Trump says he ‘does not see war with Iran happening’ hours after issuing a ‘threat’ against Tehran
rt.com | 2020-01-01
US President Donald Trump has said that the US is not gearing up for war with Iran, adding that he prefers peace to war. It comes just hours after the US leader upped the ante, making a pointed threat against Tehran on Twitter. | …
rt.com/news/477243-iran-war-trump-not-ha…
US sending 750 troops to Middle East after Baghdad embassy siege — Pentagon
rt.com | 2020-01-01
Some 750 paratroopers from the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are already on their way to Kuwait, and more may soon follow, after the US embassy in Baghdad was stormed and nearly taken by angry Iraqi militiamen. | The 82nd’s alert brigade has been ordered to deploy on Tuesday evening, Fox News reported citing multiple Pentagon officials, shortly before Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirmed it. | “The United States will protect our people and interests anywhere they are found around the world,” Esper said, announcing the deployment. | …and facilities, such as we witnessed in Baghdad today. The United State…
rt.com/usa/477240-iraq-troops-kuwait-emb…
The Great GOP Tax Cut Heist Two Years Later
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
The scam was and remains all about more greatly enriching corporate America and high-net worth households. | It’s also part of bipartisan policy to destroy social justice, essential programs eroded to fund tax cuts for the rich and pay for endless …
globalresearch.ca/great-gop-tax-cut-heis…
“Then, I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as President.” — “King” Donald Trump
Ralph Nader | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-31
Against Donald J. Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wanted narrow impeachment charges, despite key House Committee Chairs’ arguments for broadening the impeachment charges. These veteran lawmakers, led by House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler, urged Speaker Pelosi to include the ten obstructions of justice documented in the Mueller Report. These House Committee Chairs also wanted…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/31/then-i-have-…
As Honduras Collapses, Its People are Forced to Flee
Laura Carlsen | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-31
Honduras is collapsing. The thousands of migrants who flee every day are direct testimony to a political, economic and social crisis that the world ignores and the U. S. government seems bent on perpetuating. Instead of examining the crisis behind the exodus, the Trump administration has set an intercontinental human trapline that captures thousands of the world’s poorest and most persecuted men, women and children, and then converts their suffering into campaign fodder.
counterpunch.org/2019/12/31/as-honduras-…
10 Good Things About 2019
Medea Benjamin | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-31
Impeachment, Trump, impeachment, Trump. It’s hard to think of this year without obsessing about the occupant of the White House. But yes, there were lots of other events going on in the world this year. Some of them were tragic, like the coup in Bolivia, but some are hopeful and move us in a positive…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/31/10-good-thin…
India’s Democracy is Facing an Existential Threat
Vijay Prashad | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-31
Peaceful protests have been taking place across India. Every public event seems to be transformed into a demonstration against not only these laws, but the government itself. In Kolkata — from where I write these words — the annual Rainbow Pride Walk combined Gay Pride with opposition to these laws. Signs at the march read, ‘No CAA’ and ‘No to Fascism.’ The Indian flag — not often seen at these events — was everywhere, a symbol of the fight over how ‘India’ should be understood.
counterpunch.org/2019/12/31/indias-democ…
Help Global Research Make It to 2020 and Beyond
The Global Research Team | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
Dear Readers, | As we’re sure most of you will agree, 2019 has been a tough year for a lot of people for many different reasons. Undeniably, this has been another year of crisis, characterized by the plight of war, economic …
globalresearch.ca/help-global-research-m…
We are the majority; we must turn that into power
Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers | nationofchange.org | 2019-12-31
We are building toward being a movement that can make transformational changes over the next decade.
nationofchange.org/2019/12/31/we-are-the…
The Importance of Knowing Bethlehem
James J. Zogby | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
I have long been troubled by the way so many believing Christians in the West have either been ignorant of or turned their backs on the plight of Palestinians, both Christian and Muslim. Right-wing Evangelicals, under the sway of heretical …
globalresearch.ca/knowing-bethlehem/5699…
Police in Hong Kong Brutalized by Rioters While Attacked by the Western Press
Andre Vltchek | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-31
It is much more than what you are allowed to see. The Hong Kong police force are heroically fighting both the rioters and a complex and extremely dangerous international network which is aiming at destabilizing the People’s Republic of China. Uighur, Taiwan, USA, EU — united against socialism and China I never saw such cynicism …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/police-in-hon…
Police in Hong Kong Brutalized by Rioters, While Attacked by the Western Press
Andre Vltchek | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
It is much more than what you are allowed to see. The Hong Kong police force are heroically fighting both the rioters and a complex and extremely dangerous international network which is aiming at destabilizing the People’s Republic of China….
globalresearch.ca/police-hong-kong-bruta…
Top 10 Events That Shaped North America in the 2010s
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
Over the course of the past decade, North America has experienced the rise of several social movements, such as #MeToo and Black Lives Matter, which have helped give voice to the voiceless and empower the oppressed. | While these movements helped bring necessary social change, the 2010s also witnessed the rise of the far-right under U.S. President Donald Trump, which has further divided people across the continent and world. | But as we look back at the 2010s, there are several events that have helped shape the present and the future of the continent. | 1) Whistleblowers (2010-Present) | Julian Assange and…
telesurenglish.net/news/Top-10-Events-Th…
Australian teachers’ defence of Julian Assange welcomed by WikiLeaks supporters
wsws.org | 2019-12-31
US comedian Jimmy Dore discussed the initiative on the December 19 edition of his “Jimmy Dore Show Podcast.”
