(2019-12-23). Americans Are Ready for a Different Approach to Nuclear Weapons. dissidentvoice.org 
Although today's public protests against nuclear weapons can't compare to the major antinuclear upheavals of past decades, there are clear indications that most Americans reject the Trump administration's nuclear weapons policies. Since entering office in 2017, the Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from the nuclear agreement with Iran, scrapped the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia, and …
(2019-12-23). Ukraine, Privatization, Corruption And The Republicrats. indybay.org San Francisco Main Library | Latino-Hispanic Community Room | 100 Larkin St. At Market St. | San Francisco…
(2019-12-23). German government condemns US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 pipeline. wsws.org The temporary halt to construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has dramatically intensified tensions between the United States and the European powers.
(2019-12-23). EU court rules jailed Catalan nationalist Junqueras had immunity. wsws.org Madrid nevertheless kept Junqueras in jail over his role in the 2017 Catalan independence referendum and did not allow him to take his European parliament seat.
(2019-12-23). Russia to design 6th-gen long-range UNMANNED strategic bomber — top general. rt.com 
Russia's Aerospace Forces are undergoing a major overhaul, looking forward to welcome a 5th generation subsonic bomber into its fleet as well as a long-range bomber drone, to be developed in the next 20 years, the military said. | Russia's Aerospace Forces (VKS), which marked their 105th birthday on Monday, have been making rapid strides in an effort to upgrade the fleet of long-range bombers and develop new advanced aircraft, Lieutenant-General Sergey Kobylash, chief of Russia's Long-Range Aviation told Russian Moskovsky Komsomolets daily on Sunday. | "Our aircraft and their weapons are subject to constant im…
(2019-12-23). US sanctions against Nord Stream 2 is 'intimidation policy,' Lavrov says, promises reaction. rt.com 
By imposing sanctions on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the US demonstrated that its diplomacy is aimed at intimidating the opponent, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. | Washington has once again demonstrated that its diplomacy "comes down primarily to intimidation by various methods — sanctions, ultimatums, and threats," Lavrov told the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament. | "When the closest allies are punished for solving their economic problems, tasks related to energy security, I think that no country in the world should ever doubt that if the US pr…
(2019-12-23). Company laying pipes for Nord Stream 2 withdraws vessels from Baltic Sea — report. rt.com 
Allseas, a Swiss-Dutch company that has been laying underwater tubes for the German-Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline off the Danish coast, has withdrawn both of its pipelaying vessels from the Baltic Sea, Bloomberg news reported. | Allseas announced its decision to wind down operations at the bottom of the Baltic Sea and exit the $11 billion project just before US President Donald Trump signed the 2020 national defense spending bill on Friday, introducing harsh sanctions for the companies involved in the construction of the flagship pipeline. The sanctions would have seen the company's assets in the US frozen, e…
(2019-12-23). Russia has ships to complete Nord Stream 2 pipeline without European help. rt.com 
Russia says the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will be finished despite all the challenges, after Swiss-Dutch company Allseas decided to stop its works on the project in the Baltic Sea, under the threat of US sanctions. | Over the weekend, the engineering company reportedly withdrew its ships, which had been engaged in the laying of the last section of the pipeline. The pull-out occurred shortly after US President Donald Trump signed into law the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which provides for harsh sanctions on foreign contractors involved in the project. | | Pipelay vessel Pioneering Spirit ©…
(2019-12-23). Fishing for Swedish cash: Afghan politician collecting benefits for his dead mother — report. rt.com 
An Afghan politician is under investigation in Sweden for collecting benefits intended for his dead mother, according to a new report. Welfare fraud has become a growing problem in the Scandinavian country. | Razaq Ahmadzai, co-leader of Afghanistan's Green Trend party, is expected to receive a top post in Kabul once the new coalition government is formed. But the Afghan politician is already being handily rewarded by the Swedish government, according to an investigation conduct…
(2019-12-23). Saudi Arabia sentences 5 people to death over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. rt.com 
A Saudi court has handed death sentences to five suspects charged in connection to the gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Three others have received lengthy prison terms for their roles in the killing. | Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor announced the court's ruling on Monday. Apart from the five sentenced to death, three additional suspects will spend 24 years behind bars. The prosecutor said that Saud al-Qahtani, a senior Saudi royal adviser, was investigated, but later released without being charged. The Saudi consul in Turkey was also released. The investigation found that there was no past enmi…
(2019-12-23). Police & protesters clash at Paris' Gare de Lyon as pension reform strike continues (VIDEO). rt.com 
