automotive agreement with Paraguay, which will allow the abolition of tariffs on parts and automobiles sold between the two countries. The announcement would be made during the 55th Mercosur Summit of Heads of State, held on Thursday, December 5th, in Bento Gonçalves […] The post Brazil and Paraguay to Enter Automotive Agreement appeared first on The Rio Times.
Instagram Starts Banning Accounts for Children Under 13 Years of age
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Unlike Facebook, Instagram did not ask users for their birth date during registration. However, the social media announced that as of Wednesday, December 4th, this information will be required to prevent children under the age of 13 from creating accounts. Despite the change, Instagram will only request the age of […] The post Instagram Starts Banning Accounts for Children Under 13 Years of age appeared first on The Rio Times.
OAS Audit Unveils Malicious Manipulation in Bolivian Elections
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The OAS claims that there was malicious manipulation (with the intention of committing the crime) and serious irregularities, facts that preclude the validation of the result. The ballot was held on October 20th and, after a questionable poll, the victory of then-presidential candidate Evo Morales in the first round was […] The post OAS Audit Unveils Malicious Manipulation in Bolivian Elections appeared first on The Rio Times.
Colombo Draws The Red Line For India
Sri Lanka is a role model for the dictum of diplomacy being the extension of a country’s national policies. Sri Lanka’s performance must be commended since it also grapples with an unresolved nationality question in which its big neighbour India has historically staked claim as stakeholder, a claim that Colombo […]
Why Is Japan Buying F-3 Fighters Instead of the Stealth F-35
*Charlie Gao* *Security, * [image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_F-2#/media/File:20170810034434!Mitsubishi_F-2_in_flight_23_(cropped).jpg] They've got a plan. *Key Point:* The F-3 is a better fit for the Japanese domestic aerospace market. In February 2019, Japan turned heads with its decision to proceed with the development of an indigenous stealth fighter jet. This came in the wake of the decision to purchase more than one hundred American F-35 jets, and the supposed cancellation of the Japanese X-2 stealth fighter prototype in 2018. The Japanese Ministry of Defens... more »
America's Sherman Tank: The Best World War II Killer, Or Just What Was Available?
*Kyle Mizokami* *History, Europe* It greatly contributed to the war effort. *Key point: *The side with the Sherman won the war. American tanks in World War II were generally inferior to their German counterparts. German tanks boasted better armor protection and more firepower. But armor and lethality don’t tell the whole story. The same American tanks were superior to their rivals in other important ways. The M-4 Sherman, in particular, helped the U.S. Army win the war—even though, in battle, German tanks destroyed them en masse. The Sherman’s inadequacies were products of its ... more »
What China Wants to Learn (And Maybe Buy?) from Russia's Su-57 Fighter
*Michael Peck* *Technology, Europe* [image: https://pictures.reuters.com/archive/RUSSIA-FIGHTER--GM1E61T199601.html] Secrets to discover or failures to learn from? *Key point: *Beijing wants more stealth fighters and Moscow wants more money. Perhaps a trade is in the offing? China should learn from Russia’s Su-57 stealth fighter, according to Chinese media. The article in Chinamil.com, the Chinese military’s English-language news site, was peculiar in that it both criticized and praised the Su-57, of which Russia has only built ten so far, with thirteen more slated for 2020. “... more »
Ready, Aim, Fire! 5 Guns That Made War The Hell It Is Today
*Kyle Mizokami* *Technology, * Armies need guns. *Key point: *Infantry combat remains critical to warfare, even today. Modern warfare has seen breathtaking advances in the last hundred years, as mortal competition between nations spawns successively deadlier weapons. Aircraft, missiles, tanks, submarines and other inventions—many of which did not exist in practical terms in 1914—have quickly earned key positions in the militaries of the world. Yet there is still one invention that, although conceived more than five hundred years ago, still has a vital place on today’s battlefiel... more »
These 5 Weapons Explain Why The World Banned Chemical Weapons
*Dina Esfandiary* *Security, World* A low investment in exchange for serious consequences. Modern chemical weapons were introduced during World War I in an effort to reduce the deadlock of trench warfare. But they are subject to topography and weather patterns. As munitions have become more precise, their tactical advantage is being eroded. Today, they horrify more than they contribute to victories on the ground. Their indiscriminate nature and unpredictability, coupled with the sometimes-gruesome effects they have make them effective weapons of fear. Below are five of the worst... more »
'It's like a miracle': British hiker revived after six-hour cardiac arrest
Just In - 21 hours ago
The low mountain temperatures that almost killed Audrey Schoeman by putting her into hypothermic cardiac arrest for hours, also helped to save her life.
