(2020-01-27). Czech soldiers to join France's counter-terror mission in Africa — govt. rt.com 
The Czech government on Monday approved a plan by its ministry of defense to deploy up to 60 troops as part of France's counter-terrorism mission in Africa. The service members will join Operation Barkhane, France's largest overseas military mission, AP reports. | It has been working to root out Islamic militants roaming the Sahel region. The government said Mali, Niger and Chad have all approved the Czech deployment. | However, the plan to deploy Czech forces in the mission until the end of 2022 needs parliamentary approval. The Czechs already have some 120 military personnel in Mali as a part of a European U…
(2020-01-27). US to Grant $35 Million to Promote Its "Fake News Bubble" in Syria and Control Local Media. globalresearch.ca Although Western media has a shoddy track record of lying on Syria (and Libya, Iraq…), the US State Department will pump $35 million more into future war propaganda on Syria, under the guise of promoting honest reporting. | A US State …
(2020-01-27). French Foreign Minister Hopes US Will Have 'Good Sense' to Not Withdraw Support in Sahel. sputniknews.com The French Foreign Ministry on 20 January said that Paris considers the swift implementation of the commitments made at the Libya conference in Berlin a priority in terms of restoring peace to the North African nation.
(2020-01-27). Headlines for January 27, 2020. democracynow.org Impeachment Trial Resumes as Leaked Bolton Manuscript Bolsters Democrats' Case, Coronavirus Death Toll Reaches 81 in China as Disease Spreads Around the World, Pentagon: 34 U.S. Troops Have Brain Injuries After Iranian Attack on Iraqi Airbase, Deadly Crackdown on Iraqi Protests Continue as 100,000s March Against U.S. Military Presence, Turkey Earthquake Kills 38; At Least 1,600 Hospitalized, Ugandan Activist Vanessa Nakate Slams Racist Media After Being Cropped from Photo with White Activists, Trump Attends Anti-Abortion "March for Life" as Admin Continues Assault on Reproductive Rights, High-Ranking Pharma Exec…
(2020-01-27). Turkish TV show raises $8.6M for quake victims. yenisafak.com A Turkish television host raised 51 million Turkish liras ($8.6 million) for Friday's earthquake victims in a live campaign on his show which went on for five hours.Death toll from the 6.8-magnitude earthquake which hit the eastern Turkish city of Elazig reached 39 on Monday with more than a thousand injured.Acun Ilicali, who is also a TV producer and owner of TV8 channel, asked citizens in his show on Sunday to donate through direct money transfers or via text-to-donate messages. Each message made a contribution of 10 liras ($1.7).Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu joined the TV show by phone from Algeria, where…
(2020-01-27). Protests against Gambia president bring 137 arrests, multiple injuries. yenisafak.com Gambian police arrested 137 people and more than two dozen were injured as protests calling for President Adama Barrow to honour a pledge to step down after three years in office turned violent for the first time, the government said.Barrow came to power after a 2016 election, ending 22 years of authoritarian rule by Yahya Jammeh. But he has reneged on his campaign promise to step down by this month, saying the constitution requires him to serve out a full five-year term.In response, a movement called "Three Years Jotna" – which means "enough" in the local Wolof language – began protesting last month to demand hi…
(2020-01-27). Germany seeks UN resolution to enforce Libya cease-fire. yenisafak.com Germany on Monday urged UN Security Council members to adopt a resolution on Libya to stop continuing military attacks and violations of arms embargo in the war-torn country.Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas deplored violations of the cease-fire despite pledges made by conflict parties and regional actors at the Berlin Conference on Jan. 19."The cease-fire has been a very fragile one so far, and thus it will be important now to make sure that the UN Security Council endorses what we agreed in Berlin with a resolution," he said, referring to the talks at the UN scheduled f…
(2020-01-27). Somali woman promotes peace through art. yenisafak.com A famous young female Somali painter is speaking through her paintings across Somalia, and people are noticing. | Nujuum Hashi Ahmed's paintings are about the day to day life of the common Somali citizen. Her paintings are about peace, an end to the conflict in the country and a Somalia where there is abundant food and prosperity. | Her art studio is located in her small apartment in the capital Mogadishu. She spends most of her time painting and notes that for her, the scariest thing in life is an empty canvas. | One can see a partly done canvas board resting against the wall and containers of paint on the floor…
