(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). "We Want Democracy!" Mass Protests Continue in Dominican Republic After Local Elections Suspended. democracynow.org 
Thousands in the Dominican Republic took to the streets of the capital Santo Domingo Thursday to protest the abrupt suspension of local elections earlier this month and to commemorate the country's Independence Day. Protests have been ongoing since February 16, after the government suspended the municipal elections four hours after voting began, alleging there were "technical glitches" in the electronic ballot machines used. The machines were previously used in October 2019, and they cost the Dominican government $19 million. The Dominican people believe the alleged technical glitch is just an attempt by the ruli…
(2020-02-28). Thousands Are Taking the Streets to Protest Suspension of Dominican Elections. truthout.org Thousands in the Dominican Republic took to the streets of the capital Santo Domingo Thursday to protest the abrupt suspension of local elections earlier this month and to commemorate the country's Independence Day. Protests have been ongoing since February 16, after the government suspended the municipal elections four hours after voting began, alleging there were "technical glitches" in the electronic ballot machines used. The machines were previously used in October 2019, and they cost the D…
(2020-02-28). If Venezuelan Embassy Protectors Are Retried, Jury Should Hear About US Crimes. globalresearch.ca On February 28, federal prosecutors will announce whether they plan to retry four people who spent 37 days in the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, D.C.,
(2020-02-28). Here's why Bernie Sanders was spot on with his comments about Cuba. thecanary.co Bernie Sanders has recently come Red-baiting tactics: | On 23 February, Sanders said it's "unfair to simply say everything is bad" about the Cuban Revolution. Republicans and establishment Dem…
(2020-02-28). Bernie Sanders Was Right About the Cuban Literacy Campaign. truthout.org The corporate media have long been looking for ways to discredit Bernie Sanders, and they settled on a surprising statement he made in the 1980s during his tenure as mayor of Burlington when he said, "We have a lot to learn from Cuba." | Now, they have latched onto a statement he made about Cuba during an interview on "60 Minutes" after winning the Nevada caucuses: "We're very opposed to the authoritarian nature of Cuba but you know, it's unfair to simply say everything is bad," Sanders said. "When Fidel Castr…
(2020-02-28). Guyana Goes to the Polls Hoping to End Its Political Crisis. telesurenglish.net Guyana's oil boom will influence the results of the March 2 elections, which are called to end the long period of political instability and stagnation that the South American country has been experiencing since 2018. | RELATED: | The Guyanese people have been waiting for this day since their president David Granger received a motion of no confidence against him, which was validated by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ…
(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). U.S. Blockade Hinders Organ Transplant Process in Cuba. telesurenglish.net Cuba's physician Julio Cesar Sierra Friday denounced that the United States blockade against his country is hurting the population that needs vital organ transplants. | RELATED: | "The blockade prevents Cuba from acquiring the essential resources for the successful development of transplant processes on the Island," the transplant coordinator condemned. | According to Sierra, resources such as medicines, reagents, and other sup…
(2020-02-27). It's just business: US & Britain buying more and more oil from Russia. rt.com 
Russia more than doubled crude oil supplies to the United States and Britain in 2019, data from the Federal Customs Service (FCS) has revealed. | A fall in prices for the Russian Urals oil, combined with US sanctions against Venezuela and Iran, were among the reasons for such an increase in purchases. | According to the data cited by business news outlet RBC, in October Russia became the second-largest supplier of oil and petroleum products to the United States. At the end of 2019, crude oil exports from Russia amounted to almost $2.2 billion, 2.4 times more than in 2018. In physical terms, the volume of oil e…
(2020-02-27). DR: Medina Offers Triumphalist Speech to Downplay Protests. telesurenglish.net The Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina addressed the Dominican people on Wednesday with a speech praising his administration, while thousands of people took to the streets to brand him as corrupt and demand a solution to the political crisis the Caribbean country is going through. | RELATED: | The economic development that the Dominican Republic has experienced in recent years and the efforts to reduce inequality in the country were the main issues t…
(2020-02-27). Return to Bahrain: Nine Years After the Uprisings, the Nation's Human Rights Record Has Worsened. counterpunch.org It's been nine years since Bahrain's February 2011 uprising. Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched in cities and towns across the country to protest the ruling Al Khalifa family's tight grip on power, discrimination against the country's majority Shia population, and arrests of political critics. The 2011 uprising itself came 10 years after the 2001
(2020-02-27). Venezuela's Rejects Michelle Bachelet's Report at UNHRC. telesurenglish.net The Venezuelan government rejected on Wednesda the methodologies used by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, but confirmed its willingness to dialogue and cooperation. | RELATED: | "There is still a long way to go to achieve balanced documents and adhere to the principles that should govern the treatment of human rights issues," said Deputy Minister for Multilateral Issues of…
(2020-02-27). 'One-fifth of heart attacks occur before 50 in Turkey'. yenisafak.com One-fifth of heart attacks occur before patients turn 50 in Turkey, a country with one of the youngest populations in Europe, according to a Turkish cardiologist."20% of heart attacks in Turkey occur before the age of 50, while the average age in European countries is 60-65," Dr. Ozlem Esen, a professor at Altinbas University's medical school in Istanbul, told Anadolu Agency.Esen said heart attack is in the first place among health problems in Turkey with a rate of 42%.Heart attacks were seen only in patients over 60 years of age 20 years ago, Esen said, adding that it can now be seen among those under the age of…
(2020-02-27). Erdogan Notes Fighting in Syria's Idlib Has Gone in Turkey's Favour. sputniknews.com The newspaper Daily Sabah reported earlier today citing Turkey's Defence Minister Hulusi Akar that two Turkish soldiers had been killed in an airstrike in Syria's Idlib Province.
