Iran supports Venezuela in face of US plots: FM Zarif

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic supports the legal government in Venezuela and the country's people in the face of all plots, particularly those hatched by the United States.

The top Iranian diplomat made the remarks in a phone conversation with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Friday amid massive protests organized by the US in the Latin American country.

The Iranian and Venezuelan foreign ministers discussed possible avenues for countering the US plots against independent countries, particularly Venezuela, through international channels.

Zarif and Arreaza also exchanged views about ways to strengthen negotiations between the Venezuelan government and the opposition groups and find a political solution to the ongoing conflict between the two sides.

At least 10 countries, including Russia, Turkey and Iran, have expressed their support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and condemned outside interference in Caracas.

China, which has backed Venezuela’s sovereignty, said it opposed any outside interference. Bolivia, Mexico and Cuba all supported the Venezuelan president.

Maduro on Friday ordered the closure of Venezuela’s embassy and consulates in the US after Washington threw its weight behind opposition leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself interim president earlier this week.

During a lengthy speech at a special session at the Supreme Court, the Venezuelan president censured US President Donald Trump for seeking to orchestrate a coup against his government and backing the self-declared leader.

The US has a long record for “regime change” campaigns in Venezuela and other countries. In 2002, the late Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, was ousted for two days in a US-backed coup which was ultimately defeated.

In 1953, the CIA led a coup against Iran's first democratically-elected government and toppled Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.

Maduro was sworn in for a second term earlier in January, after a vote marred by an opposition boycott and claims of vote-rigging.

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/01/25/586784/Zarif-Venezuela-US-plots

Trump’s biggest donors’ ‘mission in life is to protect… the state of Israel’

Miriam and Sheldon Adelson are Donald Trump’s largest supporters. Together they gave more than $177 million to Trump’s campaign in 2016 and Republican causes in 2016-2018. Dr. Adelson then was given the presidential medal of freedom last year, in recognition in part of her work on drug addiction.

The 73-year-old spelled out her worldview at the Israeli American Council conference last month, and stated that she and her husband alongside her share those views: Jews are unsafe in the west, Israel makes Jews everywhere safe and proud, so all the criticism of Israel is just masked anti-Semitism. Therefore, protecting Israel is their “mission in life,” Dr. Adelson said; and American Democrats must join them in supporting Israel.

Here are excerpts of Dr. Adelson’s remarks followed by comments from Sheldon Adelson, who made his fortune off casinos.

When I met Sheldon he was telling me about the anti-semitism that he suffered in Boston. I want to tell you that I’ve never in my life suffered one personal case of anti-semitism. I grew up a proud Jew in Israel. Proud Israeli in Israel. And when I went to the States later on in my life, I’ve never been exposed to anti-semitism.

I see all what’s going on here, the anti-Israel, the anti-semitism. They mask like anti-Israel, but it’s anti-semitism. So that made me feel that my mission in life is to protect my family, my people, Jewish people and the state of Israel….

We have to spread [the IAC] across America because this organization is going to strengthen the state of Israel… We are here together. As I said when I presented Vice President Pence. No matter whether we are left or right, we have to be strong together. We are like one hand. But we should work separately. We should [unintelligible] together and be strong to protect our homeland.

Moderator Shawn Evenhaim, an LA real estate mogul, said that the Israeli American Council, IAC, is not a rightwing organization, because “Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi wouldn’t be on the stage if this is a rightwing organization, and Haim Saban [Democratic megadonor] wouldn’t be here if it was a rightwing organization.” (Here they are.) Dr. Adelson echoed him:

From the beginning, Sheldon said, that this organization should not be political. Otherwise we will lose half of the Israelis. And we repeat it and repeat it all the time, Please make it even…. We respect each others’ opinions. So we are not a political organization. We are an organization that is pro-Israel, pro the Jewish world. Yes I said it again and again, whatever you are you are welcome, as long as you support the state of Israel. So here and there people are trying to say, it’s right, or it’s left. Or why this left person came, or why this right person. So I want you to be together, as I said, one hand. And we are all together, whatever we say, whatever we think, we are together to protect the state of Israel. We know how important it is. We see the anti-semitism that is happening. And I talked with some holocaust survivor who said, this period reminds them, before the Holocaust, when nobody fought it. So we have to be strong and united. United is the name of it– united and strong. So please stick do it and don’t think that we are any political organization. No matter whether we are right or left. We should work separately but together. We should work together to protect our homeland.

https://mondoweiss.net/2019/01/biggest-mission-protect/

>>4911417

Video proof

Dam breaks in southeast Brazil, causing an unknown number of casualties. Preliminary estimate of more than 200 deaths

A dam has failed at an iron ore mine in southeastern Brazil, unleashing a massive mudflow that buried the mining site and reached a nearby community, local officials say. At least 50 people were killed.

The incident happened on early Friday afternoon when a tailings dam holding mining waste failed in Brumadinho, a town in the state of Minas Gerais, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of Belo Horizonte.

The Vale mining company, which operates the mine and owns the dam, confirmed in a statement that a breach had occurred, causing a mudflow that hit the work site and parts of the nearby community.

Footage shown on local television showed that cars, trucks, buildings, and a cargo train were buried by the devastating mudflow. A number of people were rescued by helicopter.

Mayor Avimar de Melo Barcelos told BandNews FM on early Friday evening that at least 50 people were killed. He said 200 to 300 people are believed to be missing, but rescue workers are still looking for survivors.

bnonews.com/index.php/2019/01/dam-breaks-in-southeast-brazil/

Brazil mining dam collapse leaves ‘200 missing’

www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47009118

Nato asks NZ to join new training mission in Iraq

Nato has asked New Zealand to join its new training mission in Iraq.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels this morning (NZT), discussing security issues in the Asia-Pacific and areas of cooperation such as maritime security, cybersecurity, and the fight against international terrorism.

At a joint press conference, Stoltenberg said Nato had launched a new training mission in Iraq: "We will of course welcome contributions from New Zealand to that training mission."

Speaking to media after the conference, Ardern said she did not give him any commitment and would need to discuss the idea with Cabinet colleagues.

But she noted that the NZ Defence Force already had a presence in Iraq, training forces as part of the Global Coalition to defeat Isis.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12196562

>>4911500 Dam breaks in southeast Brazil, causing an unknown number of casualties. Preliminary estimate of more than 200 deaths

>>4911340 Seven Indicted For Harboring Alleged Newman Officer, Ronil Singh, Killer’s Flight To Mexico

>>4911345 58,000 noncitizens may have illegally voted in Texas, officials say

>>4911355 Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland sickens Sundance with 'sexually explicit and devastating' proof

>>4911417, >>4911423 Trump’s biggest donors’ ‘mission in life is to protect… the state of Israel’

>>4911478 Nato asks NZ to join new training mission in Iraq

>>4911500 Assist