Binoy Kampmark (2019-12-25). Medical Opinion, Torture and Julian Assange. counterpunch.org On November 27 this year, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, delivered an address to the German Bundestag outlining his approach to understanding the mental health of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. These comprised two parts, the initial stage covering his diplomatic asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy, the second dealing with his formal detention in More

Ollie Vargas (2019-12-25). Bolivia\'s free territory of Chapare has ousted the coup regime and is bracing for a bloody re-invasion. thegrayzone.com Spending time with the union members of Chapare, who run society in a collective fashion, offers special insights into the…

Howie Hawkins (2019-12-25). The Green Party Is Not the Democrats\' Problem. counterpunch.org Although it is a constant refrain from Democratic leaders and commentators, the Green Party is not why the Democrats lost to Bush and Trump. In trying to excuse her loss to Trump, Hillary Clinton recently made the baseless smears that Jill Stein, the Greens\' 2016 presidential candidate, is a \"Russian asset,\" and that Russians and More

news.un (2019-12-25). UN chief sends wishes for \'peace and a blessed New Year\' to all. news.un.org While visiting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres extended wishes for a peaceful Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Dave Id (2019-12-25). Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf orders mass arrest of Housing Justice protesters. indybay.org An inspirational day of solidarity with unhoused Oaklanders turned into a traumatic night after mayor Libby Schaaf directed a small army of police and DPW workers to smash a housing rights protest held on the doorstep of City Hall. For daring to challenge the Oakland\'s never ending war against the homeless — the city\'s encampment demolitions and evictions, the towing of residential vehicles, and a lack of earnestness and urgency in addressing the housing crisis — twenty-two people were arrested and sent to Santa Rita jail, some for over two days.

Robert Fisk (2019-12-25). Behind the Scenes of One Middle East Investigation I\'ll Never Forget. counterpunch.org Film directors are not the only ones who have to cut stories from their work. When The Independent still existed in paper form, I would lose track of the number of times a foreign editor would call me with the familiar plea: \"Bob, can we keep this to 500 words?\" Or: \"Will this hold till More

Ralph Nader (2019-12-25). Democrats Cave in Secret Budget Deal with Trump. counterpunch.org While attention was focused on the House of Representatives\' impeachment of Donald J. Trump, legislators from both parties were secretly huddling with White House aides to seal a $1.4 trillion budget deal to fund the government until next September. They were rushing to do this to avoid a partial government shutdown starting December 21, 2019. More

repost (2019-12-25). Criminal War Monger Pelosi & Demos Appropriate Millions For War On Venezuela. indybay.org Criminal war monger Demo leader Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats joined Trump in supporting tens of millions of dollars to overthrow the Venezuelan government.

Citizens\' Climate Lobby (2019-12-25). 2020 Citizens\' Climate Lobby Northern California Regional Conference. indybay.org Oakland Technical High School, 4351 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611…

news.un (2019-12-25). The 2010 — 2020 UN News Decade in Review, part two. news.un.org With the 2020s now in full view, welcome to the second in our three-part series looking back at some of the major UN-related stories of the past decade. In part two, we take in the years 2014 to 2016, which saw the worst outbreak of Ebola ever recorded; new hope that the climate crisis could be tackled by world leaders, through the historic Paris climate agreement; and the launch of the UN\'s 2030 Agenda, a plan of action for people, the planet and prosperity.

Citizens\' Climate Lobby (2019-12-25). 2020 Citizens\' Climate Lobby Northern CA Regional Conference, Day 2. indybay.org Oakland Technical High School, 4351 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611…

2019 Dr. Maulana Karenga Message (2019-12-25). Kwanzaa our \"California Grown\" Global Celebration, \"Matunda ya Kwanza\" indybay.org Imani (Faith) reminds us of the indispensable foundation of confident, righteous and rewarding belief, calling on us \"to believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our leaders, our teachers and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.\" In remembrance of Khalid Al Mansour…

Text: RR Photos: Jack Owicki, Pro Bono Photo (2019-12-25). In Mountain View, Seasonal and Humorous Signs at Eve of Impeachment Demo on Four Corners. indybay.org Demonstrators leaned in toward passing traffic to show off their creative signs on Impeachment Eve at a major intersection in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Lynda Carson (2019-12-25). Michael L. Cantor mocks the artwork of the Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificates. indybay.org In a shocking email further below, Michael L. Cantor, director of FE Partners LLC, the owner of the former Presidential Yacht Sequoia, mocks the artwork of the Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificates with condescension and derision towards the much coveted historical Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificates!

Colin Todhunter (2019-12-25). The Right to Healthy Food: Poisoned with Pesticides. counterpunch.org Environmentalist Dr Rosemary Mason has just written an open letter addressed to three senior officials in Britain: John Gardiner, Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the British government; Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England; and Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health and More

Raouf Halaby (2019-12-25). Bethlehem is Scarred by Brutal Israeli Occupation, While the World Acquieses. counterpunch.org O little town of Bethlehem, How miserable we see thee lie! Above thy 28 ft. concrete separation wall of hatred, Palestinians cower in fear and sleepless nights. The silent stars are witness to thy dark and somber streets Where the light shineth not, And the everlasting darkness of occupation Hangs heavy on the oppressed and More

Kevin Alexander Gray (2019-12-25). The Soul Will Find a Way. counterpunch.org James Brown was a constant presence in our store. He was the low country homeboy who made it big. The state of Georgia and the city of Augusta claim him as their hometown hero, and he, too, claimed the state and city. Yet he never moved more than 40 miles from his family\'s roots in Barnwell County, South Carolina, along the Savannah River, establishing a home on Beech Island in Aiken County, South Carolina, adjacent to Strom Thurmond\'s Edgefield County home. More

