(2019-11-15). Major defense technology leak? Israeli missile interceptor reportedly falls in Gaza Strip and is intact. rt.com 
A crucial part of Israel's Tamir interceptor, which is used in the middle-range Iron Dome air defense system, seems to have fallen intact in the Gaza Strip, potentially creating a major leak of secret rocket technology. | Like many other interceptors, the Tamir missile destroys enemy projectiles by approaching them mid-course and detonating its warhead to send out an expanding ring of shrapnel. The tricky part is correctly identifying the right time for the detonation and executing the defensive explosion exactly when needed. | The timing must be perfect, considering the astounding speeds at which both the…
(2019-11-15). Israel 'has completed' Gaza strikes after rocket fire — military. rt.com 
Israel said early on Friday that it has completed a series of airstrikes on targets linked to the Islamic jihad militant group in Gaza, after rocket fire that rattled a day-old truce. | The military's statement indicated that Israel was willing to abide by the ceasefire if there are no additional rocket attacks. It said Israel struck a military compound, a rocket-manufacturing site and a militant headquarters in the town of Khan Younis, AP reports. | The airstrikes came after a barrage of rockets late Thursday. There were no immediate reports of casualties from either side. | The situation was calm Friday morn…
(2019-11-15). 'Theater of the absurd': Delhi kids run mini marathon as city drowns in toxic smog (PHOTOS). rt.com 
Delhi residents are incensed that children were allowed to run in a mini marathon as the city continues to choke on toxic smog which forced schools to close on Thursday and Friday. | Roughly 1,000 kids participated in the 'Run for Children' marathon, which took place on the morning of November 14, despite the Air Quality Index reaching over 500 in at least five city boroughs, indicating extreme respiratory risks to the general public. | The event was organized by the children's NGO Prayas to celebrate Children's Day and to mark the birth anniversary of India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. | Delhi: A…
(2019-11-15). 'Crucial source of intelligence': Indian Army urges officers to wipe Facebook accounts & avoid WhatsApp over security gaps. rt.com 
The Indian Army has warned its officers to stay away from Facebook and WhatsApp, arguing the popular US-based social media platforms are vulnerable to hacks and a "crucial source" for hostile intelligence-gathering. | An army advisory strongly encourages soldiers, especially those holding "sensitive posts," to avoid WhatsApp for any official communications and to consider deactivating their Facebook accounts, following a military assessment finished last month which flagged a number of…
(2019-11-15). Indians irate at Amazon for selling capsules of 'blood' so women could fake their virginity. rt.com 
Amazon found itself at the receiving end of a wave of backlash from irate customers in India after it emerged that the online retailer was selling capsules of fake blood as an "alternative" for women facing virginity tests. | 'Blood for the First Night', sold by 'i-Virgin' is a small capsule containing fake, soluble 'blood' powder that is designed to be inserted into a woman's vagina on her wedding night should she need to fake virginity and pass the still-somewhat-common "character test." | | © Amazon.in | The company claims there are no "No side effects. No needles," and that the powder is "not toxic.
