US Presidential elections: Bloomberg viewed as having best chance to beat Trump in betting market analysis - by Kaelan Deese

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is viewed as the Democrat most likely to defeat President Trump if nominated, according to a newly released betting market analysis.

However, the analysis from researchers at Standard Chartered Bank, first reported by CNBC, also found that Bloomberg is viewed as having a 10 percent chance of winning the Democratic nomination.

"Our interpretation of online market pricing is that Bloomberg is viewed as having the highest chance among Democrats of beating Trump if nominated. But his nomination probabilities are currently running just over 10 percent," the study states.

The research shows that among the top-polling candidates, Bloomberg and former Vice President Joe Biden are the two candidates viewed as having the highest chances of winning given perceptions about how friendly they would be for asset markets.

"Among investors, Bloomberg and Biden are probably viewed as the most asset-market friendly among the Democratic candidates, so their greater implied electability may be why US assets are not showing more stress," the researchers wrote.

Bloomberg, who is self-funding his campaign, has not appeared in the Democratic debates since launching his campaign in late November, as he has failed to meet the donor threshold set by the Democratic National Committee. Still, he has polled near the middle of the primary field.

The former mayor has spent more than $200 million on his campaign so far and has said he may spend up to $1 billion to defeat Trump, even if he is not the nominee.

Read more at: Bloomberg viewed as having best chance to beat Trump in betting market analysis | TheHill

Middle East: EU-Israel Relations: Surge in Israeli demolition of EU-funded buildings - by Andrew Rettman

EU losing patience with Israel

Israel has sped up demolitions of EU-funded and Palestinian structures in the West Bank amid hawkish talk on taking over the territory.

It wrecked or seized 97 structures worth some €480,000 in the area last year which had been built using EU or member states' funds - a 90 percent increase on the year before, according to internal EU figures seen by EUobserver.

It also demolished 35 percent more Palestinian structures and displaced 95 percent more Palestinian people in the West Bank and East Jerusalem than in 2018.

And the trend is set to continue this year, if Israel's right-wing defence minister, Naftali Bennet, gets his way.

"The state of Israel will do everything to ensure that these territories will be part of the state of Israel," he said at an event in Jerusalem last week, referring to Area C, a vast swathe of the West Bank which belongs to Palestine, the UN says, but which remains under Israeli military jurisdiction since Israel conquered it in 1967.

"We are not at the United Nations," he said, according to Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post.

"We are embarking on a real and immediate battle for the future of the land of Israel and the future of Area C," he added.

But the EU foreign service said: "Demolitions and seizures of humanitarian assets are contrary to Israel's obligations under international law".

"Our focus remains on the halt of the demolitions, confiscations, and of settlement construction and expansion and on the humanitarian protection of the most vulnerable populations," it added.

"On a number of occasions, often in coordination with the EU member states, the EU has called for the restitution and/or compensation of EU-funded humanitarian assets which have been demolished, dismantled, or confiscated by Israel," it also said.

The EU, Germany, France, and the UK issued statements condemning the latest surge in Israeli settlements in the region on 9 January.

The West Bank and Gaza are meant to form a future Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as a shared capital with Israel, according to the EU and UN formula for ending the decades-old Arab-Israeli conflict.

But Israeli settlers, more than 630,000 of whom have moved to the conquered lands since 1967, have already broken up the West Bank into small cantons, making the two-state solution look increasingly less possible.

And recent US policy U-turns - moving its embassy to Jerusalem and saying that the Israeli settlements were not illegal - have also harmed EU conflict resolution.

"Israel's settlement policy seriously undermines the viability of the two-state solution and the prospect for a lasting peace," the EU foreign service said.

The Israeli mission to the EU did not respond to EUobserver's questions. 

Read more at: Surge in Israeli demolition of EU-funded buildings

China-US Trade Deal Opinion: Trump's trade deal with China ignores the big picture (and is self-serving re: impeachment) - by Lindsay Gorman

By many counts, the trade deal President Trump signed on Wednesday with China lacks heft. It doesn’t remove all the tariffs, it doesn’t impose any major penalties on intellectual property theft, and it punts completely on issues including China’s state subsidies to prop up its own companies in international markets.

Yet on one matter, the agreement could dramatically alter the U.S.-China relationship and the future of global democracy.

China isn’t any nation. It’s a high-tech superpower deeply embedded in the global economy. And as documented extensively by a variety of organizations including Freedom House and Human Rights Watch, China’s authoritarian government exploits economic ties and uses the technology it develops and acquires to control its own population and to extend its power abroad.

Some 63 countries and counting have bought Chinese-made artificial intelligence surveillance equipment. This technology has been deployed by the Chinese government to control the Uighurs through a sophisticated network of facial recognition cameras, GPS trackers, DNA checkpoints, and online-behavior monitoring on a 24-hour basis.

Outside of Xinjiang, 200 million cameras watch China’s population. In some schools, children wear GPS and facial-recognition-enabled uniforms designed to keep them in line. And beyond China’s borders, its companies sell tracking and monitoring set-ups to authoritarian police forces worldwide. With these purchases comes training on how to identify threats by studying the walking gait of an individual in a series of video camera frames, or through “public opinion guidance,” which uses artificial intelligence to monitor citizens’ speech. In short, this is the technological grounding for 21st century authoritarianism.

Unfortunately, China’s own actions make a return to the post-trade-war status quo unlikely. In addition to its high-tech-driven human rights abuses, Beijing is actively working to undermine democracies worldwide using social media disinformation campaigns in Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as through state-funded traditional media beyond the Chinese-speaking world.

The new trade agreement will not resolve strains in the U.S.-China relationship — nor should it. This tension is grounded in the profound ideological differences between democracy and the Chinese Communist Party’s model of repression that it is disseminating around the world. If the United States treats this trade truce as a reset for the broader relationship, it would be tacitly accepting China’s abuses and its efforts to promote their spread.

Note EU-Digest: let us also not forget that Trump in order to distract public attention from his own troubles re: impeachment, is using  every avenue at his disposal to shore-up his popularity and that includes this very nebulous trade agreement with the Chinese.

Read more: Opinion: Trump's trade deal with China ignores the big picture - Los Angeles Times

The Netherlands: Solar park taking shape along 40 km of road in the Netherlands – by Emiliano Bellini

The Dutch water management agency plans to install solar panels along both sides of the A37 highway in Drenthe province, as well as on the median strip, to cover 300 hectares in total. The project is part of a plan to build projects on state land, as the domestic PV industry continues to search for alternative surfaces on which to deploy solar.

The agency is now holding meetings with the Drenthe provincial government and the municipalities of Coevorden, Emmen, and Hoogeveen – as well as network operator Enexis Groep and distribution system operator Rendo – to discuss how the solar park will be developed.

The project, which is part of a government program to build renewable energy pilot projects on state land, will involve the installation of PV modules along either side of a 40-kilometer (25 miles) stretch of the highway, in addition to solar panels on the median strip between the two lanes. The project will span roughly 300 hectares in total, and will be built without having a strong visual impact on the surrounding landscape, Rijkswaterstaat explained. The agency conducted a preliminary spatial exploration study for the project in 2016.

