RT (2020-01-18). Black boxes of Boeing 737-800 downed in Tehran to be sent to Ukraine — chief Iranian investigator. rt.com The flight recorders of the Ukrainian International Airlines jet, which was accidentally shot down by Iran\'s air defenses, will be sent to Kiev, the head of the Iranian investigative team has told local media. | Hassan Rezaeifar told Tasnim News Agency on Saturday that once the flight recorders are transported to Kiev, experts from the US, Canada and France will work to extract the data from them. | If they fail, the black boxes will be sent to a lab in France. Rezaeifar previously stated that Iran lacks technical expertise to extract the necessary flight data on its own. | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens…

RT (2020-01-18). Burnt bodies of troupe of musicians discovered — Mexican gang suspected of grisly mass murder. rt.com The scorched remains of a band of 10 indigenous musicians have been discovered in southern Mexico and investigators suspect that a vicious drug gang carried out the brutal slayings. | The bodies of 10 members of the Sensación music group were found in the rural Mexcalcingo community, in the southern state of Guerrero. | | © Google Maps | The musicians, from the Nahaus indigenous group, the largest in Mexico, were traveling in two vans along the country road when they were reportedly stopped at a checkpoint by a band of armed men from a \'Peace and Justice\' group linked to the infamous Los Ardillos…

RT (2020-01-18). Berlin peace talks: In war-torn Libya, can intl community help finish what Russia & Turkey started? rt.com Talks in Berlin between warring Libyan factions could finally deliver a lasting ceasefire after a decade of chaos ushered in by NATO regime change there. Could the mediation efforts, kick-started by Moscow and Ankara, bear fruit? | All eyes in Europe and beyond are set on Berlin, as PM Fayez al-Sarraj of the Government of National Accord (GNA) and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army (LNA) arrive on Sunday for peace talks hosted by Germany and attended by representatives from 11 countries, including Russia\'s Vladimir Putin. | The GNA has been internationally recognized since 2015, but Hafta…

RT (2020-01-18). Pentagon insists US troops are 'FORCE FOR GOOD' in Iraq after its parliament votes to expel them. rt.com The US Defense Department has claimed that its military presence makes Iraq more secure and \"prosperous,\" despite calls by Iraqi lawmakers for the removal of all foreign troops from the country and growing tensions with Iran. | \"At this time, there are no plans by the US military to withdraw from Iraq,\" Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Jonathan Rath Hoffman told reporters at a press briefing. | And I think it\'s been obvious… that the consensus in Iraq seems to be that the United States forces there are a force for good. | The official said that the US presence in the country is \"beneficial\" to Iraq and…

RT (2020-01-18). At least 4 dead, 20 injured in car bomb attack targeting Turkish contractors in Somalia – reports. rt.com A car bomb attack targeting a group of Turkish contractors has reportedly left four people dead and injured at least 20 others in the town of Afgoye, 30 kilometers outside the Somali capital Mogadishu. | \"A speeding suicide car bomb rammed into a place where the Turkish engineers and Somali police were having lunch,\" a spokesperson for Somali police told the Reuters news agency. | #Turkish contractors and their Somali police guards in #Afgoye town, 30km outside

RT (2020-01-18). \'I thought it was a terrorist attack\': California teachers sue Delta after plane showers school children with jet fuel. rt.com Four southern California teachers have filed a lawsuit against Delta Airlines after a Boeing 777 jettisoned its fuel over several schools near Los Angeles, drenching staff and scores of children with the volatile liquid. | Filed on Friday by attorney Gloria Allred, the suit alleges that the crew of Delta Flight 89 was negligent in dumping the fuel when and where it did, arguing the toxic substance led teachers and students to become \"sick, dizzy and nauseated,\" producing \"a lasting and severe irritation and a lasting and noxious taste and smell.\" | \"A Delta Airlines pilot flying at a relatively low altitude an…

RT (2020-01-18). India issues travel advisory out of \'abundant caution\' as new coronavirus takes hold in China. rt.com Indians traveling to and from China have been warned of a dangerous new virus on the move in the country, with officials boosting security and health screenings at Indian airports in an effort to catch new cases of the illness. | The emergent coronavirus — related to the lethal SARS pathogen — has struck scores of people across China, hitting the city of Wuhan the hardest, with up to 40 confirmed cases, prompting the Indian Ministry of Health to issue a travel advisory on Friday. | While the World Health Organization has…

RT (2020-01-18). Born with a badge? Officers midwife in PATROL CAR after woman goes into labor while stuck in Moscow traffic. rt.com Moscow traffic patrol officers tried their hand at a new job, literally — helping a pregnant woman deliver a baby boy after her taxi got stuck in traffic. The newborn got his own uniform right away, bundled up in a police jacket.

RT (2020-01-18). Alligator in the sky: Russian combat helicopter performs insane stunts (VIDEO). rt.com A Ka-52 \'Alligator\' attack helicopter was filmed twirling around, gaining altitude tail-up, while flying just several meters above the ground during an aerobatics training course in Russia. | The video, published by the Zvezda TV channel on Saturday, shows the chopper performing stunts above the snowy airstrip outside the city of Khabarovsk, in Russia\'s Far East. | Flying on low altitude, the gunship practices spinning around while keeping its weapon systems locked onto a target. The helicopter also executes an almost 90-degree rapid ascent, and climbs tail-first into the air, which is something only the Ka-52…

RT (2020-01-18). WATCH Passenger plane engine turn into a FIREBALL on runway before takeoff. rt.com An engine on a Vietnam-bound Russian Airbus A320neo suddenly caught fire just as the pilots attempted to get the passenger airliner off the runway. | The S7 Airlines jet was about to take off from an airport in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk and head for Cam Ranh in Vietnam. The pilots tried to start the engines multiple times, until one of them burst into flames. | Videos, filmed from inside and outside the plane, show a bright ball of fire below the airliner\'s wing. | –ù–æ–≤–æ—Å–∏–±–∏—Ä—Å&nda…

