(2019-10-16). Saudi Arabia is Opening its Doors. dissidentvoice.org 
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is opening up to the world. It used to be absolutely impossible to get a visa to enter, unless you were a religious pilgrim (therefore officially a Muslim), NATO military personnel, or a businessman or woman, invited by a local company or by the Saudi government. Even if you secured …
(2019-10-16). How Turkey's Invasion of Syria Backfired on Erdogan. counterpunch.org 
Turkey's Syrian venture is rapidly turning sour from President Erdogan's point of view. The Turkish advance into northeast Syria is moving slowly, but Turkey's military options are becoming increasingly limited as the Syrian Army, backed by Russia, moves into Kurdish-held cities and towns that might have been targeted by Turkish forces. More
(2019-10-16). US-China Mini-Trade Deal: Trump Takes the Money and Runs. counterpunch.org 
Why did Trump 'stand down' and agree to a deal now, after escalating his threats and actions over the summer? The reasons clearly have to do with the US economy softening in the 3rd quarter combined with a growing discontent in the farm sector over Trump's handling of a trade dispute that was beginning to bite hard on US farm sector sales that were heavily dependent on exports to China. | More
(2019-10-16). What Happens When the FBI Chooses Sides. therealnews.com 
We ask FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley to compare the Russiagate investigation with the treatment of Hillary Clinton's emails, and ask whether the current polarized political landscape makes it more likely for the agency to make partisan choices.
(2019-10-16). Kurds in San Francisco Protest Betrayal by the US. indybay.org Trump forces our former ally into arms of our enemy, Syria's Assad. Russia, Iran and ISIS to benefit.
(2019-10-16). China Vows Strong Countermeasures in Response to Hostile US Legislation. globalresearch.ca The so-called US Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 was unanimously adopted by House and Senate committees. | On Tuesday, House members unanimously passed the measure, Senate adoption virtually certain, perhaps by unanimous voice vote. | The measure ignored …
(2019-10-16). U.S. Sanctions Could Push Turkey to Leave NATO. globalresearch.ca The administration of the Kurdish-controlled regions in north-eastern Syria announced on Sunday that they had reached an agreement with the central Syrian government in Damascus to deploy Syrian troops along areas of the border region with Turkey to help repel …
(2019-10-16). Turkish Op Ends When Kurdish Forces Leave Border Area: Erdogan. telesurenglish.net Turkey's offensive into northeast Syria will end if Kurdish fighters in the region drop their weapons and withdraw from a planned "safe zone", President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, but warned that no power could stop it until then. | RELATED: | US: White House Confirms Pence to Visit Turkey | Erdogan said the quickest solution was for militants to drop their weapons and pull back from the area by Wednesday evening. The operation will end when the "safe zone" is established, he sa…
(2019-10-16). The Maria Ramirez Story. counterpunch.org Maria…I've just met a girl named Maria and suddenly I've found how beautiful a sound can be… You've maybe seen the 30-second McDonald's commercial. (Find "Maria's Graduation" on youtube.) It begins with this young woman—Maria Ramirez is her name, as it happens—sitting in a McDonald's getting interviewed for the job, shows her clocking in, winning More
(2019-10-16). Sanders Blasts 2020 Democrats for Defending Health Insurance Industry. truthdig.com During a portion of Tuesday night's Democratic debate focused on healthcare, Sen. Bernie Sanders interjected to castigate some of his 2020 primary rivals—namely former vice president Joe Biden and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg—for again repeating right-wing talking points against Medicare for All and defending the primacy of the for-profit insurance industry. | "I get a little bit tired, I must say, of people defending a system which is dysfunctional, which is cruel," Sanders said, as he cast glances at Biden and Buttigieg. "Eighty-seven million uninsured, thirty-thousand people dying every…
(2019-10-16). India: Telangana Chief Minister fires 48,000 striking transport workers. wsws.org Although the unions have refused to call for a general strike, there is widespread public sympathy for the TSRTC strikers and mounting fears within ruling elite that the government's dictatorial actions could spark mass opposition.
