Third Independent Media Shuts in Wake of Hong Kong Police’s Arrest and Raid of Another Publication

A Hong Kong independent online publication on Jan. 3 said its decision to shut down was triggered by the recent closure of Stand News, adding their journalists no longer feel safe under the vague standards of law enforcement.

Citizens News, a digital newsroom founded in 2017 by a group of veteran journalists, made the sudden closure announcement on Sunday, saying it would stop updating its website from midnight of Jan. 4 and close after that.

The online news outlet, which had sheltered journalists from now-shuttered pro-democracy Apple Daily, said it could no longer operate amid “rapid changes in society in the past two years and the deterioration of the media environment.” Stand News added the decision was for the need to ensure the safety of its staff.

Briefing reporters on Monday, Chris Yeung, chief writer of Citizen News, explained the trigger point was the recent actions against Stand News.

On Dec. 29, over 200 national security police raided the office of Stand News, froze its assets, and arrested seven current and former executives on suspicion of engaging in the “conspiracy to publish seditious publications” under a colonial-era ordinance. Hours later, the independent online outlet declared it would stop operation and dismissed all staff members.

Two of those arrested have been denied bail after they were formally charged with sedition on Dec. 30.

“We tried our best not to infringe the law, but we can no longer clearly grasp the lines of law enforcement,” said Yeung, who is also a former president of the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA).

“Journalists are humans too and have families and friends,” he said, “In an environment where we cannot work safely, it’s time to consider this question seriously. Journalists don’t want to be in this dilemma because of their work.”

He said the outlet so far hasn’t been contacted by law enforcement, but some commentaries written by people familiar with the matters have indicated that online media outlets would be the next target.

“What changed is not us, but the outside, objective environment,” said Citizen News Chief Editor Daisy Li.

“Can we work on some ‘safe news’?” Li told reporters. “I don’t even know what is ‘safe news.’”

“We all love this place, deeply,” Citizen News said in a statement on Sunday, when it announced the closure. “Regrettably, what was ahead of us is not just pouring rains or blowing winds, but hurricanes and tsunamis.”

The former British colony that was handed back to Beijing in 1997 was once known as a haven for dissent, freedom of the press, and expression not seen on the mainland. But the communist regime in Beijing has clamped down in the last two years, leading to the closure of independent news outlets, the removal of monuments, and a poorly attended election swept by pro-Beijing politicians.

HKJA, in a Monday statement, said it was “deeply saddened and regretted” by the loss of Citizens News.

Ronson Chan, the current president of the HKJA, worried the end of Citizens News and Stand News would set off a chain of closures, as the two prominent online publications could no longer withstand the pressure.

“We may face a disaster of press freedom,” Chan told the Hong Kong edition of The Epoch Times.

As a former deputy assignment editor of the now-shuttered Stand News, Chan himself was arrested on Dec. 29. He was released hours later.

https://www.ntd.com/third-independent-media-shuts-in-wake-of-hong-kong-polices-arrest-and-raid-of-another-publication_722187.html

Collusion: Facebook Suspends Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene For ‘Misinformation’ One Day After Twitter Ban

Twitter permanently banned Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene on Sunday for posting Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In response, Greene wrote of Twitter, “I’ll show America we don’t need them and it’s time to defeat our enemies.”

“When Maxine Waters can go to the streets and threaten violence on Twitter, Kamala and Ilhan can bail out rioters on Twitter, and Chief spokesman for terrorist IRGC can tweet mourning Soleimani but I get suspended for tweeting VAERS statistics, Twitter is an enemy to America and can’t handle the truth,” Greene’s statement said. “That’s fine, I’ll show America we don’t need them and it’s time to defeat our enemies.”

Facebook suspended Congresswoman Greene 24 hours later.

The tech giants are all working together to silence American citizens.

Greene was suspended from Facebook for 24 hours for posting ‘misinformation.’

“Facebook has joined Twitter in censoring me. This is beyond censorship of speech,” Greene posted on Gettr.

