2020-01-27: News Headlines

RT (2020-01-27). Aid groups seek safe ports for nearly 500 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean. rt.com Nearly 500 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean by two boats run by aid agencies were looking for safe ports in Malta and Italy, the groups said on Monday. The 'Ocean Viking' vessel run by SOS Mediterranee in partnership with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) was carrying 407 people rescued in a total of five operations carried out over 72 hours. | Another 78 people were taken on board the 'Alan Kurdi', run by the Sea-Eye organization based in Germany. They were rescued in two operations. | Sea-Eye tweeted on Sunday that the 'Alan Kurdi' was headed for Italy, after Malta refused them a safe port. Ocean Viking has…

RT (2020-01-27). Germany considers pulling citizens out of Wuhan, but as more countries enact evacuation plans, will the coronavirus go with them? rt.com On Monday, Germany became the latest in a growing list of countries to enact evacuation plans for its citizens in the virus-hit city of Wuhan, but could they end up bringing the virus back instead? | The German Minister for Foreign Affairs Heiko Maas made the announcement on Monday, saying: "We are now also considering a possible evacuation of all Germans who are willing to leave." The plan will involve a team from the embassy in Beijing making their way to the virus-ravaged city of Wuhan, where there are thought to be around 90 Germans. There, they will provide assistance to their citizens, and offer them the…

Mohamed Elmaazi (2020-01-27). French Yellow Vests hold large solidarity demo for Julian Assange at Belmarsh prison. thecanary.co Members of the French

The Canary (2020-01-27). Italy's regional voters thwart hopes of Matteo Salvini's League party. thecanary.co Italian voters have thwarted right-wing opposition leader Matteo Salvini's hopes of turning an election in a key northern region into a springboard for regaining national power.Nearly complete results from Sunday's election for the governorship of the prosperous Emilia-Romagna region had his League party candidate winning only 43.7% of support to the 51.4% garnered by the incumbent governor Stefano Bonaccini from the centre-left Democrats.The Democrats are in Italy's national coalition government led by premier Giuseppe Conte. | Italy, Emilia-Romagna regional election, 61.5% counted: | Bonaccini (CSX-LEFT | S&D | G/E…

RT (2020-01-27). 'People want to know the truth': Red Army veteran speaks out on liberation of Auschwitz & distortions of history. rt.com Soviet veteran Ivan Martynushkin remembers the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. It was a "massive celebration" with the Red Army's role recognized front and center. Fifteen years on, however, something has shifted. | As time goes on, those anniversary events have become "different in tone" and attitudes toward Soviet veterans "drastically changed." No longer revered in Europe for their role in liberating Poland, Martynushkin says "implicit accusations" began to creep in that the Red Army "were aggressors" who did not truly liberate Poland. In 2015, relations between Moscow and the rest of Europ…

RT (2020-01-27). Slovenian opposition may try to form new govt as PM Sarec resigns. rt.com Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Sarec said he was sending his resignation to parliament on Monday, and called for an early election. His minority government could not push through important legislation, according to the PM. | The governing coalition of five center-left parties, which took power in September 2018, held only 43 out of 90 seats in parliament. After losing the informal support of the opposition Left Party in November, it has found it increasingly difficult to get bills through parliament. | "With this coalition, this situation in parliament, I cannot fulfill the expectations of the people," Sarec…

RT (2020-01-27). Oman's top diplomat visits Iran for 2nd time in week to discuss Gulf security. rt.com Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hosted his Omani counterpart Yusuf bin Alawi on Sunday, the second such visit in one week, for talks on security in the Gulf. | Alawi made his visit to Tehran after his trip to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, which Zarif skipped after scheduling changes to the annual event. | Zarif and Alawi discussed "bilateral cooperation regarding the Strait of Hormuz and emphasized their governments' will… to guarantee maritime and energy security for all," according to Iran's foreign ministry. | It was their second meeting in the Iranian capital since la…

