Hillsong accused of money laundering and tax evasion by Australian MP under parliamentary privilege

Andrew Wilkie claims church money spent on the kind of shopping that would embarrass a Kardashian as he tables alleged whistleblower documents.

The colony's police forces have been acting like sovereign citizens for quite some time now.

Although the 'soverign citizen' movement allegedly originated in the United States, is technically an oxymoron, Australia's police forces have been implementing this ideology for quite some time.

Spot the very odd man out

Are you looking for a way to upgrade the look and feel of your home without breaking the bank? Motorised blinds are an easy, affordable solution that can add both convenience and style to any room.

From improved energy efficiency to enhanced safety features, motorised blinds offer numerous benefits that make them well worth considering. In this blog post, well explore five reasons why upgrading to motorised blinds is a smart move for anyone looking for an easy way to update their space.

Improved Convenience

Motorised blinds are a great choice if youre looking for convenience in window coverings. No more struggling with heavy curtains or winding strings with motorised blinds, all you have to do is press the button and watch your blinds go up and down as you please. These fantastic window coverings come with various options such as timer settings, voice commands, and more, which makes it easy to adjust your blinds accordingly even when away from home.

Motorised blinds can also be synced with other smart systems in the house and provide optimal light control and improved energy efficiency. All in all, you can upgrade to motorised blinds today for hassle-free convenience all day, every day.

Energy Efficiency

Homeowners looking to save money on energy costs should consider installing motorised blinds. They are an effective way to reduce the amount of air conditioning used in summer and heating in winter, while also helping to insulate the house from sunlight and other exterior elements.

With just a click of a button, you can easily open or close the blinds depending on the time of day or season for maximum energy efficiency. Installing motorised blinds will reduce your energy bills and create a more comfortable living environment all year round.

Increased Safety

Upgrading to motorised blinds can be a great way to increase your familys safety in the home. Motorised blinds are operated remotely and allow for easy control, meaning no need to fiddle with cords or rods that can pose a risk to young children and pets that can get tangled up in them.

Motorised blinds also give you better control over the amount of sunlight and privacy coming into your home, he...

This week, the Federal Government had the opportunity to end a decade of cruel, inhumane treatment of 150 people stranded in offshore detention. Instead, the Albanese Government voted with the Coalition and One Nation to block Greens senator Nick McKims Evacuation to Safety Bill that would remove the last refugees from Nauru and Papua New Guinea. 

The vote came after the Senate committee examining the bill pushed the Albanese Government to urgently consider all options to evacuate the refugees remaining in offshore detention, but inexplicably stopped short of support for the legislation to require it.  

In its submission to the inquiry, the Human Rights Law Centre outlined the dysfunction of current processes for transfers to Australia and the ongoing impact of family separation caused by offshore detention.  

While in opposition, the Labor government supported the former Medevac legislation, and committed to improving processes for medical transfers and oversight of healthcare. The Albanese government has not acted on those commitments and has declined the opportunity offered by the bill to carry them out.   

Scott Cosgriff, Senior Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre said:  

Offshore processing is a failed policy that has cost far more in human suffering than can be measured by the billions of dollars wasted on it.  

Successive governments have sought to normalise the ongoing atrocity of offshore detention by prolonging the mistreatment of people who remain there year upon year, under the pretence that they are engaged in a resettlement process.  

The Albanese government cannot evade responsibility for people in offshore centres by pretending that it no longer controls peoples lives or medical treatment. With or without legislation, the Albanese government is directly responsible for the futures of the people trapped offshore, and has the power to act on that responsibility. 

The Albanese Government needs to evacuate the 150 people stranded in Nauru and Papua New Guinea, shut down offshore detention, and end this cruel, inhumane and heartless chapter in Australias history once and for all. 
 
Read the Human Rights Law Centres submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee on the Evacuation to Safety Bill. 

Media Contact:
Thomas Feng
Human Rights Law Centre
Media and Communications Manager thomas.feng@hrlc.org.au
0431 285 275

by Mary W Maxwell, LLB

There are many conspiracy theories about wrongdoing by government. A typical one is The CIA deliberately arranged for JFKs motorcade to be in a place where he could get assassinated. It remains only a theory no member of the motorcade team ever swore in court, or on a TV news show, that they had been instructed to let the assassination happen.

Of course, there could be a general investigation in which eyewitnesses or expert witnesses tell whatever they know and a panel of judges draws a conclusion, for example, that The CIA knowingly contributed on November 22, 1963, to the...

Queenslands public sector whistleblowing laws are in need of an urgent overhaul, a coalition of organisations have told an independent review into the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010 (Qld) being undertaken by former Supreme Court judge Alan Wilson KC.

In the submission, the Centre for Governance and Public Policy at Griffith University, Human Rights Law Centre and Transparency International Australia have called for significant reform to ensure Queenslands public sector whistleblowers are protected and empowered in speaking up. 

The Wilson review was commissioned by Attorney-General Hon Shannon Fentiman following the Coaldrake Review into culture and accountability in Queensland government and the Commission of Inquiry into the Crime and Corruption Commission. 

