Russian President Putin And Chinese President Xi Jinping Open First Giant Gas Pipeline Between Russia And China

Daily Mail/AFP: Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping open first giant gas pipeline between Russia and China as part of $400billion deal

* The pair discussed their new pipeline via video link during televised ceremony
* Jinping hailed the 'Power of Siberia' pipeline as a symbol of cooperation
* 1,850-mile pipeline will supply China with 1.3 trillion cubic feet of gas annually

Russia and China today launched a giant gas pipeline linking the two countries as part of a major $400billion deal to cement Moscow as the world's biggest gas exporter.

Talking via video link during an elaborate televised ceremony, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping hailed the 'Power of Siberia' pipeline as a symbol of cooperation.

'Today is remarkable, a truly historic event not only for the global energy market, but first of all for us and for you, for Russia and China,' Putin said.

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WNU Editor: This is also a big symbol on how relations between the two countries are changing .... Russia and China finish first road bridge connecting two countries (ABC News Online).

More News On Today's Opening Of The First Giant Gas Pipeline Between Russia And China

Putin and Xi oversee launch of landmark Russian gas pipeline to China -- Reuters
Putin, Xi oversee launch of massive Russian gas pipeline to China -- France 24
Russia, China launch gas pipeline 'Power of Siberia' -- DW
Russia Begins Sending Natural Gas To China As Putin And Xi Open New Pipeline -- NPR
Xi, Putin witness launching ceremony of China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline -- Xinhuanet
Xi Jinping, Putin witness launch of China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline -- CGTN
First of three Russian gas pipelines inaugurated -- Asia Times

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky: 'I Don’t Trust Anyone At All'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sits for a portrait in Kyiv on Nov. 30, 2019. Paolo Pellegrin—Magnum Photos for TIME

Time: 'I Don’t Trust Anyone at All.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Speaks Out on Trump, Putin and a Divided Europe

Hardly six months into his tenure as the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky has already learned to temper his expectations. He does not expect his first round of peace talks with Russia, which are scheduled to take place in Paris on Dec. 9, to end the war that has been raging along their border for the past five years. Nor does he expect too much from his Western allies going into these negotiations, Zelensky said in a wide-ranging interview on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters from TIME and three of Europe’s leading publications, the President explained that, despite getting caught up in the impeachment inquiry now unfolding in Washington, D.C., Ukraine still needs the support of the United States.

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More News On Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky

Zelensky airs his grievances with Trump -- Politico
Zelensky Tells Trump: Please Stop Saying Ukraine Is Corrupt -- Daily Beast
On treadmill, Zelensky says Ukraine stuck without Putin summit -- France 24
Zelensky: Vote in Donbas to be held under Ukraine laws after end of Russian occupation -- UNIAN
Ukrainian president: 'I will not agree to go to war' in separatist-controlled territory -- The Week

Ukraine President Zelenskiy Denies Quid Pro Quo Arrangement With President Trump During Phone Call

The Hill: Ukraine's Zelensky: I never talked to Trump about 'position of a quid pro quo'

Ukraine's president says in a new interview that he never discussed a "quid pro quo" with President Trump, but criticized any blocking of U.S. security aid for his country at a time when it is at war with Russia.

"I never talked to the president from the position of a quid pro quo. That’s not my thing," Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Time published Monday.

"I don’t want us to look like beggars. But you have to understand. We’re at war," he said. "If you’re our strategic partner, then you can’t go blocking anything for us. I think that’s just about fairness. It’s not about a quid pro quo. It just goes without saying."

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WNU Editor: This is the third time that he is denying any quid pro quo discussions with President Trump.

More News On Ukraine President Zelenskiy Again Denying Quid Pro Quo Allegations With President Trump

Ukraine’s Zelensky again denies quid pro quo during Trump phone call -- NYPost
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky denies quid pro quo, pushes back on Trump's corruption criticism -- USA Today
‘That’s not my thing’: Ukraine’s Zelenskiy speaks out on quid pro quo in new interview -- Global Times
Zelensky Again Says What Trump Wants to Hear -- NYMag
Zelenskiy: Allies ‘can’t go blocking aid’ in time of war -- Mercury News/AP

World News Briefs -- December 2, 2019

Reuters: Don't fiddle while the planet burns, U.N. chief warns climate summit

MADRID (Reuters) - The world must choose hope over surrender in the fight against climate change, U.N. secretary-general Antonio Guterres said on Monday, warning a summit in Madrid that governments risked sleepwalking past a point of no return.

