(2020-01-31). Do Not Light That Fuse DNC. counterpunch.org Recent leaked audio indicates that Donald Trump feared Hillary Clinton opting for Bernie Sanders as her VP choice in the last election cycle. This alone should create a situation that would cause the DNC to realize the viability of a Sanders candidacy this time around, but obviously a win for their "team" is not the
(2020-01-31). How government and media are prepping America for a failed 2020 election. mronline.org 
Russia, China and Iran are already being blamed for using tech to undermine the 2020 election. Yet, the very technologies they are allegedly using were created by a web of companies with deep ties to Israeli intelligence. |
(2020-01-31). Palestinians around the world reject Trump's 'fraud of the century'. mronline.org 
Palestinians have responded to US President Donald Trump's peace plan with a resounding "no," expressing their frustrations with what they have dubbed as the "fraud of the century." From social media to the streets, Palestinians in the occupied territory and in the diaspora have rejected Trump's vision for the region, criticizing the plan for granting […] |
(2020-01-31). US Announces Three New Military Bases in Iraq After Iraqis Demand Full Withdrawal. globalresearch.ca Less than a week after
(2020-01-31). "Balfouristans" for Bibi: "Apartheid" Isn't an Insult, It's a Blueprint. counterpunch.org The image on the left is from a map Donald Trump tweeted out with the label, "Vision For Peace: Conceptual Map/The Future of Palestine." The one on the right shows the "Bantustans" created by apartheid-era South Africa in 1970, a move designed to pen the country's black citizens into impoverished "homelands." Any questions? These maps
(2020-01-31). A New US Air Force Video Game Lets You Drone Bomb Iraqis and Afghans. mintpressnews.com 
The U.S. Air Force recently unveiled its newest recruitment tool, an online video game that lets you carry out targeted killings by drone in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
(2020-01-31). On Holocaust Memorial Day US Embassy Falsely Claims America Liberated Auschwitz. mintpressnews.com 
The statement was immediately met with scorn from those who felt it was another example of Soviet erasure and an insult to the enormous sacrifice the Soviet Union made to defeat fascism in Europe.
(2020-01-31). I Will Hold You in My Arms a Day After the War. zcomm.org There is an economic war against the planet, one that has no anti-war movement…
(2020-01-31). Australia: Alice Springs group condemns silence of "Bring Assange Home" parliamentary group. wsws.org "It is now more than three months since your group was established but it has done nothing of substance in this time."
(2020-01-31). Terrorism and the Militarization of the NYPD. counterpunch.org President Donald Trump's decision to assassinate Qassem Suleimani (the leader of Iran's Quds Force) and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units) on January 3rd provoked deep fears in New York City. Mayor Bill de Blasio pointed out, "the US Government effectively declared war on Iran tonight. The American people had no say in the matter, despite
(2020-01-31). The Party's Over: Bernie's Last Dance With the Dems. counterpunch.org The Good I wrote six articles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) about the Bernie Sanders campaign during the 2016 primary. As everyone keeps saying, Bernie is a paragon of consistency, so my understanding of him stands unchanged. The political situation in 2020 is, however, significantly different, and has opened up new possibilities for the
(2020-01-31). Right-Wing Business Billionaires Launch Attack on Bernie Sanders. truthout.org Conservative business executives launched an ad campaign against Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders this week, attacking the democratic socialist on his plans to provide health care to all Americans and clean up the planet with a major public works program. | The wealthy manufacturing, poultry, fast food, and finance magnates, several of whom are Charles Koch allies, have recently donated millions of dollars to (CFGA), the super PAC affiliated with the right-wing political advocacy group
(2020-01-31). Gaza Is Already Unliveable: Help the Freedom Flotilla Sail Against the Inhuman Blockade of Gaza. globalresearch.ca In 2020, the …
(2020-01-31). Chile: One Dead and 124 Arrested During a Violent Early Morning. telesurenglish.net One dead person, 124 detainees and several wounded was the balance of the police repression to the protests that Chileans carried out in the early hours of Friday in Santiago. | RELATED: | On Thursday afternoon, citizens went out to protest the death of Jorge Mora, a fan of the Colo-Colo soccer team, who was hit by a Police truck last Tuesday. | His death intensified popular mobilizations against the neoliberal state, which th…
(2020-01-31). Uprising in Chile is the Legacy of Dashed Hopes and Bitter Defeat. counterpunch.org Santiago high school students were the spark. Rejecting a fare hike, they jumped over subway toll barriers on October 18, 2019. Students filled the streets all over. Police action led to injuries and arrests. Some 1.2 million people occupied Plaza Italia in Santiago a week later. After three months, on January 18, Santiago marchers arriving
(2020-01-31). Coronavirus Epidemic: WHO Declares a Global Public Health Crisis, Can We Trust the WHO? globalresearch.ca In the course of the last two weeks, the World Health Organization (WHO) had already pointed to a possible Global Public Health crisis in relation to China's novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) categorized as a viral pneumonia. The virus outbreak is centred …
(2020-01-31). Australia Offers a Preview of the World to Come. truthdig.com 
Unless we remove the arsonists in power across the globe, we're headed for a climate catastrophe no less destructive than nuclear war.