Read more: Solar park taking shape along 40 km of road in the Netherlands – pv magazine International

USA: Trump has ‘discredited the American experiment:’ Robert Kennedy Jr.

In a newly released interview with Yahoo Finance, activist and environmental lawyer Robert Kennedy Jr. asserted that President Donald Trump has tarnished the reputation of the U.S. around the world.

The criticism from Kennedy Jr., a nephew of President John F. Kennedy, came in response to a question from Yahoo Finance Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer regarding his view on whether it’s a “good or bad thing” that Trump has so many family members working with him.

Kennedy Jr. belongs to another notable American family deeply involved in politics — his father, Robert Kennedy, served as attorney general under his brother, JFK, before Lyndon Johnson signed a law interpreted as barring presidents from appointing relatives to their Cabinet.

While Trump doesn’t have any family members in his Cabinet, his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, both serve as senior advisers. Kennedy Jr., however, says it’s not a “good thing or a bad thing” that Trump has family members with him in the White House.

“I don’t think that’s the problem with the president,” he said. “I think the problem is, number one, he is a bully. And you know, I don't like bullies. And I don't think ... that that's part of America's tradition. I think, in many ways, he's discredited the American experiment with self-governance.”

Kennedy Jr. made the comments during a conversation that aired in an episode of Yahoo Finance’s “Influencers with Andy Serwer,” a weekly interview series with leaders in business, politics, and entertainment.

Read more at: Trump has ‘discredited the American experiment:’ Robert Kennedy Jr.

Automobile industry: Exclusive: Volkswagen to buy 20% of Chinese battery maker Guoxuan amid electric push

VW Hatchback electric

Volkswagen AG is set to take a 20% stake in Chinese electric vehicle battery maker Guoxuan High-tech Co Ltd, two sources told Reuters, as the German firm accelerates its electric push into the world’s largest auto market.

The deal would mark Volkswagen’s first direct ownership in a Chinese battery maker and comes as the Wolfsburg-based automaker strives to meet a goal of selling 1.5 million new energy vehicles (NEVs) a year in China by 2025, including plug-in hybrid cars.

The top foreign automaker in China plans to acquire the stake in Shenzhen-listed Guoxuan via a discounted private share placement in the coming weeks, the two sources with knowledge of the matter said. Based on Guoxuan’s market capitalization of $2.8 billion, a 20% stake in the company at present is worth about $560 million.

The deal’s details have been mostly finalized and the two firms are waiting for new Chinese regulatory rules on private share placements that will provide a more flexible pricing mechanism and shorter lock-up periods for majority shareholders, said one of the people, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Read more: Exclusive: Volkswagen to buy 20% of Chinese battery maker Guoxuan amid electric push - sources - Reuters

Panama - Religion: 'Repent or die': Panama religious sect kills seven in bizarre ritual

Ten members of evangelical ‘New Light of God’ group arrested as bodies of six indigenous children and one adult found

Read more at:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/16/panama-burial-pit-children-exorcisms-religious-sect?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Add_to_Firefox

France: Far-right Marine Le Pen to run for president again.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen has confirmed that she will run for president for a third time in an effort to defeat incumbent Emmanuel Macron. Macron is facing unpopularity amid strikes and the yellow vest movement.

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/france-far-right-marine-le-pen-to-run-for-president-again/a-52034080

Poland′s planned judiciary reforms would ′undermine′ rule of law

Constitutional experts warn Poland's latest proposed bill introducing new disciplinary rules for judges could further erode the country's judiciary. The EU is also speaking out, and has tried to intervene.

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/polands-planned-judiciary-reforms-would-undermine-rule-of-law/a-52034657

USA: Trump impeachment: Senators sworn in for historic trial

Read more:
Trump impeachment: Senators sworn in for historic trial - BBC News

International Trade: Phase one agreement aside, could the trade war future mean choosing China or the US?

China and the US have done a deal. But a longer-term view suggests trade tensions between the pair will only grow. What will that mean for the network of nations trading extensively with both?

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/us-china-trade-war-phase-one-deal/a-52003036

Middle East: Iran warns European troops in Middle East 'may be in danger'

Britain, France and Germany have triggered the accord's dispute mechanism to force Iran into discussions. The process could bring back UN and EU sanctions on Iran.

Read more at:
https://www.euronews.com/2020/01/15/eu-nations-trigger-dispute-mechanism-in-last-ditch-bid-to-save-iran-deal

Russia: Russian PM submits resignation to Putin

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev submitted his resignation to President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Tass news agency reports.

Read more at:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/russian-pm-submits-resignation-to-putin-tass-report-1.5427456

France: French Economy to Grow 1.3% With a Pension Deal, Le Maire Says -by Phil Serafino

The French economy will grow 1.3% this year, the same pace as 2019, as long as a compromise is reached quickly with labor unions that are on strike over pension reform, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in an interview with the Journal du Dimanche.

“The economic outlook for France is good and solid,” Le Maire told the newspaper. The economy has created more than 500,000 jobs since 2017, and unemployment should drop to 7% by the end of President Emmanuel Macron’s term in 2022, he said. The jobless rate was 8.3% in the third quarter.

Read more: French Economy to Grow 1.3% With a Pension Deal, Le Maire Says - Bloomberg

US Political Scene: Trump use of doctored Pelosi-Schumer photo draws Muslim ire

 President Donald Trump circulated a fake image on Monday depicting congressional Democrats’ top-ranked leaders in traditional Muslim attire in front of the Iranian flag, drawing criticism that he was promoting Islamophobic tropes.

The manipulated photo retweeted by Trump showed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in Muslim garb with the caption: “The corrupted Dems trying their best to come to the Ayatollah’s rescue #NancyPelosiFakeNews.” Trump, a Republican, had previously faulted Democrats for criticizing his administration’s targeted killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, but his use of Muslim imagery as part of that effort drew pushback from Muslim American advocates.

“The image is a hodgepodge of anti-Muslim tropes and garb from many traditions including some that are frequently used to stereotype and attack Muslims,” Madihha Ahussain, special counsel at the nonprofit group Muslim Advocates, said in a statement. “It’s disappointing but not surprising that the president would use his massive Twitter platform to spread this kind of harmful, ignorant, anti-Muslim bigotry.”

Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of the Muslim American group Emgage Action — named for its mission to engage Muslim Americans — also criticized Trump’s decision to amplify the doctored photo of Pelosi and Schumer. “There’s no place for it, irrespective of political differences,” he said in an interview.President Donald Trump circulated a fake image on Monday depicting congressional Democrats’ top-ranked leaders in traditional Muslim attire in front of the Iranian flag, drawing criticism that he was promoting Islamophobic tropes.

The manipulated photo retweeted by Trump showed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in Muslim garb with the caption: “The corrupted Dems trying their best to come to the Ayatollah’s rescue #NancyPelosiFakeNews.” Trump, a Republican, had previously faulted Democrats for criticizing his administration’s targeted killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, but his use of Muslim imagery as part of that effort drew pushback from Muslim American advocates.

