(2019-12-27). Romania: 30 years removed from socialism. liberationnews.org 
Capitalism's restoration in Romania and the former Socialist Bloc has brought with it all its inherent contradictions.
(2019-12-27). Strikers call to step up class struggle against French President Macron. wsws.org The ongoing mass transit and public sector strike which is paralyzing much of transport in France to protest Macron's pension cuts entered its fourth week today.
(2019-12-27). Across the Balkans: Srebrenica. 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 VI of a series. While I was in Sarajevo—hiding from the snow in Austrian cafés and reading Tim Butcher's book about Gavrilo Princip—I spent a lot of time planning how I More
(2019-12-27). The MEK in Albania. counterpunch.org The following is an interview I conducted via email with Osli Jazexhi, an Albanian-based, Canadian-Albanian historian who specializes in the history of Islam, nationalism and religious reformation in Southeastern Europe. His interest covers nationalism, radicalism, religious and ethnic identities in the Balkans. The interview was conducted between December 17 and 19. How popular is MEK More
(2019-12-27). Turkey announces troop deployment in Libya. peoplesdispatch.org The move is being seen as part of Turkey's attempts to consolidate its position as a regional hegemon. The actual deployment of troops will take place once the Turkish parliament ratifies the decision…
(2019-12-27). Germany: Daimler workers support the strike wave in France. wsws.org Discussions with German workers give a sense of the growing opposition to the hackneyed and hollow promises of the company union.
(2019-12-27). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
(2019-12-27). Kurt Vonnegut: Anarchist and Social Critic. counterpunch.org After my early enthusiasm about the writer Kurt Vonnegut, I became skeptical. Was he a phony? After I met him, his lifestyle in his sumptuous Manhattan East Side town house bothered me and seemed to belie his satires of that same life. Even the adoration for him in Europe at the time sharpened my suspicions More
(2019-12-27). 12 killed, dozens injured after Bek Air jet with up to 100 people on board crashes in Kazakhstan. rt.com 
A Fokker 100 passenger jet belonging to Bek Air airline lost altitude and crashed into a two-story building during take-off from Almaty International Airport, local authorities have confirmed. | While there were "multiple survivors," 12 people were killed and dozens injured in the crash, many critically. Medics say 66 people were taken to the hospital after the crash, and a dozen of them are in grave condition. | Rescue personnel and medics continue to work at the scene in search of survivors. | | © Kazakhstan's Interior Ministry Emergency Committee | There are at least eight children among those pulled…
(2019-12-27). WATCH 1st VIDEOS from passenger jet crash site in Almaty, Kazakhstan. rt.com 
12 people have been killed after a Bek Air passenger jet en route to the capital, Nur-Sultan with up to 100 people on board crashed on take-off in Almaty. | Rescuers and emergency personnel were seen working at the scene of the crash amid the wreckage of the aircraft and rubble of a brick house in multiple photos and videos shared on social media. | The plane crashed shortly after taking off and smashed into a two-story building. Rescue workers and medics are at the scene of the tragedy searching the rubble. The local rescue service confirmed that there was nobody inside the building as it was under cons…
(2019-12-27). 'It was like the movies, people were screaming and crying': Survivor describes harrowing plane crash in Kazakhstan. rt.com 
A passenger recalled her nightmarish journey aboard a Bek Air airliner in Kazakhstan, which struggled to gain altitude and flew at a "weird angle" before crashing into a building and killing 12 people on Friday. | The jet was scheduled to take off from the southern city of Almaty at 7: 05am local time and travel to Nur-Sultan, the nation's capital, but the flight was "delayed" for unknown reasons, a passenger told Tengri News. | The woman, who was not named in the report, said she was asleep when the aircraft finally took off. | I woke up when the plane began gaining altitude. As it turned out, the plane had be…
(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, and even critics of the project are now seeking to slap the American 'molecules of freedom' with an eco-tax in reprisal. | The prospect of "crushing sanctions" (included in funding for the US military signed by President Donald Trump last week) has already compelled 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. | An economist…
(2019-12-27). Avangard, Russia's advanced hypersonic glider, enters military service. rt.com 
The advanced Russian nuclear hypersonic glider entered combat service on Friday with the first regiment of Avangard-armed missiles now operational, the defense minister reported. | Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, who reported the development to President Putin on Friday, said Avangard deployment was "a signatory event for the country and the armed forces." | The Russian military armed legacy silo-based UR-100N ICBMs, also known as the Stiletto, with the cutting-edge warheads meant to penetrate heavy anti-ballistic missile defenses. | The glider is one of several weapons systems meant to boost Russian nuclea…
