(2019-12-11). How the FBI Botched Its Russia Inquiry, One of the Most Closely Watched Cases in Its History. theintercept.com 
The investigation was slowed by communication failures, concerns about political optics, and an overall lack of urgency, along with plenty of mistakes.
(2019-12-11). Jeremy Corbyn faces Russiagate smear campaign before UK vote. thegrayzone.com Jeremy Corbyn, a real progressive, could win UK's elections. Max Blumenthal joins Pushback to discuss how powerful forces are trying…
(2019-12-11). Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's "Timely Visit" to Washington. Coincides with House Impeachment Procedure. Discusses "Russiagate" with Trump in Oval Office. globalresearch.ca On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov met with Pompeo at the State Department as well as Trump in the White House Oval Office. | Several issues discussed including "Russiagate" | [Careful timing?: | "House Democrats will begin work on completing their articles of …
(2019-12-11). Strikes continue in Finland after Social Democrat prime minister resigns. wsws.org The broad support for…
(2019-12-11). EU to Discuss Recognition of Palestine. imemc.org Foreign Ministers of the European Union are expected to exchange views, next month, on whether the 28-nation bloc should recognize Palestine as a sovereign state as the US pushes ahead with pro-occupation policies, undermining the prospect of the so-called two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Ireland and Luxembourg are among …
(2019-12-11). AXA, Divest from Israel's Climate Apartheid: Day of Action Roundup. imemc.org December 10, 2019 / Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) / France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland The second global AXA Day of Action included mobilizations all around the world, on the same day as the UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and the 4th global climate strike. The second global AXA Day of …
(2019-12-11). Mass marches and strikes against Macron's pension cuts continue across France. wsws.org Rail, mass transit and broader sections of the French public sector continued strikes begun on December 5 in an emerging trial of strength between the workers and Macron.
(2019-12-11). Last Straw as Teachers in France Join Nationwide Strike. globalresearch.ca One of the many groups taking part in the massive general strike in France this week, and joining forces with the year-long Yellow Jackets movement, are the country's public school teachers. The "coup de grâce" for teachers was the Macron …
(2019-12-11). Moscow Creates 'Anti-Missile Dome' over Northern Fleet as Battle for Arctic Heats Up. globalresearch.ca The international struggle for military supremacy in the Arctic has just risen to absurd new heights. | Following the collapse of the arms control regime that for decades aided the US's tenuous grip on power in the region, the US, Russia …
(2019-12-11). Watchdog Caught in Political Crossfire on His Russia Report. truthdig.com WASHINGTON — The Justice Department's internal watchdog was caught in a political tug of war Wednesday as Republican and Democratic senators used his report on the origins of Russia investigation to back their views that it was an important and legitimate probe or a badly bungled farce. | Inspector General Michael Horowitz testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about his findings this week that while the FBI had a legitimate basis to launch the Russia investigation and was not motivated by political bia…
(2019-12-11). Interference Paranoia: Russia, Reddit and the British Election. counterpunch.org In some ways, it is a very British thing: fair play is expected; the reasonable person with all faculties intact, going about the business of living and voting. Little thought is given to the fact that these assumptions are as much constructions, faàßades of rhetorical merit rather than reality. Voters need not be reasonable, and More
(2019-12-11). Germany: SPD congress backs grand coalition government as class struggle intensifies. wsws.org The new SPD leadership is making hollow reformist promises in the hope of controlling growing anti-capitalist sentiment in the working class.
(2019-12-11). Democrats release articles of impeachment against Trump on "national security" grounds. wsws.org The articles of impeachment assert that the president "betrayed the nation" and "compromised the national security of the United States" by temporarily delaying military aid to Ukraine.
(2019-12-11). Video: President al-Assad: Europe Was the Main Player in Creating Chaos in Syria. globalresearch.ca President Bashar al-Assad said that Syria is going to come out of the war stronger and the future of Syria is promising and the situation is much better, pointing out to the achievements of the Syrian Arab army in the …
(2019-12-11). "Shame!" Indigenous Leaders & Delegates from Global South Stage Dramatic Protest at COP25 in Madrid. democracynow.org 
Democracy Now! was broadcasting live from the United Nations climate summit in Madrid, Spain, when hundreds of climate advocates and people's movements at the U.N. climate action summit staged a protest inside the conference venue. As the demonstration unfolds, we speak with Tom Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network; Karin Nansen, chair of Friends of the Earth International; Nigerian climate activist Nnimmo Bassey with Health of Mother Earth Foundation; and indigenous climate activist Daiara Tukano from Brazil.