(2020-01-27). Turkey condemns terrorist attack in Mali. yenisafak.com Turkey on Monday condemned a terrorist attack in Mali that killed at least 20 soldiers."We are saddened to receive the news that many soldiers lost their lives and injured in a terrorist attack on the Sokolo military camp in the Segou region of Mali," Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement."We condemn this attack. We extend our sincere condolences to the brotherly people and Government of Mali as well as to the families and relatives of those who lost their lives and speedy recovery to the injured," the statement added.Earlier, at least 20 Malian soldiers were killed when armed men attacked an army base in…
(2020-01-26). Fighting Rages as Libya Force Pushes Toward Key Western City. truthdig.com CAIRO — Officials from Libya's two rival governments said fighting erupted Sunday as the country's east-based forces advanced toward the strategic western city of Misrata, further eroding a crumbling cease-fire agreement brokered earlier this month. | The clashes came just hours after the United Nations decried "continued blatant violations" of an arms embargo on Libya by several unspecified countries. The violations fly in the face of recent pledges to respect the embargo made by world powers
(2020-01-26). Colombia: Ex-FARC Member and Peace Deal Signatory Assassinated. telesurenglish.net Former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) member and peace agreement signatory John Freddy Vargas was murdered Saturday after attending a meeting in a church in Huila. | RELATED: | Vargas, 42, was shot multiple times while he was on a motorcycle with his girlfriend, after the meeting with officials from the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN). | "The event took place when the victim was ridin…
(2020-01-25). Cropping out a Black climate activist from a press photo was no accident. thecanary.co 
The Associated Press (AP) has come under fire for Vanessa Nakate, a 23-year-old climate activist from Uganda, was heartbroken by the incident, as she told It showed how we are valued. It hurt me a lot. It is the worst thing I have e…
(2020-01-24). The Long History of Elite Rule: What Will It Take To End It? counterpunch.org Elites have ruled over people and commanded the surplus produced by their labor for many millennia. It is this long history we have to contend with in today's crisis of capitalism that has produced endless wars and environmental catastrophes as corporate billionaire rulers continue to promote business as usual while preparing to fight each other with armed forces and nuclear weapons. This has all been "normalized."
(2020-01-24). FROM THE FIELD: Niger supporting the most vulnerable, as crises mount. news.un.org The number of people requiring humanitarian assistance in Niger, a country which the UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, says is "being assaulted on all fronts", is expected to increase in 2020.
(2020-01-24). President plans to expand travel ban to more countries. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – The Wall Street Journal reported this week that President Trump wants to expand his travel ban to Nigeria, Sudan, Belarus, Myanmar, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan and Eritrea. January 27 will be the third anniversary of Trump's first executive order, which was his first attempt at a Muslim ban. AP, BuzzFeed, CNN and other media outlets have previously reported that the White House could announce a dramatic expansion of the ban on or around that date. | The MN Anti-War Committee organized multiple protests, including one of 15,000 people in downtown Minneapolis in January 2017, to protest the Trump's Musli…
(2020-01-23). "The New Colossus": In New Play, Tim Robbins Tackles Immigration & Xenophobia. democracynow.org 
President Trump said Wednesday that he would expand his highly controversial travel ban, which already bars citizens from seven countries, most of which have Muslim-majority populations — Libya, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, North Korea and Venezuela — from entering the United States. Politico reports that the expanded ban could implement immigration restrictions on seven more countries: Belarus, Burma, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania, according to two sources. We speak with acclaimed actor, director and activist Tim Robbins, whose recent work has focused on immigration to the United S…
(2020-01-22). 'Obvious malicious intent': Tulsi Gabbard hits Clinton with defamation suit over 'Russian asset' smear. rt.com 
Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard is suing two-time White House runner-up Hillary Clinton over her claim that Gabbard was a "Russian asset," alleging that the lie hurt not just her campaign but the entire election. | Clinton "lied about her perceived rival Tulsi Gabbard… publicly, unambiguously, and with obvious malicious intent" when she claimed Gabbard was "the favorite of the Russians," the campaign alleges in the
(2020-01-21). Joint UN-Congolese strategy needed to address insecurity following deadly attacks. news.un.org Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the UN peacekeeping operation in the country, MONUSCO, are being urged to develop a comprehensive joint strategy to address insecurity in Beni territory, located in the east.