(2019-11-20). Alliance life after 'brain death': NATO focuses on outer space, compares army spending with Russia. rt.com 
Though most members can barely afford to cough up their required military spending, and with European leaders questioning the venerable alliance, why is NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg talking about expanding into space? | Jens Stoltenberg is an unlikely Darth Vader. Beginning his political career with left-wing protests against the Vietnam war, Stoltenberg would go on to join the machine he once railed against, overseeing an expansion of Norway's military while Prime Minister from 2005 to 2013, and then leading the world's largest military alliance from 2014 onwards. | But his ambitions are galactic,…
(2019-11-20). New York City protest: Let Gaza live! workers.org 
A couple of hundred activists held an emergency rally in New York's Times Square on Nov. 15 to protest recent Israeli massacres in Gaza of 34 Palestinians, including eight children. The rally included continual chants, mic check, brief speeches and a militant march down Broadway to Herald Square. Participating groups . . . | Continue reading New York City protest: Let Gaza live! at Workers.org
(2019-11-20). Palestinians resist Israeli renewed attack on Gaza. workers.org 
Israel began pounding the Palestinian area of Gaza on Nov. 12 with scores of air raids and artillery attacks. The assaults renewed an ongoing Israeli military campaign against Gaza that had been in a lull in recent months. Gaza has been described as the largest open-air prison in the world, . . . | Continue reading Palestinians resist Israeli renewed attack on Gaza at Workers.org
(2019-11-20). Houthis release S. Korean, Saudi vessels captured in Yemen. rt.com 
Yemen's Houthi movement released three vessels and 16 people it had seized, South Korea's Foreign Ministry and a Houthi military source in Yemen said on Wednesday. | The seizure on Sunday was the latest incident at sea around Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of Arab states against the Houthis, who control the capital and most population centers and have been accused of attacking shipping, Reuters said. | Of the vessels freed on Tuesday, two were South Korean and one was Saudi Arabia-flagged, the South Korean ministry said. The Saudi-led coalition said on Wednesday the incident was over and the…
(2019-11-20). Meet Anastasia Shpilevaya — the Russian ice dancer aiming for a breakthrough season (PHOTOS). rt.com 
One of the most beautiful figure skating disciplines, ice dancing has always charmed fans with its elegance and style, with Russian athletes long being trend-setters and leaders. | This is the world junior star Anastasia Shpilevaya that is now aiming to break into, after teaming up with Grigory Smirnov as they bid to shine at elite level. | READ MORE: 'It's not a psychological issue, this is facing reality': Brian Orser on Medvedeva's losses to quad-jumping skaters (VIDEO) | Being the sole figure s…
(2019-11-20). Israel may face unprecedented THIRD ELECTION after Gantz fails to form coalition government. rt.com 
Israelis may be headed to the polls for the third time in a year, after Blue & White leader Benny Gantz said he was unable to form a coalition government with either Arab parties or its main rival, PM Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud.
(2019-11-20). Arab League to hold urgent meeting over US support for Israeli settlements. rt.com 
The Arab League said it will hold an urgent meeting Monday on the US announcement that it no longer considers Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal. | Hossam Zaki, the pan-Arab body's deputy secretary general, said several members had backed a Palestinian Authority call for a ministerial meeting. | The PA's permanent representative to the Arab League has condemned Washington's change of position — announced by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — as "illegal." | Pompeo said on Monday that, after legal consultations, the US had concluded the establishment of settlements was "not, per se…
(2019-11-20). 'No evidence of meddling': Boris Johnson defends decision not to publish Russian influence report before election. rt.com 
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he has never seen "any" evidence of Russian interference in British democracy and defended his decision not to publish a parliamentary report into the subject before the December 12 election. | Asked Wednesday about his decision to wait until after the election to publish the controversial report, Johnson said he saw no reason to change the timeline for publication. | There's absolutely no evidence that I've ever seen of any Russian interference in UK democratic processes. | Johnson's decision to shelve the 50-page report compiled by the Intelligence and Security Committee…
(2019-11-20). Putin's plan: Wait for US' most-advanced shale oil know-how and SNATCH IT! (Spoiler: it was a joke). rt.com 