“The image is a hodgepodge of anti-Muslim tropes and garb from many traditions including some that are frequently used to stereotype and attack Muslims,” Madihha Ahussain, special counsel at the nonprofit group Muslim Advocates, said in a statement. “It’s disappointing but not surprising that the president would use his massive Twitter platform to spread this kind of harmful, ignorant, anti-Muslim bigotry.”

Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of the Muslim American group Emgage Action — named for its mission to engage Muslim Americans — also criticized Trump’s decision to amplify the doctored photo of Pelosi and Schumer. “There’s no place for it, irrespective of political differences,” he said in an interview.

 Read more: Trump use of doctored Pelosi-Schumer photo draws Muslim ire

Canada: Maple Leaf Foods boss attack on Trump pits ethics against shareholder value by Don Pittis

In blaming "the narcissist in Washington" for the death of Canadian airline passengers, should the Maple Leaf Foods boss have risked shareholder value for mere ethics?

Read more at:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/ethics-business-trump-1.5424829

Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin agree to fight to save Iran nuclear deal

Putin said he expected the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to ship Russian gas to Germany to be finished by the end of 2021 despite delays caused by US sanctions.

Read more at:
https://www.euronews.com/2020/01/11/merkel-meeting-putin-amid-escalating-iran-us-tensions

Scotland Independence: Scottish independence referendum: Sturgeon says 'democracy will prevail' after new vote refused

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The UK prime minister said that Scotland already voted against separating from the UK in 2014.

Read more at:
https://www.euronews.com/2020/01/14/democracy-will-prevail-says-sturgeon-after-johnson-refuses-second-scottish-referendum

EU: Where is the ‘deal’ in the European Green Deal? – by Estrella Durá Ferrandis and Irina de Sancho Alonso

The New Deal was a social contract with the American people. A European Green New Deal must likewise enshrine social alongside ecological aspirations.

Read more at:
https://www.socialeurope.eu/where-is-the-deal-in-the-european-green-deal

The Netherlands: 2,500 children 'disappear' from Dutch refugee centres

More than 2,500 children have disappeared from refugee centres in the Netherlands over the past decade, the NRC newspaper reported on Monday. Most of those came from Afghanistan, Morocco, Algeria, Albania, Eritrea, Syria and Vietnam. According to the refugee agency COA, a proportion of these children may end up in the hands of human traffickers or in prostitution.

If you live in the EU and suspect any human trafficking or unauthorized prostitution going on in your area please contact the Human Trafficking hotline in your area (see telephone number for your EU country at https://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/citizens-corner-national-hotlines/national-hotlines_en  

If you live in the US  call  the National Human Trafficking Hotline  1 (888) 373-7888  Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week Languages: English, Spanish and 200 more languages  Website: www.humantraffickinghotline.org

Read more at: 2,500 children 'disappear' from Dutch refugee centres

USA Economy: Budget deficit topped $1 trillion in 2019, the first time in 7 years

-                               From Cartoon Stock

The U.S. fiscal deficit topped $1 trillion in 2019, the first time it has passed that level in a calendar year since 2012, according to Treasury Department figures released Monday.

For the fiscal year, which began in October, the shortfall is already at $356.6 billion, an 11.7% increase from a year ago. If that pace continues it would also lead to a fiscal deficit for 2019-20 of more than $1 trillion.

Read more at: Budget deficit topped $1 trillion in 2019, the first time in 7 years

German Economy: Germany posts record-breaking budget surplus

Germany had a record budget surplus of € 13.5 billion ($15 billion) at the end of 2019, the Finance Ministry announced on Monday.

"We've had a bit of luck, and of course we've economized well," German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said in Berlin on Monday, just a year after he claimed the "fat" years were over for Germany.

It is the third time in the last five years that Europe's largest economy closed the year with a budget surplus. The 2019 surplus overtook a 2015 budget surplus of €12.1 billion.

Added to that figure is an additional €5.5 billion from a fund earmarked for refugees that went unspent, making a total surplus of €19 billion.

In contrast the US budget deficit topped $1 trillion in 2019.

Read more at: Germany posts record-breaking budget surplus | News | DW | 13.01.2020

USA -Wealth Tax: Majority of Americans want a wealth tax on the very rich - by Kerry Eleveld

Imposing a wealth tax on very rich individuals draws strong majority support across a broad swath of voters, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The extensive survey of 4,441 respondents found that 64% of the public either strongly or somewhat agreed with the sentiment that "the very rich should contribute an extra share of their total wealth each year to support public programs," which is exactly what a wealth tax accomplishes. The statement drew support from 77% of Democrats and also 53% of Republicans, and reactions were pretty consistent across gender, race, and household income.

Gallup polling on the issue over the past several decades suggests a wealth levied on people's net worth has grown significantly in popularity during the past 10 years, following the market crash and ensuing recession.

Both Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren favor a wealth tax. Warren has made a 2-cent tax on anyone's net worth over $50 million a central pillar of her campaign. The idea of a wealth tax has polled consistently well over the past year.

Read more at: Majority of Americans want a wealth tax on the very rich

Spain: What does Spain's new goverment mean for the Catalan crisis?

Read more at;
What does Spain's new goverment mean for the Catalan crisis? - The Local

Suriname: Total and Apache tout ‘significant’ oil find in Suriname waters - by Myles McCormick and David Sheppard

Oil producers Total and Apache announced a “significant oil discovery” on Tuesday that they said proves oil-rich rock formations off the coast of Guyana cross into Suriname waters, where they are exploring.

The companies heralded the potential for “prolific” oil production after drilling work at the Maka Central-1 well off the coast of the South American nation showed that the neighbouring Guyanese Cretaceous oil play — in which rival ExxonMobil has discovered billions of barrels equivalent of recoverable oil and gas — extends into local waters.

The two companies each own a 50 per cent stake in ‘Block 58’ where the well was drilled, after Total bought into it last month. Shares in Apache rose 20 per cent on the news to their highest level since May last year. Total shares were unmoved.

Read more at: Total and Apache tout ‘significant’ oil find in Suriname waters | Financial Times

EU-US Relations: Donald Trump is currently a bigger headache for Europe than Iran is - by Luke McGee,

This week's escalation in tensions between Iran and the US has exposed an uncomfortable reality for many of America's friends in Europe.

When US President Donald Trump called on the UK, Germany, France, Russia and China -- the other nations signatory to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, otherwise known as the Iran deal -- to join him in walking away from the JCPOA, he was asking his European allies to do far more than isolate Iran

The Iran deal, which was signed under the auspices of the European Union, is the single biggest foreign policy achievement in the EU's history.

It was the EU that drove efforts to get all of the significant parties to the table. In doing so, it not only encouraged Iran to engage with the West, but it crucially created a forum in which the EU could start to navigate what is now its chief aim in foreign policy."The EU's top priority is balanced relations between the big two: China and America," said Steven Blockmans, head of foreign affairs at the European Center for Policy Studies.

In 2020, another American president is arguably a far bigger disruptor to the old continent than, China, Iran or Russia. What a difference 72 years can make.

Read more at: Donald Trump is currently a bigger headache for Europe than Iran is - CNN

European Troop Deployment in Iraq: 3,000 troops from 19 EU states in Iraq. Will they stay?