RT (2020-01-18). 'Tired of politicized pastors': Maduro alerts Pope that Venezuelans are DITCHING Catholicism. rt.com Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that his countrymen are fleeing the Catholic Church en masse because they have grown tired of \"politicized\" bishops. | \"I want to tell you, dear Pope Francis, we now have the data that Venezuelans have been leaving Catholicism,\" Maduro stated in a speech, broadcast live on state TV on Friday. | \"Nearly 40 percent are declaring themselves Evangelicals. That number used to be 3 percent.\" | Maduro stressed that people are getting \"tired\" of bishops who \"use pulpits to express their political obsessions.\" Some clergymen \"act like militants, not like pastors,\" he added. | Th…

RT (2020-01-18). Xenobots are here: Tiny bio-robots inside your veins may heal you & will definitely be weaponized by West to take out \'bad guys\'. rt.com Xenobots — tiny, biological robots swarms designed by a computer — are upon us. What does the birth of these strange not-quite-alive creatures mean for robotics — and for us? | Real robots are not two-legged steel boxes with a metallic voice: | Mankind has been imagining advanced robot technology for a long time — pop culture is full of Terminators, Cylons, and Droids. But in fact, these humanoid designs show a distinct lack of imagination. Why have we always assumed that robots would be designed to have the same basic form as us: slightly ungainly primates trotting about on two…

RT (2020-01-18). Return their fabled attacking flair, cure away-day woes — Quique Setien\'s five major challenges as new Barcelona boss. rt.com While Quique Setien describes the Barcelona job as a dream, the new manager at Camp Nou walks into a tight title race, a testing Champions League campaign and a squad facing fresh questions and transition. Here are five key tests. | Arrest the away slumps: | Barca\'s run on the road has been, at best, inconsistent and, relative to their home record, wretched. | The warning signs sounded in a 2-0 defeat at Celta Vigo the Saturday before that incredible 4-0 defeat at Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals in May — results that were only the start of an eight-game winless away run during which…

Staff (2020-01-18). Hunger Striker Nearing Death in ICE Custody: \"I Just Want Freedom\" truthout.org Doctors and advocates for incarcerated immigrants are demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) release five South Asian asylum seekers on hunger strike at a remote ICE jail in Louisiana, where at least three strikers are being force-hydrated and at least two are being force-fed after refusing to eat and drink for over 75 days. | When a hunger striker\'s health fails, ICE may obtain a court order to restrain the striker and force fluids and nutrients into their body with tubes, a process hum…

teleSUR (2020-01-18). Mexico Halts Migrant Caravan by Closing Border With Guatemala. telesurenglish.net In response to the arrival of the caravan of Central American migrants, Mexico temporarily closed its border crossings near the Guatemalan cities of El Ceibo and Tecun Uman on Saturday morning. | RELATED: | Mexico\'s President Offers 4,000 Jobs in Attempt to Stop Caravan | Previously, around 4,000 Hondurans had arrived in the country and were waiting on a bridge at Tecun Uman. Some of them began pushing and shoving before being driven back by Mexican security officials, who shut…

Brasil de Fato (2020-01-18). Dilma Rousseff: \"Torture is about pain and death. They want you to lose your dignity\" peoplesdispatch.org Fifty years ago today, on Jan. 16, 1970, the 22-year-old militant Dilma Rousseff was arrested by agents of the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1964 and 1985, a period when the country faced a crack down on civil liberties and freedom of speech. The regime persecuted political activists and anyone whose behavior was deemed to deviate from the norm. | \"Torture is an extremely complex thing. I think that everyone who went through prison will always bear that mark. I don\'t like to watch movies where there is torture, for example. It\'s not that I don\'t like them. I just don\'t watch them. I don\'t want to w…

JON (2020-01-18). 'Pete Takes Money From Fossil Fuel Billionaires': Climate Activists Disrupt Buttigieg Rally in New Hampshire. commondreams.org 'Pete Takes Money From Fossil Fuel Billionaires': Climate Activists Disrupt Buttigieg Rally in New Hampshire | jon | Sat, 01/18/2020 – 01: 10…

San Jose Peace & Justice Center (2020-01-18). Secular Traditions in Indian Music and Poetry. indybay.org San Jose Peace and Justice Center | 48 South 7th Street | San Jose, CA 95112 | Bus routes: 22, 522, 23, 523, 55, 64, 66, 68, 72, 73, 168, 181, 500, Hwy 17 Express, MST 55, LRT…

Sid Shniad (2020-01-18). Canada must not suppress free speech on Israel. zcomm.org We are opposed to all forms of racism. We advocate for justice and peace for both Israelis and Palestinians…

Phyllis Bennis (2020-01-18). Support for Combat Troop Withdrawal Is Not Enough. zcomm.org I thought that was an important advance, that there\'s a recognition of where the entire base of half this country is, which is strongly against wars…

South Front (2020-01-18). Video: Turkish Invasion of Libya? Erdogan Sends Troops. globalresearch.ca In early 2020, Libya became one of the main hot points in the Greater Middle East with stakes raised by Turkey\'s decision to launch a military operation there. | On January 5, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey had sent …

Stephen Lendman (2020-01-18). Nuclear Weapons: Trump Regime Pressured E3 Countries (UK, France, Germany) to Trigger JCPOA Dispute Mechanism. globalresearch.ca Post-WW II, Washington transformed Western European countries into virtual US colonies — their presence status. | Judge them by their actions. Time and again, they subordinate their sovereign rights to US interests, even when harming their own. | It shows by imposing …

sputniknews (2020-01-18). How UK, France & Germany Try to Save Face While Iran Nuclear Deal is Falling Apart. sputniknews.com Bending under the pressure from the Trump administration, major EU states have taken yet another step away from the Iran nuclear deal, say academics, suggesting that it\'s unlikely that Tehran will engage in new nuclear negotiations with the same actors.

sputniknews (2020-01-18). Into the Fire: Boris Johnson\'s Call For New \'Iran Deal\' Show UK Deep in \'Washington\'s Camp\' – Prof. sputniknews.com The British prime minister\'s call for a new deal on Iran underscores numerous factors tying London\'s foreign policy to Washington\'s, threatening the UK\'s independence following the 2016 referendum and placing it at the mercy of a new foreign power further abroad.