Paul Tritschler (2019-12-25). In Defense of Nostalgia: a Christmas. counterpunch.org School and childhood were complicated, and I got out of both as fast as I could. Aged fifteen — that seems quite young to me now — I found a labouring job in a boat shed along the Clyde. The days of good apprenticeships in the Glasgow shipyards, or anywhere else for that matter, were fading fast, and I settled for poor pay and prospects in a badly ventilated box buffing fibreglass boats. More

Jesse Jackson (2019-12-25). Remembering the Message of Christmas. counterpunch.org On Wednesday, Christmas will be celebrated by millions of people across this country and across the world. Joy surrounds the holiday, with music in the air, lights on homes and lampposts, families gathering, presents exchanged and blessings shared. For some, Christmas is a difficult time — for the poor, for separated families, for the lonely, More

Kate Zeller (2019-12-25). President Trump Authorizes Somalia Debt Relief. indybay.org President Trump signed a year-end spending bill which authorizes the first phase of debt relief for Somalia.

Text: RR Photos: Terry Scussel, Pro Bono Photo (2019-12-25). In SF, Music Punctuates Enthusiastic Chanting at Rally and March on Eve of Historic Impeachment Vote. indybay.org In San Francisco, lyrics were rewritten to rock classics calling for impeachment and a crowd of thousands chanted for \"Trump Pence Out Now!\"

RT (2019-12-25). \'Solitary confinement\' in own home: Father of Pakistan\'s atomic bomb petitions high court for \'freedom\'. rt.com The atomic scientist chiefly responsible for making Pakistan a nuclear power is now asking the country\'s Supreme Court to set him free, as he has spent almost 15 years under guard in his home, cut off from family and friends. | Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, considered the father of Pakistan\'s atomic bomb, was detained in 2004 after confessing to illegally giving nuclear technology to Iran, Libya, and North Korea. He was first imprisoned by the government of General Pervez Musharraf, who was himself ousted in 2008 and recently convicted in absentia of treason. | Now 83, Khan is petitioning the highest court in the lan…

RT (2019-12-25). India-Pakistan & Korean Peninsula peace efforts among key highlights of China\'s \'neighborhood diplomacy\' in 2019 — Chinese FM. rt.com Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has highlighted Beijing\'s efforts to deescalate tensions between Pakistan and India as one of the key achievements of China\'s \'neighborhood diplomacy\' this year. | \"During the India-Pakistan conflict, China supported the efforts of the two sides to defuse tensions and manage differences through dialogue,\" the top Chinese diplomat said in an exclusive yea…

RT (2019-12-25). Dangerous doors & fire hazards: Norway\'s largest naval ship flagged as unsafe & BANNED from sailing. rt.com The Royal Norwegian Navy\'s newest ship cannot leave the dock as numerous safety hazards were discovered aboard the NATO vessel after being commissioned in May with much fanfare. | Having cost 2.2 billion Norwegian krones (US$246 million), the logistics and supply ship KNM Maud is Norway\'s largest naval vessel ever built. It has an operating room, a hospital for 44 beds and a hangar for two helicopters. | However, the ship cannot embark on voyages after global risk-assessment firm DNV GL deemed it too unsafe to sail. The ban will last until many of the vessel\'s deficiencies are fixed, which is expected to happe…

yenisafak (2019-12-25). Eritrea\'s president in Ethiopia to strengthen ties. yenisafak.com Eritrea\'s President Isaias Afwerki arrived in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa early Wednesday on an official visit.The two leaders, according to local broadcaster FANA, will discuss ways of further normalization of bilateral relations.In 2018, upon a palm branch by Ethiopia\'s prime minister, the relations between the two countries made a turnaround from one of a no-war-no-peace situation to the opening up of a new era of cooperation.Ever since, the two leaders exchanged numerous visits and signed what has been termed as the Asmara Declaration — a cooperative framework that also saw the commencement of air trav…

yenisafak (2019-12-25). Israel says won\'t allow Iran to entrench in Iraq. yenisafak.com Israel will not allow Iran to entrench in Iraq, Israeli army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi said on Wednesday.Speaking at a conference in Herzliya, Kochavi accused Iran\'s Quds Force of moving weapons into Iraq on a monthly basis, according to Yedioth Aharonoth newspaper.\"Advanced weapons are being smuggled by the Quds Force in Iraq on a daily basis and we can\'t allow that,\" he said.\"Iraq is undergoing a civil war, where the Quds Force is operating on a daily basis, where the country itself has turned into an ungoverned area.\"Kochavi\'s remarks are the first implied admission by an Israeli official of carryi…

yenisafak (2019-12-25). Thai court to decide on dissolution of opposition party in January. yenisafak.com Thailand\'s Constitutional Court said on Wednesday that it would rule on the dissolution of the opposition Future Forward Party on Jan. 21 following a complaint that its actions were seditious and that it plans to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.The complaint alleges the party\'s triangle logo resembles a symbol of the Illuminati, a secret society that conspiracy theorists believe seeks world domination.The court gave the Future Forward Party 15 days to respond to separate allegations that it had violated laws governing political parties and accepting loans from its party leader.The Future Forward Party, whic…

yenisafak (2019-12-25). YPG/PKK bomb attack injures 14 civilians, children in Syria\'s Jarabulus. yenisafak.com At least 14 civilians were injured in northern Syria when the terrorist YPG/PKK carried out a bomb attack in the district of Jarabulus, Turkey\'s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.The YPG/PKK terrorists targeted civilians in the district center using two motorcycles armed with remote-controlled explosives, the ministry said on Twitter.Among the injured were children, the ministry said, adding that four people sustained serious injuries in the attack.The YPG/PKK terror group is targeting settlement areas under control of the Syrian National Army (SNA), which fought alongside the Turkish forces in Turkish-led anti-…

