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Iranian Military Come Close to US Destroyer Allegedly Trying to Seize Oil Tanker [Video]

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New footage depicting a close encounter between Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) boats and US warships in the Sea of Oman, as well as the IRGC troops’ boarding of the Sothys – an oil tanker that the US Navy allegedly used to “steal” Iranian oil – has been released by Iranian state media agencies.

In the videos, around a dozen small ships, presumably IRGC speed boats, can be seen following and circling a US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer – either USS The Sullivans or USS Michael P. Murphy, both of which operate in the region. One of the videos also appears to show IRGC troops airdropping onto the deck of the Sothys from a helicopter.

The details of the encounter, however, remain murky. Iranian media outlets reported on 3 November that the IRGC thwarted the US warships’ attempt to seize Iranian oil from a tanker in the Sea of Oman. The US Navy purportedly stopped an Iranian tanker and forced it to pump its cargo of crude into another tanker – presumably the Sothys.

The Iranian media said that the oil was returned and that a tanker was directed to Iranian waters without clarifying which one. Media outlets claimed that US warships and a helicopter tried to prevent that from happening. The Sothys is currently anchored on Iran’s Qeshm Island.

Forsided, 04.11.2021

Ex-Israeli PM Raises His Hand by Accident & Votes With Opponents [Tweet]

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Former Israeli Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu unintentionally raised his hand in favour of a clause and voted with his opponents in a critical vote that saw Israel pass a budget for the first time in over three years.

In a 61-59 marathon vote early Thursday morning, the Knesset approved the state budget for 2021, prompting celebrations and words from incumbent Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who declared the historic occasion “a holiday for the state of Israel.”

Netanyahu, who is the leader of the opposition and a veteran member of the Israeli assembly, however, mistakenly raised his hand in support of a budget clause with the coalition in the early hours of the morning. The former PM was not the only senior Knesset member to slip up and vote with the coalition, with Shas leader Arye Deri also doing so.

Netanyahu was replaced as prime minister by Naftali Bennet, the leader of the Yamina alliance and a key member in the ‘change coalition,’ who was elected in June after a 12-year tenure in office.

Mocking his own mistaken vote with the coalition, Netanyahu wrote on Twitter: “It happens that people get confused when they vote. Ask everyone who voted for Bennett.”

Forsided, 04.11.2021

Taliban Bans Foreign Currencies in Afghanistan [Tweet]

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In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced that the use of foreign currencies has been fully outlawed in Afghanistan, citing national interests and present economic realities as primary reasons for the abrupt move.

“The economic situation and national interests in the country require that all Afghans use Afghani currency in their every trade,” he said, stressing that those violating the new law will be prosecuted.

“The Islamic Emirate instructs all citizens, shopkeepers, traders, businessmen and the general public to henceforth conduct all transactions in Afghanis and strictly refrain from using foreign currency,” the statement posted online reads.

American dollars have been widespread in Afghanistan’s markets, while trading in the border areas has reportedly been conducted with the currencies of neighbouring nations such as Pakistan.

Forsided, 03.11.2021

Facebook Face Recognition System to be Shut Down Due to Growing Security Concerns [Tweet]

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Facebook stated Tuesday that its face recognition system, which can immediately identify users in images and videos, will be turned off, citing mounting user and regulatory concerns.

The organization, which rebranded itself Meta Platforms Inc last week, also stated that it will remove existing face scan data for over 1 billion consumers.

According to Jerome Pesenti, Facebook’s vice president of artificial intelligence, more than one-third of the app’s daily active users have opted into the face recognition setting.

“Regulators are still in the process of providing a clear set of rules governing its use,” Pesenti said. “Amid this ongoing uncertainty, we believe that limiting the use of facial recognition to a narrow set of use cases is appropriate.”

Forsided, 03.11.2021

Biden Accuses Russia & OPEC Of US’ High Oil & Gas Prices [Video]

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Joe Biden has criticized Russia and OPEC countries for boosting US energy costs, even as he implements steps to restrict US oil and natural gas output.

“If you take a look at, you know, gas prices and you take a look at oil prices, that is a consequence of, thus far, the refusal of Russia or the OPEC nations to pump more oil,” Biden told reporters on Tuesday at the COP26 climate summit in Scotland. “We’ll see what happens on that score sooner than later,” he added. 

