Daily Archives: February 29, 2020

2020-02-29: News Headlines

RT (2020-03-01). One billionaire out: Tom Steyer bows out of Democratic presidential race after 3d place finish in South Carolina. rt.com Billionaire activist Tom Steyer has given up on his presidential bid after failing to win any delegates in South Carolina, according to projections. Steyer has been accused of buying his way into the race, having spent millions. | Steyer has dug deep into his own pocket, spending about $20 million of his own money in South Carolina alone in hopes to mount a 15 percent threshold, allowing him to win delegates in the fourth and final early voting contest before Super Tuesday. | However, that was not to be, as Steyer is now projected to gain less than 12 percent of the vote in the primary, dominated by former Vic…

RT (2020-03-01). Biden wins South Carolina primary, gets much needed boost after previous poor showing — projections. rt.com Joe Biden's campaign showed its first signs of life in South Carolina with the former vice president taking the lead above other Democrats in the state's primary, including frontrunner Bernie Sanders. | Multiple outlets called the South Carolina primary in Biden's favor shortly after the polls closed at 7.00 pm ET. | According to exit poll data by Edison Research, Biden is on course to win at least 28 delegates from 54 up for grabs in the fourth and final early voting contest. | Looking forward to bag his first victory in the so far listless campaign, Biden relied heavily on black voters. However, the exit pol…

RT (2020-03-01). Biden wins South Carolina primary, gets much needed boost after previous poor showing — projections. rt.com Joe Biden's campaign showed its first signs of life in South Carolina with the former vice president taking the lead above other Democrats in the state's primary, including frontrunner Bernie Sanders. | Multiple outlets called the South Carolina primary in Biden's favor shortly after the polls closed at 7.00 pm ET. | According to exit poll data by Edison Research, Biden is on course to win at least 14 delegates from 54 up for grabs in the fourth and final early voting contest. | Looking forward to bag his first victory in the so far listless campaign, Biden has relied heavily on black voters. However, the exit…

RT (2020-03-01). Trump calls on Bloomberg to end his 'joke of a campaign' not to chip away at Biden's votes after former VP's South Carolina win. rt.com With former VP Joe Biden's campaign back from the dead after a landslide South Carolina win, US President Donald Trump taunted another Democratic hopeful, Mike Bloomberg, urging him to drop out of the race in Biden's favor. | Shortly after South Carolina primary exit polls pointed to a convincing Biden's victory in the fourth and final early voting contest ahead of the Super Tuesday, Trump took to Twitter to send a 'congratulatory' message of his own, taking aim at fellow billionaire Bloomberg in the process. | "Sleepy Joe Biden's victory in the South Carolina Democrat Primary should be the end of Mini Mike Bl…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-03-01). COVID-19 Coronavirus: A Fake Pandemic? Who's Behind It? Global Economic and Geopolitical Destabilization. globalresearch.ca The media hype and disinformation campaign regarding the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus have created a Worldwide atmosphere of fear and uncertainty following the launching of a global public health emergency by the WHO on January 30th.

Staff (2020-02-29). U.S., Taliban Sign Deal Aimed at Ending 18-Year Afghanistan War. truthdig.com The agreement could see the withdrawal of all American and allied forces in the next 14 months — but it could also easily unravel.

Staff (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.

teleSUR (2020-02-29). The United States and the Taliban Sign a Peace Agreement. telesurenglish.net In a ceremony in Doha, Qatar, the United States and RELATED: | The pact was signed by the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilz…

WSWS (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?"

WSWS (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.

Reuters (2020-02-29). Trump Considering Restrictions at Mexican Border Over Coronavirus. telesurenglish.net The United States is considering shutting the country's southern border with Mexico to control the spread of the new coronavirus, President Donald Trump said on Saturday, as his administration announced new limits on travelers who have visited Iran and recommended against travel to hard-hit areas of Italy and South Korea. | RELATED: | Mexico's government said on Friday it had detected three cases of coronavirus infection…

teleSUR (2020-02-29). First U.S. Coronavirus Death Confirmed in Washington State. telesurenglish.net Washington state authorities Saturday informed that Covid-19- confirmed patient in King County has become the first person in the U.S. to die from the coronavirus. | RELATED: | "It is a sad day in our state as we learn that a Washingtonian has died from COVID-19. Our hearts go out to their family and friends. We will continue to work towards a day where no one dies from this virus," Washington state Governor Jay I…

WSWS (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.

