Persecution Live

An American political analyst and journalist says the US coup failure against the government of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is “a sign that Empire’s days as hegemon are over.” 

For the first time in the history of Pakistan’s parliament, its members chanted “Death to America” as they rejected a no-confidence vote, which sought to oust Prime Minister Khan, saying “foreign powers” are interfering in the country’s democratic process.

Qasim Khan Suri, the National Assembly deputy speaker, dismissed the no-trust move against the prime minister on Sunday, terming it as “contradictory” to Article 5 of Pakistan’s Constitution.

Suri said that the motion was presented on March 8 and should be conducted according to the law and the Constitution, stressing, “No foreign power shall be allowed to topple an elected government through a conspiracy.”

The Pakistani president later dissolved the National Assembly on Khan’s advice.

“The President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, has approved the advice of the Prime Minister,” a statement from his office said, meaning fresh elections must be held within 90 days.

Khan on Saturday accused the United States of being behind the parliamentary the no-confidence motion, calling it an attempt at regime change backed by Washington.

The Pakistani PM had earlier accused an unnamed “foreign power” – in a clear reference to the United States – of funding a “conspiracy” to topple his democratically-elected government.

Addressing a large rally in the capital Islamabad last week, Khan said the “foreign power” sent millions of dollars to opposition parties to launch a no-confidence vote against him in the parliament.

“That ‘foreign power’ hasn’t been doing too well lately,” New York-based journalist Don DeBar said, adding “You can call it ‘Empire Collapse.’ They’re 0 for 3 in the past year alone. And their efforts in the last past few years haven’t been a tremendous success, either.”

“Last year, they failed in Belarus and Kazakhstan. They also failed in Honduras – the 2009 coup was undone in the election earlier this year and their attempted coup in the legislature also failed,” DeBar said.

And the analyst provided some additional examples.

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Czech Member of Parliament Ondřej Benešík announced that the Czech Republic was supplying Ukraine with T-72 tanks and armoured personnel carriers. The Ministry of Defence acknowledged the supplies, but did not say what exactly was being sent to the republic.

“Deliveries of Czech BMPs and T-72 tanks are being made. Defence Minister Jana Chernokhova deserves a lot of praise. This is something that is very much needed for the Ukrainian army’s fighting ability right now. I believe that we will be able to continue these supplies,” the MP wrote on Twitter.

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Toronto’s most recognizable Conservative pundit, who also happens to be a clinical psychologist, has made it clear he’s no fan on Twitter and its habit of censoring Conservatives. Previously, he spoke out in defence of journalist Andy Lee, who lost her account for reporting on the Freedom Convoy.

Now Dr. Peterson has announced that he lives under “constant threat of censorship” and is encouraging his fans to follow him on Parler. The social media company is known for having lax rules on its content, allowing users more freedom.

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A 22-year-old man faces up to 44 years in prison when sentenced after pleading guilty in the 2020 shootings of three people at an entertainment district in a Phoenix suburb.

Armando Hernandez on Friday pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder and two of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Under a plea agreement, dozens of other counts were dismissed.

Hernandez faced charges for injuring a 30-year-old woman, a 19-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl with a rifle at Westgate Entertainment District in Glendale in May 2020.

All of the victims survived.

In a 250-page police report released in October 2020, Hernandez told police he wanted to shoot 10 people when he opened fire at Westgate Entertainment District.

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The Bureau of Land Management will extend the public comment period on a proposal to close federal lands to new mineral leases around Chaco Canyon National Historical Park.

The agency’s announcement comes a month after Navajo residents who lease property to oil and gas companies asked the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to intervene. They want the judges to reaffirm a lower court’s dismissal of a case filed by environmental groups trying to stop fracking near Chaco Canyon.

“I don’t think the lawsuit had any merit at all,” said Troy A. Eid of Greenberg Traurig LLP, who represents the tribe members, “This is not an area where someone is proposing resource development in a new fashion or new place. This is an area where the principal source of economic benefit to probably more than 20,000 families comes from oil and gas.”

Navajo allotment land owners in the region have long worked with the federal government and oil and gas companies to lease mineral rights, creating a source of income for them and their families.