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/31/dore…
Evo Morales Condemns Expulsion of Diplomats from Bolivia
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
The expulsion of diplomats from Mexico and Spain by the de facto Bolivian regime is an act of contempt for international law, the democratically elected President Evo Morales said on Tuesday. Morales condemned the move by “the coup plotters,” highlighting the fact that they have been hurting the Andean nation’s diplomatic ties. | RELATED: | Spain Expels 3 Bolivian Diplomats in Tit-For-Tat Move | “The coup plotters seek legitimacy, but only exert violence against sister countries,” Mora…
telesurenglish.net/news/Evo-Morales-Cond…
Bolivia’s TSE Ratifies MAS Participation for The 2020 Elections
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) of Bolivia announced this Tuesday that the party “Movimiento al Socialismo” (MAS) will be able to participate in the general elections of 2020. | RELATED: | Evo Morales Condemns Expulsion of Diplomats from Bolivia | After rejecting two challenges and a written note requesting the cancellation of MAS’s legal status, the TSE…
telesurenglish.net/news/bolivia-tse-rati…
The Coup in Bolivia: Lessons for our Movement
Stansfield Smith | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-12-31
The US engineered another coup, this time Bolivia, and again our movement could not effectively counter pro-coup propaganda the US was selling to the public, let alone taking any action to stop it. There is an imperative need for much greater long-term cooperative work to combat US interventions. Needed is a qualitatively higher level of …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/12/the-coup-in-b…
IACHR Identified 68 Thousand Twitter Accounts Created in Support of Bolivia’s de Facto Government
Orinoco Tribune | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
The Commission (an appendage of OAS) explained that since the (forced) resignation of Evo Morales, the accounts have supported hashtags such as #BoliviaLibreyDemocratica and #NoHayGolpeEnBolivia. | *** | The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) detected, as part of the campaign to …
globalresearch.ca/iachr-identified-68-th…
Fossil Fuel Industry Shifts from Climate Denial to “Youthwashing”
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-31
For decades, the fossil fuel industry funded climate change denial campaigns aimed toward young people to sow seeds of doubt on climate science. As the climate crisis has worsened, it has made a subtle shift to what critics call “youthwashing.”.
therealnews.com/stories/fossil-fuel-indu…
Australia: Wildfires Paint the Sky Red, Create Lightning Storms
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
The 2020 New Year’s Eve celebrations were overshadowed by deadly wildfires along Australia’s eastern seaboard, where thousands of people sought refuge from the bushfires on beaches. | RELATED: | US, Australia, and More Snub Calls for Climate Action at COP25 | “The Australia bushfires are so big that they are generating ‘pyrocumulonimbus’ clouds, which create their own thunderstorms that can start more fires,” reported the Insider, based on data provided by the Bureau of Meteorolo…
telesurenglish.net/news/Australia-Wildfi…
2019: The UN News year in photos
news.un.org | 2019-12-31
From sustainable development to economic development, and human rights to humanitarian aid, UN News provides daily coverage across all of the Organization’s key issues — health, migration, climate change and so much…
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1…
Think Bigger, Get Louder
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-31
Words matter. | Words give form to ideas and make them matter, quite literally. Words hold enormous potential to spark change, violence, resolution and renewal. | In recent years, we’ve been shown in no uncertain terms how much raw force a single person’s words can carry–how much impact they can have on millions, even billions, of lives. The national political climate is becoming as toxic as the air above our major cities, and the 2020 presidential campaign is only just heating up. | Luckily, journalism still matters. Here’s a hint: If it didn’t, there would be no need for our current president to keep rail…
truthdig.com/cartoons/think-bigger-get-l…
Australia: Legal report documents “unlawful” police response to Melbourne climate protest
wsws.org | 2019-12-31
The 45-page report exposes the increasingly repressive measures being employed by police around Australia against political dissent.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/31/mals…
Colombia: Over 10,000 Homicides, 230 Activists Killed in 2019
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
A total of 10,468 homicides have been officially recorded in Colombia between January and November 2019 according to the Foundation Peace and Reconciliation, corresponding to a rise of 2.34 percent compared with the previous year. | RELATED: | Colombian Attorney Asks to Stop Murder of Social Leaders | The Foundation’s Director Ariel Avila highlighted the failure of the conservative government’s “tough” approach against crime in the country in an interview with EFE. | The violence an…
