(2020-02-08). Massive brawl involving hundreds of locals kills 8, turns southern Kazakhstan village into warzone (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com 
Dozens of homes were set ablaze and at least 8 people were killed as almost 400 villagers clashed with police and each other in southern Kazakhstan, prompting authorities to send in reinforcements and install roadblocks. | A massive brawl broke out on Friday in the outskirts of Masanchi, a settlement close to the Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan border. The initial call to local police reported 70 people taking part in skirmishes, and several patrols were dispatched to the location. Some "provocateurs" were filming the brawl as it unfolded, spreading the videos via messaging apps, Kazakhstan's Interior Minister Yerlan Tu…
(2020-02-08). Ancient carvings of scores of animals unearthed in Spanish cave (PHOTOS, VIDEOS). rt.com 
In a discovery that local media have dubbed the 'Catalan Altamira', an extraordinary trove of 15,000-year-old carvings, depicting dozens of animals, has been found in a cave in northeast Spain's Tarragona region. | Around 100 carvings of animals including horses, oxen and deer, as well as mysterious abstract symbols, were found in a cave in the village of L'Espluga de Francolí. | | © Generalitat de Catalunya | The ancient artworks were revealed on Friday after being discovered in the wake of floods last October. The engravings are extremely delicate, with archaeologists warning that even the slig…
(2020-02-08). Irish election exit polls show three main parties are neck and neck. rt.com 
Polls have closed in Ireland's general election and with no party securing enough seats to lead a government, confusion abounds as voters wait to see which parties will agree to do business with each other to form a coalition. | An Ipsos MRBI exit poll published by Ireland's state broadcaster RTE at 10pm shows FF, SF and FG in close tie with just around 22 per cent of the vote. | A Sinn Fein surge in the run up to election day looks to have translated into votes at the ballot box, potentially allowing party leader Mary Lou McDonald to head into post-election discussions with some serious clout — and poss…
(2020-02-08). NATO's 'hysteria' over Russia stalking their satellites is only to get more money — MPs. rt.com 
Claims that Russia is using its spacecraft to spy on NATO satellites have no real backing and are used to justify funding requests as the US and its allies are militarizing space, Russian MPs said. | Earlier this week, French General Andre Lanata, who is NATO's supreme allied commander transformation, sounded the alarm over a recently-launched Russian satellite synchronizing its orbit with an American surveillance spacecraft. | "It is a threat to our allies," Lanata told the Washington Examiner. "It's a key question. We need to be sure that we give to our forces this space asset support." | The commander went…
(2020-02-08). The 2019 China Wuhan Coronavirus & (BSL-4) Biotech Warfare Labs with Dr. Francis Boyle. indybay.org Dr. Frances Boyle talks about the Wuhan Coronavirus and how in his view it is a genetically engineered bioweapon that was accidentally released from the Wuhan Biosafety (BSL-4) laboratory.
(2020-02-08). Iraq and Russia Prepare to Boost Military Ties as US Threatens Sanctions. theantimedia.com Iraq and Russia are preparing for deepening military coordination.
(2020-02-08). Thuringia, Germany: Minister president elected with votes of far-right AfD announces resignation. wsws.org Twenty-four hours after being elected with the support of the far-right AfD, CDU and FDP as minister president of the state of Thuringia, Free Democrat politician Thomas Kemmerich announced his resignation.
(2020-02-08). German ruling class commemorates liberation of Auschwitz by planning new wars and new crimes. wsws.org Just one week after official ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, federal parliament President Wolfgang Schà§uble has called for Germany to once again take up the "burden" of fighting wars abroad.
(2020-02-08). Finland to significantly increase parental leave. nationofchange.org "The model guarantees the child a place at the center of family benefits and promotes well-being and gender equality."
