Daily Archives: March 15, 2020

2020-03-15: News Headlines

RT (2020-03-15). Route of first Russian-Turkish patrol along key de-escalation line shortened to prevent terrorist provocation involving civilians. rt.com Russian and Turkish forces in Syria's province of Idlib have had to shorten their first joint patrol mission aimed at maintaining truce in the area to avoid harming civilians used as human shield by terrorists. | On Sunday, Turkey and Russia set out on their first joint patrol along the security corridor in Idlib, agreed as part of a ceasefire deal reached by presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan in early March. The route of the patrol went along the strategic M4 highway, which links Syria's city of Aleppo to the coastal western province of Latakia and passes through the territories held by variou…

RT (2020-03-15). Russian-Turkish patrol route in Idlib shortened abruptly to prevent terrorists attempt to use civilians as human shield. rt.com Russian and Turkish forces in Syria's province of Idlib have had to shorten their first joint patrol mission in order to prevent extremists from disrupt it, using civilians as human shields, the Russian military said. | On Sunday, Turkey and Russia set out on their first joint patrol along the security corridor in Idlib agreed as part of a ceasefire deal reached by presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Teyyip Erdogan in early March. The route of the patrol went along the strategic M4 highway linking Syria's city of Aleppo to the coastal western province of Latakia and passing through the territories held by vari…

RT (2020-03-15). Ukrainian nationalists fire FLARE GUN at Russian embassy in Kiev, threaten to storm diplomatic mission (VIDEO). rt.com Ukrainian radicals have shot a round from a flare gun at the Russian embassy in Kiev, hitting the building's roof as they staged a rally outside the mission. Despite a heavy police presence, officers apparently stood idly by. | Russia's diplomatic mission in Kiev suffered the assault late on Saturday as a crowd of mostly far-right radicals gathered in front of the embassy and pelted its premises with flares and smoke pellets. At one point, someone also fired a flare gun round, which hit the building's roof to loud cheers from the crowd, which was chanting anti-Russian slogans, a video published on social media…

RT (2020-03-15). 'Don't be in a rush to die, you'll die anyway': Chechen leader Kadyrov urges public to stop panicking over coronavirus. rt.com With hysteria over the coronavirus on the rise, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has urged his countrymen to keep calm, not to shun traditional medicine, and care less about what is beyond one's control — as we are all mortal. | Kadyrov, the long-time leader of Russia's Chechen Republic, has offered his take on today's boiling issue — the coronavirus pandemic — injecting some wisdom of his own into the debate. | Arguing that the fears over the disease that manifests itself with flu-like symptoms have been blown out of proportion, Kadyrov called on the public to come to their senses and stop overth…

sputniknews (2020-03-15). Congress Leader Priyanka Gandhi Hits Out at Modi Gov't Over High Oil Prices. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Global crude oil prices plunged last week as Oil Producing and Exporting Countries Plus (OPEC+) failed to agree on production cuts in the wake of the COVID-19 spread, as Russia was not in favour of it. Moscow was of the view that it is too early to assess the impact of the coronavirus on future economic activity and oil demand.

sputniknews (2020-03-15). Austria to Ban Entry for Citizens of Russia, 3 Other States Over COVID-19 – Chancellor. sputniknews.com VIENNA (Sputnik) – Austria will introduce an entry ban for citizens of Russia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Sunday.

RT (2020-03-14). Russia's number of confirmed coronavirus cases reaches 59. rt.com Some 14 new coronavirus patients were identified in Russia on Saturday with the total number of infected reaching 59. Moscow leads with the number of new cases, with 9 infected with Covid-19 detected in the capital. So far, the coronavirus has not claimed any lives in Russia. | Over 145,000 coronavirus patients have been registered worldwide, and more than 5,400 of them died. While the majority of cases have originated in the pandemic's ground zero — Wuhan, China — and countries such as Iran and South Korea have been heavily hit, the World Health Organization (WHO) said this week that the hotspot o…

teleSUR (2020-03-14). Russia: President Putin Signs Law Amending the Constitution. telesurenglish.net Russia's RELATED: | This legal instrument specifies the requirements to be met by the President, members of the Government and Parliament, and other positions related t…

WSWS (2020-03-14). Russia's coronavirus cases double in two days, as Ukraine reports first death. wsws.org COVID-19 is spreading in Russia and Ukraine, as the governments impose bans on travel and public gatherings.