(2019-12-11). "The Most Extreme Fires We've Ever Seen": Record Climate-Fueled Wildfires Engulf Australia in Smoke. democracynow.org 
As world leaders gather to address the climate crisis in Madrid, massive wildfires have engulfed Australia in flames and smoke. More than 100 climate-fueled blazes have killed at least six people and pushed air quality levels in Sydney to 12 times hazardous levels. Thousands braved extreme air pollution Wednesday to protest the government's climate inaction outside Sydney Town Hall. As Democracy Now! broadcasts live from inside the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain, we speak with Australian environmental scientist Bill Hare, director of Climate Analytics and a coordinator of the Climate Ac…
(2019-12-11). Indigenous Leaders and Delegates From the Global South Stage Walkout at COP25. truthout.org Democracy Now! was broadcasting live from the United Nations climate summit in Madrid, Spain, when hundreds of climate advocates and people's movements at the U.N. climate action summit staged a protest inside the conference venue. As the demonstration unfolds, we speak with Tom Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network; Karin Nansen, chair of Friends of the Earth International; Nigerian climate activist Nnimmo Bassey with Health of Mother Earth Foundation; and indig…
(2019-12-11). Record Climate-Fueled Wildfires Engulf Australia in Smoke. truthout.org As world leaders gather to address the climate crisis in Madrid, massive wildfires have engulfed Australia in flames and smoke. More than 100 climate-fueled blazes have killed at least six people and pushed air quality levels in Sydney to 12 times hazardous levels. Thousands braved extreme air pollution Wednesday to protest the government's climate inaction outside Sydney Town Hall. As Democracy Now! broadcasts live from inside the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain, we speak with Austral…
(2019-12-11). FBI Agents Showed Bias Against Hillary Clinton, Not Against Trump, DOJ Says. truthout.org The Justice Department inspector general's report debunked President Donald Trump's repeated claims that the FBI's Russia probe was launched out of anti-Trump bias by FBI leaders. Conversely, it did find anti-Hillary Clinton bias among FBI agents. | Trump claimed for years that the FBI investigation was opened because of anti-Trump bias by FBI leaders,…
(2019-12-11). Rep. Ro Khanna Urges "Universal Condemnation" of Trump as Democrats File Impeachment Charges. democracynow.org 
House Democrats have unveiled two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump that formally charge him with high crimes and misdemeanors after more than two months of investigation. On Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined chairs of the impeachment inquiry committees to announce the charges of "abuse of power" and "obstruction of Congress." Democrats allege Trump withheld congressionally directed taxpayer funding for Ukraine's military until the Ukrainian president agreed to do what Trump called a "favor" by announcing Ukraine was investigating his potential 2020 political rival Joe Biden. Democra…
(2019-12-11). Headlines for December 11, 2019. democracynow.org Democrats Charge Trump with Two Articles of Impeachment, Trump Meets with Russian Foreign Minister, Who Denies Russia Meddled in 2016 Election, Democrats Agree with Trump on New NAFTA, Federal Judge Blocks Trump from Diverting Funds to Border Wall, Mass Protests Continue in France Against Macron's Pensions Plan, British Voters Head to the Polls Thursday, Protesters at COP25 Continue Demands for Urgent Action: "You Can't Drink Oil, Keep It in the Soil!", Thousands Protest Australian Government's Inaction as Smoke from Wildfires Blankets Sydney, At Least 6 Dead, 3 Missing, After Volcano Erupts in New Zealand, Ethio…
(2019-12-11). EU ready to start talks on future with Britain immediately after Brexit as 'citizens deserve certainty'. rt.com 
The European Union is ready to start talks over its future relationship with Britain as soon as Britain leaves the bloc, Reuters quoted a senior EU official as saying on Wednesday. The statement comes ahead of a meeting of EU leaders to discuss Brexit on Friday. | Britain will hold parliamentary elections on Thursday after years of negotiations on the terms of its withdrawal from the EU did not produce a result that would get sufficient support in the British parliament. | UK election results are likely to be known early on Friday. "Whatever these results will be, the message from the EU is that we are ready t…
(2019-12-11). US Lobbyists Prepare to Seize "Historic Opportunity" in Tory-led Brexit to Shred Consumer Safeguards, Raise Drug Prices. globalresearch.ca Boris Johnson's election on December 12 hinges on the British prime minister's promise to leave the European Union. Johnson has remade the Conservative Party, pushing out longtime party members wary of a firm break from the EU, to cast the …
