(2019-12-27). 'Climate tariffs' on fracked 'molecules of freedom': German think tank wants to punish US for sanctions against Nord Stream 2. rt.com 
US sanctions against the 'Russian' Nord Stream 2 pipeline have caused widespread anger in Germany, with even critics of the project now ironically seeking to slap the American 'molecules of freedom' with an eco-tax in reprisal. | The prospect of "crushing sanctions" included in the funding the US military, signed by President Donald Trump last week, has already compelled the Swiss-Dutch company Allseas to halt construction on the last remaining portion of the pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea, from Russia to Germany.
(2019-12-26). After Democrats Push Bill to Send Fracked Gas to EU, Trump Includes in Budget. therealnews.com 
The European Energy Security and Diversification Act, legislation offering $1B to promote sending U.S. fracked gas to EU countries, was inserted into the federal budget bill signed into law by President Donald Trump. Democrats invoked "Russiagate" in their PR push for the bill.
(2019-12-26). Global War on Humanity: America's Unceasing Pursuit of Hegemony. globalresearch.ca Essentially what we're looking at is a broader historical perspective on how the US de facto supported Nazi Germany with a view to destroying the Soviet Union as well as weakening the British Empire and competing empires including of course France, Belgium, Holland, etc. And those countries today are no longer colonial powers.
(2019-12-26). Trump Warns Syria, Russia, Iran Over Idlib Campaign. telesurenglish.net U.S. President Donald Trump took a shot at the governments of Syria, Iran, and Russia on Thursday, warning them against renewing their assault on the Idlib province. | RELATED: | Syria: Trump Administration Builds Military Base in Oil Field | Trump, who praised Turkey in the tweet, was relatively silent during Ankara's "Operation Peace Spring" in northeastern Syria, despite the fact it displaced thousands and killed and wounded many civilians. | "Russia, Syria, and Iran are kill…
(2019-12-26). Americans are Ready for a Different Approach to Nuclear Weapons. counterpunch.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 Since entering office in 2017, the Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from the nuclear agreement with Iran, scrapped the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia, and More
(2019-12-26). Erdogan's Adventurism in Syria and Libya Has Left Turkey Weaker and Isolated. globalresearch.ca Still featured on the Turkish Ministry of Affairs website is the "Zero Problems With Our Neighbors" policy that was launched in 2010 with the aim of diffusing Turkey's many issues with all of its neighbors. However, less than a year …
(2019-12-26). Video: Turkish-based 'Syrian Government' Threatens Damascus with Military Action. globalresearch.ca Late on December 23, the Turkish-based "Syrian Interim Government" (an entity funded by Turkey in an attempt to legalize its actions in Syria) threatened the real Syrian government with a military action. | In a released statement, it claimed that forces …
(2019-12-26). Who Is Winning the Arms Race? Russia's "Super-Weapons" globalresearch.ca Russia's defense budget is a small fraction of what the US spends for militarism and warmaking. Yet Russia's super-weapons exceed the best in the West because of efficient and effective use of its resources. | Meeting with Russia's Defense Ministry Board …
(2019-12-26). Israel Preparing for War on Iran? globalresearch.ca Israel's longtime goal is unchallenged Middle East dominance partnered with Washington. | Achieving it depends on transforming independent regional nations into US/Israeli vassal states by war or other hostile means, Iran most of all. | Along with Turkey, it's the only regional …
(2019-12-26). The Russia-Ukraine Gas Deal Took the World by Surprise. New Detente? globalresearch.ca Few could have predicted several years ago that Russia and Ukraine would reconcile with one another to the point of agreeing to ensure the reliable delivery of gas to the EU for the next 5-15 years, but that's exactly what …
(2019-12-26). Ukraine, Privatization, Corruption And The Republicrats. indybay.org San Francisco Main Library | Latino-Hispanic Community Room | 100 Larkin St. At Market St. | San Francisco…
(2019-12-26). The Trump-Biden and the Russia-Ukraine Saga: The Game is About Eurasia. globalresearch.ca On December 23rd, the Washington Post ran a piece exploring the possible motivations behind US president Donald Trump's decision to pause US military aid to Ukraine on July 12th last year. On September 28th 2018 and February 16th respectively, …
(2019-12-26). China's Huawei Continues to Move Around US Sanctions. globalresearch.ca By establishing facilities in Europe to produce components, Chinese telecom giant Huawei is continuing the process of circumventing US sanctions amid a wider US-led trade war aimed at artificially quelling the growing trend of foreign companies outcompeting long-entrenched US monopolies….