French riot police and protesters clashed inside the Gare de Lyon railway station in Paris on Monday amid ongoing strikes against the government's plans to overhaul the country's pension system. | The strikes have been running for 19 days, causing major transport chaos at one of the busiest times of the year to travel. | #greve22decembre #greve #Greve23decembre #garede…
(2019-12-23). Turkish aid group says 120,000 fleeing attacks in Syria's Idlib. yenisafak.com The number of Syrians fleeing attacks in the country's northwestern Idlib province and heading towards Turkey has reached 120,000, a Turkish aid group said on Monday, adding it was setting up a camp for some of those uprooted.Syrian and Russian forces have recently intensified their bombardment of targets in Idlib, which Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to recapture, prompting a wave of refugees towards Turkey.President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday Turkey cannot handle a fresh wave of migrants, warning that European countries will feel the impact of such an influx if violence in Syria's northwest is n…
(2019-12-23). Ankara and Moscow to discuss Syrian migrants, Libya conflict. yenisafak.com A Turkish delegation will travel to Moscow on Monday to discuss Syria and Libya, areas where the nations have some opposing views, for talks that President Tayyip Erdogan said would determine Turkey's course of action in the region.Erdogan said on Sunday more than 80,000 civilians were migrating from the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib to Turkey, after Russian and Syrian forces intensified their air strikes in the area. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to recapture Idlib.The Turkish delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, visits Moscow weeks before Russian President Vladimir Putin's p…
(2019-12-23). US pipeline sanctions won't go unanswered: Russia. yenisafak.com Russia will respond in kind to U.S. sanctions against the TurkStream and NordStream II projects, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.Speaking at the upper chamber of the Russian parliament in Moscow, the Council of Federation, Lavrov said preparing a fitting response needs both time and analysis."I assure you that such absolutely unacceptable, rough actions in violation of all norms of international law, all diplomatic and human decency will not remain without reaction," Lavrov said, taking lawmakers' questions.A defense budget passed by the U.S. Congress last week included sanctions on companies involv…
(2019-12-23). Kremlin hopes US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 will not impede construction. yenisafak.com A Kremlin spokesman said on Monday that the sanctions introduced by the United States against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project would not hinder its construction.U.S. President Donald Trump signed a bill on Friday that included legislation imposing sanctions on companies laying pipes for Nord Stream 2, which seeks to double gas export capacity along the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline route to Germany.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was too early to talk about reciprocal measures against the United States, but added that the sanctions won't go unanswered.He declined to say when Russia expects th…
(2019-12-23). Turkey's Asyaport gets new $12M loan from European Bank. yenisafak.com "Turkey's key trans-shipment hub Asyaport will increase its capacity and improve efficiency with a new $12 million loan by the EBRD," the statement said.It added that the funds will co-finance the acquisition and installation of energy-efficient electric ship-to-shore cranes, electric rubber-tired gantry cranes and terminal tractors.The new equipment will help raise the port's berth and yard capacity during peak hours and drop vessel turnaround times, leading to more efficient handling of regional trans-shipment and domestic container traffic from industrial zones in Turkey's northwestern Tekirdag area.The EBRD's…
(2019-12-23). Turkish diplomat's car TORCHED by assailants in Greece (VIDEO). rt.com 
An unidentified group of assailants have set the car of a Turkish consulate employee on fire in the Greek city of Thessaloniki, according to police. No one was injured in the attack, which is currently under investigation. | A video shows the parked car consumed in flames, as firefighters work to put out the blaze. Extensive damage to the rear of the vehicle is seen after the fire is extinguished. | Car reportedly belonging to #Turkish #diplomat set on f…
(2019-12-22). 'Assange Cannot be Extradited to the US', Lawyer Holds at Court. globalresearch.ca During a hearing before the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, Julian Assange's lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, requested Thursday that the founder of Wikileaks not be extradited to the United States arguing that the alleged crimes of his defendant have a …
(2019-12-22). Around The World 74: Chile uprising, Algeria protests. peoplesdispatch.org It's been over two months since the momentous uprising in Chile. It began with a protest about a hike in metro fares and ended up as the largest protest in the country since the end of the civic-military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. The people of Chile made it clear that it was structural change they wanted. In this episode of Around the World in 8 minutes, we look at the situation in Chile now, as well as protests in Algeria and Poland.