Staff (2020-02-29). Virus Claims First Fatality in U.S.; Washington State Declares Emergency. truthdig.com The governor of Washington state declared a state of emergency Saturday after a man died there of COVID-19, the first such reported death in the United States. More than 50 people in a nursing facility are sick and being tested for the virus. | Gov. Jay Inslee directed state agencies to use "all resources necessary" to prepare for and respond to the coronavirus outbreak. The declaration also allows the use of the Washington National Guard, if necessary. | "We will continue to work toward a day where no one dies from this virus," the governor vowed. | Health officials in California, Oregon and Washington state are…

Peter Koenig (2020-02-29). China is Confronting the COVID-19 Epidemic. Was It Man-Made? An Act of of Bio-warfare? globalresearch.ca The new coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, also called COVID-19, has as of this date resulted in more than 3,000 deaths and infected more than 80,000 people Worldwide, the vast majority of them in China. The epidemic is largely confined to Mainland China.

Peter Koenig (2020-02-29). China is Confronting the COVID-19 Epidemic. Was It Man-Made? An Act of of Bio-warfare? globalresearch.ca The new coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, also called COVID-19, has as of this date resulted in more than 3,000 deaths and infected more than 80,000 people Worldwide, the vast majority of them in China | The epidemic is largely confined to Mainland China….

Staff (2020-02-29). Voters Head to Polls With Anxiety Over Medical Bills as Coronavirus Spreads. truthout.org As Democratic primary voters head to the polls in South Carolina ahead of Super Tuesday, a new poll found that the American public is more worried about being able to afford unexpected medical bills, insurance deductibles and prescription drug costs than about being able to pay for housing, food and transportation. | The poll, which revealed intense public anxiety about the cost of health care, came as Democrats slammed the Trump administration's response to the global outbreak of a novel stra…

teleSUR (2020-02-29). Ecuador Confirms First Case of Coronavirus Imported From Spain. telesurenglish.net Ecuador's Health Minister Carolina Andramuño Saturday confirmed that an Ecuadorian citizen, who returned from Madrid, is affected by the Covid-19. | RELATED: | The patient is a 70-year-old woman who arrived in Guayaquil city on Feb. 14. Upon entering the country, she had no symptoms of the disease; at this time, however, she is in critical condition. | Ecuadorian authorities also reported that about 80 people who had…

The Canary (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…

Sharon Lerner (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…

Ashik Siddique (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…

WSWS (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.

Henry A. Giroux (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…

WSWS (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.

Michael Halpern (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…

Vijay Prashad (2020-02-29). Remembering the heroism of activist Berta Cáceres four years after her assassination: An interview with her daughter. mronline.org On July 15, 2013, the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), led by Berta Cáceres Flores, went to protest the construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Gualcarque River. This river, in western Honduras, is considered to be sacred by the indigenous Lenca community. No one from the company that wanted […] |

teleSUR (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…

Vijay Prashad (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. |

Julie Hollar (2020-02-29). Debate Moderators Frame Questions to Define Acceptable Politics. fair.org With Super Tuesday around the corner, the Democratic presidential debates are coming to a close. The debates are ostensibly an exercise in democracy, a chance for voters to evaluate candidates' positions in order to cast a better informed vote in the nominating contest. But a review of three of the most frequent topics of debate starkly demonstrates how media hosts use their platform less to inform voters in an evenhanded way than to define which positions—and candidates—are acceptable, and which are not. | Healthcare: Both Bernie Sanders…

Alan MacLeod (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 (

Peadar O'Cearnaigh (2020-02-29). Refugees trapped in 'no man's land' on the Greek border as Erdogan acts on his threat to the EU. thecanary.co On October 2019, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan And according to reports on the ground, he is following through on tha…

Alan MacLeod (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. |

Eds. (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. |

Staff (2020-02-29). Major Conservative Conference Funded by Opaque Groups and Foreign Entities. truthout.org This week marks another year of America's long-running gathering of conservative activists at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. Similar to Five organizations paid at least $125,000 each to be listed as top sponsors. That earns them a slot on th…

Emily Apple (2020-02-29). 'I can't breathe'. Footage of excessive police violence during environmental protest arrest. thecanary.co Trigger warning: this article contains footage of police violence that some readers may find distressing. | Footage captured by The Canary shows the excessive force used by City of London Police during a demonstration by the Green Anti-Capitalist Front (GAF) at the Stock Exchange on 28 February. | A person is seen being restrained face-down on the floor, shouting that they can't breathe as a police officer kneels on their neck. And instead of listening to their cries, the police respond by restraining them further: |