(2020-02-08). Democrats impeach Trump for Withholding Arms to Neo-Nazis in Ukraine. dissidentvoice.org On December 18th, Donald Trump became the third U.S. president in history to be impeached by the House of Representatives. The second to be indicted before completing a first term, the 45th commander-in-chief must now survive a Senate trial before seeking reelection later this year. As many nonpartisan analysts predicted, the charges appear to have …
(2020-02-08). Polish judiciary changes are a 'destruction': EU commissioner. yenisafak.com Poland's overhaul of its judiciary constitutes "destruction" not reform, EU Values and Transparency Commissioner Vera Jourova said in an interview published on Saturday, amid growing concern that Poland's nationalists are seeking to muzzle judges.Since coming to power in 2015, Poland's eurosceptic, nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party has introduced a series of judicial reforms that EU officials and democracy activists say may breach the bloc's standards on the rule of law.Its most recent reforms aim to discipline judges who question court appointments under new rules, introducing measures that critics say are…
(2020-02-08). Srebrenica genocide victims' belongings to be shown as lesson. yenisafak.com Personal belongings of the victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, where over 8,300 Muslims were killed by Serbian forces, are set to go on permanent display, conveying the brutality of the massacre to future generations.The items are set to be showcased at a museum within the Potocari Memorial Cemetery in the city of Srebrenica, in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, said Azir Osmanovic, the museum's curator.The museum will spotlight items found during excavations of mass graves as well as personal items donated by the victims' relatives. It aims to show the reality of genocide, so it is not forgotten, as a lesson…
(2020-02-08). Credit Suisse chairman expects to see out term after spy scandal. yenisafak.com Credit Suisse Chairman Urs Rohner does not expect to be voted out of office before his term ends after this week's departure of Chief Executive Tidjane Thiam over a spying scandal."I am not afraid of being voted out of office," Rohner was quoted as saying by newspaper Schweiz am Wochenende on Saturday, adding that the supervisory board had acted unanimously in deciding with Thiam that he should step down.Rohner also said he had received "clear responses" from shareholders supporting the decision.Credit Suisse, which is Switzerland's second-largest bank and among the biggest in Europe's largest, hopes Thiam's exit…
(2020-02-08). Spain's poverty rate 'appallingly high': UN expert. yenisafak.com Although Spain has made a steady recovery from the 2007 economic recession, poverty rates in the country are appallingly high, a UN expert said on Friday."26.1 percent of people in Spain, and 29.5 percent of children, were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2018, among the highest rates in Europe," Philip Alston, UN's special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said in a statement after concluding a 12-day fact-finding visit to the country."The self-image of a close family-based society rooted in deeply shared values and social solidarity has been badly fractured by an economic crisis and the i…
(2020-02-08). OneWeb launches 34 satellites from Kazakh cosmodrome in global internet push. yenisafak.com The UK firm OneWeb launched 34 satellites from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan early on Friday as part of its effort to provide global high-speed internet access using satellite communications by 2021.The Russian Soyuz rocket left Baikonur at 0242 local time (2142 GMT on Thursday), the second OneWeb launch out of 21 planned. OneWeb launched six satellites from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, in February 2019.Several companies are competing in the race to provide internet access using satellites, with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos among the business leaders posing challenges to the British start-up.
(2020-02-08). France to close two schools near ski resort after coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com Eleven Britons, including the five who tested positive for the virus, are being examined in local hospitals.The group of 11 includes a nine-year-old child who recently spent time in a school in Contamines – a mountain village of which he was a also resident – as well as in another establishment where he attended French lessons, regional health official Jean-Yves Grall told a televised news conference.There were three children in all among the group of 11, and one has contracted the virus, Grall said. It was not immediately clear whether the nine-year-old in question had tested positive.
(2020-02-08). Five YPG/PKK terrorists surrender to Turkish forces. yenisafak.com Five YPG/PKK terrorists surrendered to Turkish security forces in southeastern Turkey, the country's National Defense Ministry said on Saturday.In a statement, the ministry said that the terrorists fleeing the terror group's shelters in northern Syria came to border posts in Suruc, in the frontier province of Sanliurfa, as well as Nusaybin in Mardin.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK
(2020-02-08). Russia, Turkey Discussed Situation in Syria's Idlib – Turkish Foreign Ministry. sputniknews.com ANKARA (Sputnik) – Russia and Turkey held talks in Ankara, discussing the situation in Syria's Idlib and steps to advance the political process in Syria, a spokesperson for the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
(2020-02-08). A Toast to Success: Russian Politician Hails Trump Over His Impeachment 'Victory'. sputniknews.com Despite being impeached on charges of obstruction of justice and abuse of power, US President Donald Trump was acquitted by the Senate on both counts.
