(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
(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 (
(2020-02-29). 'We've seen no evidence': Social networks blow up 'US officials' claim of 'Russian coronavirus disinformation campaign'. rt.com 
Social media titans Twitter and Facebook have 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 th…
(2020-02-28). Russia on red alert: almost SURROUNDED by Coronavirus cases – braces for epidemic. rt.com 
As the world's biggest country, bordering 16 states, Russia is something of a sitting duck for COVID-19. With eight of those now reporting infections, its reappearance inside Russian borders is perhaps only a matter of time. | Already, two Chinese citizens were diagnosed with the new coronavirus in Siberia's Tyumen and Transbaikalia but they recovered and have been discharged. There has so far been no recorded infection of a Russian national on home soil. | As of Friday, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Lithuania and Norway all have live cases. Other neighboring countries, such as Ukraine…
(2020-02-28). WATCH asylum-seekers march towards Europe after Turkey declares it will no longer hold them back. rt.com 
Turkey has announced it will no longer hold back people who wish to go to Europe and seek asylum there amid an escalation in Syria. Some have been quick to rush towards coasts and borders before Ankara changes its mind. | Would-be irregular immigrants have started trickling closer to Europe after top Turkish officials said Ankara would deliver on its threat and open the floodgates of migrants on Europe. The hopefuls are gathering in the Edirne province, which borders Greece and Bulgaria, as well as on Turkey's Aegean coast close to the Greek island of Lesbos, AFP reported. | Anadolu Agency posted drone foot…
(2020-02-28). Greece tightens sea, land borders after Ankara's response to strike in Syria's Idlib. rt.com 
Athens has tightened sea and land borders with Turkey after developments overnight in the Syrian region of Idlib, Reuters reported on Friday, citing government sources. A senior Turkish official said his country would no longer stop Syrian refugees from reaching Europe, as Ankara responded on Friday to the killing of 33 Turkish soldiers in a reported airstrike by Syrian government forces in Idlib. | The Greek sources said Athens was also in contact with the European Union and NATO on the matter. Greece was the main gateway for hundreds of thousands of refugees streaming out of Turkey in a mass exodus in 2015 a…
(2020-02-28). Syrian Refugees Rush Greece Border as Russia and Turkey Tangle. truthdig.com 
REYHANLI, Turkey — The presidents of Turkey and Russia spoke by phone Friday to try to defuse tensions that rose significantly in Syria after 33 Turkish troops were killed in a Syrian government airstrike, and a new wave of refugees and migrants headed for the Greek border by land and sea after Turkey said it would no longer hold them back. | The attack Thursday marked the deadliest day for the Turkish military since Ankara first entered the Syrian conflict in 2016 and also was the most serious escalation between Turkish and Russian-backed Syrian forces, raising the prospect of an all-out war with millions…
(2020-02-28). 'Not good news' for flooded communities as Storm Jorge looms. thecanary.co 
"It's not good news" for flood-hit communities, forecasters say, as Storm Jorge will bring further heavy rain and strong winds across the UK over the weekend. | You may be wondering why Here's As well as windy conditions in northwestern Spain, the UK will also experience very strong winds this weekend. | Read more here:…
(2020-02-28). Article 5 or 'Oh my gosh'? What will US do after Turkish troops die in Syrian strike. rt.com 
Turkey has reached out to NATO and the US following the deaths of its troops in Syria's Idlib province, fueling speculation that it might invoke Article 5 and get the alliance involved in a shooting war with Damascus — and Russia.