(2020-01-31). Blocking trains and removing coal. zcomm.org Climate activists fight to close one of New England's largest power plants…
(2020-01-31). Media on Climate Crisis: Don't Organize, Mourn. fair.org 
While US media have indeed ramped up their coverage of the climate crisis, they continue to give short shrift to what are arguably the most important factors for determining our future: what specific human practices are responsible for the changing climate, why carbon emissions continue to rise, and what we can and should be doing about it.
(2020-01-31). Climate activists from Africa speak out about the marginalisation of African voices. thecanary.co 
Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate and peers from other African nations have made an urgent appeal for the world to pay more attention to the continent that stands to suffer the most from climate breakdown despite contributing to it the least.The Fridays For Future movement and activist Greta Thunberg held a news conference with the activists in Sweden to spotlight the marginalisation of African voices."African activists are doing so much": Nakate — along with Makenna Muigai of Kenya, Ayakha Melithafa of South Africa, and climate scientist Ndoni Mcunu of South Africa — pointed out the challe…
(2020-01-31). Climate Breakdown 'is Increasing Violence Against Women'. zcomm.org Attempts to tackle crisis fail because gender issues are not addressed, report finds…
(2020-01-31). China's Virus Response Has Been 'Breathtaking'. globalresearch.ca President Xi Jinping formally told WHO head Tedros Ghebreyesus, at their meeting in Beijing earlier this week, that the coronavirus epidemic "is a devil and we cannot allow the devil to hide." | Ghebreyesus for his part could not but …
(2020-01-31). Delta, American Suspend Flights Between U.S. and China. truthdig.com 
NEW YORK — Delta Air Lines and American Airlines said Friday they will suspend all flights between the U.S. and China, making them the first U.S.-based airlines to do so and joining several international carriers that have stopped flying to China as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread. | American said it will halt the flights starting Friday and running through March 27. Delta plans to wait until Feb. 6 to suspend China operations to help travelers in China leave the country. Delta said it will stop the flights through April 30. | United Airlines, the only other U.S. carrier with direct flights to…
(2020-01-31). China's Coronavirus: A Global Health Emergency is Launched. What are the Facts. globalresearch.ca While this coronavirus is indeed serious and is causing deaths, one wonders if the responses, especially in the West, are reaching out of control. | Canada, with a population about the same as Shanghai, has so far this flu season had …
(2020-01-31). UN agency declares the coronavirus a global health emergency. peoplesworld.org 
The World Health Organization, an agency of the United Nations, declared the outbreak ignited by a new strain of the coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China that has spread to over a dozen countries as a global health emergency Thursday after a rapid spike in the number of cases this past week. To date, more than 7,800 …
(2020-01-31). Coronavirus Pneumonia: 9,822 Confirmed Cases Reported Worldwide. telesurenglish.net A total of 9,822 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) were reported in China and other countries by Friday morning, with the death toll standing at 213. | RELATED: | Of the total number, 9,720 were reported in China, with 213 dead and 179 recovered. There are 102 confirmed cases outside of China. | Thailand and Japan have 14 each, while Singapore has 13. There are also a handful of cases in Australia, M…
(2020-01-31). World Health Organisation Officially Declares Coronavirus a "Global Health Emergency" globalresearch.ca The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday decided to formally declare the outbreak of 2019-nCoV, the new coronavirus first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan, as a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)." The PHEIC classification was only established …
(2020-01-31). Paralysed woman faces life-threatening deportation from New Zealand to Tonga. wsws.org Paraplegic woman Taipaleti Vaeatangitau is due to be deported with her family at the end of the month, despite doctors warning she could die in Tonga.
