2019-11-16: News Headlines

RT (2019-11-16). Fizzled-out rebels or agents of change? France's year of Yellow Vests protests. rt.com As the 'Yellow Vests' protests in France come full circle, some vow to keep fighting for a more just society, while others believe the movement has gone too far. Though rattled, the system they rose up against is still in power.

RT (2019-11-16). Tear gas & bonfires: Scuffles with police as Yellow Vests block roads in Paris ahead of 1st anniversary of protests (WATCH LIVE). rt.com Police fired tear gas as Yellow Vest protesters blocked a major road and erected barricades in Paris, marking one year since the nationwide demonstration movement began sweeping the country. | Clashes broke out at Place d'Italie downtown and near Porte de Champerret on the city's outskirts. | pic.twitter.com/m9REoHUsYs— BFMTV (@BFMTV) November 16, 2019 | Place ditalie #Acte53 pic.twitter.com/aTWZHE4Ay8

RT (2019-11-16). ATP Finals: Nadal edged out as defending champ Zverev powers into semi-finals in London (VIDEO). rt.com Reigning ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev is on course to repeat his surprise success in London from 2018 after his victory over Daniil Medvedev put him into the semis — and eliminated Rafael Nadal in the process. | Twenty-two-year-old Zverev defeated Medvedev 6-4, 7-6 late on Friday night in England to book his place in Saturday's semi-finals at The O2 Arena, where he will take on 26-year-old Austrian Dominic Thiem in the final four. | The end-of-year tournament in London has proved to be a tough one for the game's biggest stars, with both Nadal and Novak Djokovic crashing out after the round-robin…

RT (2019-11-16). Twitter's 'ban' on political ads has a gaping, legacy media-shaped loophole. rt.com Trying to stay ahead of spurious allegations of enabling 'Russian meddling' into US elections, Twitter has outlawed all political advertising — but left an exemption most US legacy media, though partisan, will easily sail through. | "Twitter globally prohibits the promotion of political content. We have made this decision based on our belief that political message reach should be earned, not bought," the company announced Friday, sharing the details of its ad ban. | Elaborating on the decision in a thread, Twitter's head of legal, policy and Trust & Safety Vijaya Gadde effectively admitted that the ban w…

RT (2019-11-16). Arizona border patrol SHOOTS Russian citizen 'suspected' of crossing from Mexico into US illegally. rt.com A Russian citizen was shot and wounded by a US Border Patrol agent who claims he suspected the man of sneaking into the country illegally. The Russian consulate has confirmed his identity and requested access to the man. | "A Tucson Sector Border Patrol agent discharged his service-issued firearm in an incident near Lukeville, Arizona," the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) said in a statement on Friday, adding the wounded man was then transported to a hospital in Phoenix by helicopter for treatment of "non-life threatening injuries." | @CBPArizona says an Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2019-11-16). It's Official: Dysfunctional Impeachment Resolution against Donald J. Trump. H. RES. 13. globalresearch.ca According to Rep.Sherman: "Recent disclosures by Donald Trump Jr. indicate that Trump's campaign was eager to receive assistance from Russia." The NYT candidly states without a shred of evidence that the Russian lawyer is "connected the Russian government" intimating that she is a stooge of the Kremlin.

WSWS (2019-11-16). The Trump impeachment and US policy in Ukraine. wsws.org The public hearings on impeachment have brought to light bitter recriminations within the US ruling elite sparked by the failure of its anti-Russia efforts in Ukraine.

WSWS (2019-11-16). Germany: Left Party parliamentary group elects new leadership. wsws.org The trench warfare within the Left Party expresses tensions and friction stemming inevitably from the right-wing turn undertaken by the whole party.

WSWS (2019-11-16). Former US Secretary of State Kissinger points to danger of "catastrophic" conflict between US and China. wsws.org Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has warned of an inevitable "conflict" between the US and China that "will be worse than the world wars that ruined European civilisation."

