Report: Pakistan Journalist Sharif's Murder a Planned Assassination
In a report released Wednesday, Pakistani investigators concluded that the killing of Pakistani investigative journalist Arshad Sharif in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi in October wasn't a "case of mistaken identity" as claimed by Kenyan police, but a "planned targeted assassination."
According to the fact-finding team, there were several discrepancies and contradictions in the Kenyan police's version of the events that led to his death. In addition, the investigators allege that "transnational characters" from Kenya, Dubai, and Pakistan could have been involved in his murder.
The team further claimed that the Kenyan police were apparently "used as instruments" in Sharif's killing, and that his host was connected to Kenya’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) and other international agencies and law enforcement.
Pro-establishment narrative
Sharif was shot dead to end his ongoing investigation of corruption at the highest levels of Pakistan’s military. It's no secret that the Pakistani Generals, who run the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), work hand in hand with Afghan and Pakistani drug cartels. Sharif was working to expose their ulterior motive – to raise funds for global terrorists and fill their pockets – and was promptly silenced.
Establishment-critical narrative
Sharif's murder silenced a very influential voice warning Pakistanis against US interests in their region and sent a chill down the spine of Pakistani journalists seeking to challenge global hegemony. The US is clearly behind Sharif's brutal murder — only the CIA has the resources, experience, and expertise to assassinate troublesome individuals in foreign countries. Despite this, there is very little chance that authorities will be able to conclusively trace the assassins and bring them to justice.
Croatia Joins Europe's Free-Travel Zone; Romania, Bulgaria Barred
Europe's 26-member free-travel zone welcomed Croatia as its latest member on Thursday, but opposition led by Austria is preventing Romania and Bulgaria from also joining amid criticism of growing unauthorized immigration.
The so-called Schengen area, which abolishes border checks between EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland, is the world's largest free-travel zone.
Austria blocked Bulgaria and Romania’s entrance to the Schengen, arguing that too many undocumented migrants are crossing into Austria from the two countries and that "this needs to be solved first.”
Narrative A
These three countries have significantly contributed to the well-functioning of the Schengen area for years. They've performed well during the pandemic and when faced with the unprecedented consequences of the war in Ukraine. Through reinforced protection of the common external frontier, an enlarged Schengen area without internal borders will make Europe safer and more attractive to businesses. It's time to also welcome Romania and Bulgaria into the passport-free Schengen Area.
Narrative B
At this point, it doesn't make sense to enlarge the EU's free-travel zone when it's clearly not working. Europe hasn't yet recovered from the 2015 influx of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war and poverty in Syria, Afghanistan, and the African continent. Austria is still struggling to accommodate asylum requests, having more than 100K illegal border crossings this year alone. Admitting Bulgaria and Romania would only increase this irregular immigration.
Day 288 Roundup: Putin Admits War Could Be 'Long-Term Process'; Europe Lacks Defense Capabilities, Says Top Diplomat
In a meeting with his Human Rights Council on Wednesday, Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin admitted the war could turn into a "long-term process," but hailed the achievements of his military's territorial gains to date.
In response to a question, Putin said: "As for the slow process of the special military operation, then, of course, it can be a long-term process. But then you mentioned that new territories had appeared. This is such a significant result for Russia … The Azov Sea has become an internal Russian sea. Even Peter I had fought for access to the Azov Sea."
Meanwhile, on the question of nuclear weapons, Putin said: "Such a threat is growing, it would be wrong to hide it." However, he insisted that "under no circumstances" would Russia use the weapons first. "We have not gone mad. We are aware of what nuclear weapons are," he said. "We aren't about to run around the world brandishing this weapon like a razor."
Anti-Russia narrative
Putin's Human Rights Council, like many other public events conducted by the Kremlin, was highly orchestrated to avoid the Russian leader facing scrutiny and difficult questions. The remarks are largely meaningless.
Pro-Russia narrative
In a show of transparency, Putin took a host of questions about the ongoing conflict from journalists and civic leaders. The president offered leadership by giving frank responses to a range of issues, in order to help settle the minds of the Russian population.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Vladimir Putin will cease to hold the office of President of Russia by November 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Iran Conducts First Protest-Related Execution
On Thursday, Iran announced its first-known execution of a prisoner convicted of an alleged crime during the ongoing nationwide protests.
