Daily Archives: January 2, 2020

2020-01-02: News Headlines

Staff (2020-01-03). Turkish Lawmakers Authorize Sending Troops to Fight in Libya. truthdig.com The move to support current government in Tripoli is seen as a threat to regional security and is denounced by Greece, Israel and Cyprus.

RT (2020-01-02). Fresh CLASHES in Paris as French pension reform strike breaks records (VIDEOS). rt.com Protests against the French government's plans to overhaul the pension system have reached a new milestone on their 29th day, breaking national records for the longest-ever strike, as demonstrators and police clashed in Paris. | Thursday's strike action saw protesters block two bus depots in Paris. Officers dispatched to the protest were filmed spraying what some described as tear gas directly into the faces of some of the demonstrators. | Gazage à bout portant lors de Blocage de dépà¥t bus Belliard à #Paris ce matin, aucun bus n'

RT (2020-01-02). Balloon with Austrian girl's Christmas wishes miraculously lands in Russian villager's yard & he proves Santa is real. rt.com A helium balloon traveled more than 2,500km by air from a tiny Austrian town to a mountainous village in Russia's North Caucasus, prompting one of this year's most amazing Christmas stories. | Amin, a farmer from the village of Krasny Kurgan in Russia's southern Karachay-Cherkess Republic, told the Mash Telegram channel about how he became a real life Santa. | Straight out of a fairy tale, the story began one day in mid-December when Amin spotted a white helium balloon falling from the sky and right into his backyard. The farmer took interest in the unusual "intruder" and discovered that it had a handwritten l…

RT (2020-01-02). Belgium suspends extradition warrant on Catalan independence leader Puigdemont. rt.com A Belgian court has suspended the extradition of former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, citing his immunity as a member of the European Parliament, the pro-independence politician has confirmed on his Twitter. | The court ruled in favor of Puigdemont and another pro-independence politician, Toni Comin, who served as health minister in the exiled leader's former government. Both politicians are now residing in Belgium, and are wanted in Spain on charges of sedition over their role in organizing a banned Catalonia independence referendum in 2017. | Belgian justice recognizes our immunity and decides to susp…

RT (2020-01-02). India launches free Wi-Fi on Delhi Metro with help from Russian telecoms firm. rt.com Free high-speed Wi-Fi has been launched on the underground metro system in India's capital, Delhi, with key technology for the project provided by the Russian company that developed Wi-Fi for Moscow's subway. | The Delhi Metro is a massive urban transport system spanning 325 kilometers, and linking the Indian capital to its satellite towns. The sheer size of the transport network, used by almost three million commuters every day, sets it firmly among the largest metro systems in the world, including those in London, Shanghai, Beijing, and New York. | Now, with the help of Russian telecoms expertise, the city's…

Staff (2020-01-02). "The Genocidal Regime Is Still in Power": Assad Forces Push into Idlib, Last Rebel Stronghold. democracynow.org The United Nations says a quarter of a million people have fled the Russian-backed Syrian government offensive in the northwestern province of Idlib. Aid groups are now warning the offensive in Idlib could become the worst humanitarian crisis in the nine-year war in Syria. Nearly 200,000 Syrian civilians have fled toward the Turkish border as Syrian government ground troops advance into Idlib, the last major rebel-held territory, where about 3 million people live. Displaced civilians have sought refuge in several camps along the border, where they struggle with harsh winter conditions, flooding and mud due to hea…

RT (2020-01-02). Jumping into 2020? Two Siberian men use PARACHUTES to leap out of high-rise apartment (VIDEO). rt.com A couple of thrill-seekers in the Russian Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk apparently grew so bored at a New Year's party that they decided to leave it by literally making a parachute jump out of the apartment block. | Footage taken by alarmed onlookers in a nearby building shows two men standing on a balcony railing on the 24th floor of a high-rise overlooking the Yenisei River, before making a spectacular parachute jump. | –í –ö—Ä–∞—Å–Ω–æ—è—Ä—Å–∫–µ —ç–&in…

RT (2020-01-02). Russia to launch stock exchange for sanctioned companies. rt.com Companies targeted by Western sanctions will have an opportunity to list their bonds, as Russia plans to create a special stock exchange in 2020 to bolster its national capital markets. | The launch was initially scheduled for December but was then postponed to January, according to Russia's Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Moiseev. The official explained that the ministry needed more time to finish the platform. | Read more | | Sanctions? Russia has the best-peforming stock market in the world | At least two companies have already announced…

RT (2020-01-02). 'Lacking basic sensitivity': Polish school in trouble for re-enactment of WW2 atrocity with kids in Nazi garb & death camp robes. rt.com A primary school in Poland has been drawn into a national scandal over an event in which children, dressed in Nazi uniforms and prison robes, re-enacted the gassing of prisoners, in a performance meant to be solemn and touching. | The controversial presentation took place in early December when the primary school in Labunia was bestowed with the honorary title of the Children of the Zamosc. The name refers to thousands of Polish children, who had been rounded up and deported by the occupying Nazi forces as part of an ethnic-cleansing campaign. Zamosc, the city northwest of the Labunia commune, was the focus of…

RT (2020-01-02). 'Will they go to Italy?' Indian minister rallies behind citizenship law, says other nations won't take 'poor' Hindus. rt.com India's Home Minister G. Kishan Reddy said it was imperative that persecuted religious groups in neighboring countries be granted Indian citizenship, arguing they have nowhere else to go. | Speaking in the context of the recently passed Citizenship Amendment Act, which fast-tracks Indian citizenship for religious groups fleeing persecution in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Reddy said India must pick up the slack for other nations unwilling to take in poor refugees, singling out Italy by name. | "It's our moral responsibility to give citizenship to the minorities [from three neighboring Muslim countries]…

RT (2020-01-02). Hillary Clinton appointed chancellor of N. Ireland university… but no, she's not moving there. rt.com Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been named chancellor of Queen's University in Belfast, becoming the first woman to hold the largely ceremonial role — and igniting speculation on social media. | Clinton said it was a "great privilege" to become the university's 11th chancellor, after her appointment was announced on Thursday. While the position does not involve relocating to Belfast — sorry, Americans — the chancellor acts as an ambassador outside Northern Ireland and sometimes oversees graduation ceremonies, in addition to advising the vice-chancellor and senior management.

