(2019-11-12). Battleground Hong Kong: Rioters armed with catapults & javelins destroy university campuses & metro stations, clashing with police. rt.com 
Protests in Hong Kong have reached new heights of violence, with bomb-throwing rioters seizing control of university campuses and pushing out police while authorities admit that the riot-ravaged city hangs by a thread. | Demonstrators armed to the teeth with molotov cocktails, javelins, and (in one case, at least) a chainsaw have seized control of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), pushing riot police off the campus on Tuesday night and leaving a shocking amount of destruction in their wake. | Rioters armed with catapults & javelins destroy university campuses & metro stations, clashing with police in…
(2019-11-12). Once more, UN General Assembly rejects U.S. blockade of Cuba. peoplesworld.org 
It happened again. For the 28th consecutive year, a Cuban resolution calling for an end to the U.S. economic blockade of that island was approved overwhelmingly in the United Nations General Assembly. The vote on Nov. 7 was 187 votes in favor, three votes against—the United States, Israel, and Brazil—and two nations abstaining, Colombia and …
(2019-11-12). Israel Targets Islamic Jihad Leader, Sending Message to Iran. truthdig.com 
A senior commander from the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad is killed in the Gaza Strip; Israel is hit with retaliatory rocket fire.
(2019-11-12). China & Russia's 'worst nightmare'? National Interest piece fantasizing sale of US nuke subs to allies is an 'exaggeration'. rt.com 
The National Interest magazine claimed that a potential sale of US nuclear subs to allies may become a "nightmare" for Russia and China. Military analysts told RT there could be a fallout but a grim prospect is an exaggeration. | The executive editor of the Washington-based outlet, Harry J. Kazianis, recently published an article revealing what would become "China and Russia's worst nightmare." In the piece, he floated the idea of selling or leasing 10 or 12 Virginia-Class attack subs to Australia and other allies into the minds of the decision makers in the Pentagon. | Kazianis wrote that such a move will all…
(2019-11-12). Mystery as 'thousands' of birds found DEAD on shores of Indian lake. rt.com 
The shocking discovery of more than 1,000 dead birds of various species along the shores of India's biggest inland salt lake has left authorities scratching their heads. | The corpses of more than a dozen species of migratory birds were found littered around Sambhar Lake, in the northern state of Rajasthan, in recent days. | The lake is a favored winter spot of migratory birds from Europe and China and is a recognized wetland of international importance, so the unexplained mass death has sparked serious concern among officials. | "We have never seen anything like this," Abhinav Vaishnav, a local bird-watche…
(2019-11-12). How Iran-Backed Forces Are Taking Over Iraq. counterpunch.org 
The protests — and the merciless government attempt to stamp them out — are the biggest threat to the power of the Iraqi political establishment since Isis was advancing on Baghdad in 2014. In many respects, the danger to the status quo is greater now because Isis was an existential threat to the Shia majority who had no choice but to support their ruling elite, however predatory and incompetent they had proved in office. More
(2019-11-12). Trump's Syrian See-Saw: From Pullout to Pillage. counterpunch.org 
To withdraw, or not to withdraw? That is the question Donald Trump, in his own inimitable way, has answered both ways. | First came the withdrawal. It was real, and had a significant effect. Trump ordered the removal of US troops from Kurdish areas, putting an end to the prospect of an independent Kurdish statelet, split off from Syria. Such a partition was always implausible, given the general balance of forces in the region and the specific refusal of NATO-member Turkey to accept any such thing. (Turkey had already invaded Syria in 2016, and the Obama-Biden administration ordered the Kurds to accept it.) It was…
(2019-11-12). Europeans failed to fulfill their commitments to Iran nuclear deal — FM Zarif. rt.com 
Europeans have failed to fulfill their own commitments to Iran's 2015 nuclear deal, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Tuesday. The statement came in response to a warning by the EU that urged Tehran to stick to the pact or face consequences, Reuters said. | European states have been trying to persuade Tehran to stick to the deal, under which it agreed to curb its nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions, despite a decision last year by US President Donald Trump to abandon it. | Iran has long blamed the Europeans for failing to provide the economic benefits it was meant to receive u…
(2019-11-12). Competition for Moscow? UK election meddling accusations spread from Russia, to India…to Hillary. rt.com 
If you believe the daily reports, Britain's ongoing election campaign is facing more interference than an old analogue television during a rainstorm, and amazingly, it's not just Russians being accused of being behind it. | A sense of old world grandeur is easily inflated by convincing yourself that you're so important that the whole world wants to swing your election. | Of course, it is still mainly Russia which stands accused in Britain, because that is just the easiest option available, but now there are also indications of supposed Indian meddling going on, and an election wouldn't be an election if the US…
(2019-11-12). 'Bird of the Year' flap: More Russian meddling in wildlife contest? rt.com 
New Zealand is home to over 200 bird species and most of them are unique to the north and south islands where they have lived for millions of years. But while the Dodo might be dead, modern day drama and meddling certainly isn't.
