Assange and Manning: The Slow Execution of the Voices of Freedom
Massoud Nayeri | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-03
Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning have exposed corrupt officials and criminal politicians | Assange and Manning are prisoners of conscience | How to free Assange and Manning? | Be the Voice of Assange and Manning in your community by any needs necessary. | ***…
globalresearch.ca/the-slow-execution-of-the-voices-of-freedom/5699292

More US Fuel on the Middle East Fire: Trump Orders New Troop Deployment to the Region
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-03
Trump began 2020 with a bang by authorizing more US combat troops to the Middle East. | It\'s already ablaze from endless US wars of aggression on nonbelligerent states threatening no one. | The new deployment is an ominous new year\'s beginning, …
globalresearch.ca/more-us-fuel-middle-east-fire-new-troop-deployment-region/5699325

Video: US Sanctions and the Caesar Act, Oil and Gas, Chemical Weapons, and the Syrian Response
Bouthaina Shaaban | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-03
The Caesar Act is one of the main topics discussed by the Media and Political Advisor in the Syrian Presidency Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban in a thorough must watch and learn from interview with Kamal Khalaf of Al-Mayadeen News channel. | Dr. …
globalresearch.ca/caesar-act-oil-gas-chemical-weapons-syrian-response/5699287

Turkish Lawmakers Authorize Sending Troops to Fight in Libya
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-03
The move to support current government in Tripoli is seen as a threat to regional security and is denounced by Greece, Israel and Cyprus.
truthdig.com/articles/turkish-lawmakers-authorize-sending-troops-to-fight-in-libya/

Pentagon says Trump \'directed\' assassination of Iran\'s Quds Force chief Soleimani to \'deter future Iranian attacks\'
rt.com | 2020-01-03
US President Donald Trump has authorized a US military strike near Baghdad\'s airport which resulted in the death of Iran\'s Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, the Pentagon confirmed in a statement on Thursday. | \"At the direction of the President, the US military has taken decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing Qasem Soleimani,\" the Pentagon said in a statement. | \"This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans. The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and interests wherever they are around the world.\" | The Pentagon said…
rt.com/news/477354-pentagon-confirms-soleimani-killing/

Old Money and New Questions in AMLO\'s Mexico
Asad Ismi | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-03
It\'s been nearly a year since the \"leftist firebrand\" Andrés Manuel López Obrrador (AMLO) took office as Mexican president, promising to end official corruption and state-linked violence, redistribute wealth to the poor and promote Indigenous rights. Shortly into his term, | …
globalresearch.ca/old-money-new-questions-amlo-mexico/5699296

Policing, Facial Recognition and Targeting Privacy
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-03
The chances for those seeking a world of solitude are rapidly run out. A good case can be made that this has already happened. Aldous Huxley\'s Savage, made famous in Brave New World, is out of options, having lost to …
globalresearch.ca/indian-adventures-policing-facial-recognition-targeting-privacy/5699171

Democrat Julián Castro Drops Out of 2020 Presidential Race
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-02
AUSTIN, Texas — Former Obama housing secretary Julián Castro, the only Latino in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race, on Thursday ended his campaign that had pushed the field on immigration and swung hard at rivals on the debate stage but never found a foothold to climb from the back of the pack. | \"I\'m so proud of the campaign we\'ve run together. We\'ve shaped the conversation on so many important issues in this race, stood up for the most vulnerable people and given a voice to those who are often forgotten,\" Castro said in an online video. \"But with only a month until the Iowa caucuses, and given…
truthdig.com/articles/democrat-julian-castro-drops-out-of-2020-presidential-race/

Austria Coalition Deal Includes Anti-Migrant Policies
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
A coalition deal between Austria\'s conservative People\'s Party (OVP) and the Greens will include banning headscarves and preventive custody for potentially \"dangerous\" migrants, several Austrian media reported Thursday. | RELATED: | Austrian Conservatives and Greens Reach Coalition Deal | The deal includes raising the age until which girls are banned from wearing…
telesurenglish.net/news/Austrian-Conservative-Green-Deal-Includes-Headscarf-Ban-Anti-Migrant-Policies-20200102-0013.html

US Border Militia Leader Pleads Guilty to Weapons Charge
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
United States leader of a far-right armed militia Larry Hopkins, 70, pleaded guilty Thursday to federal weapons charges, prosecutors and a defense lawyer informed. | RELATED: | FBI Arrests Leader of Militia Stopping Migrants in New Mexico | A U.S. Attorneys\' spokeswoman said that during a hearing in federal court in New Mexico, Hopkins had admitted to being in possession of nine firearms and ammunition for those weapons at the time of his arrest in April. | Hopkins, who has fou…
telesurenglish.net/news/US-Border-Militia-Leader-Pleads-Guilty-to-Weapons-Charge-Faces-10-Years-in-Jail-20200102-0015.html

Turkish Parliament Approves Bill to Deploy Military to Libya
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
The Turkish Parliament passed a bill on Thursday that approves the deployment of the country\'s armed forces to the North African nation of Libya in order to assist the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord troops in Tripoli. | RELATED: | Libya Militias Divert EU Funds for Migrants, Exploit Them: Report | According to the state-owned Anadolu Agency, the Turkish Parliament passed the bill with a 325 -184 vote in favor of deploying the armed forces to Libya. | Due to the…
telesurenglish.net/news/Turkish-Parliament-Approves-Bill-to-Deploy-Military-to-Libya-20200102-0005.html

African Migrants in Egypt Face Increasingly Violent Racism
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
Sub-Saharan African migrants who flee war, violence, and poverty in their homelands face huge racial harassment and discrimination in Egypt, an Associated Press investigation revealed Thursday. | RELATED: | Libya Militias Divert EU Funds for Migrants, Exploit Them: Report | In Egypt\'s capital Cairo, reporters have been visiting migrant communities, where at least two dozen sub-Saharan Africans, including four children, recounted the racist insults, sexual harassment, and othe…
telesurenglish.net/news/African-Migrants-in-Egypt-Face-Increasingly-Violent-Racism-20200102-0016.html

Death Toll Rises in India as Protests Against Modi\'s Citizenship Law Intensify
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-02
In India, the death toll amid the government\'s crackdown on widespread protests has risen to at least 27 people, and over 1,000 more have been arrested. The protests are against a controversial new citizenship law, which provides a path to Indian citizenship for undocumented immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan — unless they are Muslim. Opponents of the law say it\'s a step toward the official marginalization of India\'s 200 million Muslims. Paramilitary and police forces we…
truthout.org/video/death-toll-rises-in-india-as-protests-against-modis-citizenship-law-intensify/

