Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris announced Monday that she is officially throwing her hat into the ring and seeking the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2020.

Amid speculation of Harris’s presidential aspirations, the California senator revealed in December she would make a decision on whether or not to launch a 2020 presidential run over the holiday season. She also acknowledged the challenges she would face while running in such a heated election and how cutthroat the presidential race might be.

“Let’s be honest, it’s going to be ugly,” Harris said at the time. “When you break things, it is painful and you get cut. And you bleed.” (RELATED: Elizabeth Warren Is Officially Launching 2020 Presidential Exploratory Committee)

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/01/21/kamala-harris-announces-presidential-campaign/2632083002/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories

Analysis Israel's Battle With Iran in Syria Is Back in High Gear and Far From Over

Recent developments cast Israel's self-aggrandizement regarding military action against Tehran in Syria in a dubious light

Israel’s conflict with Iran, playing out in Syria, is back in high gear. That is what Sunday's events on the Syrian-Israeli border mean.

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israel-s-battle-with-iran-in-syria-is-back-in-high-gear-1.6855638

Russia considering plans of leaving Council of Europe, says senior diplomat

Russian Politics & Diplomacy January 21, 15:54 UTC+3

Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko recalled that "discrimination on political grounds is unacceptable" for Russia

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MOSCOW, January 21. /TASS/. Russia is considering all possible options of further developing its ties with the Council of Europe, including leaving this organization unless discrimination against Russia’s delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly ends, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said in an interview with TASS.

"For us, discrimination on political grounds is unacceptable," Grushko said. "Today we are considering all options for our possible steps, including the option of leaving the Council of Europe. We hope that our opponents will ultimately have common sense. The ball is in the court of those who made the decision to exclude the Russian delegation: they should reconsider this decision, if certainly they are guided by deep interests about maintaining the organization’s performance."

The deputy foreign minister recalled that the Council of Europe had been created in order to ensure the unity of all European nations, and Article 1 of the organization’s Charter says that the unity of nations cannot be ensured by discrimination."

"Parliamentary delegations to PACE cannot be placed on different sides depending on their political views," he went on to say. "This runs counter to the principles based on which a number of international organizations operate, including the Council of Europe. Therefore, it is evident that if there is no consensus or a majority in favor of restoring the full rights of our delegation, there is no sense in demanding the confirmation of Russia’s rights in this organization," he said.

According to him, the easiest way would be if PACE sent an invitation to Russian lawmakers, declaring that "this discriminatory regime is a thing of the past." "Then our lawmakers would consider it," Grushko explained. "However, such signals are not coming today," he added. "At least, during our recent contacts, we did not receive them."

READ ALSO

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov

Kremlin slams EU decision to impose new sanctions

"Today, the crisis has gone that far that it concerns not only the issue of discriminating a particular delegation, but also the overall viability of this organization under conditions when there is a flagrant inconsistency between basic documents of the Council of Europe and internal regulations of PACE’s activity, diplomat said. "The Rules Committee earlier adopted cosmetic changes, but they, unfortunately, do not change the essence of the matter."

"Given the events taking place in the Council of Europe, I mean the process of appointing new judges or electing new representatives to the posts, it’s clear that this situation cannot last forever," Grushko said. The deadline for the Council of Europe to decide is this June session, when the elections of the Secretary General will be held," he noted.

More:

http://tass.com/politics/1040930

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/2nd-video-offers-new-context-to-kentucky-boys-taunting-native-american-activist/

2nd video offers new context to Kentucky boys taunting Native American activist

WhatsApp caps message forwarding worldwide in bid to fight fake rumours

By Fanny Potkin and Jessica Damiana Reuters

WATCH ABOVE: WhatsApp is working to combat fake news in India by creating tools to help crack down on people using social media to create anger amongst the public.

• A A +

Facebook Inc’s WhatsApp messenger service is globally limiting the number of times a user can forward a message to five, in a bid to fight “misinformation and rumours,” company executives said on Monday.