Around 3,000 soldiers from 19 EU states were deployed in Iraq, plus another 200 from 10 EU states stationed under Nato command, as of late 2019, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a global think tank.

With tensions flaring following the killing of general Qassem Suleimani in a US drone attack last week, the EU is scrambling to use diplomacy to de-escalate the brewing conflict and possible ensuing war.

Read more: 3,000 troops from 19 EU states in Iraq. Will they stay?

Russia-US relations: Putin is Not Happy With His Puppet

Russia's Foreign Ministry has condemned the U.S. assassination of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qassem Soleimani, warning Thursday's strike would only escalate regional tensions and make life worse for millions of people.
…
The Russian Foreign Ministry released a separate statement condemning the assassination and warning of possible subsequent fallout. "Washington's step is fraught with grave consequences for regional peace and stability," the ministry said.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif over the phone on Friday to discuss the killing of Iran's military chief Qassem Soleimani, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Lavrov expressed his condolences over the killing," the statement said. "The ministers stressed that such actions by the United States grossly violate the norms of international law."

Read more at : Putin is Not Happy With His Puppet

Iran says it 'unintentionally' shot down plane

Iran had so far denied responsibility for Wednesday's Ukrainian plane crash, in which 176 people died.

Read more at:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51073621

EU and Middle East: NATOME says America's "commander in chief": Trump wants NATO expanded to Mideast and renamed NATOME

Trump: "We are doing Europe a big favor"

President Donald Trump thinks NATO should be expanded to include nations in the Middle East. He even suggested a new name for the 70-year-old alliance: “NATOME” short for NATO-Middle East.

“What a beautiful name – NATOME,’’ Trump said Thursday, pronouncing it ”Nay-TOE-me.”

Speaking to reporters at the White House during an unrelated event, Trump said the U.S. had tamped down Islamic State militants, eliminating their control of territory and killing IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

“We did Europe a big favor,” he said.

“I think NATO should be expanded and we should include the Middle East, absolutely. … Right now the burden is on us and that’s not fair,” Trump said.

Trump said he also wants to see more NATO troops in the Middle East because problems there are international in scope. He said he spoke about NATO’s role on Wednesday during a phone call with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

Note EU-Digest: We hope that European countries and their governments will finally realize that NATO has served its purpose following the end of the second world war. Today it has outlived that purpose,  Certainly no more EU nation combat troops should go to the Middle East or anywhere else in the world for that matter, to fight US ridiculous wars, based on nebulous objectives. These wars have solved nothing, except caused the death of millions of innocent civilians, killing thousands of soldiers, it created terrorism, refugee problems, destruction of  beautiful cities and cultural sites etc.etc. Enough is enough.....

Read more: Trump wants NATO expanded to Mideast and renamed NATOME

Russian - US confrontation Arabian Sea: Russian Ship 'Aggressively' Approached Navy Destroyer in Arabian Sea, US Officials Say

A Navy guided-missile destroyer was forced to sound warning blasts after a Russian ship approached aggressively in international waters, service officials said Friday.

The approach took place Thursday while the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Farragut was conducting routine operations in the North Arabian Sea, officials said in statements posted to social media.

Read more: Russian Ship 'Aggressively' Approached Navy Destroyer in Arabian Sea, Officials Say | Military.com

Populism in Europe: Rise in populism threatens European democracy, warns Tony Blair think tank - by Gavin Gordon

Europe has seen a surge in support for “populist” political parties which threatens to destabilise democracy across the continent, a report by Tony Blair’s think tank has warned.

The survey by the former Prime Minister’s Institute for Global Change found the share of the vote taken by populist parties from both right and left has almost trebled since 2000 – rising from 8.5 to 24.1 per cent.

Over the same period, it said the number of European countries with populist parties participating in government has doubled from seven to 14 – creating an unprecedented “populist belt” from the Baltic to the Aegean.

Read more at: Rise in populism threatens European democracy, warns Tony Blair think tank | The Independent

Britain: Megxit: Harry and Meghan are doomed - by Dominic Green

Never mind World War Three. How about the implosion of the world’s most glamorous couple? Welcome to Megxit.

Harry and Meghan think they’re going to escape press intrusion and live a more meaningful life by ‘stepping back’ from the British royal family, but they’re in for a nasty surprise. 

Their lives are meaningful now because they are integral to the royal family’s rebranding for the 21st century. Any reduction in their royal-ness reduces them to second-tier celebrities, and any missteps in that crowded second-tier lead downwards to tabloid hell, which is as meaningless as life gets.

And while it’s true that the press pursue Harry and Meghan because they’re glamorous young royals, the near-sacred status of royalty is precisely what protects them against unlimited press intrusion.

"The only quick way out of a royal family is via the guillotine"

Read more at: Megxit: Harry and Meghan are doomed | Spectator USA

China - EU - Iran - Russia -Turkey -- a new Dawn? : Donald Trump′s risky short-sightedness - by Frank Sieren

New World  Order? China,-EU Russia

Like the rest of the world, Beijing was forced to look on idly as US President Donald Trump ordered the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani last Friday. Even the Iraqi government in Baghdad, which considers Iran an enemy, called on the US to withdraw. On Tuesday night, Iran responded by launching missile attacks on US bases in Iraq.

For now, the situation seems to be, if not de-escalated, at least not re-escalated. But the stakes in the Middle East are also high for China now. As the country with the second-highest oil consumption in the world, it sources a good 50% of its imports from the region. Although Iran is ranked only seventh in the list of oil exporters to China, it has become a close economic and diplomatic partner of Beijing's in recent years.

China is also Iran's largest trading partner. China's investments in Iran are also rising steadily, amounting to over $27 billion (€24.3 billion) between 2005 and 2018. Last summer, the two governments agreed that China would invest $280 billion in Iran's energy sector and $120 billion in its infrastructure and manufacturing sector over the next 25 years. In return, Beijing would receive cheaper oil as well as other benefits. The idea is also that the transactions be conducted in Chinese yuan or Russian rubles, as Russian companies will also be involved.

Iran is playing an increasingly important role for China's "New Silk Road." One of the most important axes of the geostrategic project of the century leads from China to Turkey, via Pakistan and Iran, and then from Istanbul to the Greek port of Piraeus.

Not far from the Pakistan-Iranian border and the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40% of the world's oil transports pass, lies the deep-sea port of Gwadar. In future, the idea is that this be used to transport oil and goods directly to China via an economic corridor in Pakistan. Pakistan shares a common border with both Iran and China, while goods still have to cross three Central Asian countries to get to China via the northern route.

Note EU-Digest: China, the EU and Russia for some time now are starting to cooperate on trade and technology much closer, and in the process are by-passing the US at an ever increasing rate, specially following the election of Donald Trump.

Read more: Sieren’s China: Donald Trump′s risky short-sightedness | Asia| An in-depth look at news from across the continent | DW | 09.01.2020

Iran: Radio silence and a desperate turn: The final moments of Flight PS752

Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 lifted off from Tehran's Imam Khomeini airport at 6:12 a.m. local time Wednesday — almost an hour late.

