On 2 August, Twitter announced that it was partnering up with the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters to expand its efforts to “identify and elevate credible information” on the platform. What does the partnership between Big Media and Big Tech mean for alternative platforms and freedom of speech and expression? Source link
Sputnik
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Central Bank of Venezuela said on Thursday that its digital currency will enter circulation on 1 October. Source link
India’s women’s field hockey team has already made history in Tokyo, reaching their maiden Olympic semi-final in Japan’s capital city. But despite their superlative performance at the Games, some people hurled casteist remarks against the family of the team’s star player, Vandana Katariya, on Wednesday. Source link
At the weekend the US Senate finally passed a US$1.2 trillion infrastructure bill which is a cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s domestic policy. A sizeable slab of money will be invested in Amtrak and particular on trains between Boston, New York and Washington DC. Source link
MINSK (Sputnik) – NATO has the power to swiftly muster 100,000 soldiers within a month, Viktor Gulevich, the Belarusian first deputy defence minister, said on Thursday. Source link
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Katie Nageotte from the United States won women’s pole vault gold at Tokyo Olympics on Thursday. Source link
On 2 August Washington announced the expansion of its resettlement programme for Afghans who aided US troops in the country amid the growing Taliban threat. Source link
While the gift whiskey bottle was reportedly appraised at $5,800, US officials apparently cannot keep gifts that cost more than $390 unless they purchase them. Source link
On 6 August 2011riots broke out in north London following the fatal shooting of a black man, Mark Duggan, by police. The riots spread to other parts of London and to several other cities. Source link
CNN primetime presenter Chris Cuomo has found himself at the receiving end of criticism from the public after the 50-year-old completely ignored the scandal surrounding his brother, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has been accused by a total of 11 women of sexual harassment. Source link
On today’s episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan and co-host John Kiriakou discussed current events, including French hospital unions declaring a strike against vaccination mandates, the state of Russian-American relations, and Mexico suing multiple major US gun makers. Source link
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is accused of sexually harassing several women, including younger colleagues, in violation of state and federal law. US President Joe Biden urged the Democrat to resign, but Cuomo has so far resisted such calls, maintaining his innocence. Source link
Pakistan has consistently criticised the Indian Parliament’s move in 2019 to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution of India and bifurcate the State into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Prime Minister Khan has launched an all-out campaign against India at all possible forums. Source link
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Moscow appreciates Turkey’s position on the purchase of S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems and sees significant potential for boosting defence cooperation with Ankara, as relevant departments are already in contact on this issue, Russian Foreign Ministry’s Fourth European Department Director Yuri Pilipson said. Source link
The district attorney’s offices of Westchester County, Manhattan, Albany, and Nassau County have announced they are formally seeking evidence from the New York Attorney General’s report to determine whether NY Governor Andrew Cuomo (D)’s alleged sexual harassment against several women amounts to criminal charges in the respective districts. Source link
US billionaire entrepreneur Bill Gates and his wife Melinda finalised their divorce after 27 years of marriage earlier this week. According to previous reports, Melinda was less than thrilled by the relationship between her husband and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Source link
Washington’s deal with the Taliban and hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan is fraught with risks for the Central Asian state, which may face years of conflict and instability, Afghanistan experts say. Source link
TORONTO (Sputnik) – The United States repeatedly misled Canada’s legal system on several key issues pertinent to the extradition proceedings against Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, Mona Duckett, a member of the executive’s legal team, argued in a British Columbia courtroom. Source link
Since 1967, Palestinians in the West Bank have been legally barred from sinking their own wells without a permit from the Israeli military, forcing them to buy water at inflated prices from Israeli water providers. Source link
On July 29, the Mercer Street tanker, managed by an Israeli company, reportedly came under a drone attack in the Gulf of Oman, in which two crew members were killed. Israel and Western allies blamed Iran for the attack. Tehran has denied any involvement, dismissing foreign reports as “psychological warfare.” Source link
Late last year, the Chinese Foreign Ministry imposed sanctions on several US defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin, after learning then-US President Donald Trump’s administration approved an arms sale to Taiwan valued at $1.8 billion. Source link
The low-cost airliner has been undergoing severe operational setbacks over the last several days that have left thousands of passengers stranded without any indication that a solution from the company is in sight. It’s unclear when the situation may truly be remedied. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US State Department has approved a possible $750 million arms sale of artillery systems to Taiwan, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US State Department said that it is conducting an inquiry into the disappearance of a whiskey bottle worth $5,800 that the former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo received as a gift from the government of Japan in 2019. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Backing for US President Joe Biden’s handling of the pandemic fell by more than 10 percentage points in July, although the president still enjoyed majority support, a Quinnipiac University poll said on Wednesday. Source link