(2019-12-26). Boris Johnson Has Changed His Mind on 'Reset' with Russia. globalresearch.ca Recently Boris Johnson was quoted as saying he had 'changed his mind' on whether there could be a 'reset' in relations between Britain and Russia. Interviewed when on a visit to Estonia, he said that despite remaining an optimist and …
(2019-12-26). What's Really Behind Estonia's 'Border Dispute' with Russia? globalresearch.ca The tiny Baltic nation of Estonia is attempting to revive a so-called "border dispute" with Russia in order to position itself as one of NATO's "frontline states" against the Eurasian Great Power, which Tallinn expects will result in more military …
(2019-12-26). The Crimean Rail Bridge Will Contribute to the Peninsula's Economic Rejuvenation. globalresearch.ca The opening of the Crimean rail bridge completes Russia's physical connectivity initiative with the peninsula and will greatly contribute to rejuvenating its economy after the region languished in neglect for nearly two and a half decades under Ukrainian rule. | President …
(2019-12-26). Nord Stream 2, US Sanctions and Trump's "Economic Suicide"? globalresearch.ca Does Mr. Trump really not grasp that his sanctions left and right — and now on the Russian-German gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 — is committing economic suicide, not for himself, of course, but for the United States? He attempts …
(2019-12-26). China, Russia, Iran Hold Drills at The 'Maritime Safety Belt'. telesurenglish.net Starting on Friday, China, Iran and Russia will conduct joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman, amid heightened tensions between the United States and the Persian nation. | RELATED: | China Accuses US of Interfering in Internal Affairs | China will send its guided-missile destroyer Xining to the drills, which will last until Monday, the Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian announced and added that the exercises are part of normal military cooperation that is online w…
(2019-12-26). You Say You Want a (Russian) Revolution? globalresearch.ca Once in a blue moon an indispensable book comes out making a clear case for sanity in what is now a post-MAD world. That's the responsibility carried by " The (Real) Revolution in Military Affairs," by Andrei Martyanov (Clarity …
(2019-12-26). Turkey Will Send Troops to Libya If Requested: Erdogan. telesurenglish.net Turkey will send troops to Libya at the request of Tripoli as soon as next month, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, putting the North African country's conflict at the center of wider regional frictions. | RELATED: | Turkish Congress Readying Bill To Allow Sending Troops to Libya | Libya's internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) has been struggling to fend off General Khalifa Haftar's forces from eastern Libya, which have been supported by Russi…
(2019-12-26). Extra-territorial US sanctions on Nord Stream 2 bringing Russia & Europe closer together — economy minister. rt.com 
Cooperation between Russia and Europe is growing, and pressure from the US just gives more impetus for further development of those ties, says Russian Economic Development Minister Maksim Oreshkin. | "As you may see this year we have more extensive contacts with Europe, not only on the business side which was at the high level and is becoming even stronger but also on the political level…" Oreshkin told RT. | He explained that US sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project from Russia to Germany, as well as its other actions, have brought Russia and Europe closer. | "So, we are having closer…
(2019-12-26). Navalny aide who wanted to see US tanks in Moscow is conscripted into military service, sent to Artic. rt.com 
An ally of Russian opposition figure Aleksey Navalny has been drafted into military service and deployed to a desolate Arctic island. Navalny has called the move an act of kidnaping orchestrated by the Russian president himself. | Ruslan Shaveddinov is part of Navalny's extended 'inner circle', working as an organizer and a host at the opposition activist's web-based TV channel. On Tuesday his boss announced he'd gone missing. Shortly afterwards Shaveddinov's whereabouts became known — he has been conscripted into military service and sent to the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. | The development was hardly a s…
(2019-12-26). Russian opposition activist Navalny refutes reports of his arrest. rt.com 
Russian opposition activist Aleksey Navalny has refuted reports of his arrest during a raid on the headquarters of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) in Moscow on Thursday. | His spokesman, Kira Yarmysh, tweeted earlier that Navalny was "forcibly detained and taken away," adding that "he did not resist." Lawyers were present at the office during the search, she said. | However, Navalny later clarified that nobody was detained at the FBK. It was not immediately clear why the search had been initiated. Russian law enforcement agencies have not commented on the raid so far.