telesurenglish.net/news/Colombia-Over-10…
The Key to the Environmental Crisis is Beneath Our Feet
Ellen Brown | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-31
The Green New Deal resolution that was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives in February hit a wall in the Senate, where it was called unrealistic and unaffordable. In a Washington Post article titled “The Green New Deal Sets Us Up for Failure. We Need a Better Approach,” former Colorado governor and Democratic presidential candidate John…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/31/the-key-to-t…
How the US Made the So-Called ‘Safe Third Countries’ Unsafe
Belén Fernández | commondreams.org | 2019-12-31
While the US arms industry is presumably feeling pretty secure right about now, it is safe to say many people in “safe third countries” are not. (Photo: Edgard Garrido/Reuters) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/31/how-us…
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…
Russia: Iran Deal on Brink of Collapse Because of Washington
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
The international nuclear deal signed with Iran in 2015 is on the brink of collapse because of Washington’s decision to withdraw, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday following a meeting with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif. | RELATED: | Trump Warns Syria, Russia, Iran Over Idlib Campaign | “This extremely important international diplomatic achievement, the Joint Plan of Action (JCPOA) for the Iranian nuclear program, is about to collapse,” Lavrov told the pr…
telesurenglish.net/news/Russia-Iran-Deal…
‘China’s GDP to Reach $14.37 Trillion in 2019’, President Xi
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
During the New Year speech delivered on Tuesday, China’s President Xi Jinping reviewed the economic, social, political, and scientific achievements of his country and announced that over 10 million people were lifted out of poverty in 2019. | RELATED: | China, Russia, Iran Hold Drills at The ‘Maritime Safety Belt’ | “Thanks to our steady pursuit of high-qualit…
telesurenglish.net/news/Chinas-GDP-to-Re…
US Middle East Forever Wars
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
Iraqis suffered from direct and indirect US aggression since Jimmy Carter’s orchestrated Iran/Iraq war in the 1980s. | Eight years of bloody fighting produced stalemate. Then came GHW Bush’s 1991 Gulf War on Iraq, followed by years of genocidal sanctions, Bush …
globalresearch.ca/us-middle-east-forever…
Washington escalates Mideast war threat with strikes on Iraq, Syria
wsws.org | 2019-12-31
Sunday’s airstrikes are part of an increasingly reckless US imperialist intervention in the region directed against Iran.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/31/iraq…
Iraq Protesters Attack US Embassy over Air Strikes
Middle East Eye | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
Thousands of protesters attacked the US embassy in the Iraqi capital on Tuesday in anger at American air strikes in Iraq and Syria that killed more than two dozen Iran-backed militia fighters at the weekend. | The demonstrators marched through checkpoints …
globalresearch.ca/iraq-protesters-attack…
Militiamen Breach U.S. Embassy in Baghdad; Trump Blames Iran
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-31
BAGHDAD — Dozens of Iraqi Shiite militiamen and their supporters broke into the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Tuesday, smashing a main door and setting fire to a reception area, angered over deadly U.S. airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed militia. U.S. guards fired tear gas and palls of smoke rose over the grounds. | An Associated Press reporter at the scene saw flames rising from inside the compound and at least three U.S. soldiers on the roof of the main embassy building. There was a fire at the reception area near the compound’s parking lot but it was unclear what had caused it. A man on a loudspe…
truthdig.com/articles/militiamen-breach-…
The Syrian War: America’s “War on Terror” Exposed
Tony Cartalucci | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Muallem recently described the US as using the so-called “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria” (ISIS) as “a scarecrow” the US uses to menace targeted nations all while secretly encouraging, protecting, and helping them “move from …
globalresearch.ca/syrian-war-america-war…
US conducts airstrikes on Kataib Hezbollah targets in Syria and Iraq
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-31
Over 30 militia fighters were killed and 55 others injured in the US strikes which were a response to a rocket attack in which one US civilian contractor was killed…
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/31/us-conduc…
US Uses False Flag Op to Legitimize Bombing Iraq, Syria
Miri Wood | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
In warfare, the False Flag is a ruse, used to legitimize the abandonment of military rules of engagement. Its name derives from ancient cheaters in nautical warfare. The Nazi Reichstag fire and the US Gulf of Tonkin are two infamous …
globalresearch.ca/us-uses-false-flag-op-…
What May Follow US Terror-Bombing Strikes on Iraqi Sites?