Death Toll Rises in India as Protests Against Modi Government\'s Citizenship Law Intensify
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-02
In India, the death toll amid the government\'s crackdown on widespread protests has risen to at least 27 people, and over 1,000 more have been arrested. The protests are against a controversial new citizenship law, which provides a path to Indian citizenship for undocumented immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan — unless they are Muslim. Opponents of the law say it\'s a step toward the official marginalization of India\'s 200 million Muslims. Paramilitary and police forces were deployed in response to the demonstrations in Muslim-majority districts in Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi, and the intern…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/2/india_citizenship_law_protests_arrests_killings

Today\'s Concentration Camps Go by Many Names, But They\'re Still Open
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-02
\"The use of concentration camps changes the world, but going forward, the most predictable outcome of their use is a world with more camps.\" | Today we use a lot of euphemisms: re-education camps, internment, work camps, prison camps, camps for internally displaced people. But before world war one, these prisons were known simply as concentration camps and they started in Cuba in the 1890s to control an uprising against the Spanish colonizers. Since then, concentration camps have proliferated across the globe, and have become the…
truthout.org/audio/the-global-history-of-concentration-camps/

\"The Genocidal Regime Is Still in Power\": Assad Forces Push into Idlib, Last Rebel Stronghold
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-02
The United Nations says a quarter of a million people have fled the Russian-backed Syrian government offensive in the northwestern province of Idlib. Aid groups are now warning the offensive in Idlib could become the worst humanitarian crisis in the nine-year war in Syria. Nearly 200,000 Syrian civilians have fled toward the Turkish border as Syrian government ground troops advance into Idlib, the last major rebel-held territory, where about 3 million people live. Displaced civilians have sought refuge in several camps along the border, where they struggle with harsh winter conditions, flooding and mud due to hea…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/2/syria_idlib_offensive_russia_assad

Trump Regime Torture and Abuse of Chelsea Manning
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-02
In March 2019, Manning was imprisoned for invoking her constitutional right of silence. | She courageously refused to be part of the Trump regime\'s effort to frame and imprison Julian Assange longterm for the \"crime\" of truth-telling investigative journalism the way …
globalresearch.ca/trump-regime-torture-abuse-chelsea-manning/5699375

Sat. Jan. 4 National Day of Action U.S. Troops Out of Iraq!
Answer Coalition | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-02
On Saturday, January 4 the ANSWER Coalition, CODEPINK and others are calling on people from around the United States to organize local demonstrations to demand: NO MORE U.S. TROOPS TO IRAQ OR THE MIDDLE EAST! U.S. OUT OF IRAQ NOW! …
globalresearch.ca/sat-jan-4-national-day-action-u-s-troops-out-iraq/5699273

A New Year and a New Trump Foreign Policy Blunder in Iraq
Medea Benjamin | mintpressnews.com | 2020-01-02
Trump\'s effort to blame Iran for this crisis is simply a ploy to divert attention from his own bungled policy. In reality, the blame for the present crisis should be placed squarely on the doorstep of the White House itself.
mintpressnews.com/new-year-new-trump-foreign-policy-blunder-iraq/263821/

Top 20 The Grayzone stories of 2019: From Venezuela coup attempt to Russiagate delusions, information warfare to new cold war
The Grayzone | thegrayzone.com | 2020-01-02
2019 was a big year for The Grayzone. We traveled the world and broke many stories, exposing the empire\'s schemes…
thegrayzone.com/2020/01/01/top-20-the-grayzone-stories-of-2019/

OPCW leaks expose \'criminal\' Syria cover-up — and US media is silent
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-01-02
The US media continues to ignore one of 2019\'s top scandals: a cover-up inside the OPCW, the world\'s top chemical…
thegrayzone.com/2020/01/02/opcw-leaks-expose-criminal-syria-cover-up-and-us-media-is-silent/

Canada, Israel and the UN Security Council
Hanna Kawas | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-02
Canadian activists have compiled a study of Canada\'s 2019 voting record at the United Nations on resolutions [see list below] that document and censure Israeli violations of international law. | There was much fanfare made about Canada\'s orphan \"yes\" vote at …
globalresearch.ca/canada-israel-un-security-council/5699389

\'New Strikes Against Pension Reform Are Ready\', French Workers
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
The strike of French railway workers against President Emmanuel Macron\'s pension reform proposal became one of the longest-running protests since it surpassed the 1986 demonstrations with 28 days. | RELATED: | France: Unions, Yellow Vests, Transporters Take to the Streets | Although this massive demonstration is gaining more and more strength, the president…
telesurenglish.net/news/New-Strikes-Against-Pension-Reform-Are-Ready-French-Workers-20200102-0009.html

Chile: Mayor of Santiago City to Face Constitutional Accusation
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
Chile\'s lawmaker of the Social Convergence party Gabriel Boric Thursday confirmed that a coalition of progressive parties will present a constitutional accusation against the Santiago Metropolitan Mayor Felipe Guevara who is one of the authorities responsible for the brutal repression that the Military Police has been performing against citizens at Dignity Square. | RELATED: | Chileans Ring In New Year With Large Protest Against Regime | \"Guevara is politically responsible for som…
telesurenglish.net/news/Chile-Mayor-of-Santiago-City-to-Face-Constitutional-Accusation-20200102-0001.html

Could a \"New Civil War\" Erupt in Iraq as U.S. and Iran Fight for Influence in the Country?
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-02
In Iraq, Iran-backed militia members withdrew from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad\'s heavily guarded Green Zone on Wednesday after being tear-gassed by American security forces. Their withdrawal ended a tense standoff that began Tuesday when militia members broke through the embassy\'s reception area chanting \"Death to America\" while thousands rallied outside to protest a slew of U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria that killed at least 24 members of the Iranian-backed militia Kata\'ib Hezbollah. The U.S. airstrikes came after an American contractor was killed in a rocket attack in Kirkuk, Iraq, Friday. The embassy withdr…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/2/iraq_baghdad_u_s_embassy_protests

\'We can break America, but won\'t lead Iran to war\' IRGC commander says after US embassy standoff
rt.com | 2020-01-02
Iran\'s Revolutionary Guards are not leading the country into a war with the US, but will not hesitate to wage one if forced to, the commander of the paramilitary service said amid a row over US embassy in Baghdad. | The US blames Tehran for orchestrating mass protests at the US embassy in the Iraqi capital, which involved a partial takeover of the massive compound. The protest was led by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia group, in response to US airstrikes on its forces. Speaking on Thursday, Brigadier General Hossein Salami said the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was not moving towards an op…
rt.com/news/477311-iran-war-us-embassy/

