2020-09-09: News Headlines

Yves Engler (2020-09-09). Canadian Troops in Saudi Arabia a Legacy of Support for Iraq War. dissidentvoice.org The revelation that Canadian soldiers have been in Saudi Arabia for 17 years highlights Canada's ties to the repressive monarchy, contribution to the Iraq war and hollowness of Canadian foreign policy mythology. Recently researcher Anthony Fenton tweeted, "raise your hand if you knew that there was a 'Detachment' of Canadian soldiers serving under US auspices …

Binoy Kampmark (2020-09-09). Pandemic Reflexes: Lockdowns and Arrests in Victoria, Australia. counterpunch.org Ugly. Rough. Police in the Australian state of Victoria muscling their way in. The father and children watching. It had all arisen because the pregnant mother in question had engaged in conduct defined as incitement. In a post on her Facebook page, Zoe Buhler had urged Victorians to protest the coronavirus lockdown rules over the

Dean Baker (2020-09-09). Is Repealing Section 230 the Way to Fix Facebook? Exchange with Siva Vaidhyanathan. cepr.net This is the first part of a four part exchange with Siva Vaidhyanthan, a professor of media studies at the University of Virginia. Professor Vaidhyanathan will write a response. I will then draft a rejoinder and he will get the last word. Repeal Section 230 to Fix Facebook Many people are worried that Facebook …

Tanya Wadhwa (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…

Staff (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…

yenisafak (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…

WSWS (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."

sputniknews (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.

sputniknews (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.

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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."

Ben Norton (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 …

RT (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…

Rez Karim (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 …

sputniknews (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.

yenisafak (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…