(2020-02-14). Regime Change Wars Have No Basis in International Law. globalresearch.ca We're living in times of war psychosis. Regime Change wars have no basis in international law. They are entirely illegal, and they are all based on lies. We have seen the results, which are always catastrophic for all but certain …
(2020-02-14). Anti-BDS laws are meant to censor & control speech, journalist Abby Martin tells RT after suing Georgia govt over cancelled talk. rt.com 
Barred from speaking at a public university over her refusal to sign a pledge of allegiance to Israel, journalist Abby Martin is now suing the state of Georgia, arguing its anti-BDS legislation sets fire to the First Amendment. | Slated to give a keynote talk at a media literacy conference at Georgia Southern University later this month, Martin was asked to sign what amounts to a loyalty oath to the State of Israel, mandated under a 2016 Georgia law barring the government from hiring contractors who boycott Israeli products or associate with the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Martin t…
(2020-02-14). Video: Syrian Army Gives Turkey "Flick on Nose" in Nayrab, Secures Entire Aleppo-Damascus Highway. globalresearch.ca For the first time in about 8 years of the war, Syrian government forces have established control of the entire M5 highway, which runs from the border with Jordan through Damascus, Homs and Hama to Aleppo. | During the first half …
(2020-02-14). The Age of Illusions — How America Squandered Its Cold War Victory. globalresearch.ca Andrew J.Bacevich has written an interesting, coherent, and timely work, The Age of Illusions. In a clear fashion it describes how Donald J. Trump is not the cause of current U.S. problems both …
(2020-02-14). Western Anti-Chinese Propaganda Exaggerates Coronavirus Danger, Creates Panic. globalresearch.ca Now it is becoming obvious who China's friends are, and who her enemies are. In the West, many nations and individuals are celebrating the short-term difficulties that the Chinese nation is facing, pouring salt into the wound, while giving birth …
(2020-02-14). The Political Economy of Corruption: Corruption Kills People, Ruins the Economy, Violates Human Rights. globalresearch.ca The whole world is facing the deepening and widening corruption which challenges the very survival of the free democracy and the free market economy. | Korea has been suffering for last 70 years from the corruption culture. But owing to courageous …
(2020-02-14). Video: Residents of Syrian Town Open Fire on US Armed Forces Patrol. globalresearch.ca A new video from the Al-Qamishli countryside was released this afternoon following a skirmish between the U.S. Armed Forces and residents of Khirbat Amo. | According to a report from the Al-Hasakah Governorate, the residents of Khirbat Amo attempted to block …
(2020-02-14). Invisible Mega Oil Spill Beyond the Deepwater Horizon Oil Slick Satellite Footprint. globalresearch.ca Introduction | The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) blowout was a mega oil spill, introducing ~795 million liters of live oil into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) with oil slicks covering an estimated area of 149,000 km2 (1). As a result, vast …
(2020-02-14). London Attack: West's Terrorists Bite the Hand that Feeds Them (Again). globalresearch.ca The latest incident in London was so entirely preventable that it is difficult to describe it as anything less than deliberate. | In yet another headline-grabbing terror attack — an armed man in south London left several injured — some seriously …
(2020-02-14). Traditional Indigenous and White Man's Conflicting Rules of Law: A Coming to Terms that Hasn't Been Resolved Since "First Contact" globalresearch.ca The controversy now erupting throughout Canada over the issue of the construction of the TransMountain Oil Pipeline is revealing a fundamental unresolved impasse that has existed since first contact in the New World between the opposing philosophies and rules of …
(2020-02-13). Did Amy Klobuchar Send an Innocent Teenager to Life in Prison? Questions Mount over Her Record as DA. democracynow.org 
After a surprising third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is attempting to gain ground in the national polls. But Klobuchar is also facing mounting scrutiny over her record as a district attorney in Minnesota. The Minneapolis NAACP, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities and other racial justice groups recently called on Klobuchar to suspend her presidential campaign following a shocking investigation by the Associated Press. The AP report centered on the case of Myon Burrell, an African-American teenager who was sentenced to life in prison over the 2002 murder of 11-year-old Tye…
(2020-02-13). Number of female homicide victims at highest level since 2006. thecanary.co 
This article contains description of domestic violence and abuse that some readers and survivors may find distressing.The number of women and girls killed in homicides in England and Wales soared by nearly 10% in a year to the highest in more than a decade, official figures show.Some 241 females were victims of murder, manslaughter or infanticide in the 12 months to March 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).The rise from 220 the previous year is the second annual increase and the highest number since the year ending March 2006, when there were also 241.Almost half (48%) of the adult women…
(2020-02-13). Russian authorities investigate after photos emerge of Boris Nemtsov murderer allegedly enjoying prison 'feast'. rt.com 
The 2015 killing of Boris Nemtsov shocked Russians, and now photographs posted online of the man who assassinated him apparently posing in front of a slap-up meal are generating considerable anger. | The images, taken in an Irkutsk penal colony, show Zaur Dadaev and a group of other men surrounded by kebabs, soups, fruits, and juices. In response, Russian prison authorities have launched an investigation to determine the conditions in which he is being held. | Grilled kebabs, apples and fruit juice. Boris Nemtsov's assassin, Zaur Dadayev, (back left, standing) relaxing with friends in a Russian penal colony.