(2019-11-15). 'May drive a bus but do not fine': 'Driver-in-chief' Brezhnev's license to drive is auctioned off. rt.com 
Documents celebrating Leonid Brezhnev's lifelong love for posh cars and reckless driving have been sold at auction in Moscow. The big man's tastes were a nightmare for his guards and a driveway to his heart for foreign leaders. | Brezhnev's driving documents have changed ownership between two unidentified private collectors this week. What is known is that in exchange the buyer paid about $24,000. The laminated papers include a driver's license in Brezhnev's name — which also authorized him to take the wheel of pretty much any commercial ground transport — and a punch-through card that every Soviet d…
(2019-11-15). With no alternative, NASA spent nearly $4 BILLION to fly astronauts aboard Russian Soyuz to ISS & "overpaid" Boeing for no reason. rt.com 
US space explorers have added up exactly how much money has gone to buy 'seats' on Soyuz vehicles, as its partners SpaceX and "overpaid" Boeing failed to meet the deadlines on NASA's manned spaceflight programs. | Over the past two decades, NASA spent $3.9 billion to transport 70 astronauts aboard Soyuz spacecraft to and from the International Space Station (ISS), the agency said in its audit report, published on Thursday. | The US also had previously used the Space Shuttle to deliver crews to the station but that program was termi…
(2019-11-15). Russia, Norway & Lithuania conduct exchange of spies. rt.com 
Lithuania, Russia and Norway conducted an exchange of spies on Friday, the head of Lithuanian counter intelligence said. The three states each secured the return of several captured agents to their home countries, Reuters reported. | Earlier in the day, Lithuania's president pardoned two Russians jailed for espionage, and Moscow said it would reciprocate by releasing two Lithuanians. The moves paved the way for a three-way spy swap also involving Norway. | Lithuanian media said last month that discussions were under way on exchanging two Russians jailed in Lithuania, two Lithuanians sentenced for spying in Rus…
(2019-11-15). Turkey's drill ship 'Fatih' begins operations off NE Cyprus — vice president. rt.com 
The Turkish oil- and gas-drilling ship 'Fatih' has started operations off the coast of northeastern Cyprus, Turkish vice president Fuat Oktay was quoted on Friday as saying, despite warnings from the EU that Ankara should stand down. | On Monday, the EU Foreign Affairs Council adopted a framework for restrictive measures against Ankara over its drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean. | Turkey, a formal candidate to join the EU despite worsening ties with the bloc, criticized the decision and said it would not cease drilling because it is operating on its own continental shelf or in areas where Turkis…
(2019-11-15). Turkey sends 6,000 Syrians from Istanbul to temporary centers — governor. rt.com 
Turkey has sent more than 6,000 Syrian migrants in Istanbul to temporary housing centers in other provinces since early July, the local governor's office said on Friday. His statement came two weeks after a deadline for Syrians not registered in the city to leave. | Authorities had given undocumented Syrians in Istanbul until October 30 to move to another province or face forced removal from the city. The Istanbul governor's office said 6,416 unregistered Syrians were removed from Istanbul since July 12. | Turkey hosts more than 3.6 million Syrians, the largest population of Syrians displaced by an eight-year…
(2019-11-15). The OPCW and Douma: Chemical Weapons Watchdog Accused of Evidence-Tampering by Its Own Inspectors. counterpunch.org 
Claims that President Bashar al-Assad's forces have used chemical weapons are almost as old as the Syrian civil war itself. They have produced strong reactions, and none more so than in the case of the alleged attack in April last year on the opposition-controlled area of Douma near Damascus in which 43 people are said More
(2019-11-15). 55 not out: Cristiano Ronaldo notches 55th hat-trick in Portugal's 6-0 thrashing of Lithuania (VIDEO). rt.com 
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo produced another virtuoso performance for his country as he netted his 55th career hat-trick to help his side to a comfortable 6-0 win over Lithuania. | Ronaldo's treble in his side's Euro 2020 qualifier on Thursday night also took his tally of international goals for his country to 98 as he closes in on another remarkable career milestone. | If Ronaldo makes it to 100 goals, he'll become only the second player in football history to register a century of international goals for his country, joining Iran's Ali Daei. | Ronaldo's performance came in the wake of a turbulent…
(2019-11-15). 'Meant to intimidate': Code Pink's Medea Benjamin slams bogus police raid as crackdown on peace activism. rt.com 
Peace activist Medea Benjamin slammed a recent police raid on her home after she was accused of "assaulting" a Democratic congresswoman, calling it an act of "intimidation" against those opposing US interventionist policies. | Over a dozen officers from the US Capitol Police surrounded Benjamin's home on Wednesday, alleging the activist assaulted Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Florida) at a press conference earlier that day, but Benjamin says the charge is phoney. | "This is selective prosecution and it's bogus," she told RT, adding "I'm a peace activist, I don't assault anyone." | They make up thin…
(2019-11-15). Iraq 'will never be the same' after recent protests, top Shiite cleric Sistani says. rt.com 
Iraq will be deeply marked by the recent weeks of demonstrations demanding sweeping reforms, Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani said on Friday, in some of his strongest remarks yet on the protest movement. | In his weekly sermon delivered by a representative in Karbala, the country's top Shiite cleric piled pressure on authorities to enact sweeping reforms in response to the deadly rallies, AFP reports. | "If those in power think that they can evade the benefits of real reform by stalling and procrastination, they are delusional," Sistani said. "What comes after these protests will not be the same as before." | Sistan…
(2019-11-15). Global debt on track to exceed $250 TRILLION this year. rt.com 
A new report by the International Institute of Finance (IIF) shows the world's debt climbed by $7.5 trillion in the first six months of 2019 to a record high of over $250 trillion. It was driven by borrowings in the US and China.