RT (2020-01-02). Lebanon receives Interpol arrest warrant for disgraced Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn — reports. rt.com Lebanon has received an international police arrest warrant for former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn, the state-run National News Agency reported on Thursday. | The 'red' notice calls on authorities in Lebanon to arrest Ghosn, who managed to jump bail in Japan, where he is charged with embezzlement, and to flee to the middle-eastern country. | Also on rt.com | | Pilots detained as Turkey opens probe on ex-Nissan chief Ghosn's Japan escape via Istanbul — reports | Interpol's request was received by Lebanon's internal security forces but it has y…

RT (2020-01-02). Imperial delusion: Turkey sending troops to Libya would be no solution to the chaos caused by the 2011 NATO intervention. rt.com With an emergency convening of Turkey's parliament, the path has been cleared for Ankara to send troops to Libya — but such a move may be less about ending the bloody civil conflict there and more about Turkey's power ambitions. | The new year barely begun, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fast-tracked a motion to approve the potential deployment of Turkish troops, which passed handily in parliament on Thursday. | Erdogan's move follows a pattern of recent muscle-flexing and is an obvious play to force Ankara into a more influential position. This is a gamble that could backfire. | Ravaged by years of conf…

RT (2020-01-02). Turkish parliament backs govt plan to send troops to Libya in emergency session. rt.com The Turkish parliament has voted to approve a plan to send troops to support the UN-recognized government in Libya as it continues to fight forces loyal to a rival government in the eastern part of the country. | Lawmakers approved the motion, which grants a one-year mandate for the troop deployment, in an emergency session on Thursday. The motion passed by 325 votes to 184. | The plan was opposed by Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican Peoples' Party (CHP), which said sending troops could aggravate the situation and embroil Ankara in another conflict. | The CHP said Monday that it didn't want to see…

RT (2020-01-02). Foreign interference could 'complicate' Libya, Turkey's Erdogan is told… by Trump. rt.com None other than US President Donald Trump has stood up against foreign intervention in Libya, warning his NATO ally Turkey that its planned military deployment could make the situation in the North African country worse. | During the phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, "President Trump pointed out that foreign interference is complicating the situation in Libya," the White House said in a statement. | No further details were given, but the call took place just after the Turkish legislature voted 325 to 184 to approve sending troops to the North African country, in order…

RT (2020-01-02). Pilots detained as Turkey opens probe on ex-Nissan chief Ghosn's Japan escape via Istanbul — reports. rt.com Turkish authorities are determined to find out how former Nissan and Renault chief Carlos Ghosn managed to jump bail in Japan, where he is charged with embezzlement, and flee through Istanbul airport, Turkish media said. | Seven people, including four pilots, have been detained after the Interior Ministry launched a probe into the allegations that the fugitive ex-CEO had made it from Osaka to Beirut, Lebanon, passing through Istanbul, Turkish media said on Thursday. | A former chairman and CEO of Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, Ghosn is charged in Japan with embezzling the company's assets and lying to sha…

teleSUR (2020-01-02). Austria Coalition Deal Includes Anti-Migrant Policies. telesurenglish.net A coalition deal between Austria's conservative People's Party (OVP) and the Greens will include banning headscarves and preventive custody for potentially "dangerous" migrants, several Austrian media reported Thursday. | RELATED: | Austrian Conservatives and Greens Reach Coalition Deal | The deal includes raising the age until which girls are banned from wearing…

The Grayzone (2020-01-02). Top 20 The Grayzone stories of 2019: From Venezuela coup attempt to Russiagate delusions, information warfare to new cold war. thegrayzone.com 2019 was a big year for The Grayzone. We traveled the world and broke many stories, exposing the empire's schemes…

Prof Rodrigue Tremblay (2020-01-02). The Decline of Democracy in the 21st Century. globalresearch.ca "In general, unfortunately, the qualifications required to gain power and keep it have almost no connection with those required to govern with competence and impartiality." — Jean-Franàßois Revel (1924-2006), French author and philosopher. (In 'Ni Marx ni Jésus', 1970, p. …

teleSUR (2020-01-02). Israel, Greece, Cyprus to Sign Pipeline Deal in Mediterranean. telesurenglish.net The Mediterranean nations of Greece, Cyprus and Israel are expected to sign a new agreement to build a large pipeline that stretches nearly 2,000 kilometers across the sea. | RELATED: | Israel's Top Court Hears Case on Netanyahu's Political Future | If the agreement goes through, the subsea pipeline will be able to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean region to the developing gas industry in southern Europe. | According to the Reuters News Agency, the three countries…

teleSUR (2020-01-02). Sanchez on His Way to Investiture: ERC Will Abstain. telesurenglish.net After months of dialogue with the Government, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) finally decided it would abstain during the Spanish parliament's upcoming vote to confirm Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez as prime minister, potentially ending the prolonged national political deadlock. | RELATED: | Spain Coalition Govt Plans Hike on Taxes for Rich, Minimum Wage | This move would end the unstable political situation which ruled the country throughout 2019, with two inconclusive…

Mideast Discourse (2020-01-02). US Navy Chief Says Only 'Regime Change' in Iran Can Stop Country's 'Provocative Actions' in Gulf. globalresearch.ca Russian and Chinese warships joined Iran's Navy and Revolutionary Guards vessels on Friday for four days' worth of maritime exercises in the Gulf of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean, simulating search and rescue, anti-piracy and shooting drills. | The US …

teleSUR (2020-01-02). Interpol Issues Arrest Warrant to Lebanon for Ex-Nissan Boss. telesurenglish.net Interpol issued an arrest warrant to Lebanon on Thursday for the former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, who recently escaped from Japan to Turkey. | RELATED: | Lebanon: Hundreds of Displaced Syrians Return Home | The Interpol red notice was given to the Lebanese authorities and has not been referred to the country's judiciary, Reuters reported on Thursday. | In similar cases in the past, Lebanon has seized the passports of the wanted citizens, but they do not detain them. | Ghosn, who was facin…

yenisafak (2020-01-02). Austrian coalition deal includes headscarf ban, preventive custody. yenisafak.com A deal between Austria's conservatives and Greens to form a governing coalition includes banning headscarves in school until the age of 14 and preventive custody for potentially dangerous immigrants, several Austrian media reported on Thursday.The measures are part of what conservative leader Sebastian Kurz describes as his tough stance on illegal immigration and "political Islam", aimed at appealing to his base but also to disillusioned former supporters of the far right, whose coalition with his party collapsed in May.Kurz and Greens leader Werner Kogler said on Wednesday they have reached a deal that should ma…

