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'No moderate rebels here': RT talks with Aleppo civilians on new ceasefire deal

Aleppo, Syria
© Muzaffar Salman / Reuters
People living in southern Aleppo seem to have little optimism for a new ceasefire deal brokered by Russia and the US overnight, RT's correspondent Lizzie Phelan found out after talking to residents in the neighborhood.

Aleppo has been a divided city for years and has been the focus of hostilities over the past few months. Phelan walked the city's war-ravaged streets on Saturday just hours after the US and Russia announced a new plan to establish a truce in Syria. At a distance of approximately one kilometer from one of the city's frontlines, it seems that civilians are not very hopeful that it will succeed.

"We hope that the ceasefire holds because it would be good for all Aleppo. If not, let the military operations continue," said one man, who introduced himself as Ayman.

"I don't think this plan will work because there are no so-called moderate rebels in Aleppo. All armed groups are acting like terrorists."

Dollars

Trump & co. poised to reap massive profits on Dakota pipeline

trump oil dakota
As the battle rages between Native Americans attempting to protect their natural resources and Big Oil profiteers seeking to plow through with the North Dakota Access pipeline, political figures remain silent.

Obama, Hillary, and Trump have not said a word about the pillaging of land and water, or the fact that attack dogs have been unleashed on protesters just as they were during 1960s civil rights demonstrations.

While we can chalk up Obama's and Hillary's silence to establishment loyalty, Trump has a deeper interest in the 30-inch diameter pipeline connecting the Bakken and Three Forks oil fields to Patoka, Illinois.

Comment: It's all about lining their pockets at the expense of another. Native Americans know this all too well.


Network

Norway goes berserk over Facebook crack down on iconic Vietnam War photo over nudity, then Facebook u-turns

Photojournalist Nick Ut and Kim Phuc
© Ina Fassbender / ReutersPhotojournalist Nick Ut and Kim Phuc (L) attend the presentation of the latest Leica equipment at Photokina 2012, the world's largest fair for imaging, in Cologne
Norwegians have been accusing Facebook of censorship since the social media giant decided to enforce its nudity rules by deleting the iconic photo of a Vietnamese girl running away in terror after her village was hit by a napalm attack.

The blunder began when popular Norwegian author and journalist Tom Egeland posted a status about how photography can influence the world. Among the eight photos he published was that of Kim Phuc taken in June of 1972 near her home village after it was hit by a napalm attack. Kim, who was nine at the time, ripped off her clothes and ran naked crying and screaming as the napalm burned her skin.

Military photographer Nick Ut won the Pulitzer Prize for capturing the iconic image, but Facebook decided that it didn't comply with its nudity rules and deleted it. The social media giant's decision triggered backlash from Norwegians, who posted the iconic photo in defiance. Facebook responded by routinely deleting it.

Comment: Facebook U-turn: Social network backtracks on 'Napalm girl' photo censorship
Facebook has reversed its decision to block the famous image showing a naked girl suffering from a South Vietnamese napalm attack, after the network was accused of censorship around the world.

The social network was under immense pressure and ridicule after it emerged the website blocked the photo, which shows the naked 9-year-old Phan Thi Kim Phuc running away in terror after her village was hit by a napalm attack. The photo "breached" Facebook's standards for nudity in the image.

Facebook decided to reverse its decision Friday after it "listened to the community" and recognised the "global importance" of the photo.

"Because of its status as an iconic image of historical importance, the value of permitting sharing outweighs the value of protecting the community by removal, so we have decided to reinstate the image on Facebook where we are aware it has been removed," Facebook said in a statement.

"It will take some time to adjust these systems but the photo should be available for sharing in the coming days," it added. "We are always looking to improve our policies to make sure they both promote free expression and keep our community safe."



War Whore

Tacoma Mall rent-a-cop assaults 15yo girl - dragged by hair and thrown 'like a doll' in brutal arrest, lawsuit filed

police brutality Washington
© WA PI Law / YouTube
A 15-year-old girl was met with an extreme use of force when she and her brother were riding their bikes through a mall parking lot in Washington and were stopped by mall security and an off-duty officer.

