(2020-02-01). Israel-Palestine: Time for Russia to Step up to the Plate. dissidentvoice.org 
Is Israel US property? In many ways, yes. Despite its willful ways, Israel is always pushing the envelope with the US. It has been getting away with murder since it was founded, abetted and funded by the US. But the US has failed, and Jared Kushner is the perfect envoy for this latest ultimatum, crafted …
(2020-02-01). 'If I opened the door, he would've killed us': 15yo says she helped 20+ kids survive Indian hostage horror by hiding in basement. rt.com 
A teenager, who together with two dozen other children was held hostage by an Indian man during a nine-hour standoff with police, said that her quick thinking helped to dodge certain death at the hands of a convicted killer. | The 15-year-old girl was the eldest of some 25 kids who were taken captive by convicted murderer Subhash Batham in a village in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. The horrific case, which sent shock waves across India, ended with the man being shot dead by police. His wife, allegedly an accomplice in the grim enterprise, was stoned to death by an angry crowd. | The children, some of whom were as…
(2020-02-01). Indian court AGAIN postpones hanging for 4 men convicted in 2012 gang rape & murder case that inspired Netflix series. rt.com 
The execution of four Indians convicted in the heinous 2012 'Nirbhaya' gang-rape case has been delayed yet again at the last minute — this time indefinitely — after a court agreed to entertain another mercy plea. | Though the date of the men's hanging had been set for February 1 after a previous appeal, the day was pushed back once again following a fresh plea, filed on Friday by convict Vinay Sharma — just one day after the hangman arrived at the Tihar prison in Delhi in preparation for the execution. | While Sharma's appeal was rejected early on Saturday by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind,…
(2020-02-01). WATCH breathtaking fireball burst into life as it rains down on Russia's Urals. rt.com 
A meteor which put on a spectacular show as it sped across Russia's Urals region was caught on camera lighting up the night sky as it erupted in a blaze of glory this week. | Photographer Ilya Jankowsky captured the stunning spectacle in the town of Irbit in Sverdlovsk Oblast on Thursday night. | The amateur astronomer captured footage of the impressive natural light show as a meteor shower swept across the Urals. The meteor erupted into life as it burned up while entering Earth's atmosphere shortly after 3am local time. | The dazzling burst of light was so bright that it was observed around 800km away in O…
(2020-02-01). Oil prices see biggest January loss in 30 years. rt.com 
Crude oil prices slid a painful 15% in January – the biggest January slide since 1991- as the coronavirus claims the death of more than 200 souls and counting. | After a couple weeks of continued slippage, the price of the Brent and WTI benchmarks were trading down 0.98 percent and 0.73 percent on the day, respectively, at 9: 51am as the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency. | Also on rt.com | | While the WHO did not recommend any trav…
(2020-02-01). Iraqi Blocs Choose New PM-Designate After Weeks of Jockeying. truthdig.com 
BAGHDAD — Former communications minister Mohammed Allawi was named prime minister-designate by rival Iraqi factions Saturday after weeks of political deadlock. | The choice comes as the country weathers troubled times, including ongoing anti-government protests and the constant threat of being ensnared by festering U.S.-Iran tensions. | Related Articles: …
(2020-02-01). Pompeo vows to name US envoy to Belarus as Lukashenko praises him for RISK to visit Minsk & scrutinize country's democracy. rt.com 
Mike Pompeo has tried to de-ice relations with Belarus, a country sanctioned by the US over a decade ago, promising to appoint an ambassador to Minsk along with other perks for siding with Washington. | "We are confident that together we can make real progress across every dimension of our relationship," Pompeo told President Alexander Lukashenko as he greeted him on Saturday. | Returning the charm offensive, the Belarusian leader said it was "very good that you risked coming to Minsk after various misunderstandings between Belarus and the US." | Lukashenko, whom Western media notoriously labeled "Europe's las…
(2020-02-01). Pompeo says US can cover 100% of Belarus' oil needs amid Minsk row with Moscow. rt.com 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has offered to cover all Belarus oil needs with American product at competitive prices. The sales pitch comes after Belarus lost access to low price crude from Russia. | The top US diplomat is visiting Minsk on Saturday to court its longtime leader, President Aleksandr Lukashenko. Belarus is currently struggling to replace Russian crude, which it had imported for years at low prices to refine and resell at a considerable premium. Pompeo seized the opportunity to offer American supplies as an alternative. | "The United States wants to help Belarus build its own sovereign countr…
(2020-02-01). Object-lesson in ruling class privilege? Democrats ditch donor threshold for primary debates so Bloomberg can participate. rt.com 
The Democratic National Committee is loosening its debate qualifying criteria, opening the door to billionaire establishment darling Michael Bloomberg and angering candidates that had been excluded from prior events. | The same DNC that has held fast to its rules while one candidate after another complained about the seemingly arbitrary means of deciding which polls would count toward a qualifying threshold has opted to discard its individual donor requirement starting with the February debate. The rule had prevented former New York Mayor and billionaire media mogul Bloomberg from joining the previous forums.
