Migrant Caravan Swells to as Many as 10,000, Resumes March Toward U.S. Border

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Hundreds of Central American migrants scrambled over a bridge wall and jumped into a river below as they battled to get past authorities stopping them at the Guatemala-Mexico border.

The mob swelled to at least 5,000 people — some estimates go as high as 10,000 — and once past police dressed in riot gear, they resumed their trek to the U.S.-Mexico border. The throng is currently marching toward the Mexican town of Tapachula, “10 abreast in a line stretching approximately a mile,” the Associated Press reported.

At the Suchiate River, some 700 federal p​olice officers from Mexico made no attempt to intervene as hundreds of young men dropped off the bridge into the water, then swam, floated or rafted to Mexico. They are still nearly 1,800 miles from El Paso, Texas, and Google Maps says that would take 573 hours on foot.

They marched on through Mexico like a rag tag army of the poor, shouting triumphantly slogans like “Si se pudo!” or “Yes, we could!” As they passed through Mexican villages on the outskirts of Ciudad Hidalgo, they drew applause, cheers and donations of food and clothing from Mexicans. . .

Olivin Castellanos, 58, a truck driver and mason from Villanueva, Honduras, said he took a raft across the river after Mexico blocked the bridge. “No one will stop us, only God,” he said. “We knocked down the door and we continue walking.” He wants to reach the U.S. to work. “I can do this,” he said, pointing to the asphalt under his feet. “I’ve made highways.”

(Read more from “Migrant Caravan Swells to as Many as 10,000, Resumes March Toward U.S. Border” HERE)

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The Missing, Presumed Dead International Figure You Aren’t Hearing About

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As the media focus on Jamal Khashoggi, Osama bin Laden’s old friend who writes for The Washington Post so that makes him a hero, another international figure has gone missing and may now be dead, according to his own wife.

Earlier this month The Daily Wire reported on the disappearance of then-Interpol President Meng Hongwei. He reportedly went to China to visit family, sent his wife a text with the “knife emoji” and a message saying “Wait for my call,” and then went silent. French police opened an investigation (Interpol headquarters is located in France) and asked the Chinese government for information. A day later, Interpol received a resignation letter from Meng, and China claimed he was being investigated for bribery.

Meng was living with his family in France after he became the first Chinese national to lead Interpol, an international police organization. He was also China’s vice minister of public security.

Meng’s wife, Grace, who first appealed to international media when she believed her husband was missing, now tells the BBC she doesn’t know if he’s still even alive. . .

The Guardian reports that Meng may be held under the new Chinese form of custody, “liuzhi,” which means “retention in custody.” The former custody system, “shuanggui,” used torture. The custody is overseen by the National Supervisory Commission, an agency created this year and charged with investigating government corruption. (Read more from “The Missing, Presumed Dead International Figure You Aren’t Hearing About” HERE)

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Brutal: Report Are Saying This Is How Saudi Arabian Operatives Reportedly Killed Missing Journalist

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The mystery over the disappearance of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi has new grisly developments. Khashoggi was last seen on October 2, entering the Saudi Arabian embassy in Istanbul to obtain a document proving he was divorced in order to marry in Turkey. The wedding was set to be the following day. He never left the premises—and theories as to what happened to him, along with increased diplomatic tension between the U.S. and the Kingdom have ensued. . .

What has happened since his disappearance was reported is an ever-growing tale of the international spy game—and has shown a spotlight on its darkest corners. Apparently, a 15-man team from Saudi Arabia flew into Istanbul, did their business, and flew back. The Saudi government reportedly has been caught in intercepted communications of discussing ways to lure Khashoggi back onto Saudi soil . . .

Through Turkish sources, Khashoggi was abducted inside the embassy, tortured, and dismembered. The Huffington Post said the torture was done with a high-ranking Saudi official watching. Khashoggi’s murder has reportedly been caught on audio recording (via WSJ):

The recording indicates how Mr. Khashoggi was killed in the office of the Saudi consul general, Mohammad al-Otaibi, minutes after he walked into the consulate building on Oct. 2, said people familiar with the matter. Mr. Khashoggi wasn’t interrogated, the people said. Instead, he was beaten up, drugged and killed by Saudi operatives who had flown in from Riyadh earlier in the day, the people said.