Could a New Civil War Erupt in Iraq as the US and Iran Vie for Influence?
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-02
In Iraq, Iran-backed militia members withdrew from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad\'s heavily guarded Green Zone on Wednesday after being tear-gassed by American security forces. Their withdrawal ended a tense standoff that began Tuesday when militia members broke through the embassy\'s reception area chanting \"Death to America\" while thousands rallied outside to protest a slew of U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria that killed at least 24 members of the Iranian-backed militia Kata\'ib Hezbollah. The U.S. ai…
truthout.org/video/could-a-new-civil-war-erupt-in-iraq-as-the-us-and-iran-vie-for-influence/

\'We can break America, but won\'t lead Iran to war\' IRGC commander says after US embassy standoff
rt.com | 2020-01-02
Iran\'s Revolutionary Guards are not leading the country into a war with the US, but will not hesitate to wage one if forced to, the commander of the elite force said amid a row over US embassy in Baghdad. | The US blames Tehran for orchestrating mass protests at the US embassy in the Iraqi capital, which involved a partial takeover of the massive compound. The protest was led by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia group, in response to US airstrikes on its forces. Speaking on Thursday, Brigadier General Hossein Salami said the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was not moving towards an open war wi…
rt.com/news/477311-iran-war-us-embassy/

Could a \"New Civil War\" Erupt in Iraq as U.S. and Iran Fight for Influence in the Country?
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-02
In Iraq, Iran-backed militia members withdrew from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad\'s heavily guarded Green Zone on Wednesday after being tear-gassed by American security forces. Their withdrawal ended a tense standoff that began Tuesday when militia members broke through the embassy\'s reception area chanting \"Death to America\" while thousands rallied outside to protest a slew of U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria that killed at least 24 members of the Iranian-backed militia Kata\'ib Hezbollah. The U.S. airstrikes came after an American contractor was killed in a rocket attack in Kirkuk, Iraq, Friday. The embassy withdr…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/2/iraq_baghdad_u_s_embassy_protests

Iraq: America\'s Other \"Longest War\"
Thomas L. Knapp | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-02
As the calendar prepared to flip from 2019 to 2020, protesters stormed the US embassy in Baghdad. As I write this, the action — a response to US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria which killed at least 25 and …
globalresearch.ca/iraq-america-other-longest-war/5699343

Jan 4 Protest: U.S. Troops Out of Iraq!
ANSWER | indybay.org | 2020-01-02
Powell and Market, San Francisco, Powell St BART Station.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/01/18829383.php

Shutter the Gigantic US Embassy in Iraq
Adam Dick | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-02
This week, amid protests by people upset with United States intervention in Iraq, individuals forced their way into and damaged the US embassy compound in Baghdad. In response, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper declared on Tuesday that 750 …
globalresearch.ca/shutter-us-embassy-iraq/5699384

China-UK stock trade scheme \'suspended\' over Britain\'s stance on Hong Kong protests
rt.com | 2020-01-02
A financial scheme linking investors in London and Shanghai, and launched last year, has reportedly been put on pause by Beijing in response to what is perceived as British meddling in the ongoing Hong Kong protests. | The Shanghai-London Stock Connect allows certain companies listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Shanghai Stock Exchange to issue depositary receipts on the other bourse. This offers international investors a backdoor access to the Chinese financial market, s…
rt.com/business/477302-shanghai-london-connect-suspended/

Palestinians Decry ICC Prosecutor\'s Delay of Israeli War Crimes Investigation
Prof. Marjorie Cohn | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-02
In a significant development for Israeli accountability, Fatou Bensouda, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), seeks to launch an investigation into war crimes committed in Palestine. But she has established an unnecessary and politically suspect condition to …
globalresearch.ca/palestinians-decry-icc-prosecutors-delay-israeli-war-crimes-investigation/5699367

Archbishop Atallah Hanna: The Palestinian Christian Leader Israel Loves to Hate
Ramzy Baroud | mintpressnews.com | 2020-01-02
Archbishop Hanna has been on Israel\'s radar for many years, as his kind of leadership is problematic from the viewpoint of a hegemonic power that requires utter and absolute submission.
mintpressnews.com/archbishop-atallah-hanna-the-palestinian-christian-leader-israel-loves-to-hate/263812/

Archbishop Atallah Hanna: The Palestinian Christian Leader Israel Loves to Hate
Ramzy Baroud | mintpressnews.com | 2020-01-02
Archbishop Hanna has been on Israel\'s radar for many years, as his kind of leadership is problematic from the viewpoint of a hegemonic power that requires utter and absolute submission.
mintpressnews.com/archbishop-atallah-hanna-the-palestinian-christian-leader-israel-loves-to-hate/263812/

Public Rage in Baghdad over US Terror-Bombing Strikes
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-02
In response to last Sunday\'s terror-bombing strikes by Pentagon warplanes that killed over two dozen Kata\'ib Hezbollah members of Iraq\'s Popular Mobilization Forces, wounding many others, Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi called what happened \"a dangerous aggravation which endangers the …
globalresearch.ca/public-rage-baghdad-us-terror-bombing-strikes/5699279

Failure of Trump-Kim Dialogue: North Korea to Continue Developing Strategic Nuclear Weapons and Missiles
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-02
In remarks during Pyongyang\'s yearend Plenary Meeting, Kim Jong-un said his government will continue development of strategic weapons because of US hostility toward the country, adding he\'ll no longer be bound by an ICBM test moratorium. | Pyongyang\'s KCNA news agency …
globalresearch.ca/north-korea-continue-developing-strategic-nuclear-weapons-missiles/5699328

Netanyahu Seeking Immunity from Prosecution?
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-02
According to the Times of Israel, citing a Channel 13 report, Netanyahu \"has made a final decision to ask the Knesset to grant him immunity from prosecution in three corruption cases and informed Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein in writing of …
globalresearch.ca/netanyahu-seeking-immunity-prosecution/5699275

Marvel will introduce trans hero \'very soon\' in ongoing effort to go woke in new phase of films
rt.com | 2020-01-02
Marvel President Kevin Feige has promised that a transgender character will be entering Disney\'s Marvel universe in the near future after having already promised gay and disabled characters. | Box-ticking is a number one priority for Marvel\'s upcoming Phase Four films. Having already confirmed gay and deaf characters in \'The Eternals,\' Marvel President Kevin Feige promised that a transgender character will be introduced into the fictional world \"very soon.\" | Asked at the New York Film Academy about transgender representation in the franchise that kicked off in 2008 with \'Iron Man,\' Feige responded that a film…
rt.com/usa/477335-marvel-transgender-kevin-feige/