Wim Laven (2020-01-18). Message to Trump supporters: I am sorry. zcomm.org Great things can happen when we are united, right now 80 million Iranian citizens and all Americans need us to be united in calling off the dogs of war…

sputniknews (2020-01-18). Is BDSM the New Trend? German Brand Unveils New Kinky Collection at Berlin Fashion Week. sputniknews.com Last year, some celebrities, including star Kim Kardashian, caused shockwaves with BDSM-inspired attire. In 2020, the trend appears to be gaining momentum.

sputniknews (2020-01-18). Is Impeachment Being Used for Political Advantage? sputniknews.com On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan discuss the impeachment trial against President Trump. Senator Ted Cruz said, \"if the prosecution brings… John Bolton… bring Hunter Biden.\"

Youth Vs Apocalypse (2020-01-18). ReclaimMLK: Youth Climate Strike & Resiliency Village. indybay.org Oscar Grant/ Frank Ogawa Plaza | Oakland, CA 94612…

sputniknews (2020-01-18). India\'s National Investigation Agency Takes Over Probe of Suspended Kashmir Cop\'s Terror Links. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh was intercepted while travelling on the national highway to Jammu with two suspected militants linked to the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terror group and a lawyer last week. Singh has been arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act.

Anti Police-Terror Project (2020-01-18). 6th Annual Rally & March: Reclaim MLK\'s Radical Legacy! (Oakland). indybay.org Oscar Grant Plaza, 1 Frank H Ogawa Plz, Oakland, California 94612 (outside Oakland City Hall)…

Staff (2020-01-18). With Passage of NAFTA 2.0, Congress Boosts Fossil Fuel Polluters in Mexico. truthout.org NAFTA 2.0 cleared another hurdle on January 16 as the U.S. Senate approved the trade deal with bipartisan support. | Officially called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the pact has some improvements but remains a handout to large corporations. | This is particularly evident in the USMCA rules related to investor rights. One of the most controversial aspects of the original NAFTA was that it allowed private corporations to sue governments in international tribunals, demanding co…

Staff (2020-01-18). Biden Prioritizes Israel While Overlooking Daily Anti-Semitism in US. truthout.org When, on January 2, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden responded to a questionnaire from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) about anti-Semitism, Zionism, and his relationship to Jews and Jewish culture in the U.S., there was a noticeable absence in his response: practically any mention of American Jews. | The interview, entitled \"Joe Biden: My plan to fight anti-Semitism,\" included three concrete s…

Staff (2020-01-18). Bernie Sanders Denounces Trump\'s Effort to Divide Democrats. truthout.org After President Donald Trump earlier in the day accused Democrats in Congress of \"rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders,\" the 2020 presidential candidate shot back Friday evening to say the president\'s effort to divide Democrats would be unsuccessful. | \"Let\'s be clear about who is rigging what,\" Sanders said in a statement. \"It is Donald Trump\'s action to use the power of the federal government for his own political benefit that is the cause of the impeachment trial. His transparent attempts to di…

Staff (2020-01-18). Texas Republicans Are Manufacturing a Crisis in Houston\'s Public School System. truthout.org If the state of Texas had its way, the state would be in the process of taking over the Houston Independent School District. | But a judge temporarily blocked the takeover on Jan. 8, with the issue now set to be decided at a trial in June. | The ruling temporarily spares Houston\'s pub…

sputniknews (2020-01-18). Aircraft Engine Catches Fire Before Takeoff at Airport in Western Siberia – Video. sputniknews.com A regional transport watchdog is investigating the incident to determine whether the flight complied with safety and consumer rights requirements.

sputniknews (2020-01-18). Russia Urges UN, OSCE to Assess New Ukrainian-Language Education Law. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia has called on human rights institutions at the UN, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe to evaluate a law passed by the Ukrainian parliament limiting the extent to which children can be educated in the languages of Ukraine\'s national minorities, Russia\'s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

sputniknews (2020-01-18). Historic Rainfall, Flooding Hits Fire-Ravaged Areas of Australia\'s East Coast – Reports. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Kimba Wong, a forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, told Australian broadcaster ABC the thunderstorms that triggered the heavy rainfall were a \"one-in-100-year event\".

teleSUR (2020-01-18). Bolivia Anti-Imperialist Army School Renamed to Che\'s Assassins. telesurenglish.net The anti-imperialist school that Evo Morales created in the Armed Forces of Bolivia in 2016 has been renamed Friday to Heroes of àëancahuazu, after the Bolivian military unit that killed the revolutionary figure Ernesto \"Che\" Guevara in 1967. | RELATED: | Bolivian Senate Approves Extending Coup Government Mandate | \"Bolivians are not anti-anything,\" Bolivia\'s Interim Defense Minister Luis Fernando Lopez declared to media in La Paz, while explaining that the anti-imperialist or…

sputniknews (2020-01-18). Queen Is Unhappy about Harry and Meghan Spending $3 Million on Renovation of Their Home – Report. sputniknews.com In their bombshell statement announcing plans to quit the Royal Family, the couple said they would honour duties to the Queen, balancing their time between Britain and North America. Royal sources, however, told the Daily Mail they believe that the Duchess won\'t ever return to Britain for a lengthy period of time.