“We’re imposing a limit of five messages all over the world as of today,” Victoria Grand, vice president for policy and communications at WhatsApp, said at an event in the Indonesian capital.

READ MORE: Why mobs in India are lynching outsiders over fake news on WhatsApp

Previously, a WhatsApp user could forward a message to 20 individuals or groups. The five-recipient limit expands globally a measure WhatsApp put into place in India in July after the spread of rumours on social media led to killings and lynching attempts.

WhatsApp, which has around 1.5 billion users, has been trying to find ways to stop misuse of the app, following global concern that the platform was being used to spread fake news, manipulated photos, videos without context, and audio hoaxes, with no way to monitor their origin or full reach.

The app’s end-to-end encryption allows groups of hundreds of users to exchange texts, photos and video beyond the purview of independent fact checkers or even the platform itself.

READ MORE: Facebook facing record-breaking fine over privacy violations – report

WhatsApp will roll out an update to activate the new forward limit, starting Monday, WhatsApp’s head of communications Carl Woog told Reuters.

Android users will receive the update first, followed by users of Apple’s iOS

Notable: trying to silence our comms

Russian media watchdog launch ‘administrative proceedings’ against Facebook, Twitter

Russia’s media watchdog has launched civil proceedings against US social media giants for failing to comply with local data laws.

AFP

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Russia’s media watchdog Roskomnadzor launched “administrative proceedings” on Monday against US social media giants Facebook and Twitter, accusing them of not complying with Russian law, news agencies reported.

“Today, Roskomnadzor begins administrative proceedings against both companies (Facebook and Twitter),” the watchdog’s head Alexander Zharov told the Interfax news agency.

The state regulator has repeatedly warned the companies they could be banned if they do not comply with a 2014 law requiring social networking sites to store the personal data of Russian users inside the country.

Mr Zharov said Facebook and Twitter provided “no concrete information on localising the data of Russian users on the territory of the Russian Federation.”

He added that the companies also did not provide a “time frame” for when they plan to store the data of Russian users in Russia.

The 2014 law has caused widespread concern as it is seen as putting the information of Russian users at risk of being accessed by the country’s intelligence services

Russia has put increasing pressure on popular social networks, websites and apps in what opposition figures see as an attempt to silence the main forum for political debate and organising protests.

In April last year, thousands rallied in Moscow in support of internet freedom after Russian authorities tried to block access to the popular messaging app Telegram.

Telegram had refused to give state security services access to private conversations that are normally encrypted.

In 2016, Russian internet providers blocked the LinkedIn professional networking site after Roskomnadzor said it broke the data storage law.

https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/russian-media-watchdog-launch-administrative-proceedings-against-facebook-twitter/news-story/87bb2eeb92f21860e7900c1ab284451f

World economy forecast to slow in 2019 amid trade tensions

By PAUL WISEMAN, AP ECONOMICS WRITER DAVOS, Switzerland — Jan 21, 2019, 8:05 AM ET

The International Monetary Fund has cut its forecast for world economic growth this year, citing heightened trade tensions and rising U.S. interest rates.

The IMF said Monday that it expects global growth this year of 3.5 percent, down from 3.7 percent in 2018 and from the 3.7 percent it had forecast for 2019 back in October.

Unveiling its forecasts at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the fund left its prediction for U.S. growth this year unchanged at 2.5 percent. But it trimmed the growth outlook for the 19 countries that use the euro currency to 1.6 percent from 1.8 percent.

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Playful pup can't get enough of the snow

Growth in emerging-market countries is forecast to slow to 4.5 percent from 4.6 percent in 2018. The IMF expects the Chinese economy — the world's second biggest — to grow 6.2 percent this year, down from 6.6 percent in 2018 and slowest since 1990.

The World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have also downgraded their world growth forecasts.

Rising trade tensions pose a major risk to the world economy. Under President Donald Trump the United States has imposed import taxes on steel, aluminum and hundreds of Chinese products, drawing retaliation from China and other U.S. trading partners.

"Higher trade uncertainty will further dampen investment and disrupt global supply chains," said IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath.

