Daily Archives: December 31, 2019

2019-12-31: News Headlines

WSWS (2019-12-31). Australian teachers' defence of Julian Assange welcomed by WikiLeaks supporters. wsws.org US comedian Jimmy Dore discussed the initiative on the December 19 edition of his "Jimmy Dore Show Podcast."

Michael Felsen (2019-12-31). In 2020, Ukrainians Gain Whistleblower Rights Trump Has Forsaken Here. commondreams.org Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch is surrounded by lawyers, aides, and journalists as she arrives at the U.S. Capitol October 11, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/yovanovitch.jpg

RT (2019-12-31). 'US is torturing Chelsea Manning': Top UN official says treatment of manning is 'cruel and degrading'. rt.com Chelsea Manning is being subjected to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, constituting torture by the US government over her refusal to testify against whistleblower website WikiLeaks, a top United Nations official has said. | UN special rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer accused the government of torturing Manning in a November letter, which was just released on Tuesday. In the letter, Melzer wrote that Manning is suffering "an open-ended, progressively severe measure of coercion…

RT (2019-12-31). Assange Said, "I'm slowly dying here" dissidentvoice.org WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange claims he's 'slowly dying' in a UK jail and is often tranquilized and kept in solitary confinement 23 hours a day. He made the disturbing revelations in a phone call to his friend Vaughan Smith on Christmas Eve. | Read more: on.rt.com/a85u

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2019-12-31). UN Expert Calls Detention of Chelsea Manning 'Open-Ended, Progressively Severe, Coercive Measure Amounting to Torture'. commondreams.org United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer shared on social media Tuesday a letter he sent to the United States government last month expressing concerns that the continued detention of whistleblower Chelsea Manning amounts to torture. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/chelsea_manning_0_0.jpg

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-29). US Military Contractors Exposed For Paying Taliban At US Gov Instruction & Iran False Flag Continues. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/28/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

RT (2019-12-28). US military contractors sued for funding terrorism in Afghanistan with 'protection' payments to Taliban. rt.com Bribes paid by international military contractors in Afghanistan were used by the Taliban to fund attacks on companies that didn't make the payments, according to a lawsuit filed by families of those injured or killed as a result. | "Large corporations that had lucrative businesses in Afghanistan" paid off the Taliban through a series of subcontractors, bribing the Afghan militants in order to save money on security, according to a lawsuit filed on Friday in federal court by the families of 143 US soldiers and contractors injured and killed during the longest war in American history. The 288-page civil suit …

Alan Macleod (2019-12-27). Wikileaks Still Holding Powerful to Account as Founder Julian Assange "Slowly Dies" in Prison. mintpressnews.com Julian Assange is dying inside Belmarsh Prison in London. Those are his own words, relayed through English journalist Vaughan Smith, who revealed that the Wikileaks founder called him on Christmas Eve to share his greetings. Smith also divulged that Assange told him he is kept in solitary confinement 23 hours per day and is often sedated. | His treatment has elicited protests around the world, from journalists, news organizations, human rights groups and celebrities. Last week a group of Australian doctors asked Foreign Minister Marise Pay…

Fight Back (2019-12-24). Commentary: 'Ukrainegate' and impeachment. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – Near the end of August, a whistleblower released a document uncovering a private conversation between U.S. president Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The fact that the two of them were talking is not newsworthy; what was revealed and is of some import, however, was the specific content of their exchange. | The whistleblower's report lays out how Trump attempted to strongarm Zelensky and the Ukrainian government into reopening an investigation into Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The younger Biden was involved in a number of questionable…

The Canary (2019-12-19). Julian Assange lawyers will challenge the 'political' framing of charges against him. thecanary.co WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's legal team will argue he should not be extradited to the US because his alleged offences are being framed as "political" in nature, a court heard. | His lawyers believe that a 2007 extradition treaty agreed between the UK and US offers the 48-year-old protection. | Assange appeared via video-link at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 November for a case management hearing to set the timetable leading up to a full extradition hearing in February. | He's being…

The Canary (2019-12-19). Queen's Speech unveils Boris Johnson's hardline plans to curtail Britain's democracy. thecanary.co Boris Johnson has unveiled a Queen's Speech with measures to toughen up criminal justice, limit parliamentary democracy and potentially weaken the scrutiny of government. | The government will look at whether the Official Secrets Act needs overhauling, which determines what protections and punishments whistleblowers are given. Whistleblowers are a critical check on power. It will also consider whether there is a case for updating the treason laws. | Work will be taken forward to repeal the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act — a move which would enable the prime minister to call an election without the consent of pa…

Ryan Cristián (2019-12-15). US Threatens To Attack Iran Over Rockets Fired In Iraq & Assange Blocked From Seeing Key Evidence. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/14/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

John Pilger (2019-10-24). Julian Assange's Extradition Case is a Show Trial. zcomm.org Interview on the lack of mainstream media coverage of Julian's persecution, his health and conditions in Belmarsh prison, CIA spying on Julian Assange and more…

2019-12-31: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

Australian teachers' defence of Julian Assange welcomed by WikiLeaks supporters
wsws.org | 2019-12-31
US comedian Jimmy Dore discussed the initiative on the December 19 edition of his "Jimmy Dore Show Podcast."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/31/dore-d31.html

