High alert for Iranian/Hizballah terror in revenge for scientist’s death

Debkafiles – December 4, 2020

The warning of Iranian or proxy terrorism issued by Israel’s security officials was based on incoming intelligence that Tehran’s revenge for the death of top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh last month would likely come in the form of terrorist attacks. The Lebanese Hizballah, which maintains a clandestine global network, would be the foremost candidate proxy for this operation. The security advisory issued by the Coounterterror Authority in Jerusalem on Thursday, Dec. 3, specifically warned Israeli travelers that they risked being targeted on their trips to the UAE’s Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Bahrain, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey. semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan and parts of Africa. They were told to be extra vigilant and avoid crowded places, unsecured locations and government centers.

Thousands of Israelis, enthusiastic globetrotters – even during the covid pandemic, are currently vacationing in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Around a hundred flights to those destinations are scheduled for next week in the first eager flush of friendship generated by the epic UAE normalization pact with Israel.

They have now been made aware of the active Iranian and Hizballah networks lurking in nearby Qatar, and their penetration by these hostile elements of expatriate Lebanese and Shiite expatriate communities in East Africa. Government officials were instructed to postpone planned trips to the Gulf. Extra guards are posed at Israel’s overseas diplomatic missions and Jewish centers.

The threat may also hang over those staying at home. On Friday, security officials alerted former nuclear research and other senior staff of the Dimona nuclear research center in southern Israel to danger. They were advised to alter their regular habits. including walking routes, refrain from opening strange packages, and be on the lookout for unusual events. Since the Fakhrizadeh death, they were told that Iranian spies may be monitoring their’ activities online and on social media

Conscious of the terrorist threat from Iran and its proxies, the US State Department this week decided to pull dozens of staffers from its embassy in the fortified Green Zone of Baghdad, this being the aftermath of the Fakhrizadeh killing and the first anniversary date of the US drone attack that killed Qassem Soleimani. Tehran has vowed revenge for both these grave losses.

https://www.debka.com

Fishing Holds Key to Brexit Trade Deal as Talks Drag on

Newsmax – December 4, 2020

BRUSSELS (AP) — In the decisive final days of talks, the tiny fishing industry is holding up a massive trade deal between the European Union and recently departed Britain, putting at risk hundreds of thousands of jobs and tens of billions of euros in annual production losses.

While fishing is a negligible part of the nations’ economies, it is an important point of national pride for coastal and island nations and has a massive impact on politics.

Arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage put so much stock in the importance of fishing that at one point during his successful 2016 campaign to get Britain out of the EU he steamed up the Thames on a fishing vessel.

Sir Ivan Rogers, a former career diplomat who long was the UK’s man at EU headquarters in Brussels, knows what the task is of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the final weeks before the Jan. 1 deadline.

“He has to emerge with a win on fisheries,” Rogers told a panel at the EPC think tank this week.

If Johnson cannot expel enough EU fishing boats from U.K. waters, a no-deal Brexit would surely ensue, creating chaos and costs for all and ruin for some.

U.K. vessels landed close to 1 billion pounds of fish last year; the gross domestic product of the United Kingdom last year stood at 2.17 trillion pounds, “It’s not about economics, it’s about politics and the symbolism,” said Barrie Deas, chief executive of Britain’s National Federation of Fishermen’s Organizations.

https://www.newsmax.com

Major solar flare triggers 3 strong earthquakes in Alaska (M6.3), Argentina (M6.3), Russia (M6.4)

Strange Sounds – December 1, 2020

Well, if you look back at data from the past two days, there is a clear correlation between the proton density sent from the sun and the occurrence of large earthquakes (M > 5.6), with a time shift of 1-2 day(s).

The biggest solar flare in more than 3 years occured on Nov. 29th, triggering widespread radio shortwave outages and hurling a huge CME in space.