Acquiring top-notch US technology to extract shale oil might be challenging, but not for the world's best-known KGB intelligence veteran who (jokingly) told a Russian investment forum how (not) to do it. | Vladimir Putin provided his vision on extracting shale oil — a type of crude found in underground deposits — at the 'Russia Calling' investment forum, which at first sounded like veiled nostalgia for his much-talked about KGB career in the 1980s. | "Let us wait for the Americans to spend money on new extraction technologies," he said, adding that the moment will come to snatch it all. "Let's see if…
(2019-11-20). Resourceful Russian cops stop truck to stage Hollywood-style rescue of people from burning building (VIDEO). rt.com 
An epic rescue operation was caught on video in the Moscow Region, as witty traffic cops stopped a truck so that the people who were cut off by a house fire could escape the blaze using its roof. | Two officers were on a routine patrol mission when they saw thick black smoke coming from the windows of the two-story building nearby. They swiftly called in the fire brigade as their instructions required, but the situation was dire and required immediate action. | The policemen jumped out of their patrol car and rushed towards the burning building, where they saw two men on the second floor, crying for help. A ju…
(2019-11-20). 'Utter rubbish!' Putin says 'Russian threat' is fake, invented by those trying to cash in on it. rt.com 
Europe knows that Russia isn't going to attack them and won't be paying Washington for protection anymore, Vladimir Putin said, urging the US to rethink its relations with NATO allies on the continent. | The US previously told the European nations that they were defending them from the Soviet Union and that they had to pay for it, Putin said from the stage of the "Russia Calling" investment forum in Moscow. But the USSR collapsed almost three decades ago and the US approach "doesn't work" today. | Despite all the problems "with Ukraine, the speculations about Crimea and Donbass, everybody clearly understands t…
(2019-11-20). US' attempts to undermine economic growth of Russia & China are just part of unfair competition — Putin. rt.com 
Washington is making a serious mistake as it aims to deter the development of Russia and China, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at an investment forum in Moscow. | "Balanced international economic relations is not their [US] main goal, but their main strategic goal is curbing the development of China and Russia," the Russian leader told the 'Russia Calling' forum, adding that such an approach is a "deep" mistake that can backfire on the US and undermine its position. | Another reason for Washington's restrictions against its trade war rival, Beijing, is that the Chinese economy has proven to be more effe…
(2019-11-20). 'Not fair': Novak Djokovic blasts Canada for handing USA walkover at Davis Cup. rt.com 
Serbian tennis ace and 16-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic has criticized the Canadian men's tennis team for handing the USA a doubles walkover in the Davis Cup group stage. | The Canadian squad took claimed two wins against their American rivals, guaranteeing their participation in the playoffs. | READ MORE: Rafa to the rescue: Nadal leads Spain to victory over Russia in Davis Cup | But they then pulled out of their doubles match — which would have not affected their group standings — g…
(2019-11-20). GOP-Requested Witness Rejects Trump 'Conspiracy Theories'. truthdig.com 
WASHINGTON — Sought by Republicans to testify, the former U.S. special envoy to Ukraine spoke up instead for Democrat Joe Biden in Tuesday's impeachment hearings, rejecting "conspiracy theories" embraced by President Donald Trump and some of his allies. | Kurt Volker said he has known Biden as an honorable man for more than two decades, rebuffing debunked corruption allegations that Trump is said to have wanted the Ukrainians to investigate in exchange for military aid to hold off Russian aggression. | "The allegations against Vice President Biden are self-serving and non-credible," Volker declared. | R…
(2019-11-20). The Folly of the Iraq War Has Never Been Clearer. truthdig.com 
New Iranian intelligence leaks have laid bare just how pointless the invasion truly was. As a former soldier, it's almost too much to bear.
(2019-11-20). North Korea Wont Attend Trump Summit Over US' 'Hostile Policy'. telesurenglish.net A senior North Korean official said on Wednesday that the United States must drop its "hostile policy" towards Pyongyang in order to restart stalled denuclearisation talks, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. | RELATED: | North Korea Not Interested in December Peace Talks with US | Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told reporters after meeting Russian officials in Moscow it would be "impossible" to hold another summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. Preside…
(2019-11-20). Israeli settlements remain 'flagrant violation' of international law, UN envoy tells Security Council. un.org Regardless of any national policy declarations, Israeli settlement activities are "a flagrant violation under international law", the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process spelled out to the Security Council on Wednesday.