yenisafak (2020-01-02). Hillary Clinton appointed chancellor of Queen's University Belfast. yenisafak.com Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was appointed chancellor of Queen's University Belfast on Thursday, taking up the mainly ceremonial role in Northern Ireland where the peace process was one of the greatest successes of her husband's presidency.The 2016 U.S. presidential candidate becomes the first female chancellor of the 175-year-old university.During her time as Secretary of State from 2009-2013, Clinton visited Belfast to support the fragile 1998 Good Friday peace accord, which Bill Clinton helped broker and which largely ended 30 years of violence between Catholic nationalists seeking union with…

yenisafak (2020-01-02). Twenty challenges awaiting EU in 2020. yenisafak.com European politics saw countless campaign promises in 2019. A new European Parliament was elected in May and a new European Commission entered into office in December.But despite alterations in the political landscape of EU institutions, divisions in key policy areas remained profound among the member states, and 2020 will test whether the EU can overcome these disagreements, unlock the stalled decision-making process and start delivering on long-awaited reforms. But the 2021-2027 multi-annual financial framework and ambitious European Green Deal could deepen those divisions.- MigrationReforming the EU's migration…

yenisafak (2020-01-02). Turkey to back Libya deployment bill but troops unlikely for now. yenisafak.com Turkish lawmakers are set to back a bill on Thursday that allows troop deployment in Tripoli, but that is likely to begin with military support, training and drones in the air rather than boots on the ground.President Tayyip Erdogan, whose ruling party's alliance has a majority but faces opposition to the plan in parliament, said last week Turkey would deploy troops in Libya to support Fayez al-Serraj's internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).The GNA has requested Turkish support as it fights off an offensive by General Khalifa Haftar's forces in the country's east that is backed by Russia,…

yenisafak (2020-01-02). Denmark sets new record sourcing 47% of power from wind in 2019. yenisafak.com Denmark sourced close to half its electricity consumption from wind power last year, a new record for the Nordic country and an important step in realizing one of the world's most ambitious climate targets.Wind accounted for 47% of Denmark's power usage last year, up from 41% in 2018 and beating a previous record of 43% in 2017, the country's grid operator Energinet said on Thursday.

yenisafak (2020-01-02). Turkish police arrest 8 Daesh terror suspects. yenisafak.com Turkish police arrested eight suspects linked to the Daesh terror group, security sources said on Thursday.The arrests in the southeastern Siirt province came after warrants were issued for 10 suspects.Police is on the lookout for two suspects who remain at large.Turkey recognized Daesh/ISIS as a terrorist group in 2013.Since then, the country has been attacked by Daesh/ISIS terrorists numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings, and four armed attacks which killed 315 people and injured hundreds.In response, Turkey has launched military and police operations inside the country and abroad to pre…

yenisafak (2020-01-02). Turkey's Strategy of Multiple Priority in its war on terror: Analysis. yenisafak.com Turkey's comprehensive counter-terrorism operationsTurkey's internal and cross-border security policy throughout 2019 can be named "Multiple-Priority Strategy", whose primary purpose has been to control and eradicate the PKK's weapons and ammunitions in Turkey, Syria and Iraq with the "pro-active security principle". In line with this purpose, Turkey's security operations increased by 150 percent this year and the PKK was starved of its capacity for coordinating active terrorist attacks. According to Suleyman Soylu, the minister of Internal Affairs, Turkey conducted over 109 thousand operations against terroris…

teleSUR (2020-01-02). 'New Strikes Against Pension Reform Are Ready', French Workers. telesurenglish.net The strike of French railway workers against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform proposal became one of the longest-running protests since it surpassed the 1986 demonstrations with 28 days. | RELATED: | France: Unions, Yellow Vests, Transporters Take to the Streets | Although this massive demonstration is gaining more and more strength, the president…

George Galloway (2020-01-02). Yellow Vests & brass necks. zcomm.org How the brutality in France continues to be invisible…

Gaither Stewart (2020-01-02). Our Nazis: the Gehlen Org. counterpunch.org In February 2019 Germany opened a brand new intelligence complex in the city of Berlin. The new headquarters of the BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst or Federal Intelligence Service) occupies a huge space—by the way, much as STASI or State Security Service once did in East Berlin the former German Democratic Republic—and supposedly employs a total of over More

RT (2020-01-01). Kurz set to return to power in historic coalition deal bringing Greens into Austrian government. rt.com Austrian conservative leader Sebastian Kurz has finally made a deal with the Greens to form a governing coalition that will see Kurz return to power and the Greens join the national government for the first time. | Kurz and his Greens counterpart Werner Kogler announced on Wednesday that a deal had been done, both seeming quite proud that they had been able to keep "key campaign promises." | "When you present the program you will see that both work — greening the tax system, and reducing the tax burden," Kurz said, vowing to "do everything to serve the Austrians." | "We agreed more on climate protection t…

teleSUR (2020-01-01). Libya Militias Divert EU Funds for Migrants, Exploit Them: Report. telesurenglish.net When the issue of migration began to agitate Europe in 2015 and 2016, the European Union (EU) decided the creation of a fund to send millions of euros to Libya through the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with the purpose of halting migration from Africa. | RELATED: | Arab League Rejects 'Foreign Interventions' in Libya | At the time, the initiative was accompanied by promises to fight human trafficking and r…

IMEMC News (2020-01-01). Peace Bridge, Derry City, Ireland, December. imemc.org By Niall àì Brolcháin — IMEMC News: The Derry branch of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) held their annual New Year's Eve vigil on Tuesday, December 31, 2019, on Derry's famous Peace Bridge to stand in solidarity with their Palestinian brothers and sisters in their fight for freedom, justice, and equality. …

teleSUR (2020-01-01). Austrian Conservatives and Greens Reach Coalition Deal. telesurenglish.net Austrian conservative leader Sebastian Kurz reached a coalition deal with the Greens Wednesday to ensure his return to power and bring the left-wing party into government for the first time, a Greens spokeswoman and a source close to the talks said. | RELATED: | Conservatives Win Austrian Election, Need Coalition Partner | The deal comes after Kurz's party won the parliamentary election on Sept. 29 with 37.5 percent of the votes resulting in 71 seats in the National Council (Lower…

teleSUR (2020-01-01). Iran Opens Truck Production Plant After Germans Leave. telesurenglish.net Iran opened Wednesday a heavy-duty truck manufacturing plant that will employ 5,000 people at full production in Meshginshahr in northwest Iran, where the first phase for production of Chapar trucks began during a ceremony attended by President Hassan Rouhani. | RELATED: | Russia: Iran Deal on Brink of Collapse Because of Washington | The plant will manufacture 50 trucks a day at full production. Currently, it operates with 400 workers, but another 800 people will be employed late…

teleSUR (2020-01-01). Turkey May Not Send Troops to Libya Despite Tripoli's Plea. telesurenglish.net Turkey may not send troops to Libya after all, as the Turkish Vice President stated on Wednesday that Ankara is willing to reconsider this move if the forces loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar halt their operation in Tripoli. | RELATED: | Arab League Rejects 'Foreign Interventions' in Libya | Speaking to the state-owned Anadolu Agency, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said, "after the bill passed from the parliament…it might happen that we would see something different, a differe…

