(2019-12-08). Power of Siberia: Putin and the 'Biden Memorial Pipeline' to China. globalresearch.ca In early 2014 Washington staged a blatant coup d'etat in Ukraine breaking the historic relationship with Russia and setting the stage for the subsequent NATO demonization of Russia. The one in charge for the Obama Administration of the Ukraine coup …
(2019-12-08). Pesticides in the Food You Eat and the Water You Drink. "U.S. Kids Continue to be Exposed" globalresearch.ca The European Union today confirmed it will ban the use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on food crops early next year, citing the risk of brain damage to children — evidence the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ignored in scuttling a proposed …
(2019-12-08). The Planned 1933 Fascist Coup in America. globalresearch.ca The secret US government and the European bankers have cherished this plan of an American fascist dictatorship for many decades, a plan that almost succeeded when a group of American financiers (including George H. W. Bush's father Prescott Bush) …
(2019-12-08). The Pitchforks Will Come Out Eventually. commondreams.org From ancient Mesopotamia to Rome, to feudal Europe to feudal Japan, a disparity in the concentration of wealth that widened meant only one thing for a civilization: their current days were numbered.(Photo: Robert Couse-Baker/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/pitchfork-economy.jpg …
(2019-12-08). The US Is Forcing Macedonia to Change Its Name for NATO Membership — To Spite Russia. globalresearch.ca I figured out why Republicans have become Democrats and are allowing the State Department to still be run by the Obama administration. To spite the Russians. For all the hate that each party has for each other, they hate the …
(2019-12-08). A Troubled Family: NATO turns 70. dissidentvoice.org Summit anniversaries are not usually this abysmally interesting. While those paying visits to Watford, England on the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation are supposedly signatories to the same agreement, a casual glance would have suggested otherwise. This was a show of some bickering. France, never the most comfortable member, …
(2019-12-08). The Missing Stories: Three Big Issues the Media Is Missing. commondreams.org Democratic presidential hopefuls Mayor of South Bend Pete Buttigieg, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders participate in the fifth Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season co-hosted by MSNBC and The Washington Post at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia on November 20, 2019. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/press-three-issues.jpg …
(2019-12-08). Pressure Mounts for Deeper Investigation of Devin Nunes in Ukraine Scandal. truthout.org Problems continue to mount for one of Trump's fiercest defenders in the House, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-California). On December 3, the House Intelligence Committee revealed in its impeachment report that Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and Giuliani's indicted associate Lev Parnas made calls to Nunes on April 10 and April 12. The report only states the existence of the calls, not their content, but highlights that they occurred four days after an opinion piece containing disinformation about…
(2019-12-08). Russia-Ukraine fallout won't threaten security of EU gas supply. rt.com 
Even if Russia and Ukraine were to fail to reach an agreement on the natural gas transit through Ukraine onto Europe, the security of gas supply in the European Union (EU) will not be materially threatened. | The current ten-year gas transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine expires on December 31, 2019. The parties need to reach a new agreement by that date to set the terms of deliveries of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine's territory. | Russia has been building pipelines to Europe and Turkey that bypass Ukraine—TurkStream and Nord Stream 2. Ukraine, for its part, is a key transit country for Russia…
(2019-12-08). Russia's Crimea welcomes record number of tourists in post-Soviet era. rt.com 
More than 7 million people have spent their vacations in Crimea so far this year, Deputy Chairman of Crimea's Council of Ministers and Permanent Presidential Envoy Georgy Muradov said, setting a post-Soviet record. | Muradov told TASS that "Crimea is Russia's second most visited region for tourism and recreation after the Krasnodar Region." | | Swallow's Nest Castle © Pixabay.com | Despite Western sanctions targeting the Black Sea peninsula (due to its reunification with Russia), Crimea is becoming increasingly popular with foreign tourists, Muradov said. This includes travelers from the United States a…
(2019-12-08). Sports lawyer hopes WADA makes fair decision in 'political fight' over doping in Russian sports. rt.com 
The World Anti-Doping Agency should listen to both sides before punishing Russian athletes for something they have no control over, a prominent Swiss sports lawyer told RT, adding that the scandal seems politically motivated. | WADA has accused the Russian anti-doping agency of submitting inconsistent raw data to the world body, and threatened to ban Russia from hosting major sporting events for the next four years, and force its athletes to compete under a neutral flag. This would impact Russia's participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, as well as the 2023 hosting of the ice hockey world championship. | Russ…
(2019-12-08). 'You're killing the dreams of a whole lot of youth' — Roy Jones Jr on Russia's potential Olympic ban instigated by WADA. rt.com 