The man, whom Iranian media identified as Mohsen Shekari, was arrested after allegedly blocking Sattar Khan Boulevard in the capital, Tehran, on Sept. 25 and injuring a security guard with a machete. On Nov. 20, the Supreme Court upheld the verdict against him for "waging war against God."
According to Amnesty International, Iranian authorities have sought the death penalty for at least 21 people in connection with the protests. Tehran claims that the demonstrations, in which at least 458 people are believed to have been killed, are fueled by foreign forces.
Establishment-critical narrative
In condemning Tehran's crackdown, the West is once again exercising double standards. No government in the world would stand idly by while rioters destroy public property and terrorists masquerading as protesters randomly target security forces. Moreover, the majority of the Iranian population refuses to join the protests, which are being fueled by the hypocritical West to destabilize Iran and instigate a civil war like in Syria.
Pro-establishment narrative
Only an illegitimate and inhumane government like the theocratic regime in Tehran kills people who take to the streets for legitimate causes. In the past, the international community turned a blind eye as Tehran mass executed its own citizens. This time, the West can no longer remain silent, given the ruthlessness of the Islamists who rule Iran. It's no longer a matter of reforming the existing regime but of regime change.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that Iran will cease to be an Islamic Republic by May 2033, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Report: FTX Founder Facing Market Manipulation Inquiry
Federal prosecutors in New York are probing FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried over potential market manipulation leading to the collapse of Terraform Lab's cryptocurrencies, TerraUSD and Luna, to benefit FTX and its hedge fund Alameda Research.
TerraUSD was supposedly a so-called "stablecoin," but unlike other stablecoins, it wasn't backed by the US dollar. Instead, its value came from the Luna coin through a complex set of algorithms.; whenever TerraUSD's price fell, traders would create more Lunas to match the difference.
In May, traders and exchanges saw a sudden increase in "sell" orders for TerraUSD which, under normal circumstances, would've been met with matching "buy" orders of Luna. However, the overwhelming shift led to an abnormal drop in value for both coins.
Republican narrative
While authorities are looking into Sam Bankman-Fried and his years-long Ponzi scheme, you shouldn't hold your breath waiting for an indictment. The crypto king dubbed "SBF" has gotten away with his crimes for so long because he's been a top Democrat donor. This is why he's received praise from the media and cautious treatment by the government even after his so-called "company" collapsed and millions lost their savings.
Democratic narrative
While some have jumped the gun and compared Bankman-Fried to Bernie Madoff, this case is actually very different. Madoff immediately confessed to all of his crimes, and the Feds were also able to compile concrete evidence against him. Neither of these has occurred in the case of FTX and Bankman-Fried. Congress and the Dept. of Justice are looking into the issue, but it will take some time to build a case against the crypto CEO.
2 More Classified Documents Found at Trump Storage Site
According to sources familiar with the matter, two more documents with classified markings were found in a Florida storage unit used by former Pres. Trump during an independent search by a team hired by his lawyers.
Both documents have reportedly been handed over to the FBI. The team is believed to have searched several properties, including Trump's Bedminster, N.J., golf club, his home and office at Trump Tower, and the storage unit in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The searches came at the request of a federal judge who instructed Trump's lawyers to ensure all sensitive material had been turned over to the federal government.
Democratic narrative
It has been a terrible week for Trump. Alongside the news of even more classified documents being retrieved, his company was found guilty of a heap of fraud, while his hand-picked candidate lost the Senate race in Georgia. Having gotten away with a lot for an individual who has long been digging a brazenly illegal hole, it seems reality is finally starting to catch up with Trump.
Pro-Trump narrative
The deep state has long used its "national security" claim to retain its power over outsiders and the common people, and the DOJ's continued refusal to give the Trump team access to the warrant they used to initially search his home is a prime example. If the DOJ has nothing to hide and the entire investigation is not an illegal witch hunt, why have they still not unredacted the full affidavit?
Nerd narrative
There's a 36% chance that any US court will rule that Donald J Trump is disqualified from holding the presidency before January 20, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
WNBA Star Griner Freed in Prisoner Swap
Following a high-level negotiation between the US and Russia, detained US basketball star Brittney Griner was released on Thursday in a prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. US Pres. Biden announced that Griner was safe and "on a plane" home.
Russia had been holding the two-time Olympic gold medalist since detaining her at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport in February for carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage. Her detention coincided with the start of the war in Ukraine, which complicated US relations with the Kremlin.
