(2020-02-20). 'The world might need us to step up': London offers to host 2020 Olympics if coronavirus forces IOC to move Games from Tokyo. rt.com 
The city of London is ready and willing to step in and play host to this summer's Olympic Games, according to one of the major candidates for the city's mayor. | Shaun Bailey, the governing Conservative Party's candidate for the job of Mayor of London, has boldly stated that the English capital would be ready to step up and step in if the ongoing coronavirus outbreak proves serious enough to force the Games to be moved from Tokyo. | The flu-like virus has taken the lives of more than 2,000 people in China and infected more than 74,000 across the world, according to Reuters, and the outbreak has already forced…
(2020-02-20). Coronavirus pandemic could wipe $1.1 TRILLION off global economy — Oxford Economics. rt.com 
China's GDP growth is expected to fall from six percent last year to 5.4 percent in 2020 due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, said the latest report by Oxford Economics. | It has modeled two scenarios on the coronavirus outbreak morphing into pandemic. Under the first scenario, if it spreads more widely in Asia, world GDP would fall by $400 billion this year, or 0.5 percent. The second scenario foresees the global GDP dropping $1.1 trillion or 1.3 percent, if the virus outbreak becomes a pandemic and a disruption to manufacturing in Asia spreads worldwide. Such a decline would be the same as losing the ent…
(2020-02-20). 2 passengers from coronavirus-hit cruise ship in Japan die as countries rush to evacuate citizens. rt.com 
An elderly couple aboard the 'Diamond Princess' cruise ship in Japan, where over 620 cases of coronavirus were confirmed, has succumbed to the illness. The fatalities come as Tokyo allows hundreds of passengers to return home. | Both passengers were in their 80s, according to public broadcaster NHK, and are the first on board the ship to die of the virus, which has spread to more than 75,000 people and killed over 2,100 worldwide since last December. So far, the majority of fatalities have involved elderly patients with pre-existing conditions. | The ship was initially quarantined on February 3 with around 3,7…
(2020-02-20). Algerian president honors 'smile revolution' protest on 1st anniversary. rt.com 
Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has declared February 22 a special holiday to honor the peaceful "smile revolution" protest movement that ousted the country's longtime leader last year. | Tebboune made the announcement Wednesday, ahead of what are expected to be big protests this week to mark the Hirak movement's first anniversary. Earlier this week, the communications minister called for February 22 to be declared "a national holiday of the blessed Hirak," the Arabic name for the uprising. | Many Algerians say the authorities are ignoring their calls for deeper political change. Tebboune is seen as a…
(2020-02-20). Impunity Guaranteed for Torturers (and Presidents). counterpunch.org 
On February 5th, the Senate voted to acquit President Donald J. Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. In other words, Trump's pre-election boast that he "could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody" and not "lose any voters" proved something more than high-flown hyperbole. (To be fair, he did
(2020-02-20). Far-right terror probe after nine killed in shootings in Germany. thecanary.co 
A German man has shot and killed nine people at several locations in a Frankfurt suburb in attacks that appear to have been motivated by far-right beliefs, officials said.The gunman first attacked a hookah bar in central Hanau at about 10pm on 19 February, killing several people, before heading about 1.5 miles west and opening fire again, claiming more victims.Hookah lounges are places where people gather to smoke flavoured tobacco from Middle Eastern water pipes.Witnesses and surveillance videos of the suspect's getaway car led authorities to his home, near the scene of the second attack, where he was found dead…
(2020-02-20). Turkey's guarantees in Libya depend on durable ceasefire — FM Cavusoglu. rt.com 
Turkey's guarantees in Libya are dependent on a truce between warring sides being upheld, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday. He added that Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar "was violating" the ceasefire, Reuters reports. | Cavusoglu told state broadcaster TRT Haber that the "international system" had failed to stop clashes in Libya and that there was no determination. He said a political process in Libya could not move forward while Haftar's attacks continue. | Ankara backs Libya's internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) and has signed a military cooperation agreem…
(2020-02-20). Mike Bloomberg attacked on all fronts during Democratic debate. thecanary.co 
New York billionaire Mike Bloomberg was savaged by his Democratic rivals on his first debate on the presidential campaign trail.Bloomberg, the former New York mayor who was once a Republican, was forced to defend his record and past comments related to race, gender and his personal wealth in a rocky debate stage debut in Las Vegas.Bernie Sanders lashed out at Bloomberg's policing policies as New York City mayor that he said targeted "African-American and Latinos in an outrageous way".Elizabeth Warren made repeated attacks on Bloomberg. She raised issues such as his vast wealth, his offensive remarks about policin…
(2020-02-20). Warren and Sanders Eviscerate Bloomberg on Debate Stage. truthdig.com 
The two senators liken the billionaire businessman to Trump and question his ability to turn out voters at the Las Vegas Democratic debate.
