Elon Musk, owner the X social media network (formerly Twitter) has said that anyone appearing to condone or advocate for the genocide of any group of people on the service will be removed from the platform.

Musk, who last year finalized a multi-billion-dollar takeover of the company he later rebranded as X, has faced accusations that hate speech, including anti-Semitism, has increased significantly under his leadership. On Wednesday, Musk himself was accused of promoting an anti-Semitic trope after he said he agreed with a statement written by another user which suggested that Jewish people are stoking hatred against white people.

Several thousand people marched through central Paris, in torrential rain, behind a banner proclaiming "Halt the massacre in Gaza and West Bank, immediate ceasefire".

"France must immediately call for a ceasefire so that the guns go silent," said CGT union secretary general Sophie Binet, one of several union leaders to speak at the rally.

Rallies were held in dozens of towns across France, Binet added.

Col. (ret.) Lawrence Wilkerson's last positions in government were as Secretary of State Colin Powell's Chief of Staff (2002-05), Associate Director of the State Department's Policy Planning staff under the directorship of Ambassador Richard N. Haass, and member of that staff responsible for East Asia and the Pacific, political-military and legislative affairs (2001-02).

Ukrainian government infighting has already escalated to assassinations of factional lieutenants. International affairs and security analyst Mark Sleboda said CIA Director William Burns would either "tamp down" the civil war or tell President Zelensky to go quietly.

Washington's spymaster has flown to Ukraine in secret to stamp US authority on the power struggle within the Kiev regime, says a security expert.

CIA Director William Burns reportedly flew to Kiev on Wednesday for "urgent and secret" meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Although the entire official account of the Israeli authorities has proven to be false, any Western “expert” must, to remain audible, begin his remarks with a condemnation of the massacres of civilians, incriminating the two belligerents by referring them back to back, and carefully ensuring to remain in a comfortable vagueness, while knowing perfectly well that the only massacre during this day of October 7 is the Israeli army. The excessive caution, even cowardice, of the words of these “experts” and all their oratorical precautions have no other goal than to preserve their so-called credibility. RI

BY Indrajit SAMARAJIVA 

(GUSNOTE: THIS ARTICLE HAS UNVERIFED INFORMATION BUT IT IS STILL IMPORTANT TO SEE OTHER OPINIONS.)

David McBride was not given leave to appeal the decision made yesterday about the nature of his duties. It means Justice Mossop’s decision stands, and his duty is to the military chain of command, and only that.

Following today’s proceedings in court was not easy for those of us who didn’t go to law school, or are unfamiliar with 19th century court decisions. The prosecution used a court case from 1874 to argue that a military oath does not have any allowance for any other higher – or public – duty.

from X

The United States is trying to make up for its relatively declining economy by increasing its military spending, which, as a consequence, is now already over half of the global total of military spending (though it hides that damning fact). It’s all based upon incessant lies.

BY Eric Zuesse

Within hours of being appointed Britain’s new foreign secretary, former Prime Minister David Cameron landed in Kiev.

Cameron had already decked out his LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) profile photos in the bright yellow and blue colors of the Ukrainian flag which, in his new role, was like having an online dating profile just for Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky – an open invitation to come take a spin on Santa Cameron’s knee with his wish list just in time for Christmas. And Zelensky didn’t waste any time, either.

With relations at a crossroads, Beijing-Washington dialogue on bilateral, global issues highly anticipated

All eyes are on the China-United States summit as President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Tuesday for his face-to-face meeting with US President Joe Biden in San Francisco, where he will also attend the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting.

Amid a complex international landscape, and at a time when China-US relations are at a critical crossroads, Xi's trip to the US has been highly anticipated.

Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, executive director of the APEC Secretariat, said that for the world's two largest economies to have a very important conversation at such a critical time opens the door to other opportunities for the world.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday that it was "absurd" for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to accuse Israel of fascism.

Scholz said Israel is a democracy and "a country that is bound to human rights and international law and acts accordingly."

"Therefore, the accusations against Israel are absurd," he said at a press conference in Berlin.

Scholz is set to host Erdogan in Berlin for talks on Friday. They will be joined by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

In Australia, whistleblowers are feebly protected. They tend to muddy the narrative of perfect institutions, spoil the fun of having illusions, and give the game away. Despite recent amendments to the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (Cth) regarding, for instance, the creation of a National Anti-Corruption Commission, public sector employees remain vulnerable to prosecution. The NACC, for one, already risks being hobbled by secrecy restrictions imposed by the Albanese government.

EU approach to Ukraine ‘surreal’ – ex-Austrian foreign minister
Karin Kneissl says Brussels is “importing” hostilities by inviting a country to join the bloc while fighting a military conflict

The European Union is making a mistake by facilitating the accession of Ukraine while the country remains locked in a military conflict with Russia, former Austrian foreign minister Karin Kneissl has said. She expressed dismay at the fact that key member states seem to agree with Brussels’ expansion plans, despite the risks.

Kneissl’s comments came in response to the European Commission’s decision last week to recommend launching accession talks with Kiev. Its president, Ursula von der Leyen, praised Ukraine for making considerable headway but stopped short of giving a definitive timeline for the country’s admission to the bloc.

Basel al-Araj, a Palestinian resistance leader, shortly before Israel’s 2014 invasion of Gaza, laid down the fundamental rules for warfare against Israel. 

The rules by al-Araj, not a member of Hamas, provide the Palestinian lens for the incursion by Israeli forces in Gaza. While Israel’s superior firepower — its air force, missiles, tanks, armored personnel carriers, drones, naval forces, mechanized units and artillery — make it possible to inflict huge numbers of Palestinian casualties, most of them civilians, while Israel can level whole neighborhoods and turn hospitals, schools, power stations, water treatment plants, bakeries, mosques and churches into piles of concrete, this does not translate into a defeat of the Palestinian resistance groups. 

Investigate Israel for ‘war crimes’ – Human Rights Watch
Deliberate attacks on hospitals and ambulances in Gaza are an atrocity, the group said

Israel’s attacks on hospitals, ambulances and medical personnel in Gaza should be “investigated as war crimes,” Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday, urging the government in West Jerusalem to end such strikes immediately.

Former President Trump gave a stark warning to enemies of the U.S. while speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition Conference on Saturday.

“If you spill a drop of American blood, we will spill a gallon of yours,” the former president said during his remarks.