(2020-02-28). 'Stakes higher' in Idlib but NATO 'won't run to Erdogan's aid' despite efforts to have allies intervene in Syria. rt.com 
NATO will not offer anything more than words of support to its member Turkey despite Ankara's efforts to rally its allies after Turkish soldiers came under fire from the Syrian Army in the Idlib 'de-escalation' zone, RT was told. | NATO's collective defense pledge is "not applicable in the case of Turkey because we have an armed conflict on Syrian soil," Sergey Balmasov, an expert with the Russian International Affairs Council and the Moscow-based Institute for the Near East, told RT. Ankara requested an urgent NATO meeting on Friday, shortly after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike by the Russian…
(2020-02-28). Big war in Idlib will have grim consequences for everyone, including Turkey — Russian senator. rt.com 
Turkey should take into account that it will suffer too if it starts a large-scale operation in Syria's Idlib, a Russian senator has warned. If Ankara hopes to get NATO backing for it, it will be disappointed, he added. | The already volatile situation in northwestern Syrian region significantly escalated after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed there by a Syrian airstrike on Thursday. Ankara called an emergency NATO meeting in response, and threatened to launch a large-scale military operation to force Syrian government forces out of the province. | Hopefully, the tension would be defused because a big war in th…
(2020-02-28). Catastrophic Humanitarian Crisis in Idlib as Syrian Troops Advance & Children Freeze to Death. democracynow.org 
In Syria, 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike by Russia-backed Syrian forces in rebel-held Idlib in a major escalation on Thursday. Turkey has vowed to respond in kind, as U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres calls for an immediate ceasefire, saying "the risk of even greater escalation grows by the hour." Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly spoke by phone on Friday to discuss the crisis, as NATO urged rapid deescalation. The all-out offensive by the Syrian government is the single largest displacement in a nine-year war that has forced 13 million t…
(2020-02-28). Turkey hopes opening frontier for migrants won't hurt ties with West — official. rt.com 
Ankara does not believe its decision to allow some of the millions of migrants it hosts to cross into Europe will have an impact on its ties with the West, Turkey's communications director said on Friday. | In response to the escalating conflict and the killing of 33 of its troops on Thursday in Syria's Idlib region, Ankara threw open its western land and sea borders to outgoing migrants. | Fahrettin Altun said that migrants were now Europe's and the world's problem too, Reuters reported. | The official also told reporters that Ankara had "no choice" but to ease border controls after not receiving enough suppo…
(2020-02-28). Turkey & Syria on brink of WAR in Idlib: How did it come to this? rt.com 
Alarming developments in Syria's Idlib saw dozens of Turkish soldiers killed in a Syrian airstrike and Ankara responding with own fire and fury. But anyone following the conflict would know the escalation didn't start overnight. | The Idlib governorate, located in the northwestern part of Syria on the border with Turkey, is the last major stronghold of armed groups that have been fighting to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad for the past several years. The region was spared a Syrian Army offensive in 2018 on a request from Turkey, which said it didn't want to face a new influx of refugees…
(2020-02-28). Russian missile frigates passing through Turkish straits amid Idlib escalation. rt.com 
A pair of advanced Russian missiles frigates is passing through the Turkey-controlled straits while en-route to the Mediterranean. It comes as dilomatic tensions between Moscow and Ankara over Syria's Idlib are not letting down. | The 'Admiral Grigorovich' and its sister ship 'Admiral Makarov' are among the more modern assets of the Russian Navy, capable of firing the advanced Kalibr-NK cruise missiles. Part of the Russian Black Sea fleet, they are currently moving to join Russia's naval forces in the Mediterranean as part of a scheduled rotation. | "The third frigate of the class, the 'Admiral Essen' has been…
(2020-02-28). 'We fought Russia 16 times and will fight it again,' warns Erdogan's adviser amid Idlib escalation. rt.com 
A member of an expert body advising Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted that Ankara is prepared to go to war with Russia after tensions over Syria's Idlib province escalated over the past 24 hours. | Mesut Hakki Casin, who is a member of Turkey's Security and Foreign Policy Board advising Erdogan, made his comments shortly after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike by Russian-backed Syrian government forces in Idlib province. | We have fought Russia 16 times in the past, and we will fight it again. | The official pointed to Russia's sizeable Muslim population and claimed that the country "
(2020-02-28). Turkish VP says Damascus to pay 'heavy price' for 'treacherous' attack after at least 33 Turkish troops killed in Idlib airstrike. rt.com 
Turkey's vice president has vowed revenge on Syrian forces after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike in the rebel-held Idlib province. Ankara previously said it had launched air and artillery strikes in retaliation. | Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay unleashed a scathing verbal attack on Syrian President Bashar Assad and the forces loyal to Damascus shortly after a 6-hour marathon emergency security meeting chaired by Recep Tayyip Erdogan concluded in Ankara in the early hours of Friday. | Oktay minced no words, referring to the Syrian leader as "the head of a terror state" who "would go down in h…
(2020-02-28). One more Turkish soldier killed in Idlib shelling, Turkish forces 'retaliate' — Ankara. rt.com 
Shelling by Syrian government forces has killed one Turkish soldier and injured two more in Syria's Idlib province, the Defense Ministry in Ankara said. Turkey is retaliating, as two countries remain on the brink of open war. | The newest casualties come less than a day after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in what has been reported as either an air strike or an artillery bombardment, also in Idlib. Turkey has sent thousands of troops and armor into the province, which is the last remaining stronghold of militants — some of them affiliated with Al-Qaeda — that once sought to overthrow the government…
