(2020-01-03). 'A More Dangerous World': Iran Killing Triggers Global Alarm. truthdig.com 
PARIS — Global powers warned Friday that the world became a more dangerous place after the U.S. assassinated Iran's top general, urging restraint on all sides. Britain and Germany also suggested that Iran shared some blame for provoking the targeted killing that dramatically ratcheted up tensions in the Mideast. | China, Russia and France, all permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, took a dim view of the U.S. airstrike near Baghdad's airport early Friday that killed Ge…
(2020-01-03). Greece, Israel & Cyprus ink EastMed gas pipeline deal amid Turkish outcry. rt.com 
Cyprus, Greece and Israel have signed a deal to construct a natural gas pipeline between the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe, drawing Turkey's ire as it pursues a foothold in the energy-rich region. | The agreement, signed on Thursday, kicks off plans for a 1,900km (1,180 mile) pipeline expected to carry some 10 billion cubic meters of gas into Europe yearly, set to be completed by 2025, after the parties to the deal agree on a final investment plan. | The Turkish Foreign Ministry wasted little time in protesting against the agreement, issuing a harsh statement predicting doom for the $7 billion venture soon…
(2020-01-03). Protests mount as Bolivia coup regime expels Mexican, Spanish diplomats. peoplesworld.org 
Over the past several days, the coup regime in Bolivia has escalated its campaign against diplomats from Mexico and Spain over their assistance to overthrown President Evo Morales. Flouting international agreements covering diplomatic relations, the Bolivian government has gone from harassing embassy personnel to outright expulsion. Coup "president" Jeanine àÅñez on Dec. 30 ordered Mexican …
(2020-01-03). Catalan president barred from holding office by Spain's electoral board. rt.com 
The head of Catalonia's regional government Quim Torra has been barred from office by Spain's Central Electoral Board (JEC). The official was earlier found guilty of disobedience after he failed to remove pro-independence signs. | The decision to dismiss Torra from the office was made by the JEC on Friday, with the board annulling an earlier ruling by a local Catalan electoral body, which had said Torra could remain in power until he exhausts all appeal options. | The Catalan leader was found guilty of disobedience by a Spanish court on December 19, was fined the hefty sum of €33,000 and banned from holdi…
(2020-01-03). Passenger who covered pregnant woman in falling Kazakh plane gets award as terrifying VIDEO of crash-landing emerges. rt.com 
Kazakh police has awarded a passenger of the Bek Air jet that crashed in December, after he covered a pregnant woman with his body to protect her during the horrific incident shown on a CCTV footage recently leaked to the net.
(2020-01-03). Passenger who covered pregnant woman in falling Kazakh plane gets award as VIDEO of crash-landing emerges. rt.com Kazakh police has awarded a passenger of the Bek Air jet that crashed in December, after he covered a pregnant woman with his body to protect her during the horrific incident shown on a CCTV footage recently leaked to the net.
