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Network

Russia's Security Council reveals plan to recruit bloggers for anti-terrorism campaign

The data processing center at Rostelecom, St. Petersburg
© SputnikThe data processing center at Rostelecom, St. Petersburg
Russia's Security Council has revealed a plan to use bloggers and various civil society groups to help fight terrorist and extremist information spreading on the internet.

"Experts of the Security Council's research group have proposed to stimulate the interaction between law enforcement agencies and prominent bloggers and civil society institutions, including the socially-oriented NGOs that are ready to support our fight against the spreading of the terrorist ideology in the informational space," stated the press service of Russia's top security body as quoted by Interfax.

At a recent session of the research group, its members noted that terrorists currently use the internet for "destructive psychological influence on citizens, recruiting new members into terrorist structures, incitement into active terrorist actions, fundraising and coordination of terrorist activities as well as for publishing detailed instructions on committing acts of terrorism."

Pirates

NASA steps up program to normalize use of Predator drones in US commercial airspace

predator drone
© NASA
A Predator drone with the NASA insignia has flown solo in US commercial airspace. The first flight of its kind comes amid concerns that unmanned government aircraft operations will become the new normal in the United States.

The remotely piloted MQ-9 Predator B Ikhana aircraft successfully flew over California on Tuesday, according to NASA. It was the first time it had completed a flight in commercial airspace without a chase plane.

NASA has hailed the move as bringing the US "one step closer to normalizing unmanned aircraft operations used by commercial and private pilots," with the agency stating that such a practice could prove beneficial from everything to monitoring forest fires to conducting search and rescue operations.

Cell Phone

UK spy agency modifies phones of England team to combat scary Russia during World Cup

England soccer team
© Han Yan / Global Look Press
England's footballers have been briefed by the UK's signals spy agency GCHQ on how to protect themselves during the World Cup - including how to hide things in their hotel room - while visiting big, bad Russia.

The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) details of the briefing had a particular emphasis on cyber security, with spy bosses considering giving the England team temporary 'burner phones' to use during the trip.

Instead of this, special software has been installed on the footballers' phones and other digital devices, which will be removed upon their return to Britain. Players were also warned not to use online banking or engage in other online activities that could embarrass them - so no swiping right, fellas.

Comment: Yes, yes. Be afraid, very afraid, of the big bad Russian bear! Because, it's not like MI5, the CIA or the Mossad do any of that!


Heart - Black

Grenfell Tower 1 year on: Going Underground interviews those close to the avoidable tragedy

The Grenfell fire.
© Guilhem Baker / Global Look PressThe Grenfell fire.
One year on from the fire which killed 72 people, Going Underground goes back to Grenfell Tower. Host Afshin Rattansi talks to victims, protest organizers and those who tried to battle the blaze.

The Going Underground team speaks to Zeyad Cred, the organizer of the Silent Marches which remembered those lost in the horrific blaze on the 14th of every month. Senior firefighter Lucy Masoud also sat down with the team to discuss the depoliticisation of the worst tower block fire in recent UK history. Plus, Going Underground talks to Father Alan Everett, Vicar of St Clement Church about the effect the tragedy has had on the community.

Comment: The Grenfell tragedy which was the result of government and corporate profiteering and neglect. And yet no lessons seem to have been learned because hundreds of high rise buildings still have the deadly cladding, and many of the survivors are still in temporary or sub-standard accommodation:





Take 2

Watch: BBC's fake 'Russia's Hooligan Army' documentary hilariously exposed by Australian filmmakers

Russian Hooligans Kremlin's Football Army
© RTStill from “The Hooligans: Joining The Kremlin's Football Army” documentary by In the Now.
With the FIFA World Cup about to kick off in Russia, RT's In the Now has followed two Aussie filmmakers on a failed quest to find the infamous Russian hooligans, who, the BBC said, will turn the event into a festival of violence.

The Australians were so fascinated by the Western reports on vicious Russian thugs, following clashes with English supporters at Euro 2016, that they came to Russia in order to join their ranks.

In their search for the hooligans, who were claimed to have been trained by the Kremlin and linked to President Vladimir Putin himself, they talked to a Russian football official, a martial arts instructor, numerous fans at a Russian Premier League match and eventually tracked down the very people, who were interviewed by the BBC in the scandalous 2017 documentary "Russia's Hooligan Army."


Comment: Only a Fake News outlet like the BBC could try to make its audience believe that Putin is interested in having his own World Cup spoiled by encouraging violence of government-trained hooligans. Why would Putin want to shoot himself in the foot in such an idiotic way?!


