Montreal SEP Canada meeting demands freedom for Assange and Manning
wsws.org | 2020-02-08
Assange and Manning are the targets of a legal vendetta meant to intimidate and silence all those who would seek to expose the crimes of US imperialism and its allies.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/08/asca-f08.html

Three Extraordinary Australian Journalists: Burchett, Pilger, Assange
Rick Sterling | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-08
Australia has produced extraordinary journalists across three generations: Wilfred Burchett (deceased in 1983), John Pilger (80 years old but still active) and Julian Assange (48 years old, currently in London's Belmarsh prison). Each of these journalists made unique contributions to our understanding of the world. Although Australia is part of the western world, each of …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/three-extraordinary-australian-journalists-burchett-pilger-assange/

Did Washington use a false pretext for its bloody escalation in Iraq?
Helena Cobban | thegrayzone.com | 2020-02-08
Iraqi officials indicate that ISIS

Media darling Pete Buttigieg was in unit that worked with the CIA in Afghanistan
Alexander Rubinstein | thegrayzone.com | 2020-02-08
While Pete Buttigieg's campaign denies online allegations that he was a CIA asset, military records reveal that Buttigieg was in…
thegrayzone.com/2020/02/07/pete-buttigieg-cia-afghanistan/

At least eight shot dead in southern Iraq
Qassim Abdul-Zahra | indybay.org | 2020-02-08
At least eight anti-government protesters were shot dead and 52 were wounded in clashes with followers of a radical Shiite cleric in southern Iraq on Wednesday, Iraqi medical officials and activists said.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/08/18830535.php

Activist challenges climate crisis deniers at Irish polling station
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-02-08
An activist dressed up as a giant stick of celery targeted two Irish politicians at a polling station as they prepared to cast their votes. | She brandished a sign outside Kilgarvan Central School in Co Kerry saying: "Climate change is real, it's an emergency, and we can all fight it by going vegan." | Danny and Michael Healy-Rae were targeted over their views around the issue of climate breakdown. | Michael previously said that he feels farmers are unfairly blamed for the climate crisis, while his brother Danny stated that he does not "subscribe to the idea that man can influence climate". | Peta has called on t…
thecanary.co/uk/2020/02/08/activist-challenges-climate-crisis-deniers-at-irish-polling-station/

Colombia: Paramilitary Black Eagles Threaten Social Activists
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-08
In the last few hours, in the capital of the country, a threatening pamphlet by the self-styled 'Black Eagles' began to circulate threatening the promoters and defenders of the marches supporting the national strike. | RELATED: | US and Colombia Carrying out Military Exercises in Cartagena | The person in charge of denouncing the situation was Senator Antonio Sanguino, who said he was threatened along with other political leaders and journalists for their positions in favor of th…
telesurenglish.net/news/Colombia-Paramilitary-Black-Eagles-Threaten-Social-Activists-20200207-0005.html

US Deploys 'Mini-Nukes' in Deplorable Threat to World Peace
Strategic Culture | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-08
These so-called "mini-nukes" represent–despite the diminutive-sounding name–an increased risk of nuclear war.
theantimedia.com/us-deploys-mini-nukes-in-deplorable-threat-to-world-peace/

The 'Deal of the Century' Challenge for Palestinians
Ramzy Baroud | telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-08
After several postponements, United States President Donald Trump has finally revealed the details of his Middle East plan, dubbed 'Deal of the Century', in a press conference in Washington on Jan. 28. | RELATED: | Draft UN Resolution Condemns Trump Middle East 'Peace' Plan | Standing triumphantly beside Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must have surely understood that the timing of the announcement, only a few weeks before Israel's third general elections in one year, was tai…
telesurenglish.net/news/Crisis-and-Opportunity-The-Deal-of-the-Century-Challenge-for-Palestinians-20200208-0006.html

Israel's Palestinian Minority has Good Reason to Fear Trump's Plan
Jonathan Cook | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-08
The Trump administration's decision to green-light Israel's annexation of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank grabbed headlines last week. But US support for a related proposal