(2020-01-03). Russian pranksters strike again: Fake Greta Thunberg convinces eager US politician that she has dirt on Trump. rt.com 
US Congresswoman Maxine Waters has allegedly fallen for a prank call in which she thought activist Greta Thunberg was offering her a tape of Donald Trump confessing to pressuring Ukraine into investigating his political rivals. | YouTube pranksters Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexey Stolyarov, who go by the names Vovan and Lexus, are claiming they tricked Waters (Dem-Calif.) into thinking she was speaking to teen climate change activist Greta Thunberg. | Vovan and Lexus made names for themselves by previously pranking Congressman Adam Schiff (Dem-Calif.) into thinking there were nude photos of US President Donald T…
(2020-01-03). Nord Stream 2: US Sanctions. dissidentvoice.org 
Does Mr. Trump really not grasp that his sanctions left and right — and now on the Russian-German gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 — is committing economic suicide, not for himself, of course, but for the United States? He attempts to punish not only Russia, but all the corporations, construction companies, Russian, German and from …
(2020-01-03). Soleimani assassination by US 'an adventurous move' that will flare up tensions in Middle East — Moscow. rt.com 
The US airstrike that killed a senior Iranian commander near Baghdad will exacerbate tensions throughout the Middle East, the Russian foreign ministry has warned. | Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Force, was killed in a US operation at Baghdad International Airport on Friday morning. Moscow considers the operation "an adventurous move that will lead to an escalation of tension throughout the region," the ministry said. | "Soleimani served devotedly the cause of defending the national interests of Iran. We express our sincere condolences to the Iranian people," the short statement said. | Also on…
(2020-01-03). Big Oil's wishlist: The hottest oil auctions in 2020. rt.com 
2020 could see a number of high-profile oil auctions, and where 2019 was a mixed bag in terms of asset assets, this year is shaping up to be more promising. | As the new year promises to ring in what most suspect will be lackluster oil demand and moderate oil prices despite OPEC's beefier production cuts, oil auctions for the upcoming year may seem a bit less exciting than they were at $100 oil, but that all depends on your medium-to-long-term outlook. | Also on rt.com | | Russia & OPEC agree on new oil production cuts to prop up global crude prices | Sev…
(2020-01-03). 'Undeniable role in defeating ISIS': Russian MOD says Iran's Soleimani organized anti-terrorist fight 'long before US was there'. rt.com 
Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a US airstrike, had played a vital role in fighting terrorists in Syria and Iraq, the Russian Defense Ministry said, adding that his death would harm international security. | The ministry slammed the assassination of the Iranian general, carried out on orders from Washington, calling it a "short-sighted" move that would lead to a "rapid escalation" of tensions in the Middle East. It also described Soleimani as a talented and experienced commander, who enjoyed "well-earned authority" throughout the Middle East. | It was under Soleimani's direct command that…
(2020-01-03). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Transport workers in France are continuing a strike against labour reforms while airport staff in Germany and Portugal launched strikes.
(2020-01-03). Wider war over Libya looms as France, Egypt denounce Turkish intervention. wsws.org Less than a decade after the 2011 NATO intervention in Libya, the resulting civil war in that country threatens to escalate into an all-out regional conflict involving the major powers.
(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.
(2020-01-03). Brussels Court Suspends Extradition of Catalan Leader Puigdemont. telesurenglish.net A Brussels court has suspended the extradition of former Catalan pro-independence leader Carles Puigdemont, his lawyer said on Thursday. | RELATED: | EU Parliament President Lifts Ban on Top Catalan Politicians | Puigdemont cheered the suspension on Twitter and called on Spain to free Junqueras from prison. | "Spain must act in the same way as Belgium has done and respect the law," he said in a tweet. | Paul Beckaert told Reuters that the Belgian judge in charge of the case…
(2020-01-03). The Dangers of Privatized Intelligence. counterpunch.org In a scathing piece about Russiagate, former CIA analyst Ray McGovern recently recalled a statement made in 1981 by then-CIA Director William Casey during the first meeting of President Ronald Reagan's Cabinet. Casey told this gathering, "We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." [1] It's a shocking More
(2020-01-03). Headlines for January 3, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Assassinates Powerful Iranian General Qassem Soleimani at Baghdad Airport, New Emails Show Trump Directly Ordered Hold on Ukraine Aid, Julián Castro Drops Out of Presidential Race, Sanders Campaign Raised $34.5 Million in Third Quarter, Australia Braces for "Blast Furnace" as Heat & Winds Fuel Wildfires, Amazon Threatens to Fire Workers over Environmental Activism…
