RT (2020-01-16). Iran is now enriching MORE uranium than before the 2015 nuclear deal — President Rouhani. rt.com Iran has boosted its nuclear enrichment to levels not even seen before the JCPOA deal, President Hassan Rouhani has proclaimed, shortly after the Islamic Republic accused three European nations of \"selling out\" to the US. | \"We are enriching more uranium [than] before the deal was reached … Pressure has increased on Iran but we continue to progress,\" Rouhani said in a televised address on Thursday. | Tehran is now bound by \"no restrictions on nuclear energy,\" Rouhani said, as Iran is \"better off in terms of nuclear power.\" | Under the…

RT (2020-01-16). Europe caved to US \'bully\' by \'selling out\' nuclear deal to avoid new Trump tariffs — Zarif. rt.com France, Britain and Germany have betrayed the 2015 nuclear deal after being threatened with US tariffs, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has claimed, noting that Europe has lost the moral high ground. | The three European states accused Tehran of non-compliance with the accord after buckling under pressure from the United Sates, Zarif wrote in a tweet, citing a Washington Post report detailing how the White House allegedly used strong-arm tactics to force the issue. The Iranian diplomat said that the European signatories had \"sold out\" what was left of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA…

RT (2020-01-16). US military resumes joint ops in Iraq that were halted after Soleimani's killing — reports. rt.com The US military has reportedly resumed anti-terrorism ops and joint drills with Iraq that had been suspended after Washington assassinated a top Iranian commander in Baghdad. | American forces have begun to take part in missions against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) militants in Iraq, US officials have said, adding that the military will soon recommence its training of Iraqi troops. However, the joint US-Iraq operations are not as numerous as they were before, according to reports. | The resumption of anti-terrorism operations comes nearly two weeks after a US drone strike killed Quds Force leader Qassem S…

RT (2020-01-16). Erdogan sending Turkish troops to Libya ahead of Berlin peace talks. rt.com Turkey is sending troops to Libya to ensure the stability of the UN-backed government in Tripoli, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced. The move comes ahead of a Berlin summit on the security situation in the country. | Ankara has already deployed forces to train troops loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA), as part of a security cooperation agreement between the two countries. | Erdogan also said that, as part of a maritime agreement, it would no longer be possible for other states to conduct oil exploration and drilling off the coast of Libya without the approval of Ankara and Tripoli. | T…

RT (2020-01-16). Who\'s this guy? Jeopardy contestants fail to recognize impeachment \'hero\' Adam Schiff & Twitter ROFLs. rt.com Rep. Adam Schiff might be leading an impeachment drive in the US, but it seems not everybody is familiar with the \'resistance\' hero. At least, his photo did not ring any bells for contestants on the latest Jeopardy episode. | Schiff, a prominent Russiagater whose fame among the anti-Trump resistance camp reached new heights amid the ongoing Ukrainegate saga, might be a household name on Capitol Hill, but the question remains: Is the same true for the rest of the country outside of the Washington political swamp? If the classic trivia game show is any indication, it is not. | Just a reminder we live in a bubble…

Staff (2020-01-16). House Leaders March Trump Impeachment Articles to the Senate. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — In a dramatic procession across the U.S. Capitol, House Democrats carried the formal articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate late Wednesday, setting the stage for only the third trial to remove a president in American history. | Trump complained anew it was all a \"hoax,\" even as fresh details emerged about his efforts in Ukraine. | The ceremonial pomp and protocol by the lawmakers prosecuting the case against Trump moved the impeachment out of Speaker Nancy Pelosi\'s Democratic-run House to the Republican-majority Sen…

RT (2020-01-16). 1 killed, 1 injured after gunman opens fire inside magistrates' court in Russia\'s Siberia. rt.com One man died and a woman was seriously injured when a gunman opened fire inside a courthouse in the city of Novokuznetsk in southwestern Siberia. The suspect, who was armed with a rifle, has been apprehended. | The prosecutor\'s office in Kemerovo Region, where the magistrates\' court is located, has launched a probe into the attempted murder. | The attack unfolded at around 9: 20am local time on Thursday. The assailant was detained at the scene and taken into custody. | A male court officer suffered a gunshot wound to his stomach in the attack and died in an ambulance en route to hospital. | A woman, who was att…