Queenslands public sector whistleblowing laws were once world-leading; they now lag behind other Australian jurisdictions. To better protect Queensland whistleblowers, the joint submission identifies four central reform priorities: 

1. The establishment of an independent body to oversee and enforce the PID Act, and provide support to whistleblowers; 

2. Accessible and practically-enforceable remedies, given shortcomings in the current law; 

3. A positive duty on Queensland government agencies to protect whistleblowers; and 

4. Careful reform to exclude personal work-related grievances from the laws scope. 

The Wilson Review is expected to report in late April. 

A J Brown, Professor at Griffith University and Board member at Transparency International Australia, said: 

Queensland once led Australia in protecting whistleblowers, becoming only the second jurisdiction in the world with dedicated whistleblower protection laws following the first Fitzgerald Inquiry. But Queenslands PID Act has not kept pace with subsequent legislative innovation domestically and internationally, and is now out of date. 

Recent inquiries and reviews have underscored the importance of whistleblowers to upholding an accountable, transparent and pro-integrity culture within the Queensland public service. The reforms we propose would ensure Queensland is once again the leading Australian jurisdiction in empowering whistleblowers to speak up about government wrongdoing. 

Kieran Pender, Senior Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, said: 

When whistleblowers speak up about government wrongdoing and human rights violations they make Queensland a better place. But too often, their whistleblowing goes unheeded or they face retaliation at work for doing the right thing. We are encouraged by this important review and the Queensland government...

Contributed by Glen Davis

Around the world people are stunned, horrified, at the scale of the recent earthquakes in Syria and Turkey. The death toll continues rising, the damage to infrastructure, and the economy, almost immeasurable.

Syria is in the middle of a long running bloody war. There is the government of Bashar-al-Assad, supported by Russia. Against his forces are Islamist opponents, who have attracted some limited support from the United States and its

Turkey is recognised as a constitutional republic overseen by the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an autocratic leader who sees current day Turkey as a modern contemporary of the Ottoman Empire. His government is only too quick to crack down on any sign of dissent, let along give any acknowledgement to the needs of groups like the Kurds.

Photo by sin Akgul/AFP: Turkish soldier walks among destroyed buildings in Hatay

With the wide scale collapse, destruction, of built structures, people are wondering why these buildings collapsed so easily, killing, trapping thousands. Fingers are being pointed at planning, or lack of proper planning, involved in the building processes. The government appears complicit in these actions, actions that exacerbate this human tragedy.

Turkey, Syria, neither are bastions of democracy as in both places the bulk of the populace remain poor, disenfranchised from the real power in their nations. The impact of these devastating earthquakes can only increase the prevalent inequality.

Anyhow while were on earthquakes lets go back in time to the 1970s to another severe earthquake. In Nicaragua 1972 saw a serious earthquake magnitude 6.2. This particularly hit the capital Managua and claimed the lives of over 10,000 of its population of 400,000. Over 80,000 of Managuas commercial buildings were destroyed. Devastation meant a massive rebuilding program.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has forced Freedom of Information Commissioner Leo Hardiman to resign from his position by making it impossible for him to do his job properly which is a textbook []

These ladies, sisters, have been fighting for justice for a long time. I hope they are suitably rewarded.

Ive always believed them.

As contemporary society continues to digitize, life in the metaverse raises the same timeless questions about what happens after death.

Wenn ihr mal sehen wollt, wie eine Kleinstadt aussieht, nachdem die russische Armee durchgerollt ist: Hier gibt es Nachher-Fotos aus Mariinka.

Update: Zum Vergleich: Wesel 1945, Berlin 1945, Grozny 1994. Krieg ist Scheie.

The pedophile Frank Houston founder of Hillsong. Pictured here in the 1940s when he was sexually abusing boys in New Zealand Salvation Army orphanages.

Donald Elley of Bellingen

Australia remains a satellite of the US imperium, and its officials seem obligated to pave the way for a conflict with China.

The post War Over Taiwan: Australias Gang Of Five appeared first on OrientalReview.org.

In 1998, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, Denis Halliday, resigned in protest against UN Security Council sanctions on Iraq, using the term genocide when he explained reasons for his resignation.

Before Hallidays resignation, the US ambassador to the UN, Madeleine Albright had been asked if she thought the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children from US sanctions were worth it. She replied: I think that is a very hard choice, but the price, we think, the price is worth it.

Australias strategic allies in the UNSC America and Britain had voted for the sanctions on Iraq, while Russia, France and China abstained: no country used its veto power to oppose them, so they became law.

People walk past damaged buildings at the Yarmouk refugee camp on the southern outskirts of Damascus Reuters

In a 2021 interview, Denis Halliday explained: We kill people with sanctions. Sanctions are not a substitute for warthey are a form of warfare.

If we accept this as a truth, then Australia has been involved in a war on Syria and its people since 2011 when Julia Gillards government imposed sanctions on Syria. According to DFAT: Australia has imposed sanctions in relation to Syria to reflect Australias grave concern at the Syrian regimes deeply disturbing and unacceptable use of violence against its people.