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
What’s most likely is more of the same, how the US operates under both right wings of its war party — at war on humanity at home and abroad, its killing machine making everyone unsafe everywhere. | Continued US aggression in …
globalresearch.ca/what-may-follow-us-ter…
Iraq: Protesters Break Into the US Embassy in Baghdad
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
Hundreds of protesters sympathetic to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) stormed Tuesday at the United States Embassy in Baghdad following deadly U.S. attacks against positions of that armed group on Sunday night. Neither the U.S. ambassador nor officials are inside the building. | RELATED: | Iraq Warns US Of Strained Relations After Overnight Strikes | The protesters managed to penetrate the diplomatic headquarters and burned part of the surrounding wall, as well as some secur…
telesurenglish.net/news/Iraq-Protesters-…
Donald Trump and America’s Criminal Wars
Patrick Martin | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
On Friday, the New York Times published leaked videos and photos documenting US war crimes in Iraq. The material included a photo of a dozen US Special Operations soldiers posing with the corpse of a teenager they had just murdered….
globalresearch.ca/edward-gallagher-donal…
Syria, Washington and the Kurds. “The Rojava Dream is Dead”
Prof. Tim Anderson | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
With the defeat of ISIS and Nusra, the exposure of the ‘White Helmets’ and the various Chemical Weapons stunts, and with the collapse of ‘Rojava’, Washington is fast running out of options in Syria. Syria is winning, but the big …
globalresearch.ca/syria-washington-kurds…
Crisis and Critique: Venezuela, a Paradox of Stability?
Prof. Ociel Alí López | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
For Venezuelans, the start of 2019 was perhaps the tensest moment in the past seventeen years. Unlike the political violence of 2017 and the electoral abstention drama of 2018, we faced a real scenario of foreign military intervention in Venezuela. …
globalresearch.ca/venezuela-paradox-stab…
Smoke and Tears: A Decade of War in Middle East, North Africa
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
The 2010s can be described as a decade that began with hope with popular uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa, but that quickly turned to despair as political turmoil, foreign interventions, and war pushed the region into crisis. | RELATED: | 10 Trends and Events that Marked the Decade in Europe | As the decade ends, teleSUR looks back to the ten most important events that have shaped the lives of millions across the region: | 1. The Arab Spring: Tunisia and Egypt: | The 2010s began with what became known as the Arab Spring when a wave of protests rocked several Arab countries. In Decem…
telesurenglish.net/news/Smoke-and-Tears-…
2010s: A Decade of Transformations in Africa
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
The 2010s can be described as a decade of important political and social changes and transformations for Africa. | As the decade comes to an end, teleSUR looks back to the ten most important events that have shaped the lives of millions in the Sub-Saharian African continent: | RELATED: | Asia: The New Power | 1. The Second Ivorian Civil War: | The second civil war in Ivory Coast broke out in March 2011 when a post-election crisis escalated into a full-blown military conflict between forces loyal to Laurent Gbagb…
telesurenglish.net/news/A-Decade-of-Tran…
Video: Turkish Military Shelled Syrian Army Positions
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
The Turkish Army has shelled Syrian Army positions near the town of Bir Issa in northern Raqqa. Local Kurdish sources claimed that several Syrian soldiers were injured and three vehicles were destroyed in the incident that took place on December …
globalresearch.ca/video-turkish-military…
REPORT: Over 13 Million Palestinians Worldwide by 2020
IMEMC News & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-31
Dr. Ola Awad, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) President presents a brief on the status of Palestinian people at The end of 2019 as follows: More than 13 Million Palestinians in the world by the End of 2019 An increase in population of Palestinians in the world The projected …
imemc.org/article/report-over-13-million…
US Has Killed More Than 20 Million People in 37 “Victim Nations” Since World War II
James A. Lucas | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
First published in November 2015 | GR Editor’s Note | Let us put this in historical perspective: the commemoration of the War to End All Wars acknowledges that 15 million lives were lost in the course of World War I (1914-18). | The | …
globalresearch.ca/us-has-killed-more-tha…
Brazil Fines Facebook US$1.6m in Cambridge Analytica Case
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security has sentenced Facebook with a US$1.6 million fine for sharing data belonging to 443,000 Brazilian users in relation to the Cambridge Analytica case. | RELATED: | Facebook’s Black Employees Denounce Company’s Racism in a Letter | According to the government, there is evidence of an “abusive” practice wh…
telesurenglish.net/news/Brazil-Fines-Fac…
10 Trends and Events that Marked the Decade in Europe
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
As the decade ends, teleSUR looks back to the ten most important events that have shaped the lives of millions across the region. | 1. The Rise of Far-Right: | One of the most concerning trends that have hit not only the United States and many other South American countries, the last decade has seen numerous parties from the ultra-right gaining momentum and in some cases, winning elections, like Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Hungary, Poland’s ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS), or Italy’s former Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, whose League party became the driving eurosceptic force until the rece…
telesurenglish.net/news/10-Trends-and-Ev…
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-national…
Venezuela’s Maduro Gives Message of Peace in Address To Nation
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
