(2020-02-07). Israeli soldiers shoot dead Palestinian teen in West Bank clashes — officials. rt.com 
Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian youth during clashes in the West Bank near Tulkarm on Friday, Haaretz reported, citing officials in the Palestinian Authority. Violent incidents between Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank continue to escalate in the aftermath of Washington's unveiling of its plan for Mideast peace. | The youth was killed during confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the village of Qaffin, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. He was evacuated to the hospital, it added, where he died from his wounds. | Israeli police also said two border policewom…
(2020-02-07). Crisis and Opportunity: The 'Deal of the Century' Challenge for Palestinians. counterpunch.org 
After several postponements, US 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 January 28. Standing triumphantly beside Trump, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, must have surely understood that the timing of the announcement, only a few weeks before
(2020-02-07). Radical radio station KPFK host Lila Garrett, 94, passes. peoplesworld.org 
LOS ANGELES—It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing on Feb. 1 of one of my best friends, KPFK host and Emmy-award winning writer Lila Garrett, always a pistol, yet married to the peace movement and forever committed to progressive values. I said my goodbyes to Lila a little over a week …
(2020-02-07). Libyan warring sides reconvene to discuss ceasefire agreement — UN envoy. rt.com 
The UN's special representative for Libya has said the country's warring sides are working to turn a provisional ceasefire into a formal agreement as they emerged from four days of talks. Ghassan Salame, head of the United Nations support mission in Libya, said rival military leaders are negotiating the remaining sticking points in a ceasefire deal. | Salame said delegates will reconvene Friday to discuss the latest draft, AP reports. That agreement must then be sent back to their respective leaders for approval. | The return of internally displaced people, the disarmament of armed groups, ways to monitor a tr…
(2020-02-07). Libya is Being Torn Apart By Outsiders. counterpunch.org 
With the United States walking out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—more commonly known as the Iran accord—we all enter into a heightened zone of danger. Trump is threatening a war on Iran through his statements and tweets, and now by his actions, assassinating serving Iranian and Iraqi generals on Iraqi soil. Assassinations
(2020-02-07). Syrian Advance Sends Hundreds of Thousands Fleeing in Idlib. truthdig.com 
BEIRUT — Turkey on Friday sent more troops and tanks to bolster its military presence in northwestern Syria, where President Bashar Assad's forces have been advancing in a devastating, Russian-backed offensive that has sparked a massive wave of people fleeing in wet and blustery winter weather. | Syria's Idlib region near the border with Turkey is the last rebel-held bastion in the war-ravaged country. The push by Assad's forces into towns and villages in the province over the past months has uprooted more than a half-million people who fled the advancing troops. Many of them already have been displaced sev…
(2020-02-07). Syria: With an Eye on Energy Dominance, Russia is Aligning with Israel Against Iran. mintpressnews.com 
In the second of a three-part series, Agha Hussein investigates Russia's financial motivation for teaming up with Israel and wealthy Gulf Arab states to curb Iran's influence in post-war Syria.
(2020-02-07). Israeli airstrikes on Damascus suburbs put at risk civilian flight with 172 passengers on board — Russian MoD. rt.com 
Israeli strikes on Damascus suburbs put a civilian aircraft in serious danger and forced it to divert to Russia's Khmeimim airbase as the Syrian air defense was activated to repel the attack, the Russian military said. | An Airbus A320 flying from Tehran to the Syrian capital was forced to make an emergency landing following an Israeli missile attack, the Russian Defense Ministry said. It added that using civilian aircraft as a "shield" is "commonplace" for Israeli Air Force pilots. | The aircraft was about to land at Damascus International Airport, but was unable do so as the Syrian air defense systems engage…
(2020-02-07). OPCW responds to Douma leaks… by arguing whistleblowers are not credible & calling for tighter internal security measures. rt.com 
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has said in a report that whistleblowers who raised concerns about the group's Douma probe are not credible, and called for new measures to prevent further leaks. | The international chemical weapons watchdog released its 'Independent Investigation into Possible Breaches of Confidentiality Report' on Thursday, in response to leaks from two former OPCW inspectors which put in question the organization's findings regarding an alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria in April 2018. | The OPCW claimed that the two individuals, identified as Ins…
(2020-02-07). 'Unplanned meetings on Syria convene when UN-recognized terrorists are under attack' — Russia's envoy to Security Council. rt.com 