Since the beginning of 2021, prices for the key US crude benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), have risen to roughly $84 per barrel from $48 per barrel, adding to the country’s highest inflation rate in 13 years. Gas prices have reached a seven-year high. After starting the year below $2.50/mmBtu, the primary natural gas benchmark, Henry Hub, is nearing $6/mmBtu in Nymex futures trading.

While the president pointed the finger at Russia and OPEC for failing to help bring down oil prices, he said that inflation more broadly is being spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on supply chains. US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Sunday that the supply-chain woes will continue until the pandemic ends.

Forsided, 03.11.2021

Report: Facebook Targeted Children as Young as 6 For Profit

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According to the leaked Facebook Papers, social media firms are aiming to target youngsters as young as six years old in order to extend their client base and boost profitability.

The corporation advertised numerous vacant positions for researchers to re-conceive all products for children aged 13 and under in an internal blog post published on April 9 and reviewed by NBC News. According to media sources, the project had already begun when the post was uploaded.

“Our company is making a major investment in youth and has spun up a cross-company virtual team to make safer, more private, experiences for youth that improve their and their household’s well-being,” wrote the author of a blog, whose name was redacted before NBC News was able to review the document.

Facebook, however, has allegedly explored how to recruit younger people, calling children ages 10-12 a valuable “untapped audience.”

The docs also include a diagram showing that Facebook aims to target users under 13 years of age, though it doesn’t discuss how they will face the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule.

In a report published in September by the Wall Street Journal, the leaked documents cited internal Facebook studies over the past three years that examined how Instagram negatively impacts its user base, with teenage girls being most notably harmed.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who denied the allegations even after being shown the research, testified in front of Congress that the social media site was good for young people’s mental health.

Forsided, 01.11.2021
Source: Sputnik News

NYC Fire Stations Shut Down Due to Staff Shortages After Imposing Vaccine Mandate [Tweet]

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New York City is suffering from a shortage of firefighters and EMS personnel on the eve of the November 1 deadline, which requires city workers have at least one dosage of a COVID vaccine, according to reports. Nearly a quarter of the New York City Fire Department staff has not been vaccinated yet.

A report from the New York Post said 26 companies of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) citywide were “shuttered” on Saturday as a result of the city’s vaccine mandate, per city officials.

“As of 7:30am this morning, 26 @FDNY companies are closed including 5 in my district due to @NYCMayor locking out unvaccinated firefighters,” Nicole Malliotakis (R-SI, Brooklyn) tweeted on October 30. “If someone dies due to a slower emergency response, it’s on Bill de Blasio and his overreaching mandates. I hope this fool fixes it ASAP!”

According to FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro, this happened “because of their anger at the vaccine mandate for all city employees is unacceptable” and noted that the mass sick leaves could “endanger the lives” of city residents, which is “contrary to their oaths to serve.”

Forsided, 01.11.2021
Source: Breitbart

Elon Musk Criticized UN Over Child Abuse Scandal [Tweet]

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Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, criticized the United Nations over its child sex abuse issue during a Twitter debate about whether massive sums of money can solve world hunger.

Musk’s answer to David Beasley, the UN’s World Food Programme head, who told CNN last week that a $6 billion donation from Musk might save 42 million people who are “actually going to die if we don’t reach them,” has dominated media coverage of the subject.

Dr. Eli David pointed out that the UN World Food Programme (WFP) couldn’t “solve world hunger” with a budget of $8.4 billion.

“If WFP can describe on this Twitter thread exactly how $6B will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it,” responded Musk, adding, “But it must be open source accounting, so the public sees precisely how the money is spent.”

Beasley responded by clarifying that the money would be a “one-time donation to save 42 million lives during this unprecedented hunger crisis” and wouldn’t actually solve world hunger, but that the money would be subject to “transparency and open source accounting.”

Musk then asked Beasley “What happened here?” along with a link to an Express article headlined ‘Starving children ‘as young as NINE forced to give UN officials oral sex to get food’.