A lawsuit on behalf of Monique Tillman and her brother, Eric Branch, claims their civil rights were violated when they were stopped by two security vehicles in the Tacoma Mall parking lot while biking home.

The girl demanded to know why she was stopped, but was met with an extreme use of force.

They believe that they were targeted for the stop, because they're African-American and also claim that the Tacoma police officer who attacked Tillman was negligent in his treatment of a minor while working off duty as a mall security guard.

A video of the 2014 incident between then-15-year-old Tillman and Tacoma police officer Jared Williams is a key piece of evidence in the lawsuit. The surveillance footage shows Tillman and Branch being stopped by a Tacoma Police Department Cruiser and a mall security vehicle.

Tillman is seen gesticulating while she allegedly demanded to know why they were being stopped, her lawsuit claims. Officer Williams claimed that the two teens were "causing a disturbance and being 'trespassed' from the mall," the lawsuit states.

Both Tillman and Branch repeatedly pointed in the direction they were riding their bikes, but when Tillman moved to ride away, Officer Williams reacted with severe force.

Comment: "[P]olice officers are there to protect and serve the community,"

If this phrase doesn't make you nauseous, you haven't been paying attention. No doubt the 'thin blue line' will close ranks and Jared Williams and company will be found guiltless.

Read the filing here.


Document

OECD report: Overwhelming majority of refugees in Germany are overqualified

over qualified refugees
© Kai Pfaffenbach / Reuters
Germany has by far the highest percentage among EU countries of overqualified asylum seekers, a working paper by the OECD has found. A larger portion of refugees was also found to be more overqualified than any other immigrant group there.

Germany, which has accepted more Middle Eastern refugees than any other EU member, faces a situation in which over 71 percent of refugees are overqualified for the jobs they are doing, according to the report. This is over 10 percent more than what was reported for any other EU member after the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) compared job requirements with level of qualification.

The report also found them to be more overqualified than other non-EU-born workers. The figure for overqualified immigrants in general is 38 percent in Germany, compared to 30 percent for EU as a whole.

Interestingly, the situation is reversed where locals are concerned: fewer locals in Germany are overqualified for their jobs than elsewhere in Europe, with 16 percent at home and 21 percent in the EU.

Wedding Rings

Report: 1,500 underage refugees arrived in Germany married

child married
Already married 11-year-old seeking asylum in Norway
Some 1,475 minor refugees, mostly girls, have arrived in Germany already married, the majority of whom come from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq, an official report cited by German media says. Almost one in four are reportedly less than 14 years old.

The numbers from the government migration office were released in the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) newspaper on Friday.

According to data collected in July of this year, some 1,475 refugee minors were recorded by the migration office as married. The usual minimum age for marriage in Germany is 18, but an exception can be made for 16-year-old children if they have their parents' permission.

The majority of married minors arrived from Syria (664), Afghanistan (157), Iraq (100), Bulgaria (65), Poland (41), Romania (33), and Greece (32), the report says. Girls make up the majority - at least 1,152.

Eye 1

SOTT Focus: The Easters: A case study in psychopathy and ponerization

Kent Jill Easter
Kent and Jill Easter
The constant anti-Russian hate propaganda that fills today's airwaves gives us an unprecedented glimpse into the creation of history and the mindset of those in positions of power. One could be forgiven for tuning out all of the noise and blather, but it is still a fascinating look at how history is distorted even as it's happening. And, thanks to an LA Times write-up, we have a perfect example that helps us understand the very nature of how the 'game is played at the 'common or garden' level.

In August of 2016 the LA Times began publishing an incredibly vivid case study of psychopathy named FRAMED: She was the PTA mom everyone knew. Who would want to harm her? It is certainly must-read material for people interested in the subject of psychopathy, and it is made even more valuable due to the fact that the journalist who wrote the story is apparently unaware of the subject.

The Easter case study

The story begins with the background of Kelli Peters, a popular PTA president who had worked into the position through volunteering countless hours in after-school care-giving activities. She was popular, loved by the community, and especially loved by the children.