yenisafak (2019-12-25). Militants kill dozens in Burkina Faso, country mourns. yenisafak.com The president of Burkina Faso has declared 48 hours of national mourning after militants killed at least 35 civilians and seven soldiers in one of the deadliest attacks in the West African country.\"In memory of the civilian and military victims of Tuesday\'s terrorist attack in Arbinda [town of northern Burkina Faso], I have decided to declare a national mourning of 48 hours over the whole extent of the national territory from Wednesday December 25 at midnight,\" President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said in a statement.Seven soldiers were killed during a raid by militants on an army base in the northern part of the…

yenisafak (2019-12-25). Gendarmerie forces seize PKK bomb-making materials SE Turkey. yenisafak.com Turkish forces destroyed 19 caves and three winter bunkers used by PKK terrorists in southeast Turkey, local authorities announced Wednesday. Security forces seized weapons and ammunition as well as bomb-making materials including 200 kilograms (442 pounds) of ammonium nitrate during the operation in Diyarbakir province, according to a statement by the provincial governor\'s office.Gendarmerie forces launched a narco-terror operation on Dec. 23 as part of Operation Kiran-11 Narco-Terror to hinder the PKK\'s winter preparations, neutralize its terrorists based in the region, arrest drug dealers and eliminate its fin…

yenisafak (2019-12-25). Turkey expects suspect in 2002 killing to be extradited. yenisafak.com Turkey expects Ukraine to extradite a fugitive wanted for allegedly murdering a Turkish scholar who was researching the terror group FETàñ, Turkey\'s justice minister said on Wednesday.Speaking to reporters in the Turkish capital Ankara, Abdulhamit Gul said Turkish officials are working for the extradition of the suspect Nuri Gokhan B. from Ukraine, where he was arrested last week.\"Our expectation is the extradition of this person in line with international agreements.\"Necip Hablemitoglu, known for his research and books on the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETàñ), was killed in 2002 in front of h…

yenisafak (2019-12-25). Syrian regime captures five villages in northwestern Syria. yenisafak.com Syria\'s Bashar al-Assad regime backed by Russia and Iran has captured 40 residential areas over the past five days in the northwestern Idlib province, despite the region being designated a de-escalation zone.Since the offensive began on Dec. 20, the regime and its allies have launched a military campaign mainly in the cities of Maarat Al-Numan and Saraqib as well as the surrounding rural areas.Despite the area being part of a de-escalation zone, the regime and its allies on Tuesday night took control of five more villages in Maarat Al-Numan, bringing the number of seized villages to 40.In September 2018, Turkey…

yenisafak (2019-12-25). \'Malaysia to maintain pioneer role in Islamic banking\'. yenisafak.com Malaysia is recognized as the \"global leader in Islamic banking\" sector which is enlarging rapidly worldwide, according to local media.\"We are seen as a pioneer in Islamic banking and we want to maintain that position,\" said Malaysian Deputy Finance Minister Amiruddin Hamzah.\"This sector is able to offer the best career opportunities and many of our graduates are in Islamic banking,\" Hamzah was quoted by Bernama news agency as saying.Underlining that Malaysia has the capacity to strengthen Islamic banking sector and create huge employment opportunities, Hamzah said: \"This \'takaful\' [Islamic insurance] is not only…

yenisafak (2019-12-25). Turkish president arrives in Tunis to meet his counterpart. yenisafak.com Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday arrived in Tunis to meet his Tunisian counterpart Kais Saied.Erdogan\'s visit came amid strengthening of Turkey-Libya ties.Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Head of Turkish National Intelligence Organization Hakan Fidan, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun and Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin are accompanying Erdogan during his visit.Turkey on Nov. 27 signed maritime boundary and security cooperation pacts with Libya\'s Tripoli-based, internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), spurning moves by o…

yenisafak (2019-12-25). Turkey says Erdogan in Tunisia for surprise talks with president. yenisafak.com Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Tunis on Wednesday in an unannounced visit for talks with Tunisian Presiden…

yenisafak (2019-12-25). Turkish | \'Robin Hood\' steals heart of old woman wanting to throw her son a | wedding. yenisafak.com A Turkish Good Samaritan, named \"Robin Hood\" by Istanbulites, in an altruistic act gave five gold coins, 1000 dollars and a box of chocolates to an impoverished woman who wanted to help her son with wedding expenses.The Secret Santa has been distributing envelopes containing 1000 Turkish liras to low-income families who generally live in shanty towns, paying their debts in neighborhood grocery stores and handing out pocket money to children since March 2019. Turkish citizen Vecihe Algàºl, one of his charges who lives in the àúskàºdar district of Turkey\'s Istanbul, said: \"I really need this aid. I…

RT (2019-12-25). WATCH Indian soldiers throw Christmas party and sing Jingle Bells at outpost in Kashmir. rt.com Indian Army servicemen built snowmen and did their best rendition of a world-famous Christmas song as they celebrated the holiday at a remote snowy outpost along the Line of Control (LoC) in disputed Kashmir. | A video published on Wednesday shows several dozen Indian troops dancing and clapping as they sing the popular carol Jingle Bells near a helipad. | A man in a Santa Claus costume is seen grooving to the tune while holding a cane, with two human-sized snowmen with red scarves and caps in the background. | #WATCH Jawans celebrate Christmas on the Line of Control in Kashmir. (Source – Indian Army)