(2019-10-16). Nothing to Celebrate: Reconsidering the Legacy of Portolá. indybay.org Stevenson Event Center, UC Santa Cruz | stevenson.ucsc.edu/activities/facilities/event-center.html…
(2019-10-16). China Is Exporting Its Anti-Muslim Strategy to India. thenation.com China Is Exporting Its Anti-Muslim Strategy to India…
(2019-10-16). Photo Essay: Home for the Kurds? progressive.org The Kurds living in Syria and Iraq, in territory reclaimed from ISIS, worked together to create an independent region called Rojava, based on workers rights, equality, feminism, and ecology.
(2019-10-16). Video: Syrian Army Taking Control of Key Positions in SDF-held Area. globalresearch.ca On October 14, units of the Syrian Army started entering areas controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria. | The terms and conditions of the deal made by the SDF and Damascus are yet to be revealed, …
(2019-10-16). The Democrats support the "Forever War" wsws.org The Democratic Party's saber-rattling response to the Syrian fiasco helps Trump fraudulently posture as an opponent of war.
(2019-10-16). Kurdish Lives Matter, Shame on Trump, Israel Do It Now! indybay.org Free Kurdistan, Israel Do It Now!
(2019-10-16). Forum – Eyewitness Iran: Uncovering the Media Lies. indybay.org 2969 Mission St., near 26th St.
(2019-10-16). Art In Struggle For Women & Prisoners In Iran: The Mural, The Artists & Women. indybay.org An opening for an art mural about women and the prisoners of Iran was held on October 6, 2019 at Clarion Alley. The mural portrays the women who are fighting for human rights and worker rights in Iran…
(2019-10-16). Democrats Decry Trump's Syria Policy But Fail to Address Palestine, Yemen, China & Other Issues. democracynow.org 
At Tuesday's debate, Democratic candidates took aim at President Trump's recent move to withdraw support from the Kurds in northern Syria, paving the way for Turkey to invade the region. We speak with Intercept contributor Mehdi Hasan, host of the "Deconstructed" podcast, about the candidates' foreign policy proposals.
(2019-10-16). Headlines for October 16, 2019. democracynow.org 12 Democratic Candidates Take to the Stage in Ohio, Pence Heads to Turkey as Erdogan Vows No Ceasefire in Northern Syria, State Dept. Official: White House Put "Three Amigos" in Charge of Ukraine Policy, Activists Arrested in D.C. over Trump Plan to Gut Refugee Resettlement, British Family Detained for a Week After Mistakenly Driving Across U.S.-Canada Border, Egypt Tortured Journalist & Activist Esraa Abdel Fattah in Custody, Worst Fires in Decades Rage Across Lebanon, Mexican Senate Slated to Vote on Bill to Legalize Marijuana, Mohawk Man Launches Hunger Strike Amid Land Dispute with Real Estate Developers, Cal…
(2019-10-15). Betrayal in the Levant. counterpunch.org 
Confusion reigns in certain left-leaning and anarchist circles. Pat Robertson tells Trump he will lose his mandate of heaven if he really does pull the US troops occupying northern Syria from their positions. Democrats, Republicans, neocons and neoliberals join the Pentagon and the mainstream US media to decry this possible troop redeployment. Turkey assembles its military More
(2019-10-15). Hands off Greta Thunberg! mronline.org 
Defenders of capitalism, joined by some on the left, are attacking the young woman who has become the symbol of a mass movement. Our place is by her side. | Source
(2019-10-15). Indigenous-led protests force Ecuador to reverse fuel subsidy cuts ordered by IMF. peoplesworld.org 
Ecuador's government agreed Monday to reverse fuel subsidy cuts it had forced on the public in order to obtain an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan. The announcement to back away from the subsidy cuts is part of a deal to stop mass protests that had forced the government to flee the capital. The deal was …
(2019-10-15). Dossier 21: The neoliberal attack on rural India. mronline.org 
If human agency, driven by a model of economics and development gone berserk, is a major driving factor in the changes upon us, there is plenty to be learned from this region and many like it. | Source
(2019-10-15). NBA and China: The 'right to free speech' vs. the right to sovereignty. workers.org 
The great Yao Ming. The Houston Rockets are the most popular National Basketball Association team in China for one main reason: Yao Ming, the current president of the Chinese Basketball Association and an NBA Hall of Famer, played eight seasons for the Rockets. Basketball is very popular in China, thanks . . . | Continue reading NBA and China: The 'right to free speech' vs. the right to sovereignty at Workers.org
(2019-10-15). Death, Misery and Bloodshed in Yemen. dissidentvoice.org 
Writing about his visit to the world's largest weapons bazaar, held in London during October, Arron Merat describes reading this slogan emblazoned above Raytheon's stall: "Strike with Creativity." Raytheon manufactures Paveway laser-guided bombs, fragments of which have been found in the wreckage of schools, hospitals, and markets across Yemen. How can a weapons manufacturer that …
(2019-10-15). Pushback: Aaron Maté and Ben Norton discuss Syria war, US withdrawal, Turkish invasion. thegrayzone.com The Grayzone hosted its first YouTube livestream of Pushback with Aaron Maté, featuring Ben Norton. We discussed the Syria war,…
(2019-10-15). Why Bother Protesting When the President Doesn't Care? thenation.com Why Bother Protesting When the President Doesn't Care?