(2020-02-20). 'Asking for trouble?' VIDEO shows American APC pushing Russian army jeep off road in Syria. rt.com 
Footage from Syria purports to show a US armored personnel carrier pushing a Russian military jeep off the road; relations between Moscow and Washington remain tense. | A video, posted on social media on Wednesday, shows what appears to be a Russian military convoy moving alongside an American one. At one point, a Russian Tigr heavy jeep tries to overtake an Oshkosh M-ATV armored vehicle with a US flag on its roof. The M-ATV responds by maneuvering to the right, pushing the Tigr further away from the road. | Narrowly evading collision and nearly hitting a pedestrian in the process, both vehicles stop, and o…
(2020-02-20). Making money by 'preventing apocalypse': Russian police raids cult that 'made millions' selling 'divine protection'. rt.com 
St. Petersburg police searched the apartment-turned-"temple" and stables of "Order of the Path," a family-run cult that claimed to be fighting against "black mages" in the gov't and sold "divine protection" for $300,000 a pop. | Earlier this week, St. Petersburg police SWAT teams raided the mysterious "Order of the Path," a cult run by psychologist-turned-"magister" Gayva Tihomirova, and arrested the leader, 78.ru reports. The raids targeted the main "temple" of the organization, which was converted from a two-bedroom apartment, their offices, and the stables outside the city where, the shady Order held their…
(2020-02-20). WATCH heart-clenching video from INSIDE CRASHING PLANE in Russia. rt.com 
Passengers of a small plane who were filming their takeoff from an airfield in Magadan were horrified when they realized their aircraft wouldn't make it. It crashed instead but, luckily, no lives were lost in the incident. | The video, purportedly shot from inside an Antonov An-2 plane, which crashed on Thursday in northern Russia, shows the aircraft trying to climb just after takeoff. Its speed seems slow and, at one moment, it virtually stops in the air, loses all lift and starts falling as a horrified groan is heard from passengers. | The plane was about 10 meters in the air when the incident happened. A…
(2020-02-20). Brazil's oil production jumps 20% to new record in January. rt.com 
Brazil's oil production jumped by 20.4 percent on the year to set a new production record of 3.168 million barrels per day (bpd) in January, thanks to the prolific pre-salt basin, oil regulator ANP said on Wednesday. | Last month, Brazil's total oil and natural gas production also set a new production record, exceeding 4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) for the first time ever, the regulator said, noting that combined oil and gas production stood at 4.041 million boe/d. | Oil production in January 2020 rose by 2 percent compared to December 2019 and by 20.43 percent compared to January 2019, A…
(2020-02-20). Iraqi PM-designate Allawi says new govt ready to work, calls for confidence vote on Monday. rt.com 
Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi has called for parliament to hold a confidence vote on his government early next week. Nominated as a consensus candidate among divided political parties, Allawi emphasized that his cabinet was not drawn from the political elite, a key demand of the protest movement sweeping Baghdad and the south since October 1. | In a speech broadcast on state TV on Wednesday, Allawi said he was proposing "an independent government without any party candidates for the first time in decades." | Iraqi officials have quietly expressed skepticism that such a government would…
(2020-02-20). WATCH harrowing footage of 2007 Baghdad killings projected onto UK parliament wall in protest against Assange's extradition. rt.com 
Campaigners have projected the footage of an American airstrike on Iraqi civilians, originally exposed by WikiLeaks, onto the parliament building in London, to protest against the proposed extradition to the US of Julian Assange. | Clips from the infamous 2007 footage were projected onto Westminster Palace, where both houses of parliament are located. The same video was projected on the wall of the Belmarsh maximum security prison in London, where the WikiLeaks co-founder is awaiting his US extradition trial. The images on the buildings' walls included photos of the activist along with slogans like 'Don't extr…
