RT (2019-11-15). \'What\'s a girl seeking, alone at night?\' German mayor\'s \'victim-blaming\' blasted as immigrants accused of gang-raping teenager. rt.com The mayor of a German city was forced to apologize for his comments about a shocking gang rape case, which has drawn a new wave of criticism toward the country\'s lax immigration laws. | The crime occurred in the city of Ulm in the southwestern Baden-Wurttemberg state on Halloween but police only reported it this week. The 14-year-old victim was walking late and met with a group of teenage boys and men in their early 20s, one of whom she knew. She agreed to go to the home of one of the suspects and was gang-raped there. | Three suspects were subsequently arrested, while two more remain at large. At least two of…

RT (2019-11-15). Pump it up! US Fed adds $104 billion in liquidity to markets in just one day. rt.com The Federal Reserve, which has been boosting liquidity since mid-September, injected $104.293 billion to the financial markets on Thursday. | The addition of liquidity came in two parts, with one happening via overnight repurchase agreements totaling $73.593 billion. The other was from a $30.7 billion 13-day repo operation. In both interventions, dealers took less money than the Fed was willing to provide. | Also on rt.com | | US Federal Reserve\'s monetary policy is a BLACK HOLE that will swallow up everyone — RT\'s Keiser Report | The US C…

Jonathan Steele (2019-11-15). The OPCW and Douma: Chemical Weapons Watchdog Accused of Evidence-Tampering by Its Own Inspectors. counterpunch.org Claims that President Bashar al-Assad\'s forces have used chemical weapons are almost as old as the Syrian civil war itself. They have produced strong reactions, and none more so than in the case of the alleged attack in April last year on the opposition-controlled area of Douma near Damascus in which 43 people are said More

RT (2019-11-15). \'Crucial source of intelligence\': Indian Army urges officers to wipe Facebook accounts & avoid WhatsApp over security gaps. rt.com The Indian Army has warned its officers to stay away from Facebook and WhatsApp, arguing the popular US-based social media platforms are vulnerable to hacks and a \"crucial source\" for hostile intelligence-gathering. | An army advisory strongly encourages soldiers, especially those holding \"sensitive posts,\" to avoid WhatsApp for any official communications and to consider deactivating their Facebook accounts, following a military assessment finished last month which flagged a number of…

RT (2019-11-15). 'The boos were on another level': Fans lash out at ex-New York Knick Kristaps Porzingis on return to Madison Square Garden (VIDEO). rt.com The New York Knicks fanbase made sure former player Kristaps Porzingis was aware of their displeasure as he laced up his shoes for the Dallas Mavericks for the first time in MSG after ending a four-year stint in the Big Apple.

Kathleen Wallace (2019-11-15). A Gangster for Capitalism: Next Up, Bolivia. counterpunch.org \"War is a racket. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.\" This sounds like a modern day comment from the US far left, but the source is hardly that. It\'s from a man who was the most decorated Marine ever at the time of his death. More

RT (2019-11-15). Major defense technology leak? Israeli missile interceptor reportedly falls in Gaza Strip and is intact. rt.com A crucial part of Israel\'s Tamir interceptor, which is used in the middle-range Iron Dome air defense system, seems to have fallen intact in the Gaza Strip, potentially creating a major leak of secret rocket technology. | Like many other interceptors, the Tamir missile destroys enemy projectiles by approaching them mid-course and detonating its warhead to send out an expanding ring of shrapnel. The tricky part is correctly identifying the right time for the detonation and executing the defensive explosion exactly when needed. | The timing must be perfect, considering the astounding speeds at which both the…

RT (2019-11-15). Turkey\'s drill ship \'Fatih\' begins operations off NE Cyprus — vice president. rt.com The Turkish oil- and gas-drilling ship \'Fatih\' has started operations off the coast of northeastern Cyprus, Turkish vice president Fuat Oktay was quoted on Friday as saying, despite warnings from the EU that Ankara should stand down. | On Monday, the EU Foreign Affairs Council adopted a framework for restrictive measures against Ankara over its drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean. | Turkey, a formal candidate to join the EU despite worsening ties with the bloc, criticized the decision and said it would not cease drilling because it is operating on its own continental shelf or in areas where Turkis…

Melvin Goodman (2019-11-15). Meet Ukraine: America\'s Newest \"Strategic Ally\" counterpunch.org When the dust settles in a month or two, the House of Representatives will have impeached President Donald Trump with a one-sided partisan vote and then the Senate will have exonerated Donald Trump with a similarly one-sided partisan vote. But at the end of the day, the United States will have acquired a new strategic ally in Central Europe: Ukraine. The very first day of the impeachment hearings in November has been responsible for an important national security decision that had no input from Trump\'s national security team or from the congressional foreign policy committees. The implications of this decision ar…

