(2020-01-18). 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…
(2020-01-18). At least 4 dead, 20 injured in car bomb attack targeting Turkish contractors in Somalia – reports. rt.com 
A car bomb attack targeting a group of Turkish contractors has reportedly left four people dead and injured at least 20 others in the town of Afgoye, 30 kilometers outside the Somali capital Mogadishu. | "A speeding suicide car bomb rammed into a place where the Turkish engineers and Somali police were having lunch," a spokesperson for Somali police told the Reuters news agency. | #Turkish contractors and their Somali police guards in #Afgoye town, 30km outside (2020-01-18). Burnt bodies of troupe of musicians discovered — Mexican gang suspected of grisly mass murder. rt.com 
The scorched remains of a band of 10 indigenous musicians have been discovered in southern Mexico and investigators suspect that a vicious drug gang carried out the brutal slayings. | The bodies of 10 members of the Sensación music group were found in the rural Mexcalcingo community, in the southern state of Guerrero. | | © Google Maps | The musicians, from the Nahaus indigenous group, the largest in Mexico, were traveling in two vans along the country road when they were reportedly stopped at a checkpoint by a band of armed men from a 'Peace and Justice' group linked to the infamous Los Ardillos…
(2020-01-18). 'I thought it was a terrorist attack': California teachers sue Delta after plane showers school children with jet fuel. rt.com 
Four southern California teachers have filed a lawsuit against Delta Airlines after a Boeing 777 jettisoned its fuel over several schools near Los Angeles, drenching staff and scores of children with the volatile liquid. | Filed on Friday by attorney Gloria Allred, the suit alleges that the crew of Delta Flight 89 was negligent in dumping the fuel when and where it did, arguing the toxic substance led teachers and students to become "sick, dizzy and nauseated," producing "a lasting and severe irritation and a lasting and noxious taste and smell." | "A Delta Airlines pilot flying at a relatively low altitude an…
(2020-01-18). Born with a badge? Officers midwife in PATROL CAR after woman goes into labor while stuck in Moscow traffic. rt.com 
Moscow traffic patrol officers tried their hand at a new job, literally — helping a pregnant woman deliver a baby boy after her taxi got stuck in traffic. The newborn got his own uniform right away, bundled up in a police jacket.
(2020-01-18). Alligator in the sky: Russian combat helicopter performs insane stunts (VIDEO). rt.com 
A Ka-52 'Alligator' attack helicopter was filmed twirling around, gaining altitude tail-up, while flying just several meters above the ground during an aerobatics training course in Russia. | The video, published by the Zvezda TV channel on Saturday, shows the chopper performing stunts above the snowy airstrip outside the city of Khabarovsk, in Russia's Far East. | Flying on low altitude, the gunship practices spinning around while keeping its weapon systems locked onto a target. The helicopter also executes an almost 90-degree rapid ascent, and climbs tail-first into the air, which is something only the Ka-52…
(2020-01-18). WATCH Passenger plane engine turn into a FIREBALL on runway before takeoff. rt.com 
An engine on a Vietnam-bound Russian Airbus A320neo suddenly caught fire just as the pilots attempted to get the passenger airliner off the runway. | The S7 Airlines jet was about to take off from an airport in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk and head for Cam Ranh in Vietnam. The pilots tried to start the engines multiple times, until one of them burst into flames. | Videos, filmed from inside and outside the plane, show a bright ball of fire below the airliner's wing. | –ù–æ–≤–æ—Å–∏–±–∏—Ä—Å&nda…
(2020-01-18). 'Tired of politicized pastors': Maduro alerts Pope that Venezuelans are DITCHING Catholicism. rt.com 
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that his countrymen are fleeing the Catholic Church en masse because they have grown tired of "politicized" bishops. | "I want to tell you, dear Pope Francis, we now have the data that Venezuelans have been leaving Catholicism," Maduro stated in a speech, broadcast live on state TV on Friday. | "Nearly 40 percent are declaring themselves Evangelicals. That number used to be 3 percent." | Maduro stressed that people are getting "tired" of bishops who "use pulpits to express their political obsessions." Some clergymen "act like militants, not like pastors," he added. | Th…