(2019-12-26). Syria taps Russian firms to develop offshore oil deposits in Mediterranean. rt.com 
Syria's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Ghanem told Sputnik news agency that two agreements have been signed with Russian companies to develop two deposits in the country's territorial waters. | "In fact, there is a company that has signed a previous contract on the matter of one of the maritime blocks' exploration, Block 2, and there is also another agreement with a Russian company for Block 1," the minister said. | He did not give any details about the companies, but said there are still some final steps to be taken on contract ratification, with exploration to follow sometime in the near fut…
(2019-12-26). WATCH Russian military police secure yet another abandoned US outpost in Syria. rt.com 
Russian military policemen have secured a village near Raqqa, formerly occupied by US troops, as Moscow continues to patrol strategic areas along the Turkish-Syrian border. | The servicemen arrived at Tal Samin, some 25km north of Raqqa, the former capital of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), earlier this week. | | The video, published by the Zvezda TV channel, shows APCs and armored jeeps with Russian flags entering the village, with dozens of armed troops securing the area. | | A Russian flag was raised atop an abandoned building. | | Tal Samin lies near a strategic highway intersection that connec…
(2019-12-26). 'Mexican policeman' busted in southern Russia (PHOTOS). rt.com 
A Russian man has chosen a truly bizarre way to pimp his ride, making it look like the patrol car of Mexican law enforcement. The flashy vehicle surely turned some heads — and got the man into trouble with the genuine Russian law.
(2019-12-26). Navalny aide who wanted to see US tanks in Moscow is conscripted into military service, sent to Artic. rt.com 
An ally of Russian opposition figure Aleksey Navalny has been drafted into military service and deployed to a desolate Arctic island. Navalny has called the move an act of kidnaping orchestrated by the Russian president himself. | Ruslan Shaveddinov is part of Navalny's extended 'inner circle', working as an organizer and a host at the opposition activist's web-based TV channel. On Tuesday his boss announced he'd gone missing. Shortly afterwards Shaveddinov's whereabouts became known — he has been conscripted into military service and sent to the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. | The development was hardly a s…
(2019-12-26). Copland: Bogus 'Mexico policeman' caught by legit police officers in Russia (PHOTOS). rt.com A Russian man has chosen a truly bizarre way to pimp his ride, making it look like the patrol car of Mexican law enforcement. The flashy vehicle surely turned some heads — and got the man into trouble with the genuine Russian law.
(2019-12-26). UN Secretary General 'deeply concerned' over US visa delays for Russian diplomats — spokesman. rt.com 
The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has been alarmed by Washington delaying the visa application process for Russian officials, his spokesman told TASS, a day after the Russian Foreign Ministry slammed Guterres for inaction. | Guterres will "closely follow" the ongoing visa dispute that particularly affects Russian officials designated to work at the UN Headquarters in New York, his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, told the news agency. | Dujarric said the issue has been repeatedly raised by UN officials and even mentioned in the latest report by the UN Committee on Relations with the Host Country. The UN c…
(2019-12-26). Shooting drones: New Russian light anti-aircraft system makes it through final test (VIDEO). rt.com 
Russia's military has tested a new ultra-light anti-aircraft system, dubbed Gibka-S. The new vehicle passed the state trials with flying colors, knocking down mock targets with pinpoint accuracy. | Footage of the trials was released by Russia's Defense Ministry early on Thursday. The short video shows the Gibka-S vehicle firing missiles at several drone targets — and hitting all of them. | The light anti-aircraft system is basically a Russian Tigr armored car fitted with a state-of-art optical and electronic targeting system, as well as weaponry mount suitable for several man-portable anti-aircraft sys…
(2019-12-26). Turkey will debate bill on sending troops to Libya after receiving invitation from its UN-backed government — Erdogan. rt.com 
The UN-recognized government of Libya has asked Turkey to send its troops into the long-divided country, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. A motion to deploy them will be submitted to the Turkish parliament after recess. | Turkish troops will back the government of Fayez al-Serraj, which is based in the Libyan capital Tripoli, the Turkish president said on Thursday in a speech to the ruling AK Party. Serraj's Government of National Accord is challenged by General Khalifa Haftar, who has a stronghold in the eastern city of Tobruk. | Turkey sends troops to where it gets invited. Since such an invitation has a…
(2019-12-26). Libya 'will ask' for Turkey's support if Tripoli war escalates, minister says, Erdogan ready to send troops. rt.com 