(2020-02-01). 'Virus control beyond standards': China warns countries against spreading havoc as more borders shut & flights canceled worldwide. rt.com 
Beijing has lashed out at countries fanning fears of the novel coronavirus — which so far claimed 259 lives — insisting that its response against the deadly disease goes far beyond standards accepted worldwide. | "We have adopted the most comprehensive and strictest prevention and control measures, and many of them go far beyond the requirements of the International Health Regulations," Foreign Minister Wang Yi China's e…
(2020-02-01). 1 dead after café roof collapses in Novosibirsk, Russia, trapping visitors. rt.com 
A roof of a café came crashing down on diners in the city of Novosibirsk in southern Siberia, killing at least one woman and trapping several people under rubble. A rescue effort has been underway amid reports of dozens evacuated. | One person was confirmed dead, and four people, including a man in critical condition, were taken to hospital after the roof of a cloak-room adjacent to a cafe collapsed on Saturday night. The café was packed with diners at the time, and some 200 people managed to evacuate on their own, local emergency services said. | While the investigation into the incident is yet in its…
(2020-02-01). Air Force planes to evacuate Russians from virus-hit Chinese cities — Moscow. rt.com 
Hundreds of Russians stranded in China will be brought home on military aircraft which have already departed from their bases, Moscow said just a day after it confirmed Russia's first coronavirus cases in two Siberian regions. | Russian Air Force planes will ferry Russian citizens from the cities most affected by the new coronavirus, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media. "They will start carrying out [evacuation] flights as of today," he explained. | At the moment, there are 300 Russians in Wuhan — the epicenter of the virus — while the other 341 are based in the surrounding Hubei pr…
(2020-02-01). 'He's in our anthem, why not in constitution?' Russian Patriarch wants GOD mentioned in state charter. rt.com 
Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, says believers should pray for a constitutional amendment that would add a reference to God. He thinks the mention would be appreciated by all faiths alike. | "Most Russian citizens believe in God. Not just the Orthodox Christians — I speak about Muslims and many-many others," the patriarch said as cited by the Church spokesman. "If the anthem can have the words 'Our homeland protected by God', why can't the constitution say the same thing?" | Russia is currently preparing for a number of amendments to the basic law, which would somewhat redistri…
(2020-02-01). Russia stops processing Chinese work visas & scraps visa-free travel amid coronavirus epidemic. rt.com 
Moscow has temporarily halted issuing work visas to Chinese citizens and suspended visa-free travel for Chinese tourist groups in response to the coronavirus epidemic in the country. | The travel restriction come into force from Sunday. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who ordered them, stressed that the measures are temporary and are only meant to protect people in Russia from health risks posed by the infection — a point he asked the Foreign Ministry to make known to Beijing. | The agreement on visa-free travel for organized tourist groups works both ways, but the suspension by Russia applies only to…
(2020-02-01). Breaking the ice: Hockey-loving new US ambassador visits Moscow game… and reveals his favorite player is RUSSIAN. rt.com 
America's new ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan, said ice hockey could help bring the two nations closer together as he visited a game in Moscow, also singing the praises of his favorite player, Russia's Alexander Ovechkin. | Sullivan took up his post earlier this year, and as an avid hockey fan wasted little time in arranging a visit to a game in the Russian capital. | The American diplomat was at the local derby between Moscow clubs Spartak and Dynamo on Saturday, where, suitably dressed in a Washington Capitals NHL jersey, he dropped the ceremonial first puck alongside Russian hockey legends Vyacheslav Fe…
(2020-02-01). Airbus with 110 on board skids off runway in western Iran amid heavy snowfall (VIDEO). rt.com 
