RT (2020-02-18). Extraordinary Neanderthal skeleton found at famous burial site could finally answer ancient DEATH-RITES question. rt.com The landmark discovery in Iraq of the skeleton of a 70,000-year-old Neanderthal has reignited a debate about whether these ancient humans were sophisticated enough to have burial rituals. | The old bones were unearthed at Shanidar Cave in Iraq, where the partial remains of 10 Neanderthal men, women and children were found during excavations in the 1950s and 1960s. | | © Graeme Barker | The skeleton is the first "articulated" Neanderthal remains to be found in two decades. An articulated skeleton find is one where the bones are still arranged in their original positions. Researchers say it offers an unpa…

The Canary (2020-02-18). Electric scooters 'can make cities safer'. thecanary.co Encouraging people to switch from vehicles to electric scooters can make cities safer, according to a study.A trip by a car or motorcycle in dense urban areas is "much more likely" to result in the death of a road user — including pedestrians — than a light micro-vehicle such as an e-scooter, the research found.The report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also indicated that e-scooters are no more dangerous to their users than bicycles."A road fatality is not significantly more likely when using a shared standing e-scooter rather than a bicycle," the authors wrote. | "

RT (2020-02-18). Not magic, science! Researchers develop system to produce electricity out of thin air. rt.com Researchers have achieved the seemingly impossible by producing electricity out of thin air. The remarkable system uses an incredibly thin film of protein nano-wires and a little bit of air, and voila, voltage! | Decades ago, scientists discovered an unusual microbe, G. sulfurreducens, which can not only produce magnetite without oxygen, but it can also make bacterial nano-wires that conduct electricity. After years of research and development, the Air-gen was born. | "We are literally making electricity out of thin air," says electrical engineer Jun Yao from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. "The Air-g…

Staff (2020-02-18). "Worth the Price?" New Film Shows How Biden Played Leading Role in Push for U.S. to Invade Iraq. democracynow.org The Democratic presidential candidates face off in Las Vegas Wednesday night ahead of the Nevada caucuses. Nevada could be a decisive state for candidates who performed poorly in Iowa and New Hampshire, including former Vice President Joe Biden. As Biden hopes for a comeback, a new short documentary sheds light on his extensive role in the Iraq War — an issue that has been raised repeatedly on the campaign trail. Biden has apologized for supporting the war, but the new film, directed by the Center for Economic and Policy Research's Mark Weisbrot, exposes Biden's central role in pushing for an Iraq invasion.

RT (2020-02-18). NOAA's hurricane hunter 'Kermit' meets St. Elmo's fire as it flies through lightning storm in the clouds (VIDEO). rt.com The fearless crew of NOAA's plane Kermit were busy hunting down hurricanes in the North Atlantic, when they were dazzled by a bout of St. Elmo's fire. Thankfully, the cameras were rolling and captured the awe-inspiring sight. | Kermit is one of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) storm chasing planes participating in the agency's Ocean Winds research project, which aims to better understand some of the most ferocious weather systems known to man. | | The aircraft flew into a dramatic forked lightning storm. © NOAA Aircraft Operations Center | As an added bonus for putting their…

RT (2020-02-18). Young man on trial for clashing with police at Moscow protests gets suspended sentence. rt.com Meshchansky District Court in Moscow on Tuesday handed student Andrei Barshai, a participant of the July 27 unauthorized rally, a three-year suspended sentence. Barshai, 21, was convicted of using force against an officer of the Russian National Guard Troops Service. | Barshai was freed at the court room. He had denied any wrongdoing, excluding the fact of 'a physical contact' with the officer. During the unauthorized action, Barshai "pushed him in the back," police said. The student apologized to the law enforcement officer. | More than 3,500 people took to the streets in July last year in support of unregist…

Dr. C. Stephen Frost (2020-02-18). End Torture and Medical Neglect of Julian Assange. globalresearch.ca On Nov 22, 2019, we, a group of more than 60 medical doctors, wrote to the UK Home Secretary to express our serious concerns about the physical and mental health of Julian Assange.1 In our letter,1 we documented a history …

Paul Brown (2020-02-18). Speeding Sea Level Rise Threatens Nuclear Plants. globalresearch.ca The latest science shows how the pace of sea level rise is speeding up, fuelling fears that not only millions of homes will be under threat, but that vulnerable installations like docks and power plants will be overwhelmed by the …

Staff (2020-02-18). Extreme Weather Could Trigger a Recession Unlike We've Ever Seen. truthdig.com A new research paper warns that markets' failure to assess the risks of climate change poses a significant threat to the global economy.