Rising interest rates in the U.S. and elsewhere are also pinching emerging-market governments and companies that borrowed heavily when rates were ultra-low in the aftermath of the 2007-2009 Great Recession.

As the debts roll over, those borrowers have to refinance at higher rates. A rising dollar is also making things harder for emerging-market borrowers who took out loans denominated in the U.S. currency.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/world-economy-forecast-slow-2019-amid-trade-tensions-60519384

The Latest: Zimbabwe police arrest leader of largest union

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HARARE, Zimbabwe — Jan 21, 2019, 8:01 AM ET

The Latest on Zimbabwe's ongoing protests and turmoil. (all times local):

3:00 p.m.

A spokesman for Zimbabwe's largest trade union said police have arrested the secretary general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Japhet Moyo.

He was arrested at the airport in Harare on Monday and lawyers are checking with police to see why. His organization had called for last week's nationwide strike to protest the government's action to more than double the price of fuel. The strike and protests sparked off a government crackdown in which 12 people were killed, according to human rights groups. More than 600 people, including opposition members of parliament, have been arrested in connection with last week's protests. The labor federation called for last week's job stay away.

———

Zimbabwe's capital is returning to normal Monday, after a week of turmoil in which Zimbabweans protested dramatic fuel price hikes and government security forces launched a crackdown in which 12 people were killed.

Most shops and businesses have reopened, although many people are stocking up on food items in case the country faces further unrest.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to return to the country late Monday, after announcing Sunday that he will skip attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He is in Kazakhstan, after visiting Russia last week.

Mnangagwa had been under growing pressure to return from a two-week overseas visit as accounts emerged of abuses by security forces, including dozens of people wounded by gunfire and others hunted down in their homes and severely beaten. Zimbabwe has seen days of unrest since Mnangagwa made an announcement more than doubling fuel prices that made the struggling country's gasoline the most expensive in the world.

Indicating the severity of Zimbabwe's economic problems, South Africa confirmed that it turned down Mnangagwa's request for a loan of $1.2 billion recently. "We just don't have that kind of money," South African treasury spokesman Jabulani Sikhakhane told the broadcaster, eNCA.

Zimbabwe's courts are on Monday to hear two cases related to the government's ongoing clampdown on dissent. The High Court will hear a challenge to the government's suspension of internet services. Although internet service has been restored after a nearly week-long blackout, social media outlets such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Facebook are still jammed. The government has said its action is to prevent Zimbabweans from organizing violent protests.

The blockade "has caused serious inconveniences, loss of business and income, threats to life and the right to health care as people are not able to access vital communication relating to their medication," said the court application by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and the Media Institute of Southern Africa, which urged the court to rule that the government should lift its restrictions.

In a separate court case, the lawyer for activist and pastor Evan Mawarire is trying to get him released on bail. In jail since Wednesday, he has been charged with subversion against the government for which he faces 20 years in jail if convicted. Mawarire had used social media to support peaceful protests against the fuel price increases. The case against Mawarire is a "travesty of justice" said his lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa.

In the widespread crackdown, more than 600 people have been arrested of which more than 400 have been denied bail, said Mtetwa.

When Mnangagwa tweeted Sunday that he would cut short his European trip and to come back to Zimbabwe he didn't mention the violence, saying only that he is returning "in light of the economic situation." He said his first priority "is to get Zimbabwe calm, stable and working again."

At Davos, he planned to appeal for foreign investment and loans, but the visit had been expected to be a challenge. His Davos visit a year ago came shortly after he took over from longtime, repressive leader Robert Mugabe, a move cheered by Zimbabweans and the international community.

But Mnangagwa has faced a year of troubles in which his administration failed to improve the collapsed economy, narrowly won a disputed election and violently put down anti-government protests.

The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference last week lamented the government's "intolerant handling of dissent" and its failure to halt economic collapse, concluding that "our country is going through one of the most trying periods in its history."

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-zimbabwe-police-arrest-leader-largest-union-60519342

Brexit: What Europe wants

The EU's preferred option is for Britain to stay. Failing that, Brussels would like the UK to remain as close as possible. For now, though, Europe’s leaders just want some clarity on what the British government wants.