(2019-11-15). Why Aren't Americans Rising up Like the People of Chile and Lebanon? counterpunch.org The waves of protests breaking out in country after country around the world beg the question: Why aren't Americans rising up like our neighbors? We live at the very heart of this neoliberal system that is force-feeding the systemic injustice and inequality of 19th-century laissez-faire capitalism to the people of the 21st century. So we More
(2019-11-15). Encountering Peace — A Personal Note of an Israeli Peace Activist During the Gaza Rockets. globalresearch.ca What does an Israeli peace activist do when the rockets are flying and the bombs are falling? | I have been going to demonstrations since I was 12 years old — that was 51 years ago. I can easily say that …
(2019-11-15). A Lesson for the Palestinian Leadership: Real Reasons behind Israel's Arrest and Release of Labadi, Mi'ri. counterpunch.org The release on November 6 of two Jordanian nationals, Heba al-Labadi and Abdul Rahman Mi'ri from Israeli prisons was a bittersweet moment. The pair were finally reunited with their families after harrowing experiences in Israel. Sadly, thousands of Palestinian prisoners are still denied their freedom, still subjected to all sorts of hardships at the hands More
(2019-11-15). Watch the CIA Get Away With Torture. truthdig.com In the aftermath of 9/11, Americans might generously attribute their embrace of the "dark side," as former Vice President Dick Cheney described torture, to a collective nervous breakdown. It's a chapter in our recent history detailed in Jane Mayer's bestseller, " The Dark Side," and more broadly in the entertaining and fallacious movie, " Zero Dark Thirty," but it remains a national shame yet to be confronted by holding those responsible accountable. The end credits of Scott Z. B…
(2019-11-15). As Brazil's ex-President Lula is Set Free and BRICS Leaders Summit, What Lessons From the Workers Party for Fighting Global Neoliberalism? counterpunch.org Just as Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) heads of state prepared to meet in Brasilia on November 13-14, hosted by Jair Bolsonaro, a double political earthquake hit: Lula's freedom from prison on November 8, followed by a coup against Bolivian president Evo Morales on November 11. Lula was central to BRICS' establishment a decade ago. Details about More
(2019-11-15). It's Still Not Too Late for Rojava. counterpunch.org As Turkey continues its devastating military assault on Rojava, the Kurdish-led region of northeastern Syria, officials in Washington are facing a critical decision: allow Turkey to prevail in its campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Kurds or take action to protect them. The Turkish invasion, which began on October 9, has been devastating for Rojava. More
(2019-11-15). The Costs of an Illegal Military Occupation: Trump Demands Five-Fold Increase in Payments from South Korea. globalresearch.ca South Korea has historically paid an unusually large percentage of the cost of keeping US forces there, and under pressure from President Trump, agreed earlier this year to a substantial increase, with South Korea agreeing to pay $924 million …
(2019-11-15). Zunzi (Â∞äÂ≠ê) Political Cartoon Expo. indybay.org Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall | 836 Stockton St, San Francisco, California…
(2019-11-15). Syria's Opposing Parties. globalresearch.ca A Canadian political commentator and author of "Voices from Syria" said if a new constitution is approved by the Syrian Constitutional Committee, the foreign-backed "unelected" opposition cannot guarantee to adhere to it. | "Unelected opposing parties cannot guarantee anything," Mark Taliano …
(2019-11-15). Video: Key MH17 Witness Vladimir Tsemakh: Abduction, Ukrainian Special Services, and Conflict in Donbass. globalresearch.ca On July 17, 2014, a Malaysian Boeing 777-200ER aircraft was conducting a scheduled passenger flight (MH17) from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. During a transit flight over the territory of Ukraine, the Ukrainian air traffic control charted the plane directly over …