In a speech to the nation given on national TV on Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gave a message of “peace, solidarity, and Christian spirit.” | RELATED: | Putin Sends Congratulations to Maduro and Venezuela on New Year | “The media has tried to show an image of a country drowned in anarchy but we will come out victorious,” he added, insisting that “the Christian spirit and solidarity” will help overcome any obstacle. | “We have overcome all the myths surrounding…
telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuelas-Madur…
Latin America: A Decade in Review
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
The period between 2010 and 2019 seems to be “the bittersweet decade” for the Latin American peoples. In its first part, the winds of economic development with social justice and equity were fueled by progressive governments that arose all over the continent as a result of the tenacity of workers, farmers, students, human rights defenders, gender activists, and environmental activists. | RELATED: | Venezuela’s Maduro Gives Message of Peace in Address To Nation | In the middle of…
telesurenglish.net/news/Latin-America-A-…
Darfur peace process suffers a jolt following violent clash
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-31
Peace negotiations between Sudan’s government and armed groups was halted after a clash in West Darfur that saw the death of eight people and left several others injured. Many have gone missing…
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/31/darfur-pe…
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-dom…
The US sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the danger of World War III
wsws.org | 2019-12-31
The decision by the US Congress to impose sanctions on companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline underscores the danger of world war.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/31/nord…
Video: Syrian Army Prepares for Operation in Aleppo, Turkish Proxies Move to Libya
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
The Syrian Army is preparing for a ground operation against radical militants in western Aleppo, sources close to the Damascus government claim. According to reports, the Syrian military was preparing for this operation during the past two months. | The operation …
globalresearch.ca/video-syrian-army-prep…
Israel’s Top Court Hears Case on Netanyahu’s Political Future
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
Israel’s Supreme Court has convened Tuesday to hear a case on whether an indicted prime minister can form a government. | RELATED: | Netanyahu’s Rival Announces Candidacy to Oust Israeli PM | The hearing – from which conclusions are not expected soon – is key for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as it will determine if he can prolong his political career after next March’s election, the country’s third general election in less than one year. | If the court was to decide…
telesurenglish.net/news/Israels-Top-Cour…
Israel/Palestine war crimes probe ‘momentous step forward’, says UN rights expert
news.un.org | 2019-12-31
An independent UN human rights expert hailed on Tuesday, the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to consider a formal criminal investigation into allegations of war crimes in Palestine as a “momentous step forward in the quest for accountability” in the five-decade-long Israeli occupation.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1…
Statistic of the Decade: The Massive Deforestation of the Amazon
Liberty Vittert | commondreams.org | 2019-12-31
The deforested land mainly contributes to cattle raising for slaughter and sale. (Photo: Matt Zimmerman/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/31/statis…
Arab League Rejects ‘Foreign Interventions’ in Libya
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
Following an emergency meeting in Cairo, Egypt to discuss the Libyan situation, the permanent delegates of the Arab League organization said Tuesday they reject “foreign interference” in Libya, which has been ravaged by war for over eight years. | RELATED: | Turkish Congress Readying Bill To Allow Sending Troops to Libya | The Arab League Council highlighted the “necessity to prevent interference that could contribute to facilitating the arrival of foreign extremists in Libya…
telesurenglish.net/news/The-Arab-League-…
VIDEO: Israeli Forces Arrest Palestinian Youth Beaten by Settlers
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-31
Wadi Hilweh Information Center (Silwanic) reported that, the Israeli occupation forces arrested a Palestinian youth, on Monday evening, from Batn Al Hawa neighborhood in Silwan, after settlers beat him. Witnesses said that settlers’ guards attacked the young Palestinian men who were in the neighborhood. Verbal quarrels and physical fights took …
imemc.org/article/video-israeli-forces-a…
After the Inferno
Elliot Sperber | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-31
After the Inferno Back in the 20th century When I was young There were shoe shops And there were shoe stores; And they were utterly different The stores were where the shoes, Both old and new, were stored — Like a library More than a warehouse, as they were free For all to take out…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/31/after-the-in…
Nullify Government Tyranny: In 2020, Harness the Power of Your Discontent
John W. Whitehead | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
“The people have the power, all we have to do is awaken that power in the people. The people are unaware. They’re not educated to realize that they have power. The system is so geared that everyone believes the government …
globalresearch.ca/nullify-government-tyr…
Dirty Air and Water Are Killing Us
Michelle Chen | progressive.org | 2019-12-31
Pollution is the world’s leading cause of death, ahead of tobacco use, drug and alcohol use, and even war.
progressive.org/dispatches/dirty-air-and…
5G Wireless Technology Is War against Humanity
Claire Edwards | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
This phoney war is also silent, but this time shots are being fired — in the form of laser-like beams of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from banks of thousands of tiny antennas[1] — and almost no one in the firing line knows that they are being silently, seriously and irreparably injured.