The latest round of annual negotiations to bolster the 2015 Paris Agreement to curb global warming began against a backdrop of unusually severe weather disasters this year, from fires in the Arctic, Amazon and Australia to intense tropical hurricanes.

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MIDDLE EAST

Violent clashes between Syrian forces and militant groups in Idlib despite ceasefire. Thirty killed across Syria as violence rages.

Several children killed in Turkish artillery attack in northern Syria, monitor says.

Iran unrest killed 'at least 208': Amnesty International.

Pompeo says Iran the common villain in Mideast protests.

Oman top diplomat visits Iran after US trip.

Iran still selling oil despite U.S. sanctions: TV.

Iraq's Parliament approves Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi's resignation amid violent unrest.

Iraq parties in talks over new PM amid unrelenting protests.

Prosecution in Israel lines up over 300 witnesses in Netanyahu case.

ASIA

China, Russia begin operation of 'historic' natural gas pipeline.

Hong Kong police defend use of tear gas during approved march, blaming violent radicals for deviating from approved route.

China suspends review of visits by American warships & sanctions NGOs in response to US signing of Hong Kong bill .

Hundreds of thousands flee threat of floods and landslides due to typhoon Kammuri in Philippines.

Protests escalate in India over gang-rape and murder of woman.

Kim Jong-un steps out of grandfather's sartorial shadow with trench coat look.

Samoan measles epidemic prompts government shutdown. At least 53 dead from measles in Samoa, officials say.

AFRICA

Protester killed in new anti-UN demo in DR Congo.

Air raids in Libyan capital kill five: ministry.

After Libya arms embargo breaches, U.N. Security Council warns countries to stop.

Top rebel leader says more time needed for Sudan peace deal.

Namibia election: president wins second term despite scandal and recession.

Anti-corruption drive in Gabon reshuffles political pack.

Zambia gay rights row: US ambassador 'threatened' over jailing of couple.

New IMF chief urges debt wisdom in maiden Africa visit.

EUROPE

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to depart in January.

Politicians trade blame over London Bridge attack as victims are honoured with vigil.

London Bridge attack leads UK PM Boris Johnson to promise law reforms for dangerous criminals.

German coalition collapse looms as CDU rejects SPD's demands.

Russian diplomat comments on Kiev’s readiness to 'accept a couple of Russian regions'.

‘They died to protect the people in the Sahel,’ Macron says in tribute to fallen French troops.

EU to check how Facebook, Google use data: spokeswoman.

Briton jailed for more than 100 bomb hoaxes in UK, US and Canada.

AMERICAS

U.S. Democrats set the stage for Trump impeachment with key hearing.

White House won't participate in first Judiciary impeachment hearing.

Trump campaign denies press credentials to Bloomberg News.

Biden evokes past, raises doubts with 'No Malarkey' rallying cry.

Mexican police arrest 3 in attack that killed 9 of U.S. family.

Mexico violence: Hunt for gunmen behind deadly shoot-out.

Venezuelan opposition leader Guaido rocked by explosive corruption claim within his ranks.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Taliban says it has the 'same stance' on negotiations after Trump talks cease-fire.

Victims of London Bridge terror attack remembered in somber vigil.

Macron honours 'sacrifice' of 13 French soldiers killed in Mali.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Clerics, credit, jingoism: Saudi Aramco casts IPO net.

Trump announces resumption of tariffs on steel and aluminum from Brazil and Argentina.

Cyber Monday expected to rake in 'record US sales'.

Google and YouTube reportedly pull hundreds of Trump ads for violating policies.

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 2, 2019

Time: What to Know About the 2019 NATO Summit

When the leaders of 29 countries gather in London at the NATO summit on Dec. 3, the future of military cooperation in the Western world will be top of the agenda.

That’s because, on its 70th anniversary, the military alliance’s future looks less certain than ever.

NATO was founded in the wake of the Second World War by the U.S. and the main European powers as a means of military defense against Soviet Russia. Its founding members pledged that an attack on one would be considered an attack on all, and that each ally would retaliate against the aggressor.