WSWS (2020-01-18). The Libya conference and the new scramble for Africa. wsws.org The meeting is reminiscent of the infamous Congo Conference, which was held in Berlin in 1884-85 and aimed at the complete colonization of Africa.

Mark Dudzic (2020-01-18). Take My Benefits — Please! Medicare System in Crisis. globalresearch.ca At the June 2019 House Ways and Means Committee Hearing on Medicare for All, Texas Republican Kevin Murphy lamented, \"That great health care plan that your union negotiated for you? It\'s gone. Banned under Medicare for All.\" | A right-wing congressman …

Kate Zeller (2020-01-18). IMF Chief Warns of Financial Disaster Driven by Inequality. indybay.org IMF Head Kristalina Georgieva warns of a return of the Great Depression driven by inequality and financial sector instability in a speech delivered at the Peterson Institute of International Economics.

WSWS (2020-01-18). Sigrid Nunez\'s National Book Award-winning novel, The Friend: One form of contemporary misanthropy. wsws.org A novel about a middle-aged writing instructor whose recently deceased friend and mentor has bequeathed her his enormous Great Dane.

RT (2020-01-18). UK\'s Prince Harry & Meghan to lose titles & funds, repay millions spent for renovation as they \'exit\' royal family duties. rt.com The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to lose their titles and public funding, as they opt for \"a more independent life,\" Buckingham Palace has said, adding they are no longer \"working members of the Royal Family.\" | An arrangement agreed by the couple and the Royal family says Harry and Meghan will no longer be able to formally represent the Queen and will lose their titles. They will no longer receive public funds associated with their former royal duties. | The couple also expressed their wish to refund public monies used to renovate Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their family home even after they part wa…

teleSUR (2020-01-18). France: Macron Evacuated From Parisian Theater Due to Protests. telesurenglish.net French citizens tried to enter the Des Bouffes du Nord Theater in Paris to protest against President Emmanuel Macron who was attending the performance of \"La Mouche\" on Friday evening. | RELATED: | Operation \'Dead Ports\' Makes Macron Feel the Workers\' Strength | While secret service and police agents managed to prevent Yellow Vest activists from entering th…

Jason Ditz (2020-01-18). Pentagon: No Attempt Made to Underplay Casualties in January 8 Iran Attack. theantimedia.com (ANTIWAR.COM) — Pentagon officials denied that they made any effort to downplay or delay the revelation of American military casualties in the January 8 Iranian missile strike on the Ayn al-Asad airbase in Iraq. President Trump reported on January 8 that there were no American casualties, and this was the official story for over a week. On Thursday, …

yenisafak (2020-01-18). Over 1,400 irregular migrants held off Turkey\'s coasts. yenisafak.com A total of 1,471 irregular migrants were held off Turkey\'s Aegean and Mediterranean coasts over the last one week, the Turkish Coast Guard said on Friday.\"A total of 1,471 irregular migrants and 1 migrant smuggler were captured by the Coast Guard Command in 41 incidents between 10-16 January 2020 within the scope of anti-irregular migration activities,\" the coast guard said on Twitter.As many as 12 dead bodies were also recovered during the same period, it added.Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011, when the Syrian civil war began.

yenisafak (2020-01-18). US, Pakistani top diplomats talk Afghan cooperation. yenisafak.com Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi discussed on Friday a series of issues, including the importance of bilateral cooperation in bringing a long-elusive peace to Afghanistan.The leaders also addressed Iran, and increased economic relations, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a brief statement following their meeting.Pompeo\'s meeting with Qureshi comes amid reports that the Afghan Taliban have presented the U.S. with a proposal that would reduce hostilities for a number of days to allow peace talks to resume.Pakistani and Taliban negotiators are also…

yenisafak (2020-01-18). UK says Berlin Conference important for Libya ceasefire. yenisafak.com The Berlin Conference on Sunday is \"an important step towards securing a ceasefire\" in Libya, Britain\'s foreign secretary said on Friday.In a Twitter post, Dominic Raab wrote his country is committed to uniting all sides behind peace efforts initiated by the UN.\"Sunday\'s Berlin Conference is an important step towards securing a ceasefire and political solution to conflict in Libya,\" Raab said.\"Spoken to Libyan PM Serraj to stress UK commitment to uniting international community behind UN\'s efforts to find lasting peace,\" he added.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will attend the conference alongside the leader…

yenisafak (2020-01-18). Berlin talks to seek political solution to Libya crisis. yenisafak.com Germany is set to host a major peace conference on Libya that will seek a stronger commitment from regional actors for a cease-fire in the war-torn country to pave the way for a political solution.Chancellor Angela Merkel invited leaders from Turkey, Russia, the U.S., China, France, the U.K. and other regional actors to a single-day conference in Berlin on Sunday, amid a fragile cease-fire between Libya\'s internationally recognized government and forces loyal to Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar.The German government cautioned against high expectations ahead of the conference and underlined that a single meeting coul…

Al Neal (2020-01-17). A Trump impeachment trial primer—How it will proceed (or not). peoplesworld.org The seven prosecutors—Democratic House members who will serve as impeachment managers—have been selected, and all of them are experienced litigators to one degree or another. U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has taken the oath as trial adjudicator, and all 100 U.S. Senators have been sworn in as jurors for the impeachment trial of …

Eds. (2020-01-17). In Commune: Altos de Lídice. mronline.org This video was made recently about the Altos de Lidice Commune in Caracas. We were there. | Source

Karin Leukefeld (2020-01-17). Sanctions harm reconstruction in Syria\'s Homs province. workers.org Published in Junge Welt, Dec. 16. Translation by John Catalinotto. According to Gov. Talal Barasi, about half a million people fled from Homs province, the largest in Syria, during the war. Some 2.3 million people had lived in Homs before the war, Barasi explained in an interview with Junge Welt. . . . | Continue reading Sanctions harm reconstruction in Syria\'s Homs province at Workers.org

