(2020-02-27). Syrian troops repel all militant attacks on strategic Saraqib city in Idlib — military. rt.com 
Reports by some Turkish media outlets asserting that Syrian "moderate opposition" units have captured the city of Saraqib in Idlib province are out of sync with reality, TASS reported a military source as saying on Thursday. | "Militants' attacks against the city of Saraqib have been successfully repelled by Syrian government troops. The city is fully controlled by the Syrian government," the source said, adding that mine clearance and preparations for restoring civilian life are continuing there. | Saraqib, a strategically important city located to the southeast of the province's center, Idlib, at the interse…
(2020-02-27). WATCH protesters hurl stones at police during second night of riots against migrant camps in Lesbos. rt.com 
Scores of angry Greeks clashed with police on Wednesday night as violent protests continued over plans to build a new detention center for irregular migrants on the island of Lesbos, with dozens reported injured. | The Greek government plans to build new camps for refugees in response to overcrowding on Lesbos and four neighboring islands, Samos, Chios, Leros and Kos. Local residents were enraged with the news and used stones, sticks and fire to express their anger. The Greek police used tear gas and rubber bullets against the demonstrators on Wednesday night as rioting entered its third consecutive night. | T…
(2020-02-27). Campaigners win Court of Appeal ruling over Heathrow third runway. thecanary.co 
Campaigners trying to block Heathrow expansion have won a Court of Appeal challenge against controversial plans for a third runway.A group of councils in London affected by the expansion, environmental charities including Greenpeace, Friends Of The Earth and Plan B, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, brought legal action over the government's approval of the plans.Giving their ruling on 27 February, Lords Justice Lindblom, Singh and Haddon-Cave said the government failed to take account of its commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change when setting out its support for the airport expansion in its National Poli…
(2020-02-27). Biden treated Ukraine 'as his private property', says purged prosecutor Shokin on Burisma scandal — UkraineGate documentary. rt.com 
Former top Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin says he was pushed out under pressure from US Vice President Joe Biden, after he seized the assets of the oligarch behind Burisma, the gas company that employed Biden's son. | President Donald Trump's efforts to investigate Biden's role in getting Shokin fired served as a pretext for his impeachment in the House of Representatives back in December. However, after Trump was acquitted by the Senate, the US media forgot about Burisma — and Ukraine. | French investigative journalist Olivier Berruyer, founder of popular anti-corruption and economics blog Les Crise…
(2020-02-27). Is the World about to witness the end of the war in Afghanistan? mronline.org 
Neither the Indian political leadership nor the "deep state" seems to grasp that the geopolitics of the South Asian region is transforming with far-reaching consequences. |
(2020-02-27). Trump appoints VP Pence to lead coronavirus response, says US 'totally prepared'. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump brushed off concerns about the COVID-19 coronavirus spreading in the US, saying containment measures so far have been very effective but that his government is also fully prepared if they fail. | Holding a press conference at the White House on Wednesday evening, shortly after returning from India, Trump told Americans not to panic and argued that the measures he ordered — including travel restrictions on China, where the virus originated — have successfully kept the US safe. | He put Vice President Mike Pence in charge of coordinating the government's response to the corona…
(2020-02-27). Save lives, earn money! Chinese city offers $1,000+ REWARD for self-reporting coronavirus symptoms in bid to quell outbreak. rt.com 
A city in China decided that a money giveaway would be the best motivation for people to report coronavirus symptoms to authorities as the death toll from the infection continues to grow. | The new measure is set to "incentivize" residents to report their symptoms to authorities, the disease prevention taskforce of the city of Qianjiang in central Hubei Province said in a notice on Thursday. | According to the scheme, those whose diagnosis is confirmed will be paid 10,000 yuan ($1,426). Likewise, people who cannot be immediately ruled out as having contracted the disease will be given 1,000 yuan ($142.50), whi…
(2020-02-27). California confirms first possible 'community transmission' of coronavirus as China reports fewest new fatalities in a month. rt.com 
California health officials have detected what may be the first local transmission of the deadly COVID-19 virus in the US — with no known ties to other confirmed cases — as China reported the lowest number of new deaths in weeks.