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Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- December 2, 2019

NATO under friendly fire as leaders ready for London summit -- AP

NATO meeting comes as cracks in alliance's armor – beyond Trump's criticisms – begin to show -- USA Today

NATO Summit Final Communique to Include Reference to Russia - Source From Merkel's Office -- Sputnik

NATO is showing its age as the alliance turns 70 -- Nic Robertson, CNN

Russia is not the only pressing issue that NATO has to deal with -- CNBC

Trump heads to London for NATO summit amid tensions -- UPI

Trump, Pompeo hit Democrats for holding impeachment hearing during NATO meetings -- The Hill

No surprises as carrier enters 6th Fleet’s area of operations -- Navy Times

GE awarded $1.3B for T700 helicopter engines to Army, Navy, Air Force -- UPI

The Army Could Soon Use Robots as Armored Weapons (And Much More) -- National Interest

A plan to add more Navy SEAL platoons has stalled amid discipline problems -- Business Insider/Military.com

U.S. deploys reconnaissance planes to Korean Peninsula, report says -- UPI

US Military Makes Bold Statement in First-of-its-Kind Exercise with India -- Military.com

Greece to ask for NATO support over Turkish-Libyan military agreement -- CNA

France’s armed forces minister: How AI figures into operational superiority -- Defense News

Neo-Nazi scandal hits German elite military unit -- DW

Disgraced Prince Andrew retains Canadian military roles -- National Post

NATO summit expected to put Canada under pressure on multiple fronts -- CBC

Japan defense minister: Managing an increasingly uncertain security environment -- Defense News

China issues warning to US after warships pass disputed islands -- AP

China appears to have deployed an airship to keep an eye on things around its biggest South China Sea outpost -- Business Insider/SCMP

Naval exercises of Iran, Russia, China to begin in late December -- TASS

Military Source Sheds Light on Cost and Design of New Russian Aircraft Carrier -- Sputnik

Russia to Create New Radar Field Against Cruise Missiles -- Sputnik

Russian hi-tech firm in talks with other countries on delivery of rocket engines -- TASS

India Accuses Pakistan of 950 Instances of Cross-Border Fire in Last 90 Days -- Sputnik

India watching US for sanctions on Turkey -- Defense News

Malaysia flags US-China rivalry and jihadist fighters as key threats in first ever defence white paper -- SCMP

Analysis: Why Jordan Conducted a Major Military Drill Against an Israeli Invasion -- Haaretz

Trainer aircraft garner attention in the Middle East. Will sales follow? -- Defense News

Iran's Military Is Flying Some Really Old Planes (And They Were Built in America) -- National Interest

China Bans U.S. Military Visits To Hong Kong. Sanctions U.S.-Based NGOs

Anti-government protesters raise their hands as they attend the "Lest We Forget" rally in Hong Kong, China December 1, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

CNN: China bans US military visits to Hong Kong in response to Washington's support for protesters

Hong Kong (CNN)China will ban US warships and military aircraft from making stops in Hong Kong in the wake of Washington passing legislation supporting the territory's pro-democracy protesters, the country's Foreign Ministry said Monday.

"In response to the unreasonable behaviors of the US side, the Chinese government decides to suspend the review of requests by US military ships and aircraft to visit Hong Kong as of today," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a news conference in Beijing.

Hua also announced that Beijing would impose sanctions on several US non-governmental human rights organizations that have been monitoring and reporting on the protests in Hong Kong.

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WNU Editor: U.S. support of Hong Kong's demonstrators will also be impacting this .... U.S.-China trade deal 'stalled because of Hong Kong legislation' - Axios (Reuters).

Update: Duh!!!! .... Trump says U.S. bill on Hong Kong doesn't help China trade talks (Reuters)

More News On China Banning U.S. Military Visits To Hong Kong

China to suspend US Navy visits to Hong Kong over new law -- AP
US warships are suspended from visits to Hong Kong as China retaliates over Donald Trump's decision to sign bills supporting the city's pro-democracy protesters -- Daily Mail
China suspends U.S. military visits to Hong Kong, sanctions U.S.-based NGOs -- Reuters
China suspends review of US requests to send military ships and aircraft to Hong Kong in response to Hong Kong human rights bill -- Business Insider
China suspends US Navy visits to Hong Kong over support for protests -- BBC
China Retaliates After US Legislation Supports Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Movement -- VOA

This Chinese City Uses 2.6m Cameras For Surveillance

10 cities with most surveillance cameras per person

The Guardian: Big Brother is watching: Chinese city with 2.6m cameras is world's most heavily surveilled

Cities around the world are scaling up their use of surveillance cameras and facial recognition systems – but which ones are watching their citizens most closely?

Qiu Rui, a policeman in Chongqing, was on duty this summer when he received an alert from a facial recognition system at a local square. There was a high probability a man caught on camera was a suspect in a 2002 murder case, the system told him.

The city’s surveillance system scans facial features of people on the streets from frames of video footage in real time, creating a virtual map of the face. It can then match this information against scanned faces of suspects in a police database. If there is a match that passes a preset threshold, typically 60% or higher, the system immediately notifies officers. Three days later the police captured the man, who eventually admitted that he was the suspect.

