(2020-03-02). Erdogan to visit Moscow on March 5, Ankara confirms, as Turkey-Syria conflict escalates. rt.com 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow, following a worrying rise in violence between Turkish forces and Russia's Syrian allies. | Ankara has confirmed that Erdogan will make the trip to Moscow on March 5. The Kremlin had announced on Sunday that it was hoping to arrange a meeting between Erdogan and Putin in an effort to resolve the situation in Syria's Idlib region. The visit is expected to last for one day only. | Last week, 34 Turkish troops were reportedly killed by Syrian air strikes, prompting a military response from Ankara. Russia s…
(2020-03-02). Ceasefire in Idlib will hopefully be achieved after talks with Putin — Erdogan ahead of upcoming meeting in Moscow. rt.com 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has high hopes for his upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin, saying he's optimistic an agreement will be reached with the Russian leader on ending hostilities in Idlib, Syria. | "We will evaluate the developments [in Idlib]. I hope that we [can lay the groundwork for] a ceasefire or take other steps and that we will get the job done quickly," Erdogan said in a recent speech in Ankara. | Earlier in the day, it was confirmed that Erdogan's much-anticipated visit to Moscow will take place on March 5. The Kremlin has expressed similar expectations for the meeting, saying the…
(2020-03-02). Pyongyang launches TWO projectiles towards Sea of Japan, South Korean military says. rt.com 
North Korea has reportedly test-fired two projectiles that fell into the Sea of Japan, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported early on Monday. The type of missile is so far unknown. | The projectiles were reportedly fired from a missile launch site in North Korea's eastern coastal town of Wonsan. | Also on rt.com | | In a brief statement following the reported missile test, which is said to have taken place on Monday afternoon…
(2020-03-02). Changing fortunes: US now races to CATCH UP with Russia on hypersonic weapons — Putin. rt.com 
Since the Cold War-era, Moscow has always played catch up with American military technological prowess. However, its newest hypersonic weapons have turned the tide for the first time in modern history, Vladimir Putin believes. | Back in the day, the Americans were the first to make a nuclear bomb, build a strategic aircraft able to carry it, and develop ballistic missiles, leaving the USSR eating dust. This left Moscow always playing second fiddle, the Russian president pointed out in the latest episode of news agency TASS' series '20 Questions to Vladimir Putin'. | "We always had to catch up to our strategic…
(2020-03-02). Shale drillers need a miracle to keep production from falling. rt.com 
With West Texas Intermediate falling below $45 a barrel after the latest burst in coronavirus panic, US shale oil and gas producers are feeling growing heat. | Except for the Permian, where production of both oil and gas is still growing, the US shale patch is retrenching. And the Permian may soon follow suit. | In its latest Drilling Productivity Report, released earlier this month, the Energy Information Administration said oil production had declined across six of the seven major shale plays in the country, by some 21,000 bpd. In the Permian, however, production rose by 39,000 bpd, tipping the total into a…
(2020-03-02). China closes 1st 'pop-up' coronavirus hospital, built in 10 days, after last group of recovered patients discharged. rt.com 
Authorities in Wuhan have closed the city's first makeshift hospital after discharging the last batch of 34 recovered coronavirus patients, as the rate of infection in the city has dropped dramatically. | Wuhan was the site of the original outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic, and the city's response, building a new hospital in less than two weeks to handle Covid-19 patients, was seen as a modern marvel with the total number of hospital beds in the city eventually going from 5,000 to 23,000. | The hospital's last patients were given the all clear late Monday, according to state broadcaster CCTV, amid a shar…
(2020-03-02). Supreme leader's advisory council member dies of coronavirus — Iranian media. rt.com 
Seyyed Mohammad Mirmohammadi, a long-standing member of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council, has reportedly died from a novel coronavirus infection. | He was being treated at the Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran when he succumbed to the Covid-19 infection at the age of 71. Mirmohammadi's mother, sister of senior cleric Ayatollah Shobeiri Zanjani, also died from a coronavirus infection on Monday. | Mirmohammadi was a member of the sixth and seventh Iranian parliaments and was appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei as a member of the Expediency Discernment Council in A…