(2020-02-26). As media amplifies unrest in Venezuela and beyond, millions are quietly revolting in Colombia. mronline.org 
Despite protests of historic proportions fueled by anger over corruption and a brutal right-wing crackdown, the unrest in Colombia has garnered remarkably little international media attention compared to Venezuela. |
(2020-02-26). Venezuela Reaffirms Cooperation With UN on Human Rights. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza ratified Wednesday his government's willingness to cooperate with the United Nations on human rights issues. | RELATED: | In a meeting with the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, the top diplomat said that his government assumes the protection and respect for fundamental rights as a state policy. | This is part of the minister's agenda during th…
(2020-02-26). Macri's Created Poverty Is the Highest of the Decade: Report. telesurenglish.net Multidimensional poverty in Argentina rose by 10 points in the last four years, from 27.2 percent of the population in 2015 to 37.5 percent in the third quarter of 2019, affecting 15.8 million people, according to the latest report of the Social Debt Observatory of the Catholic University of Argentina (UCA). | RELATED: | The report presented by the UCA analyzes the evolution of the material living conditions of the…
(2020-02-26). USF students rally against racist administration. fightbacknews.org Tampa, FL – On February 25, Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a Black Students Matter rally on campus to bring attention to the racist admissions practices that the administration at the University of South Florida (USF) engages in. | Enrollment of Black students at USF has been declining for years and the percent of Black students at USF was the lowest it's been in the past decade last semester (fall 2019), at 9.4%. This is especially alarming considering that in the Tampa Bay area, where USF is located, Black people comprise 24% of the population. | "We understand how schools like USF parta…
(2020-02-26). Dominican Republic: No Mediators to Clarify Electoral Crisis. telesurenglish.net The electoral crisis in the Dominican Republic, since the failure of the municipal elections on February 16th, has yet to find impartial interlocutors to clarify the political uncertainty in the country. | RELATED: | After the suspension of the February 16th elections, due to the collapse of the automated voting system, the Central Electoral Board (JCE, by its Spanish abbreviation) called for the signing of a political pact among almost 100 Dominican organiz…
(2020-02-26). Lolita Island Part 2? FBI raid New York HQ of fashion mogul friend of Prince Andrew in sex trafficking probe. rt.com 
The FBI and NYPD have raided the New York offices of fashion exec Peter Nygard as part of a sex trafficking investigation — the fourth such probe of the mogul, who is accused of drugging and raping girls on his Bahamas estate.