(2020-02-13). The Rage of the Barred Owl. counterpunch.org 
The Rage of the Barred Owl When Moon unmasks your naked face And gilds your gun with diamonds green I mark your progress from afar. You stumble toward my roosting place, Studying your tiny screen, Tracking an artificial star. You killed my wife some dawns ago, Fooled by your telescopic sight: She was a Northern
(2020-02-13). Joseph Shabalala dies, founder of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. peoplesworld.org 
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The founder of the South African multi-Grammy-Award-winning music group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Joseph Shabalala, has died at age 78, the group and the government announced Tuesday, Feb 11. Shabalala died at a hospital in the capital, Pretoria, Tuesday morning, his family told local media. South Africans and fans worldwide are in mourning. …
(2020-02-13). Syria air defenses shot down 'hostile missiles' over Damascus fired from Israeli-occupied Golans — state media. rt.com 
Syria's air defenses have thwarted a missile attack, intercepting several "hostile targets" launched towards the capital, Damascus, Syrian state media reported. | The attack reportedly did not result in any damage or casualties. | "The hostile missiles came from the occupied Golan … and they were downed before they reached their targets," a military source said, as cited by Syrian SANA news agency. | The agency reported earlier, citing own correspondent, that the missiles came from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel, which usually does not comment on its bombing incursions into Syria…
(2020-02-13). Can the World's Second Superpower Rise From the Ashes of Twenty Years of War. mintpressnews.com 
While our government's war propaganda has convinced many Americans that we are powerless to stop its catastrophic wars, it has failed to convince most Americans that we are wrong to want to.
(2020-02-13). Two rockets strike K-1 base hosting US troops in Kirkuk, Iraq. rt.com 
At least two unguided missiles have hit the K-1 base hosting US troops outside Kirkuk in Iraq. There are no reports of casualties or damage. A similar attack in December that killed a US contractor almost sparked a war with Iran.
(2020-02-13). 'Actually dangerous': Samantha Bee's denunciation of PragerU shows liberals still don't get the allure of the forbidden. rt.com 
Liberal comedian Samantha Bee has said she fears YouTube powerhouse PragerU is brainwashing kids by disguising right-wing propaganda as educational content — but her fear is the best endorsement the outlet could hope for. | Calling the popular conservative channel "actually dangerous," Bee warned it was "trick[ing] kids into thinking their videos are educational" in a tweet posted on Wednesday night.