(2019-11-20). Let's Give Three Cheers for Those "Western Ears" counterpunch.org Yesterday, I happened to catch a radio report by NPR's Julie McCarthy on the latest round of protests in Hong Kong. While listening, I could not help but see the similarities between what is going on in that corner of Asia and what has been going on in the streets of Catalonia during the last month…. but More
(2019-11-20). Protest at SF Chinese Consulate for Hong Kong Rights. indybay.org Chinese Consulate San Francisco | 1450 Laguna St, San Francisco, California 94115…
(2019-11-20). In Iran, Over 100 Feared Dead in Protest Crackdown. truthout.org In Iran, Amnesty International reports over 100 protesters have been killed in 21 cities by security forces during ongoing nationwide demonstrations sparked by a sudden hike in fuel prices last week. The death count may be much higher, the report warns, with some suggesting as many as 200 have been killed. According to Iranian state media, over 1,000 people have been arrested. On Thursday, Iran announced a rise in the cost of gas ranging from 50% to 300%. Soon after protests broke out on Sunday, Iran imposed an almost com…
(2019-11-20). House of Representatives Finally Recognizes Armenian Genocide. progressive.org It is shocking that it has taken this long for even one house of the U.S. Congress to recognize this historic tragedy. Somehow it is always a "bad time" to upset the government of Turkey.
(2019-11-20). House and Senate Unanimously Support Destabilizing China. globalresearch.ca Non-intervention by nations in the internal affairs of others is fundamental international law. | In Nicaragua v. United States (1986), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled against Washington for breaching international law and violating Nicaraguan sovereignty by supporting Contra death …
(2019-11-20). On Trans Day of Resilience, Artists Show Us a Future of Liberation. truthout.org The first time I seriously considered being an artist as a profession was when I witnessed Alexandra Billings conduct a movement workshop at California State University, Long Beach. I was a high school senior and it was 2013, long before Alexandra was cast in the widely popular TV series "Transparent." She was the first openly trans woman I had shared space with. As a Vietnamese American student who would later come to identify as a trans woman of color, I was deeply inspired by an unapologetic Black tr…
(2019-11-20). International Law Experts: United States Has No Legal Capacity To Legalize Settlements. imemc.org Aseel Akhras/Days of Palestine International law experts agree that the US administration does not have the legal capacity to legalize settlements, and that the recent announcement by its secretary of state comes in response to the European Court of Justice's decision to label settlement goods and the international consensus to …
(2019-11-20). UAE Issues Stamp Depicting Jerusalem as Palestinian Capital. imemc.org Emirates Post issued a commemorative stamp in support of Palestine featuring the Dome of the Rock, and stresses that Jerusalem al-Quds is the capital of Palestine. The stamp features the Dome of the Rock, located at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam, along with the flag of […] | | Israeli occupation authorities, on Wednesday, closed several official and non-official Palestinian…
(2019-11-20). Hong Kong: The world's eyes are focused on Hong Kong, what is really going on there? indybay.org Unitarian Universalist Society of S.F. | 1187 Franklin St. at Geary | San Francisco…
(2019-11-20). Turkey's 'White Elephants': S-400s or Patriots? globalresearch.ca Turkish President Erdogan reaffirmed to his American counterpart that his country won't completely abandon its purchase of Russia's S-400s like Washington wants but that Ankara would buy its Patriot competitor as well if an offer was made "under suitable conditions", …
(2019-11-20). Israeli Prime Minister Approves Settlement Expansion in Jordan Valley Following US Announcement. imemc.org After Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, made a statement Monday reversing decades of US policy, and contradicting international law, by saying that the US did not consider Israel's colonial takeovers of Palestinian land to be illegal, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu approved a massive expansion of colonial settlements. …
(2019-11-20). Israeli Warplanes Carry Out Airstrikes Over Syria's Damascus. telesurenglish.net "At exactly 1: 20 a.m. today, Israeli warplanes from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights and the Lebanese Marjayoun targeted the perimetre of the city of Damascus with a number of rockets," a Syrian military source was quoted as saying by the Syrian state news agency SANA. Marjayoun is a city in the south of Lebanon.