(2020-01-18). Pentagon insists US troops are 'FORCE FOR GOOD' in Iraq after its parliament votes to expel them. rt.com 
The US Defense Department has claimed that its military presence makes Iraq more secure and "prosperous," despite calls by Iraqi lawmakers for the removal of all foreign troops from the country and growing tensions with Iran. | "At this time, there are no plans by the US military to withdraw from Iraq," Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Jonathan Rath Hoffman told reporters at a press briefing. | And I think it's been obvious… that the consensus in Iraq seems to be that the United States forces there are a force for good. | The official said that the US presence in the country is "beneficial" to Iraq and…
(2020-01-18). Xenobots are here: Tiny bio-robots inside your veins may heal you & will definitely be weaponized by West to take out 'bad guys'. rt.com 
Xenobots — tiny, biological robots swarms designed by a computer — are upon us. What does the birth of these strange not-quite-alive creatures mean for robotics — and for us? | Real robots are not two-legged steel boxes with a metallic voice: | Mankind has been imagining advanced robot technology for a long time — pop culture is full of Terminators, Cylons, and Droids. But in fact, these humanoid designs show a distinct lack of imagination. Why have we always assumed that robots would be designed to have the same basic form as us: slightly ungainly primates trotting about on two…
(2020-01-18). India issues travel advisory out of 'abundant caution' as new coronavirus takes hold in China. rt.com 
Indians traveling to and from China have been warned of a dangerous new virus on the move in the country, with officials boosting security and health screenings at Indian airports in an effort to catch new cases of the illness. | The emergent coronavirus — related to the lethal SARS pathogen — has struck scores of people across China, hitting the city of Wuhan the hardest, with up to 40 confirmed cases, prompting the Indian Ministry of Health to issue a travel advisory on Friday. | While the World Health Organization has…
(2020-01-18). Return their fabled attacking flair, cure away-day woes — Quique Setien's five major challenges as new Barcelona boss. rt.com 
While Quique Setien describes the Barcelona job as a dream, the new manager at Camp Nou walks into a tight title race, a testing Champions League campaign and a squad facing fresh questions and transition. Here are five key tests. | Arrest the away slumps: | Barca's run on the road has been, at best, inconsistent and, relative to their home record, wretched. | The warning signs sounded in a 2-0 defeat at Celta Vigo the Saturday before that incredible 4-0 defeat at Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals in May — results that were only the start of an eight-game winless away run during which…
(2020-01-18). Black boxes of Boeing 737-800 downed in Tehran to be sent to Ukraine — chief Iranian investigator. rt.com 
The flight recorders of the Ukrainian International Airlines jet, which was accidentally shot down by Iran's air defenses, will be sent to Kiev, the head of the Iranian investigative team has told local media. | Hassan Rezaeifar told Tasnim News Agency on Saturday that once the flight recorders are transported to Kiev, experts from the US, Canada and France will work to extract the data from them. | If they fail, the black boxes will be sent to a lab in France. Rezaeifar previously stated that Iran lacks technical expertise to extract the necessary flight data on its own. | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelens…
(2020-01-18). Hunger Striker Nearing Death in ICE Custody: "I Just Want Freedom" truthout.org Doctors and advocates for incarcerated immigrants are demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) release five South Asian asylum seekers on hunger strike at a remote ICE jail in Louisiana, where at least three strikers are being force-hydrated and at least two are being force-fed after refusing to eat and drink for over 75 days. | When a hunger striker's health fails, ICE may obtain a court order to restrain the striker and force fluids and nutrients into their body with tubes, a process hum…
(2020-01-18). Mexico Halts Migrant Caravan by Closing Border With Guatemala. telesurenglish.net In response to the arrival of the caravan of Central American migrants, Mexico temporarily closed its border crossings near the Guatemalan cities of El Ceibo and Tecun Uman on Saturday morning. | RELATED: | Mexico's President Offers 4,000 Jobs in Attempt to Stop Caravan | Previously, around 4,000 Hondurans had arrived in the country and were waiting on a bridge at Tecun Uman. Some of them began pushing and shoving before being driven back by Mexican security officials, who shut…