Then, on the recording, a voice can be heard inviting the consul to leave the room, the people familiar with the matter said. The voice of a man Turkish authorities identified as Saudi forensic specialist Salah Al Tabiqi can be heard recommending other people present to listen to some music while he dismembered Mr. Khashoggi’s body, the people said.

(Read more from “Brutal: Report Are Saying This Is How Saudi Arabian Operatives Reportedly Killed Missing Journalist” HERE)

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CNN’s ‘Reliable Sources’ Speculates Trump Inspired Murder of Saudi Journalist

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On CNN’s Sunday broadcast of “Reliable Sources,” host Brian Stelter and Washington Post editorial editor Fred Hiatt used a segment about disappeared Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi to baselessly speculate that President Trump’s harsh criticism of mainstream Americans news outlets could have had a part in inspiring Khashoggi’s murder.

Although they still had no direct evidence that Khashoggi had even been killed at that point, let alone any information about why the Saudi government would murder him, Stelter felt the urge to suggest that Trump, along with “other world leaders,” might be responsible for motivating Khashoggi’s murder and dismemberment. . .:

HIATT: I think, even for people who wanted to give MBS [Saudi Prince Mohammad bin Salman] the benefit of the doubt, this has to be a watershed moment. This is, if the reports are true, a crime of an entirely different caliber, and it should not be possible for anybody to go back to business as usual.

STELTER: To lure someone to a consulate, to dismember a body and take it back to Saudi — it is a crime of a different caliber. I wonder if you look at what’s happened in the last twelve days and you wonder if “enemy of the people” rhetoric — not just from President Trump, but also then from other world leaders — has anything to do with this, anything at all?

Although he seemed a bit hesitant to fully agree with Stelter’s premise at first, Hiatt did ultimately concur that Trump’s “enemy of the people”-type statements about American journalists were “part of the big picture” surrounding Khashoggi’s presumed murder. After stressing that his killers should be the “focus” of any condemnation or investigation, Hiatt also argued that Trump’s lack of liberal international moralizing about “democratic values” had opened up the possibility of murdering journalists. (Read more from “CNN’s ‘Reliable Sources’ Speculates Trump Inspired Murder of Saudi Journalist” HERE)

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Transgender Cyclist Celebrates World Championship in Women’s Event, Attacks Critics

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On Sunday, two women competing in the women’s sprint 35-39 age bracket at the 2018 UCI Masters Track Cycling World Championships in Los Angeles wound up finishing second and third, losing to a biologically male Canadian professor who identifies as a woman.

As The Daily Caller reported, McKinnon finished ahead of Carolien Van Herrikhuyzen of the Netherlands and American cyclist Jennifer Wagner to take home the gold. Last January, USA Today quoted McKinnon railing against any requirement that would force men to suppress their testosterone in order to enter women’s events. McKinnon stated, “We cannot have a woman legally recognized as a trans woman in society, and not be recognized that way in sports. Focusing on performance advantage is largely irrelevant because this is a rights issue. We shouldn’t be worried about trans people taking over the Olympics. We should be worried about their fairness and human rights instead.” . . .

Another transgender . . ., who competes on a higher level than McKinnon, has argued with McKinnon, acknowledging that the inherent sex differences between men and women making competing against women unfair. (Read more from “Transgender Cyclist Celebrates World Championship in Women’s Event, Says Critics Are ‘Transphobic Bigots'” HERE)

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Canadians Recognize Trump Got the Better of Them in New Trade Deal

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By The Hill. Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Sunday that the U.S. “got the better of the deal” in the new U.S.–Canada trade deal.

Harper told host John Catsimatidis in an interview airing Sunday on AM 970 in New York that Canada was “kind of bruised” by the new agreement.

“Canadians generally recognize that the United States got the better of the deal,” Harper said. “What’s pretty clear is the U.S. got some things and didn’t lose anything. Canada had to give on some things and didn’t really have any wins.”

