RT (2020-02-05). Overstaying his welcome? Trump spotlights Venezuela\'s Guaido in cringeworthy reminder of year-long \'interim presidency\'. rt.com US President Donald Trump shone an awkward spotlight on self-styled Venezuelan \'interim president\' Juan Guaido sitting in his SOTU audience over a year of daydreaming about replacing Nicolas Maduro as the only \'legitimate leader.\' | Trump introduced an embarrassed-looking Guaido to the SOTU audience as \"a very brave man who carries with him the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of all Venezuelans.\" Declaring him the \"true and legitimate president of Venezuela,\" Trump contrasted the fidgety self-appointed statesman to \"socialist dictator\" President Nicolas Maduro — currently in Caracas running his US sanction…

The Canary (2020-02-05). Greenpeace protesters block BP headquarters on new boss\'s first day. thecanary.co Greenpeace members have blocked BP\'s headquarters with solar panels and oil barrels to mark the first day of the oil giant\'s new chief executive.Around 100 environmental activists took 500 solar panels to the central London building at 3am on Wednesday as Bernard Looney prepared to take up his new role.Some protesters sat underneath the solar panels after they were prevented from installing them on the pavements and roads near the office.Others locked themselves to oil barrels bearing the BP logo in front of the six doors around the building to stop staff from entering.Protesters blocked six entrances to BP\'s HQ…

RT (2020-02-05). \'Deal of the Century\' will die before Trump does, Iran\'s Khamenei tweets, dubbing the arrangement an \'American plot\'. rt.com US President Donald Trump\'s much-touted peace plan for Israel and Palestine will not outlive him, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said, after the deal was widely rejected throughout the Muslim world. | \"The American plot of the \'Deal of the Century\' will die before Trump dies,\" Khamenei wrote on his official Twitter account on Wednesday. | The American plot of the \'Deal of the Century\' will die before Trump dies.— Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) Khamenei vowed that Iran will continue \"standing…

RT (2020-02-05). Withdraw behind observation points, or Turkey will do what is necessary — Erdogan to Syrian troops. rt.com Damascus must withdraw its troops from Turkey\'s positions in Idlib or face retaliation, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, following a deadly clash between the two nations\' forces in the jihadist-riddled area. | Things can\'t continue to go the way they did on Monday, the Turkish president told a party session, referring to clashes between Turkish and Syrian troops in the northwestern Syrian governorate earlier in the week. | The Syrian government will have to pull its troops away from Turkish observation posts in Idlib by the end of the month, Erdogan demanded. He said Turkish troops will force Damascus to r…

RT (2020-02-05). \'Pete Buttigieg is the Juan Guaido of America\': Lee Camp calls out conspiracy of \'intentional chaos\' by Dem establishment. rt.com Democratic Party insiders bankrolled the defective vote-counting app that has delayed the reporting of Iowa caucus totals so as to deny likely winner Bernie Sanders a \'bump\' and let Pete Buttigieg claim victory, Lee Camp told RT. | The party\'s establishment wing and its mainstream media stenographers are colluding to memory-hole the disastrous Iowa caucus vote and prop up their preferred candidates, muscling Sanders out of the way to position Buttigieg as the front-runner, Camp said on his Moment of Clarity podcast on Tuesday. | Describing the exhaustive establishment links to the faulty vote-reporting app…

Staff (2020-02-05). Publisher Agrees to Boost Latinx Representation After Backlash to Whitewashed Novel \"American Dirt\" democracynow.org We look at the massive backlash and criticism against the novel \"American Dirt\" as a movement led by Latinx writers declares victory, demanding more representation in the publishing industry. Dignidad Literaria, or literary dignity, formed in response to the controversial immigration novel \"American Dirt.\" The author, Jeanine Cummins, who is not Mexican, received a seven-figure advance for the book, and it was chosen for Oprah\'s Book Club. But its critics say \"American Dirt\" exploits and misrepresents Mexico and the experience of Mexican migrants. Critics also say the novel completely erases the voices of Central…

Staff (2020-02-05). Roberto Lovato: Dems & GOP Share Same Playbook on Immigration, Foreign Policy & Corporate Domination. democracynow.org President Trump delivered his 2020 State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. The speech reprised many of the themes of Trump\'s 2016 campaign, including demonization of immigrants. We continue our discussion with Lee Fang, investigative journalist at The Intercept, and Roberto Lovato, author of the forthcoming book \"Unforgetting: A Memoir of Revolution and Redemption.\" About 10 Democrats skipped the speech and a few more walked out while it was in progress, but Lovato says the Democratic establishment doesn\'t differ with Trump on many key issues. \"Nancy Pelosi may have ripped the speech…

Staff (2020-02-05). In State of the Union, Trump Celebrates Hate & Xenophobia While Touting \"Great American Comeback\" democracynow.org President Trump delivered his third State of the Union address Tuesday night, just a day before the Republican-controlled Senate is expected to vote to acquit him in the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history. Trump\'s speech, which focused heavily on the economy and immigration, sounded at times like a campaign rally, with Republican lawmakers chanting \"Four more years!\" He never once mentioned his impeachment trial. Prior to the speech, Trump refused to shake House Speaker Nancy Pelosi\'s hand, and once the speech was over, Pelosi was seen on television ripping up her copy of Trump\'s remarks. She la…

RT (2020-02-05). Afghan media outlets accuse authorities of curtailing access to information. rt.com Afghanistan\'s media watchdog urged the government on Wednesday to heed a demand for more media freedoms after 30 local media outlets said that authorities were increasingly curtailing their access to information. | Sayed Ikram Afzali, the head of Integrity Watch Afghanistan, said there is a good law in place guaranteeing the media\'s ability to work and access information. However, the government has failed to provide enough funding and institutional support to implement the law, the official added. | Authorities concur that access to information remains a pervasive challenge for Afghanistan and justify existin…

RT (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-…

RT (2020-02-05). Good news for the gilded: Study shows Moscow is among world\'s cheapest cities for luxury. rt.com Are you filthy rich but still looking for bang for your buck? Well then, Moscow might just be the place for you. A new study shows the Russian capital is one of the most affordable cities for the world\'s wealthiest consumers.