In 2020, Ukrainians Gain Whistleblower Rights Trump Has Forsaken Here
Michael Felsen | commondreams.org | 2019-12-31
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch is surrounded by lawyers, aides, and journalists as she arrives at the U.S. Capitol October 11, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/yovanovitch.jpg
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/31/2020-ukrainians-gain-whistleblower-rights-trump-has-forsaken-here?cd-origin=rss

Assange Said, "I'm slowly dying here"
RT | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-31
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange claims he's 'slowly dying' in a UK jail and is often tranquilized and kept in solitary confinement 23 hours a day. He made the disturbing revelations in a phone call to his friend Vaughan Smith on Christmas Eve. | Read more: on.rt.com/a85u
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/assange-said-im-slowly-dying-here/

'US is torturing Chelsea Manning': Top UN official says treatment of manning is 'cruel and degrading'
rt.com | 2019-12-31
Chelsea Manning is being subjected to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, constituting torture by the US government over her refusal to testify against whistleblower website WikiLeaks, a top United Nations official has said. | UN special rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer accused the government of torturing Manning in a November letter, which was just released on Tuesday. In the letter, Melzer wrote that Manning is suffering "an open-ended, progressively severe measure of coercion…
rt.com/usa/477228-chelsea-manning-torture-melzer/

UN Expert Calls Detention of Chelsea Manning 'Open-Ended, Progressively Severe, Coercive Measure Amounting to Torture'
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-12-31
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer shared on social media Tuesday a letter he sent to the United States government last month expressing concerns that the continued detention of whistleblower Chelsea Manning amounts to torture. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/chelsea_manning_0_0.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/12/31/un-expert-calls-detention-chelsea-manning-open-ended-progressively-severe-coercive?cd-origin=rss

US Military Contractors Exposed For Paying Taliban At US Gov Instruction & Iran False Flag Continues
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-29
Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/28/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/conspiracy/us-military-contractors-exposed-for-paying-taliban-at-us-gov-instruction-iran-false-flag-continues/

US military contractors sued for funding terrorism in Afghanistan with 'protection' payments to Taliban
rt.com | 2019-12-28
Bribes paid by international military contractors in Afghanistan were used by the Taliban to fund attacks on companies that didn't make the payments, according to a lawsuit filed by families of those injured or killed as a result. | "Large corporations that had lucrative businesses in Afghanistan" paid off the Taliban through a series of subcontractors, bribing the Afghan militants in order to save money on security, according to a lawsuit filed on Friday in federal court by the families of 143 US soldiers and contractors injured and killed during the longest war in American history. The 288-page civil suit
rt.com/news/476988-contractors-bribes-afghanistan-terrorism-lawsuit/

Wikileaks Still Holding Powerful to Account as Founder Julian Assange "Slowly Dies" in Prison
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-27
Julian Assange is dying inside Belmarsh Prison in London. Those are his own words, relayed through English journalist Vaughan Smith, who revealed that the Wikileaks founder called him on Christmas Eve to share his greetings. Smith also divulged that Assange told him he is kept in solitary confinement 23 hours per day and is often sedated. | His treatment has elicited protests around the world, from journalists, news organizations, human rights groups and celebrities. Last week a group of Australian doctors asked Foreign Minister Marise Pay…
mintpressnews.com/wikileaks-publishing-state-secrets-julian-assange-slowly-dies-prison/263775/

Commentary: 'Ukrainegate' and impeachment
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-12-24
Milwaukee, WI – Near the end of August, a whistleblower released a document uncovering a private conversation between U.S. president Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The fact that the two of them were talking is not newsworthy; what was revealed and is of some import, however, was the specific content of their exchange. | The whistleblower's report lays out how Trump attempted to strongarm Zelensky and the Ukrainian government into reopening an investigation into Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The younger Biden was involved in a number of questionable…
fightbacknews.org/2019/12/24/commentary-ukrainegate-and-impeachment

Julian Assange lawyers will challenge the 'political' framing of charges against him
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-19
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's legal team will argue he should not be extradited to the US because his alleged offences are being framed as "political" in nature, a court heard. | His lawyers believe that a 2007 extradition treaty agreed between the UK and US offers the 48-year-old protection. | Assange appeared via video-link at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 November for a case management hearing to set the timetable leading up to a full extradition hearing in February. | He's being…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/12/19/julian-assange-lawyers-will-challenge-the-political-framing-of-charges-against-him/

Queen's Speech unveils Boris Johnson's hardline plans to curtail Britain's democracy
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-19
Boris Johnson has unveiled a Queen's Speech with measures to toughen up criminal justice, limit parliamentary democracy and potentially weaken the scrutiny of government. | The government will look at whether the Official Secrets Act needs overhauling, which determines what protections and punishments whistleblowers are given. Whistleblowers are a critical check on power. It will also consider whether there is a case for updating the treason laws. | Work will be taken forward to repeal the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act — a move which would enable the prime minister to call an election without the consent of pa…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/12/19/queens-speech-unveils-boris-johnsons-hardline-plans-to-curtail-britains-democracy/

US Threatens To Attack Iran Over Rockets Fired In Iraq & Assange Blocked From Seeing Key Evidence
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2019-12-15
Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/14/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/daily-wrap-up/us-threatens-to-attack-iran-over-rockets-fired-in-iraq-assange-blocked-from-seeing-key-evidence/