TV

Robbie Williams 'selling his soul' by performing at World Cup in Russia, say usual UK suspects

Robbie Williams
© Axel Schmidt / AFP
Pop star Robbie Williams is "selling his soul" to "dictator" Vladimir Putin by performing at the World Cup, according to some of the UK's leading Russia-bashers.

'Party like a Russian' singer Williams was confirmed earlier this week as one of the line-up to appear at the World Cup opening ceremony at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium on Thursday.

Football-mad Williams described the chance as "a boyhood dream," and invited "football and music fans to party with us in Russia... for an unforgettable show."

But his decision did not go down well with some of the UK's most seasoned Russia-haters.

Comment: The anti-Russia offensive hasn't worked; the sorry sanctions, the sinister Skripal saga, and the Olympic 'doping' farce (to name just a few), all came up to naught, and so will this latest lame attempt to smear Russia. Also check out SOTT radio's:


No Entry

French mayor draws Jewish ire for pro-Palestinian street sign

French street sign
© Facebook / Dominique Lesparre
The mayor of a Paris suburb has come under fire for renaming a street in honor of the thousands of Palestinians who were forced to abandon their homes following the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948.

Faced with strong pressure from Jewish groups and Tel Aviv, Dominique Lesparre, the Communist mayor of Bezons, has been forced to remove the Nakba Lane plaque from a street that was renamed to commemorate Nakba (Catastrophe) Day, which Palestinians annually mark on May 15.

On Monday, Lesparre officially renamed a street near city hall "Allee de la Nakba" (Nakba Lane) in remembrance of more than 760,000 Palestinians who fled or were evicted from their homeland by Israeli forces 70 years ago.

The street sign, written in French and Arabic, read: "In memory of the expulsion of 800,000 Palestinians and the destruction of 532 villages in 1948 by the war criminal David Ben Gurion for the creation of the state of Israel," referring to the first prime minister of the Jewish State.

Handcuffs

Landmark lawsuit targets billionaire OxyContin family personally for fueling opioid epidemic

sacklers opioid epidemic
© The Free Thought Project
A landmark lawsuit is the first in the country to name the actual owners of Purdue Pharma who makes the deadly drug OxyContin for their role in the opioid epidemic.

Members of the Sackler family, who've made billions pushing their deadly OxyContin drug on the masses are arguably responsible for more deaths than any Mexican drug cartel. Instead of being hunted down at their plush mansions by DEA agents, they are rubbing elbows with members of Congress. Now, however, for the first time, the family is being targeted by a landmark lawsuit for the damages they knowingly caused with their products.

On Tuesday, the state of Massachusetts filed a lawsuit against the multi-billionaire Sackler family over the role their drug OxyContin has played in sparking one of the worst addiction and overdose epidemics in history. The lawsuit accuses the company, Purdue Pharma, and its heirs of spinning a "web of illegal deceit" which fueled the deadly crisis in which America currently finds itself.

Comment:


Yoda

Bassem Tamimi explains 'Why Ahed slapped the soldier'

Ahed Tamimi slapping Israeli soldiers
© Unknown
This interview with Bassem Tamimi was recorded on May 4, 2018 in the occupied village of Nabi Saleh, by International Solidarity Movement activists.

His daughter Ahed Tamimi, 17, is serving an eight-month prison sentence for slapping an Israeli soldier on the family's property on December 15 of last year, after Israeli soldiers shot her cousin in the face.

Bassem reflects on his daughter's choice:

People

The BBC closes the gender gap by introducing inclusive toilets

inclusive restroom
© David Bro/Global Look Press
While it may still need to work on closing its gender pay gap, the BBC beats its rivals on inclusiveness when it comes to gender-neutral toilets, a new report from media regulator Ofcom has found.

According to The Times, Ofcom's investigation into diversity in the radio industry found that the state-run broadcaster has installed gender-neutral restrooms in all of its buildings where practically possible, as well as offering paid leave to those changing their gender in a bid to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for transgender employees.

Diversity statistics provided by the broadcaster on its 21,239 employees found that 417 of those identify as transgender. It also found that 786 are gay men, while there are 206 gay women and 365 people who identify as bisexual.

Gender-neutral cubicles offered to all are often preferred by transgender employees, uncomfortable with sex-segregated lavatories.

While the report praised the BBC for leading its biggest commercial rivals Global (Classic FM, LBC, Heart) and Bauer (Absolute, Magic, Kiss) on inclusion, it warned that ethnic minorities and disabled people are under-represented in the radio industry, including at the BBC.