(2020-01-31). Endless War Is a Disastrous (but Profitable) Enterprise. globalresearch.ca "The collapse of the Libyan state has had region-wide repercussions, with flows of people and weapons destabilizing other countries throughout North Africa." This statement came from the Soufan Group's recent Intelbrief, entitled "Fighting Over Access to Libya's Energy Supplies" (24 …
(2020-01-31). To Keep the Rohingya Alive. dissidentvoice.org The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish. — Article 1. The Genocide Convention On November 11, 2019 The Gambia filed at the International Court of Justice an Application of proceedings against Myanmar, …
(2020-01-31). Omar Baddar on Israel/Palestine 'Peace' Plan, Rainey Reitman on Greenwald Persecution. fair.org 
MP3 Link This week on CounterSpin: It is strange to think that you could create a plan to shape the relationship between two entities, in consultation with one but not the other, and then not just declare it, yourself, a "win-win," but also say to the unconsulted party, "You better take it, or else." Yet …
(2020-01-31). 'Women to One Side, Men to the Other'. truthdig.com 
ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive Mirza had a sense of foreboding soon after she crossed into the U.S. with her two children and their father, David. A Border Patrol agent ordered the family from Honduras and the rest of their group to divide into two lines: "Women to one side, men to the other." | Mirza held 19-month-old Lia and joined the women's line. David took their 6-year-old son Sebastian and lined up with the men. An agent told them not to worry,…
(2020-01-31). Senate May Delay Final Trump Trial Vote. truthdig.com 
WASHINGTON — The Senate is considering pushing off final acquittal in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial until next week under a proposal being negotiated Friday by party leaders. | The situation remained fluid, but senators have indicated they want more time to publicly debate the charges and air their positions on the coming vote, according to a Republican familiar with the proposal but unauthorized to discuss it. The person was granted anonymity. | The shift in timing ahead of Trump's all but certain acquittal shows the significance of the moment to senators in voting that would bring to a close…
(2020-01-31). It's Not Just Trump: Why the Next President Should Pledge to Weaken the Presidency. counterpunch.org The American presidency is too powerful. That is what the Senate impeachment trial and the 2020 presidential election should be about. Instead, masking this deeper constitutional problem is Donald Trump and his personal abuses of power. Yet these abuses of power are not simply the product of one errant person, but part of a longer
(2020-01-31). Senator Clears Way for Acquittal, Says Trump's Actions Were Only "Inappropriate" truthout.org The Republican-led Senate appears poised to acquit President Trump as early as today in his historic impeachment trial. On Thursday night, Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee announced he would vote against calling witnesses. Alexander said it was "inappropriate" for Trump to ask a foreign leader to investigate a political rival, but he went on to say "there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitut…
(2020-01-31). The Expected No-Witness Vote Shouldn't Surprise Us. Conservatives Want a King. truthout.org Senate Republicans on Friday lined up behind President Trump, poised to protect him from witness testimony in his impeachment trial, a development that is neither surprising nor particularly difficult to understand. Most of the popular explanations, though, fail to explore the underlying dynamics of conservativism. As a result, the Senate's apparent willingness to engage in a cover-up is seen as an aberration or low point for the Republican Party, rather than as a coherent expression of their…
(2020-01-31). Wealthy Gulf States Plan to Spend Big to Coax Syria Away from Iran. mintpressnews.com 
In the first of a three-part series, Agha Hussein investigates efforts by wealthy Gulf Arab countries to ply post-war Syria away from Iran by investing heavily in its post-war reconstruction.
(2020-01-31). The war in Libya will never end. mronline.org 
General Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA) continue to partly encircle Libya's capital, Tripoli. Not only does the LNA threaten Tripoli, but it is within striking distance of Libya's third-largest city, Misrata. |
(2020-01-31). White House Curbs Immigration for 6 Nations in Election-Year Push. truthdig.com 
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced Friday that it was curbing legal immigration from six additional countries that officials said did not meet security standards, as part of an election-year push to further restrict immigration. | Officials said immigrants from Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Eritrea, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania will
(2020-01-31). Workers Organization Shares Staff, Cash With Anti-Immigrant Groups. splcenter.org U.S. Tech Workers, a project of the anti-immigrant group Progressives for Immigration Reform (PFIR), has ties to an anti-immigrant hate network and unprecedented access to the Trump administration.
(2020-01-31). Dead on Arrival: Dissecting Trump's Vision for the Future of Palestine. mintpressnews.com 
What used to be an idea expressed by only the most extreme right-wing Zionists, namely ridding Israel of its Palestinian citizens, is now part of a "peace" plan and has been given the rubber stamp of the United States government, writes Miko Peled.
(2020-01-31). Pipeline or a Pipe Dream: Israel, Turkey Hydrocarbon Conflict is Brewing in the Mediterranean. counterpunch.org Massive natural gas discoveries off the coast of Israel and Palestine are slated to make Tel Aviv a regional energy hub. Whether Israel will be able to translate positive indicators of the largely untapped gas reserves into actual economic and strategic wealth is yet to be seen. What is certain, however, is that the Middle
(2020-01-31). Massive Rejection of Trump's Plan in Palestine, Jordan, Yemen. telesurenglish.net Thousands of Palestinians held numerous demonstrations on the first Friday following the announcement of RELATED: | From Gaza to the West Bank, people protested energetically against what they called "an aparthei…
(2020-01-31). Erdogan's Outburst Against Russia Reveals Frustration. globalresearch.ca Back in November 2015, a Turkish F-16 fighter jet shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24M near the Syria—Turkey border on the allegations that the Russian warplane had violated Turkish airspace for 17 seconds — an interesting casus belli considering that …
(2020-01-31). Trump's 'peace plan' gives the go-ahead to Israel's biggest land grab in decades. thecanary.co Donald Trump's ' The Jordan Valley, which
(2020-01-31). Trump's Annexation Scheme: A Stake in the Heart of the Moribund Two-State Solution and Peace. globalresearch.ca Since no-peace/peace plans first surfaced in the 1970s, the US and Israel supported Palestinian self-determination in name only. | Both countries opposed the idea since Israel seized Palestinian territory not stolen in 1948. | A two-state solution was theoretically possible years earlier, …
(2020-01-31). War tensions mount between NATO powers over Libya, Mediterranean. wsws.org The Berlin conference has set the stage not for peace, but only for stepped-up imperialist interventions to divide up the profits to be extracted from Libya and the entire region.
