(2020-02-29). Europe & US use Russia-Poland discord to their advantage, first post-Cold War Polish leader Walesa tells RT. rt.com 
Poland and Russia must lay "old ghosts to rest" as the US exploits their bitter strife to its own advantage, former Polish President Lech Walesa — who led the fight against Communist rule — told RT. | Moscow and Warsaw need to bury the hatchet and sort out their troubled shared history as part of an open and honest dialogue instead, Walesa believes, adding that the endless quarrels that have lasted for decades have so far led the two neighbors nowhere. | "We can't change history," the former president told RT. Still, Walesa — whose Solidarity trade union movement led the struggle against the C…
(2020-02-29). Opposition activists flock to central Moscow to commemorate slain politician Nemtsov and condemn constitution amendments. rt.com 
Thousands of people are attending marches in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, on Saturday, to commemorate Russia's former Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, who was murdered five years ago in the Russian capital. | The memory of Nemtsov, a veteran politician who became a leading figure in the western-leaning opposition after the turn of the century, is a unifying point for various anti-Kremlin political groupings who are frequently at odds with one another. | Leaders of the march, who have described themselves as "pretty much the entire democratic spectrum" in Russia, expected that as many as 30,000 people would…
(2020-02-29). 'Get out of the way, let us deal with Assad regime', Erdogan says he told Putin regarding Idlib, Syria. rt.com 
As tensions in Idlib province reach the boiling point, Turkey has asked Russia to let it fight the Syrian government face-to-face, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed. | Erdogan asked Putin "to get out of the way" and let the Turkish troops deal with Syrian President Bashar Assad, the Turkish leader told his AK Party on Saturday. | Erdogan was explaining to lawmakers his government's handling of the escalation in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, where Turkish and Syrian troops have engaged in several clashes over the past weeks. The hostilities have all but ruined Turkey's 2018 agreement with Rus…
(2020-02-29). Russia, Turkey reaffirm commitment to deescalate Idlib hostilities — Moscow. rt.com 
Russian and Turkish diplomats, who held consultations in Ankara on the unfolding crisis in Syria's Idlib province, have reaffirmed their nations' commitments to deescalate the hostilities, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Both sides also agreed "to continue fighting against terrorist forces as designated by the UN Security Council" and to protect the civilian population, the statement said. | The talks in Ankara have been held amid a major escalation in northwestern Syria, where dozens of Turkish troops have been killed by Syrian forces amid an ongoing counter-terrorism offensive. Ankara demanded the withdra…
(2020-02-29). 'We've seen no evidence': Social media networks blow up US officials' claim of 'Russian coronavirus disinformation campaign'. rt.com 
Social media titans Twitter and Facebook poured cold water on the State Department's latest conspiracy theory, insisting they'd seen no sign "Russian operatives" were spreading falsehoods about Covid-19 on their platforms. | Weighing in after a number of senior State Department officials "In general, our investigation hasn't substantiated this cl…
(2020-02-29). Media Stoop to 'Russian Assistance' to Explain Sanders' Rise. fair.org 
For over three years, Russia has been an issue of great concern, if not panic, in our media. Back in 2018, FAIR (
(2020-02-29). 'He knows the entire conspiracy': India says it nabbed Pulwama bomber's co-conspirator in FIRST ARREST over attack that killed 40. rt.com 
Indian investigators have claimed a breakthrough in the long-running probe into the deadly attack in Kashmir that left 40 troops dead last year, stating they arrested a man who drove an explosives-laden car and hid the bomber. | India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Friday that they had detained 22-year-old Shakir Bashir Magrey, owner of a shop near the Lethpora bridge where the Pulwama terrorist attack unraveled on February 14 last year. | The attack, which saw a suicide bomber — later identified via DNA as Adil Ahmad Dar — ramming a vehicle strapped with explosives into an Indian conv…
(2020-02-29). Witnessing the hell that a migrant can face. mronline.org 
Roughly 11,500 people got on boats at places like Obock and Bosasso, Somalia, to go into Yemen, and then overland to Saudi Arabia, where they hope to get employment. |
(2020-02-29). U.S., Taliban Set to Sign Afghanistan Peace Deal. truthdig.com 
The pact sets the stage for U.S. troop withdrawal more than 18 years after George W. Bush ordered bombing in response to the 9/11 attacks.