Staff (2019-12-24). Jane Fonda Arrested: We Are in a Climate Emergency. I Have No Choice But to Put My Body on the Line. democracynow.org A new round of protests, Fire Drill Fridays, led by actress Jane Fonda are calling for action to address the climate crisis, as bushfires fueled by a historic heat wave threaten Australia, high tides threaten to flood Venice, and the Philippines prepares for a Christmas typhoon. Last Friday, a day before Jane Fonda\'s 82nd birthday, the longtime political activist, feminist and two-time Academy Award winner was arrested for the fifth time, as she has been nearly every Friday in Washington since she started Fire Drill Fridays, inspired in part by the Swedish youth climate activist Greta Thunberg. She was arrested a…

Staff (2019-12-24). Biden\'s New Endorsement Reflects Battle for Latino Support. truthdig.com Joe Biden\'s presidential bid got a boost Monday from one of the leading Latinos in Congress, with the chairman of the Hispanic Caucus\' political arm endorsing the former vice president as Democrats\' best hope to defeat President Donald Trump. | \"People realize it\'s a matter of life and death for certain communities,\" Rep. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif., told The Associated Press in an interview, explaining the necessity of halting Trump\'s populist nationalism, hard-line immigration policies and xenophobic rhetoric that the California congressman called cruel. | Cárdenas\' is the chairman of Bold PAC, the political arm of…

Satya Vatti (2019-12-24). Huge protests in India call for unity vs. government\'s effort to expel Muslims. liberationnews.org Some of the largest protests in recent decades are taking place across many states in India as mass outrage and opposition mounts against the passage of anti-Muslim legislation. India is home to about 200 million Muslims, but the government is led by a far-right, Hindu fundamentalist party called the BJP. At least 25 people have …

Staff (2019-12-24). Former Uber CEO Kalanick Severs Ties With Ride-Hailing Giant. truthdig.com NEW YORK — Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is resigning from the board of directors, severing ties to the ride-hailing company that he co-founded a decade ago and ran until a series of scandals led to his downfall. | The departure, announced Tuesday, did not come as a surprise. Kalanick recently sold more than $2.5 billion worth of stock in the company, or more than 90% of his holdings. | \"Uber has been a part of my life for the past 10 years. At the close of the decade, and with the company now public, it seems like the right moment for me to focus on my current business and philanthropic pursuits,\" the 43…

Thomas Scripps (2019-12-24). Assange Gives Evidence in Spanish Court-Room Case. Security Contractor Accused of Spying on Assange. globalresearch.ca WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was brought from Belmarsh Prison yesterday to appear in person at Westminster Magistrates Court and provide video-link witness testimony in the Spanish prosecution of David Morales, the founder of security firm UC Global. Morales, a …

Ariel Gold (2019-12-24). The Fascinating History and Political Lives of Jews in Iran. commondreams.org CODEPINK delegation in the sukkot of the Yusef Abad synagogue. (Photo: CODEPINK) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/codepink_1.jpg …

Staff (2019-12-24). Sanders and Omar Call on OSHA to Release Amazon\'s Injury Records. truthout.org This story was originally published by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit news organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn more at revealnews.org and subscribe to the Reveal podcast, produced with PRX, at revealnews.org/podcast. | Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota are calling on the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to provide…

Peoples Dispatch (2019-12-24). Immigration detention centers \"rife with abuse,\" investigation reveals. peoplesdispatch.org An investigation into the detention centers maintained under the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), by USA Today, revealed rampant physical and sexual abuse of migrant detainees. The investigation, published on December 23, analyzed inspection reports since 2015, and identified more than 16,000 reports of violence, apart from hundreds of documents and records of inspections, lawsuits, finance reports and contracts. The investigation also documented 35 first hand accounts from current and former detainees, about the conditions inside the centers. | This is the largest and the most extensive i…

Juan Cole (2019-12-24). Would Refugee Baby Jesus Have Been Torn From Mary\'s Arms by Trump? commondreams.org A Nativity scene in the southern Califiornia city of Claremont depicting the Holy Family as a separated family held in cages at the U.S. border is sparking controversy and conversations over President Donald Trump's immigration policies. (Photo: Rev. Karen Clark Ristine/Facebook) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/nativity.jpg …

teleSUR (2019-12-24). US Congress Committee to Investigate Death of Detained Migrants. telesurenglish.net The House Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Chairman Jamie Raskin announced Monday that they will investigate the deaths of migrant children and adults who were held in U.S. detention centers. | RELATED: | US Awards Migration Detention Contracts Ahead of California Ban | Given that a recent report warned of the existence of a \"pattern of negligence and abuse that caused serious damage and the d…

teleSUR (2019-12-24). Turkish Congress Readying Bill To Allow Sending Troops to Libya. telesurenglish.net Turkey may need to draft a bill to allow for troop deployment to Libya and its parliament is working on the issue, Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Tuesday after Ankara signed a military cooperation agreement with Tripoli last month. | RELATED: | Erdogan Says Turkey Cannot Handle New Wave of Syrian Migrants | \"There might be a need for authorization…

IMEMC & Agencies (2019-12-24). Israeli Military Seizes Equipment, Declares Area North of Hebron \'Closed Military Zone\'. imemc.org Israeli forces seized a truck and a bulldozer owned by Palestinian residents in the town of Beit Ummar to the north of Hebron, the southern occupied West Bank, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. Mohammed Awad, a media activist, said that Israeli forces confiscated a truck and a …

Max Parry (2019-12-24). How the Pro-War \"Left\" Fell for the Kurds in Syria. globalresearch.ca The October decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw American troops from northeastern Syria did not only precipitate the Turkish offensive, codenamed \'Operation Peace Spring\', into Kurdish-held territory which followed. It also sparked an outcry of hysteria from much …

Brenda Norrell (2019-12-24). Blood Memory Rising, Book Review of Standing with Standing Rock. indybay.org \'Standing with Standing Rock,\' is an encyclopedia of resistance, which chronicles the Water Protector movement from the first run to Washington, and on to the camps, and the surveillance by TigerSwan, to the ultimate international divestment campaign. In its 29 chapters are poetry, essays and discussions of Indigenous rights and Treaties.

