Venezuela Must Remain Vigilant and on Guard Against US Hybrid Warfare
Nino Pagliccia | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-24
A meme circulating on social media shows the distraught gaze of Venezuela's opposition member Juan Guaidó with a caption that says in part,…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/24/venezuela-must-remain-vigilant-and-on-guard-against-us-hybrid-warfare/

Lee Camp straightens out 'sewage' NYT article that claims Russian bots 'sowed confusion' in South America (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-01-24
American comedian Lee Camp issued a scathing retort to a New York Times piece alleging that Russian bots stoked tensions in South America, jokingly noting that it would take several years to fully dissect the baseless report. | The host of Redacted Tonight marveled at how the piece, titled "As Protests in South America Surged, So Did Russian Trolls on Twitter, US Finds," was based on data provided by not-very-objective State Department 'analysts'. For Camp, this raised a number of obvious red flags. | He argued that, contrary to the US government-sourced piece, Washington and its cheerleaders in the media are…
rt.com/usa/479076-lee-camp-nyt-russian-bots-venezuela/

'So much for special relationship': UK foreign sec roasted online after US rejects extradition request for American agent's wife
rt.com | 2020-01-24
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has been ridiculed on social media for a weak response to Washington rejecting the extradition request for Anne Sacoolas, a US agent's spouse charged with teenager Harry Dunn's death. | Dunn was killed in a head-on crash with a car in August last year near to RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, England. Sacoolas, the driver of the vehicle, claimed diplomatic immunity and returned to the US. Her husband is thought to be a US intelligence officer. | Following the US administration's decision, Raab took to Twitter on Friday to reveal that he had been in contact with the US am…
rt.com/uk/479091-harry-dunn-extradition-rejected-sacoolas/

Machete Man With Violent Past Who Attacked UK Police Officer Locked Up For 16 Years
sputniknews.com | 2020-01-24
Social media has reacted strongly to the news that a man who attacked a London police officer with a machete had a string of convictions for violence and rape. The Metropolitan Police has released video footage of the officer being attacked.
sputniknews.com/uk/202001241078126033-machete-man-with-violent-past-who-attacked-uk-police-officer-locked-up-for-16-years/

European Jewish Congress (EJC) Launches Campaign Against 'Antisemitism' (Aka Support for Palestinian Rights)
Alison Weir | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-24
The European Jewish Congress (EJC) has announced the launch of a worldwide, star studded social media campaign against what it calls "antisemitism," but which is often advocacy for Palestinian human rights and opposition to Israeli apartheid. EJC is the …
globalresearch.ca/jewish-congress-launches-campaign-against-antisemitism-support-palestinian-rights/5701608

'So much for special relationship': UK foreign sec roasted online after US rejects extradition request for American agent's wife
rt.com | 2020-01-24
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has been ridiculed on social media for a weak response to Washington rejecting the extradition request for Anne Sacoolas, a US agent's spouse charged with teenager Harry Dunn's death. | Dunn was killed in a head-on crash with a car in August last year near to RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, England. Sacoolas, the driver of the vehicle, claimed diplomatic immunity and returned to the US. Her husband is thought to be a US intelligence officer. | Following the US administration's decision, Raab took to Twitter on Friday to reveal that he had been in contact with the US am…
rt.com/uk/479091-harry-dunn-extradition-rejected-sacoolas/

American bot? US veteran shares thousands of anti-Morales tweets during Bolivia coup
rt.com | 2020-01-24
A new report has revealed that the right-wing coup in Bolivia received automated support from a US Army veteran, who retweeted thousands of anti-Morales messages believed to have been written by fake Twitter accounts. | In the days preceding socialist President Evo Morales' decision to step down amid pressure from the military, thousands of new accounts were created on Twitter

Impeachment as a Distraction
Robert Fantina | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-24
Well, the circus has arrived in the United States capital, and the media is all agog at the show! In the Big Tent, sometimes referred to as the White House, announcements about forthcoming performances are being tweeted at a breath-taking rate. Many of them are coming directly from the star clown himself, none other than…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/24/impeachment-as-a-distraction/

Impeachment as a Distraction
Robert Fantina | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-24
Well, the circus has arrived in the United States capital, and the media is all agog at the show! In the Big Tent, sometimes referred to as the White House, announcements about forthcoming performances are being tweeted at a breath-taking rate. Many of them are coming directly from the star clown himself, none other than…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/24/impeachment-as-a-distraction/

Bollywood Actress and Former Beauty Queen Dia Mirza Reveals She Faced Stalker When Younger
sputniknews.com | 2020-01-24
New Delhi (Sputnik): Dia Mirza, who made India proud with her Miss Asia Pacific 2000 title, appeared on the big screen in the 2001 release "Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein". She later worked in movies like "Dus", "Lage Raho Munnabhai" and "Sanju" and launched her own production house with the name "One India Stories" last December.
sputniknews.com/viral/202001241078124982-bollywood-actress-and-former-beauty-queen-dia-mirza-reveals-she-faced-stalker-when-younger/