(2019-11-15). Greece as the Centrepiece of China's BRI in the Eastern Mediterranean. globalresearch.ca A 2018 Pew Survey found that 89% of Greeks found their culture to be superior to others, by far the highest amount of people in Europe where it reached as low as 26% in Sweden, 23% in Estonia and Belgium, …
(2019-11-15). Justice for Rodney Reed: Millions Urge Texas to Halt Execution Amid New Evidence of His Innocence. democracynow.org 
The Supreme Court considers Friday whether to take up the case of Rodney Reed, an African-American death row prisoner in Texas who is scheduled to be executed in less than a week for a murder he says he did not commit. On Thursday, Reed's family braved the cold to camp outside the Supreme Court for a vigil asking the justices to help halt the execution. Millions of people around the country have joined their cause in recent weeks amid mounting evidence that another man may be responsible for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites, a 19-year-old white woman. In 1998, an all-white jury sentenced Reed to die for Stites's…
(2019-11-15). Headlines for November 15, 2019. democracynow.org Two Killed as 16-Year-Old Student Opens Fire at L.A. County High School, El Paso Walmart Reopens, Three Months After Massacre by Racist Gunman, House Speaker Pelosi Accuses Trump of Bribery, an Impeachable Offense, Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine to Testify She Felt Threatened by Trump, Chile to Hold Referendum on Rewriting Pinochet-Era Constitution, Chilean Protesters Mark Anniversary of Police Killing of Indigenous Activist, Mon Laferte Holds Topless Protest Against Chilean State Violence at Latin Grammys, Indigenous Bolivians Protest as Interim President Orders Evo Morales Silenced, Israel Resumes Bombing as…
(2019-11-14). The tweet that shows just how cynical Rachel Riley's 'war on antisemitism' has become. thecanary.co 
Rachel Riley does the numbers on Countdown. But she's also appointed herself witchfinder general in a campaign to silence critics of Apartheid Israel with false accusations of antisemitism. (Full disclosure: she has dedicated a lot of that time smearing The Canary.) This is why we were somewhat shocked to find her promoting the views of an alleged antisemite. Why? Because…
(2019-11-14). 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits near Indonesia. rt.com 
An earthquake of 7.1 magnitude struck in the Molucca Sea, some 134km northwest of the Indonesian island of Ternate, at 4: 18pm local time on Thursday. | A tsunami threat message was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) for all coasts within 300km of the epicenter, affecting a number of Indonesian islands within the hour. Residents were advised to remain alert and seek instructions from local authorities. | A tsunami alert was also issued by the Indonesia Meteorology, Climatology and Geophys…
(2019-11-14). Abandoning Jakarta, Moving Capital to Borneo: Cynicism, Corruption, Murder. dissidentvoice.org 
Jakarta — polluted, unloved It is wrong, totally wrong, to abandon Jakarta and try to build some Potemkin village in the middle of Borneo, an island known in Indonesia as Kalimantan. There are many reasons why, and we will be addressing at least some of them here. But before we begin, let us state the …
(2019-11-14). Drug running! Thai police find 176kg of crystal meth hidden in treadmills headed for Japan. rt.com 
Kingpins of the illicit narcotics trade in Southeast Asia have taken 'drug running' quite literally by concealing 176kg of crystal meth in the metal framework of treadmills bound for Japan, only to be busted in Thailand. | Police Major General Yingyot Thepchamnong, head of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, did the leg work in the case after a similar incident in Australia jogged his memory and he worked out that drugs could be in the workout gear. | "Last month, the Australian police busted a similar case with the drugs hidden in exercise equipment, which they told us was packaged and exported from Thailand,"
(2019-11-14). Trump's V-Day visit to Moscow would be 'the right thing to do' even during election season — Putin. rt.com 
As Russia prepares to celebrate the May 2020 anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis in World War II, President Vladimir Putin said that a visit from Donald Trump would be "the right thing to do," even during an election campaign.
