(2020-09-08). Rafael Correa barred from contesting in the 2021 elections in Ecuador. peoplesdispatch.org The court of cassation of the National Court of Justice of Ecuador, on September 7, ratified the 8-year prison sentence against former president Rafael Correa and 15 other officials from his government in the "Bribes 2012-2016" case. The court also confirmed that Correa will be barred from electoral politics for the next 25 years. With the confirmation of the sentence, Correa is officially and definitively disqualified from contesting as a vice-presidential candidate in the 2021 general elections in Ecuador. | The former president, who is currently residing in Belgium, rejected the ruling through his Twitter acco…
(2020-09-08). 'Astounding' admission as minister confirms proposed change to Brexit deal would breach international law. thecanary.co A government plan to override elements of Boris Johnson's Brexit deal with Brussels would breach international law, a senior minister has confirmed. | The comment by Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis provoked a furious reaction, including from some Tory MPs, and followed news that the head of the Government Legal Department had resigned amid reports he was "very unhappy" with the proposal. | Lewis told MPs legislation to ensure Northern Ireland could continue to enjoy unfettered access to markets in the rest of the UK would breach international law in a "very specific and limited way". | pic.twitter.com/VQ…
(2020-09-08). Facebook's Political Ad Ban Could Inhibit Ability to Spread Accurate Voting Info. truthout.org Facebook this week said it would bar political ads in the seven days before the presidential election. That could prevent dirty tricks or an "October surprise" and give watchdogs time to fact-check statements. But rather than responding with glee, election officials say the move leaves them worried. | Included in the ban are ads purchased by election officials — secretaries of state and boards of elections — who use Facebook to inform voters about how voting will work. The move…
(2020-09-08). Turkish first lady marks International Literacy Day. yenisafak.com Turkey's first lady marked the International Literacy Day on Tuesday with a vow to continue efforts for education in the country."The literacy campaign in our country will continue until every individual's world is illuminated by the light of letters. Happy #InternationalLiteracyDay," Emine Erdogan said in a message on Twitter.In the message, which was posted along with a video clip commemorating the day, she also congratulated "all citizens who participated in the literacy campaign."Sept. 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO in 1966 to remind the international community of the importance of lite…
(2020-09-07). Russian ambassador to UK summoned to Foreign Office over Navalny's alleged 'poisoning,' embassy decries 'politicization' of case. rt.com 
The UK government has summoned Russian Ambassador Andrey Kelin to express its "deep concern" over what it called the "poisoning" of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny. The diplomat brushed off the accusations as "baseless." | The British Foreign Office urged Moscow to conduct a "full, transparent investigation" into the matter, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a Twitter post, adding that London considers it "completely unacceptable that a banned chemical weapon has been used" while stopping short of directly accusing Russian authorities of being involved in the incident. | 1/2 Today the UK summoned…
(2020-09-07). Man suspected of serially MUTILATING horses is detained in France. rt.com 
Police in France have detained a man suspected of attacking and mutilating horses. The country has been shocked by a nationwide string of vicious attacks on the animals over the past few months. | The suspect, reportedly a 50-year-old man, was detained on Monday in France's eastern department of Haut-Rhin. | The man was apprehended after law enforcement circulated a computer-generated image of the suspect, a police source told AFP, based on information from an eyewitness. | www.facebook.com/gendarmeriedelyonne/posts/3347195265326859 | The police sketch was created after two men infiltrated a stable in…
(2020-09-07). Sputnik V questions ANSWERED: Head of team financing world's first Covid-19 vaccine explains formula to critics. rt.com 
Since the launch of the Sputnik V vaccine, developed by scientists from Moscow's Gamaleya Center, Russia has seen immense interest and expressions of hope from many countries and has received requests for 1 billion doses. | However, it has also faced criticism and questions from some Western countries and companies, especially those developing their own vaccines—often based on technologies yet to be proven for safety and efficacy, such as mRNA or monkey adenoviral vector-based platforms. Following the publication of the results of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials of Sputnik V in The Lancet, last w…
(2020-09-07). GOAT on rampage raids cop car, destroys paperwork & takes down officer (VIDEO). rt.com 
It turns out you can quite easily get away with leaping into a police cruiser, destroying documentation within and even assaulting an officer — if you're a goat — according to hilarious bodycam footage filmed in the US. | Footage of the bizarre altercation was shared online by the Douglas County Sheriff Department, and promptly went viral. The video was captured by the body cam of a deputy as she was out delivering some civil papers in Douglasville, Georgia. | The officer had unwarily left her car door open — and it did not escape the notice of a sneaky goat, which decided to get in. On notici…
(2020-09-07). 'Why is CNN meddling in swing races?' Republicans roast Jake Tapper for trying to 'influence' congressional election. rt.com 
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has accused CNN of "meddling in swing races" due to a report that anchor Jake Tapper tried convincing Sean Parnell to avoid running in a district where he could flip a seat. | "So how many other districts has @jaketapper pulled this crap with? Why is CNN meddling in House swing races? This is absurd," the NRCC tweeted. | The message was in response to a Breitbart report claiming Tapper had tried on multiple occasions to convince congressional candidate and conservative author/veteran Sean Parnell to give up running in Pennsylvania's 17th district and inste…
(2020-09-07). Facebook announces political censorship plan in advance of US presidential election. wsws.org The new measures are aimed at protecting the capitalist two-party system and labeling left-wing political ideas as the work of "Russian interference."
