(2020-03-04). Ukraine PM's resignation accepted amid sweeping govt reshuffle. rt.com 
The parliament in Kiev voted on Wednesday to accept Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk's resignation, as part of a sweeping government reshuffle. | Honcharuk, 35, became Ukraine's youngest prime minister last year. He is to be replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Denys Shmygal. | President Volodymir Zelensky said earlier he wanted to convey to international partners that his administration's priorities remain unchanged, despite the government reshuffle. | Ukraine is committed to European integration, NATO membership and reforms, Zelensky told MPs at a special session of parliament discussing Honcharuk's resignation…
(2020-03-04). Coronavirus: Bracing for the economic shockwave. mronline.org 
The information-aware and many in the medical industry are nervously watching the news about coronavirus spread and mortality rates. What we know so far isn't pretty. |
(2020-03-04). European Defence Agency CANCELS all meetings as first EU official tests positive for coronavirus in Brussels — reports. rt.com 
The first EU official working at the bloc's Brussels administrative headquarters has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a spokesperson has confirmed. | "We have confirmation of the case," spokesperson Dana Spinant said, adding that reports about a male official working at the European Defence Agency contracting the virus were true, and that he had recently returned from a trip to Italy. | The European Defence Agency (EDA) has reportedly canceled all meetings to be held at its premises until March 13 as a precaution. The agency has also called off external meetings until mid-March. | Also on rt.com…
(2020-03-04). EU Commission adopts law proposal for climate neutrality by 2050. rt.com 
The EU Commission has adopted a proposal for a European "climate law" to make the bloc's 2050 net zero emissions target legally binding. The regulation, which requires approval from parliament and member states, would commit the EU to reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. | The draft law enshrines the EU plan to achieve "climate neutrality by 2050," Elisa Ferreira, the commissioner in charge of supporting poorer regions of the bloc, tweeted on Wednesday. | Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and NGOs said more urgent action was needed. Thunberg, 17, said the law fails to address the next 10 ye…
(2020-03-04). No, the coronavirus is not responsible for the fall of stock prices. mronline.org 
We are witnessing a big crisis in the stock markets of the Wall Street, Europe, Japan and Shanghai, and many blame the coronavirus for it. In the last week of February 2020, the worst week since October 2008, the Dow Jones fell 12.4%, the S&P 500 fell 11.5% and the Nasdaq Composite fell 10.5%. |
(2020-03-04). WATCH: Fistfight breaks out in Turkish parliament after lawmaker lashes out at Erdogan over Idlib soldier deaths. rt.com 
Turkey's parliament descended into a chaotic fistfight after an opposition lawmaker accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of disrespecting Turkish soldiers killed recently in Idlib, Syria. | During a closed session about the country's operations in Idlib, opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) member Engin Ozkoc said Erdogan disrespected the dead troops and had also acted irresponsibly by sending them into conflict without air cover. | The accusations quickly escalated into a huge brawl inside the chamber between government and opposition politicians, with punches thrown and lawmakers slapping and kicking…
(2020-03-04). 'You met Al-Qaeda's medical staff': US envoy to UN takes heat after proudly greeting notorious White Helmets. rt.com 
Colorful images of Ambassador Kelly Craft enthusiastically shaking hands with 'White Helmets' members made rounds online, with users reminding the diplomat of their connections to a jihadi group the US once fought against. | Craft, who serves as the US Ambassador to the United Nations, showed up at the Turkey-Syrian border, posing with members of the self-described "civil defense group." She didn't come empty-handed, though, promising a hefty $108-million "humanitarian support package" intended for the people of northern Syria. | "Grateful to shake the hands of the brave men and women of the #whitehelmets," Ke…
(2020-03-04). On the eve of Putin-Erdogan meeting in Moscow, where is the Idlib crisis at? rt.com 
This is what the situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone looks like right before the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, scheduled for March 5. | There are currently five Turkish battalion task force teams operating in Idlib, consisting of 4,700 troops, 129 artillery guns and mortars, and 15 multiple rocket launchers (MRLs). The Turkish force's combat capabilities are bolstered by artillery reconnaissance, electronic warfare units, along with multiple reconnaissance and much-feared combat drones. | Significant losses : | These combat drones caused…
(2020-03-04). India & Pakistan officially becoming nuclear powers would spell 'disaster' for non-proliferation treaty — Moscow. rt.com 
Extending the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty on the entire world is generally a good idea, but an official recognition of India and Pakistan as nuclear powers is not — their accession to the pact would ruin it, Moscow warned. | "The fact that Pakistan, India and Israel — according to some estimates — possess nuclear weapons does not indeed help strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [NPT]," Vladimir Yermakov, head of the Russian foreign ministry's arms control and non-proliferation department, told media on Wednesday. | At any rate, pushing India and Pakistan — two nuclear-armed…
(2020-03-04). 'Turks are our brotherly people,' no reason for them to die in Syria — President Assad. rt.com 