U.S. uneasy as Iraq gets new prime minister
M.K. Bhadrakumar | mronline.org | 2020-02-08
The protest movement in Iraq, which is now entering its fourth month, has come to be the principal instrument for Washington to surreptitiously advance the broader geopolitical confrontation with Iran that is being played out within the country. | Source…
mronline.org/2020/02/07/u-s-uneasy-as-iraq-gets-new-prime-minister/

Oakland Protesters Insist Senate Trial Was a Cover-Up, Not an Exoneration
R.R. | indybay.org | 2020-02-08
After the Senate voted to acquit President Trump on both articles of impeachment, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, protesters took to the streets in Oakland, CA.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/08/18830521.php

Roger Waters ads banned by Major League Baseball after outcry from Jewish group
rt.com | 2020-02-08
Major League Baseball (MLB) has stopped running promotions of Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters on its platforms, after caving in to pressure from a Jewish group that accused him of anti-Semitism. | In January, Jewish advocacy organization B'nai B'rith International began a campaign to protest ads for Waters' new tour, 'This is Not a Drill', which appeared on MLB platforms. The group claimed that the musician is an "avowed anti-Semite" whose views on Israel "far exceed the boundaries of civil discourse." | Our letter to MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred protesting the promotion of known anti-Semite Roger Waters…
rt.com/news/480384-roger-waters-mlb-bds-israel/

Ontario Teachers Are Strongly United to Defend Public Education
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-08
Over the last week, Canadian elementary school teachers have intensified their protest against Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford's policies, which seek to cut the number of teachers and increase the number of students per classroom. | RELATED: | Canada: Court Dismisses Challenge to Trans Mountain Pipeline | Instead, Canadian teachers demand more resources to serve students with special needs, the protection of the preschool education program, and fairer wages. | Despite having br…
telesurenglish.net/news/Ontario-Teachers-Are-Strongly-United-to-Defend-Public-Education-20200208-0001.html

Chile: Harsh Protests Against the Return of the Santiago Mayor
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-08
Thousands gathered Friday at the Dignity Square to reject a recent decision of the Chilean Senate, which did not dismiss Santiago Metropolitan Mayor Felipe Guevara, a right-wing politician who had been provisionally removed from office as a result of legal charges against him. | RELATED: | Chile: Mayor of Santiago City to Face Constitutional Accusation | Dozens of military police entered the iconic square at 6 pm (local time) to try to disperse thousands of citizens who were pr…
telesurenglish.net/news/Chile-Harsh-Protests-Against-the-Return-of-the-Santiago-Mayor-20200208-0004.html

Embassy Protectors Will Not Be Able to Tell Jury Guaido Is Not President, or Mention International Law
Ajamu Baraka and Bahman Azad | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-08
On February 4, Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell issued a ruling on what the jurors will be allowed to be told in the trial of the Embassy Protectors scheduled to begin on February 11. She granted most of the government's requests to prevent the jury from hearing important facts about the case, leaving the protectors …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/embassy-protectors-will-not-be-able-to-tell-jury-guaido-is-not-president-or-mention-international-law/

Venezuela to Defend Conviasa Airlines From US Ilegal Sanctions
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-08
Venezuela's Economy Minister Tareck El Aissami Saturday announced that his country will respond to the U.S. sanctions against Conviasa airlines, a public company that has 40 aircraft and 2,012 workers. | RELATED: | Russia and Venezuela Build up Cooperation Against US Sanctions | Besides offering commercial services, this airline carries out non-profi…
telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuela-to-Defend-Conviasa-Airlines-From-US-Ilegal-Sanctions-20200208-0005.html

Iraq and Russia Prepare to Boost Military Ties as US Threatens Sanctions
Tyler Durden | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-08
Iraq and Russia are preparing for deepening military coordination.
theantimedia.com/iraq-and-russia-prepare-to-boost-military-ties-as-us-threatens-sanctions/

The 2019 China Wuhan Coronavirus & (BSL-4) Biotech Warfare Labs with Dr. Francis Boyle
Labor Video Project | indybay.org | 2020-02-08
Dr. Frances Boyle talks about the Wuhan Coronavirus and how in his view it is a genetically engineered bioweapon that was accidentally released from the Wuhan Biosafety (BSL-4) laboratory.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/06/18830488.php