globalresearch.ca/5g-wireless-technology…
Oxford historian Richard Carwardine on the New York Times’ 1619 Project
wsws.org | 2019-12-31
The World Socialist Web Site recently spoke with leading Lincoln biographer Richard Carwardine about the Times’ 1619 Project…
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/31/carw…
Alex Jones’ Victims Find a Measure of Justice
Ilana Novick | truthdig.com | 2019-12-31
Radio show host Alex Jones has made a career out of peddling conspiracy theories. On Infowars, the right-wing digital media outlet Jones founded, he’s claimed that Muslims cheered the Sept. 11 attacks; that the government has ” weather weapons” responsible for floods and tornadoes; and that th…
truthdig.com/articles/alex-jones-victims…
Raging Wildfires Trap 4,000 at Australian Town’s Waterfront
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-31
PERTH, Australia — Wildfires burning across Australia’s two most populous states Tuesday trapped residents of a seaside town in apocalyptic conditions and killed at least two people while more property along the country’s east coast fell victim to a devastating fire season. | About 4,000 residents in the southeastern town of Mallacoota in Victoria state fled toward the water Tuesday morning as winds pushed an emergency-level wildfire toward their homes. The smoke-filled sky shrouded the town in darkness before turning an unnerving shade of bright red. | Australia’s annual wildfire season, which peaks during…
truthdig.com/articles/raging-wildfires-t…
Syd Mead, Conceptual Artist Behind ‘Blade Runner,’ Dies at 86
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
Syd Mead, the influential conceptual artist who created images of the future for films such as “Blade Runner” (1982) and “Aliens” (1986), died on Monday morning in Pasadena, California, at the age of 86. | RELATED: | ‘US Running Concentration Camps at the Border’: Expert | Mead died after three years battling lymphoma cancer, his husband Roger Servick told specialist publication The Hollywood Reporter. | Born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1933, the visionary illustrator and conceptual art…
telesurenglish.net/news/Syd-Mead-Concept…
Cuba Ready if US Breaks Off Diplomatic Relations: Top Official
Telesur | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
The Cuban government is prepared for United States President Donald Trump to break off diplomatic relations, although it hopes that this will not occur, a senior Cuban diplomat said Monday. | During an annual academic conference between Cuba and the United …
globalresearch.ca/cuba-ready-us-breaks-o…
Asia: The New Power
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
Here are the most relevant issues of the last decade: | 1. China Rising: : | | China’s President Xi Jinping (R) during the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China 20th anniversary celebration at the East Asian Games Dome, in Macao, China, 20 December 2019/EFE | Undoubtedly the most relevant story coming out of Asia is China becoming the second-largest economy in the world. During this decade it surpassed Japan as the…
telesurenglish.net/news/Asia-The-New-Pow…
Phase One of US-China Trade Deal To Be Signed on Jan. 15
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-31
United States President Donald Trump said Tuesday that phase one of the trade agreement with China would be signed at the White House on Jan. 15, although there are still considerable details to be clarified regarding the document. | RELATED: | China to Lower Import Tariffs on Over 850 Products by Jan. 1 | Trump announced that he would sign the agreement with “senior representatives of China” and that he would later travel to Beijing to begin the negotiations for the next phase.
telesurenglish.net/news/phase-one-of-us-…
Final Goodbye: Recalling Influential People Who Died in 2019
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-31
A lauded writer who brought to light stories overshadowed by prejudice. An actress and singer who helped embody the manufactured innocence of the 1950s. A self-made billionaire who rose from a childhood of Depression-era poverty and twice ran for president. | This year saw the deaths of people who shifted culture through prose, pragmatism and persistence. It also witnessed tragedy, in talent struck down in its prime. | In 2019, the political world lost a giant in U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings. He was born the son of a sharecropper, became a lawyer,…
truthdig.com/articles/final-goodbye-reca…
Binary People in an Analogue World. What is an “Authoritarian Environment”? China versus The West
Larry Romanoff | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
One day in Rome, I asked the policeman, “Is it okay if I park my car here, partially blocking the emergency entrance to the hospital? I just want to go across the street for a coffee for a few minutes.” …
globalresearch.ca/binary-people-analogue…
The State of USS Titanic
Philip A Farruggio | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
This writer is a manufacturer’s rep for various products, one of which is selling sanding belts to Mom and Pop cabinetmakers nationwide. I do most of my sales via the phone, the ‘old fashioned way’. | Yesterday I was speaking to …
globalresearch.ca/state-uss-titanic/5699…
5G Deployment and Wireless Radiation Safety: 2019 Year in Review
Dr. Joel M. Moskowitz | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
The three top wireless safety stories in 2019 were … | 1) widespread public opposition to the rollout of 5G; | 2) revision of national and international radio frequency radiation exposure limits, and | 3) cell phones that exceed the safety limits. | 5G …
globalresearch.ca/wireless-radiation-saf…
The 2020 Imperative: Freedom of Speech. Cease Being Mesmerised by Demons
Julian Rose | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
We have a vast global communication network at our fingertips, a significant part of which has long since been hijacked by the purveyors of ‘the daily matrix’. But another part of which still manages to operate within a spectrum that …
globalresearch.ca/2020-imperative-cease-…
US Interfered in Elections of at Least 85 Countries Worldwide Since 1945
Shane Dixon Kavanaugh | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