Harrison Stetler (2019-12-31). France's Undocumented Migrants Are Fighting for Their Rights. thenation.com France's Undocumented Migrants Are Fighting for Their Rights…

Staff (2019-12-31). Headlines for December 31, 2019. democracynow.org Protests Rage Outside U.S. Embassy in Iraq After U.S. Airstrikes Kill 24, Hate Crime Charges Filed Against Suspect in Hanukkah Stabbing in NY, Texas Church Shooter Had Long Criminal History, NYT: Top Officials Failed to Convince Trump to Release Withheld Ukraine Aid, Death Toll from Crackdown on Protests in India Rises to 27, Five Kashmiri Political Leaders Released from Detention, Sudanese Court Sentences 29 to Death for Killing Teacher in Anti-Protest Crackdown, Thousands Flee to the Ocean to Escape Australia Wildfires, Former Nissan Head Flees Japan to Lebanon to Escape Trial on Financial Crimes, New York Sett…

Peoples Dispatch (2019-12-31). Portway handling workers in Portugal set to continue strike. peoplesdispatch.org Portway handling workers in various Portuguese airports have decided to continue their protest demanding that the Vinci Group — owner of the Portway Handling de Portugal, SA — comply with the agreement signed in 2016 to 'unfreeze' careers from last November. Workers of the Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Funchal airports, under the leadership of the National Union of Civil Aviation Workers (SINTAC), embarked on a three-day strike from December 27. Overtime and weekend workers will go on strike from January 1 to the end of March 2020. | SINTAC has alleged that Portway Handling de Portugal "has begun to cut socia…

Patrick Cockburn (2019-12-31). How Nationalism is Transforming the Politics of the British Isles. counterpunch.org National identities and the relationship between England, Scotland and Ireland are changing more radically than at any time over the last century. It is worth looking at the British archipelago as a whole on this issue because of the closely-meshed political relationship of its constituent nations. More

WSWS (2019-12-31). The impeachment crisis and US war plans against Russia. wsws.org The ferocity with which the entire US national security apparatus responded to a temporary delay in sending anti-tank missiles and radar to Ukraine raises the question: Is there a timetable for using these weapons in combat against Russia?

WSWS (2019-12-31). Fires create hellish conditions across Australia. wsws.org An unprecedented mass evacuation order for an area half the size of Belgium gave tens of thousands of residents and holidaymakers just hours to pack up and leave.

Andrew Korybko (2019-12-31). 20 Years of Vladimir Putin: His Top Domestic and Foreign Policy Successes. globalresearch.ca Vladimir Putin assumed office as Russia's Acting President 20 years ago on 31 December, 1999, after which he speedily proceeded to transform both his country and the rest of the world in the two decades since. | President Putin became his …

teleSUR (2019-12-31). France's Macron: I Want Solid Ties With Post-Brexit Britain. telesurenglish.net French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that he wanted a strong relationship with post-Brexit Britain. | RELATED: | France Transport Strikes Among Longest In Country's History | During his traditional end-of-year televised address to the nation, Macron said: "The UK's exit from the European Union is a test for our country. I will strive to maintain…

G. Dunkel (2019-12-30). French unions want retirement 'reform' scrapped. workers.org It was a tough holiday for transportation strikers in France. Their pay packet for December was basically empty. A dancing picket line, Paris, Dec. 24 The struggle on the national railroad (SNCF) at 23 days is longer than a similar struggle over the SNCF retirement plan in 1995 and shows . . . | Continue reading French unions want retirement 'reform' scrapped at Workers.org

RT (2019-12-30). Trump tied with Obama for 'most admired man' of the year. rt.com Despite years of 'Russiagate' accusations and an ongoing impeachment drive against him, President Donald Trump has tied with former President Barack Obama as America's most admired man of 2019, according to a new poll. | In the survey, published by Gallup on Monday, 18 percent of respondents named the current occupant of the White House as their most admired man, while another 18 percent named his predecessor. No other man – in a top ten that included entrepreneur Elon Musk, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and the Dalai Lama – scored higher than two percent. | 2019 marks Obama's 12th year in the top spot, but…

Surangya (2019-12-30). Cracks in the neoliberal wall. peoplesdispatch.org The last year saw major protests erupt across the world against neoliberal, anti-people regimes, such as in Chile, Lebanon, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti and France. We review some of the largest struggles, the reasons people are fighting, and what they are fighting for.

2020-01-02: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

Turkish Lawmakers Authorize Sending Troops to Fight in Libya
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-01-03
The move to support current government in Tripoli is seen as a threat to regional security and is denounced by Greece, Israel and Cyprus.
truthdig.com/articles/turkish-lawmakers-authorize-sending-troops-to-fight-in-libya/

Austria Coalition Deal Includes Anti-Migrant Policies
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
A coalition deal between Austria's conservative People's Party (OVP) and the Greens will include banning headscarves and preventive custody for potentially "dangerous" migrants, several Austrian media reported Thursday. | RELATED: | Austrian Conservatives and Greens Reach Coalition Deal | The deal includes raising the age until which girls are banned from wearing…
telesurenglish.net/news/Austrian-Conservative-Green-Deal-Includes-Headscarf-Ban-Anti-Migrant-Policies-20200102-0013.html

"The Genocidal Regime Is Still in Power": Assad Forces Push into Idlib, Last Rebel Stronghold
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-01-02
The United Nations says a quarter of a million people have fled the Russian-backed Syrian government offensive in the northwestern province of Idlib. Aid groups are now warning the offensive in Idlib could become the worst humanitarian crisis in the nine-year war in Syria. Nearly 200,000 Syrian civilians have fled toward the Turkish border as Syrian government ground troops advance into Idlib, the last major rebel-held territory, where about 3 million people live. Displaced civilians have sought refuge in several camps along the border, where they struggle with harsh winter conditions, flooding and mud due to hea…
www.democracynow.org/2020/1/2/syria_idlib_offensive_russia_assad

Top 20 The Grayzone stories of 2019: From Venezuela coup attempt to Russiagate delusions, information warfare to new cold war
The Grayzone | thegrayzone.com | 2020-01-02
2019 was a big year for The Grayzone. We traveled the world and broke many stories, exposing the empire's schemes…
thegrayzone.com/2020/01/01/top-20-the-grayzone-stories-of-2019/