South Front (2019-11-16). Video: With Russia's Support Syrian Army Kicks Off New Offensive in Southern Idlib. globalresearch.ca On November 14, the Syrian Army backed up by the Russian Aerospace Forces launched a limited offensive on positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and its Turkish-backed allies in southern Idlib. Government forces liberated the town of Luwaybidah and the nearby …

C.J. Atkins (2019-11-15). You can't fight corruption without pissing off corrupt people. peoplesworld.org You can't fight corruption "without pissing off corrupt people." That's what State Department official George Kent said during his testimony at Wednesday's public impeachment hearing. On Friday morning, his point was proved. While former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was testifying, President Donald Trump was certainly pissed off. At the very moment Yovanovitch was …

Staff (2019-11-15). Yovanovitch Testifies for 5 Hours in House Probe. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — The Latest on President Donald Trump and House impeachment hearings (all times local): | 3: 22 p.m. | The second open House impeachment hearing is over. | Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch testified for about five hours on Friday, telling investigators about her ouster in May at President Donald Trump's direction and how she felt as she found out that he had criticized her in a July phone call with Ukraine's president. | She also said it was "intimidating" as Trump went after her again on Twitter as she testified…

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

RT (2019-11-15). White House releases text of 1st phone call between Trump & Zelensky. rt.com The White House has released a memo of the first phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Although it details a predictably throwaway exchange, the search for the hidden meanings is on. | The call, made just a few hours after Zelensky was elected in Ukraine, is little more than a brief exchange of pleasantries, with Trump congratulating Zelensky on his presidency and the two heads of state talking about how great their respective countries are. Zelensky invites Trump to his inauguration, and Trump says they'll meet soon, whether at the inauguration or elsewhere. | N…

RT (2019-11-15). Ex-Ukraine envoy's feelings that Trump 'threatened' her & his 'real-time attacks' on Twitter are IMPEACHABLE, Democrats say. rt.com Ex-ambassador Marie Yovanovitch feeling "threatened" by President Donald Trump and his tweet criticizing her "in real-time" during her testimony amount to new grounds for impeachment, Democrats and their media proxies claimed. | During Friday's impeachment hearing, Yovanovitch complained that she's been the victim of a "smear campaign" by the Trump administration, carried out particularly by the president's personal counsel Rudy Giuliani — and Trump himself. | The former ambassador recalled her reaction to the transcript of the phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a testi…

Alex Anfruns (2019-11-15). "Europe has developed thanks to Africa's wealth" … dissidentvoice.org Mamadou Mansaré "You must know a great fighter, he is a personality in his country" — the French worker of North African origin who introduced him to me told me. It was rigorously true. For many years Mamadou Mansaré has embodied the voice of the Guinean workers' movement in the National Confederation of Guinean Workers …

RT (2019-11-15). Here's what happens to a car in a nuclear-force blast (VIDEO). rt.com A nuclear strike is the ultimate attack, annihilating all in its path. Yet modern military hardware must be able to survive this force and it turns out Russia has the perfect place to test if its latest gear meets this challenge.

RT (2019-11-15). Roger Stone conviction: Trump attacks double-standards on LYING while media repurposes a disproved 'WikiLeaks insider' connection. rt.com Former Donald Trump campaign strategist Roger Stone has been found guilty of all felony charges over his false claim of having an inside contact at WikiLeaks (he didn't). Trump said those who lied under oath against him walk free. | Stone was convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstruction, all charges centered around misrepresenting the nature of his contacts with WikiLeaks during intelligence committee hearings related to the special counsel's 'Russian collusion' inquiry. Not only did Stone falsely claim comedian and former friend Randy Credico was the "intermediary" discussed in emails wi…

