(2019-12-28). Depleted Uranium and Radioactive Contamination in Iraq: An Overview. globalresearch.ca The amount of devastation caused by the Depleted Uranium (DU) weaponry used against Iraq during the consecutive US led wars is historically unprecedented in modern warfare. Information revealed about the 'Gulf War Syndrome' enabled Iraqi researchers to understand the nature of these weapons.
(2019-12-28). 1974 March Against Racism: 'An important experience for a young revolutionary'. workers.org 
Here are edited excerpts from a talk given by Workers World Party First Secretary Larry Holmes in Boston Dec. 14 on the 45th anniversary of the 1974 Boston March Against Racism. Larry Holmes speaking in Boston Dec. 14. I was living in New York at the time of the march, . . . | Continue reading 1974 March Against Racism: 'An important experience for a young revolutionary' at Workers.org
(2019-12-28). Oil companies were not held accountable for 10.8 million gallons of oil spilled in Gulf of Mexico. nationofchange.org Scientists predict that future storms, which will increase in intensity due to the climate crisis, will exacerbate environmental damage.
(2019-12-28). Senior Daesh/ISIS terrorist arrested in Mosul. yenisafak.com Among terrorists was a so-called senior operative responsible for the financial affairs of the terror group in Mosul, the ministry said in a statement.In mid-2014, Daesh/ISIS overran roughly one-third of Iraq, including Mosul.By late 2017, the Iraqi army — with the help of the U.S.-led military coalition — recovered most if not all the territories lost to the terrorist group.Although officials in Baghdad say Daesh/ISIS presence in the country has been largely eradicated, the terrorist group has continued to stage sporadic attacks in Iraq's Nineveh, Kirkuk, Diyala, Saladin and Anbar provinces.
(2019-12-28). Death Toll Rises in Massive Truck Bombing in Somalia. truthdig.com 
MOGADISHU, Somalia—A truck bomb exploded at a busy security checkpoint in Somalia's capital Saturday morning, killing at least 78 people including many students, authorities said. It was the worst attack in Mogadishu since the devastating 2017 bombing that killed hundreds. | The explosion ripped through rush hour as Somalia returned to work after its weekend. At least 125 people were wounded, Aamin Ambulance service director Abdiqadir Abdulrahman said, and hundreds of Mogadishu residents donated blood in response to desperate appeals. | President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed condemned the attack as a "heinous…
(2019-12-28). Christmas & New Year Music Mixes For The Activists. indybay.org For the music lovers who are activists feel free to click on the links below to download some free music from my personal stash of music for the Christmas and New Year holidays!
(2019-12-28). Energetic Solidarity with the Moms 4 Housing the Day After Christmas. indybay.org Hundreds showed up for court support at the Hayward Hall of Justice and for home defense at the Moms4Housing home on December 26. Speaking in West Oakland after the court hearing were Misty Cross and Dominique Walker of Moms for Housing, Chairman Fred Hampton Jr., and Carroll Fife.
(2019-12-28). "The Art of Survival: Enduring the Turmoil of Tule Lake" Opening Reception. indybay.org Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St. Ste 290, Oakland, CA 94607 | Located inside the Pacific Renaissance Plaza on the 2nd floor.
(2019-12-28). Fedor Emelianenko on his troubled brother Alexander: 'I pray he will finally find himself'. rt.com 
Russian MMA icon Fedor Emelianenko cited the Parable of the Prodigal Son to explain his hope that his brother may one day leave his dark past behind and "come back to life" again. | Fedor's brother Alexander has had a 16-year career as a professional fighter, but has been plagued by controversy over recent years. | His lengthy criminal record includes a conviction for the 2015 rape of his house maid, for which he received a four-and-a-half year prison sentence. | After serving his time, Emelianenko vowed to keep his life on the straight and narrow, something which he managed until March this year, when he was…
(2019-12-28). Decades-old Istanbul record store set to close its doors. yenisafak.com After decades serving Istanbul music lovers, a historic record store is shuttering its doors at the end of this year due to "family reasons.""Our adventure, which started on May 13, 1954, will end on Dec. 31, 2019," said the store's Twitter account last week, saddening its longtime customers as well as musicians and music lovers everywhere."Through Lale Plak, we've touched the souls of thousands of our friends with quality music for 65 years," it added.Located in the city's teeming Beyoglu district, the 35 square-meter (4,020-foot) store is credited with providing top-notch vinyl records and CDs to its customers.
(2019-12-28). Croatia: Right-wing Social Democrat wins first round of presidential elections. wsws.org All candidates are deeply hated and discredited among broad sections of the population. Turnout in the elections was barely 39 percent.