“Who appointed Twitter and Facebook to be the authorities of information and misinformation? When Big Tech decides what political speech of elected Members is accepted and what’s not then they are working against our government and against the interest of our people,” she wrote.

“A spokesperson for Facebook’s parent company Meta said in a statement to NBC News that one of Greene’s posts “violated our policies and we have removed it.” The rep did not say what the post said, but added that “removing her account for this violation is beyond the scope of our policies.”” NBC News reported.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/01/collusion-facebook-suspends-rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-misinformation-one-day-twitter-ban/

FF

Israel's Jerusalem Post Hacked, Site Replaced With Pro-Iran Threat Of Annihilation

In the early hours of Monday Israel's prominent daily newspaper The Jerusalem Post had its website hacked by what are believed to be "pro-Iranian hackers" who made the intrusion on the occasion of the second anniversary of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Qassem Soleimani’s death.​

The newspaper's homepage was replaced by a threatening image depicting Israel's Dimona nuclear facility being blown up with text posted in both English and Hebrew reading: "We are close to you where you do not think about it."

The website has since been restored after the hack happened at about 2am Monday (local time). The featured image showed a missile being "fired" from a ring on the hand of the late IRGC Quds force leader, who has assassinated on orders from then President Trump on Jan.3rd, 2020 via drone strike at Baghdad's international airport.

Iranian officials have also long blamed Israel for being part of the assassination, which was actually belatedly confirmed by Israeli defense officials themselves last month. In December, while speaking about Soleimani's death in a media interview, Israel's former military intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Tamir Heyman described that "Assassinating Soleimani was an achievement, since our main enemy, in my eyes, are the Iranians."

The website has since been restored and is functioning properly. Amid the cyber-intrusion JPost editors had acknowledged, "We are aware of the apparent hacking of our website, alongside a direct threat to Israel," the English-language newspaper stated. "We are working to resolve the issue and thank readers for your patience and understanding."

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/israels-jerusalem-post-hacked-site-replaced-pro-iran-threat-annihilation

Florida Mayor-Elect Cancels Inauguration Ceremony After Catching COVID

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Mayor-elect of St. Petersburg has tested positive for COVID-19, prompting him to cancel his inauguration ceremony Thursday.

“Let this serve as a reminder to all of us to get vaccinated and follow CDC guidelines to minimize the spread of COVID-19,” Mayor-elect Ken Welch (D) said. “While this is disappointing, I am incredibly thankful that my current symptoms are not serious, and I keep in my thoughts and prayers all the families who have lost so much more to this pandemic. Though we will not be able to celebrate in person, let us keep front of mind the significance of the day – the day that we begin a journey together, as one community in one city, toward inclusive progress. We will have much more to celebrate together in the years to come.”

Welch, who will become the first black mayor of St. Petersburg, is fully vaccinated and boosted. He will be sworn in virtually on Thursday, Jan. 6.

https://breaking911.com/florida-mayor-elect-cancels-inauguration-ceremony-after-catching-covid/

are these guys clones?

Manhattan DA Closes Investigation of Cuomo in Nursing Home Deaths; No Charges Brought, Attorney Says

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will not face any charges for his handling of the state’s nursing home deaths during the coronavirus pandemic, his attorney says.

Cuomo’s lawyer, Elkan Abramowitz, said in a statement: “I was contacted today by the head of the Elder Care Unit from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office who informed me they have closed its investigation involving the Executive Chamber and nursing homes. I was told that after a thorough investigation – as we have said all along – there was no evidence to suggest that any laws were broken.”

The brand new DA in Manhattan, Alvin Bragg, has yet to comment.

Cuomo’s administration had been accused of deliberately hiding the full scale of nursing home deaths in the state.

https://breaking911.com/breaking-manhattan-da-closes-investigation-of-cuomo-in-nursing-home-deaths-no-charges-brought-attorney-says/

Standard cover up - start investigation let it go silent then quietly close it