Russiagate: The Toxic Gift That Keeps on Giving
Kollibri terre Sonnenblume | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-26
All smears are boomerang smears. That is why anyone worth a damn does not engage in it. That goes for the Russia-Gaters, the left/right smears on Gabbard, the years of left/right smears on Assange, the attacks on the Green Party and now the Russia narrative attacks on Sanders. Falling into line with the secret police…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/26/russiagate-the-toxic-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/
Assange detention illegal under English, European and international law, defense argues
rt.com | 2020-02-26
Day three of the Julian Assange extradition hearing is focusing on whether the allegations against Assange amount to "political offenses." If so, it would likely be outside of the judge's jurisdiction to approve extradition. | Kicking off proceedings at Woolwich Crown Court on Wednesday, defense counsel Edward Fitzgerald argued that 17 of the 18 counts with which the WikiLeaks founder has been charged fall under the US Espionage Act, which makes them political on face value. He added that the 18th count, of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, was in order to carry out the other alleged offenses. | Also on…
rt.com/news/481711-assange-protection-political-extradition-fundamental-right/
Turkey's Request for U.S. Patriot Missiles to Pressure Russia in Syria Will Not Work
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-26
Ankara's statements about an imminent military operation in Syria and the Turkish authorities' request for Washington to supply them with U.S.-made Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems are just Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's manoeuvres to leverage against Russia that his …
globalresearch.ca/turkey-request-u-s-patriot-missiles-pressure-russia-syria-not-work/5704787
The "Liberal" Media's Propaganda War on Bernie Sanders
Paul Street | zcomm.org | 2020-02-26
Do not be surprised if the Russia angle becomes a master narrative in coming weeks…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-liberal-medias-propaganda-war-on-bernie-sanders/
After acquittal in Gezi Park trial, Turkish state re-launches prosecution
wsws.org | 2020-02-26
The Gezi Park trial was a politically motivated legal vendetta, aimed at managing the Turkish state's relations with the imperialist powers while intimidating and discrediting social opposition inside Turkey itself.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/26/turk-f26.html
Pakistan paves way for trade with Russia by settling Soviet-era debt
rt.com | 2020-02-26
Islamabad has repaid Moscow the $93.5 million (Rs 1,442 billion) debt pending since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The issue was a major hurdle in boosting the country's trade ties with Russia. | The trade dispute resolution will pave the way for billions of dollars in Russian investments in Pakistan, said the country's official. | Also on rt.com | | Russia looks to invest in Pakistan in a big way | Under the agreement, the Pakistani government was bound to return $93.5 million to Russia within 90 days of the signing and clear pending Rus…
rt.com/business/481716-pakistan-russia-debt-trade/
Making America Unsafe Again
John Feffer | zcomm.org | 2020-02-26
Whether it's Russian hackers, deadly viruses, or unscrupulous investors, the Trump administration has made it much easier for some foreign agents to destabilize the United States…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/making-america-unsafe-again/
'Tigers' and 'wolves' duke it out in court: Russian armored car maker sues biker association leader over trademark
rt.com | 2020-02-26
AMZ, the defense contractor that makes the Tigr, Russia's only modern armored car, can't call their latest project 'Wolf' because Russia's largest biker club, the 'Night Wolves' owns the trademark. So AMZ is taking them to court. | Arzamas Machine-building Plant (AMZ) wants to call their latest armored car 'Wolf,' but they've hit a surprising road bump: the 'Night Wolves' have had the trademark for the word since 2000. Their leader, Aleksandr 'Surgeon' Zaldostanov, has personally owned it for 13 years now. So now, the Russian manufacturer has taken 'Surgeon' to intellectual property court, claiming he isn't us…
rt.com/russia/481656-amz-russian-armored-car/
Anti-Russian Xenophobia Reaches Ridiculous Levels
Jeremy Kuzmarov | counterpunch.org | 2020-02-26
Following his resounding defeat in Nevada in the Democratic Party Caucus, Joe Biden blamed the Russians, telling CBS News that the "Russians don't want me to be the nominee, they like Bernie." The intelligence communities a few days earlier accused Russia of favoring Bernie Sanders and Donald J. Trump. Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic Party…
counterpunch.org/2020/02/26/anti-russian-xenophobia-reaches-ridiculous-levels/
Germany: Left Party embraces Christian Democrats in Thuringia
wsws.org | 2020-02-26
Amid massive opposition to neo-Nazis and right-wingers, the Left Party is actively seeking to forge an all-party alliance and work more closely with the Christian Democratic Union.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/26/thur-f26.html
Many unanswered questions following attack on carnival procession in Germany
wsws.org | 2020-02-26
More than 24 hours after a man drove his car into a carnival procession in the small town of Volkmarsen, the investigators are conducting themselves with unusual restraint.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/26/volk-f26.html
Pakistan PM Khan calls on world to stop 'Nazi-inspired ideology' in India amid Kashmir & Citizenship Act unrest
rt.com | 2020-02-26