(2020-09-07). 'Like a Boss': Twitter Hyped by Kamala Harris' Milwaukee Chuck Taylor Converse Look. sputniknews.com The fact that Joe Biden's running mate Kamala Harris wore sneakers for her working visit to Milwaukee drew a wave of enthusiasm on Twitter, with netizens praising her for neglecting "disabling" shoes and suggesting that Harris has endorsed a revolution in political dress for women.
(2020-09-07). Twitter Ridicules UN Chief's Claim That 'Patriarchy' Worsened COVID-19 Pandemic. sputniknews.com UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres claimed that sexism in the design of protective equipment placed women health workers at greater risk of catching the coronavirus, and said economic problems stemming from the pandemic were an opportunity for social justice.
(2020-09-07). Trump urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Gulf nations. yenisafak.com The US president urged the Saudi Arabian king to start negotiations with other Gulf countries to "resolve the rift"."President [Donald] Trump praised Saudi Arabia's G20 Presidency and welcomed the opening of Saudi air space to flights between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, beginning with last week's historic commercial flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi," White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said on Twitter late Sunday.Deere said Trump, in a phone call to King Salman bin Abdulaziz, underlined the significance of the Abraham Accord between Israel and the UAE and discussed ways to enhance regional sec…
(2020-09-07). Trump to hold Labor Day news conference at White House. yenisafak.com President Donald Trump on Monday said he will hold a news conference at the White House during the Labor Day holiday at 1 p.m. (1700 GMT)."Will be having a Labor Day News Conference today at the White House, 1: 00 P.M.," Trump said in a post on Twitter. "Jobs number, and the Economic comeback, are looking GREAT."
(2020-09-06). U.S. govt-linked PR firm ran fake news networks for right-wing Latin American regimes. thegrayzone.com A Washington, DC-based PR firm linked to the US government and Democratic Party, CLS Strategies, ran a fake news network on Facebook and Instagram, spreading propaganda for Bolivia's coup regime and the right-wing opposition in Venezuela and Mexico. By Ben Norton major US PR firm located just a few blocks from the White House has …
(2020-09-06). US State Department reveals next target in scathing tweet… it's the International Cricket Council? rt.com 
The US State Department has gone after all sorts of entities over the years — sovereign nations, democratically elected governments, you name it. But its latest target has come from way out of left field. | The department responsible for US foreign policy announced in a tweet that the International Cricket Council was in its bad books. In a message quoting Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the department blasted the cricket governing body as "a rogue court with lawyers that are, frankly, corrupt and political." | | © Twitter | Hmm… that doesn't quite add up. It turns out the hot-shots over at the…
(2020-09-06). Do Face Masks Work? 8 Peer-Reviewed Studies. globalresearch.ca Strange though as it may seem, we feel nervous writing this report. Nervous that Google, Twitter, Facebook etc. might deem our site 'less trustworthy' or something similar. Nervous because we could very well become victims of internet censorship perpetrated by …
(2020-09-06). Trump Denounces 'Disinformation Campaign' By Democrats And Media Over 'Loser' Veteran Comment Claims. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Sunday to express anger over 'lies' spread by the media after days of spats with The Atlantic magazine and Fox News, formerly seen as a staunch supporter of the commander-in-chief, in the wake of a report alleging POTUS had tarnished the memory of US veterans.