Turks and Syrians are culturally intertwined and have no reason to be hostile towards each other, Bashar Assad said as violence escalates in Idlib. He said there is no reason for Turkish people to die in Syria. | "We talk about Turks as our brotherly people," the Syrian president said in an interview with a Russian news channel. "I am asking the Turkish people: what is your problem with Syria? What is the problem over which Turkish citizens need to die?" | He added that the two nations were bound through culture; there are many ethnic Turks living in Syria and vice versa, as well as cross-ethnic marriages. | T…
(2020-03-04). Russia hopes Putin, Erdogan can agree joint measures at Syria talks, Kremlin says. rt.com 
The Kremlin has said it hopes Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be able to agree on a set of joint measures for the Syrian province of Idlib when they meet for talks in Moscow on Thursday. | "We plan to discuss the Idlib crisis," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "We expect to reach a common understanding on the crisis, the cause of the crisis, the harmful effects of the crisis and arrive at a set of necessary joint measures." | Erdogan reiterated on Wednesday that he expects his talks with Putin this week to result in the rapid achievement of a ceasefire in n…
(2020-03-04). Protect Putin from Covid-19: Kremlin's new mission as epidemic spreads worldwide. rt.com 
He's known for his tough-guy image and 'action man' stunts, like facing down a tiger and flying a motorized hang glider, but even Russia's President Vladimir Putin isn't immune to coronavirus fears. | His spokesman has revealed that the Kremlin is taking extra steps to protect the President from Covid-19, lest the nation's first citizen be struck down by the ailment. | "Everything that is necessary to prevent the coronavirus from entering the president's proximity is being done." Dmitry Peskov said, "In fact, the [measures we are taking] are ordinary preventive hygiene measures that can be taken by all citizen…
(2020-03-04). As coronavirus fears mount, Russia BANS export of masks & other vital equipment. rt.com 
Entrepreneurial Russians looking to make a quick buck out of coronavirus fears are out of luck. Following concerns about stocks of medical supplies, the government has stepped in to thwart those trying to profit from the panic. | As the worldwide death toll now stands above 3,000, the Russian Ministry of Trade has temporarily prohibited the export of certain items, such as masks and protective suits, as the country seeks to keep the infection contained. | The ban, detailed on the website of the cabinet of ministers, covers a wide range of medical equipment ranging from bandages, to shoe covers, to disinfectant…
(2020-03-04). A World No Longer Shaped by Atlantic Powers. counterpunch.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
(2020-03-04). Italy confirms plan to shut schools as death toll passes 100 & number of infected jumps to over 3,000. rt.com 
The Italian government has raised the country's death toll from Covid-19 passed 100 and confirmed that it is shutting all schools, universities and academic institutions to help prevent the spread of the illness. | Minister for Education Lucia Azzolina confirmed that schools across Italy will remain closed from Thursday March 5 until March 15, at the earliest, as a precautionary measure to help stem the tide of infection. |
(2020-03-04). 15 Italian tourists diagnosed with Covid-19 in India. rt.com 
A group of tourists from Italy, who were screened on arrival in India, have tested positive for coronavirus, the country's media reported citing health authorities. The news comes as India struggles to avoid the outbreak. | Some 15 Italians have been kept in preventive quarantine since Tuesday, New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences confirmed to the media. Another Italian tourist and his wife had previously shown initial symptoms of Covid-19 in the city of Jaipur. | India has introduced some pre-emptive measures in an effort to keep the epidemic at bay. It suspended visas issued to nationals from…
(2020-03-04). Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Juventus training day after dash to Portugal to visit mother in hospital. rt.com 
Juventus have confirmed that star striker Cristiano Ronaldo returned to training on Wednesday, a day after jetting back to his Portuguese homeland to visit his mother in hospital after she suffered a stroke. | "It should be noted that Cristiano Ronaldo took part regularly in today's training," Juventus wrote on their Ronaldo is back in Turin after rushing home to Portugal to visit his mother Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, 65, who was taken to hospital on the island of Madeira on T…
(2020-03-04). Labor and the social crisis at France Telecom. mronline.org 
The French courts recently found the telecommunications firm Orange/France Telecom and its top managers guilty of "moral harassment" connected to a wave of worker suicides a decade ago. The former management team, including the former CEO, face jail time and fines, while the company was ordered to pay 3 million euros in damages to the […] |
(2020-03-04). Kaia Rolle, Handcuffed and Arrested at 6: How Many More, and for How Long Will This Happen in America? counterpunch.org While fretting over refugee children in freezing tents along Turkey's border, or Nargis Fazili's family fleeing Afghanistan across Asia to Europe, or lone migrant children caged in U.S. detention centers, we may barely register what happens to American children like Kaia Rolle; she's a 6-year-old student at a not unusual neighborhood school in Florida. I
(2020-03-04). Amid Syrian war, Turkey opens borders for Syrian refugees to travel to Europe. wsws.org The persecution of asylum seekers in Turkey and Greece—which fight with each other over the flow of immigrants—is the product of the EU's brutal policies.
