(2021-01-11). What Assange's Victory Really Means. counterpunch.org 
The 10-year campaign by the US government to criminalise reporting critical of its actions has failed in rather peculiar circumstances, with the unexpected decision by the court in London to reject the US demand for Julian Assange's extradition. Judge Vanessa Baraitser gave as the reason for her decision Assange's mental health and possible suicide risk,
(2021-01-11). In Response To US Secretary of State Pompeo's Decision To Designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist, Oxfam America's Humanitarian Policy Lead Scott Paul Said. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-01-11). Biden Chooses Iran Nuclear Deal Negotiator as His CIA Director. telesurenglish.net After serving as ambassador to Russia, Burns led the Obama administration's negotiations with Iran to reach the historic nuclear deal in 2015. | Burns currently serves as the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, an international think-tank. | RELATED: | If confirmed by the Senate, he would be the first career diplomat to serve in…
(2021-01-10). Letter: The demonisation of Assange paves the way for more rape and murder by the State. thecanary.co We are relieved the court ruled not to extradite Julian Assange to the US. His immediate release from Belmarsh, classified as torture by the UN Special Rapporteur, especially under coronavirus, must follow. The refusal of bail must be reversed immediately. | As an anti-rape organisation, we resent the original use of alleged sex offences to facilitate Assange's extradition to the US via Sweden. Knowing the evidence, that case was never viable, but it initiated and fuelled a witch-hunt against Assange and diverted from the real target: his Wikileaks reporting. | Assange and Chelsea Manning exposed rape, torture, a…
(2021-01-10). Assange Ruling Is A Blow Against A Free Press — A Closer Look. popularresistance.org Judge Vanessa Baraitser's decision to prevent Julian Assange's extradition to the United States to face trial on espionage-related criminal charges is a partial victory for Assange, his family, and his supporters. Baraitser was not satisfied that US prison authorities would be able to prevent the award-winning journalist from taking his life, given the conditions of solitary confinement and isolation that he would likely face during pre-trial detention and in the event of his conviction. | However, in her ruling, the judge made clear that Assange would have been extradited, if it weren't for his "substantial risk…
(2021-01-10). UN torture expert on Julian Assange's persecution and the lies behind it. thegrayzone.com As a UK judge rejects Julian Assange's extradition but keeps him caged in Belmarsh prison, UN Special Rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer discusses Assange's persecution and the lies used to wage it. A UK judge has rejected a US attempt to extradite Julian Assange, citing the Wikileaks founder's risk of suicide and the poor conditions of US prisons. But Judge Vanessa Baraitser accepted the basis for the US government's espionage case against Assange and ruled against releasing him on bail. …
(2021-01-10). Snowden Warns Against Trump Social Media Ban. popularresistance.org NSA whistleblower and internet freedom advocate Edward Snowden has cautioned the public against celebrating President Trump's recent social media ban. "I know a lot of folks in the comments [who] read this are like 'YAAAAS,' which, like — I get it. But imagine for a moment a world that exists for more than the next 13 days, and this becomes a milestone that will endure," he wrote on Twitter. Both Facebook and Twitter announced they would prevent the president from using their services in the light of his incitement of the storming of the Capitol Building on Wednesday. Twitter has since reversed its decision…
(2021-01-09). Judge's ruling in Assange's extradition case could be seen as a declaration of war on journalists. thecanary.co On 4 January 2021, judge Vanessa Baraitser
(2021-01-09). Pompeo Says Lifting US 'Self-Imposed Restrictions' on Relations With Taiwan. sputniknews.com The news comes as US Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft is set to visit China's Taiwan on January 13-15, where she is expected to meet with senior diplomats.
(2021-01-09). The Forgotten People Of America. oneworld.press The elites and the deep state are behaving like idiots, but that's not America. That's, like in Europe, not real politics, but the deep state, which has nothing to do with us, the real people. In the US, it has nothing to do with politics, and the same applies for in Europe.
(2021-01-08). How the left is being manipulated into colluding in its own character assassination. dissidentvoice.org 
There was a fascinating online panel discussion on Wednesday night on the Julian Assange case that I recommend everyone watch. The video is at the bottom of the page. But from all the outstanding contributions, I want to highlight a very important point made by Yanis Varoufakis that has significance for understanding current events well …
(2021-01-08). Battleground Baltimore, Jan. 8. therealnews.com 
Local leaders react to the insurrection that happened just 45 minutes away in Washington. D.C.; why a move to end home detention fees might not go far enough; and a "spy plane" that has been flying in Baltimore (ostensibly to solve crime) is headed for St. Louis.
(2021-01-08). Pompeo Meets With Biden's Secretary of State Pick for First Time to Facilitate 'Orderly Transition'. sputniknews.com US President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Antony Blinken to be the next US secretary of state. Blinken served as deputy national security adviser between 2013 and 2015 and as deputy secretary of state between 2015 and 2017 under then-US President Barack Obama.
(2021-01-08). Pompeo Meets With Biden's Secretary of State Nominee. telesurenglish.net U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that he had met with President-Elect Joe Biden's Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken to facilitate an orderly transition. | RELATED: | "Today, I met with President-Elect @JoeBiden's Secretary-Designate @ABlinken in order to facilitate an orderly transition and to ensure American interests are protected abroad," Pompeo tweeted. | Pompeo called the meeting "very productive," adding tha…