Brisbane doctor who sexually assaulted patient gets three months in jail
Just In - 21 hours ago
A Brisbane doctor is sentenced to eight months jail but will only spend three behind bars after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 26-year-old female patient.
Emergency warning as fires flare in Queensland amid extreme heat
Just In - 21 hours ago
A number of fires break out in South-East Queensland amid a severe heatwave, including a fast-moving blaze north of Lowood that has sparked an emergency declaration.
'Depravity of the highest order': Mother, stepfather admit dozens of charges of abusing daughter, son
Details are revealed of the horrific sexual abuse of two young children at the hands of their "swinging" parents, uncovered when a member of the public came across their "depraved" video recording.
New Zealand's glaciers are turning red, and it might be Australia's fault
The ice on New Zealand's pristine glaciers is turning red and some experts believe drought in Australia could be to blame.
'Gamblers are being cheated': Wilkie and Costello call for industry royal commission
Federal MP Andrew Wilkie and Reverend Tim Costello call for a royal commission into gambling after the ABC publishes allegations of a sports betting company cheating the winners.
Have you ever lost a thong at the beach? It could have turned up at Melbourne Zoo
A new art installation is using more than 1,000 thongs scooped up from our beaches to draw attention to the changes people can make in everyday life to help tackle pollution in our oceans.
Lang to be retried over death of Maureen Boyce after court finds evidence may have been 'misleading'
A retired Brisbane doctor facing murder charges over the stabbing death of Maureen Boyce will be retried after his legal team argued the judge erred by admitting evidence of suicide rates among Australian women.
Last year's YouTube Rewind was the most hated video ever, this year's is not looking good
Just In - 21 hours ago
YouTube's annual Rewind video has changed its format after last year's became the most disliked video of all time with more than 16 million thumbs down, but people still do not like this year's iteration.
Face to face with an accused serial killer — victim tells of terrifying Bradley Edwards encounter
A woman attacked by Bradley Edwards as she slept in her bed eight years before his alleged murder spree began recounts the night she came face to face with the accused Claremont serial killer.
Uber reports more than 3,000 alleged sexual assaults in US last year
Just In - 21 hours ago
Ride-hailing platform Uber releases its first safety report in the United States, revealing there were thousands of reports of sexual assaults by its drivers or passengers last year, but CEO Dara Khosrowshahi feels the company is on the right track.
Jetstar strike threatens Christmas holiday plans
Passengers booked on a flight with low-budget airline Jetstar could have their holiday plans disrupted, with ground crews, baggage handlers and pilots expected to strike in the weeks leading up to Christmas and beyond.
Police officer who stoned wombat to death allowed to stay in job
Just In - 21 hours ago
An off-duty Aboriginal police officer escapes criminal charges for throwing rocks at a wombat on South Australia's west coast. An investigation found his actions were "not inconsistent with traditional hunting practices".
An influx of polar bears has shut down a Russian town
Just In - 21 hours ago
More than 50 polar bears infiltrate a village in northern Russia in search of food, a phenomenon experts say is linked to the "decline of the sea ice area".