Australian coronavirus travel ban blocks thousands of Chinese students
wsws.org | 2020-02-08
The blanket ban by the Morrison government affects any foreign national trying to enter Australia from mainland China.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/08/trav-f08.html

Government Report Finds Trump's Trade War Is Harmful to Americans' Incomes
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-08
President Donald Trump's trade war is projected to reduce the average family's real income by $1,277, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). | The CBO, a nonpartisan congressional research arm, projected that the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and retaliatory tariffs imposed by countries like China will reduce economic growth while increasing prices to consumers. | "Tariffs are expected to reduce the l…
truthout.org/articles/government-report-finds-trumps-trade-war-is-harmful-to-americans-incomes/

Coronavirus to have deep impact on global economy
wsws.org | 2020-02-08
The US Federal Reserve warned that "possible spillovers from the effects of the coronavirus in China have presented a new risk to the outlook."
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/08/mark-f08.html

In New Hampshire, Bernie Battles Buttigieg, Billionaires, and Big Money
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-02-08
In New Hampshire, Bernie Battles Buttigieg, Billionaires, and Big Money…
thenation.com/article/politics/bernie-buttigieg-billionaires/

Sanders Calls Out Buttigieg for Raking in Billionaire Donations
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-08
With just four days to go before the New Hampshire Democratic primary, Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday sought to contrast his small dollar-fueled campaign with Pete Buttigieg's reliance on big money by highlighting the former South Bend, Indiana mayor's dozens of billionaire campaign contributors. | At a breakfast event at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire hours a…
truthout.org/articles/sanders-calls-out-buttigieg-for-raking-in-billionaire-donations/

Old footage of Boris Johnson has emerged. The timing is damning
Steve Topple | thecanary.co | 2020-02-08
Footage from Boris Johnson's time as London mayor has come to light. It shows the public anger towards him even in 2014. But the timing couldn't be more appropriate. Nor could it be more damning for him. Because it sums up the dire emergency currently facing thousands of people across the UK.The footage that shames the PM: Rachael Swindon shared a video clip of Johnson when he was London mayor. It shows homelessness campaigners and members of the public angrily calling him out over the city's housing cri…
thecanary.co/trending/2020/02/08/old-footage-of-boris-johnson-has-emerged-the-timing-is-damning/

German ruling class commemorates liberation of Auschwitz by planning new wars and new crimes
wsws.org | 2020-02-08
Just one week after official ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, federal parliament President Wolfgang Schà§uble has called for Germany to once again take up the "burden" of fighting wars abroad.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/08/pers-f08.html

House Passes Bill to Dramatically Strengthen the Power of Unions
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-02-08
House Democrats just passed an important blueprint for strengthening unions and building worker power. If signed into law, the labor law reforms within the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act would amount to the biggest change to the rules governing employers and workers in generations. Among other major features, it would bolster workers' ability to unionize, expand organizing rights to more workers and strengthen the right to strike. | Although flawed, the legislation would go a long way toward…
truthout.org/articles/house-passes-bill-to-dramatically-strengthen-the-power-of-unions/

WATCH people leaving Thai shopping mall in panic as shooter takes hostages, kills 20
rt.com | 2020-02-08
The death toll has risen to at least 20 after a soldier went on a shooting rampage and took hostages inside a shopping mall in Thailand, health authorities said. Police said 31 others had been injured. | Local media reported that the shooter, wearing a helmet and mask, took selfies and streamed the attack online. | It's not clear whether the attacker began shooting at people before he entered the building or not, but one video posted on Twitter appears to show a man sheltering behind a car door which looks like it has been covered in blood. | Warning: This video contains disturbing images | ‡∏&a…
rt.com/news/480401-thailand-shopping-mall-hostages/

Massive brawl involving hundreds of locals kills 8, turns southern Kazakhstan village into warzone (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-02-08
Dozens of homes were set ablaze and at least 8 people were killed as almost 400 villagers clashed with police and each other in southern Kazakhstan, prompting authorities to send in reinforcements and install roadblocks. | A massive brawl broke out on Friday in the outskirts of Masanchi, a settlement close to the Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan border. The initial call to local police reported 70 people taking part in skirmishes, and several patrols were dispatched to the location. Some "provocateurs" were filming the brawl as it unfolded, spreading the videos via messaging apps, Kazakhstan's Interior Minister Yerlan Tu…
rt.com/news/480394-kazakhstan-village-brawl-killed/