Elliot Sperber (2019-12-24). Peace on Earth . counterpunch.org Peace on Earth The laundry soap\'ll hardly pour When it\'s as cold as this it\'s thick And white as wax when — well It had to be a green cat Candle the last of the red ones Ears were smashed And peace on earth my friend won\'t come Until we stop worshipping Work and war, More

Thomas Knapp (2019-12-24). The Christmas Truce of 1914: Proof that Peace is Possible. counterpunch.org As 1914 drew to a close, Europe had been at war for months. On the Western Front, opposing armies faced each other across a stalemated front line running from the North Sea to the Swiss border. On December 24, 100,000 soldiers from both sides of that line decided to create some peace on Earth. They More

Dave Id (2019-12-24). Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf orders mass arrest of Housing Justice protesters. indybay.org An inspirational day of solidarity with unhoused Oaklanders turned into a traumatic night after mayor Libby Schaaf directed a small army of police and DPW workers to smash a housing rights protest held on the doorstep of City Hall. For daring to challenge the Oakland\'s never ending war against the homeless — the city\'s encampment demolitions and evictions, the towing of residential vehicles, and a lack of earnestness and urgency in addressing the housing crisis — twenty-two people were arrested and sent to Santa Rita jail, some for over two days.

Stephen Lendman (2019-12-24). India\'s Discriminatory New Citizenship Law. globalresearch.ca India\'s 2019 Citizenship Act expedites the process for persecuted minorities of Pakistani, Afghan and Bangladesh nationality who resided in India since 2014. | It applies only for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jains, and Parsis, Muslims excluded. | According to the UN Human …

Joseph G. Ramsey (2019-12-24). A Bell Cuts Through the Noise. counterpunch.org Dressed in full-on 18th-century-style tricorn hats and bonnets, Freedom Trail tour guides can look out of place amid Boston\'s skyscrapers and bumper-to-bumper traffic. They keep the city\'s Revolutionary past alive, but in 21st-century conditions. The costumes and official stops on the Freedom Trail—from Old North Church to Faneuil Hall—have basically stayed the same since the More

Lara Merling (2019-12-24). After the Argentina Debacle, the IMF Endorses Weakening Capital Controls in Ecuador. counterpunch.org Over the past year, a rebranded International Monetary Fund (IMF) returned to Latin America with promises of loan agreements that would be different than the dreaded \"structural adjustment programs\" of the past. Behind statements about inclusive growth and protecting the most vulnerable, are policies similarto the structural adjustments of the Washington Consensus era. While the More

Kshama Sawant (2019-12-24). Tax Amazon: Strike While the Iron is Hot. counterpunch.org The history of American capitalism is full of corporate bullying, threats and even violence against working people when we stand up for our rights. | Yet in spite of Amazon\'s all-out, attempted hostile corporate takeover of Seattle City Hall this year, working people just beat the richest man in the world by running perhaps the strongest grassroots campaign ever in our city. When we fight, we can win. More

Alexandra Isfahani-Hammond (2019-12-24). Tweets About Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi \"Dying Like a Dog\" are no Joking Matter. counterpunch.org The media has been overflowing with wisecracks about the absurdity of Trump\'s praise for the Belgian Malinois, Conan, one of several dogs used to hunt Isis founder and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on October 26. On the one hand, Trump tweeted that the \"wonderful,\" \"beautiful\" and \"talented\" dog did a \"GREAT JOB\" and posted a More

Robert Hunziker (2019-12-24). The Amazon at a Tipping Point. counterpunch.org The Amazon rainforest is a crucial life-support ecosystem. Without its wondrous strength and power to generate hydrologic systems across the sky (as far north as Iowa), absorb and store carbon (CO2), and its miraculous life-giving endless supply of oxygen, civilization would cease to exist beyond scattered tribes, here and there. More

N.D. Jayaprakash (2019-12-24). Indo-Pak Nuclear Confrontation: First Use Policy & the Race towards Armageddon. counterpunch.org Click here to read Part Two. Head in the Sand Approach Information on the colossal destructive effects of use of nuclear weapons, based on the horrendous experiences of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, has been in the public domain for well over six decades. Yet, unmindful of the existing knowledge about the More

Dean Baker (2019-12-24). Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Right to Dump Sewage on Your Lawn. counterpunch.org In debates over protecting the environment, and especially global warming, it is standard practice to refer to the pro-protection side as being in favor of government regulation and the anti-protection side as being pro-free market. This is nonsense and it is nonsense in a way that strongly benefits the enemies of environmental protection. There is More

Nino Pagliccia (2019-12-24). The US Approves Bill That May Legislate Hybrid Warfare on Venezuela. counterpunch.org On December 16 both houses in the US approved the appropriation bill to be signed by President Trump. Aside from the mind-boggling amount of $1.4 trillion that was approved in total our interest was in looking at the details concerning Venezuela. A press release issued by the organization Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) is More

T.J. Coles (2019-12-24). The Dream is Over: How Boris Johnson Won the UK Election. counterpunch.org After the shock and the grief comes reflection. After reflection comes renewed determination. But under Britain\'s sham of a democracy, the public won\'t get the chance to remove the vile creature put into No. 10 by 14 million or so voters for at least five years; and even then, a government has the legal right to seek a general election prior to the five-year period if it is doing well in the public opinion polls, effectively giving itself long-term reign. More