India has embraced racist beliefs tantamount to the views espoused by Nazi Germany, and the world must take action to stop the country's Muslim minority from being 'targeted,' Pakistan's Imran Khan has argued. | The Pakistani prime minister made the comments while tweeting about ongoing violence in Delhi between supporters and opponents of India's new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The unrest has caused the deaths of at least 20 people as of Wednesday. | "Today in India we are seeing the Nazi-inspired RSS ideology take over a nuclear-armed state of over a billion people," Khan wrote, referring to the Rashtri…
rt.com/news/481713-khan-india-nazi-pakistan-muslims/
Peace in South Sudan to bolster Turkish investment
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-26
South Sudan's ambassador to Turkey urged Turkish investors to "be among the first" to invest in his country, even as a new transitional government takes shape under a landmark peace deal.Last Friday, South Sudan President Salva Kiir appointed rebel leader Riek Machar vice president after they agreed to form a long-delayed unity government
Turkey condemns Khojaly massacre on 28th anniversary
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-26
Turkey condemned on Wednesday the Khojaly massacre that saw killings of hundreds of Azerbaijani citizens at the hands of Armenian forces, marking the event's 28th anniversary.As many as 613 innocent Azerbaijani citizens including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elders were indiscriminately killed, with hundreds more wounded by Armenian troops in their attack in Khojaly town in Azerbaijan's Upper Karabakh region on Feb. 26, 1992."As a result of the occupation of the Azerbaijani territories including this inhuman aggression against civilians, more than a million Azerbaijanis displaced in their motherland have become…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-condemns-khojaly-massacre-on-28th-anniversary-3512822
Coronavirus: Turkey warns against travel to Iraq, Italy
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-26
With cases of coronavirus rising worldwide, Turkey has advised its citizens against traveling to Iraq and Italy unless absolutely necessary.In two separate statements, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Wednesday it "strongly advised" the public not to visit infected areas in Iraq and Italy.Ankara has already suspended rail and air services to Iran, where the outbreak has claimed 19 lives so far. Border crossings between the two countries also remain closed. While Iraq has diagnosed five cases as yet, some 322 cases have been reported in Italy with at least 11 deaths thus far, according to its Health Ministry.In C…
yenisafak.com/en/life/coronavirus-turkey-warns-against-travel-to-iraq-italy-3512831
'Pakistan to be playmaker with Turkey's ship project'
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-26
A Turkish official praised Tuesday an agreement between Pakistan and Turkey on the sales of four corvettes to Pakistan as part of Turkey's National Ship (MILGEM) project."Pakistan's possession of four MILGEM corvettes will change the balance in the region and will carry the country to the position of a playmaker," Esad Akgun, director general of Military Factory and Shipyard Management Inc. (ASFAT), a company operating under Turkey's Defense Ministry, told Anadolu Agency."It is very important for us to have Pakistan in this position as we do not see the Pakistani army separate from our own army," Akgun said.Akgun…
yenisafak.com/en/world/pakistan-to-be-playmaker-with-turkeys-ship-project-3512826
Italian Iveco buses to be manufactured in Turkey
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-26
Turkey's leading bus manufacturer Otokar has signed a production agreement with Italian Iveco Bus, the company announced on Wednesday.In a statement, Otokar said it will locally manufacture products under the Iveco Bus brand at its facilities in the northwestern province of Sakarya."This contractual partnership covers existing models in the Iveco Bus portfolio for international distribution, as well as the production of a model specifically catering to markets in Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia," the statement said.Serdar Gorguc, Otokar's general manager, said he hoped the agreement would lead to…
yenisafak.com/en/economy/italian-iveco-buses-to-be-manufactured-in-turkey-3512821
EU states urge Russia, Syrian regime to stop Idlib attacks
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-26
More than a dozen of EU member states urged Russia and the Syrian regime on Wednesday to stop military attacks in the Idlib de-escalation zone, and recommit themselves to a 2018 cease-fire agreement.Foreign ministers from 14 EU member states wrote a joint op-ed for German news portal t-online.de and warned of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe in northwestern Syria."We call on the Syrian regime and its supporters to end this military offensive and to comply with the cease-fire agreed in autumn 2018," the ministers said, amid ongoing airstrikes and shelling that claimed more than 1,800 lives since the cease-fire…
yenisafak.com/en/world/eu-states-urge-russia-syrian-regime-to-stop-idlib-attacks-3512819
German top court overturns ban on organised assisted suicide
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-26
Germany's law that bans organised assisted suicide breaches the constitution, the country's top court ruled on Wednesday, a landmark decision in favour of groups that help people die when they choose, and doctors.The plaintiffs wanted to overturn a law that has since 2015 outlawed assisted suicide undertaken by organisations or doctors who accepted a fee for their help.