RT (2020-02-05). FIFA have 'no update' on Russia 'notification' reports on BAN from 2022 World Cup – spokesperson to RT. rt.com Unverified reports that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had notified Russia of a ban on competing at the Qatar 2022 World Cup have not been confirmed by FIFA, a spokesperson has informed RT. | On Tuesday,

RT (2020-02-05). Rosneft inks deal with India\'s top refiner on up to 2 MILLION tons of crude supplies. rt.com Russia\'s energy giant Rosneft and state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) have agreed deliveries of 40,000 barrels of crude per day to India via the port of Novorossiysk by the end of this year. | The signing took place during Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin\'s visit to New Delhi‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã. | \"This is just the beginning,\" said India\'s Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after meeting with Sechin. | Under the contract with Rosneft, Indian Oil will exercise its option to buy Russian grade Urals oil, an IOC source told Reuters. Indian state refiners typically buy Russian o…

RT (2020-02-05). Russian armor turret STARS at Indian arms expo, watch it IN ACTION during field test. rt.com Among the advanced weapon systems on display at DefExpo India 2020 is the Russian 57-mm gun turret. Action video of the shell-spewing death machine, which can target low-flying drones, was published by the producer. | The turret, or Automatic Artillery Weapon System AU-220M as the manufacturer prefers to call it, is a remotely controlled module armed with a 57mm main gun and a 7.62mm machine gun, full of sensors, stabilizer devices and other equipment. | The developer, a research subsidiary of Uralvagonzavod, says its product will be put on Russia\'s future infantry fighting vehicles and other light armor to…

RT (2020-02-05). Hong Kong imposes 14-day quarantine on travelers arriving from mainland China. rt.com Hong Kong will close two cruise terminals and put anyone coming from mainland China into compulsory quarantine for 14 days, its leader Carrie Lam said on Wednesday. The move is part of a fresh clampdown on contagion. | Lam said the measures were aimed at curbing the cross-border flow of people to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus, which originated on mainland China. Some medical staff have been on strike for the past three days, demanding a full border closure. There have been 21 confirmed cases in Hong Kong, according to Lam. | Passengers and crew on a cruise liner that docked in Hong Kong on Wednesday…

RT (2020-02-05). \'The best is yet to come\'? Defiant Trump doubles down in campaign rally-style State of the Union speech. rt.com Teased as \"low key,\" US President Donald Trump\'s annual address to Congress was anything but, with several unprecedented symbolic gestures and a powerful assertion of American triumphalism that put his critics on the back foot. | Trump did not mention impeachment once in the 90-minute speech on Tuesday evening. Instead, he turned his persuasion skills up to eleven, painting a picture of America with a booming economy and infinite opportunities brought about by his administration, and contrasting that with Democrat proposals such as socialized healthcare and sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. | Amid the standa…

Vijay Prashad (2020-02-05). Libya is being torn apart by outsiders. mronline.org Ghassan Salamé is the head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya. He took over this job in 2017, six years after the catastrophic NATO war on Libya. What Salamé inherited was a country torn into shreds, two governments in place—one in Tripoli and one in Tobruk—and one civil war that had too many […] |

RT (2020-02-05). Disappearing act: Suspected coronavirus patient ESCAPED from quarantine in Salzburg. rt.com A 31-year-old female patient with a suspected coronavirus infection fled the isolation ward at Salzburg University Hospital overnight. A police manhunt was immediately launched to find the woman and return her to quarantine. | A nurse raised the alarm at approximately 3am on Wednesday morning when she discovered the patient\'s bed was empty. After a large-scale police operation in the city, the woman was eventually found back in her apartment at 10: 30am local time and returned to quarantine. | \"The woman was admitted to the isolation ward of the university hospital for security reasons,\" a Salzburg city spokesp…

RT (2020-02-05). Pluto\'s beating \'frozen heart\' is in charge of its weather — study. rt.com New research shows that not only does Pluto\'s unique \"frozen heart\" actually control the dwarf planet\'s weather systems, it does so with a \"beat.\" | When NASA\'s New Horizons mission captured footage of the dwarf planet in 2015, scientists found that, contrary to popular opinion at the time, Pluto did in fact have some physical features on its landscape and was not just a barren, flat and frozen wasteland. | Instead, the dwarf planet boasted a vast heart-shaped structure, named Tombaugh Regio (after the astronomer who discovered Pluto), which new research shows actually controls Pluto\'s atmospheric circulation…