(2020-03-04). Greece Turns a Ship Into a Refugee Camp to Face the Crisis. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday morning, over 400 migrants were at the Mytilene port on the Lesbos island waiting to embark on a ship of the Greek Navy that will serve as a temporary shelter. | RELATED: ‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã | This ship was transferred from the Piraeus port to prevent the Moria refugee camp from getting even more congested, for there are alre…
(2020-03-04). Spanish Protest in Defense of Public Education. telesurenglish.net Schools in Andalusia, Spain, called for a demonstration on Wednesday to protest against new school regulations that are seriously damaging public education for the benefit of private interests. | RELATED: | The mobilization, that brings together more than 100,000 teachers from public schools in Andalusia and other cities, is a forceful response to the imposition of the Decree on Schooling by the Ministry of Educatio…
(2020-03-04). Headlines for March 4, 2020. democracynow.org Bernie Sanders Wins California as Joe Biden Sweeps the South on Super Tuesday, GOP's Jeff Sessions Faces Runoff in Bid to Reclaim Alabama Senate Seat, Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar Narrowly Beats Progressive Challenger Jessica Cisneros, San Diego Progressive Georgette Gómez to Face Billionaire Heiress Sara Jacobs for CA House Seat, Health Officials Warn Coronavirus Is Far Deadlier Than the Flu, Syrian Forces Recapture Strategic City as Turkey Shoots Down Syrian Warplane, Iranian Security Forces Killed 23 Children During November Protests, At Least 24 Killed as Tornadoes Lash Central Tennessee, Wells Fargo Says It Won'
(2020-03-04). Video: Syrian Armed Forces Teach '2nd Strongest NATO Army' Painful Lesson in Idlib. globalresearch.ca Units of the Russian Military Police entered the town of Saraqib in eastern Idlib following the second liberation of the town from al-Qaeda terrorists and Turkish forces. According to the Russian military, the deployment took place at 5: 00pm local time …
(2020-03-04). European Union intensifies war against refugees at Turkish-Greek border. wsws.org Under the eyes of a high-ranking EU delegation, Greek border guards brutally attacked unarmed refugees.
(2020-03-04). Russia Denies Responsibility for Humanitarian Crisis in Idlib. telesurenglish.net Russia and Syria are not responsible for the humanitarian crisis in Idlib, a province in the northwestern part of the country, nor for the displacement of millions of people from that territory to Turkey, Russian authorities said on Tuesday. | RELATED: | The head of the Russian Centre for Reconciliation of the Parties to the Conflict in Syria, Oleg Zhuravlyov, claimed that the Russian troops were not responsible for the crisis,…
(2020-03-04). Defender 2020: Largest mobilisation of NATO troops against Russia in 25 years. wsws.org Seventy-five years after the end of World War II, the scale of NATO's provocative military exercise underscores how far advanced the preparations for war are.