With the beleaguered British Prime Minister Theresa May announcing her Plan B on Monday, EU leaders are scratching their heads about how to resolve the situation.

Brussels is seeking clarity ahead of Britain's March 29 exit date, insisting that the ball is in Britain's court, and not vice versa.

European leaders have urged the UK to explicitly state what it wants, but they do have preferences of their own.

What the EU's position is:

The EU has said it would ideally want Britain to remain a member of the bloc, something that would require the revocation of Article 50 which the UK invoked to leave the bloc.

Otherwise, the favored plan B would be for Britain to become a member of the European Free Trade Area (EFTA), like for example, Norway. This would keep Britain in the single market. It would have to accept freedom of movement, obey many EU rules and be obliged to make a financial contribution to the bloc while having no voting rights.

To facilitate that, Brussels would be prepared to delay Brexit day until May 26 at least, when European elections take place.

Negotiators from the bloc have said that, to resume any substantive negotiations, they would need the UK to alter its red lines — for example on membership of the Customs Union — something that might lead to a softer Brexit than had been anticipated under the Theresa May deal.

If Britain still wants to leave with something similar to May's unpopular Brexit agreement, Brussels has said it can clarify the terms but that it can't change legal aspects.

EU member states would prefer to avoid a hard Brexit, but have begun to make preparations for one.

What European leaders have said:

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has expressed his frustration with British indecision. He urged Theresa May's government to express its wishes in more positive terms on Monday. "We now know what they don't want in London," said Maas. "Now we must at last find out what they want."

Germany's Europe Minister Michael Roth echoed Maas's remarks exactly. However, he also said Britain should think about reviewing its decision to leave with a second referendum. "The door to the EU always remains open to perhaps think about it again,” Roth said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would work up to the last moment to ensure that Britain could agree an orderly exit from the EU. The chancellor said on Sunday that it was incumbent on her government to help shape the process of separation in a responsible way. "We don't want people to shake their heads in 50 years time and ask the question: 'Why weren't they in the situation to find a compromise?'" Merkel said.

Read more: UK: Emotions run high as Brexit closes in

Irish European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee said Dublin would not enter into bilateral talks with London over the backstop agreement. McEntee stressed that Ireland would only negotiate as one of the 27 remaining members of the EU. "What we can't do and what we won't do, because we have not throughout this entire process, is engage in any kind of bilateral negotiations," McEntee told Irish broadcaster RTE.

https://www.dw.com/en/brexit-what-europe-wants/a-47165443

THE LEGAL PROCESS

By Judge Dale, retired

From

THE GREAT AMERICAN ADVENTURE

SECRETS OF AMERICA

Political history of government and law

Important information that your BAR attorney

will never tell you!

WORLD NEWS JANUARY 21, 2019 / 5:24 AM / UPDATED 14 MINUTES AGO

Exclusive: Modi considers cheap loans, other help for small Indian businesses - sources

Aftab Ahmed

3 MIN READ

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is considering offering cheap loans and free accidental insurance coverage to millions of small businesses, two government sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, as he tries to placate a key voter bloc ahead of a general election due by May.

Small business groups have been critical of the Modi government in the past year after many firms were squeezed by a shock move to ban high-value currency notes in 2016, followed by a hasty implementation of a nation-wide goods and services tax (GST) that raised their compliance costs.

In a bid to win them back, and following election losses in five states last month, the government run by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently announced GST concessions and tweaked an ecommerce policy in favor of small traders.

More measures are now being planned, said the sources, who declined to be named as the information was not public.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Finance did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The sources did not quantify the amount the series of measures would cost the government, as details are still being worked out.

The government is working on offering a discount of 2 percentage points on loans for businesses with annual sales of less than 50 million rupees ($701,754), the sources said, and would compensate banks for costs.

Small businesses with a top credit rating can get loans from banks at about 9-10 percent, while lower-rated businesses can be charged around 13-14 percent.