RT (2020-02-05). Mayweather protege Gervonta Davis charged with domestic BATTERY over courtside manhandling of ex-girlfriend (VIDEO). rt.com Floyd Mayweather Jr protege and world champion boxer Gervonta Davis has been arrested and charged with domestic battery over viral footage of him manhandling his ex-girlfriend at a celebrity basketball game in Florida. | Davis has seemingly taken after his mentor a little too much; the Baltimore, Maryland, fighter is seen in the footage, taken on February 1, yanking the woman – also the mother of his child – up from her chair by her jacket and bustling her towards an exit by her throat. | Current WBA lightweight title holder Davis is now subject to one count of \"simple battery domestic violence\" after surrende…

Staff (2020-02-05). Sanders & Buttigieg Lead in Early Iowa Results After Faulty App Leads to Catastrophe at Caucus. democracynow.org The final results of Monday\'s Democratic Iowa caucuses remain unknown, with 71% of precincts reporting the final tallies of the first 2020 presidential contest. Senator Bernie Sanders is leading in the popular vote, while former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has a narrow lead of 26.8% of precincts — the state delegate equivalent traditionally used to determine the winner — followed by Sanders with 25.2%. Sanders won the popular vote in both the first and second rounds of voting, followed by Buttigieg and Senator Elizabeth Warren. Former Vice President Joe Biden placed fourth, followed by Senator Amy…

The Canary (2020-02-05). David Cameron explains why he turned down climate change role. thecanary.co Former prime minister David Cameron has rejected an offer from Boris Johnson to return to international politics in a role leading the UK\'s preparations for this year\'s UN climate summit.The current PM asked Cameron to be the president of the COP26 summit being held in Glasgow later this year.But Cameron said the position should be filled by a government minister and also said he was focused on other commitments, including a major charity role.According to the Times, former Tory leader William Hague was also sounded out for the presidency but turned it down.Cameron said: \"It was an honour to be asked to do that j…

teleSUR (2020-02-05). Guaidó, Soleimani and the Middle East: Trump State of the Union. telesurenglish.net From immigration policies to the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan… U.S. President Donald Trump\'s main talking points on international policy during his third annual presidential report, known as \"The State of the Union,\" were part of his narcissistic speech to kick off his reelection campaign. | Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address on Tuesday in front of Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker of t…

WSWS (2020-02-05). UN rapporteur Nils Melzer exposes British government attempts to obstruct his defence of Assange. wsws.org That the British government is simultaneously stonewalling Melzer\'s inquiries, and apparently conducting a behind-the-scenes campaign against him, underscores the flagrant illegality of the entire US-led vendetta against Assange.

Norman Solomon (2020-02-05). Iowa Fiasco Raises the Stakes for New Hampshire, Where Sanders Could Win Big. indybay.org Corporate Democrats are ready to escalate…

UnistotenCamp (2020-02-05). Unist\'ot\'en Day 31: We\'re Not Leaving. dissidentvoice.org We\'re not leaving. As Canada prepares to violently invade our lands, we have no fear. We are peacefully living on our lands and upholding our laws, as we always have. 31 days after Coastal Gaslink was evicted from Wet\'suwet\'en territory, RCMP helicopters circle the Unist\'ot\'en healing center several times a day. Busloads of police have …

Jonathan Cook (2020-02-05). Duh, Jared! Who built the PA as a Police State? dissidentvoice.org Maybe something good will come out of the Trump plan, after all. By pushing the Middle East peace process to its logical conclusion, Donald Trump has made crystal clear something that was supposed to have been obscured: that no US administration has ever really seen peace as the objective of its \"peacemaking\". The current White …

Jonathan Cook (2020-02-05). Duh, Jared! So Who Built the PA as a \'Police State\'? globalresearch.ca Maybe something good will come out of the Trump plan, after all. By pushing the Middle East peace process to its logical conclusion, Donald Trump has made crystal clear something that was supposed to have been obscured: that no US …

Telesur (2020-02-05). EU Rejects Trump Middle East Peace Plan, Annexation. globalresearch.ca The European Union rejected Tuesday some of the proposals outlined by U.S. President Donald Trump for the Middle East, prompting an angry response from Israel, which has actively supported the U.S. plan. | Following deliberations of the 27 members, the European …

teleSUR (2020-02-05). Iran\'s Supreme Leader Says Trump\'s Peace Plan Will \'Die Soon\'. telesurenglish.net Iran\'s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump\'s peace plan for Middle East will \"die soon.\" | RELATED: | Using his official Twitter account, the Iranian Supreme Leader tweeted on Tuesday, \"Trump\'s \'Deal of the Century\' will die earlier than Trump himself.\" | Trump recently unveiled his plan promising to keep Jerusalem as Israel\'s undivided capital, and proposes an indepen…

Jonathan Cook (2020-02-05). The Trump Plan is Just a Cover for Israel\'s Final Land Grab. dissidentvoice.org The Trump \"Vision for Peace\" will never be implemented — and not because the Palestinians reject it. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\'s enthusiastic public embrace of the plan belies the fact that the Israeli right detest it too. The headlines are that, with US blessing, Israel\'s dream is about to be realised: it will be able …

Ariela Ruiz Caro (2020-02-05). The Dramatic Fall of Chile as Latin America\'s Neoliberal Role Model. counterpunch.org After the outbreak of the most intense and massive social protests ever recorded in the history of Chile, on November 16 the government and most political parties signed an agreement to restore peace and public order and initiate a process to draft a new constitution. The protests, triggered by the rise in subway fares on

RejectTheCoverup (2020-02-05). Oakland: Reject the Cover-up! Protest Against Sham Impeachment Trial. indybay.org Grand Lake Theater intersection, 3200 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94610…

Ramzy Baroud (2020-02-05). Trump\'s \'Deal of the Century\': Old Israeli Demands in a New Package. mintpressnews.com Consisting of 80 pages, 50 of which are entirely dedicated to the plan\'s economic component, Trump\'s Deal of the Century is little more than a rehash of previous Israeli proposals that have already been rejected by Palestinians, writes Ramzy Baroud.