(2020-03-02). ENTIRE regional govt of Italy's Lombardy region to be screened for coronavirus after official tests positive for illness. rt.com 
Members of the local government in Lombardy, Italy will undergo medical screening, after tests revealed that a regional councilor tested positive for coronavirus. Italy has reported hundreds of new cases of the deadly illness. | Lombardy's regional governor, Attilio Fontana, has reportedly quarantined himself after his government councilor for economic development was found to be carrying the virus. All members of the local government will now be required to be tested for the illness. Necessary procedures keeping with established protocols will be activated, depending on the results, the regional government sa…
(2020-03-02). 'He's celebrating like he scored!' Fired-up Marcelo goes wild after tackling Messi as Real down Barcelona in El Clasico (VIDEO). rt.com 
Real Madrid defender Marcelo was so pumped up at halting the charge of Lionel Messi during the crucial El Clasico encounter on Sunday that the veteran Brazilian full-back celebrated as wildly as if he had scored. | With Real leading 1-0 at the Bernabeu thanks to a deflected 71st-minute goal from teenage sensation Vinicius Jr, Marcelo ensured the scoreline remained that way with a crucial last-ditch intervention to stop Messi as the Argentine bore down on the Real Madrid goal. | Marcelo, 31, raced back to poke the ball away from the Barca ace before teammate Raphael Varane mopped up the danger. | Marcelo with t…
(2020-03-02). Islamabad to ask UK to extradite 'absconder' ex-PM Sharif for 'faking' medical condition. rt.com 
The Pakistani government has said it will ask the British authorities to deport billionaire ex-PM Nawaz Sharif, sentenced to seven years for corruption, accusing him of faking medical problems to secure bail on health grounds. | Islamabad announced on Sunday that the former Pakistani PM is an "absconder" who has failed to uphold the terms and conditions of the bail that had been granted to him on medical grounds. | Sharif traveled to London in November, purportedly to receive medical treatment, after he was granted bail. However, Sharif has yet to be admitted to a hospital in the UK, indicating that he "faked"
(2020-03-02). Federal court rulings challenge Trump immigration policies. wsws.org Several court rulings in recent days have challenged a range of policies implemented by the Trump administration since taking office as part of its war on immigrants.
(2020-03-02). The Viral Blame Game: Xenophobia, Attribution and Coronavirus. counterpunch.org Moralising the way diseases and viruses are transferred is a very human, and particularly nasty trait. "We don't need this kind of riff-raff on our shores," screamed The New York Times in 1892 in response to Russian Jewish immigrants arriving at Ellis Island by boat. (The occupants hosted lice which, in turn, led to typhus.)
(2020-03-02). Indigenous Rights Are Human Rights! RCMP Out of Wet'suwet'en! counterpunch.org In the dark early morning on February 6, 2020, the RCMP violently raided Wet'suwet'en territory in Northern British Columbia, Canada. "They're invading our people again, starting in the wee hours of the morning, arresting people who have been providing food and medical supplies to our camps, who are camped out along the side of the
(2020-03-02). Rally in defence of Julian Assange held in Zurich. wsws.org In Zurich, Marianne Arens spoke on behalf of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (Socialist Equality Party—SGP) and called for the mobilisation of the working class in Assange's defence.
(2020-03-02). Jeremy Corbyn's criminal silence during Julian Assange's extradition hearing. wsws.org Corbyn said nothing when he could have raised Assange's fate in Parliament every single day, informing millions of the fundamental violation of his democratic rights.
(2020-03-02). Brisbane rally calls for freedom for Assange and Manning. wsws.org Participants applauded and cheered the speakers as they denounced the Australian government's complicity in the abuses of Assange's basic legal rights.
(2020-03-02). Contra-supporting CNN pundit Ana Navarro lobbied for corrupt right-wing Latin American governments. thegrayzone.com Bernie-bashing "Never Trump conservative" CNN pundit Ana Navarro lobbied for El Salvador's right-wing government, whose president was imprisoned for corruption,…
(2020-03-02). Class: The Little Word the Elites Want You to Forget. truthdig.com Our oligarchic rulers are determined to ban all discussion of class warfare, which is why they are trying to block the nomination of Sanders.
(2020-03-02). Afghanistan peace deal begins to unravel as Kabul rejects prisoner swap. wsws.org The signing of the accord is an unmistakable admission by Washington that the nearly 19-year-long war it has waged in Afghanistan has produced a debacle.