Sri Lankan union leader Saman Ratnapriya paid off with a parliamentary position
wsws.org | 2020-02-08
The United National Party has rewarded Ratnapriya for his treacherous service to the previous Wickremesinghe government, and his more than 20-year defence of capitalist rule in Sri Lanka.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/08/sril-f08.html

Unexpected Elephants and Supermarket Crime Scenes
Extinction Rebellion | zcomm.org | 2020-02-08
As we build momentum for another round of conscientious protection, there's no shortage of opportunities for warming up this February…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/unexpected-elephants-and-supermarket-crime-scenes/

'Unhinged': MSNBC host Chris Matthews goes on bizarre rant about mass executions & 'the Reds' while discussing Bernie Sanders
rt.com | 2020-02-08
MSNBC host Chris Matthews is facing backlash on social media after he launched into a heated rant about socialism and appeared to suggest a Bernie Sanders presidency could somehow lead to mass executions in the streets. | During a post-debate special Friday evening, Matthews said his personal views on socialism go back "to the early 1950s" before drawing comparisons between Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and former leader of Cuba Fidel Castro. | "I believe if Castro and the Reds had won the Cold War there would have been executions in Central Park and I might have been one of the ones getting…
rt.com/usa/480412-chris-matthews-rant-sanders-socialism/

Ancient carvings of scores of animals unearthed in Spanish cave (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
rt.com | 2020-02-08
In a discovery that local media have dubbed the 'Catalan Altamira', an extraordinary trove of 15,000-year-old carvings, depicting dozens of animals, has been found in a cave in northeast Spain's Tarragona region. | Around 100 carvings of animals including horses, oxen and deer, as well as mysterious abstract symbols, were found in a cave in the village of L'Espluga de Francolí. | | © Generalitat de Catalunya | The ancient artworks were revealed on Friday after being discovered in the wake of floods last October. The engravings are extremely delicate, with archaeologists warning that even the slig…
rt.com/news/480396-ancient-cave-carvings-discovered-spain/

In the face of big environmental challenges, our everyday actions are part of the solution
Monica Stanton | nationofchange.org | 2020-02-08
David Wallace-Wells's new book on climate change offers a powerful warning, but misses the mark on the importance of small, individual efforts.
nationofchange.org/2020/02/08/in-the-face-of-big-environmental-challenges-our-everyday-actions-are-part-of-the-solution/

Western States Petroleum Association Tops CA Lobbying Expenses with $8.8 Million in 2019
Dan Bacher | indybay.org | 2020-02-08
The Western States Petroleum Association and Chevron together spent a total of $14.7 million on lobbying in California in 2019.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/07/18830500.php

'We turned their pressure into opportunity': Supreme Leader hails Iranian Air Force built up despite US sanctions
rt.com | 2020-02-08
The US's "criminal" sanctions didn't stop Iran from strengthening its own air power and even "building planes," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said, as the nation marks the anniversary of 1979's Islamic Revolution. | The Iranian military industry, Khamenei proclaimed in front of Air Force commanders and other military officials, has become so viable because it didn't rely on foreign support, instead developing domestic capabilities. This approach could be extended into other industries as well, he said, according to local media. | … Despite sanctions being a criminal act, such an approach can create a lot of opp…
rt.com/news/480389-khamenei-sanctions-pressure-opportunities/

Payback: Trump Ousts Officials Who Testified in Impeachment Inquiry
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-02-08
WASHINGTON

'Friday night massacre': Sondland follows Vindmans as Trump cleans house of 'traitors/heroes' following failed impeachment
rt.com | 2020-02-08
The recall of US ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland seems to indicate that President Donald Trump is dismissing from service the officials who testified against him in the abortive impeachment proceedings. | "I was advised that the president intends to recall me effective immediately," Sondland said in a statement on Friday evening, adding he was grateful to Trump for the opportunity to head the US mission in Brussels. | Wow