(2019-12-22). Damascus Approved Two Oil Contracts with Russian Companies. globalresearch.ca Two oil and gas exploration contracts with Russian companies were approved by the Syrian People's Assembly (Parliament), the vital economic sector for Syria's rebuilding efforts. | While the US and its camp of thieves continue to loot the Syrian oil, not …
(2019-12-22). Seemingly Coordinated ISIS/al-Qaeda Attacks On Syrian Oil/Gas Fields & US' Russia/Libya Hypocrisy. 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 (12/21/19). 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 …
(2019-12-22). The Inspector General's Report and the False Russiagate Narrative: Malfeasance, Lies, Threats and Denials. globalresearch.ca It is no surprise that when the Inspector General's Report was released in early December, the corporate media, which itself has been knee-deep and complicit in spreading the false Russiagate narrative, chose to focus on one narrow conclusion: that, given …
(2019-12-22). Thursday Marked the Beginning of the End of the United Kingdom. globalresearch.ca Thursday was a busy news day, what with Trump's impeachment and the Queen's speech in Westminster, but another item given less coverage in UK mainstream media was arguably more significant than anything else making the headlines. Scottish First Minister Nicola …
(2019-12-22). Workers' Party of Belgium opposes sale of cable distribution company Voo. peoplesdispatch.org The Workers' Party says that the sale of Voo to the American investment fund Providence would be a betrayal of the Belgians who invested their money in the cable distributor company…
(2019-12-22). "We want Belgium out of NATO and NATO out of Belgium" peoplesdispatch.org The Workers' Party of Belgium has been in the forefront of resisting the far-right in the country, as well as promoting internationalism and battling for a just solution to climate change…
(2019-12-22). Balkan 'Genocides' Are Not to be Questioned. globalresearch.ca Genocide accusations are, it would seem, the latest fashion spreading out of the Balkans. On December 5, a former minister in the "government" of NATO occupied and administered Kosovo, Ivan Todosijeviƒá, who happens to be an otherwise occupation friendly and …
(2019-12-22). 'He says what he thinks directly': Russia's Lavrov reveals peculiarities of foreign policy talks with Trump. rt.com 
The Russian foreign minister's visit to the White House created much ado in Washington, coming amid impeachment procedures. Sergrey Lavrov has now opened up on Donald Trump's negotiating style and the atmosphere of the meetings. | "I like the way Trump discusses international agenda and issues in bilateral relations. He avoids any ambiguity and tries to say what he thinks directly," Lavrov said in an interview aired by Russia's Channel One. | This "productive approach" that not many top politicians use allows parties "to better understand the opportunities, difficulties and prospects of relations." | The FM me…
(2019-12-22). Erdogan says Turkey can't handle Syrian migrant influx, warns Europe of new refugee wave. rt.com 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that his country is ill-equipped to handle a wave of Syrian migrants from Idlib, and warned that Europe will feel its impact next, unless the bombing of Idlib stops. | Speaking at an awards ceremony in Istanbul on Sunday, Erdogan said that Turkey "will not bear the burden alone" of the 80,000 migrants currently marching toward its borders from Idlib, in north-western Syria. | The Turkish leader added that Europe will see a repeat of the 2015 migrant crisis – which saw more than a million migrants enter Europe in less than a year – if its leaders do not interven…
(2019-12-22). The Real Shadow Policy of Trump Admin Is Racist Extremism. zcomm.org While Trump's shadowy conduct toward Ukraine is without a doubt illegal, this shadow policy of white nationalism is even worse. It's not just a crime — it's a crime against humanity…
(2019-12-22). Drop in coal use pushes Germany closer to 2020 climate target. zcomm.org Merkel's Germany dumps 20% of Its Coal Use, CO2 Falls 7%, Renewables at 40%…
(2019-12-21). Workers continue protests against pension reforms in France. peoplesdispatch.org The controversial reforms proposed by the Emmanuel Macron-led French government will introduce a grade point system for ascertaining pension amounts, besides raising the retirement age required to avail the pension benefits to 64…
(2019-12-21). People Power in Romania Stopped a Mining Project. Now the Corporation Is Suing. truthout.org Recently, a colorful group gathered outside a World Bank building in downtown Washington, D.C. to defend a community 5,000 miles away in Romania. Most had never met each other but when each pointed to her or his hand-drawn sign it was smiles and nods all round. And before you knew it, they were chanting slogans together as if they had done this before, including one in the Romanian language: "Uniti Salvam Rosia Montana!" | Several Romanian citizens were joined at the demonstration by activis…
(2019-12-21). UK to leave European Union at end of January after Johnson passes Withdrawal Agreement. wsws.org A total of 38 Labour MPs defied Jeremy Corbyn's instruction to oppose the bill.
