(2020-01-19). Maduro says time for direct talks with Trump, blames Pompeo & co for US 'failure' in Venezuela. rt.com 
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said he is open to talks with US President Donald Trump in the hope of repairing ties with the US, while blaming Trump's hawkish advisers for feeding him a distorted narrative. | In an interview with the Washington Post, published on Saturday, Maduro said that he would like to sit down with his US counterpart, suggesting that both countries would benefit from rapprochement based on mutual respect. | If there's respect between governments, no matter how big the United States is, and if there's a dialogue, an exchange of truthful information, then be sure we can create a n…
(2020-01-19). Iran will review cooperation with IAEA if Europe takes 'unjust measures' over nuclear deal. rt.com 
Tehran will review its cooperation with the global nuclear watchdog IAEA if the EU introduces "unjust" steps over the 2015 nuclear deal, which was first abandoned by the US, Iran's parliament speaker has warned. | Britain, France and Germany formally launched a process, charging Iran with failing to comply with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on its nuclear program. | Speaker of Iran's parliament, Ali Larijani, called the decision "unfortunate." | "We clearly announce that if Europe, for any reason, uses Article 37 of the nuclear agreement unfairly, then Iran will make a serious decision re…
(2020-01-19). Berlin peace talks: In war-torn Libya, can intl community help finish what Russia & Turkey started? rt.com 
Talks in Berlin between warring Libyan factions could finally deliver a lasting ceasefire after a decade of chaos ushered in by NATO regime change there. Could the mediation efforts, kick-started by Moscow and Ankara, bear fruit? | All eyes in Europe and beyond are set on Berlin, as PM Fayez al-Sarraj of the Government of National Accord (GNA) and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army (LNA) arrive on Sunday for peace talks hosted by Germany and attended by representatives from 11 countries, including Russia's Vladimir Putin. | The GNA has been internationally recognized since 2015, but Hafta…
(2020-01-19). Berlin talks 'important step' towards cementing Libya ceasefire, groundwork created with Moscow — Erdogan. rt.com 
Upcoming talks in Berlin are an "important step" towards finally facilitating a long-lasting ceasefire in civil-war-torn Libya, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said ahead of negotiations on Sunday. | "We see the ceasefire as a particularly important step toward reconciliation and political settlement" in Libya, Erdogan said, reiterating that peace can be achieved only through dialogue. | The Turkish leader stated that a call to end hostilities, which was jointly made by him and Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, has created the groundwork for further negotiations. | On Sunday, Prime Mi…
(2020-01-19). 'Where's Putin?' World leaders can't start Berlin conference photo-op without Russian president (VIDEO). rt.com 
Leaders gathering for Libya peace talks in Berlin attempted to take a group photo as the summit got underway, but the photo-op was momentarily delayed as no one could seem to find Russian President Vladimir Putin. | The awkward 'Where's Putin?' moment was captured on video as other leaders shuffled around trying to locate the Russian president. | German Chancellor Angela Merkel looked particularly perturbed by Putin's absence, turning around to look for him multiple times and pointing toward the empty spot where he should have been standing. | French President Emmanuel Macron then joined the search, looking…
(2020-01-19). Gremlin in the sky: Pentagon contractor shows maiden flight of its new 'swarm' drone. rt.com 
Swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles overwhelming enemies' defenses with sheer numbers might soon be part of the US combat strategy. Footage of the first flight of one such drone has just been showcased by a Pentagon contractor. | A video published on YouTube by an applied science and IT company, Dynetics, shows a drone, which looks roughly like a large air-to-surface missile, being drop-launched from under the wing of a US transport Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. | The drone designated X-61A then releases small wings and ignites its rocket engine, setting off for an autonomous flight. Media reports sugges…
(2020-01-19). Putin & Erdogan set stage for Libya peace talks at Berlin meeting (VIDEO). rt.com The Libyan peace talks in Berlin were yet to begin, but Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan already voiced their positions on the conflict, Erdogan speaking against Haftar and Putin calling for dialogue. | As the two presidents met ahead of the Sunday conference, Erdogan was direct in showing his animosity towards Libya's Khalifa Haftar, whose forces have been closing in on the UN-backed government in Tripoli. | "Haftar has proven himself to be in favor of a military solution [to the conflict]. Here in Berlin, the ceasefire must be confirmed. Haftar's aggressive behavior must be stopped s…