(2020-02-27). No escape from low growth. mronline.org 
Discussions on the state of the world economy centre around the likely negative impact of the novel coronavirus epidemic and the potential positive effect of the truce reflected in the "phase 1" trade deal between China and India. |
(2020-02-27). Major bank sees abysmal demand growth for oil. rt.com 
Oil prices could bounce around between $50 and $70 through 2025, with both demand growth and supply growth slowing, according to a new report. | The oil market faces a steep supply surplus in the near-term due to the coronavirus and the prospect of demand destruction and economic deceleration. But the US shale industry likely won't rebound from its current slump, at least not to the explosive growth rates of recent years, keeping supply in check. | "Shale production economics in the US continue to point to a Brent price floor around $50/bbl or a WTI price floor of $45/bbl," Bank of America Merrill Lynch wrote…
(2020-02-27). China's Foreign Ministry summons US embassy official over Pompeo's threat to eject Chinese reporters, promises response. rt.com 
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has called for a meeting with a US embassy official after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened to expel Chinese reporters working in the US, as the two sides become embroiled in a "press war." | "In recent years, the US government has adopted various restrictions on Chinese news organizations in the United States," said Hua Chunying, head of the Foreign Ministry's news department. | "If the US takes further harassment and restriction measures against Chinese news organizations in the US, the Chinese side will certainly respond further." | The stern statement comes after the T…
(2020-02-27). US rejected key talks on extending soon-to-expire treaty that limits strategic nuclear arms — Russia. rt.com 
The US has declined an invitation to hold a formal meeting to discuss the legal details of extending the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which is due to expire in a year, a senior Russian diplomat has said. | Washington has decided to ditch important talks on the bilateral treaty's fate, the Deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry's Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Department, Vladimir Leontyev, told a strategic arms-themed event in the Russian parliament on Thursday. | We offered a meeting between our legal experts to make sure that we're on the same page and to negotiate a common understanding of…
(2020-02-27). Pants on fire! Joe Biden's campaign says he was never 'arrested' trying to visit Nelson Mandela. rt.com 
Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden claimed he was arrested in the 1970s while trying to visit jailed South African civil rights campaigner Nelson Mandela. After critics called him out, his campaign now denies the claim. | Courting the black vote in South Carolina and Nevada this month, Biden brought up his 1970s visit to South Africa when he was a senator for Delaware. He told a South Carolina crowd that he "had the great honor of being arrested with our UN ambassador on the streets of Soweto trying to get to see [Mandela] on Robben Island." At a black history awards event in Las Vegas last week, he cla…
(2020-02-27). Earth has had TWO MOONS for past three years… and no one noticed. rt.com 
The boffins at the Catalina Sky Survey have stumbled upon an amazing and slightly goofy discovery, apparently Earth has had a second moon for the past three years and nobody noticed. | This 'mini-moon' is actually an asteroid, measuring between 1.9 and 3.5 metres (6.2 and 11.5 feet) in diameter, that was temporarily captured by our planet's gravity. Named 2020 CD3, we picked up our second moon some time in 2017 but, given how vast the sky is and how dark the moon is, it never caught anyone's attention, until now. | pic.twitter.com/zLkXyGAkZl— Kacper Wierzchos (@WierzchosKacper) (2020-02-27). MSM's insatiable anti-Sanders venom forces them to dig through archives & smear veteran American reporter (because Russia!). rt.com 
Mainstream outlets are so determined to derail Bernie Sanders' campaign, they've dug up a 2016 interview of his wife with RT's late host Ed Schultz — shot before the "collusion" was a thing — to smear both as Russian stooges. | A clip of the Democratic presidential hopeful's wife Jane Sanders complaining on RT America about the unfairness of closed primaries — in which only registered Democrats can vote for the party's nominee — was trending on Wednesday morning, boosted by smug blue-checks crowing some variation on "I told you so." | Bernie Sanders' wife went on Russian TV to explain wh…
(2020-02-27). Putin's here, there & everywhere? Russian President says idea of using lookalike once floated. rt.com 
For a long time, rumors persisted in Russia that Vladimir Putin was using a double or two. Now the Russian President has revealed the idea was once considered, but rejected. | The notion that the original Putin, who became Russian prime minister in 1999, is long dead is among the more popular conspiracy theories doing the rounds. Believers have come up with diagrams showing purported lookalikes of the Russian president, each alleged to have a specific purpose. | –ì–¥–µ –Ω–∞—Å—Ç–æ—è—â–&…
(2020-02-27). They dive from the sky & gun down panicked enemy: Russian special forces day celebrated with action-packed VIDEO. rt.com 
Russia's highly secretive Special Operations Forces, which get the most demanding and sensitive tasks and may go deep into enemy territory, are marking their professional day. Here is how the commandos look in action. | The SpecOp branch of the Russian military fields highly trained fighters, who know how to infiltrate behind enemy lines and wreak havoc with sabotage, organizing guerilla forces and other forms of clandestine action. | It was created over a decade ago as a distinct command, directly answering to the General Staff, but it only got a professional holiday in 2015. A video showcasing skills and equ…
(2020-02-27). Julian Assange condemns court for preventing him from speaking to lawyers. wsws.org WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange issued a defiant protest in court yesterday, opposing the flagrant abuse of his legal rights in extradition proceedings brought against him by the United States government.