(2020-02-20). 'Journalism is not a crime': Australian MP says charges against Assange must be dropped after visiting him in UK prison. rt.com 
Continued persecution of the WikiLeaks co-founder is a "crazy situation," Australian lawmaker George Christiansen told RT, adding that Julian Assange did not commit any crime aside from running afoul of US elites. | Christiansen, a member of the Liberal National Party of Queensland, questioned the integrity of the legal process against Assange, who is now facing the possibility of extradition to the US over "unlawfully obtaining and disclosing classified documents related to the national defense." | The journalist was hauled out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London after his asylum was revoked in April 2019, an…
(2020-02-20). Slow Motion Murder of Julian Assange by US/UK Regimes. globalresearch.ca Assange's crucifixion is all about waging war on dissent, truth-telling on major issues, and journalism the way it's supposed to be. | It's about creeping totalitarian rule in the US, UK, and West — equity, justice, and respect for the rule …
(2020-02-20). Pardoning Julian Assange: Trump, WikiLeaks and the DNC. counterpunch.org The central pillar to Democratic paranoia and vengefulness regarding the loss of Hillary Clinton in 2016 was the link between Russian hacking, the servers of the Democratic National Committee and the release of emails via WikiLeaks. Over time, that account has become a matter of hagiography, an article of faith, with grave conclusions: WikiLeaks and
(2020-02-20). Pardoning Julian Assange: Donald Trump, WikiLeaks and the DNC. globalresearch.ca The central pillar to Democratic paranoia and vengefulness regarding the loss of Hillary Clinton in 2016 was the link between Russian hacking, the servers of the Democratic National Committee and the release of emails via WikiLeaks. Over time, that account …
(2020-02-20). Assange's Extradition Case: Critical Moment for the Anti-War Movement. zcomm.org The US government's extradition and prosecution of Julian Assange is a critical moment for press freedom, but also for the anti-war movement…
(2020-02-20). Australia: Students and workers demand release of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning. wsws.org "Trillions are spent on war, which creates refugees, kills children and workers, but the people who make these wars happen are roaming free whilst Assange is being murdered by the state."
(2020-02-20). Eminent Monsters: A Manual for Modern Torture, directed by Stephen Bennett. wsws.org "We have a system that punished the whistle blowers like Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange, not the perpetrators of torture"—Professor Nils Melzer…
(2020-02-20). Labor Party leads Australian attack on British government over Huawei. wsws.org The line-up behind the US confrontation with China sheds further light on the persecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
(2020-02-20). Growing support for Julian Assange on eve of extradition hearings. wsws.org The fight for Assange's freedom requires the mobilisation of the working class, not moral appeals to capitalist politicians.
(2020-02-20). "Leave Our Bloke Alone": A Little Mission for Julian Assange. dissidentvoice.org I think that now it is time that the government I am a part of needs to be standing up and saying to both the UK and the US: 'enough is enough, leave our bloke alone and let him come home.' — George Christensen, Australian conservative MP, Sydney Morning Herald, February 19, 2020 An odd …
(2020-02-20). Lawyers file new motion demanding release of Chelsea Manning. wsws.org Lawyers for Manning, the courageous whistleblower who has been in prison for eleven months for refusing to testify before a secret grand jury in the case of Julian Assange, have filed a new motion in federal court demanding her release.