Ted Rall (2020-02-05). Democrats\' Wimpy Impeachment Has Made Trump Stronger Than Ever. counterpunch.org \"Many Democrats fear that Trump may be laying an impeachment trap,\" Stephen Collins wrote for CNN last May. \"It\'s possible that the wider political divides get, the more Trump benefits. The spectacle would help him charge up the political base he needs to turn out in droves in 2020 with claims their 2016 votes were

Common Dreams staff (2020-02-05). WATCH: Bernie Sanders Responds to Trump\'s Third State of the Union Address. commondreams.org The Democratic presidential candidate spoke from an event in New Hampshire, just a day after the Iowa caucuses. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/bernie_sanders_student_loan_debt_1.jpg …

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2020-02-05). As Houthis Close in on Al-Qaeda in Yemen, US Drone Strikes Target its Leaders. mintpressnews.com MARIB, YEMEN — An escalating campaign of U.S. drone strikes in Yemen has sparked anger from residents and tribal leaders. The drone strikes, according to the victims\' relatives, not only killed suspected members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) but also killed and injured a number of civilians. The recent escalation comes after the commander of the U.S Central Forces, Joseph Votel, handed ousted former Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi

Nyla Ali Khan (2020-02-05). In a Time of Increasing Polarization in Kashmir, Evoke Those Scholars and Saints Who Symbolized Pluralism. counterpunch.org On the annual Urs (birth anniversary) of Ameer-e-Kabir Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, I am reminded of those whose unshakable faith in providence provides them with an anchor in challenging times. I sincerely hope that I imbibe the faith with which my father reveres Ameer-e-Kabir, who is an integral part of the Kashmiri culture that I

WSWS (2020-02-05). Brazil\'s Workers Party advances austerity policies in unity with Bolsonaro. wsws.org The PT, which promotes itself as a representative of the \"left\", in fact constitutes one of the greatest threats to the Brazilian working class, alongside Bolsonaro.

Celso Amorim (2020-02-05). Iran Diplomacy and Brazil\'s Sharp Turn to the Right. zcomm.org Interview on the enormous effort Brazil put into securing a nuclear deal with Iran, how it was ignored, and how current president Bolsonaro is following an extreme right agenda…

Michael Slager (2020-02-05). Trump is Moving us Closer to Nuclear Midnight. zcomm.org Source: Informed Comment In 1983, Stanislav Petrov, a lieutenant colonel in the Soviet Air Defense Forces, saw something shocking on his computer. The United States had launched a nuclear missile, and it was heading toward Moscow. Petrov said that he \"just sat there for a few seconds, staring at … the screen with the word

Fight Back (2020-02-05). Free Bolivian political prisoner Facundo Molares! fightbacknews.org Bolivia suffered a vicious coup d\'état on November 10, 2019 that was provoked by right-wing gangs rampaging in the street, traitorous police and military officers, the old guard political elite, and, of course, supported by the United States Embassy. As soon as Evo Morales was elected to a fourth term as president of Bolivia on October 20, with almost 47% of the vote, right-wing elements, centered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, started a campaign to destabilize the progressive government headed by Evo. | Directly after the results announcing that Morales won in the first round of the presidential election, reactiona…

Staff (2020-02-05). Headlines for February 5, 2020. democracynow.org Partial Results from Iowa Caucus Show Buttigieg Leading in Delegate Count, Democrats Boycott & Walk Out of Trump\'s State of the Union Address, Death Toll of Coronavirus Approaches 500, Report: Israel Pushes U.S. to Recognize Moroccan Sovereignty over Occupied Western Sahara, Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake Rattles Puerto Rico, Canadian Court Dismisses Indigenous Challenge to Trans Mountain Pipeline, Homelessness Among School-Age Children Hits Decade-Long High, HBO Max Picks Up Documentary \"On the Record\", Judge Reverses Convictions of No More Deaths Volunteers…

Binoy Kampmark (2020-02-05). Teflon Lies and Mowing Lawns: The Afghanistan Papers. counterpunch.org Afghanistan is a famous desert for empires, a burial ground which has consumed those in power who thought that extra fortification and trading most might benefit them. It remains a great, and somewhat savage reminder about those who suffer hubris, overconfidence and eagerness in pursuing their agendas. But the country has also served another purpose:

Zero Hedge (2020-02-05). Trump Ups Nuclear Ante with \'Mini-Nukes\' Deployed on Subs to \"Deter Russia\" globalresearch.ca The United States has added a \'low yield\' nuclear weapon to its submarine arsenal in a controversial first in decades, after the Trump administration called for its deployment as part of the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review in order to \"deter …

Michael Steinberg (2020-02-05). Europe Leads Way in Nuclear Shutdowns. indybay.org Germany, Sweden and Switzerland are leading the way in creating a nuclear free future.

WSWS (2020-02-05). Take up the fight for international socialism! Join the IYSSE! wsws.org One month into 2020, the crisis of capitalism threatens youth with the danger of nuclear war, authoritarianism, climate catastrophe and worsening inequality. International socialism is the answer.