RT (2020-01-17). Migrant entries from Turkey to Europe on the rise, Frontex chief says. rt.com The number of migrants entering Europe from Turkey rose significantly last year as people fleeing Syria and Afghanistan flooded into the country and then set out for Greece, the head of the EU\'s border agency said on Friday. | More than 82,000 migrants tried to enter Europe without authorization in 2019, an increase of 46 percent over the previous year, Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri said in Brussels. | \"This was mainly due to the situation in Syria, but also instability in Afghanistan, and changing policies towards Afghan nationals by Iranian and Pakistani authorities,\" Leggeri said. He refused to…

RT (2020-01-17). UN envoy for Syria Pedersen to visit Russia next week. rt.com UN Secretary-General\'s special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen will visit Russia next week, acting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday. | Pedersen also plans to visit Damascus, Lavrov said. \"I expect that these talks and his upcoming trips and contacts with the Syrian leadership will help us determine the further schedule of the [Syrian] Constitutional Committee,\" TASS quoted him as saying. | The minister also said that Syria should return to the Arab League after its exclusion in 2011. \"Syria needs to return to the Arab family,\" he added.

Victor Grossman (2020-01-17). The bombs of the last war and preparations for the next rattle Germany. peoplesworld.org BERLIN—\"ALARM! Twelve thousand residents must immediately leave their homes! All hospital clinics must be evacuated! No exceptions! Hasten!\" Not in burning Australia nor a besieged town in Syria or Afghanistan were those words heard, but rather on Jan. 12, 2020 in the otherwise peaceful if no longer prosperous Dortmund, in Germany\'s Ruhr Valley. Once again, unexploded …

Robert Hunziker (2020-01-17). The Rumbling Methane Enigma. counterpunch.org The northern continental shelves of Russia, inclusive of the Barents Sea, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea and East Siberian Sea (ESAS) are some of the least researched yet most controversial subjects in climate science today. It\'s the one region that has the biggest potential to trigger runaway global warming because of sizeable subsea methane deposits, thereby More

Alan Macleod (2020-01-17). While Some Battle to Save Australia\'s Ecosystems, Others Blame Gov\'t for Climate Change Denial. mintpressnews.com \"This fire season has been a devastating wake-up call for many Australians. People who may have thought climate change was a vague, distant threat are now breathing bushfire smoke and reeling from the lives lost.\"

Eds. (2020-01-17). The climate-migration-industrial complex. mronline.org Thirty years ago there were fifteen border walls around the world. Now there are seventy walls and over one billion national and international migrants. International migrants alone may even double in the next forty years due to global warming. | Source

RT (2020-01-17). Eighty-six Pakistani Islamists handed decades in prison for role in violent rallies over Christian woman\'s blasphemy acquittal. rt.com A Pakistani court has sentenced 86 members of a radical Islamist group to 55-year prison terms each for instigating violent protests against the acquittal of a Christian woman who had been accused of insulting Islam. | The decision was announced on Thursday by the court in Rawalpindi, a city near Islamabad. A leader of the radical Tehreek-e-Labbaik party, whose members were among the defendants, said that they would appeal the ruling. | The 86 were accused of damaging public property, assault and disrupting public order, as part of their unruly protest against the acquittal of Asia Bibi. The Christian woman wa…

RT (2020-01-17). \'We don\'t have political problems with India\': Iran\'s Zarif urges Delhi to defy US sanctions & resume buying Iranian oil. rt.com Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called on India to shirk Washington\'s \"maximum pressure\" sanctions campaign and continue sourcing its energy from the Islamic Republic, arguing it\'s in the country\'s best interest. | While on a four-day visit to India, Zarif insisted Iran could best meet New Delhi\'s oil needs, assuring that his country would keep politics out of its business dealings and remain a reliable partner. | \"For India\'s economic growth you need more and more energy and energy security, which has been an area of concern,\" Zarif said at a meeting of the Federation of Indian Export Organi…

Staff (2020-01-17). Interpretation Crisis at the Border Leads to Deportation of Mayan-Language Speakers Seeking Refuge. democracynow.org As the U.S. continues to use hostile policies to stop people from seeking refuge and asylum in the United States, we look at a key problem that is preventing migrants from getting due process, and in many cases getting them deported: inadequate interpretation for indigenous asylum seekers who speak Mayan languages. Guatemala has a population of 15 million people, and at least 40% of them are indigenous. In the past year, a quarter of a million Guatemalan migrants have been apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border. At least half of them are Mayan. Many speak little or no Spanish. This is the focus of a new report in…

(2020-01-17). San Francisco Labor Council opposes the coup in Bolivia. workers.org The following resolution was passed by unanimous vote of the San Francisco Labor Council on Jan. 13. Whereas Evo Morales, running for his fourth term of office as President of Bolivia, had the highest vote count in the unofficial and official vote results, leading by over 10% his nearest rival . . . | Continue reading San Francisco Labor Council opposes the coup in Bolivia at Workers.org

Whitney Webb (2020-01-17). How a Hidden Parliamentary Session Revealed Trump\'s True Motives in Iraq. mintpressnews.com The U.S. is adamant that its assassination of Qassem Soleimani and refusal to leave Iraq is about protecting Americans, but a little known Iraqi parliamentary session reveals how China increasingly strong ties to Baghdad may be shaping America\'s new Mideast strategy.