'New Strikes Against Pension Reform Are Ready', French Workers
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
The strike of French railway workers against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform proposal became one of the longest-running protests since it surpassed the 1986 demonstrations with 28 days. | RELATED: | France: Unions, Yellow Vests, Transporters Take to the Streets | Although this massive demonstration is gaining more and more strength, the president…
telesurenglish.net/news/New-Strikes-Against-Pension-Reform-Are-Ready-French-Workers-20200102-0009.html

Fresh CLASHES in Paris as French pension reform strike breaks records (VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-01-02
Protests against the French government's plans to overhaul the pension system have reached a new milestone on their 29th day, breaking national records for the longest-ever strike, as demonstrators and police clashed in Paris. | Thursday's strike action saw protesters block two bus depots in Paris. Officers dispatched to the protest were filmed spraying what some described as tear gas directly into the faces of some of the demonstrators. | Gazage à bout portant lors de Blocage de dépà¥t bus Belliard à #Paris ce matin, aucun bus n'…
rt.com/news/477319-france-pension-reform-strike-record/

Our Nazis: the Gehlen Org
Gaither Stewart | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-02
In February 2019 Germany opened a brand new intelligence complex in the city of Berlin. The new headquarters of the BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst or Federal Intelligence Service) occupies a huge space–by the way, much as STASI or State Security Service once did in East Berlin the former German Democratic Republic–and supposedly employs a total of over…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/02/our-nazis-the-gehlen-org/

Our Nazis: the Gehlen Org
Gaither Stewart | counterpunch.org | 2020-01-02
In February 2019 Germany opened a brand new intelligence complex in the city of Berlin. The new headquarters of the BND (Bundesnachrichtendienst or Federal Intelligence Service) occupies a huge space–by the way, much as STASI or State Security Service once did in East Berlin the former German Democratic Republic–and supposedly employs a total of over…
counterpunch.org/2020/01/02/our-nazis-the-gehlen-org/

Israel, Greece, Cyprus to Sign Pipeline Deal in Mediterranean
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
The Mediterranean nations of Greece, Cyprus and Israel are expected to sign a new agreement to build a large pipeline that stretches nearly 2,000 kilometers across the sea. | RELATED: | Israel's Top Court Hears Case on Netanyahu's Political Future | If the agreement goes through, the subsea pipeline will be able to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean region to the developing gas industry in southern Europe. | According to the Reuters News Agency, the three countries…
telesurenglish.net/news/Israel-Greece-Cyprus-to-Sign-Pipeline-Deal-in-Mediterranean-20200102-0003.html

Balloon with Austrian girl's Christmas wishes miraculously lands in Russian villager's yard & he proves Santa is real
rt.com | 2020-01-02
A helium balloon traveled more than 2,500km by air from a tiny Austrian town to a mountainous village in Russia's North Caucasus, prompting one of this year's most amazing Christmas stories. | Amin, a farmer from the village of Krasny Kurgan in Russia's southern Karachay-Cherkess Republic, told the Mash Telegram channel about how he became a real life Santa. | Straight out of a fairy tale, the story began one day in mid-December when Amin spotted a white helium balloon falling from the sky and right into his backyard. The farmer took interest in the unusual "intruder" and discovered that it had a handwritten l…
rt.com/russia/477289-balloon-austria-russia-santa-christmas/

Belgium suspends extradition warrant on Catalan independence leader Puigdemont
rt.com | 2020-01-02
A Belgian court has suspended the extradition of former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, citing his immunity as a member of the European Parliament, the pro-independence politician has confirmed on his Twitter. | The court ruled in favor of Puigdemont and another pro-independence politician, Toni Comin, who served as health minister in the exiled leader's former government. Both politicians are now residing in Belgium, and are wanted in Spain on charges of sedition over their role in organizing a banned Catalonia independence referendum in 2017. | Belgian justice recognizes our immunity and decides to susp…
rt.com/news/477320-belgium-suspends-puigdemont-case/

Sanchez on His Way to Investiture: ERC Will Abstain
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
After months of dialogue with the Government, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) finally decided it would abstain during the Spanish parliament's upcoming vote to confirm Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez as prime minister, potentially ending the prolonged national political deadlock. | RELATED: | Spain Coalition Govt Plans Hike on Taxes for Rich, Minimum Wage | This move would end the unstable political situation which ruled the country throughout 2019, with two inconclusive…
telesurenglish.net/news/sanchez-on-his-way-to-investiture-erc-will-abstain-20200102-0012.html

India launches free Wi-Fi on Delhi Metro with help from Russian telecoms firm
rt.com | 2020-01-02
Free high-speed Wi-Fi has been launched on the underground metro system in India's capital, Delhi, with key technology for the project provided by the Russian company that developed Wi-Fi for Moscow's subway. | The Delhi Metro is a massive urban transport system spanning 325 kilometers, and linking the Indian capital to its satellite towns. The sheer size of the transport network, used by almost three million commuters every day, sets it firmly among the largest metro systems in the world, including those in London, Shanghai, Beijing, and New York. | Now, with the help of Russian telecoms expertise, the city's…
rt.com/news/477337-delhi-metro-free-wifi-russia/

Jumping into 2020? Two Siberian men use PARACHUTES to leap out of high-rise apartment (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-01-02
A couple of thrill-seekers in the Russian Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk apparently grew so bored at a New Year's party that they decided to leave it by literally making a parachute jump out of the apartment block. | Footage taken by alarmed onlookers in a nearby building shows two men standing on a balcony railing on the 24th floor of a high-rise overlooking the Yenisei River, before making a spectacular parachute jump. | –í –ö–Ä–∞–Å–Ω–æ–è–Ä–Å–∫–µ –ç–&in…
rt.com/russia/477333-russia-men-parachute-jump-building/

US Navy Chief Says Only 'Regime Change' in Iran Can Stop Country's 'Provocative Actions' in Gulf
Mideast Discourse | globalresearch.ca | 2020-01-02
Russian and Chinese warships joined Iran's Navy and Revolutionary Guards vessels on Friday for four days' worth of maritime exercises in the Gulf of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean, simulating search and rescue, anti-piracy and shooting drills. | The US …
globalresearch.ca/us-navy-chief-says-only-regime-change-iran-stop-country-provocative-actions-gulf/5699333

