Author: RT

VIDEO of Christmas market in Damascus shows the side of Syria you won’t see in Western media After almost a decade of war, the very name Syria seems synonymous with conflict and destruction. Yet a short video filmed at a Christmas market in Damascus reveals that peace – and joy – are making a comeback. The video shows a cozy Christmas bazaar inside a church, where the believers traded homemade sweets, decorations, ornaments and even locally made wine.  Santa Claus and the elves are among the decorations, and several costumed Santas can be seen both inside and outside. Several trees strung with flashing lights and ornaments are also on display. It could be a scene from anywhere in the West, and only signs in Arabic suggest otherwise. ...

‘Shadow banning’ written into Twitter’s new terms of service, may ‘limit visibility’ of some users Twitter’s new terms of service will allow the platform to “shadow ban” users – secretly suppressing their content. While critics have long suspected the company of doing it, the new rules appear to set the practice into stone. Taking effect at the beginning of next year, Twitter’s new terms initially don’t look like much to write home about, but some tweaks to the language could have larger repercussions for users, limiting their reach behind the scenes, without their knowledge. “We may also remove or refuse to distribute any Content on the Services, limit distribution or visibility of any Content on the service, suspend or terminate users, and reclaim...

Sharing rioting tips? Ukrainian neo-Nazi ‘tourists’ spotted amid Hong Kong protests A group of Ukrainian far-right activists traveled to Hong Kong to check out violent anti-government protests. They claimed it was merely a tourist trip, and that they were not neo-Nazis. Facts tell otherwise. The group of muscled and heavily-tattooed young men from Ukraine descended last week upon the streets of the autonomous Chinese territory, gripped by chaotic protests for months. The ‘tourists’ were eager to see the sights – barricades and burning things – as well as watch the show, as in the clashes between protesters and police. Also on rt.com WATCH Hong Kong protester KNOCK OUT 53yo man with drain cover as he attempts to di...

‘We must not be strict with them’: Rouhani says protesters charged with minor offenses should be set free Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called for leniency for protesters who took to the streets over a recent fuel price hike, saying that those who did not commit grave offenses or incited the riots should be pardoned. “There are some who... have committed an offense, not a crime. Someone has set fire to a tire; we must not keep them for what they've done,” Rouhani said Wednesday. The Iranian leader acknowledged that “some” of the activists who were placed into custody in wake of the unrest that swept through the country last month “are innocent and should be freed.” “What they've done was not right but... we must not be strict with these peop...

Liverpool 5-2 Everton: Sadio Mane shines as rampant Reds extend unbeaten Premier League run to 32 games Liverpool striker Sadio Mane turned in a man-of-the-match performance as he scored one and made two in Liverpool's resounding 5-2 win over cross-town rivals Everton at Anfield in the most prolific Merseyside Derby since 1933. Liverpool's Senegalese striker was at the heart of the Reds' best play throughout the first half, and provided a beautifully threaded through-pass for Divock Origi to skip round the outrushing Jordan Pickford and side-foot into the empty net to put the home side ahead on six minutes. Beautiful counter-attacking goal from Liverpool. Sadio Mane threads the eye of the needle to find Origi, who rolls the ball into an...

‘Russia is no longer enemy of NATO, international terrorism is’: Macron calls on bloc to check its priorities French President Emmanuel Macron has called on NATO to set its priorities straight, arguing that international terrorism is the main enemy of the alliance, while Russia is somehow both a 'threat' and a 'partner.' “Who is the enemy of NATO? Russia is no longer an enemy. It remains a threat but is also a partner in certain areas. Our enemy today: international terrorism, especially Islamist terrorism,” the French president tweeted after the NATO 70th anniversary summit, which concluded in London on Wednesday. READ MORE: London fog: NATO strong, or empire in crisis? The message summed up the vision of NATO’s strategic goals that Macron had shar...

The ‘80s called! Impeachment witness Karlan mocked for suggesting Ukrainians are helping prevent Russian invasion of US Stanford law professor Pamela Karlan raised eyebrows online for suggesting during congressional impeachment hearings that the US must keep Ukraine strong “so they fight the Russians there and we don't have to fight them here.” Yes, you read that right. It seems in Karlan’s mind, all that’s stopping “the Russians” from invading the US is the Ukrainian army, which must be kept strong to stave off the ultimate disaster. The law professor made the baffling comment during the House Judiciary Committee impeachment hearing on Wednesday. Karlan’s emphatic doomsday warning produced stunned reaction online, with conservative journalist Jack ...

Had Putin been Russian president in 1999, Serbia wouldn't have been bombed – Vucic NATO would not have bombed Serbia in 1999 if Vladimir Putin had been the Russian president then, said Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic praising friendly relations between Moscow and Belgrade. Vucic believes Serbians value the current Russian leader more than any in recent history, as they are confident of Moscow's steadfast support of their nation’s sovereignty. “We believe that in 1999, if Putin had already been president there would have never been a bombing of Serbia,” Vucic told journalists at a press conference following his talks with the Russian leader in Sochi on Wednesday. Also on rt.com NATO, church & brotherhood of arm...