teleSUR (2019-11-15). Hungary's Far-Right Govt Tightens Control on Courts and Schools. telesurenglish.net The Hungarian government has proposed legislation that would increase its control over the country's courts and independent schools, raising concerns from rights groups. | RELATED: | UN Urges Hungary To Move Children From 'Prison-like' Camps | One measure submitted to parliament this week would strengthen the Constitutional Court, most of whose judges are already elected by the ruling party. | Earlier this month, the government abandoned plans to set up separate administrative court…

teleSUR (2019-11-15). France: 1,000 Yellow Vests Sent To Prison in 1 Year of Protests. telesurenglish.net More that one thousand French "yellow vests" have been sent to prison between last November and the end of June revealed the lastest official estimate by the Public Ministry, as the movement prepared to celebrate its first anniversary on Saturday. | RELATED: | France: Fresh Protests Against Macron's Pension Reform | Prison sentences go from a few months up to three years, and an extra group of 1,230 protesters have been sentenced to prison on parole, while 900 have been sentenced to othe…

Stephen Lendman (2019-11-15). Russia Denounces Bolivia Coup, Moscow's Ambiguous Statement Regarding Illegitimate Self-Proclaimed President. globalresearch.ca Time and again, Russia stressed that it supports the sovereign independence and territorial integrity of other countries. | On Monday, its Foreign Ministry denounced the toppling of Bolivia's Evo Morales, a statement saying: | "We are alarmed by the dramatic developments …

teleSUR (2019-11-15). France: Court To Review Dismissal Of Rape Case Against Minister. telesurenglish.net A French appeal court must look again at whether a judge's decision to dismiss an investigation into rape allegations against Finance Minister Gerald Darmanin was valid after prosecutors said they could not establish "absence of consent". | RELATED: | Spain: Catalan Parliament Presses for Independence | The investigation into the allegations against Darmanin, who is a President Emmanuel Macron's close political ally, was dropped in August 2018. The minister has qualified the allegations as…

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

David Hajdu (2019-11-15). Who Gets to Tell the Story of a Lost Music Culture? thenation.com Who Gets to Tell the Story of a Lost Music Culture?

Tony Cartalucci (2019-11-15). Karma: British "White Helmets" Co-Founder Dead in Turkey. globalresearch.ca Former British military officer James Le Mesurier suspected of ties to MI6 and the co-founder of the so-called "White Helmets" front was found dead this month in Turkey from an apparent fall from his residence. | The Western media wasted no …

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

Staff (2019-11-15). The Ukraine Scandal Isn't Just About Politics — It's About Money. truthout.org This story was co-published with WNYC. | On this week's episode of "Trump, Inc.," we follow the money. | First, Let's Meet Our Cast of Ukraine Players: | Richest among them is Dmitry Firtash, an oligarch who has been battling to avoid an extradition flight to Chicago, where he faces federal charges of bribery. The Department of Justice has described Firtash as an "upper-echelon" associate "of Russian orga…

Kate Ruane (2019-11-15). Whistleblowers Are Public Servants. We Must Protect Them. aclu.org President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine spoke on the phone. The president insists the call was " perfect." Others are concerned that, during the call, the president intimated he would withhold financial aid appropriated to Ukraine unless the Ukrainian president agreed to investigate former-Vice President Joe Biden, a political rival of the president. | How do we even know about any of this? A…

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

Jeet Heer (2019-11-15). The Foreign Policy Establishment Is Hijacking Impeachment. thenation.com The Foreign Policy Establishment Is Hijacking Impeachment…

Staff (2019-11-15). WATCH LIVE: Trump Impeachment Inquiry Hearing. truthout.org The second day of televised impeachment hearings have begun into whether President Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine to pressure the Ukrainian president to investigate his political rival Joe Biden and his son. It is only the third time in U.S. history there have been televised impeachment hearings. | On Friday, November 15, the Committee will hear testimony from Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. | On Wednesday, November 13, the first two witnesses testified: George Kent, a deputy assi…