Police officer who shot knife-wielding man four times acted in 'exemplary' manner, inquest finds
The police shooting of a man displaying "irrational, intimidatory, violent and suicidal behaviour" was tragic — but officers acted in an "exemplary" manner, a coronial inquest finds.
'Something is desperately wrong' with Australia's economy and rate cuts won't fix it
Former Treasury boss Ken Henry warns Australia's economy is weak because of "structural deficiencies" that cannot be fixed by interest rate cuts, tax reductions or government spending.
Asia Unites Against US Coup Attempt
*December 6, 2019* (Joseph Thomas - NEO) - The nations of Southeast Asia have united in efforts to prevent a US-backed coup aimed at fellow-Southeast Asian state Cambodia. Through a combination of travel bans and detentions across the region in late October and early November, Southeast Asia may have thwarted attempts by Washington-backed opposition front, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), from "returning" from its US and European exile to Cambodia where it sought to stir up unrest and sow instability. The US seeks to disrupt, divide and even destroy the growing list of n... more »
Asia Unites Against US Coup Attempt
*December 6, 2019* (Joseph Thomas - NEO) - The nations of Southeast Asia have united in efforts to prevent a US-backed coup aimed at fellow-Southeast Asian state Cambodia. Through a combination of travel bans and detentions across the region in late October and early November, Southeast Asia may have thwarted attempts by Washington-backed opposition front, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), from "returning" from its US and European exile to Cambodia where it sought to stir up unrest and sow instability. The US seeks to disrupt, divide and even destroy the growing list of n... more »
Unpasteurized spinach drink tied to increase of cryptosporidium cases
Officials in Sweden are investigating a recent increase in the number of cryptosporidiosis cases. Folkhälsomyndigheten (Public Health Agency of Sweden) has linked some illnesses to one brand of an unpasteurized pre-purchased freshly pressed fruit and vegetable drink. Investigations indicate it is spinach in the drink, delivered in October, that is the source of infection but... Continue Reading
New Zealand cracks down on unregistered unpasteurized milk sales
The Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand has told unregistered raw drinking milk suppliers to stop sales until they comply with legal requirements. Compliance staff from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) executed search warrants this past week at non-compliant raw milk suppliers in Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu, Horowhenua, Nelson, and Southland following a... Continue Reading
BWorld 391, COP 25 and fossil fuels
* My column in BusinessWorld, December 03, 2019. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC) 25th Conference of Parties (COP 25) is held in Madrid starting this week, Dec, 2-13. In a press release dated Nov, 29, “COP25 to Be the Launchpad for Significantly more Climate Ambition,” it reiterated the target of annual climate money: “We will continue to urge developed nations to fulfill their pledge of mobilizing $100 billion annually by 2020. We also must see overall global finance flows… away from carbon-heavy investment and towards more sustainable and resilient growth. ... more »
December 6th – 2019 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day #1051
In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and … Continue reading →
Friday December 6th – Open Thread
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those … Continue reading →
Oracle Accused by US DOL of Discriminating Against Non-Asian Workers in Recruiting & Hiring; Underpaying Women & Minorities; Hearings Started
An Oracle head of human resources said “Well, if you hire a woman, she will work harder for less money,” … Continue reading →
AG William Barr Speech to Notre Dame
Attorney General of the United States, William Barr has given an address at Notre Dame University Law School on October 11, 2019. “…Today, I would like to share some thoughts with you about religious liberty in America. It’s an important priority in this Administration and for this Department of Justice.” Here is a synopsis of AG Barr’s speech. There is a link to the entire speech at the end: “We have set up a task force within the Department in which different components that have equities in this area including the Solicitor General’s Office, the Civil Division, the Office of … Co... more »