(2020-02-28). Iran ready to help reduce tensions in Idlib — Foreign Ministry. rt.com 
Tehran reacted on Friday to the escalation of conflict in northwestern Syria, saying it is ready to take every measure to help reduce tensions. "We are carefully monitoring the field developments and regional outcomes of the developments in Idlib, and we will continue our efforts to end the current tensions," the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Friday. | The statement stressed the need for the sides to properly manage the situation so as to ease the tensions over the Syrian province as soon as possible. | Tehran said it was also working to convene Russia-Turkey-Iran summit in light of the tensions in Idlib. I…
(2020-02-28). NATO offers Turkey condolences & solidarity, but no additional military aid amid Idlib crisis. rt.com 
On a request from Ankara, NATO members held consultations on the situation in Idlib, Syria, where 33 Turkish soldiers have been killed. But the alliance failed to pledge additional military aid to its member. | The Allies offered "their deepest condolences" to Turkey and expressed solidarity, but stopped short from taking any more practical measures after the Friday emergency meeting. Other members of the bloc are already supporting Turkey, "including by augmenting its air defenses, which helps Turkey against the threat of missile attacks from Syria" and conducting patrols of AWACS air reconnaissance planes, S…
(2020-02-28). Idlib attack that killed Turkish soldiers was 'also against NATO', consultations to start tomorrow — Erdogan's party spokesman. rt.com 
The spokesman for Turkey's ruling AK party has labelled the Syrian airstrike that allegedly claimed the lives of dozens of Turkish soldiers in rebel-held Idlib an attack on NATO, calling for the US-led alliance to intervene. | "We call on NATO to [start] consultations. This is not [an attack] on Turkey only, it is an attack on the international community. A common reaction is needed. The attack was also against NATO," AKP spokesman Omer Celik told Turkish media on Thursday. | At least 33 Turkish soldiers are said to have been killed in Idlib, the last militant stronghold in Syria, in an airstrike Ankara blamed…
(2020-02-28). 'No longer in position to hold them': Turkey says it can't contain Europe-bound Syrian refugees amid Idlib flare-up. rt.com Turkey is no longer able to contain millions of displaced Syrians and has reached "full capacity," Ankara's ruling AK party said in a fresh threat to open the floodgates into Europe as tensions over Idlib reach boiling point. | With Ankara vowing to go "all in" to halt a Syrian Army offensive to retake Idlib province from rebel militias, AKP spokesman Omer Celik suggested Turkey would soon allow hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees to pour into Europe, a threat repeatedly made by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the past. | "Turkey can not bear the pressure of the new refugees, we now say that Turkey is a…
(2020-02-28). Career of designer behind Russia's iconic Su-34 jet remembered following death at 84 (PHOTOS). rt.com 
The lead designer of Russia's Su-34 modern fighter-bomber jet, Rollan Martirosov, has died aged 84. He is set to live on through the state-of-the-art aircraft and many other projects to which he contributed. | Martirosov had worked with the Sukhoi construction bureau since 1959, and was involved in the creation of the majority of jet aircraft produced by the renowned plane maker. His work began with the very first jet developed by the construction bureau — the Su-7, specifically its fighter-bomber variant — as well as Su-15 fighter aircraft. | | Su-7B fighter-bomber jet on display. | © Wikiped…
(2020-02-28). 'Taken out of context': Russian senator slams WaPo for drastically cutting his constitutional reform intw in 'provocative' piece. rt.com 
A Washington Post story about Russia's constitutional reform has drawn the ire of Senator Andrey Klishas, who gave the outlet a lengthy interview but found only few of his lines in the text, which he believes is "provocative." | Klishas, who is a co-chair of the constitutional reform working group, met the Washington Post journalists to discuss the aspects of the impeding reform in every detail. "I gave a big, all-out interview, expecting it to be used in full," Klishas told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti. | The senator also added that he hoped "western journalists would get best possible clarifications a…
(2020-02-28). Putin, Erdogan speak by phone, could meet soon — Kremlin. rt.com 
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan do not rule out that they could meet in the immediate future, the Kremlin press service has said. | The two leaders held a telephone conversation on Friday. "Both sides highlighted the need for additional measures to stabilize the situation in northwestern Syria," according to the statement that comes after a flare-up of tensions in Syria's Idlib. | Putin and Erdogan "agreed to intensify relevant inter-agency consultations and explore the possibility of holding a top-level meeting in the immediate future," the Kremlin said. | Ank…
(2020-02-28). Syria has every right to fight terrorists in Idlib and Russia can't interfere — Moscow. rt.com 
Damascus has the right to fight back when attacked by terrorists and Moscow is in no position to stop Syrians from doing what the UN Security Council endorsed, Russia's foreign minister has said after the latest Idlib flare-up. | Ankara lost 33 soldiers in the northwestern Syrian province after they were targeted by a Syrian airstrike. Commenting on the tragedy on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the deaths were undoubtedly a tragedy, for which Moscow expresses its condolences. However, Ankara shares part of the blame for what happened, both because it failed to notify Russia about the locat…
(2020-02-28). A World no longer shaped by Atlantic powers. mronline.org 
The annual Munich Security Conference that took place February 14-16 this year turned out to be an iconic event, drawing comparison with the one held in the same Bavarian city on February 10, 2007, where in a prophetic speech Russian President Vladimir Putin had criticized the world order characterized by the United States' global hegemony […] |
(2020-02-28). Judge Orders Assange Held in Glass Box During Extradition Trial. mintpressnews.com In the United Kingdom, where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces extradition to the U.S., a magistrate court judge decided he must remain isolated in a glass box at the back of the courtroom.