But what do we know about the truth of events in Syria?

We have come to accept lies were told to enable a war on Iraq. For those of us who are aware of US and UK interference in Syrian affairs over decades, we can safely assume lies have been told to enable the war on Syria.

Today, for a broade...

No Fibs coverage of the Elands communitys campaign to end native forest logging in NSW. My very long Twitter thread starts here https://twitter.com/margokingston1/status/1612289978830327808?s=20 The time is NOW to stop Forestry NSW logging our native forests. #SaveBulgaForest the #NSWVotes frontline + a divinely beautiful legal campsite with lots of room beside a swimming river & close []

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the authors name (desktop version)

To receive Global Researchs Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter and

The post Virgin Australia Flight from Adelaide to Perth Forced to Make Emergency Landing as First Officer Suffered Heart Attack 30 Minutes After Departure on March 3, 2023 appeared first on Global Research.

I traveled back in time to ask the women of 1979 what International Women's Day meant to them. [THIS VIDEO HAS A TRIGGER WARNING] #InternationalWomensDay #womenleaders #WomeninBusiness pic.twitter.com/oeK7l1rP3J (@realnickholt) March 8, 2023

The video and podcast audios in the Daily Telegraph article below can be accessed in this article online.

Link to article:

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/predatory/mum-tells-of-her-shock-at-discovering-the-truth-about-her-husband/news-story/81cb866b7fb5a86221c55f975c1bd6fa 

Source: Alexis Punnett of Mt Druitts Facebook photos

Documents tendered to the court reveal Punnett possessed child abuse material from January 1 2017 up until the date of his arrest on January 10 2023.

The material was contained on multiple devices, police facts reveal, including on two separate Apple iPads and an Oppo brand mobile phone. Daily Telegraph article below

Now that the US government has all but admitted that COVID is a bioweapon, will Patreon and YouTube restore my accounts and pay damages?

All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the Translate Website button below the authors name.

To receive Global Researchs Daily Newsletter (selected articles), click here.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter and subscribe to

The post Wanting War over Taiwan: Australias Gang of Five appeared first on Global Research.

 https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/perth-mint-sold-billions-doped-gold-china-tried-cover-it-report

The post Acknowledging Women Blakademics on International Womens Day appeared first on IndigenousX.

Introduction by Dee McLachlan

Where do you start? A brief article to ignite comments.

Almost nothing from the government is truthful. Almost nothing from the media is truthful. Everything is an orchestrated setup in this matrix designed to fragment the mind; fragm...

Its out! Join me on my new podcast series. Can liberal democracies prevail against authoritarian populists at home and dictators abroad? @LiSTNRau #auspol https://t.co/iQo6Cpma87 pic.twitter.com/H0EZTXmmr5 Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) March 6, 2023

Senator Lidia Thorpe has been cleared of contempt of parliament after an investigation into a relationship with a former bikie leader. During her speech, she called out her critics, gestured towards Pauline Hanson, and demanded an apology. Read more: https://t.co/94F5vp13Cg pic.twitter.com/QpYBq5yxbd SBS News (@SBSNews) March 8, 2023

is he going to Ukraine?pic.twitter.com/m8ZDpeisJS Rob (@_Rob_Ware) March 8, 2023

This is ABC junior business reporter Emilia Terzon complaining about how much she's paid for the work she does. By community standards, ABC journalists are well paid - and substantially more than many Australians who actually do work bloody hard ... like cleaners, nurses, police officers, and soldiers. But she's...

I know for a fact that a couple of blokes were saying pretty shitty things about me half-tanked in the back of a cab the other day. Where do I register and publish my outrage? Or maybe best that I ignore it and get on with life. Id like to...

After Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) was arrested for massive fraud in November, there has been a reckoning in the EA movement to which SBF belonged. Ive linked to several critics discussing how SBFs actions could have been attributed to EA philosophy and practices, and even offered my own humble commentary.

Of course, its very easy to get distracted by philosophical arguments, and miss whats staring in our face. The much more obvious takeaway from the whole affair is: EA was overinvested in cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency is evil, why were they invested in it at all?

Yes, fraud can come from any sector, and no, not every person involved in crypto is fraudulent to the same degree as SBF. No, SBF is not proof of the depravity of crypto. What SBF proves, is that EA has been supportive of, and dependent on crypto. EA insiders must have already known, and maybe some readers already knew, but I didnt know! I didnt know EA had so much crypto in it! Why is that? And why dont they stop?

The most likely and obvious answer is that many people in EA are convinced that crypto is good, or at least not convinced that its bad. And if any EA folks are anti-crypto, they are either unable or unwilling to do anything about it.

In general, I am pessimistic about ever persuading people in EA of anything, because theyre the sort of people who demand conformity to their own rigorous style of argument. No, I dont have any new arguments as to why crypto is evil. Instead, I observe that crypto-skepticism is curiously muted in EA. Rather than expecting someone like me to supply a criticism of crypto, EA should be spending its own damn analytical, educational, and institutional resources to learn how to invest ethically.

