(2020-02-20). Making money by 'preventing apocalypse': Russian police raids cult that 'made millions' selling 'divine protection'. rt.com 
St. Petersburg police searched the apartment-turned-"temple" and stables of "Order of the Path," a family-run cult that claimed to be fighting against "black mages" in the gov't and sold "divine protection" for $300,000 a pop. | Earlier this week, St. Petersburg police SWAT teams raided the mysterious "Order of the Path," a cult run by psychologist-turned-"magister" Gayva Tihomirova, and arrested the leader, 78.ru reports. The raids targeted the main "temple" of the organization, which was converted from a two-bedroom apartment, their offices, and the stables outside the city where, the shady Order held their…
(2020-02-20). WATCH heart-clenching video from INSIDE CRASHING PLANE in Russia. rt.com 
Passengers of a small plane who were filming their takeoff from an airfield in Magadan were horrified when they realized their aircraft wouldn't make it. It crashed instead but, luckily, no lives were lost in the incident. | The video, purportedly shot from inside an Antonov An-2 plane, which crashed on Thursday in northern Russia, shows the aircraft trying to climb just after takeoff. Its speed seems slow and, at one moment, it virtually stops in the air, loses all lift and starts falling as a horrified groan is heard from passengers. | The plane was about 10 meters in the air when the incident happened. A…
(2020-02-20). 'Asking for trouble?' VIDEO shows American APC pushing Russian army jeep off road in Syria. rt.com 
Footage from Syria purports to show a US armored personnel carrier pushing a Russian military jeep off the road; relations between Moscow and Washington remain tense. | A video, posted on social media on Wednesday, shows what appears to be a Russian military convoy moving alongside an American one. At one point, a Russian Tigr heavy jeep tries to overtake an Oshkosh M-ATV armored vehicle with a US flag on its roof. The M-ATV responds by maneuvering to the right, pushing the Tigr further away from the road. | Narrowly evading collision and nearly hitting a pedestrian in the process, both vehicles stop, and o…
(2020-02-20). German police raid Hanau shooting suspect's home, discover him 'dead with another body nearby'. rt.com 
The suspect behind a shooting rampage that killed nine people in Germany has been found dead in his home, along with the body of his 72-year-old mother, according to Hesse Interior Minister Peter Beuth. | The alleged gunman, a 43-year-old German man, was found dead alongside his mother, both with gunshot wounds early on Thursday following a pair of shooting sprees at two hookah lounges in the city of Hanau the prior evening, which also left five people seriously injured. | "Initial results suggest a xenophobic motive," Interior Minister Peter Beuth told the German parliament following a moment of silence in co…
(2020-02-20). 'Many indications' Hanau gunman was motivated by right-wing, racist views — Merkel. rt.com 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said there are multiple signs that the suspected gunman who killed nine people at two hookah bars in Hanau acted out of right-wing extremist motives and racism. | Nine people were killed and several others seriously injured in the attack, which started at one hookah bar at around 10pm local time on Wednesday, before the gunman drove to a second and continued shooting. | Also on rt.com | | "There are many indications at the moment that t…
(2020-02-20). Far-right terror probe after nine killed in shootings in Germany. thecanary.co 
A German man has shot and killed nine people at several locations in a Frankfurt suburb in attacks that appear to have been motivated by far-right beliefs, officials said.The gunman first attacked a hookah bar in central Hanau at about 10pm on 19 February, killing several people, before heading about 1.5 miles west and opening fire again, claiming more victims.Hookah lounges are places where people gather to smoke flavoured tobacco from Middle Eastern water pipes.Witnesses and surveillance videos of the suspect's getaway car led authorities to his home, near the scene of the second attack, where he was found dead…
(2020-02-20). Turkey's guarantees in Libya depend on durable ceasefire — FM Cavusoglu. rt.com 
Turkey's guarantees in Libya are dependent on a truce between warring sides being upheld, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday. He added that Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar "was violating" the ceasefire, Reuters reports. | Cavusoglu told state broadcaster TRT Haber that the "international system" had failed to stop clashes in Libya and that there was no determination. He said a political process in Libya could not move forward while Haftar's attacks continue. | Ankara backs Libya's internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) and has signed a military cooperation agreem…
(2020-02-20). Pardoning Julian Assange: Donald Trump, WikiLeaks and the DNC. globalresearch.ca The central pillar to Democratic paranoia and vengefulness regarding the loss of Hillary Clinton in 2016 was the link between Russian hacking, the servers of the Democratic National Committee and the release of emails via WikiLeaks. Over time, that account …
(2020-02-20). Pardoning Julian Assange: Trump, WikiLeaks and the DNC. counterpunch.org The central pillar to Democratic paranoia and vengefulness regarding the loss of Hillary Clinton in 2016 was the link between Russian hacking, the servers of the Democratic National Committee and the release of emails via WikiLeaks. Over time, that account has become a matter of hagiography, an article of faith, with grave conclusions: WikiLeaks and
(2020-02-20). US slaps sanctions on Russian oil company trading with Venezuela. wsws.org The unilateral sanctions are aimed at tightening the US blockade of Venezuela's crisis-ridden economy.