The regularly scheduled trip to Kyiv was supposed to take just under four hours. But something went disastrously wrong for the Boeing 737-800 within minutes.

Tracking data suggests the flight climbed to just over 2,400 metres and reached a speed of 500 km/h before it plunged back to earth, crashing near a soccer field and irrigation canal outside the town of Parand, about 30 kilometres northwest of the airport

Video broadcast by Iranian state TV shows what purports to be the final moments of the flight, with flames coming from an aircraft, then a blinding flash lighting up the pre-dawn darkness as the plane carrying nine crew and 167 passengers — 63 Canadians among them —  slams into the ground.

By the time the sun rose, an hour later, the search for survivors had already been abandoned.

The plane, fully loaded with fuel for a 2,300-kilometreflight, exploded on impact. Footage from the scene shows smoldering piles of debris scattered across a wide area.

Read more: Radio silence and a desperate turn: The final moments of Flight PS752 | CBC News

EU Energy Supply: Russia and Turkey turn on EU gas pipeline

Russia and Turkey have turned on a new gas pipeline to the EU, continuing efforts to lock in Russia's best customer.

The TurkStream pipeline launch was "a very important event not only for Russia and Turkey, but also for the states of southern Europe, for the entire European continent", Russian president Vladimir Putin told press at a ceremony in Istanbul on Wednesday (8 January).

And European countries were "already expressing very great interest" in buying the gas, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Putin praised the pipeline as a feat of modern engineering.

"It is a high-tech project because the gas pipeline runs at tremendous depth, as well as in a very hostile environment," he said.

Erdogan said its symbolism recalled "Ottoman times", when tsars and sultans first built relations 500 years ago.

Read more  at: Russia and Turkey turn on EU gas pipeline

Britain: Goodbye Erasmus': Brits express anger after UK votes against much-loved EU student scheme

Goodbye Erasmus': Brits express anger after UK votes against much-loved EU student scheme

Read more at The Local

EU Green Transition: EU's green transition 'will have slightly positive economic effect'

The EU's move towards a carbon-neutral economy to tackle climate change will have a "slightly positive" economic effect, it's been claimed.

Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU's economy commissioner, speaking to Euronews in Berlin, admitted the green transition would have winners and losers but that it should be done in a "socially acceptable way".

EU countries reached a deal last month on making the bloc climate neutral by 2050.

It came after Brussels unveiled €100 billion in public and private funds to help the fossil-fuel reliant EU nations make the transition to lower emissions
.
Dombrovskis, asked about the impact of the energy transition on citizens, said: "When we are discussing green transition, then it has to take place in a socially acceptable way. And actually the assessment is that it is going to have a slightly positive effect on the economy.

"Because on the one hand, one can say, yes, certain jobs will disappear, certain fossil fuels will get more expensive, but at the same time there will be many new jobs created in the green economy and there will be many new economies that will make green energy and the green transition affordable.

 Read more: The Brief: EU's green transition 'will have slightly positive economic effect' | Euronews

Russia: Vladimir Putin Moves to Heighten Russia’s Role in the Middle East After U.S. Kills Suleimani -by Reid Standish, Amy Mackinnon

 Since its pivotal intervention in the Syrian civil war in 2015, Russia has sought to position itself as a major player in the Middle East, establishing itself as a rare broker that is on good terms with all of the region’s feuding powers.
 
Now Moscow has a fresh chance to solidify that reputation. Russian President Vladimir Putin will look to boost his country’s standing in the Middle East following the Trump administration’s decision to assassinate the Iranian military leader Qassem Suleimani last week and Iran’s missile attack against U.S. air bases in Iraq on Tuesday, which have roiled the Middle East and pushed Iran and the United States to the brink of war. 

The escalating situation raises the stakes for Moscow’s calculus in the region significantly, but it also provides Putin with new opportunities to achieve two of his long-standing goals: undermining U.S. credibility and expanding Russia’s footprint across the Middle East.

Today Putin traveled to Istanbul to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss escalating tensions in the Middle East. Despite not always seeing eye to eye on the future of the region, Erdogan and Putin have managed to cut deals in the past, such as when both leaders  agreed to effectively carve up northeastern Syria last year following the Trump administration’s unexpected withdrawal. On Saturday, Putin will welcome German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Moscow for talks about the crisis. Both Russia and Germany are among the countries that have sought to prop up the Iranian nuclear deal following the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement in 2018.

 Read more at: Vladimir Putin Moves to Heighten Russia’s Role in the Middle East After U.S. Kills Suleimani

Iran′s cyberweapons keep US on edge

A day after US air strikes killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, the US Department of Homeland Security issued an advisory  warning against possible cyberattacks by Iran and its proxies.

"Iran maintains a robust cyberprogram and can execute cyberattacks against the United States," the advisory read. "Iran is capable, at a minimum, of carrying out attacks with temporary disruptive effects against critical infrastructure in the United States."

The authorities asked citizens to be prepared for "cyberdisruptions, suspicious emails, and network delays."

Within hours of the bulletin, a federal government website was hacked by allegedly Iran-affiliated hackers, who defaced it with an altered photo of President Donald Trump being punched in the face and a tribute to the slain general, who led the Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds force.

"Hacked by Iran Cyber Security Group Hackers. This is only small part of Iran's cyber ability! We are always ready," the hackers signed off.

It's not yet known if the hackers were linked to Iran but the attack on the nondescript US website was consistent with similar intrusions in the past by Iranian hackers. The timing of the attack, however, has got the experts alarmed.

 Read more at: Iran′s cyberweapons keep US on edge | Business| Economy and finance news from a German perspective | DW | 08.01.2020

EU leaders relieved as Trump steps away from Iran conflict

European leaders have breathed a sign of relief after Donald Trump heeded their public and private pleas to draw a line under his conflict with Iran and not respond militarily to the Iranian missile attacks on US forces in Iraq.

European leaders had been urging a pause to allow for a de-escalation and even the resumption of talks, calls that were helped by the absence of American casualties either due to good fortune or a deliberate decision by the Iranian military not to direct its 22 missiles at a base in which US forces were more vulnerable.

But the Trump statement contained difficulties for Europe, including a request for Germany, France and the UK to abandon the remnants of the Iran nuclear deal, something European diplomats on balance still regard as a useful mechanism to remain in contact not just with Iran, but also Russia and China.

Trump also demanded in his statement that Nato – by which he predominantly meant Europe – take a greater role in the Middle East. His remarks reflected his belief that the US should be pulling back from the region, especially given it is now self-sufficient in energy and no longer as dependent on oil from the Gulf state

Although Europe and the US would like to negotiate a new, wider nuclear agreement with Iran, including constraints on Tehran’s regional activities in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, divisions between Europe and the US remain on how to achieve this.

Read more at: EU leaders relieved as Trump steps away from Iran conflict | World news | The Guardian

Iran-USA conflict: Trump says Iran appears to be 'standing down' - by Eli Stokols

President Trump responded Wednesday morning following Iran’s overnight missile attacks at U.S. forces posted at bases in Iraq, announcing he would impose additional economic sanctions on Tehran but making no commitment to the punishing military response he threatened only days ago.