(2020-03-04). The Threat of a Nuclear War Between the US and Russia Is Now at Its Greatest Since 1983. globalresearch.ca When the Commander of NATO says he is a fan of flexible first strike at the same time that NATO is flexing its military muscle on Russia's border, the risk of inadvertent nuclear war is real. | US Air Force Gen. …
(2020-03-04). UN dispatches humanitarian aid to war-stricken Syria. yenisafak.com The UN on Wednesday dispatched 53 truckloads of humanitarian aid to Idlib, an embattled Syrian province.The trucks passed through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's southern Hatay province.The aid will be distributed among residents in urban areas of northwestern Idlib, as well as the surrounding countryside, which have been subject to years of devastating attacks by the Assad regime and its allies, triggering a wave of some one million refugees.Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests.Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have…
(2020-03-04). 'Turkey in Idlib in accordance with international law'. yenisafak.com The Turkish Armed Forces conduct its activities in northwestern Syrian province of Idlib in accordance with international law, rules and agreements signed, Turkish national defense minister said on Wednesday.Hulusi Akar said Operation Spring Shield targeted the Assad regime troops and its elements under legitimate self defense.Turkey launched the operation on Sunday after at least 34 Turkish soldiers were martyred in an Assad regime airstrike in Idlib.Idlib, just across Turkey's southern border, falls within a de-escalation zone laid out in a deal between Turkey and Russia in late 2018.But the Syrian regime and i…
(2020-03-04). Turkish doctor leads training on closed thyroid surgery. yenisafak.com A Turkish surgeon in Western Turkey is training doctors from around the world on closed thyroid surgery.Dr. Ozer Makay, a general surgeon and professor at Ege University in Izmir province, conducted his first transoral thyroid surgery in 2017.Makay and his team later led the establishment in the university of a physician training center on performing the endoscopic procedure
(2020-03-04). Turkey to hold coronavirus video call with nine countries. yenisafak.com Turkey announced it would begin sharing information on how to deal with the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak with nine countries including Iran via online communication applications Skype and Zoom.Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the countries' medical boards would start efforts on Wednesday to organize video conferences on such applications as Skype and Zoom with Turkey on its current precautions to keep the disease outside the country's borders.At least nine countries requested such meetings to learn about Turkey's approaches to protect against the coronavirus, Koca added, while speaking to reporte…
(2020-03-04). Russia's Gazprom suspends foreign trips for staff due to coronavirus outbreak. yenisafak.com Russian gas giant Gazprom has suspended foreign trips for its staff due to the coronavirus outbreak, a company spokesman told Reuters.He said that all staff should undergo medical check-ups following private trips abroad.
(2020-03-04). Putin says fake coronavirus news reports being sent to Russia to spread panic. yenisafak.com Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that fake news reports about coronavirus were being sent to Russia from abroad to spread panic.He urged the government to ensure that citizens were correctly informed about the situation in Russia.
(2020-03-04). Italy may close schools all over country due to coronavirus. yenisafak.com The Italian government is considering closing schools all over the country due to its coronavirus outbreak, but no decision has been taken yet, a government source said on Wednesday.At the moment only schools in the northern regions most affected by the epidemic are closed.Seventy-nine people had died of the highly contagious illness in Italy up to Tuesday, with more than 2,500 confirmed cases.
(2020-03-04). France's disputed pension reform bill clears key hurdle. yenisafak.com After weeks of heated debates, France's pension reform bill passed through the lower house of French parliament on Wednesday, clearing key hurdle for the president's hallmark reforms.The National Assembly approved the bill, which aims to streamline 42 separate pension schemes into one point-based system, touted to be simpler and more fair.In final parliamentary discussions in the very early morning, the bill endured two no-confidence votes, despite being comprised of 39 articles and having had 41,000 amendments posted by opposition parties to delay its adoption.The opposition failed against President Emmanuel Mac…
(2020-03-04). Coronavirus cases surge to 240 in Germany. yenisafak.com The number of coronavirus cases in Germany has jumped to 240, the country's disease control agency announced on Wednesday.Germany's most populous state North Rhine-Westphalia recorded 111 cases, followed by the southeastern state of Bavaria with 44 new cases, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).The number of confirmed coronavirus in the German capital of Berlin rose to 6. The recent statistics marked an increase of 52 cases in 24 hours.16 patients, who were diagnosed earlier with the novel coronavirus, have reportedly recovered.No deaths have occurred in Germany so far in connection with the new virus.-…
(2020-03-04). Environmental Activist Greta Thunberg Delivers Speech to European Parliament – Video. sputniknews.com In 2018, Thunberg left school to pursue environmental activism. She has since organised numerous protests in Sweden, including in front of the Swedish Parliament, urging students to skip school every Friday in order to protest against climate change.
(2020-03-04). Protesters Rally Against AFD in Thuringia as Vote for New State Premier Starts – Video. sputniknews.com One of the founders of AfD Thuringia and the speaker of the party, Bjorn Hocke, was nominated to run for the position of the state's minister president on 2 March, according to an official announcement.