(2020-02-20). Bloomberg surrogate was PR guru for Brazil's extreme-right leader Bolsonaro. thegrayzone.com Former Michael Bloomberg aide Arick Wierson, who is pushing the billionaire's 2020 presidential campaign and attacking Bernie Sanders, helped elect…
(2020-02-20). Greta Thunberg 'using award money to create sustainability foundation'. thecanary.co Greta Thunberg is using her prize money from an award often described as an alternative Nobel Prize to establish a sustainability foundation, according to the Swedish organisation behind the prize. | The purpose of the non-profit Greta Thunberg Foundation "is to promote ecological and social sustainability, as well as mental health", the Right Livelihood Foundation said. | The teenage climate activist was one of four recipients of the 2019 Right Livelihood Award, which was founded in 1980 to "honour and support courageous people solving global problems". | The one million kronor ( £80,000) that came with th…
(2020-02-20). Oppose Trudeau's Hosting of the Lima Group in Gatineau. globalresearch.ca On February 20, the Trudeau government will host another meeting of the anti-Venezuelan "Lima Group" at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, 100 Laurier St, Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0M8. A protest will commence at its main entrance at 1 pm. | The …
(2020-02-20). Video: Syrians Are in Desperate Race to Outrun Brutal Regime Offensive. globalresearch.ca Syrians are in a desperate race to outrun the offensive of the brutal Assad regime. The ruthless government forces are aggressively destroying helpless mines and car bombs, treacherously restoring roads, schools and residential houses, cruelly launching road patrols, and (oh, …
(2020-02-20). Netanyahu in the Dock Set for March 17. What Happens if Convicted of Bribery, Fraud? globalresearch.ca In so-called cases 1000 and 2000, he's charged with fraud and breach of trust — as well as bribery and breach of trust in Case 4000. | Evidence against him is damning, Israeli attorney general Mendelblit earlier saying: | Netanyahu "damaged the …
(2020-02-20). Elizabeth Warren Is Back and She's Ready for a Fight. thenation.com Elizabeth Warren Is Back and She's Ready for a Fight…
(2020-02-20). The CIA's Role in Operation Condor. counterpunch.org The Washington Post reported that top secret documents confirm the role that the CIA played in Operation Condor, the international state-sponsored assassination, kidnapping, torture, and murder ring run by U.S.-supported military dictatorships in South America in the late 1970s. The documents confirm that the CIA's role in the operation was to provide communications equipment to the
(2020-02-20). Mr. Sanders: Would You like Your Coffee Without Cream, or Without Milk? counterpunch.org "Indeed, you describe a complex social psychology. But politics IS simple. We choose policies and then hope they can be realized. If we are worthy participants, we watchdog it—or sheepdog it, if you will. I highly regard sheepdogs. They are intelligent and utterly dedicated. And if the politician disappoints, we try to elect a better
(2020-02-20). Freedom for $5.30…and This Time Mexico Really is Paying for It. counterpunch.org Back in 2016, presidential candidate Donald Trump promised that Mexico would pay for his proposed border wall. Turns out Mexico wasn't interested, so Trump eventually resorted to declaring fake emergencies and illegally misappropriating money from the military budget. He's spending tens of millions of taxpayer dollars per mile on a barrier that, Samuel Lovett of
(2020-02-20). Reforming Expectations to Save Western Rivers. counterpunch.org Recently, former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt proposed an alternative to the highly controversial yet difficult-to-kill Gila River diversion project, which would dam and divert water from the last free-flowing river in New Mexico ("Damming the Gila a vampire proposal," My View, Feb. 2). While the Gila proposal already is on life support because of missed