IACHR Requests Precautionary Measures for Former Ecuadorean VP
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) requested Thursday precautionary measures in favor of former Vice President of Ecuador Jorge Glas, jailed since October 2017 after being sentenced to six years in prison as part of a case linked to the bribe plot of the Brazilian company Odebrecht which Glas denies to have taken part of. | RELATED: | Pabon: Fear and Persecution Can Hurt the Pillars of Democracy | Glas\' attorney Fausto Jarrin announced it with a photograph that sho…
telesurenglish.net/news/iachr-asks-to-protect-the-life-and-integrity-of-jorge-glas-20200102-0021.html

U.S. Sanctions: The Weaponization of the Global Financial System
Humanist Community in Silicon Valley | indybay.org | 2020-01-02
Mountain View Community Center | 201 South Rengstorff Avenue | Mountain View CA 94040…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/31/18829374.php

U.S. Sanctions: The Weaponization of the Global Financial System
Humanist Community in Silicon Valley | indybay.org | 2020-01-02
Mountain View Community Center | 201 South Rengstorff Avenue | Mountain View CA 94040…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/31/18829374.php

Russia to launch stock exchange for sanctioned companies
rt.com | 2020-01-02
Companies targeted by Western sanctions will have an opportunity to list their bonds, as Russia plans to create a special stock exchange in 2020 to bolster its national capital markets. | The launch was initially scheduled for December but was then postponed to January, according to Russia\'s Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Moiseev. The official explained that the ministry needed more time to finish the platform. | Read more | | Sanctions? Russia has the best-peforming stock market in the world | At least two companies have already announced…
rt.com/business/475107-russia-sanctions-stock-market/

The Politics of BDS
Granta Pimas | indybay.org | 2020-01-02
1316 University Ave Berkeley. Netivot Shalom Library…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/01/18829377.php

The Politics of BDS
Granta Pimas | indybay.org | 2020-01-02
1316 University Ave Berkeley. Netivot Shalom Library…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/01/01/18829377.php

Evo Introduces Legal Team to Fight Coup Government Accusations
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
The constitutional president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, introduced the team of professionals who will advise him on legal matters, and that could assume his defense after the legal accusations against him. | RELATED: | Mexican Ambassador Expelled From Bolivia Arrives in Her Country | Lawyers Raúl Zaffaroni and Gustavo Ferreyra will integrate the team that will assume the legal role of defense and advice for Morales to confront the de facto government attacks that were imposed af…
telesurenglish.net/news/evo-presents-legal-team-to-face-coup-government-accusations-20200102-0018.html

\'Venezuela Moves Towards a Thriving Economy\' President Maduro
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
During an interview granted on Wednesday, Venezuela\'s President Nicolas Maduro assessed the year 2019 and made a socio-political and economic prospect for 2020. | RELATED: | Latin America: A Decade in Review | \"We had to regulate public spending and prioritize every single dollar available to buy medicine, food, and vital supplies,\" Maduro said. | \"The economy started to self-regulate. Private sector doll…
telesurenglish.net/news/maduro-we-will-move-to-an-economy-of-growth-and-prosperity-20200101-0017.html

Israel, Greece, Cyprus to Sign Pipeline Deal in Mediterranean
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
The Mediterranean nations of Greece, Cyprus and Israel are expected to sign a new agreement to build a large pipeline that stretches nearly 2,000 kilometers across the sea. | RELATED: | Israel\'s Top Court Hears Case on Netanyahu\'s Political Future | If the agreement goes through, the subsea pipeline will be able to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean region to the developing gas industry in southern Europe. | According to the Reuters News Agency, the three countries…
telesurenglish.net/news/Israel-Greece-Cyprus-to-Sign-Pipeline-Deal-in-Mediterranean-20200102-0003.html

Netanyahu: I\'ll Request Immunity to Avoid Corruption Trial
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday in a live television appearance that he will ask the Knesset — Israel\'s parliament — for immunity to avoid being brought to trial in three corruption cases. | RELATED: | Israel\'s Top Court Hears Case on Netanyahu\'s Political Future | \"I intend to make a request to the…
telesurenglish.net/news/Netanyahu-Ill-Request-Immunity-to-Avoid-Corruption-Trial-20200102-0014.html

In 2020, Let\'s Recognize Immigration as a Reproductive Justice Issue
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-01
Nearly one year ago, in February 2019, a 24-year-old Honduran woman in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody went into premature labor while 27 weeks pregnant. The federal immigration agency failed to transport the woman to a hospital in a timely manner, and she gave birth to a stillborn at the Port Isabel Detention Center in Texas. Days after the news of this tragic story broke, I spoke to Nancy Cárdenas Peña…
truthout.org/articles/in-2020-lets-recognize-immigration-as-a-reproductive-justice-issue/

Iraq: America\'s Other \"Longest War\"
Thomas Knapp | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
As the calendar prepared to flip from 2019 to 2020, protesters stormed the US embassy in Baghdad. As I write this, the action — a response to US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria which killed at least 25 and wounded more than 50 — hasn\'t yet become a reprise of the Iran hostage crisis of 40 years ago, but it\'s eerily reminiscent.
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/iraq-americas-other-longest-war/

Iraq: America\'s Other \"Longest War\"
Thomas Knapp | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
As the calendar prepared to flip from 2019 to 2020, protesters stormed the US embassy in Baghdad. As I write this, the action — a response to US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria which killed at least 25 and wounded more than 50 — hasn\'t yet become a reprise of the Iran hostage crisis of 40 years ago, but it\'s eerily reminiscent.
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/iraq-americas-other-longest-war/

US Gov Blames Iraqi Protests On Iran With No Evidence, Despite The US Bombing Of The Iraqi Military
Ryan Cristián | thelastamericanvagabond.com | 2020-01-01
Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (12/31/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
thelastamericanvagabond.com/conspiracy/us-gov-blames-iraqi-protests-on-iran-with-no-evidence-despite-the-us-bombing-of-the-iraqi-military/

Miles de chilenos reciben el Año Nuevo con protestas
teleSUR, JGN | wp.telesurtv.net | 2020-01-01
Miles de chilenos volvieron a colmar la Plaza Dignidad, en Santiago de Chile, para recibir el Año Nuevo con una cena masiva y enfrentando la represión de la militarizada policía de Carabineros, en el marco de las protestas antigubernamentales que se prolongan por más de dos meses. | LEA TAMBIÉN: | Cientos de personas despiden a manifestante fallecido en Chile | Los manifestantes recibieron el 2020 con una cena masiva en la Plaza Italia, rebautizada como Dignidad, bajo la consigna \"Año Nuevo…
wp.telesurtv.net/news/chile-protestas-ano-nuevo-plaza-dignidad-represion-20200101-0002.html

