(2020-02-09). US envoy warns Washington could pull support as Israel unilaterally starts drawing map for West Bank annexations. rt.com 
Unilateral action by Israel to annex land in the West Bank would endanger US support for a proposed blueprint for the region, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman has said. | "Israel is subject to the completion [of] a mapping process by a joint Israeli-American committee. Any unilateral action in advance of the completion of the committee process endangers the Plan & American recognition," Friedman said, in a message posted on Twitter. | Israel is subject to the completion a mapping process by a joint Israeli-American committee. Any unilateral action in advance of the completion of the committee process end…
(2020-02-09). Watch Airbus-320 With 172 Passengers Land at Hmeymim Airbase Trying to Avoid Israeli Strike on Syria. sputniknews.com The Russian Defence Ministry stated on 7 February that a civilian Airbus-320 with 172 passengers on board was nearly destroyed amid Israeli airstrikes near Damascus in the early hours of 6 February.
(2020-02-09). China's Ambassador to UK Slams Senior Tories' Anti-Huawei Stance as 'Witch-Hunt'. sputniknews.com Earlier, the Financial Times reported that top Conservative lawmakers wrote a letter expressing concern over Huawei's participation in the construction of the UK's 5G network, referring to the company as an "untrusted and high-risk vendor."
(2020-02-09). Unilateral Israeli annexations would endanger US support: envoy. yenisafak.com Unilateral Israeli steps to annex West Bank land would endanger U.S. support for such plans, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said on Sunday.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday Israel had begun drawing up maps for annexing land in the West Bank, which Palestinians seek for a state, in accordance with U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed peace plan."President Trump's Vision for Peace is the product of more than three years of close consultations among the President, PM Netanyahu and their respective senior staff," Friedman said on Twitter."Israel is subject to the completion (of) a…
(2020-02-09). Syrian regime forces recapture 600 square km of territory in Idlib campaign. yenisafak.com Syrian regime forces have recaptured more than 600 square kilometres of territory so far in a campaign to seize control of the last opposition strongholds of Idlib and the Aleppo countryside, a statement from Syria's armed forces said on Sunday.Syria's armed forces have taken control of dozens of towns and villages in recent days as part of the campaign, the statement said.
(2020-02-09). Pope calls for respect of humanitarian law in Syria's Idlib amid escalation. yenisafak.com Pope Francis called on Sunday for respect of humanitarian law in Syria's Idlib province, amid an escalation of a Syrian government offensive that has displaced more than half a million in two months.He told tens of thousands of people in St. Peter's square that the reports from Idlib were "painful … particularly regarding the conditions of women and children, of people forced to flee from a military escalation."Turkey has reinforced its military presence in the area, saying the advances by Russian-backed Syrian troops and their allies threaten a fresh humanitarian disaster.The crisis risks driving another wave…
(2020-02-09). Turkey ready to act after reinforcing Syria's Idlib. yenisafak.com Turkey has sent major reinforcements to Syria's northwestern Idlib region and "all options are on the table", a senior official said on Sunday, as Ankara tries to stem rapid advances by Syrian regime forces.The regime offensive in Idlib, the last major enclave of opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, has driven more than half a million people from their homes towards the closed Turkish border, threatening a new humanitarian crisis in Syria.Turkey, which already hosts 3.6 million Syrian refugees, says it cannot absorb any more and has demanded Damascus pull back in Idlib by the end of the month or face Turkish…
(2020-02-09). Anti-Huawei UK lawmakers conducting 'witch-hunt': Chinese ambassador. yenisafak.com Senior members of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives who have demanded Chinese telecoms giant Huawei must not have a role in Britain's 5G mobile network are conducting "a kind of witch-hunt", China's ambassador to London said on Sunday.Last month the government said "high-risk vendors" such as Huawei would be allowed into the non-sensitive parts of the 5G network, although their involvement will be capped at 35%.Asked about a letter to Conservative lawmakers by several former ministers expressing concern over Huawei, Liu Xiaoming told the BBC: "They are totally wrong, I think what they are doing is a ki…
(2020-02-08). 'Friday night massacre': Sondland follows Vindmans as Trump cleans house of 'traitors/heroes' following failed impeachment. rt.com 
The recall of US ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland seems to indicate that President Donald Trump is dismissing from service the officials who testified against him in the abortive impeachment proceedings. | "I was advised that the president intends to recall me effective immediately," Sondland said in a statement on Friday evening, adding he was grateful to Trump for the opportunity to head the US mission in Brussels. | Wow — EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland recalled. His attorney sends me this statement on his behalf
(2020-02-07). Russia and Iran's Clashing Visions for Syria's future. mintpressnews.com 
Rivals of the West in their own right, Iran and Russia today are major power players in the Syrian imbroglio. Their convergence of interests in helping eradicate extremist terrorist proxies utilized by an array of rival states against their mutual Syrian ally has allowed them both a significant degree of say in Syrian affairs and how that country's future will pan out | However, their cooperation against the terrorist threat has often been the pivot of inaccurate portrayals of Russia-Iran ties and the extent of their shared interests versus their many highly divergent objectives in Syria, many of which are rooted…
(2020-02-07). Syria and Turkey Face War as Syrian Arab Army Poised to Take Idlib. globalresearch.ca Tensions between Damascus and Ankara have never been higher over the past nine years. Turkey's
(2020-02-07). Break-up of Astana Partnership Was Inevitable. The Turkey-Russia Relation in Jeopardy? globalresearch.ca Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has ordered his forces to strike Syrian army positions in retaliation for targeting a Turkish military convoy bound for the Saraqeb in Syria's north-western Idlib province. His forces obeyed on Monday and allegedly struck a …
(2020-02-07). ISIL still at 'centre' of terrorism threat, Security Council hears. news.un.org Despite the loss of its last stronghold in Syria and the death of its leader, ISIL "remains at the centre of the transnational terrorism threat", a senior UN official told the Security Council on Friday.