Biden Administration Reportedly to Require All Foreigners Traveling to US be Fully Vaccinated Source link
Sweat, pain and blood – these are probably the pillars of big sports. One can hardly avoid injuries and stress when choosing a sports career and working hard to perform at the Olympic Games. Source link
The new variants of the coronavirus may potentially be more infectious that the Delta variant, with the director of molecular pathology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre saying he “wouldn’t be incredibly surprised if something else came along that’s even more transmissible.” Source link
Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston, who got a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine in May, has been vocal about raising awareness on preventative measures against the virus. The 52-year-old has been using her social networking handles to urge people in the US to wear masks and get vaccinated against the deadly disease. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – President Joe Biden believes New York Governor Andrew Cuomo should resign to leave space for future leaders, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said on Wednesday. Source link
The team said that if this method succeeds commercially, the country will have an environmentally friendly fuel which could possibly replace petroleum, diesel, and compressed natural gas (CNG). The scientists also want to develop an indigenous magneto-electrolytic hydrogen generator. Source link
Southern Europe has been suffering an unprecedented heatwave fed by hot air from North Africa. Temperatures in Turkey’s Marmaris recently reached an all-time high of 45.5 Celsius (114F). Source link
The Big Apple introduced a proof of vaccination requirement for bars, restaurants, gyms, public entertainment and other venues on Tuesday, after months of wrangling with rights groups about whether such measures might constitute a violation of citizens’ rights and privacy. Source link
The author of the hypothesis argued that the universe might actually be “bathed in alien chatter and other forms of distributed quantum information processing”. Source link
The Republican lawmaker, a longtime foe-turned-ally of Donald Trump and outspoken critic of Black Lives Matter, announced Monday that he had contracted COVID-19 despite being vaccinated. Source link
TOKYO (Sputnik) – Russia’s synchronized swimmers Svetlana Kolesnichenko and Svetlana Romashina brought their country the 14th gold at the Tokyo Olympics as they won the duet free artistic swimming event. Source link
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Ben Maher of the United Kingdom won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in the showjumping event on Wednesday. Source link
Uttar Pradesh, the most populous Indian state, has the highest number of “enemy properties” owned by Pakistani nationals. The highest number of Chinese “enemy” properties in India are located in the eastern states of Meghalaya, West Bengal, and Assam, according to government records. Source link
Emboldened by the withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban* has intensified its fight to gain control of key cities and border areas. Source link
On 1 August, a nine-year-old girl told her mother that she was heading to a nearby crematorium in Delhi’s Cantonment area to fetch some drinking water. After around 30 minutes, a priest informed the girl’s humble, rag-picker parents that their daughter had died. The child was hurriedly cremated the same day. Source link
India’s first aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, took the name of a ship which was decommissioned in 1997. India at present has only one aircraft carrier, the Russian-made INS Vikramaditya. Source link
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Serbian Ambassador to Russia Miroslav Lozanski died of a heart attack when he was on vacation in Serbia, the embassy said on Wednesday. Source link
On Tuesday, a car exploded near Afghan Defence Minister Gen. Bismillah Khan Mohammadi’s house in Kabul. The minister was not injured in the attack. Source link
In a country not known for its prowess in track and field events, Neeraj Chopra appears to be a cut above. Regarded as one of India’s brightest prospects, he is tipped to end the nation’s medal drought in the Japanese capital. Source link
Mauritius has traditionally enjoyed close economic and cultural ties with India, with nearly half the population being of Indian-origin. China’s expanding footprint in the Indian Ocean has prompted New Delhi to revise its policy towards Port Louis. The Indian government extended a $100 million defence credit line to the African nation in 2021. Source link
If you dream about owning several golden retriever puppies at a time, there is only one ‘risk’ – that you could feel constantly torn between these little cuties unable to pay enough attention to each of them. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Boeing said it will not launch its Starliner spacecraft on Wednesday. Source link
The athlete broke her own record of 51.90 seconds, coming first in 51.46 seconds, with her rival close behind, finishing in 51.58 seconds. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – SpaceX’s Elon Musk said there are some amazing rocket engine designs made by the Russians who have been doing stage combustion for a long time. Source link
Earlier, the New York Attorney General’s Office released a 168-page report by independent investigators that detailed several instances in which New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) allegedly made sexual advances against nearly a dozen former and current state employees. The report came several months after allegations first surfaced in late 2020. Source link