(2020-02-20). Break With Two-Party Capitalist Duopoly! counterpunch.org Glory hallelujah! If the Lord's "terrible swift sword" had descended from the heavens to witness the Democratic Party's congressional delegation's standing ovation in response to Donald Trump's State of Union introduction of his despicably appointed Venezuelan presidential pretender Juan Guaidó, the Democrats would be dead in the water. But there is no God in American politics; the only certainty lies in a clear understanding that the election game is rigged from
(2020-02-20). A Trillion Trees in Rep. Westerman's Hands Means a Trillion Stumps. counterpunch.org In an effort to springboard off President Trump's recent pledge to join the global community in planting a trillion trees to increase the amount of carbon drawn out of the atmosphere and help us to mitigate the worst effects of the climate crisis, Rep. Bruce Westerman, a pro-logging advocate from Arkansas, along with several Republican
(2020-02-20). Canada Trapped By Its Own Folly. counterpunch.org Canada walked into a political and diplomatic trap of its own making when it took it upon itself to create a self-appointed busybody lobby called The Group of Lima. The sole purpose of this group is to harass and discredit the government of Venezuela, alleging that they are thereby "defending democracy". They do so by
(2020-02-20). India 2020: 'Superpower' or Still 'Super Poor'? globalresearch.ca The hopes of India's over 1.3 billion people were shattered after their country objectively failed to become the "superpower" that many of their leading "influencers" (read: propagandists) predicted it would be by 2020, with this finally being acknowledged by the …
(2020-02-20). Mass Student Movement in the United States Began Six Decades Ago. globalresearch.ca On February 1, 1960, four African American students from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University sat down at a racially segregated lunch counter in the F.W. Woolworth Department store in downtown Greensboro to demand service. | This act of civil disobedience …
(2020-02-20). "The Right to Do Whatever I Want as President" globalresearch.ca On February 5th, the Senate voted to acquit President Donald J. Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. In other words, Trump's
(2020-02-20). Munich Conference Reveals East-West Divide. globalresearch.ca Few postmodern political pantomimes have been more revealing than the hundreds of so-called "international decision-makers," mostly Western, waxing lyrical, disgusted or nostalgic over "Westlessness" at the Munich Security Conference. | "Westlessness" sounds like one of those constipated concepts issued from a …
(2020-02-20). Jury Awards $265M in Damages in Dicamba Trial Against Monsanto, BASF. globalresearch.ca After three weeks of arguments, the jury awarded the peach-farmer plaintiff $15 million in damages and $250 million in punitive damages against the chemical companies. | *** | A federal jury determined that German agribusiness giants Bayer and BASF will have to …
(2020-02-20). San Jose's 40th Annual Day of Remembrance: Recalling Life Under Executive Order 9066. indybay.org Executive Order 9066 led to the World War II-era incarceration of more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent, two-thirds of whom were American citizens. Survivors shared recollections and re-enactors performed morale boosting era swing dance styles in Japantown on February 16th.
(2020-02-20). Police assault on Wet'suwet'en people. mronline.org Attack shows Hypocrisy towards Indigenous Peoples. |
(2020-02-20). Gracias Chelsea&Julian for publishing Bush's War Crimes. indybay.org Fruitvale and MacArthur Oakland 94602…
(2020-02-20). Debate Night Brawl: Bloomberg, Sanders Attacked by Democratic Rivals. truthdig.com Warren stands out in Las Vegas as she goes after billionaire ex-New York mayor on policing policies and demeaning comments toward women.
(2020-02-20). US slaps sanctions on Russian oil company trading with Venezuela. wsws.org The unilateral sanctions are aimed at tightening the US blockade of Venezuela's crisis-ridden economy.
(2020-02-20). Russia Is A Progressive Democracy, America Is A Fascist Plutocracy. indybay.org Too bad I have to live in this hell with all the money going for defective military junk, Billionaires running for Dictator, poop and needles are all over the sidewalks, empty store shelves are coming due to covid-19 in the country that makes all our necessities, etc, and so on.