Boxing great Roy Jones Jr, who notoriously was cheated out of an Olympic gold medal in Seoul in 1988 and knows a thing or two about ruined hopes, spoke about Russia's potential four-year ban from international sports competitions. | Prior to the start of his professional career, the 19-year-old Jones entered the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea as the youngest member of the US Olympic Boxing Team to reach the final without losing a single round on his way to it. However, his gold medal hopes were ruined by the judges, who scored the fight in favor of his opponent, South Korea native Park Si-Hun, despite the…
(2019-12-08). Ukraine's Zelensky to be TOPPLED by protests if he crosses 'red lines' in Paris, TV host warns, as crowds cheer. rt.com 
Pressure is mounting on Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, with the opposition threatening him with civil unrest should he show weakness during the Normandy Four talks with Russian, French and German leaders on Monday. | Thousands attended a rally at the iconic Maidan square in the center of the Ukrainian capital, organized in the run-up to the high-profile meeting by the parties of Petro Poroshenko, whom Zelensky defeated in the spring election, as well as former PM Yulia Tymoshenko and rock star Vyacheslav Vakarchuk. And the speakers on stage didn't mince words. | | © Reuters / Valentyn Ogirenko…
(2019-12-08). Social justice or bullying a child? American ballerina rounds up Instagram mob to lecture 14yo Russian dancer on blackface. rt.com 
The US may be cannibalizing itself with social justice dogma, but some places remain untouched by the long arm of the woke. Not anymore, as a prominent ballerina took to hounding Russian children on the internet for 'racism.' | Ballerina Misty Copeland made history in 2015 by becoming the American Ballet Theater's first black principal dancer. She's since appeared in productions of 'Swan Lake,' 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'The Nutcracker,' among others. Lately, however, she's also found time to publicly shame Russian children for not measuring up to American standards of political correctness. | In an Instagram pos…
(2019-12-08). Group of Muslims beat & rob Christian street preacher in Norway, threaten to kill him if he does not convert to Islam. rt.com 
A Christian man preaching in the streets of a Norwegian city was beaten and robbed after being asked for spiritual healing by a group of Muslim men. He was also threatened with death if he did not convert to Islam. | Roar Flottum was preaching and praying for the sick in Trondheim when he was approached by four Muslim men. According to Flottum, the group asked him to come pray for a friend who had injured his foot. Instead, they led him to a secluded backyard and then pushed him down a cellar staircase. After beating and robbing him, the group allegedly threatened to kill the Christian street preacher if he di…
(2019-12-08). Hong Kong police retrieve PISTOL & 100+ live rounds for 1st time aimed at 'creating chaos'. rt.com 
In what appears to be the first firearm seizure linked to massive rallies, police in the former British colony have found a semi-automatic pistol and live ammunition — along with knives and even a Japanese sword. | Hong Kong police have carried out raids early on Sunday, as the city braces for another wave of protests against the local and Beijing government. In wake of the searches, officers found an Austrian-made Glock pistol and four magazines, three of which were loaded with a total of 105 live rounds. | Glock is particularly valued by police and security forces worldwide for its simplicity, versatil…
(2019-12-07). Corbyn dismisses controversy surrounding leaked NHS documents as 'nonsense'. thecanary.co 
Jeremy Corbyn has dismissed as "nonsense" the controversy surrounding the source of leaked documents used by Labour as proof the Tories are planning to sell the NHS.The Labour leader insisted the dossier was real after social media platform Reddit claimed the documents were disclosed as "part of a campaign that has been reported as originating from Russia".Corbyn used the leaked papers as evidence that the government was at an advanced stage of negotiations with the US to open up the health service to American pharmaceutical companies. Asked about the claims during a campaign visit to Barry, South Wales Corbyn to…
(2019-12-07). Freedom for All of Cyprus. dissidentvoice.org 
The Union of Cypriots is one of the prominent organizations that is fighting against the Turkish occupation of Cyprus and struggles for a united Cyprus. It also took the world's attention with its strong image and messages lately. Today, you can hear its name when the Cyprus subject opens, anywhere, despite the fact that the …
(2019-12-07). House Impeachment Report Cites Abuse of Power, Bribery, Corruption. truthdig.com 
WASHINGTON—Previewing potential articles of impeachment, the House Democrats on Saturday issued a lengthy report drawing on history and the Founding Fathers to lay out the legal argument over the case against President Donald Trump's actions toward Ukraine. | The findings from the House Judiciary Committee do not spell out the formal charges against the president, which are being drafted ahead of votes, possibly as soon as next week. Instead, the report refutes Trump's criticism of the impeachment proceedings, arguing that the Constitution created impeachment as a "safety valve" so Americans would not have…
(2019-12-07). Towards "NATO-Exit"? Shift in the Structure of Military Coalitions. Turkey's Alliance with Russia, China and Iran? globalresearch.ca Contemporary developments point to a historical shift in the structure of military alliances which indelibly contributes to weakening US hegemony as well as creating conditions which could result in the breakup of NATO.