RT (2020-01-17). Putin to take part in Libya peace conference in Berlin — Kremlin. rt.com Russia\'s President Vladimir Putin will be participating in the conference on a peaceful settlement in Libya, to take place in Germany\'s capital, Berlin, on Sunday, the Kremlin has said. | The Berlin summit will become the continuation of the peace effort that started in Moscow earlier this month when the warring parties set behind the table for the first time. | The Sunday\'s conference will bring together the Government of National Accord (GNA) of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and the Libyan National Army (LNA), headed by general Khalifa Haftar, as well as representatives of Germany, Algeria, Great Britain, E…

RT (2020-01-17). Pompeo to join Libya conference in Berlin, Greece threatens to veto any solution after Tripoli-Ankara deal. rt.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will take part in this weekend\'s Libya peace conference in Germany and voice support for truce efforts, the State Department has said. | Pompeo will call for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from the war-ravaged nation, and a resumption of the UN-backed peace process, AFP quoted a US official as saying on Thursday. | On Thursday, Commander of eastern Libyan forces Khalifa Haftar paid a surprise visit to Athens, which is angered that it was not invited to Berlin and is engaged in a dispute with Turkey over energy claims involving Libya. | PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis vowed on Thu…

(2020-01-17). San Francisco Labor Council Resolution: \"Support the rising anti-war and pro-peace movement\" workers.org The following resolution was adopted Jan. 13 by unanimous vote of the San Francisco Labor Council. Whereas, President Trump has placed the whole world on alert and brought the United States closer to war due to the irresponsible assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani; and Whereas, President Trump has threatened . . . | Continue reading San Francisco Labor Council Resolution: \"Support the rising anti-war and pro-peace movement\" at Workers.org

RT (2020-01-17). It's a step forward that ceasefire in Libya is holding, even though rival leaders \'not ready\' for direct talks — Russian FM. rt.com The warring sides in Libya are sticking to their truce, though their leaders haven\'t yet begun direct talks, Sergey Lavrov confirmed. It\'s crucial, he added, that they don\'t set additional demands after a peace summit in Berlin. | The ceasefire between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) \"is nevertheless respected,\" Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow, describing it as \"a definite step forward.\" | General Khalifa Haftar, who leads the LNA, and Fayez al-Sarraj, the GNA prime minister, failed to reach an agreement at recent talk…

RT (2020-01-17). Greek offer to send peacekeeping troops to Libya could spark \'indirect\' conflict between Ankara and Athens. rt.com Greece\'s proposal to send forces to observe a fragile truce in Libya could lead to an indirect conflict between Ankara and Athens, analysts told RT, warning that the NATO allies could soon lock horns over the issue. | Nikos Dendias, the Greek foreign minister, announced that his government was willing to deploy forces to the war-torn North African nation in order to monitor the ceasefire between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA). The offer was put forward after Dendias met with LNA leader General Khalifa Haftar, who has been fighting forces loyal to Tripol…

Frank Joyce (2020-01-17). Will the Constitution Fail Again? counterpunch.org Extreme worship of the Constitution is a feature of U.S. life. It\'s been that way for a long time. Even so, the zeal with which it has been deployed throughout the current impeachment process is a wonder to behold. More

RT (2020-01-17). \'Rigging election again\': Trump says impeachment all a ploy to… shaft Bernie Sanders. rt.com The impeachment trial against Donald Trump is not just a \"witch hunt,\" but a ploy to \"rig\" the Democratic nomination against Bernie Sanders and in favor of Joe Biden, the US president has claimed. | \"They are rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders, just like last time, only even more obviously,\" Trump tweeted on Friday. | They are rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders, just like last time, only even more obviously. They are bringing him out of so important Iowa in order that, as a Senator, he sit through the Impeachment Hoax Trial. Crazy Nancy thereby gives the strong edge to Sleepy…[m…

PAI (2020-01-17). Senate approves \'New NAFTA\' legislation; Sanders and Machinists union still opposed. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON (PAI)—By an overwhelming, bipartisan vote, the GOP-run Senate pushed the \"New NAFTA\" over the line when it passed legislation, HR5430, on Jan. 16 to allow the \"free trade\" pact to take effect. Trump will sign it. The vote that morning preceded the official start of Trump\'s impeachment trial in the Upper Chamber, as Chief …

Staff (2020-01-17). \"They Must Conduct a Full and Fair Trial\": Senators Sworn In for Historic Trump Impeachment Trial. democracynow.org For just the third time in history, the U.S. Senate has opened a trial to determine if a sitting president should be removed from office. The Senate trial comes a month after the House impeached President Trump for pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rival Joe Biden. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who will preside over the impeachment trial in the Senate, later swore in senators who will serve as jurors when the trial officially begins on Tuesday. This comes as more information is coming to light about the actions of President Trump and his associates. On Thursday, the nonpartisan Governmen…

RT (2020-01-17). Manned Mars mission isn't science fiction & could have 'reconciliatory' effect on the world — Russian cosmonaut Ryazansky. rt.com Sending humans to Mars isn\'t as far-fetched as it might sound, Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryazansky told RT, noting that a joint mission to the Red Planet would serve as a unifying triumph for people of all nations. | In an interview with SophieCo, the Russian cosmonaut and biochemist explained that manned space travel to Mars probably wouldn\'t be any more dangerous, from a health perspective, than current space missions. He pointed out that \"the total amount of radiation an astronaut gets these days exceeds what a Mars mission crew would get,\" while stressing that more research on the matter was needed. | Ryaza…

RT (2020-01-17). 'Remember the past & honor the dead': Former president Walesa slams Poland's failure to commemorate Warsaw's WWII liberation. rt.com While the anniversary of Warsaw\'s liberation is largely overlooked in modern-day Poland, it\'s worth paying respect to the sacrifice of the Red Army, former president and democracy hero Lech Walesa acknowledged on RT. | It\'s been exactly 75 years since the Soviet Union\'s 1st Byelorussian Front and the allied Polish 1st Army defeated the last remaining pocket of Nazi resistance, ending the five-year occupation of Warsaw. But the milestone event, in which 22,000 Soviet and 3,100 Polish soldiers lost their lives, is no longer an occasion for Poland to celebrate, it seems. | While local press maintained a deafening…

Ted Rall (2020-01-17). America\'s Long History of Meddling in Russia. counterpunch.org Russia — OK, not the actual Russian government but a private click-farm company located in Russia — bought $100,000 worth of political ads on Facebook designed to change the outcome of the 2016 election. Except that only a small fraction of those ads were political. Also except that that small fraction was divvied up between More

RT (2020-01-17). \'We wanted to be Red Army soldiers\': Polish veterans recall childhood memories of Warsaw\'s liberation. rt.com It is often said that truth is the first casualty of war — and, indeed, when the bombs have stopped falling, the blood has been shed and the troops have stood down, another kind of war begins: A war of memories.

