(2019-11-20). 'Not fair': Novak Djokovic blasts Canada for handing USA walkover at Davis Cup. rt.com 
Serbian tennis ace and 16-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic has criticized the Canadian men's tennis team for handing the USA a doubles walkover in the Davis Cup group stage. | The Canadian squad took claimed two wins against their American rivals, guaranteeing their participation in the playoffs. | READ MORE: Rafa to the rescue: Nadal leads Spain to victory over Russia in Davis Cup | But they then pulled out of their doubles match — which would have not affected their group standings — g…
(2019-11-20). US' attempts to undermine economic growth of Russia & China are just part of unfair competition — Putin. rt.com 
Washington is making a serious mistake as it aims to deter the development of Russia and China, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an investment forum in Moscow. | "Balanced international economic relations is not their [US] main goal, but their main strategic goal is curbing the development of China and Russia," the Russian leader told the 'Russia Calling' forum, adding that such an approach is a "deep" mistake that can backfire on the US and undermine its position. | Another reason for Washington's restrictions against its trade war rival, Beijing, is that the Chinese economy has proven to be more effe…
(2019-11-20). 'Utter rubbish!' Putin says 'Russian threat' is fake, invented by those trying to cash in on it. rt.com 
Europe knows that Russia isn't going to attack them and won't be paying Washington for protection anymore, Vladimir Putin said, urging the US to rethink its relations with NATO allies on the continent. | The US previously told the European nations that they were defending them from the Soviet Union and that they had to pay for it, Putin said from the stage of the "Russia Calling" investment forum in Moscow. But the USSR collapsed almost three decades ago and the US approach "doesn't work" today. | Despite all the problems "with Ukraine, the speculations about Crimea and Donbass, everybody clearly understands t…
(2019-11-20). Meet Anastasia Shpilevaya — the Russian ice dancer aiming for a breakthrough season (PHOTOS). rt.com 
One of the most beautiful figure skating disciplines, ice dancing has always charmed fans with its elegance and style, with Russian athletes long being trend-setters and leaders. | This is the world junior star Anastasia Shpilevaya that is now aiming to break into, after teaming up with Grigory Smirnov as they bid to shine at elite level. | READ MORE: 'It's not a psychological issue, this is facing reality': Brian Orser on Medvedeva's losses to quad-jumping skaters (VIDEO) | Being the sole figure s…
(2019-11-20). Resourceful Russian cops stop truck to stage Hollywood-style rescue of people from burning building (VIDEO). rt.com 
An epic rescue operation was caught on video in the Moscow Region, as witty traffic cops stopped a truck so that the people who were cut off by a house fire could escape the blaze using its roof. | Two officers were on a routine patrol mission when they saw thick black smoke coming from the windows of the two-story building nearby. They swiftly called in the fire brigade as their instructions required, but the situation was dire and required immediate action. | The policemen jumped out of their patrol car and rushed towards the burning building, where they saw two men on the second floor, crying for help. A ju…
(2019-11-20). 'No evidence of meddling': Boris Johnson defends decision not to publish Russian influence report before election. rt.com 
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he has never seen "any" evidence of Russian interference in British democracy and defended his decision not to publish a parliamentary report into the subject before the December 12 election. | Asked Wednesday about his decision to wait until after the election to publish the controversial report, Johnson said he saw no reason to change the timeline for publication. | There's absolutely no evidence that I've ever seen of any Russian interference in UK democratic processes. | Johnson's decision to shelve the 50-page report compiled by the Intelligence and Security Committee…
(2019-11-20). Alliance life after 'brain death': NATO focuses on outer space, compares army spending with Russia. rt.com 
Though most members can barely afford to cough up their required military spending, and with European leaders questioning the venerable alliance, why is NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg talking about expanding into space? | Jens Stoltenberg is an unlikely Darth Vader. Beginning his political career with left-wing protests against the Vietnam war, Stoltenberg would go on to join the machine he once railed against, overseeing an expansion of Norway's military while Prime Minister from 2005 to 2013, and then leading the world's largest military alliance from 2014 onwards. | But his ambitions are galactic,…