(2020-02-29). Supreme Court ruling hands U.S. Border Patrol a license to kill with impunity. mronline.org 
The Supreme Court set a dangerous precedent yesterday when it ruled in favor of the U.S. Border Patrol in the cross-border murder of a young teenage boy who was shot in the face by an overzealous agent. |
(2020-02-29). Police complaint in India targets Wall Street Journal for stoking 'communal tension' & 'defaming' Hindus amid fatal Delhi riots. rt.com 
A police complaint has been filed in India accusing the Wall Street Journal of fueling sectarian hostility during recent unrest in Delhi and falsely reporting that a mob had shouted a Hindu slogan before stabbing a man to death. | The complaint was filed on Friday over a February 26 report in the Journal, which stated a gang of attackers chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' — a Sanskrit expression meaning 'Glory to Lord Rama', sometimes used by Hindus as a greeting — as they murdered intelligence officer Ankit Sharma during days of riots in India's capital city. The formal protest, filed with police in Delhi and M…
(2020-02-29). Trump thinks Democrats' criticism of his response to coronavirus is 'a hoax'. thecanary.co 
Donald Trump has lashed out at Democrats who questioned his handling of the coronavirus, calling it their new "hoax".Some Democrats have said Trump could have acted sooner to bolster the country's response to the virus. However, Trump said Democrats only want to see him fail.At a campaign rally in South Carolina, he accused Democrats of "politicising" the global outbreak, and said: They have no clue […] They tried the impeachment hoax … this is their new hoax. | The US president said Democrats were "politicising"the deadly virus (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)Trump boasted about the preventive steps he has ordered in an…
(2020-02-29). BOM for… BOMB? Indian man assaulted by passengers on train after they misinterpreted his luggage tag. rt.com 
An ordinary airport luggage tag got an Indian man beaten up on a train and briefly detained after frightened fellow passengers suspected he was a terrorist carrying an explosive device. | Ganesh Shinde was taking an express train to Mumbai on the way back from a friend's wedding in another city. At some point, the 32-year-old man asked a fellow passenger for a charger. | Citing the Railway Protection Police (RPF), the Indian Express reported that the two started chatting, and soon Shinde told his new acquaintance that he wanted to show him something about the "recipe to make a bomb." It is unclear what Shinde…
(2020-02-29). Secretive military base outside Paris hit by coronavirus, French defense minister confirms. rt.com 
Several people stationed at the 110 Creil air base outside Paris have fallen ill with coronavirus, the French military confirmed, with the base effectively being placed on lockdown. So far, 57 cases have been detected in France. | Defense Minister Florence Parly
(2020-02-29). Reuters issues correction, deletes tweet after backlash for reporting 'just 1 American with coronavirus in hospital: VP Pence'. rt.com 
Reuters raised quite a few eyebrows, invoking a storm of online mockery after it posted an ambiguous tweet about Mike Pence's handling of the coronavirus crisis, prompting some to fear for the VP's health. | Punctuation is important, especially in the middle of a global health crisis, and Reuters learned this the hard way after it got pilloried by netizens for leaving too much room for interpretation in a recent tweet about the coronavirus situation in the US. | "Just one American with coronavirus still in hospital: Vice President Pence," the agency reported early on Saturday in an attempt to convey the words…
(2020-02-29). Climate change and the class divide. mronline.org 
No, we're not all in it together. Our rulers are responsible for the system that's creating an ecological catastrophe. As that crisis intensifies, it's exposing and intensifying the divide between us and them. |
(2020-02-29). US Court Blocks Trump Policy Forcing Migrants To Wait in Mexico. telesurenglish.net A U.S. federal appeals court in San Francisco on Friday blocked a Trump administration policy that has forced tens of thousands of migrants to wait in Mexico for months for hearings in U.S. immigration courts. | RELATED: | A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel found the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their argument that the program violated U.S. immigration law and international treaty obligations on the tr…
(2020-02-29). Slovenian journalist Blaž Zgaga: If Assange is extradited "the same can happen to any of us" wsws.org "If journalists cannot write about war crimes allegedly committed by Western armed forces, what is the legitimacy of these democratic countries?"