RT (2020-03-13). Pentagon hands out contracts for PORTABLE nuclear reactors… yet another gold vein for cash-savvy military? rt.com There's no shortage of hefty defense deals awarded by the US Department of Defense, but the $40 million contract for micro-reactors definitely stands out, as it hides safety risks and raises doubts over its economic efficiency. | The nuclear device that the DoD strategists want must have the capability to be safely and rapidly transported by road, rail, sea or air (sic!) as well as swiftly set up and shut down. The

South Front (2020-03-12). Video: Great Idlib "Rebranding" and Al Qaeda "Turkish Victories" over Russian Air Defense. globalresearch.ca Terrorist groups operating in Idlib are preparing for a new rebranding under Turkish patronage. According to Syrian sources, Hayat Tarir al-Sham (formerly the official Syrian branch of al-Qaeda), the Turkistan Islamic Party (an al-Qaeda-linked group), the National Front for Liberation …

Binoy Kampmark (2020-03-12). Golden Anniversaries for Flawed Treaties: The NPT turns Fifty. dissidentvoice.org In an era where agreements have been abandoned as "bad", to use that favourite word of US President Donald Trump, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons continues to feature on the books of diplomacy. But age seems to be wearying it and decoding sober readings from hype-filled tat has been a testing task. …

Sputnik News (2020-03-12). Russia Hands to Iran Coronavirus Diagnostic Systems Designed for 50,000 Tests — Watchdog. iranian.com Iran has received from Russia coronavirus diagnostic systems designed for 50,000 tests, Russian consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said. "Due to the deteriorating epidemiological situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran because of the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, Rospotrebnadzor provided free of charge test systems for laboratory diagnosis of the new coronavirus infection in …

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2020-03-12). Russia cannot do without Turkey's cooperation in Syria. iranian.com The former Soviet Union was a satiated world power. It didn't have to prove anything. The Great Patriotic War (1941-45) spoke for itself. Thus, triumphalism was never a diplomatic tool in the Soviet inventory. The removal of the US nuclear missiles from Turkey in the downstream of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis was not even …

RT (2020-03-12). Iran deploys S-300 missiles at Fordow nuclear facility — report. iranian.com Iran has deployed a Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missile defense system at its Fordow uranium enrichment facility, the country's state media have reported, as cited by Reuters. "Our main priority is to protect Iran's nuclear facilities under any circumstances," Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' (IRGC) air defense force, told state …

Medea Benjamin and Ariel Gold (2020-03-12). Saudi's Brave Women Pull Back the Curtain on Crown Prince MBS. dissidentvoice.org This week, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), Saudi Arabia's 34-year-old de facto ruler, was on a tear. He arrested members of his own royal family and initiated an oil price war with Russia that has sent the price of oil—and the world's stock markets—plummeting. Behind the headlines, however, another critical event will take place …

Stansfield Smith (2020-03-11). A Case Study of Corporate Media Disinformation. dissidentvoice.org Some alternative media have exposed the US government and its corporate media fake news reporting on Russian "election interference," on Venezuela, the war on Syria, China's Xinjiang and Hong Kong, Nicaragua, Palestine, among others. One of the longest running media disinformation campaigns has been directed at Cuba, well covered in Keith Bolender's Manufacturing the Enemy: …

Pepe Escobar (2020-03-11). How Black Swans Are Shaping Planet Panic. iranian.com Is the planet under the spell of a range of Black Swans — a Wall Street meltdown caused by an alleged oil war between Russia and the House of Saud, plus the uncontrolled spread of Covid-19 — leading to an all-out "cross-asset pandemonium," as billed by Nomura, the Japanese holding company? Or, as German analyst Peter Spengler …

Phil Barbelé (2020-03-10). The Battle for Idlib: Did Erdogan Capitulate to Putin in Moscow? mintpressnews.com There was a celebration in Syria when Russia announced a ceasefire agreement with Turkey on March 3 following a six-hour meeting between Presidents Erdogan and Putin in Moscow. Under the agreement, Erdogan agreed to pull back Turkish forces and not to contest territory that Syria had recently reclaimed from terrorist groups in eastern Aleppo and southern Idlib provinces. In fact, Turkey agreed not to intervene against Syrian troops in any of the areas from which it pulled back, in effect allowing Syrian forces to reclaim even more of its territory from terrorists in southern Idlib. | The agreement appeared to be…

pip.hinman (2020-03-10). Why nuclear power must remain outlawed in Australia. greenleft.org.au