(2019-11-12). 'Never forget what your enemy looks like': MPs allow use of swastika to condemn Nazi ideology. rt.com 
The swastika and other symbols of the Third Reich can be used, but only if it's done to condemn Nazism, the State Duma ruled. The previous legislation was too harsh, even making addressing classic WWII movies a problem. | There was an outright ban on Nazi symbols in Russia due to them offending the memory of the grave losses suffered by the country during the Great Patriotic War against the German invaders in 1941-45. | But the amendments to the relevant law, which MPs passed in the second reading on Tuesday, allow for the restrictions to be lifted in cases when those symbols are used "to form a negative attit…
(2019-11-12). Back on track: Federer rescues ATP Finals hopes with win over Berrettini. rt.com 
Swiss tennis icon Roger Federer picked up his first win at the Nitto ATP Finals, beating debutant Matteo Berrettini of Italy in two straight sets to keep his tournament hopes alive. | Berrettini ,the first Italian to qualify for the season-ending event since 1978, showed tough resistance in the opening set, stretching it to a tie-break where the more experienced Swiss got the upper hand 7-2. | READ MORE: False start: Stefanos Tsitsipas downs Russia's Daniil Medvedev in ATP Finals opener | How…
(2019-11-12). Marco Rubio blames 'Putin's disinformation' for coverage of Bolivia coup that he doesn't like. rt.com 
Eager to find some way to implicate Russia in Bolivia's political crisis and control of the US narrative, Republican senator Marco Rubio branded any skeptical coverage of events as an example of how "Putin uses disinformation." | Rubio, an early and avid supporter of protests that ousted former Bolivian President Evo Morales this week, tweeted that those wishing to understand Russian disinformation should "study current coverage" of Bolivia. | In Rubio's world, Russia has created "fake news" on Bolivia and is spreading it via a "vast network of outlets" and "social media actors" before it is "echoed in mainstr…
(2019-11-12). Pompeo's Iran Nuclear Lies Exposed Using Clear Evidence & The JCPOA Document Itself. thelastamericanvagabond.com Mike Pompeo continues to lead the propaganda push to get the public panicking about an Iran "nuclear breakout" even when all evidence shows that Iran is nowhere near capable of being a nuclear threat. Of course many other countries have far more robust nuclear programs, but because it's Iran we have to come together as …
(2019-11-12). Questioning war within the military; resistance from Vietnam to Iraq. indybay.org Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo | 300 E. Santa Inez Avenue | San Mateo, CA 94401…
(2019-11-12). 417 Palestinians Arrested in October — Including 75 Children. imemc.org The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained a total of 417 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and the blockaded Gaza Strip in the month of October, ALRAY reported. Prisoner and human rights organizations released a fact sheet Sunday, that the IOF detained 75 children and 16 women. The following is …
(2019-11-12). How the Hand of Israeli Spy Tech Reaches Deep into our Lives. dissidentvoice.org Digital age weapons developed by Israel to oppress Palestinians are rapidly being repurposed for much wider applications — against Western populations who have long taken their freedoms for granted. Israel's status as a "startup nation" was established decades ago. But its reputation for hi-tech innovation always depended on a dark side, one that is becoming …
(2019-11-12). We Must Not Just Watch, Yet Again, As Israel's Massive Military Dominates and Destroys Palestinian Lives and Livelihoods in Gaza. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-11-12). Israeli Army Assassinates Senior Islamic Jihad Leader, And His Wife, In Gaza. imemc.org The Israeli army killed, on Tuesday at dawn, a senior leader of the Islamic Jihad Movement, and his wife, after firing several missiles into a building in the Sheja'eyya area, east of Gaza city, also wounding many members of their family, in addition to a female neighbor. The Al-Quds Brigades, …
(2019-11-12). Categorizing Feminism, Atheism, Homosexuality as Crimes Exposes Saudi Arabia's Dangerous Intolerance. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-11-12). In Bahrain, Global Forum for Entrepreneurs and Investment examines empowerment of women, youth through innovation. un.org Spotlighting the role of targeted investment and innovation towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with special focus on 'Harnessing the Potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the Digital Economy,' the World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum kicked off on Tuesday in the Bahraini capital, Manama.