(2020-02-29). Gracias Chelsea&Julian for publishing Bush's War Crimes. indybay.org fruitvale and MacArthur oakland 94602…
(2020-02-29). How socialism became un-American through Ad Council's propaganda campaigns. zcomm.org The Cold War ended 30 years ago, but its cultural structures and divisions endure — perhaps, even, in the responses of some Americans to Bernie Sanders' socialism…
(2020-02-29). Development of Saranap Old Growth Oaks & Potential Native Burial Site. indybay.org On February 25, the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors doomed an old growth grove of oak trees, and an easement trail, by deciding in favor of real estate moguls Tambri Heyden and David Montalbo. Also at issue, is the possibility of Indigenous remains and cultural artifacts on the site. However, it is not too late to stop the construction if people act up and speak out.
(2020-02-29). War tensions mount in wake of strike on Turkish troops in Syria. wsws.org Russia has sent two cruise missile warships to the Syrian coast as Moscow and Ankara continue to dispute the facts surrounding a strike that killed three dozen Turkish soldiers.
(2020-02-29). UCB Forum Whither Turkey? Struggles, Setbacks, Possibilities. indybay.org 102 Wurster Hall | UC Berkeley…
(2020-02-29). US Museum Covered With Life Jackets Worn by Refugees. telesurenglish.net The neoclassical columns at the entrance to the Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minnesota, United States, are covered by 2,400 life jackets, which were worn by refugees who crossed the Mediterranean, traveling from Turkey to Greece. | RELATED: | It is an art installation called "Safe Passage" by the renowned Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei. Those life jackets were once discarded, worn by refugees making the journey from Tu…
(2020-02-29). Whither Turkey? Struggles, Setbacks, Possibilities A Forum. indybay.org 102 Wurster Hall | UC Berkeley…
(2020-02-29). Cuban Foreign Minister Denounces Measures Against Western Union. telesurenglish.net Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez today called as interference the suspension of remittances to the Antillean nation through Western Union from all countries, except the United States. | RELATED: | The new regulation violates the sovereignty of third states and reinforces the extraterritorial component of Washington's inhuman policy against the island, said the head of Cuban diplomacy on Twitter. | This measure against the Western Uni…
(2020-02-29). ILPS holds anti-imperialist study on sanctions. fightbacknews.org New York, NY – On February 27, around two dozen people filled Project Reach in Chinatown for the International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS) study and discussion on sanctions and imperialism. | This study was in coordination with the Sanctions Kill campaign that was begun by several anti-war groups in the United States late in 2019. The Sanctions Kill campaign wants to raise the issue of sanctions and how the U.S. government uses them to carry out its imperialist agenda without ever dropping a bomb. Currently, one third of the world's population is living under sanctions and those sanctions are responsible f…
(2020-02-29). Cronyism and Conflicts of Interest in Trump's Coronavirus Task Force. zcomm.org As a former lobbyist for a company that stands to gain hugely from a possible treatment for the virus, Grogan's participation on the task force poses a host of ethical problems…
(2020-02-29). Working class in South Korea bears brunt of Covid-19 outbreak. wsws.org The majority of the cases of infection have been in Daegu, but the virus could rapidly spread in the country's other densely populated cities.
(2020-02-29). The Trump administration's incompetent and criminally negligent response to the coronavirus outbreak. wsws.org The disastrous state of preparedness for the coronavirus is the product of decades of ruling class policy that has subordinated the most basic social needs to war and the endless accumulation of wealth.
(2020-02-29). Rainier Redoubt – Are You Prepared for a Forced Government COVID-19 Quarantine? indybay.org "Americans should be preparing for the coronavirus' arrival and a "significant disruption of our lives." It's not so much a question of if this will happen any more, but rather more exactly when this will happen, and how many people in this country will have severe illness. Current global circumstances suggest it's likely that this virus will cause a pandemic."
