April 20 (UPI) — A potential U.S. ban of the popular social media video app TikTok inched closer to reality Saturday after the House passed the legislation tucked within a long-sought foreign aid package.
Measure seeking sale or closure of TikTok passes with House foreign aid bill
Tag: Free Speech
PH: Bongbong Marcos among Time’s 100 most influential people of 2024
PBBM among Time’s 100 most influential people of 2024
“Bongbong has stood steadfast against Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea and bolstered his nation’s alliance with the US in the face of rising tensions in the region and the world,” read a portion of Marcos’ profile in the 2024 Time 100 issue.
“Many problems persist, including extrajudicial killings and journalists routinely attacked. But by trying to repair his family name, Bongbong may reshape his country too,” it added.
President Marcos is listed in the Leaders category, along with Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny; Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk; Taiwan President-elect Willian Lai; Argentina President Javier Milei; Qatar Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Adbulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani; World Bank Group President Ajay Banga; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; and Chinese Premier Li Qiang; among others.
Hyperlinks added by me.
Related:
Time 100: Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Pulse Asia: Marcos approval down 13 points, Sara’s by 7
Marcos’ approval rating went down from 68 in December 2023 to 55 in March 2024.
His trust rating went down from 73 in December 2023 to 57 in March 2024.
Sites covering the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church blocked in Ukraine + Ukrainian government hires lobbyists in the U.S. to support the law on banning the UOC
Sites covering the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church blocked in Ukraine
A number of major sites covering the activities and the plight of the persecuted canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, including an official UOC resource, have been blocked in Ukraine.
The blocked sites include the UOC’s Information-Education Department (news.church.ua), the Union of Orthodox Journalists (spzh.media), Orthodox Life (pravlife.org), and Raskolam.net. This was reported by both the Union of Orthodox Journalists and Raskolam.net.
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Last month, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) raided the homes and offices and arrested several members of the Union of Orthodox Journalists, who now face life in prison for a number of charges related to their reporting on the persecution of the UOC.
Related:
Ukrainian government hires lobbyists in the U.S. to support the law on banning the UOC – mass media
U.S. Helps Pro-Ukraine Media Run a Fog Machine of War + Supporting Front Orgs
U.S. Helps Pro-Ukraine Media Run a Fog Machine of War
As Congress debates major new funding to support the Ukrainian war effort, U.S. taxpayer dollars are already flowing to outlets such as the New Voice of Ukraine, VoxUkraine, Detector Media, the Institute of Mass Information, the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine and many others. Some of this money has come from the $44.1 billion in civilian-needs foreign aid committed to Ukraine. While the funding is officially billed as an ambitious program to develop high-quality independent news programs; counter malign Russian influence; and modernize Ukraine’s archaic media laws, the new sites in many cases have promoted aggressive messages that stray from traditional journalistic practices to promote the Ukrainian government’s official positions and delegitimize its critics.
Related (front organizations):
Read More »Why Are So Many ‘Free Speech’ Elon Musk Lawsuits About Suppressing Speech?
Elon Musk claims to be a “free speech absolutist,” but almost every time we look more closely at that claim, we discover that he’s one of the most censorial, free speech suppressors around. He just got called out by a judge for filing a SLAPP suit seeking to punish an organization for its speech. And then earlier this year, he funded Gina Carano’s SLAPP suit against Disney.
Why Are So Many ‘Free Speech’ Elon Musk Lawsuits About Suppressing Speech?
Inside Mnuchin’s far-fetched plan to rebuild TikTok from scratch + Controversial former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick could buy TikTok with help from Sam Altman
Inside Mnuchin’s far-fetched plan to rebuild TikTok from scratch
Mnuchin said he has discussed his pitch with an assortment of billionaires and big businesses, including the tech giant Oracle and the former head of the Activision Blizzard video game empire Bobby Kotick, the two people said.
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Dan Wang*, a visiting scholar at Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center who studies Chinese tech and policy, said Mnuchin’s proposal would probably hit a dead end in China, which has shown no interest in consenting to a forced sale and could use its “highly discretionary” political system to block the deal.
Related:
Controversial former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick could buy TikTok with help from Sam Altman
Bobby Kotick spent 33 years as CEO of Activision, during which time he faced plenty of controversy. His departure from the company in December following Microsoft’s acquisition was met with celebrations from gamers and developers. There were tales of his interference with the development of Activision games over the years and his role in killing off Blizzard titles in China.
Kotick was also accused of leaving a voicemail threatening to kill an assistant in 2006 and was the subject of a flight attendant’s sexual harassment lawsuit in 2007. He faced allegations of incidents involving rape and harassment stretching from the mid-2010s through 2021, and Kotick and Activision had to pay a $35 million settlement last year after failing to maintain adequate controls to report and address misconduct within the company. Activision Blizzard also paid $54 million in 2021 to settle a gender discrimination lawsuit in California.
The alleged $15 million golden parachute Kotick received upon leaving Activision did little to endear him to the public, too.
Mossad-linked Mnuchin wants to buy TikTok
Is TikTok Censorship Bill Finally Getting Passed Tied to Israel?
Head of the ADL: “we REALLY have a TikTok problem, a Gen-Z problem”….China recently stated Palestinians have an “inalienable right” to use force in resisting foreign occupation.
Is TikTok Censorship Bill Finally Getting Passed Tied to Israel?
Senegal: Western Backed Colour Revolution Underway
26-02-2024: In early February, Senegal’s President Macky Sall postponed presidential elections for several months weeks before the planned election date of February 25, leading to protests across the West African nation. Opposition members of parliament who attempted to block a bill entrenching the delay were arrested as police fired tear gas at protestors outside.[1] By the evening, the bill which initially proposed a postponing of the elections until August 25 was amended to an even later date of December 15, which was passed by 105 members of parliament (MPs) in the 165 seat assembly.[2] In an interview with Associated Press (AP) President Macky Sall denied he was attempting to hold on to power by delaying the elections. He stated he was “..seeking for nothing except to leave a country in peace and stability….I am completely ready to pass the baton. I have always been programmed for that”.[3] While one might agree or disagree with the official positions of Macky Sall, he can scarcely be blamed for making moves to calm political conditions which have led to deadly riots in recent years.
Senegal: Western Backed Colour Revolution Underway
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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