Russia to launch stock exchange for sanctioned companies
rt.com | 2020-01-02
Companies targeted by Western sanctions will have an opportunity to list their bonds, as Russia plans to create a special stock exchange in 2020 to bolster its national capital markets. | The launch was initially scheduled for December but was then postponed to January, according to Russia's Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Moiseev. The official explained that the ministry needed more time to finish the platform. | Read more | | Sanctions? Russia has the best-peforming stock market in the world | At least two companies have already announced…
rt.com/business/475107-russia-sanctions-stock-market/

'Lacking basic sensitivity': Polish school in trouble for re-enactment of WW2 atrocity with kids in Nazi garb & death camp robes
rt.com | 2020-01-02
A primary school in Poland has been drawn into a national scandal over an event in which children, dressed in Nazi uniforms and prison robes, re-enacted the gassing of prisoners, in a performance meant to be solemn and touching. | The controversial presentation took place in early December when the primary school in Labunia was bestowed with the honorary title of the Children of the Zamosc. The name refers to thousands of Polish children, who had been rounded up and deported by the occupying Nazi forces as part of an ethnic-cleansing campaign. Zamosc, the city northwest of the Labunia commune, was the focus of…
rt.com/news/477322-poland-nazi-uniforms-children/

'Will they go to Italy?' Indian minister rallies behind citizenship law, says other nations won't take 'poor' Hindus
rt.com | 2020-01-02
India's Home Minister G. Kishan Reddy said it was imperative that persecuted religious groups in neighboring countries be granted Indian citizenship, arguing they have nowhere else to go. | Speaking in the context of the recently passed Citizenship Amendment Act, which fast-tracks Indian citizenship for religious groups fleeing persecution in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Reddy said India must pick up the slack for other nations unwilling to take in poor refugees, singling out Italy by name. | "It's our moral responsibility to give citizenship to the minorities [from three neighboring Muslim countries]…
rt.com/news/477296-india-poor-hindus-italy/

Hillary Clinton appointed chancellor of N. Ireland university… but no, she's not moving there
rt.com | 2020-01-02
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been named chancellor of Queen's University in Belfast, becoming the first woman to hold the largely ceremonial role — and igniting speculation on social media. | Clinton said it was a "great privilege" to become the university's 11th chancellor, after her appointment was announced on Thursday. While the position does not involve relocating to Belfast — sorry, Americans — the chancellor acts as an ambassador outside Northern Ireland and sometimes oversees graduation ceremonies, in addition to advising the vice-chancellor and senior management.
rt.com/uk/477341-hillary-clinton-chancellor-queens-belfast/

Turkish parliament backs govt plan to send troops to Libya in emergency session
rt.com | 2020-01-02
The Turkish parliament has voted to approve a plan to send troops to support the UN-recognized government in Libya as it continues to fight forces loyal to a rival government in the eastern part of the country. | Lawmakers approved the motion, which grants a one-year mandate for the troop deployment, in an emergency session on Thursday. The motion passed by 325 votes to 184. | The plan was opposed by Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican Peoples' Party (CHP), which said sending troops could aggravate the situation and embroil Ankara in another conflict. | The CHP said Monday that it didn't want to see…
rt.com/news/477317-turkish-parliament-libya-troops/

Lebanon receives Interpol arrest warrant for disgraced Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn — reports
rt.com | 2020-01-02
Lebanon has received an international police arrest warrant for former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn, the state-run National News Agency reported on Thursday. | The 'red' notice calls on authorities in Lebanon to arrest Ghosn, who managed to jump bail in Japan, where he is charged with embezzlement, and to flee to the middle-eastern country. | Also on rt.com | | Pilots detained as Turkey opens probe on ex-Nissan chief Ghosn's Japan escape via Istanbul — reports | Interpol's request was received by Lebanon's internal security forces but it has y…
rt.com/news/477323-lebanon-interpol-warrent-carlos-ghosn/

Pilots detained as Turkey opens probe on ex-Nissan chief Ghosn's Japan escape via Istanbul — reports
rt.com | 2020-01-02
Turkish authorities are determined to find out how former Nissan and Renault chief Carlos Ghosn managed to jump bail in Japan, where he is charged with embezzlement, and flee through Istanbul airport, Turkish media said. | Seven people, including four pilots, have been detained after the Interior Ministry launched a probe into the allegations that the fugitive ex-CEO had made it from Osaka to Beirut, Lebanon, passing through Istanbul, Turkish media said on Thursday. | A former chairman and CEO of Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, Ghosn is charged in Japan with embezzling the company's assets and lying to sha…
rt.com/news/477309-turkey-ghosn-flight-investigation/

Turkish parliament backs govt plan to send troops to Libya in emergency session
rt.com | 2020-01-02
The Turkish parliament has voted to approve a plan to send troops to support the UN-recognized government in Libya as it continues to fight forces loyal to a rival government in the eastern part of the country. | Lawmakers approved the motion, which grants a one-year mandate for the troop deployment, in an emergency session on Thursday. The motion passed by 325 votes to 184. | The plan was opposed by Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican Peoples' Party (CHP), which said sending troops could aggravate the situation and embroil Ankara in another conflict. | The CHP said Monday that it didn't want to see…
rt.com/news/477317-turkish-parliament-libya-troops/

Interpol Issues Arrest Warrant to Lebanon for Ex-Nissan Boss
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-02
Interpol issued an arrest warrant to Lebanon on Thursday for the former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, who recently escaped from Japan to Turkey. | RELATED: | Lebanon: Hundreds of Displaced Syrians Return Home | The Interpol red notice was given to the Lebanese authorities and has not been referred to the country's judiciary, Reuters reported on Thursday. | In similar cases in the past, Lebanon has seized the passports of the wanted citizens, but they do not detain them. | Ghosn, who was facin…
telesurenglish.net/news/Interpol-Issues-Arrest-Warrant-to-Lebanon-for-Ex-Nissan-Boss-20200102-0008.html

Imperial delusion: Turkey sending troops to Libya would be no solution to the chaos caused by the 2011 NATO intervention
rt.com | 2020-01-02
With an emergency convening of Turkey's parliament, the path has been cleared for Ankara to send troops to Libya — but such a move may be less about ending the bloody civil conflict there and more about Turkey's power ambitions. | The new year barely begun, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fast-tracked a motion to approve the potential deployment of Turkish troops, which passed handily in parliament on Thursday. | Erdogan's move follows a pattern of recent muscle-flexing and is an obvious play to force Ankara into a more influential position. This is a gamble that could backfire. | Ravaged by years of conf…
rt.com/news/477343-turkey-libya-erdogan-imperial-ambitions/