Lets look at what people have said about crypto in the EA forums.

Crypto as a cause area

From February 2021, The Transformative Potential of Cryptocurrencies. This is an article proposing that crypto as a possible cause areathat is to say, something EA could donate to in order to produce good in the world. Among other things, they make the absurd argument that crypto is good for the world because some people get rich from it.

2) Smart individuals (or lucky early-adopters) can become, or have become quite rich by utilizing the enormous growth of the crypto market which...

Diligently, obediently and with a degree of dangerous imbecility, a number of Australian media outlets are manufacturing a consensus for war with a country that has never been a natural, historical enemy, nor sought to be. But as Australia remains the satellite of a Sino-suspicious US imperium, its officials and their dutiful advocates in the press seem obligated to pave the way for conflict.

The latest example of this came in articles run in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age of Melbourne. The premise is already clear from the columnists, Peter Hartcher and Matthew Knott. Australia faces a Red Alert, and, to that end, needs a warring fan club. Not since the domino theory bewitched strategists and confused military planners have Australians witnessed this: a series of articles featuring a gang of five with one purpose: to render the Australian public so witless as to reject any peaceful accommodation.

First, the provocative colouring for the article, How a conflict over Taiwan could swiftly reach our shores. The Australian continent is shown bathed in a sea of red. Various military bases and facilities are outlined. For good measure, there is a picture of Australian soldiers firing an artillery piece in military exercises in 2018 at Shoalwater Bay, Queensland.

Then, the blistering opening lines of terror. Within 72 hours of a conflict breaking out over Taiwan, Chinese missile bombardments and devastating cyberattacks on Australia would begin. For the first time since World War II, the mainland would be under attack. The authors already anticipate a good complement of US troops to occupy the Australian north, some 150,000 seeking refuge from the immediate conflict zone.

The Red Alert panellists, anointed as defence experts, brim with such scenarios. All, as they state in a joint communique, agree on one thing: Australia has many vulnerabilities. It has long and exposed connections to the rest of the world sea, air and undersea yet is incapable of protecting them.

Leading the gang of five is Peter Jennings, who has had an unshakeable red-under-the-bed fantasy for years. A former deputy secretary for strategy in the Australian Defence Department, and steering the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) for a decade (thats Canberras revolving door for you), Jennings is adamant and steely. As I think of a conflict over Taiwan, what Im thinking about is something that very quickly grows in scale and location.

There is no reason at all why such a growth in scale or location should happen, but this is not the purpose of the exercise. The point of the Red Alert fantasy is to neutralise the....

Thanks to reader Julie who writes: Idiots everywhere, not just here. No fair play for Djokovic. DeSantis letter to Biden today: "The only thing keeping Djokovic from participating in this tournament is your administration's continued enforcement of a misguided, unscientific, and out-of-date Covid vaccination policy for foreign guests seeking to...

It is symbolic that on International Womens Day (IWD) that the non-violent, motherdaughter protesters who sat in a tree to highlight the danger that continued logging of NSW native forests, particularly in high-quality koala habitat, face court.

Juliet Lamont, and her daughter Luca, will face court today for their attempt to highlight the unsustainable forestry practices in Yarratt State Forest.

Contributed by Jim Hayes

The Australian Human Rights Commission has taken aim at the robodebt program, indefinite detention and Covid policies in a new report setting out a model for a federal Human Rights Act.

Its solution is for the Australian parliament to pass vote a human rights act into legislation. The argument is that this would provide a safeguard against abuse. Perhaps it would make life somewhat more difficult for politicians and bureaucrats to do harm. But it will not stop it, if the intention of those who would violate the intention is strong enough.

This does not mean that there shouldnt be a Human rights Act. There should be, at least if the content does provide some clear rules, compensation for the victim, and a penalty for the abuser. An act with no teeth is useless.

The proposed act would enshrine into law the concepts of equality before the law, the right to life, protection of children and families, freedom of movement, association, and expression; freedom of thought, conscience, religion, and belief; rights to education, health, an adequate standard of living, access to social security, and a healthy environment.

This was revealed by the Commissions president Rosalind Croucher, who told a press conference on Tuesday (7 March):

A Human Rights Act is the central missing piece of government accountability in Australia.

Photo by Paul Braven/AAP: Rosalind Croucher the president of the Australian Human Rights Commission

The fact that ensuring these rights is being talked about suggests that they exist only partially and conditionally in Australia. To change this, we need more than passing a law and to know why human rights are not properly protected.

The Human Rights Law Centre welcomes the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) release of a position paper calling for a Federal Human Rights Act. 

The AHRC paper, Free + Equal endorses the clear calls made by the Human Rights Law Centre and a coalition of over 80 organisations urging the Federal Government to follow the examples set by Victoria, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory and adopt a legally enforceable Federal Human Rights Act or Charter. 

A Federal Human Rights Act or Charter will help prevent human rights violations, provide a powerful tool to challenge injustice, and foster understanding and respect for human rights. 