Luckily, the small sunspot that erupted wasn’t facing Earth during its explosive event. But still, particles from the solar eruption may have triggered a series of 4 strong earthquakes that hit across the world within less than 12 hours between Nov. 30th and Dec. 1st.

M6.4 Russia – Nov. 30th, 22:54:34 (UTC)

The first earthquake of the series is a very deep M6.4 quake that hit 88 km SSE of Sovetskaya Gavan’, Russia.

The offshore quake epicenter was situated at a depth of 587km (364.7 miles) and no tsunami was created.

M6.3 Argentina – Nov. 30th, 22:54:59 (UTC)

Just 20 seconds after the first strong quake of the series, another big blast rattled 76 km WSW of San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina.

Although very deep (147.8 km or 91.8 miles), the quake was reported by at least 16 people, most reporting very small shaking.

It is worthwhile to report that a M5.9 earthquake (so a big one too!) hit about the same region on Sunday, Nov. 29th at 1:40 p.m. local time – the same day than the solar eruption.

M6.3 Alaska – Dec. 1st, 16:22:40 (UTC)

Finally a M6.3 earthquake hit offshore, 38 km (23.6 miles) ESE of Nikolski, Alaska at a depth of 23 km (14.3 miles).

Eight reports of shaking have already been published on the USGS homepage.

https://strangesounds.org

WHO urges govts to fight malaria as death toll from disease may exceed Covid-19 in sub-Saharan Africa

Baz Ratner – November 30, 2020

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday that gaps in access to life-saving tools are undermining efforts to curb malaria, as deaths from the disease will far exceed those killed by Covid-19 in sub-Saharan Africa.

In its latest World Malaria Report’, the WHO says progress against malaria continues to plateau. In some African states, the fight against the mosquito-borne disease has been set back due to gaps in access to life-saving tools, with disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic only aggravating the situation.

Last year, more than 409,000 people were killed by malaria globally, and most of them were children in the impoverished parts of Africa.

The toll may be higher this year. “Our estimates are that depending on the level of service disruption … there could be an excess of malaria deaths of somewhere between 20,000 and 100,000 in sub-Saharan Africa, most of them in young children,” said Pedro Alonso, director of the WHO’s malaria program.

Even moderate disruptions in access to treatment could lead to a considerable loss of life, the WHO said. A 10 percent disruption in access to effective antimalarial treatment in sub-Saharan Africa could lead to 19 000 additional deaths, while disruptions of 25 and 50 percent could result in an additional 46,000 and 100,000 deaths respectively.Despite recent achievements, progress in fighting the disease in the region has stalled, Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa, warned.

https://www.rt.com

US Supreme Court sides with California church that challenged ‘draconian and unconscionable’ Covid lockdown

RT – December 3, 2020

The US Supreme Court has sided with a California church which argued that coronavirus restrictions infringe religious liberty. The ruling is the second such order to favor religious groups over Democratic governors.

With church services forbidden by California Governor Gavin Newsom under his Covid restrictions, the Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena claimed before the Supreme Court that the “draconian and unconscionable prohibitions” on worship were unfair.

“Indoor worship services are completely prohibited for 99.1 percent of Californians,” the group argued, while “food packing and processing, laundromats, and warehouses have no capacity limits, liquor and grocery stores have a 50 percent capacity, and big box centers, shopping malls, laundromats, and destination centers have a 25-percent capacity.”

Furthermore, the church accused Newsom himself of violating California’s lockdown rules “at his own whim,” after photos were published of the governor dining at a restaurant with a group of lobbyists and health officials.

The Supreme Court sided with the church on Thursday, sending the case back down to the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals, and asking that court’s judges to reconsider the case in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling last week which blocked New York’s restrictions on religious gatherings.

In that ruling, the highest US court ruled that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s lockdown measures – which limited church and synagogue congregations to 10 people in certain “red zones” – “strike at the very heart of the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty.” 