The article details a report exposing how UN peacekeepers “orally and anally raped” children in the Central African Republic and how top officials at the UN’s children agency, UNICEF ignored the scandal in an apparent attempt to cover it up.

Forsided, 01.11.2021
Source: Summit News

French President Insists Australian PM Lied to Him About Submarine Deal [Video]

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Emmanuel Macron, the French president, accused Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison of damaging mutual respect by lying about Canberra’s plan to reject a pact with Paris in favour of the AUKUS nuclear submarine arrangement with the United States and the United Kingdom.

“We will see what he will deliver,” Macron said at the G20 Summit in Rome when pressed about whether he could ever trust Morrison again. “Do you think he lied to you?” a reporter asked directly.

“I don’t think, I know,” said the French President.

Macron did not go into the details of the alleged lie, telling the Australian journalist instead that he has “a lot of respect for your country” and its people. “I just say when we have respect… you have to behave… in line and consistently with this value,” he added.

Morrison denied lying, insisting at a separate press meeting that he had openly told Macron that conventional submarines offered by France do not meet Australia’s needs.

“I was very clear that the conventional submarines were not going to be able to meet our strategic interests and we were going to have to make a decision in our national interest,” Morrison said.

Forsided, 01.11.2021

Facebook Changes Company Name to Meta [Tweet]

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday that the company would be renamed Meta and would begin focusing on the metaverse rather than its social media platforms.

Zuckerberg revealed the details at the annual Facebook Connect conference. Meta will start trading under the new ticker “MVRS” on December 1.

“We’re going to be Metaverse first, not Facebook first,” Zuckerberg said. However, its apps and their brands will not be affected by the corporate name change, he clarified.

The announcement comes just days after the company announced it would begin disclosing the financial results of its massive investment in augmented reality and virtual reality labs, as part of its effort to create a “metaverse,” or shared virtual reality environment that multiple users can access at the same time.

Forsided, 29.10.2021

Another In-N-Out Burger Rebels Against Vaccine Mandate [Tweet]

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County officials in California have shut down a second In-N-Out Burger franchise after it refused to comply with proof-of-vaccination demands.

According to the Washington Times, Contra Costa County health officials have ordered the Pleasant Hill eatery to close indefinitely after it failed to comply with requirements to verify immunization status or documentation of a negative COVID-19 test among diners.

The report notes that the restaurant did display mandated signage detailing the requirements, but has refused to enforce the mandate.

Other chains of the restaurant in the area have also received warnings and fines, according to the Times.

A San Francisco branch of the burger chain was shut down on October 14 before being reopened but only for takeout and outdoor service.

In-N-Out Burger’s chief legal and business officer Arnie Wensinger said in a statement that “As a Company, In-N-Out Burger strongly believes in the highest form of customer service and to us that means serving all Customers who visit us and making all Customers feel welcome.”

Forsided, 28.10.2021
Source: Summit News

Report: Google Scares People More Than Online Hatred

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According to recent research from the Internet Foundation, Swedes are four times more concerned about how the Internet giants like Facebook and Google utilize their personal data than they are about being exposed to so-called online hatred.

Four out of ten feel “great concern” about how large companies such as Facebook and Google use the collected information about them. Nearly half of the responders stated that they are very worried that their digital medical records can be read by unauthorized persons and a third of Swedes are worried that Swedish authorities will collect and use their personal data against them.

However, only one in ten states that so-called “net hatred” is a cause for great concern. Only one in ten students in school stated that they have ever been exposed to cyber-hatred, and of those only half consider the incident to be serious.

The Swedish state’s level of IT security worries Swedes even more. One out of every five Internet users intentionally avoids using digital community services due to security reasons.

“Sweden’s goal is to be the world’s best at taking advantage of the possibilities of digitalisation, and if we are to succeed, people must feel secure that the services are secure, that personal information does not fall into the wrong hands and that their data is used in a way they understand,” stated manager at the Internet Foundation Jannike Tillå.

Earlier in July 2017, the Swedish Transport Agency illegally transported a lot of secret personal data abroad and as recently as 2019, 2.7 million recorded calls to Vrdguiden were unsecured on the internet, free for anybody to download.

Forsided, 27.10.2021
Source: Fria Tider