(2020-03-02). Fighting Modi with a Poem. counterpunch.org Some poems capture the tyranny of the time. Sab Yaad Rakha Jaiga (All you do will be remembered), an Urdu/Hindi poem protesting the viciousness that the Modi Hindutva has unleashed in various parts of India is circulating in the social media. The author, Aamir Aziz, a young Muslim poet, lives in Delhi or Kashmir, or
(2020-03-02). Saying Government-Funded Healthcare's Too Costly is Nuts…Unless You Think the US Uniquely Can't Do It. counterpunch.org The new corporate media and conservative Democratic argument against front-runner Bernie Sanders' eminently logical proposal for creating a single-payer government health insurance program that he calls "Medicare for All" is that it would destroy the huge health insurance industry and put 1.8 million insurance industry employees out on the street. That is about the stupidest
(2020-03-02). Iran's Coronavirus Outbreak Bizarrely Resembles the Black Death. counterpunch.org When the very first coronavirus reports emerged, I had a suspicion that Iran would be a target of the world's anger. The spread of Covid-19 to the Middle East was as inevitable as history because the Muslim pilgrim routes have always acted as a channel for pestilence. But however honest or dishonest Iran's response to the virus
(2020-03-02). Venezuela Embassy Protectors on Trial. counterpunch.org US Government Suppresses Information on Illegal Regime Change Activities Judicial proceedings are taking place in DC federal court where the judge has ruled inadmissible the question whether the democratically elected Nicolás Maduro or the Trump-chosen Juan Guaidó is the legitimate president of Venezuela. Like an emperor of yore appointing regents of vassal states, US President
(2020-03-02). Did Turkey Just Sacrifice Their Own Troops to Protect Al-Qaeda? dissidentvoice.org After 33 Turkish troops were killed in a Syrian army offensive on February 27 amidst the current Russia-backed campaign to liberate Idlib, Erdogan responded by laying the blame entirely on Russia and Syria — successfully avoiding all mention of the uncomfortable fact that Turkey has been protecting radical terror networks not only in Idlib but …
(2020-03-02). Idlib war escalates as Turkey announces military operations against Syria. wsws.org Turkey shot down two Syrian jets after a Syrian air strike claimed the lives of 34 Turkish soldiers.
(2020-03-02). Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias joins state commission running Spanish intelligence. wsws.org Iglesias is sworn to secrecy as he oversees an organization with a long history of brutal repression and targeted assassinations of militant workers and left-wing groups.
(2020-03-02). As Nuke Plant Demolition Begins, Catastrophe May Be Looming. indybay.org As demolition of Socal's San Onofre nuke plant begins, Watchdogs warn a disaster may be looming.
(2020-03-02). Why 'You' Is So Terrifying. thenation.com Why 'You' Is So Terrifying…
(2020-03-02). Above-average temperatures 'likely in many parts of the world in coming months'. thecanary.co Many parts of the world are likely to see above-average temperatures over the next few months — even without a natural "El Niño" effect which pushes up the mercury, experts said. | The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) warned that the signal from human-induced climate change was now as powerful as the natural phenomenon which drives warmer temperatures. | The WMO said there was a 60% chance of a "neutral" situation, without an El Niño or its opposite La Niña, over the months from March to May. There is only a 35% chance of an El Niño developing and just 5% for a La Niña. | The El Niño Southern Oscilla…
(2020-03-02). Two US deaths reported amid signs coronavirus has been spreading unchecked for several weeks. wsws.org The negligence on the part of the Trump administration—in light of what medical professionals have been warning—is unconscionable.
(2020-03-02). Is Medicare for All Bad for Union-Negotiated Healthcare? zcomm.org The argument that Medicare for All will hurt workers because it abolishes hard-earned healthcare benefits of unionized workers has repeatedly been used against Sanders and Warren. But does the criticism have any basis?
(2020-03-02). Coronavirus sinks stock markets as first death reported in U.S. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – By Friday, February 28, the U.S. stock markets had their worst week since the financial crisis in 2008. Stocks closed down 15% on average from their record highs just the week before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average had lost 1000 points during the day but ended down 350 points on hopes that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates at their next meeting in mid-March. | Over the weekend the first death from the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, was reported in the state of Washington. The death was one of four cases on the West Coast which could not be traced to any international travel. From the…
(2020-03-02). A progressive agenda for COVID-19 pandemic preparedness. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – As COVID-19 spreads in the United States, the potential exists for the corporate health care system to be overwhelmed. American capitalism has developed a health care system well-equipped with fancy technologies and expensive medical devices, but poorly-equipped to do basic public health. There is no profit in the basics of health care and disease prevention. | COVID-19 is the disease caused by a new type of coronavirus circulating the world. The virus, SARS-CoV-2, passed from bats to mammals to people in Wuhan China in December 2019. | For about a month the virus remained isolated in China. Chi…
(2020-03-02). Coronavirus accelerates job cutting in New Zealand. wsws.org As the world economy slows and the COVID-19 virus disrupts travel and supply chains, New Zealand workers are being laid off in a range of industries.
(2020-03-02). San Francisco Chinatown Rally: "The Virus is Our Enemy, Not China" indybay.org Although there has been only one death from the coronavirus in the U.S., the nation's Chinatowns are seeing a large decline in customers as fear about the viral outbreak spreads. On February 29, hundreds rallied in Portsmouth Square, the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown, to decry anti-Chinese racism and show support for Wuhan.