A packed Airbus A319, operated by Iran's flag carrier, failed to land safely at Kermanshah Airport, ending up in the middle of a snow-covered field off the runway. Authorities blame the incident on a faulty landing gear. | The Iran Air plane departed Tehran's Mehrabad Airport earlier on Saturday, carrying 102 passengers and eight crew, according to Mehr news agency, citing a Civil Aviation Organization official. It ran out of runway when landing at Kermanshah later in the day, it has emerged. | VIDEO: Un Airbus de Iran Air con 110 pasajeros a bordo se sale de la pista en el oeste de Irán | ‚û°&…
(2020-02-01). US declares public health emergency over coronavirus, limits flights from China to 7 cities. rt.com 
The US has declared an ongoing coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency, limiting points of entry to incoming Chinese flights and banning from entry some foreign nationals who traveled to China in the last two weeks. | "I have today declared that coronavirus presents a public health emergency in the United States," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said, announcing the measure on Friday. He stressed that the move was to "complement the work of China and the World Health Organization" that declared a global health crisis on Thursday. | The death toll from the novel virus, which originated in C…
(2020-02-01). U.S. States Join Global Push to Ban Animal-Tested Cosmetics. truthdig.com 
This would further pressure China to impel its cosmetics companies to rely on non-animal tests if they want to sell their products here.
(2020-02-01). Germany evacuates 100 from coronavirus-gripped Wuhan. rt.com 
Over 100 German citizens and family members have been flown from Wuhan to Frankfurt on Saturday. | None of the passengers have manifestations of the disease, which prompted the lockdown of the Chinese city in an attempt to stop the spread of the infection. However, they will be kept in quarantine for a checkup, since the virus may be spread by people without the pneumonia-like symptoms. | Health Minister Jens Spahn bemoaned the dissemination of conspiracy theories about the coronavirus on social media, saying they only "spread uncertainty" about the disease.
(2020-02-01). Apple closes all stores in China over mounting coronavirus worries. rt.com 
The iPhone maker has temporarily shut down all its retail stores and offices across mainland China till February 10 as part of preemptive measures amid the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus. | The measure came into force on Saturday, but some stores were still open on that day, according to the company's website. Starting on Sunday all the shops will be closed until midnight February 9. However, online store in China remains open. | Also on rt.com | | Some st…
(2020-02-01). 'It's not about Jose vs Pep': Mourinho preaches peace ahead of latest clash with Guardiola – but rivalry has been an explosive one. rt.com 
Jose Mourinho has played down any notion of lingering hostilities with Pep Guardiola as the Portuguese prepares his Tottenham team to face Manchester City, but the past decade has seen some combustible clashes between the pair. | While Lionel Messi against Cristiano Ronaldo is seen as the defining individual rivalry of our time on the pitch, Mourinho versus Guardiola is arguably the managerial equivalent, given the frequency and intensity with which the two have crossed swords over more than a decade. | That rivalry enters a new phase as Mourinho faces off against Guardiola for the first time as Spurs boss on…
(2020-02-01). Arab League rejects Trump's 'deal of the century' at Cairo summit with Abbas. rt.com 
The Arab League has shot down US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, saying it would not lead to a just peace between Israel and Palestine. The deal has already been rejected by the Palestinian side. | League members met in Cairo on Saturday to discuss the deal, touted by Trump as the "deal of the century," and a realistic roadmap to peace between Israel and Palestine. Speaking at the meeting, Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas announced he would cut all ties with the US and Israel over the plan, and would not go down in history as the person who "sold out Jerusalem." | Many feared (or hoped) the…
(2020-02-01). President Trump expands anti-Muslim travel ban to thirteen countries. wsws.org Trump's war on immigrants is intensifying in the aftermath of the impeachment trial and in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election in November.
