China tests Russian anti-viral drug which might treat coronavirus as Moscow warns of possible 'mass outbreak'
rt.com | 2020-02-04
While health chiefs prepare for a potential pandemic, China is testing a Russian anti-viral drug in the hope that it might help control the new coronavirus. It comes as prospects of a vaccine look slim for the foreseeable future. | Triazavirin, developed at Yekaterinburg's Ural Federal University, was originally developed to combat 'Bird Flu' (H5N1), and, given that there are some similarities between the two infections, researchers feel it's worth a punt. The medicine is already known to be effective against 15 types of flu. | Russia's Deputy Health Minister Sergei Kraevoi confirmed the news on Tuesday. He al…
rt.com/russia/480037-china-tests-russian-drug-coronavirus/

Twitter cites 'Iran & Israel state actors' after suspending researcher who exposed new user-data flaw
rt.com | 2020-02-04
Twitter, in a post so reassuring it's alarming, says it stopped possible state-backed actors in Iran and Israel from exploiting its features. But the only clear 'actor' may be a lone researcher who reported the bug six weeks ago. | "Iran, Israel and Malaysia suspected of exploiting Twitter phone number security flaw," read a headline on Sky News. "Twitter: Israel, Iran may have accessed users' phone numbers," warned the Jerusalem Post. | So what did those bad privacy-violating ayatollahs in Tehran and intrepid privacy-defying IDF hackers do this time? They exploited Twitter's "contact upload" feature to match…
rt.com/news/480041-twitter-bug-iran-israel/

Yemen official accuses UAE of backing rebellion
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-04
A Yemeni government official on Tuesday accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of supporting military rebellion against authorities in the strategic island of Socotra.Socotra's Governor Ramzi Mahrous also alleged the Gulf country of supporting the separatist forces of the Southern Transitional Council (STC).In a statement posted on Facebook, Mahrous said he was surprised by the announcement of the Coast Guard Brigade of the 1st Marine Brigade that it was rebelling against Yemen's President Mansur Abdrabbuh Hadi, and joining the transitional council militia.He said the "step is a dangerous precedent" carried out b…
yenisafak.com/en/news/yemen-official-accuses-uae-of-backing-rebellion-3511226

Calvin Harris's Allegedly Leaked Nudes Leave Fans Open-Mouthed
sputniknews.com | 2020-02-04
Scotland-born producer and DJ Calvin Harris has allegedly fallen victim to a leak with alleged intimate photos circulating online. However, the musician has not officially confirmed that the pics in question, which indicate a substantial physical endowment, are really of him.
sputniknews.com/viral/202002041078224470-calvin-harriss-allegedly-leaked-nudes-leave-fans-open-mouthed/

Viral Trend Amid Viral Outbreak: Travellers Take Pictures in Tourist Destinations Wearing Face Masks
sputniknews.com | 2020-02-04
The famous saying goes "better safe than sorry". Nowadays, the expression seems to be quite to the point, as the world is alarmed over the outbreak of coronavirus in China, prompting more and more people to purchase one particular medical item

Iran to Launch new Satellite Despite US Missile Accusations
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-03
"We are not afraid of failure and we will not lose hope. With your prayers and trust in God, the Zafar satellite by the end of this week … will be heading toward an orbit of 530 km from Earth," Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi tweeted.
telesurenglish.net/news/Iran-to-Launch-new-Satellite-Despite-US-Missile-Accusations-20200203-0004.html

YouTube bans misleading election videos, 'birther'-esque theories, and deepfakes… just in time for Iowa primary
rt.com | 2020-02-03
YouTube has banned "manipulated or doctored" videos relating to the US election, as well as deepfakes and "birther"-type conspiracy theories which question candidates' eligibility for office, with the primaries already under way. | Google's video-sharing platform has stepped up to protect the damsel in distress that is the American electoral process, announcing a blanket ban on deepfakes and "content that advances false claims related to the technical eligibility requirements" of candidates on Mon…
rt.com/usa/479985-youtube-bans-misleading-election-birtherism/

Coronavirus + PORN?! Game dev hopes to cash in on adult game promotion with viral twist
rt.com | 2020-02-03
Game developer Kagami Works is luring in Chinese customers with 90,000 free copies of its "adult" match game Mirror – to keep players inside and safe from the rampaging coronavirus while "keeping them company." | The developer has made free copies of the racy game available to anyone with a mainland China phone number in a promotion called "Wuhan, We're With You!" on popular gaming platform Steam. Offering Mirror's well-endowed anime girls to gamers "to keep them company" as they hide from the virus indoors appears to have been a good business move – while the promotion is scheduled to run through Monday, it i…
rt.com/news/479989-kagami-mirror-porn-giveaway-coronavirus/