(2019-11-12). De Facto Martial Law in the Philippines. counterpunch.org In 2010, I was a summer intern for the largest, progressive human rights organization in the Philippines, Karapatan: Alliance for the Advancement of Peoples Rights. As a non-Filipino, I never imagined that I would become so involved in the Filipino cause. Faced, however, with the dire human rights situation as well as the fervor of More
(2019-11-12). Lithium Question Looms Large in Bolivia After Morales Ousted in Coup. theantimedia.com The coup against Morales in Bolivia cannot be understood without a glance at the new Cold War between the West and China.
(2019-11-12). Agrarian Crisis and Malnutrition: GM Agriculture Is Not the Answer. counterpunch.org M S Swaminathan is often referred to as the 'father' of India's Green Revolution. In 2009, he said that no scientific evidence had emerged to justify concerns about genetically modified (GM) crops, often regarded as stage two of the Green Revolution. In a December 2018 paper in the journal Current Science, however, it was argued More
(2019-11-12). Bigotry and Ideology in India and Kashmir: the Legacy of the Babri Masjid Mosque. counterpunch.org With the imposition of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code of 1973, (which authorizes an executive magistrate to prohibit an assembly of more than four people in any area), in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, mainland India gets a small smattering of what Kashmir has been facing since August 5. A disused sixteenth-century mosque in Ayodhya, More
(2019-11-12). Sanctions Against North Korea Hurt Women. progressive.org "Maximum pressure" sanctions have failed to change policies in Pyongyang, and have had grave human costs.
(2019-11-12). UN Steps in to Urge Lebanon to Form New Government. telesurenglish.net Lebanon's banks and schools were shut on Tuesday in a new wave of disruption as politicians struggled to agree on a new government to steer the country out of its worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war. | RELATED: | Thousands of Lebanese Demonstrate Awaiting a New Government | The top U.N. official in Lebanon called for the urgent formation of a cabinet made up of people known for their competence, which he said would be in a better position to appeal for international…
(2019-11-12). Sri Lankan daily interviews SEP presidential candidate Pani Wijesiriwardena. wsws.org Below is the text of Pani Wijesiriwardena's interview by Sri Lanka's leading newspaper, the Daily Mirror, which published it last week under the title "Capitalism offers no solutions to the dangers facing workers: Pani Wijesiriwardena"
(2019-11-12). Vote for Pani Wijesiriwardena in the Sri Lankan presidential election! Rally to fight for international socialism! wsws.org Pani Wijesiriwardena is standing on behalf of the Socialist Equality Party in Sri Lanka on a revolutionary socialist and internationalist program, against imperialist war, social inequality and authoritarian rule.
(2019-11-12). Tens of thousands in Russia face medicine shortages as a result of Western sanctions. wsws.org Between April and August 2019, two women from Moscow and one from Yekaterinburg were temporarily arrested and charged for illegally obtaining unregistered medicine.