The US Navy has begun its largest war games in decades in the globe-spanning Large-Scale Exercise, running for the next two weeks and involving multiple US fleets, in a return to the massive Cold War-era drills intended to showcase the Pentagon’s ability to fight a war on multiple fronts. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Secret donors are already contributing millions of dollars into the 2022 US midterm election, a campaign finance watchdog group said in a press release. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman discussed a shared concern about the recent attack on the oil tanker MV Mercer Street during a meeting with Israeli National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata and Senior Foreign Policy Adviser Shimrit Meir, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. Source link
US COVID-19 cases are once again spiking, reaching levels not seen since the winter, but so far neither state nor federal government officials are considering social lockdowns like those used before mass vaccination began. Instead, they are emphasizing mask-wearing and getting the vaccine, which can mitigate severe cases. Source link
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced it is renewing the ban on evictions that expired on July 31, setting the stage for a constitutional showdown after the US Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that the public health agency didn’t have the authority to issue such a ban. Source link
WASHINGTON August 3 (Sputnik) – The US State Department has signed off on a proposed sale of shoulder-fired Javelin missiles to the Republic of Georgia, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said on Tuesday. Source link
Earlier, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that any new municipal workers joining the administration will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before reporting to work, underscoring that a failure to do so would prompt a delayed start date. It comes amid a renewed push for vaccination efforts within the densely-populated city. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States condemns the recent bombing in the Afghan capital of Kabul and vows to stand by its Afghan partners, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Tuesday at a daily briefing. Source link
Since leaving his job as secretary of state in January, the diplomat and former CIA director has repeatedly urged the Biden administration not to rejoin the “crappy” Iran nuclear deal, claiming it would make America and Israel “less secure.” Source link
The vehicle joins the striker’s huge car collection, and is thought to have cost around $6.2 million. Source link
Earlier, the Citizen Stringer news outlet said – citing a radio transmission from the Arlington County Fire Department – that two people were wounded and one killed in a shooting near the Pentagon. Source link
In May 2020 Aya Hachem, a 19-year-old university student, was shot dead while on a shopping trip in Blackburn, a town in northern England. It later became clear she was collateral damage in a bitter feud between two businessmen. Source link
LONDON (Sputnik) – A former member of the British clergy, Tim Hewes, had his lips sewn shut to protest media tycoon Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp censoring of climate change issues, Christian Climate Action, an arm of Extinction Rebellion environmental movement, said in a press release. Source link
According to local media, at 3:44 pm local time, police were called to reports of “several loud bangs” that were heard from the Näsby area in the northern part of Kristianstad. Source link
Tens of thousands of antiquities vanished from Iraq after the 2003 US invasion that toppled the country’s leader Saddam Hussein. Since then, Iraqi authorities have been trying to track down the nation’s archaeological relics with the help of international agencies and have them returned. Source link
Nicola Sturgeon has said Scotland is in a “much better place” than it was a month ago when it had some of the worst Covid numbers in Europe. On 30 July the rolling seven-day average of new infections was 1,153, down from 3,429 on 1 July. Source link
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Moscow’s Preobrazhensky District Court has sentenced Lyubov Sobol — former lawyer of Alexey Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (labelled as a foreign agent and outlawed in Russia) — to 1.5 years of restricted freedom for incitement to violate sanitary and epidemiological regulations. Source link
In his new book, former Indian foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale, who has also served as ambassador to China, alleges that Beijing used its “close connections” with the left-wing parties to “build domestic opposition” to the India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement sealed by then-US pres. George W. Bush and Indian PM Manmohan Singh in 2005. Source link
The US ice hockey team, Tampa Bay Lightning, beat the Canadian team, Montreal Canadiens, in game five, also making them the National Hockey League champions. Source link
China’s top epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan said that China needs to vaccinate about 83 percent of its population to achieve herd immunity. He also revealed that all the 13 severe cases infected with the Delta variant in Guangzhou COVID-19 outbreak in May did not get inoculated. Source link
SEOUL (Sputnik) – South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) believes that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has no health issues, despite the fact that he appeared in public with a patch on the back of his head a few days ago, the Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday. Source link
During a raging encounter that took place on 23 July at the Shokbaba forest area in India’s Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) union territory, Pakistani terrorist Babar Ali managed to escape while three others were gunned down. Since then, J&K Police have kickstarted a search operation to track Ali, who hails from Pakistan. Source link
More than 40 former military commanders earlier signed an open letter warning “time is of the utmost essence” to help Afghans who served alongside British forces to settle in the UK in the face of a “resurgent Taliban” as US and NATO withdraw forces from the country. Source link