But only about 4 percent of the 70 million small enterprises in India have access to bank credit, said Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of the Confederation of All India Traders.

He said 30 percent of their loans come from the country’s shadow banking sector, while more than half are provided by private money lenders at rates as high as 25 percent a month.

One of the sources said the government may also ask banks to open a special window for increasing the credit flow to small businesses, which will ensure greater availability of loans.

The government is also planning to provide free accidental insurance coverage of up to 1 million rupees to small businesses with annual sales of up to 100 million rupees, the sources said.

“Employees of small traders may also get discounts on opting for state-backed insurance schemes,” one of the sources said.

The government has not yet decided if the moves would be announced before the interim budget on Feb. 1, the sources said.

The government is also considering a pension program for retired traders registered with the government, and a further discount on interest rates paid on loans to women traders.

($1 = 71.2500 Indian rupees)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-election-traders-exclusive/exclusive-modi-considers-cheap-loans-other-help-for-small-indian-businesses-sources-idUSKCN1PF1B2?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29

A spokesperson for Zimbabwe's largest trade union said police have arrested the secretary general of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Japhet Moyo.

He was arrested at the airport in Harare on Monday and lawyers are checking with police to see why. His organisation had called for last week's nationwide strike to protest the government's action to more than double the price of fuel.

The strike and protests sparked off a government crackdown in which 12 people were killed, according to human rights groups.

More than 600 people, including opposition members of parliament, have been arrested in connection with last week's protests. The labor federation called for last week's job stay away.

https://www.news24.com/Africa/Zimbabwe/latest-zimbabwe-police-arrest-leader-of-largest-union-20190121

Over 100 security killed in Taliban attack on Afghan military training center – reports

Published time: 21 Jan, 2019 13:47

Edited time: 21 Jan, 2019 13:47

https://www.rt.com/news/449335-afghanistan-taliban-attack-killed/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=push_notifications&utm_campaign=push_notifications

s part of a wall crusade, Pence turns to MLK’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech

01/21/19 08:40 AM

By Steve Benen

When Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech nearly 56 years ago, it came against a backdrop of significant societal tumult, including the assassination of Medgar Evers just two months earlier. The civil rights leader’s remarks spoke to the sense of urgency.

“This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism,” MLK said in his remarks. “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.”

Vice President Mike Pence apparently felt justified appropriating King’s rhetoric into the White House’s immigration agenda, arguing on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” yesterday:

“You know, the hearts and minds of the American people today are thinking a lot about it being the weekend where we remember the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King was, ‘Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.’

“You think of how he changed America. He inspired us to change through the legislative process to become a more perfect union. That’s exactly what President Trump is calling on the Congress to do. Come to the table in a spirit of good faith.”

Of course, the last time congressional Democratic leaders went to the negotiating table “in a spirit of good faith,” Donald Trump walked away from the table after being told he couldn’t have what he thinks he’s entitled to.

But even putting aside the relevant details, Pence’s use of King’s quote is hopelessly misguided. For one thing, given everything we know about King’s record, it’s simply implausible to think the iconic leader would have endorsed a far-right campaign intended to demonize and punish immigrants. Indeed, the NAACP called Pence’s comments “an insult” to King’s legacy.

For another, if we’re going to make real the promises of democracy, we’re going to have to reject Team Trump’s misguided wall crusade.

Trump ran on a platform of building a wall with Mexican money, and on Election Day 2016, more Americans voted for his opponent. The Republican president proceeded to pitch an aggressively anti-immigrant message ahead of Election Day 2018, when voters handed Democrats control of the House.

In the months that followed, all independent polling has found the American mainstream not only blames Trump and his party of the shutdown, but also does not want to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on an ineffective and unnecessary border wall.

It’s against this backdrop that the president wants to short circuit the American policymaking process – which is supposed to involve introducing an idea, sending it to committee, allowing for congressional debate and amendments, holding a series of legislative votes, etc. – and instead have his demands met through an extortion strategy built around holding the government hostage.