(2020-02-20). Russia Is A Progressive Democracy, America Is A Fascist Plutocracy. indybay.org Too bad I have to live in this hell with all the money going for defective military junk, Billionaires running for Dictator, poop and needles are all over the sidewalks, empty store shelves are coming due to covid-19 in the country that makes all our necessities, etc, and so on.
(2020-02-20). Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams covers for the billionaire Bloomberg. wsws.org Abrams said Bloomberg's spending hundreds of millions of dollars to buy the Democratic nomination is like a candidate "using their dog" to get support.
(2020-02-20). Germany: Left Party proposes a Christian Democrat as state premier in Thuringia. wsws.org The Left Party is forging an alliance of all establishment parties in order to strengthen the state apparatus and implement a policy of blatant social inequality.
(2020-02-20). 20,000 flee Kazakhstan after inter-ethnic violence claims 11 lives. wsws.org The inter-ethnic violence affected predominantly Dungan villages in the southeast of Kazakhstan.
(2020-02-20). WikiLeaks Confirms an "Offer" Was Made to Julian Assange Prior to His Indictment. sputniknews.com In 2017 The Wall Street Journal reported that California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher proposed to reach out to Julian Assange on behalf of US President Donald Trump to offer a pardon to the WikiLeaks publisher, if he could prove Russia wasn't involved in the DNC Leaks.
(2020-02-20). Protests Sweep Over Paris as National Assembly Sets to Debate Pension Plan – Video. sputniknews.com France has been mired in protests against pension reforms since December. The French public opposes a plan that envisages the replacement of 42 different pension schemes with a universal, points-based system.
(2020-02-20). France Pushes EU Partners For Tougher Stance on Britain, Causes Delay in Negotiations — Report. sputniknews.com On Monday, Boris Johnson's chief trade negotiator David Frost openly reiterated his boss' position that a post-Brexit UK would not stick to EU rules and rejects Brussels so-called "level playing field" approach. Of all the other remaining European Union member states, France seemed to be the least happy about this stance.
(2020-02-20). UK to Evacuate Citizens From Virus-Hit Diamond Princess on Friday. sputniknews.com LONDON (Sputnik) – UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab confirmed on Thursday that over 70 citizens stranded on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan would be evacuated back to the United Kingdom on Friday.
(2020-02-20). France, Germany sign contract to develop fighter jet prototype. yenisafak.com France and Germany signed a 150 million euro ($161.84 million) deal on Thursday to develop a prototype of a next generation fighter jet.Dassault Aviation
(2020-02-20). Turkey says European states should unite against xenophobia. yenisafak.com European countries must stand together in firm opposition to xenophobia and racism, Turkey urged Thursday following a right-wing terror attack in Germany that killed nine people, including five Turkish nationals."It is now time for all European countries to unite against racism and xenophobia and speak with one voice," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement."The heinous attack last night in Hanau, Germany is a grave new manifestation of rising racism and hostility to Islam," it added.Such racist attacks should not be considered as mere individual incidents, said the ministry, adding that the insensitivity shown…
(2020-02-20). Netherlands returns 18th century crown to Ethiopia. yenisafak.com The Netherlands has returned a presumably stolen ceremonial crown from the 18th century to Ethiopia on Thursday.Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed received the artifact from Sigrid Kaag, the Dutch minister for foreign trade and development cooperation."The Netherlands did the right thing by returning the relic to the rightful owner
(2020-02-20). Turkey has close eye on Germany after racist attack, says President Erdogan. yenisafak.com Turkey is keeping a close eye on developments in the wake of Wednesday's far-right terror attack in Germany, which killed nine people, including five Turkish nationals, said the country's president."Turkey, and especially the Turkish Embassy in Berlin, is carefully monitoring the process" following the deadly attack, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, at a ceremony inaugurating the new Presidential Library in the capital Ankara.Erdogan added that Turkey expects German authorities to do whatever is necessary to throw light on all aspects of the terror attack.In the wake of previous racist attacks, Turkey has c…
(2020-02-20). The climate crisis and the need for peace. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-02-19). Could the Latest Outburst of Ankara's Temper lead to Escalation in Syria? dissidentvoice.org 
So far Turkey, militarily the second mightiest NATO country, has been able to get away with virtually anything it has chosen to brew in the Middle East. The reason why is simple: to confront Turkey's bullying and expansionism militarily would be like confronting the United States or Israel; thousands of innocent people would die as …