(2019-12-07). NATO Spending Pushes Europe from Welfare to Warfare. globalresearch.ca First published in April 2019 | After a recent anti-NATO conference in Florence, we spoke with Michel Chossudovsky about the alliance's problems. 'NATO's unspoken aim has been to implement a de facto "military occupation" of Western Europe, in all but name.'…
(2019-12-07). France: Workers Paralyze Transport to Reject Pension Reform. telesurenglish.net For the third consecutive day, France is protesting against a pension reform through a nationwide general strike that keeps public transport paralyzed on Saturday. | RELATED: | French Police Fire Tear Gas at Workers Protesting Macron Reform | This is the result of the joint action of the workers of the national state-owned railway company SNCF and the workers of the public transport company in Paris RATP, who announced that their strike would continue until Dec. 9. | Last Thu…
(2019-12-07). France Shut Down by Nationwide Strike Action for Social Justice. globalresearch.ca On Thursday, hundreds of thousands of French workers, youths and others protested over former Rothschild banker/French President Macron's pension reform scheme that's all about further eroding social justice by slashing vital benefits. | Most rail, other public transportation, and many flights …
(2019-12-07). House Judiciary Committee Sham Ukrainegate Hearings. globalresearch.ca Following House Intelligence Committee sham hearings, Judiciary Committee Dems began their own on Wednesday, the witch-hunt to continue days longer in the run-up to the yearend holiday break. | Wednesday's hearing featured four law professors — three supporting the Ukrainegate scam, …
(2019-12-07). Turkey's Military Drones: An Export Product that's Disrupting NATO. globalresearch.ca Just over a decade ago, the prototype of an unmanned aircraft that would become the Bayraktar TB2 took off for its maiden flight at Sinop Airport on the Black Sea. There were few signs then that the mid-sized, twin-boom aircraft …
(2019-12-07). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
(2019-12-07). The way forward for the mass strike in France. wsws.org The working class faces a fight to bring down the Macron government, drawing into struggle ever broader layers of workers and youth in France and internationally.
(2019-12-07). Even Hunter Biden Admits His Work in Ukraine Was a Mistake. Why Can't His Father Say That? theintercept.com Biden's bizarre claim that "no one has said my son did anything wrong" in Ukraine reveals an inability to accept that legal behavior can also be unethical.