(2020-02-01). Assange would be held in "darkest corner of the prison system" if extradited to the US. wsws.org If dispatched to the US, the WikiLeaks founder will be held in extreme isolation—conditions usually inflicted on individuals convicted of terrorism offences.
(2020-02-01). Montreal meeting this Sunday to demand freedom for Julian Assange. wsws.org The Socialist Equality Party (Canada) is holding a public meeting in Montreal this Sunday, to fight for the freedom of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, oppose war, and defend democratic rights.
(2020-02-01). Israel has played a key role in US aggression towards Iran. thegrayzone.com Before the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, Israel played a key and overlooked role in the Trump administration's aggression campaign against…
(2020-02-01). Climate Groups Target JPMorgan Chase "Money Pipeline" indybay.org Extinction Rebellion SF Bay Area and climate activists in SF financial district demonstration…
(2020-02-01). Egypt Detains Doctor, Parents as Girl Dies From Genital Cutting. telesurenglish.net Egypt has detained a retired doctor after the death of a 12-year-old girl on whom he performed female genital mutilation (FGM) sparked anger among women's rights activists. | RELATED: | ' The victim's parents and aunt took her to a private clinic where she underwent the illegal procedure, also known as female circumcision, the public prosecutor's office said in a statement. | "After she left, she suffered comp…
(2020-02-01). Reject the Coverup! Protest of Trump Impeachment Coverup in Napa. indybay.org Veterans Park, 3rd St. and Main St., Napa, CA 94558…
(2020-02-01). Reject the Coverup! Nationwide Protests Against the Trump Impeachment Coverup. indybay.org Around the San Francisco Bay Area, throughout California, and across the USA…
(2020-02-01). Reject the Coverup! Protest of Trump Impeachment Coverup in San Jose. indybay.org Intersection of Stevens Creek Blvd and N. Winchester Blvd (by Santana Row and Valley Fair Mall), border of San Jose & Santa Clara in the South Bay…
(2020-02-01). Reject the Coverup! Impeachment Coverup Protest in Palo Alto. indybay.org Lytton Plaza, 220 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301…
(2020-02-01). Rising Numbers of US Troops in Iraq with Traumatic Brain Injuries. globalresearch.ca In retaliation for the Trump regime's assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani on January 3, the IRGC struck two Pentagon bases in Iraq days later. | Iranian missiles successfully penetrated US air defenses, striking targets with pinpoint accuracy — causing significant …
(2020-02-01). Maryland police officer faces murder charges after shooting handcuffed man seven times inside patrol car. wsws.org With highly unusual swiftness, Prince George's County police charged the officer, Michael Owen, 31, with second-degree murder and manslaughter within 24 hours of the shooting.
(2020-02-01). Firms responsible for covering Grenfell in flammable cladding demand immunity from prosecution. wsws.org Evidence revealed as the second phase of the inquiry began demonstrates that the 72 people who were killed in the Grenfell fire inferno were victims of the heinous crime of social murder.
(2020-02-01). Senate rejects witnesses in Trump impeachment trial, setting the stage for acquittal. wsws.org The Democrats, refusing to oppose Trump on the basis of his real crimes, sought to use impeachment to settle differences over foreign policy.
(2020-02-01). Limiting Senate inquiry ignores Founders' intent for impeachment. zcomm.org Impeachment was "an essential security for the good behaviour" of the president; otherwise, "he will spare no efforts or means whatever to get himself re-elected."