(2020-02-13). US Senate strikes symbolic blow against Trump by limiting war powers toward Iran with new resolution. rt.com 
The US Senate has passed a resolution limiting President Donald Trump's war powers in the case of Iran. The measure would only allow the president authority to strike in the case of self-defense or an imminent attack. | Eight Republicans joined Democrats in voting for the measure, which was passed 55-45. The resolution fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto, meaning this resolution is more symbolic than anything. | The president made his feelings on the War Powers Resolution clear on Wednesday when he tweeted that Iran would "have a field day" if his hands "were tied" due…
(2020-02-13). Boris Johnson urged to 'fess up' over who funded his mystery £15,000 holiday gift. thecanary.co 
Boris Johnson has been urged to "fess up" over who paid for his £15,000 luxury Caribbean holiday after a Tory donor denied funding the New Year trip.Labour has warned the prime minister that he must announce who stumped up the money for the getaway or else face a parliamentary investigation.The PM and girlfriend Carrie Symonds accepted accommodation for a private holiday in St Vincent and the Grenadines as a post-election victory escape.Johnson's entry in the Commons' register of members' interests recorded that the trip was paid for by Carphone Warehouse co-founder David Ross. | But multi-millionaire busin…
(2020-02-13). UNSC endorses 55-point road map for Libya, Russia doubts it can be implemented. rt.com 
The UN Security Council has endorsed a 55-point road map for ending the war in Libya, and condemned the recent increase in violence in the oil-rich North African country. | The vote on the British-drafted resolution was 14-0 on Wednesday. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said he abstained because of "serious doubts" about whether the resolution can be implemented and end the war between rival governments "in the way we'd like to see it." | Referring to the conference on Libya held in the German capital on January 19, Nebenzia said the Berlin plan "has one defect… and that is a lack of clearly expressed co…
(2020-02-13). Emotet trojan spreads via Wi-Fi, capitalizes on coronavirus fears; here's how to protect yourself. rt.com 
Cybersecurity analysts are warning about a Trojan called 'Emotet' which can spread across Wi-Fi networks, loading a variety of malware payloads which threaten sensitive data. Here we explore how you can protect yourself. | How has it spread? | Emotet reemerged in late 2019, having initially been spotted in 2018, and spread via phishing emails with Microsoft documents attached containing malicious code embedded within. More recently, hackers have used the ongoing coronavirus crisis as a means to spread the malware. | The hackers pose as regional health officials and scare targets with tailored messages in order…
(2020-02-13). French 'Oscars' management resigns to allow cinema a 'celebration' after protests over Roman Polanski & accusations of elitism. rt.com 
The "collective resignation" of the management team behind the Cesars Awards has been announced just two weeks before the ceremony, following protests over elitism and nominations given to statutory rapist Roman Polanski. | In explaining their leaving the Cesars only 15 days before the actual ceremony, the board managing the prizes for the French Academy of Arts and Technology of Cinema explained they are walking away to "honor those who made cinema in 2019, to regain serenity and make the cinema festival a celebration." | A complete renewal of management is planned. The management change does not appear to ha…
(2020-02-13). INDESTRUCTIBLE: Kalashnikov expert tries & FAILS to destroy iconic WWII PPSh-41 submachine gun (VIDEO). rt.com 
Kalashnikov Concern gun experts have put an iconic WWII-era PPSh-41 submachine gun through a stress test, trying to destroy it with continuous full-auto shooting. The 78-year-old weapon, however, did not give up easily. | The renowned gun maker produced a new video in its 'Destroyers of Weapons' series. Unlike previous ones, Kalashnikov did not put one of its own guns through a full-auto torture, testing a true classic instead — a legendary wartime PPSh-41 submachine gun, designed by Georgy Shpagin back in 1941. | A whopping 913 7.62×25mm Tokarev rounds, packed in box and drum magazines, were pre…
(2020-02-13). US & Taliban negotiated proposal for 7-day reduction in violence, Pentagon chief Esper says. rt.com 
The United States and the Taliban have negotiated a proposal for a seven-day reduction in violence, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Thursday. | "We've said all along that the best, if not only, solution in Afghanistan is a political agreement," Esper told reporters in Brussels. "Progress has been made on this front and we'll have more to report on that soon." | "It will be a continual evaluative process as we go forward — if we go forward," Reuters quoted Esper as saying. | Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Wednesday there had been "notable progress" in continuing talks between the US and the…