RT (2019-11-15). 55 not out: Cristiano Ronaldo notches 55th hat-trick in Portugal's 6-0 thrashing of Lithuania (VIDEO). rt.com Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo produced another virtuoso performance for his country as he netted his 55th career hat-trick to help his side to a comfortable 6-0 win over Lithuania. | Ronaldo\'s treble in his side\'s Euro 2020 qualifier on Thursday night also took his tally of international goals for his country to 98 as he closes in on another remarkable career milestone. | If Ronaldo makes it to 100 goals, he\'ll become only the second player in football history to register a century of international goals for his country, joining Iran\'s Ali Daei. | Ronaldo\'s performance came in the wake of a turbulent…

RT (2019-11-15). Global debt on track to exceed $250 TRILLION this year. rt.com A new report by the International Institute of Finance (IIF) shows the world\'s debt climbed by $7.5 trillion in the first six months of 2019 to a record high of over $250 trillion. It was driven by borrowings in the US and China.

RT (2019-11-15). \'Meant to intimidate\': Code Pink\'s Medea Benjamin slams bogus police raid as crackdown on peace activism. rt.com Peace activist Medea Benjamin slammed a recent police raid on her home after she was accused of \"assaulting\" a Democratic congresswoman, calling it an act of \"intimidation\" against those opposing US interventionist policies. | Over a dozen officers from the US Capitol Police surrounded Benjamin\'s home on Wednesday, alleging the activist assaulted Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Florida) at a press conference earlier that day, but Benjamin says the charge is phoney. | \"This is selective prosecution and it\'s bogus,\" she told RT, adding \"I\'m a peace activist, I don\'t assault anyone.\" | They make up thin…

RT (2019-11-15). Indians irate at Amazon for selling capsules of \'blood\' so women could fake their virginity. rt.com Amazon found itself at the receiving end of a wave of backlash from irate customers in India after it emerged that the online retailer was selling capsules of fake blood as an \"alternative\" for women facing virginity tests. | \'Blood for the First Night\', sold by \'i-Virgin\' is a small capsule containing fake, soluble \'blood\' powder that is designed to be inserted into a woman\'s vagina on her wedding night should she need to fake virginity and pass the still-somewhat-common \"character test.\" | | © Amazon.in | The company claims there are no \"No side effects. No needles,\" and that the powder is \"not toxic.

RT (2019-11-15). With no alternative, NASA spent nearly $4 BILLION to fly astronauts aboard Russian Soyuz to ISS & \"overpaid\" Boeing for no reason. rt.com US space explorers have added up exactly how much money has gone to buy \'seats\' on Soyuz vehicles, as its partners SpaceX and \"overpaid\" Boeing failed to meet the deadlines on NASA\'s manned spaceflight programs. | Over the past two decades, NASA spent $3.9 billion to transport 70 astronauts aboard Soyuz spacecraft to and from the International Space Station (ISS), the agency said in its audit report, published on Thursday. | The US also had previously used the Space Shuttle to deliver crews to the station but that program was termi…

RT (2019-11-15). Israel \'has completed\' Gaza strikes after rocket fire — military. rt.com Israel said early on Friday that it has completed a series of airstrikes on targets linked to the Islamic jihad militant group in Gaza, after rocket fire that rattled a day-old truce. | The military\'s statement indicated that Israel was willing to abide by the ceasefire if there are no additional rocket attacks. It said Israel struck a military compound, a rocket-manufacturing site and a militant headquarters in the town of Khan Younis, AP reports. | The airstrikes came after a barrage of rockets late Thursday. There were no immediate reports of casualties from either side. | The situation was calm Friday morn…

RT (2019-11-15). Turkey sends 6,000 Syrians from Istanbul to temporary centers — governor. rt.com Turkey has sent more than 6,000 Syrian migrants in Istanbul to temporary housing centers in other provinces since early July, the local governor\'s office said on Friday. His statement came two weeks after a deadline for Syrians not registered in the city to leave. | Authorities had given undocumented Syrians in Istanbul until October 30 to move to another province or face forced removal from the city. The Istanbul governor\'s office said 6,416 unregistered Syrians were removed from Istanbul since July 12. | Turkey hosts more than 3.6 million Syrians, the largest population of Syrians displaced by an eight-year…