(2020-02-29). Sidelining Scientists Can Only Make COVID-19 Worse. zcomm.org The politicization of information about COVID-19 will make people less trustful and compromise compliance with public health advice. And the only winner is the virus itself…
(2020-02-29). WHO says coronavirus danger is "very high" wsws.org The World Health Organization (WHO) has upgraded its assessment of the danger posed by the coronavirus to "very high," but stopping short of calling the outbreak a pandemic.
(2020-02-29). Against a Global Pandemic, Trump Keeps Militarizing America. zcomm.org Emergency funds to control the coronavirus outbreak are obviously necessary, but in the longer run we need to think much bigger. The people of this country don't need more militarized spending. We need Medicare for All…
(2020-02-29). Cult-Like Ignorance is Death: Trump and the Coronavirus. zcomm.org Trump has played down the urgency of the pandemic, blamed the media for distorting its seriousness, and believes that brown people are more of a threat to national security than real threats such as a pandemic and climate change…
(2020-02-29). Swathes of UK underwater as record storms expose government indifference. wsws.org The government repeats that it is spending £4 billion on flood defences over the next four years—a pittance—but has yet to announce where and when the money will be allocated.
(2020-02-29). 333 Billion Dollar California Working Landscape introduced at 2020 Black Expo. indybay.org CSUS Planetarium opens eyes toward new possibilities for Black Agriculture in the 333 Billion dollar California Working Landscape…
(2020-02-29). Class War, the DNC, and the Fight for Our Lives. zcomm.org The ruling class needs to know that we're coming for them. And this fight doesn't stop at the ballot box. Our futures depend on it…
(2020-02-29). Roman Polanski gets César for best director for J'Accuse, in repudiation of #MeToo. wsws.org The French Film Academy openly defied demands from the #MeToo movement and President Emmanuel Macron's government not to give Polanski an award.
(2020-02-29). Migrant family crossing to Greece stranded on island. yenisafak.com A migrant family trying to cross to Greece from Edirne, a northwestern Turkish border province, has been stranded on an island in the middle of Meric River.Hundreds of irregular migrants hoping to cross to Europe from Turkey are trying sea vessels and land vehicles in order to make the trip.In one of the border villages on Friday, scores of irregular migrants swam or took boats in order to cross to Greece.One of these families' boat deflated in the middle of the river.The family of nine, including small children, climbed to an island, hoping to inflate the boat again.In the meantime, security forces in Greece fir…
(2020-02-29). Turkish operations in Syria spook Hezbollah militias. yenisafak.com Turkey's military operations have inflicted heavy losses on Hezbollah militias in Idlib, northwestern Syria, and their panic is evident in internal communications accessed by Anadolu Agency. | The Iran-backed Hezbollah militias support Assad regime forces against Syria's moderate opposition groups, and have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians. | They use WhatsApp groups for coordination and communication, and recent messages show their growing anxiety as Turkish forces make gains to protect Syrian civilians. | In messages seen by Anadolu Agency, the militia members blamed Russia for…
(2020-02-29). Death toll from coronavirus in Iran hits 43. yenisafak.com The death toll from coronavirus in Iran has climbed to 43 and the number of cases is now 593, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.A ministry spokesperson said nine more deaths and 205 new cases were reported across Iran over the past 24 hours."Most of the new cases were detected in Tehran, Golestan, Qom, Markazi, Mazandaran, and Ghilan," Kianush Jahanpur said at a press conference.He said there were many more suspected COVID-19 cases in the country, adding that between 10% to 15% of quarantined individuals tested positive so far.He said 100 lawmakers were also administered tests and only five of them were found…
(2020-02-29). Qatar confirms first case of coronavirus. yenisafak.com Qatar's Health Ministry reported the first case of the novel coronavirus in the country on Saturday.A 36-year old Qatari citizen who returned recently from Iran tested positive for the virus, the ministry said in a statement cited by the official QNA news agency.The ministry said the infected person was among Qatari nationals evacuated on Thursday from Iran, where 43 deaths were reported from the virus.Known as COVID-19, the novel coronavirus has now spread to more than 45 countries worldwide, including the U.S., U.K., Singapore, France, Russia, Spain and India.China, where the virus originated, is the worst-hit…