(2020-02-08). Hunter Becomes the Hunted? NATO General Complains About Russia's 'Stalking' of US Spy Satellites. sputniknews.com Last month, a Purdue University graduate student specializing in astrodynamics reported that Russia's Kosmos-2542 satellite had begun shadowing USA-245, an American reconnaissance satellite. Kosmos-2542's mystery mission quickly sparked hysteria among the US media, with some observers suggesting it could be preparing to "attack" its US counterpart.
(2020-02-07). Long-Bailey pledges right to switch off work phones out of hours. thecanary.co 
Labour leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey will pledge to help end the 24/7 work culture by giving employees the right not to be contacted outside working hours.The shadow business secretary will commit on Friday to giving workers the freedom to switch off phones so they do not have to be anxious about receiving emails and calls during leisure time.While her campaign team gave few details, a "right to disconnect" in France obliges organisations with more than 50 workers to define employees' rights to ignore their mobiles.Long-Bailey is among the favourites to replace Corbyn (Stefan Rousseau/PA)Long-Bailey wa…
(2020-02-07). Risk of Nuclear War Rises as U.S. Deploys a New Nuclear Weapon for the First Time Since the Cold War. democracynow.org 
The Federation of American Scientists revealed in late January that the U.S. Navy had deployed for the first time a submarine armed with a low-yield Trident nuclear warhead. The USS Tennessee deployed from Kings Bay Submarine Base in Georgia in late 2019. The W76-2 warhead, which is facing criticism at home and abroad, is estimated to have about a third of the explosive power of the atomic bomb the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) called the news "an alarming development that heightens the risk of nuclear war." We're joined by William Arkin, longtime reporter…
(2020-02-07). Russia and Iran's Clashing Visions for Syria's future. mintpressnews.com 
Rivals of the West in their own right, Iran and Russia today are major power players in the Syrian imbroglio. Their convergence of interests in helping eradicate extremist terrorist proxies utilized by an array of rival states against their mutual Syrian ally has allowed them both a significant degree of say in Syrian affairs and how that country's future will pan out | However, their cooperation against the terrorist threat has often been the pivot of inaccurate portrayals of Russia-Iran ties and the extent of their shared interests versus their many highly divergent objectives in Syria, many of which are rooted…
(2020-02-07). In Thuringia, Germany, a fascist coup. peoplesworld.org 
BERLIN — While millions this week stared at Iowa and Washington with worried amazement, confusion or anger, Germany, too, had its own messy confusion — which turned into a frightening alarm signal! For the very first time, a state government — in Thuringia — was able to achieve rule with the support of the far, …
(2020-02-07). Right-wing Nicaraguan opposition boasts of support from US and EU in campaign to oust Sandinista gov't. thegrayzone.com The US embassy and European Union are meeting with right-wing Nicaraguan opposition leaders and pressuring them to unite against elected…
(2020-02-07). Iowa debacle fueled by anti-Bernie billionaires, Russiagate hucksters, failed DNC elites. thegrayzone.com Max Blumenthal breaks down the shadowy network of billionaires, Democratic elites, and Russiagate profiteers behind the Shadow app that ruined…
(2020-02-07). Italy and the Changing — But Not Waiting — World. globalresearch.ca Recently the French President, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, admitted that NATO should be considered cerebrally dead. Such a statement, although influenced by the search for domestic consent, certainly reflects a deep impatience with European and Atlantic limitations by French intellectuals …
(2020-02-07). World Conquest: The United States' Global Military Crusade (1945- ). globalresearch.ca The first period was characterized by US military intervention in Europe, the second by a concern to confine the Communist bloc and to prevent the emergence of pro-communist regimes elsewhere in the world, and the third, focused on gaining control over the former Soviet republics and the oil-rich Middle East.