The Project of Erasing the Indigenous History of Kashmir
Nyla Ali Khan | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
Furthering its project of erasing the indigenous history of Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Modi\'s BJP government has dropped Martyr\'s Day, July 13, and my maternal grandfather\'s birth anniversary, December 5, from the list of public holidays. I have always been amazed to see how much the BJP and the Sangh continue to invest in…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/the-project-of-erasing-the-indigenous-history-of-kashmir/

In 2019, the Far Right Suffered Big Losses. But They Are Far From Defeated
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-01
The U.S. far right continued to be very active in 2019. The good news is that, surveying their actions for the year, those far rightists outside of the GOP have had less growth and street presence than in 2018. Doxxing, lawsuits, a loss in interest from conservatives and state repression have all taken their toll. The far right\'s boom years of 2016 and 2017 are starting to fade away, but it remains an energized movement. The white nationalist wing was still far more active in 2019 than it was for…
truthout.org/articles/in-2019-the-far-right-suffered-big-losses-but-they-are-far-from-defeated/

\"3 Strikes, You\'re Out!\" Strike 2: Impeachment
David Rosen | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
The notion of \"3 strikes\" is based on the old baseball slogan, \"3 strikes, you\'re out!\" In 1994, the federal government, along with other law-enforcement entities, rechristened 3-strikes to cover habitual-offender laws, drastically increasing prison sentences — including mandatory life sentences — for people convicted of a third serious crime. In the age of Trump, \"3 strikes\" is…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/3-strikes-youre-out-strike-2-impeachment/

Stop The 2020 Olympics In Japan, End Nuclear Power & Nuclear Weapons
No Nukes Action | indybay.org | 2020-01-01
San Francisco Japanese Consulate | 275 Battery St/near California | San Francisco…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/31/18829368.php

Corea del norte reanudará sus pruebas nucleares
teleSUR, JGN | wp.telesurtv.net | 2020-01-01
El líder de Corea del Norte, Kim Jong-un, informó este miércoles el fin de la moratoria en sus pruebas nucleares y anunció que en fecha próxima presentará una \"nueva arma estratégica\". | LEA TAMBIÉN: | Se reúne Comité Central de Trabajadores de Corea del Norte | Kim explicó que esta decisión es en respuesta a lo que llamó \"estancamiento\" de las negociaciones con Estados Unidos (EE.UU.) sobre la desnuclearización de la península coreana. | El dirigente del país asiático adelantó que en…
wp.telesurtv.net/news/corea-del-norte-kim-jong-un-fin-moratoria-pruebas-nucleares-20200101-0003.html

We Are the Majority. We Must Turn That Into Power
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-01
Over the last decade, a national consensus has developed for a progressive left agenda on the economy, social services, the climate crisis and ending wars but the movement has not yet built the power to make that a reality. The next decade will be ripe with opportunities for transformational change due to a combination of expanding popular movements as well as escalating crisis situations. | Positive change will only occur if these movements evolve into an organized popular movement that truly represents the people\'s in…
truthout.org/articles/we-are-the-majority-we-must-turn-that-into-power/

The 2020 Imperative Cease Being Mesmerised By Demons
Julian Rose | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
We have a vast global communication network at our fingertips, a significant part of which has long since been hijacked by the purveyors of \'the daily matrix\'. But another part of which still manages to operate within a spectrum that gives a possibility for what we refer to as \'freedom of speech\'. Used intelligently, this…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/the-2020-imperative-cease-being-mesmerised-by-demons/

Interesting Work: Willie Mays, Lee Mendelson and Charlie Brown
Geoff Beckman | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
I don\'t believe in the \"Do what you love and the money will follow\" argot. A lot of times, it won\'t. I learned this from both my parents (who were therapists). You can be miserable at a high-paying job, leave it for one you like– but pays squat. Often you end up miserable because you…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/interesting-work-willie-mays-lee-mendelson-and-charlie-brown/

When the Power of Pove Overcomes the Love of Power (Hendrix)
Gary Lindorff | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
We will unsubscribe to hate Change our password and pray for the dead All the dead Ooooh oooooh oooooh Pink Floyd: Mother should have run for president This isn\'t just upsetting. What\'s been happening is a waste of time All I want right now is a pine-scented candle That is really all I want I\'ll tell you…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/when-the-power-of-pove-overcomes-the-love-of-power-hendrix/

#GoBonobos in 2020
Susan Block | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
There it goes, Brothers and Sisters, Lovers and Sinners, another year, along with another whole decade, down the hatch, into the archives and off the table. Now the future unfurls at our feet, its composition too hazy to make out. Will it be a carpet of soft grass that puts a spring in our step?
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/gobonobos-in-2020/

Trump, Democrats and the Lumpenproletariat Problem
David Schultz | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
The American Democratic Party has a problem with white working-class America–they lost them, or at least large segments of them to Donald Trump\'s Republican Party. Policy reasons may explain part of this. But a better explanation may be that these voters fit the description of what Karl Marx used to call the Lumpenproletariat–reactionary working class opposed to revolution or at least progressive politics. Understanding who these individuals are may be critical to Democrats winning in 2020.
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/trump-democrats-and-the-lumpenproletariat-problem/

Metaphor, the Holy Bible and the Western Hero: Corrupting Jesus to Trump the Constitution
John Grant | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep\'s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. — Matthew 7: 15 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. — Matthew 7: 18 Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. — Matthew 22: 39 (For Thompson Bradley) Over this…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/metaphor-the-holy-bible-and-the-western-hero-corrupting-jesus-to-trump-the-constitution/

Of Scrooges, and Sweeps, Body Snatching and Death on the Street: A Christmas Carol in Portlandia
Desiree Hellegers | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
In the midst of the Christmas, Hannukah crush, even for Wiccans and Pagans, it\'s easy to overlook a relatively recent national ritual that coincides with the solstice: Since 1990, the National Coalition for the Homeless designated December 21st, the darkest day of the year, National Homeless Persons Memorial Day. Personally, around this time of year,…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/of-scrooges-and-sweeps-body-snatching-and-death-on-the-street-a-christmas-carol-in-portlandia/