RT (2020-01-17). DOJ investigating Comey over role in classified leaks during Clinton email drama — report. rt.com The US Department of Justice has opened a probe into whether former FBI Director James Comey leaked details about classified intelligence to reporters covering the Hillary Clinton email server scandal. | Led by federal prosecutors, the inquiry is focused on two 2017 news stories for which Comey is suspected to have been a source, divulging the contents of a classified intelligence document, according to a Thursday New York Times report. | The pair of stories, published in the Times and the Washington Post in 2017, cited an alleged Russian intelligence document obtained by Dutch security services, which earlier…

RT (2020-01-17). Ruble strong, stocks surge after Russian government reshuffle. rt.com The appointment of a new prime minister has boosted the Russian stock market to new record highs on Friday, with the national currency holding on to gains reached over the past 18 months. | The ruble continued gaining against major currencies on Friday, after accelerating growth on the news of the appointment of Mikhail Mishustin as Russia\'s new prime minister earlier in the week. | It was up 0.2 percent against the US dollar at 61.39 rubles, while gaining slightly on the euro at 68.29 rubles.The stock market posted solid gains at the beginning of the trading session. The dollar-denominated RTS index added mor…

RT (2020-01-17). 'Nobody in Poland cares about WWII anymore': Warsaw ignores 75th anniversary of its liberation from fascism. rt.com The Polish people aren\'t interested in the events of the past, being fully consumed by their daily hassles, and the country\'s authorities are using this to their advantage, freely rewriting WWII history, academics told RT. | Warsaw was taken from the Nazis on January 17, 1945, after a large-scale offensive by the Red Army and the Polish forces. The 75th anniversary of the historic victory is marked on Friday, but the capital of Poland isn\'t preparing for any celebrations. | The fact that the USSR liberated Warsaw from the Nazis is \"diminished\" in schoolbooks and ignored by Polish media \"because we live in coun…

RT (2020-01-17). 737 MAX crisis could cost Boeing $20 billion, Wall Street analyst says. rt.com The US aerospace giant Boeing\'s costs are likely to rise substantially, analysts say, as airlines continue to push back MAX 737\'s from their schedules. The company\'s best-selling planes have now been grounded for 11 months. | The worldwide grounding saw airlines lose more than $1 billion in revenue, and Boeing more than $7 billion. The company, which took a $5.6 billion pretax charge in July to compensate airlines and other customers for the grounding, is to report full-year and fourth-quarter earnings on January 29. Some Wall Street analysts expect it to take additional charges related to the troubled airplan…

John Catalinotto (2020-01-17). In Venezuela, reactionary Guaidó humiliated by assembly defeat. workers.org The self-appointed \"interim president\" of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, received a humiliating setback in that country\'s National Assembly vote on Jan. 5. He was deposed as leader of the parliamentary body. Throughout 2019, Guaidó served as the designated puppet of U.S. imperialism in Venezuela. He made five attempts with a reactionary, . . . | Continue reading In Venezuela, reactionary Guaidó humiliated by assembly defeat at Workers.org

Pete Dolack (2020-01-17). Claims that the \'NAFTA 2\' Agreement is Better are a Macabre Joke. counterpunch.org Democratic Party House representatives have voted by a wide margin to approve version 2 of the North American Free Trade Agreement, known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Even Rose DeLauro of Connecticut, in the past a strong leader within Congress in the fight against so-called \"free trade\" agreements, is on board with this one. Representative More

Vijay Prashad (2020-01-17). Not an Inch: Indian Students Stand Against the Far Right. counterpunch.org With her head bandaged and her arm in a sling, university student Aishe Ghosh went before the cameras to say that the students of the university she attends in New Delhi would move \"not an inch back.\" The students would continue to agitate to defend Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and its union, and to fight More

Ramzy Baroud (2020-01-17). Sealed Off and Forgotten: What You Should Know about Israel\'s \'Firing Zones\' in the West Bank. counterpunch.org A seemingly ordinary news story, published in the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, on January 7, shed light on a long-forgotten, yet crucial, subject: Israel\'s so-called \"firing zones\" in the West Bank. \"Israel has impounded the only vehicle available to a medical team that provides assistance to 1,500 Palestinians living inside an Israeli military firing zone in More

Norman Solomon (2020-01-17). Not Bernie, Us. Not Warren, Us. Their Clash Underscores the Need for Grassroots Wisdom. counterpunch.org The dismal conflict that erupted this week between Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren should never have happened. But now that it has, supporters must provide grassroots leadership to mitigate the dangerous mess. The argument that broke out between Warren and Sanders last weekend and escalated in recent days is already history that threatens to foreshadow More

RT (2020-01-17). US military says 11 troops injured & flown out of Iraq for medical checks after Iranian strike on base. rt.com US Central Command has revealed that 11 personnel stationed at an Iraqi airbase which incurred a retaliatory attack by Tehran earlier in January had to be sent out of the country after displaying concussion symptoms. | \"While no US service members were killed in the January 8 Iranian attack on Al Asad airbase, several were treated for concussion symptoms from the blast and are still being assessed,\" Navy Captain Bill Urban said in a statement on Thursday. | Upon initial examination, eight troops were flown out of the war-ravaged country to a medical facility in Germany for further checks, while three others we…