'Cycle of panic & neglect'? US prepares for 'pandemic' as China coronavirus death toll reaches 427 with 20,000+ cases
rt.com | 2020-02-03
The death toll from a fast moving viral outbreak sweeping China has risen to 427, with over 20,000 cases worldwide. WHO has urged for preparedness instead of panic, as the US called the spread "explosive and unprecedented." | Another 2,345 cases were confirmed in Hubei by Tuesday, as the novel coronavirus surpasses the scale of the SARS outbreak of the early 2000s and health authorities around the world continue to take aggressive steps to contain its spread. | Of the 427 confirmed fatalities, all but one have occurred in Mainland China, with an additional death in the Philippines involving a Chinese national…
rt.com/news/480001-china-coronavirus-death-cases/

Teacher's photos document virus-hit Chinese city
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-02-03
A teacher who was starting a new life with his wife in the Chinese industrial centre of Wuhan when a viral outbreak spread across the city has documented the coronavirus fallout in a series of photos.Poland native Arek Rataj had recently taken a position teaching visual communication at Jianghan University, but almost immediately the metropolis of 11 million people, which had been teeming with Lunar New Year holiday revelry, turned quiet.A girl wears a face mask as she plays on a swing near the Yingwuzhou Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan (Arek Rataj/AP)Arek and his wife Jenina bought face masks for protection and ke…
thecanary.co/feature/2020/02/03/teachers-photos-document-virus-hit-chinese-city/

The Politics of Online Friendship
Steven Salaita | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-03
It happens to everyone. You're scrolling through your Facebook feed and encounter a name you either dislike or admire. You head over to their page to check out the latest news or analysis, or to laugh at their latest bad take, but something's off. The page seems incomplete. And then you realize why. You immediately…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/03/the-politics-of-online-friendship/

An important travel petition needs all our support
Steve Topple | thecanary.co | 2020-02-02
There's an important petition doing the rounds on social media. It's about our rail network and an issue that affects every person who uses it. So, here's why you should get involved.An important petition: As the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) tweeted, the petition calls for "fully staffed and accessible stations": | Violent crime and assaults on rail passengers and staff continue to rise. In 2018/19 there was a 16% rise in violent crime on our railways. | Please sign this petition, and call on the Govt, TOC's and @TfL…
thecanary.co/trending/2020/02/02/an-important-travel-petition-needs-all-our-support/

Stephen King Leaves Facebook Over False Information And Privacy
teleSUR – | telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-02
United States author Stephen King has deleted his Facebook account Friday after expressing concerns about the widespread of false information and privacy violations occurring on that social network. | RELATED: | UK Gives Huawei Green Light to Help Build 5G Network | Through his Twitter account, the renowned author expressed that he is "not comfortable with the flood of false information allowed in its political advertising, nor do I trust its ability to protect the privacy of its users."
telesurenglish.net/news/stephen-king-leaves-facebook-over-false-information-and-privacy-20200202-0015.html

'Justice for Johnny Depp': Fans defend movie star on Twitter after ex-wife Amber Heard seemingly admits to abuse on tape
rt.com | 2020-02-02
Fans of movie star Johnny Depp have demanded their idol's name be cleared, after his ex-wife Amber Heard apparently admitted to hitting and throwing objects at him in a leaked audio tape. Heard has accused Depp of domestic abuse. | In an audio confession leaked to the Daily Mail, Heard admits to hitting Depp with pans, pots and vases. The conversation took place during a therapy session in 2015, as the tinseltown pair attempted to save their tumu…
rt.com/usa/479916-johnny-depp-amber-heard/

Twitter bombarded with conspiracy theories after release of final Iowa poll AXED ahead of Democratic caucuses
rt.com | 2020-02-02
The decision to cancel publication of the final Iowa poll before the Democratic caucuses has led to incendiary accusations that organizers had no legitimate reason to pull the survey and simply wanted to suppress its results. | A methodological error has been cited as the reason why the highly-anticipated final poll, originally scheduled to be released on the eve of Iowa's Democratic caucuses, would not be made public. | The CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom survey, conducted by respected polling agency Selzer & Co, is viewed as one of the most accurate

Protesters storm New York subway & vandalize stations in heated anti-police demonstration (PHOTOS & VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-02-01
Subway stations across New York City's five boroughs faced delays during Friday rush hour after hundreds of protesters gathered for a mass action over a plan to ramp up police presence in terminals and crack down on fare-skippers. | The demonstrations kicked off on Friday afternoon and saw throngs of protesters

ZeroHedge banned from Twitter after BuzzFeed accuses it of coronavirus conspiracy and 'doxxing' a Chinese scientist
rt.com | 2020-02-01
The popular news blog ZeroHedge has been suspended from Twitter. While no reason was given, their last tweet referred to speculation the coronavirus could be a bioweapon and BuzzFeed had just accused them of doxxing. | The site's last tweet before the suspension referenced a paper by Indian scientists pointing to uncanny similarities between the 2019-nCoV virus and HIV, which internet researcher Christopher Torres Lugo described as "conspiracy theories claiming that 2019-nCoV is a bioweapon." | Twitter does not comment on reasons for suspending or banning any particular account, leaving ZeroHedge's 673,000 or…
rt.com/usa/479824-zerohedge-twitter-suspended-coronavirus/