(2020-02-01). Forget Impeachment — All Politicians Should Be Revocable. truthout.org Weeks after it was passed in the House of Representatives, the impeachment proceedings in the Senate are well underway. While both parties bicker, Chief Justice John Roberts calls the Senate the "world's greatest deliberative body." But it isn't a deliberative body at all, much less the world's greatest. Everyone knows that the impeachment isn't going to pass the Senate and that this is just a circus spectacle for the Democrats to pretend they are a real opposition to Donald Trump. | But impeachment isn't a new co…
(2020-02-01). The Trump Impeachment Defense. "The Best Interest of the Country" Concept. globalresearch.ca With the impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump in full swing, a new defense was presented by Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz. | Dershowitz made an astounding defense, saying that as long as the president acted in what he thought …
(2020-02-01). Bolivia's Coup-Born Regime Arrests Socialist Political Refugees. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's Former Mining Minister Cesar Navarro and former Agriculture Minister Pedro Dorado were arrested at the El Alto airport on Saturday when they were about to board a plane as political refugees. | RELATED: | For the past 82 days, these Socialists politicians remained at the Mexican embassy. Yesterday, they received a safe-conduct allowing their free departure from the country. | "The Mexican embassy transfer…
(2020-02-01). Sanders Beats Trump and Trump Throws Dynamite in the Powder Keg. indybay.org With Sander's election as the Democratic Party candidate, the US would have been the only country to have had a free health insurance policy since Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s… The USA and also Turkey have in fact long since left NATO and are following their own interests without taking their previous "partners" into consideration.
(2020-02-01). How the Border Patrol's Unchecked Powers and Carelessness Separated a Family. truthout.org Mirza had a sense of foreboding soon after she crossed into the U.S. with her two children and their father, David. A Border Patrol agent ordered the family from Honduras and the rest of their group to divide into two lines: "Women to one side, men to the other." | Mirza held 19-month-old Lia and joined the women's line. David took their 6-year-old son Sebastian and lined up with the men. An agent told them not to worry, everyone was going to the same place. A bus took them in two trips to a c…
(2020-02-01). US deploys "usable" nuclear weapon amid continuing war threats against Iran. wsws.org For all the talk of war with Iran having been averted, the reality is that the world remains on the knife's edge of a catastrophic military confrontation.
(2020-02-01). Maneuvering Hell for Our Advantage. globalresearch.ca When the mainstream media writes about war, even critically, the image that often comes to mind for me is an infant wrapped in plastic. That infant is naked reality, a.k.a., the present moment, suffocating and screaming for its life; the …
(2020-02-01). Rome Before it Became Empire: A Pax Americana or a Republic If You Can Keep It? globalresearch.ca "Fortune thus blinds the minds of men when she does not wish them to resist her power." — Livy | It seems quite evident to many that the United States has been consumed by the same ambition and thus fate with …
(2020-02-01). Coronavirus Has Been Declared a Global Emergency. What's Happening in China. globalresearch.ca Tom Clifford reporting from Beijing | The new coronavirus has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization. | "The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries," said …
(2020-02-01). The Rise and Fall of the British Nation. The Land that Labour Built. globalresearch.ca This new edition of David Edgerton's book The Rise and Fall of the British Nation is timely and apposite given the unprecedented Conservative landslide in traditional Labour seats in the recent general election. Inevitably in the world of day-to-day, …
(2020-02-01). Did Vladimir Lenin Foresee the Information Glut? Commemorating the Birth of José Marti. globalresearch.ca At the start of the twentieth century, Vladimir Lenin was studying Hegel's notes on science. [i] Stalin told him not to bother, that it was more important to unify the party. Lenin replied that by the end of the century, …
(2020-02-01). Australian wildfires burning out of control in new areas. thecanary.co Wildfires burned out of control near Australia's national capital, Canberra, and across surrounding New South Wales state on Saturday, with endangered residents warned to prepare to evacuate. | The capital region declared a state of emergency on Friday because of a fire that by Saturday covered 88,500 acres (35,800 hectares) of forest and farmland south of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory emergency services agency commissioner Georgeina Whelan said. | t.co/gkiuxXl1T0 #OrroralFire
(2020-02-01). Sharp fall on Wall Street as coronavirus hits global markets. wsws.org Financial analysts are warning that the virus has created a more uncertain environment than the US-China trade war and its impact could be greater than that of the SARS virus in 2002—2003.