Video: Turkey Strikes against Kurdish SDF Forces in Northern Syria
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-09
The situation in the northern Syrian provinces of Aleppo and al-Hasakah is once again escalating amid speculations on the upcoming Turkish advance in the area. | In recent weeks, the Turkish military and its proxies increased the intensity of strikes on …
globalresearch.ca/video-turkey-strikes-against-kurdish-sdf-forces-in-northern-syria/5731653

Is Washington Trying to Ruin Shinzo Abe's Legacy of Japan's Rapprochement with Russia?
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-09
Recent reports from Japanese media alleging that US immigration authorities there consider Russian nationals in some of the Kuril Islands to legally be Japanese represent an attempt by the fading unipolar superpower to ruin former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's legacy …
globalresearch.ca/us-trying-ruin-shinzo-abe-legacy-rapprochement-russia/5731701

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin: A Certain Kind of Diversity
Editor | scheerpost.com | 2020-12-09
by Maj. Danny Sjursen, USA (ret.) / Original to ScheerPost America's first black presumptive secretary of defense grew up in the same town — Thomasville, GA — as the first black West Point graduate, Henry O. Flipper. I actually took select cadets from my civil rights history class to visit the southwest Georgia city on an academic trip in the summer of 2016. In fact, I vaguely remember the owner… | Source…
scheerpost.com/2020/12/09/secretary-of-defense-lloyd-austin-a-certain-kind-of-diversity/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=secretary-of-defense-lloyd-austin-a-certain-kind-of-diversity

John Kerry's Think Tank Calls for War With Russia Over Climate Change
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-12-09
Recently-appointed Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry has announced his intention of dealing with the pressing issue of global warming as a national security concern. "America will soon have a government that treats the climate crisis as the urgent national security threat it is," the 76-year-old former Secretary of State wrote. "I am proud to partner with the President-elect, our allies, and the young leaders of the climate movement to take on this crisis." | The announcement drew praise from many prof…
mintpressnews.com/john-kerry-think-tank-calls-for-war-with-russia-over-climate-change/273480/

Tragedy and Art in the South Caucasus
Paul Von Blum | progressive.org | 2020-12-09
Protest art from Armenia highlights the resilience of a people in the face of war.
progressive.org/dispatches/tragedy-and-art-south-caucasus-blum-201209/

France's cabinet greenlights 'anti-separatism' bill amid human rights concerns
MEE and agencies | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-09
France's cabinet greenlights 'anti-separatism' bill amid human rights concerns | The draft law, renamed the bill 'to strengthen republican values' and seeking to crack down on 'radical Islamism', will head to parliament in 2021 | MEE and agencies | Wed, 12/09/2020 – 14: 14 | French Prime Minister Jean Castex at a news conference after cabinet meeting discussions over a bill to fight what Macron has called 'I…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/france-islam-separatism-bill-human-rights-cabinet

Georgia Moves to Shut Down Early Voting Sites Ahead of Senate Runoff
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-12-09
Civil rights groups warned on Monday that a decision by election officials in Georgia to shutter numerous early-voting sites ahead of the state's Senate runoff elections would disproportionately impact people of color. | The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the ACLU's Georgia branch and other groups said in a letter that the decision to close six of the 11 early-voting…
truthout.org/articles/georgia-moves-to-shut-down-early-voting-sites-ahead-of-senate-runoff/

Azeri FM meeting with Shamkhani
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-09
TEHRAN, Dec. 09 (MNA) — Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met and held talks with the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani in Tehran on Wednesday.
en.mehrnews.com/photo/166986/Azeri-FM-meeting-with-Shamkhani

Terrorists' presence in Azerbaijan, threat to region security
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-09
TEHRAN, Dec. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament Speaker said that the presence of terrorists and movements of the Zionist regime in the Republic of Azerbaijan is a threat to regional peace and security.
en.mehrnews.com/news/166989/Terrorists-presence-in-Azerbaijan-threat-to-region-security

World Press Freedom Conference spotlights dangerous job of separating 'truth from falsehood'
news.un.org | 2020-12-09
Prominent journalists and champions of press freedom from across the world are examining ways to overcome increasing challenges facing the media during a two-day online conference organized jointly by the UN's cultural and educational agency, UNESCO, and the Netherlands.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/12/1079682

China Shoots the Moon
Philip J Cunningham | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-09
China's Challenge to US-Russia Space Exploration Hegemony | China is taking aim at the moon, establishing itself as a space power to be reckoned with. While currently playing catch-up behind the space accomplishments of the US and Russia, it is rapidly …
globalresearch.ca/china-shoots-moon/5731685

Iran ready to help strengthen Azerbaijan-Armenia ceasefire
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-09
TEHRAN, Dec. 09 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced the country's readiness to play a role in helping to strengthen the ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia and to stabilize the region.
en.mehrnews.com/news/166973/Iran-ready-to-help-strengthen-Azerbaijan-Armenia-ceasefire

Anti-Iran Terrorist Group Mojahedin-e Khalq's Ties to Iraqi Army in 1980s
Yaghout Meraji | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-09