(2019-12-27). Estonia claims 'foreign pressure' won't impact its push against Russian outlet Sputnik amid Moscow's complaints. rt.com 
The Estonian foreign minister said his country will not "yield to foreign pressure" after Russia turned to European authorities with a call to protect the Estonian branch of the Russian network Sputnik from Tallinn's harassment. | The Estonian government has demanded that all Estonian employees of Sputnik resign, saying otherwise they may be prosecuted for violating EU sanctions against Russia. Tallinn claims that individual sanctions against the head of Sputnik's parent organization make any financial ties to the network illegal. | Moscow sees the demand as an obvious attempt to silence Sputnik and a blatant…
(2019-12-27). EU may need to extend deadline for UK trade talks — Commission President von der Leyen. rt.com 
The EU may need to extend the deadline for talks about a new trade relationship with Britain, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said. Both sides need to seriously think about whether there is enough time to negotiate a new trade deal and work out agreements about a series of other issues, she told French daily Les Echos in an interview published on Friday. | "It would be reasonable to evaluate the situation mid-year and then, if necessary, agree on extending the transition period," she noted. | Britain has set a hard deadline of December 2020 for reaching a new trade deal with the EU, bett…
(2019-12-27). India shows the door to German student & Norwegian tourist who joined protests against citizenship law. rt.com 
Two Europeans were sent packing by India this week after they took up placards and joined the crowds protesting the new Citizenship Amendment Act. | Janne Mette-Johannson, a 74 year-old Norwegian citizen who arrived in India on a tourist visa in October, was asked by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) on Friday to leave the country, she reported on her Facebook page. The Indian authorities say her tourist visa does not allow her to take part in organized protests, so she was in violation when she took part on Monday. | "Now pretty soon on my way to the airport. A friend fixing a flight ticket t…
(2019-12-27). Europe must wean itself off US 'dictate' or it will 'lose', Iran supreme leader's adviser tells RT. rt.com 
Europe's total dependence on Washington would lead it nowhere other than to its own demise, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has alleged, calling on Europeans to break free from America's grip. | Europe is a major political force on the international arena, yet it prefers to "quietly follow the policy imposed" by Washington, Ali Akbar Velayati told RT Arabic. | Velayati, a former Iranian foreign minister, suggested that if Europe truly wishes to distinguish itself as a major player in world politics and improve its relations with the Islamic Republic and its allies, it should pursue an in…
(2019-12-27). Montenegro passes law on religious communities. yenisafak.com A fight broke out in Montenegrin Assembly during a session on religious freedoms early Friday.A bill, strongly opposed by the Serbian Orthodox Church and the opposition Democratic Front party, began to be discussed at the General Assembly on Thursday.The opposition lawmakers tried to prevent the vote after midnight. Despite the efforts of the opposition's proposal to amend the bill, their proposals were rejected three times.Afterwards, there was a melee between the opposition MPs and some ruling MPs who threw water bottles at Parliament speaker Ivan Brajovic and some deputies.The deputies from the opposition part…
(2019-12-27). Iran, Russia, China conduct joint military exercise. yenisafak.com Iran, Russia and China began joint military exercise in the Arabian Sea and north of the Indian Ocean, according to an Iranian news agency on Friday.Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that the military exercise by the navies of Iran, Russia, and China will cover an area of 17,000 kilometers and it will last four days.Speaking about the drill, dubbed Marine Security Belt, the deputy commander of the Iranian Navy Admiral Gholamreza Tahani explained the purpose of the exercise as "to strengthen security and its foundations in the region"."Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, it is the first tim…
(2019-12-27). Cargo ship runs aground in Istanbul's Bosphorus straight. yenisafak.com A Liberia-flagged cargo ship ran ashore of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul on Friday.The ship, called Songa Iridium, stranded near the Rumeli Fortress after it had left Ukraine's Port of Odessa.The machine malfunction was cited for the incident.The cargo ship was 191-meters (626-feet) long and weighted over 23,500 gross ton.The rescue boats from Directorate General of Coast Safety rushed to the scene to save the ship.
