(2019-12-23). UAE uses chat app to spy on users: Report. yenisafak.com The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is using a messaging app that has been downloaded to millions of phones to track users' activities and spy on their talks, The New York Times reported on Monday.Citing U.S. officials, the U.S. newspaper said the Gulf state is using the chat app to track every conversation, movement, relationship, appointment, sound and image of those who install it on their phones.The NY Times said the ToTok chat app amounts to be the latest escalation in a digital arms race among wealthy authoritarian governments.According to the newspaper, the chat app was introduced only months ago, and was downl…
(2019-12-23). Crissed off: Dejected Cristiano Ronaldo removes loser's medal immediately after his incredible run of victories in finals ends. rt.com 
Cristiano Ronaldo tasted defeat in a final for the first time since 2014 as his Juventus team were beaten by Lazio in the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. | Juve went down 3-1 to their Rome-based rivals, with Luis Alberto's opener for Lazio being cancelled out by Paulo Dybala on the stroke of half time before Senad Lulic and Danilo Cataldi sealed the win for Lazio in the second half. | For Ronaldo, 34, it was a first defeat in a final since 2014 when he lost the two-legged Spanish Super Cup while playing for Real Madrid against rivals Atletico. | Clearly unaccustomed to losing, Ronaldo showed his disdain on…
(2019-12-23). Indo-Pak Nuclear Confrontation: First Use Policy and the Race Towards Armageddon (Part Two). counterpunch.org Click here to read Part One. Quixotic Plans In the background of the persistent attempts to change the NFU policy, one may also focus attention on what may be termed as policies for facing…
(2019-12-23). Turkey's Asyaport gets new $12M loan from European Bank. yenisafak.com "Turkey's key trans-shipment hub Asyaport will increase its capacity and improve efficiency with a new $12 million loan by the EBRD," the statement said.It added that the funds will co-finance the acquisition and installation of energy-efficient electric ship-to-shore cranes, electric rubber-tired gantry cranes and terminal tractors.The new equipment will help raise the port's berth and yard capacity during peak hours and drop vessel turnaround times, leading to more efficient handling of regional trans-shipment and domestic container traffic from industrial zones in Turkey's northwestern Tekirdag area.The EBRD's…
(2019-12-23). Basta FridayWeekly Save Chelsea from Torture and Death Vigil&Music. indybay.org Fruitvale &MacArthur oakland 94602…
(2019-12-23). San Francisco Action In Support Of French Strikers. indybay.org Photo: Leon Kunstenaar | Extent of Macron's attack on working class revealed. | For labor, its getting personal against him.
(2019-12-23). The Democrats' Scarlet Letter Strategy. counterpunch.org House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has evidently decided not to turn over the articles of impeachment to the Senate until Congress resumes its work January 7. Some observers think that's a mistake that will cost Democrats on Election Day. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell seems to think so too, believing the longer the Democrats hold out, More
(2019-12-23). Exonerate the Innocent; Incarcerate the Guilty. counterpunch.org The U.S. "justice" system, first and foremost, protects police and prosecutors. The Supreme Court has held that while cops have only limited immunity from lawsuits, prosecutors enjoy what's known as absolute immunity for their conduct under most circumstances. Only in the most extreme cases of abuse — including killings and with bodycam videos as evidence — do police get arrested and prosecuted. Still less are prosecutors prosecuted for questionable, if not illegal, practices. More
(2019-12-23). Indian state intensifies repression of mass protests against anti-Muslim citizenship law. wsws.org At least 25 people have been killed during the protests, which have touched all parts of the country, against the Hindu supremacist BJP government.
(2019-12-23). This week in history: December 23-29. wsws.org 25 years ago: Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi resignsOn December 23, 1994, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi resigned rather than see his government fall to a no-confidence resolution introduced by several opposition parties. Berlusconi's three-party coalition of his personal political party Forza Italia, the right-wing separatist Northern League, and the neofascist National Alliance, lost its majority in the lower house when Northern League leader Umberto Bossi announced he would introduce his own no-confidence resolution.