Foreign interference could 'complicate' Libya, Turkey's Erdogan is told… by Trump
rt.com | 2020-01-02
None other than US President Donald Trump has stood up against foreign intervention in Libya, warning his NATO ally Turkey that its planned military deployment could make the situation in the North African country worse. | During the phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, "President Trump pointed out that foreign interference is complicating the situation in Libya," the White House said in a statement. | No further details were given, but the call took place just after the Turkish legislature voted 325 to 184 to approve sending troops to the North African country, in order…
rt.com/news/477345-trump-erdogan-troops-libya/

Austrian coalition deal includes headscarf ban, preventive custody
yenisafak.com | 2020-01-02
A deal between Austria's conservatives and Greens to form a governing coalition includes banning headscarves in school until the age of 14 and preventive custody for potentially dangerous immigrants, several Austrian media reported on Thursday.The measures are part of what conservative leader Sebastian Kurz describes as his tough stance on illegal immigration and "political Islam", aimed at appealing to his base but also to disillusioned former supporters of the far right, whose coalition with his party collapsed in May.Kurz and Greens leader Werner Kogler said on Wednesday they have reached a deal that should ma…
yenisafak.com/en/world/austrian-coalition-deal-includes-headscarf-ban-preventive-custody-3508718

Hillary Clinton appointed chancellor of Queen's University Belfast
yenisafak.com | 2020-01-02
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was appointed chancellor of Queen's University Belfast on Thursday, taking up the mainly ceremonial role in Northern Ireland where the peace process was one of the greatest successes of her husband's presidency.The 2016 U.S. presidential candidate becomes the first female chancellor of the 175-year-old university.During her time as Secretary of State from 2009-2013, Clinton visited Belfast to support the fragile 1998 Good Friday peace accord, which Bill Clinton helped broker and which largely ended 30 years of violence between Catholic nationalists seeking union with…
yenisafak.com/en/world/hillary-clinton-appointed-chancellor-of-queens-university-belfast-3508725

Twenty challenges awaiting EU in 2020
yenisafak.com | 2020-01-02
European politics saw countless campaign promises in 2019. A new European Parliament was elected in May and a new European Commission entered into office in December.But despite alterations in the political landscape of EU institutions, divisions in key policy areas remained profound among the member states, and 2020 will test whether the EU can overcome these disagreements, unlock the stalled decision-making process and start delivering on long-awaited reforms. But the 2021-2027 multi-annual financial framework and ambitious European Green Deal could deepen those divisions.- MigrationReforming the EU's migration…
yenisafak.com/en/world/twenty-challenges-awaiting-eu-in-2020-3508722

Turkey to back Libya deployment bill but troops unlikely for now
yenisafak.com | 2020-01-02
Turkish lawmakers are set to back a bill on Thursday that allows troop deployment in Tripoli, but that is likely to begin with military support, training and drones in the air rather than boots on the ground.President Tayyip Erdogan, whose ruling party's alliance has a majority but faces opposition to the plan in parliament, said last week Turkey would deploy troops in Libya to support Fayez al-Serraj's internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).The GNA has requested Turkish support as it fights off an offensive by General Khalifa Haftar's forces in the country's east that is backed by Russia,…
yenisafak.com/en/world/turkey-to-back-libya-deployment-bill-but-troops-unlikely-for-now-3508730

Denmark sets new record sourcing 47% of power from wind in 2019
yenisafak.com | 2020-01-02
Denmark sourced close to half its electricity consumption from wind power last year, a new record for the Nordic country and an important step in realizing one of the world's most ambitious climate targets.Wind accounted for 47% of Denmark's power usage last year, up from 41% in 2018 and beating a previous record of 43% in 2017, the country's grid operator Energinet said on Thursday.
yenisafak.com/en/world/denmark-sets-new-record-sourcing-47-of-power-from-wind-in-2019-3508723

Turkish police arrest 8 Daesh terror suspects
yenisafak.com | 2020-01-02
Turkish police arrested eight suspects linked to the Daesh terror group, security sources said on Thursday.The arrests in the southeastern Siirt province came after warrants were issued for 10 suspects.Police is on the lookout for two suspects who remain at large.Turkey recognized Daesh/ISIS as a terrorist group in 2013.Since then, the country has been attacked by Daesh/ISIS terrorists numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings, and four armed attacks which killed 315 people and injured hundreds.In response, Turkey has launched military and police operations inside the country and abroad to pre…
yenisafak.com/en/world/turkish-police-arrest-8-daesh-terror-suspects-3508720

Turkey's Strategy of Multiple Priority in its war on terror: Analysis
yenisafak.com | 2020-01-02
– Turkey's comprehensive counter-terrorism operationsTurkey's internal and cross-border security policy throughout 2019 can be named "Multiple-Priority Strategy", whose primary purpose has been to control and eradicate the PKK's weapons and ammunitions in Turkey, Syria and Iraq with the "pro-active security principle". In line with this purpose, Turkey's security operations increased by 150 percent this year and the PKK was starved of its capacity for coordinating active terrorist attacks. According to Suleyman Soylu, the minister of Internal Affairs, Turkey conducted over 109 thousand operations against terroris…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkeys-strategy-of-multiple-priority-in-its-war-on-terror-analysis-3508731

Yellow Vests & brass necks
George Galloway | zcomm.org | 2020-01-02
How the brutality in France continues to be invisible…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/yellow-vests-brass-necks/

Libya Militias Divert EU Funds for Migrants, Exploit Them: Report
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-01
When the issue of migration began to agitate Europe in 2015 and 2016, the European Union (EU) decided the creation of a fund to send millions of euros to Libya through the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with the purpose of halting migration from Africa. | RELATED: | Arab League Rejects 'Foreign Interventions' in Libya | At the time, the initiative was accompanied by promises to fight human trafficking and r…
telesurenglish.net/news/Libya-Militias-Divert-EU-Funds-for-Migrants-Exploit-Them-Report-20200101-0012.html

Peace Bridge, Derry City, Ireland, December
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2020-01-01
By Niall àì Brolcháin — IMEMC News: The Derry branch of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) held their annual New Year's Eve vigil on Tuesday, December 31, 2019, on Derry's famous Peace Bridge to stand in solidarity with their Palestinian brothers and sisters in their fight for freedom, justice, and equality. …
imemc.org/article/peace-bridge-derry-city-ireland-december/

