(2020-01-03). Iran Quds Force commander killed in strike on convoy at Baghdad Airport. rt.com 
The head of Iran's elite Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, has been killed in a strike near the Baghdad International Airport, along with senior leaders of the Iraqi Shia militia, the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps has confirmed. | The news of the commander's demise was carried by Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, citing The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. | #Baghdad #Iraq pic.twitter.com/eklxjmqTKV— Steven nabil (@thestevennabil) (2020-01-02). Workers & firefighters buried under debris after blast hits BURNING battery factory in Delhi (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com 
Firefighters have rushed to save colleagues who became trapped under rubble after an explosion partially destroyed a factory building in Delhi. | A fire broke out at a battery factory in Delhi's Peera Garhi district on Thursday morning. Firefighters responded to a distress call around 4: 30am local time, with several brigades arriving at the scene. | A fire broke out at a factory in #Peeragarhi, Delhi early morning today. During rescue operations a blast occurred, causing the collapse of the building in which several people, inclu…
(2020-01-02). British army battles for the hearts of snowflakes and bloggers to fill jobs gap in 2020. rt.com 
Instagram addicts, viewers of Love Island, selfie lovers and gym bunnies are often millennial fashionistas addicted to social media and reality TV — but are they ready for a tough life in the line of duty? | In a subversive twist on normality, the British Army is making use of this modern social mindset for a new recruitment campaign to get such stereotypes "to join its ranks." The campaign is being rolled out this week on Twitter, Facebook and mainstream media. | In one of the ads aimed at young women, the image shows a jigsaw of toned physiques and implies that make-up, fake tan and lip fillers only pr…
(2020-01-02). 'Please help: I don't know what day it is': Brits suffer new-year hangover as #backtowork trends on Twitter. rt.com 
The 'January blues' have kicked in for many British people struggling to contend with the prospect of going back to work for the first time since the Christmas holiday season, as tales of woe and bewilderment flood Twitter. | The thought of going back to work, after a festive season dominated by too much food, drink and average films on TV, can be unappetizing for many around the world but Brits seem to have taken it to another level, going by their social media feeds. | #backtowork was trending on Twitter on Thursday with an avalanche of humorous gifs and memes, as workers in the UK expressed their horror at…
(2020-01-02). Pizzagate part 2? Bill de Blasio schooled on Twitter after calling out Domino's for selling $30 pizzas on New Year's Eve. rt.com 
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was harshly panned online after accusing the Domino's pizza chain of "exploiting" New Yorkers with $30 pies on New Year's Eve, with netizens giving the city manager a lesson in supply and demand. | De Blasio called out the company in a tweet on Wednesday, outraged about its New Year's Eve prices for those celebrating the holiday in Times Square, and encouraging New Yorkers to ditch the corporate franchise for local eateries. | "Jacking up your prices on people trying to celebrate the holidays? Classy, Domino's," he said. "To the thousands who came to Times Square last night to rin…
(2020-01-02). Social program meets goal, delivers 3 million homes. mronline.org 
The new goal of the social housing program is to deliver at least 500,000 new dwellings in 2020. | Source
(2020-01-02). Salvini trolls Pope Francis over New Year's hand-smack controversy (VIDEO). rt.com 
The head of the Italian League party, Matteo Salvini, has playfully mocked the Pope's viral New Year's handshake faux pas with a tongue-in-cheek recreation, spreading mirth online to wrap up the festive season. | Pope Francis would clearly have rathered a different end to 2019 but was instead embroiled in a controversy, albeit minor, on December 31, when he appeared to slap away a rather overly enthusiastic fan, something for which he later apologized. | t.co/V6taO9Jc9v pic.twitter.com/Iw7KrEdyuz— RT (@RT_com) (2020-01-02). Fresh CLASHES in Paris as French pension reform strike breaks records (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Protests against the French government's plans to overhaul the pension system have reached a new milestone on their 29th day, breaking national records for the longest-ever strike, as demonstrators and police clashed in Paris. | Thursday's strike action saw protesters block two bus depots in Paris. Officers dispatched to the protest were filmed spraying what some described as tear gas directly into the faces of some of the demonstrators. | Gazage à bout portant lors de Blocage de dépà¥t bus Belliard à #Paris ce matin, aucun bus n'
