(2020-01-30). Growing Up Panther: An Interview With K'sisay Sadiki. counterpunch.org 
K'Sisay Sadiki has lived her life in two worlds. She's attended prestigious dance and film schools, holds down a steady job, pays taxes. And, as the child of Black Panthers, she's lived underground, raised by people dedicated to overturning white supremacy. Her father, Kamau, also has a daughter — K'Sisay's sister — by Assata Shakur, who famously escaped from prison in 1979 and now lives in Cuba as a "dangerous fugitive," hunted by the US government. Kamau is in a Georgia prison, serving a life-plus-ten-years sentence for the 1971 fatal shooting of a police officer — a cold case, resurrected in…
(2020-01-30). Athens & Ankara issue scathing condemnations after neo-Nazi Greek MEP tears up Turkish flag. rt.com 
A Greek neo-Nazi lawmaker who tore up a Turkish flag during a debate in the European Parliament has faced condemnation from both Athens and Ankara, in a rare show of solidarity between the two bitter rivals. | While Greece and Turkey squabble over maritime and security agreements with Libya, the decades-old rivals were able to find common ground in their mutual disapproval of independent MEP Yannis Lagos. The far-right firebrand, who leads an offshoot of the infamous neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, tore up a paper Turkish flag and blamed Ankara for Europe's migrant crisis while addressing the European Parliament o…
(2020-01-30). Greece plans to install 'floating fence' to keep migrants out. rt.com 
The Greek government wants to install a floating barrier in the Aegean Sea to deter migrants arriving at its islands' shores through Turkey, officials said on Thursday. | The 2.7km long (1.68 miles) net-like barrier that Greece wants to buy will be set up in the sea off the island of Lesbos, where the overcrowded Moria camp operates, Reuters reports. | It will rise 50cm above sea level and carry light marks that will make it visible at night, according to a government document inviting vendors to submit offers. "We will see what the result, what its effect as a deterrent will be in practice," Defense Minister…
(2020-01-30). Israeli woman convicted of drug trafficking but pardoned by Putin walks free from Russian prison. rt.com 
Originally facing over seven years behind bars for the illegal possession of drugs, Naama Issachar is going home after President Vladimir Putin pardoned her ahead of a visit by the Israeli premier. | Issachar was officially released from a Russian prison earlier on Thursday, Russia's Federal Prison Service (FSIN) confirmed. The woman is returning to Israel on the plane of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was on a brief visit to Moscow, her lawyer said. | Netanyahu and his wife personally greeted the released woman and her mother before escorting them to the plane. | ‚ù§Ô&p…
(2020-01-30). Boris Mints: Russia seeks arrest of London-based billionaire fugitive wanted for embezzlement. rt.com 
Russian investigators have issued an arrest warrant for businessman Boris Mints, accused of multi-million dollar embezzlement. He has now been placed on the international wanted list. | Mints, together with his sons Alexander and Dmitry, is charged with the theft of $473 million (‚ÇΩ30 billion rubles), as reported by the Moscow business daily Vedomosti, citing Alexander's lawyer Fedor Kupriyanov. Their extradition is also sought. Dmitry's lawyer Elena Kupriyanova says the defendants consider themselves "not guilty." Successful convictions could lead to prison sentences of up to ten years.
