US extradition: ‘If Julian Assange dies, he will have been tortured to death’ – UN Rapporteur Nils Melzer

On this episode, we speak to UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer on the trial of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He discusses his assessment that Assange has been psychologically tortured by UK authorities, why it has become harder for the UK courts to refuse the US extradition request, the parallels between the video of the murder of George Floyd and Assange’s revelations, and what his persecution means for the average citizen’s rights. … Read More >US extradition: ‘If Julian Assange dies, he will have been tortured to death’ – UN Rapporteur Nils Melzer

Devastating Taiwanese fire that killed 46 and gutted apartment block blamed on woman who failed to extinguish burning incense

Taiwanese authorities announced on Friday that an apartment block fire which killed 46 people started because a female resident forgot to extinguish incense, resulting in a devastating blaze that gutted the 13-story building. … Read More >Devastating Taiwanese fire that killed 46 and gutted apartment block blamed on woman who failed to extinguish burning incense

Bill Gates says nuclear power ensures ‘reliability’ of energy supply, warns of public ‘backlash’ against carbon tax, price hikes

Billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates said that completely abandoning nuclear power makes it harder to guarantee stable energy supply. He warned against making climate change decisions that may anger the public. … Read More >Bill Gates says nuclear power ensures ‘reliability’ of energy supply, warns of public ‘backlash’ against carbon tax, price hikes

Government response to Covid-19 was too slow and insufficient to stop spread, Swedish commission finds

A commission appointed by the government has said that Sweden’s interventions at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic were insufficient to prevent the spread of the virus, and the state’s preparedness was substandard. … Read More >Government response to Covid-19 was too slow and insufficient to stop spread, Swedish commission finds

No crowd surfing allowed: Ireland unveils new social distancing guidelines for venues reopening post-Covid

The Irish government has unveiled new social distancing guidelines for venues which are reopening after being closed since March 2020 during a strict Covid lockdown, as the country seeks to lift pandemic restrictions. … Read More >No crowd surfing allowed: Ireland unveils new social distancing guidelines for venues reopening post-Covid

‘If they destroy the free press, they destroy the world,’ Roger Waters says after UK court adjourns to rule on Assange extradition

Julian Assange’s extradition case could deal a fatal blow to free press worldwide, Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters told RT as a British court weighed final arguments on whether to transfer the WikiLeaks co-founder to US custody. … Read More >‘If they destroy the free press, they destroy the world,’ Roger Waters says after UK court adjourns to rule on Assange extradition

South Korea begins effort to live with Covid-19 as it rolls out first vaccine passport scheme for high-risk venues

South Korea has announced the first steps towards creating a world where citizens live with Covid-19, laying out plans to end operating-hour curbs and implement a vaccine passport scheme for high-risk venues. … Read More >South Korea begins effort to live with Covid-19 as it rolls out first vaccine passport scheme for high-risk venues

UNSC calls on Sudan’s military to end coup and restore civilian rule, as six Sudanese envoys fired by de facto leaders

The UN Security Council (UNSC) has expressed “serious concern” over Sudan’s military takeover and called for the release of detained officials. Earlier, the country’s self-proclaimed leaders sacked six Sudanese diplomatic envoys … Read More >UNSC calls on Sudan’s military to end coup and restore civilian rule, as six Sudanese envoys fired by de facto leaders