(2020-03-07). Top Saudi royals 'arrested for plotting with Americans against King,' Western media say. What's happening in oil-rich kingdom? rt.com 
Saudi Arabia's crown prince has had his relatives arrested for plotting a coup against him and King Salman with the help of "foreign powers, including the Americans," Western media claim. RT asked Middle East analysts to weigh in. | Three senior members of the Saudi Royal family were arrested on Friday, several Western media outlets have reported, citing sources. The list of detainees includes prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, the younger brother of King Salman, Mohammed bin Nayef, the king's nephew and former crown prince, and Nawaf bin Nayef, the younger half-brother of Prince Nayef, as reported by the Wall Street…
(2020-03-07). Lebanon state prosecutor blocks order to freeze assets of 20 banks. mronline.org 
Lebanon's state prosecutor suspended an order on Thursday to freeze the assets of 20 local banks, warning it would plunge the country and its financial sector into chaos, according to a copy of the decision seen by Reuters. |
(2020-03-07). Two-man 'bloodbath': Bernie calls out 'billionaires buying elections' as Biden attacks his 'increasingly negative' bros. rt.com 
Joe Biden warned supporters about "Bernie brothers" running an "increasingly negative campaign" and that a "bloodbath" between the two candidates, as Tulsi gets lost in the shuffle, will only help re-elect Donald Trump. | The fight between Biden and Sanders for the Democrat Party's presidential nomination is intensifying as the two candidates campaign in the midwest this weekend ahead of primary votes in states like Michigan and Missouri in the coming days. | Speaking to donors in Bethesda, Maryland, Biden seemed to call for a positive battle between him and Sanders, but he also managed to get in some digs on…
(2020-03-07). Refugee women face horrifying conditions as aid workers flee Lesbos. thecanary.co 
Aid workers in Lesbos have warned that refugee women are facing even harsher conditions this International Women's Day. An escalation in violence has forced many humanitarian workers to withdraw.Evacuations from Lesbos have drastically reduced access to food, sanitary products and medical help for desperate refugee women, aid workers told the PA news agency.Clashes erupted between refugees and Greek authorities earlier this week, after Turkey opened its borders for people trying to cross into Europe.: Confrontation between a refugee and a Greek policeman during clashes at the port of Mytilene (Panagiot…
(2020-03-07). Looking at Change: U.S. and Cuba, blockade and revolution. mronline.org 
The U.S. blockade of Cuba is like the sun; neither will disappear soon. But different: the U.S. politicians and people are aware of the sun, but may have forgotten about the Cuba blockade. It's persisted for almost 60 years, basically unchanged. The following is about change. |
(2020-03-07). 'Teenage bomb maker' bought IED supplies off AMAZON for Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 & nearly triggered India-Pakistan war. rt.com 
Two more suspects have been nabbed after the deadly Pulwama terrorist attack — which killed 40 Indian troops and spiked hostilities between India and Pakistan — including a 19-year-old bomb-maker who got chemicals from Amazon. | The two men — Waiz ul Islam, 19, and Mohd Abbas Rather, 32 — were
(2020-03-07). Nothing to do with facts: China dismisses US accusation it targeted American surveillance plane with LASER. rt.com 
Beijing has refuted an accusation by the US Navy that a Chinese warship fired a "military grade" laser at its P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft somewhere over the South China Sea. | The claims made by the US Navy simply "did not accord with reality," China's Defense Ministry said on its WeChat account, responding to the accusations made by the American military last week. The Chinese forces were conducting a routine drill in the area, it added. | The US Pacific Fleet
(2020-03-07). European tourism losing €1 BILLION a month as holiday makers stay home due to coronavirus. rt.com 
Fears over the spread of Covid-19 are rising across Europe, threatening its tourism industry. Data shows the sector has already taken a serious hit and could be hurt even more. | According to EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, tourism is one of the sectors likely to be hit hardest financially as the coronavirus continues to spread. The sector is already losing €1 billion ($1.11 billion) a month because of the disease, he said. | The European Travel Commission has announced that 10 percent of European GDP is derived from tourism while in some EU member states, including Spain and Italy, that f…