(2019-12-11). 'It makes a mockery of people!' French protesters not ready to back down in the face of Macron's controversial pension reform. rt.com 
With mass protests against Emmanuel Macron's pension reform plan entering their seventh day, French workers and unions signaled that they are not ready to back down in their efforts to have the new scheme completely scrapped. | In a much-anticipated speech on Wednesday, French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe resisted protesters' demands and said he was "totally determined" to implement the "fair" plan which would replace a fragmented, but generous, system of more than 42 separate state pensions with a new universal points-based scheme. | What's in the plan?: | Philippe said the proposal would gi…
(2019-12-11). 'How was that not a red!?' Man City dumbfounded at VAR elbow decision as Jesus grabs 3 in final UCL group game. rt.com 
Manchester City were left fuming when VAR decided against taking action on what looked like a blatant elbow on midfielder Rodri on a night Gabriel Jesus grabbed a hat-trick in a 4-1 UEFA Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb. | READ MORE: UEFA Champions League highlights – Salah's 200th goal & Barca's Fati becomes youngest goalscorer (VIDEO) | 'The Citizens' had already qualified for the knockout stage of the competition at the top of Group C ahead of the match in Croatia, but did go be…
(2019-12-11). 'It's either sanctions or impeachment': Lavrov in trolling mode when asked about timing of his visit to US. rt.com 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denied there was anything odd about the 'timing' of his trip to Washington on a day that impeachment articles against Donald Trump were announced and the Senate debated new Russia sanctions. | Asked about the "timing" by a suspicious reporter following his Oval Office meeting with Trump on Tuesday, Lavrov joked that it was almost impossible to arrive in Washington at a non-controversial time, since something dramatic is always happening. | "It seems to me that, regardless of the day you choose to visit Washington, it will surely coincide with either sanctions or impeachme…
(2019-12-11). 2 pilots killed as Russian military helicopter crashes in night training mission. rt.com 
Both crew members of the Mi-28 attack helicopter have died after crashing during a training flight in the Krasnodar region of Russia. The cause of the crash is being investigated, but it took place at night and in dense fog. | "On 11 December 2019, at about 11: 00 pm [Moscow time, or 20: 00 GMT], a Mi-28 helicopter crashed in the Krasnodar Territory near the Korenovsk airfield during a training flight, carried out at night time under difficult weather conditions," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, confirming the crash and the deaths of the two crew members. They were identified as Sq…
(2019-12-11). Justice Department chief Horowitz slams FBI for 'serious errors' in Russiagate investigation. rt.com 
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz blasted the FBI for "basic, fundamental, and serious errors" made in their initial Trump-Russia probe which he said amounted to a "failure" by the "entire chain of command." | Horowitz appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday to testify on the results of his 476-page report into the origins of the original FBI 'Crossfire Hurricane' investigation into the Trump campaign. In particular, the IG criticized the FBI for serious irregularities, inaccuracies and omissions in their FISA applications to obtain a warrant to monitor former campaign advi…
(2019-12-11). 'Obama policies continue': US Congress doing everything to destroy relations with Russia, says Lavrov. rt.com 
Some US lawmakers are doing everything they can to prevent normalization of US-Russia relations, which would benefit both countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said while visiting Washington. | Lavrov spent Tuesday in meetings with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the State Department and Trump at the Oval Office. At a press conference later in the day, he was asked if Russia saw Trump as a reliable partner. | While Trump sincerely understands the benefits of good relations with Russia for both countries, Lavrov said, "Congress, in my opinion, is doing everything to destroy our relations," continu…
(2019-12-11). If you seek truth about 2016 'Russian election meddling,' check secret Obama cables, which US REFUSED to release — Lavrov. rt.com 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he did not discuss 'election meddling' with his US hosts, but that Moscow is willing to publish communications with the Obama administration showing that nothing happened in 2016. | After meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the State Department, Lavrov also sat down with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. The White House readout of their meeting said that Trump had "warned against any Russian attempts to interfere in United States elections." | "We did not discuss the election," Lavrov told reporters later on Tuesday, adding that the talks fo…