(2020-02-28). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
(2020-02-28). Washington Ponders Imposing Sanctions on Serbia for Russian Weapon Purchases. globalresearch.ca With Russia delivering another round of the Pantsir S1 anti-missile defense system to Serbia on Tuesday, EU and U.S. officials have reacted. Both Brussels and Washington have sent their warnings to Serbia, with Washington even threatening sanctions against the Balkans …
(2020-02-28). Election 2020: Those Meddling Kids … counterpunch.org According to selected members of the "US intelligence community" ("selected" for their loyalty to, and willingness to promote the line of, the Democratic Party establishment) Vladimir Putin and the Russian government just love them some Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Can't get enough of 'em. If November is a Trump/Sanders shoot-out, the Kremlin wins either
(2020-02-28). French Authorities to Increase Measures to Prevent Covid-19. telesurenglish.net Due to a quick increase in confirmed cases of coronavirus, now at 57, French authorities have asked people to refrain from shaking hands to prevent infection. | RELATED: | Two days ago, France reported the second death of a patient because of respiratory infection.
(2020-02-28). Switzerland Suspends Public Events to Contain Covid-19 Outbreak. telesurenglish.net Switzerland's Federal Council Thursday declared that the country is in a "special situation" and announced measures to contain the progress of COVID-19, a disease that has affected 15 people in this European country. | RELATED: | "The Federal Council is aware that its decision has important consequences for the population but it will allow its effective protection," the Swiss authorities said and added t…
(2020-02-28). Breakthroughs Against the Rightwing Menace in Germany. counterpunch.org In Germany, much as in the USA, political poles are getting more sharply defined than ever. Will the results be good or bad? There and here, certain people are nervously wringing their well-manicured hands. While in the USA it's the Bernie backers who have them worried, in Germany it's the changing scene in the off-the-mainline
(2020-02-28). The leadership debate in Germany's Christian Democrats and the steady political march to the right. wsws.org There is fundamental agreement on the party's right-wing policies. The dispute is over how they can best be imposed in the face of widespread popular opposition.
(2020-02-28). President Tayyip Erdogan Now Claims Syria's Idlib Province Belongs to Turkey. globalresearch.ca On February 26th, Turkey's President, told his Islamist political party that Idlib, which is the most heavily jihadist of all of Syria's provinces and the province where Syria had been sending jihadists who had been defeated but not killed by …
(2020-02-28). Turkey bombs Syria after losing dozens of troops to Syrian-Russian airstrike. wsws.org The danger is growing that all-out war could erupt between the NATO alliance and the Syrian government's major international backers, Iran and Russia.
