2019-11-17: News Headlines

RT (2019-11-17). Jazz on my mind: Italian musician played piano while surgeons operated on his brain. rt.com The doctors in Italy could enjoy some refined jazz tunes at work, when a patient whose brain they were operating on played the piano in real time. | The technique dubbed 'awake brain surgery' helps doctors treat brain tumors and epileptic seizures without accidentally damaging the areas responsible for vision, speech or movement. The patients stay conscious during the operation and can respond to questions — which allows the surgeons to know that they are treating the correct part of the brain. | One particular patient of the Maurizio Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, central Italy, did more than just talking,…

RT (2019-11-17). Jamal Yusupov: Russian kickboxing champ knocks out Muay Thai legend Yodsanklai in stunning ONE Championship upset (VIDEO). rt.com Unheralded Russian kickboxer Jamal Yusupov scored one of the biggest martial arts shocks of the year as he knocked out Muay Thai superstar Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex at ONE: Age of Dragons on in Beijing. | Yodansklai headed into the Muay Thai contest in China looking to claim the 202nd win of his glittering Muay Thai career and extend his decade-long unbeaten run in the sport, but Russian kickboxing champion Yusupov had other ideas. | Despite stepping in on just a few days' notice — and despite competing under Muay Thai rules rather than his preferred kickboxing ruleset — Yusupov used his striking skills…

RT (2019-11-17). Accused US spy Whelan tracked since first Russia visit, built contacts using autographed book of disgraced KGB officer — reports. rt.com Paul Whelan, a former US marine currently waiting for trial in Russia on espionage charges became a person of interest for Russian counter-intelligence as early as his first visit in 2007, the daily Kommersant claims. | The 49-year-old corporate security director, who was arrested in Russia last December, is far from being the innocent victim of entrapment that his defense team says he is, the newspaper reported, citing anonymous sources. In fact Whelan was considered suspicious by the Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia's intelli…

RT (2019-11-17). Turkey's Russian-made S-400s on combat duty 'by spring', Moscow confirms. rt.com Despite many attempts by the US to derail Turkey's plan to acquire the S-400 air defense missile systems, the state-of-the-art weapons will be fully active next year. | The contract is being carried out "normally" and according to the initial plan, Dmitry Shugayev, the head of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS), which is responsible for arms trade, told reporters at an expo in Dubai on Sunday. | We will finish training the Turkish personnel by the end of this year. The system will be placed on combat duty by spring. | The delivery of the S-400s to Ankara began in July. Turkish…

Marie Dimanche (2019-11-17). Time to Change Canadian Policy Towards Haiti. globalresearch.ca Protesters recently threw a Molotov cocktail and burnt tires in front of the Canadian Embassy in Port-au-Prince. At another rally demonstrators hurled rocks at Canada's diplomatic representation in Haiti and a protester was filmed holding a sign sayi…

WorkWeek (2019-11-17). UBER ZUM School Transit in SF & US Ukraine Privatization Corruption. indybay.org WorkWeek covers the systemic corruption and looting of Ukraine by both Democrats and Republicans. It also covers the role of both parties in funding, training and arming nazis in the Ukraine who were involved in attacking trade unions and murdering over 100 people in a massacre at the Odessa Trade Union headquarters. Workweek also covers the union busting effort of the SFUSD superintendent Vincent Matthews and the SFUSD Board to contract out the school bus drivers to UBER ZUM operation.

Andrew Korybko (2019-11-17). Georgia: Is the US Preparing Another Color Revolution? globalresearch.ca The Port Of Discord | Georgian banker Mamuka Khazaradze, the co-founder of the country's largest universal bank and the man behind the Anaklia Port project, recently had a falling out with the government after being charged with money laundering and …

RT (2019-11-16). ATP Finals: Greek ace Stefanos Tsitsipas stuns Roger Federer to reach London final (VIDEO). rt.com In a tournament that has seen the biggest names in tennis usurped by the younger generation, the one remaining superstar in the final four, Roger Federer, was dumped out of the tournament by Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas. | Tsitsipas ran out a relatively comfortable victor at The O2 Arena in London as he defeated the six-time ATP Finals champion in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. | The 21-year-old already made history for his nation by becoming the first player from Greece to reach the ATP Finals in 50 years. But now, after a superb week in London, he finds himself in the final itself after ousting Swiss legend Feder…

RT (2019-11-16). Putin's bikers invade Antarctica, occupy abandoned base… all just to unfurl a GIANT Russian flag. rt.com The Night Wolves bikers, known for their association with the Russian president, have joined with another patriotic group to bring a huge national flag to Antarctica — a mission that saw them sheltering at an abandoned polar base. | Photos show the massive Russian tricolor, measuring a whopping 1,423 square meters unfurled, amid the desolate Antarctic desert. The tiny human figurines seen in the shots are members of the notorious motorcycle club and the 'All Worlds' patriotic organization. | | © "All worlds" | Russian media learned of the mission's success on Saturday from Yury Volkov, the head of…