(2019-12-11). US Senate advances bill giving State Department right to call Russia 'sponsor of terrorism'. rt.com 
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved a bill asking the State Department to determine whether Russia falls under criteria of a state sponsor of terrorism, potentially opening a way stricter sanctions. | The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved a bill asking the State Department to determine whether Russia falls under criteria of a state sponsor of terrorism, potentially opening a way stricter sanctions.The pretentiously titled 'St…
(2019-12-11). Ronaldo irate after being GRABBED by selfie-hunting pitch invader at Juventus' final Champions League group game (VIDEO). rt.com 
Cristiano Ronaldo was incensed after being grabbed by a selfie-hunting pitch invader at the end of Juventus' UEFA Champions League group game against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, leaving the winger clasping his neck. | READ MORE: UEFA Champions League highlights – Salah's 200th goal & Barca's Fati becomes youngest goalscorer (VIDEO) | Ronaldo, who opened the scoring in the 75th minute of Juventus' 2-0 win in Germany, was accosted on the shoulder by a fan who had sprinted across the Bay…
(2019-12-11). Video: Russian Troops Entered Raqqah City in Northern Syria for First Time Ever. globalresearch.ca On December 9, Russian forces entered the city of Raqqah for the first time since the start of their anti-terrorism operation in 2015. A unit of the Russian Military Police set up a temporary humanitarian point and provided locals with …
(2019-12-11). Dozens detained on suspicion of preparing major terrorist attack in Denmark. rt.com 
Denmark's police have arrested some two dozen people suspected of planning a massive terrorist attack "motivated by Islamism" in a large-scale nationwide operation. | Along with the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, law enforcement authorities launched a "comprehensive and coordinated" operation in at least six regions of the northern European country, including its capital Copenhagen. Police said the action was aimed at preventing allegedly planned "terrorist attacks with a militant, Islamist motive." | The Danish media reported large forces of heavily armed police officers being deployed to the Co…
(2019-12-10). A Beautiful but Deceptive Documentary: "For Sama" dissidentvoice.org 
The documentary movie "For Sama" has won a host of awards in Europe and North America. Its producers and protagonists, Syrians Waad Kateab and her husband Dr. Hamza Kateab plus English film-maker Edward Watts, have received gushing praise. And the awards will probably keep coming. Unfortunately, behind a human interest story, the movie "For Sama" …
(2019-12-10). The King of Sweden Gives Peter Handke a Disgraceful Nobel Prize. theintercept.com A Nobel Prize that will live in infamy was officially presented today to Peter Handke, who is a genocide denier. There was no sign of protest or discord inside the Stockholm Concert Hall as King Carl XVI Gustaf delivered a gold Nobel medal to Handke. After the Swedish monarch warmly shook Handke's hand, and the Austrian-born writer gave a slight bow in return, an orchestra played an extract from Edward Elgar's "Salut d'Amour." | The ceremony, on a winter day with little sunlight, came after precisely two months of international controversy. Among Handke's large body of work are more than a half-dozen books that d…
(2019-12-10). Scandal Strikes at the Heart of Europe. progressive.org Slovakian officials are stepping down over their participation in a double murder.
(2019-12-10). A Troubled Family: NATO Turns 70. counterpunch.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, More
(2019-12-10). Germany: IG Metall union announces further attacks on Daimler workers. wsws.org With the help of the unions and their works council representative, the auto manufacturer wants to destroy 10,000 jobs by 2022.
(2019-12-10). Was Trump Looking for Corruption or a Personal Favor? counterpunch.org Congress's first round of impeachment hearings wound up largely focused on whether President Trump had offered a quid pro quo for receiving a favor from Ukraine, i.e. Trump would release held up military aid and other signs of US support only after Ukraine investigated a particular company that employed Joe Biden's son, and the former More
(2019-12-10). Paris summit on Ukraine overshadowed by inter-imperialist conflicts. wsws.org The escalation of warfare within the US ruling class and the intensification of the conflicts between the imperialist powers occur amid the unraveling of the strategy that US imperialism has pursued in the region since the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.