“Even in a pandemic, the Constitution cannot be put away and forgotten,” the ruling added.

https://www.rt.com

Australian Teen Taken From ‘Dangerous’ Parents Who Disagree With Daughter Pursuing Sex Change

– December 3, 2020

An Australian teen who was born female but identifies as male has been removed from her parents’ care after a judge ruled that it is unsafe for her to remain at home considering her risk of self-harm and the parents’ disagreement with pursuing a sex change.

“[The authorities] say we will not allow her to change gender, so it’s dangerous for her to come back to our house because we will mentally abuse her,” the unidentified father told The Australian. “They want us to consent to testosterone treatment.”

Attorneys for the parents have filed paperwork appealing a protective order from October, in which a Children’s Court magistrate cited the risk of self-harm the teen as she had posted about suicide online last year. He also found it probable that the child was enduring verbal abuse over her “feelings and expression of gender identity,” which the parents deny.

According to reports, the family moved to Australia 10 years ago and have been aware that their now 15-year-old daughter suffers from depression. They state that she also struggles with social skills, her eating and body image, and puberty was a difficult transition for her.

However, instead of pursuing a “sex change,” they prefer for the teen to be seen by an independent psychologist to find the root cause of her feelings and to provide help that is less invasive, considering the permanency of the alternative option.

On Nov. 7, attorneys for the teen filed paperwork seeking for the child to be allowed to begin “hormone therapy,” but the parents have requested a second opinion first. Child protective officials have reportedly consented to obtaining a second opinion.

“Especially Australians, they just can’t believe that it happens in Australia,” the mother stated.

“The end of parenting as we knew it. We have no rights. Our children can be seriously harmed by the government and medical profession and we are powerless to stop it,”

https://christiannews.net

The Economic Collapse Hits Home: Feeding America Says 1 Out Of 4 U.S. Children Could Suffer From Hunger By The End Of 2020

 – December 2, 2020

There are approximately 74 million children in the United States, and right now millions upon millions of them do not have enough to eat.  The economic collapse that has started in 2020 has been brutal for most of the nation, but it has hit children particularly hard.  If their parents lose their jobs, there is nothing that they can do except hope that government handouts and the kindness of others will be enough.  Unfortunately, way too often they are not enough, and at this point Feeding America is projecting that one out of every four children in America could suffer from hunger by the end of this calendar year…

By the end of this year, more than 50 million people could experience food insecurity, according to Feeding America, the country’s largest hunger-relief organization. That’s one in six Americans and one in four children—nearly a 50 percent increase from 2019. A Northwestern University study in June found that food needs had doubled nationally, and tripled for households with children. The pandemic has laid bare how many people are one paycheck or medical bill away from hunger.

Prior to the pandemic, more than 20 million children were at least getting free or reduced price lunches at school.  When lockdowns force the closing of schools, that just makes the hunger crisis even worse…

“There are 22 million children who even before this pandemic relied upon free and reduced lunch,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, the CEO of Feeding America. “When you hear that schools are closed, not only does that mean that there are challenges for children with an education, but it also means lost meals.”

The good news is that the U.S. has a vast network of food banks all over the country, and they have been able to help more people than ever this year.

According to Feeding America, their food banks have “seen a 60 percent increase in demand” compared to last year.

But the bad news is that there simply is not going to be enough food if demand continues to soar in the months ahead.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com

Father of Iran’s nuclear and missile programs assassinated near Tehran

Debkafiles – November 27, 2020

The reclusive Dr. Mohsen Fakriazadeh, reputed father of Iran’s nuclear weapons and missile programs, was assassinated near Tehran on Friday, Nov. 27. He was attacked by unknown killers in Damavand, Tehran Province, during an armed conflict with his bodyguards. This was confirmed by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards of which the scientist was also a brigadier general.

Shariar Heydari, Dep Chairman of Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission told reporters that the Iranian scientist was martyred when “a car exploded in front of his vehicle followed by gunfire by the terrorists” killing the scientist and one of his bodyguards.