(2019-12-21). What makes the Workers' Party of Belgium tick? peoplesdispatch.org Bert De Belder of the Workers' Party of Belgium reflects on the transitions that enabled his organization to emerge as a powerful force throughout the country at a time of increasing fracturing of the polity…
(2019-12-20). Democrats Invoke Russiagate to Advance Bill Lobbied for by Big Oil. therealnews.com 
Two bills that would allow the United States to expand its fossil fuel infrastructure in the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries have advanced to the the Senate—and Democrats backing them have invoked "Russiagate" to push them through.
(2019-12-20). Capitalism and the Limits of Greening. counterpunch.org The idea of a Green New Deal, including the one proposed by a group of Democrats led by New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is hardly novel on the world scene, though potentially consequential for American politics. European Green parties, for example, introduced far-reaching policies in support of an ecological (sustainable) model of development as early as 1980. A few other European leftist parties later arrived at their own "greening" initiatives to mitigate climate disruption. The much-smaller U.S. Greens followed suit. Even the authoritarian Chinese government has introduced its own program to curb green…
(2019-12-20). Two tactics in the fight against Trump and the right. fightbacknews.org On December 18 the U.S. House of Representatives voted by a 230-197 margin to impeach President Donald Trump. The day before, thousands of people turned out at hundreds of protests across the country to support the impeachment effort. | Trump was impeached by a party-line vote on two counts: first, for abuse of power after he withheld military aid from the Ukraine in an effort to get the government there to investigate Joe Biden's son for corruption; and second, for obstruction of justice because of his campaign to cover up his actions. | What was not voted on were Trump's many other crimes against the people, in…
(2019-12-20). Global Taxation Is a Mess. Here's How to Start Fixing It. thenation.com Global Taxation Is a Mess. Here's How to Start Fixing It.
(2019-12-20). Whistleblowing: A Draft Law to Silence Whistleblowers. globalresearch.ca On 16th December 2019, the Swiss "Conseil des Etats" the upper house of the Swiss Parliament, approved the draft law on whistleblowing, in pipeline since 2003. The proposed law on whistleblowing and related labour laws in Switzerland are not only …
(2019-12-20). 'A Win for the Planet!': Dutch Supreme Court Issues Landmark Ruling Mandating Climate Action. commondreams.org Advocates for climate action celebrated Friday after the Supreme Court of the Netherlands upheld a landmark ruling that found the Dutch government is obligated under international human rights law to more ambitiously reduce greenhouse gas emissions that drive global heating. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/win_for_planet.jpg …
(2019-12-20). Hard truth to spit out: Yang tells Dems to stop obsessing over impeachment & deal with issues that helped Trump get elected. rt.com 
Breaking away from his Democratic peers, Andrew Yang called on the party to get over impeachment and stop pretending like President Donald Trump or Russia — not their own policy failures — caused their 2016 election loss. | In his opening remarks at the last Democratic presidential debate of the year on Thursday, Yang attempted to give his colleagues, still gloating over Trump's impeachment in the House, a rare reality check, urging them to stop putting all their eggs in a basket that nobody cares about in the first place. | "We have to stop being obsessed over impeachment, which unfortunately stri…
(2019-12-20). All I want for Christmas is $23tn in debt: Rand Paul lays waste to reckless US spending in annual Festivus Report. rt.com 
Offering some relief from the impeachment spectacle grinding on in Washington, Senator Rand Paul has released his yearly Festivus Report, chronicling the outrageous — but sometimes comical — spending habits of the US government. | Whether it's funding costly studies on the mating calls of Panamanian frogs, spending millions to improve the quality of television in Moldova or bankrolling Peru's Green New Deal, Washington has found a number of creative ways to blow through tax dollars in 2019. In an epic "airing of grievances" inspired by the TV sitcom Seinfeld, Paul (R-KY) pulled no punches for the f…
