2020-01-20: News Headlines

RT (2020-01-20). First squadron of Su-30MKI fighter jets inducted in South India, set to watch over Indian Ocean. rt.com India has supplied Thanjavur air base on its strategic southern coast with Su-30MKI air superiority fighter jets as part of an ongoing effort to boost the defenses of the Indian Ocean region. | On Monday, the jets were officially inducted at Thanjavur Air Force Station in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, which is set to be home to the No. 222 Squadron, known as 'Tiger Sharks'. | Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat and Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria were present at the ceremony. | #WATCH Water…

RT (2020-01-20). At least 2 dead and 15 injured in shooting outside nightclub in Kansas City, Missouri. rt.com A gunman opened fire on a line of people outside a night club in Kansas City, Missouri, killing one and wounding 15 more before being shot dead by a security guard, local media reported, citing police. | According to police, the suspect began shooting into a line of people that had formed in front of a crowded club 9ine Ultra Lounge. The shooter killed a woman in a parking lot, after which he was gunned down by a security guard. | BREAKING: @kcpolice & @CityOfIndepMO police on scen…

Chris Hedges (2020-01-20). A Circus Then, a Circus Now. truthdig.com Chris Hedges has the week off. Here, in this reposted column from Jan. 7, 2019, are his thoughts about the then-nascent presidential election campaign. | It is January 2019. This signals the start of the 2020 election circus. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is the first big-name Democrat on stage. But we will soon be deluged with candidates, bizarre antics and endless commentary by fatuous TV and radio pundits. The hyperventilating, the constant polling, the updates on who has the largest campaign war chest, the hypothetical matches between this hopeful and that hopeful, the mocking tweets by Donald Trump, will, as we saw…

R. Robertson (2020-01-20). Demonstrators Form Giant Human Sign "Truth Matters" in Front of Facebook HQ. indybay.org Facebook continues to refuse to check for accuracy in their political ads. Many bodies made for a huge display of protest.

Paul Street (2020-01-20). Trump Showed Us Who He Was Before He Became President. counterpunch.org The long record of this presidency's transgressions now includes the open dog-wagging assassination — on brazenly false pretexts — of a foreign military commander atop a state (Iran) with which the United States is not at war and without the permission of a government (Iraq) on whose soil the monumental war crime took place. In response to mild Democratic Party criticism of the timing and grounds for the assassination of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Trump has re-tweeted a right-wing lunatic's tweet depicting Democratic Congressional leaders Charles Schumer (Senate Minority Leader) and Nancy Pelosi (Hou…

WSWS (2020-01-20). As neo-Nazis head to Richmond, Trump boosts gun-rights rally. wsws.org The president's tweet is a declaration of solidarity with ultra-right forces on the eve of his impeachment trial.

sputniknews (2020-01-20). Man Runs for His Life as he Gets Chased by Angry Elephant – Video. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Tourists on a safari had expected to have a great time watching wild animals in their natural habitat, but were instead shocked to see an elephant chasing a man who had run afoul of the perturbed pachyderm.

sputniknews (2020-01-20). Bumbling Robbers Leave Netizens in Stitches as CCTV Video of Their Antics Hits Internet. sputniknews.com The criminals' desperate attempts to flee from a locked store they found themselves trapped in have reminded some netizens of a certain scene from Guy Ritchie's comedy film "Snatch".

yenisafak (2020-01-20). Lebanon caretaker PM Hariri: new gov't needed urgently to avoid collapse. yenisafak.com Lebanon needs to urgently form a new government to get out of a cycle of collapse that has repercussions for the country's economic and security situation, caretaker prime minister Saad al-Hariri tweeted on Monday.Hariri said the country was headed to the "unknown" while obstruction has continued and the team responsible for forming a government has taken its time.Lebanon has been without a government since Hariri resigned on Oct. 29 in the face of mass protests.

yenisafak (2020-01-20). Legendary Turkish singer | involuntary rocks music world after Spotify hack. yenisafak.com A renowned Turkish singer shot to global fame when an acclaimed You Tuber's Spotify account was stolen and his playlists saturated with the songs of arabesque singer Ferdi Tayfur. The action caused the Turkish singer, who is more commonly known as Ferdi Baba (Father Ferdi), to skyrocket to the top of the agenda on social media.Casey Neistat, who has over 12 million followers on You Tube, announced on Twitter that his Spotify account had been hacked, saying, "This is not the kind of music I typically listen to." hey @SpotifyUSA HELP! pretty sure some…

RT (2020-01-19). Gremlin in the sky: Pentagon contractor shows maiden flight of its new 'swarm' drone. rt.com Swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles overwhelming enemies' defenses with sheer numbers might soon be part of the US combat strategy. Footage of the first flight of one such drone has just been showcased by a Pentagon contractor. | A video published on YouTube by an applied science and IT company, Dynetics, shows a drone, which looks roughly like a large air-to-surface missile, being drop-launched from under the wing of a US transport Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. | The drone designated X-61A then releases small wings and ignites its rocket engine, setting off for an autonomous flight. Media reports sugges…