(2019-11-20). Israel Carries Out 'Wide-Scale Strikes' In Syria, US Gov Withholds Food/Meds From Iran & Patriot Act. thelastamericanvagabond.com Welcome to The Daily Wrap Up, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (11/20/19). As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth …
(2019-11-20). Army Abducts Three Palestinians In Hebron. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday evening, three Palestinians from Hebron governorate, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank. Media sources said the soldiers abducted Qussai Ziad al-Alama, 22, from Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, while walking at the main entrance of the city. They added that the …
(2019-11-20). Soldiers Demolish Two Palestinian Homes Near Ramallah. imemc.org Israeli soldiers demolished, Wednesday, two Palestinian homes in Shuqba village, northwest of the central West Bank city of Ramallah. Media sources said several army jeeps, and bulldozers, invaded the village and demolished the homes, reportedly for being built without a permit from the so-called "Civil Administration Office," the executive branch …
(2019-11-20). Pompeo Casts International Law Aside On Israeli Settlement Policy. commondreams.org The Israeli West Bank settlement of Beitar Ilit (Photo: Yoninah via Wikimedia Commons) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/westbank.jpeg …
(2019-11-20). Trump's New Policy on Israeli Settlements Is Illegal and Self-Serving. truthout.org Thumbing his nose at the Geneva Convention, the Rome Statute, the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly and the International Court of Justice, Donald Trump decided that Israel's unlawful construction of Jewish settlements in occupied Palestinian territory is lawful. This policy change is part of Trump's pattern of seeking to legalize illegal Israeli practices. It panders to Israel at the expense of the Palestinians while aiming to burnish Trump's bona fides with his Christian Zionist base. Ch…
(2019-11-20). Soldiers Abduct Eight Palestinians in West Bank. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday at dawn, eight Palestinians from several parts of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported. The PPS office in Hebron, in southern West Bank, said the soldiers invaded and ransacked several homes in the al-'Arroub refugee camp, north of the city, …
(2019-11-20). Video: Kurdish Radicals Try to Burn Russian-Turkish Patrol. globalresearch.ca Kurdish provocateurs have tried to burn a Typhoon MRAP vehicle of the Russian Military Police and a Kirpi MRAP vehicle of the Turkish Army in northern Syria. The incident happened during a joint Russian-Turkish patrol, which was conducted in the …
(2019-11-20). Chemical Watchdog Manipulated Douma Attack Report — Whistleblower. dissidentvoice.org The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has signed an open letter urging his own watchdog to give two whistleblowers a platform at its next conference. They claim the #OPCW suppressed evidence when conducting a probe into an alleged #chemicalattack on the Syrian city of #Douma in April 2018.
(2019-11-20). Saudi King Blams Iran for 'Chaos' in the Middle East. telesurenglish.net Saudi Arabia's King Salman blasted Iran in a statement on Wednesday, as he accused the Islamic Republic of being behind the 'chaos' in the Middle East region. | RELATED: | Trump Increases US Military Presence in Saudi Arabia | In a defiant note against the kingdom's enemies, King Salman said that the missile and drone strikes on the Aramco facilities, which he blames on Iran, had not halted development and reiterating that Riyadh will not hesitate to defend itself. | In an annual addres…
(2019-11-20). More than 15,000 Indiana teachers walk off job against low wages and attacks on public education. wsws.org Indiana teachers confront conditions no less horrendous than their counterparts throughout the United States and internationally.
(2019-11-20). Impeachment hearing highlights conflict over US policy in Ukraine. wsws.org The driving force of the Democratic Party inquiry is the US effort to use Ukraine as a base of operations and front-line state in the confrontation with Russia.
(2019-11-20). US puts new Sri Lankan president on notice. wsws.org While Pompeo couched his message to Rajapakse in terms of "human rights," Washington's real concern is that the new president will re-orient Sri Lanka towards China.