“Our great American forces are prepared for anything,” he said in an address from the White House. “Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a good thing for the world,” Trump said. He noted that no Americans or Iraqis were killed in the attack “because of the precautions taken, the dispersal of forces, and an early warning system that worked very well.”

Read more at : Live updates: Trump says Iran appears to be 'standing down' - Los Angeles Times

The Netherlands: New record: Over 2 million businesses in Netherlands = total population 17.18 million people

On January 1st there were 2,000,404 businesses in the Netherlands - the first time ever this counter topped 2 million, according to figures from the Dutch chamber of commerce KvK. The number of companies in the Netherlands increased by almost 100 thousand last year, an increase of 5 percent, NOS reports.

A total of 230 thousand new businesses opened in the Netherlands in 2019, and 131 thousand closed or went bankrupt, which means that on balance almost 100 thousand companies were added to the country.

The sectors that attracted the most new businesses were construction, health, retail, hospitality, and logistics. The most new companies opened in Flevoland, Zuid-Holland, and Noord-Holland, the least in Limburg.

The proportion of entrepreneurs who were not born in the Netherlands increased by one percent to 16 percent. Almost a quarter of entrepreneurs who opened a business last year were not born in the Netherlands. These entrepreneurs largely work in hospitality, logistics and construction. Many migrant-entrepreneurs are active in the provinces of Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, and Flevoland.

The average age of entrepreneurs in the Netherlands is around 46 years and has been stable for years. But the average age of starting entrepreneurs decreased slightly, from 36 years in 2018 to 35 years in 2019.

This is partly due to the large number of teenagers, up to the age of 18, among new freelancers - self-employed with no employees. In 2015 there were 1,944 such young freelancers. Five years later that number rose to 6,572.

"More and more young people do not stock shelves or deliver newspapers, but start their own business", Gerdine Annaars, advisor for enterprising young people at the KvK, said to NOS. "A nice and educational way to earn a little extra and a good run-up to a real company."

Two thirds of entrepreneurs in the Netherlands are men, a proportion that hasn't changed in recent years. The proportion of women among starting entrepreneurs decreased slightly last year, from 38 percent in 2018 to 37 percent in 2019. A massive 80 percent of teenagers starting a business were men last year.

Total population of the Netherlands re 2018 census - 17.18 million people

Read more: New record: Over 2 million businesses in Netherlands | NL Times

USA: Trump Vs. the "Deep State"? - - by Stephan Richter and Richard Phillips,

The ardent defenders of President Trump’s reckless foreign policy claim that the “deep state” is out to get the President of the United States. Do they have a case?

In November 2016, Donald J. Trump was elected President of the United States in large part because he promised to be an agent of change. It would be hard for anyone to deny that he has fulfilled that promise in ways that will shape global politics and society for decades to come.

Whether he is voted out of office this coming November, is impeached and removed from office in 2020 or retires from the office after serving for a second term, Trump will have left an indelible imprint on America’s self-perception. And he will have significantly changed the world’s perception of the United States of America in the process.

On the foreign policy front, whenever Trump and his supporters have encountered some resistance to their radical moves, they have deployed and succeeded in implanting in the consciousness of many Americans the concept of “the deep state.”Turkish roots of the Republicans’ “deep state” claim

While that term is deployed as a tool to describe a malign influence on U.S. foreign policy in the era of Trump, it is important to reflect on the term’s origins in the world of international politics. It hails back to the 1990s and is, tellingly, a translation from Turkish.
 
It was used to describe deliberately obscured operations of the Turkish military to protect its turf against civilian oversight by democratically elected politicians. In the effort to elude proper political control, the Turkish military engaged in shadowy alliances with criminal interest.

The “deep state” exists, or does it?

The only real parallel that makes the “deep state” term vaguely applicable is that it is indeed the U.S. military that has at times resisted the execution of Donald Trump’s spur-of-the-moment decisions.

But U.S. military brass has not done that by colluding with shady characters, much less criminals.

The sad reality is that collusion with shady characters is indeed the modus operandi of the current U.S. President.

The President is able to pull this off because Congressional Republicans, long a bulwark against Presidential overreach, have completely fallen in with the radicalism and extreme risk-taking that has become the hallmark of the Trump Administration.

Blame your enemy for what you plan to do yourself

In many ways, the “deep state” claim follows a long-established pattern of the Republican Party’s communications strategy. It holds that, in order to avoid being (correctly) blamed for inappropriate or even illegal actions, just charge that it is the Democrats who are actually engaging in such practices.

In the hyper-charged political atmosphere that has prevailed in the United States for some time, that approach almost always works.

It works for two reasons. First, Democrats more often than not find themselves completely blind-sided by the often-preposterous charges of such equivalency. Second, making the charge, whatever it may be, is enough to unleash the fighting spirits of the Republicans’ own supporters, especially in the right-wing media.

Read the complete report at: Trump Vs. the "Deep State"? - The Globalist

Iran-US Conflict: Foreigners flee region as Iran strikes back at US - by HIDEMITSU KIBE and MOMOKO KIDERA

Foreign workers are leaving Iraq and Iran amid rising tensions following Tehran's missile attacks on U.S.-led forces in Iraq after the killing of Iranian military commander Gen. Qassam Soleimani.

The evacuations by the international community will weigh on a regional economy that has already been battered by sanctions and conflict.

Japanese trading house Toyota Tsusho said it is considering a temporary evacuation of Japanese employees in Iran.

 Read more: Foreigners flee region as Iran strikes back at US - Nikkei Asian Review

Puert Rico: 6.4-magnitude quake strikes Puerto Rico, killing at least 1 amid heavy seismic activity - by Nicole Acevedo and Ben Kesslen

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Puerto Rico early Tuesday, killing at least one person and causing a power outage across the island, as well as structural damage to roads and bridges especially in the southwestern region.

There have been at least 51 aftershocks since the earthquake, the largest in a series of quakes, hit at 4:24 a.m. Federal agencies monitoring the seismic activity say the tremors and quakes could continue for the next few days, according to Gov. Wanda Vázquez.

Read more at: 6.4-magnitude quake strikes Puerto Rico, killing at least 1 amid heavy seismic activity

USA - Trump Trump Impeachment: John Bolton says he would testify in Senate impeachment trial if subpoenaed

 John Bolton, former national security adviser to Donald Trump, said Monday he is "prepared to testify" if subpoenaed by the Senate in its impeachment trial of the U.S. president.

Read more at:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/bolton-testify-impeachment-1.5416294

USA: Housing market predictions for 2020 - by Kathy Orton

A strong job market and low mortgage rates should sustain the housing market in 2020. The problem will be finding enough homes for buyers.

With unemployment hovering at a 50-year low and interest rates well below historical norms, the real estate industry is being dragged down by scarcity in housing stock, especially at lower price ranges. 

Not enough homes are being built, and homeowners are staying put longer, creating a bottleneck.

Still, the market is on better footing than it was a year ago, when economic uncertainty caused by global trade tensions, stock market volatility and a partial government shutdown, along with rising mortgage rates and home prices, put a damper on sales. Mortgage rates, which seemed poised to surpass 5 percent, a level they hadn’t reached since 2011, retreated in 2019. 