RT (2020-01-27). Stock finally ran out? France 'bans' protester-maiming grenade not manufactured since 2014. rt.com France is finally joining the rest of Europe by withdrawing explosives from its arsenal of crowd control tools. The announced retirement of the protester-maiming GLI-F4 grenade however may be due to stocks running out. | The GLI-F4 is a controversial device that the French police and gendarmes consider a weapon of last resort before using live bullets. The 190-gram projectile, which can be thrown by hand or fired from a launcher, contains about 30 grams of the high explosive TNT. When it explodes, it produces a powerful blast, a deafening bang and a cloud of the tear gas CS. | La grenade GLI-F4 a un triple eff…

RT (2020-01-27). 'I'm not worried': French coronavirus patient speaks out as death toll & global concerns continue to rise. rt.com A French national of Chinese origin, who has contracted the deadly virus and is hospitalized in Bordeaux, says he is "not worried" about his affliction. The total number of infections has surpassed 2,000 while 56 people have died. | France has become the first European country where cases of the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) have been confirmed. So far, three people have been diagnosed with the deadly disease — one in Bordeaux and two in Paris. | The Bordeaux patient, a 48-year-old man who has not been named, had traveled to China recently, spoke to the local media. The man said he had likely contracted the…

RT (2020-01-27). Czech soldiers to join France's counter-terror mission in Africa — govt. rt.com The Czech government on Monday approved a plan by its ministry of defense to deploy up to 60 troops as part of France's counter-terrorism mission in Africa. The service members will join Operation Barkhane, France's largest overseas military mission, AP reports. | It has been working to root out Islamic militants roaming the Sahel region. The government said Mali, Niger and Chad have all approved the Czech deployment. | However, the plan to deploy Czech forces in the mission until the end of 2022 needs parliamentary approval. The Czechs already have some 120 military personnel in Mali as a part of a European U…

Staff (2020-01-27). Explosive Bolton Book Allegations Spark New Calls for Witnesses to Testify at Impeachment Trial. democracynow.org Calls are growing for the Senate to call witnesses in President Trump's impeachment trial, after The New York Times published details about former national security adviser John Bolton's forthcoming book. In the book, Bolton writes that President Trump personally told him in August that he wanted to maintain a freeze on $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until Ukraine turned over materials related to former Vice President Joe Biden and supporters of Hillary Clinton in Ukraine. The New York Times broke the story on Sunday, one day after President Trump's legal team began its defense of the president. D…

RT (2020-01-27). 'Bombshell' or nothing to see here? Dems clamor for Bolton impeachment testimony as manuscript claims Trump-Ukraine quid-pro-quo. rt.com Ex-National Security Adviser John Bolton's book claims Donald Trump admitted a Ukraine quid-pro-quo, prompting Democrats to declare it's game-over for the US president, as his supporters dismiss it as yet another nothingburger. | Democrats have renewed their demands for Bolton to testify in the Senate impeachment trial after a manuscript of the inveterate hawk's new tell-all book on his time in the White House asserted Trump had told Bolton the administration should keep sitting on $391 million in military aid to Ukraine until Kiev reopened an investigation of Burisma Holdings, the natural gas firm tied to for…

RT (2020-01-27). Catalan parliament works to strip regional leader Torra of lawmaker's seat. rt.com The Catalan regional parliament was preparing on Monday to strip the president of the northeastern region of his lawmaker's seat because he disobeyed Spain's strict rules on election propaganda. | The expected move is likely to fuel anger among pro-independence supporters, who see in the decision by the governing body of Catalonia's parliament yet another grievance with Spanish judicial decisions, AP said. | A Catalan court barred Quim Torra last month from public office for 18 months for disobedience. Torra was found guilty of refusing to remove from public buildings yellow ribbons used to call for freeing se…