(2020-01-31). Chinese Resilience and Silent, Simple and Steady Resistance: a Model for Mankind. dissidentvoice.org In a positive appeal to the Chinese people last Saturday, President Xi Jinping has called on the nation's courage to defeat the deadly epidemic which has already claimed more than 80 lives and more than 2,000 infected worldwide, the vast majority in China. These figures are changing fast, as the spread of the epidemic is …
(2020-01-31). Ukraine government plagued by political infighting. wsws.org Sharp divisions are coming to the fore as the government is pressing ahead with mass privatizations and attempts to negotiate a settlement with Russia over the ongoing civil war in eastern Ukraine.
(2020-01-31). The Deliberate Destruction of Gaza's Agriculture: Severe Damage to Crops Following Aerial Herbicide Spraying by Israel. globalresearch.ca Damage caused by aerial herbicide spraying conducted by Israel on three consecutive days (
(2020-01-31). China Has to Feed 50 Million People Now on Lockdown. truthdig.com 
Residents in the Wuhan area say that supermarkets remain stocked, but keeping them supplied is a massive governmental effort in logistics.
(2020-01-31). U.S. Declares Virus Emergency, New Entry Restrictions. truthdig.com 
WASHINGTON — The United States on Friday declared a public health emergency and announced significant entry restrictions because of a new virus that hit China and has spread to other nations. | Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who is coordinating the federal response, announced that President Donald Trump has signed an order that will temporarily bar entry to the U.S. of foreign nationals, other than immediate family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, who have traveled in China within the last 14 days. The new restrictions take effect at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday. | "It is likely that we wil…
(2020-01-31). The Super Bowl Presidency. counterpunch.org 
Five Criteria for Selecting the Worst Old White Man to Lead Us Attorney General William Barr's campaign to expand the powers of the presidency to unprecedented imperial levels has been misinterpreted as an attempt to raise Donald Trump to the level of his strongman heroes like Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un, and Jair Bolsonaro. Fake news!
(2020-01-31). F.W. Murnau's 'Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans' has thrilling new score. peoplesworld.org 
LOS ANGELES—This is a film town But there's no period at the end of that sentence because L.A. is so much more. Not heavy industry so much, except the port, overland shipping and warehousing, and it's probably the most productive garment center in the United States now. It's a transportation hub and a generator of …
(2020-01-31). Two Wings, Four Despotisms. counterpunch.org Republican Tyranny, Orange Menace Democracy is trumped in the United States by multiple, overlapping, interrelated and mutually reinforcing forms of despotism. The Trump administration and the Trumpified Republican Party, backed by a cult-like base, embody a creepy, neofascistic variant of the disease. The Republican White House and Senate are currently conducting a tasteless tutorial in
(2020-01-31). How mobile money is rebuilding lives in Sudan. news.un.org When Mohammed Ahmed left Sudan in search of better life, he couldn't have imagined that he would find financial security back home. But, some four years later, he now runs a thriving business, thanks to an innovative scheme involving the UN migration agency (IOM), based on the use of mobile money.
(2020-01-31). Australia: Emergency State in Canberra Due to New Forest Fires. telesurenglish.net Australia's authorities Friday declared a "state of emergency" in Canberra due to a new forest fire that threatens to spread to the south of the country's capital. | RELATED: | "The measure will be in effect for the duration of the fire risk in Canberra," Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory Andrew Barr said. | Since the forest fires could get out of control,‚Äã‚Äã‚Ä…
(2020-01-31). Trump's EPA is a Huge Cancer Risk. counterpunch.org This January, President Trump claimed credit for new figures from the American Cancer Society showing "the sharpest one-year drop in cancer death rate ever recorded" between 2016 and 2017. The society politely pointed out that the Trump administration had nothing to do with this encouraging decline. The new numbers, chief Gary Reedy explained, "reflect prevention,
(2020-01-31). The Open Letter and the DNC. counterpunch.org Strange times, strange times. Within days of the leading lights of the American left penning an open letter arguing that the political imperative of removing Donald Trump from office is so great that 'any blue will do' Tom Perez, the head of the DNC, was caught stacking Democratic Convention committees with the same centrists and
(2020-01-31). Mexicans Building a Feminist Internet Face Challenges. counterpunch.org When Patricia Azcagorta ran as a candidate for mayor of Caborca, Sonora, in Mexico in 2018, a video was circulated on social media of a woman dancing in her underwear, together with photos of Azcagorta, and messages accusing her of being a stripper. Using intimate images — real or fake — over the Internet to
(2020-01-31). The Imminent Threat of Trump and the Value of Progressive Third Parties. counterpunch.org As predictable as death and taxes is the quadrennial injunction from liberals for progressive third parties to cease and desist. Equally predictable is the admonition that this will be the most decisive presidential election in US history. Given the prospect of four more years of Trump, do they have a valid thesis or are they
(2020-01-31). A reply to the American Historical Review's defense of the 1619 Project. wsws.org The disrespect expressed by editor Alex Lichtenstein toward leading historians reveals the extent to which racialist mythology, which has provided the "theoretical" foundation of middle-class identity politics, has been accepted, and even embraced, by a substantial section of the academic community as a legitimate basis for the teaching of American history.