The average rate of the most popular mortgage, the 30-year fixed, has remained below 4 percent for the past 32 weeks, according to Freddie Mac data. At the start of 2000, it was 8.5 percent.

Read more at: Housing market predictions for 2020 - The Washington Post

Gun Violence in America out of control: as blind-folded political and public followers of Donald Trump, master of deception and deceit on many fronts, are being fooled to believe in his "nonsensical rhetoric" - by RM

Donald Trump the master of deception

If you think of driving to Florida or anywhere else in the US for that matter, think again.

Gun violence is going totally out of control in America and politicians there, many on the payroll of the powerful gun lobby NRA - National Rifle Association,  are doing nothing about it.

So far it has led to a large number of innocent people who have lost their lives, a significant loss of income for America from the international tourist business, with large numbers of tourists now avoiding America they consider  an unsafe tourist destination, and considerable sums of Public money being spent on security issues, as the result of a lack of proper gun control laws.

For recent statistics on gun violence in America Gun Violence Archive

Just recently in Florida more than a dozen drivers were shot at in three different counties while traveling along two major highways in Central Florida — and deputies are searching for the ones responsible. It happened on New Year’s Day.

The victims were traveling eastbound on Interstate 4 and northbound on Interstate 95 when they were shot at by a passing vehicle, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies say the calls came in shortly before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday December 31

In the South Florida Miami area, authorities announced the death of Melissa Gonzalez, 22, on Saturday, January 4 in the afternoon.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Gonzalez was shot while driving southbound on I-95, near the 79th Street exit in the West Little River neighborhood of Northwest Miami-Dade County.

Gonzalez’s passenger, identified by FHP as 26-year-old Julian Cortina, heard the gunfire, looked over and saw she had been hurt.She died a few days later.

On December 5  a police pursuit of a carjacked UPS vehicle ended in a shootout on the streets of South Florida that left four people dead, including two suspects, officials said at a press conference. The victims have not yet been identified. 

In a more recent development gun rights advocates and militia members from around the U.S. are urging thousands of armed protesters to descend on Virginia’s capital this month to stop newly empowered Democrats from passing gun-control bills, the Washington Post reports.

What began as a few rural Virginia counties declaring themselves “Second Amendment sanctuaries” has become an internet phenomenon. Far-right websites and commenters say Virginia is the place to take a stand against what they see as a national trend of weakening gun rights. Unlike blue bastions like California and New York, Virginia is a former Confederate state with strong rural traditions and lax gun laws. Guns represent the strongest, reddest line against the demographic changes that have seen voters usher in a new era of Democratic leadership.

The State of Nevada-based Oath Keepers said it’s sending training teams to help form posses and militia in Virginia. The leader of a Georgia militia called Three Percent Security Force posted calls to arms on Facebook, urging “patriots” to converge on Richmond. The right-wing YouTube “American Joe Show” warned without evidence that Virginia will cut the power grid to stop the army of protesters. Law enforcement officials are monitoring the situation, including threats to Gov. Ralph Northam, worried about the potential for violence at a rally planned for the state Capitol Jan. 20. State police briefed Northam for two hours last week. The Virginia Citizens Defense League, the grass-roots organization planning the rally, told the state to prepare for as many as 100,000 people.

“There’s a dangerous intersection here of speech and guns,” said Adam Skaggs of the Giffords Law Center, adding that it is “critically important … that we don’t see the sort of armed intimidation and even violence that resulted …in Charlottesville.” Democratic lawmakers who control the General Assembly are considering rules changes to limit where guns can be carried.

In the meantime the impeached US President Trump, who is creating all kinds of diversionary tricks to distract the American public, including a confrontation with Iran, which unfortunately could create a new Middle East war, and is unwilling to provide essential information, re his shady dealings with Ukraine,  is also doing absolutely nothing to stop the ever increasing gun violence in the US.

High time America wakes up before it implodes.

EU-Digest 

Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article238898068.html#storylink=cpy

Turkey begins deploying troops to Libya, says Erdogan

Ankara has announced the deployment of troops to Libya. Turkish forces will support the internationally-recognized government in Tripoli, which is under siege by the army of General Khalifa Haftar.

Read more at :
https://www.dw.com/en/turkey-begins-deploying-troops-to-libya-says-erdogan/a-51894454

Germany seeks talks with Iran to ease tensions

European leaders have called for calm after the US airstrike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Despite heightened anxiety in the region, there are no plans to increase Germany's troop deployment in Iraq.

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-seeks-talks-with-iran-to-ease-tensions/a-51889391

USA: White House Refuses to Release 20 Emails About Ukraine Aid Freeze

The Trump administration disclosed on Friday that there were 20 email between a top aide to President Donald Trump’s acting chief of staff and a colleague at the White House’s Office of Management and Budgetdiscussing the freeze of a congressionally mandated military aid package for Ukraine.

White House Refuses to Release 20 Emails About Ukraine Aid Freeze

Iran-US Relations: Is the US On the Verge of a War with Iran?

Trump: we will help Saudi Arabia
in their struggle against Iran

"The main question is not whether Soleimani is responsible for carnage in the region (he is) or whether he has blood on his hands (he does), but whether Soleimani’s assassination increases or decreases the risk of a wider conflict between Washington and Tehran. Does this strike put American soldiers, diplomats, and citizens in the region at risk?"

The answers are as obvious as the day is long. The strike on Soleimani is a gigantic leap forward on the escalation ladder, a move so dramatic that Iran will be forced to respond. And it will do so at a time and place of its choosing. The 60,000-70,000 U.S. military forces in the Middle East are now all potential targets of Iranian retaliation, the extent to which Washington can’t fully estimate. The State Department’s travel advisory urging all U.S. citizens to leave Iraq immediately is an indication that the Trump administration recognizes that Americans on Iraqi soil could very well be sitting ducks for some kind of violent response.

Note EU-Digest: The Washington Post  reported that several European diplomats said Friday that they were not aware of any warning from Washington ahead of the strike on Soleimani in Baghdad, though the mission was almost certain to increase the security risk for hundreds of European troops and for other European citizens in the region.The Netherlands government advised all its citizens in Iraq to leave the country.Once again as he did with pulling troops out of Syria it shows he does not have any respect for his Allies and the lives of their troops, who have always supported the US, and put their lives at risk. it is high time the EU tells the US Trump Administration that " the party is over", and that they should start fighting their own ridiculous wars around the world. 

Read more at: Are We On the Verge of a War with Iran? | The National Interest

EU in Defense mode on Trade: In Trade War, EU Is Force to Be Reckoned With-Netherlands Warns

The European Union will act as one if the U.S hits France with tariffs and must stop being naive with powers like China, the Dutch Finance Minister warned.

Adding to growing calls for the bloc to do more to boost its economic sovereignty, Wopke Hoekstra said in an interview that the EU shouldn’t sit idly as countries like China subsidize their companies, or Donald Trump’s administration turns against its member states.