(2020-01-02). Belgium suspends extradition warrant on Catalan independence leader Puigdemont. rt.com 
A Belgian court has suspended the extradition of former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, citing his immunity as a member of the European Parliament, the pro-independence politician has confirmed on his Twitter. | The court ruled in favor of Puigdemont and another pro-independence politician, Toni Comin, who served as health minister in the exiled leader's former government. Both politicians are now residing in Belgium, and are wanted in Spain on charges of sedition over their role in organizing a banned Catalonia independence referendum in 2017. | Belgian justice recognizes our immunity and decides to susp…
(2020-01-02). 'It's a dang UFO': Mysterious object puzzles witnesses after blazing across Florida sky (VIDEO, PHOTOS). rt.com 
Beachwalkers out to watch the first sunrise of 2020 were left bewildered by the sudden appearance of a mysterious flying object in the sky above Florida's east coast on New Year's Day. | Several early risers walking on beaches in the city of Fort Pierce were stunned to see an unexplained object streak across the sky in the moments before sunrise on Wednesday. | As well as a fiery trail the peculiar object also left a raft of questions in its wake as eyewitnesses struggled to comprehend what they had seen. | www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2447028252205241&set=pcb.2447029922205074&type=3&theater | "I kn…
(2020-01-02). Hillary Clinton appointed chancellor of N. Ireland university… but no, she's not moving there. rt.com 
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been named chancellor of Queen's University in Belfast, becoming the first woman to hold the largely ceremonial role — and igniting speculation on social media. | Clinton said it was a "great privilege" to become the university's 11th chancellor, after her appointment was announced on Thursday. While the position does not involve relocating to Belfast — sorry, Americans — the chancellor acts as an ambassador outside Northern Ireland and sometimes oversees graduation ceremonies, in addition to advising the vice-chancellor and senior management.
(2020-01-02). Ace gesture: Tennis ace Nick Kyrgios to donate cash for each of his aces to aid victims of Australian bushfires. rt.com 
Nick Kyrgios is known to some as the bad boy of tennis, but he has shown his benevolent side on social media by announcing that he will donate $200 per ace served to help aid victims of the bushfires ravaging his homeland.
(2020-01-02). Pentagon Confirms It Killed Iran's Soleimani on Trump's Orders. telesurenglish.net The United States Department of Defense confirmed Thursday night that its forces killed Iranian Major-General Qassim Soleimani "at the direction of the president." | RELATED: | Iran's Soleimani and Iraq's Muhandis Killed in US Air Strike | The statement call the assassination a "defensive action…aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans." Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has not issued an official statement but only tweeted a U.S. flag with no caption. | There has bee…
(2020-01-02). Building near UK mosque comes under Islamophobic attack. yenisafak.com A building near a mosque in south London was vandalized with Islamophobic slogans, British police said on Thursday.Officers attended the building near the North Brixton Islamic Cultural Centre after reports of "anti-Islamic slogans" on a building's walls."Disgusted to hear that Islamophobic slogans have been spray-painted near the North Brixton Islamic Centre," London Mayor Sadiq Khan wrote on Twitter.He said the Metropolitan Police worked with Lambeth Council to have them removed, "but let me be clear: all prejudice is cowardly and criminals will face the full force of the law."Miqdaad Versi, from the Muslim Cou…
(2020-01-01). UN Expert Describes Detention of Chelsea Manning as "Amounting to Torture" truthout.org United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer shared on social media Tuesday a letter he sent to the United States government last month expressing concerns that the continued detention of whistleblower Chelsea Manning amounts to torture. | The Geneva-based expert tweeted in the early hours of Tuesday: | #USGovt of 1 Nov 2019 explaining why continued detention of (2020-01-01). Google System Could Improve Breast Cancer Detection. telesurenglish.net A series of research made by Alphabet Inc's DeepMind AI unit together with Google Health has shown the potential of artificial intelligence in the early detection of women breast cancer, according to an article published Wednesday in the journal Nature. | RELATED: | Brazil Fines Facebook US$1.6m in Cambridge Analytica Case | The study is the latest to prove the accuracy of screening for the pathology that affects one in eight females globally. Radiologists miss about 20 percent of th…