(2020-02-29). US senator says Turkey 'doing the right thing' in Idlib. yenisafak.com Turkey is "doing the right thing" as it seeks to thwart a Syrian regime offensive on northwestern Syria, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton said Friday."Russia and the Assad regime are to blame for the humanitarian disaster unfolding in northwest Syria," the lawmaker from Arkansas said on Twitter. "Our NATO ally Turkey is doing the right thing. Putin and Assad must honor their commitments and stop the massacre."Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump "expressed his condolences and condemned yesterday's attack that killed Turkish personnel in Syria" during a telephone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, White House…
(2020-02-29). Political legacy of Hosni Mubarak: Oppression, corruption. yenisafak.com Egypt's ousted leader Hosni Mubarak died on Feb. 25 at the age of 92.Born in 1928 to a poor family in Monufia province, Mubarak graduated from the military academy in 1949. Afterwards, he started to get recognized after joining the Egyptian Air Forces.The young officer closely monitored the coup d'état carried out by Gamal Abdel Nasser with nationalist officers known as the "Free Officers" in 1952 and the immediate transformation.The defeat against Israel at the end of the 1967 Six-Day Wars threw the nationalist policies into crisis in Egypt, which greatly weakened Egypt's leadership role and influence in the re…
(2020-02-29). Turkish jets neutralize 6 PKK terrorists in N. Iraq. yenisafak.com Turkish jets neutralized at least six PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, Turkey's Defense Ministry said on Saturday.The terrorists plotting an attack were neutralized in an air-backed operation in Metina and Gara regions, the ministry said on Twitter. | It added that operations will continue undeterred. | Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.YPG/PKK terrorists often seek shelter in northern Iraq, just across the Turkish border, to plan terrorist attacks in Turkey.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PK…
(2020-02-29). More than 200 historical artifacts seized in NW Turkey. yenisafak.com A total of 209 pieces of historical artifacts were seized in an operation in northwestern Turkey, security sources said Friday.Provincial gendarmerie forces in Kocaeli, acting on a tip, launched an operation and arrested a suspect in Eskihisar district, identified only by the initials O.O.Among the artifacts seized were 207 coins, a pitcher and a tear catcher belonging to the Byzantine and Roman period.
(2020-02-29). Syria issue is never adventure for Turkey: Erdogan. yenisafak.com Turkey is not in Syria for an "adventure" or to expand its borders, the nation's president said on Saturday."Syria issue is never an adventure or effort to expand its borders for Turkey," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a meeting with his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's Istanbul deputies.He said nearly four million refugees are recently moving towards Turkey's border with Syria due to the bloody attacks of Bashar al-Assad regime on civilians, while 1.5 million of them are already at the southern border."We have no interest in oil or the land there, we want to secure our borders with a safe zone," Erdogan sa…
(2020-02-29). Turkey hails UK move to add PKK aliases in terror list. yenisafak.com Turkey welcomed Saturday the U.K. move to include the two aliases of the PKK terror group in the list of terrorist organizations."We welcome the entry into force on 28 February 2020 of the regulation which includes the incorporation of TAK and HPG, both extensions of PKK/KCK, as alias of the said terrorist organization to the terrorist organizations list of the U.K.," Hami Aksoy, spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, said in a written statement.Aksoy noted that it is typical for the PKK to use such "labels in order to avoid responsibility for heinous attacks targeting civilians and disguise its relation to…
(2020-02-29). Turkish official briefs US envoy on situation in Idlib, Syria. yenisafak.com The Turkish deputy foreign minister briefed the top U.S. diplomat in the country on developments in the wake of Thursday's attack on Turkish troops by regime forces in Idlib, northwestern Syria.Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal met U.S. Ambassador to Turkey David Satterfield in Ankara on Friday, according to diplomatic sources.He shared details of actions taken after 34 Turkish troops were martyred by Assad regime forces, and conveyed Turkey's expectations from the U.S. and NATO.Moreover, ambassadors of the UN Security Council's Permanent Members and NATO allies Germany and Belgium were also given a briefing at…