Democrats impeach Trump for Withholding Arms to Neo-Nazis in Ukraine
Max Parry | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-08
On December 18th, Donald Trump became the third U.S. president in history to be impeached by the House of Representatives. The second to be indicted before completing a first term, the 45th commander-in-chief must now survive a Senate trial before seeking reelection later this year. As many nonpartisan analysts predicted, the charges appear to have …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/democrats-impeach-trump-for-withholding-arms-to-neo-nazis-in-ukraine/

Failed Prosecutions: Donald Trump Survives the Senate
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-08
Never undertake a prosecution unless you have good grounds, and prospects, for a solid conviction. In the case against President Donald Trump, there was never a serious prospect that the Senate would cool sufficiently to give the Democrats the votes necessary to affirm vote of impeachment in the House. The GOP remains very much in …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/failed-prosecutions-donald-trump-survives-the-senate/

Israeli Soldiers Injure Five Palestinians Near Jenin
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2020-02-08
Israeli soldiers shot, Friday, five young Palestinian men and caused many to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation, in the al-'Arqa village, southwest of Jenin, in northern West Bank. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in Jenin said the soldiers shot five young men with rubber-coated steel bullets, in their …
imemc.org/article/israeli-soldiers-injure-five-palestinians-near-jenin-2/

Soldiers Injure Many Palestinians During Funeral Procession Of Slain Officer In Qalqilia
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2020-02-08
Israeli soldiers attacked, Friday, dozens of Palestinians at the northern entrance of Azzoun town, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, during the funeral procession of a Palestinian Lieutenant, identified as Tareq Badwan, 24, who was shot dead by Israeli army fire at a police headquarters in Jenin, …
imemc.org/article/soldiers-injure-many-palestinians-during-funeral-procession-of-slain-officer-in-qalqilia/

350 Action Responds to Presidential Debate in New Hampshire
commondreams.org | 2020-02-08
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2020/02/08/350-action-responds-presidential-debate-new-hampshire?cd-origin=rss

Multiple U.S. Casualties Reported in Afghanistan Firefight
Staff | truthdig.com | 2020-02-08
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)

Thuringia, Germany: Minister president elected with votes of far-right AfD announces resignation
wsws.org | 2020-02-08
Twenty-four hours after being elected with the support of the far-right AfD, CDU and FDP as minister president of the state of Thuringia, Free Democrat politician Thomas Kemmerich announced his resignation.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/08/thur-f08.html

African Union Summit: Guterres hails 'shared values, mutual respect and common interests' of UN partnership
news.un.org | 2020-02-08
The UN chief on Saturday called on the international community to recognize the need for African counter-terrorism operations, backed by the UN Security Council, to tackle the growing threat of extremist violence across the continent, and "predictable funding, guaranteed by compulsory contributions".
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/02/1056972

American Democracy Is Dying
Ryan Cooper | commondreams.org | 2020-02-08
This past week was a litany of democratic disasters. First, on Monday, the Iowa Democratic Party catastrophically botched its caucus.
commondreams.org/views/2020/02/08/american-democracy-dying?cd-origin=rss

The Iowa Caucuses Are a Mortal Threat to Democracy
Bill Boyarsky | truthdig.com | 2020-02-08
The undemocratic and incompetently run Iowa caucuses remind me of a vampire

Meditation & Prayer for Climate
Extinction Rebellion South Bay | indybay.org | 2020-02-08
Intersection of S. Market and W. San Carlos streets, San Jose, California…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/06/18830486.php

Brazil: Workers' Party Not to Partner With Bolsonaro's Allies
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-08
Brazil's Workers Party (PT) Saturday announced that it will participate in the October municipal elections without making alliances with the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB) or the Democratic Party (DEM), which are supporting President Jair Bolsonaro's Neoliberal policies. | RELATED: | Lula Calls on Brazilians to Fight to Regain Nation's Democracy | "Our party will seek to establish a 'Popular Democratic Front' with the participation of the leftist parties, social movemen…
telesurenglish.net/news/Brazil-Workers-Party-Not-to-Partner-With-Bolsonaros-Allies-20200208-0003.html