(2019-11-20). Putin's plan: Wait for US' most-advanced shale oil know-how and SNATCH IT! (Spoiler: it was a joke). rt.com 
Acquiring top-notch US technology to extract shale oil might be challenging, but not for the world's best-known KGB intelligence veteran who (jokingly) told a Russian investment forum how (not) to do it. | Vladimir Putin provided his vision on extracting shale oil — a type of crude found in underground deposits — at the 'Russia Calling' investment forum, which at first sounded like veiled nostalgia for his much-talked about KGB career in the 1980s. | "Let us wait for the Americans to spend money on new extraction technologies," he said, adding that the moment will come to snatch it all. "Let's see if…
(2019-11-20). GOP-Requested Witness Rejects Trump 'Conspiracy Theories'. truthdig.com 
WASHINGTON — Sought by Republicans to testify, the former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine spoke up instead for Democrat Joe Biden in Tuesday's impeachment hearings, rejecting "conspiracy theories" embraced by President Donald Trump and some of his allies. | Kurt Volker said he has known Biden as an honorable man for more than two decades, rebuffing debunked corruption allegations that Trump is said to have wanted the Ukrainians to investigate in exchange for military aid to hold off Russian aggression. | "The allegations against Vice President Biden are self-serving and non-credible," Volker declared. | R…
(2019-11-20). The law is thrown out of the window in Assange's case, Roger Waters tells RT (VIDEO). rt.com 
Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters has condemned Swedish prosecutors who yesterday dropped a rape investigation into WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, saying the whole thing was "a complete bogus set-up" from the beginning. | Rogers told RT that the statement from Swedish prosecutors claiming that the evidence against Assange had "weakened" since 2010 was a "mealy-mouthed bunch of bullsh*t" and that there was "no evidence to support the idea that [Assange] injured anybody." | It's partly because of this whole "set-up" that Assange is still suffering in London's Belmarsh Prison with no real process of law…
(2019-11-20). Trump's million-dollar donor Sondland testifies: "We followed the president's orders." peoplesworld.org 
I was only following orders. It's the classic defense offered by someone further down the chain of command who gets caught up in the nefarious deeds of their superiors. And it's exactly the mea culpa offered by Gordon Sondland, Trump's Ambassador to the European Union, when he testified at the House Intelligence Committee's public impeachment …
(2019-11-20). Gordon Sondland Says 'Everyone' Knew of Quid Pro Quo. truthdig.com 
Testifying before Congress, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union admits he pushed for a deal with Kyiv at the president's request.
(2019-11-20). Several dead & injured after explosion at fireworks factory in Italy — local media. rt.com 
Several people have been killed after an explosion rocked a fireworks depot in a small town on the Italian island of Sicily. | The bodies of three people have been removed from the rubble in the town of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, with three others seriously injured, la Repubblica paper reported. One of those killed was the wife of the owner of the local fireworks company, with his son now fighting for his life. | Also on rt.com | | 'Apocalyptic' flooding set to leave an 'indelible wound' on Venice as city battles 2nd highest tide in history | The sad…
(2019-11-20). Malta arrests businessman 'over murder of investigative reporter'. thecanary.co 
Maltese authorities have arrested a prominent businessman who appears to be a "person of interest" in the assassination of a leading investigative reporter.Yorgen Fenech was on a yacht that was intercepted sailing northwards away from Malta by the military early on Wednesday and forced back to port.In remarks to reporters, prime minister Joseph Muscat did not directly tie the arrest to the murder of 53-year-old Daphne Caruana Galizia in a car bombing in October 2017, but he said it appeared to result from comments he made a day earlier about the possibility of a pardon for an alleged middleman who had offered to…
(2019-11-20). Impeachment hearing gets more bizarre with Sondland confirming 'Zelensky loves Trump's ass' , but vague on quid pro quo. rt.com 
House Democrats tried repeatedly to goad their diplomatic witness into "admitting" the elusive quid pro quo of aid withheld pending a probe, but the best they could get was confirmation he told Trump "Zelensky loves your ass." | US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland played the 'can't recall exactly' card as Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff and Democratic Counsel Daniel Goldman pushed him to confirm President Donald Trump had made the release of foreign aid to Ukraine contingent upon President Volodymyr Zelensky's launch of a corruption investigation. Sondland did say he believed that there was a quid…