(2020-01-01). Brazil: 2019 Marks Highest Possession of Firearms Since 1997. telesurenglish.net Brazil enters 2020 with the highest record of possession of firearms since 1997, local newspaper Folha de S.Paulo reported Monday, a figure that correlates directly to far-right President Jair Bolsoanro's first year in power. | RELATED: | Brazil Fines Facebook US$1.6m in Cambridge Analytica Case | The number of guns in circulation nearly doubled from 47,600 in 2018 to 70,800 by November 2019. Gun registrations for hunters, shooters, and collectors, granted by the Brazilian Army, also…
(2020-01-01). A New Year's Resolution for Big Tech: Step Up to Stop Hate. commondreams.org Big Tech must do more in the 2020 election to protect the public. (Image: Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/facebook-shadow_0_0.jpg …
(2019-12-31). Trump blames Iran for Baghdad embassy attack, promises US will 'always' respond strongly. rt.com 
President Donald Trump has blamed Iran for bombing a coalition base and orchestrating the storming of the US Embassy in Baghdad, as Iraqis rage at American airstrikes on militias in the country. | "Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many," the president tweeted on Tuesday. "We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the US Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible." | Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsib…
(2019-12-31). Only US govt-friendly apps allowed? Army bans soldiers from using TikTok over alleged Chinese 'cyber threat'. rt.com 
The US Army has banned personnel from using Chinese social media app TikTok, signaling that its soldiers should stick to platforms that march exclusively to Washington's tune. | An army spokeswoman confirmed on Monday that the Chinese app "is considered a cyber threat" and will no longer be allowed on government phones and mobile devices. The military had previously used the popular social media platform to reach out to potential recruits. | The decision comes less than two weeks after the US Navy banned the Chinese app from all government-issued mobile devices — citing the same alleged "cybersecurity thr…
(2019-12-31). Cubicle 2020? Internet field day after Mike Bloomberg promises 'open office plan' for White House East Room if he wins presidency. rt.com 
Billionaire ex-mayor Michael Bloomberg has exposed himself to torrents of Twitter snark, after pledging that as president he would convert the East Room in the White House into a soulless maze of cubicles. 'Why?' many asked. | The presidential contender found it necessary — for reasons which may forever remain a mystery — to announce that he will turn the White House's historic East Room into an "open office" if he secures the Democratic nomination and defeats Donald Trump in 2020. | The former New York City mayor said that by doing so, he'll be able to "sit with our team" — presumably as he jud…
(2019-12-30). Plane carrying Kansas basketball team forced to make emergency landing after engine SPITS FIRE (VIDEO). rt.com 
A Swift Air 737 passenger jet was forced to make an emergency landing after one of its engines malfunctioned and began spitting fire, as terrifying eyewitness video taken on board shows. | The plane was forced to turn around 20 minutes into its flight, having just departed Mineta San Jose International Airport on Sunday. The University of Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team was on board and their senior associate athletic director, Ryan White, shared shocking video of one of the plane's engines belching blazing fire. | @KUHoops plane blows engine…
(2019-12-30). Elon Musk unveils Starship's 'giant dome' 1 month after explosion devastated launch vehicle (VIDEOS). rt.com 
The SpaceX craft Elon Musk hopes will one day take astronauts to Mars has taken a step forward, with the team building the 50-meter-tall (160 feet) capsule working around the clock to finish its huge dome. | Musk shared updates about the project's progress on Twitter on Monday, saying he and the SpaceX team had spent the whole night working on the "most difficult part of [the] primary structure": Starship's giant dome. | In his videos, he shows three of the huge structures at varying stages of construction — and it wasn't long before Twitter users compared the strange hemispheres to alien crafts. | Almost…
(2019-12-30). Too good to be true? Sharon Stone BLOCKED by dating app after disbelieving users flag her account as fake. rt.com 
If a Hollywood star can't find a date what hope do the rest of us have? Social media users were haunted by this existential question after Sharon Stone revealed that she had made an account on a dating app — but was blocked.