RT (2020-01-27). China & India to take control of one-third of global economy. rt.com The developing markets of China and India will make up 35 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2060, nearing the US and European nations' combined share, according to the Japan Center for Economic Research. | The Tokyo-based think tank says China's share of the world's economy will be about 20 percent and India's nearly 16 percent, up from 17 percent and four percent in 2019, respectively. | Also on rt.com | | China is forecast to keep its current number-two position…

Staff (2020-01-27). The IRS Is No Match for Facebook. truthdig.com ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive told The New York Times that Sandberg would take the young company "to the next level." | Based on her time at Google, Sandberg soon decided that one area where Facebook was behind its peers was in its tax dodging. "My experience is that by not having a European center and running everything through the US, it is very costly in terms of taxes," she wrote other executives in

RT (2020-01-27). Russia detains Japanese citizen in Vladivostok on suspicion of SPYING — Foreign ministry. rt.com A Japanese citizen has been detained in Vladivostok while trying to obtain classified material about Russia's military capabilities, officials have confirmed. He has since left the country. | The suspected spy was arrested on Saturday while trying to obtain secrets about what military assets Moscow has in the Far East, the Russian foreign ministry said. The Japanese national, who was in Russia on a journalism-related visa, was instructed to leave the country within 72 hours. He obliged and departed on Sunday. | "The Japanese diplomats accredited in Russia have been issued with a note of protest, stating that s…

RT (2020-01-27). Man 'in difficult financial situation' abandons young children at Moscow airport — Russian cops investigating. rt.com Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case against a man who dumped his children at the country's busiest airport. | According to authorities, 41-year-old Viktor Gavrilov from the Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur arrived on a long-haul flight from Khabarovsk to Moscow's Sheremetyevo before abandoning his two sons. | The man then boarded a different plane to Rostov, near the Black Sea, leaving his kids with their identifying documents and a note: "Please help my children. Please place them in a temporary shelter, because at the moment I have a very difficult financial situation. I'll pick…

RT (2020-01-27). Kicked to the Kerb: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova stuns Angelique Kerber to reach Australian Open quarter-finals (VIDEO). rt.com Russian starlet Anastasian Pavlyuchenkova produced a superb performance to knock former champion Angelique Kerber out of the Australian Open and move into the quarter-finals of the tournament in Melbourne. | Pavlyuchenkova fell behind after losing a first-set tiebreak before powering back into the match and winning 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 to book her place in the last eight of the women's draw. | The 28-year-old's progression ensured she reached her third quarter-final in the last four years in Melbourne, which has been a happy hunting ground in the past. | It also guaranteed that the tournament would crown a brand new…

RT (2020-01-27). Russia has drugs to treat 'coronavirus,' but global epidemic possible by March — Moscow experts. rt.com Russia has about 30 medicines that can treat the dangerous new Chinese coronavirus, according to the country's former chief federal sanitary inspector, Dr Gennady Onishchenko. | "In order to reassure everyone: There are about 30 drugs that are available today, and are being used, [which can] work against this virus. Twelve of them are ones we [also use to] treat HIV infection," Onishchenko, who is now an MP in the national parliament (Duma), told the radio station Echo of Moscow. | However, Alexander Sergeev, head of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), offered a bleak prediction. He believes a global epidem…

WSWS (2020-01-27). An interview with a "yellow vest" protester on the fight to free Julian Assange. wsws.org Corinne was one of around 100 protesters who came from France to take part in Saturday's rally in support of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange outside Belmarsh prison.

Staff (2020-01-27). Headlines for January 27, 2020. democracynow.org Impeachment Trial Resumes as Leaked Bolton Manuscript Bolsters Democrats' Case, Coronavirus Death Toll Reaches 81 in China as Disease Spreads Around the World, Pentagon: 34 U.S. Troops Have Brain Injuries After Iranian Attack on Iraqi Airbase, Deadly Crackdown on Iraqi Protests Continue as 100,000s March Against U.S. Military Presence, Turkey Earthquake Kills 38; At Least 1,600 Hospitalized, Ugandan Activist Vanessa Nakate Slams Racist Media After Being Cropped from Photo with White Activists, Trump Attends Anti-Abortion "March for Life" as Admin Continues Assault on Reproductive Rights, High-Ranking Pharma Exec…

sputniknews (2020-01-27). French Foreign Minister Hopes US Will Have 'Good Sense' to Not Withdraw Support in Sahel. sputniknews.com The French Foreign Ministry on 20 January said that Paris considers the swift implementation of the commitments made at the Libya conference in Berlin a priority in terms of restoring peace to the North African nation.