RT (2020-01-19). Two police officers killed, multiple homes set on fire in Hawaiian capital shooting. rt.com Two police officers have been shot dead in the Diamond Head area of Honolulu, Hawaii, and the suspect remains at large. A huge fire has also broken out in the neighborhood. | The officers were responding to a report of assault when they were confronted by a man wielding a firearm, according to local news outlets. The suspect then opened fire and struck both officers. | The FBI said it is also responding to the incident. | #BREAKING: Flames coming out of house on Hibiscus Drive near Kapiolani Park – just heard popping sound coming…

Michael Welch (2020-01-19). 2019 Year in Review: From Corporate Capture of Social Media to Trump's War Agenda to Climate Change. globalresearch.ca "It just seems like people have really lost their way, severed ties with reality completely, where we're listening to some pied piper online instead of really questioning authority. questioning the power structures like we should be all along!" — Abby …

Staff (2020-01-19). What Rod Blagojevich's Double Impeachment Could Mean for Trump. truthout.org Impeachments are fortunately rare in American political life: Trump is only the third president to have been impeached; eight governors have been impeached and removed from office. | The most recent was former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He was arrested in 2008, after he was caught on a federal wiretap trying to sell the appointment to fill Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. Blagojevich was also charged with various crimes related to campaig…

teleSUR (2020-01-19). Bolivia's Movement to Socialism Party Forms Presidential Plan. telesurenglish.net The Movement to Socialism ( MAS ) is choosing this Sunday its presidential formula for the elections, which will be held in Bolivia on May 3, with the "firm commitment" to remain united around single leadership, the democratically elected President Evo Morales said this weekend. | RELATED: | Bolivia's Anti-Imperialist Army School Renamed After Che's Assassins | In a message released on his official Twitter account, Morales said that "the first day of meeting between national leaders of…

Tom Coburg (2020-01-19). Here are the ten pledges every Labour leadership contender really should sign up to. thecanary.co The Board of Deputies of British Jews (BoD) published ten 'pledges', to be adhered to by every candidate standing for leader of the Labour Party. That intervention was widely criticised, although the Labour leadership contenders were quick to agree to those demands without criticism. | But while antisemitism, where proven, should always be condemned, there are other issues, which affect the whole of society that also need a…

teleSUR (2020-01-19). China Reports 136 New Cases of 'Sars-Type' Virus. telesurenglish.net Chinese authorities have confirmed 136 new cases diagnosed with a new form of viral pneumonia in central China that has already killed three people, according to the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission. | RELATED: | 'Sars-Type' Virus Claims 2nd Victim in China, 41 Infected So Far | In total, 198 cases of the new coronavirus have been identified in the city of Wuhan, where the virus appears to have originated. At least a half-dozen countries in Asia and three U.S. airports have started sc…

RT (2020-01-18). Woodland camo in space, you sure? US Space Force roasted online after it premiers first-ever uniform. rt.com US President Donald Trump's recently inaugurated Space Force has faced a torrent of mockery online after it unveiled its brand new woodland-patterned camouflage uniform, raising quite a few eyebrows. | The US Space Force, Trump's beloved brainchild and now one of the eight uniformed services in the country, has finally got its own gear. | "The first #SpaceForce utility uniform nametapes have touched down in the Pentagon," the newest branch of the US military tweeted, accompanying the message with a photo of what appears to be a standard US Army woodland camo jacket, sporting a US Space Force patch on its sleev…

Peadar O'Cearnaigh (2020-01-18). A hate crime worker rejects James Cleverly's ridiculous comments on racism in Britain. thecanary.co On 15 January, Conservative Party chair James Cleverly told ITV's Robert Peston that Britain isn't becoming more racist and it's an "infinitely, infinitely more open and tolerant country" than when he was growing up. Cleverly insisted that back then there was "casual racism" on the TV and in society. | "Racism is on the rise": | But Labour MP Nadia Whittome, who was a hate crime worker in Nottingham, hit back a…

RT (2020-01-17). 'Rigging election again': Trump says impeachment all a ploy to… shaft Bernie Sanders. rt.com The impeachment trial against Donald Trump is not just a "witch hunt," but a ploy to "rig" the Democratic nomination against Bernie Sanders and in favor of Joe Biden, the US president has claimed. | "They are rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders, just like last time, only even more obviously," Trump tweeted on Friday. | They are rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders, just like last time, only even more obviously. They are bringing him out of so important Iowa in order that, as a Senator, he sit through the Impeachment Hoax Trial. Crazy Nancy thereby gives the strong edge to Sleepy…[m…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-01-17). Bolsonaro's Culture secretary fired after quoting Nazi Goebbels. peoplesdispatch.org Brazil's Culture secretary, Roberto Alvim, was fired on Friday, a day after his office posted a video on social media in which he quoted parts of a speech delivered by the Nazi propaganda boss, Joseph Goebbels. | The video was posted by the Special Culture Office of the Jair Bolsonaro administration to promote a national arts prize. | "Brazilian art in the next decade will be heroic and national," said Alvim, with the Brazilian flag and a portrait of Bolsonaro in the background. The video played to Wagner's Lohengrin, infamously said to be Hitler's favorite opera. | The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, rel…