As Damascus forces repel attacks in terrorist-held Idlib, emergency Security Council sessions are called along a familiar pattern, Russia's UN envoy said. | As "violence only to terrorize and subdue" broke out in Idlib, the US, France and Britain convened an impromptu UN Security Council meeting on Thursday. The American representative slammed what she called an "unjustified military offensive" launched by Syrian government forces to defeat armed radicals led by Syria's main al-Qaeda faction HTS — still better known as the al-Nusra Front despite multiple rebrandings. | Moscow's envoy to the international…
(2020-02-07). Well known Russian journalist Milashina & lawyer Dubrovina brutally attacked in Chechnya. rt.com 
Gruesome details have emerged of an assault on a Russian journalist and her lawyer colleague after they arrived in Chechnya ahead of the high-profile local trial of a local activist. | Elena Milashina claims that she was attacked on Thursday evening, along with her companion Marina Dubrovina, in the local capital Grozny. According to Milashina's Facebook page, they were beaten by a large group of people inside the Kontinent Hotel, where they were was staying. | The group, numbering at least 15 members, approached the pair and, after a short verbal confrontation, brutally beat them for about a quarter of an hou…
(2020-02-07). Largest city in Russia's Far East to introduce 'mask regime' from Monday as coronavirus fears spread. rt.com 
Located only 20km (12.4 miles) from China and straddling the banks of the shared Amur River, Khabarovsk in Russia's Far East is especially vulnerable to the new coronavirus sweeping its southern neighbor. | So far, however, the city of over 600,000 people has not reported any infections. Nevertheless, officials are not taking any chances. From Monday, a compulsory "mask regime" will be introduced, as a precautionary measure. The move follows the closure of border crossings last week. | The rule will apply to almost every category of worker who deals with the public including teachers, doctors, retail and bank…
(2020-02-07). 'Of course we are not alone': Russian scientist says we're using wrong tools to hunt for aliens. rt.com 
A Russian scientist believes that the only way we can finally discover extraterrestrial life is for experts and researchers from different branches to work together. | Alexander Panov, a leading researcher at Moscow State University's Research Institute of Nuclear Physics, has spent many years working on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) at the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Radio Astronomy. | In a recent
(2020-02-07). Russia's largest oil company's shares fall after reports of new US sanctions. rt.com 
Rosneft stock slumped nearly five percent during Friday trading on the Moscow Stock Exchange after reports claimed that the US wants to slap the Russian oil giant with new sanctions over its cooperation with Venezuela. | As of 2: 49pm Moscow time (11: 49am GMT) Rosneft shares were trading at 453.5 rubles (US$7.1) per share, down 4.65 percent from the previous session. | Read more | | The drop came less than two days after the Trump administration announced that it w…
(2020-02-07). Russia to drop dual citizenship restriction, make acquiring passport easier with 'revolutionary' new bill — Kommersant. rt.com 
Have you always fancied a Russian passport, but had doubts about relinquishing your current citizenship? Well, you may be in luck under new proposals apparently being drafted in Moscow. | Newspaper Kommersant, citing sources in a working group to reform state migration, says the Kremlin is poised to ditch its long-standing restrictions on dual citizenship. | The primary target is people from what Moscow considers "fraternal states," such as Belarus, Ukraine, and other former Soviet republics — many of which are mired in poverty. Russia, facing its own demographic issues, sees them as a convenient source o…
(2020-02-07). 'Take Hitler & Napoleon, who failed to conquer Russia': Imran Khan invokes world history to fend off Modi's 'bite the dust' remark. rt.com 
Pakistani premier Imran Khan has rebuffed his Indian counterpart's claims that it would take 10 days at most to take down Pakistan, citing the past failures of French general Napoleon Bonaparte and Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. | "Narendra Modi, you need to brush up on your history. It seems your degree was fake," Imran Khan Leaders who have shown such pride have always been defeated in the past … [take]…
(2020-02-07). Latin America free to make own policy choices — Russia's FM Lavrov on US threats & 'humiliating' Monroe Doctrine. rt.com 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hit back at threats from Washington over Moscow's support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, insisting Caracas and its neighbors deserve the option not to be US vassal states. | "I have heard the threats from Washington about punishing all those who work with Venezuela," Lavrov confirmed during a press conference in Mexico City on Thursday. "But we are used to that. We are used to American officials saying that yes, Washington is still true to the Monroe Doctrine." | Russia was merely offering Venezuela and its neighbors in the region a second option, beyond the sta…
(2020-02-07). A Fascist Coup Attempt in Germany. counterpunch.org 