At least 2 dead, 2 injured in funeral shooting at Florida church
rt.com | 2020-02-01
Two people have been killed and one injured, after gunfire broke out at a funeral in Riviera Beach, Florida. Police say one of the dead is a teenage boy. | The incident took place on Saturday afternoon at the Original Tabernacle of Prayer, a predominantly black church in the city. Police say that a 15-year-old boy and an adult man died at the scene, while another adult female and juvenile victim were brought to nearby hospitals for treatment. | Shooting with multiple victims. Please see news release below for details. pic.twitter.com/6o4u135WzS– Riviera Beach PD (@Ri…
rt.com/usa/479870-florida-riviera-beach-church-shooting/

Palestinians around the world reject Trump's 'fraud of the century'
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-01-31
Palestinians have responded to US President Donald Trump's peace plan with a resounding "no," expressing their frustrations with what they have dubbed as the "fraud of the century." From social media to the streets, Palestinians in the occupied territory and in the diaspora have rejected Trump's vision for the region, criticizing the plan for granting […] | Source…
mronline.org/2020/01/31/palestinians-around-the-world-reject-trumps-fraud-of-the-century/

Don't make me repeat myself again! Soros threatens Zuckerberg must be removed from Facebook 'one way or another'
rt.com | 2020-01-31
Billionaire speculator George Soros has called for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his COO to be deposed, accusing them of seeking to "maximize profits" without regard for consequences, in perhaps the most ironic attack ever. | Zuckerberg and Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg "follow only one guiding principle: maximize profits irrespective of the consequences," Soros snarled on Friday in a New York Times op-ed. While his detractors might have used those exact words to describe the financier's own "guiding principle," Soros meant it as a scathing condemnation. | One way or another, they should…
rt.com/usa/479799-soros-demands-zuckerberg-facebook-trump/

US government censorship? Social media giants disappear accounts of Iranian and Venezuelan academics, journalists
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2020-01-30
Red Lines host Anya Parampil talks with Professor Mohammad Marandi of the University of Tehran. Professor Marandi's Facebook and Instagram…
thegrayzone.com/2020/01/30/social-media-giants-disappear-popular-iranian-venezuelan-accounts/

Headlines for January 29, 2020
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-29
McConnell Tries to Secure Votes to Block Impeachment Witnesses, "Our Rights Are Not for Sale": Palestinians Reject Trump's Middle East Plan, Trump Praises Pompeo for Shouting and Cursing at NPR Reporter, WaPo Reinstates Reporter Suspended for Tweeting About Kobe Rape Case, Death Toll from Coronavirus Virus Hits 132, with 6,000 Infected, Over 100,000 Syrian Civilians Flee Regime Offensive in Idlib, Floods Kill 30, Displace 16,000 in Madagascar, Mississippi to Shut Down Unit of Parchman Prison After Deaths of 9 Prisoners, Maryland Cop Charged with Murder for Killing Handcuffed Man in Police Car…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/29/headlines

Headlines for January 28, 2020
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-28
Trump Lawyers Says He Did No Wrong as Calls Mount for Bolton and Other Witnesses to Testify | , Trump to Unveil Middle East "Peace Plan" as Netanyahu Indicted over Corruption, SCOTUS Allows Trump's "Public Charge" Rule Targeting Low-Income Immigrants to Take Effect, State Dept. Bars NPR Reporter from Upcoming Pompeo Trip, Washington Post Suspends Reporter for Tweet About Kobe Bryant Rape Allegation, Mixed Accounts After U.S. Military Plane Crashes in Afghanistan, Torrential Rains and Landslides Kill At Least 46 People in Brazil, Nigerian Journalist Maxwell Nashan Killed, 2nd Accuser Testifies in Weinstein Trial a…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/28/headlines

Murder of Mexican Artist Isabel Cabanillas Highlights Endemic Issue of Femicide in Ciudad Juárez
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-28
Isabel Cabanillas, a 26-year-old beloved feminist activist and artist, was recently assassinated in Ciudad Juárez, resurfacing the border city's painful legacy of femicides and violence against women. Cabanillas was reported missing on social media by her friends on Saturday, January 18, after she never returned home. On that same day, she was found shot to death on a sidewalk next to her bicycle in downtown Juárez. We speak with Nana Rebell, a feminist activist in Ciudad Juárez and a member of the Juárez feminist collective Hijas de su Maquilera Madre, about Cabanillas's life and the endemic issue of femicide in…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/28/juarez_mexico_isabel_cabanillas_assassination_femicide

In Latest Encryption Battle with Apple, Justice Department 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