Caitlin Reiger, CEO at the Human Rights Law Centre said: 

Charters of Human Rights are about ensuring that the values we all share like fairness, respect, dignity and compassion are always at the heart of all government decisions, laws and policies. We welcome the Australian Human Rights Commisions position paper that illustrates how to make this a reality. 

Australia is the only western liberal democracy without a Charter of Human Rights or similar in our laws. We see time after time situations where people have their rights violated but they are unable to take effective action, as shown in the Aged Care and Disability Royal Commissions to name two examples. We urge the Albanese Government to adopt the Human Rights Commission position paper so that everyone is free to enjoy their rights. 

"A Human Rights Act or Charter means that government decision making must factor in human rights at the outset, and people can take action when their rights are being breached. 

Learn more about the campaign for an Australian Charter of Human Rights 

Read Free + Equal, Australian Human Rights Commissions model on a National Human Rights Act

Background 

Charters of Human Rights promote respect for human rights and give people power to take action if their rights are breached. 

In Australia, Queensland (2019), Victoria (2006) and ACT (2004) all have protected human rights through charters of human rights. Recently, the 101 Cases report and website highlighted 101 examples of peoples rights being protected by the Charters of Rights that exist in the ACT, Victoria and Queensland. They also highlight the need for a national Charter of Rights. Read the 101 cases here 

Photo by damircudic on iStock

Media Contact:
Thomas Feng,
Media and Communications Manager,...

International Womens Day looks a bit different this year A message from Australias first majority woman Federal Government pic.twitter.com/UjaomLyV05 Katy Gallagher (@SenKatyG) March 7, 2023

[iframe src="https://www.bitchute.com/embed/gR70qs7Q62L6/" width="90%" height="320" allow="fullscreen"]
Joining us today to discuss the latest wins for the nullification movement is Michael Boldin (NOT Boldrin!) of TenthAmendmentCenter.com. In this jam-packed conversation, James and Michael examine the historical and philosophical roots of nullification and how the idea is being used to derail federal government tyranny.

ASIA:

Indias domestic economy is its primary engine of growth and the slowdown in economic activity late last year will only be temporary, said Moodys Analytics on Tuesday. Citing that the private consumption lagging overall GDP for the first time since the Delta wave of Covid-19 struck the economy in the second quarter of 2021, the Moodys Analytics in its report on emerging market outlook said growth slowed substantially on a year-ago basis. Notably, Indian economy grew 13.2 per cent in April-June quarter and 6.3 per cent in July-September quarter. While Indias gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed to a three quarter low of 4.4 per cent in October-December, 2022, government data said.

The major Asian stock markets had a mixed day today:

• NIKKEI 225 increased 71.38 points or 0.25% to 28,309.16
• Shanghai decreased 36.93 points or -1.11% to 3,285.10
• Hang Seng decreased 68.71 points or -0.33% to 20,534.48
• ASX 200 increased 36.10 points or 0.49% to 7,364.70
• Kospi increased 0.73 points or 0.03% to 2,463.35
• SENSEX closed
• Nifty50 closed

The major Asian currency markets had a mixed day today:

• AUDUSD decreased 0.01366 or -2.03% to 0.65904
• NZDUSD decreased 0.00819 or -1.32% to 0.61121
• USDJPY increased 1.25 or 0.92% to 137.160
• USDCNY increased 0.04449 or 0.64% to 6.99429

Precious Metals:

• Gold decreased 32.13 USD/t oz. or -1.74% to 1,814.72
• Silver decreased 0.967 USD/t. oz or -4.59% to 20.075

Some economic news from last night:

China:

Trade Balance (USD) (Feb) increased from 78.01B to 116.88B

Exports (YoY) (Feb) increased from -9.9% to -6.8%

Imports (YoY) (Feb) decreased from -7.5% to -10.2%

Australia:

Retail Sales (MoM) increased from -4.0% to 1.9%

RBA Interest Rate Decision (Mar) increased from 3.35% to 3.60%

Trade Balance (Jan) decreased from 12.237B to 11.688B

Some economic news from today:

China:

FX Reserves (USD) (Feb) decreased from 3.184T to 3.133T

Hong Kong:

Foreign Reserves (USD) (Feb)...

President Erdogan may be instrumentalizing what happens in the aftermath to craft his P.R. campaign ahead of the next elections. The setting: a cosy Ossetian restaurant owned by two Ossetian ladies close to Istiklal street, a very busy central area of Istanbul. The players: a smatter of Istanbul intelligentsia - academics, media, liberal professionals, lawyers, highly educated, secular, very critical of the AKP ruling party. The questions: during dinner, I asked the table their analysis of the state's response to the deadly earthquakes in Turkey, and how President Erdogan may be instrumentalizing what happens in the aftermath to craft his P.R. campaign ahead of the next elections. After our conversation, it was still not officially confirmed whether the next presidential elections will be held on May or June 2023. So the stage is set for an unedited exercise in direct democracy, with some stunning answers, and way more enlightening than what Turkish media and think tanks may be...