RT (2019-11-15). Russia, Norway & Lithuania conduct exchange of spies. rt.com Lithuania, Russia and Norway conducted an exchange of spies on Friday, the head of Lithuanian counter intelligence said. The three states each secured the return of several captured agents to their home countries, Reuters reported. | Earlier in the day, Lithuania\'s president pardoned two Russians jailed for espionage, and Moscow said it would reciprocate by releasing two Lithuanians. The moves paved the way for a three-way spy swap also involving Norway. | Lithuanian media said last month that discussions were under way on exchanging two Russians jailed in Lithuania, two Lithuanians sentenced for spying in Rus…

RT (2019-11-15). \'May drive a bus but do not fine\': \'Driver-in-chief\' Brezhnev\'s license to drive is auctioned off. rt.com Documents celebrating Leonid Brezhnev\'s lifelong love for posh cars and reckless driving have been sold at auction in Moscow. The big man\'s tastes were a nightmare for his guards and a driveway to his heart for foreign leaders. | Brezhnev\'s driving documents have changed ownership between two unidentified private collectors this week. What is known is that in exchange the buyer paid about $24,000. The laminated papers include a driver\'s license in Brezhnev\'s name — which also authorized him to take the wheel of pretty much any commercial ground transport — and a punch-through card that every Soviet d…

David Rosen (2019-11-15). A Century of Prohibition. counterpunch.org We live in the shadow of the past; it haunts the present like the memory of a dead relative who can\'t be forgotten or forgiven. Prohibition is a dead historically moment that can\'t be forgotten. Prohibition was established with the adoption of the 18th Amendment on January 16, 1919, and was implemented through the National Prohibition Act, popularly known as the Volstead Act. It was first More

Ipek S. Burnett (2019-11-15). The United States Needs Citizens Like You, Dreamer. counterpunch.org Dear Dreamer, You may not even remember the journey across the border. Maybe you tracked through a desert. Maybe you hid in a trunk. Maybe you arrived in an airport, your passport stamped with a visa. Maybe you came here all by yourself to reunite with your mom or dad. Maybe you were excited, maybe More

Andrew Levine (2019-11-15). Get Trump First, But Then… counterpunch.org Were Donald Trump and the Republicans who support him slightly less relentless in giving reasons to despair for the human race, it would be a lot harder than it now is to maintain a proper perspective. Trump and those hideous GOP House members defending him on TV are so execrable and pose such a clear More

RT (2019-11-15). German MPs vote to enshrine climate protection in law. rt.com Germany\'s lower house of parliament on Friday voted to enshrine climate protection in law, setting specific targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its energy, transport and housing sectors. | The aim is to ensure Germany, Europe\'s largest economy, reaches its goal of cutting German greenhouse gas emissions to 55 percent of their 1990 level by 2030, Reuters said. | Germany\'s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Thursday the EU should increase its targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions if it wants to lead in the fight against climate change. | \"Europe must lead, because only then other countrie…

RT (2019-11-15). Iraq \'will never be the same\' after recent protests, top Shiite cleric Sistani says. rt.com Iraq will be deeply marked by the recent weeks of demonstrations demanding sweeping reforms, Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani said on Friday, in some of his strongest remarks yet on the protest movement. | In his weekly sermon delivered by a representative in Karbala, the country\'s top Shiite cleric piled pressure on authorities to enact sweeping reforms in response to the deadly rallies, AFP reports. | \"If those in power think that they can evade the benefits of real reform by stalling and procrastination, they are delusional,\" Sistani said. \"What comes after these protests will not be the same as before.\" | Sistan…

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2019-11-15). Why Aren\'t Americans Rising up Like the People of Chile and Lebanon? counterpunch.org The waves of protests breaking out in country after country around the world beg the question: Why aren\'t Americans rising up like our neighbors? We live at the very heart of this neoliberal system that is force-feeding the systemic injustice and inequality of 19th-century laissez-faire capitalism to the people of the 21st century. So we More

Gershon Baskin (2019-11-15). Encountering Peace — A Personal Note of an Israeli Peace Activist During the Gaza Rockets. globalresearch.ca What does an Israeli peace activist do when the rockets are flying and the bombs are falling? | I have been going to demonstrations since I was 12 years old — that was 51 years ago. I can easily say that …

John Grant (2019-11-15). Drones, Guns and Abject Heroes in America. counterpunch.org A couple Saturdays ago I attended the monthly protest near the drone base located on what used to be the Willow Grove Naval Air Station in Horsham, PA, outside Philadelphia. The vigil has been going on monthly for a number of years, peopled by some of the most spiritual, peace-loving people I know. I\'d say More