Peter Bolton (2020-02-29). Bernie Sanders could win big in November. Trump and his supporters know it. thecanary.co Bernie Sanders is the clear front-runner going into the South Carolina presidential primary. And debate is now shifting from whether Sanders can win the nomination, to whether he might actually beat Donald Trump in the general election this coming November. And it seems that not only are Sanders' supporters feeling confident he might — so are Trump's. | Growing evidence that Sanders could beat Trump: | Ahead of the

teleSUR (2020-02-29). Biden Wins First 2020 Primary Victory in South Carolina. telesurenglish.net The Democrats' 2020 nominating fight turned to South Carolina on Saturday for the first-in-the-South primary, with Joe Biden projected as the winner, halting the rise of national leader Bernie Sanders, who got second place. | RELATED: | Voting began from the beginning with all the attention on Biden, who started out as one of the top favorites in this state, after three consecutive losses in Nevada, Iowa and Ne…

Staff (2020-02-29). Superdelegate Pushing Convention Effort to Stop Sanders Is Health Care Lobbyist. truthout.org A Democratic superdelegate promoting an effort to stop Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., if he fails to clinch a majority of pledged delegates is a health care lobbyist who has contributed thousands to Republicans. | William Owen, a former Tennessee lawmaker and Democratic National Committee member, was among the superdelegates quoted in a

Staff (2020-02-29). The Broader Democratic Socialist Program Won Over Culinary Workers. truthout.org The Saturday of the Nevada Caucus began just like any other weekend for Monica Smith, an in-room dining server at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Smith works Wednesdays through Mondays and by 7: 00 a.m. she was already at her workstation. But that day she was wearing something different: Her Culinary Union t-shirt and a jacket from her volunteer organizer days. | "Don't forget, today is the day," she told her boss as she walked in. | By 11: 00 a.m., Smith, who has been a member of the union s…

WSWS (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.

Erin McCarley (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…

Fight Back (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…

teleSUR (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…

teleSUR (2020-02-29). Greece Closes Turkey Border to Prevent Refugees From Crossing. telesurenglish.net Greece's government spokesman Stelios Petsas Saturday announced that RELATED: | According to this official, the people who are on the Greco-Turkish borde…

Staff (2020-02-29). Vulture Funds Profiting Off Puerto Rico Gave to Biden, Buttigieg and Klobuchar. truthout.org This article was produced by Puerto Rico was still recovering from Hurricane Maria when a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck on Jan. 7, leveling buildings along its southern coast and damaging power plan…

Staff (2020-02-29). Export Ban Should Make Us Re-examine Captive Life of Wild-Caught Elephants. truthout.org On August 26, 2019, the conservation and animal welfare community celebrated a win for elephants at the 18th summit of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Geneva, Switzerland. Member states

Staff (2020-02-29). Trump Has Amassed More Than 3,000 Conflicts of Interest Since Taking Office. truthout.org The government watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington announced Friday that after more than three years of monitoring President Donald Trump's conduct, the president has hit a milestone, amassing more than 3,000 conflicts of interest between his businesses and his position in office. | The findings come from a CREW

teleSUR (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…

teleSUR (2020-02-29). 'We Won't Stop and They Won't Stop Us' Catalonia's Leader Says. telesurenglish.net Tens of thousands of people Saturday gathered in Perpignan, France, to demonstrate their support for the independence of Catalonia and to demand the release of Catalan political prisoners. | RELATED: | One of the protagonists of this impressive rally was

WSWS (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.

RT (2020-02-29). US and Taliban ink Afghanistan peace agreement, set conditions for troop withdrawal. rt.com Washington and the Taliban movement have signed a deal that lays out conditions for the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan. | The agreement was signed by US peace envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and one of the Taliban's senior leaders, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, in Qatar's capital Doha on Saturday. | The deal will see Washington and its allies withdrawing their troops from five bases in Afghanistan within the next 135 days. The remaining American soldiers will leave the country in 14 months if the Taliban fulfills its commitments. | The document lays the groundwork for future negotiation…