(2020-01-19). German FM blasts US policy on Iran, says Europe wants to prevent 'firestorm' in Middle East without regime change. rt.com 
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that, instead of following the US' maximum pressure campaign against Iran, the EU will stick to diplomacy in order to avoid further escalation of tensions in the region. | The US and Europe have a "different approach" to Iran and the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) for its nuclear program, Maas told Bild am Sonntag newspaper, in an interview published on Saturday. | "While the US unilaterally abandoned the nuclear agreement and imposed maximum pressure [on Tehran], we want to achieve progress through negotiations. France, Britain and Germany want to keep…
(2020-01-19). New deadly virus spreads fear across China as 17 more people fall victim to mysterious illness. rt.com 
In the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of a viral outbreak, 17 more cases of the new coronavirus have been reported by authorities — three of which have been described as "severe." | The virus has infected a total of 62 people in Wuhan, eight of whom are in a severe condition, while 19 have been cured and discharged from hospital. The rest are still receiving treatment and are being kept in isolation. | Two people have died so far from the new form of coronavirus. A 69-year-old man died on Wednesday after the infection caused pulmonary tuberculosis and damaged multiple organs. | Also on rt.com…
(2020-01-19). Putin meets Johnson in Berlin, but UK PM says 'no normalization of relations'. rt.com 
Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the Libya peace conference in Berlin. Johnson used the opportunity to state it outright to Putin that there will be "no normalization" of bilateral relations between Moscow and London. | The UK PM then demanded Russia end what he called "destabilizing activity" that supposedly threatens the UK, its citizens and allies, though he did not elaborate what exactly he meant by that. Instead, Johnson once again referred to the Salisbury poisoning case, which London has been blaming on Moscow without providing it…
(2020-01-19). Russian tech giant Yandex wants to expand car-sharing service across Europe. rt.com 
Russia's Yandex, which runs a popular car-sharing service in the country, is planning to expand across Europe this year, the tech company has revealed. | "We are considering such an opportunity," Dmitry Gorchakov, Yandex's head of geolocation services PR told RT. | It was earlier reported that the firm could make up to 1,000 electric vehicles available to rent. While the exact city where Yandex is going to test launch the project is not clear, Anton Ryazanov, chief of Yandex.Drive, told the Financial Times that the company is eyeing Madrid and Copenhagen, as well as cities in France and Italy. | Also on rt.com…
(2020-01-19). Iran examines downed Boeing black boxes, no decision yet on sending them anywhere — investigation chief. rt.com 
The head of the Iranian investigation team denied earlier reports that the black boxes from the downed Ukrainian airliner would be sent to Kiev. Tehran tried to extract the data on its own, he said. | "We are trying to read the black boxes here in Iran. Otherwise, our options are Ukraine and France, but no decision has been taken so far to send them to another country," Hassan Rezaeifar, who leads the investigation into the incident along with the nation's Civil Aviation Organization, told local news agency IRNA on Sunday. | He added that Iran so far has "no plans" to send the flight recorders to Kiev. | Rezae…
(2020-01-19). Louis Adamic's Life Fighting Fascism. truthdig.com 
"Death to Fascism: Louis Adamic's Fight for Democracy" | Purchase in the Truthdig Bazaar | Louis Adamic, a popular nonfiction writer of the 1920s-'40s, never escaped—perhaps never wished to escape—his status as an enigma. He was a talented journalist whose work appeared in a variety of magazines, as well as the author of well-received works of fiction and nonfiction. He was also a Slovene immigrant, from that sliver of land once part of Yugoslavia and now an independent s…
(2020-01-19). Cusack, Bernie's prophet of doom: Only 10-12 years to stop climate change & 'predatory capitalism'. rt.com 