(2019-11-12). EU pushes Britain to name new commissioner despite Brexit plans. rt.com 
The European Union pressed Britain on Tuesday to name a representative for the new executive European Commission, despite the country's planned departure from the bloc. | The British government has so far shown little interest in the matter after Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to delay Brexit for a third time, until January 31, and campaigning is underway for a national election on December 12. | However, the EU is keen to press ahead with the launch of its new commission on December 1, Reuters reports. The executive body will be headed by Ursula von der Leyen, the first woman to hold that post. | The…
(2019-11-12). Headlines for November 12, 2019. democracynow.org Longtime Bolivian President Evo Morales Takes Asylum in Mexico, Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on DACA Cases, Televised Impeachment Hearings to Start Tomorrow, Former MA Gov. Deval Patrick May Jump Into 2020 Race, NY Republican Congressman Peter King Retires, Donald Trump Jr. Heckled Off Stage by His Own Supporters, EPA to Restrict Scientific Research Used to Write Public Health Regulations, Israeli Military Kills Palestinian Commander in Targeted Assassination in Gaza, Afghan Government & Taliban Agree on Prisoner Exchange, Chilean Government Bows to Protests & Agrees to Rewrite Constitution, 260 Arrested in…
(2019-11-12). Saudi Arabia Convicts 38 People on Terrorism-Related Charges. telesurenglish.net A Saudi Arabian court charged 38 people Tuesday of financing "terrorism" and declaring other Muslims as non-believers, handing out sentences ranging from 30 months to 25 years. | RELATED: | Repression Deepened Under Saudi Crown Prince MBS: Report | The state-run news outlet Al Ekhbariya did not give the nationalities or names of those convicted out of the 41 people in total on trial. | Although it reported one of those sentenced had set up a "terrorist organization" while in prison a…
(2019-11-12). Latest Israeli Assault on Gaza Continuation of 'Torture and Torment of Palestinians,' Says Jewish Voice for Peace. commondreams.org "The illegal blockade of Gaza by Israel imprisons every aspect of life for Palestinians in Gaza, and the inhumane restrictions on food, electricity, and healthcare are all forms of violence, carried out daily for the past 11 years by Israel." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gaza_14.jpg …
(2019-11-12). Israel is Silencing the Last Voices Trying to Stop Abuses Against Palestinians. counterpunch.org 
It has been a week of appalling abuses committed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank — little different from the other 2,670 weeks endured by Palestinians since the occupation began in 1967. The difference this past week was that several entirely unexceptional human rights violations that had been caught on film went viral on social media. One shows a Palestinian father in the West Bank city of Hebron leading his son by the hand to kindergarten. The pair are stopped by two heavily armed soldiers, there to help enforce the rule of a few hundred illegal Jewish settlers over the city's Palestinian population.
(2019-11-12). Joint Asian regional statement opposes US-backed coup in Bolivia. greenleft.org.au 
Latin AmericaIssue 1245 Bolivia 2019 coup in BoliviaNovember 12, 2019The following joint regional statement from the Asian left and progressives was issued on November 11, in response to the coup in Boliva. | * * * | Stand with Evo Morales and the Movement Towards Socialism!
| Resist the US-backed coup! | We stand with Evo Morales and B…
(2019-11-11). The Houthis Are Preparing for a Planned Israeli Attack on Yemen. mintpressnews.com 
There are strong indications that Israel is planning to launch airstrikes against Yemen under the pretext of preventing an Iranian military presence from taking hold, much as it did in Syria and Iraq.