(2019-12-10). Unions demand jailed Catalan leader support Spain's PSOE-Podemos government. wsws.org Spain's two largest trade unions are directly complicit with the attempt by Podemos and the Socialist Party to install a pro-austerity, police-state regime.
(2019-12-10). Deliver 'significant results now', UN General Assembly President tells COP25 climate conference. news.un.org It is "imperative" that the COP25 climate conference underway in Spain delivers "significant results now", Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the UN General Assembly (PGA), said on Tuesday.
(2019-12-10). US Army Prepares Biggest Deployment to Europe in 25 Years. theantimedia.com In 2020, the US Army will be carrying out its biggest deployment in 25 years into Europe.
(2019-12-10). The U.S. Has Almost No Official Presence at COP25 But Is Still "Obstructing Any Progress" democracynow.org 
This week, Democracy Now! is broadcasting from inside the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain, where representatives from almost 200 countries have gathered to negotiate solutions to the climate crisis. Known as COP25 for "conference of parties," the summit offers a rare opportunity for all countries, especially those on the frontlines of the climate crisis, to have an equal say in negotiations. It comes four years after the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to "well below 2 degrees Celsius," or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. But as the summit heads into its final days, represen…
(2019-12-10). Asad Rehman on the U.K.'s "Climate Election" & Explosive Afghanistan Papers Revelations. democracynow.org 
We get response from London-based Asad Rehman, executive director of War on Want, on two major news developments: The United Kingdom — which will head the COP next year — is set to vote Thursday in what some are calling "the climate election," and the Washington Post has published a confidential trove of documents that reveal how senior U.S. officials have lied throughout the 18-year war in Afghanistan, the longest war in U.S. history, while hiding evidence the war had become unwinnable.
(2019-12-10). Indigenous Youth & Elders at COP25 Protest Canada's Support of Dirty Tar Sands Projects. democracynow.org 
Indigenous women protested outside the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain, on Tuesday morning to demand action to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls across North America. Madrid police shut down the protest within minutes. On Monday, indigenous youth and elders gathered outside the Canadian Embassy in Madrid to protest the Canadian government's support of the Alberta tar sands extraction and new fossil fuel infrastructure, including a pipeline that would cut through indigenous lands to carry tar sands oil from Alberta to Wisconsin. We speak with one of those demonstrators: Eriel Dera…
(2019-12-10). "Listen to Mother Earth": Indigenous Youth Leaders at COP25 in Madrid Protest Fossil Fuel Extraction. democracynow.org 
"Our movements must be bigger than recycling and braver than holding signs," said Rose Whipple, a member of the Santee Dakota and Ho-Chunk, and youth delegate with SustainUS, who joined a panel of youth climate activists at the United Nations climate summit in Madrid, Spain. Indigenous peoples from Canada and the United States are at the summit, speaking out against extraction, new pipeline projects and the environmental devastation of their territories, and calling for movements to center the rights of indigenous peoples.
(2019-12-10). Headlines for December 10, 2019. democracynow.org House Democrats to Unveil Articles of Impeachment Today, WaPo: Secret Afghanistan Papers Reveal How U.S. Officials Lied About War, Sanders & Khanna Urge Lawmakers to Vote Against National Defense Authorization Act, Russia and Ukraine Agree to Ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine, India's Lower House Passes "Anti-Muslim" Citizenship Bill, Protests Continue in Madrid, Spain, Amid COP25, Denmark Passes Climate Act to Reduce Emissions by 70% by 2030, More Than 100 Blazes Rage Across Australia Amid Worst Fire Season in History, Iraq: One Journalist Killed and a Second Disappeared After Covering Protests, Aung San Suu Kyi Arri…
(2019-12-10). 'What's next, accuse Russian diplomats of doping?' Lavrov mocks absurd media storm over his 'secret' meeting with Trump. rt.com 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took a moment to poke fun at US media and members of Congress obsessing about his 'secret' meeting with US President Donald Trump, while throwing shade on WADA for the Russian sports ban. | On a whirlwind trip to Washington, DC on Tuesday, Lavrov met with his US counterpart Mike Pompeo as well as Trump, behind closed doors at the White House. Congressman Adam Schiff (D-California), House Democrats' point man for Trump impeachment, called it a "success of Russian propaganda." | Just had a very good meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and representatives of Russia.