A month and a day after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio forcing evacuations as it spewed toxic chemicals into the surrounding community another train from the same company derailed in the same state.

The derailment, which took place Saturday, March 4 at around 4:45 p.m. local time near Springfield, Ohio, in the states Clark County, did not release any dangerous chemicals, as company and state officials were quick to reassure residents. But it did raise concerns about the safety of Norfolk Southerns operations.

The railroads got a lot of questions theyve got to answer and they really havent really done it very well yet, Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown said on This Week, as The New York Times reported. 

Saturdays derailment saw 28 of 212 cars derail en route from Bellevue, Ohio, to Birmingham, Alabama. The overturned cars slid along the tracks and knocked over power lines, which shut off power to 1,500 Clark County residents, as NPR reported. The four or five homes within 1,000 feet of the crash were asked to shelter in place for 10 hours after the incident as a precaution. 

For residents, the incident brought up fears of a repeat of what had happened in East Palestine on Feb. 3, where hundreds of thousands of pounds of toxins including vinyl chloride were released from the crash site. Some people there are still complaining of suspicious odors and rashes. Removing contaminated...

Via: ABC: The historic Perth Mint is facing a potential $9 billion recall of gold bars after selling diluted or doped bullion to China and then covering it up, according to a leaked internal report. Four Corners has uncovered documents charting the WA government-owned mints decision to begin doping its gold in 2018, and then []

In early February 2023, Washington unveiled the US Indo-Pacific strategy. The document repeatedly emphasized the importance of the informal group Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP), established in September 2022 and composed of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United Kingdom. The purpose of the PBP is to strengthen relations with the 12 small island states located in the South Pacific region for their prosperity and maritime security. In this regard, the appointment of Frankie Annette Reed (US Consul General in Melbourne, Australia) as the first American envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum, an important regional intergovernmental organization founded in 1971 where the heads of South Pacific nations meet annually, was highlighted. The United States Indo-Pacific strategy includes the possibility of recognizing two New Zealand possessions, the Cook Islands (population 15 thousand) and Niue (population just under 2 thousand people), as sovereign states after appropriate consultations.

Such unprecedented American interest in the lives of small island states remote from the world centers of civilization can be explained by the fact that in the 2020s the issue of growing Chinese influence in the South Pacific region, which violates the geopolitical interests of the dominant regional players Australia and the United States. And who will be favored by the South Pacific small island nations will determine who will be the master of the Pacific in the coming years: The US or China.

Chinas Belt and Road trade and economic initiative, in which New Zealand and eight small island states, all of which are located close to Australian shores, have signed participation agreements since 2017, is aimed at more than just improving maritime logistics. However, the placement of Chinese military bases and intelligence equipment in countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative over time will pose a serious threat to regional security. So decided Washington, Canberra and London, creating in September 2021 the Anglo-Saxon defense alliance AUKUS for friendship against China in the Pacific.

As part of AUKUS, the US committed to assisting Australia in improving its defense capabilities by providing nuclear-powered boats to the Australian Navy beginning in 2023. Australia then breached a contract with France to build non-nuclear submarines,...

by Caroline Chen, photography by Kathleen Flynn for ProPublica

This story discusses pregnancy loss.

Jocelyn knew only one way to live. Growing up next to the Manombo Special Reserve in southeast Madagascar, his family taught him from a young age to see the forest as a source of income. His grandfather had been a logger, cutting trees for timber and burning wood to make charcoal to sell. His grandfather taught his father, and his father taught him.

It was dangerous work. He risked landing in jail for illegal logging every time he ventured into the protected reserve. I needed to feed my family, recalled Jocelyn, who doesnt use a surname; the vegetables he grew near his house werent enough. He also needed money for health care. Once, when his wife was pregnant and fell ill, he sold all of their plates and pans to pay for treatment at a government clinic. She wound up losing the baby anyway.

Then in 2019, Jocelyn went to a meeting that upended his life. Representatives from an American nonprofit, Health In Harmony, asked villagers who lived around the forest: What do you need from the world as a thank you to continue to protect this precious rainforest that the health of our planet depends on? The answers across 31 villages were consistent: health care, job alternatives and help growing food for their families.

The following year, representatives from each of those villages gathered in a soccer field to watch as their chiefs pressed inky thumbs onto paper, signing an agreement that affirmed their communities would stop encroaching on the forest. In return, Health In Harmony began providing affordable health care through mobile clinics and teaching residents how to grow more food and support themselves without cutting down more trees.

Founded in 2006 to save rainforests and combat climate change, Health In Harmony may have stumbled upon a way to help prevent the next pandemic.

Researchers have shown that deforestation can drive outbreaks by bringing people closer to wildlife, which can shed dangerous vir...

In a bid to expand the global alliance against Russia to defeat the latter in Ukraine and eventually bring a regime change in Moscow, the US is proactively seeking to enlist Israels support. Apparently, Washington has met some recent although fragile success. On February 23, the UN General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution demanding from Russia to end its military operation in Ukraine and withdraw its forces. Israel, which previously abstained from voting against Russia, joined its Western allies to vote for the resolution. Some people in Washington felt overjoyed, as Ukraines foreign minister also said the vote showed that the world doesnt stand with Russia.