(2019-11-20). North Korea Wont Attend Trump Summit Over US' 'Hostile Policy'. telesurenglish.net A senior North Korean official said on Wednesday that the United States must drop its "hostile policy" towards Pyongyang in order to restart stalled denuclearisation talks, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. | RELATED: | North Korea Not Interested in December Peace Talks with US | Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told reporters after meeting Russian officials in Moscow it would be "impossible" to hold another summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. Preside…
(2019-11-20). Protests in the Global South: Ecuador and Chile Facing an Uncertain Economic Order. commondreams.org 13 October 2019, Ecuador, Quito: Demonstrators cheer on the government's decision to withdraw the controversial increase in fuel prices. This was agreed by the government and the leadership of the indigenous peoples after lengthy negotiations. (Photo by Juan Diego Montenegro/picture alliance via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/ecuador.jpg …
(2019-11-20). One Year of the Yellow Vests in France. globalresearch.ca Converge With Planned Labour Strikes | This past weekend the Yellow Vests (Gilets Jaunes) celebrated their first birthday, with convivial barbeques on traffic circles (roundabouts) all over France followed by direct actions like liberating tollbooths. Although number of protestors has declined …
(2019-11-20). House of Representatives Finally Recognizes Armenian Genocide. progressive.org It is shocking that it has taken this long for even one house of the U.S. Congress to recognize this historic tragedy. Somehow it is always a "bad time" to upset the government of Turkey.
(2019-11-20). Germany's Green Party conference—power at any price. wsws.org The entire party conference was aimed at demonstrating the reliability of the Greens to the ruling circles in politics, business and the media.
(2019-11-20). Turkey's 'White Elephants': S-400s or Patriots? globalresearch.ca Turkish President Erdogan reaffirmed to his American counterpart that his country won't completely abandon its purchase of Russia's S-400s like Washington wants but that Ankara would buy its Patriot competitor as well if an offer was made "under suitable conditions", …
(2019-11-20). Video: Kurdish Radicals Try to Burn Russian-Turkish Patrol. globalresearch.ca Kurdish provocateurs have tried to burn a Typhoon MRAP vehicle of the Russian Military Police and a Kirpi MRAP vehicle of the Turkish Army in northern Syria. The incident happened during a joint Russian-Turkish patrol, which was conducted in the …
(2019-11-20). Impeachment hearing highlights conflict over US policy in Ukraine. wsws.org The driving force of the Democratic Party inquiry is the US effort to use Ukraine as a base of operations and front-line state in the confrontation with Russia.
(2019-11-20). International Law Experts: United States Has No Legal Capacity To Legalize Settlements. imemc.org Aseel Akhras/Days of Palestine International law experts agree that the US administration does not have the legal capacity to legalize settlements, and that the recent announcement by its secretary of state comes in response to the European Court of Justice's decision to label settlement goods and the international consensus to …
(2019-11-20). Impeachment Witnesses Decry Trump's Pressure on Ukraine to Probe the Bidens. truthout.org "I couldn't believe what I was hearing." Those were the words of Army Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman during Tuesday's House impeachment inquiry hearings, describing his reaction to a July phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During the call, Trump pressured Zelensky to investigate his political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian natural gas company, Burisma. Vindman, who is the director for European affairs at the N…
(2019-11-20). Some Midday Thoughts About Sondland Testimony and Impeachment. commondreams.org US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland testifies during the House Intelligence Committee hearing as part of the impeachment inquiry into US President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on November 20, 2019. – The US ambassador to the European Union told an impeachment hearing Wednesday that he was following the orders of President Donald Trump in seeking a "quid pro quo" from Ukraine. Gordon Sondland — whose appearance before Congress is being watched especially closely as he was a Trump ally — said he believed the president was pressing Ukraine to investigate his potential 2020 riva…
(2019-11-20). Democratic Naysayers Are Wrong on Medicare for All. commondreams.org The American political debate over health care is absurd. Americans pay twice as much as any other nation for health care, and then are told daily that they "can't afford" to switch to a lower-cost system very similar to those of Canada and Europe.