Vijay Prashad (2020-01-17). Your arrow can pierce the sky, but ours has gone into orbit. mronline.org On Wednesday, 15 January, China and the United States agreed to suspend their full-scale trade war. From February 2018, the United States placed tariffs on Chinese goods that entered the US market, and then China retaliated. This tit-for-tat game continued for almost two years, causing massive disruption in the global value chain. | Source

RT (2020-01-17). Mixed signals? Beijing says it closely monitored US warship sent to Taiwan Strait after US & China inked trade deal. rt.com China has claimed that it kept a close eye on a US Navy vessel that sailed through the Taiwan Strait. The naval maneuver occurred shortly after Beijing and Washington agreed to \'phase one\' of a trade deal. | The Chinese military closely followed and monitored the USS Shiloh, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, during its transit, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday. He called on the United States to honor Beijing\'s \'one China\' principle and approach Taiwan-related matters in a way that does not harm US-China bilateral relations. | The US Navy described the warship\'s passage as \"routin…

John V. Walsh (2020-01-17). China, Number One Economic Power for Half Decade, Dashes on. dissidentvoice.org The recent China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai attracted little attention in the Western press but it is one more reminder that China is an economic and trading powerhouse that has surpassed the US. That is right, the word is \"surpassed.\" The CIIE also serves to remind us that China\'s economic power now stands on four …

RT (2020-01-17). UK\'s Treasury designates entire Hezbollah organization as terrorist group. rt.com Britain\'s Treasury has designated the entire Hezbollah organization as a terrorist group under its Terrorism and Terrorist Financing rules, and its assets will be frozen, Reuters reports. | Previously it was only Hezbollah\'s military wing which was subject to asset-freezing under UK government rules. | The German parliament on December 19 approved a motion urging Chancellor Angela Merkel\'s government to ban all activities by the Hezbollah group on German soil. | The parliamentarians then said Germany should ditch its current policy of distinguishing between Hezbollah\'s political arm and military units.

RT (2020-01-17). Police launch manhunt after India's infamous 'Doctor Bomb' disappears day before his parole ends. rt.com A convicted terrorist known in India as \"Doctor Bomb\" has vanished, after being temporarily released on parole. Jalees Ansari was serving a life sentence for his alleged role in bomb attacks across India. | The 68-year-old was reported missing by his family shortly before his 21-day parole was scheduled to end. Ansari had been ordered to report to Mumbai police every day, but failed to turn up on Thursday. His son later came to the police and explained that his father had woken up early and left their home — and hasn\'t been seen since. | The Mahrashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), a branch of the Mumbai po…

RT (2020-01-17). \'Biased & agenda-driven\': PM Modi\'s party takes aim at Bezos-owned WaPo as Indian shopkeepers rise up against Amazon. rt.com The Washington Post has taken heat from India\'s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, whose official lamented its coverage as local traders voiced outrage over perceived aggression by another Bezos venture, Amazon. | There\'s \"a lot of problems\" in how the newspaper is reporting from India, Vijay Chauthaiwale, chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party\'s (BJP) foreign affairs department, told Reuters. | \"The Washington Post\'s editorial policy is highl…

Sonali Kolhatkar (2020-01-17). Three Reasons Trump Ordered Soleimani\'s Killing. truthdig.com The president may not want war with Iran, but he does want to push the regime into submission and tout U.S. military dominance to his base.

RT (2020-01-17). Digital dollar? RT\'s Boom Bust explores \'Crypto Dad\'s\' push to digitize the greenback. rt.com Former US financial regulator J. Christopher Giancarlo, also known as \'Crypto Dad\' for his support of cryptocurrencies, has announced the launch of a think tank to push the idea of digitizing the US dollar. | Boom Bust talks to international regulatory attorney Myles Edwards about the possibility of converting the greenback into a fully electronic currency using blockchain technology. | \"There are tremendous hurdles,\" he says, explaining that \"60 percent of the world\'s transactions happen based on the US dollar, so 21 million outstanding bitcoins cannot in any way replace paper currency or US currency itself.\"

Staff (2020-01-17). Bernie Sanders Leads in New Post-Debate National Poll. truthdig.com Amid a series of endorsements in key primary states, the Vermont senator pulls ahead of Joe Biden for the first time this election cycle.

RT (2020-01-17). Polish Senate rejects govt\'s judicial reform bill allowing politicians to fire judges. rt.com The opposition-dominated Senate in Poland on Friday rejected a new law that would allow judges who criticize the government\'s judicial reforms to be disciplined. Warsaw and the EU are at loggerheads over the reforms, and the opposition is trying to use its control of the Senate to highlight the dispute, Reuters said. | The 100-member Senate voted by 51 to 48 to reject the law. The lower house, controlled by the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS), still has the power to make the bill law, assuming that President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the PiS, signs it. | The PiS says the bill, which has been passed by the lo…

Jessicah Pierre (2020-01-17). MLK\'s final campaign lives on: The war against racism and poverty. peoplesworld.org As we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., it\'s natural to remember his courageous advocacy for racial equity. But before he was assassinated, King had also begun to broaden his efforts to unify the movement around economic justice. That\'s worth remembering today. In December 1967, King, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and other …

Staff (2020-01-17). Trump Vastly Overestimates America\'s Readiness for War. truthdig.com A series of recent accidents suggests that the U.S. military is not as prepared for a conflict in the Middle East as the president insists.

Staff (2020-01-17). Joe Biden Can\'t Outrun His Record on Social Security. truthdig.com As a senator of Delaware, he repeatedly tried to freeze federal spending. Democrats would be suicidal to nominate him against Donald Trump.