Libya's internationally recognized government will officially request military support from Turkey if the war over the capital escalates, the Tripoli-based interior minister said on Thursday. | "If the situation escalates then we have the right to defend Tripoli and its residents," Reuters quoted Fathi Bashagha as telling reporters in Tunis. Eastern forces loyal to commander Khalifa Haftar have been trying to take Tripoli since April. | Earlier on Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara would send troops to Libya as soon as next month as it had received a request from Tripoli. | "Since the…
(2019-12-26). Turkish soldiers offer hot drinks at Syria checkpoints. yenisafak.com Turkey's Defense Ministry released a video on Thursday showing Turkish soldiers in northern Syria offering hot drinks to people during road controls.In the video, soldiers at the checkpoints can be seen distributing hot drinks to people in the area cleared by Turkey's latest anti-terror operation."Our soldiers continue their search activities at the checkpoints in Operation Peace Spring area for the safety of life and property of our Syrian brothers," the ministry said on Twitter.Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring on Oct. 9 to eliminate YPG/PKK terrorists from northern Syria east of the Euphrates River in or…
(2019-12-26). Turkey, Azerbaijan trade deal ready, says trade minister. yenisafak.com A preferential trade agreement between Turkey and Azerbaijan will be signed shortly, the Turkish trade minister said Thursday."The deal will be signed during the Strategic Cooperation Council meeting in the presence of both presidents," Ruhsar Pekcan said during her visit to Baku.The scope of the agreement will be widened to pave the way for businesspeople, she added.Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev expressed the desire to boost Azerbaijani investments in Turkey in a meeting, Pekcan said.She reiterated that both sides will work on eliminating the roadblocks to increase investments and trade."At a time when tra…
(2019-12-26). French arms killed dozens of Yemenis, say Houthi rebels. yenisafak.com Yemen's Houthis accused France on Wednesday of providing arms and logistics to the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia fighting the rebel group in the war-ravaged country. "France has killed and injured more than 38 Yemenis by artillery shelling in Al-Raqou market in Manbeh border district in Saada governorate," Mohamed Al-Houthi, a top Houthi rebel tweeted.He added that the the French legal system was turning a blind eye to these attacks.No comments have been made by the Arab Coalition or the French government on these accusations, so far.On Monday, the group accused the Saudi army of bombing Al-Raqou market whic…
(2019-12-26). ANALYSIS: Turkey-TRNC natural gas pipeline to change geopolitical balance in E.Med. yenisafak.com The Eastern Mediterranean has been a critical and strategically important region throughout the history of Mediterranean trade control. Due to this feature, Cyprus especially has been under the dominance of different actors in history but has never lost its strategic importance. Cyprus in particular and the Eastern Mediterranean in general have gained more importance and become more complex since the 2000s with the involvement of energy resources. Considering that the total estimated natural gas reserves in the world is 196 trillion cubic meters, it can be said that approximately 5% of this amount, roughly 9.8 tr…
(2019-12-26). Turkey to own patent rights to upcoming auto. yenisafak.com Turkey will own the intellectual and industrial property rights of its first indigenous car, the Turkish industry and technology minister said on Thursday.The car prototype will be unveiled on Friday in the industrial province of Kocaeli, Mustafa Varank noted."With this ceremony, we will also open officially the Gebze Information IT Valley, which will be the technology base of our country," the minister said.He said that with the prototype, Turkey will achieve its two targets — owning a global brand and creating a billion-dollar enterprise.In June 2018, five Turkish industry giants; Anadolu Group, BMC, Kok Group…
(2019-12-26). Turkish police arrest 8 Daesh/ISIS suspects. yenisafak.com Turkish police arrested eight suspects allegedly linked to the Daesh/ISIS terror group in the central province of Konya, said security sources on Thursday.The provincial prosecutor's office said in its probe that the suspects were in correspondence with Daesh/ISIS members in conflict zones, said the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.After their interrogation, arrest warrants were issued for nine suspects. Police is on the lookout for one suspect who remains at large.Turkey recognized Daesh/ISIS as a terrorist organization in 2013.Since then, the country has b…
(2019-12-26). Libyan interior minister says will ask for Turkish support if Tripoli war escalates. yenisafak.com Libya's internationally recognised government will officially request military support from Turkey if the war over the capital escalates, the Tripoli-based interior minister said on Thursday.Eastern forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar have been trying to take Tripoli since April. Earlier on Thursday, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara would send troops to Libya as soon as next month as it had received a request from Tripoli."If the situation escalates then we have the right to defend Tripoli and its residents," Fathi Bashagha told reporters in Tunis.