How did Israels support come about? In exchange for securing Israels support, Washington has been relentlessly trying to pre-emptively defeat an upcoming UN resolution against Israels plans to annex additional parts of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank for the past few weeks.

On February 18, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the Palestinian Authority President Mahmood Abbas to thwart a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate halt to Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank. On the same day, Blinken called Netanyahu in Israel to update him on his diplomacy.

On February 20, reinforcing the Israeli right to unilaterally annex Palestinian territories, the Palestinian Authority withdrew the resolution. The decision to drop the resolution and the vote came after the Biden administration resorted to its usual carrot and stick policy i.e., offering incentives for dropping the resolution and threatening to block aid in case of going ahead with the vote. Israel reciprocated the US by voting against Russia in the UNGA.

Should we draw the conclusion that Israel now stands unquestionably with the US against Russia? Indeed, the answer to this question is much more complex than meets the eye. To begin with, why would Israel want to destabilise its ties with Russia when it understands that confronting Russia could lead the latter to arm Iran and/or prevent the Israeli ability to carry out strikes in Syria? Russian intervention in both of these cases can directly hurt Israels core security interests, as it will help its arch-rival in the region (e.g. Iran) to ultimately gain power vis--vis Jerus...

What you need to know about stock market trading
What You Need to Find Out About Stock Market Trading Whether youre a seasoned investor or a newbie to the stock exchange, there are some points you must know prior to you enter headfirst. Beginning with cheap online trading supplies can be complicated, so you need to take a while to find out the ins and outs of the market initially. Supplies go up and down everyday, so it is necessary to understand what relocates the market and also exactly how you can make use of that information to your advantage. These ideas will assist you make even more informed choices as well as stay clear of a lot of usual blunders. The NYSE and also Nasdaq are the two most popular exchanges in the U.S. yet there are several others around. They all track a supplys price, so you can see how it has conformed time. You can additionally take a look at the efficiency of certain industries or perhaps individual firms to aid you make more educated decisions. There are a variety of different indices that track the securities market, consisting of the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average. Generally, individuals refer to these as the marketplace or the market indexes. Indices are an integral part of the securities market since they aid you keep track of just how private buy stocks have actually done. Theyre also an effective method to diversify your profile as well as minimize risk. Which online share trading is best? Generally, a bear market is when supply costs decrease, and also a bull market is when they increase. Both tend to happen at the exact same time, yet one kind normally outlasts the various other. You need to be aware that these markets can move promptly, so its a good concept to have a buffer in your portfolio just in instance. This consists of a healthy and balanced reserve and also 10% to 15% of your revenue channelled right into a pension. A margin account is a device that allows you borrow money from your broker to buy safeties. Take advantage of can enhance your revenues, yet it can additionally create you to shed substantial cash if the profession goes south. Traders frequently utilize utilize in order to enhance their revenues. What is share trading online mean? But leverage isnt for every person. You do not wish to spend greater than 10% of your profile in a single simply stock broking, and you should constantly rebalance the quantity of cash you put in...

Perth Mint is facing the potential $9b recall of diluted gold bars.

Partners across the globe

Die NATO hat bereits 2005 begonnen, ihre Beziehungen zu Sdkorea auszubauen. Damals empfing sie in ihrem Brsseler Hauptquartier den sdkoreanischen Auenminister und spteren UN-Generalsekretr Ban Ki-moon, mit dem sie ber eine engere Zusammenarbeit verhandelte. Seit dem NATO-Gipfel im April 2008 in Bukarest stuft das Militrbndnis Sdkorea explizit als einen seiner partners across the globe ein. Von 2010 bis 2013 nahm das Land am NATO-Einsatz in Afghanistan teil; spter eskortierten zeitweise Kriegsschiffe der sdkoreanischen Marine in Kooperation mit der NATO Handelsschiffe am Horn von Afrika.[1] Im Jahr 2012 unterzeichneten Sdkorea und die NATO ein Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme (IPCP), das sie 2017 erneuerten. 2020 nahm Sdkorea zum ersten Mal an einem NATO-Auenministertreffen teil gemeinsam mit Japan, Australien, Neuseeland, Finnland und Schweden. Beim Madrider NATO-Gipfel im Juni 2022 war Seoul erstmals mit seinem Prsidenten, Yoon Suk-yeol, vertreten. Yoon wird auch beim NATO-Gipfel am 11./12. Juli 2023 in der litauischen Hauptstadt Vilnius erwartet. Seit November ist Sdkorea zudem mit einer eigenen Vertretung am Sitz der NATO in Brssel prsent.