(2020-02-26). Sure, but Venezuela is the Narco State… mronline.org 
Venezuelan analyst Oscar Forero contextualises the accusation that Venezuela is immersed in illegal drug activity. |
(2020-02-25). Bernie Sanders's Key to Success in Democratic Primary? Organizing in Black & Latinx Communities. democracynow.org 
Senator Bernie Sanders's campaign continues to ride the wave of its decisive victory Saturday in the Democratic presidential caucuses in Nevada. Sanders's win came with support from young voters, union members and Latinx voters, who strengthened his status as Democratic presidential front-runner. He won 73% of the Latino vote in Nevada, a remarkable victory that supporters hope will bode well heading into Super Tuesday and beyond. Through March 17, the Democratic primary calendar will run through seven of the 12 states where Latinx communities constitute at least 10% of the total eligible voting population. | We…
(2020-02-25). 'Delete his entire campaign': Bloomberg gets roasted after tweeting, then scrubbing, fake Bernie quotes praising 'despots'. rt.com 
Billionaire-turned-Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg has taken a severe thrashing on social media, after his campaign posted, and then deleted, fake Bernie Sanders quotes hailing alleged "despots. " | Bloomberg's social media team took aim at the Vermont senator with a series of tweets mocking his factually accurate statement that literacy in Cuba skyrocketed under Fidel Castro. | The official 'Team Bloomberg' Twitter account shot off a series of posts in which they imagined what Sanders perhaps thinks of other "famous despots." The fake quotes included flattering remarks about Stalin ("[he]…
(2020-02-25). Headlines for February 25, 2020. democracynow.org Harvey Weinstein Found Guilty of Rape, 2020 Democratic Candidates Gear Up for Debate as More Damning Comments by Bloomberg Surface, Bernie Sanders Defends Praise for Fidel Castro's Literacy Program, Protests in India Kill At Least 7 as Trump Continues Visit, Former Egyptian Dictator Hosni Mubarak Dies, U.K. Court Opens Deliberations on Julian Assange's Extradition Case, As Coronavirus Spreads Around the Globe, White House Requests Emergency Funding, China Sentences Bookseller Critical of Chinese Government to 10 Years in Prison, Clashes Between Haitian Police and Soldiers Leave One Dead as Anti-Gov't Protests Rag…
(2020-02-25). One in three Venezuelans not getting enough to eat, UN study finds. news.un.org Hyperinflation in Venezuela means that roughly one-third of the population — more than nine million people — do not get enough to eat and are in need of assistance, according to estimates published on Tuesday by the World Food Programme (WFP).
(2020-02-25). Reality check on Wall Street. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – U.S. stocks got a reality check on Monday, February 24, with the Dow falling more than 1000 points, or 3.5%. The NASDAQ index, with a heavy representation of technology company stocks, fell a bit more, while the broadest measure of the stock market, the S&P 500 fell a bit less. | Almost all the news blamed the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19). While China's firm measures, including locking down virtually the entire province of Hubei, appear to be taking effect as the number of infections seem to be leveling off. Hubei has a population of some 70 million and is where the epicenter of the vir…
(2020-02-24). "A Stupendous Victory": Bernie Sanders Wins Nevada After Heavy Organizing in Latinx Communities. democracynow.org 
Senator Bernie Sanders scored a decisive victory Saturday in the Democratic presidential caucuses in Nevada, riding a wave of support from young voters, union members and Latinx voters, who strengthened his status as front-runner. His win shows the potential for the nation's largest minority group to reshape the next stage of the Democratic presidential race. In the next four weeks, six more of the 12 states with a large Latinx population will vote in the Democratic primary. On Super Tuesday, Texas, California and Colorado go to the polls. Arizona, Florida and Illinois will vote on March 17. We speak with Erika A…
(2020-02-23). UN deputy chief see first-hand toll of climate change on Zimbabwe's natural habitat. news.un.org Alongside the human population, Africa's animals are suffering greatly from the effects of climate change, which United Nations Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed saw first-hand on Sunday in Zimbabwe.
(2020-02-20). Venezuela files ICC lawsuit over US sanctions. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-02-19). Latinx Group Mijente Backs Bernie Sanders in First-Ever Presidential Endorsement. democracynow.org 
In its first-ever presidential endorsement, the Latinx and Chicanx organization Mijente endorsed Bernie Sanders on Tuesday ahead of the Nevada caucuses. The group tweeted its decision, saying, "We know that in 2020, Trump's potential re-election is a life-or-death threat for us, for our people, and for our planet. This moment demands a historic mobilization. That's why Mijente is uniting with the movement to elect @BernieSanders." A video accompanied the announcement. After the contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, where the electorate is overwhelmingly white, Nevada is the first election with a diverse population.
(2020-02-06). Embassy Protection Collective: "We Are Not the Ones Who Violated the Law" theantimedia.com In this exclusive interview, VA talks to the activists who defended the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington DC ahead of their trial.
(2019-12-20). Notes on a private TV newscast in Bolivia. The contrast with Venezuela is clear as day. zcomm.org In August, I took detailed notes a news broadcast on one of Venezuela's largest TV networks. I summarized these notes in an interview I did with the Real News Network making the point that Venezuela's private media (which reaches 60-90% of households) is remarkably free — most especially when you consider the US is openly
(2019-12-16). Francisco Rodriguez answers some questions I asked about Venezuela. zcomm.org Venezuelan economist Francisco Rodriguez, formerly of Torino Economics, answered a few questions of mine about his country. He was the economic adviser to Henri Falcon, the second place finisher in the May 2018 presidential election. His updated estimate for 2019 is that Venezuela's real GDP will contract by 25% . That's horrific, but less severe