WSWS (2019-12-24). Saudi Arabia sentences hit men to death, shields organizers of Jamal Khashoggi murder. wsws.org The announcement by Saudi Arabia of death sentences for five members of the death squad that brutally assassinated the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey in 2018 is part of a cover-up to protect the role of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Youth V Apocalypse, PlantingJustice, Mycelium (2019-12-24). Climate Strike: SF Bay Area Youth Strike in Oakland. indybay.org Plaza outside Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612…

Brenda Norrell (2019-12-24). Buffy Sainte Marie Truthtelling Indigenous Genocide. indybay.org Buffy Sainte Marie described the genocide, slavery, murder and rape of Indigenous Peoples, that the kings and queens, military, churches and banks are responsible for, speaking with AIM West\'s Tony Gonzales, during the 50th Anniversary of the Occupation of Alcatraz.

Philip A Farruggio (2019-12-24). Disconnected at Christmas… Bah Humbug! globalresearch.ca John and Yoko Lennon\'s 1971 \'Happy Christmas …\' song begins with \"So this is Christmas and what have you done?….\". Well, this holiday season, replete with the usual suspects of mass consumer spending, massive traffic jams and accidents, mass pleas …

Ceren Sagir (2019-12-24). MI5 Given the Go-ahead to Allow Informants to Commit Crimes. globalresearch.ca Human rights campaigners today vowed to appeal against a \"knife-edge\" divided tribunal ruling which allowed MI5 to continue authorising informants to commit serious criminal offences. | Privacy International, Reprieve, the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) and the Pat Finucane …

Text: RR Photos: Terry Scussel, Pro Bono Photo (2019-12-24). In SF, Music Punctuates Enthusiastic Chanting at Rally and March on Eve of Historic Impeachment Vote. indybay.org In San Francisco, lyrics were rewritten to rock classics calling for impeachment and a crowd of thousands chanted for \"Trump Pence Out Now!\"

Text: RR Photos: Jack Owicki, Pro Bono Photo (2019-12-24). In Mountain View, Seasonal and Humorous Signs at Eve of Impeachment Demo on Four Corners. indybay.org Demonstrators leaned in toward passing traffic to show off their creative signs on Impeachment Eve at a major intersection in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Staff (2019-12-24). House Committee Raises Prospect of More Impeachment Articles. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee held open the possibility Monday of recommending additional articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump as it pressed anew for the testimony of former White House counsel Don McGahn. | The committee wants a federal appeals court to order McGahn to testify as it examines potential obstruction of justice by the president during special counsel Robert Mueller\'s Russia investigation. The committee says McGahn\'s testimony could also be useful for any Senate impeachment trial. | A judge last month directed McGahn to comply with the House Judiciary Committee su…

Kate Zeller (2019-12-24). President Trump Authorizes Somalia Debt Relief. indybay.org President Trump signed a year-end spending bill which authorizes the first phase of debt relief for Somalia.

WSWS (2019-12-24). Journalist Peter Hartcher and the anti-China campaign in Australia. wsws.org Hartcher\'s essay in the Quarterly Essay is textbook propaganda for war. It seeks to cultivate nationalist fear and even paranoia about the intended enemy—China.

Citizens\' Climate Lobby San Mateo (2019-12-24). Everything You Wanted to Know about Climate Change, but Were Afraid to Ask. indybay.org Half Moon Bay Library, 620 Correas Street, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019…

Citizens\' Climate Lobby (2019-12-24). 2020 Citizens\' Climate Lobby Northern California Regional Conference. indybay.org Oakland Technical High School, 4351 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611…

Citizens\' Climate Lobby (2019-12-24). 2020 Citizens\' Climate Lobby Northern CA Regional Conference, Day 2. indybay.org Oakland Technical High School, 4351 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611…

WSWS (2019-12-24). Far-right Spanish general demands ouster of Socialist Party government. wsws.org According to El País, this call from the former chief of staff of the Spanish army is circulating widely in the officer corps among WhatsApp groups.

Fight Back (2019-12-24). Anti-war leader blasts Klobuchar for backing U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN — Amy Klobuchar, a \'centrist\' who is trying to become the Democratic Party standard-bearer in the upcoming elections for president, states that she will not reverse Trump\'s decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. There has long been a consensus among most Republican and Democratic politicians to support the Zionist occupation of Palestine. | Meredith Aby-Keirstead, a leader of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee responded, \"It doesn't surprise any of us in the anti-war movement that Klobuchar doesn't want to reverse Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy fr…

Fight Back (2019-12-24). Greetings from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) on the CPP\'s 51th Anniversary. fightbacknews.org Dear Comrades: | We convey our warmest revolutionary greetings on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Your achievements are many and we stand with you in your struggle to liberate the Philippines from the yoke of U.S. imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism. We are sure you will win many more victories in the coming period. | The Communist Party of the Philippines is in the leadership of a great people\'s war that is inspiration to working and oppressed people everywhere. The people's democratic revolution, with socialist orientation, will t…

Lynda Carson (2019-12-24). Michael L. Cantor mocks the artwork of the Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificates. indybay.org In a shocking email further below, Michael L. Cantor, director of FE Partners LLC, the owner of the former Presidential Yacht Sequoia, mocks the artwork of the Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificates with condescension and derision towards the much coveted historical Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificates!