(2020-01-31). Minnesotans tell Klobuchar to drop White House run. Reports say she sent innocent Black teen to prison for life. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – "A young African American man by the name of Myon Burrell has spent more than half of his life incarcerated in Minnesota prisons under the leadership of Amy Klobuchar. She was the Hennepin County Attorney and she played a role in Myon Burrell being prosecuted for a crime that he did not commit," said Nekima Levy Pounds of Racial Justice Network, as she opened a press conference on January 29. "We want to lift up family of Tyesha Edwards, who was the victim in this case, an 11-year-old innocent child who was shot and killed. The incident that happened to Tyesha is extremely devastating. It sent s…
(2020-01-31). University of Wisconsin nurses seek community support for union effort. fightbacknews.org Madison, WI – Back in December of 2019, the professional nurses working at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Authority (UWHCA) demanded the voluntary recognition of their union from the UWHCA Board of Directors. | Dozens of nurses laid out the union's demands at a UWHCA board meeting. Board members appeared largely indifferent to the presence of these workers expressing their need for recognition and better working conditions. | The demands put forward by the nurses at the meeting specifically centered around a few main points: voluntary recognition of the union by the board, direct the hospital an…
(2020-01-31). EPA Reapproves Glyphosate, Claims Pesticide Poses No Human Health Threat. globalresearch.ca Relying on confidential industry research, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a final interim The EPA's assessment contradicts a 2015 World Health Organization …
(2020-01-31). Election Theft Is a 120-Year Tradition. Let's End It This Year. truthout.org Every four years we suffer the sad ritual of begging or bashing a left third party to refrain from draining votes from the mainstream Democrats because of a horrendous Republican alternative. | And every four years the real point — election theft — is missed. | It's a 120-year tradition dating back to 1896, the year in which the evangelical Democrat William Jennings Bryan persuaded radical Populists to back his presidential bid. He may well have won the popular vote. But steel baron Mark Hanna (t…
(2020-01-31). Majority of Top 2020 Democrats Backed by Outside Groups. truthout.org Democratic presidential candidates started their race to the White House with the promise to reject support from outside groups. | But with just a few days left till the early primaries, yet another TV ad campaign by an outside group —— this time in support of former South Bend, Ind., Mayor
(2020-01-31). Video of ER Doctor Confronting Mike Pence Over Trump Medicaid Cuts Goes Viral. truthout.org An emergency physician Thursday night confronted Vice President Mike Pence at a restaurant in Iowa over the Trump administration's "I work in one of the poorest counties in Michigan and my patients depend o…
(2020-01-31). Top cleric Sistani condemns use of force to disperse Iraq protest camps, calls for elections. rt.com 
Iraq's leading Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has condemned the use of force to disperse protest camps across the country. | He also renewed calls for early elections to be held in a free and fair manner. | Sistani, who delivered his message through a representative at Friday prayers in the holy city of Kerbala, also "heavily condemned" US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, Reuters reported. | Earlier this month, Sistani condemned the US-Iranian military confrontation taking place on Iraqi soil, saying it risked plunging the war-ravaged country and the wider Middle East into deepe…
(2020-01-31). Afghanistan will need 'billions in foreign aid,' US agency warns. rt.com 
A US agency warned on Friday that Afghanistan will need vast amounts of foreign funding to keep its government afloat through 2024. International money pays for roughly 75 percent of all of Afghanistan's costs, while government revenue covers barely a quarter of Afghan public expenditures. | The warning comes as foreign donors become increasingly angry over the cost of corruption and the US seeks a peace deal with the Taliban to withdraw its troops from the country. The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR), which issues reports quarterly to US Congress, monitors all US spending relating…
(2020-01-31). While other countries evacuate citizens from Wuhan, China is to bring over 200 people from Thailand, Malaysia back home. rt.com 
Despite the coronavirus outbreak, over 200 Chinese nationals in Southeast Asia are desperate to come home. China has sent planes to bring them back to Wuhan while other nations airlift their citizens out of the quarantined city. | Ever since the Wuhan cordon sanitaire began on January 23, tourists from Hubei province have been stuck in nearby Southeast Asian countries, unable to get back home. Malaysia banned visitors from Wuhan on January 27, but those who were in the country already still remain. | Thailand has not shut its borders yet, but that's of little help to the tourists: Wuhan is closed off from the…
(2020-01-31). Crimean official quits, changes her mind, then quits again after bizarre 'bread and fur coats' scandal. rt.com 
"Fur-coat gate" has gripped Crimea after a local official resigned, then re-instated herself, before — somewhat unbelievably — later resigning again. All in the space of a couple of days. | The controversy started when Maya Khuzhina was pictured handing out pieces of bread to elderly veterans of the Second World War Leningrad blockade while wearing an expensive animal skin. The siege of the city — now Saint Petersburg — by Nazi Germany and its Finnish and Italian allies, lasted 872 days and resulted in over a million deaths, a great many of them from starvation. | In her role as chair of…
(2020-01-31). Feast in time of plague? Trump official says China coronavirus is good for US economy. rt.com 
