Good morning,
Saudi Killing (Canada dcuments)
Today the U.S. will release a declassified intelligence report further implicating Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the grisly murder of journalist Jamal Kashoggi. In 2018 Kashoggi was lured to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and where he was murdered, dismembered and his body never found by a group of Saudi operatives that appear to have been lined to the crown prince. The new evidence includes documents filed in a Canadian law suit which appear to show the two aircraft that transported Saudi operatives to Turkey to carry out the murder, are directly linked to The Crown Prince.
U.S. President Biden has avoided contact with the crown prince instead calling the Saudi Arabian King Salman, 85, father of the crown prince, the country's 35-year-old de facto ruler to inform him of the reports release.
The Trump administration largely ignored the murder, instead choosing to sell billions in arms to the Saudi’s, ignoring human rights concerns.
This reports release will represent a cooler ‘realignment’ with Saudi, but the regime is still a key ally in the region against Iran.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9298239/Khashoggi-assassins-used-private-jet-firm-Saudi-Arabias-Crown-Prince-seized.html
Capitol Terrorism
A member of the Oath Keepers Jessica Watkins who participated in the attack on the American Capitol, has been accused by prosecutors of terrorism offenses which come into play in argument’s of bail. Oddly while terrorism is a charge against overseas organizations like Al Qaeda, terrorism is not a charge inside the U.S. against groups like white supremacists. Clearly it should be.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oath-keepers-jessica-watkins-crime-of-terrorism/
On Back Story with Dana Lewis we interviewed a counter terrorism expert from the Soufan Centre on the topic of domestic terror.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/white-terrorism-in-america/id1512445640?i=1000505465441
Another Vaccine
As the U.S. breached the disturbing milestone of more than 500 thousand deaths from Covid 19 Johnson and Johnson is expected to be approved as the latest new vaccine. The new vaccine can be stored for 3 months and is a single shot so much easier to transport and administer but unfortunately the drug maker is far behind it’s production goals.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-vaccine-johnson-and-johnson-short-doses/
Poorer Countries and Covid
130 Countries have still not received any vaccines. So the Covax program designed to allow poorer countries to get vaccines for nothing has kicked in slowly. If variants are allowed to spread in some countries, we are all vulnerable to mutations that can fight vaccines. All for one, one for all in a pandemic.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/24/world/africa/covax-vaccine-inequality.html
Covid Health
Almost half of those who had a potential symptom of cancer during the pandemic’s first wave did not see a GP, even when they coughed up blood a new study shows. It’s a UK study but the results are mirrored across Europe.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/feb/25/nearly-half-with-cancer-symptoms-in-the-uk-did-not-see-gp-in-first-wave-of-pandemic
Schools and exams
Teachers have new broad and unchecked influence over students lives in The UK because for a second year in a row students will not be able to gather for national exams. That means teachers will be used for assessments that will determine what Universities kids can attend, and of course thats fraught with problems as personalities get in the way and teachers are known to be tough on students they just don’t love. So kids are told by parents, to ”suck up” because in a pandemic your teacher has say in your life plans and potentially your career. Yikes!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-56157413