(2020-03-07). Lebanon defaults on its $1.2bn Eurobond debt, PM says corruption 'has eaten the state'. rt.com 
Lebanon's PM Hassan Diab has announced his country is unable to pay the $1.2 billion Eurobond due on March 9 and will default for the first time. This comes amid a government crisis and currency plummeting by 40 percent. | The move to not pay the outstanding debt and to launch upcoming negotiations with creditors was made unanimously at a cabinet meeting before Diab made the announcement on Saturday. |
(2020-03-07). 'Just in time for St. Patrick's Day!' Trump appoints Mark Meadows as new chief of staff, 'banishes' Mulvaney to Northern Ireland. rt.com 
President Trump has selected North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows to be the new White House chief of staff, making the former acting chief, Mick Mulvaney, the special envoy to Northern Ireland. | "I am pleased to announce that Congressman Mark Meadows will become White House Chief of Staff. I have long known and worked with Mark, and the relationship is a very good one," Trump said in a tweet on Friday night announcing the move. ….I want to thank Acting Chief Mick Mulvaney for having served the Administration so well. He will become the United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland. Thank you!— Donald…
(2020-03-07). Newly-elected Iranian MP dies of coronavirus – reports. rt.com 
Fatemeh Rahbar, a newly-elected member of the Iranian Parliament, has died of coronavirus on Friday, according to Iran's Tasnim News Agency. | Rahbar, 56, had just won a seat in the parliament in the most recent vote in February. She tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this week and was admitted to a Tehran hospital. However, her condition quickly worsened and she went into a coma on Thursday before passing away the next day. Rahbar was the first female politician in Iran to die from coronavirus. | On Friday, Iran's Ministry of Health reported that the number of confirmed cases had jumped by 1,234 over just o…
(2020-03-07). Ronaldinho ARRESTED as judge rejects prosecutor's recommendation to release Brazilian superstar over fake passport claims. rt.com 
Former Brazil and Barcelona superstar Ronaldinho was taken into custody in Paraguay after being accused of attempting to enter the country using fake paperwork. | Ronaldinho and his brother Roberto Assis had initially been held and questioned by prosecutors, who recommended the pair be released without charge after stating he believed they had been tricked into accepting fake passports ahead of their arrival in the capital, Asuncion. | Prosecutor Roberto Delfino had recommended that, after the pair had completed their obligations with the local authorities, they be released to return home to Brazil having paid…
(2020-03-07). Boys in Brazil land school in scandal as self-styled Nazis saluting classmate as a Fuhrer creating a new 'REICH'. rt.com 
A prestigious school in Brazil got dragged into a scandal after one of its students ran an election campaign styled after Adolf Hitler, recruiting a dozen supporters eager to have him as their 'Furher.' | A photo of the candidate greeting his backers with a Nazi salute in a school classroom, with them responding likewise, was apparently made public by the teen himself. He thought it was a good idea not only to play at Nazism with his mates, but also to upload the proof on his campaign's Instagram page. | The text comment with the photo said the would-be class speaker "promises to be the new Fürher," who w…
(2020-03-07). Danger cruises: Dozens infected with Covid-19 on ANOTHER quarantined ship — this time on Egypt's Nile. rt.com 
A cruise ship on Egypt's River Nile, carrying some 150 tourists and crew, has been quarantined and 45 people aboard have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, country's health authorities have said. | Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed confirmed 33 new cases of coronavirus aboard the cruise vessel on Saturday. The virus cluster had been discovered a day before, when 12 crewmembers of the ship, which was travelling between Luxor and Aswan, tested positive for the coronavirus. | Of the total 45 infected, 19 people are foreign tourists, but the officials did not elaborate on the nationalities of the patien…
(2020-03-07). Italy's leader of co-ruling Democratic party tests positive to coronavirus. rt.com 
The leader of Italy's co-ruling Democratic Party, Nicola Zingaretti, has admitted he had been tested positive for coronavirus as Italy struggles to cope with the health care crisis sparked by the disease.