(2019-12-30). All West Virginia prison guard trainees pictured giving NAZI salute on viral photo SACKED after review. rt.com 
Three staff members and all of the West Virginia corrections cadets, who posed for a photo making a hand gesture resembling a Nazi salute, have been sacked after an inquiry found the class instructor encouraged the practice. | All 34 would-be prison guards and three West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Academy employees have been fired after an in-depth investigation into the viral photo showing the trainees giving a Nazi salute in a class photo accompanied by the words "HAIL BYRD!" | "As I said from the beginning, I condemn the photo of Basic Training Class 18 in the strongest possible ter…
(2019-12-30). 2019: sounds like an upsurge. fightbacknews.org In 2019, we saw workers take to picket lines and we saw mass movements hit the streets in the U.S. and around the world. And when there's an upsurge with lots of people hitting the streets, you can bet it will be accompanied by protest music. This year has been no exception. | Here are my favorite political songs of 2019. Some give voice to a specific struggle, while others tackle more general themes. | I'm sure I missed out on some good ones – add more in the comments. | (Content warning: some of these songs contain profane language and…
(2019-12-30). Michael Moore on Trump, 2020 & Why "the Old, Angry White Guy" Doesn't Represent the Working Class. democracynow.org 
Last week on Democracy Now!, acclaimed filmmaker "Michael Moore predicted": www.democracynow.org/2019/12/26/michael_moore_donald_trump_impeachment Donald Trump would win re-election if Democrats don't choose a candidate to run against him who excites their base of voters. His comments prompted President Donald Trump to respond on Twitter, "He made [the] same prediction in 2016. Nobody ever said Michael was stupid!" But Moore's comments went further than Trump's tweet alluded to. He said the working class in the United States is mostly women, people of color and young people — all groups who tend to v…
(2019-12-29). Texas church shooting: Gunman neutralized by parishioners after killing 1 & gravely injuring another in White Settlement. rt.com 
A gunman killed one and injured another person during a service at a church in White Settlement, Texas, before a parishioner shot him dead. | In a graphic livestreamed video from the service, the gunman – wearing a black hood – approaches the communion server before pulling out what appears to be a shotgun. He manages to shoot two worshippers at point-black range as the panicked crowd dives for cover among the wooden pews. Before the gunman can squeeze off a third shot, an armed "heroic parishioner" as police later call him shoots the perpetrator. Multiple other bystanders pull weapons and encircle the man.
(2019-12-27). Wikileaks Still Holding Powerful to Account as Founder Julian Assange "Slowly Dies" in Prison. mintpressnews.com Julian Assange is dying inside Belmarsh Prison in London. Those are his own words, relayed through English journalist Vaughan Smith, who revealed that the Wikileaks founder called him on Christmas Eve to share his greetings. Smith also divulged that Assange told him he is kept in solitary confinement 23 hours per day and is often sedated. | His treatment has elicited protests around the world, from journalists, news organizations, human rights groups and celebrities. Last week a group of Australian doctors asked Foreign Minister Marise Pay…
(2019-12-25). Social Media and Social Control: How Silicon Valley Serves the US State Department. mintpressnews.com 
Facebook isn't the only Silicon Valley firm with partisan oversight of what we see: the bipartisan billionaire class and their security state have partnered with tech firms since the dawn of the internet to control the parameters of users' thinking.
(2019-12-18). Tories spent over £950,000 on Facebook adverts in late election blitz. thecanary.co 
The Conservative Party spent more than any other party on Facebook and Instagram adverts in the run-up to last week's General Election, analysis by the PA news agency has found.It largely came in a spending blitz in the final two weeks of the campaign.Across their two main pages — named Conservatives and Boris Johnson — the party spent a total of £959,329 in the four weeks up to the vote.In comparison, Labour spent £552,035 on its Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn pages between 14 November and 12 December, the fourth most of the major UK parties.The Liberal Democrats were the second biggest spe…
(2019-12-16). Viral Chilean feminist anthem reveals powerful international sentiment against sexual violence. liberationnews.org 
The protest song was first performed for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 20 in Valparaíso, Chile.
(2019-12-02). The War on Truth: How Israel's Social Media Trolls Conquered Facebook. zcomm.org Israel may have found a way to circumvent the influence of Facebook on the discussions pertaining to Palestinian rights and the Israeli occupation…
(2019-12-01). The Usual Incoherence on Student Benefits Is Back. peoplespolicyproject.org 
Of all the welfare state topics, student benefits manages to consistently attract the most incoherent and weird arguments, and the recent spate of arguments on this front are no exception. In the last week, a student benefit dustup has been instigated by Pete Buttigieg ostensibly being against free public college for millionaires and billionaires while Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are ostensibly for it. | This has set off the usual round of commentary about how Buttigieg is arguing for means-testing while Warren and Sanders are arguing f…
(2019-11-17). CAP's Topher Spiro Is Trying to Deceive Journalists By Lying. peoplespolicyproject.org 
It's been fun to see how the Center for American Progress (CAP) navigates this year's presidential election. For insider political reasons, they can't support Biden or Sanders. But for a long time, it was unclear who the alternative candidate they could support would be. | When Kamala Harris was rising, CAP's staff was doing overtime boosting her on Twitter and in the press, including boosting Harris's absurd health care proposal. But Harris's collapse put an end to that strategy. Recently Warren has risen as the alternative and so CAP has been working to promote her campaign, which puts CAP in the comical positi…