(2020-01-03). The Real Reason Trump Assassinated Qassem Soleimani. truthdig.com Ann Arbor — The madman in the White House has been sulking and raging for weeks about his impeachment proceedings, tweeting manically on some days more than 100 times. With the release by JustSecurity.org of unredacted emails on the Ukraine scandal showing that Trump personally (and illegally) withheld congressionally mandated military aid to an ally, the Republican defense of the president is collapsing. Some GOP senators such as Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski seem to be weak…
(2020-01-03). Europe Is Telling Gay Asylum Seekers They Are Not Gay Enough. thenation.com Europe Is Telling Gay Asylum Seekers They Are Not Gay Enough…
(2020-01-03). Turkey Transfers Ottoman Archives to the Palestinian Authority to Counter Israel's Land Claims. globalresearch.ca Turkey has given a copy of Ottoman-era archived documents to the Palestinian Authority (PA) to help Palestinians legally counter the Israeli occupation's land claims, according to Hebrew news sources. | The archives include tens of thousands of land registries from the …
(2020-01-03). Eight migrants die after boat sinks off western Turkey. yenisafak.com Eight people, including three women, died after a boat carrying 15 migrants sank off the coast of western Turkey, the interior ministry said on Friday.The boat sank on Thursday off the coast of Fethiye district in Mugla province, it said, adding that the others were missing and a search was underway.Coast guard boats, a helicopter and plane were used during the search and rescue operation as well as a diving unit, the ministry said.In 2015 Turkey became one of the main launch points for over a million migrants taking the sea route to European Union territory, many fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East a…
(2020-01-03). Turkey's defense outlook for 2020s very promising. yenisafak.com There was never a dull moment for Ankara in its military affairs agenda in the year 2019. After all, Operation Peace Spring marked the first time that the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) operated against the PKK terrorist offshoots in the east of the Euphrates in the northern plains of Syria. The S-400 procurement was, by far, the most sensational news in global weapons market. Turkey even combat-launched its indigenous ballistic missile, the Bora, during Operation Claw in northern Iraq. However, none of these developments offer the insightful hints about the Turkish administration's defense vision for the 2020s as th…
(2020-01-03). France opens rape probe after book accuses famed author of child abuse. yenisafak.com The French public prosecutor's office said on Friday it was opening a probe into allegations of rape of a child after a woman published a book saying that she had been sexually abused by a prominent author when she was 14.Vanessa Springora, 47, head of the Julliard publishing house, made the allegation in her book Le Consentement (Consent), which was published on Jan. 2.
(2020-01-03). EastMed gas pipeline 'political project': Expert. yenisafak.com The EastMed natural gas pipeline is a political project, it is not viable and very expensive, said an academic, expert on energy diplomacy.Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades inked an agreement on Thursday over the EastMed pipeline project.The project is a 1,900-km (1,180-mile) natural gas pipeline project that extends through the Mediterranean Sea from Israel to the Greek island of Crete, Greece's mainland and then to Italy.The natural gas from the area should be transported to the European market through a pipeline from…
(2020-01-03). North Macedonia's prime minister resigns. yenisafak.com North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev announced his resignation on Friday morning.The country is receiving a technical, the so-called "caretaker", government on Saturday, whose term will last until April 12, when early parliamentary elections are set to be held.The caretaker government, as required by law, is formed 100 days before the election, and because of this deadline, Zaev had announced at the end of October that he would resign on January 3, 2020.Zaev's resignation should be accepted at the assembly for the process to start."I expect a procedure to start in the day and a technical government to be e…
(2020-01-03). Russia condoles with Iran over Soleimani's killing. yenisafak.com Russia offered condolences to Iran on Friday over the killing of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the elite Quds Force.The U.S. confirmed Thursday that it carried out a strike that killed Soleimani in Iraq."We consider the murder of Soleimani as a result of an American missile strike on the outskirts of Baghdad as an adventurous step that will lead to an increase in tension in the entire region. Soleimani has faithfully served the cause of protecting the national interests of Iran. We express our sincere condolences to the Iranian people," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.Iran's leadership vowed to…
(2020-01-03). Turkey says it has repatriated 150 foreign fighters since Nov 11. yenisafak.com Turkish authorities have repatriated 150 foreign fighters detained over links to militant groups since Ankara launched a programme to send back the detainees on Nov. 11, Interior Ministry spokesman Ismail Catakli said on Friday.Turkey, which is holding hundreds of Islamic State suspects, begun the process of repatriating the detainees despite calls from some European nations that the suspects should be tried where they committed crimes.