RT (2020-01-16). Russian MPs confirm Mikhail Mishustin as new prime minister after cabinet resignation. rt.com Mikhail Mishustin has been ratified as next Prime Minister of Russia by MPs, after a cabinet resignation on Wednesday. Vladimir Putin had earlier proposed Mishustin, formerly head of the Federal Tax Service, as a candidate. | In an overwhelming vote on Thursday, 383 lawmakers supported Mishustin\'s candidacy. Not a single MP cast their vote against the Prime Minister, but 41 MPs — members of Russia\'s Communist Party — chose to abstain, RIA Novosti reported. | Mishustin has already promised a major cabinet reshuffle, meaning that some fresh faces could emerge as new ministers. On the previous day, he h…

RT (2020-01-16). Amendments to Constitution aimed at reinforcing 'rule of law & welfare state' in Russia — Putin. rt.com The sweeping amendments proposed in the annual state-of-the-nation address don\'t change the basics of Russia\'s Constitution, but seek to turn Russia into a welfare state that embraces the rule of law, Vladimir Putin declared. | \"The meaning of these amendments is to ensure the further development of Russia as a welfare state [governed by] rule of law, increase efficiency of our country\'s institutions,\" Vladimir Putin told a task group set up to lay groundwork for prospective changes to Russia\'s basic law. | Outlined in the annual state-of-the-nation address this Wednesday, the amendments are aimed at strengthe…

RT (2020-01-16). Roscosmos engineers develop plan to BLIND foreign spy satellites flying over Russian territory. rt.com Engineers at the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos have developed a plan to block foreign orbital spy satellites from operating in the skies above Russian territory, in what could mark a new era of counterintelligence. | The engineers at the Russian Space Systems Corporation, a subsidiary of Roscosmos, propose establishing a database of all known foreign orbital spy satellites to best configure an array of ground-based jamming devices. | Once this database is compiled, the agency could then decide the best location and composition for a proposed array of ground-based radio-electronic stations which suppress and p…

RT (2020-01-16). China's ZTE wants to raise $1.7 billion to boost 5G development. rt.com One of China\'s largest producers of telecom equipment, ZTE, has announced plans to raise around $1.7 billion from a private share placement to fund research and development of 5G networks. | The company will issue 381 million A-shares denominated in the Chinese yuan and traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges. It will sell them to 10 independent professional or institutional investors in China at 30.21 yuan ($4.40) per share. | The price is a little lower than the average trading price over the last three weeks. As of Thursday, ZTE stock was trading at 37.41 yuan per share in Shenzhen. | Also on rt…

RT (2020-01-16). India needs to go on global anti-terrorism spree like US did after 9/11 — defense chief Rawat. rt.com India\'s new chief of defense staff, General Bipin Rawat, has said that the \'war on terror\' is far from over and its roots must be analyzed in order to combat terrorism. | \"Terrorism is here to stay. So long as there are… states that are going to sponsor terrorism and… use terrorists as proxies, make weapons available to them, [provide] funding for them, then we can\'t control terrorism,\" Gen. Rawat said, as quoted by local media. | We have to bring an end to terrorism and that can only happen the way Americans started after the 9/11 terror attack. They said let\'s go on a spree… global war on terror. | Ind…

The Canary (2020-01-16). Cab union boss cleared of assault on police with noise from megaphone. thecanary.co The boss of a cab driver\'s union accused of assaulting two police officers by using a megaphone too close to their ears has been found not guilty part way through his trial.James Farrar, 51, faced two charges of assault by beating of an emergency worker after he used a loudhailer near Constable Ann Spinks and Sergeant James Lewis during a demonstration against the congestion charge on 4 March 2019.But, at the end of the prosecution case, Judge Philip Bartle QC told the jury at Southwark Crown Court to find Farrar not guilty after his defence argued there was no evidence he had committed a crime.Prosecutor Terence…