William M Arkin (2020-02-05). US Deploys New Low-Yield Nuclear Submarine Warhead. globalresearch.ca The US Navy has now deployed the new W76-2 low-yield Trident submarine warhead. The first ballistic missile submarine scheduled to deploy with the new warhead was the USS Tennessee (SSBN-734), which deployed from Kings Bay Submarine Base in Georgia during …

teleSUR, age (2020-02-05). US Deploys Dangerous Nuclear Weapon for First Time Ever. telesurenglish.net The United States announced on Tuesday the deployment, for the first time, of a low-powered nuclear weapon on board a submarine, with the intention of dissuading Russia from using similar weapons. | In this context, marked by the alarm of a large-scale conflict between the U.S.

Tony Cartalucci (2020-02-05). US Policy Vs. Iran: Apex Desperation. globalresearch.ca In Washington\'s losing battle to maintain hegemony in the Middle East at the expense of the actual people and nations that exist there — it has resorted to high-level assassinations, unilateral strikes against targets within sovereign nations against the expressed …

RT (2020-02-04). China tests Russian anti-viral drug which might treat coronavirus as Moscow warns of possible 'mass outbreak'. rt.com While health chiefs prepare for a potential pandemic, China is testing a Russian anti-viral drug in the hope that it might help control the new coronavirus. It comes as prospects of a vaccine look slim for the foreseeable future. | Triazavirin, developed at Yekaterinburg\'s Ural Federal University, was originally developed to combat \'Bird Flu\' (H5N1), and, given that there are some similarities between the two infections, researchers feel it\'s worth a punt. The medicine is already known to be effective against 15 types of flu. | Russia\'s Deputy Health Minister Sergei Kraevoi confirmed the news on Tuesday. He al…

RT (2020-02-04). White Helmets are \'preparing chemical attack false-flag\' in Syria\'s Idlib, Russian military tipped off. rt.com Militants affiliated with al-Qaeda and \'White Helmets\' are preparing to stage a chemical attack in Idlib province as Syrian army continues to advance, the Russian Reconciliation Center said citing a tip from local residents. | Members of the self-styled civil defense group, which operates solely in territories controlled by anti-government militants, were noticed arriving at the town of Ma\'arat al-Artik, about 11 kilometers (7 miles) northwest of Aleppo. According to the call that came in on the reconciliation center\'s hotline on Monday evening, they were preparing a \"provocation with the use of poisonous agen…

RT (2020-02-04). Trump could \'offer Alaska to the Russians\' in exchange for 2020 support — impeachment manager Schiff. rt.com California Democrat Adam Schiff painted a doomsday scenario if President Donald Trump is not impeached, including an all-powerful dictator ruling from Mar-a-Lago, letting his son-in-law run America, and trading Alaska to Russia. | Schiff\'s high fantasy came during the closing arguments of the Senate impeachment trial on Monday, after a series of procedural votes on Friday made it clear that Trump will not actually be convicted on charges brought on by the House of Representatives. | The president\'s lawyers argued that Trump could not be impeached since he committed no criminal act in his talks with the preside…

RT (2020-02-04). Russia starts production of S-400 missile defense systems for India, \'all commitments being fulfilled\' despite US pressure. rt.com Russia has kicked off production for a batch of S-400 missile defense systems with India\'s name on them, bringing a deal reached in 2018 one step closer to fruition despite fevered protests — as well as threats — from Washington. | \"The Almaz-Antey concern has begun manufacturing the S-400 systems for India, and Russia will deliver the S-400s to India within the timeframe stipulated by the contract,\" said Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov, adding that training centers had already been established in India to prepare operators of the missile system. | In general, all commitments und…

The Canary (2020-02-04). Ban on new petrol and diesel cars brought forward to 2035 as UN talks launched. thecanary.co A ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles will be brought forward to 2035, under plans outlined as the prime minister launches key UN climate talks in the UK.Boris Johnson is launching the COP26 talks, to take place in November in the UK, with a speech setting out Britain\'s stall as a leader on tackling climate change.He will urge other countries to follow the UK\'s lead in setting targets to cut their emissions to net zero — with major cuts to greenhouse gases and any remaining pollution offset by measures such as planting trees.As part of the UK\'s moves to meet its legal goal to reach net zero by 205…

RT (2020-02-04). \'Alienate countries around the world\': Washington pushes ahead with plan to punish \'currency manipulation\'. rt.com The US Department of Commerce has finalized new rules to impose anti-subsidy duties on products from countries that it has determined undervalue their currencies against the dollar. | The rules would target China and allow for new tariffs to be imposed on Beijing, despite the fact that the US Treasury Department last month removed China from its list of currency manipulators as part of the Phase 1 trade deal. | In addition to China, the rules could put goods from other countries at risk of higher duties. Countries which could be affected include Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea,…

RT (2020-02-04). Distraught Cristiano Ronaldo fans win court case for 'mental anguish' after star sparks fury by failing to play in Asia friendly. rt.com A court case that heard how two fans suffered \"mental anguish\" when Cristiano Ronaldo failed to play in a pre-season friendly for Juventus in South Korea last year has ended in both supporters being awarded financial compensation. | Two fans who were left with \"mental anguish\" when Cristiano Ronaldo sat out a pre-season friendly at the Seoul World Cup Stadium last year have been compensated in a district court case in South Korea. | Event organisers The Fasta had suggested Ronaldo was contracted to play at least 45 minutes in the glamour game against K League All Stars, leaving the sell-out crowd of 65,000 peo…