(2020-02-07). Neocolonialism and Geopolitical Rivalry in Sri Lanka. globalresearch.ca Sri Lanka's historical narrative has been defined by geopolitical rivalry, external aggression and internal resistance to that aggression. The early historical era experienced successive waves of invasion from South Indian kingdoms. These were followed by European conquest and consecutive rule …
(2020-02-07). Ireland's Sinn Fein has offered citizens a truly just and constructive Manifesto for Ireland's 8th February 2020 Election. zcomm.org On the 14th of January last month Ireland's Taoiseach (Leader) announced a snap election for 8th February 2020. On that day I wrote this Z.Net blog on how I thought about that. Now this new blog hopes you may have first read that, instead of me repeating it to much in this one. (I'm not
(2020-02-07). Syria and Turkey Face War as Syrian Arab Army Poised to Take Idlib. globalresearch.ca Tensions between Damascus and Ankara have never been higher over the past nine years. Turkey's
(2020-02-07). Break-up of Astana Partnership Was Inevitable. The Turkey-Russia Relation in Jeopardy? globalresearch.ca Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered his forces to strike Syrian army positions in retaliation for targeting a Turkish military convoy bound for the Saraqeb in Syria's north-western Idlib province. His forces obeyed on Monday and allegedly struck a …
(2020-02-07). Venezuela: Sergei Lavrov Met National Dialogue Representatives. telesurenglish.net Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Friday met with the "National Dialogue" representatives in Caracas where he stressed that the U.S. sanctions against Venezuela are unacceptable and illegal. | RELATED: | "Unfortunately, the crisis Venezuela is going through comes from a campaign led by the United States to overthrow the legitimate government chaired by President Nicolas Maduro," L…
(2020-02-07). Israeli Attack Endangers Civilian Aircraft in Damascus. telesurenglish.net A civilian aircraft flying from Tehran to Damascus narrowly avoided fire from Syria's air defense systems, which were activated in response to an Israeli missile attack on Friday. | RELATED: | Due to the Israeli strike, the aircraft, an Airbus A320, was unable to land at Damascus Airport and had to divert to Russia's Khmeimim airbase, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. | The surprise attack, which was made by four Isra…
(2020-02-07). Russia Says Israel Used Civilian Plane as Human Shield During Syria Strikes. theantimedia.com Russia accused Israel of "making a total mockery of the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians."
(2020-02-07). Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister to Meet President Maduro. telesurenglish.net Russia's RELATED: | After visiting Cuba and Mexico, Lavrov arrived in Caracas on Thursday ni…
(2020-02-07). Far-right AfD plays role of kingmaker in German state election. wsws.org For the first time since the end of the Third Reich, a state premier was elected on Wednesday with the votes of a far-right, fascist party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD).
(2020-02-07). A Fascist Coup Attempt in Germany. counterpunch.org While millions this week stared at Iowa and Washington with worried amazement, confusion or anger, Germany, too, had its own messy confusion — which turned into a frightening alarm signal! For the very first time, a state government — in Thuringia — was able to achieve rule with the support of the far, far right
(2020-02-07). Call to safeguard movement of patient records during Brexit negotiations. thecanary.co 
The movement of patient health records across the border in Ireland should be safeguarded as part of Brexit negotiations, a policy expert has said.The City of London wants the EU to urgently agree that the UK meets its requirements for data security, to preserve the ease with which people from one side of the border use health services on the other.Catherine McGuinness is policy chair at the UK's main financial district and is visiting Derry and Donegal this weekend.Catherine McGuinness (City of London/PA)She said: "One issue is particularly concerning me and is particularly acute in Northern Ireland, and that is…
(2020-02-07). Record-Breaking Temperature of Nearly 65 ∫F Logged in Antarctica as Scientists Sound Alarm Over Rapid Ice Melt . commondreams.org The Antarctic peninsula was warmer than the United Kingdom when the the temperature was recorded Friday. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/24708106127_9d36958c4c_o_1_1.jpg …
(2020-02-06). Historian: With Impeachment Acquittal, the GOP Has Given Trump a Blank Check to Do Anything He Wants. democracynow.org 
The U.S. Senate has acquitted President Trump of two impeachment charges in just the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history. Trump was accused of abusing power and obstructing Congress to aid his re-election campaign by pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rival Joe Biden. Every Democratic senator voted to remove President Trump from office, but they were joined by just one Republican: Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, who supported impeaching Trump on abuse of power. Romney became the first senator ever to vote against his own party's president in an impeachment trial. President Trump respond…
(2020-02-06). Turkey Gives Assad Deadline to Pull Back or Face Military Action. theantimedia.com Turkey has given the Syrian government until the end of this month to withdraw from recently seized territory in Idlib province.