Jon Britton (2019-11-15). Letter-Writing Session for Leonard Peltier; Demand an End to the Elder Unit Lockdown! indybay.org San Jose Peace & Justice Center | 48 S Seventh St., San Jose, CA 95112…

Ramzy Baroud (2019-11-15). A Lesson for the Palestinian Leadership: Real Reasons behind Israel\'s Arrest and Release of Labadi, Mi\'ri. counterpunch.org The release on November 6 of two Jordanian nationals, Heba al-Labadi and Abdul Rahman Mi\'ri from Israeli prisons was a bittersweet moment. The pair were finally reunited with their families after harrowing experiences in Israel. Sadly, thousands of Palestinian prisoners are still denied their freedom, still subjected to all sorts of hardships at the hands More

Dave Lindorff (2019-11-15). When an Elected Government Falls in South America, as in Bolivia, Look For a US Role. counterpunch.org When it comes to politics in Latin America, what initially seems clear is usually anything but. And when that some complicated political event happens and is reported about in the US, the last place to look for clarity is the US media, which almost universally parrots the Washington line — an imperialist one that takes More

Jeb Sprague (2019-11-15). Top Bolivian Coup Plotters Trained by US Military\'s School of the Americas, Served as Attachés in FBI Police Programs. globalresearch.ca Commanders of Bolivia\'s military and police helped plot the coup and guaranteed its success. They were previously educated for insurrection in the US government\'s notorious School of the Americas and FBI training programs. | *** | The United States played a key …

Timothy Alexander Guzman (2019-11-15). \"Crime Against Democracy\": U.S. Backed Fascist Coup in Bolivia. globalresearch.ca Bolivia\'s legitimate President, Evo Morales now in exile in Mexico said that the \"The OAS is in the service of the North American empire\" and that he \"could not understand\" how his military leaders betrayed Bolivia.

Paul Antonopoulos (2019-11-15). Greece as the Centrepiece of China\'s BRI in the Eastern Mediterranean. globalresearch.ca A 2018 Pew Survey found that 89% of Greeks found their culture to be superior to others, by far the highest amount of people in Europe where it reached as low as 26% in Sweden, 23% in Estonia and Belgium, …

Vladimir Tsemakh (2019-11-15). Video: Key MH17 Witness Vladimir Tsemakh: Abduction, Ukrainian Special Services, and Conflict in Donbass. globalresearch.ca On July 17, 2014, a Malaysian Boeing 777-200ER aircraft was conducting a scheduled passenger flight (MH17) from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. During a transit flight over the territory of Ukraine, the Ukrainian air traffic control charted the plane directly over …

Nino Pagliccia (2019-11-15). Morales: Bolivia Suffers an Assault on the Power of the People. Self Appointed \"President Jeanine Añez. globalresearch.ca As the military coup continues to entrench itself in Bolivia, the first goal of the perpetrators is to appear to be following the constitutional process. But the faàßade is not enough to hide the real disaster of yet another self-proclaimed …

Atilio A. Boron (2019-11-15). The Coup in Bolivia: Five Lessons. globalresearch.ca The Bolivian tragedy teaches us various lessons that our people and the peoples social and political forces must learn from and record in our consciences forever. Here is a brief list, jotted down quickly, and as a prelude to …

Nauman Sadiq (2019-11-15). Who Was the Founder of the White Helmets? Was He Killed by the Islamic State (ISIS-Daesh)? globalresearch.ca The founder of the White Helmets, James Le Mesurier, was found dead on November 11 in suspicious circumstances after falling off a two-story apartment building in downtown Istanbul. He was a former British army veteran and a private security …

Jason Ditz (2019-11-15). The Costs of an Illegal Military Occupation: Trump Demands Five-Fold Increase in Payments from South Korea. globalresearch.ca South Korea has historically paid an unusually large percentage of the cost of keeping US forces there, and under pressure from President Trump, agreed earlier this year to a substantial increase, with South Korea agreeing to pay $924 million …

Alison Bodine (2019-11-15). Chile Despertó! Chile Has Woken Up! The Rising Battle Against Neoliberalism. globalresearch.ca °Chile despertó! | °Piñera, renuncia! | °Piñera ya fue! | °Que se vayan los milicos! | Chile Has Woken Up! | Piñera Resign! | Piñera Has Gone! | Let the \"Milicos\" leave! (\"Milicos\" is a derogatory word for police and military personnel) | These are some the powerful …