Staff (2020-03-06). Headlines for March 6, 2020. democracynow.org 3,500 Cruise Ship Passengers Quarantined Off California Coast over Coronavirus Fears, Seattle Area Residents Urged to Work from Home as Coronavirus Spreads Across U.S., World Health Organization's Coronavirus Warning: "This Is Not a Drill", Stocks Tumble as Coronavirus Rattles Global Economy, Sen. Elizabeth Warren Suspends 2020 Presidential Bid, Bernie Sanders Campaign Rally Disrupted by Protester with Nazi Flag, Russia and Turkey Agree to a Ceasefire in Syria's War-Torn Idlib, Israel Accused of Collective Punishment After Demolishing Palestinian Homes, Israeli Opposition Parties Bidding to Unseat Netanyahu After…

Jason Ditz (2020-02-20). Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive. theantimedia.com Russia called the situation a "worst case scenario."

Jason Ditz (2020-02-17). DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director's Role in Russiagate. theantimedia.com The Justice Department is investigating the role of John Brennan in the assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

Strategic Culture (2020-02-08). US Deploys 'Mini-Nukes' in Deplorable Threat to World Peace. theantimedia.com These so-called "mini-nukes" represent—despite the diminutive-sounding name—an increased risk of nuclear war.

Tyler Durden (2020-02-08). Iraq and Russia Prepare to Boost Military Ties as US Threatens Sanctions. theantimedia.com Iraq and Russia are preparing for deepening military coordination.

Middle East Eye (2020-02-07). Russia Says Israel Used Civilian Plane as Human Shield During Syria Strikes. theantimedia.com Russia accused Israel of "making a total mockery of the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians."

Lawrence Wittner (2019-12-22). Americans Are Ready for a Different Approach to Nuclear Weapons. zcomm.org Although today's public protests against nuclear weapons can't compare to the major antinuclear upheavals of past decades, there are clear indications that most Americans reject the Trump administration's nuclear weapons policies. Since entering office in 2017, the Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from the nuclear agreement with Iran, scrapped the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces

Jon Rainwater (2019-11-07). Take Action — Some actual, SANE legislation. peaceaction.org Trump has plans to spend nearly $2 TRILLION over the next 30 years on unneeded and unnecessary nuclear weapons and delivery systems. This makes no sense. This is insane. That's nearly $100 million wasted every day for thirty years on weapons we are supposed to be getting rid of. To put that amount in perspective, …

2020-03-15: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media!

Russian-Turkish patrol route in Idlib shortened abruptly to prevent terrorists attempt to use civilians as human shield
rt.com | 2020-03-15
Russian and Turkish forces in Syria's province of Idlib have had to shorten their first joint patrol mission in order to prevent extremists from disrupt it, using civilians as human shields, the Russian military said. | On Sunday, Turkey and Russia set out on their first joint patrol along the security corridor in Idlib agreed as part of a ceasefire deal reached by presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Teyyip Erdogan in early March. The route of the patrol went along the strategic M4 highway linking Syria's city of Aleppo to the coastal western province of Latakia and passing through the territories held by vari…
rt.com/news/483167-joint-russian-turkish-patrol-in-syria-shortened/

Route of first Russian-Turkish patrol along key de-escalation line shortened to prevent terrorist provocation involving civilians
rt.com | 2020-03-15
Russian and Turkish forces in Syria's province of Idlib have had to shorten their first joint patrol mission aimed at maintaining truce in the area to avoid harming civilians used as human shield by terrorists. | On Sunday, Turkey and Russia set out on their first joint patrol along the security corridor in Idlib, agreed as part of a ceasefire deal reached by presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan in early March. The route of the patrol went along the strategic M4 highway, which links Syria's city of Aleppo to the coastal western province of Latakia and passes through the territories held by variou…
rt.com/news/483167-joint-russian-turkish-patrol-in-syria-shortened/

'Don't be in a rush to die, you'll die anyway': Chechen leader Kadyrov urges public to stop panicking over coronavirus
rt.com | 2020-03-15
With hysteria over the coronavirus on the rise, Chechnya's Ramzan Kadyrov has urged his people to keep calm, not to shun traditional medicine, and worry less about what is beyond their control

'Don't be in a rush to die, you'll die anyway': Chechen leader Kadyrov urges public to stop panicking over coronavirus
rt.com | 2020-03-15
With hysteria over the coronavirus on the rise, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has urged his countrymen to keep calm, not to shun traditional medicine, and care less about what is beyond one's control