(2020-02-27). Should Journalists Be Punished For Exposing War Crimes? zcomm.org Source: Caitlinjohnstone.com This is a speech I gave yesterday at a demonstration for Assange with the Socialist Equality Party Australia. Tomorrow in the UK a judge will start the process of answering a very important question. It's a question that many of us knew was the heart of this debate back in 2010, ten years ago,
(2020-02-27). Julian Assange, Political Offences and Legal Restraints: Day Three of Extradition Hearings. globalresearch.ca Wednesday, February 26, Woolwich Crown Court. Today, the focus shifted to the protagonist himself and the nature of the Julian Assange, whose …
(2020-02-27). John Pilger: Llegó el momento para que Julian Assange sea liberado, no traicionado. thegrayzone.com La verdad es que Australia podía haber rescatado a Julian Assange, y todavía puede. Los líderes de su tierra natal…
(2020-02-27). Julian Assange Against the Imperium. counterpunch.org The second day of extradition hearings against Julian Assange and by virtue of that, WikiLeaks, saw Mark Summers QC deliver a formidable serve for the defence at Woolwich Crown Court. "It's difficult to conceive of a clearer example of an extradition request that boldly and blatantly misstates the facts as they are known to be
(2020-02-27). Montreal: Demonstration outside US consulate demands freedom for Julian Assange. wsws.org Speakers denounced the persecution of Assange as a major threat to democratic rights, exposed the complicity of Canada's ruling elite and stressed the importance of a global mobilization of the working class to secure his freedom.
(2020-02-27). SF Demands Free Julian Assange & Goes Into UK Consulate Building Lobby. indybay.org As part of world day of action to Free Julian Assange activists rallied in San Francisco and then briefly occupied the UK building lobby.
(2020-02-27). "The fight for Assange's freedom requires the political mobilisation of the working class" wsws.org This speech was delivered by Oscar Grenfell, a leading member of the Socialist Equality Party (Australia) to a public rally in defence of Julian Assange, held in London on Sunday.
(2020-02-27). Free Assange and Manning! SEP and IYSSE to hold demonstration in Colombo. wsws.org Assange and Manning are being persecuted because they dared to expose US war crimes and government corruption.
(2020-02-27). A Difficult Peace‚Ä®. zcomm.org Nearly a thousand of us were gathered in Chicago beneath the alarming edifice of Chicago's "Trump Tower." Iran's General Qassem Soleimani had been brutally murdered the day before in Iraq, with several of his associates; and the welcome surprise of Iran's relatively measured response was yet a few days off. A region-wide conflagration seemed just
(2020-02-27). Sanctions: The Weaponization of the Global Financial System. indybay.org San José Peace and Justice Center | 48 South 7th Street | San José, CA 95112 | Bus routes: 22, 522, 23, 523, 55, 64, 66, 68, 72, 73, 168, 181, 500, Hwy 17 Express, MST 55, LRT…
(2020-02-27). Indigenous Rights Are Trudeau's Last Priority. thenation.com Indigenous Rights Are Trudeau's Last Priority…
(2020-02-27). Return to Bahrain: Nine Years After the Uprisings, the Nation's Human Rights Record Has Worsened. counterpunch.org It's been nine years since Bahrain's February 2011 uprising. Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched in cities and towns across the country to protest the ruling Al Khalifa family's tight grip on power, discrimination against the country's majority Shia population, and arrests of political critics. The 2011 uprising itself came 10 years after the 2001
(2020-02-27). Bernie Finally Puts a Number on Cutting Military Spending. counterpunch.org Bernie Sanders' campaign has published a fact sheet on how everything he proposes can be paid for. On that fact sheet we find this line in a list of items that collectively will pay for a Green New Deal: "Reducing defense spending by $1.215 trillion by scaling back military operations on protecting the global oil
(2020-02-27). Syria: "Moderate Rebels" or "Intelligence Assets"? globalresearch.ca "Moderates" never existed except as an "intelligence" agency narrative to protect and arm all the terrorists. "Rebels" never existed except as an "intelligence" agency ploy to falsely portray a Regime Change war as a "revolution" or a "civil war". | Prof. …
(2020-02-27). The NYT's Analysis of Democratic Tax Plans: a Really Big Number Orgy. counterpunch.org I have often gone after the media on printing large numbers that are meaningless to almost all their readers. The point is that when you throw out numbers in the millions, billions, and trillions, very few readers have any idea what these numbers mean. It is possible to make them meaningful by simply adding some
(2020-02-27). 32nd Sacramento Black Expo. indybay.org The California Black Agriculture Working Group will co-host workshops, tours and information about participating throughout the $333 billion dollar California Working Landscape.