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

teleSUR (2019-11-15). Cuban Collaborators Return After Ecuador Cancels Agreement. telesurenglish.net The Government of Ecuador ended the six agreements signed with the Ministry of Public Health of Cuba, which allowed hiring the Caribbean doctors in the Latin American country. The decision was announced by Minister of Government, María Paula Romo, last Tuesday, November 12th, at the Carondelet Palace, in Quito. The representative ratified that there will be no renewal or no new agreements in this modality. | RELATED: | Ecuador: 'Russia Today' Taken Off The Air by State Company | "In t…

Staff (2019-11-15). Headlines for November 15, 2019. democracynow.org Two Killed as 16-Year-Old Student Opens Fire at L.A. County High School, El Paso Walmart Reopens, Three Months After Massacre by Racist Gunman, House Speaker Pelosi Accuses Trump of Bribery, an Impeachable Offense, Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine to Testify She Felt Threatened by Trump, Chile to Hold Referendum on Rewriting Pinochet-Era Constitution, Chilean Protesters Mark Anniversary of Police Killing of Indigenous Activist, Mon Laferte Holds Topless Protest Against Chilean State Violence at Latin Grammys, Indigenous Bolivians Protest as Interim President Orders Evo Morales Silenced, Israel Resumes Bombing as…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2019-11-15). Irish Youth Activists at First-Ever Climate Assembly Implore Govt to Listen to Science. commondreams.org Lawmakers were told they must "work on our behalf to ensure that we—and you—have a future." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/ireland-youth-climate-assembly.jpg

Staff (2019-11-14). Spain's Far Right Wins Big, But Left Coalition Still Possible. therealnews.com Spain held its second parliamentary election this year last Sunday, and the anti-immigrant and nationalist Vox party doubled its representation. But the vote might not resolve Spain's political impasse.

teleSUR (2019-11-14). Latin American Youth Demand Gender Equality, Sexual Rights. telesurenglish.net A group of young Latin American activists has called on world leaders to fight for sexual and reproductive health services, for the rights of people with disabilities and the right to abortion at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25) in Kenya. | RELATED: | Latin American Women Mark International Safe Abortion Day | Working with Kenya and Denmark, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has organized the ICPD25 summit which runs until Thursday with represen…

teleSUR (2019-11-14). Turkey Wont Give Up Russian Missile System: Erdogan. telesurenglish.net Turkey's president Tayyip Erdogan said Washington was not right to propose that Ankara get rid of the Russian S-400 missile defenses it purchased, calling it an infringement of sovereign rights, according to Turkish media. | RELATED: | Turkey's Erdogan Announces Capture of Al-Baghdadi's Wife | In a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Erdogan to abandon the S-400 systems that began arriving in Turkey in July despite threats of sanctions from Washin…

Stephen F. Cohen (2019-11-14). Why Are We in Ukraine? thenation.com Why Are We in Ukraine?

Staff (2019-11-14). "This Is Unacceptable": Ex-Congresswoman Who Voted to Impeach Nixon Says Trump Is a Rogue President. democracynow.org The public phase of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump began Wednesday, with testimonies from two witnesses: George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, and William Taylor, a former ambassador and the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine. The hearing brought forth new details about a previously unknown phone call in July between President Trump and Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union. Both Kent and Taylor expressed concern over the role President Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani had in dictating U.S. policy on Ukraine. We speak with Elizabeth Holtzman, a former U.S. congressme…

Staff (2019-11-14). In First Public Impeachment Hearing, Trump Implicated in Effort to Pressure Ukraine to Probe Bidens. democracynow.org The first public hearing of the impeachment inquiry into President Trump was held Wednesday. Trump is just the fourth president in U.S. history to face impeachment. Two witnesses testified before the House Intelligence Committee: George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, and William Taylor, a former ambassador and the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine. They both said President Trump withheld aid to Ukraine in an attempt to pressure the country to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian natural gas company. We play highlights from the hearing.