Ukrainian nationalists fire FLARE GUN at Russian embassy in Kiev, threaten to storm diplomatic mission (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2020-03-15
Ukrainian radicals have shot a round from a flare gun at the Russian embassy in Kiev, hitting the building's roof as they staged a rally outside the mission. Despite a heavy police presence, officers apparently stood idly by. | Russia's diplomatic mission in Kiev suffered the assault late on Saturday as a crowd of mostly far-right radicals gathered in front of the embassy and pelted its premises with flares and smoke pellets. At one point, someone also fired a flare gun round, which hit the building's roof to loud cheers from the crowd, which was chanting anti-Russian slogans, a video published on social media…
rt.com/news/483163-russian-embassy-kiev-flare-gun/

Cold War Chinatown
Eugene E Ruyle | indybay.org | 2020-03-15
NPML, 6501 Telegraph Ave, Oakland (just North of Alcatraz Ave.)…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/03/13/18831502.php

Austria to Ban Entry for Citizens of Russia, 3 Other States Over COVID-19 – Chancellor
sputniknews.com | 2020-03-15
VIENNA (Sputnik) – Austria will introduce an entry ban for citizens of Russia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Sunday.
sputniknews.com/europe/202003151078571556-austria-to-ban-entry-for-citizens-of-russia-3-other-states-over-covid-19/

Congress Leader Priyanka Gandhi Hits Out at Modi Gov't Over High Oil Prices
sputniknews.com | 2020-03-15
New Delhi (Sputnik): Global crude oil prices plunged last week as Oil Producing and Exporting Countries Plus (OPEC+) failed to agree on production cuts in the wake of the COVID-19 spread, as Russia was not in favour of it. Moscow was of the view that it is too early to assess the impact of the coronavirus on future economic activity and oil demand.
sputniknews.com/india/202003151078571458-congress-leader-priyanka-gandhi-hits-out-at-modi-govt-over-high-oil-prices/

Russia's number of confirmed coronavirus cases reaches 59
rt.com | 2020-03-14
Some 14 new coronavirus patients were identified in Russia on Saturday with the total number of infected reaching 59. Moscow leads with the number of new cases, with 9 infected with Covid-19 detected in the capital. So far, the coronavirus has not claimed any lives in Russia. | Over 145,000 coronavirus patients have been registered worldwide, and more than 5,400 of them died. While the majority of cases have originated in the pandemic's ground zero

Russia's coronavirus cases double in two days, as Ukraine reports first death
wsws.org | 2020-03-14
COVID-19 is spreading in Russia and Ukraine, as the governments impose bans on travel and public gatherings.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/14/upda-m14.html

Russia: President Putin Signs Law Amending the Constitution
telesurenglish.net | 2020-03-14
Russia's President Vladimir Putin Saturday signed the law on constitutional amendments that could allow him to run for reelection in 2024. | RELATED: | Russia: Lower House Approves 169 Constitutional Amendments | This legal instrument specifies the requirements to be met by the President, members of the Government and Parliament, and other positions related t…
telesurenglish.net/news/Russia-President-Putin-Signs-Law-Amending-the-Constitution-20200314-0003.html

Russia's coronavirus cases double in two days, as Ukraine reports first death
wsws.org | 2020-03-14
COVID-19 is spreading in Russia and Ukraine, as the governments impose bans on travel and public gatherings.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/14/upda-m14.html

Saudi's Brave Women Pull Back the Curtain on Crown Prince MBS
Medea Benjamin, Ariel Gold | counterpunch.org | 2020-03-13
This week, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), Saudi Arabia's 34-year-old de facto ruler, was on a tear. He arrested members of his own royal family and initiated an oil price war with Russia that has sent the price of oil–and the world's stock markets–plummeting. Behind the headlines, however, another critical event will take place…
counterpunch.org/2020/03/13/saudis-brave-women-pull-back-the-curtain-on-crown-prince-mbs/

Pentagon hands out contracts for PORTABLE nuclear reactors… yet another gold vein for cash-savvy military?
rt.com | 2020-03-13
There's no shortage of hefty defense deals awarded by the US Department of Defense, but the $40 million contract for micro-reactors definitely stands out, as it hides safety risks and raises doubts over its economic efficiency. | The nuclear device that the DoD strategists want must have the capability to be safely and rapidly transported by road, rail, sea or air (sic!) as well as swiftly set up and shut down. The project split between three c…
rt.com/news/482942-us-military-nuclear-microreactor/