This article was first published by Sott.net and Global Research in December 2016. | The simmering tit-for-tat has kept the issue of election meddling burning bright in the national spotlight, fueled even further by the belief among U.S. intelligence agencies that …
globalresearch.ca/us-interfered-in-elect…
To Distinguish Fact From Fiction in Korea, First Follow the Money
Joseph Essertier | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-31
The “masters” of the Empire of Japan, who invaded and dominated Korea for half a century, followed the “vile maxim” that is typical of the “masters of mankind,” i.e., “all for ourselves, and nothing for other people” (Adam Smith). And while a “budding elite” of talented Koreans in fields such as…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/31/to-distingui…
My Favorite Albums of 2019
Joshua Frank | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-31
Another year with more unlistenable, corporate crap. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of good music out there. Here are the albums that were on heavy rotation in my home this year. Purple Mountains, Purple Mountains, Drag City, 2019 David Berman’s Purple Mountains is my favorite album of the year. Shortly after its release, Berman, who long…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/31/my-favorite-…
A Message From the New Year’s Day AKC Dog Show
Lee Hall | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-31
More than five thousand dogs from 21 countries are appearing in the American Kennel Club New Year’s Day 2020 dog show. Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet touts it as the largest in the country. But it’s just another trivial show on Animal Planet. Unrelated to the big environmental or economic issues of our time. Not worth…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/31/a-message-fr…
My Favorite Albums of 2019
Joshua Frank | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-31
Another year with more unlistenable, corporate crap. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of good music out there. Here are the albums that were on heavy rotation in my home this year. Purple Mountains, Purple Mountains, Drag City, 2019 David Berman’s Purple Mountains is my favorite album of the year. Shortly after its release, Berman, who long…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/31/my-favorite-…
A Message From the New Year’s Day AKC Dog Show
Lee Hall | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-31
More than five thousand dogs from 21 countries are appearing in the American Kennel Club New Year’s Day 2020 dog show. Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet touts it as the largest in the country. But it’s just another trivial show on Animal Planet. Unrelated to the big environmental or economic issues of our time. Not worth…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/31/a-message-fr…
In 2019, We Saw Pushback Against Face Surveillance in the Skies
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-31
While cities and municipalities made clear strides to limit the use of face surveillance technology throughout 2019, airlines and government agencies tasked with identifying travelers have spent much of the year trying to expand its use. But while the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), along with several different airlines, did launch or conclude pilot programs that tested the waters of face recognition technology on travelers this year, they also saw significant pus…
truthout.org/articles/in-2019-we-saw-pus…
50 bombe nucleari Usa dalla Turchia ad Aviano
Manlio Dinucci | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
´Cinquanta testate nucleari sarebbero pronte a traslocare dalla base turca di Incirlik, in Anatolia, alla base Usaf di Aviano, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, in quanto gli Usa diffiderebbero sempre più della fedeltà alla Nato del presidente turco Erdogan ª: lo riporta …
globalresearch.ca/50-bombe-nucleari-usa-…
‘I sort of do’ – Straight couples get the go-ahead for civil partnerships in the UK
rt.com | 2019-12-31
Heterosexual couples across the UK are tying the knot in all but name, as mixed-sex civil partnerships become legal after a lengthy court battle. However, the victory has many wondering if a watered-down marriage was worth it. | Same-sex couples could form civil partnerships in the UK since 2005, and the move was seen by campaigners at the time as a stepping stone to full marriage equality, which came in 2014. Heterosexual couples have always been able to marry, but after a lengthy court battle, can now opt for a civil partnership instead. | After the change in the law came into effect on December 2, and after…
rt.com/uk/477223-marriage-civil-partners…
As Honduras Collapses, Its People are Forced to Flee
Laura Carlsen | zcomm.org | 2019-12-31
What really motivates so many people to leave, when their chances of making it to relatives and new lives in the United States are so low? When the cost of the journey–in all senses–is so high?>…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/as-honduras-collap…
10 Good Things About 2019
Medea Benjamin | zcomm.org | 2019-12-31
It’s hard to think of this year without obsessing about the occupant of the White House. But yes, there were lots of other events going on in the world this year. Some of them were tragic, like the coup in Bolivia, but some are hopeful and move us in a positive direction. Here are ten…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/10-good-things-abo…
India’s Democracy is Facing an Existential Threat
Vijay Prashad | zcomm.org | 2019-12-31
Peaceful protests have been taking place across the country. Every public event seems to be transformed into a demonstration against not only these laws, but the government itself…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/indias-democracy-i…
Iraqi PM ‘Categorically Rejects’ Trump Admin. Strikes
Juan Cole | zcomm.org | 2019-12-31
My guess is that the Iraqi parliament will at some point in the coming year kick US troops out of Iraq as a result of these strikes on a component of that parliament…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/iraqi-pm-categoric…
Fighting with pens in Rojava’s “war of education”
Elise Boyle Espinosa | zcomm.org | 2019-12-31
Rojava’s revolutionary education system is built around a homegrown curriculum promoting gender equality, ecology and social and cultural inclusivity.