RT (2019-12-24). \'Role play\'? Swedish schoolkids made to kneel in gender-segregated MUSLIM prayer & told to listen to Koran in Arabic. rt.com A Swedish school decided to familiarize its fifth-graders with Islamic worshipping by having a teacher recite Koranic verse to them and having them pray facing Mecca, in a bizarre set-up the educators called \"role play.\" | An offbeat \"religion lesson\" was taught at the Bjurbäck school situated in the south of Sweden, according to Samhallsnytt news outlet. An outraged parent said pupils were told to face the Kaaba and kneel on prayer mats, while the whole class was divided by gender, with girls forced to the back of the room. | His daughters \"did not even want to be there because they could not understand…

RT (2019-12-24). US allows Pakistan to resume military training after aid freeze. rt.com The US will allow Pakistan to rejoin a military training program suspended two years ago when President Donald Trump froze security aid to the country. Resuming the program, which represents only a part of the halted aid, is one sign of warming relations between Washington and Islamabad, AFP said. | Trump hosted Pakistani PM Imran Khan at the White House in July, and the US has several times welcomed Pakistani help in negotiations with the Afghan Taliban. In January 2018, prior to Khan\'s election, Trump froze the assistance, saying Pakistan was not doing enough to target bases of the Afghan Taliban and its aff…

RT (2019-12-24). Abe, Moon meet after worst period of tension between S. Korea & Japan in decades. rt.com South Korea\'s President Moon Jae-in and Japan\'s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met on the sidelines of a trilateral summit with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in the Chinese city of Chengdu. Tension over stalled denuclearization talks between North Korea and the United States was the main issue on the agenda. | Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing \"agreed to continue close communication and cooperation toward denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula,\" Moon said. \"We… decided to work together to ensure that denuclearization and peace continue through prompt North Korea-US dialogue,\" he added. | For Moon and Abe…

RT (2019-12-24). Wrong kind of record: 2019 was year of most US mass murders ever — study. rt.com Among the records the US set in 2019 was a sad and disturbing one. It was the year with the most incidents of mass killing since media and scholars started keeping track, according to a new study. | There were 211 victims in 41 mass killings this year, according to the database maintained by the Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University in Boston. By their definition, a mass murder is any incident in which four or more people die, excluding the perpetrator. | It is the largest number of mass killings since the two news organizations and the university started tracking them in 2006, when they reco…

RT (2019-12-24). US steps up campaign to urge Europe to drop Huawei, says Chinese tech firm threatens British intelligence services. rt.com US National Security Advisor Robert O\'Brien has cautioned Britain against allowing Huawei to operate 5G networks in the UK, claiming that the move would endanger the country\'s intelligence services. | Inviting the Chinese firm to help develop 5G in the UK risks handing Beijing access to the \"most intimate\" details of British citizens, as well as sensitive intelligence and national secrets, the senior White House official told the Financial Times. | \"They are just going to steal wholesale state secrets, whether they are the UK\'s nuclear secrets or secrets from MI6 or MI5,\" O\'Brien claimed. He said that it was \"

RT (2019-12-24). Russia\'s 5th-gen Su-57 fighter jet crashes during factory trials — pilot ejects. rt.com One of Russia\'s cutting-edge Su-57 fighter jets has crashed during routine factory test flights near the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft plant in the Far East. The pilot ejected safely and was picked up by a Mi-8 rescue helicopter. | The aircraft involved in the incident belonged to the manufacturer and was undergoing a series of flight tests some 110 kilometers off Dzyomgi air base in Russia\'s Khabarovsk region. | There were no casualties or major damage on the ground, the manufacturer confirmed, in a brief statement. The crashed jet\'s black boxes were in the process of being recovered. | Also on rt.com | | …

RT (2019-12-24). 'What's a foreign hand doing here?' Indians outraged over German students' protesting against citizenship bill. rt.com A German exchange student in India was deported from the country after participating in demonstrations against a new citizenship bill, local media reported. Indians have been raising alarm over foreigners joining the protests. | Jakob Lindenthal, a post-graduate student in physics at the Indian Institute of Technology (ITT) in Chennai, was allegedly ordered by immigration officials to leave India after he had joined in on anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) rallies. | Photographs of Lindenthal show him hold placards reading \"No democracy without dissent\" and \"1933-1945: We have been there\" — apparently d…

yenisafak (2019-12-24). German student says he\'s told to leave India after joining protests. yenisafak.com A German exchange student said on Tuesday that Indian authorities had ordered him to leave the country after he took part in protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi\'s new citizenship law.Jakob Lindenthal, a 24-year-old pursuing a master\'s degree in physics, said he took part in two rallies in the southern city of Chennai against the law, which critics say discriminates against India\'s minority Muslims.A photo circulated on Twitter shows Lindenthal holding a sign that reads: \"1933-1945 We have been there,\" a reference to Nazi Germany.Lindenthal said he was summoned to a meeting with India\'s immigration autho…

yenisafak (2019-12-24). Russian airstrikes kill 8 civilians in Syria\'s Idlib. yenisafak.com Syrian opposition aircraft monitors said Russian warplanes struck the city of Saraqib and towns of Maar Shoreen, Babeela and Jawbas.The attacks on Jawbas left eight people, including five children, dead, sources with the White Helmets civil defense agency said.Over 1,300 civilians have been killed in the Idlib de-escalation zone despite a deal reached by Ankara and Moscow in September 2018.Over a million Syrians have moved near the Turkish border following intense attacks.Since the eruption of the bloody civil war in Syria in 2011, Turkey has taken in over 3.6 million Syrians who fled their country, making Turkey…