(2020-03-07). AIPAC confirms two coronavirus cases at Israeli lobby gathering attended by US elites & veteran politicians. rt.com 
Two people from New York who attended the AIPAC conference in the US capital have tested positive for Covid-19, raising the possibility that lawmakers in Washington DC were exposed to the potentially lethal contagion. | "At least" two conference-goers who came from Westchester County, New York have tested positive for the virus, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee said on Friday evening, adding that they've sent notice of this to the attendees, participants, speakers, administration staff and congressional offices. | Important Update: Coronavirus | As emailed to Policy Conference attendees, participan…
(2020-03-07). Chinese hotel used as Covid-19 quarantine site COLLAPSES, trapping dozens under rubble (VIDEOS). rt.com 
A hotel has collapsed in the southeastern Chinese city of Quanzhou, burying dozens of people under the rubble. The building was reportedly used as a quarantine site for the deadly Covid-19 coronavirus. | Footage from the scene showed the building reduced to rubble and emergency services searching the debris. So far, at least 38 people have reportedly been rescued. |
(2020-03-07). Leader of Italy's co-ruling Democratic Party tests positive for coronavirus. rt.com 
The leader of Italy's co-ruling Democratic Party, Nicola Zingaretti, has admitted he has tested positive for coronavirus as Italy struggles to cope with the health care crisis sparked by the disease. | "The doctors have told me that I am positive for COVID-19," the politician said in a video he published in Facebook, referring to the official name of the deadly disease that originated from China. | The man, who is also the president of the central Italian province of Lazio, where Rome is located, assured his followers that he "is fine but would have to stay home" for some time. He wished "courage" to everyone…
(2020-03-07). Chinese hotel 'used as Covid-19 quarantine site' COLLAPSES, trapping dozens under rubble (VIDEOS). rt.com A hotel has collapsed in the southeastern Chinese city of Quanzhou, burying dozens of people under the rubble. The building was reportedly used as a quarantine site for the deadly Covid-19 coronavirus. | Footage from the scene showed the building reduced to rubble and emergency services searching the debris. So far, at least 34 people have reportedly been rescued. |
(2020-03-07). 'I ain't playing': LeBron James weighs in on games in EMPTY ARENAS due to virus crisis — the NBA won't like his reply. rt.com 
Asked about the NBA's suggestion that, to cope with the expanding Covid-19 outbreak, players perform in front of only essential staff at games, LeBron James has come up with a brutally honest response. | James was asked about how he would feel scoring without screaming fans to cheer him on, after a memo from the NBA (about basketball teams possibly being restricted to playing games in front of essential staff only) was revealed through The Athletic. | Sources: The NBA has sent a memo to its franchises explaining that, due to coronavirus outbreak, teams should be preparing to play games without fans in attendan…
(2020-03-07). VIDEOS show aftermath of Covid-19 quarantine hotel collapse in China as rescuers search for dozens trapped under rubble. rt.com 
The collapse of a hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine center in the Chinese city of Quanzhou has left dozens of people trapped under debris. Footage from the scene shows the building on its side and almost entirely flattened. | The Xinjia Hotel collapsed on Saturday evening, trapping at least 70 people under the rubble. The incident prompted a massive emergency services response; at least 38 people have already been rescued. | The operation will apparently continue into the night: rescuers have brought powerful floodlights to illuminate the collapsed building. Over 700 firefighters, 67 fire engines and 3…
(2020-03-07). No need to panic: Modi urges world to embrace 'Namaste' greeting instead of handshakes to fight coronavirus. rt.com 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered his nation's traditional no-contact 'Namaste' greeting as a substitute for handshakes for everyone to adopt as the world actively seeks new ways to stem the spread of coronavirus. | The prime minister has called on India to return to its cultural roots and revive old traditions to fend off the threat of the novel coronavirus officially known as Covid-19. He also urged the world to borrow some of his nation's useful everyday practices to reduce the risk of contracting the disease that has killed some 3,000 around the globe, mostly in China, where it originated.
(2020-03-07). 'Shut down Taj Mahal!' Agra mayor calls on Indian govt to shutter ALL historical monuments amid growing coronavirus outbreak. rt.com 
The mayor of Agra has urged the Indian government to temporarily shut down the country's national monuments — including Agra's iconic Taj Mahal — to limit the spread of the lethal coronavirus, as the number of cases climbed to 31. | "Foreign tourists in large numbers visit Agra, this increases the chances of spread of coronavirus in the city," Mayor Naveen Jain
(2020-03-07). US Navy sailor in Naples 1st confirmed coronavirus case among American servicemen in Europe. rt.com 
A US Navy sailor currently deployed in Naples, Italy has tested positive for the Covid-19 infection. Earlier, another US military service member was confirmed to have the disease in South Korea. | The Pentagon confirmed that a US sailor has been infected with the deadly disease in a statement on Saturday. | "The member is currently restricted to their residence, receiving supportive and medical care in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control," the Pentagon's European Command said. | #Coronavirus (COVID-19), marking the first positive case of a U.S. service member in Europe: (2020-03-07). MSM campaign against Sanders made half of America believe Bernie's like a 'CORONAVIRUS in a suit' — Lee Camp. rt.com 