Austrian Conservatives and Greens Reach Coalition Deal
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-01
Austrian conservative leader Sebastian Kurz reached a coalition deal with the Greens Wednesday to ensure his return to power and bring the left-wing party into government for the first time, a Greens spokeswoman and a source close to the talks said. | RELATED: | Conservatives Win Austrian Election, Need Coalition Partner | The deal comes after Kurz's party won the parliamentary election on Sept. 29 with 37.5 percent of the votes resulting in 71 seats in the National Council (Lower…
telesurenglish.net/news/Austrian-Conservatives-and-Greens-Reach-Coalition-Deal-20200101-0006.html

Kurz set to return to power in historic coalition deal bringing Greens into Austrian government
rt.com | 2020-01-01
Austrian conservative leader Sebastian Kurz has finally made a deal with the Greens to form a governing coalition that will see Kurz return to power and the Greens join the national government for the first time. | Kurz and his Greens counterpart Werner Kogler announced on Wednesday that a deal had been done, both seeming quite proud that they had been able to keep "key campaign promises." | "When you present the program you will see that both work — greening the tax system, and reducing the tax burden," Kurz said, vowing to "do everything to serve the Austrians." | …
rt.com/news/477290-kurz-greens-coalition-government-austria/

Iran Opens Truck Production Plant After Germans Leave
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-01
Iran opened Wednesday a heavy-duty truck manufacturing plant that will employ 5,000 people at full production in Meshginshahr in northwest Iran, where the first phase for production of Chapar trucks began during a ceremony attended by President Hassan Rouhani. | RELATED: | Russia: Iran Deal on Brink of Collapse Because of Washington | The plant will manufacture 50 trucks a day at full production. Currently, it operates with 400 workers, but another 800 people will be employed late…
telesurenglish.net/news/iran-opens-truck-oroduction-plant-after-german-dealer-20200101-0018.html

Turkey May Not Send Troops to Libya Despite Tripoli's Plea
telesurenglish.net | 2020-01-01
Turkey may not send troops to Libya after all, as the Turkish Vice President stated on Wednesday that Ankara is willing to reconsider this move if the forces loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar halt their operation in Tripoli. | RELATED: | Arab League Rejects 'Foreign Interventions' in Libya | Speaking to the state-owned Anadolu Agency, Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said, "after the bill passed from the parliament…it might happen that we would see something different, a differe…
telesurenglish.net/news/Turkey-May-Not-Send-Troops-to-Libya-Despite-Tripolis-Plea-20200101-0005.html

France's Undocumented Migrants Are Fighting for Their Rights
Harrison Stetler | thenation.com | 2019-12-31
France's Undocumented Migrants Are Fighting for Their Rights…
thenation.com/article/france-migrants-macron-refugees/

France's Undocumented Migrants Are Fighting for Their Rights
Harrison Stetler | thenation.com | 2019-12-31
France's Undocumented Migrants Are Fighting for Their Rights…
thenation.com/article/france-migrants-macron-refugees/

Headlines for December 31, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-31
Protests Rage Outside U.S. Embassy in Iraq After U.S. Airstrikes Kill 24, Hate Crime Charges Filed Against Suspect in Hanukkah Stabbing in NY, Texas Church Shooter Had Long Criminal History, NYT: Top Officials Failed to Convince Trump to Release Withheld Ukraine Aid, Death Toll from Crackdown on Protests in India Rises to 27, Five Kashmiri Political Leaders Released from Detention, Sudanese Court Sentences 29 to Death for Killing Teacher in Anti-Protest Crackdown, Thousands Flee to the Ocean to Escape Australia Wildfires, Former Nissan Head Flees Japan to Lebanon to Escape Trial on Financial Crimes, New York Sett…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/31/headlines

Headlines for December 31, 2019
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-31
Protests Rage Outside U.S. Embassy in Iraq After U.S. Airstrikes Kill 24, Hate Crime Charges Filed Against Suspect in Hanukkah Stabbing in NY, Texas Church Shooter Had Long Criminal History, NYT: Top Officials Failed to Convince Trump to Release Withheld Ukraine Aid, Death Toll from Crackdown on Protests in India Rises to 27, Five Kashmiri Political Leaders Released from Detention, Sudanese Court Sentences 29 to Death for Killing Teacher in Anti-Protest Crackdown, Thousands Flee to the Ocean to Escape Australia Wildfires, Former Nissan Head Flees Japan to Lebanon to Escape Trial on Financial Crimes, New York Sett…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/31/headlines

Portway handling workers in Portugal set to continue strike
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-31
Portway handling workers in various Portuguese airports have decided to continue their protest demanding that the Vinci Group — owner of the Portway Handling de Portugal, SA — comply with the agreement signed in 2016 to 'unfreeze' careers from last November. Workers of the Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Funchal airports, under the leadership of the National Union of Civil Aviation Workers (SINTAC), embarked on a three-day strike from December 27. Overtime and weekend workers will go on strike from January 1 to the end of March 2020. | SINTAC has alleged that Portway Handling de Portugal "has begun to cut socia…
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/31/portway-handling-workers-in-portugal-set-to-continue-strike/

How Nationalism is Transforming the Politics of the British Isles
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-31
National identities and the relationship between England, Scotland and Ireland are changing more radically than at any time over the last century. It is worth looking at the British archipelago as a whole on this issue because of the closely-meshed political relationship of its constituent nations.
counterpunch.org/2019/12/31/how-nationalism-is-transforming-the-politics-of-the-british-isles/

The impeachment crisis and US war plans against Russia
wsws.org | 2019-12-31
The ferocity with which the entire US national security apparatus responded to a temporary delay in sending anti-tank missiles and radar to Ukraine raises the question: Is there a timetable for using these weapons in combat against Russia?
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/31/pers-d31.html

Fires create hellish conditions across Australia
wsws.org | 2019-12-31
An unprecedented mass evacuation order for an area half the size of Belgium gave tens of thousands of residents and holidaymakers just hours to pack up and leave.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/31/fire-d31.html

20 Years of Vladimir Putin: His Top Domestic and Foreign Policy Successes
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
Vladimir Putin assumed office as Russia's Acting President 20 years ago on 31 December, 1999, after which he speedily proceeded to transform both his country and the rest of the world in the two decades since. | President Putin became his | …
globalresearch.ca/20-years-putin-top-domestic-foreign-policy-successes/5699206

France's Macron: I Want Solid Ties With Post-Brexit Britain
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that he wanted a strong relationship with post-Brexit Britain. | RELATED: | France Transport Strikes Among Longest In Country's History | During his traditional end-of-year televised address to the nation, Macron said: "The UK's exit from the European Union is a test for our country. I will strive to maintain…
telesurenglish.net/news/france-macron-i-want-solid-ties-with-post-brexit-britain-20191231-0017.html