RT (2020-02-04). Netanyahu discusses \'normalization\' with Sudan\'s leader after Uganda talks. rt.com Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met Sudan\'s leader to discuss normalizing ties, his office said. The talks are seen as a potentially landmark step that was denounced by the Palestinians, AFP reports. The PM\'s office said he met Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan\'s ruling sovereign council, in the Ugandan city of Entebbe on Monday. | Israel remains technically at war with Sudan, which for years supported hardline Islamist forces. The sovereign council is a transitional body of Sudan\'s military officials and civilians that is headed by Burhan, an army general. | Israel has improved ties with…

RT (2020-02-04). Radicalizing troops? 19yo rookie soldier named suspect in French police station knife attack, after ISIS threat phone call. rt.com A 19-year old serviceman was named a suspect in the attack on a gendarmerie station in France, which took place after police received a threat of a massacre in the name of Islamic State. | The suspect was \"a young soldier who was completing his two months of initial training and was on probation,\" Defense Minister Florence Parly confirmed on Tuesday. She added that the man was not on duty during the attack. | The prosecutor in the northeastern city of Metz Christian Mercuri told reporters that the 19-year-old alleged culprit joined the army in early December. | The knifeman wounded a gendarme in the hand at th…

RT (2020-02-04). Twitter cites 'Iran & Israel state actors' after suspending researcher who exposed new user-data flaw. rt.com Twitter, in a post so reassuring it\'s alarming, says it stopped possible state-backed actors in Iran and Israel from exploiting its features. But the only clear \'actor\' may be a lone researcher who reported the bug six weeks ago. | \"Iran, Israel and Malaysia suspected of exploiting Twitter phone number security flaw,\" read a headline on Sky News. \"Twitter: Israel, Iran may have accessed users\' phone numbers,\" warned the Jerusalem Post. | So what did those bad privacy-violating ayatollahs in Tehran and intrepid privacy-defying IDF hackers do this time? They exploited Twitter\'s \"contact upload\" feature to match…

RT (2020-02-04). India & Bangladesh hold joint counterterrorism army drill (PHOTOS). rt.com A two-week joint military exercise is underway in India\'s eastern Meghalaya state, where the host nation\'s troops are welcoming guests from neighboring Bangladesh. The drill is to culminate in a field exercise. | The ninth installment of the Sampriti exercise is meant to help the militaries of the two countries learn about each other\'s tactical and organizational peculiarities. The joint field operation will simulate a UN-mandated counterterrorism push conducted by India and Bangladesh in tandem in a difficult mountainous and jungle terrain. | \"In addition to understanding each other at tactical level, greater…

The Canary (2020-02-04). US deploys new weapon in its nuclear arsenal. thecanary.co The US military has deployed a new addition to its nuclear arsenal, a long-range missile armed with a nuclear warhead of reduced destructive power.The so-called low-yield missile joins other, more powerful weapons aboard stealthy submarines prowling the oceans.The debut deployment aboard long-range submarines, known as boomers, is a landmark in US nuclear weapons policy.It is the first major addition to the strategic nuclear arsenal in recent decades and is a departure from the Obama administration\'s policy of lessening dependence on nuclear weapons in pursuit of a nuclear-free world.In confirming the missile dep…

RT (2020-02-04). India\'s Kerala declares \'state calamity\' over 3rd case of coronavirus, will treat China returnees dodging medics as \'criminals\'. rt.com A regional health emergency has been declared in the Indian state of Kerala after a third case of a lethal virus gripping China was confirmed there, prompting officials to take harsher action against those evading screenings. | The \"state calamity\" was announced by Kerala\'s health minister KK Shailaja, who noted the designation was not meant to \"trigger panic,\" but rather \"to create more awareness\" about the fast-moving contagion, which has claimed 427 lives and infected over 20,000 worldwide since December. | With three confirmed cases in the country, India has begun to take steps to contain the outbreak, but…

Staff (2020-02-04). U.S. Looks to Iowa to Help Clarify Democratic Field. truthdig.com DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Democrats anxious for fundamental political change headed toward caucus centers late Monday to decide the opening contest in the 2020 presidential primary season. It could bring new clarity to a field that still features nearly a dozen White House contenders vying for the chance to take on President Donald Trump. | In the hours before the evening caucuses, candidates gave last-minute pep talks and pitches, while hundreds of volunteers pressed on statewide. By day\'s end, tens of thousands of Democrats were to have gathered at community centers, high school gyms and more than 1,600 oth…

RT (2020-02-04). Libyan military factions ready to negotiate in Geneva — UN envoy. rt.com The UN envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame, said on Tuesday there was a \"genuine will to start negotiating\" between rival military factions as they began talks in Geneva. | Forces loyal to eastern based commander Khalifa Haftar have been trying to take control of the capital Tripoli for the past 10 months. | Salame told reporters that the two sides were aiming \"to bridge the gaps in their views on how the lasting, sustainable ceasefire can be organized on the ground.\" However, an arms embargo is being violated by both sides, and new mercenaries were still arriving to Libya, Reuters quoted Salame as saying. | Transf…

RT (2020-02-04). Chinese coronavirus quarantine now just 100 miles from Shanghai, 4 more cities with 21mn people added. rt.com Chinese authorities have extended the country\'s internal quarantine to include four additional cities comprising roughly 21 million people in a bid to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. | Travel restrictions have been placed on residents in Taizhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Wenzhou; allowing only one person per household to leave every two days to go and pick up supplies. In addition, residents in Taizhou must present ID every time they leave their homes. | City authorities also have placed rent controls on landlords, expressly forbidding them from renting their properties to people from \"severely affected…