It appears actor John Cusack took the climate change messages in his film '2012' really, really seriously, because he says Earth only has a handful of years left — unless Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is elected US President. | Introducing Sanders in Exeter, New Hampshire, on Saturday, the 53-year-old actor threw out a doomsday scenario where the world only has a "10 to 12 year window" to reverse the effects of climate change and combat the "predatory capitalism" that is supposedly fueling it. | "The billionaires are getting nervous and all the corporate media is — they hate us, they don't hate us…
(2020-01-19). NAFTA 1.0: Was It a "Legal Agreement". One of Its Signatories Linked to Organized Crime. And What About NAFTA 2.0? globalresearch.ca Public opinion has its eyes riveted on USMCA, which is tagged as NAFTA 2.0. It is important at this stage to focus on the murky history of NAFTA 1.0 as well as the transition to NAFTA 2.0. | USMCA modifies the …
(2020-01-19). Ex-UN weapons inspector: Biden's Iraq war vote excuse a 'bald-faced lie'. thegrayzone.com Former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter dismantles Joe Biden's explanation for his Iraq war vote and recounts Biden's long record…
(2020-01-19). Southern Peace Activists Help Soldiers Become Conscientious Objectors. truthout.org The South is arguably the engine of the U.S. war machine. The region is home to Fort Bragg, the largest U.S. military base in the world. Southern states supply more soldiers than others; the region is home to three of the five states with the highest military recruitment numbers in 2016 — Florida, Georgia, and Texas. Its congressional delegations have historically been some of the most militaristic, and military contractors hav…
(2020-01-19). At first I couldn't stop laughing at the cop's counter-terror list. But I stopped because it's utterly sinister. thecanary.co On 17 January, the Guardian revealed a counter-terrorism document listing a variety of protest and left-wing groups alongside neo-Nazis and the far-right and their associated symbols. | My first reaction to it was laughter and piss-taking. The list contains groups from Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) to Greenpeace and Animal Aid. It's also woefully out-of-date. It's as if someone has taken a roll call of groups from ten years ago and added Extinction Rebellion (XR) to the list. | It also c…
(2020-01-19). Iran Two Years Away From a Nuclear Bomb, Documents Talk for Themselves – Israeli Analyst. sputniknews.com Israel doesn't believe the Iranian claims that their nuclear programme is peaceful, says an Israeli analyst. Although Israel has the right to defend itself, Ephraim Asculai still believes it would have been better if the two countries sat down for talks.
(2020-01-19). Secular Traditions in Indian Music and Poetry. indybay.org San Jose Peace and Justice Center | 48 South 7th Street | San Jose, CA 95112 | Bus routes: 22, 522, 23, 523, 55, 64, 66, 68, 72, 73, 168, 181, 500, Hwy 17 Express, MST 55, LRT…
(2020-01-19). Over 330 People Wounded in Lebanon After Clashes in Beirut. telesurenglish.net More than 330 people were treated for injuries sustained during clashes between the Lebanese security forces and protesters in central Beirut on Saturday, the Red Cross reported. | RELATED: | At Least 220 Wounded in Protests Over the Crisis in Lebanon | The clashes, which lasted for several hours on Saturday, forced the closure of several streets in Beirut's central district, prompting the Lebanese security forces cordon off these areas in order to prevent the spread of violence i…
(2020-01-19). Trump Is the Third President to Lie About Afghan War Success. globalresearch.ca The Bush, Obama and Trump administrations all routinely lied to the American people about the success of the 18-year war in Afghanistan. They exaggerated progress and inflated statistics to create an illusion that that the war was winnable. But after …
(2020-01-19). Around The World in 8 Minutes: South African workers' struggle. peoplesdispatch.org We look at the struggle lead by NUMSA and NUM unions in South Africa, a run organized against dictatorship in Thailand and the mass assassinations of social leaders in Colombia.
(2020-01-19). Today's US-Iran Crisis Is Rooted in the Decision to Invade Iraq. truthout.org The ramifications of the illegal, unnecessary and predictably tragic U.S. decision to invade Iraq are still with us. This includes the ongoing crisis with Iran, which brought us perilously close to all-out war in early January, resulted in the tragic downing of a civilian airliner and remains in a hair-trigger situation. | Those of us who opposed the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq raised questions regarding the Bush administration's false alarmist claims about Iraqi weapons, weapons programs and weapons system…
(2020-01-19). Iraqi Forces Say Detain One of Leaders of Daesh in Al-Fallujah. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) have detained one of the leaders of the Daesh* terrorist group in the city of Al-Fallujah, Anbar province, the ISOF said.