(2020-01-30). Russia's Ministry of Health names three drugs that can treat new Chinese coronavirus. rt.com 
While experts across the world search for a vaccine to tackle the dangerous new infection, Russian health bosses have identified a trio of existing medicines to combat 2019-nCoV in adults. | The new coronavirus can be fought with ribavirin, lopinavir/ritonavir and interferon beta-1b, they believe. These drugs are typically used to treat hepatitis C, HIV and multiple sclerosis respectively. | The Ministry of Health advisory not only offers recommendations, but also describes how the treatments work and in what quantities they should be prescribed. The guidelines are intended for doctors in hospitals throughout…
(2020-01-30). Russia closes its Far East border with China in attempt to prevent spread of new coronavirus. rt.com 
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has signed an order to close the country's border with China in the Far East, Russia's largest and most remote region. | It follows instructions from Vladimir Putin on Wednesday for officials to do all they can to prevent the spread of the dangerous new Chinese coronavirus. | Also on rt.com | | In addition, Mishushtin instructed Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova to provide the public with daily updates about the status…
(2020-01-30). What's behind Israeli PM's unscheduled stopover in Moscow. rt.com 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Russia after unveiling a peace proposal alongside US President Donald Trump in Washington. The 'deal of the century' was met with skepticism and outrage around the world. | The caretaker prime minister was in Washington, DC on Tuesday alongside his chief rival, retired General Benny Gantz, as Trump unveiled his controversial "Vision" that included a two-state solution, Israeli control of Jerusalem and no right of return for Palestinians. | Netanyahu's office said he would return from Washington to Tel Aviv via Moscow, something that was previously not included…
(2020-01-30). Russian military transports wounded RT correspondent Shabrouney from Hama to Hmeimim airbase. rt.com 
RT Arabic correspondent Wafa Shabrouney, who was seriously injured while on assignment in northwestern Syria, has been transported by the Russian military from Hama National Hospital to the Hmeimim airbase. | On orders from Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, military doctors working with Russian forces in Syria earlier immediately arrived at the city hospital in Hama, where On Wednesday evening, a Russian transport helicopter with a special medical module for transporting the wounded…
(2020-01-30). 'It was the first time that a man touched me': French 10-time skating champ Sarah Abitbol claims she was raped by former coach. rt.com 
Renowned French pairs skater Sarah Abitbol, who won multiple international awards together with her partner Stephane Bernadis, has claimed she was raped by a former coach. | In an interview with the newspaper L'Obs, Abitbol, the 2000 world bronze medalist, accused her former coach Gilles Beyer of systematic sexual assault and rape between 1990 and 1992, when she was between the ages of 15 and 17. | "He started doing horrible things… sexual abuse and I was raped when I was 15. It was the first time that a man touched me," the 44-year-old said. | The seven-time European medalist said that neither her parents n…
(2020-01-30). EU foreign policy chief calls on Serbia & Kosovo to resume dialogue. rt.com 
The European Union's top diplomat on Thursday called on Serbia and Kosovo to resume dialogue, saying it's the only way to achieve a final agreement. The talks between them broke down in November 2018, when Kosovo imposed a 100 percent tax on Serbian goods over "Belgrade's refusal" to recognize Kosovo's independence. | EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was on a two-day trip to Kosovo before traveling Friday to Serbia. "My objective is to accompany, facilitate the negotiations," Borrell said after meeting with Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci. | Last week, senior US officials brokered two deals to resume air…
(2020-01-30). Fix is in, Trump team makes radical shift in his defense. peoplesworld.org 
Ditching months of claims by President Trump that his dealings with Ukraine were "perfect," Trump's TV lawyers and GOP lawmakers are now asserting that a quid-pro-quo of aid for political favors — even if proven beyond a shadow of a doubt — is not grounds for impeachment. They have taken the logic offered them Monday …
(2020-01-30). Ex-Solicitor General: Alan Dershowitz Is Wrong. Trump Is Not Above the Law & Should Be Impeached. democracynow.org 
President Trump's legal team offered an extraordinary new defense during Trump's impeachment trial on Wednesday. Attorney Alan Dershowitz said that a sitting president could take any action to boost his re-election chances if he felt his re-election was in the public interest. "If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment," Dershowitz said. Trump was impeached by the House last month for freezing military aid to Ukraine in an effort to pressure Ukraine to open an investigation of Trump's politi…
(2020-01-30). Dali artwork worth $520,000 stolen from Stockholm gallery in smash-and-grab heist. rt.com 
Sculptures and etchings by the surrealist artist Salvador Dali have been stolen from an art gallery in Stockholm, Sweden, in what police say was a brazen smash-and-grab heist. | Exhibition halls of the Couleur Art Gallery in Ostermalm were Located in the capital's upmarket district, the gallery had around 10 etchings and sculptures by the Spanish artist on display, al…
(2020-01-30). Syrian Forces Advance Inside Idlib and Aleppo Provinces. telesurenglish.net The Syrian military began a wide-scale operation inside the Idlib and Aleppo provinces this week amid collapsed peace talks between the government and opposition. | READ ALSO: | The Syrian forces, backed by Russian air power, have seized a large portion of the Idlib province after capturing the large city of Maarat Al-Numan and several towns and villages nearby. | In addition to Maarat Al-Numan, the Syrian military is also closing in on the ne…
(2020-01-30). Protests continue as French unions negotiate pension cuts with Macron. wsws.org The principal feature of these protests is the class gulf separating the workers, who oppose Macron's cuts, from France's treacherous trade union bureaucracy.