(2019-12-23). Uber continues operations in Colombia despite 'immediate' suspension order. colombiareports.com Colombia's authorities ordered Uber to immediately cease activities in Colombia on Friday, but without effect. The taxi service continued normally. A judge at the Superintendency for Industry and Commerce (SIC)…
(2019-12-23). Ankara and Moscow to discuss Syrian migrants, Libya conflict. yenisafak.com A Turkish delegation will travel to Moscow on Monday to discuss Syria and Libya, areas where the nations have some opposing views, for talks that President Tayyip Erdogan said would determine Turkey's course of action in the region.Erdogan said on Sunday more than 80,000 civilians were migrating from the northwestern Syrian region of Idlib to Turkey, after Russian and Syrian forces intensified their air strikes in the area. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to recapture Idlib.The Turkish delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal, visits Moscow weeks before Russian President Vladimir Putin's p…
(2019-12-23). Women's March Napa Valley 2020. indybay.org Veterans Memorial Park, on Main Street between 1st & 2nd Streets, Napa 94559 | Route: march will go down 2nd, left at School St, left on 3rd…
(2019-12-23). SPECIAL REPORT: Iran's leader ordered crackdown on unrest: 'Do whatever it takes to end it'. yenisafak.com After days of protests across Iran last month, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared impatient. Gathering his top security and government officials together, he issued an order: Do whatever it takes to stop them.That order, confirmed by three sources close to the supreme leader's inner circle and a fourth official, set in motion the bloodiest crackdown on protesters since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.About 1,500 people were killed during less than two weeks of unrest that started on Nov. 15. The toll, provided to Reuters by three Iranian interior ministry officials, included at least 17 teenagers and a…
(2019-12-23). BBC accused of pro-Tory propaganda during UK general election. wsws.org According to a recent YouGov poll, just 44 percent of Britons trust BBC news journalists to tell the truth.
(2019-12-23). British prisons plagued by ISIS-supporting extremists, who hold Sharia trials, groom inmates — report. rt.com 
Islamist extremists interned in Britain's prisons preside over Sharia trials and prey on young Muslims in hopes of radicalizing them, the Times of London has reported. | A former prisoner at HMP Woodhill, in Milton Keynes, told the paper that he had been recruited by a group of inmates that pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). According to his account, the prison had its own self-appointed "emir," who oversa…
(2019-12-23). River Otters on the Rise: Monitoring, Research and Results Presentation. indybay.org Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401…
(2019-12-23). 2020 Citizens' Climate Lobby Northern CA Regional Conference, Day 2. indybay.org Oakland Technical High School, 4351 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611…
(2019-12-23). 'Avoid rumors & know the truth': India's ruling party kick-starts social media campaign to calm Muslims over citizenship act. rt.com 
Prime Minister Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has launched an awareness-raising campaign on social media to quell misperceptions about the hotly-debated citizenship act that critics say discriminates against Muslims. | The outreach effort, which started this weekend, aims to engage Indian Muslim communities by informing them about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). | Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already made an appeal through Twitter "to our Muslim brothers and sisters to first understand the CAA itself and then explain it to others." Responsible citizens…
(2019-12-23). Trump, Brexit: Where's the Backlash? counterpunch.org I dutifully got a shot this winter to inoculate myself against four different flu viruses. By exposing myself to weakened strains of these diseases, and preemptively suffering some mild flu symptoms, I can ward off the more serious consequences of a full-on infection and do my part to help stop the further spread of these More
(2019-12-23). Jailed for serious charges, S.African king released. yenisafak.com A local South African monarch who had been serving a prison term on several charges, including kidnapping and arson, was released from prison on Monday, his spokesman confirmed.Mthunzi Ngonyama told local media that King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo was released in the early morning and is now a free man.Dalindyebo, a nephew of late South African President Nelson Mandela, was sentenced to 15 years behind bars in December 2015 after he was convicted by a high court in the Eastern Cape province for kidnapping, assault, arson, and homicide.The release followed an announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa last week that he…
(2019-12-23). The End of Human Rights. thenation.com The End of Human Rights…
(2019-12-23). How the Pro-War "Left" Fell for the Kurds in Syria. dissidentvoice.org The October decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to withdraw American troops from northeastern Syria did not only precipitate the Turkish offensive, codenamed 'Operation Peace Spring', into Kurdish-held territory which followed. It also sparked an outcry of hysteria from much of the so-called "left" that has been deeply divided during the 8-year long conflict over …