Faced with a global stage that’s increasingly dominated by the U.S. and China, the EU has come under pressure from some members to ensure a level playing field for its companies so that they can better compete with rivals that receive a helping hand from their governments.

“It is simply unacceptable that we are playing by the rules and some others just do whatever they like and by state support have the ability to outcompete some of our companies,” Hoekstra said recently.

“If we lookat the airline industry it’s bizarre that a great company like Air France-KLM is competing in a completely unlevel playing field with some of the carriers from outside the EU.”

His comments follow a recent initiative by the Netherlands calling on the EU to overhaul its competition framework by granting the European Commission powers to perform checks on companies that could potentially distort markets.

The Dutch push comes as a new executive has just taken the EU’s helm in Brussels and as the issue of protecting the region’s industry is gaining more prominence amid the rise of economic nationalism across the world, including with Trump’s America first policies in the U.S.

Read more at: In Trade War, EU Is Force to Be Reckoned With, Netherlands Warns - Bloomberg

Iran-US relations: US kills top Iranian General Soleimani in Baghdad airstrike

The United States has killed Qassem Soleimani, leader of Iran's elite Quds Force, in an airstrike in Baghdad, the Pentagon has confirmed. The move is a potential turning point in the Middle East.

Note EU-Digest: The US startend to rock the boat and go on this dangerous route of confrontation, when Trump pulled the US out of the International Nuclear Treaty signed by China, the EU, Iran, Russia and the US, which can now easily turn for the worse and add to the Trump Administration many disasterous foreign policy decision.

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/us-kills-top-iranian-general-soleimani-in-baghdad-airstrike/a-51873465

Turkey - Libya relations: Turkish parliament backs govt plan to send troops to Libya in emergency session

The Turkish parliament has voted to approve a plan to send troops to support the UN-recognized government in Libya as it continues to fight forces loyal to a rival government in the eastern part of the country. 

Lawmakers approved the motion, which grants a one-year mandate for the troop deployment, in an emergency session on Thursday. The motion passed by 325 votes to 184.

The plan was opposed by Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican Peoples’ Party (CHP), which said sending troops could aggravate the situation and embroil Ankara in another conflict.

Read more: Turkish parliament backs govt plan to send troops to Libya in emergency session — RT World News

Chinese and Russian Heads of State Exchange New Year Congratulatory Messages

On December 31, 2019, President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged New Year congratulatory messages.

In his congratulatory message, Xi Jinping, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, extended sincere greetings and best wishes to President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people. Xi Jinping pointed out, 2019 was an extraordinary year in the history of the development of China-Russia relations. In the friendly atmosphere marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia diplomatic relations, President Vladimir Putin and I jointly announced that China-Russia relations have entered a new era and opened up a new chapter in bilateral friendship. We signed and issued a joint statement between the two countries on strengthening contemporary global strategic stability, demonstrating the firm determination of China and Russia to jointly safeguard global strategic stability. Our cooperation in economy, trade, energy, people-to-people and cultural engagement, science and technology and at the sub-national level has been fruitful, bringing tangible benefits to our two countries and peoples and making great contributions to world peace and development.

Xi Jinping pointed out, 2020 has been designated the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation between China and Russia. The two sides will jointly celebrate the 75th anniversary of victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations (UN). I stand ready to maintain close contact with President Vladimir Putin and work together to elevate bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields to new highs. China and Russia will jointly safeguard multilateralism and the international system with the UN at the core, so as to boost the development and revitalization of China and Russia, and add more stability and positive energy to a world changing in ways unseen in a century.

In his congratulatory message, Vladimir Putin extended his sincere New Year greetings to President Xi Jinping and wished the Chinese people happiness and good health. Vladimir Putin expressed, thanks to the joint efforts of both sides in 2019, Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has achieved significant progress. President Xi Jinping and I have met several times and reached a series of important consensuses, which have opened new prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields between Russia and China. The governments, legislative bodies and various departments of the two countries have engaged in productive coordination. The Russia-China east-route natural gas pipeline was completed and put into operation. The two sides successfully held activities marking the year of sub-national cooperation and exchanges, which further promoted mutually beneficial cooperation at sub-regional level. In 2020, we will usher in another major national theme year, the Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation between Russia and China. The Russian side attaches great importance to it. I firmly believe that, with joint efforts, the two countries' all-round cooperation and our constructive coordination on international affairs will be upgraded to higher levels.

Note EU-Digest: What a difference in style and content, compared to the US President Donald Trump's "ranting and raving" against even his closest allies.

Read more at: Chinese and Russian Heads of State Exchange New Year Congratulatory Messages Chinese Premier and Russian Prime Minister Exchange New Year Congratulatory Messages

Israel: Jews who are leading us away from peace - by Barry Shaw

Following Mike Pompeo’s declaration that Jews living in Judea and Samaria (aka 'West Bank') are not living in "illegal settlements", the head of the American Reform Movement, Rick Jacobs, criticized the US Secretary of State's  announcement.

Perhaps inadvertently, Reform Rabbi Jacobs is pushing the notion that it is fine for Muslims to live anywhere they like in the \West Bank\, and that Israel must give them even more options, but it is illegal for Jews to live in Judea and Samaria because this will get in the way of his vision for peace.

This notion is inherently anti-Semitic. It rejects the essence of Judaism and its connection to the land.

Irrespective of how this strange dichotomy between the Reform clergyman and the Secretary of State arose, I would like to urge Jacobs to find his way back to reality and truth, and to bring his congregation with him, for they have all surely lost their way and wandered innocently into dark places where Jews should fear to tread.

Rabbi Jacobs still promotes a two-state solution without being aware that this two-state solution is dead. It died years ago. It was killed by the Palestinian Arabs.

Note EU-Digest: Earlier this year a poll by the Hareetz showed that Israelis are still not sure which way Israel should go on this issue. 30% of the population is still undecided. The rest have different viewpoints.



Read more: Jews who are leading us away from peace. - Israel National News

Spain: Spanish PM could end political impasse on weekend

Spanish lawmakers will this weekend begin debating whether to renew Pedro Sanchez as prime minister and end months of political deadlock in the major European Union country.

Read more at:
https://www.thelocal.es/20200101/spain-parliament-debate-could-end-political-impasse

USA - Presidential elections: The final sprint: will any of the Democratic candidates excite voters?

 Biden is too gaffe-prone; Sanders and Warren are too far left; Buttigieg, too young. But which one is capable of beating Trump?

Read more at:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/01/us-elections-2020-democratic-candidates?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Add_to_Firefox

North Korea US relations: North Korea to develop new ′strategic′ weapon: says Kim

Kim Jong Un has declared that "the world will witness a new strategic weapon" in the near future. The North Korean leader has said that Pyongyang will no longer abide by its earlier nuclear promises.

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/north-korea-to-develop-new-strategic-weapon-kim/a-51847713

Middle East: U.S. troops in Syria heading to Iraq, not home as Trump claims

U.S. President Donald Trump insists he's bringing home Americans from "endless wars" in the Mideast, but his Pentagon chief says all U.S. troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq, and the U.S. military will continue operations against ISIS.

Read more at:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/u-s-troops-syria-heading-to-iraq-1.5328549