yenisafak (2019-12-24). YPG/PKK forcibly recruits orphan kids against soldiers. yenisafak.com Terror group YPG/PKK recruits foreign national orphan children held hostage in a camp in northern Syria and trains them to fight against Turkish and Syrian soldiers, according to security sources on Tuesday.A terrorist who surrendered to security forces in Turkey\'s southeastern Mardin province revealed the YPG/PKK\'s malice once again, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.Identified by initials H.A., the terrorist said the orphan children held hostage in al-Hol Camp in northern Syria\'s Hasakah city were being forcibly trained to use weapons.Over 100 children, age…

yenisafak (2019-12-24). YPG/PKK terrorist surrenders to Turkish forces. yenisafak.com A YPG/PKK terrorist surrendered to border security forces in southeastern Turkey, said a security source on Tuesday.Identified only with initials M.K., the terrorist, codenamed Diyar, surrendered in Nusaybin, a border district of Mardin province near Syria, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.The security forces\' efforts to convince the terrorists to surrender bore fruit, and their investigation revealed that many terrorists have been active within the PKK for years.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organiz…

yenisafak (2019-12-24). Syrian regime, allies capture 35 residential areas in Idlib. yenisafak.com Syria\'s Bashar al-Assad regime backed by Russia and Iran has captured 35 residential areas in the past four days in the northwestern Idlib province, which has been designated a de-escalation zone.Since the offensive began on Dec. 20, the regime and its allies have launched a military campaign mainly in the cities of Maarat Al-Numan and Saraqib as well as the surrounding rural areas.Despite being a de-escalation zone, the regime and its allies on Monday night took control of nine more areas, including Jarjnaz, Khirbet Marata, Abu Dafna, al-Hadisa, Kafr Yasin, al-Salihiyah, Dar al-Salam, al-Falul, and Babulin, bri…

yenisafak (2019-12-24). President Erdogan, UK\'s Johnson discuss bilateral, regional issues. yenisafak.com The Turkish president and British prime minister in a phone call discussed bilateral ties and regional issues, according to an official statement on Tuesday.Turkey\'s Directorate of Communications said Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Boris Johnson also discussed recent developments in Libya and Syria.

yenisafak (2019-12-24). Moroccan | NGO urges Muslim world to support Uighurs against China\'s \'genocide\'. yenisafak.com A non-governmental organisation in Morocco urged the Arab world and Islamic organizations to stand against China\'s long-standing crackdown on Muslim Uighurs in the far western region of Xinjiang, calling the persecution a \"genocide.\"The Support Committee for the Causes of the Ummah expressed its concerns in a written statement about the religious persecution, ethnic cleansing campaign, human rights violations and abuses targeting Uighur Muslim minorities in East Turkestan, the name that Uighur exiles use for Xinjiang.The NGO also called on human rights organizations to take action against racist and arbitrary det…

yenisafak (2019-12-24). Japan PM asks South Korea to take steps to resolve bilateral row. yenisafak.com Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Tuesday it is South Korea\'s responsibility to come up with measures that would resolve bilateral disputes that have taken Tokyo\'s relationship with Seoul to the lowest in decades.Abe made the comment at a news conference on the sidelines of a trilateral summit with China and South Korea in Chengdu, China.Ties between Japan and South Korea, two of the United States\' major Asian allies, have plunged to their lowest in decades after South Korea\'s top court last year ordered Japanese firms to compensate some wartime forced labourers.Japan says the issue was settled under a 1…

yenisafak (2019-12-24). Turkey not given up on Khashoggi murder case: Experts. yenisafak.com Evaluating Monday verdict of a Saudi court over slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Turkish experts said the decision does not bind Turkey and called for carrying out legal process in Istanbul, where the incident took place.Criminal lawyer Ersan Sen told Anadolu Agency that only Turkey has the judiciary rights on the Khashoggi case in the world.Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post and a U.S. resident, was murdered after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 of last year on a visit to pick up paperwork for his forthcoming marriage.\"The UN, U.S., or Saudi Arabia, no matter who says what, it doe…

yenisafak (2019-12-24). Russian, Turkish diplomats discuss Libyan crisis. yenisafak.com Moscow hosted expert consultations of Russian and Turkish diplomats on Libya on Dec. 23, Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.The talks were held at the level of deputy foreign ministers, Russia\'s Mikhail Bogdanov and Turkey\'s Sedat Onal headed the delegations, the ministry said in a statement published on its official website.As a result of \"mindful exchange of views,\" the two countries agreed to continue contacts on Libyan issues, including \"possible assistance to the early settlement of the crisis in the country,\" the ministry said.On Nov. 27, Ankara and Tripoli signed two separate memorandums of understa…

yenisafak (2019-12-24). US National Security Adviser warns UK about allowing Huawei in 5G. yenisafak.com U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O\'Brien has warned UK about allowing China\'s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd into its 5G telecommunications networks, saying such a move would pose a risk to UK\'s secret intelligence services, the Financial Times reported.\"They are just going to steal wholesale state secrets, whether they are the UK\'s nuclear secrets or secrets from MI6 or MI5,\" O\'Brien told the FT in an interview on.ft.com/2Zm8PZ7 published on Tuesday.\"It is somewhat shocking to us that folks in the UK would look at Huawei as some sort of a commercial…

yenisafak (2019-12-24). Nepal nabs 122 Chinese suspects over financial crimes. yenisafak.com Nepal police arrested 122 Chinese nationals suspected of committing financial crimes in the largest-ever arrest of a group of foreigners in the country, an official said on Tuesday.Hundreds of police officers in Kathmandu were deployed Monday in the northern outskirts of the capital to arrest suspects, including eight women, from China, said Bed Bahadur Pandey, a spokesman of Nepal Police\'s Central Investigation Bureau.The mass arrest came three months after five Chinese people were arrested on suspicion of hacking of ATMs in Kathmandu.Police also seized laptops and mobile phones in coordinated raids in 10 buildi…