yenisafak.com/en/world/german-top-court-overturns-ban-on-organised-assisted-suicide-3512818
Greece confirms first coronavirus case
yenisafak.com | 2020-02-26
Greece has confirmed its first coronavirus case, the health ministry said on Wednesday.The patient was a 38-year-old Greek woman who had travelled from an area of northern Italy, said Sotiris Tsiodras, a representative of the Ministry of Health.
yenisafak.com/en/life/greece-confirms-first-coronavirus-case-3512824
Erdogan Vows Turkey Will Not Take Step Back in Syria's Idlib
sputniknews.com | 2020-02-26
Turkey has repeatedly accused the Syrian Army of attacking its forces in the Idlib outposts over the last few months as well as violating the Sochi agreements that established the demilitarised zone in the Syrian province.
sputniknews.com/middleeast/202002261078408003-erdogan-vows-turkey-will-not-take-step-back-in-syrias-idlib/
France Reports First Death From Coronavirus
sputniknews.com | 2020-02-26
As the coronavirus is continuing to spread through European countries, Reuters reported earlier in the day that the total number of confirmed cases in France stands at 17.
sputniknews.com/europe/202002261078408012-france-reports-first-death-from-coronavirus/
Greece Reportedly Registers Its First Coronavirus Case
sputniknews.com | 2020-02-26
Earlier in the day, the French health authorities reported the first fatal case from coronavirus after a 60-year-old Frenchman died at the Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital in Paris overnight.
sputniknews.com/europe/202002261078408752–greece-reportedly-registers-its-first-coronavirus-case/
Hundreds of Dead Dolphins Wash Up on French Beaches – Reports
sputniknews.com | 2020-02-26
Earlier this year, French authorities issued a regulation stipulating the use of "pingers", special devices that emit acoustic signals, on some fishing trawlers in a move to protect dolphins.
sputniknews.com/europe/202002261078409220-hundreds-of-dead-dolphins-wash-up-on-french-beaches—reports/
President Donald Trump Is Furious About Stock Markets Crashing Due to Coronavirus Fears – Report
sputniknews.com | 2020-02-26
The development comes as the virus continues to spread across the world with cases now being reported in Croatia, Switzerland, Austria, and Brazil. Officials from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have warned that it is not a question of if, but when the infectious disease will spread in the United States.
sputniknews.com/business/202002261078408217-president-donald-trump-is-furious-about-stock-markets-crashing-due-to-coronavirus-fears—report/
The Russiagate Racket targets the Bernie Sanders surge
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-02-25
With a familiar playbook of evidence-free, anonymously sourced red-baiting, the forces behind Russiagate try to stop Bernie Sanders' primary success….
thegrayzone.com/2020/02/24/the-russiagate-racket-targets-the-bernie-sanders-surge/
The Failed Russiagate Playbook Can't Stop Bernie Sanders
Aaron Maté | thenation.com | 2020-02-25
The Failed Russiagate Playbook Can't Stop Bernie Sanders…
thenation.com/article/politics/bernie-sanders-russiagate/
Libya's US Base Request Reveals How Desperate the Turkish-Backed Government Has Become
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-25
Libya's recent request for the US to open up a base in the North African country under the pretext of supposedly fighting terrorism, countering organized crime, and "containing" Russia reveals just how desperate the Turkish-backed government has become since it …
globalresearch.ca/libya-us-base-request-reveals-desperate-turkish-backed-government/5704697
Intelligence Officials Sow Discord by Stoking Fear of Russian Election Meddling
Dave DeCamp | globalresearch.ca | 2020-02-25
Another presidential election year is upon us, and the intelligence agencies are hard at work stoking fears of Russian meddling. This time it looks like the Russians do not only like the incumbent president but also favor who appears to …
globalresearch.ca/intelligence-officials-sow-discord-stoking-fear-russian-election-meddling/5704641
Trump says Russian interference 'highly exaggerated', blames Adam Schiff for leaking report
rt.com | 2020-02-25
President Donald Trump has called reports that Russia is interfering with the 2020 election "highly exaggerated," and blamed the rumor on House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff. | The specter of 'Russian interference' raised its head again last week, when the Washington Post ran an article claiming the Kremlin is interfering in the upcoming presidential election on behalf of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, with the ultimate goal of getting Trump re-elected. The story provided no specifics on what form the supposed interference took, but claimed that Sanders and Trump had both been briefed on the thr…
rt.com/usa/481645-trump-schiff-sanders-russia/
We need to give voice to 'We the Peoples', says UN chief