(2020-01-30). Dershowitz Is Wrong — Abuse of Power Is Grounds for Impeachment. zcomm.org Alan Dershowitz, the Harvard emeritus law professor who is serving as a hired gun for Team Trump, is arguing that even if John Bolton testifies that Trump admitted the quid pro quo with Ukraine to him, the Senate could not remove the president from office…
(2020-01-30). Alan Dershowitz Is Insulting Everybody's Intelligence. truthdig.com This article originally appeared on Alan Dershowitz, the Harvard emeritus law professor who is serving as a hired gun for Team Trump, is arguing that even if John Bolton testifies that Trump admitted the quid pro quo with Ukraine to him, the Senate could not remove the president from office. Dershowitz has gone so far as to say that even if Trump told Bolton he was withholding the congressionally authorized military aid to Ukraine until it helped him with an investigation of the Bidens, that is s…
(2020-01-30). Russian Delegation Reminds US that Occupied Golan Heights Is Syrian Territory. globalresearch.ca Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, mentioned to the authors of the "Deal of the Century" that the occupied Golan Heights is Syrian territory. | "Yesterday, Washington's vision of a settlement in the Middle East was …
(2020-01-30). JCPOA Nuclear Agreement Collapsing Due to Western Bad Faith. globalresearch.ca In spite of the Russian Foreign Ministry's best efforts, the JCPOA may very well be in the process of collapsing. On January 14th, British, French and German officials decided to trigger the agreement's Dispute Resolution Mechanism in relation to alleged …
(2020-01-30). Impeachment and the Imperial Presidency. globalresearch.ca Donald J. Trump is the third president in American history to face an impeachment trial in the United States Senate. He stands accused by Democratic members in the House of Representatives of abusing power and obstructing Congress. | In reality, Trump …
(2020-01-30). Two civilians killed, 4 injured in bomb attack in northern Syria. yenisafak.com At least two civilians were killed and four others injured Thursday in a bomb attack in northern Syria, an Anadolu Agency correspondent on the ground reported.According to initial reports, a bomb-laden truck targeted the northern Tel Abyad district.The bomb detonated in the customs area.Tel Abyad was cleared of terrorists in October by Turkey's anti-terror Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, launched to eliminate YPG/PKK terrorists from east of the Euphrates River to secure Turkey's borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria's territorial integrity.Since then, Turkey reached agreem…
(2020-01-30). Pompeo says Huawei is a risk but US will resolve differences with UK. yenisafak.com The United Kingdom has taken a risk by refusing to exclude China's Huawei from 5G networks but the United States will work with London to resolve their differences, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday."When you allow the information of your citizens or the national security information of your citizens to transit a network that the Chinese Communist Party has a legal mandate to obtain it creates risk," Pompeo told reporters."I am very confident that our two nations will find a way to work together to resolve this difference," Pompeo said, adding that the Five-Eyes intelligence alliance would rema…
(2020-01-30). Turkish NBA player Cedi Osman says 'I wanted to help somehow'. yenisafak.com Turkish NBA player Cedi Osman said that his campaign raising tens of thousands of dollars to aid quake-hit eastern Turkey was a spontaneous gesture coming from concern for his countrymen."l wanted to react quickly after l saw the impact of the devastating earthquake on people in Elazig and Malatya," he told Anadolu Agency after a Tuesday night game between his Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans.A 6.8 magnitude quake shook Turkey's eastern Elazig province on Friday, killing at least 41 people and injuring over 1,500."l couldn't go to Turkey, but l wanted to help somehow. It wasn't actually a campaign. l…
(2020-01-30). US envoy: 700,000 Syrians fleeing to Turkey will cause international crisis. yenisafak.com Two hundred air strikes by Syrian government and Russian warplanes have hit Syria's Idlib region in the last three days, the U.S. special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey said on Thursday.Jeffrey told a press briefing that some 700,000 displaced people in northwest Syria were "on the move towards the Turkish border, which would then create an international crisis."
(2020-01-30). Greek lawmaker rips apart Turkish flag in EU Parliament. yenisafak.com A Greek MEP ripped apart a Turkish flag on the floor of the European Parliament late Wednesday.The action took place during debate over the large number of refugees on Greek islands, with Greek lawmaker Ionannis Lagos blaming Turkey for the situation before tearing apart a Turkish flag.In the session, EU lawmakers were debating the humanitarian situation on the Greek islands, when Lagos said most Greeks are against illegal migration.Lagos then accused the European Union of ignoring the rights of Greeks."What situation are we talking about right now… people are killing, stealing… [but] all we are talking about…
(2020-01-30). Turkey's Mediterranean shakes with 5.5 earthquake. yenisafak.com An earthquake with a 5.5 magnitude shook Turkey's Mediterranean region on Thursday, according to the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).