“And I think Canadians are fairly bruised about that because the view in Canada is that we’ve been a pretty good trading partner and play by the rules,” he added.

Harper’s comments follow after the U.S. and Canada reached a deal late last month on an updated North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The deal, dubbed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, was reached at the end of September following tensions between Ottawa and Washington. (Read more from “Canadians Recognize Trump Got the Better of Them in New Trade Deal” HERE)

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Study Says Canada Needs Trade With China, but the USMCA Will Make That More Challenging

By Global News. The legal world was confounded a few weeks ago when it discovered that the United-States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA) contained a clause requiring Canada to keep the United States abreast of its intentions to enter free trade talks with “any non-market economies” – which many took to mean China.

Though most experts predicted that this section, Clause 32, would make it much more challenging for Canada to engage in trade talks with China, a study compiled by the Ottawa-based research firm Public Policy Forum states that this is precisely what Canadian regulators need to do.

“You can’t really be serious about a diversification strategy if you don’t include China in it. China accounts for 33 per cent of global growth, economic growth. That is an extraordinary number. It’s more than all the rest of Asia combined,” explained Edward Greenspon, co-chair of Publicly Policy Forum.

The clause specifically states that “at least three months prior to commencing negotiations, a party shall inform the other parties of its intention to commence free trade agreement negotiations with a “non-market country.” If any party is opposed to the agreement struck, they’re permitted to give notice of withdrawal from the USMCA. (Read more from “Study Says Canada Needs Trade With China, but the USMCA Will Make That More Challenging” HERE)

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Julian Assange’s Communications Partly Restored by Ecuadorian Government

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The Ecuadorian government has decided to partly restore communications for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

They were cut in March, denying him access to the internet or phones and limiting visitors to members of his legal team. . .

The Ecuadorian government said in March it had acted because Mr Assange had breached “a written commitment made to the government at the end of 2017 not to issue messages that might interfere with other states”.

Wikileaks said in a statement: “Ecuador has told WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange that it will remove the isolation regime imposed on him following meetings between two senior UN officials and Ecuador’s President Lenin Moreno on Friday.”

Kristinn Hrafnsson, WikiLeaks editor-in-chief, added: “It is positive that through UN intervention Ecuador has partly ended the isolation of Mr Assange although it is of grave concern that his freedom to express his opinions is still limited. (Read more from “Julian Assange’s Communications Partly Restored by Ecuadorian Government” HERE)

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Turkey Releases U.S. Pastor After 2 Years in Prison

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By NPR. Roughly two years after Turkish authorities detained Andrew Brunson on suspicion of espionage, the U.S. pastor is a free man once more. Turkey ordered his release Friday, ending a case that heightened tensions between Turkey and the U.S.

A court in the western city of Izmir actually sentenced Brunson to a little more than three years in prison, according to Turkey’s state news agency Anadolu. However, as NPR’s Peter Kenyon in Istanbul explains, the court says he will serve no more time, considering his health issues.

“The court also lifted judicial controls on Brunson — that means restrictions on his movements have been lifted and he is now free to leave the country,” Kenyon reports. The prosecutor had asked for a 10-year sentence.

The evangelical pastor wept in court upon hearing the news of his release, Reuters reported. Prior to the ruling, he said, “I am an innocent man. I love Jesus, I love Turkey.” After he listened to an alleged witness, he said, “I do not understand how this is related to me.” (Read more from “Turkey Releases U.S. Pastor After 2 Years in Prison” HERE)

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U.S. Pastor Andrew Brunson Leaves Turkey After Being Detained for 2 Years

By Fox News. President Trump drew loud cheers at a rally on Friday evening when he announced that Pastor Andrew Brunson — newly released from Turkey and heading home — is expected to visit him in the Oval Office on Saturday.

“We bring a lot of people back,” the president told the crowd in Lebanon, Ohio, near Cincinnati. It was an apparent reference not only to the release of Brunson, but to the negotiated return of three American hostages from North Korea in May. President Trump also won the release of three UCLA basketball players who were detained in China last November.