(2020-02-13). Russia declassifies previously unseen papers and PHOTOS of pivotal 1945 recapture of 'fortress city' Budapest from Nazis. rt.com 
The Soviet offensive in Hungary and siege of its capital Budapest was a key milestone in defeating the Nazis. For its 75th anniversary, Russia has declassified archived documents and photos, giving new insights into the bloodbath. | Hungary was an ally of Nazi Germany, providing troops and resources for the war effort, sharing in its land grabs and pillaging of conquered territories, as well as collaborating in war crimes. But as the tide turned on the battlefields, the relationship became strained, as the government in Budapest weighed up its options and was preparing to leave the Axis camp. | In March 1944,…
(2020-02-13). Bolivia: An Election in the Midst of an Ongoing Coup. counterpunch.org 
On May 3, 2020, the Bolivian people will go to the polls once more. They return there because President Evo Morales had been overthrown in a coup in November 2019. Morales had just won a presidential election in October for a term that would have begun in January 2020. Based on a preliminary investigation by
(2020-02-13). 'Worst idea ever!' Plans for Greta mural on North Dakota bakery scrapped after community outcry & boycott threats on social media. rt.com 
A planned mural featuring teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg in North Dakota has been tossed to the wind after news of the project stoked outrage among locals, who flooded social media with protests and threats to boycott. | The 7-foot mural was slated to be posted on an exterior wall of the Brick Oven Bakery in the city of Bismarck, however when local media outlet KFYR-TV brought the story to its Facebook page on Tuesday night, residents were immediately up in arms, with the
(2020-02-13). 'We don't want to take that risk': Manchester United keep new striker Odion Ighalo away from club training ground over coronavirus. rt.com 
New Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo is training away from the club due to the coronavirus epidemic and has not joined the squad's training camp in Spain as a result of fears that he would not be allowed back into England.
(2020-02-13). Shale gas drillers are facing a perfect storm. rt.com 
Natural gas prices under $2/MMBtu have hit Appalachian shale gas drillers hard, but the longer the gas glut wears on, the deeper the problems will become. With each passing week, the shale industry reveals more financial stress. | On Monday, analysts at Piper Sandler downgraded their near-term outlook for Range Resources and Gulfport Energy, two Appalachian drillers, to Neutral from Overweight, citing a "deteriorating" outlook. An analyst with the firm pointed to the global glut for LNG, the coronavirus, collapse of prices and force majeure declarations. | US nymex natural gas prices have been trading below $2…
(2020-02-13). Global oil demand to face 1st quarterly drop in more than a decade — IEA. rt.com 
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has cut its 2020 growth forecast, saying that global energy demand is going to fall to the lowest level since 2011, having been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. | The aftermath of the epidemic is set to drive down oil demand by 435,000 barrels a day in the first three months of 2020, compared to the same period one year ago. This will mark the first quarterly contraction in more than a decade and will have an impact on annual results, the IEA said in its oil market report, released on Thursday. | "We have cut our 2020 growth forecast by 365 kb/d to 825 kb/d, the lowes…
(2020-02-13). Japanese Health Ministry confirms first coronavirus death. rt.com 
Japan on Thursday confirmed its first coronavirus death, according to Health Minister Katsunobu Kato. The victim was a woman in her 80s living in the Kanagawa prefecture, which borders Tokyo, Kato told reporters. | Meanwhile, a cruise ship which spent two weeks at sea after being turned away by five countries over fears that someone aboard might have the coronavirus finally arrived at a port in Cambodia on Thursday. | The MS Westerdam, carrying 1,455 passengers and 802 crew, docked in Sihanoukville in the evening after anchoring offshore early in the morning to allow Cambodian officials to board the vessel and…
(2020-02-13). Try again: Hong Kong Rugby Sevens rescheduled as coronavirus claims another early-2020 sporting event. rt.com 
Two legs of the World Rugby Sevens Series have fallen victim to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, with the Singapore and Hong Kong legs of the series postponed, it was announced Thursday. | News agency Reuters reports that the outbreak has killed more than 1,300 people in China, with tens of thousands more people also infected by the spread of the virus, which has forced sports organizers across the region to reassess their plans for their marquee events in the coming months. | The Singapore Sevens tournament, which was scheduled to take place on April 11-12, has been pushed back to October 10-11, while the pres…