(2019-12-06). Over 800,000 strikers in France show that 'business as usual' is not an option. thecanary.co 
The Eiffel Tower shut down, France's vaunted high-speed trains stood still and "at least 800,000 people" protested across France as unions launched nationwide strikes on 5 December over the government's plan to change the retirement system.US economist Richard D Wolff responded to the strike by saying people in France are uniting to oppose a worsening in their retirement conditions. And he said: The mass of the French people are letting the government know they won't take it.Paris authorities barricaded the presidential palace and deployed 6,000 police a…
(2019-12-06). The new Belorussian film 'Debut': Crime and punishment and art therapy. peoplesworld.org 
Anastasiya Miroshnichenko's well-made, touching documentary Debut provides viewers with a rare glimpse behind the "Iron Curtain." By this I'm not merely referring to the fact that this 80-minute film was shot in Belarus, formerly known as Byelorussia or Belorussia and, like Ukraine, an erstwhile Soviet republic. Rather, more to the point, Debut was largely filmed …
(2019-12-06). Study Reveals How UK Intelligence Works with Media to Smear Jeremy Corbyn. mintpressnews.com 
The United Kingdom goes to the polls December 12 in a pivotal vote that will decide the future of the country. Like in 2017, the Labour Party, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, is surging towards the ruling Conservative Party in the last weeks of campaigning. But he will not become Prime Minister if the UK's security services have anything to do with it. Corbyn, frequently compared to Bernie Sanders in terms of ideology, spent decades in the political wilderness, a lonely leftist voice among a party embracing neol…
(2019-12-06). A Lesson From the Danes on Immigration. counterpunch.org Denmark is in the news now because of its purported hostility to immigrants. Brooke Harrington, a sociology professor at Dartmouth, published an op ed in the New York Times on Tuesday about how she was nearly carted off to a Danish prison for giving invited guest lectures to the Danish parliament. Danes had tightened up More
(2019-12-06). French Unions and Yellow Vests Converge: December 5 General Strike. dissidentvoice.org MONTPELLIER, France — On the eve of an "unlimited" (open-ended) General Strike called for today, more and more unions and protest groups are pledging join in. Two things are unusual about this strike. The first is that it is open-ended, rather than the usual one-day ritualistic protest marches, and it may be prolonged from day …
(2019-12-06). Iran Denounced Letters to UN as 'Desperate Falsehood'. telesurenglish.net Iran has said it is determined to proceed with its ballistic missile program, as it rejected as a "desperate falsehood" the letter from the United Kingdom, Germany, and France to the United Nations Security Council, accusing Tehran of developing missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads. | RELATED: | US Military Finishes Pullback From Northeast Syria | The three Europeans ambassadors called on UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres to inform in his next report that Iran's missi…
(2019-12-06). Across the Balkans: From Banja Luka to Sarajevo. counterpunch.org An account of a journey from Croatia to Kosovo, by way of Bosnia-Hercegovina and Serbia, and with a detour into Montenegro. This is part III of a series. Serb war memorial outside the Banja Luka train station. To catch the train from Banja Luka to Sarajevo, I had to ride a bus to the edge More
(2019-12-06). Hillary Casually Drops 'Russian Asset' Smear on Bernie Sanders in New Interview. theantimedia.com Are we just going to ignore that Hillary Clinton, today, just implied that Bernie Sanders is also a Russian asset?>
(2019-12-06). Chernobyl, Lies and Messianism in Russia. counterpunch.org "How much are these lies going to cost?" asks the nuclear physicist Legasov, as played by Jared Harris in the American series Chernobyl. This HBO series, broadcast a few months ago and based partly on Svetlana Alexievich's book Voices from Chernobyl, reveals how the Soviet state tried to cover up the lethal explosion of the More
(2019-12-06). NATO is a Brain Dead, Obsolete, Rabid Dog. Euthanize It. counterpunch.org In early November, French president Emmanuel Macron complained that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is experiencing "brain death" as its member states go their own ways, with "no coordination whatsoever of strategic decision-making." US president Donald Trump's reply: "Nobody needs NATO more than France." The two continued their duel over NATO's future at an More
(2019-12-06). BNP Before a French Court. counterpunch.org A court case is currently running in France that is of relevance to more than the French. During two weeks to 29 November, Banque Nationale de Paris Paribas is being sued in the Tribunal correctionnel of Paris (a mid-level criminal court) by lawyers representing borrowers of loans denominated in foreign currency. The issue is of More
(2019-12-06). 1.5 million march amid mass strike in France against austerity and inequality. wsws.org Tens of thousands of rail, government, and education workers went on strike against plans by French President Emanuel Macron to slash pensions.
(2019-12-06). Ukraine: Three-year-old boy killed in attempted political assassination by the far right. wsws.org The killing of a three-year-old demonstrates that far-right forces in Ukraine are being given free rein to carry out targeted political assassinations.