(2019-11-14). Houdini trick, but Russia-style? VIDEO shows 'suspect' jumping out of police station still handcuffed to RADIATOR. rt.com 
A stunt that Harry Houdini would've surely disapproved of was caught on video in Russia. Instead of escaping from his cuffs, a man jumps out of a police station's window onto a car roof — all that with the radiator still attached.
(2019-11-14). Getting shirty: Russia refuse to wear new Adidas kit because manufacturer 'got flag the wrong way round'. rt.com 
Getting the flag colors the right way round might seem a fundamental requirement in manufacturing a kit for a national team, but that is reportedly the sticking point between the Russian football team and sportswear giant Adidas. | The Russian national side and German kit-maker unveiled team's new red home strip for next year's European Championships at a glitzy ceremony last week. | Stanislav Cherchesov's men, who have already qualified for the European showpiece, were due to wear the kit for their final two group games, against Belgium on Saturday and San Marino on Tuesday. | –ú—ã […
(2019-11-14). Syria begins deploying troops in northeast along Turkish border — Damascus. rt.com 
Syrian state media is reporting that government forces have started deploying in areas close to the Turkish border in the northeast. Troops are deploying between the towns of Jawadiyeh and Malkiyeh, also known as Derik, according to SANA. | The deployment began on Thursday, and Syrian border guards will be positioned at six points near to the border, state TV reported. | The deployment is part of a deal reached between Russia and Turkey last month along much of the northeastern boundary that seeks to ensure Kurdish fighters leave the area, AP said. Russia and Turkey began joint patrols along a narrower strip d…
(2019-11-14). Russia-bashers eat their own? Ukrainian ex-minister accuses Bellingcat of being infiltrated by…Kremlin agents? rt.com 
A website obsessed with blaming Russia for everything — using Google Earth to support its airtight theories — has been infiltrated by Russian agents, according to a Ukrainian MP and former minister. But does it even make sense? | Our strange saga begins with a very level-headed Facebook post penned by Ukraine's former minister of veterans affairs and current member of parliament, Iryna Friz, who expressed deep displeasure with a recent Bellingcat 'investigation' revealing that Ukraine's Ministry of Veterans Affairs had ties to far-right figures (oh no, who could have guessed?). | In her post, Friz…
(2019-11-14). 'I'd say he won, no doubt': Artem Lobov delivers verdict on Jason Knight's bathroom brawl ahead of bare-knuckle rematch. rt.com 
Artem Lobov has declared rival Jason Knight the winner of a bathroom brawl that caused a sensation on social media ahead of their much-anticipated rematch in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship on Saturday. | Fans are hoping for a classic to mirror their first encounter when American Knight aims for revenge against Russian-born Lobov, who enters as strong favorite having won their initial, bloody contest on the thinnest of judging margins earlier this year. | The second contest between the pair is being hyped as the most exciting fight since the championship launched in 2018, not least because its organizer…
(2019-11-14). Catapulting Hong Kong into democracy? Media glorifies ANARCHY & 'novel, defensive' anti-police weapons of protesters. rt.com 
As anti-China protesters transform Hong Kong universities into "weapons factories" and arm themselves with petrol bombs, mainstream media is increasingly impressed by their ingenious and "novel" methods of taking on riot police. | Universities across Hong Kong are shuttering their doors and foreign students fleeing the chaos, as protesters hurl bricks, fire javelins, construct "watchtowers" and start fires on campuses, insisting that they have "no choice" but to resort to the most violent methods. | students at the Chinese Unive…
(2019-11-14). Catapulting Hong Kong into democracy? Media glorifies ANARCHY & 'novel, defensive' anti-police weapons of protesters. rt.com As anti-China protesters transform Hong Kong universities into "weapons factories" and arm themselves with petrol bombs, mainstream media is increasingly impressed by their ingenious and "novel" methods of taking on riot police. | Universities across Hong Kong are shuttering their doors and foreign students fleeing the chaos, as protesters hurl bricks, fire javelins, construct "watchtowers" and start fires on campuses, insisting that they have "no choice" but to resort to the most violent methods. | pic.twitter.com/WKPPXvO0Wl
(2019-11-14). China's vision for the future is "Give Peace a Chance" dissidentvoice.org 