(2020-02-19). More Than 50 Migrants Missing off Canary Islands. telesurenglish.net Spain's maritime rescue service (Salvamento Maritimo) said Wednesday it was searching for 53 people in two boats missed for at least two days between the port of Dakhla on the Western Sahara coast and the Spanish Canary Islands. | RELATED: | Authorities had begun Monday searching for five missing boats after several alerts. Following rescue operations by both Morocco and Spain, Salvamento Maritimo announced the searc…
(2020-02-19). Spanish Parliament Rejects Juan Guaido as Venezuelan President. telesurenglish.net The National Executive in Spain rejected a motion to acknowledge Juan Guaido as the leader of Venezuela on Tuesday. The legal request faced the opposition of 190 parliamentary officials. | RELATED: | The left-wing parties, such as Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) and Unidas Podemos, expressed their rejection of the motion, arguing that political parties like VOX, Ciudadanos, Foro Asturias and Navarra Suma, are usi…
(2020-02-19). US Sanctions On Rosneft Won't Affect Relations With Venezuela. telesurenglish.net Russia reiterated Wednesday that United States' sanctions against Rosneft Trading, S.A and its President Didier Casimiro are illegal from the point of international law and will not affect relations with Venezuela, the state news agency reported. | RELATED: | Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that such restrictions in no way affect their bilateral relations with Venezuela. "On the contrary, they are…
(2020-02-19). U.N.: Thousands Fleeing Syrian Offensive, Kids Dying in the Cold. truthdig.com UNITED NATIONS — Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing a Russian-backed Syrian offensive are being squeezed into ever smaller areas near Turkey's border "under horrendous conditions" in freezing temperatures that are killing babies and young children, the U.N. humanitarian chief said Wednesday. | Mark Lowcock told the U.N. Security Council that "the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe" in northwest Idlib province, which is the last major rebel stronghold, has "overwhelmed" efforts to provide aid. | He said nearly 900,000 people have been displaced since Dec. 1 when the government offensive began, more than…
(2020-02-19). Russian Minister Accuses U.S. of Openly Plundering Syrian Oil. telesurenglish.net The United States openly controls and plunders the oil fields belonging to Syria and its people, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday. | RELATED: | "The Syrian oil fields, the territories where the precious substance is produced, are controlled by the United States. There is shameless plundering of the riches that belong to Syria and the Syrian people," denounced Russia's defense minister in Rome, Italy.
(2020-02-19). EU Nations Push for Bloc's Recognition of State of Palestine. globalresearch.ca A group of European Union (EU) countries led by Luxembourg is planning to present Monday to the EU's foreign affairs ministers, an initiative for the recognition of the state of Palestine by the bloc‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã, Haaretz reported Sunday. | Luxembourg's Foreign Affairs …
(2020-02-19). Soldiers Shoot A Young Man In Southern Gaza. imemc.org Israeli soldiers shot, on Wednesday afternoon, a young Palestinian man east of Khuza'a town, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Media sources said the soldiers shot the young man near the perimeter fence, inflicting moderate wounds before he was rushed to the European Hospital …
(2020-02-19). The Unbreakable Bond of Ireland and Palestine. globalresearch.ca
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(2020-02-19). The Rise of Sinn Féin: Dissecting Ireland's February 2020 General Election and the State of the Nation. globalresearch.ca In the Republic of Ireland, among the most notable outcome from last week's general election outcome was a substantial rise in popularity for the left-leaning party, Sinn Féin, whose standing rose by 10.7% as they gained 15 parliamentary seats …
(2020-02-19). Germany: Mass Shooting Leaves Eight Deaths and Multiple Injured. telesurenglish.net At least eight people were killed and five other people injured during two drive-by shooting incidents at two different shisha bars in the German city of Hanau, local media reported late Wednesday. | RELATED: | The criminal episodes took place at about 22h00. local time, the police said. The first one happened at Kurt-Schumacher-Platz, in central Hanau and the other, shortly after in Kesselstadt. | According to AP, officers imm…
(2020-02-19). Germany to Fine up to $54 Million to Online Hate Speech. telesurenglish.net Germany's government Wednesday approved a bill that will require Internet companies such as Facebook and YouTube to denounce hate speech to the country's authorities. | RELATED: | Although social networks are already obliged to eliminate these kinds of contents, the bill broadens the definition of hate speech and asks that the information be shared with the German police. | If the Parliament approves this proposal, penalties wi…
(2020-02-19). At Stockholm road safety summit, UN officials join global call to end 'scourge' of preventable deaths. news.un.org Road traffic accidents take some 1.35 million lives every year and cost most countries three per cent of their gross domestic product, the top UN health official said on Wednesday as the Third Global Ministerial Conference On Road Safety kicked off in Stockholm, Sweden.