CNN PH and climate, FIT-All and coal
Last year, June 26, 2018, I received an email from Mr. Chad de Guzman, Digital Producer of CNN Philippines. He was writing about the Feed in Tariff Allowance (FIT-All) and asked me several questions. Backgrounder -- FIT-All is additional cost in the monthly bill of all electricity consumers nationwide, the difference between the guaranteed price (for 20 years) of favored renewables and the market clearing price (MCP) in WESM. In short, subsidies to renewables, especially wind-solar. This is contained in the RE law of 2008 or RA 9513 but FIT-All was imposed only in 2013, started with... more »
Rather Than Starting World War III, Cutting Undersea Cables Could End One
*Steve Weintz* *Security, * It could bring a country to a standstill. *Key point: *Modern militaries are more reliant on the internet than ever before. When a July 2015 undersea tremor triggered a rockslide between the islands of Saipan and Tinian in the Northern Marianas Islands, it cut the only fiber-optic cable connecting the archipelago to the global network. Air traffic control grounded flights, automated teller machines shut down, web and phone connections broke. All the feared impacts of a cyber attack became real for the islanders. A Taiwan-based cable repair ship even... more »
US Navy's Zumwalt-Class Destroyer Program Is A Failure
Reuters *Sebastien Roblin, National Interest:* *Is This Flaw In The Navy's Stealth Zumwalt-Class Destroyer Fatal?* *These "stealth" ships might not be worth the cost.* *Key Point:* Costoverruns and a failure to match the ship with a proper weapons system has people scratching their heads on what the Zumwalt-class destroyers are actually useful for. In January 2019, the Navy will commission its second hi-tech Zumwalt-class stealth destroyer, the USS Michael Monsoor. The third and last, USS Lyndon B. Johnson was launched this December 2018 and will be commissioned in 2022. Traditio... more »
Devin Nunes Responds To Adam Schiff “Subpoenaing” Private Phone Records….
HPSCI Ranking Member Devin Nunes responds to the possibilities of how HPSCI Chairman Adam Schiff gained private phone records for use in his impeachment effort. . One of the possibilities is that Lev Parnas is a foreign national. SDNY gets … Continue reading →
The Senate and Impeachment Dynamic…
As the House impeachment of President Donald Trump becomes more of a forgone political conclusion it’s worth considering what terms and conditions Senate Leader Mitch McConnell will extract in order to preserve a Trump Presidency. Most political pundits will not … Continue reading →
French Judge Orders the Release of British Scientist, Lynda Thyer, Who Was Extradited and Falsely Accused of Selling GcMAF, an Alternative Cancer Treatment
The National Health Federation that provided legal counsel for Thyer says the regulatory agencies in the UK and France are controlled by pharmaceutical corporations and are determined to stop the use of GcMAF because it is competition to their products.
Bannon's Scammy Wall Halted In Texas
Neo-fascist Trump supporter, Stephen Bannon, decided to ignore all the legal barriers and just build a wall of hatred and bigotry with money from Trump racist, xenophobic supporters. He probably shouldn't have picked bright blue Hidalgo County, Texas for the stunt. In 2016, Hillary crushed Trump there-- 79.0% to 18.9%. Last year, Beto clubbed Ted Cruz and in the gubernatorial race, Lupe Valdez had a landslide win against Gov. Greg Abbott. Hidalgo is split up between 3 congressional districts, all firmly in the hands of Democrats. Hidalgo dominates TX-15 and performed last year as ... more »
Renowned Assyrian Director Terrence Malick to Be Honored
Assyrian International News Agency - 1 day ago
Terrence Malick.A movie director who once called Bartlesville home for a time in his life, Terrence Malick, will be honored with his own medallion outside the Circle Cinema Oklahoma Hall of Fame in Tulsa.
Chaldean Patriarch Cancels Public Christmas Celebrations in Iraq
Assyrian International News Agency - 1 day ago
Baghdad (Agenzia Fides) - There will be no decorated Christmas trees in the churches or streets, no celebrations and no reception at the patriarchate. The head of Iraq's Chaldean Catholic Church announced that the community would not hold public celebrations of Christmas out of respect for those killed and wounded in recent anti-government protests,