(2020-01-03). 'Fighting inflation to be Turkey's top agenda in 2020'. yenisafak.com Turkey will stabilize the inflation rate at single digits by improving competition in goods and services markets and enhancing production, the country's treasury and finance minister said Friday."Fight against inflation will be our top agenda in 2020," Berat Albayrak said on Twitter, underlining the year-end inflation rate was below the government's target.Albayrak's comments came after the Turkish Statistical Institute announced that the country's inflation rate last month was 11.84%.Turkey's inflation rate is expected to hit 12% this year as laid out in the new economic program for 2020-2022 announced by the go…
(2020-01-03). Over 80 kg of heroin seized in Turkey. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces seized 86.4 kg (190 lbs) of drugs during nationwide operations, authorities said.Anti-narcotics police units conducted an operation against illicit drug smuggling in the eastern Van province, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.One suspect was arrested for drug smuggling.In another operation in the southeastern Gaziantep province, police seized a small stock of drugs and arms, arresting 24 suspects for drug smuggling.
(2020-01-03). Across the Balkans: Serbia and Its Discontents. counterpunch.org 
An account of a journey from Croatia to Kosovo, by way of Bosnia-Hercegovina and Serbia, and with a detour into Montenegro. This is part VII of a series. Except for the cigarette smoke in my Serbian riverside restaurant—it will do in more Serbs than the Hague—I was happy to linger, as the view from the More
(2020-01-03). The Syrian Conflict is Awash with Propaganda, Chemical Warfare Bodies Should not be Caught Up in It. counterpunch.org 
In the very early spring of this year, I gave a lecture to European military personnel interested in the Middle East. It was scarcely a year since Bashar al-Assad's alleged use of chlorine gas against the civilian inhabitants of the Damascus suburb of Douma on 7 April 2018, in which 43 people were said to have been killed. Few More
(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…
(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 there 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…
(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…
(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…
(2020-01-02). Italian organizations demand release of veteran communist Nicoletta Dosio. peoplesdispatch.org The progressive sectors of Italian society have expressed shock and outrage at the arrest and imprisonment of 73- old-year veteran communist and activist Nicoletta Dosio. She was arrested and imprisoned in Turin on December 30 in relation to a 2012 protest against the Turin—Lyon high-speed railway organized by the No TAV campaign. | Various events have been organized across Italy, including in Rome, Pisa, Milan, Bologna and Florence, in solidarity with Nicoletta Dosio and calling for her immediate release. | On January 1, she wrote from prison, "I'm fine. I am happy with the choice I made because it is the…
(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. …
(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…
(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…
(2020-01-02). Russiagate Investigation Now Endangers Obama. dissidentvoice.org Former U.S. President Barack Obama is now in severe legal jeopardy, because the Russiagate investigation has turned 180 degrees; and he, instead of the current President, Donald Trump, is in its cross-hairs. The biggest crime that a U.S. President can commit is to try to defeat American democracy (the Constitutional functioning of the U.S. Government) …
(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…
(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…
(2020-01-02). German Rail Company Cuts Long-Distance Fares by 10% in Response to Government Climate Package. commondreams.org In response to a tax cut included in the German government's climate package, state-owned railway company Deutsche Bahn kicked off 2020 with a 10% decrease for long-distance train fares—a move which has drawn comparisons to the United Kingdom, where millions of commuters are now grappling with a 2.7% price increase. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11896548011.jpg …
(2020-01-02). Yellow Vests & brass necks. zcomm.org How the brutality in France continues to be invisible…
(2019-12-31). France's Undocumented Migrants Are Fighting for Their Rights. thenation.com France's Undocumented Migrants Are Fighting for Their Rights…
(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…
(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?
(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.
(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
(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…