(2020-02-07). Israel's Use of Airline as Human Shield is "a War Crime" — George Galloway. dissidentvoice.org A passenger plane carrying 172 people from Tehran has been forced to make an emergency landing after almost being hit by Syrian air defenses in response to an Israeli airstrike over Damascus. Former UK MP George Galloway joins In Question to discuss.
(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."
(2020-02-07). Israeli Attack Endangers Civilian Aircraft in Damascus. telesurenglish.net A civilian aircraft flying from Tehran to Damascus narrowly avoided fire from Syria's air defense systems, which were activated in response to an Israeli missile attack on Friday. | RELATED: | Due to the Israeli strike, the aircraft, an Airbus A320, was unable to land at Damascus Airport and had to divert to Russia's Khmeimim airbase, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. | The surprise attack, which was made by four Isra…
(2020-02-07). Expansion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Tehran Wants to Build "the Golden Ring" globalresearch.ca BRI-led Eurasian integration processes are one of the defining characteristics of contemporary International Relations, and the Golden Ring could eventually become the centerpiece of these efforts if Ambassador Hosseini's W-CPEC+ proposal succeeds, especially if it's done in parallel with N-CPEC+….
(2020-02-06). Syria: 'Massive waves of civilian displacement and loss of life must stop now': UN Special Envoy. news.un.org Air and ground strikes in the region of Idlib, northwest Syria, are causing "massive waves of civilian displacement and major loss of civilian life", causing unacceptable human suffering which must stop now, Geir Pedersen, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, told the Security Council on Thursday.
(2020-02-06). Turkey Gives Assad Deadline to Pull Back or Face Military Action. theantimedia.com Turkey has given the Syrian government until the end of this month to withdraw from recently seized territory in Idlib province.
(2020-02-06). Northern Syria's two wars. greenleft.org.au 
First, is the war in Idlib province between the Bashar al-Assad dictatorship and va…
(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…
(2020-02-04). Headlines for February 4, 2020. democracynow.org Delay in Iowa Democratic Primary Results Causes Confusion, Mixed Messages, Final Arguments Made in Impeachment Trial of President Trump Ahead of SOTU, Hong Kong Medical Workers Demand Border Closure as Coronavirus Claims Life of Hong Kong Man, Leaked Audio Shows Iran Knew It Downed Ukraine Jet Despite Early Denials, Syrian and Turkish Forces Escalate Attacks as Turkey Suffers First Losses from Direct Combat, Massachusetts Prisoners Allege Violent Retaliatory Abuse by Guards, Trial Begins For Ex-CIA Software Engineer Accused of "Vault 7" Leak, Weinstein Rape Accuser Breaks Down During Harsh Questioning, Shooting a…
(2020-02-03). ACLU: Trump Is Expanding His Racist Travel Ban, This Time Targeting Africans. democracynow.org 
The Trump administration has expanded its contested travel ban to six additional countries — most of which are African nations. Under the new restrictions, nationals of Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan will no longer be able to obtain visas to live and work in the U.S., while Sudan and Tanzania will no longer be able to participate in the diversity visa lottery program. The ban, commonly referred to as the "Muslim ban," already affects citizens from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Venezuela and North Korea. The expansion is expected to affect more than 350 million people. Democrats say they will…
(2020-02-03). Headlines for February 3, 2020. democracynow.org GOP Refuses to Call Witnesses in Impeachment Trial, Paving Way for Trump's Acquittal, Iowa Caucuses Kick Off 2020 Elections as DNC Loosens Rules to Let Bloomberg into Debates, Trump Expands Racist, Anti-Muslim Travel Ban, Coronavirus Claims First Victim Outside of China as Death Toll Tops 360, Hospitals in Syria Targeted as 100,000s of Civilians Forced to Flee, Palestinian Authority Cuts Ties with U.S. and Israel over Trump Middle East Plan, Iraqi Protesters Slam Appointment of Establishment Prime Minister-Designate, Dept. of Defense: U.S. Dropped 7,500 Bombs on Afghanistan in 2019, 6 Indigenous Leaders Killed in…
(2020-02-02). Why aren't Americans rising up like the people of Chile and Lebanon? zcomm.org The tinder for a revolutionary movement is everywhere…
(2020-01-31). Headlines for January 31, 2020. democracynow.org Senate Poised to Acquit President Trump in Impeachment Trial, World Health Organization Declares International Public Health Emergency, U.S. Special Envoy Warns of International Crisis in Idlib, Syria, Britain Formally Withdrawing from European Union Tonight, Pentagon Deploys 1st Low-Yield Nuclear Warhead-Armed Submarine, Trump Admin Poised to Loosen Restrictions on Use of Landmines, Human Rights Groups Condemn Mexico for Crackdown on Central American Migrants, Mexican Butterfly Conservationist Found Dead, Bolivia's Movement for Socialism Candidate Luis Arce Returns to Bolivia, U.S. Pushes EU to End Ban on Chemic…