(2019-12-28). Housing Justice Village Arrestees Respond to Jailing by City of Oakland. indybay.org In a political show of force, the city of Oakland directed a small army of police to mass arrest and jail 22 housing rights demonstrators on November 24, for nothing more than setting up tents in front of city hall to protest the city's never ending war against the homeless. Most arrestees spent at least 24 hours in Santa Rita, and some remained jailed for over two days, on what would otherwise be a citable infraction. On December 2, arrestees held a press conference to address the city's attack and why they protested in the first place.
(2019-12-28). 'We Need to Do Everything We Can on All Fronts' – CounterSpin interview with Dorothee Benz on impeachment protests. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed organizer Dorothee Benz about impeachment protests for the December 20, 2019, episode of CounterSpin. This is a lightly edited transcript. | Media…
(2019-12-28). These Are A Few Of My Favorite Jews. commondreams.org Eugene Debs delivers an anti-war speech in Canton, Ohio on June 16, 1918. In 1920, when only 3 percent of Americans voted for Debs, the Socialist Party candidate for president, Jews gave him 38 percent of their votes. (Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/eugene-debs-1918-955px.jpg …
(2019-12-28). Mexico: Zapatista Meeting of Women Who Fight Starts in Chiapas. telesurenglish.net Around 3,200 women from all over the world are gathered in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico, to participate in the "Second International Meeting of Women who Fight," which has been convened by the Indigenous political group Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN). | RELATED: | Mexico: EZLN Announces Creation of New Rebel Municipalities | Women from countries such as Argentina, Germany, Peru, Spain, and the United States are gathered at "The Footprints of Commander Ramona" ven…
(2019-12-28). Tenant screening companies wage war on tenants with blacklists. indybay.org Tenant screening companies and landlords depend on Experian, Equinox, and TransUnion to get the information they depend on to be able to blacklist tenants all across the nation, resulting in tenants becoming homeless and living in tent cities!
(2019-12-28). 'Democratic talks to replace club interests': UNGA approves Russian-drafted resolution against cybercrime despite US opposition. rt.com 
A new resolution paving the way for experts from around the world to work together on a new treaty combating cybercrimes was passed by the UN General Assembly despite strong opposition from the US and its allies. | The document drafted jointly by Russia and 47 other nations has been adopted by the 193-member international body with 79 votes in favor and 60 votes against as well as 33 abstentions. The resolution calls on the General Assembly to form a committee of experts representing all parts of the world to "elaborate a comprehensive international convention on countering the use of information and communica…
(2019-12-28). Vietnam court sentences ex-minister to life in MobiFone corruption scandal. yenisafak.com A court in Vietnam on Saturday sentenced a former information minister to life in prison after finding him guilty of taking $3 million in bribes in connection with a controversial deal at state telecoms firm MobiFone.Nguyen Bac Son received the money to facilitate a deal in which MobiFone overpaid for a 95% stake in a loss-making pay television provider, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.The court also sentenced another former information minister, Truong Minh Tuan, to 14 years in prison, accused of economic mismanagement and taking bribes in the same case, according to the statement.MobiFone, o…
(2019-12-28). Ralph Nader on Impeachment: Democrats Should Go After Trump's Full Corruption, Not Just Ukraine. counterpunch.org 
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(2019-12-28). 'It's about Trump, not me!' Biden explains his plan to ditch Senate's subpoena in impeachment trial. rt.com 
Democratic presidential race front-runner Joe Biden said that he would snub a subpoena by the Republican-controlled Senate to testify in the impeachment trial because it would allegedly draw attention away from Donald Trump. | On Friday, Biden said he would defy an order of the US Senate to testify as a witness during the impeachment process that was started after Democrats had accused the US President of pressuring his Ukrainian counterpart to start probe into the activities of Hunter Biden who got at a cushy job at a local oil company while his father served as vice president for Barack Obama. | Also on rt.c…
(2019-12-28). Proof Oil Companies Own America's Political System. truthdig.com This article was produced in partnership with The Times-Picayune and The Advocate, which is a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network. | ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published. | In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, while stranded New Orleanians flagged down helicopters from rooftops and hospitals desperately triaged patients, crude oil silently gushed from damaged drilli…
(2019-12-28). Perfect start! Russia's Sergey Ustiugov wins first stage of FIS Tour de Ski. rt.com 
Russian cross-country skier Sergey Ustiugov got off to a perfect start at the prestigious International Ski Federation (FIS) World Cup event — Tour de Ski — confidently winning the first stage of the seven-tour event on Saturday. | The two-time world champion dominated the men's 14km freestyle mass start race in Switzerland clocking a time of 33 minutes 19.1 seconds. | READ MORE: 'I don't see anything bad in it': Russian biathlete says she'd race in lingerie | The reigning Tour de Ski champio…
(2019-12-28). WaPo's Afghan Papers Propagate Colonial Narrative of Noble Intentions Gone Awry. truthout.org In an earlier article (FAIR.org, 12/18/19) regarding the Washington Post's Afghanistan Papers ( 12/9/19), I discussed how…
(2019-12-28). "Get Up, Stand Up for Your Rights" at Demo: Justice for Killed Protesters in Iran. indybay.org 13 second video. | Photos and full text at | www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/12/26/18829250.php…
(2019-12-28). The election of Boris Johnson and the failure of Corbynism. wsws.org The Socialist Equality Party (UK) is holding public meetings on the Labour Party's general election debacle and the way forward for the working class based on the fight to build a new, genuinely socialist party.