RT (2020-01-16). Protests over citizenship law in India prove liberal elites only like democracy if they agree with the results. rt.com Protests in India over a controversial citizenship amendment law have curiously exposed the duplicity of liberals when it comes to their commitment to democracy. | Left-backed student unions and Muslim groups have been up in arms over a law that they perceive to be \"anti-Muslim.\" Backing up this protest movement, liberal Indians have revealed their cards. | For the youth to resist the charms of \"revolution\" — to be angry without a cause and bask in the ro…

RT (2020-01-16). Taiwan holds military exercises after president\'s re-election. rt.com Taiwanese marines staged drills on Thursday as part of a series of military exercises following the re-election of pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen. | The drills focused on neutralizing the threat from small groups of assailants through small arms fire and hand-to-hand fighting, AP said. | In all such drills, the assumed enemy is the military of China. | Other exercises earlier in the week featured Taiwan\'s air force, which is undergoing a major upgrade with the acquisition of the latest version of US F-16 fighters and other advanced technology.

RT (2020-01-16). US-China \'phase one\' trade agreement is 95% theatrics, Richard Wolff tells Boom Bust. rt.com As the world\'s economic superpowers, the US and China, have finally inked the first part of a broader trade agreement, analysts and industry leaders are raising doubts if the sides will move into \'phase two\' anytime soon. | RT\'s Boom Bust is joined by Richard Wolff of the Economic Update to talk about the aspects of the long-awaited deal. | \"I don\'t see much happening. This is 95 percent theatrics, partly for the Trump administration because they initiated all of this, but also partly for the Chinese also.\" | Wolff explains that China wants \"to look as though they are cooperating and are not interested in b…

WSWS (2020-01-16). Assange\'s French legal advisor Juan Branco: \"We\'ve experienced a strong shift that we now need to nurture\" wsws.org In comments to the WSWS this week, Branco stated: \"Citizens have their mass and geniuses like Julian Assange on their side—private interests have their economical power, cynicism and capacity to corrupt on theirs.\"

Binoy Kampmark (2020-01-16). Short of Time: Julian Assange at the Westminster Magistrates Court. counterpunch.org London. Another slot of judicial history, another notch to be added to the woeful record of legal proceedings being undertaken against Julian Assange. The ailing WikiLeaks founder was coping as well as he could, showing the resourcefulness of the desperate at his Monday hearing. At the Westminster Magistrates Court, Assange faced a 12-minute process, an More

Norman Solomon (2020-01-16). Biden, Buttigieg and Corporate Media Are Eager for Sanders and Warren to Clash. counterpunch.org Corporate Democrats got a jolt at the end of last week when the highly regarded Iowa Poll showed Bernie Sanders surging into first place among Iowans likely to vote in the state\'s Feb. 3 caucuses. The other big change was a steep drop for the previous Iowa frontrunner, Pete Buttigieg, who — along with Elizabeth Warren and More

Norman Solomon (2020-01-16). Not Bernie, Us. Not Warren, Us. zcomm.org Their Clash Underscores the Need for Grassroots Wisdom…

Vijay Prashad (2020-01-16). Indian Students Stand Against the Far-Right. zcomm.org It is hard to watch these young people speak with such confidence and with such chilling precision about their desire to hurt those with whom they did not agree…

Peace Action of San Mateo County (2020-01-16). Dr. Stephen Zunes speaks on Trump\'s Mideast Policy. indybay.org Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo | 300 E. Santa Inez Avenue | San Mateo, CA 94401…

sputniknews (2020-01-16). Haftar Agrees to Take Part in Berlin Conference on Libya – LNA Official. sputniknews.com Earlier this week, the office of German chancellor Angela Merkel stated that Berlin will host Libya peace conference on Sunday and will invite members of the conflicting sides as well as representatives of 11 nations, who are trying to resolve the crisis.

No War on Iran (2020-01-16). J9 Protest in San Francisco. indybay.org Hundreds gathered at One Post St. above Montgomery BART on a day of national action.