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When it comes to law enforcement generally and Phoenix Police specifically Ahwatukee’s Councilman Sal DiCiccio and South Phoenix Councilman Carlos Garcia rarely agree.

But at a formal council meeting Feb. 16, the two were united on the losing end of 6-3 vote allowing the Phoenix Police Department to acquire nonweaponized drones for a total cost not to exceed $516,000.

City Manager Jeffrey Barton told Council in a memo “This equipment, which is critical for the safety of department personnel, will be used during high-risk tactical incidents to conduct highly detailed and complex investigations and support major planned/unplanned events.”

Executive Assistant Police Chief Michael Kurtenbach cited one example where a drone – borrowed from Glendale PD – was critical to saving officers lives: The Feb. 11 shooting of nine Phoenix officers who were ambushed by a crazed gunman who used a baby to lure them within shooting range.

One officer said the drone helped police to look inside the shooter’s home during the siege to locate the gunman “without putting any officers in unnecessary danger.”

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One man is dead, and another man has been arrested on a charge of first-degree murder, after an early morning shooting Sunday in Little Rock.

Donnie Hood, 34, of Little Rock died Sunday at a Little Rock-area hospital, according to a release from the Little Rock Police Department. Joey Doss, age unknown, later turned himself in, according to police.

Little Rock police officers responded to a shooting call at 12:38 a.m. Sunday, according to a press release. The shooting call was reported at 7111 Indiana Ave., about a mile west of the intersection of Cantrell Road and North University Avenue in Little Rock.

Officers found Hood at the scene suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported by Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services to the hospital where he later died, a release states.

By Sunday afternoon, the Little Rock Police Department had tweeted that it was looking for Doss in connection to the homicide. At about 6 p.m., Sunday, the Police Department tweeted that Doss had turned himself in.

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Cave Creek icon Johnny Ringo battled pancreatic cancer and won, but now he is continuing the fight. He’s helping others beat the disease.

Ringo was diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer in August 2020, shortly after the pandemic hit and on the heels of losing his entire tour guide business in the Ocotillo fire. He admitted that, at first, he was angry, but has since found a new purpose for his life.

“I asked God, ‘Why? Why me?’ I was angry. I went outside and was standing in the ashes and wanted to know why God took my business with the fire and now cancer,” Ringo said.

“Then he told me to be strong enough so that I could continue to help others with this terrible disease. To tell them to never quit believing in themselves.

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BERLIN, Germany: Amidst a payments stand-off with Russia, which has demanded “unfriendly” countries pay for its gas in roubles, Germany and Austria have activated emergency plans due to possible gas supply disruptions.

The European Union (EU), which mainly pays for Russian gas in euros, has rejected the Russian demand, and Moscow later appeared to soften its stance, stating, that rouble payments would be introduced gradually.

However, Germany and Austria have taken the first steps towards gas rationing, urging consumers and companies to reduce consumption.

Russia, which provides Germany with about half its gas and one-third of its oil, has warned that Germany could face a recession if supplies suddenly stopped.

Austria receives 80 percent of its gas from Russia, but Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s office said measures, such as gas rationing, would only be implemented in an “immediate crisis.”

Meanwhile, Robert Habeck, German economy minister, said the country’s gas supplies were safeguarded for the time being, but it would intensify its precautionary measures if Russia escalates the situation.

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WASHINGTON D.C.: After more than two years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has dropped its warnings for travelers regarding the dangers of contracting COVID-19 on cruise ships.

“The CDC is removing the COVID-19 Cruise Ship Travel Health Notice,” said CDC spokesperson Dave Daigle, as reported by USA TODAY.

The CDC issues Travel Health Notices to inform travelers about current health situations that could impact travelers, but their removal does not mean the agency considers cruises to be without risks.

“Travelers will make their own risk assessment when choosing to travel on a cruise ship, much like they do in all other travel settings,” Daigle added, noting that the CDC’s decision was based on the current state and a drop in COVID-19 cases on cruise ships over “the past several weeks.”

Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s leading trade group, lauded the removal of health notices by the CDC.

In a statement, Laziza Lambert, the group’s director of strategic communications and public affairs, said, “Today’s decision by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to altogether remove the Travel Health Notice for cruising recognizes the effective public health measures in place on cruise ships and begins to level the playing field between cruises and similarly situated venues on land.”

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