(2020-02-27). Toxic Agriculture and the Gates Foundation. globalresearch.ca The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was launched in 2000 and has $46.8 billion in assets (December 2018). It is the largest charitable foundation in the world and distributes more aid for global health than any government. One of the …
(2020-02-27). In alliance with Workers' Party, Bolsonaro sends Brazilian army to contain police strike. wsws.org Bolsonaro's use of the army for domestic repression and his granting troops a license to kill with impunity are in continuity with policies pursued by the PT when it was in power.
(2020-02-27). Centrist Candidates Are Losing the Plot. truthdig.com I thought I might end up watching an Iowa-style meltdown when my cousin, a precinct chair in Nevada, invited me to Reno to watch the complicated vote counting at the Nevada Democratic caucuses on Feb. 24, less than three weeks after Iowa's disaster. | I hate to admit it, being a cynical correspondent for a skeptical progressive website, but things went pretty well. Those tallying up the votes appeared to be honest and dedicated to doing a good job. | The participants gathered at Swope Middle School on a Sunday morning were in a good mood. Under the direction of chairs like my cousin, they divided up quickly, as t…
(2020-02-27). Jammu and Kashmir Cannot be Reduced to Rubble. counterpunch.org While I have been highly critical of the extended detentions of former heads of government, former legislators, and a former civil services officer under the Public Safety Act (PSC), I cannot forget the 200 Kashmiri men being held in jails outside the Valley. These incarcerated Kashmiris have been detained under the Public Safety Act (PSC)
(2020-02-27). The coronavirus pandemic and the need for global socialized medicine. wsws.org A planned, rational deployment of worldwide medical and industrial resources is essential to keep the disease from potentially claiming millions of lives.
(2020-02-27). Nude Monthly Freedom Walk. indybay.org Nude Monthly Freedom Walk – Sunday, March 1st at 12 Noon at Jane Warner Plaza…
(2020-02-27). Smoking and drinking link to recreational drug use by young people: UN-backed report. news.un.org The use of alcohol and tobacco by young people and children is closely linked to the use of illicit drugs, a UN-backed narcotics control body warned on Thursday.
(2020-02-27). Attacks against Sanders intensify ahead of South Carolina primary. wsws.org Sanders' opponents are warning that he may take an insurmountable lead in delegates in the 14 states voting next Tuesday.
(2020-02-27). The Chicago Police Department's History of Torture. thenation.com The Chicago Police Department's History of Torture…
(2020-02-27). Mohawks urge Tohono O'odham to blockade border wall and offer help. indybay.org Mark Maracle of the Mohawk Warrior Society said Tohono O'odham should shut down construction of the border wall. Maracle said Mohawks stand ready to help them and fear should not control their minds.
(2020-02-27). Report Back from Lockdown at Chase Corporate Offices in Solidarity with Wet'suwet'en. indybay.org The following is an account from the Indigenous group who participated in the Chase corporate office lockdown in so-called San Francisco, California, in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en.
(2020-02-27). Dancing Bears Weren't Having Fun. counterpunch.org People send me all sorts of wildlife related videos. Most recent was a series of bears dealing with an itch by rubbing parts of their body against a tree. When people watch a YouTube video, complete with music and voice over, of a bear "dancing", I get it that some people think this is "cool"
(2020-02-27). The Important Word in "Democratic Socialism" is Democratic. counterpunch.org fter the Nevada caucuses, Bernie Sanders is now the front-runner in the Democratic presidential race. In South Carolina, the next primary, former Vice President Joe Biden is the favorite, buoyed by his support among African American voters. But Sanders will come into the state with real momentum, having won the popular vote in each of
(2020-02-27). Democratic Socialism: From Fromm to Sanders. counterpunch.org "His value as a person lies in his salability, not in his human qualities of love, reason, or in his artistic capacities. Happiness becomes identical with consumption of newer and better commodities, the drinking in of music, screen plays, fun, sex, liquor and cigarettes. Not having a sense of self except the one which conformity
(2020-02-27). How We Stay Blind to the Story of Power. counterpunch.org If one thing drives me to write, especially these posts, it is the urgent need for us to start understanding power. Power is the force that shapes almost everything about our lives and our deaths. There is no more important issue. Understanding power and overcoming it through that understanding is the only path to liberation we can
(2020-02-27). Wilderness Preservation is Our Best Protection Against Wildfires. counterpunch.org In recent weeks, misinformed Douglas County, Oregon politicians have expressed opposition to the 500,000 acre Crater Lake Wilderness proposal based on the misguided belief that wilderness designation poses a wildfire threat. They argue that "active management," meaning logging, can preclude or prevent such blazes. But this demonstrates a fundamental failure to understand fire ecology. Just