(2020-01-19). Revealed Iran's Attack Did Cause Casualties, US/Israeli Cyberattack & Pompeo Threatens The World. 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 (1/18/19). 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 …
(2020-01-19). Pompeo Says Gangland-Style Hit on Soleimani Was "Restoration of Deterrence" globalresearch.ca America's "shadow president", Mike Pompeo, has acknowledged that the assassination of Iran's highest-ranking military general, Qassem Soleimani, was part of a broader strategy to restore "real deterrence" by eliminating presumed enemies of the United States. Pompeo's comments at …
(2020-01-19). Our Last Decade to Get Climate Right. zcomm.org In the climate talks to come, we need more youth, indigenous, and civil society groups — and fewer oil companies…
(2020-01-19). Iran — The EU — The Three Trigger Dispute Mechanism in the Iran Nuclear Deal and Trump's Bluff. globalresearch.ca Why, after so many assurances to the contrary, have the three European Iran's Nuclear Deal Partner's — Germany, France, the UK — decided to go after Iran, to follow the US dictate again? | The short answer is because the cowards. …
(2020-01-19). Putin on Western Attempts to Rewrite History: We Need to Do Everything Possible to Preserve Truth. sputniknews.com Earlier in January, the Polish parliament adopted a resolution declaring that the Soviet Union carries equal responsibility with Nazi Germany for the beginning of World War II.
(2020-01-19). 2019 Year in Review: From Corporate Capture of Social Media to Trump's War Agenda to Climate Change. globalresearch.ca "It just seems like people have really lost their way, severed ties with reality completely, where we're listening to some pied piper online instead of really questioning authority. questioning the power structures like we should be all along!" — Abby …
(2020-01-19). Unity Requires Recognizing that Warren Is Telling the Truth. thenation.com Unity Requires Recognizing that Warren Is Telling the Truth…
(2020-01-19). Eastern Libyan Gov't Pledges to Fight Terrorism, Prevent Turkish Intervention — Speaker. sputniknews.com CAIRO (Sputnik) – Libya's ongoing civil war will not end until terrorist and extremist groups in the country have been completely defeated and the Libyan people will not allow military intervention from Turkey or any other foreign power, Aguila Saleh, the speaker of Libya's eastern-based parliament, said.
(2020-01-19). Four Million to Form Massive Human Chain at Pro-Environment Initiative in India – Photos. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): The Indian state of Bihar has launched a mega-event, the forming of a human chain to create awareness about the ongoing climate crisis across the globe. This is the state's third such human chain event.
(2020-01-19). An Easy Proof of Behaviourism. zcomm.org The Experiment Confirming that stimulus and reward change behaviour. Participant (Subject): Consent not necessary, as it avoids chances of bias. A Human Lab Rat Behaviour Waking up early based on the stimulus. Stimulus Holding a gun to the head of the participant and threatening to shoot him/her if they don't wake up at the pre-decided Read more…
(2020-01-19). IMF Chief Warns of Financial Disaster Driven by Inequality. indybay.org IMF Head Kristalina Georgieva warns of a return of the Great Depression driven by inequality and financial sector instability in a speech delivered at the Peterson Institute of International Economics.
(2020-01-19). German Foreign Minister Lashes Out at US Over Its Max Pressure Policy Towards Iran. sputniknews.com Tensions between Tehran and Washington, which have been growing since Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, peaked this January following the killing of the Islamic Republic's top commander Qasem Soleimani. Following the assassination, Germany and other European countries reiterated their calls for avoiding escalation.