(2019-12-27). Turkey suspends 18 judges, prosecutors over FETàñ ties. yenisafak.com At least 18 judges and prosecutors were suspended over links to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETàñ), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup, Turkey's top judiciary council said on Friday.Turkey's Council of Judges and Prosecutors' 2nd Chamber said that the suspects were suspended until an inquiry about their links to FETàñ concluded.FETàñ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.Turkey accuses FETàñ of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infi…
(2019-12-27). World War I battle makes Filipino convert to Islam. yenisafak.com A Filipino teacher has converted to Islam after being affected by the belief of soldiers martyred during World War I Battle of Sarikamis in northeastern Turkey.Battle of Sarikamis claimed the lives of nearly 90,000 Ottoman Turkish soldiers who froze to death in Sarikamis district of Kars province in 1914 due to bitter cold.Abdullah Ramosa, a 37-year-old teacher in Kuwait, was a Christian before, and became a Muslim after last year's traditional Sarikamis Martyrs Memorial Climb in the Allahuekber Mountains, to commemorate the martyrs.The belief of soldiers martyred in Sarikamis town is the main reason behind my ch…
(2019-12-27). Turkish forces ready for deployment in Libya. yenisafak.com The Turkish Armed Forces are fully prepared for their possible deployment in Libya as required, the country's National Defense Ministry announced on Friday.The Turkish military is ready to serve on order within and outside Turkey, ministry spokeswoman Nadide Sebnem Aktop told reporters in the capital Ankara.On Thursday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would lend support to the UN-recognized Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), which is fighting eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar who is based in the east of the country.On Nov. 27, Ankara and the Tripoli-based GNA signed two separate agreem…
(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). 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). 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). 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). UN refugee agency welcomes move to register all births in Kazakhstan. news.un.org The decision to ensure that all babies born in Kazakhstan are registered at birth and issued birth certificates has been welcomed by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
(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). 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 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). Turkish Communists hold gatherings in Istanbul and Izmir. peoplesdispatch.org The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) organized gatherings in Istanbul and Izmir on December 22-23, calling for "hope, organizing, and celebrating, to win 2020." TKP general secretary Kemal Okuyan, poet Nihat Behram, journalist-author Enver Aysever and actor Orhan Aydƒ±n participated in the gatherings, besides hundreds of party workers. | The events were organized to prepare the party cadre for the upcoming struggles in the new year. SoL reported that workers from many sectors, including workers of retail giant Bimeks, textile workers, teachers, construction workers and metal workers, besides daily wage…
(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 …
(2019-12-24). In the UK Do Subjects Deserve their Rulers? dissidentvoice.org I constantly receive such letters; letters which repeat, again and again, year after year, basically the same thing: "If only we would have an opportunity to vote out our damn system!" Such letters, emails and messages keep coming to me from the United States, but also from the United Kingdom. Particularly, after certain events, like …
(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…
(2019-12-24). Saudi Arabia sentences hit men to death, shields organizers of Jamal Khashoggi murder. wsws.org The announcement by Saudi Arabia of death sentences for five members of the death squad that brutally assassinated the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey in 2018 is part of a cover-up to protect the role of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
(2019-12-23). A revelatory performance of Erich Korngold's opera 'Der Ring des Polykrates'. peoplesworld.org 
LOS ANGELES—The recently formed Numi Opera's second production in its inaugural season was the rarely performed Der Ring des Polykrates (The Ring of Polycrates) by composer Erich Korngold (born in Brno, Austria-Hungary, 1897, died in Los Angeles, 1957). The 1914 one-act opera, composed when the precocious Korngold was but 17 years old, is in a …
(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). Headlines for December 23, 2019. democracynow.org White House Halted Ukraine Aid 91 Minutes After Trump & Zelensky Phone Call, U.S. Considering Plan to Deport Mexican Asylum Seekers to Guatemala, WaPo: White House Pushes to Use Migrant Children to Ensnare Parents, Saudi Arabia Sentences 5 People to Death for Khashoggi's Murder, ICC Takes Step to Investigating Israel for War Crimes, India: Protests Continue as Modi Defends "Anti-Muslim" Citizenship Law, Iraq: Thousands Demand Appointment of Independent Prime Minister, Reuters: Up to 1,500 Dead in Iran's Bloody Crackdown Against Nov. Protests, Pentagon: U.S. Soldier Killed in Afghanistan, French Unions Continue St…
(2019-12-23). Another kind of war: Unilateral economic sanctions damage Syria. workers.org 
First published in the German daily newspaper Junge Welt on Dec. 16. Translation by John Catalinotto. At the beginning of December, the Conference of Germany's State Interior Ministers extended the ban on deportations to Syria without restrictions until at least June 2020. Originally, the interior ministers at their autumn meeting . . . | Continue reading Another kind of war: Unilateral economic sanctions damage Syria at Workers.org
(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 …
(2019-12-20). 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.
(2019-12-19). 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…