The corporate media certainly spared no effort in portraying Bernie Sanders as the biggest threat to America ahead of Super Tuesday, yet they failed to set him back, US comedian and host of RT's Redacted Tonight, Lee Camp, said. | The media as well as the Democratic National Committee "spent five days before the contest trashing Bernie Sanders in any way they come up with," Camp recalled. | "By the end of it, even I was sure Bernie fathered a love child with Fidel Castro and the Lyme disease. By Tuesday, much of America was sure that Bernie is something like a coronavirus wearing a Larry David skin suit." | Y…
(2020-03-07). 15 Americans quarantined in Bethlehem as Israel & Palestine struggle to stop coronavirus spread. rt.com 
Fifteen US tourists have been placed under quarantine in a hotel in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, a Palestinian authority spokesman has confirmed. The hotel was quarantined after seven tourists living there were suspected of having contracted the deadly novel coronavirus. officially known as COVID-19, the Israeli media reported without specifying the nationalities of those under suspicion. | "There is a 15-member American delegation in the hotel. They are still there and they are being dealt with according to quarantine regulations like all the others who are there," the spokesman, Ibrahim Melhem, told Reut…
(2020-03-07). Kabul needs 'executive guarantee' before freeing Taliban prisoners under peace deal with US — Afghan president. rt.com 
The proposed release of 5,000 jailed Taliban fighters, required under their peace deal with the US, can happen only if the Afghan government gets a guarantee that they will not 'return to violence,' President Ashraf Ghani said. | "The people's request is that there should be an executive guarantee so that these people will not return to violence once they are released," the Afghan leader told parliament on Saturday, adding that a "transparent mechanism" has to be established to enact that part of the Taliban-US deal. | Under the agreement signed by the US and the Taliban in Qatar last Saturday, as many as 5,00…
(2020-03-07). Afghanistan refuses to free Taliban prisoners under US peace deal without 'executive guarantee'. rt.com The proposed release of 5,000 jailed Taliban fighters, required under their peace deal with the US, can happen only if the Afghan government gets a guarantee that they will not 'return to violence,' President Ashraf Ghani said. | "The people's request is that there should be an executive guarantee so that these people will not return to violence once they are released," the Afghan leader told parliament on Saturday, adding that a "transparent mechanism" has to be established to enact that part of the Taliban-US deal. | Under the agreement signed by the US and the Taliban in Qatar last Saturday, as many as 5,00…
(2020-03-07). Tear gas fired from both sides as refugee crisis continues on Turkey-Greece border. thecanary.co 
More violence has erupted at Turkey's land border with Greece after Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government said it will no longer prevent refugees from crossing over to EU territory. Thousands of people remain stranded between the two countries.Greece has deployed riot police and border guards to repel people trying to enter the country from the sea or by land.A statement from Erdoğan's office said he would travel to Brussels on 9 March, though the nature of his visit was not specified.That announcement came hours after European Union foreign ministers meeting in Croatia on 6 March criticised Turkey, saying…
(2020-03-07). HACKED Israeli Defense Minister demands 'freedom for Palestine,' tweets out Turkey's anthem. rt.com 
The Twitter handle of Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett appears to have been breached, sending out a highly off-message post urging the liberation of Palestine, followed by the lyrics of Turkey's anthem in English.
(2020-03-07). Johnstone brings her Moral Compass to our Dantesque World. dissidentvoice.org 
First, Diana Johnstone's memoir is a classic, and will be read and quoted as long as we keep struggling for peace and justice. It is one of the great personal accounts of the anguished decline of our uncivilization, both a riveting eye-witness account of many of the horrors and perfidies, and a primer for students …
(2020-03-07). With help from U.S. media, Nicaragua's coup-mongers aiming for western hearts and minds. mronline.org 
With its support tanking at home, Nicaragua's opposition is seeking to win over public opinion in the West. A factually-challenged, distortion laden article in Vox by a familiar anti-Sandinista activist exhibited the campaign's strategy. |
(2020-03-07). Trump administration moves forward with unconstitutional DNA testing of immigrants. wsws.org The Trump administration's plan to collect DNA samples from immigrants in US custody has proceeded while nothing has been done to prepare for the spread of the coronavirus.
(2020-03-07). Australian Labor MP feigns concern over US extradition of Julian Assange. wsws.org Penny Wong did not differ with government representatives, who explicitly endorsed the British judiciary's brutal attacks on Assange's legal and democratic rights.
(2020-03-07). Australia: "Teachers for Assange and Manning" campaign in Melbourne. wsws.org The active intervention of teachers and education support staff is just one indication of the growing concern among millions of people that Assange's persecution has immense implications.