sputniknews (2020-01-27). One State, One Capital Slogans Now Echo in Europe Amid Controversy in Southern Indian State. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): The Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is witnessing sporadic protests against the government's proposal to have three capitals for the state. The government's plan has prompted anger from farmers who gave away their land for Amaravati's development and they want it to be the only capital.

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-01-27). NATO's Upcoming War Games Targeted Against Russia. globalresearch.ca Last week NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg explained why the U.S. are strengthening their military presence in Europe. The reason is unsurprisingly to pressurize and intimidate Russia, but also against China and the so-called fight against terrorism. Stoltenberg explained that …

Robert Fisk (2020-01-27). Trump in Davos: US isolationism is Reaching Its Final Narcissistic Chapter. counterpunch.org By the time Donald Trump was condemning environmentalists as the "perennial prophets of doom" in Davos, his impeachment trial was opening in Washington. But quite by chance, at that very moment, I was reading a new edition of a book by a child survivor of the 1915 Armenian Holocaust which, hauntingly and poetically, said more about America than anything Trump — or Congress — could ever utter.

WSWS (2020-01-27). Left Party prepares to cooperate with far-right Alternative for Germany in Thuringia. wsws.org The German ruling class and all its parties, from the Left Party to the far-right AfD, are drawing closer together and preparing to form an alliance against the working class.

sputniknews (2020-01-27). Merkel Calls for Start of EU Accession Talks With Albania and North Macedonia in March. sputniknews.com North Macedonia is now on its way to NATO membership, as the US has officially ratified its accession protocol. The country is also trying to join the European Union, as it has already overcome one of the main obstacles by resolving its decades-long name dispute with Greece.

WSWS (2020-01-27). Death toll rises to 38 after earthquake in Elazığ in eastern Turkey. wsws.org Though Turkey is an earthquake-prone country and the state collects billions in a so-called "earthquake tax," none of the necessary security measures were taken.

Staff (2020-01-27). Allegations in Bolton Book Spark New Calls for Witnesses at Impeachment Trial. truthout.org Calls are growing for the Senate to call witnesses in President Trump's impeachment trial, after The New York Times published details about former national security adviser John Bolton's forthcoming book. In the book, Bolton writes that President Trump personally told him in August that he wanted to maintain a freeze on $391 million in security assistance to Ukraine until Ukraine turned over materials related to former Vice President Joe Biden and supporters of Hillary Clinton in Ukraine. The N…

WSWS (2020-01-27). At Davos, Spain's PSOE-Podemos government shows the banks its credentials. wsws.org Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Pedro Sánchez reiterated that his new Spanish Socialist Party coalition government with Podemos is committed to austerity.

WSWS (2020-01-27). Murder of Slovakian journalist Ján Kuciak reveals close ties between political establishment, corporate elite and criminal underworld. wsws.org The reintroduction of capitalism did not bring democracy, freedom, and prosperity, but the opposite.