RT (2019-11-16). Flying way under the radar: MILITARY DRONE crashes in a backyard in a tiny Russian town (PHOTO, VIDEO). rt.com Residents of a tiny town in central Russia were shaken up on Saturday afternoon when a military-grade drone crash-landed a few dozen meters away from their homes. Luckily, no-one was injured on the ground. | The 'Orion' Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) went down in the town of Listvyanka near the central Russian city of Ryazan. Video filmed by a baffled local resident from his window shoes the hefty drone, about the size of a light airplane, splayed out a stone's throw away from apartment blocks at the edge of town. | | © Oleg Kondratov | "A drone fell right into the garden. I went on a walk with my daught…

RT (2019-11-16). Israel & NATO penetrate Russia's S-400 air defenses… 'simulated' by US Patriots? rt.com Israel together with the US and several European NATO allies have wrapped up massive war games, which in part focused on countering advanced air defenses, such as Russia's S-400, that Washington has been so worried about recently. | The Israeli Air Force hosted American, German, Italian and Greek fighter jets at its Uvda airbase in the Negev Desert located in southern Israel, for nearly two weeks between November 3 and 14. A total of 800 servicemen and around 100 aircraft took part in the 'Blue Flag' drills, including the stealthy F-35 fighter jets, which took part in this exercise for the first time. | This i…

RT (2019-11-16). 'I should not be impeached!' Trump says Kiev confirmed Ukrainegate is a non-story, and here's what he's referring to (VIDEO). rt.com The impeachment drive against President Donald Trump is in full swing — but he believes that the inquiry should've already ended, saying both Ukraine and phone calls released by the White House have ruled out any "quid pro quo." | Responding to a reporter's question on impeachment, Trump bluntly said that he "should not be" impeached, and that the whole story effectively ended on Friday. The reason for that, he said, was a statement by Kiev denying any quid pro quo during Trump's conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky. | "Ukraine — they came out loud and clear that there was no li…

RT (2019-11-16). 'Kick out Black Pete!' Anti-blackface paranoia comes after Dutch children's festival tradition. rt.com A century-old Dutch holiday tradition involving St. Nicholas and his companion — Black Pete — has found itself at the center of yet another anti-racist campaign, all because Pete is a now nothing more than a blackface character! | The Netherlands traditionally celebrates the Arrival of Sinterklaas — or St. Nicholas —with annual street parades in early December. However, it isn't just cheerful, colorfully dressed festival-goers that will be taking to the streets this weekend, as dozens of protests take place across the country against what was once a children's holiday tradition. | | A t…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2019-11-16). Bush Family Links to Nazi Germany: "A Famous American Family" Made its Fortune from the Nazis. globalresearch.ca Bush family links to Nazi Germany were first revealed at the Nuremberg trials in the testimony of Nazi Germany's steel magnate Fritz Thyssen. "Prescott Bush & Herbert Walker, Thyssen's partners in crime were the father & grandfather of a future US President"

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.

Larry Romanoff (2019-11-16). The Greatest Intellectual Property Theft in History: Operation Paperclip. globalresearch.ca The initial purpose of what began as Operation Overcast was to plunder Germany of all its scientific and industrial knowledge after World War Two. The plan was to steal documents and working samples, but the depth and breadth of German …

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.

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 …

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). 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."

Michael Winship (2019-11-16). The Disdain for Ukraine Is Mainly in Trump's Brain. commondreams.org Republican counsel Steve Castor listens to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) during a hearing with witness U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch before the House Intelligence Committee in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill November 15, 2019 in Washington, DC. In the second impeachment hearing held by the committee, House Democrats continue to build a case against U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to link U.S. military aid for Ukraine to the nation's investigation of his political rivals. (Photo: Joshua Roberts – Pool/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/c

teleSUR (2019-11-16). Trump's Ukraine Phone Call 'Unusual, Inappropriate': VP Aide. telesurenglish.net As public hearings continue part of the Congress' impeachment inquiry, a foreign policy aide to Vice President Mike Pence told lawmakers, according to a transcript released Saturday that the phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart was "inappropriate." | RELATED: | Trump's Tweet May Cause Him Charges for Obstruction of Justice | Jennifer Williams, who was listening to the call on July 25, testified that Trump's insistence that Ukraine carry ou…

teleSUR (2019-11-16). Instagram Eliminates 'The Likes' From Its Platform. telesurenglish.net Instagram announced that "the number of likes" will no longer be a way to measure the social approval of the contents which users place in their accounts. | RELATED: | Facebook: Child Abuse, Suicide, Terrorism, Drugs | The company made that decision after the success reached in tests carried out in Australia, Brazil, Japan, New Zealand, Italy, and Canada.‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Ä&ati…

Arshad M Khan, Meena Miriam Yust (2019-11-16). Venice Is Flooded—A Look at Our Coastal Future. commondreams.org AC Milan's goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma walks in St. Mark square on November 16, 2019 in Venice, three days after the city suffered the highest tide in 50 years. – Flood-hit Venice was bracing for another exceptional high tide on November 15, as Italy declared a state of emergency for the UNESCO city where perilous deluges have caused millions of euros worth of damage. (Photo: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/venice_flooding_climate.png

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…

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 …

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…

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 …

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…

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…

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…

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 …

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…

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

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 …

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…

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?

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

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 …

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…

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…

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 (2019-11-15). 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…

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.

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.