While millions this week stared at Iowa and Washington with worried amazement, confusion or anger, Germany, too, had its own messy confusion — which turned into a frightening alarm signal! For the very first time, a state government — in Thuringia — was able to achieve rule with the support of the far, far right
(2020-02-07). In Thuringia, Germany, a fascist coup. peoplesworld.org 
BERLIN — While millions this week stared at Iowa and Washington with worried amazement, confusion or anger, Germany, too, had its own messy confusion — which turned into a frightening alarm signal! For the very first time, a state government — in Thuringia — was able to achieve rule with the support of the far, …
(2020-02-07). Climate protesters take a literal TROJAN HORSE to British Museum (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com 
Climate activists have wheeled a real-life Trojan Horse into the courtyard outside the British Museum to protest oil and gas giant British Petroleum's (BP) sponsorship of a new exhibition about ancient Troy. | The activist theater group 'BP or Not BP' built a replica of the Trojan Horse, built from reclaimed timber and discarded rope, which can seat 10 people. |
(2020-02-07). Trump says Democrats should 'expunge' his impeachment. rt.com 
Still in a celebratory mood after his acquittal in the Senate, US President Donald Trump said Democrats should 'expunge' his impeachment, as their accusations against him were false. | "That's a very good question," Trump said when asked by a journalist whether the Democrats should "expunge" his impeachment in the House. | The president expressed confidence that "they should, because it was a hoax; it was a total political hoax." | He ripped into his Democratic opponents, saying that "they've gone totally crazy" and claiming they suffer from a "bad case" of "Trump derangement syndrome." | There's a lot of evil…
(2020-02-07). 'Protect protesters,' Iraq's top cleric tells security forces. rt.com 
Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric has called for security forces to protect anti-government protesters. | Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's words came two days after at least eight protesters were killed in the holy southern city of Najaf. They died when followers of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed a protest site and fired live rounds, AP said. | Sistani, a revered Shiite religious figure whose opinion holds sway over Iraqis, said security forces were "indispensable" and responsible for maintaining law and order. The comments came in his weekly Friday sermon delivered by a representative in Najaf. He di…
(2020-02-07). Acronym group that sabotaged Iowa caucus birthed by billionaire who funded Alabama disinformation campaign. mronline.org 
Silicon Valley billionaire Reid Hoffman funded the creation of ACRONYM, the group that sabotaged the Iowa caucus results, after bankrolling voter manipulation campaigns including the notorious online "false flag operation" in Alabama's 2017 senate race. |
(2020-02-07). Macron warns that European nations 'cannot remain spectators' in the face of a potential nuclear arms race. rt.com 
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned of a looming arms race and called for new controls to limit the proliferation of conventional and nuclear weapons. | The French leader, speaking in Paris on Friday, argued that the European Union faces new security challenges following Britain's exit from the bloc. | "Europeans must realize collectively that in the absence of a legal framework, they could rapidly face a new race for conventional weapons, even nuclear weapons, on their own soil," Macron said. He stressed that Europeans "cannot remain spectators" in the face of such threats and urged leaders to create…
(2020-02-07). Risk of Nuclear War Rises as U.S. Deploys a New Nuclear Weapon for the First Time Since the Cold War. democracynow.org 
The Federation of American Scientists revealed in late January that the U.S. Navy had deployed for the first time a submarine armed with a low-yield Trident nuclear warhead. The USS Tennessee deployed from Kings Bay Submarine Base in Georgia in late 2019. The W76-2 warhead, which is facing criticism at home and abroad, is estimated to have about a third of the explosive power of the atomic bomb the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) called the news "an alarming development that heightens the risk of nuclear war." We're joined by William Arkin, longtime reporter…
(2020-02-07). Chinese national describes life inside the coronavirus quarantine zone. peoplesworld.org 
SINGAPORE—It's been more than two weeks since authorities in the city of Wuhan quarantined 11 million people in an attempt to contain the coronavirus outbreak spreading across China and around the world. Except for a few foreign nationals whose governments have ferried them out on charter flights, the capital of epidemic-hit Hubei province remains, essentially, …
(2020-02-07). Neoliberalism and the Coronavirus. counterpunch.org 
In This Changes Everything, Naomi Klein notes that the TV sets owned by Americans were manufactured in China with the energy input from coal-burning. Those carbon emissions are logged in China's ledger. The trucking to bring the TV to your town's big box outlet is logged in the U.S.'s ledger. However, the transoceanic shipping that
(2020-02-07). Trump sinks to racist panic as China mobilizes against disease. peoplesworld.org 