(2020-03-04). French Police Say Detain Armed Man Holding Wife, 5 Children Hostage. sputniknews.com PARIS (Sputnik) – The hostage situation in France's Troyes has ended after police arrested the armed man who was holding his pregnant wife and five children captive, police said Wednesday.
(2020-03-04). Assad Calls Differences With Ankara 'Illogical': Syria Has Not Been Hostile Toward Turkey. sputniknews.com Ankara and Damascus have been embroiled in clashes for several months amid a deteriorating situation in Idlib – the last stronghold of jihadists in Syria. Turkey attacked Syrian forces in February after a Turkish military outpost in Idlib was hit by the Syrian Army, resulting in an escalation of the conflict.
(2020-03-04). Spectre of 2015 Migrant Crisis? Syrian Refugees 'Weaponised' to Incite EU Border Tensions — Prof. sputniknews.com Tensions escalating on the Turkish-Greek border could have been orchestrated by Turkey to impose pressure on the EU and the UN to resolve the Idlib stalemate, suggests Canadian academic and migration expert Anna Triandafyllidou.
(2020-03-04). Putin is Protected From Coronavirus – Kremlin. sputniknews.com The virus has spread to some 70 countries, with up to 94,000 infected around the world. Apart from China, where the disease first emerged, the biggest outbreaks have been registered in Iran, South Korea, and Italy.
(2020-03-04). Camouflage Ladies: Military Beauty Pageant in Russia. sputniknews.com The Russian Strategic Missile Forces have launched a beauty and professional skills contest for female military personnel called "Makeup Under Camouflage".
(2020-03-04). Huawei, Sberbank Join Forces on Cloud Services as Int'l Partnerships Grow Despite US-China Trade War. sputniknews.com The move aims to boost the reach of Russia's largest bank via technologies from the world's largest telecoms equipment provider to help build the nation's digital economy.
(2020-03-04). Saudi Arabia Suspends Mecca Pilgrimage for Citizens, Residents Due to Coronavirus Concerns. sputniknews.com The Saudi news agency SPA reported on 28 February that the country's Tourism Ministry had temporarily suspended visas for seven countries, including China, Italy, and South Korea, where spikes in cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) were registered.
(2020-03-04). A Brexit Day holiday? Tory MP presents parliament with 'United Kingdom Day' proposal & ignites remainers' fury (VIDEO). rt.com 
An ardent Brexiteer lawmaker has put forward a parliamentary Bill that, if passed, would see 'United Kingdom Day' become a new bank holiday in honor of Brexit, provoking pro-EU remainers' ire on social media. | Pro-Brexit Tory backbencher Peter Bone introduced his eye-catching proposals in the House of Commons on Wednesday, asking "Why don't we celebrate our United Kingdom?" before reeling off — somewhat ironically — a number of EU nations that celebrate their national day. | Bone proposed that the new UK public holiday should fall on the nearest Friday to June 23 — the date of the 2016 EU refer…
(2020-03-03). Kiev plans birthday parties for Nazi collaborators; Ukrainian Communists sound alarm. peoplesworld.org 
Ukrainian Communists issued a stark warning about the glorification of fascists today after the city council of Kiev, the country's capital, announced that it was to celebrate the birthdays of what the Communist Party of Ukraine (KPU) described as "Nazi killers, thugs, executioners and anti-Semites." The party, which has itself been subjected to state-imposed bans, …
(2020-03-03). US 'willing' to give Turkey ammo amid Ankara's military standoff with Syrian army in Idlib. rt.com 
Washington is ready to supply NATO ally Turkey with ammunition amid mounting tensions in Idlib, where Ankara is in an open conflict with Syrian government forces. | The promise was made by US Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey, who visited Turkey's border province of Hatay on Tuesday. | "Turkey is a NATO ally" and mostly uses US-made military hardware, Jeffrey pointed out. | We're willing to provide — for example, the President [Donald Trump] mentioned this — ammunition. | The US "will make sure that that equipment is ready. As a NATO partner we share information intelligence… and we a…
(2020-03-03). Super Tuesday Is an Election Security Acid Test. truthdig.com 
Tuesday's presidential primaries across 14 states mark the first major security test since the 2018 midterm elections, with state and local election officials saying they are prepared to deal with everything from equipment problems to false information about the coronavirus. | States have been racing to shore up cybersecurity defenses, replace aging and vulnerable voting equipment and train for worst-case scenarios since it became clear that Russia had launched a