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WNU Editor: 2.6 million cameras for just one city. That is a truly astounding number.

China Now Requires All New Cell Phone And Internet Users To Submit To A Facial Recognition Scan

Getting a SIM card at any of China’s three state-owned carriers -- China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom -- now requires a face scan. (Picture: Shutterstock)

Business Insider: Chinese government forces people to scan their face before they can use internet as surveillance efforts mount

* China's 854 million internet users are now required to use facial identification in order to apply for new internet or mobile services.
* The Chinese government announced in September that telecommunications companies will need to scan users' faces in order to verify their identities before they can access new services.
* The new rule went into effect on December 1 and is part of China's wider efforts to keep close tabs on its citizens and monitor their activities and behaviors.

Chinese citizens will now have to start using facial identification in order to sign up for internet services or get a new mobile number.

The Chinese government announced in September that residents applying for a new mobile or internet device will have their faces scanned by telecommunications carriers. The new rules went into effect on December 1.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which is the state agency responsible for internet and technology regulation, wrote that the decision was part of its moves to "safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of citizens in the cyberspace" and prevent fraud, according to Quartz.

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WNU Editor: I shudder when I think about where all of this is all going to end up as (i.e. a surveillance state where all of your activities are monitored).

More News On China Now Requiring All New Cell Phone And Internet Users To Submit To A Facial Recognition Scan

China launches mandatory face scans for mobile users -- Quartz
Getting a SIM card in China now requires a facial recognition scan -- SCMP
China makes face scans compulsory for all phone users under crackdown to ensure the devices are linked to their real identities -- Daily Mail
China introduces mandatory face scans for new mobile users, raising surveillance fears -- France 24
China brings in mandatory facial recognition for mobile phone users -- The Guardian
New phone users must now have their faces scanned and photos stored by state in China -- The Independent
China requires face scans to buy new phones -- Asia Times
China launches compulsory face scans for new phone users -- DW
China is rolling out facial recognition for all new mobile phone numbers -- CNN

China Wants To Be The 'Major Player' In Developing Iraq's Oil And Gas Fields

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attends a signature ceremony with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, China, Sept. 23, 2019. Lintao Zhang/Pool via REUTERS

OilPrice.com: The Superpowers Battling Over Iraq's Giant Oil Field

Ever since the U.S. signalled through its effective withdrawal from Syria that it now has little interest in becoming involved in military actions in the Middle East, the door has been fully opened to China and Russia to advance their ambitions in the region. For Russia, the Middle East offers a key military pivot from which it can project influence West and East and that it can use to capture and control massive oil and gas flows in both directions as well. For China, the Middle East – and, absolutely vitally, Iran and Iraq – are irreplaceable stepping stones towards Europe for its era-defining ‘One Belt, One Road’ project. Earlier this week an announcement was made by Iraq’s Oil Ministry that highlights each of these factors at play, through a relatively innocuous-sounding contract award to a relatively unknown Chinese firm

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WNU Editor: Iraq's oil potential wealth and potential has always been there. The problem in properly developing it has always been due to dysfunctional and corrupt Iraqi governments and policies. The Chinese may be investing with the best of intentions while thinking of profits and long term supply in mind, but that will not change the nature of Iraq. My prediction. The Chinese are not the first in developing Iraq's oil potential, and they are going to face the same Iraqi problems and difficulties that the oil majors have experienced in the past few decades. Bottom line. They are going to get less (far less) than what they had expected.

India's Navy Welcomes Its First Woman Pilot

CNN: Indian Navy welcomes its first woman pilot in major milestone for armed forces

(CNN)The Indian Navy has welcomed its first woman pilot, with Sub Lieutenant Shivangi taking control of an aircraft in another significant milestone for the country's armed forces.

Shivangi, 24, who goes by one name, will be given her wings and join naval operations in a ceremony on Monday.

"It's a very big thing," Shivangi told CNN. "It's a big responsibility for all of us and I know that I have to do well."

Shivangi completed her basic training in 2018 at the Indian Naval Academy and was brought to Kochi, in southwest India's Kerala state, to train with the Indian naval air squadron, the INAS 550.

Until 1992, India's naval forces only permitted women to serve in medical services.
Shivangi will be tasked with flying Dornier aircraft, which are used by the navy for transport and maritime reconnaissance, taking off and landing on the shore, rather than from an aircraft carrier.

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WNU Editor: It is not a fighter jet but it is a big start for women in the Indian military and long overdue.