(2019-11-20). 10 Tips on Disarming Despair. commondreams.org To become more courageous, hang out with courage! (Photo: CC7 / Shutterstock.com) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/image_for_disarming_despair-10_tips.jpg …
(2019-11-20). Senators Press Amazon for Answers on Ring's Sloppy Security Practices. theintercept.com This past year has been chock full of uncomfortable revelations about Ring, the surveillance social network and home security hardware company acquired by Amazon for a reported $800 million, including r…
(2019-11-20). Ambassador Sondland Testimony: Delayed Ukraine Aid Linked Directly to Trump's Desire to Win Reelection. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-11-20). Video: The Madness of Putting 53,000 5G Satellites in Space. globalresearch.ca Claire Edwards was speaking at a seminar in Oslo, Norway, on Saturday 26 October 2019. | Elon Musk has now applied to the Federal Communications Commission for permission to launch a further 30,000 satellites into Earth orbit, bringing the current total …
(2019-11-20). Unusual. Improper. Inappropriate. Wrong: Officials Decry Trump's Pressure on Ukraine to Probe Bidens. democracynow.org 
"I couldn't believe what I was hearing." Those were the words of Army Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman during Tuesday's House impeachment inquiry hearings, describing his reaction to a July phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During the call, Trump pressured Zelensky to investigate his political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian natural gas company, Burisma. Vindman, who is the director for European affairs at the National Security Council, testified along with Jennifer Williams, a Russia adviser for Vice President Pence, in the fi…
(2019-11-20). Headlines for November 20, 2019. democracynow.org 4 Key Witnesses Testify in Impeachment Hearings, Amnesty Says Iranian Security Forces Killed Over 100 Protesters, Bolivian Military Carries Out Second Massacre Against Morales Supporters, Senate Approves Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, U.N. Affirms It Still Considers Israeli Settlements Violation of International Law, Pentagon Says ISIS Is Rebuilding in Northern Syria, NYT: Navy SEALs Expected to Oust Gallagher, Despite Trump Restoring His Rank, Report: Mike Pompeo Planning to Resign as Secretary of State, Trump Administration Can Now Send Asylum Seekers to Guatemala, Sweden Drops Sexual Assault Investi…
(2019-11-20). #PresidentPelosi Trends After Sondland Testimony Implicates Pence in Trump Ukraine Scheme. commondreams.org "Gordon Sondland's devastating testimony must end the Trump presidency." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/pelosi_progressives_1_1.jpg …
(2019-11-20). Dropped Investigations: Julian Assange, Sex and Sweden. globalresearch.ca Sex, the late Gore Vidal astutely observed, is politics, and not merely from the vantage point of those who wish to police it. In the case of whistleblowers, claims of aberrant, unlawful sex serves the purpose of diminishing credibility, tarring …
(2019-11-20). Labour's business stance is so sensible that even business people have to applaud it. thecanary.co 
Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party has proposals for improving the UK for the many, not just the super-rich few. And the party's moderate stance…
(2019-11-20). The Walls are Closing in on Donald Trump. counterpunch.org 
As witness after credible witness appears before the House Intelligence Committee's impeachment inquiry, the walls are closing in on Donald Trump and he knows it. If any more proof was needed, he actually tried to intimidate one of the witnesses, former Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, by posting a derogatory tweet about her while she More
(2019-11-19). French Yellow Vests Celebrate First Birthday, Converge With Planned Labor Strikes. counterpunch.org 
This weekend the Yellow Vests celebrated their first birthday, with convivial barbeques on traffic circles (roundabouts) all over France followed by direct actions like liberating tollbooths. Although number of protestors has declined to about 10% of the estimated 400,000 who rose up a year ago on Nov. 17, 2018 — thanks to a year of More
(2019-11-19). Is China an "Imperial Power" in the Image of the West? counterpunch.org 
Owing to geography and geopolitics, my country the Philippines finds itself in the middle of an escalating conflict between the United States and China. Like the trench lines that stretched from the North Sea through France to Switzerland during the First World War, the front lines of this conflict stretch across both land and sea More
(2019-11-19). Republicans Urge Americans to Follow Them Through the Fox News Looking Glass on Ukraine. theintercept.com 
To defend Donald Trump, Republicans in the House are trying to discredit Sergii Leshchenko, who helped expose Paul Manafort's corruption in Ukraine.