Even though a tiny number of cases of coronavirus have surfaced in the U.S., widespread panic about the disease has surfaced in the form of hostility and racism toward Chinese people and even people who seem to be of Asian descent who are not Chinese. Many Americans, often self-identified as fans of Trump and living …
(2020-02-07). Laurie Garrett: World Can't Let Racist Attitudes Impact Handling of Coronavirus Outbreak. democracynow.org 
The Chinese doctor who warned the government about a possible coronavirus outbreak has died after contracting the virus while working at Wuhan Central Hospital. Thirty-four-year-old ophthalmologist Li Wenliang warned his fellow medical workers about coronavirus on December 30. He was then investigated by police and accused of "making false comments." His death has sparked a wave of anger and outrage in China, where the hashtag "We want freedom of speech" went viral on Chinese social media site Weibo this week. The death toll from the coronavirus has now topped 630 people in China, with more than 31,000 confirmed…
(2020-02-07). This is the time for solidarity, not stigma. mronline.org 
In December 2019, several people began to develop infections in Wuhan (People's Republic of China); early signs indicated that the virus had emerged out of the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, but there is no certainty about that verdict. |
(2020-02-07). Trump says Xi's 'sharp' leadership will defeat coronavirus in U-turn on harsh anti-China rhetoric. rt.com 
Donald Trump says China will defeat the deadly coronavirus, thanks to its great discipline and Xi Jinping's strong leadership, as the US president's tone on Beijing softens following the recent signing of a new trade deal. | The two leaders discussed the outbreak of the virus, which has claimed 640 lives in China, during a phone call on Friday. | That provided the perfect grounds for an attack on Beijing, but Trump, who earlier blasted China for currency manipulation, intellectual property theft, and election meddling, was this time reluctant to take advantage of the dire health crisis in order to attack Beiji…
(2020-02-07). Chinese scientists say pangolins might be missing link in coronavirus transmission. rt.com 
Chinese researchers now believe that the deadly coronavirus may have spread from bats to humans through the illegal sale and trafficking of pangolins, scaly mammals widely used in Eastern medicine. | "This latest discovery will be of great significance for the prevention and control of the origin (of the virus)," South China Agricultural University, which led the new research, said in a statement on its website. | Pangolins are among Asia's most-trafficked animals, with an estimated one million of the armored creatures snatched from Asian and African forests in the past decade despite specific protections unde…
(2020-02-07). Xi says China 'confident & capable' of beating coronavirus outbreak in phone call with Trump. rt.com 
China has taken aggressive measures to combat a lethal viral outbreak sweeping the country, enacting the most comprehensive and strict efforts to contain the illness, President Xi Jingping told his American counterpart in a phone call. | Having declared a "people's war" on the fast-spreading coronavirus, Xi told President Donald Trump that China was "fully confident and capable" of overcoming the epidemic and was already seeing positive results, adding that Beijing's long term economic prospects would not change. | Trump responded by expressing confidence in Beijing's "strength and resilience" in confronting t…
(2020-02-07). Shadow Coding: the Iowa Caucus and Carl Jung. counterpunch.org 
Political observers, media commentators, politicians, citizens. Everybody seemed to have choice words for the 2020 Iowa caucus: Disaster. Meltdown. Debacle. The Iowa Democratic Party had commissioned a new mobile app, a data synchronization platform, which was supposed to report the voting counts. As we know, what ensued were delays, inconsistencies, chaos, and confusion. Frustrated presidential candidates,
(2020-02-07). Dems must focus on removing Trump from the White House. peoplesworld.org 
DES MOINES, Iowa — Confusion surrounding the Iowa Caucus results continued Feb. 6 after Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez called for a re-canvass of votes to ensure their full integrity. The chaos is likely the final nail in the coffin of the Iowa caucus, long criticized as undemocratic and unrepresentative of Democratic base voters. …
(2020-02-07). Targeting Gender Nonconforming Youth. counterpunch.org 
The U.S. has been a battlefield over cultural values for nearly 50 years. In states throughout the country, the religious right — together with local Republicans — have built an influential political movement to impose their moral values. Donald Trump's appointment of two conservatives to the Supreme Court has emboldened the religious right to press
(2020-02-07). The Economy Not Worth Defending: A Response to Trump's State of the Union. counterpunch.org 
This president's delusions of grandeur have few limits, as witnessed by the headlines across the nation following his state of the union. One New York Times headline read: "Trump Claims End of 'American Decline." CNN reported that "Trump's economic focus is a savvy one from a political perspective" when "poll after poll shows that a majority of Americans approve of how he has handled the economy."