(2020-02-05). Russians did it! Democratic congresswoman finally says what Russiagaters have all been thinking about Iowa caucus fail. rt.com 
A Texas congresswoman has suggested that Russians were responsible for the problems with the Democratic Party's Iowa caucus app and suggested the party call in the FBI to investigate. How did this take so long? | Rep. Sheila Jackson (D) called on Iowa Democrats to bring the FBI in to investigate Russian involvement in the malfunctioning of the vote-reporting app that threw the first vote of the 2020 election season into disarray. She made the comment during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on FBI oversight on Wednesday, but shrewd observers of Democratic behavior had predicted it almost immediately after th…
(2020-02-05). US Space Force conducts first ICBM launch after Moscow warned of threat of renewed arms race (PHOTOS). rt.com 
The newly-created US Space Force has test-fired a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time as Russia blasted it for "lowering the bar" on using nuclear weapons. | The unarmed land-based missile was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California shortly after midnight on Wednesday. It was the first such development test since the facility became part of the US Space Force, which was established as an independent military branch in late December. The US previously test-fired a missile of this type in October. | The Minuteman missiles are the key component of the US' land-…
(2020-02-05). Don't be confused by Romney jumping ship — impeachment is about sticking to party lines. rt.com 
Impeachment supporters earned two more allies in Senators Mitt Romney and Doug Jones, but this process is about sticking to partisan camps when it comes to Donald Trump, not looking for truth. | Romney is the latest conservative hero to the left as he has announced he will vote to impeach the president on one of the two counts against him, abuse of power. Trump has been accused of attempting quid pro quo with Ukraine by withholding federal aid in exchange for an investigation into Joe Biden. | After an "unbiased look at the evidence," Romney says he has no choice but to follow his "conscience." | Since Romney…
(2020-02-05). 2020: the year for action, to 'rise up' and safeguard ocean life. news.un.org With the ocean in deep crisis, members of civil society and philanthropic organisations are urging governments and corporations to take bold action to safeguard the ocean. After a two-day preparatory meeting in New York ahead of June's UN Ocean Conference in Portugal, activists handed over what they termed "A Blue Call to Action" to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, on Wednesday.
(2020-02-04). HuffPost UK editor works with gov't censorship program while smearing anti-war scholars as tools of Russia. thegrayzone.com HuffPost UK ran yet another hit piece smearing academic critics of the dirty war on Syria as Russian stooges. The…
(2020-02-04). About the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Jan. 31 statement from the Portuguese Communist Party. | The United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union is an event of great importance for the people of the United Kingdom, a fundamental change in the framework of relations between States in the European continent, and the only outcome that guarantees respect for the sovereign will of the British people, expressed in the 2016 referendum. | This important event is inseparable from, and simultaneously an expression of, the contradictions and deep crisis of the European capitalist integration, which…
(2020-02-04). Headlines for February 4, 2020. democracynow.org Delay in Iowa Democratic Primary Results Causes Confusion, Mixed Messages, Final Arguments Made in Impeachment Trial of President Trump Ahead of SOTU, Hong Kong Medical Workers Demand Border Closure as Coronavirus Claims Life of Hong Kong Man, Leaked Audio Shows Iran Knew It Downed Ukraine Jet Despite Early Denials, Syrian and Turkish Forces Escalate Attacks as Turkey Suffers First Losses from Direct Combat, Massachusetts Prisoners Allege Violent Retaliatory Abuse by Guards, Trial Begins For Ex-CIA Software Engineer Accused of "Vault 7" Leak, Weinstein Rape Accuser Breaks Down During Harsh Questioning, Shooting a…
(2020-02-04). Ocean Conference has potential to be a 'global game-changer'. news.un.org The second global Ocean Conference taking place in Portugal in a few months' time promises to be "a critical moment" for the health of life under water and on land, the President of the UN General Assembly said on Tuesday, as preparations got underway.