news.un.org | 2020-02-25
For an Organization that is seen as all too ready to give advice, the United Nations welcomed a major role reversal on Tuesday: young people from all over the world were gathered in Switzerland to voice their concerns, outline their vision for a better future, and give Secretary-General António Guterres their advice on steering the world body through todays' turbulent waters.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/02/1058061
Cuba Claims for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-25
Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Tuesday asked the international community to work in favor of complete nuclear disarmament at the 43rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã | RELATED: | US Deploys Dangerous Nuclear Weapon for First Time Ever | "The international community cannot remain silent in the…
telesurenglish.net/news/cuba-claims-for-a-world-free-of-nuclear-weapons-20200225-0002.html
Germany: 52 Injured After Car Drives Into Carnival Parade
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-25
A Mercedes Benz Monday intentionally plowed into the crowd attending Carnival in Volkmarsen town, Germany, and injured at least 52 people, 18 of whom were minors. | RELATED: | 'Racism Is Poison', Angela Merkel's Statement on Hanau Shooting | The driver, a 29-year-old German, was injured and therefore has not been questioned so far. However, it is known that he has a police record for crimes related to public order alteration. | The Police do not rule out that the incident was an i…
telesurenglish.net/news/Germany-52-Injured-After-Car-Drives-Into-Carnival-Parade-20200225-0001.html
Brazil: First Possible Case Of COVID-19, More Tests Needed
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-25
Brazilian health authorities reported on Tuesday the possible detection of what could be the first case of coronavirus in the country. However, they clarified that a new test has yet to happen for definitive confirmation. | RELATED: | 1st Vaccine Batch Against Coronavirus Shipped to Clinical Study | The patient, according to official sources, is a 61-year-old Brazilian man recently returned | from Lombardy, northern Italy, where to date, 11 deaths have occurred, and nearly 320…
telesurenglish.net/news/brazil-possible-first-case-of-covid-19-more-tests-to-be-run-20200225-0020.html
Hundreds More Infected of Covid-19 in Italy and South Korea
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-25
South Korea confirmed 144 more cases of Covid-19 Tuesday and the number of deaths to 10 as both the Asian country and Italy now with 322 top the charts of infected cases outside of China. | RELATED: | Iran's Deputy Minister of Health Is Infected With Covid-19 | The number of infected patients rose to 977, after 144 more cases were reported after one day. The Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) has been updating the data twice a day at 10: 00 a.m. and 5: 00 p.m. loc…
telesurenglish.net/news/hundreds-infected-in-italy-and-s-korea-after-covid-19-outbreak-20200225-0012.html
1st Vaccine Batch Against Coronavirus Shipped to Clinical Study
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-25
U.S. biotech company Moderna announced on Monday that it has shipped its first batch of novel coronavirus vaccine to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for further research. | RELATED: | Hundreds More Infected of Covid-19 in Italy and South Korea | Vials of mRNA-1273 have been shipped to the NIAID to be used by government researchers in what is known as a Phase 1 Study at the National Institutes of Health,…
telesurenglish.net/news/1st-Vaccine-Batch-Against-Coronavirus-Shipped-to-Clinical-Study-20200225-0014.html
UK warned it faces 'tough road ahead' as red lines drawn ahead of trade talks
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-02-25
Britain has been warned it faces a "tough road ahead" in post-Brexit trade talks as European ministers gather in Brussels to prepare to sign off on their red lines. | The EU General Affairs Council is meeting to approve the bloc's mandate for negotiations with the UK
Brexit: EU Approves Negotiation of Its Future Relations With UK
telesurenglish.net | 2020-02-25
European Union's Foreign Ministers Tuesday definitively approved the mandate to negotiate the future relationship of its economic bloc with the United Kingdom after Brexit, which means that the talks could begin in March. | RELATED: | Brexit Day Has Come: The United Kingdom Quits European Union | The mandate for the European Commission (EC) to negotiate with…
telesurenglish.net/news/brexit-eu-approves-negotiation-of-future-Its-relations-with-uk-20200225-0004.html
How a Subtle Turkey-Iran Entente is Helping Iran Secure a Firm Presence in Syria
Agha Hussain | mintpressnews.com | 2020-02-24
In the last of a three-part series, Agha Hussein investigates how cooperation with Turkey is helping Iran resist pressure to leave Syria.