Leap of Faith: Russian Woman Miraculously Survives Fall From 9th Floor of Apartment Building – Video
sputniknews.com | 2020-01-24
It's horrifying to see somebody walking out of the window of a tall building – but in very rare cases, people can miraculously survive such extreme events – which is a real miracle, regardless of whether there is a lot of snow to break their fall.
sputniknews.com/viral/202001241078125915-leap-of-faith-russian-woman-miraculously-survives-fall-from-9th-floor-of-apartment-building—video/

The Coronavirus Serious Public Health Threat in China
Cesar Chelala | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-24
The happy expectations for the week-long Chinese New Year holidays has been dampened by a new viral infection that is spreading rapidly in China (cases have been confirmed in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong province) and other countries. Since late 2019, people from Wuhan had been infected with a viral pneumonia whose cause was unknown. Now…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/24/the-coronavirus-serious-public-health-threat-in-china/

The Coronavirus Serious Public Health Threat in China
Cesar Chelala | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-24
The happy expectations for the week-long Chinese New Year holidays has been dampened by a new viral infection that is spreading rapidly in China (cases have been confirmed in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong province) and other countries. Since late 2019, people from Wuhan had been infected with a viral pneumonia whose cause was unknown. Now…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/24/the-coronavirus-serious-public-health-threat-in-china/

Buildings shake, debris rains from sky as 'MASSIVE blast' rocks Houston (VIDEOS, PHOTOS)
rt.com | 2020-01-24
A massive explosion at a manufacturing plant has rattled homes in Houston, Texas with the blast echoing across the city, shattering windows and waking residents in the early hours of Friday morning. | The explosion reportedly took place at a factory in the Gessner area of the city. Video from a home doorbell captured the moment of the ferocious blast. | pic.twitter.com/JgfP7V1O87– Joey Charpentier (@BattleNub19) January 24, 2020 | The blast happened around 4: 25 am local tim…
rt.com/usa/479081-explosion-houston-texas-videos/

One Person Taken to Hospital After Explosion Rocks Houston Neighbourhood
sputniknews.com | 2020-01-24
Houston police turned to Twitter on Friday, saying that they are responding to a building explosion in a northwest Houston neighbourhood.
sputniknews.com/us/202001241078125963-houston-police-say-responding-to-building-explosion-incident/

WATCH: Escaped elephants frolic in snowy streets of Russia's Ekaterinburg
rt.com | 2020-01-24
Workers and residents alike were stunned to look out their windows and see not one but two Indian elephants taking a snow bath on the streets of the Russian city of Ekaterinburg on Thursday. | The star performers of a visiting Italian circus, 45-year-old Carla and 50-year-old Roni, couldn't resist taking a stroll in the -5C air and frolicking in the snow in the city before their days-long drive to Saint Petersburg, having broken away from their trainers during a well-earned break. | Elephants on loose in Russia after circus escape pic.twitter.com/XzGB3wVrAC– RT (@RT_…
rt.com/russia/479059-escaped-elephants-recaptured-yekaterineburg/

Several Injured and 'Presumably Dead' in Rot Am See Shooting – German Police
sputniknews.com | 2020-01-24
German police have reported via Twitter that an operation is being carried out in the town of Rot am See amid a shooting incident.
sputniknews.com/europe/202001241078127249-six-killed-in-shooting-in-german-town-of-rot-am-see—reports-/

EU top officials sign Brexit deal ahead of vote in parliament
rt.com | 2020-01-24
The presidents of the European Commission and the European Council signed off on Britain's EU divorce agreement on Friday. After formal endorsement by Brussels' two top officials, Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, the text will now go to the European Parliament on Wednesday, January 29 for ratification, AFP said. "Charles Michel and I have just signed the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the UK from the EU, opening the way for its ratification by the European Parliament," Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen tweeted. | Diplomats from the EU member states will approve the deal in writing on Thursday. Then…
rt.com/newsline/479052-eu-sign-brexit-deal/

Top EU officials sign Brexit agreement
yenisafak.com | 2020-01-24
Top EU officials signed the Brexit agreement on Friday.President of the EU Council Charles Michel said on Twitter that he signed the agreement along with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen."Things will inevitably change but our friendship will remain. We start a new chapter as partners and allies," Michel added.Von der Leyen also said on Twitter that now the agreement was open for ratification by the EU Parliament.The EU Parliament is expected to vote on the agreement on Jan. 29. The EU Withdrawal Bill that will enable Britain's exit from the bloc on Jan. 31 became law in the U.K. on Thursday after rece…
yenisafak.com/en/world/top-eu-officials-sign-brexit-agreement-3510397

Venezuela Must Remain Vigilant and On Guard Against US Hybrid Warfare
Nino Pagliccia | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-23
A meme circulating on social media shows the distraught gaze of Venezuela's opposition member Juan Guaidó with a caption that says in part, "he is not a head of State, he has no army, he has no ministers, he never …
globalresearch.ca/venezuela-remain-vigilant-guard-against-us-hybrid-warfare/5701458

U.S. clearing anti-war voices off social media in vast censorship operation
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-01-23
Instagram and its parent company Facebook are removing posts that appear to be in support of the late Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in order to comply with U.S. sanctions, a company spokesperson recently told CNN. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/01/23/u-s-clearing-anti-war-voices-off-social-media-in-vast-censorship-operation/