If Mike Pence thinks Trump’s demands for a border wall have anything to do with “the promises of democracy,” he’s looking at reality through a rather twisted lens. To take democracy seriously is to do the opposite of what the president commands.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/part-wall-crusade-pence-turns-mlks-i-have-dream-speech

RACHEL MADCOW ARTICLE

PELOSI RESPONDS: Nancy Pelosi Responds to President Trump's Immigration Compromise

posted by Hannity Staff - 2 hours ago

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi responded to President Trump’s border security compromise Saturday evening; saying the Commander-in-Chief has “no sympathy” for those impacted by the partial government shutdown.

“What is original in the President’s proposal is not good. What is good in the proposal is not original. Democrats will vote next week to add additional border security funding for ports of entry, advanced technology for scanning vehicles for drugs & immigration judges,” posted Pelosi on social media.

https://www.hannity.com/media-room/pelosi-responds-nancy-pelosi-responds-to-president-trumps-immigration-compromise/?utm=spush

>>4845529

highly related

forgot to include.

body language can say everything

>>4845547

>>4845529

forgot twice…. maybe beddy time

The head of the Justice Department’s criminal division during the George W. Bush administration reportedly opposed pursuing felony charges against pharmaceutical company executives for downplaying OxyContin’s dangers.

Top DOJ officials similarly rejected a prosecutor’s recommendation to file felony charges after they met with executives from Purdue Pharma and their defense team, according to The New York Times.

Members of the Sackler family, who own Purdue Pharma, sought to mislead the public about abuse surrounding OxyContin, a lawsuit alleges, citing company emails and other documents.

The head of the Justice Department’s criminal division under President George W. Bush reportedly opposed levying felony charges against executives of a pharmaceutical company that’s widely blamed for helping start the opioid epidemic.

She has since joined a private law firm and has successfully defended pharmaceutical companies against government investigations.

A federal prosecutor recommended the felony indictments, which could have resulted in jail time if convictions were secured, but the DOJ officials rejected the notion after meeting with the Purdue Pharma executives and their defense team, according to The New York Times. It’s unclear if the criminal division chief attended that meeting.

Over 12 years later, it’s still unknown which senior officials attended that meeting, who rejected the indictment recommendations, and why they were rejected. Local and state governments have since mounted hundred of lawsuits against Purdue alleging the company downplayed the dangers of its blockbuster opioid, OxyContin.

https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/20/doj-purdue-pharma-opioid-sackler/?utm_medium=push&utm_source=daily_caller&utm_campaign=push

Pakistani officers gun down 4 people, incl. 13-year-old girl, claiming they were ‘terrorists’

Published time: 21 Jan, 2019 13:48

Over a dozen members of a police counterterrorism unit were arrested in Pakistan after footage, which showed officers riddling a car with bullets and killing four people including a teenage girl, surfaced online sparking protests.

Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) initially said the killings in Sahiwal, a city in a in Punjab Province, were lawful and happened after suspected terrorists opened fire at officers trying to apprehend him. But a video of the incident, which tells a different story, sparked outrage and made the incident a major national scandal in Pakistan.

The four people killed by the CTD on Saturday were identified as Mohammad Khalil, an owner of a grocery store, his wife Nabia, their daughter Areeba and a family friend, Zeeshan Javed. The car, driven by Javed, was stopped by police who claim they were acting on a tip from an intelligence agency which stated that the man was a jihadist loyal to the terrorist group Islamic State.

The police initially said that Javed was a trained terrorist, who used the family as human shields and opened fire at the officers, who returned fire and killed everyone in the car.

Witnesses said police chased the car, rammed it from behind and forced it to stop. They then removed three small children from the vehicle, taking them to a police van, and gunned down the people remaining inside.

Footage of the incident, filmed by a bystander, supports the eyewitness accounts. Relatives of both men killed in the incident denied either of them had any ties to jihadists.

The video quickly went viral, was broadcast by the Pakistani media and resulted in a public outcry. Hundreds of people, including relatives of the slain family, took to the streets of Sahiwal to denounce the CTD. The crowds blocked a major road, but several hours later agreed to leave after police talked to the protesters.