(2019-11-19). Ukrainian young Communists lead campaign against Zelensky land sell-off. peoplesworld.org 
Ukraine's Communist Youth (Komsomol) members joined a rally against the planned marketization of the nation's agricultural land on Sunday near the office of President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev. Protesters left political party banners and flags behind to emphasize that the great land sell-off "concerns all residents of Ukraine." The demo chanted: "No to the sale …
(2019-11-19). Sweden drops investigation into bogus sexual misconduct allegations against Julian Assange. wsws.org The action confirms that the incessant media claims of "rape" and "sexual assault" by the WikiLeaks founder are a politically motivated fraud.
(2019-11-19). Europe's Shameful Treatment of Refugees: Fire in Greece's Samos Island Refugee Camp. globalresearch.ca Last month a fire roared through the refugee camp on the Greek island of Samos, a few miles from the coast of Turkey. The immediate cause of the fire is unclear, but there were clashes between Afghan and Syrian refugees …
(2019-11-19). Ukraine Ready to Accept 'Reasonable Compromise' on Conflict. telesurenglish.net Ukraine is ready to accept a "reasonable compromise" at a four-way summit which will involve France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine in Paris on Dec. 9 to discuss ways to resolve the wider conflict in eastern Ukraine, Foreign Affairs Minister Vadym Prystaiko said Tuesday. | RELATED: | Russia to Return Ukraine Captured Ships In Steps To Settle Conflict | "We are going to the Normandy meeting with open ideas, an open mind, ready to accept a reasonable compromise," Prystaiko tol…
(2019-11-19). Pelosi doubles down on anti-Russia politics of impeachment inquiry. wsws.org Pelosi once again defined as the sole issue in the Democrats' case for impeachment the charge that Trump endangered US "national security" and strengthened Russia.
(2019-11-19). Russia Denounces US Decision on Israel Settlements in West Bank. telesurenglish.net The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday denounced a statement by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the U.S. authorities no longer treat Israeli settlements in the West Bank as inconsistent with international law. | RELATED: | US Says Israel Settlements Not Illegal Under International Law | "We regard this decision of Washington as another step aimed at scrapping the international legal base of the Middle East settlement,…
(2019-11-19). UK Government Accused of Covering Up War Crimes in Iraq. globalresearch.ca The UK is very keen at reminding certain countries — Syria, Russia, China — of their human rights abuses and yet, when it comes to looking closer to home, this current government quite frankly prefers not to, and in some …
(2019-11-19). EU: Israeli Settlements Are Illegal. imemc.org The European Union is sticking to its stance that Israeli settlement constructions in Palestine are illegal under international law, a long held view Washington has now begun to dispute. "The EU calls on Israel to end all settlement activity, in line with its obligations as an occupying power," EU foreign …
(2019-11-19). Mobile Phone Radiation and the EU's Phonegate Crisis. globalresearch.ca Following the invitation on October 1, 2019 to the European Parliament of Dr Marc Arazi by MEPs Philippe Lamberts, Michèle Rivasi and Klaus Buchner of the Greens/EFA, and the alert issued to parliamentarians and organisations gathered at this event on …
(2019-11-19). Half of American Men Can't Handle the Prospect of a Woman President. truthdig.com In 2019, just 49% of American men say they are comfortable with a woman president, according to a new poll on attitudes toward gender and power by consulting firm Kantar Public and Women Political Leaders, an Iceland-based nonprofit coalition of female politicians. | The poll surveyed 22,000 people ages 18 to 64 across eleven countries (Brazil, Canada, China, France…