zcomm.org/znetarticle/fighting-with-pens…
Brexit Bill Passing Heralds Game of Winner Takes All
Jonathan Lis | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-31
It was perhaps fitting that five days before Christmas, in the final parliamentary sitting of the decade, the House of Commons, flaunting a newly minted Conservative majority, saw fit to declare war on the country it professed to love. By …
globalresearch.ca/brexit-bill-passing-he…
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-…
UN Researcher Hails ICC’s Pursuit of War Crimes Probe in Palestine as ‘Momentous Step’ for Accountability
Jessica Corbett, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-12-31
A United Nations human rights researcher on Tuesday hailed the International Criminal Court’s recent decision to pursue a formal investigation of alleged war crimes in Palestinian territories occupied by Israel as a “momentous step forward in the quest for accountability.” | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/news/2019/12/31/un-rese…
‘Fight Hard and Win’: In New Year’s Eve Speech, Warren Calls on Voters to Imagine a Better World
Julia Conley, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-12-31
Marking the end of the year and the one-year anniversary of the day she began her 2020 presidential campaign, Sen. Elizabeth Warren challenged voters to imagine a country that puts the needs and priorities of working people ahead of corporate profits in an hour-long speech in Boston. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/news/2019/12/31/fight-h…
LGBTQ Activists Took on ICE, the Corporatization of Pride, and More in 2019
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-31
Most queer and trans people get their news from a few media conglomerates and tech companies that control most of what we see, and only a few very privileged queer and trans voices get any kind of platform. | The largest for-profit LGBTQ+ outlets are owned by a holding company, Pride Media, which may soon shut down the 52-year-old Advocate and 27-year-old Out (the author of this piece has contributed to both). After years of surrendering profits to internet giants like Facebook and Google, the t…
truthout.org/articles/lgbtq-activists-to…
Greta Thunberg offers advice to young people, dismisses climate-denying politicians in BBC radio program
Julia Conley | nationofchange.org | 2019-12-31
“Be an active democratic citizen…because democracy is not only on election day, it’s happening all the time.”
nationofchange.org/2019/12/31/greta-thun…
Afghan refugee living in Turkey, pursuing dream of becoming doctor
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-31
An Afghan boy taken under state protection by Turkey dreams of becoming a doctor someday.”Becoming a doctor is my lifelong dream. Turkey has become my second home by giving this chance to me,” Ayed Mohamed Mousa said.Two years ago, the 17-year-old was detained by Turkish security forces as he attempted to cross the Turkish border to Europe.He was taken under state protection as he was a minor.Moussa recalled being born in a poor family that migrated to Iran from Afghanistan in the pursuit of a better life.Next, they wanted to cross to Turkey and onward to Europe.But things did not go as planned. Only Moussa was a…
yenisafak.com/en/news/afghan-refugee-liv…
How Trump’s impeachment trial would differ from a criminal one
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-31
U.S. President Donald Trump on Dec. 19 became the third U.S. president to be impeached when the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted to charge him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Republican-controlled Senate is due to weigh these charges in a trial in January.In the unlikely event he is found guilty, Trump would be removed from office.Trump and his Republican allies have attacked the impeachment effort as illegitimate, invoking concepts like “due process” and “hearsay” that are commonly associated with criminal cases.While U.S. senators will serve as jurors, legal experts say…
yenisafak.com/en/world/how-trumps-impeac…
Rights group says 80 civilians killed in Kashmir in 2019
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-31
A local human rights group has documented 69 killings in Kashmir since the revocation of the region’s special status on Aug. 5.Challenging Indian government claims that no civilian death took place in Kashmir after August, a report compiled by Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) said that out of 69 killings 33 were civilians.The dead also included 20 militants and 16 security forces personnel.”In October alone, 17 civilians were killed,” said the report.The annual review of human rights situation released by the group in Srinagar, capital of Indian administered Kashmir on Tuesday has mentioned th…
yenisafak.com/en/world/rights-group-says…
Trump blames Iran for ‘orchestrating’ attack on US embassy in Iraq
yenisafak.com | 2019-12-31
U.S. President Donald Trump blamed Iran on Tuesday for “orchestrating” an attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and said he will hold Tehran responsible.”Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified,” Trump said in a Twitter post.The U.S. State Department and White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the American ambassador and other embassy staff ha…
yenisafak.com/en/world/trump-blames-iran…