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Canadian foreign ministry denounced on Tuesday the recent attack on the Japanese-owned Mercer Street oil tanker in the Indian Ocean that the international community blames on Iran. Tehran has firmly denied the accusations. Source link
The Japanese-owned vessel Mercer Street, managed by London-based Zodiac Maritime, owned in turn by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer, was struck by a drone off the coast of Oman on 29 July. One Romanian and one British national were killed. Israel, the UK and US accused Iran of being behind the attack, with Tehran rejecting the “baseless” accusations. Source link
The total impact of wildfires on the economy of Turkey and Italy has yet to be estimated, but tourism was hurt following the slump in revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Turkish and Italian observers. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States Navy would welcome any chance to positively engage with its Russian military counterparts on a range of areas in the Arctic, US Second Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Andrew Lewis, told Sputnik on the sidelines of the 2021 Sea-Air-Space Conference and Exposition on Monday. Source link
Earlier, the State Department said that the US government expects Russian diplomats in the United States whose visas have expired to leave the country and apply for an extension. According to the Russian ambassador, Moscow has issued 22 visas to US embassy employees. In response, it received only a diplomat visa extension. Source link
The former US president’s big celebrations have caused a stir on social media, with users expressing discontent over the 700 nearly people reportedly expected to be present at the event amid the COVID-19 Delta variant spread. Source link
“Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane is no stranger to having his shows move networks, as “American Dad,” another animated sitcom created by the 47-year-old, was cancelled by Fox in 2013, and picked up by TBS in 2014. Additionally, “The Orville,” MacFarlane’s science-fiction comedy-drama, originally aired on Fox, but has been moved to Hulu. Source link
The musician earlier came under fire after he made homophobic remarks during a performance at Florida’s Rolling Loud Festival that encouraged everyone except gay men and those affected by HIV/AIDS from raising their cellphones. The remarks drew widespread condemnation and have since seen the American rapper booted from festival lineups. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Former US President Donald Trump will hold a rally in the state of Alabama on August 21, his office said in a statement. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and incoming Israeli National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata during a meeting agreed to consult closely on Iran, the White House said in a press release. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Trump attorney Ronald Fischetti said in a statement they will fight to prevent the US Justice Department from handing over former President Donald Trump’s tax returns to the House Ways and Means Committee. Source link
After a federal eviction moratorium was allowed to expire over the weekend, thousands of eviction proceedings filed by landlords are working their way through court systems across the United States. The vast majority of federal funds meant for rental assistance, which could forestall an eviction, were never even disbursed. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – A third police officer who responded to the US Capitol riot on January 6 has committed suicide, CNN reported citing the Washington Metropolitan Police Department on Monday. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States Navy would welcome any chance to positively engage with its Russian military counterparts on a range of areas in the Arctic, US Second Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Andrew Lewis, told Sputnik on the sidelines of the 2021 Sea-Air-Space Conference and Exposition on Monday. Source link
NEW YORK (Sputnik) – New York City establishments should return to indoor masking as a precaution against the novel coronavirus even if the patrons are fully vaccinated, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday. Source link
The prime suspect in the attack has been identified, according to police. However, no arrests have been made. Source link
The Taliban met the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan with a renewed offensive and have already captured several key border crossings and territories in the country. Source link
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US Justice Department and the rights advocate American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have renewed a legal battle over the Biden administration’s use of a Trump-era public health policy that allows asylum-seeking migrants to immediately be turned away at the US southern border, a court filing revealed on Monday. Source link
GETTR, a social media platform created by Jason Miller, a former aide and spokesman for Donald Trump, and launched officially on 4 July 2021, was advertised as an alternative to mainstream social media – including Twitter and Facebook – which would be “free of bias and censorship”. Source link
TOKYO (Sputnik) – New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, the first transgender woman in the history of the Olympic Games, failed on Monday to complete any of the lift attempts, effectively finishing her participation in the Tokyo games. Source link
ATHENS (Sputnik) – Open-air archaeological sites in Greece will be closed during the daytime starting August 3 due to an intense heatwave, the Ministry of Culture and Sports said on Monday. Source link
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Customs points on the Iranian-Afghan border continue their work after three were temporarily closed due to skirmishes in Afghanistan near the border, Rouhollah Latifi, the spokesman for the Iranian customs administration (IRICA), said on Monday. Source link
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s rating among Conservative supporters plummeted 35 points to 3.4% after the attempt to avoid self-isolation, according to the Conservative Home survey. Source link