Kathleen Wallace (2020-01-17). Hijacking the Struggles of Others, Elizabeth Warren Style. counterpunch.org To say Elizabeth Warren is a political opportunist is not giving her enough credit. She has taken the struggles, as well as the identities of others (women, school teachers, Native Americans, public school supporters, people who are able to tweet with humor, actual humans) and has weaponized these categories until the meaning of it all is lost. More

Middle East Eye (2020-01-17). Israel Bombs Gaza Strip in Response to Incendiary Balloons. theantimedia.com (MEE) — The Israeli military said an attack helicopter struck a Hamas target in the northern Gaza Strip late Thursday in response to the launch of incendiary balloons into Israeli territory earlier in the day, the Associated Press reported. 2 milions in Gaza Can not sleep because Israel attacks on Gaza 9: 21 PM pic.twitter.com/JPbOkFBClU — Heba Khaled (@heba_khaled1998) …

RT (2020-01-16). 'You're a liberal hack!' GOP Senator snubs CNN journo at impeachment trial — then tweets the insult (VIDEO). rt.com With the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump officially underway, not everyone involved is keen to give the liberal media soundbites. Arizona Senator Martha McSally let CNN's Manu Raju know exactly what she thought of him. | Following the delivery of the articles of impeachment to the Senate on Thursday and the swearing-in of Senators, CNN's Manu Raju waited in the halls of the US Capitol to ask Republicans whether the Senate should permit new evidence against Trump to be admitted, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said earlier it should. | "Senator McSally, should the Senate consider new evidence as part…

RT (2020-01-16). Who's this guy? Jeopardy contestants fail to recognize impeachment 'hero' Adam Schiff & Twitter ROFLs. rt.com Rep. Adam Schiff might be leading an impeachment drive in the US, but it seems not everybody is familiar with the 'resistance' hero. At least, his photo did not ring any bells for contestants on the latest Jeopardy episode. | Schiff, a prominent Russiagater whose fame among the anti-Trump resistance camp reached new heights amid the ongoing Ukrainegate saga, might be a household name on Capitol Hill, but the question remains: Is the same true for the rest of the country outside of the Washington political swamp? If the classic trivia game show is any indication, it is not. | Just a reminder we live in a bubble…

Josmar Trujillo (2020-01-15). Shining a Spotlight on Anti-Homeless Reporters. fair.org by Josmar Trujillo Breaking news from the New York Post ( 12/30/19): A man is "grabbing food from the trays and shoving it directly into his mouth, wet with drool and framed by a scraggly beard." | With every new year, out come our usual resolutions: Let's quit smoking, give up meat, or maybe we can lose those extra 15 pounds we always say we should. Alas, for some of us, it's hard to change our ways. Case in point, the New York Post cannot and will not give up its obsessive, cruel and deranged fascinat…

Alan Macleod (2020-01-15). Keeping with its Crackdown on Alternative Voices, Google Deletes Press TV from YouTube. mintpressnews.com Without warning, tech giant Google "permanently removed" Iranian government-owned media channel Press TV UK's YouTube channel Monday night amid increasing American hostility to Iran. | "This attack on the freedom of speech of Press TV's journalists seems to be part of an anti-Iran purge as the West sets its sights on regime change in Iran," Press TV said. Its content, in its own words, focuses on "anti-imperialis…

Alan Macleod (2020-01-15). CNN, Warren's Sexism Jibe Against Sanders Backfires as #CNNisTrash Trends on Twitter. mintpressnews.com CNN has been widely criticized for its perceived bias in moderating yesterday's Democratic presidential debate in Iowa. With just three weeks before the first primaries, six leading candidates descended upon Des Moines last night to take part. But, as with previous debates, much of the public discussion centered on the organization, framing and bias of the organizers and moderators. | CNN asked Bernie Sanders, the most left-leaning of the candidates, if he thought he "owed voters an explanation" on how much his health plan would cost them…

Sarah Lahm (2020-01-14). The Montessori Schools Set to Track Students' Every Move. progressive.org At schools that were meant to foster self-paced learning in the natural world, the billionaires behind Facebook and Amazon are funding new data-seeking tech.

Ben Norton (2020-01-13). Under US pressure, social media companies censor critical content and suspend Venezuelan, Iranian, and Syrian accounts. thegrayzone.com As the US escalates its hybrid wars, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are suspending accounts and censoring content that conflicts with…

Max Parry (2020-01-13). Iran's Accidental Downing of a Ukrainian Plane Already Being Used to Smear MH-17 Skeptics. dissidentvoice.org When the Pentagon confirmed the assassination of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani, U.S. President Donald Trump took to social media to post a single image of the American flag to the adulation of his followers. Unfortunately, most Americans are ignorant of the other flag synonymous with U.S. foreign policy, that of the 'false flag' utilized …

Ryan Cristián (2020-01-06). More Rockets Fired At US Embassy, US Iranians Detained & Trump Says Twitter Is "Notifying Congress" thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (1/5/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …

Ramzy Baroud (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…