(2019-12-23). Impeachment Indicts Both Parties and Clarifies Our Tasks for 2020. dissidentvoice.org 
The Democratic Party's electoral strategy of impeaching Donald Trump is backfiring. Before impeachment, Trump was losing to each of the leading Democrats, but the latest USA Today/Suffolk University poll finds for the first time Trump defeating all of the leading Democratic candidates. Gallup reports that Trump's approval has risen by six points since the launch of the impeachment inquiry. …
(2019-12-23). 3,000 Billion Dollars into the Bottomless Well of Afghanistan. globalresearch.ca In the London Declaration, the 29 member countries of NATO reaffirmed "the engagement for the security and long-term stability of Afghanistan". One week later, on the basis of the Freedom of Information Act, (used to empty a number of aging …
(2019-12-23). Corporate Media and 'Moderate' Democrats Are Defending the Oligarchy Against Bernie Sander. indybay.org Seeking "a more positive future" for the wealthy…
(2019-12-23). Ukraine, Privatization, Corruption And The Republicrats. indybay.org San Francisco Main Library | Latino-Hispanic Community Room | 100 Larkin St. At Market St. | San Francisco…
(2019-12-23). Indian premier Modi set to lose Jharkhand election. yenisafak.com India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to lose power in the eastern state of Jharkhand.According to the latest data by the Election Commission of India on Monday, the main opposition Indian National Congress party — along with its regional allies Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Rashtriya Janata Dal — is leading the polls with 44 seats in 81-member state assembly.The BJP has gained 26 seats so far, according to figures released by the Election Commission.The defeat for the ruling BJP in the state would be a major setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it would mean that people voted against his polic…
(2019-12-23). Algerian army chief Ahmed Gaed Salah dies. yenisafak.com Algeria's powerful army chief Ahmed Gaed Salah has died, the private Ennahar television reported on Monday, at a time of bitter political divisions over the military's dominant role in the major energy exporter.Africa's largest country has been riven by mass protests since February demanding a wholesale change in the ruling elite, including that the army step back from politics.
(2019-12-23). Slingshot issue 131 article Deadline and first reading. indybay.org Long Haul infoshop – 3124 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley – 510 540 0751 – corner of Shattuck and Woolsey across from La Pena – 2 blocks from Ashby BART…
(2019-12-23). UN clashes with Colombia over cop who admittedly killed peaceful protester. colombiareports.com The United Nations has questioned a court decision to let the country's notoriously ineffective military justice system prosecute a cop who admittedly killed a protester. According to the UN's 'human…
(2019-12-23). We Need Your Support to Support Each Other. indybay.org Please help spread the word to your friends and allies who also use our services. #Love4RiseupNet…
(2019-12-23). Michael L. Cantor mocks the artwork of the Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificates. indybay.org In a shocking email further below, Michael L. Cantor, director of FE Partners LLC, the owner of the former Presidential Yacht Sequoia, mocks the artwork of the Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificates with condescension and derision towards the much coveted historical Yacht Sequoia Cruise Certificates!
(2019-12-23). 'Baby Yoda vibes': Aussie firefighters warm hearts with VIRAL pics of rescued koalas. rt.com 
Australia's east coast continues to be ravaged by the bushfires which have plagued the country for several weeks, but out of the doom and gloom have come some heartwarming photos of firefighters rescuing wildlife. | Offering a small glimmer of hope during the holiday season, professional and volunteer firefighters have been sharing images of their small, and often cute and furry triumphs, as they wrest adorable koalas from the blazing infernos which are consuming their habitats. | On Sunday, Eden Hills Country Fire Service shared this heartwarming image of a koala approaching one of their firefighters for help…
(2019-12-23). 2019 Sacramento Kwanzaa Pan African Unity. indybay.org Rancho Cordova Library Community Room | Sacramento, California…
(2019-12-23). In Praise of Home Delivery Culture. counterpunch.org Writing at Reason magazine, Liz Wolfe lauds home delivery culture — the increasing tendency of Americans to Netflix and chill while relying on Amazon Prime, Instacart, Grubhub, and other services to drop the goods we consume off on our front porches. Wolfe nails some of the individual benefits, and beneficiaries, of this "late-stage capitalism" phenomenon. More
(2019-12-23). In midst of impeachment, Pelosi honors Trump with State of the Union invitation. wsws.org The move makes clear that, despite the bitter foreign policy differences at the heart of the impeachment drive, the two parties of American capitalism are united on fundamental issues.