Mark Taliano (2019-11-15). Syria\'s Opposing Parties. globalresearch.ca A Canadian political commentator and author of \"Voices from Syria\" said if a new constitution is approved by the Syrian Constitutional Committee, the foreign-backed \"unelected\" opposition cannot guarantee to adhere to it. | \"Unelected opposing parties cannot guarantee anything,\" Mark Taliano …

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (2019-11-15). The Democrats Have the Country on a Slippery Slope. globalresearch.ca The fake \"whistleblower\'s name— Eric Ciamerella—has been known for a long time, but not officially. Now it is official. Senator Rand Paul has officially released his name. Funny, isn\'t it, that only the Republicans want Ciamerella to testify. The …

Danny Haiphong (2019-11-15). In Bolivia, the American Empire Strikes Back. globalresearch.ca Evo Morales\' fourth term was over before it began. After winning the latest presidential election by over 600,000 votes, a flurry of violence on the part of the U.S.-backed opposition in Bolivia pressured Evo to step down. Evo\'s home was …

Manuel García, Jr. (2019-11-15). The Truthiest Reality of Global Warming. counterpunch.org An omniscient individual on my electronic social media splattergram expressed skepticism that the 0.04% of the atmosphere made up of CO2 could possibly have any responsibility for causing global warming, now also known as climate change. It seems clear to me now that with each passing day more people will stumble upon this startling insight, More

Jacob Sugarman (2019-11-15). Errol Morris Is as Scared as You Are. truthdig.com Nearly midway through his new film about Breitbart co-founder and former White House adviser Steve Bannon, \"American Dharma\" director Errol Morris makes a familiar confession. Their roles as documentarian and subject briefly reversed, Bannon asks, \"How could you possibly make \'Fog of War,\' and how could you make \'What Known Unknowns\' [sic]? How could you make this, and then vote for Hillary Clinton?\" To which Morris replies, \"Because I was afraid of you guys. I still am!\" He adds, \"I thought that she was the best hope of defeating Trump…

Lynda Carson (2019-11-15). The fate of DACA recipients goes before the US Supreme Court. indybay.org According to government sources, there were around 15,500 active DACA recipients in the San Francisco metropolitan area (San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward) as of September 4, 2017.

John W. Whitehead (2019-11-15). Casualties of War: Military Veterans Have Become America\'s Walking Wounded. counterpunch.org Come you masters of war You that build the big guns You that build the death planes You that build all the bombs You that hide behind walls You that hide behind desks I just want you to know I can see through your masks…. You fasten all the triggers For the others to fire More

Edward Hunt (2019-11-15). It\'s Still Not Too Late for Rojava. counterpunch.org As Turkey continues its devastating military assault on Rojava, the Kurdish-led region of northeastern Syria, officials in Washington are facing a critical decision: allow Turkey to prevail in its campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Kurds or take action to protect them. The Turkish invasion, which began on October 9, has been devastating for Rojava. More

Patrick Bond (2019-11-15). As Brazil\'s ex-President Lula is Set Free and BRICS Leaders Summit, What Lessons From the Workers Party for Fighting Global Neoliberalism? counterpunch.org Just as Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) heads of state prepared to meet in Brasilia on November 13-14, hosted by Jair Bolsonaro, a double political earthquake hit: Lula\'s freedom from prison on November 8, followed by a coup against Bolivian president Evo Morales on November 11. Lula was central to BRICS\' establishment a decade ago. Details about More

Terranium 117 (2019-11-15). From Where Rock Oil on Brazilian Beaches (Also Far to the USA?). indybay.org Places of beach oil pollutions in Brazil suggest that oil have come with the South-Equatorial Ocean Stream, even from region of the African Oil Shore. And it come from the lithospherical expansional rock cracks or widened mining drill slots. Big quantity of this sea oil may be here later the critical evidence of new phenomenon.

Elie Mystal (2019-11-15). Five Ways to Debunk the GOP\'s Defense of Donald Trump. thenation.com Five Ways to Debunk the GOP\'s Defense of Donald Trump…

Jordan Riefe (2019-11-15). Watch the CIA Get Away With Torture. truthdig.com In the aftermath of 9/11, Americans might generously attribute their embrace of the \"dark side,\" as former Vice President Dick Cheney described torture, to a collective nervous breakdown. It\'s a chapter in our recent history detailed in Jane Mayer\'s bestseller, \" The Dark Side,\" and more broadly in the entertaining and fallacious movie, \" Zero Dark Thirty,\" but it remains a national shame yet to be confronted by holding those responsible accountable. The end credits of Scott Z. B…