Happy New Year, Riyadh!
Charles Pierson | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
\'Tis the season for giving. Accordingly, the US has given the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a gift in the form of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which President Donald Trump signed into law on December 21. The NDAA is not only a gift to the Saudis. The $738 billion in new defense spending the NDAA authorizes means a very Merry Christmas for the Pentagon and for Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and the like.
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/happy-new-year-riyadh/

Of Scrooges, and Sweeps, Body Snatching and Death on the Street: A Christmas Carol in Portlandia
Desiree Hellegers | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
In the midst of the Christmas, Hannukah crush, even for Wiccans and Pagans, it\'s easy to overlook a relatively recent national ritual that coincides with the solstice: Since 1990, the National Coalition for the Homeless designated December 21st, the darkest day of the year, National Homeless Persons Memorial Day. Personally, around this time of year,…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/of-scrooges-and-sweeps-body-snatching-and-death-on-the-street-a-christmas-carol-in-portlandia/

Metaphor, the Holy Bible and the Western Hero: Corrupting Jesus to Trump the Constitution
John Grant | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep\'s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. — Matthew 7: 15 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. — Matthew 7: 18 Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. — Matthew 22: 39 (For Thompson Bradley) Over this…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/metaphor-the-holy-bible-and-the-western-hero-corrupting-jesus-to-trump-the-constitution/

The Town That Refuses to Drown
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-01-01
It\'S 9 A.M. and a grey cloud that had been shrouding one of four mountains surrounding Temacapulín, in the highlands of western Mexico, has begun to lift. \"SINCE THE SIXTH CENTURY, TEMACAPULÂN WELCOMES YOU.\" The bold white letters emblazoned on the side of one of the mountains, Cerro de la Cruz, emerge through the mist, Hollywood-style, as the town\'s inhabitants scurry to live up to the promise. It\'s the first day of the Tenth Annual Chile de Arból Fair and a steady rain has been threatening to flood the town\'s two-day festival of resist…
truthout.org/articles/the-town-that-refuses-to-drown/

U.S. Sanctions: The Weaponization of the Global Financial System
Humanist Community in Silicon Valley | indybay.org | 2020-01-01
Mountain View Community Center | 201 South Rengstorff Avenue | Mountain View CA 94040…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/31/18829374.php

Reportan 27 casos de neumonía viral en el centro de China
teleSUR, lsl, JGN | wp.telesurtv.net | 2020-01-01
Autoridades sanitarias chinas informaron el martes que los 27 casos de neumonía reportados en días pasados en Wuhan, capital de la provincia central de Hubei, fueron identificados como neumonía viral. | LEA TAMBIÉN: | Presidente de China desea un Hong Kong estable y próspero en 2020 | \"En relación a la detección continua de casos de inflamación de pulmones de origen desconocido, pedimos a todas las instituciones médicas que mantengan estadísticas y controlen la situación de los pacientes e infor…
wp.telesurtv.net/news/reportan-casos-neumonia-viral-centro-china-20191231-0024.html

Year of the Nurse and the Midwife highlights \'backbone\' of health systems
news.un.org | 2020-01-01
The world will need an additional nine million nurses and midwives to achieve the commitment of providing all people with access to health care by 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/01/1054531

Emergency Eviction Support: Hold Down the House / Pack the Courtroom
Moms 4 Housing | indybay.org | 2020-01-01
Courtroom: | Hayward Hall of Justice | 24405 Amador Street, Hayward, CA 94544 | Moms\' House: | 2928 Magnolia Street, Oakland, CA 94608…
indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/29/18829312.php

Gobierno de facto de Bolivia desmiente que prepare ingreso a embajada mexicana
teleSUR, JGN | wp.telesurtv.net | 2020-01-01
El Gobierno de facto de Bolivia desmintió la noche del martes que estuviera preparando el inminente ingreso de las fuerzas del orden a la embajada y la residencia oficial de México en La Paz, con el presunto fin de cumplimentar varios órdenes de aprehensión. | LEA TAMBIÉN: | Tribunal Electoral de Bolivia ratifica habilitación del MAS para comicios | \"ESTA NOTA ES FALSA. El contenido de la misma es un absurdo jurídico y fue elaborado para crear conflicto y debilitar el proceso democráti…
wp.telesurtv.net/news/bolivia-desmentido-comunicado-ingreso-embajada-mexico-20200101-0001.html

Papa Francisco condena violencia contra las mujeres
teleSUR, pha, JCM | wp.telesurtv.net | 2020-01-01
Este 1 ∞ de enero el Papa Francisco denunció el abuso contra la mujer en las sociedades modernas, como parte de su primer mensaje del año, y pidió el fin de la explotación femenina por su cuerpo, coincidiendo con la celebración del día de la Solemnidad de María Santísima Madre de Dios. | LEA TAMBIÉN: | Papa Francisco celebra su 83 ∞ cumpleaños | \"Toda violencia infligida a la mujer es una profanación de Dios\", dijo el pontífice en su primer sermón del año. | \"Cuántas veces el cuerpo de la mu…
wp.telesurtv.net/news/papa-francisco-defiende-derechos-mujer-primera-misa-2020-20200101-0007.html

Presidente cubano Díaz-Canel celebra 61 años de la Revolución
teleSUR, JGN | wp.telesurtv.net | 2020-01-01
El presidente de Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, felicitó al pueblo cubano por el 61 aniversario del triunfo de la Revolución, que se celebra este primero de enero. | LEA TAMBIÉN: | Felicitan a Cuba por aniversario del triunfo de la Revolución | \"Hay todas las razones para festejar. En el año 61 de la revolución nos tiraron a matar y estamos vivos. Vivos celebrando y empeñados en seguir ganando °Patria o muerte! °Socialismo o muerte! °Venceremos!\", afirmó el mandatario de la mayor de las Antill…
wp.telesurtv.net/news/cuba-presidente-felicitacion-aniversario-triunfo-revolucion-20200101-0004.html

Polémicas del primer año de Jair Bolsonaro en Brasil
teleSUR, JCM | wp.telesurtv.net | 2020-01-01
\"Año terrible\" vivieron los brasileños, tras 12 meses de la gestión del presidente derechista Jair Bolsonaro, que ha estado marcado por la controversia y la polémica en una variedad de temas, pero también su popularidad apunta a la baja, luego de haber llegado con un alto índice de apoyo de la ciudadanía. | LEA TAMBIÉN: | Aumenta sensación de inseguridad en la población brasileña | Bolsonaro arrancó su gestión el pasado 1 de enero de 2019 con una popularidad del 49 por ciento, mientras ahora solo…
wp.telesurtv.net/news/brasil-presidente-jair-bolsonario-primer-aniversario-gobierno-20200101-0009.html