(2019-12-06). Why Are Some of Spain's Biggest Polluters Sponsoring U.N. Climate Summit? democracynow.org 
A group of climate activists walked out of a panel at the U.N. climate summit in Madrid on Thursday to protest the presence of Shell, BP and Chevron. Representatives from the oil companies were taking part in an event organized by the International Emissions Trading Association. This comes as the Spanish government is facing criticism for reaching out to Endesa, Spain's biggest corporate greenhouse gas polluter, to sponsor the U.N. climate talks. We speak with Pascoe Sabido, a researcher and campaigner for the Corporate Europe Observatory, who has been organizing toxic tours of Madrid to expose the corporations a…
(2019-12-06). "It's Our Future": Meet the Youth Activists Behind Fridays for Future Movements in Uganda and Chile. democracynow.org 
In Spain, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has arrived in Madrid to take part in today's strike as well as a major march set for 6 p.m. local time. Greta began the climate strike movement last year when she started skipping school every Friday to stand in front of the Swedish parliament, demanding action to prevent catastrophic climate change. Her protest spread, quickly going global. We speak with two youth climate strikers: Hilda Flavia Nakabuye is the founder of Fridays for Future Uganda and Angela Valenzuela is a coordinator with Fridays for Future in Chile, where this year's U.N. clima…
(2019-12-06). COP25: Alternative Climate Summit Honors Those "Suffering the Crimes of Transnational Corporations" democracynow.org 
We broadcast from Madrid, Spain, where the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP25, began Monday and will continue through next week, as environmental leaders from around the world gather to negotiate global solutions to the climate crisis. Activists have converged on Madrid for the conference and are hosting an alternative summit of their own: Cumbre Social por el Clima — the Social Summit for the Climate. The alternative summit has been organized by social justice and environmental groups to draw attention to the ongoing political repression in Chile, corporate influence on the climate su…
(2019-12-06). Headlines for December 6, 2019. democracynow.org Pelosi Calls On Democrats to Proceed With Drafting Articles of Impeachment, Joe Biden Lashes Out at Iowa Town Hall over His Son Hunter's Work in Ukraine, Pentagon Weighs Sending Up to 14,000 More U.S. Troops to Middle East, Saudi Aramco Raises $25.6 Billion in Historic IPO, 140,000 Died Globally from Measles in 2018, 62 Refugees Died after Boat Capsized off Coast of Mauritania, Shocking Video Shows How Border Patrol Let Teenage Asylum Seeker Die in Custody, French Workers Continue National Strike into Second Day, Uber Says It Received 3,000 Reports of Sexual Assault in U.S. in 2018, The Guardian: Ilhan Omar and R…
(2019-12-06). That's a bit rich: Biden says paycheck doesn't matter, jobs are 'about dignity'. rt.com 
Democrat hopeful Joe Biden says jobs aren't just about money, but his words rang hollow for critics who shot back with reminders about low wages and the former vice president's son getting a cushy gig at a Ukrainian oil company. | Biden's latest pitch to voters promised to bring "dignity" back to the working middle class. | "A job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It's about dignity. It's about being able to look your kid in the eye and say everything is going to be okay — and mean it. Too many people today can't do that," Biden tweeted on Friday. | A job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It's about…
(2019-12-06). With People in the Streets Worldwide, Media Focus Uniquely on Hong Kong. fair.org 
Unlike protests against US client states, the Hong Kong demonstrations were frequently given the approving "pro-democracy" label (CNN, 8/30/19). | 2019 may be remembered as the year of the protest, as demonstrations are engulfing the world. From the Yellow Vests in France to demonstrations in Lebanon, Gaza, Chile, Ecuador and Haiti, sustained movements all over the planet have taken to the street demanding change. Yet US corporate media have been disproportionately interested in only one: the Hong Kong protests.
(2019-12-05). Ukraine scandal involves a trifecta of unconstitutional Trump abuses. peoplesworld.org 
The impeachment of a U.S. president for the fourth time in history is more serious than any of the three that have gone before it. This time there is before the American people proof that Donald Trump is guilty of a trifecta of "high crimes and misdemeanors" stipulated in the Constitution as impeachable offenses. He …
(2019-12-05). Trump Seeks Another $250 Million in Lethal Aid for Ukraine. theantimedia.com With other nations trying to help Ukraine negotiate a deal to end that situation peacefully, the US keeps pouring weapons into the country.
(2019-12-05). US Military Finishes Pullback From Northeast Syria. telesurenglish.net The United States has completed its military pullback in northeastern Syria, settling into a more stable posture of about 600 troops in the rest of the country after repositioning and reducing forces, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said during an interview with Reuters. | RELATED: | Turkey Stands Its Ground Against NATO Over Syria Dispute | Esper explained that this could signal the end of a period of turbulence and uncertainty surrounding the U.S. military presence in Syria after Pres…