(2019-12-28). Thousands of Koalas Feared Dead in Australia Wildfires. commondreams.org Record wildfires continue: "I think this is the single loudest alarm bell I've ever heard on global heating." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/burned-koala-anwen-955px.jpg …
(2019-12-28). Pakistan, Afghanistan reopen consulates after three months. yenisafak.com Pakistan and Afghanistan on Saturday announced the mutual resumption of visa services after a three-month diplomatic row over the alleged harassment of diplomats.In a statement on Twitter, Pakistan's Embassy in Kabul said: "Pakistan Embassy @PakEmbKabul is happy to announce that it would be resuming its full consular services with effect from Sunday, 29 December, 2019."Afghan authorities also announced the reopening of its Peshawar consulate after nearly three months closed.Tension mounted between the two countries after Afghanistan closed its consulate in Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border pr…
(2019-12-28). MSM silence on OPCW Douma scandal 'ridiculous', says journalist gagged by Newsweek after scandalous leak. rt.com 
The refusal of almost every Western media outlet to cover the leaks implicating the chemical weapons watchdog of doctoring its Syria report has become ridiculous, says a journalist who was barred from reporting it by Newsweek. | "These documents are very conclusive in what they show," Tareq Haddad told RT after the latest release of internal emails from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on Friday. The latest batch indicated an effort by the OPCW management to silence dissenting voices and cover up the very fact that there was evidence contradicting the West-favored narrative about…
(2019-12-28). Lexit would have won. Part I: How Remain lost the election. mronline.org 
In Part I ALEX BIRCH charts our defeat and how we could have won. See Part II for an examination of the politics that engineered our failure, and how to fight them. | Source
(2019-12-28). Short Film Produced By 20 Year Old Iranian Recognized At Luxor Film Festival. iranian.com twitter.com/AmmarAliQureshi/status/1210100234271023105…
(2019-12-28). Whodunit Breakfast Club. indybay.org American Youth Hostel | 312 Mason Street | San Francisco | (meet in the lobby)…
(2019-12-28). Israeli Troops Attack Non-Violent 'March of Return' Protests in Gaza. imemc.org Israeli forces attacked Palestinians taking part in the weekly 'March of Return' protests near the fence separating the Gaza Strip from Israel, leaving a number of protesters injured. This will be the last official protest until March, according to organizers in Gaza, who are temporarily suspending the weekly protests. Palestinian …
(2019-12-28). San Diego teachers notified of looming pink slips and layoffs. wsws.org Amidst the continued cuts by the Sweetwater Union High School District, teachers are beginning to speak out in defense of their jobs and the future of education.
(2019-12-28). UK Johnson government launches anti-Gypsy/Traveller/Roma measures. wsws.org Without enough authorised encampments, the proposal to allow police to seize Travellers' caravans—their homes—and destroy their property would effectively criminalise the existence of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities.
(2019-12-28). Ride's too hot? Stolen STALIN LIMO found in Moscow day after the heist. rt.com 
A luxurious, heavily-armored limousine that purportedly carried around Joseph Stalin himself was reportedly found stashed in a garage in Moscow. The armored vehicle is estimated to be worth $2.8 million. | The grand theft rocked the Russian media on Friday, when it emerged that the ZIS-115 was snatched by a crew of six from a garage in the north of Russia's capital. The suspects broke into an ordinary car shed where the limo sat and towed the 4.2-ton vehicle away. | But they apparently did not make it far. The car was recovered on Saturday in another garage in the capital, social media outlet BAZA reported.
(2019-12-28). Palestinian officials: Israeli plan on land registration proves the ICC is on the right track. imemc.org RAMALLAH, Saturday, December 28, 2019 (WAFA) — Palestinian officials said today that an Israeli plan made public by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett to enable settlers to register Palestinian lands in occupied West Bank areas classified as "C" in the land registry of the Israeli Ministry of Justice proves that the …
(2019-12-28). How $15 Billion in Bonuses Leaves Canada's Bankers Gloomy. commondreams.org The Toronto Dominion Bank (TD) held it's annual general meeting on March 26, 2015 at the John Bassett Theatre in the Metro Convention Centre. The meeting was run by President and CEOI Bharat Masrani. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/tdbank-955px.jpg …
(2019-12-28). No More NAFTA's-Rally At Feinsteins's SF Mansion To Protest USMCA-NAFTA 2.0. indybay.org 2460 Lyon St. | San Francisco…
(2019-12-28). National Guard kicks out two men with ties to white supremacy. nationofchange.org The investigation was launched after online activists published a report linking the two men to a religious sect identified as a hate group.