WSWS (2020-01-16). Malians protest to demand departure of French occupation troops. wsws.org Anger is exploding against the carnage produced by the French war in Mali and against official lies that France is waging a global war on terror.

Fight Back (2020-01-16). Milwaukee meets Trump with huge protest. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI — As President Donald Trump took the stage at the UW-Milwaukee Panthers Arena on the evening of January 14, over 2000 rallied and marched against his visit and his reactionary agenda. The action was led by the Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention, a growing group of nearly 20 organizations that has come together to march and protest at the Democratic Convention which will be in Milwaukee this summer. | Omar Flores, a leader with the coalition, served as the press representative for the action and also spoke at the rally before the mass march. Afterward, he explained why the…

Philip Giraldi (2020-01-16). Who Targeted Ukraine Airlines Flight 752? Iran Shot It Down but There May be More to the Story. globalresearch.ca The claim that Major General Qassem Soleimani was a \"terrorist\" on a mission to carry out an \"imminent\" attack that would kill hundreds of Americans turned out to be a lie, so why should one believe anything else relating to …

sputniknews (2020-01-16). German Defence Minister Confirms Reports of Trump\'s Threats to Slap EU With Higher Tariffs Over Iran. sputniknews.com Three European signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as Iran nuclear deal, initiated the accord\'s dispute mechanism on 14 January thus threatening to put an end to the agreement\'s existence following the US withdrawal from it in 2018.

sputniknews (2020-01-16). \'We Did Not Think US Would Target Another Country\'s Guest\' – Rouhani on Soleimani Assassination. sputniknews.com Qasem Soleimani, the former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp\'s Quds Force, was posthumously promoted to Lieutenant General. Incredibly popular amongst most Iranians, the late General was a key figure in coordinating anti-Daesh forces in Iraq and Syria.

Shane Quinn (2020-01-16). History: US Spy Activities in Western and Northern China. globalresearch.ca The first CIA agent killed in action was the 37-year-old Douglas S. Mackiernan, a former code-breaker for the United States Army Air Forces, who during World War II was promoted to Major, serving as an Air Force meteorologist in …

WSWS (2020-01-16). House forwards impeachment articles, triggering Senate trial of President Trump. wsws.org The onset of the Senate trial takes place in the context of an explosive political and social crisis and internal warfare within the American state without parallel since the Civil War.

Nick Licata (2020-01-16). Climate Crisis: We Need Radical Change Now, Not in the Future. counterpunch.org Reading Naomi Klein\'s new book, On Fire: The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal, is similar to watching a mega-disaster movie in a theater. Except, you can leave your fears behind when you exit the theater. Klein\'s message is that our human induced climate change is devastating our livable earth, we are stuck here, it More

WSWS (2020-01-16). Former Colombian President àÅlvaro Uribe linked to international drug trafficking through Sinaloa Cartel. wsws.org The charges against Uribe expose Colombia\'s \"war on drugs,\" like that of the US, as a smokescreen for government criminality and a pretext for violence against the population.

WSWS (2020-01-16). The Suleimani assassination, imperialist strategy and the crisis of the Iranian regime. wsws.org The killing of the military leader, widely viewed as second only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in Iran\'s power structure, constitutes a dramatic escalation of the Trump administration\'s campaign of \"maximum pressure\" on Iran.

Ron Jacobs (2020-01-16). Iranian Opposition—1970s to 2020. zcomm.org As residents of those nations working to return Iran back to its previous status as a client of imperialism, our task is to oppose the sanctions demanded by the United States and the war moves accompanying those sanctions…

Suadad al-Salhy (2020-01-16). Tracked, Targeted, Killed: Qassem Soleimani\'s Final Hours. globalresearch.ca Stepping off his Cham Wings flight and onto the tarmac of Baghdad airport, Qassem Soleimani was met by a familiar face. | Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy head of the Hashd al-Shaabi Iraqi paramilitary, was a longstanding ally of the Iranian …

Robert L. Borosage (2020-01-16). The Only Way Out of Our Latest War. thenation.com The Only Way Out of Our Latest War…