(2019-10-15). Trump Wants to End the "Stupid Wars"? globalresearch.ca The discussion, if one might even call it that, regarding the apparent President Donald Trump decision to withdraw at least some American soldiers from Syria has predictably developed along partisan, ideologically fueled lines. Trump has inevitably muddied the waters by …
(2019-10-15). Death, Bloodshed, and Misery in Yemen. progressive.org "Strike with creativity!" proclaims Raytheon.
(2019-10-15). Trump OK's Sanctions on Turkey. globalresearch.ca Trump, House and Senate officials threatened sanctions on Turkey for its cross-border offensive in Syria. | On Monday, Trump OK'd their imposition by the US Treasury — despite green lighting Turkish aggression before launched, withdrawing US troops from northeast Syrian areas …
(2019-10-15). Election-related violence claims 85 lives in Afghanistan: UN report. un.org Eighty-five people were killed and another 373 injured during attacks related to the recent presidential election in Afghanistan, a report by the UN Assistance Mission in the country, UNAMA, reveals.
(2019-10-15). Extorting Ukraine Is Bad Enough, But Trump Has Done Much Worse. truthout.org | | Recently a friend who follows the news a bit less obsessively than I do said, "I thought George W. Bush was bad, but it seems like Donald Trump is even worse. What do you think?" | "Well," I replied, "in terms of causing death and destruction, I suspect Bush still has the edge." In fact, the U.S.-led forever wars begun under the Bush administration have killed hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq and Afghanistan (almo…
(2019-10-15). Russian President Signs $1.3B in Trade Deals With UAE. telesurenglish.net Russian President Vladimir Putin concludes a tour at the United Arab Emirates where he signed trade agreements worth more than US$1.3 billion in Abu Dhabi. | RELATED: | 20+ Agreements Signed As Russian President Visits Riyadh | One day after signing a major oil agreement with Saudi Arabia during a visit to Riyadh, Putin was met Tuesday at the airp…
(2019-10-15). One Rocket Provoked the US Withdrawal: Details of the Kurdish-Russian-Syrian Deal. globalresearch.ca Last Friday a 155 mm artillery shell landed 300 metres from a US command post near the Syrian bordering city of Ayn al-Arab (known by the Syrian Kurds as "Kobane") during an ongoing operation carried out by Turkey — a …
(2019-10-15). US: White House Confirms Pence to Visit Turkey. telesurenglish.net The White House has confirmed that United States Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Ankara on Thursday to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to negotiate a cease-fire for Turkish troops in Syria. | RELATED: | Trump Prepares to Drop Sanctions Hammer on Turkey | According to Washington, the delegation "will reiterate President Trump's commitment to mainta…
(2019-10-15). Syria war: executions condemned as violence continues 'on both sides' of border with Turkey. un.org Amid ongoing fighting in northern Syria and disturbing reports that extrajudicial killings have been streamed online, the United Nations and their partners are continuing to deliver humanitarian supplies to tens of thousands of people displaced by the violence, UN agencies stressed on Tuesday.