(2020-01-18). Dilma Rousseff: "Torture is about pain and death. They want you to lose your dignity" peoplesdispatch.org Fifty years ago today, on Jan. 16, 1970, the 22-year-old militant Dilma Rousseff was arrested by agents of the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1964 and 1985, a period when the country faced a crack down on civil liberties and freedom of speech. The regime persecuted political activists and anyone whose behavior was deemed to deviate from the norm. | "Torture is an extremely complex thing. I think that everyone who went through prison will always bear that mark. I don't like to watch movies where there is torture, for example. It's not that I don't like them. I just don't watch them. I don't want to w…
(2020-01-18). 'Pete Takes Money From Fossil Fuel Billionaires': Climate Activists Disrupt Buttigieg Rally in New Hampshire. commondreams.org 'Pete Takes Money From Fossil Fuel Billionaires': Climate Activists Disrupt Buttigieg Rally in New Hampshire | jon | Sat, 01/18/2020 – 01: 10…
(2020-01-18). 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…
(2020-01-18). Canada must not suppress free speech on Israel. zcomm.org We are opposed to all forms of racism. We advocate for justice and peace for both Israelis and Palestinians…
(2020-01-18). Support for Combat Troop Withdrawal Is Not Enough. zcomm.org I thought that was an important advance, that there's a recognition of where the entire base of half this country is, which is strongly against wars…
(2020-01-18). Video: Turkish Invasion of Libya? Erdogan Sends Troops. globalresearch.ca In early 2020, Libya became one of the main hot points in the Greater Middle East with stakes raised by Turkey's decision to launch a military operation there. | On January 5, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey had sent …
(2020-01-18). Nuclear Weapons: Trump Regime Pressured E3 Countries (UK, France, Germany) to Trigger JCPOA Dispute Mechanism. globalresearch.ca Post-WW II, Washington transformed Western European countries into virtual US colonies — their presence status. | Judge them by their actions. Time and again, they subordinate their sovereign rights to US interests, even when harming their own. | It shows by imposing …
(2020-01-18). ReclaimMLK: Youth Climate Strike & Resiliency Village. indybay.org Oscar Grant/ Frank Ogawa Plaza | Oakland, CA 94612…
(2020-01-18). Bolivia Anti-Imperialist Army School Renamed to Che's Assassins. telesurenglish.net The anti-imperialist school that Evo Morales created in the Armed Forces of Bolivia in 2016 has been renamed Friday to Heroes of àëancahuazu, after the Bolivian military unit that killed the revolutionary figure Ernesto "Che" Guevara in 1967. | RELATED: | Bolivian Senate Approves Extending Coup Government Mandate | "Bolivians are not anti-anything," Bolivia's Interim Defense Minister Luis Fernando Lopez declared to media in La Paz, while explaining that the anti-imperialist or…
(2020-01-18). India's National Investigation Agency Takes Over Probe of Suspended Kashmir Cop's Terror Links. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh was intercepted while travelling on the national highway to Jammu with two suspected militants linked to the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terror group and a lawyer last week. Singh has been arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Arms Act.
(2020-01-18). Is BDSM the New Trend? German Brand Unveils New Kinky Collection at Berlin Fashion Week. sputniknews.com Last year, some celebrities, including star Kim Kardashian, caused shockwaves with BDSM-inspired attire. In 2020, the trend appears to be gaining momentum.
(2020-01-18). The Libya conference and the new scramble for Africa. wsws.org The meeting is reminiscent of the infamous Congo Conference, which was held in Berlin in 1884-85 and aimed at the complete colonization of Africa.
(2020-01-18). 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)…
(2020-01-18). Queen Is Unhappy about Harry and Meghan Spending $3 Million on Renovation of Their Home – Report. sputniknews.com In their bombshell statement announcing plans to quit the Royal Family, the couple said they would honour duties to the Queen, balancing their time between Britain and North America. Royal sources, however, told the Daily Mail they believe that the Duchess won't ever return to Britain for a lengthy period of time.