(2019-11-11). How the Syrian Democratic Forces Were Suddenly Transformed into "Kurdish Forces" counterpunch.org 
That wars end very differently to our own expectations — or our plans — was established long ago. That "we" won the Second World War did not mean the Americans would win the Vietnam war, or that France would vanquish its enemies in Algeria. Yet the moment we decide who the good guys are, and who the evil More
(2019-11-11). Tulsi Gabbard lawyer demanding retraction from Hillary Clinton over 'defamatory' Russian asset smear. rt.com 
A lawyer for presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard is demanding that Hillary Clinton retract her "defamatory" comments alleging that the anti-war Democrat is a Russian asset and Moscow's "favorite" for the 2020 election. | In a letter to Clinton seen by the Hill, Gabbard's legal counsel said Clinton "knew it was false" when she accused the Hawaii congresswoman of being a Russian asset. "Your statement is defamatory, and we demand that you retract it immediately," Gabbard's lawyer wrote in the letter, demanding a verbal response from Clinton. | This fabricated story is so facially improbable that it is actionabl…
(2019-11-11). Israeli Forces Attack Commemoration of Arafat's Death. imemc.org Dozens of Palestinians suffocated, today, as Israeli forces attacked citizens participating in marches commemorating the 15th anniversary for the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, said a local activist. Media activist in Beit Ummar, Mohammad Awad, told WAFA that Israeli forces stormed an area adjacent to the Israeli settlement of …
(2019-11-11). Israeli Troops Kill Palestinian Man in Occupied West Bank. telesurenglish.net Israeli forces shot and killed a 22-year-old Palestinian man Monday in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority (PA) said. | RELATED: | Israeli Guard Shoots Unarmed Palestinian in the Back: Video | Omar Badawi was shot in the abdomen in Al-Aroub refugee camp near Hebron city during a march marking the 15th anniversary of the death of former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, according to the PA news agency Wafa. | "There were protests in commemoration of Yasser Arafat'
(2019-11-11). Protesters, Iraqi Police Continue Battle on Baghdad Streets. telesurenglish.net Protests in Iraq's capital Baghdad continued on Monday as both Iraqi forces and protesters tried to dislodge each other from an area leading to the Green Zone. | The protests that began on Oct. 1 were initially focused on a lack of jobs and services but quickly morphed into a denunciation of the sectarian power-sharing system of government introduced in 2003 and the political elites they say benefit from it. | Security forces have used live ammunition, tear gas and stun grenades against mostly young and unarmed protesters, killing more than 280 people. | Iraqi leaders agreed on Sunday that electoral reforms…
(2019-11-11). Israel is silencing the last voices trying to prevent abuse of Palestinians. dissidentvoice.org It has been a week of appalling abuses committed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank — little different from the other 2,670 weeks endured by Palestinians since the occupation began in 1967. The difference this past week was that several entirely unexceptional human rights violations that had been caught on film went viral on …
(2019-11-11). US Jewish Organizations Warn against West Bank Annexation. imemc.org A coalition of American Jewish groups has sent a letter to leaders of Israel's political parties, warning them against full or even partial annexation of the occupied West Bank. The letter, written by the Progressive Israel Network, asks Israeli politicians to oppose the annexation plan being pursued by Prime Minister …
(2019-11-11). Saeb Erekat Calls on the ICC to Investigate Shooting Death of Young Palestinian Man. imemc.org Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) asked the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, to open a criminal investigation into the systematic and continued war crimes committed by the Israeli occupation authorities against unarmed Palestinian civilians. Erekat, in a …
(2019-11-11). Two Residential Structures Demolished in Occupied Jerusalem. imemc.org Israeli forces, on Monday, demolished two residential structures in the occupied Palestinian city of Jerusalem. Younes Jafar, Chairman of Al-Montar Land Defense Committee, said that soldiers embarked, in the early morning hours, on destroying two residential buildings in the area of al-Montar, under the pretext of being built without …
(2019-11-11). New UN forestry project bids to help countries meet climate change commitments. un.org More than two dozen countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America are set to benefit from a UN project to help tackle climate change through better forestry management.
(2019-11-11). Trump rules out rollback of China tariffs. wsws.org Trump's remarks were in response to a statement by Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng that the two sides had agreed to reduce tariffs on each other's goods as part of any agreement.
(2019-11-11). Turkey's Other Weapon Against the Kurds: Water. thenation.com Turkey's Other Weapon Against the Kurds: Water…
(2019-11-11). US Would Attack Even Its Friends To Keep Its Hegemony: Assad. telesurenglish.net Syria became a testing ground for the United States as it prepares its tools to safeguard world hegemony, Syrian President Bashar Assad told RT's Afshin Rattansi in an exclusive interview Monday. | RELATED: | US Military Says 500 to 600 Troops to Remain in Syria | According to the head of state, Washington sees that its former dominant role is fading and is trying to preserve it using all available means, they would "fight the Russians, the Iranians, the Syrians, whoever said…