(2020-02-19). Scottish Government Decries "Devastating" Effect Post-Brexit Border Policy Will Have on Economy. commondreams.org Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon condemned the United Kingdom's new post-Brexit border policy after it was released Wednesday, saying new rules barring people designated as "unskilled" and those who don't speak English would devastate a number of Scotland's industries and worsen the country's depopulation crisis. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-11804231032.jpg …
(2020-02-19). Healthcare Providers at Iran's Top Cancer Hospital Say Crippling Trump Sanctions Are Affecting Patients. commondreams.org The economic sanctions that the Trump administration has imposed on Iran since ditching the 2015 nuclear deal are adversely affecting patients at the Middle Eastern country's top cancer hospital, healthcare providers told FRANCE 24 in a report published Wednesday. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/hospital-iran.jpg …
(2020-02-19). Forget Brexit, Rebellion is the Verb! zcomm.org 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
(2020-02-19). Brexit trade talks 'a different ball game' to Canada agreement, PM warned. thecanary.co Boris Johnson has been warned that the European Union (EU) views negotiations with the UK as a "different ball game" to the trade talks which secured an agreement with Canada. | The prime minister wants a Canada-style trade deal which would leave the UK free to diverge from EU rules. | But a key aide to Brussels' chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the EU would not budge from its insistence on a "level playing field" on state subsidies, environmental protections and workers' rights as the price of any deal. | Stefaan De Rynck said: "It's clear that for us it's a different ball game that we are playing with the U…
(2020-02-19). UK Google Users to Lose EU Data Protection Due to Brexit. telesurenglish.net Google will remove British users' accounts from Ireland headquarters, where the European Union privacy regulators are, to United States jurisdiction instead, sources related to the plan told Reuters Wednesday. | RELATED: | The company intends to require its U.K. users to acknowledge new terms of service including the new jurisdiction. However, this decision will leave the sensitive personal information of tens of millions with less protection and w…
(2020-02-18). But will he pardon Roger Stone? Trump clemency for Blagojevich, Kerik, Milken & DeBartolo fuel speculation. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has surprised everyone with a series of pardons that — so far — do not include any of his aides caught up in 'Russiagate' investigations, although his tweets suggest this too might be coming. | First on the list was former San Francisco 49s NFL franchise owner Edward DeBartolo Jr, who pleaded guilty in 1998 to failing to report a felony, after he did not disclose that the governor of Louisiana extorted him for a bribe in exchange for a riverboat casino license. He was fined $1 million and sentenced to two years' probation. His NFL career effectively over, he transferred th…
(2020-02-18). Hope for 'long-elusive progress' in negotiating peace in eastern Ukraine. news.un.org Marking the fifth anniversary of the 2015 Minsk II agreement, the UN political chief told the Security Council on Tuesday, that along with the Minsk Protocol and the Minsk memorandum, it remains "the only agreed framework" for a negotiated, peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
(2020-02-18). Headlines for February 18, 2020. democracynow.org 2,000+ DOJ Ex-Officials Call for AG Barr to Resign as Judge Calls to Review Status of Roger Stone Case, Bloomberg Qualifies for Dem Debate as More Evidence of Past Comments Draw Ire, Calls Mount for Manhattan DA to Resign over Case of Alleged Sexual Abuser OB-GYN Robert Hadden, Prominent Wuhan Doctor Dies from Coronavirus as Cases Top 72,000, Pakistan Suicide Bomb Kills At Least 8 at Religious Rally, Mexican Protests Take Government to Task After Murder of 7-Year-Old Girl, Second-Strongest Storm to Hit North Atlantic Lashes United Kingdom, Mississippi Residents Displaced, Homes Inundated from Torrential Rains, Fl…
(2020-02-18). Belgium: Victory as court rules PKK is not a terrorist organisation. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-02-17). DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director's Role in Russiagate. theantimedia.com The Justice Department is investigating the role of John Brennan in the assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.
(2020-02-14). One Billion Rising: Eve Ensler & Taína Asili Mark V-Day and Campaign to End Sexual Violence. democracynow.org 
This Valentine's Day, people around the world are taking to the streets to protest violence against women and girls. From the Philippines to India to Italy to Bolivia, thousands of women in more than 100 countries will reclaim public space through dance and performance as part of a global movement called One Billion Rising. The movement takes its name from the shocking statistic that one in three women across the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. One Billion Rising started on Valentine's Day 2012 and has continued to grow every year since. Participants say they won't stop dancing until violence…
(2020-02-13). State-backed Alliance for Securing Democracy disinfo shop falsely smears The Grayzone as 'state-backed'. thegrayzone.com In painting critical reporting on the Iowa caucuses debacle as a Russian plot, a Western government-backed information warfare shop smeared…
(2020-02-13). European left and green MPs support Kurdish struggle. greenleft.org.au 
(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.