The physicist who operated in the shadows was first prominently named by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in April 2018, during his televised revelation that the Mossad had removed Iran’s vast nuclear archive from a secret warehouse in Tehran. He presented a photograph, saying “Remember that name, Fakhrizadeh.”

After Iran’s physics Research Center (PHRC) was exposed as a military organization, the center changed its name to the Institute of Applied Physics under the codename of AMAD.  Fakhriazadeh took over as head of research and continued the secret nuclear weapons program after Iran signed its 2015 nuclear accord with six world nations. This too was disclosed in the Netanyahu presentation.

In an effort to protect this key director of nuclear weapons development against assassination, photographs of the nuclear scientist were rare and he was surrounded by a protective shield of security. the Iranian authorities also denied numerous requests from the Atomic Energy Agency to interview him. He is the last in a succession of Iranian nuclear scientists who were assassinated over the years.

DEBKAfile adds: No party has claimed responsibility for the removal of the keystone of Iran’s drive for a nuclear bomb, and this assassination may never be officially acknowledged, any more than its precedents.

https://www.debka.com

U.N. Seeks ‘New Social Norms,’ Declares Itself a ‘Trusted’ Coronavirus News Source

Simon Kent – November 27, 2020

The United Nations has joined the World Economic Forum (WEF) to announce a global coronavirus news service, declaring the time has come for “new social norms” that seek out and correct “wrong” information.

Observing that social media is a mechanism for driving opinion on a host of issues, the two globalist organizations announced Thursday they want to “combat dangerous misinformation.”

“When COVID-19 emerged, it was clear from the outset this was not just a public health emergency, but a communications crisis as well,” Melissa Fleming, chief of global communications for the United Nations, said.

“We’re trying to create this new social norm called ‘pause – take care before you share’,” Fleming continued. “We’re equipping people, through this new social norm, with a bit of ‘information skepticism’.”

The U.N. is also encouraging social media influencers to help spread what it selects as “real news about the pandemic,” recruiting them in their tens of thousands to spread the digital messages the U.N. itself has deemed necessary.“So far, we’ve recruited 110,000 information volunteers, and we equip these information volunteers with the kind of knowledge about how misinformation spreads and ask them to serve as kind of ‘digital first-responders’ in those spaces where misinformation travels,” Fleming said.

https://www.breitbart.com

‘No end in sight’: hunger surges in America amid a spiraling pandemic

and – November 25, 2020

Millions of Americans must rely on charity to put Thanksgiving dinner on the table this year, as hunger surges amid a devastating spiraling of the Covid-19 pandemic which the Trump administration has failed to get under control.

In what is traditionally a season of celebration, less than half of US households with children feel “very confident” about having enough money to afford the food needed over the next month, according to the US Census Bureau’s latest pandemic survey. A staggering 5.6m households struggled to put enough food on the table in the past week.

Families of color are suffering disproportionately with 27% of black and 23% of Latino respondents with children reported not having enough to eat sometimes or often over the past week – compared with 12% of white people.

Overall food insecurity has doubled since last year due to record unemployment and underemployment rates. For families with children, hunger is three times higher than in 2019, according to analysis by Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, director of the non-partisan Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University.

“Across the country demand has not let up, and food banks do everything they can to make sure families have food on the table for Thanksgiving. There’s no end in sight, but we can’t be the only solution,” said Zuani Villareal, spokeswoman for Feeding America, a network of 200 food banks nationwide. Since the start of the pandemic, four of every 10 people seeking food aid are first-timers.

Hunger is not new in America. Even before the pandemic, 35 million people relied on food banks every year, according to Feeding America. But the pandemic has been catastrophic – despite initial lauded federal interventions such as the stimulus cheques and enhanced unemployment benefit. As many as 50 million people could experience hunger this year, including a quarter of all children.

https://www.theguardian.com