Saudi's Brave Women Pull Back the Curtain on Crown Prince MBS
Medea Benjamin and Ariel Gold | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-12
This week, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS), Saudi Arabia's 34-year-old de facto ruler, was on a tear. He arrested members of his own royal family and initiated an oil price war with Russia that has sent the price of oil–and the world's stock markets–plummeting. Behind the headlines, however, another critical event will take place …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/saudis-brave-women-pull-back-the-curtain-on-crown-prince-mbs/

Video: Great Idlib "Rebranding" and Al Qaeda "Turkish Victories" over Russian Air Defense
South Front | globalresearch.ca | 2020-03-12
Terrorist groups operating in Idlib are preparing for a new rebranding under Turkish patronage. According to Syrian sources, Hayat Tarir al-Sham (formerly the official Syrian branch of al-Qaeda), the Turkistan Islamic Party (an al-Qaeda-linked group), the National Front for Liberation …
globalresearch.ca/video-great-idlib-rebranding-turkish-victories-russian-air-defense/5706145

Golden Anniversaries for Flawed Treaties: The NPT turns Fifty
Binoy Kampmark | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-12
In an era where agreements have been abandoned as "bad", to use that favourite word of US President Donald Trump, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons continues to feature on the books of diplomacy. But age seems to be wearying it and decoding sober readings from hype-filled tat has been a testing task. …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/golden-anniversaries-for-flawed-treaties-the-npt-turns-fifty/

Russia cannot do without Turkey's cooperation in Syria
M. K. Bhadrakumar | iranian.com | 2020-03-12
The former Soviet Union was a satiated world power. It didn't have to prove anything. The Great Patriotic War (1941-45) spoke for itself. Thus, triumphalism was never a diplomatic tool in the Soviet inventory. The removal of the US nuclear missiles from Turkey in the downstream of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis was not even …
iranian.com/2020/03/12/russia-cannot-do-without-turkeys-cooperation-in-syria/

A Case Study of Corporate Media Disinformation
Stansfield Smith | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-03-11
Some alternative media have exposed the US government and its corporate media fake news reporting on Russian "election interference," on Venezuela, the war on Syria, China's Xinjiang and Hong Kong, Nicaragua, Palestine, among others. One of the longest running media disinformation campaigns has been directed at Cuba, well covered in Keith Bolender's Manufacturing the Enemy: …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/03/a-case-study-of-corporate-media-disinformation/

How Black Swans Are Shaping Planet Panic
Pepe Escobar | iranian.com | 2020-03-11
Is the planet under the spell of a range of Black Swans

The Battle for Idlib: Did Erdogan Capitulate to Putin in Moscow?
Phil Barbelé | mintpressnews.com | 2020-03-10
There was a celebration in Syria when Russia announced a ceasefire agreement with Turkey on March 3 following a six-hour meeting between Presidents Erdogan and Putin in Moscow. Under the agreement, Erdogan agreed to pull back Turkish forces and not to contest territory that Syria had recently reclaimed from terrorist groups in eastern Aleppo and southern Idlib provinces. In fact, Turkey agreed not to intervene against Syrian troops in any of the areas from which it pulled back, in effect allowing Syrian forces to reclaim even more of its territory from terrorists in southern Idlib. | The agreement appeared to be…
mintpressnews.com/265621-2/265621/

Why nuclear power must remain outlawed in Australia
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-10
Environment Jim GreenIssue 1257 Australia nuclear power uranium miningMarch 10, 2020Nuclear power is prohibited in Australia under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC…
greenleft.org.au/content/why-nuclear-power-must-remain-outlawed-australia

Escalating war in Idlib creates new refugee crisis
Peter Boyle | greenleft.org.au | 2020-03-05
Middle East Refugees & migrants Chris SleeIssue 1256 Syria Northern SyriaMarch 5, 2020A February 27 Russian and Syrian airstrike on a Turkish military convoy in Idlib province

Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive
Jason Ditz | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-20
Russia called the situation a "worst case scenario."

Turkey Kills Over 50 Syrian Troops, Russian Warplanes Intervene to Halt Offensive

DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director's Role in Russiagate
Jason Ditz | theantimedia.com | 2020-02-17
The Justice Department is investigating the role of John Brennan in the assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.

DOJ Investigating Former CIA Director’s Role in Russiagate