mintpressnews.com/subtle-turkey-iran-entente-secure-presence-syria/265138/
At least they'll have an off switch: Pentagon adopts 'AI Ethical Principles' for its killer robots
rt.com | 2020-02-24
As the United States looks to develop artificial intelligence weapons to keep up with Russia and China, the Pentagon has adopted a set of guidelines that it says will keep its killer androids under human control. | The Department of Defense adopted a set of "Ethical Principles for Artificial Intelligence" on Monday, following the recommendations by the Defense Innovation Board last October. | "AI technology will change much about the battlefield of the future, but nothing will change America's steadfast commitment to responsible and lawful behavior," Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement. | Also on…
rt.com/usa/481586-pentagon-ai-robots-ethics/
2021 Pentagon Budget Request Hints at Russia and China as the New Focus of US Empire
Darius Shahtahmasebi | mintpressnews.com | 2020-02-24
As the disastrous US wars in the Middle East begin to wind down, the Pentagon is shifting its strategy, budget and arsenal to focus on a confrontation with Russia and China, writes Darius Shahtahmasebi.
mintpressnews.com/2021-pentagon-budget-request-russia-china/265124/
Russiagate 3.0 drowns out Trump's reckless escalation of US-Russia nuclear arms race
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-02-23
Amid new fear-mongering about "Russian interference," former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter on Trump's overlooked, reckless escalation of the US-Russia…
thegrayzone.com/2020/02/23/russiagate-2-0-drowns-out-trumps-reckless-escalation-of-us-russia-nuclear-arms-race/
How Bernie Sanders Will Destroy the Deep State if He Becomes President
Eric Zuesse | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-22
Joe Lauria at Consortium News headlined on February 21st, "Apparent US Intel Meddling in US Election With 'Report' Russia is Aiding Sanders", and he noted that, If the story is true and if intelligence agencies are truly committed to protecting U.S. citizens, the Sanders campaign would have been quietly informed and shown evidence to back …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/how-bernie-sanders-will-destroy-the-deep-state-if-he-becomes-president/
Germany: Lenin comes to Gelsenkirchen!
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-02-22
On March 14, the Russian revolutionary, Marxist working-class theorist and leader of the October Revolution of 1917 will come to Gelsenkirchen, Germany. 150 years after his birthday he will move permanently into Gelsenkirchen-Horst – in the form of an over two meter tall, artfully shaped cast-iron statue in front of the Horster Mitte, the federal headquarters of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany (MLPD). | "This will also be the start of a nationwide movement 'Don't give anti-communism a chance,'" says Gabi Fechtner, the chairwoman of the MLPD. "In times where monuments of the great communist th…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/2/22/germany-lenin-comes-gelsenkirchen
Turkey, US protect Al Qaeda in Idlib and worsen Syria's suffering
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2020-02-21
Why is Turkey, with US backing, protecting Al-Qaeda's largest affiliate in Idlib, Syria? Idlib is facing a humanitarian disaster as…
thegrayzone.com/2020/02/21/turkey-us-protect-al-qaeda-in-idlib-and-worsen-syrias-suffering/
Labour's Next Leader has Already betrayed the Left
Jonathan Cook | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-02-21
In recent years the British Labour party has grown rapidly to become one of the largest political movement in Europe, numbering more than half a million members, many of them young people who had previously turned their backs on national politics. The reason was simple: a new leader, Jeremy Corbyn, had shown that it was …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/02/labours-next-leader-has-already-betrayed-the-left/
Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive
Jason Ditz | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-20
Russia called the situation a "worst case scenario."
Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive
More than $1 billion pledged for post-earthquake recovery in Albania
news.un.org | 2020-02-20
The international community has pledged $1.25 billion to help Albania recover from a devastating earthquake during a European Union-led donors' conference in Brussels.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/02/1057801
SPLC Statement on the Far-Right Shooting in Hanau, Germany
splcenter.org | 2020-02-20
splcenter.org/news/2020/02/20/splc-statement-far-right-shooting-hanau-germany
Forget Brexit, Rebellion is the Verb!
Antonio Carty | zcomm.org | 2020-02-19
While I essentially agree with Patrick Cockburn's article in the Independent "Sinn Fein's Election Victory is Ireland's Brexit Moment". I would like to make a distinction against its use of Brexit as a new verb for political upset and rebellion. Rebellion is a perfectly clear and uncontaminated verb! As Patrick points out, Ireland's surprise surge Read…
zcomm.org/zblogs/forget-brexit-rebelion-is-the-verb/