(2020-01-30). Turkey's banking sector posts $8.4B net profit in 2019. yenisafak.com The banking sector's net profit was down 7% last year, compared with 53.52 billion Turkish liras ($10.16 billion) in 2018, according to the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA).Total assets of the sector surged 16.2% year-on-year to 4.49 trillion liras ($758.1 billion) as of end-2019.Loans, the biggest sub-category of assets, amounted to 2.66 trillion liras ($448.5 billion), a rise of 11% on an annual basis.Deposits held at lenders in Turkey
(2020-01-30). Europe's economic sentiment up in January. yenisafak.com Economic sentiment improved in the eurozone and the EU28 in the first month of 2020, versus last December, the European Commission announced on Thursday.In January, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) rose 1.9 points to reach 101.3 in EU28 and enhanced 1.5 points to reach 102.9 in the eurozone, according to a press release issued by the commission.The increase in the euro area stemmed from significant rises in confidence in the industry and construction sectors, while it dropped among retail traders and remained unchanged in services sector.Amongst the largest euro-area economies, the ESI soared in Germany by…
(2020-01-30). Russian plane makes emergency landing after passenger bomb threat. yenisafak.com Russian airline S7 said on Thursday one of its planes had been forced to make an emergency landing at Moscow's Domodedovo airport after a passenger stood in the aisle and said she had an explosive device.S7 said the plane had landed safely, away from other aircraft, and emergency services and airport security staff had rushed to meet it. It did not immediately provide any further information.
(2020-01-30). Air France cabin crews demand halt to China flights: sources. yenisafak.com Cabin crew unions at Air France have demanded that the carrier stop flying to China, staff representatives told Reuters, amid concern that the flights may expose employees to the coronavirus and help spread infections.The main Air France flight attendants' unions asked managers at a meeting on Wednesday to end the flights, according to officials at UNAC and SNPNC, two of the four biggest groupings.Asked to comment on the situation, a spokesman for Air France-KLM said: "Air France is monitoring the rapidly evolving situation in real time. The health and safety of its crew remain the absolute priority."While Europe…
(2020-01-30). Europe's spoiled, racist children must know their place: Turkish FM blasts Greek MP for tearing flag. yenisafak.com Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlàºt àáavu≈üoƒülu on Thursday fired back at a member of Greece's far-right Golden Dawn Party for tearing a Turkish flag in Brussels, calling him a "clown.""These racist minds know better than anybody how we crash and kick out to the sea those who dare attack our glorious flag. Europe's spoiled and racist children should know their place," àáavu≈üoƒülu said on Twitter.He also called on Europe to put an end to racism and animosity against Islam."Nobody should doubt that our flag will continue to wave proudly forever! Expecting…
(2020-01-30). Thousands kept on board Italian liner amid coronavirus scare. yenisafak.com Some 6,000 people are being kept on board an Italian cruise ship as tests are carried out on two Chinese passengers suspected of having caught coronavirus, a spokesman for the Costa Crociere cruise company said on Thursday.The couple arrived in Italy on Jan. 25 and boarded the ship, the Costa Smeralda, in the port of Savona that same day. They subsequently came down with a fever and are suffering breathing difficulties.The liner has visited Marseilles in France, and the Spanish ports of Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca this week before docking on Thursday at Civitavecchia, north of Rome.No one was being allowed of…
(2020-01-30). Malta court condemns minister for clearing journalist memorial. yenisafak.com Malta's constitutional court ruled on Thursday that former justice minister Owen Bonnici had violated freedom of expression when he repeatedly ordered government workers to clean away a makeshift memorial to murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.The memorial, which included photos, candles and flowers, was set up opposite the law courts at the foot of a monument that marked Malta's victory over invading Ottoman Turks in 1565.Anti-corruption journalist Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb in October 2017 and the small memorial to her sprung up almost immediately beneath the city-centre monument.Blogger Ma…
(2020-01-30). Moscow Warns 'Virus' of Historical Revisionism About WWII Could Lead to Fatal Consequences. sputniknews.com Earlier this week, during a trip to Poland, Ukrainian President Voloydymr Zelensky accused the USSR of engaging in "criminal collusion" with Nazi Germany, and claimed that the two powers' cooperation "led to the Start of World War II and allowed the Nazis to launch" their "lethal Holocaust machine."