(2020-01-19). The Battle to Impeach Trump Is Part of a Global Struggle for Democracy. truthout.org The impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump — with their abundance of political theater and insipid media coverage — often treat Trump's crimes as the endpoint of an abuse of power and an illegal act. This is a grave mistake: We must understand Trump's crimes not as an endpoint but as symptoms of a long history of conditions that have led to the United States' slide into the abyss of authoritarianism. | Trump's impeachment battle is part of the wider historical and global struggle…
(2020-01-19). As Citizens United Turns 10, We Need to Fight to Get Money Out of Politics. truthout.org Ten years ago this week, the Supreme Court released its disastrous 2010 Citizens United decision. | The court, either through remarkable naivety or sheer malevolence, essentially married two terrible ideas: that "money equals speech" and that "corporations are people." The ruling put a for sale sign on our democracy, opening up a flood of corporate, special interest, and even foreign money into our politics. | Through Citizens United and a collection of other terrible and related decisions, the…
(2020-01-19). What Rod Blagojevich's Double Impeachment Could Mean for Trump. truthout.org Impeachments are fortunately rare in American political life: Trump is only the third president to have been impeached; eight governors have been impeached and removed from office. | The most recent was former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. He was arrested in 2008, after he was caught on a federal wiretap trying to sell the appointment to fill Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. Blagojevich was also charged with various crimes related to campaig…
(2020-01-19). In impeachment document, Democrats say Trump endangers US security. telesurenglish.net Democratic U.S. lawmakers leading the impeachment case against Republican President Donald Trump said on Saturday the president must be removed from office to protect national security and preserve the country's system of government. | RELATED: | US House to Send Trump Impeachment Charges to Senate for Trial | In a 111-page document filed before Trump's Senate trial begins in earnest on Tuesday, the lawmakers laid out their arguments supporting charges of abuse of power and obs…
(2020-01-19). Pakistani PM Urges UN to Pressure India to Allow Supervision of Ceasefire Violations in Kashmir. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Days after Pakistan failed in its second attempt to garner international support on Kashmir at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Prime Minister Imran Khan has urged the UNSC to insist that India allow supervision by the UN along the Line of Control.
(2020-01-19). 6th Annual Rally & March: Reclaim MLK's Radical Legacy! (Oakland). indybay.org Oscar Grant Plaza, 1 Frank H Ogawa Plz, Oakland, California 94612 (outside Oakland City Hall)…
(2020-01-19). Priti Patel is proposing a new terrorism offence that should worry us all. thecanary.co Home secretary Priti Patel is proposing a new terrorism offence. And it's one that should worry us all. Not just because the UK already has an array of draconian terrorism laws but because of the implications for freedom of speech and what might be included. | Patel is looking at whether there is "a gap in the legislation" and is proposing creating an offence prohibiting possession of terrorist and extremist material. Currently, it is a crime to distribute terrorism information, but not si…
(2020-01-19). Iran to Review Cooperation with Int'l Nuclear Watchdog In Case of 'Unjust' Steps by EU – Reports. sputniknews.com The European parties to the Iranian nuclear deal earlier launched a dispute resolution mechanism under the agreement, a process that could entail the re-imposition of sanctions on Iran.
(2020-01-19). Bolivia's Movement to Socialism Party Forms Presidential Plan. telesurenglish.net The Movement to Socialism ( MAS ) is choosing this Sunday its presidential formula for the elections, which will be held in Bolivia on May 3, with the "firm commitment" to remain united around single leadership, the democratically elected President Evo Morales said this weekend. | RELATED: | Bolivia's Anti-Imperialist Army School Renamed After Che's Assassins | In a message released on his official Twitter account, Morales said that "the first day of meeting between national leaders of…
(2020-01-19). Remarks on the US/China "Trade Deal" globalresearch.ca The first thing to understand is that it is not a trade deal. It is Trump backing off his tariffs when he discovered that the tarrifs fall on US goods and American consumers, not on China. Trump is covering his …
(2020-01-19). Russians Celebrate Epiphany by Bathing in Icy Waters – Photos. sputniknews.com On 19 January, Eastern Orthodox believers worldwide celebrate Epiphany, marking the baptism of Jesus Christ, which is usually accompanied by bathing in icy cold water. In Russia, however, the holiday often takes place under extreme weather conditions.
(2020-01-19). US Director on Russian Affairs at NSC Leaves Post Amid Pending Investigation – Reports. sputniknews.com …
(2020-01-19). Putin's Now Purged the West from the Kremlin. Medvedev Cabinet dissolved. globalresearch.ca It came as the biggest shock of the day on Wednesday. The Russian government resigned. The day before President Vladimir Putin gave his State of the Nation address and outlined a slate of constitutional changes. | That speech prompted an overhaul …