BayAction2FreeAssange (2020-02-04). The Prosecution of Julian Assange: The War on Journalism, What Is at Stake? indybay.org Sonoma State University- Darwin 102 | 1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park, CA 94928…

Ben Norton (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…

Max Blumenthal (2020-02-04). Pro-Israel Buttigieg backer Seth Klarman is top funder of group behind Iowa\'s disastrous voting app. thegrayzone.com Behind the app that delayed Iowa\'s voting results is a dark money operation funded by anti-Sanders billionaires. Its top donor,…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-02-04). Coronavirus Pandemic: Economic Disruption. China Bashing and Hate Campaign against Chinese-Americans. globalresearch.ca The coronavirus pandemic is being used to smear China and its leadership. | The WHO has set the stage. A Global Emergency after a three hour committee meeting in Geneva was launched on January 30. | At the time this far-reaching WHO …

Fight Back (2020-02-04). Tallahassee residents demand removal of killer cop Police Chief Lawrence Revell. fightbacknews.org Tallahassee, FL – Local activists are calling new attention to the long struggle against terrorism by white supremacist law enforcement through a series of direct actions, the latest of which took place January 30 at a \"Meet the Chief\" meet and greet at a community center in Tallahassee. | \"This action is to protest the appointment of confirmed killer cop Lawrence Revell to chief of police, and to condemn the opaque, nepotistic process employed by City Manager Reese Goad to appoint Revell to this position,\" said Regina Joseph, president of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee (TCAC). | Members of TCAC distr…

Peter Koenig (2020-02-04). Palestine — \"Deal of the Century\" — or Fraud of the Century? globalresearch.ca Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas demolished President Trump\'s \"Peace Plan\" or, as the Donald called it, \"The Deal of the Century\", calling out \"Jerusalem is not for sale\", warning that the \"conspiracy deal will not pass. The Palestinian people will reject …

Register Peace & Freedom or Green (2020-02-04). 2019 Cal Tax Table and Most Tax Forms Not Online. indybay.org For 2019, unlike all previous years, we have to Email the Franchise Tax Board for the California Tax Table and most tax forms, except the 540, because they are not online. We cannot complete the 540 without this crucial table. The Email cannot be read or downloaded on many computers so one must then look to the email on your cell phone and get the magnifier to highlight the line you need for your tax due. This insanity and inefficiency is brought to us by Democratic Gov Newsom and his supermajority Democratic legislature.

Party for Socialism and Liberation (2020-02-04). Forum – Eyewitness Venezuela Report & Analysis of Palestine \"Peace Plan\" indybay.org 2969 Mission St. near 26th…

RejectTheCoverup (2020-02-04). Reject the Cover-Up! Oakland Protest Against Impeachment Cover-up. indybay.org Grand Lake Theater intersection, 3200 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94610…

Hayward Political Action Alliance (2020-02-04). Reject the Cover-Up! Protest in Hayward. indybay.org Hayward City Hall Plaza, 777 B Street, Hayward, CA 94541…

Paul Street (2020-02-04). How to Not Remove a Fascist. counterpunch.org Danger, danger, there are fascists in the White House, it\'s up to us to drive them out. A chant heard at Refuse Fascism marches in Chicago, 2019 and 2020 \"America[ns] First\" As we know from a recently released Hillary Clinton documentary, Barack Obama called Donald Trump a \"fascist\" in a 2016 conversation with Hillary Clinton\'s

Robert Fisk (2020-02-04). Trump\'s Banal \"Deal of the Century\" is Impossible to Take Seriously. zcomm.org When the two old political fraudsters emerged at the White House this week with the most deranged, farcical tragi-comedy in Middle East history, it was difficult to know whether to laugh or cry…

Vanessa Beeley (2020-02-04). The Syrian Arab Army and Allies are Fighting the \"Real War on Terror\" globalresearch.ca Probably the most hideous propaganda to be spewed by the establishment media cartel in the West is that which portrays the Syrian Arab Army as some kind of militia, \"Assad\'s gang\", disconnecting these defenders of homeland from the people they …

WSWS (2020-02-04). NATO exercise Defender 2020: Germany serves as military base for build-up against Russia. wsws.org For the first time in its history, the alliance is practicing the deployment from the US to eastern Europe of an entire division of 20,000 soldiers.

WSWS (2020-02-04). Dozens killed in growing border clashes between Turkey and Syria. wsws.org This fighting threatens to escalate into a direct confrontation between Turkey, a NATO member state, and the Syrian regime\'s nuclear-armed ally, Russia.

WSWS (2020-02-04). Democrats double down on anti-Russia war-mongering in impeachment arguments. wsws.org The Democrats\' final arguments only underscored the reactionary basis of their impeachment drive.

WSWS (2020-02-04). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Tens of thousands of teachers in Canada\'s largest province are continuing their fight against the right wing government of Bill Ford, while workers at Brazil\'s Petrobras have taken action over the privatization drive by the Bolsonaro administration.

WSWS (2020-02-04). Brazilian oil workers strike against mass layoffs, privatization threat. wsws.org The strike at the state-owned giant Petrobras comes amid strikes by other sections of public sector workers against Bolsonaro\'s privatization program.