RT (2020-02-29). Top Pakistani diplomat calls for 'responsible' withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in wake of peace deal with Taliban. rt.com Pakistan's foreign minister has urged the US to pull its troops out of Afghanistan in a responsible fashion, after US President Donald Trump said that the expected peace deal with the Taliban may bring American soldiers home. | "We want a responsible withdrawal," Shah Mahmood Qureshi told Reuters in Qatar's capital Doha, where US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to oversee the signing of a peace deal with the Taliban on Saturday. | "It's an important day… Hopefully it will set the tone for peace and stability in Afghanistan," Qureshi said of the upcoming event. | When asked by Fox News last month whethe…

RT (2020-02-29). US set to withdraw ALL troops from Afghanistan in 14 months if deal with Taliban is upheld — statement. rt.com Washington and its allies plan to pull all of their troops out of Afghanistan within 14 months if commitments under the planned US-Taliban deal are implemented in full, the joint US-Afghan document says. | According to the statement by the US and Afghan governments, the US will first scale down the number of soldiers it has currently stationed in Afghanistan, from 13,000 to 8,600, within the first 135 days following an agreement with the Taliban, which is expected to be signed later on Saturday. The remaining US and NATO troops will withdraw from the country within 14 months, clearing all of their bases. | Afg…

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (2020-02-29). Thanks NATO, but what about missiles? Ankara urges US to deploy Patriot systems to Turkey amid Idlib standoff. rt.com Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called on Washington to redeploy its Patriot anti-aircraft systems on Turkish soil, insisting that the country needs some "support" from its NATO allies amid the crisis in Syria's Idlib. | Cavusoglu thanked NATO for its quick reaction to the "The US Patriots were stationed in Gazian…

RT (2020-02-29). Tulsi to MSM: Stop referring to Al-Qaeda in Syria's Idlib as 'rebels' to make them seem like 'freedom fighters'. rt.com The US media and officials who stubbornly keep referring to armed groups dominated by an Al-Qaeda offshoot in Syria's Idlib province as 'rebels' only disgrace themselves and their country, US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has said. | Gabbard, who is one of the Democratic Party contenders in the 2020 presidential race, castigated American mainstream media and Trump administration officials for a consistent effort to whitewash the extremists entrenched in the north-western province of Idlib — Syria's last major stronghold of anti-government forces. Such actions betray the memory of the 9/11 terrorist attack,…

RT (2020-02-29). Washington state declares emergency over coronavirus as CDC warns risk is 'increasing'. rt.com Washington Governor Jay Inslee has declared a state of emergency after three new cases of COVID-19 and one death resulting from the coronavirus were confirmed there on Saturday. Inslee said that the time had come for "proactive measures", adding that state officials have been preparing ever since the first US coronavirus case was confirmed in Snohomish County. The measure will also allow the authorities to use the National Guard if necessary. | The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have so far reported that the two new coronavirus cases were linked to a Life Care Center in Kirkland, a suburb…

RT (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…

RT (2020-02-29). Corona-fear: France bans all mass public gatherings in confined spaces as German, Swiss fairs canceled. rt.com No gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces will be allowed in France due to fears of the coronavirus epidemic, Paris has announced, as neighboring nations have canceled mass events, bracing for an outbreak. | The French authorities announced the restrictions as the number of confirmed cases in the country climbed to 73. Fifty-nine people remain in the hospital after testing positive for the infection, Health Minister Olivier Veran said at a press conference on Saturday. Twelve people have successfully recovered while two died from the disease: a 60-year-old French teacher and an 80-year-old Chi…

RT (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…

RT (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

RT (2020-02-29). Coronavirus death toll in Italy jumps to 29 as number of infected passes 1,000. rt.com Italy reported eight new deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total number of deaths in the country as a result of the disease to 29. The Italian authorities have also confirmed as many as 239 new cases of people infected with the virus, raising the number of confirmed cases in Italy to 1,128. | Italy is experiencing the worst coronavirus outbreak seen in

RT (2020-02-29). 1st US coronavirus death: Trump imposes more travel restrictions, says risk still 'very low' after woman dies in Washington state. rt.com President Donald Trump on Saturday addressed fears surrounding the coronavirus, as health officials have announced the first US death from the virus in Washington State. | The first US death from the virus was announced on Saturday by Washington State health officials. No details were given, except that it occurred in King County. | The deceased was a "medically high-risk patient in her late 50s," President Trump announced at his White House press conference on Saturday afternoon. While admitting more cases within the US are likely, the president said 15 of the 22 citizens who contracted the virus have "recove…