(2020-02-13). China deploys 2,600 military medics to help fight coronavirus as Wuhan & Hubei party chiefs sacked. rt.com 
Hundreds of military medics will descend on coronavirus-stricken Wuhan to help tackle the epidemic as the number of confirmed cases worldwide surpasses 60,000, with the death toll leaping over 1,300. | The first installment of 1,400 military medical personnel touched down in the city in central China worst affected by the ongoing viral epidemic on Thursday, the Chinese Defense Ministry reported. | The medics represent several branches of the Chinese armed forces, including the Navy, Air Force, armed police, logistic and strategic support forces, and even the Rocket Force. | The current reinforcements are not t…
(2020-02-13). We WILL protect you — or else: NATO members agree to expand Iraq mission, without regard for Baghdad's permission. rt.com 
NATO has vowed to expand its training operations in Iraq, paused last month after the US assassination of a top Iranian general. With growing anger in the country over foreign meddling, Baghdad is reluctant to OK the plan. | The alliance agreed "in principle" to "enhance" its training mission in Iraq after a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. When asked whether Baghdad had approved the project, the NATO head came up short, however. | "NATO is in Iraq on the invitation of the Iraqi Government, and we will only stay in Iraq as long as we are welcome. Because NATO full…
(2020-02-13). Nevada's higher union density and racial diversity will shape caucus outcome. peoplesworld.org 
In the lead-up to Feb. 22 Caucus Day in Nevada, early voting will take place Feb. 15—18. Nevada is the third state in the country to hold caucuses or a primary election, and the first Western state, after Iowa and New Hampshire. Early voting is a new feature for 2020, in 80 polling stations around …
(2020-02-13). The Red-Baiting of Bernie Sanders Has Begun and is Already Becoming Laughable. counterpunch.org 
With Bernie Sanders now having won New Hampshire (and probably Iowa, where he won the popular vote) and confirmed his position as the frontrunner for president in the Democratic Party primaries (the New York Times' poll guru Nate Silver is giving him a better than 40% chance of gaining enough delegates by the end of
(2020-02-13). The Iowa fiasco and the Democrats' shadowy plot to stop Bernie. mronline.org Yogi Berra, the great Yankees catcher, had the memorable line, "It's like deja vu all over again." Bernie Sanders supporters might have been thinking the same thing after the fiasco of the Iowa caucuses. |
(2020-02-13). Pompeo rejects UNHRC list of companies operating in occupied Palestine, accuses UN of 'unrelenting anti-Israel bias'. rt.com 
The US government will not provide information to the UN for its list of companies operating in occupied Palestinian territories, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo has said, accusing the international body of anti-Israel bias. | The long-delayed document, which names 112 companies operating in the West Bank and Golan Heights, was released by the United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday. Business activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory raises human rights concerns, the UNHRC said. The publication was sure to provoke the ire of Israel and its main ally. | "The United States has long opposed the creat…
(2020-02-13). Russia urges Turkey against 'provocative comments' on Syria. rt.com 
Moscow has called for restraint after a Turkish parliamentarian blamed Russia for the recent deaths of Turkish troops in clashes with Syrian government forces attempting to liberate the militant-held Idlib province. | Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi, MHP), had argued in the Turkish parliament that Moscow and Damascus were responsible for the deaths of 13 Turkish soldiers over the past week. | "We consider it unacceptable to use the tragic events to 'score points' in the domestic political debate," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday,…
(2020-02-13). Top security partner… & second biggest threat to world? Germans are increasingly unsure about role of US. rt.com 
Most Germans see America, supposedly Berlin's biggest ally, as one of the biggest threats to world peace, right after Iran. Other nations painted as "bogeymen" by Western media are lagging far behind, a new poll shows. | More than 60 percent of Germans believe that Washington is "the greatest threat to international peace," the latest Security Report — an annual representative study published by the Allensbach Demoskopie Institute —
(2020-02-13). US Navy seizes cache of 'Iranian manufactured' weapons in Arabian Sea — Pentagon (PHOTO, VIDEO). rt.com 