(2020-03-02). Photo Shows Pence Team Trying to Pray Away Coronavirus. globalresearch.ca Bad Medicine: Symbolic of the moral and intellectual decay at the White House, a photo shows Vice President Mike Pence and his team trying to pray away the coronavirus. | On social media, conservative Christians cheered at the embarrassing photo showing …
(2020-03-02). Embarrassing Moments from Trump's Visit to India. counterpunch.org Donald Trump abroad never ceases to entertain with his ignorance and misstatements. As India's leaders learned from Trump's previous visits to Saudi Arabia and China, all it takes is pomp and circumstance to get this president's favorable remarks. Here are a few gems from his just-concluded visit: "Someone said it was greatest greeting ever given
(2020-03-02). Jenny Offill's Novel of Climate Dread. thenation.com Jenny Offill's Novel of Climate Dread…
(2020-03-02). First U.S. Union-Authorized Climate Strike? zcomm.org On Thursday February 27 thousands of Minneapolis cleaning workers walked off their jobs and struck their downtown commercial high-rises. Among their key demands was that their employers take action on climate change…
(2020-03-02). XR Flash Mob Dance and Action 2-28-2020. indybay.org "TELL JPMORGAN TO STOP FUNDING CLIMATE DESTRUCTION!" | "Chase is by far the worst banker of fossil fuels and fossil fuel expansion by far a wide margin!"
(2020-03-02). Muslim Haters Flock Together. globalresearch.ca President Donald Trump's 36-hour whirlwind visit to India this past week was designed to show Americans just how adored abroad their president really is. | Unluckily for Trump, his campaign stop at this behemoth nation of 1.3 or 1.4 billion proved …
(2020-03-02). Trudeau Enables Corporate Canada to Exploit Ethiopia's Minerals. globalresearch.ca The Federal government wants Canadian corporations to profit from Ethiopia's minerals. | During his recent trip to the Horn of Africa country Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced negotiations on a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA). As I detailed in …
(2020-03-02). Record fall in key China production index. wsws.org China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced over the weekend that the manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 35.7 in February, down from 50 in January, hitting an all-time low.
(2020-03-02). Toxic Agriculture and the Gates Foundation. counterpunch.org 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 foundation's stated goals is to globally enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty. The Gates Foundation
(2020-03-02). The Poverty Line is Too Damn Low. counterpunch.org Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced that it is seeking public comment on producing "additional measures of poverty." While the request has received little to no attention in the media, it offers an important opportunity to tell the government to adopt a modern poverty measure that reflects what it really takes to make ends
(2020-03-02). Environmental Collusion is Corruption. counterpunch.org When I was a kid growing up in a coal mining community and regularly visiting the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, my heroes were the guys in green uniforms who rode around in green trucks maintaining recreation areas: the U. S. Forest Service. I thought their mission was to keep the places I loved
(2020-03-02). A Bourgeois Hero Would Be Something To See! counterpunch.org Progress is reaction. Civilization is its discontents. — Peter Lamborn Wilson, The New Nihilism …as Nietzsche said somewhere, one cannot understand disease unless one has been sick…this is the essential Nietzschean position : to have been sick and to have gotten better. — Ibid Mother, you had me But I never had you I wanted
(2020-03-02). Noah, New and Improved: the Endangered Species Act Under Trump. counterpunch.org So now the Trump administration has got a stranglehold on the Endangered Species Act and is going to "modernize" extinction and "update" endangerment — kind of like me modernizing your home by taking a chainsaw and flamethrower to it and then updating your family by running a bulldozer over them. Not unlike how the EPA
(2020-03-02). Over 117,000 migrants leave Turkey to reach Europe. yenisafak.com The number of irregular migrants leaving Turkey for Europe has reached 117,677 on Monday, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Twitter.The migrants are leaving Turkey through northwestern Edirne province bordering Greece and Bulgaria.Thousands of migrants flocked to Edirne's Pazarkule border crossing to Greece after Turkish officials announced Friday they would no longer try to stop irregular migrants from reaching Europe.It followed an attack by Syrian regime forces on Turkish troops in the Idlib de-escalation zone, which martyred 34 soldiers last week. Turkish soldiers are working to protect local c…
(2020-03-02). Turkey neutralizes 32 YPG/PKK terrorists in N. Syria. yenisafak.com Turkish security forces neutralized 32 YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria, the National Defense Ministry said on Monday.The terrorists attempted to infiltrate into the southern area of Operation Peace Spring, Turkey's anti-terror offensive in northern Syria, the Turkish ministry said on Twitter.Operation Peace Spring was launched last October to eliminate terrorist YPG/PKK east of the Euphrates River to secure Turkey's borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria's territorial integrity.Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered o…