Andrew Korybko (2020-01-27). Auschwitz Was Evil but so Was Jasenovac, Yet Few Dare to Talk About It. globalresearch.ca The 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz is a somber event marked by deep reflection across Europe about the evils of its genocidal past, which makes it an appropriate time to remind everyone about Jasenovac, the Croatian-operated death camp …

Pepe Escobar (2020-01-27). Why the New Silk Roads Are a "Threat" to the "US Bloc" globalresearch.ca Under the cascading roar of the 24/7 news cycle cum Twitter eruptions, it's easy for most of the West, especially the US, to forget the basics about the interaction of Eurasia with its western peninsula, Europe. | Asia and Europe have …

WSWS (2020-01-27). Seventy-five years since the liberation of Auschwitz. wsws.org Auschwitz was at the heart of the machinery of industrialised mass murder that spanned the entire continent. Jews, Sinti, political opponents of the Nazi regime and others were deported to the death camp from every part of occupied Europe.

sputniknews (2020-01-27). Moscow Calls on Baghdad, Washington to Agree on Troop Withdrawal From Iraq. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Washington and Baghdad must come to a mutually acceptable agreement on the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq amid rising tensions in the Middle Eastern country, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.

Fred Gardner (2020-01-27). NewGuard Can Save You From Putin! counterpunch.org The New York Times headline was an attention grabber worthy of Sen. Joe McCarthy: "How Amazon, Geico and Walmart Fund Propaganda." A subhed explained: "Algorithms are sending ads by American brands onto Russian disinformation sites." The op-ed by L. Gordon Crovitz, a former publisher of the Wall St. Journal, culminated in a sales pitch for

sputniknews (2020-01-27). Legal Procedures Underway Regarding Issachar's Pardon Petition – Kremlin. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Legal procedures are underway regarding the pardon petition by Israeli woman Naama Issachar, serving a prison term in Russia for drug trafficking, they are necessary for President Vladimir Putin to make a decision on the issue as soon as possible, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday.

Fred Gardner (2020-01-27). NewsGuard Can Save You From Putin! counterpunch.org The New York Times headline was an attention grabber worthy of Sen. Joe McCarthy: "How Amazon, Geico and Walmart Fund Propaganda." A subhed explained: "Algorithms are sending ads by American brands onto Russian disinformation sites." The op-ed by L. Gordon Crovitz, a former publisher of the Wall St. Journal, culminated in a sales pitch for

sputniknews (2020-01-27). Russia Expels Japanese National Accused of Espionage – Foreign Ministry. sputniknews.com Moscow previously stated that the man had been detained for trying to obtain classified data about Russian military resources.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-01-27). Trump Told Bolton Ukraine Aid Contingent on Probe Into Democratic Rivals: NYT. commondreams.org "There is no pretense left. There are no excuses remaining," said Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bolton_trump_aid-contingent-nyt.jpg

yenisafak (2020-01-27). 21,000 Syrian civilians flee attacks in Idlib in a day. yenisafak.com The intense attacks of Assad regime and its allies forced some 21,000 civilians to flee their homes in Idilb, a de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria, over the last 24 hours, according to sources on the ground.Mohammad Hallaj, director of Syria's Response Coordination Group, said the forced migration gained momentum in Eriha and Jabal Zawiya regions of Idlib due to intensified attacks.The attacks by the Assad army, composed of regime forces and Iranian-backed terror groups, and Russian strikes stand as the main reasons behind the forced migration.The majority of the displaced people arrived at the camps near…

yenisafak (2020-01-27). France bans controversial tear gas grenade. yenisafak.com French authorities announced that controversial GLI-F4 explosive tear gas grenades would no longer be used by police. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said in a broadcast interview on Sunday that the tear gas canisters would not be used during demonstrations and protests.Castaner noted that the withdrawal of the grenades would be immediate.Over the past two years, France has been gripped by nationwide demonstrations during which the canisters have been used to quell violence."It happened, several months ago, that the police were forced to use them to disengage from a threat, and that demonstrators who took t…

yenisafak (2020-01-27). Russia expels Japanese journalist in military espionage row: RIA. yenisafak.com The journalist, whom it didn't name, had been given 72 hours to leave Russia and had already left.Russia's Foreign Ministry had summoned a Japanese embassy official to make an official diplomatic protest over the incident, RIA reported.