Having spent years living and working in the peaceful city of Irvine, California, Kelli was ill-prepared when an otherwise normal day was interrupted by a surprise visit from a police officer. Kelli was initially puzzled but grew more concerned as the officer asked to search her car. When the officer came back with a 'Ziploc bag of marijuana, 17 grams worth, plus a ceramic pot pipe and two smaller EZY Dose Pill Pouch baggies, one with 11 Percocet pills, another with 29 Vicodin', she was horrified, but she knew the drugs weren't hers. In shock, she begged the officer to believe her.

Comment: For more on psychopathy check out SOTT Radio's The Truth Perspective: Introducing Political Ponerology, plus some odds and ends


Arrow Down

Gruesome Japanese dolphin hunt begins despite protests

Dolphin Hunt in Taiji
© Wikipedia OrgARCHIVE: Fishermen kill dolphin pods using spikes which sever the spinal cord, Taiji, Japan.
Controversial annual dolphin hunt has begun in Taiji, Japan despite protests of animal rights activists. Hundreds of dolphins are going to be killed in the bloodied waters of the town's infamous cove.

"We finally caught them. I'm relieved," Yoshifumi Kai, senior officer of the local fishermen association, told Kyodo News agency.


Hunters in diving costumes brawl with dolphins to select the best ones for aquariums. According to Dolphin Project, the best-looking and rarest live dolphins can cost up to hefty $300,000.

Comment:
This slaughter is 'lawful', says Japan: More than 200 dolphins trapped in a remote bay are expected to be killed by hunters tomorrow

Annual Japanese dolphin hunt spurs social media outrage

Japanese town's controversial dolphin hunt begins

Japanese Dolphin Slaughter Caught on Video

Filmmaker who documents Taiji dolphin drives detained in Osaka


Piggy Bank

Warning to the general public: Stop the Fed before it kills again

printing money
Why has the Fed created incentives for US corporations to loot their companies and drive them deeper into debt?

Despite four consecutive quarters of negative earnings, weak demand and anemic sales, US corporations continue to load up on debt, buy back their own shares and hand out cash to their shareholders that greatly exceeds the amount of profits they are currently taking in. According to the Wall Street Journal: "SandP 500 companies through the first two quarters of the year collectively returned 112% of their earnings through buybacks and dividends."

You read that right, US corporations are presently giving back more than they are taking in, which is the moral equivalent of devouring one's offspring.

These companies have all but abandoned the traditional practice of recycling earnings into factories, productivity or research and development. Instead, they're engaged in a protracted liquidation process where the creditworthiness of their companies is used to borrow as much money as possible from the bond market which is then divvied up among insatiable CEOs and their shareholders. This destructive behavior can be traced back to the perennial low rates and easy money that the Fed has created to enhance capital accumulation during a period when the economy is still mired in stagnation. The widening chasm that has emerged between the uber-wealthy and everyone else since the end of the financial crisis in 2008, attests to the fact that the Fed's plan has succeeded beyond anyone's wildest imagination. The rich continue to get richer while the middle class drowns in an ocean of red ink. This is from CNBC:

Handcuffs

Brothers accused of planning most "significant" terrorist plot against London in 2 yrs arrested - zero evidence offered to public

businessmen London
© Eddie Keogh / Reuters A worker looks at his phone at the Canary Wharf business district in London.
A suspected Islamic State-inspired bomb attack has reportedly been uncovered by London's counter-terrorism officers in what has been described as the most "significant" terrorist plot against the capital in two years.

During dawn raids in west London on Thursday, detectives arrested two brothers, aged 19 and 20, over fears they were trying to acquire automatic weapons and chemicals to make bombs.

Their alleged targets were unclear but were thought to be random members of the public rather than the military or police. MI5 reportedly fears the pair were plotting to build a bomb similar to those used to kill 52 people on public transport in the capital on July 7, 2005.

The alleged plot was said to be at the very early stages, but security chiefs suspect those arrested were inspired by Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in Syria and are investigating if they were in direct contact.


Comment: And Western governments wonder why everyone thinks they're full of you-know-what.