(2020-03-07). Elizabeth Warren: Which Side Are You On? indybay.org We'll soon find out…
(2020-03-07). Women's Rights and Social Justice: Julia Ward Howe's 1870 Anti-War Mother's Day Proclamation, A Day of Peace. globalresearch.ca Julia Ward Howe was a humanist who cared about suffering people, a feminist, a social justice activist & suffragette, and it was because of her anti-war commitment that she wrote the famous "Mother's Day Proclamation" 5 years after the Civil War, which resulted in 600,000 dead American soldiers…
(2020-03-07). Anti-Mask Bills Targeting Leftists Ignore the Real Perpetrators of Violence. truthout.org While politically motivated violence in the U.S. has been an overwhelmingly far right phenomenon, Republicans around the country are building up credibility with their base by playing to false fears about masked leftists. State bills are popping up that attempt to rein in the use of masks or face covers during protests, either by increasing penalties for actions taken while wearing a mask or banning the public use of masks altogether. | Oregon Republicans recently introduced House Bill 4126 on…
(2020-03-07). Gracias Chelsea&Julian for publishing Bush's War Crimes. indybay.org Fruitvale and MacArthur oakland 94602…
(2020-03-07). From Afghanistan to Syria: Women's Rights, War Propaganda and the CIA. globalresearch.ca Western heads of state, UN officials, military spokespersons will invariably praise the humanitarian dimension of the October 2001 US-NATO led invasion of Afghanistan, which allegedly was to fight religious fundamentalists, help little girls go to school, liberate women subjected to the yoke of the Taliban.
(2020-03-07). Is the U.S. Really Getting Out of Afghanistan? truthdig.com President Trump may have surrendered to the Taliban, but as Truthdig columnist Danny Sjursen notes, that may not amount to the end of the conflict.
(2020-03-07). Will Biden's Trade Policy Record Come Back to Haunt Him in Midwest? truthout.org Sen. Bernie Sanders and supporters of his presidential campaign took on 2020 Democratic primary foe former Vice President Joe Biden's record on trade to sharpen the contrasts between the two candidates ahead of next week's nominating contests in six states, including the Rust Belt state of Michigan. | Just before leaving Phoenix to attend a rally in Michigan on Friday, Sanders held a brief press conference in which he said Biden's vote as a then-senator for the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (…
(2020-03-07). The Fallacy of the Appeal of the Centrist Democrat. dissidentvoice.org I have watched for the past couple months as Bernie Sanders has risen in the polls and then proceeded to do well in the first primary and caucuses as these people have done everything to try and kneecap his success. The amount of negative press about Sanders that has been pumped out by all of …
(2020-03-07). Video: Turkish Drones Falling in Idlib. 'Moderate Rebels' Gas Themselves by Mistake. globalresearch.ca Early on March 5, the Israeli Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes on targets in the Syrian provinces of Homs and Quneitra. According to the Syrian military, the attack was conducted from Lebanese airspace at 00: 30 local time. …
(2020-03-07). Coronavirus Epidemic Bolsters Case for Medicare for All and Universal Paid Sick Leave. indybay.org The global coronavirus outbreak which also threatens the United States—and the widely criticized effort by the Trump administration to address it—is offering advocates of both paid sick leave and Medicare for All an opportunity to make the case that such universal social programs are not only morally right but would also serve a key public health function.
(2020-03-07). China's Offers Experience in Europe's Fight Against COVID-19. telesurenglish.net At an extraordinary council on the COVID-19 epidemic held in Brussels on Friday, the European Union (EU) health ministers agreed to develop a coordinated approach to prevention and protection of people at risk, and establish coherent containment measures, including evidence-based advice concerning travel to and from risk areas. | RELATED: | Prior to this meeting, epidemiologist Bruce Aylward presented the results of a…
(2020-03-07). Sri Lankan government withdraws from UN resolutions in order to boost the military. wsws.org Rajapakse's government is moving toward dictatorial rule amid mounting economic problems and social tensions.
(2020-03-07). 75 Years Ago: Nazi Germany's Launch Final Major Attacks of the Second World War. globalresearch.ca Seventy-five years ago, on 6 March 1945, the Third Reich launched what was to be its final great offensive of World War II, called Operation Spring Awakening (Unternehmen Fràºhlingserwachen). This attack, not well known today, was directed eastwards through the …
(2020-03-07). Coronavirus spreads to Poland, threatening to upend presidential elections. wsws.org The conservative Rzeczpospolita has warned that "chaos in the health care system could upend Polish politics and impact the outcome of the presidential elections in May."
(2020-03-07). As Trump Stumbles on Coronavirus, Health Experts Warn Against Border Closures. zcomm.org Once a disease has taken hold inside a country, the best options are domestic interventions by state and local public health authorities with ample support from the federal level…