Gemeinsame Manver

Um den weiteren Ausbau der Zusammenarbeit zu besprechen, hielt sich NATO-Generalsekretr Jens Stoltenberg Ende Januar zwei Tage in Seoul auf. Nach Gesprchen mit Prsident Yoon und Auenminister Park Jin teilte er mit, man wolle unter anderem in puncto Cyberabwehr enger kooperieren.[2] Bereits jetzt beteiligt sich Sdkorea an den Aktivitten des NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), das in der estnischen Hauptstadt Tallinn angesiedelt ist und die NATO-Mitglieder in der Cyberabwehr untersttzt; eingebunden sind weitere Lnder, darunter die Ukraine und die offiziell noch neutralen Staaten sterreich und Schweiz. Sdkorea nahm auch am NATO-Cybermanver Exercise Cyber Coalition 2022 teil. Mitte Februar besprach eine NATO-Delegation in Seoul eine Beteiligung sdkoreanischer Militrs an weiteren NATO-Manvern.[3] Aktuell dringt das Militrbndnis zudem darauf, dass Sdkorea Waffen in die Ukraine liefert. Seoul hat daran kein Interesse, da es die Spannungen in seinem Verhltnis zu Russland nicht mutwillig verschrfen will. Fr die NATO wiederum wren Waffenlieferungen aus Sdkorea in die Ukraine genau deshalb vorteilhaft: Sie wrden das Land noch enger an das transatlantische Militrbndnis binden.

Universelle Werte

Als wnschenswert gilt aus Sicht des Westens und insbesondere der Vereinigten Staaten neben einer mglichst weit reichenden Annherung Sdkoreas an die NATO auch eine enge Militrkooperation des Landes mit Japan, um eine fest geschlossene Front gegen China aufzubauen. Dem steht schon seit Jahren Japans Weigerung im Weg, fr seine Verbrechen in der Zeit seiner Kolonialherrschaft ber Korea (1905 bis 1945) endlich Entschdigungen zu zahlen; dies gilt fr...

From The New York Times: A few months ago I started noticing that I couldnt open Instagram or TikTok without getting an ad for ketamine. I previously knew ketamine only as an illegal drug that could cause dissociation, taken by acquaintances in the dank basements of my misspent youth, or as the sedative given to my older daughter when her broken arm needed to be reset in the hospital.

Thanks to The Defender from Children's Health Defense for this article on Russell Brand's insight. It seems media has already formed into silos, and that's a big part of the problem we face. No one wants to peek at the other silos. No one believes that the grain over there is as good as the grain in OUR silo. In fact, we think it's rotten. I'd rather see FEWER media channels, but ones that allow independent thought. The pie has been sliced with a razorblade. In the morning, I listen to the POTUS channel on Sirius XM. Mostly for Michael Smerconish, whose theme song is "Stuck in the Middle with You." He allows callers from all walks of life and political POVs, He covers stories from the center out in a radius. It's 2023 and we are more segmented than ever. Do you remember the old CNN show called "CROSSFIRE?" It was fantastic. A Liberal and a Conservative taking on topics. Tucker Carlson was one of the hosts! Is more media the answer?

###

We Need to Create Our Own Media Channels if We Want the Truth, Russell Brand Says

After lambasting mainstream media for its coverage of COVID-19 news, comedian and political commentator Russell Brand said we need to create our own channels, our own media, our own communication so that we can reach truth together.

By

Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D

Mainstream media would have us believe COVID-19 is the only possible explanation for an increase in fatal heart attacks among young people during the pandemic but that explanation didnt sit well with comedian and political commentator Russell Brand.

Brand mocked CBS News and the experts it interviewed about a study that showed the number of heart attack deaths during the first two years of the pandemic was 30% higher than predicted for ages 25 to 44.

The CBS report never mentioned the numerous variables that may have contributed to the increase, Brand said.

They got through the whole report without mentioning...

Nations Reach Accord to Protect Marine Life on High Seas

By CHRISTINA LARSON and PATRICK WHITTLE

FILE - A sea turtle swims over corals on Moore Reef in Gunggandji Sea Country off the coast of Queensland in eastern Australia on Nov. 13, 2022. For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty on Saturday, March 4, 2023, to protect biodiversity in the high seas nearly half the planets surface. (AP Photo/Sam McNeil, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas - representing a turning point for vast stretches of the planet where conservation has previously been hampered by a confusing patchwork of laws.

The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea came into force in 1994, before marine biodiversity was a well-established concept. The treaty agreement concluded two weeks of talks in New York.

An updated framework to protect marine life in the regions outside national boundary waters, known as the high seas, had been in discussions for more than 20 years, but previous efforts to reach an agreement had repeatedly stalled. The unified agreement treaty, which applies to nearly half the planets surface, was reached late Saturday.

We only really have two major global commons the atmosphere and the oceans, said Georgetown marine biologist Rebecca Helm. While the oceans may draw less attention, protecting this half of earths surface is absolutely critical to the health of our planet.

Nichola Clark, an oceans expert at the Pew Charitable Trusts who observed the talks in New York, called the long-awaited treaty text a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect the oceans a major win for biodiversity.

The treaty will create a new body to manage conservation of ocean life and establish marine protected areas in the high seas. And Clark said thats critical to achieve the U.N. Biodiversity Conferences recent pledge to protect 30% of the planets waters, as well as its land, for conservation.

Treaty negotiations init...