Staff (2019-11-14). Headlines for November 14, 2019. democracynow.org U.S. Diplomats Testify Trump Pressured Ukraine to Dig Up Political Dirt on Bidens, Trump Claims He Was "Too Busy" to Watch Impeachment Inquiry, Trump Hosts President Erdogan at White House Amid Turkish Attacks in Syria, 34 Palestinians Killed in Two Days as Israel Bombs Gaza Strip, Exiled Bolivian President Evo Morales Calls for "National Dialogue", Protests Rage as Bolivia's Self-Proclaimed Interim President Swears In Cabinet, Lebanese Soldiers Shoot and Kill Man as Protests Enter Fifth Week, Zimbabwe: Millions at Risk of Starving Amid Climate Change-Fueled Drought, Hundreds of Elephants Die as Drought Grips Sou…

RT (2019-11-13). US & Turkey working on 'resolving S-400 issue,' but Trump & Erdogan tight-lipped on details. rt.com US President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan said their countries were working to "resolve" the issue of Ankara purchasing Russian S-400 air defense systems, without going into any specifics. | Erdogan, who arrived in Washington on Wednesday for an official state visit, spent much of the day in meetings with Trump and several US senators critical of Turkey's recent actions in northern Syria. Appearing at a joint press conference in the late afternoon, he showed no sign of backing down from Ankara's current posture, saying that political concerns ought to be separate from matters o…

Vanessa Beeley (2019-11-13). ISIS Captives Offer a Convenient Pawn in Turkey's Syria Chess Game. mintpressnews.com ISIS is the latest bogeyman in a global terror portfolio that serves a neoconservative agenda in the Middle East, and Turkey has been its midwife and curator.

Alex Emmons (2019-11-13). As Trump and Erdogan Meet, the U.S. Hopes to Resume F‑35 Arms Sales to Turkey. theintercept.com Despite Turkey's recent human rights abuses in Syria, the Trump administration would like Turkey to rejoin the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

Aaron Maté (2019-11-13). Ukrainegate impeachment saga worsens US-Russia Cold War. thegrayzone.com As the House opens impeachment hearings for President Trump, Professor Stephen F. Cohen warns that the US military assistance at…

Robert Mackey (2019-11-13). Trump Directed Diplomat to Ask Ukraine to Probe Biden in Overheard Cellphone Call. theintercept.com Trump told a U.S. diplomat who called him from a restaurant in Kyiv that he wanted Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, according to a State Department witness.

Staff (2019-11-13). Democracy on Trial: Bill Moyers on Impeachment Inquiry & Why PBS Should Air Hearings in Primetime. democracynow.org Televised impeachment hearings begin today in the inquiry into whether President Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine to pressure the Ukrainian president to investigate his political rivals. Two witnesses are testifying today before the House Intelligence Committee: George Kent, a deputy assistant secretary of state, and William Taylor, a former ambassador and the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine. Both officials have privately told congressional investigators that Trump withheld aid to Ukraine in an attempt to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Donald Trump is just the fourth U.S. presi…

RT (2019-11-12). Marco Rubio blames 'Putin's disinformation' for coverage of Bolivia coup that he doesn't like. rt.com Eager to find some way to implicate Russia in Bolivia's political crisis and control of the US narrative, Republican senator Marco Rubio branded any skeptical coverage of events as an example of how "Putin uses disinformation." | Rubio, an early and avid supporter of protests that ousted former Bolivian President Evo Morales this week, tweeted that those wishing to understand Russian disinformation should "study current coverage" of Bolivia. | In Rubio's world, Russia has created "fake news" on Bolivia and is spreading it via a "vast network of outlets" and "social media actors" before it is "echoed in mainstr…

Ryan Cristián (2019-11-11). Turkey's Syria 'Ethnic Cleansing' In US Memo, US Can Shoot 'Any Syrian' Over Oil & A Bolivia Coup. thelastamericanvagabond.com 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 (11/6/19). 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 …