(2019-12-19). Queen's Speech takes 'wrecking ball' to Scotland's foundations, SNP claims. thecanary.co The SNP has accused Boris Johnson and the UK Government of "taking a wrecking ball" to Scotland with its plans in the Queen's Speech. | SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford spoke out after a speech that did not mention Scotland by name — although the queen said the "integrity and prosperity" of the United Kingdom was of "the utmost importance" to the UK Government. | Blackford argued the Withdrawal Agreement Bill that ministers will bring forward will hurt Scotland's economy and cost thousands of jobs north of the border. | He was also critical of plans on immigration and said the UK Government was failing…
(2019-12-19). After British right-wing win, workers need anti-racist unity. workers.org 
Elections held Dec. 12 in England, Scotland, Wales and the occupied north of Ireland were a boost to Trump protégé and Conservative party leader Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Voters elected 365 Conservative Members of Parliament to the House of Commons, giving Conservatives — the Tories — the majority needed to . . . | Continue reading After British right-wing win, workers need anti-racist unity at Workers.org
(2019-12-19). Trump's order on 'anti-Semitism' aimed at pro-Palestinian movement. workers.org 
Photo credit: BDS Movement President Donald Trump's executive order issued Dec.11 would deny federal funds from schools that allow "anti-Semitism" on their campuses, including some anti-Israel activities. It is intended to squelch defense of — or even discussion about — Palestinian rights, and is the result of intense reactionary efforts . . . | Continue reading Trump's order on 'anti-Semitism' aimed at pro-Palestinian movement at Workers.org
(2019-12-18). "Not the End of It": If GOP Senate Saves Trump, Rep. Al Green Says He Can Face Impeachment Again. democracynow.org 
President Donald Trump is on the cusp of being impeached by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, with a historic vote set today on whether to formally accuse him of abusing his power in dealing with Ukraine to help himself politically, and then obstructing Congress by blocking their investigation. Trump lashed out directly at the vote on Tuesday, calling the proceedings to remove him from office an "attempted coup." Should the House approve either of the articles of impeachment, the Republican-controlled Senate will hold a trial with all 100 senators acting as jurors, with a two-thirds supermajority…
(2019-12-18). A Secret CBP Team is Targeting and Detaining Innocent Travelers. We're Suing. aclu.org U.S. Customs and Border Protection is deploying secret teams that target, detain, and interrogate innocent travelers. We're suing to expose their activities. | In November 2018, three CBP officers detained Andreas | Gal, a former chief | technology officer at Mozilla Corporation and current Apple employee, at San | Francisco International Airport after he landed from a business trip to Sweden. | Andr…
(2019-12-18). Headlines for December 18, 2019. democracynow.org House to Hold Historic Impeachment Vote Today, Top U.S. Diplomat to Ukraine William Taylor to Step Down, Rick Gates Sentenced to 45 Days in Jail and $20,000 Fine, FISA Court Orders FBI to Change National Security Wiretaps After DOJ Report, Democratic Primary Debate to Go Forward After Labor Dispute Resolved, Senate Approves One of the Most Expensive Military Spending Bills in U.S. History, Trump Meets with Outgoing Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, Indian Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Controversial Citizenship Law, Strikes Continue Nationwide in France over Pension Overhaul, Bolivia's Evo Morales Names Two…
(2019-12-16). Ralph Nader on Impeachment: Democrats Should Go After Trump's Full Corruption, Not Just Ukraine. democracynow.org 
Donald Trump is set to become the third president to be impeached when the Democrat-controlled House votes Wednesday on two charges related to his attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rival Joe Biden. The vote will send the charges to the Republican-controlled Senate, which will then hold a trial on whether to remove Trump from office. Witnesses who could be called to testify include former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Early Monday, the House Judiciary Committee released its full report on Trump's impeachment that is nearly 700 pag…
(2019-12-16). COP25 Was a Failure, But Activists' Collective Organizing at the Talks Was Unprecedented. democracynow.org 
The COP25 United Nations climate summit ended in failure Sunday, after negotiators failed to agree to a deal that would limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — a key goal of the Paris Agreement. Scores of civil society groups condemned governments in the European Union, Australia, Canada and the U.S. for a deal that requires far less action than needed to avert catastrophic climate change. Indigenous leaders and environmentalists blasted the United Nations for marginalizing civil society groups over two weeks of negotiations at the climate summit, while welcoming polluters.