China's vision for the future is "Give Peace a Chance". It is also the title of one of John Lennon's most prominent songs. It became the anthem for the anti-war movement, at the time of the US-waged war against Vietnam. John Lennon was a peace activist. No wonder he was ostracized, considered enemy number one by …
(2019-11-14). In Our Future Climate Dystopia, This Is What the Pentagon Will Do. truthdig.com 
The Situation Room, October 2039: the president and vice president, senior generals and admirals, key cabinet members, and other top national security officers huddle around computer screens as aides speak to key officials across the country. Some screens are focused on Hurricane Monica, continuing its catastrophic path through the Carolinas and Virginia; others are following Hurricane Nicholas, now pummeling Florida and Georgia, while Hurricane Ophelia lurks behind it in the eastern Caribbean. | On another bank of screens, officials are watching horrifying scenes from Los Angeles and San Diego, where millions of…
(2019-11-14). White Nationalists Are Running the White House. truthdig.com 
What follows is a conversation between journalists Michael Edison Hayes, Jared Holt and Marc Steiner of The Real News Network. Read a transcript of their conversation below or watch the video at the bottom of…
(2019-11-14). China hands Trump a victory in trade war by lifting 5-year-old poultry ban. rt.com 
China has lifted a ban on US poultry and poultry products that has been in place since the December 2014 avian flu outbreak, opening the door to a potential $1 billion worth of exports from the US to China. | Major US chicken processors like Sanderson Farms, Tyson Foods and Pilgrim's Pride saw their stock value climb to year highs on Thursday, following the announcement. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer called the development "great news for both America's farmers and China's consumers", in a celebratory public statement. The US is the second largest poultry exporter in the world, behind Brazil, with…
(2019-11-14). North Korea Not Interested in December Peace Talks with US. telesurenglish.net North Korea said on Thursday it has been offered a fresh meeting with the United States, but is uninterested in more talks aimed at "appeasing us" ahead of a year-end deadline Pyongyang has set for Washington to show more flexibility in their negotiations. | RELATED: | North Korea Breaks off Nuclear Talks With US in Sweden | Kim Myong Gil, the North's nuclear negotiator, said in a report carried by state media that Stephen Biegun, his U.S. counterpart who jointly led last month's faile…
(2019-11-14). If I Had A Hammer. dissidentvoice.org Ôªø Can a hundred thousand people with sledgehammers change the world? The past few weeks have seen so many developments in the world. Such as absolutely massive, ongoing and very militant protests happening in a multitude of countries. Not just in capital cities, but throughout countries like Ecuador, Chile, Lebanon, Iraq, Algeria, Sudan, in places …
(2019-11-14). Death Toll in Iraq Exceeds 300 Since Start of Protests. telesurenglish.net At least four protesters were killed and more than 65 wounded on Thursday in clashes with Iraqi security forces who were trying to push them back to their main camp in central Baghdad, police and medical sources said. | RELATED: | Protesters, Iraqi Police Continue Battle on Baghdad Streets | The protests erupted in early October over economic hardship and endemic graft. The government responded with some measures such as handouts for the poor but the protesters are now demanding an…
(2019-11-14). A Lesson for the Palestinian Leadership: Real Reasons Behind Israel's Arrest and Release of Labadi, Mi'ri. dissidentvoice.org The release on November 6 of two Jordanian nationals, Heba al-Labadi and Abdul Rahman Mi'ri from Israeli prisons was a bittersweet moment. The pair were finally reunited with their families after harrowing experiences in Israel. Sadly, thousands of Palestinian prisoners are still denied their freedom, still subjected to all sorts of hardships at the hands …
(2019-11-14). Foreign Correspondent: A New Arab Spring in Lebanon and Iraq. progressive.org Once again, people in the Middle East want democratic reforms and an end to corruption and foreign domination.
(2019-11-14). In O'odham Land. counterpunch.org In O'odham Land As Trump greenlights the unpopular border wall construction, waiving 41 laws to try to do the utmost damage the area, and as Israeli surveillance groups erect spy towers throughout O'odham land, people continue organizing to protect the land and their communities, and to inform the nation of what is happening in Native More