(2019-10-15). On Trump Asking China to Investigate the Bidens. thenation.com On Trump Asking China to Investigate the Bidens…
(2019-10-15). Bernardine Evaristo Becomes 1st Black Woman to Win Booker Prize. telesurenglish.net Margaret Atwood's "The Testaments" and Bernardine Evaristo's "Girl, Woman, Other" jointly won the Booker Prize Monday in a surprise double award in which the literary prize recognized its oldest and first black women winners. | RELATED: | Toni Morrison, First Black Woman Nobel laureate, Dies at 88 | The authors will split the 50,000 pounds (US$62,800) annual…
(2019-10-15). Outrage in Texas as Police Kill Atatiana Jefferson at Home. truthout.org | | A white police officer in Fort Worth, Texas, has been arrested and charged with murder, after he shot and killed an African-American woman who was inside her own home. Officer Aaron Dean was responding to a non-emergency call for a wellness check after a neighbor had called the Fort Worth police to report that 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson's front door was open at around 2: 30 in the morning on Saturday. Soon after the officers arrived, Dean, who never identified himself to be a police officer, shouted thr…
(2019-10-15). The Unspoken History of the Holy Roman Empire. Its Germanic Origins. globalresearch.ca Christianity in its present form came into being after the eleventh century "Great Schism"(1054 AD) between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church. Before that, it used to be an exclusively Byzantine affair and most of Western Europe followed pagan …
(2019-10-15). Fort Worth, Texas police officer charged with murder after shooting woman in her home. wsws.org Atatiana Jefferson was shot through the window of her home early Saturday morning, while playing video games with her nephew.
(2019-10-15). LeBron James's Politics Stop at the Water's Edge. thenation.com LeBron James's Politics Stop at the Water's Edge…
(2019-10-15). Trump Dumps the Kurds: US and Russian Officers "Coordinate Military Movements" in Northeastern Syria. globalresearch.ca The US and Russian military officers met late last night in Al Farat, a small village north of Manbij, northeast of Aleppo, according to media 'Al Mayadeen'. | *** | The purpose of the meeting was to coordinate military movements in the …
(2019-10-15). Syria Has Restored 1554 Schools Completely Destroyed by NATO Sponsored Terrorists. globalresearch.ca Syrian Ministry of Education managed to restore and rehabilitate 1554 schools and set the plans to rehabilitate 1000 other schools achieving 90% of the current plan thus far. 10,000 teaching jobs to be added in a month from now. | In …
(2019-10-15). Cuba Announces Economic Measures to Boost National Industry. telesurenglish.net The Cuban government announced Tuesday the implementation of new economic measures aimed at domestic trade, in order to strengthen national industry and advance the country's development. | RELATED: | Cuba Manages Fuel Shortage With Venezuelan, Russian Cooperation | The information was given by Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdes Mesa along with the ministers of internal trade, foreign trade, economy, and finance. | According to Valdes, the new economic actions seek to achie…
(2019-10-15). Pence and Giuliani Won't Cooperate With Impeachment Inquiry. telesurenglish.net United States Vice President Mike Pence and Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani say they won't testify in front of the House of Representatives impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. Other government officials have not been as reluctant to cooperate. | RELATED: | Trump`s Russia Adviser Summoned To Testify On Impeachment | The Pentagon said it would not submit to lawmakers' request for documents related to Trump's effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate…
(2019-10-15). Japan Typhoon Death Toll Reaches 68. telesurenglish.net The death toll in a powerful typhoon that hit Japan over the weekend mounted to 68 Tuesday as rescue teams continued searching for at least 15 missing people. | RELATED: | Japan May Have to Dump Radioactive Water into Sea | Severe flooding by record rains brought by Hagibis, the worst typhoon to strike Japan in decades, has complicated rescue efforts and prevented t…
(2019-10-15). Rich Brazilians Pay 32 Percent Less Taxes Than G7 Rich People. telesurenglish.net The audit firm UHY International published a study showing that high income Brazilians pay 32 percent less taxes than the average observed in Germany, Canada, the U.S., France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom, countries which are all part of the G7 group, the world's most industrialized economies. | RELATED: | Lula Receives Human Rights Prize from Prison | UHY highlights that a Brazilian citizen with an annual income of US$250,000 pays only US$68,600 in taxes, which corresponds to 27.