Many others went to social media to express their anger and demand justice for the victims. Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote in a tweet that he was “shocked” by the incident and promised swift action and profound police reform in the province.

https://www.rt.com/news/449336-pakistani-officers-gun-down-terrorists/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS

Violence breaks out after reported mutiny by national guard unit in Venezuela

Security forces have fired tear gas against protesters in a poor neighbourhood just 3 kilometres from Venezuela’s presidential palace after an apparent uprising by a national guard unit.

The disturbance early Monday started hours after a group of men dressed in military fatigues and carrying assault weapons published a series of videos on social media saying they won’t recognize President Nicolas Maduro’s government.

READ MORE: Canada slams Venezuela’s Maduro’s 2nd term as ‘illegitimate’ as he is sworn in

In one of the videos, a man identifying himself as 3rd Sgt. Figueroa, addressing the “people of Venezuela,” urges his compatriots to take to the streets to show support for their rebellion.

“You asked to take to the streets to defend the constitution, well here we are,” he said in a video shot at night in which several heavily armed men and a national guard truck can be seen in the background.

“You wanted us to light the fuse, so we did. We need your support,” Figueroa added.

Authorities arrested a group of military officials for stealing weapons from a national guard outpost, the government said in a statement Monday.

WATCH BELOW: Venezuela turmoil sends asylum-seekers fleeing to nearby countries

video

In the adjacent neighborhood of Cotiza, a small group of residents could be seen banging pots and pans, burning trash and throwing rocks at police officers stationed outside the national guard post.

“We must defend our homeland,” Maria Fernanda Rodriguez, a 36-year-old manicurist, told The Associated Press, her eyes welling from the tear gas.

READ MORE: Venezuela security forces have detained, tortured military accused of plotting: report

Domestic and international pressure has been mounting on Maduro to cede power after he began as second, six-year term that the U.S. and dozens of other foreign governments consider illegitimate, in part because he banned several leading opponents from running against him.

WATCH BELOW: Guards cover Maduro after drone ‘assassination attempt’ in August 2018

>video

https://globalnews.ca/news/4869969/venezuela-mutiny-maduro-military/

Over 100 security killed in Taliban attack on Afghan military training center – reports

Published time: 21 Jan, 2019 13:47

Edited time: 21 Jan, 2019 13:59

Taliban militants killed over 100 members of the Afghan security forces in an attack on a military compound in the central province of Maidan Wardak, Reuters reported citing a source in the military.

"We have information that 126 people have been killed in the explosion inside the military training center," an official told Reuters. The government said earlier that 12 people had been killed, but declined to comment further.

A Taliban suicide bomber drove a car bomb into the base following a firefight between the militants and security forces, Afghanistan’s Pajhwok News reported. The attack took place shortly after 8am on Monday.

New bill asks Treasury Dept. to offer furloughed feds interest free loans

by Eric White @FEDERALNEWSCAST

January 21, 2019 9:03 am 5 min read

New bill asks Treasury Dept. to offer furloughed feds interest free loans

New bill asks Treasury Dept. to offer furloughed feds interest free loans By Eric White @FEDERALNEWSCAST January 21, 2019 9:03 am 5 min read

Armed Venezuelan soldiers detained in Caracas for trying to stage ‘uprising’ against Maduro

Published time: 21 Jan, 2019 14:11

Venezuela’s military has detained a group of the National Guard soldiers who stole weapons, and called for an uprising to be staged against President Nicolas Maduro.

Early on Monday morning, videos surfaced on social media showing a group of some two dozen men dressed in military uniforms and carrying assault rifles on the streets of the Venezuelan capital Caracas.

https://www.rt.com/news/449340-venezuela-soldiers-arrested-uprising/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS

Jason Rezaian on Iran imprisonment, Trump

video

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/jason-rezaian-hopes-trump-will-do-a-lot-more-to-free-americans-held-in-iran/

OBAMA supported this guy make of that, maybe that was what is said to the public not what he really does.