(2020-01-18). Aircraft Engine Catches Fire Before Takeoff at Airport in Western Siberia – Video. sputniknews.com A regional transport watchdog is investigating the incident to determine whether the flight complied with safety and consumer rights requirements.
(2020-01-18). Russia Urges UN, OSCE to Assess New Ukrainian-Language Education Law. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia has called on human rights institutions at the UN, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe to evaluate a law passed by the Ukrainian parliament limiting the extent to which children can be educated in the languages of Ukraine's national minorities, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
(2020-01-18). How UK, France & Germany Try to Save Face While Iran Nuclear Deal is Falling Apart. sputniknews.com Bending under the pressure from the Trump administration, major EU states have taken yet another step away from the Iran nuclear deal, say academics, suggesting that it's unlikely that Tehran will engage in new nuclear negotiations with the same actors.
(2020-01-18). Take My Benefits — Please! Medicare System in Crisis. globalresearch.ca At the June 2019 House Ways and Means Committee Hearing on Medicare for All, Texas Republican Kevin Murphy lamented, "That great health care plan that your union negotiated for you? It's gone. Banned under Medicare for All." | A right-wing congressman …
(2020-01-18). Is Impeachment Being Used for Political Advantage? sputniknews.com On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan discuss the impeachment trial against President Trump. Senator Ted Cruz said, "if the prosecution brings… John Bolton… bring Hunter Biden."
(2020-01-18). Historic Rainfall, Flooding Hits Fire-Ravaged Areas of Australia's East Coast – Reports. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Kimba Wong, a forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, told Australian broadcaster ABC the thunderstorms that triggered the heavy rainfall were a "one-in-100-year event".
(2020-01-18). Bernie Sanders Denounces Trump's Effort to Divide Democrats. truthout.org After President Donald Trump earlier in the day accused Democrats in Congress of "rigging the election again against Bernie Sanders," the 2020 presidential candidate shot back Friday evening to say the president's effort to divide Democrats would be unsuccessful. | "Let's be clear about who is rigging what," Sanders said in a statement. "It is Donald Trump's action to use the power of the federal government for his own political benefit that is the cause of the impeachment trial. His transparent attempts to di…
(2020-01-18). With Passage of NAFTA 2.0, Congress Boosts Fossil Fuel Polluters in Mexico. truthout.org NAFTA 2.0 cleared another hurdle on January 16 as the U.S. Senate approved the trade deal with bipartisan support. | Officially called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the pact has some improvements but remains a handout to large corporations. | This is particularly evident in the USMCA rules related to investor rights. One of the most controversial aspects of the original NAFTA was that it allowed private corporations to sue governments in international tribunals, demanding co…
(2020-01-18). Biden Prioritizes Israel While Overlooking Daily Anti-Semitism in US. truthout.org When, on January 2, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden responded to a questionnaire from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) about anti-Semitism, Zionism, and his relationship to Jews and Jewish culture in the U.S., there was a noticeable absence in his response: practically any mention of American Jews. | The interview, entitled "Joe Biden: My plan to fight anti-Semitism," included three concrete s…
(2020-01-18). Texas Republicans Are Manufacturing a Crisis in Houston's Public School System. truthout.org If the state of Texas had its way, the state would be in the process of taking over the Houston Independent School District. | But a judge temporarily blocked the takeover on Jan. 8, with the issue now set to be decided at a trial in June. | The ruling temporarily spares Houston's pub…
(2020-01-18). 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.
(2020-01-18). Sigrid Nunez's National Book Award-winning novel, The Friend: One form of contemporary misanthropy. wsws.org A novel about a middle-aged writing instructor whose recently deceased friend and mentor has bequeathed her his enormous Great Dane.
(2020-01-18). Message to Trump supporters: I am sorry. zcomm.org Great things can happen when we are united, right now 80 million Iranian citizens and all Americans need us to be united in calling off the dogs of war…
(2020-01-18). Into the Fire: Boris Johnson's Call For New 'Iran Deal' Show UK Deep in 'Washington's Camp' – Prof. sputniknews.com The British prime minister's call for a new deal on Iran underscores numerous factors tying London's foreign policy to Washington's, threatening the UK's independence following the 2016 referendum and placing it at the mercy of a new foreign power further abroad.