RT (2020-02-29). Doors SHUT: Greek police stop wave of refugees with closed border gates & tear gas (VIDEOS). rt.com Greek police used tear gas to turn back 4,000 people at the border with Turkey who flooded the checkpoint after Ankara announced it will no longer stop people from crossing into the EU. | People seeking to enter Europe rushed to the Turkish border town of Edirne on Friday, but found the Greek authorities were not willing to let them in. Since the 2015 migrant crisis, both Greece and Bulgaria have erected fences on their borders with Turkey. Both nations ramped up security after Ankara effectively tore up its agreement with the EU, under which it kept millions of refugees in its territory in exchange for financ…

RT (2020-02-29). 'THIS GOAL IS CRAZY': Media hails Jordan Flores' stunning strike as a surefire Goal of the Season contender (VIDEO). rt.com Irish league side Dundalk's Jordan Flores may not be a household name, but he's being considered as an early front-runner for the prestigious Puskas Award, thanks to his stunning volley against Shamrock Rovers. | Flores connected beautifully with a Michael Duffy's driven corner to slam the ball into the top corner of the net for one of the most spectacular strikes you'll see in a long, long time. | The goal has gone viral, with more than three million fans watching the original video posted to Irish broadcaster RTE's social media channels, while media outlets across Europe are hailing the strike. | Sky Sports…

RT (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…

RT (2020-02-29). Thugs break into homes of 3 Sputnik employees in Ankara, shout anti-Russian & nationalist slogans. rt.com Groups of people descended on homes of three Russia's Sputnik agency staffers in Ankara, Turkey, chanting "Turkey for the Turks" and accusing journalists of treason for working for Moscow, RT Editor-in-Chief reported on Twitter. | What appears to be a coordinated attack on Sputnik employees in the Turkish capital was first reported by Margarita Simonyan, RT and Sputnik's Editor-in-Chief on Saturday, and later confirmed by the agency itself. | Simonyan tweeted that three separate groups, each numbering about 10 hooligans, swooped on the flats of three agency's employees, hurling threats and accusing them of bet…

RT (2020-02-29). Still the best despite the international ban: Russian athlete Anzhelika Sidorova sets new WORLD-LEADING pole vault result. rt.com Russian world champion pole vaulter Anzhelika Sidorova, who is not eligible to take part in international athletics events due to a ban imposed by World Athletics, has set a new world-leading result at a competition in Moscow. | The 28-year-old cleared a height of 4.95m, posting a new season-best result at the Russian pole vault festival in Luzhniki. | Inspired by her incr…

RT (2020-02-29). Opposition activists flock to central Moscow to commemorate slain politician Nemtsov and condemn constitution amendments. rt.com Thousands of people attended 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 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 participate…

RT (2020-02-29). VIDEO shows how Moscow Instagram blogger's deadly pool party with DRY ICE went HORRIBLY WRONG. rt.com Three people have died and more are in hospital after a birthday surprise at a Moscow party had unforeseen consequences. Video shows dry ice being poured into a pool for effect, inadvertently creating a carbon dioxide gas chamber. | The chilling incident occurred at a Moscow sauna late on Friday. Ekaterina Didenko, an Instagram blogger with over a million subscribers, was celebrating her 29th birthday with her family and friends. | No-one expected the festivities to turn into a tragedy when the blogger's husband Valentin presented the guests with a surprise treat. The man brought out a large amount of dry i…

RT (2020-02-29). 'Bernie or brokered': Dems, media sweating as Biden makes last chance effort to challenge Sanders in South Carolina. rt.com Joe Biden may have his first primary victory in South Carolina, something that is essential for his campaign to compete against frontrunner Bernie Sanders, who continues to weather attacks from the media and Dem establishments. | After poor showings in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, Biden is looking to challenge Sanders' frontrunner status with a comeback in South Carolina, a place where he is expected to win. | Though his campaign has been riddled with gaffes and he's struggled in previous states, polling in South Carolina shows Biden has a double digit lead over his competitors. An average of polls out of S…

RT (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…

RT (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…

RT (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…

sputniknews (2020-02-29). Ancient Syrian, Iraqi Cities Devastated by War Come Back to Life in 3D Exhibit at Washington Museum. sputniknews.com Archeologists, historians and anthropologists from around the world have watched in horror as terrorists, looters, missiles, bombs and bullets devastated priceless artefacts and treasures in some of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities in Syria and Iraq in recent years.