(2019-12-28). Exhibition at the Getty Center in Los Angeles: Kà§the Kollwitz: Prints, Process, Politics. wsws.org The Getty Center in Los Angeles is hosting an exhibition of intaglios, lithographs and woodcuts by Kà§the Kollwitz (1867-1945), one of the most renowned graphic artists from the late 19th to the mid-20th century.
(2019-12-28). I Remember (BàéRA MI' TÀTIN) screening. indybay.org Tamarack | 1501 Harrison St. | Oakland…
(2019-12-28). Thousands of Koalas Feared Dead in Australia Wildfires. truthdig.com 
PERTH, Australia—Thousands of koalas are feared to have died in a wildfire-ravaged area north of Sydney, further diminishing Australia's iconic marsupial, while the fire danger increased in the country's east on Saturday as temperatures soared. | The mid-northern coast of New South Wales was home to up to 28,000 koalas, but wildfires have significantly reduced their population in recent months. Koalas are native to Australia and are one of the country's most beloved animals, but they've been under threat due to a loss of habitat. | "Up to 30% of their habitat has been destroyed," Australia's environment min…
(2019-12-28). Oops for Google Apps? Huawei seeks an alliance with other Chinese firms to push US giant out of Asia. rt.com 
Chinese giants Huawei and Oppo plan to create an alternative to Google mobile services and seek cooperation with Indian developers. Their success may spell an end to Android's market domination in Asia, and possibly beyond. | For now, the global dominance of the Google-owned Android mobile operating system (OS) may seem to be without challenge. It comfortably holds a share amounting to a whopping 76 percent of the mobile OS market worldwide. But clouds are already gathering over the US company and, if it gets sh…
(2019-12-28). The Best 'Scheer Intelligence' Episodes of 2019. truthdig.com 
This year's top " Scheer Intelligence" episodes include conversations with Truthdig Editor in Chief Robert Scheer centering on shocking revelations about the U.S. national security state, several analyses of white supremacy and a debunking of a noxious myth behind gun control. Click on the headline to listen to the podcast and read the transcript. We Could Solve the Israel-Palestine Conflict Tomorrow | By ROBERT SCHEER | Filmmakers A…
(2019-12-28). Unhoused Wood Street Residents Deliver Demands and Holiday Care Package to Schaaf's Home. indybay.org Wood Street residents and allies personally delivered a letter of demands — and a holiday care package on behalf of unhoused folks across Oakland — to mayor Libby Schaaf at her posh Oakmore estate on December 19.
(2019-12-28). Your technology is mine! Doctor sues Apple over Apple Watch heart rate monitoring method. rt.com 
The technology that an Apple Watch uses to detect heartbeat irregularities violates a patent held by a New York University cardiologist, he has alleged in a lawsuit filed against the tech giant. | Dr. Joseph Wiesel asked a federal court in Brooklyn to order Apple to pay damages, claiming the company is violating his rights "with knowledge and understanding". | According to court papers, Dr. Wiesel invented a method and device for detecting atrial fibrillation, using photoplethysmography to "assess w…
(2019-12-28). Moms 4 Housing Declare Intention to Remain After Eviction Notice. indybay.org On December 3, Moms for Housing received an eviction notice from "fix and flip" company Wedgewood LLC, a self-described "leading acquirer of distressed residential real estate." On December 6, Moms for Housing and allies held a press conference on the front steps of 2928 Magnolia Street in West Oakland, declaring that they intend to remain in their new home.
(2019-12-28). A Year In Review: Will 2020 Be A Game Changer In Palestine? imemc.org by Ramzy Baroud This has been a defining year for Palestine and Israel. Despite the usual political stagnation of the Palestinian leadership, two factors contributed to making 2019 particularly eventful and, looking ahead, consequential as well: The unprecedented political power struggle in Israel, and the total US retreat from its …
(2019-12-28). Mass protests continue in Tamil Nadu against Indian government's communalist citizenship laws. wsws.org Thousands of Tamil Nadu residents demonstrate across the south Indian state in defiance of government and police repression.
(2019-12-28). In 2020, Live Your Prayer. commondreams.org Stacy Bannerman, foreground, second from right, a peace activist married to a National Guard soldier who fought in Iraq, has written about unusual relationship between warrior and anti-war activist in Washington, DC, on Saturday, May 13, 2006. (Photo by Nikki Kahn/The The Washington Post via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/stacy-bannerman-955px.jpg …