Marshall Sahlins (2020-02-04). Why Economics is an Impossible Science (In One Paragraph). counterpunch.org In a word, Economics is an Impossible Science because by its own definition the determining conditions of the economy are not economic: they are \"exogenous.\" Supposedly a science of things, it is by definition without substance, being rather a mode of behavior: the application of scarce means to alternative ends so as to achieve the

Stephen Cooper (2020-02-04). A Historic Conversation with Legendary Drummer Santa Davis. counterpunch.org On December 1, 2019, I interviewed drummer Carlton \"Santa\" Davis—at his house in Los Angeles—for over three hours about his legendary career. The interview focused heavily on: Santa\'s work playing with the Soul Syndicate, backing artists like Dennis Brown and Burning Spear, and contributing on some of Bob Marley\'s biggest and best hit songs; the

John Eskow (2020-02-04). Doomsday Clocks and Apple Watches. counterpunch.org When I was a kid in the 1950s, the clichéd way for magazine cartoonists to portray a \"crazy man\" was to show him carrying a picket sign that proclaimed The World Is Coming To An End! Nowadays that same picket sign could signify the exact opposite—a sane person, soberly confronting our moment in history. Apocalyptic

Joyce Nelson (2020-02-04). Saugeen Ojibway Nation Has Saved Lake Huron From a Nuclear Waste Dump. counterpunch.org A major victory for Canada\'s First Nations has just been won in Ontario. On January 31, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) overwhelmingly voted down the proposed deep geological repository (DGR) for storage of low- and intermediate-level radioactive nuclear waste next to Lake Huron. The DGR had long been proposed by Ontario Power Generation (OPG), but

Gary Leupp (2020-02-04). NATO and the Impeachment Trial. counterpunch.org Is it not clear? The impeachment trial underway is all about cementing support for the foreign policy most clearly espoused by (the grotesque) Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), an impeachment manager now appearing all too frequently on cable news. His foreign policy—meaning that of Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Joe Biden and all the

John Kendall Hawkins (2020-02-04). The Tribute Poems of AZ and KSM. counterpunch.org Who is this guy, Jim Mitchell? Evidently, I overslept and woke up smack dab in the middle of…

Scott Tucker (2020-02-04). DNC Declares War on Sanders…Again. counterpunch.org There\'s already lots of evidence that the DNC old guard will sabotage Bernie\'s campaign. Again. For example, take a look through the sources, links and excerpts below this column. The New York Times also ran more op ed slander against Sanders this past Saturday. Among younger people especially, however, predictable dark money ads and redbaiting

Talasi Brooks (2020-02-04). Trump\'s Environmental Review Rollbacks Will Put Ranchers in Charge of Public Lands. counterpunch.org President Trump\'s proposed new rollbacks of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations will not only accelerate destructive infrastructure projects, they will also cut environmental concerns out of decision-making for livestock grazing on millions of acres of public lands. Where environmental reviews do occur, the new regulations hamstring public participation and give an outsized voice to ranchers

Marshall Auerback (2020-02-04). Do Davos Billionaires and Bankers Really Believe That There Won\'t Be Any More Booms and Busts? counterpunch.org Can runaway booms descend into busts absent monetary tightening by the world\'s central banks? I pose this question in the wake of an extraordinary exchange on January 22 at Davos between Bloomberg editor-at-large Tom Keene and Bob Prince, co-CIO of Bridgewater Associates, in which the latter posited the notion that \"we\'ve probably seen the end

Dean Baker (2020-02-04). Technology, Patents, and Inequality. counterpunch.org It is popular for people, especially economist-type people, to claim that technology has been a major driver of the increase in inequality over the last four decades. This view is very convenient for those on the winning side of the inequality divide, since it implies that the growth in inequality was largely an organic process

Kim C. Domenico (2020-02-04). Sedition or Sedation?: Liberalism and Neuroses. counterpunch.org culture is the act of \"replacing what is unconscious with what is conscious.\" A cult is unconscious. It simply does what it has always done. It follows instructions. Culture, on the other hand, is the bringing to awareness of the damage — the repression, irrationality, violence, ugliness, injustice and tragedy — imposed by the cult.

Jonathan Cook (2020-02-04). The Holocaust, the BBC and Antisemitism Smears. globalresearch.ca Senior BBC news reporter Orla Guerin has found herself in hot water of an increasingly familiar kind. During a report on preparations for the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, she made a …

Global Research News (2020-02-04). Most Popular Articles in January. globalresearch.ca …

Prof. Sam Gindin (2020-02-04). Realizing \'Just Transitions\': The Struggle for Plant Conversion at GM Oshawa. globalresearch.ca On November 26, 2018, General Motors announced a number of plant closures in North America, the largest of which is in Oshawa, Ontario. The Oshawa facility, once the largest auto complex on the continent, was to end all its assembly …

Darius Shahtahmasebi (2020-02-04). New Zealand\'s Hidden Role at the Biggest US Bombing Base in the Middle East. globalresearch.ca A recent issue of Air Force News revealed that a senior NZDF officer served a six-month posting at the Qatar base, placing New Zealanders at the heart of the main targeting and bombing center in that region, writes Darius Shahtahmasebi…

WSWS (2020-02-04). Boris Johnson\'s government uses London terror attack to call for indefinite detention. wsws.org For all the cries of \"apologist!\" in the corporate media, the roots of terrorist groups in the predatory intrigues of the major powers are widely known.