(2020-02-07). Trump, Racism, and Fascism — More than Just Personality Disorders. counterpunch.org 
After the supposedly post-racial presidency of Barack Obama, what passes for the liberal punditry discovered racism had arisen in the homeland. They never felt so good feeling bad about racism, denouncing what they identified as its primal cause — Mr. Trump, who was sullying that "shining example" of the United States of America. Obscured were
(2020-02-07). Enemies of Democracy: Neoliberalism and Authoritarian Finance. counterpunch.org 
Democracy is supposed to mean rule by people. In the West, it means rule by upper classes via periodic representational charades in which candidates represent corporate interests and occasionally throw crumbs to the public to pre-empt full-scale revolution. But now even establishment institutions are worried about the implications of the lack of genuine democracy in
(2020-02-07). Airport employee IN BEAR COSTUME scares loitering langurs off airfield in India (VIDEO). rt.com 
An Indian airport has devised a highly creative — and reportedly effective — method to keep vexatious langurs off their runway: have an employee dress up as a bear and scare them off. | An extremely busy international airport in India's western Ahmedabad city deployed the unorthodox tactic after struggling to prevent langurs from swarming the grounds of the air hub — and creating a potential safety hazard for passengers. The idea was reportedly hatched after the airport's management learned that langurs are terrified of bears. The airport already has a team dedicated to chasing off birds and w…
(2020-02-07). Four Chinese passengers hospitalized in New Jersey after cruise ship screened for coronavirus. rt.com 
Four Chinese travelers on a cruise ship that docked at a port not far from New York City have been hospitalized after being screened for coronavirus. The US already has twelve confirmed coronavirus cases. | The tourists were among two dozen Chinese nationals who received a medical examination after the Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas, which set sail for the Caribbean on January 27, returned to the New Jersey port. Four passengers on the cruise ship were found to have fevers and were whisked away to University Hospital in Newark, which has negative-pressure isolation rooms. At least two of the four were ta…
(2020-02-07). Civil Rights Movement memories: Marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. peoplesworld.org 
The flight to Atlanta was bumpy. I was already apprehensive. I had imagined being on the receiving end of a two-by-four swung wildly by a Southern gentleman of the White Citizens Council. And then, when the plane suddenly plunged downward in what felt like a nosedive, I feared I would soon meet my fate, denying …
(2020-02-07). Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shoots unarmed man in the face in New York City. wsws.org Eric Diaz-Cruz was shot as he sought to stop his mother's boyfriend from being detained by ICE early Thursday morning.
(2020-02-07). Assange's Case Represents 'Failure of Western Law' — Says UN's Nils Melzer. globalresearch.ca An interview was recently given by UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, to
(2020-02-07). Interview with international model Andreja Pejic: "I think standing behind Assange and Manning is where we should all be" wsws.org The WSWS spoke with Andreja Pejic about the campaign to free Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning and broader political issues.
(2020-02-07). Pilger, Burchett and Assange: Three Extraordinary Australian Journalists That Spoke Truth to Power. mintpressnews.com Australia, writes Rick Sterling, should be proud of its three native sons that were willing to speak truth to power no matter the consequences.
(2020-02-07). Right-wing Nicaraguan opposition boasts of support from US and EU in campaign to oust Sandinista gov't. thegrayzone.com The US embassy and European Union are meeting with right-wing Nicaraguan opposition leaders and pressuring them to unite against elected…
(2020-02-07). Iowa debacle fueled by anti-Bernie billionaires, Russiagate hucksters, failed DNC elites. thegrayzone.com Max Blumenthal breaks down the shadowy network of billionaires, Democratic elites, and Russiagate profiteers behind the Shadow app that ruined…
(2020-02-07). Who is Behind "Fake News"? Mainstream Media Use Fake Videos and Images. globalresearch.ca The mainstream corporate media is desperate. They want to suppress independent and alternative online media, which they categorize as "fake news". Readers on social media are warned not to go onto certain sites. Our analysis confirms that the mainstream media are routinely involved in distorting the facts and turning realities upside down.
(2020-02-07). Bolivia's Coup-Born Regime Arrests Socialist Lawmaker Torrico. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's Special Force for the Fight Against Crime (FELCC) Thursday arrested Movement for Socialism (MAS) lawmaker Gustavo Torrico in La Paz as he was leaving home to work. | RELATED: | The coup-born regime led by Jeanine Añez accuses Torrico of sedition and terrorism. This has caused outrage among human rights defenders who have been denouncing that the Bolivian government persecutes social activists who dissent. | "This is totally illegal. I appeared…