US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Thursday the deadly coronavirus outbreak that has claimed the lives of 213 and infected almost 10,000 people globally could boost the US economy. | "I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America — some to US, probably some to Mexico as well," Ross said in an interview on Fox News. | He acknowledged the downside, saying, "I don't want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease." | Ross added that businesses need to take the risk into account and consider the virus when reviewing supply chains. | Also on rt.c…
(2020-01-31). Special Indian flight en route to Wuhan to deliver medical supplies & evacuate citizens stranded in coronavirus epicenter. rt.com 
An Air India flight has been given the green light to travel to the Chinese city of Wuhan — ground zero for a new rapidly spreading coronavirus — in order to evacuate citizens and drop off sorely needed medical supplies. | Taking off from Mumbai early on Friday, local time, the Boeing 747 will first stop off at India's capital, Delhi to load up on supplies before heading into China for the rescue mission, where a number of nations have issued travel restrictions due to the new virus, recently declared a global health crisis by the World Health Organization. | An Air India 747 is currently en route…
(2020-01-31). Spain confirms first case of fast-spreading coronavirus gripping China. rt.com 
The Spanish Ministry of Health has confirmed the country's first case of a lethal coronavirus that has swept all of China's 31 provinces and at least 25 other nations. | The first case in the country was confirmed by Spain's National Centre for Microbiology and announced by the Health Ministry late on Friday, with one man diagnosed on La Gomera, a remote island in the Canaries. The patient was among five people brought to the island for observation after coming into contact with a German man diagnosed with the virus. | The confirmation comes as officials in China's Hubei Province — the epicenter of the ou…
(2020-01-31). Italian Council of Ministers declares state of emergency due to coronavirus health risk. rt.com 
Rome has declared a state of emergency for six months in response to Italy's first two coronavirus cases. The decision comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the epidemic a global crisis. | Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Friday that two Chinese tourists staying in Rome had tested positive for the virus. As part of its emergency measures, Italy has suspended all direct flights to China. | The tourists from Wuhan — the Chinese city where the virus originated — made several stops in Italy, including Milan and Parma, before arriving in Rome. Eighteen other Chinese ci…
(2020-01-31). First two cases of coronavirus confirmed in Russia, both Chinese citizens. rt.com 
Russia has registered its first patients diagnosed with the new Chinese coronavirus, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova has confirmed. The alarming news comes just a day after Moscow closed its Far Eastern border with China. | Golikova told reporters that the two sufferers are Chinese citizens, one in the Far Eastern Zabaikalsky Region, and the other in the Tyumen Region in western Siberia — which are separated by a distance of about 4,000km. | The patients in question have been subjected to "strict monitoring." They have been put into quarantine and are receiving medical care. The head of Rospotrebna…
(2020-01-31). Pakistan suspends direct flights to China as novel coronavirus claims more lives. rt.com 
Pakistan is suspending all direct flights to Chinese cities days after four of its students tested positive for the new coronavirus. Similar measures have been taken in countries across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. | "We are suspending flights to China until February 2," the additional secretary of aviation, Abdul Sattar Khokhar, told Reuters on Friday, saying Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will review the situation after that date. | Local media shared an official CAA letter sent to local managers of Air China and China Southern Airlines — the two carriers serving direct flights between a n…
(2020-01-31). Senate votes down Democrats' witness demand in Trump impeachment trial. rt.com 
The Republican-majority Senate has rejected Democrats' demand for additional witnesses in the impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump, paving the way for the likely acquittal verdict expected sometime next week. | Senators voted 51-49 not to call on more witnesses beyond the 18 that testified in the proceedings led by the House Democrats last year. | Two Republicans, Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah), joined the Democrats in calling for additional witnesses — such as former national security adviser John Bolton. The rest of the GOP sided with the president's lawyers, who argued that…
(2020-01-31). 'Disney princess moment': Fans rejoice as Priyanka Chopra and Danielle Jonas pose as 'Frozen' sisters Anna and Elsa at Grammys. rt.com 
After posing for cameras as they walked down the red carpet at the Grammys, Indian actress Priyanka Chopra and Danielle Jonas decided to partake in a behind-the-scenes photoshoot, producing some quality Instagram pics. | Chopra made headlines earlier this week with the revealing white gown that she wore to the music awards ceremony — and it appears that her critics didn't stop her from showcasing her unusual attire. Her sister-in-law, actress Danielle Jonas, recently shared photographs from an impromptu photoshoot held during the event. The pair can be seen playfully posing somewhere behind the scenes and…
(2020-01-31). Russia set to train astronauts for India's 1st manned Gaganyaan mission. rt.com 
India, which is striving to become the fourth space superpower, is sending a group of astronauts to Russia where they will be given rigorous training at the famed Cosmonaut Training Center outside of Moscow. | An Indian crew of four is arriving in February and the program "is intended for one year and a half," the head of Russia's Cosmonaut Training Center, Pavel Vlasov, told TASS. The center will train a spacecraft commander and spacecraft flight engineers, using the time-tested Soyuz. | India, which is seeking to launch its first-ever manned mission — known as Gaganyaan ('sky vehicle' in Sanskrit) –…