61 Years Strong: Cuba\'s Revolution Lives On Despite Blockade
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-01
A day that will forever live in the hearts and minds of free men and women around the world, Jan. 1, 1959 marked the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, as the military dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista ended under the leadership of Fidel Castro, Ernesto Che Guevara, Camilo Cienfuegos, and Raul Castro, among others. | RELATED: | UN Overwhelmingly Votes in Favor of Resolution Ending US Blockade Against Cuba | And on its 61st anniversary, the ideals of socialist soci…
telesurenglish.net/news/61-Years-Strong-Cubas-Revolution-Lives-On-Despite-Blockade-20191231-0018.html

Riña en cárcel mexicana deja un saldo de 16 muertos y cinco heridos
teleSUR, JGN | wp.telesurtv.net | 2020-01-01
Una pelea entre grupos de reos en una cárcel del estado de Zacatecas, en el norte de México, dejó un saldo de 16 personas muertas y cinco heridas, informó una fuente oficial. | LEA TAMBIÉN: | Destacan crecimiento económico durante 2019 en México | La Vocería de Seguridad Pública de Zacatecas informó en la red social de Twitter que \"la tarde de este martes se registró una riña al interior del Centro Regional de Reinserción Social (Cerereso) Varonil, que dejó como saldo el fallecimiento de 16 Personas Privada…
wp.telesurtv.net/news/mexico-carcel-zacatecas-pelea-grupos-rivales-muertos-20200101-0005.html

Trump says he \'does not see war with Iran happening,\' hours after issuing \'threat\' to Tehran
rt.com | 2020-01-01
US President Donald Trump has said that the US is not gearing up for war with Iran, adding that he prefers peace to war. It comes just hours after the US leader upped the ante, making a pointed threat against Tehran on Twitter. | …
rt.com/news/477243-iran-war-trump-not-happening/

Iraqi protesters withdraw from US Embassy in Baghdad, some defy orders (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-01-01
Paramilitary leaders have ordered their supporters to leave the heavily fortified US Embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq, as American troops reinforced the besieged facility. However, some protesters stayed put. | Live footage from RT\'s video agency Ruptly showed protesters with Hezbollah flags withdrawing en masse in their vehicles. It was not immediately clear from the video how many have remained at the scene of clashes, where tear gas and stun grenades were reportedly fired again on Wednesday. | Hordes of protesters descended on Baghdad\'s American embassy — located inside the heavily fortified \'Green…
rt.com/news/477276-protesters-leave-baghdad-embassy/

US troops fire tear gas as protesters throw stones at embassy in Baghdad — reports
rt.com | 2020-01-01
Tear gas has been used to disperse angry crowds outside the US embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, a day after thousands of protesters attempted to storm the diplomatic compound, according to reports. | Dozens of protesters who\'d camped overnight outside the gates of the embassy were attacked with tear gas by security personnel, reportedly after the demonstrators drew closer to the building. | Purported footage of Wednesday\'s clashes shows protesters shouting and throwing objects toward the compound walls, as thick smoke fills the air. Several bright flashes — likely from tear gas canisters being fired — can a…
rt.com/news/477250-us-troops-fire-tear-gas/

Dance, chant, sing: WATCH Indian soldiers send army-style New Year greetings
rt.com | 2020-01-01
Taking a break from the hard work of soldiering, Indian service members have been filmed sending a flurry of artistic New Year greetings to the nation, garnering applause on social media. | Deployed in the snowy Himalayan ridges of Kashmir, a bunch of soldiers try their best to show off their team spirit. Standing atop a mountain, their squad chanted some slogans before \"wishing everybody a happy and a prosperous New Year.\" | Their brother-in-arms –serving tours of duty in the same region– staged a more sophisticated performance, singing a patriotic song while also dancing in unison. | Message to the…
rt.com/news/477270-indian-soldiers-new-year-greetings/

From dream to reality: Russia\'s \'Silicon Valley\' to mark 10-year anniversary with new projects
rt.com | 2020-01-01
Russia\'s Skolkovo innovation center, which is marking 10 years since its founding, has ambitious plans for 2020 and beyond to continue promoting technology and helping small innovative startups grow into profitable companies. | Skolkovo Technopark was built from scratch almost a decade ago to create a platform for research and innovation in key spheres such as energy, IT, space, biomedicine, and nuclear technology. Now the complex has facilities spread around 800,000 square meters and hosts around 500 startups, while there are an additional 1,500 enterprises beyond its campus. Skolkovo hosts around 50 research…
rt.com/business/477013-russia-skolkovo-2020-anniversary/

From dream to reality: Russia\'s \'Silicon Valley\' to mark 10-year anniversary with new projects
rt.com | 2020-01-01
Russia\'s Skolkovo innovation center, which is marking 10 years since its founding, has ambitious plans for 2020 and beyond to continue promoting technology and helping small innovative startups grow into profitable companies. | Skolkovo Technopark was built from scratch almost a decade ago to create a platform for research and innovation in key spheres such as energy, IT, space, biomedicine, and nuclear technology. Now the complex has facilities spread around 800,000 square meters and hosts around 500 startups, while there are an additional 1,500 enterprises beyond its campus. Skolkovo hosts around 50 research…
rt.com/business/477013-russia-skolkovo-2020-anniversary/

Iran\'s Supreme Leader hits back at Trump\'s \'big price\' threat, says US \'took revenge\' for defeating ISIS
rt.com | 2020-01-01
Giving a sharp rebuke to Donald Trump\'s threat to make Iran pay for an attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said tirades like this usually end up nowhere. | On the heels of the Tuesday siege of the US diplomatic mission in Baghdad, President Trump fired off a series of inflammatory tweets, vowing to hold Iran \"fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities.\" Shortly thereafter, he took a different tone, saying he doesn\'t see a war with Iran coming. | But…
rt.com/news/477260-ayatollah-trump-threat-baghdad/

\'Reckless escalation\' or \'No more Benghazis\'? Dems jeer & GOP cheers as Trump points finger at Tehran after Baghdad embassy attack
rt.com | 2020-01-01
A major partisan divide has formed around President Trump\'s handling of the situation in Iraq, with several Democrats blasting recent US airstrikes and troop deployments, and some in the GOP lining up to voice support. | Massachusetts senator and Democratic 2020 hopeful Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday took aim at the president for a US bombing raid ordered on an Iraqi militia over the weekend. American officials accused the group — Kataib Hezbollah — of carrying out a rocket attack on a US base with Iranian backing, which killed one American contractor, though they have yet to offer any evidence for the…
rt.com/news/477244-lawmakers-trump-iraq-embassy/