Griner, whose lawyer argued she needed the medical cannabis – illegal in Russia – to assuage pain from injuries, pleaded guilty to possession in July.
Republican narrative
Biden is treating this like a victory, and it might be in terms of public relations because of Griner’s status as a star athlete. But the fact remains that Whelan, a man who served his country in the armed forces, has been left behind, and the US has clearly been taken advantage of in this trade of the “Merchant of Death” for a basketball player.
Democratic narrative
Of course, it’s disappointing that Whelan remains imprisoned. But Griner’s release, in the face of sexist and racist backlash even from her fellow Americans, is a triumph. And with Griner’s family working to keep Whelan’s name in the news, perhaps this is a step toward freeing him in the near future.
India: PM Modi's BJP Wins Record Landslide in Gujarat
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a record landslide victory in PM Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat as Thursday's election results showed it received 156 seats out of 182 — a more than 80% majority and the highest of any party in the state's history.
Despite retaining its 27-year control in Gujarat, the BJP lost to its main opposition, the Congress Party, in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh.
Meanwhile, the relatively new Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — which already has control of Delhi and Punjab — campaigned heavily in Gujarat. Despite only winning five seats, it secured 13% of the vote, becoming a national party.
Left narrative
Unfortunately, hate continues to win in Gujarat. Modi has engrained Islamophobia into state policy and employed it to color people's votes, despite obvious and growing dissatisfaction with his politics. This is a dangerous time for Muslims in Gujarat as the BJP only stokes hatred and division.
Right narrative
The patriotic people of Gujarat delivered a decisive victory to the BJP and PM Modi’s agenda of development. Amid the celebrations, however, were the loud voices of the opposition, who can't seem to accept fair and democratic elections when those elections don't go their way.
Biden Admin. Urges SCOTUS to Narrow Protections for Big Tech
In a filing to SCOTUS on Wednesday, Pres. Biden’s admin. argued there should be limits to Section 230 protections for social media companies, and companies should face liability in cases where their algorithms recommend dangerous content to users.
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was passed by Congress in 1996 to shield all websites, including social media platforms, from being sued over the dissemination of third-party content. It has been criticized from both sides of the political aisle because of its potential contribution to the spread of hate speech and misinformation, as well as political discrimination.
SCOTUS is presiding over a lawsuit filed by the family of Nohemi Gonzalez, an American who was killed by Islamist militants in a mass shooting at a Paris bistro in 2015. Gonzalez’s family argues Alphabet —the parent company of Google and YouTube — should share liability for the deaths because YouTube recommended videos by the Islamic State group to the killers through an algorithm.
Narrative A
Reducing Section 230 protections would cause a tidal wave of litigation and the financial collapse of social media platforms. These companies have invested heavily in content-moderating technology and are doing their best to keep dangerous content from spreading. Leave Section 230 alone, it holds an important function in protecting platforms from overwhelming lawsuits.
Narrative B
It’s time for Big Tech to stop ducking responsibility for the harm its platforms cause and face the same liability as other industries. For too long social media platforms have gotten away with aiding and abetting horrific events and movements. It’s time for the antiquated Section 230 to be reformed. The reality of the internet of the 1990s does not apply to 2022.
NFL: House Committee Says Commanders' Owner 'Obstructed' Inquiry
The US House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Thursday said Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder "obstructed" a congressional investigation into his football team and gave "misleading" testimony.
The committee released a 79-page report claiming that Snyder "permitted and participated" in the team’s reportedly toxic work culture amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
The report said Snyder evaded questions over 100 times, claiming he didn't know the answer or could not recall information. Snyder is also accused of publically assailing witnesses, refusing to release former employees from confidentiality agreements, and blocking Congressional access to thousands of documents.
Democratic narrative
The House Oversight Committee's report is a damning indictment of Dan Snyder and the toxic culture he created as Washington’s NFL owner. Not only did Snyder turn a blind eye to abhorrent behavior like sexual harassment, but he also actively participated in such behavior. To make things worse, Snyder did all he could to obstruct investigations, tamper with witnesses, and exacerbate problems.
Republican narrative
Committee Democrats are more concerned with investigating the non-criminal activities of a professional football team than they are with providing relief to the American people during troubling economic times. The Democrats are suspiciously using their power to push out Dan Snyder as mega-donor Jeff Bezos expresses interest in buying the Washington Commanders.