(2020-01-30). Russia Emergency Group Denies Reports Alleging First Person Contracted Wuhan Coronavirus in Moscow. sputniknews.com Russian netizens earlier in the day spread controversial rumors claiming that a person who had allegedly contracted the new Wuhan coronavirus – dubbed 2019-nCoV – was urgently hospitalized in a Moscow clinic.
(2020-01-30). Russia to Close Border With China Amid Coronavirus Outbreak – Prime Minister Mishustin. sputniknews.com So far, the coronavirus epidemic has left 170 people dead and over 7,700 more infected in China.
(2020-01-30). Moscow Refutes Foreign Media Claims About Russia's Strikes on Idlib's Hospital, Bakery. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Russian Defence Ministry has refuted foreign media reports about Russia's strikes on a hospital and a bakery on the outskirts of Syria's Idlib.
(2020-01-30). Plane Safely Lands in Russia After Passenger Says She Has Explosive Device – S7 Airlines. sputniknews.com Russia's S7 Airlines said on Thursday that its plane had landed safely after one of the female passengers said that she had an explosive device with her.
(2020-01-30). Russian Military Doctors Save Life of RT Correspondent Injured in Syria – Defence Ministry. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian military medical workers have saved the life of Wafa Shabrouney, a female journalist of RT Arabic who has been injured in the Syrian province of Idlib, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Thursday.
(2020-01-30). Russia's UN Envoy Blasts 'Deal of the Century' Map Which Shows Golan Heights as Part of Israel. sputniknews.com Israel took over part of Syria's Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War, annexing the area in 1981. The UN denounced Tel Aviv's decision as "null and void and without international legal effect." Last March, Washington formally recognised the occupied area as Israeli territory. Damascus blasted the move and vowed to regain its lands someday.
(2020-01-30). Council of European Union Adopts Decision to Conclude UK Withdrawal Agreement. sputniknews.com BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – The Council of the European Union approved on Thursday the agreement on Brexit conditions, completing the European Union's ratification process.
(2020-01-30). German Nurse Allegedly Poisoned Five Premature Babies With Morphine, Milk Mixture. sputniknews.com A nurse was arrested by German police earlier this week on suspicion of attempted manslaughter after it was alleged that she administered morphine to five premature babies at a medical center late last year.
(2020-01-30). European Parliament Holds Last Plenary Session Prior to Brexit – Video. sputniknews.com On Wednesday, the European Parliament approved the UK Withdrawal Agreement in a 621-49 vote with 13 abstentions, paving the way for the European Council to vote on the deal today.
(2020-01-30). US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Meets His UK Counterpart Dominic Raab – Video. sputniknews.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in London on Wednesday to as Britain if standing on a historic crossroads as it's about to leave the European Union.
(2020-01-30). Live Outside 10 Downing Street: US Secretary of State Pompeo Meets UK PM Johnson – Video. sputniknews.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in London on Wednesday to as Britain if standing on a historic crossroads as it's about to leave the European Union.
(2020-01-30). Air Traffic Between China and Italy Blocked as First Two Coronavirus Cases Confirmed – Conte. sputniknews.com ROME (Sputnik) – Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has confirmed the first two cases of a new coronavirus in his country.
(2020-01-30). Day Nine of Donald Trump's Impeachment Trial in Senate – Video. sputniknews.com Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry against President Trump in autumn last year following a whistleblower's complaint that the US president had allegedly pressed his Ukrainian counterpart Zelensky to investigate former US Vice-President Joe Biden and his son Hunter regarding their business activities in Ukraine.
(2020-01-30). Jesus Would 'Beat the Crap' Out of John Bolton, Evangelical Pastor Claims. sputniknews.com John Bolton, a former national security adviser to Donald Trump, is due to release a memoir on his stint at the White House, which will backs the central allegation in the ongoing impeachment process that the President abused his power for political gain in the Ukraine affair.
(2020-01-30). Photo: Georgia State Patrol Dismisses 30 Troopers for Cheating on Exam. sputniknews.com The Georgia Department of Public Safety announced on Wednesday that it dismissed 33 state troopers after an investigation revealed they had cheated on an online exam.