A US Navy ship seized 150 'Dehlavieh' anti-tank guided missiles after boarding a dhow in the Arabian Sea on Sunday, the Pentagon claimed. | The weapons seized by the USS Normandy were reportedly components "of Iranian design and manufacture," including three Iranian surface-to-air missiles, thermal imaging weapon scopes and other munitions and advanced weapons parts. | JUST IN: US Navy says it boarded a dhow in
(2020-02-13). Amending constitution is up to Russian people, we'll do what they vote for — Putin. rt.com 
Planned change of the Russian basic law can only be enacted if the Russian people give an unequivocal mandate for it, President Vladimir Putin told a working group preparing the amendments. | "The thing that is important to me is that the law on constitutional amendment comes into force only after the results of a national vote are tallied. It has to be a true plebiscite so that the citizens of Russia acted as the authors of those changes," he said. | The changes in the Russian constitution proposed by Putin last month are meant to readjust the Russian governance system. A strict two-term limit for the preside…
(2020-02-13). 'Snake ecstasy': Russian synchronized swimming champion charms fans with underwater routine (VIDEO). rt.com 
Russian Olympic synchronized swimming champion Vlada Chigireva has wowed her fans with a graceful and mesmerizing underwater routine. | In a 30-second video, clip the 25-year-old swimmer can be seen waving and twirling at the bottom of a swimming pool, making choreographed moves which she compared to a snake's wriggle. | "New type of dance — snake ecstasy," the athlete captioned…
(2020-02-13). 'As long as I'm president we will have 'mother' & 'father': Putin backs traditional family values once again. rt.com 
Russia will not introduce politically correct terminology such as "parent #1" and "parent #2" any time soon, Putin told a constitutional reform working group on Thursday, as they discussed family values in Russia. | As for 'parent #1' and 'parent #2', I have already publicly said it and I will repeat it once more: as long as I am president, we will not have parents #1 and #2, it will be 'mother' and 'father'. | One of the working group members, Russian lawmaker Olga Batalina, told the president that many people in Russia are concerned about the fate of the traditional family and would like to see it protected…
(2020-02-13). Phew! 'Nothing is Scandinavian' ad republished as airline SAS is told its critics are actually Putin's trolls & 'useful idiots'. rt.com 
Nothing shows that your values are granite-strong quite like pulling a much-criticized commercial and then reinstating it to a chorus of media voices proclaiming that the negative feedback is just a Russian psy-op. | The Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) video, which declares that essentially all Scandinavian culture is "copied" and encourages people to fly to lands both near and far to find more things to borrow, is back in action. The company
(2020-02-13). Legendary Soviet spy who saved Krakow from Nazi-made flood dies days after turning 103. rt.com 
A Soviet spy credited with saving the Polish city of Krakow from devastation has died in Moscow. His biography reads like a thriller novel, from battling Nazi invaders in Poland to training elite commandos in the 1980s. | Over his long life, Aleksey Botyan was many things. He was born in 1917, just as the Russian Empire was collapsing and shattering into pieces. His family lived in the territory that became part of Poland in the 1920s. | Fighting since day one: | He might have lived as a village schoolteacher — his first choice of career — but in 1939 he was conscripted into the Polish Army j…
(2020-02-13). Sad face emoji? US social media giants Facebook & Twitter fined by Moscow court as server location impasse intensifies. rt.com 
Facebook and Twitter were each fined four million rubles ($62,900) by a Moscow court on Thursday. It marks an escalation in a standoff between the American social media giants and Russian regulators. | The core of the problem is that both companies have refused to move servers containing the data of Russian users to Russia, as required under Russian law. LinkedIn, another high-profile US networking site, has already been blocked for failing to comply with the legislation. | Facebook and Twitter have ignored the rule for years, and it was felt their huge popularity helped deter Russian officials from forcing th…
(2020-02-13). U.S. public gets fake news about China's alleged anti-Muslim campaign. peoplesworld.org 
Editor's Note: The following opinion article was written in response to Hanukkah: A holiday rooted in struggle against imperialism, which was published in People's World on Dec. 23, 2019. That earlier article mentioned the situation for Muslims living in China's Xinjiang region within the context of another topic; this contribution offers a more in-depth perspective …