(2020-01-31). Tehran says US sanctions on chief of nuclear energy organization was 'unwise move'. rt.com 
Iran's nuclear energy organization has described recent sanctions on the head of the agency by the US an "unwise move." Washington announced new sanctions on Thursday against the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and its director, Ali Akbar Salehi. The sanctions freeze any assets that Salehi has within US jurisdiction. | The organization tweeted on Friday that "the unwise move" by President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Salehi and AEOI "will not in any way interrupt [Iran's] peaceful nuclear activities and policies." | "Such cruel sanctions will further enhance the nuclear scientist's motives in…
(2020-01-31). 'No such proposal': Islamabad rejects 'speculation' over alleged plan to integrate Pakistani-held part of Kashmir. rt.com 
Pakistan has denied it is gearing up to merge the territory it administers in the disputed region of Kashmir with the rest of the country, dismissing reports to the contrary as media speculation. | "There is no such proposal under consideration," Pakistani Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said. She was responding to reports in the media that Islamabad is allegedly seeking to integrate Azad Jammu and Kashmir (also known as Azad Kashmir) into Pakistan. | The rumors have been circulating in the media since December, after the region's prime minister reportedly suggested that he could become the las…
(2020-01-31). Trump to expand travel ban, targeting immigrants from 6 more countries. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump will issue an updated version of his controversial travel ban, acting Homeland Security head Chad Wolf said Friday. The existing ban will remain in place, having been okayed by the Supreme Court in 2018. | Speaking to reporters by phone, Wolf said that the updated ban will suspend immigrant visas for nationals of Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Nigeria. Non-immigrant visas from these countries will not be affected. | 'Diversity Visas' — handed out by lottery to boost immigration from countries with low rates of immigration to the US — for nationals of Sudan and Tanzania wil…
(2020-01-31). Libyan government must honor its promise, release 'illegally detained' employees – Russian NGO. rt.com 
A Russian NGO has accused the government in Tripoli of breaking the pledge it made during peace talks by refusing to release two of its employees, arrested last year on charges of "meddling" in an election that never happened. | Maxim Shugalei and Samer Hassan Ali Seifan worked for the Foundation for National Values Protection, a Russian nonprofit. They were arrested in May 2019 by the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA). | "We consider that one of the objectives of this arrest of Russian citizens was the urge to prevent the leak of the results of their social studies, which prove the absence of…
(2020-01-31). Erdogan blasts Arab states for backing Trump's Middle East plan. rt.com 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blasted a number of Arab nations on Friday for backing a Middle East peace plan unveiled by the US, condemning it as "treason." | "Some Arab countries that support such a plan commit treason against Jerusalem, as well as against their own people, and more importantly against all humanity," Erdogan told his party's provincial heads in Ankara. | Erdogan, a strong advocate of Palestinian rights, singled out Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Jordan, AFP reports. "Saudi Arabia in particular, you are silent. When will you break your silence? You look at Amman,…
(2020-01-31). Serbia will continue developing relations with Russia & China despite EU concerns — Vucic. rt.com 
Belgrade has excellent relations with Russia and China and will continue developing them, following the example of leading European countries, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday. He made the statement at a joint press conference with visiting EU High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrel in Belgrade. | "We are on the European path and do not conceal this before our Russian and Chinese partners," TASS quoted Vucic as saying. "But we have good, excellent cooperation with the Russians and the Chinese and we will continue developing this cooperation." | He expressed hope…
(2020-01-31). A pivot to China, a stronger economy or total collapse? Politicians & experts on what's next for the UK post-Brexit. rt.com 
With Brexit done, where is Britain headed next? Will London allignwith Washington, Beijing, or both? Will the departure usher in a new era of prosperity, or the collapse of the UK itself? RT spoke to experts and politicians. | Business as usual, but pivoting to China: | John Laughland, academic and author: | Boris Johnson is, you know, very close to Donald Trump. Trump may well be reelected, and that means that for four years Johnson will have in Trump a strong political ally, and he will seek to capitalize on that. | I think it's pretty unlikely that relations with Russia will improve. Johnson was for…
(2020-01-31). Murder charges dropped against 3 Moscow sisters who killed abusive father. rt.com 
In a case which has shocked Russians, three Khachaturian sisters admitted to killing their father after he subjected them to mental, sexual, and physical abuse spanning years. | They faced charges of premeditated murder, but now their lawyer says the Russian Prosecutor General's office has ordered investigators to drop that arraignment, and instead reclassify the killing as lawful self-defense. | Lawyer Aleksey Parshin told TASS news agency that officials have declined to support the Investigative Committee's case against the sisters. Parshin said that the Khachaturians responded to their father's "unlawful at…
(2020-01-31). Boom! 94yo WWII veteran fires 152mm howitzer in stunning VIDEO. rt.com 