(2019-11-20). Police storm universities in Hong Kong. greenleft.org.au 
protest Wlam*Issue 1246 Hong Kong 2019 Hong Kong pro-democracy movementNovember 20, 2019Hong Kong riot police stormed the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), one of the prestigious universities in Hong Kong, on November 12, despite making several promises…
(2019-11-20). Unusual. Improper. Inappropriate. Wrong: Officials Decry Trump's Pressure on Ukraine to Probe Bidens. democracynow.org 
"I couldn't believe what I was hearing." Those were the words of Army Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman during Tuesday's House impeachment inquiry hearings, describing his reaction to a July phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During the call, Trump pressured Zelensky to investigate his political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who served on the board of a Ukrainian natural gas company, Burisma. Vindman, who is the director for European affairs at the National Security Council, testified along with Jennifer Williams, a Russia adviser for Vice President Pence, in the fi…
(2019-11-20). Iran: Over 100 Feared Dead in Protest Crackdown as Authorities Impose Internet Blackout. democracynow.org 
In Iran, Amnesty International reports over 100 protesters have been killed in 21 cities by security forces during ongoing nationwide demonstrations sparked by a sudden hike in fuel prices last week. The death count may be much higher, the report warns, with some suggesting as many as 200 have been killed. According to Iranian state media, over 1,000 people have been arrested. On Thursday, Iran announced a rise in the cost of gas ranging from 50% to 300%. Soon after protests broke out on Sunday, Iran imposed an almost complete internet blackout, making it nearly impossible for protesters use social media to share…
(2019-11-20). Headlines for November 20, 2019. democracynow.org 4 Key Witnesses Testify in Impeachment Hearings, Amnesty Says Iranian Security Forces Killed Over 100 Protesters, Bolivian Military Carries Out Second Massacre Against Morales Supporters, Senate Approves Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, U.N. Affirms It Still Considers Israeli Settlements Violation of International Law, Pentagon Says ISIS Is Rebuilding in Northern Syria, NYT: Navy SEALs Expected to Oust Gallagher, Despite Trump Restoring His Rank, Report: Mike Pompeo Planning to Resign as Secretary of State, Trump Administration Can Now Send Asylum Seekers to Guatemala, Sweden Drops Sexual Assault Investi…
(2019-11-19). Student Protesters are Walking a Tightrope in Hong Kong. counterpunch.org 
It's hard to know what to think about the student protests in Hong Kong. | On the one hand, they are incredibly inspiring. The courage, determination, brilliant organizing in the face of corporate blocking of the social media platforms that have been so critical early on to coordinating actions and rallying support, and the links that these masses of students have been able to build with the broader Hong Kong community, have been amazing to witness. So too is the massive support that the city's residents — even its staid usually conservative business-minded bankers and shop owners — have given and con…
(2019-11-19). Is China an "Imperial Power" in the Image of the West? counterpunch.org 
Owing to geography and geopolitics, my country the Philippines finds itself in the middle of an escalating conflict between the United States and China. Like the trench lines that stretched from the North Sea through France to Switzerland during the First World War, the front lines of this conflict stretch across both land and sea More
(2019-11-19). Resistance against Turkish-Russian patrols grows in northeast Syria as more protesters are injured. thecanary.co 
The people of northeast Syria [aka Rojava] are fiercely resisting against the patrols by Turkish and Russian occupation forces.They're facing the guns and armoured vehicles of two of the world's strongest militaries. Here in the UK we can stand in solidarity by demanding the UK stops its arms exports to Turkey.Fierce resistance: This video from Monday 18 November shows women and men throwing molotov cocktails at…
(2019-11-19). How Western Media Bias Allows Israel to Getaway with Murder in Gaza. counterpunch.org 
An Israeli attack on Gaza was imminent, and not because of any provocations by Palestinian groups in the besieged, impoverished Gaza Strip. The Israeli military escalation was foreseeable because it factors neatly in Israel's contentious political scene. The war was not a question of "if", but "when". The answer came on November 12, when the Israeli military launched a major strike against Gaza, killing an Islamic Jihad Commander, Bahaa Abu al-Ata, along with his wife Asma. More
(2019-11-19). Pentagon & war-hawks agree: US troops should stay in Syria – 'because ISIS'. rt.com 
The withdrawal of American troops from Syria has set the stage for a return of Islamic State, claims a new Pentagon report. The report aligns the Pentagon with war-hungry lawmakers who opposed the withdrawal from the outset. | In a report released on Tuesday, the Defense Department's Inspector General warns that without a US presence in northeastern Syria, the terror group will "likely be able to rebuild and carry out more sophisticated operations." | The withdrawal from Syria –…