(2020-02-28). Turkey's Losing Bet in Syria. globalresearch.ca Turkey has allegedly lost another 33 troops in Syria this week amid its refusal to withdraw from Syrian territory amid Syrian government gains in the northern governorate of Idlib. | The BBC in its article, "
(2020-02-28). Children Are Freezing to Death in Syria as Humanitarian Crisis Intensifies. truthout.org In Syria, 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike by Russia-backed Syrian forces in rebel-held Idlib in a major escalation on Thursday. Turkey has vowed to respond in kind, as U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres calls for an immediate ceasefire, saying "the risk of even greater escalation grows by the hour." Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly spoke by phone on Friday to discuss the crisis, as NATO urged rapid deescalation. The all-out…
(2020-02-28). UCB Forum Whither Turkey? Struggles, Setbacks, Possibilities. indybay.org 102 Wurster Hall | UC Berkeley…
(2020-02-28). Whither Turkey? Struggles, Setbacks, Possibilities A Forum. indybay.org 102 Wurster Hall | UC Berkeley…
(2020-02-28). I Was Meant to Talk About Palestinian Kids at the UN. Israel Forced Me Out. globalresearch.ca Belgium caved into Israeli pressure to disinvite me from the Security Council. In doing so, they helped undermine human rights work for Palestinian children. | *** | Last week, the government of Belgium caved in to intense Israeli government pressure and effectively …
(2020-02-28). Turkey, Russia tiptoe toward 'unnecessary war'. iranian.com A military confrontation between Turkey and Syria has erupted in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib. Latest reports say that at least 34 Turkish soldiers were killed on Thursday in a Syrian air attack. A Turkish retaliation commenced last night itself. The Syrian airstrike in Idlib took place in an area between the towns Baluon and …
(2020-02-28). The Fear Virus Pandemic. "Fake News"? "Look at the Numbers. It's not a Pandemic". globalresearch.ca While they raise the greatest alarm for the coronavirus, they hide the fact that seasonal flu, a much more deadly epidemic, has caused in Italy during the 6th week of 2020 — according to the Higher Institute of Health — …
(2020-02-28). EU won't accept 'artificial deadlines' in talks with UK, France's Europe minister says. rt.com 
French European Affairs Minister Amelie de Montchalin said on Friday the European Union would not accept "artificial deadlines" in talks on a future relationship with Britain. | On Thursday, the British government said it would walk away from talks on a future relationship with the EU if there has not been "good progress" in the negotiations by June. | "We do not accept time pressure," Montchalin told an audience at Chatham House in London, according to Reuters. | The EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Thursday noted Britain's negotiating mandate but said ahead of talks starting next week that the bloc wou…
(2020-02-28). Brexit Lie — Johnson Now Looking to Break Agreement with EU on Northern Ireland Checks. globalresearch.ca The lies are unravelling, aren't they? We've had so many from this government it's time someone in the UK got a Johnson-lie-tracker online. Unfortunately,
(2020-02-28). Turkey Mobilizes for War With Syria and Russia as Nearly 3 Dozen Turkish Troops Killed in Airstrike. commondreams.org More refugees from Syria are expected to enter Turkey as a result of the air strike in Syria yesterday that killed nearly 3 dozen Turkish soldiers. (Photo: Getty) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-02-28_at_12.00.02_pm.png …
(2020-02-27). 'Princess Diana would've been alive in America': Conservative speaker manages to offend both Brits & French in anti-medicare rant. rt.com 
A speaker at CPAC claimed the late Princess Diana died not because of her tragic car accident, but because France's socialized medicine prevented her from getting proper medical care. | Conservative fears of socialized medicine — a policy that presidential hopefuls like Bernie Sanders have floated — hit fever pitch at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday with a panel discussing how the late Princess Diana would have survived her 1997 car crash in Paris, France if she had been in America. | "Socialized medicine killed Princess Diana," an announcer for a panel on healthcare i…
(2020-02-27). Media 'infodemic' causes more damage to Italy than coronavirus outbreak — FM Di Maio. rt.com 
The "infodemic" around COVID-19 is more damaging to Italy than the virus itself, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has said. This is as the number of registered Italian cases jumped by 100 overnight and two more people have died. | "The epidemic of misleading information will do more damage to Italy than the risk of the virus epidemic itself," Di Maio told reporters Thursday. "We have gone from an epidemic risk to an 'infodemic' one." | The spread of "misleading" reports damages not only the fragile economy of the country — that has seen three recessions in just over a decade — but also the reputation…
(2020-02-27). World Cup-winner Del Piero prevented from receiving Russian visa over killer coronavirus fears – reports. rt.com 
A Russian visa is notriously difficult to obtain, so spare a thought for World Cup winner Alessandro Del Piero who was prevented from obtaining a visa in Italy, instead traveling from LA to Armenia due to coronavirus fears. | For those of you who have ever attempted traveling to Russia, you'll know that ahead of the extreme climate and imposing language barrier, there is one roadblock that stands above all as the most difficult to circumvent: the Russian visa process. | Jumping through the obligatory hoops to get your hands on a visa can be exasperating, so spare a thought for Italian World Cup winner Alesssan…