A decorated WWII veteran couldn't resist trying a large-caliber cannon while visiting a Russian military compound in Siberia and didn't miss a single target. The jaw-dropping moment was caught on film. | It's been 75 years since Mikhail Asanov came back from the war, but his shooting skills are still as sharp as ever. This week, he was invited to share his wartime experience with young soldiers near the Siberian town of Kemerovo, but the visit ended up being a spectacular live-fire exercise. | Russia's Defense Ministry released a video showing the 94-year-old veteran being escorted towards a Msta-B 152mm howit…
(2020-01-31). WATCH huge concert hall ceiling collapse in St. Petersburg, one worker has been killed. rt.com 
A construction worker has been found dead after a St. Petersburg concert hall collapsed as it was being demolished. Footage shows tragic moment a worker desperately scrambled to reach a crane as the structure broke apart. | Drone footage shows a huge cloud of dust coming from the St. Petersburg Sports and Concert Complex. The massive stadium suffered a roof collapse as workers attempted to dismantle the structure. | Warning: This video contains disturbing images | –í –ü–∏—Ç–µ—Ä–µ –ø—Ä–∏ —…
(2020-01-31). Anzhelika Timanina: The Russian Olympic champion swimmer chasing Tokyo surfing dream (PHOTOS). rt.com 
The former captain of Russia's synchronized swimming team, Anzhelika Timanina, has been included in the national surfing squad as the sport plans to make its Olympic debut at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. | The 30-year-old blonde, who called time on her illustrious swimming career in 2016, has been swept away by another sport, finding a new passion and motivation in surfing. | Having swap…
(2020-01-31). Facebook, Twitter face fines in Russia for violating local data protection law. rt.com 
Facebook and Twitter were required by law to notify the telecom watchdog about storing Russian users' data within Russia by January 31. Neither did, and they now face fines of up to $95k — and up to $280k for repeat violations.
(2020-01-31). Churchill sightseeing in Crimea and FDR saluting the flag: Russia declassifies PHOTOS taken ahead of 1945 Yalta conference. rt.com 
As part of a WWII document trove declassified ahead of the 75th anniversary of the Yalta summit, never before seen photographs show US and British leaders and officers arriving in Crimea and touring Sevastopol with Soviet hosts. | British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt traveled to Crimea in February 1945, to meet with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin at the Black Sea town of Yalta. | Official photos from the Yalta conference itself were taken by American photographers at the Livadia Palace, where the US delegation was staying. Prior to the summit, however, Soviet photogr…
(2020-01-31). Lavrov, new ambassador Sullivan discuss prospects for Russia-US bilateral ties. rt.com 
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and new US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan discussed on Friday the prospects for Russia-US relations, in Lavrov's first meeting with Sullivan since he started in the role. | They discussed the current state of affairs and prospects for the development of Russian-American relations, as well as some pressing international problems, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. | Lavrov expressed hope that the new US ambassador would contribute to "the normalization and strengthening of relations between our countries in various fields." | Sullivan, who arrived in Moscow on January…
(2020-01-31). Turkey 'will not hesitate to use military force' if attacks by Syrian govt forces don't stop in Idlib — Erdogan. rt.com 
Ankara will not sit idly by as the Syrian Army carries out an offensive in northeastern Idlib province, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned, saying all options, including the most extreme ones, are on the table. | "We will not watch the situation in Syria… We will not hesitate to do whatever it takes, including using military force," Erdogan said on Friday in Ankara. He
(2020-01-31). Mission incapable? Pentagon review finds gun on F-35 fighter jet can't hit targets & 800+ software glitches — report. rt.com 
The long list of problems plaguing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter continues to grow, with a Pentagon review finding over 800 software flaws in the costly aircraft, as well as defects that prevent its guns from hitting targets. | The annual assessment by the Pentagon's director of operational testing and evaluation, Robert Behler, revealed that the program that has cost over $400 billion so far has a long way to go before the jets are truly operational. | The fifth-generation stealth fighter is struggling to meet combat readiness, with some 873 outstanding software issues — including cyber security vulnerab…
(2020-01-31). Don't make me repeat myself again! Soros threatens Zuckerberg must be removed from Facebook 'one way or another'. rt.com 
Billionaire speculator George Soros has called for Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his COO to be deposed, accusing them of seeking to "maximize profits" without regard for consequences, in perhaps the most ironic attack ever. | Zuckerberg and Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg "follow only one guiding principle: maximize profits irrespective of the consequences," Soros snarled on Friday in a New York Times op-ed. While his detractors might have used those exact words to describe the financier's own "guiding principle," Soros meant it as a scathing condemnation. | One way or another, they should…
(2020-01-31). Selected Articles: How the FBI Sabotaged Trump Foreign Policy. globalresearch.ca 
By President Xi Jinping formally told WHO head Tedros Ghebreyesus, at their meeting in Beijing earlier this week, that the coronavirus epidemic "is a devil and we …
(2020-01-31). Roaming Charges: The Steal of the Century. counterpunch.org An impeached president meeting in the White House with a Prime Minister indicted for corruption and bribery to pitch a giant land swindle in the Middle East, which they market to a gullible press as a "peace plan." Is there a more precise image for the current state of our political condition?