(2020-01-18). Pentagon: No Attempt Made to Underplay Casualties in January 8 Iran Attack. theantimedia.com (ANTIWAR.COM) — Pentagon officials denied that they made any effort to downplay or delay the revelation of American military casualties in the January 8 Iranian missile strike on the Ayn al-Asad airbase in Iraq. President Trump reported on January 8 that there were no American casualties, and this was the official story for over a week. On Thursday, …
(2020-01-18). UK's Prince Harry & Meghan to lose titles & funds, repay millions spent for renovation as they 'exit' royal family duties. rt.com 
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are to lose their titles and public funding, as they opt for "a more independent life," Buckingham Palace has said, adding they are no longer "working members of the Royal Family." | An arrangement agreed by the couple and the Royal family says Harry and Meghan will no longer be able to formally represent the Queen and will lose their titles. They will no longer receive public funds associated with their former royal duties. | The couple also expressed their wish to refund public monies used to renovate Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their family home even after they part wa…
(2020-01-18). Over 1,400 irregular migrants held off Turkey's coasts. yenisafak.com A total of 1,471 irregular migrants were held off Turkey's Aegean and Mediterranean coasts over the last one week, the Turkish Coast Guard said on Friday."A total of 1,471 irregular migrants and 1 migrant smuggler were captured by the Coast Guard Command in 41 incidents between 10-16 January 2020 within the scope of anti-irregular migration activities," the coast guard said on Twitter.As many as 12 dead bodies were also recovered during the same period, it added.Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011, when the Syrian civil war began.
(2020-01-18). UK says Berlin Conference important for Libya ceasefire. yenisafak.com The Berlin Conference on Sunday is "an important step towards securing a ceasefire" in Libya, Britain's foreign secretary said on Friday.In a Twitter post, Dominic Raab wrote his country is committed to uniting all sides behind peace efforts initiated by the UN."Sunday's Berlin Conference is an important step towards securing a ceasefire and political solution to conflict in Libya," Raab said."Spoken to Libyan PM Serraj to stress UK commitment to uniting international community behind UN's efforts to find lasting peace," he added.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will attend the conference alongside the leader…
(2020-01-18). Berlin talks to seek political solution to Libya crisis. yenisafak.com Germany is set to host a major peace conference on Libya that will seek a stronger commitment from regional actors for a cease-fire in the war-torn country to pave the way for a political solution.Chancellor Angela Merkel invited leaders from Turkey, Russia, the U.S., China, France, the U.K. and other regional actors to a single-day conference in Berlin on Sunday, amid a fragile cease-fire between Libya's internationally recognized government and forces loyal to Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar.The German government cautioned against high expectations ahead of the conference and underlined that a single meeting coul…
(2020-01-18). Challenges ahead of Berlin Conference on Libya. yenisafak.com As all eyes are on the Sunday's Berlin Conference, where regional and international actors are set to discuss Libya conflict that has been going on since the ouster of the country's leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.Nebahat Tanriverdi Yasar, an expert at North Africa studies of Ankara-based Center for Middle Eastern Studies (ORSAM) think-tank, told Anadolu Agency that the initial peace-themed political process was launched in 2015 with the Skhirat agreement.Named after a city in Morocco, where the agreement was signed, Skhirat deal was sponsored by the UN in a bid to find a political solution to Libyan crisis. In li…
(2020-01-18). US, Pakistani top diplomats talk Afghan cooperation. yenisafak.com Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi discussed on Friday a series of issues, including the importance of bilateral cooperation in bringing a long-elusive peace to Afghanistan.The leaders also addressed Iran, and increased economic relations, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a brief statement following their meeting.Pompeo's meeting with Qureshi comes amid reports that the Afghan Taliban have presented the U.S. with a proposal that would reduce hostilities for a number of days to allow peace talks to resume.Pakistani and Taliban negotiators are also…