Earlier in the day, Trump spoke with reporters about Brunson, after it was confirmed that the 50-year-old North Carolina pastor was beginning his journey home after being detained for two years.

“He’s, I think, in good shape,” the president said. “He’ll be stopping most likely in Germany for a full check-up and then he’s going to be coming to the Oval Office, most likely on Saturday.

“But we’re very honored to have him back with us,” Trump continued. “He suffered greatly, but we’re very appreciative to a lot of people.” (Read more from “U.S. Pastor Andrew Brunson Leaves Turkey After Being Detained for 2 Years” HERE)

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Democratic Candidate Who Attacked Opponent on ‘Bigfoot Erotica’ Says We Should Negotiate With the Taliban

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There’s a new controversy brewing in the House of Representatives race in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District between Republican candidate Denver Riggleman and Democratic candidate Leslie Cockburn, and this one has nothing to do with Bigfoot.

At a Monday night debate, the Washington Free Beacon reports, Cockburn actually said that the United States needs to negotiate with the Taliban if we want to get out of the war in Afghanistan — which turned 17 on October 7 this year.

“One problem is that the patron of the Taliban is Pakistan,” Cockburn said. “We have to negotiate with the Taliban and Pakistan in order to leave that war, and I think that this should be a matter of diplomacy, and it needs to happen now.”

Cockburn says this opinion is informed by her time as a journalist covering three separate wars at different times in Afghanistan’s history.

Riggleman, by contrast, served as an Air Force intelligence officer during the early days of the War on Terror and said in a recent ad that his team helped plan some of the initial bombing runs over Afghanistan after 9/11.

To push back against Riggleman’s resume, Cockburn asserted that because, as an intelligence officer working from the Afghan theater at a naval support station, he had a minor role, the Free Beacon continues. To her claims, he responded, “I’m not going to defend my military service.”

You may remember this race from the previous media attention it received following Cockburn’s claims that Riggleman was into “Bigfoot erotica” over some Instagram photos that Riggleman later explained were the result of a running inside joke between him and his Air Force buddies. (For more from the author of “Democratic Candidate Who Attacked Opponent on ‘Bigfoot Erotica’ Says We Should Negotiate With the Taliban” HERE)

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UK Supreme Court Makes Unanimous Decision, Backs Bakery That Refused to Make Gay Marriage Cake

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By The Guardian. A Belfast bakery run by evangelical Christians was not obliged to make a cake emblazoned with the message “support gay marriage”, the supreme court has ruled, overturning a £500 damages award imposed on it.

The unanimous decision by the UK’s highest court was greeted as a victory for free speech but condemned by gay rights groups and the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland as a backward step in combating discrimination.

Ashers had refused to produce the cake, featuring the Sesame Street puppets Bert and Ernie, in 2014 for Gareth Lee, who supports the campaign to legalise same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. He wanted to take it to a private function marking International Day Against Homophobia.

The judgment, delivered after the supreme court’s first hearing in Northern Ireland in May, reverses earlier decisions in Belfast county court and a court of appeal ruling that the company discriminated against Lee, who is gay, on the grounds of sexual orientation.

The five justices on the supreme court – Lady Hale, Lord Mance, Lord Kerr, Lord Hodge and Lady Black – found the bakery did not refuse to fulfil Lee’s order because of his sexual orientation and therefore there was no discrimination on those grounds. The business relationship between Lee and Ashers did not involve people being refused jobs or services because of their religious faith, the judges added. (Read more from “UK Supreme Court Makes Unanimous Decision, Backs Bakery That Refused to Make Gay Marriage Cake” HERE)

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The Supreme Court’s Ruling on the ‘Gay Cake’ Row Is a Victory for Common Sense

By Telegraph. The decision of the Supreme Court in the great “gay cake” row is a victory not just for common sense but for freedom of expression. The affair began four years ago when a customer ordered a £36 sponge cake from Ashers bakery in Northern Ireland which refused his order.

They did so not because he was gay but because they objected to the political slogan on the cake in support of gay marriage. (Read more from “The Supreme Court’s Ruling on the ‘Gay Cake’ Row Is a Victory for Common Sense” HERE)

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