(2019-12-26). What the NYT Doesn't Understand About Russia's Economy Under Putin. counterpunch.org 
That is the inevitable conclusion for readers of a NYT article on Putin and Russia that had the headline, "Russia is a mess. Why is Putin such a formidable enemy." While the article notes the recent economic stagnation in Russia, it misses the extraordinary turnaround that took place under Putin. According to I.M.F. data, Russia's More
(2019-12-26). Hellish ride: Unique bootleg 'Tesla Cybertruck' goes on SALE in Russia for 666,666 rubles. rt.com 
The elusive handmade 'copy' of Tesla Cybertruck that has been spotted outside Moscow is now up for sale in Russia. Unlike the fancy original, it has a very modest price tag of $10,000 — but is it actually worth it? | The vehicle, somewhat resembling Elon Musk's latest contraption, was put up for sale by its creators after the car was first spotted driving outside Russia's capital last week, causing enormous stir on Russian social media. | The unique vehicle already propelled Tesla stocks to over $420, and its futuristic forms, 1-door hatchback design, custom wheels and fully tinted panoramic plastic wind…
(2019-12-25). The Green Party Is Not the Democrats' Problem. counterpunch.org Although it is a constant refrain from Democratic leaders and commentators, the Green Party is not why the Democrats lost to Bush and Trump. In trying to excuse her loss to Trump, Hillary Clinton recently made the baseless smears that Jill Stein, the Greens' 2016 presidential candidate, is a "Russian asset," and that Russians and More
(2019-12-25). Let 2020 Be the Year of a Truly Free Press. commondreams.org Members of Reporters Without Borders attend a protest demanding justice for murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi outside the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Berlin, Germany on October 1, 2019. (Photo: Abdulhamid Hosbas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/jamal_khashoggi.jpg …
(2019-12-25). The Soul Will Find a Way. counterpunch.org James Brown was a constant presence in our store. He was the low country homeboy who made it big. The state of Georgia and the city of Augusta claim him as their hometown hero, and he, too, claimed the state and city. Yet he never moved more than 40 miles from his family's roots in Barnwell County, South Carolina, along the Savannah River, establishing a home on Beech Island in Aiken County, South Carolina, adjacent to Strom Thurmond's Edgefield County home. More
(2019-12-25). This Turkish Chef Is Fighting Climate Change With the Help of Syrian Refugees. truthout.org From her office window in Mardin, a city in southeastern Turkey, chef Ebru Baybara Demir gazes out over the arid plains of upper Mesopotamia, a flat gold-and-green expanse stretching beyond the horizon to the Syrian border just 20 miles (32 kilometers) away. | "This is where agriculture — and gastronomy — was born," says Demir, who grew up in Mardin and owns Cercis Murat Konaƒüƒ±, a well-known restaurant specializing in traditional local dishes. | Wheat, len…
(2019-12-25). 'Road to nowhere': US withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty would undermine its European vassals' security — Moscow. rt.com 
Washington's hints at potential pullout from the Open Skies Treaty — one of the few remaining arms control mechanisms — proves that it couldn't care less about the security of its 'vassal states', Russia's Deputy FM believes. | Signed in 1992 by the US, Russia and 32 other states, the Open Skies Agreement remains one of the few arms control accords still in force after the US left the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. It allows the signatories to conduct unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the territories of other parties to the treaty. Now Washington is mulling pulling out of it…
(2019-12-24). Turkish Congress Readying Bill To Allow Sending Troops to Libya. telesurenglish.net Turkey may need to draft a bill to allow for troop deployment to Libya and its parliament is working on the issue, Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Tuesday after Ankara signed a military cooperation agreement with Tripoli last month. | RELATED: | Erdogan Says Turkey Cannot Handle New Wave of Syrian Migrants | "There might be a need for authorization…
(2019-12-24). US, Britain, France Oppose Humanitarian Aid for Syrians. Western Aid Channelled to Jihadists. globalresearch.ca Syria is Washington's war, launched by the Obama regime in March 2011, escalated by Trump. | There's nothing remotely "civil" about waging war on a nonbelligerent state threatening no one — using ISIS and likeminded jihadists as imperial foot soldiers, supported …
(2019-12-24). Workers in Georgia Risk Their Lives for Christmas Trees. telesurenglish.net In their search of the fir cones seeds that produce the most liked Christmas trees in Europe, Georgian workers climb daunting heights and risk their lives for an extremely low income while foreign importers fill their pockets, a report by the Guardian found Monday. | RELATED: | A Homeless Christmas for About 150m Children Across the World in 2019 | "I try to not think of anything up there, just focus. The problem is, if you lose concentration, then you might fall," Rama…
(2019-12-24). Commentary: 'Ukrainegate' and impeachment. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI – Near the end of August, a whistleblower released a document uncovering a private conversation between U.S. president Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The fact that the two of them were talking is not newsworthy; what was revealed and is of some import, however, was the specific content of their exchange. | The whistleblower's report lays out how Trump attempted to strongarm Zelensky and the Ukrainian government into reopening an investigation into Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The younger Biden was involved in a number of questionable…