US sending 750 troops to Middle East after Baghdad embassy siege — Pentagon
rt.com | 2020-01-01
Some 750 paratroopers from the US Army\'s 82nd Airborne Division are already on their way to Kuwait, and more may soon follow, after the US Embassy in Baghdad was stormed and nearly taken by angry Iraqi militiamen. | The 82nd\'s alert brigade was ordered to deploy on Tuesday evening, Fox News reported, citing multiple Pentagon officials, shortly before Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirmed the move. | \"The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world,\" Esper said, announcing the deployment. | The initial force has already departed Fort Bragg, North Carolina on boa…
rt.com/usa/477240-iraq-troops-kuwait-embassy/

US sending 750 troops to Middle East after Baghdad embassy siege — Pentagon
rt.com | 2020-01-01
Some 750 paratroopers from the US Army\'s 82nd Airborne Division are already on their way to Kuwait, and more may soon follow, after the US Embassy in Baghdad was stormed and nearly taken by angry Iraqi militiamen. | The 82nd\'s alert brigade was ordered to deploy on Tuesday evening, Fox News reported, citing multiple Pentagon officials, shortly before Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirmed the move. | \"The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world,\" Esper said, announcing the deployment. | The initial force has already departed Fort Bragg, North Carolina on boa…
rt.com/usa/477240-iraq-troops-kuwait-embassy/

China drops tariffs on hundreds of Pakistani products as wide-ranging trade agreement takes effect
rt.com | 2020-01-01
A newly implemented deal between Beijing and Islamabad will eliminate tariffs on hundreds of products, a move which is expected to provide a billion-dollar boost to bilateral trade. | The Free Trade Agreement (FTA)–II, which started on Wednesday, will waive or ease 75 percent of tariffs imposed by each country, over a period of 15 years. Beijing will immediately drop tariffs on more than 300 Pakistani exports, including textiles and garments, seafood and leather. | In exchange, Islamabad has provided greater market access to Chinese raw materials and heavy machinery. | The deal, inked in April 2019, will…
rt.com/business/477245-pakistan-china-trade-deal-fta/

China drops tariffs on hundreds of Pakistani products as wide-ranging trade agreement takes effect
rt.com | 2020-01-01
A newly implemented deal between Beijing and Islamabad will eliminate tariffs on hundreds of products, a move which is expected to provide a billion-dollar boost to bilateral trade. | The Free Trade Agreement (FTA)–II, which started on Wednesday, will waive or ease 75 percent of tariffs imposed by each country, over a period of 15 years. Beijing will immediately drop tariffs on more than 300 Pakistani exports, including textiles and garments, seafood and leather. | In exchange, Islamabad has provided greater market access to Chinese raw materials and heavy machinery. | The deal, inked in April 2019, will…
rt.com/business/477245-pakistan-china-trade-deal-fta/

Pope Francis repeatedly SLAPS woman\'s hand after she YANKS him toward her (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-01-01
The world saw a different side of Pope Francis on New Year\'s Eve after the pontiff tore himself free from a woman who had grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her. | A woman seeking the Pope\'s blessing on New Year\'s Eve instead ended up enraging the pontiff after grabbing his arm to get his attention. A video of the altercation shows Francis walking through Vatican City as he greeted pilgrims. After reaching out to touch a child, a nearby woman seized his hand, jerking the religious leader around — a yank that appeared to cause him pain. | This evening after visiting the Nativity scene in St. Peter\'s Sq…
rt.com/news/477247-pope-francis-woman-slap-hand/

Australia deploys military aircraft & navy ships to help fire-ravaged communities
rt.com | 2020-01-01
Australia has sent military aircraft and ships to relieve towns that have been caught in the violent infernos sweeping the country\'s southeast coast. Thousands of people have been forced to camp on beaches as they await rescue. | Wednesday\'s deployment used military helicopters and naval vessels to deliver water, food and fuel to areas that have been completely cut off by the fires in the states of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria. | An estimated 4,000 people in the Victorian coastal town of Mallacoota fled to the seashore on Tuesday, after winds pushed wildfires toward their homes. | At 3am on 1 January 202…
rt.com/news/477249-australian-wildfires-military-rescue/

Not the bees! Pentagon wants to use swarms of AI-powered drones for \'rescue\' missions
rt.com | 2020-01-01
The Pentagon is combing the AI developer community to try to build a self-starting swarm of AI-enabled drones capable of recognizing and tracking a target — ostensibly for search and rescue, but potentially for search and destroy. | The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) issued a request (RFI) late in December seeking the latest and greatest in AI and drone swarm tech — and looking for clever ideas on how to combine th…
rt.com/usa/477239-pentagon-ai-drone-swarms-bees/

Pope Francis repeatedly SLAPS woman\'s hand after she YANKS him toward her (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-01-01
The world saw a different side of Pope Francis on New Year\'s Eve after the pontiff tore himself free from a woman who had grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her. | A woman seeking the Pope\'s blessing on New Year\'s Eve instead ended up enraging the pontiff after grabbing his arm to get his attention. A video of the altercation shows Francis walking through Vatican City as he greeted pilgrims. After reaching out to touch a child, a nearby woman seized his hand, jerking the religious leader around — a yank that appeared to cause him pain. | This evening after visiting the Nativity scene in St. Peter\'s Sq…
rt.com/news/477247-pope-francis-woman-slap-hand/

Booked Up: the 20 Best Books of 2019
Jeffrey St. Clair | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-01
Best Nonfiction Prisoners of Politics: Breaking the Cycle of Mass Incarceration Rachel Elise Barkow (Belknap Press) Dirty Jokes and Bawdy Songs: the Uncensored Life of Gershon Legman Susan Davis (University of Illinois) Our History is the Future: Standing Rock Versus the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the Long Tradition of Indigenous Resistance Nick Estes (Verso) Music: a…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/01/booked-up-the-20-best-books-of-2019/

Iraqi paramilitary groups tell supporters to withdraw from US Embassy perimeter
yenisafak.com | 2020-01-01
Paramilitary groups who have been protesting against U.S. air strikes in Iraq told their supporters to withdraw from the perimeter of the U.S. Embassy in Baghadad on Wednesday.The crowd did not actually begin withdrawing, according to a Reuters witness.The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) umbrella group made the call in response to the Iraqi government\'s call for the protesters to disperse, it said in a statement.
yenisafak.com/en/world/iraqi-paramilitary-groups-tell-supporters-to-withdraw-from-us-embassy-perimeter-3508668