(2020-09-06). Strong, Determined, Powerful! Turkey says drilling activities in East Med continue. yenisafak.com Turkey's energy exploration ship is continuing its determined mission in the Eastern Mediterranean, said the National Defense Ministry on Sunday."Strong, Determined and Powerful! The frigates and corvettes belonging to our Naval Forces are resolutely continuing their duty of escorting / protecting the ORUC REIS research ship, which continues to work in our jurisdiction areas in the Eastern Mediterranean," the ministry posted on Twitter with a nearly two-minute video of the ships at work."No lawlessness or bullying will be allowed in the region!" the ministry added.The video also showed communication between the s…
(2020-09-05). Activists protest against press's 'failure to report on the climate & ecological emergency'. thecanary.co 
More than 100 Extinction Rebellion (XR) protesters used vehicles and bamboo lock-ons to block roads outside the Newsprinters printing works at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and Knowsley, near Liverpool on Friday 4 September.By Saturday morning, police said some 30 people had been arrested.Failings: Under a banner reading "Free the truth", XR tweeted that it was using the disruption to expose the newspapers' "failure to report on the climate & ecological emergency, and their consistent manipulation of truth to suit their own agendas". The group said: Coverage in many of the newspapers printed here is polluting…
(2020-09-05). Facebook bans AMERICAN accounts for interfering in foreign politics — a DC lobby group helped topple govts in Bolivia & Venezuela. rt.com 
When Facebook talks about busting foreign influence campaigns, Russia is usually painted as the villain. But the social media giant recently wiped out a host of pages interfering in Latin American politics — from Washington, DC. | CLS Strategies is one of many PR and lobbying groups that call the 'swamp' of Washington, DC their home. According to the company's own website, it "helps clients win where it matters most — in the halls of government, the marketplace, and the court of public opinion." | But behind the website's corpo-speak, CLS Strategies lobbies lawmakers on behalf of foreign politician…
(2020-09-05). Cuba Claims Media Blockade on Its Successes Fighting COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez denounced the little news coverage of Cuba's health achievements in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic are getting in the mainstream media. | RELATED: | This Saturday Foreign Minister Rodriguez took to Twitter to denounce that although Cuba continues to share its medical successes with the world, little information is shared on large media outlets. | "Cuban scientists share their progres…
(2020-09-05). Frenchman with incurable disease to livestream his death. yenisafak.com A Frenchman suffering from a rare and incurable condition is livestreaming his death on social media as he refuses to take food, drink or medicine after President Emmanuel Macron turned down his request for euthanasiaAlain Cocq, 57, who has been suffering from a degenerative disease for 34 years, has said he would livestream his death on Facebook from Saturday morning."So I have finished my last meal … I drink to your health one last time. The road to deliverance begins and, believe me, I am happy," Cocq said in a video posted on Friday night and shot from his medicalised bed at his home in Dijon, eastern Franc…
(2020-09-04). Likes for chunks? Istanbul-based influencer caught using luxury Lamborghini as… watermelon-selling counter (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com 
If your strategy for social media fame isn't yet fruitful, try following the lead of this rising Instagram star, who deems a mid-engine sports car fit to sell watermelons from and has grown his followers base into the bargain. | Always there for his loyal fans, both online and offline, the Iranian influencer The choice…
(2020-09-04). Six complexities of these pandemic times. mronline.org 
Social media, in March 2020, was awash with rumours. Swans and dolphins could be seen in totally deserted Venetian canals. A group of elephants marched into a village in Yunnan (China), drank corn wine, and went to sleep in a tea garden.
(2020-09-04). What to Expect in Trump's America. counterpunch.org "'The big backlash going on in Portland cannot be unexpected." — President Trump, Tweet President Trump is extending his narrative from Make Me Great Again to Law & Order and protecting suburban women from low renters. Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden wants to focus the narrative on the coronavirus pandemic and the economic downturn, both
(2020-09-04). Turkish foreign minister meets KRG head Barzani. yenisafak.com The Turkish foreign minister met with the President of Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in the capital Ankara on Friday.In a Twitter post, Mevlut Cavusoglu said he hosted KRG President Nechirvan Barzani and his delegation.The Turkish minister said the two officials discussed bilateral relations and the joint fight against the PKK terrorist group.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also receive Barzani at the presidential complex.Prior to his arrival in Ankara, Barzani met with French President Emmanuel Macron and held a round of meetings with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad, including Prime Minister Mustafa Al-K…