WSWS (2020-01-16). YouTube, Facebook and Twitter remove accounts and content opposing the illegal assassination of Iranian General Suleimani. wsws.org The social media companies YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are following the orders of the Trump administration in the aftermath of the criminal assassination of Iranian General Suleimani on January 3.

sputniknews (2020-01-16). Analyst: US \'Bid\' to Cut Iraq Military Aid Over Troop Ouster is a \'Rejection of Democratic Process\'. sputniknews.com The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that the Trump administration was preparing to cut $250 million in military aid to Baghdad after the Iraqi parliament\'s non-binding vote to expel American troops from its soil over a 3 January US drone strike that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, triggering retaliation from Tehran a few days later.

WSWS (2020-01-16). Russian government resigns after Putin\'s state of the nation address. wsws.org The resignation of the widely unpopular Russian government comes amid mounting social conflict and escalating war tensions between the US and Iran which threaten to draw in the entire South Caucasus region and Russia itself.

sputniknews (2020-01-16). Putin Introduces Post of Deputy Chairman of Russian Security Council, Appoints Medvedev. sputniknews.com Dmitry Medvedev, who resigned as Russia\'s prime minister a day earlier, will remain the leader of the governing party United Russia, according to secretary of the party\'s General Council Andrey Turchak.

sputniknews (2020-01-16). \'A Very Stable Genius\': Trump Declared Himself \'Russia Expert\' After Meeting Putin, New Book Claims. sputniknews.com The book is based on hundreds of hours of interviews with hundreds of sources, internal memos, and even private video recordings. The authors claim that Trump initially agreed to be interviewed by them, but later declined during his tensions with the media.

sputniknews (2020-01-16). S-400 For Iraq: Will Americans Be Able to Hamper the Deal? sputniknews.com Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal quoted Karim Elaiwi, a member of the Iraqi parliament\'s Security and Defence Committee, as saying that Baghdad was considering purchasing Russian S-400 systems amid concerns that the US may stop supporting the country.

sputniknews (2020-01-16). Russian Lower House Approves Mishustin\'s Nomination as Prime Minister. sputniknews.com The entire Russian government resigned on 15 January, with ex-Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev saying this was done to enable President Vladimir Putin to implement the goals outlined in his address to the legislature.

sputniknews (2020-01-16). The World as Seen by Russian Diplomats\' Wives. sputniknews.com The Community of Russian Diplomats\' Wives was created about two years ago in Russia and today it includes about 250 wives of Russian diplomats in some 60 countries.

sputniknews (2020-01-16). Ukrainian Interior Ministry Opens Investigation Into Claims of Russia Hacking Burisma – Report. sputniknews.com On Tuesday, Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries said that the Dems would look into media reports alleging that Russian military hackers conducted cyberattacks against Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

sputniknews (2020-01-16). Erdogan Announces Turkey is Sending Troops to Libya. sputniknews.com Ankara and the UN-backed Government of National Accord previously signed an agreement to deploy Turkish troops to the war-torn country. Turkey noted though that the deployment would only happen if General Haftar\'s army continues its offensive.

Sam Adler-Bell (2020-01-16). Sanders-Warren Spat Overtakes the News Cycle. zcomm.org \"Infighting between Sanders and Warren only benefits big oil, fossil fuel billionaires, the GOP, and the moderate wing of the Democratic Party.\"

sputniknews (2020-01-16). Apocalypse on Pause? Asteroid That Shot Fireball in 2017 Could Destroy Life on Earth, Scientists Say. sputniknews.com In April 2017, a shiny fireball flew over the skies of Kyoto, Japan, raising questions about its potential origin and cosmic identity. Later, it was determined that the bright intruder belonged to a near-Earth asteroid called 2003 YT1.

WSWS (2020-01-16). German captain of refugee rescue ship \"Lifeline\" acquitted of criminal charges in Malta. wsws.org Despite the acquittal neither Malta nor the EU have retreated from its inhumane and murderous anti-refugee policy with Valletta continuing to prevent NGO ships from entering its waters.