midwesternmarx (2024-01-05). John Pilger (1939-2023) By: K.J. Noh. midwesternmarx.com A bright star in the firmament of justice has gone out. One of the greatest journalists of our era has passed away.John Pilger was always on the side of the oppressed. He denounced Imperialism and all its violent predations—war, genocide, exploitation—as well as its endless lies and propaganda. Till his death, he fought tirelessly for the freedom of Julian Assange, and his last article was a call to solidarity.John gave voice to the invisible and the …

Eve Ottenberg (2024-01-05). Assange's Rights and Press Freedom Hang in the Balance. counterpunch.org The deadline for Julian Assange's fight against extradition to the United States looms, as British judges will decide his case on February 21. Meanwhile, the American demand that Wikileaks publisher Assange stand trial in Virginia on trumped-up charges is what has kept this journalist locked up in Britain's maximum security Belmarsh jail for four years, and sequestered for refuge in the Ecuadoran embassy in London for seven years before that.

greenleft.org.au (2024-01-05). Constitutional violations: Julian Assange, privacy and the CIA. greenleft.org.au

tradewindsnews.com (2024-01-05). Houthis launch sea drones for first time in fresh assault on Red Sea shippingHouthi rebels have launched their first armed maritime drone during the latest assault on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the US says. | | "We all watched as it exploded," he told reporters. "Fortunately, there were no casualties and no ships were hit, but the introduction of a one-way attack USV [unmanned surface vessel] is of concern." | | The Iran-backed Houthis have used waterborne attack drones against Saudi-led forces during Yemen's civil war.

Larry Johnson (2024-01-05). Ukrainian Post-Mortems Starting to Appear. sonar21.com The war in Ukraine continues to grind on and Ukrainian troops are falling back all across the 600 mile front. Not a good start to the New Year for Zelensky and the future is bleak at best. Russia is methodically destroying Ukrainian factories set up to manufacture military tactical clothing, ammunition, drones and vehicles. Repair facilities also have been hit and obliterated. Ditto for military training facilities aka bases. Ukraine's recent use of cluster munitions on Belgorod and Donetsk killed a few civilians but enraged Putin and his military commanders. In response Russia has unleashed a devastating s…

Alexandra Isfahani-Hammond (2024-01-05). Whips, Drones, Donkeys and the Future of Resistance: a Lesson from Saeed Al-Err. counterpunch.org Since October 8, Al-Err and his family have been displaced twice. When Israel first ordered northern Gazans to evacuate to the south, Al-Err was forced to leave the 400 dogs with open bags of food and the sanctuary gates open. He and his family moved with 120 cats into one of the cat shelters, located just south of the evacuation line.