Now Three Years into the Reign of Trump, What's Left?
Roger D. Harris | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-01-23
On January 20, Donald G. Trump completed his third year in office. My one blog that received five-digit Facebook shares predicted Trump would lose in 2016. I was spectacularly wrong but not alone. Even the Las Vegas bookies thought Clinton was a shoo-in with her unbeatable two-punch knockout of (1) I'm not Trump and (2) …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/01/now-three-years-into-the-reign-of-trump-whats-left/

In Latest Encryption Battle with Apple, DOJ Still Wrong
Jennifer Stisa Granick | aclu.org | 2020-01-23
The | federal government is once again trying to force Apple to weaken the security | of millions of iPhones. On Wednesday, President Trump issued a call from Davos, | Switzerland for Apple to assist law enforcement in unlocking iPhones. Last week, | Trump made the same demand of Apple, tweeting that the | company should unlock cell phones as a quid pro quo for any benefits it enjoys | as a result of favo…
aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/in-latest-encryption-battle-with-apple-doj-still-wrong

Three firefighters die in Australia as water tanker plane crashes
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-01-23
A water tanker plane fighting wildfires in Australia has crashed killing three US crew members, officials have said. | The C-130 Hercules plane went down in the Snowy Monaro region in the state of New South Wales (NSW). | The state's premier Gladys Berejiklian expressed her condolences to the families of the three crew members, who were flown in as part of an international assistance effort to fight the devastating wildfires. | "Our thoughts & heartfelt condolences are with their families & the tight knit firefighting community," Berejiklian tweeted. | Heartbreaking & devastating news that three US residents who…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/01/23/three-firefighters-die-in-australia-as-water-tanker-plane-crashes/

China: Lockdown of Two Cities Near Wuhan to Contain Coronavirus
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-23
In order to curb the spread of coronavirus 2019-nCoV, Chinese authorities have suspended public transport out of the city of Huanggang (6 million inhabitants) and the city of Ezhou (1million inhabitants). Citizens have been asked not to leave these places without "special reasons." | RELATED: | WHO Extends Emergency Talks Over Novel Coronavirus Outbreak | Both locations are near Wuhan, the center of the viral pneumonia outbreak that has left at least 17 people dead. In this city,…
telesurenglish.net/news/China-Lockdown-of-Two-Cities-Near-Wuhan-to-Contain-Coronavirus-20200123-0004.html

White House Broadcasts Blatantly Homophobic Sermon Attended by Mike Pence
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-23
The White House streamed a homophobic church service attended by Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday, during which a preacher claimed that a "demonic spirit" is behind homosexuality. | The video, which is still available on the official White House YouTube page, showed Pence promising to "stand strong for the values that you hold dear" while speaking at the Holy City Church of God in Christ in Memphis. | Moments after Pence's remarks, Bishop Jerry Wayne…
truthout.org/articles/white-house-broadcasts-blatantly-homophobic-sermon-attended-by-mike-pence/

Ending Militarization Of Our Communities
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-01-22
From Stop The Militarization of Police Facebook page In recent weeks Popular Resistance has focused on the escalation of US militarism around the world, especially in the Middle East with the assassination of General Soleimani, US troops staying in Syria to take their oil and the US refusing to leave Iraq despite being asked to leave. …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/01/ending-militarization-of-our-communities/

No Accident: Israel Targets Eyes
IMEMC News & Agencies | imemc.org | 2020-01-22
by Tareq Hajaj, for Days of Palestine Media coverage and social media posts went wild when Palestinian photojournalist Muath Amarneh was blinded in his left eye after he was hit by a rubber bullet while covering a protest in the West Bank. However, Amarneh was far from unique; Israeli snipers targeting participants …
imemc.org/article/no-accident-israel-targets-eyes/

Scientists Discover Protein to Fight Brain Diseases
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-22
A team of Spanish scientists has discovered a protein (tau), the main suspect in causing Alzheimer's, that has a protective effect capable of slowing the development of brain cancer or glioma, Spanish Newspaper El Pais reports. | RELATED: | Brazil Fines Facebook US$1.6m in Cambridge Analytica Case | This discovery could clarify a process that is barely known and which determines whether a person with brain cancer will survive or not; because it's still a mystery why and how a glioma…
telesurenglish.net/news/scientists-discover-protein-to-fight-brain-deseases-20200122-0014.html

Muddle-Eastern diplomacy: White House confuses Iran and Iraq in YouTube blunder
rt.com | 2020-01-22
As President Donald Trump sat down with the world's movers and shakers at Davos, White House staff clearly weren't paying much attention, mistaking Iraqi President Barham Salih for his Iranian counterpart. | "President Trump Participates in a Bilateral Meeting with the President of the Republic of Iran," the title of a YouTube video published by the White House on Wednesday proclaimed. | Hell had not frozen over, however, and Trump had not secretly met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani unbeknownst to the world's media. Instead, the video clearly showed Trump meeting with Iraqi President Barham Salih. | Ira…
rt.com/usa/478894-white-house-iran-iraq/