(2019-12-23). The Right to Healthy Food: Poisoned with Pesticides. dissidentvoice.org Environmentalist Dr Rosemary Mason has just written an open letter addressed to three senior officials in Britain: John Gardiner, Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the British government; Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England; and Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health and …
(2019-12-23). The New Yorker editor & Iraq war peddler gets called out after lamenting Trump supporters do not believe 'facts' about impeachment. rt.com 
The New Yorker's editor has said our planet's future, no less, depends on President Donald Trump's removal, voicing dismay not everybody is falling for the "facts." He was swiftly reminded about pushing lies about Iraq, however. | Speaking to Brian Stelter, host of CNN's Reliable Sources, on Sunday, The New Yorker magazine editor-in-chief David Remnick has argued an apocalypse is imminent unless Americans band together to ouster US President Donald Trump from office through the impeachment process. | "The stakes here are immense, it's not just about the political future of one man — Donald Trump, it's abo…
(2019-12-23). 'When will this nonsense stop?' Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger speaks out following alleged racist abuse at Tottenham. rt.com 
Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has issued a statement decrying the rise of racism in the English game after he was allegedly the target of monkey chants during his side's win at London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. | London's Metropolitan Police have confirmed that an investigation is underway into the matter after Rudiger appeared to confront sections of the Tottenham support and suggest that he had been the victim of racist abuse, imitating a monkey gesture. | Writing on social media after the game, Rudiger outlined that there is no place for this type of behavior in the sport and said that it is imp…
(2019-12-23). Explosion at Illinois silicone manufacturing facility entirely preventable. wsws.org The findings of the Chemical Safety Hazard Investigation Board report demonstrate that AB Specialty Silicones is responsible for the deaths by willful negligence.
(2019-12-23). Buffy Sainte Marie Truthtelling Indigenous Genocide. indybay.org Buffy Sainte Marie described the genocide, slavery, murder and rape of Indigenous Peoples, that the kings and queens, military, churches and banks are responsible for, speaking with AIM West's Tony Gonzales, during the 50th Anniversary of the Occupation of Alcatraz.
(2019-12-23). No Way To Treat A Child: Mistreatment and Persecution of Palestinian Children. indybay.org Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco | 1187 Franklin St. @ Geary | San Francisco…
(2019-12-23). Canada: Alberta Conservatives' austerity drive to exacerbate social crisis. wsws.org Threats of a "general strike" from a few union bureaucrats are bluster aimed at containing and defusing mounting working-class hostility to the provincial government.
(2019-12-23). Israel's political impasse ahead of third election in a year. wsws.org Netanyahu and his right-wing and ultra-orthodox partners need to secure 61 seats in the Knesset to form a right-wing government that could give him immunity from prosecution.
(2019-12-23). Iranian Airline to Lease Brazilian Embraer Planes. iranian.com An Iranian airline is going to lease three Brazilian-made 'Embraer' passenger planes from an Asian country, a top official said. Speaking to Tasnim, CEO of Kish Airlines, Farzaneh Sharafbafi, said her company has plans to boost its fleet of passenger planes by leasing aircraft from the foreign countries. She also noted that plans have been …
(2019-12-23). US sanctions against Nord Stream 2 is 'intimidation policy,' Lavrov says, promises reaction. rt.com 
By imposing sanctions on the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the US demonstrated that its diplomacy is aimed at intimidating the opponent, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. | Washington has once again demonstrated that its diplomacy "comes down primarily to intimidation by various methods — sanctions, ultimatums, and threats," Lavrov told the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament. | "When the closest allies are punished for solving their economic problems, tasks related to energy security, I think that no country in the world should ever doubt that if the US pr…
(2019-12-23). China to cut import tariffs on some 850 products starting January after trade deal 'breakthrough'. rt.com 
China's finance ministry has announced that it would lower or nix import tariffs on a range of products to "optimize" the country's trade structure and spur economic development. The new rules start coming into effect next month. | The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced the changes to Beijing's tariff policy on Monday, releasing a plan "to adjust" import tariffs on some of the commodities. | The list includes over 850 products, such as frozen pork and frozen avocado, for which the i…
(2019-12-23). The Politics of Trump's Impeachment. counterpunch.org Several features stand out in the impeachment quest against President Donald J. Trump. There is constitutional discourse as mythology and fetish. There is outrage that the executive office could have been used to actually investigate political opponents through foreign agents. There is cattiness over whether the conduct of the president veered into the territory of More
(2019-12-23). Rise Up Singing Holiday Potluck. indybay.org Avalon Visions | 2815 Porter Street, Soquel, CA 95073…