yenisafak (2020-01-27). Germany seeks UN resolution to enforce Libya cease-fire. yenisafak.com Germany on Monday urged UN Security Council members to adopt a resolution on Libya to stop continuing military attacks and violations of arms embargo in the war-torn country.Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas deplored violations of the cease-fire despite pledges made by conflict parties and regional actors at the Berlin Conference on Jan. 19."The cease-fire has been a very fragile one so far, and thus it will be important now to make sure that the UN Security Council endorses what we agreed in Berlin with a resolution," he said, referring to the talks at the UN scheduled f…

yenisafak (2020-01-27). Turkey to build shelter areas in quake-hit Elazƒ±ƒü. yenisafak.com Turkey is set to build temporary shelters to host 1,000 families affected by a deadly earthquake in eastern Turkey, the country's interior minister said on Monday.The 6.8-magnitude quake shook the province of Elazig late on Friday. Tremors were also felt in neighboring Syria and Georgia.The shelters will be put up in the central Asagi Holpenk district in Elazig, Suleyman Soylu said during a joint press statement with other senior officials.Soylu added that the shelters would have electricity and hot water, and would be fully constructed in 10 to 15 days.He said all the needs of earthquake victims would be met acr…

yenisafak (2020-01-27). Turkey condemns terrorist attack in Mali. yenisafak.com Turkey on Monday condemned a terrorist attack in Mali that killed at least 20 soldiers."We are saddened to receive the news that many soldiers lost their lives and injured in a terrorist attack on the Sokolo military camp in the Segou region of Mali," Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement."We condemn this attack. We extend our sincere condolences to the brotherly people and Government of Mali as well as to the families and relatives of those who lost their lives and speedy recovery to the injured," the statement added.Earlier, at least 20 Malian soldiers were killed when armed men attacked an army base in…

yenisafak (2020-01-27). Slovenian prime minister announces resignation. yenisafak.com Slovenia's prime minister on Monday announced his resignation and called for early general elections. Marjan Sarec served as premier in a minority government set up after general elections in 2018.He said his reason for resigning was the current government's inability to "pass some important laws."He is expected to present his resignation letter to the parliament during the day.Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj also announced last Friday that he resigned from office due to different views on health insurance.Sarec's minority government, consisting of five center-left parties in Slovenia, was established in Septe…

yenisafak (2020-01-27). Trump denies Ukraine claims in former official's memoir. yenisafak.com U.S. President Donald Trump early on Monday denied claims in a book by former National Security Advisor John Bolton that he ordered aid to Ukraine be frozen until Kiev helped in an investigation into senior Democrat Joe Biden and his son."I NEVER told John Bolton that the aid to Ukraine was tied to investigations into Democrats, including [former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter] the Bidens," Trump said on Twitter, adding: "In fact, he never complained about this at the time of his very public termination. If John Bolton said this, it was only to sell a book."Trump referred to a leaked draft of Bolton…

yenisafak (2020-01-27). Military chopper crashes into Adriatic Sea in Croatia. yenisafak.com A military helicopter crashed into the Adriatic Sea in Croatia, according to the police.The Ministry of Defense said the casualties are still unknown."The Kiowa OH-58 D helicopter crash occurred in the area of Zlarin and Zlace Islands during a training flight that began at 10.30 a.m. on Monday, January 27, 2020. All measures and actions have been taken to find and rescue the crew," said the statement.Police said that two ships were dispatched to the scene for search and rescue efforts."For now, we do not know how many people were in the helicopter. We will determine all the circumstances by arriving at the scene…

RT (2020-01-27). EU's Barnier warns risk still exists of Brexit 'cliff edge' at year's-end. rt.com The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator said on Monday that businesses still face the risk of a "cliff edge" Brexit at the end of the year, given the short time available to negotiate a future trading relationship between Britain and the EU. | "This negotiation is not usual because at the end of this year, the UK is leaving the single market, it is its choice, it is leaving the customs union," Michel Barnier told a joint news conference with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. | "If we have no agreement, it will not be business as usual and the status quo, we have to face the risk of a cliff edge, in parti…