sputniknews (2020-02-29). Greek Police Use Tear Gas Against Refugees After Turkey Says It Cannot Stem Migrant Flow From Syria. sputniknews.com On Thursday, Turkey's ruling AK Party spokesman Omer Celik said that Ankara was no longer able to contain the flow of refugees from Syria toward the country's borders with Greece and Bulgaria.

sputniknews (2020-02-29). Syrian Interior Trade Minister Accuses US of Selling Syrian Oil to Other States via Turkey. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Syrian Interior Trade Minister Atef Naddaf has accused the US of selling oil from the Syrian oilfields through Turkey.

sputniknews (2020-02-29). The 'Stolen Province': Why Turkey Was Given A Corner Of Syria By France 80 Years Ago. sputniknews.com Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is becoming more and more embroiled in a direct fight with Syria over Idlib Province. The fighting is directly across the border from Hatay, a province which was given to Turkey in 1939 after a disputed referendum.

sputniknews (2020-02-29). Moscow, Ankara Intend to Ease Tensions 'On Ground' to Combat Terrorists in Syria. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The situation in Idlib escalated after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorists launched a large-scale attack on the positions of the Syrian government forces prompting the army to return fire. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the Turkish servicemen, who were not supposed to be in the area, were also shelled.

sputniknews (2020-02-29). From K-Pop to Orchestras: Coronavirus Spread Threatens Music Concerts in Asia Amid Pandemic Fears. sputniknews.com The rapid spread of the new pneumonia-like coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has already harmed the global economy, and could now be on course for something even more dastardly: separating people from their music idols.

sputniknews (2020-02-29). 'Nasty Corona': Gold Rushes to Record High, Stock Markets Crash — Experts on Coronavirus Impact. sputniknews.com Global stock exchanges have plummeted and gold has risen to new heights; global media sources report that the Chinese virus COVID-19 is the culprit.

sputniknews (2020-02-29). Delhi Riots: Pain Hasn't Ended For Bereaved Families Who Await Bodies of Loved Ones. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Three days of riots in Delhi between pro and anti-citizenship protesters have left the city in shock, especially among those who can't retrieve the lifeless bodies of their murdered loved ones, as hospitals are demanding money for the release of corpses.

sputniknews (2020-02-29). 4.6-Magnitude Quake Hits Turkish Elazig Province – AFAD. sputniknews.com Last month, a 6.8-magnitude quake hit Elazig province, claiming the lives of 40 people and leaving dozens more injured.

sputniknews (2020-02-29). Dashcam Footage of Meteor Exploding Over Croatia Goes Viral – Video. sputniknews.com Dashcam video footage of an object streaking across the sky above Croatia in spectacular fashion and subsequently exploding has since gone viral on social media…

The Canary (2020-02-29). Boris Johnson still awol as Storm Jorge brings fourth weekend of severe weather. thecanary.co Storm Jorge has heralded its arrival with heavy rain and strong gales as Britain endures its fourth weekend of severe weather. Boris Johnson has been widely criticised for his absence amid ongoing floods and continued weather chaos.This month's third named storm is bringing rain, gales and snow, prompting weather warnings stretching from Cornwall to the north of Scotland and across to Northern Ireland.Police in flood-hit South Wales declared a temporary "critical incident" on Saturday morning as emergency services, councils and other bodies worked to protect property and infrastructure and protect residents.Peopl…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (2020-02-29). Saudis urged to postpone Lebanon trips over coronavirus. yenisafak.com Saudi Arabia on Saturday called on its citizens to postpone travel to Lebanon over fears of the novel coronavirus.In a statement, the Saudi Embassy in Beirut urged citizens to "postpone unnecessary travel plans to Lebanon in order to preserve their safety".It called on Saudi citizens in Lebanon to avoid crowded places and pursue the declared health measures for protection against the virus.On Friday, Lebanese health authorities reported the fourth case of coronavirus in the country.Known as COVID-19, the novel coronavirus has now spread to more than 45 countries worldwide, including the U.S., U.K., Singapore, Fr…

yenisafak (2020-02-29). Death toll in China from coronavirus rises to 2,837. yenisafak.com The death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak in China has risen to 2,837 Saturday, according to the country's National Health Commission.The commission said 47 more people died in the past 24 hours while 427 new cases were detected by health authorities, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to more than 79,250.Forty-five of the deaths occurred in the epicenter of the outbreak, Hubei province, while two of them were in the capital Beijing and one in Hunan province.Around 58,200 people are currently under medical care, while the number of discharged patients has totaled some 39,000.Outside mainland Ch…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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.

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…