Chris Jones (2020-02-18). Greek Islands Refugee Crisis: An Open Letter to Humanity Crew. globalresearch.ca I do have better things to do with my time but after reading Humanity Crew's report of its 5 day visit to Samos in January 2020, I am angry enough to write this open letter. | From the beginning to the …

Michael Arria (2020-02-18). Bloomberg Defied a Flight Ban to Show Support for Israel, Defended the Country Shelling a School and Killing Sleeping Children. globalresearch.ca In July 2014, Israel launched a series airstrikes on Gaza, kicking off a

South Front (2020-02-18). Video: Turkish "Armed Groups" Don't Help. Syrian Army Liberates Entire Western Aleppo. globalresearch.ca Syrian government forces have cleared the entire western countryside of Aleppo city of members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other Turkish-backed armed groups. | During the past week, the Syrian Army and its allies cleared up to 300km2 delivering a devastating …

Stephen Lendman (2020-02-18). Sanders on Geopolitical Issues. globalresearch.ca Follow what politicians do, not what they say they'll do. Time and again, rhetoric and actions are world's apart. | Obama and Trump are Exhibits A and B, their pledges to voters as presidential candidates polar opposite their policies in office …

Stephen Lendman (2020-02-18). Billionaire Bloomberg Aims to "Buy the US Presidency" globalresearch.ca A fantasy democracy, never the real thing, Americans get the best rule of privileged interests money can buy… | Bloomberg's billions give him a significant edge only money can buy. Forbes ranked him 9th among the world's richest individuals, estimating his …

Rep. Ron Paul (2020-02-18). Trump's Budget: More Warfare, Slightly Less Welfare. globalresearch.ca Listening to the howls from Democrats and the applause from Republicans, one would think President Trump's proposed fiscal year 2021 budget is a radical assault on the welfare state. The truth is the budget contains some minor spending cuts, most …

The Canary (2020-02-18). Driving test change to boost accessibility. thecanary.co Video clips are to replace written scenarios in UK driving theory tests to make them more accessible. | The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) announced that, from 14 April, learners will be asked three questions after watching a driving clip of up to 30 seconds. | The change follows research which found that learners with reading difficulties and disabilities felt more comfortable with video scenarios than written ones. | DVSA chief driving examiner Mark Winn said: "Being able to drive can be life-changing and the DVSA is committed to helping everyone access the opportunities driving can offer. | "We hav…

Philip Giraldi (2020-02-18). Explaining Syria: It's Everyone's Fault Except the U.S. and Israel. globalresearch.ca The first week in February was memorable for the failed impeachment of President Donald Trump, the "re-elect me" State of the Union address and the

Hazim El-Naser (2020-02-18). 'The Deal of the Century' and Its Hidden Secrets. globalresearch.ca We oppose and reject the US-Israeli peace plan, or the so-called "deal of the century", for many political, economic, social and religious reasons. It is rejected due to new signs that it will impede progress on the water issue between …

Channel News Asia (2020-02-18). US Health Authority Shipped Faulty Coronavirus Test Kits Across Country: Official. globalresearch.ca A number of test kits sent out by United States health authorities to labs across the country to diagnose the deadly novel coronavirus are faulty, a senior official said on Wednesday (Feb 12). | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention …

Robert Fantina (2020-02-18). The United States Supports the Mujahedeen-e Khalk (MEK) Terrorist Organization. globalresearch.ca The United States continues to support the Mujahedeen-e Khalk (MEK), despite the fact that that terrorist organization is losing popularity, not that it ever had very much anyway, around the world. The group remains basically based in Albania, a nation …

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-02-18). Nord Stream 2: Why Ukraine and Poland Are Against It. globalresearch.ca There is no doubt about the fundamental importance of the gas flow for the European energy balance. There is even less doubt about Russia's role in this process. Western Europe is not self-sufficient in producing gas, depending on its import. …

Abby Zimet (2020-02-18). Brilliant New $5.34 Ladder Defeats Not So Brilliant $2.5 Billion Trump Fever Dream. globalresearch.ca Thanks to his ineffable stupidity — cue hilariously skewered

Bob Topper (2020-02-18). The Conscience of a Conservative. counterpunch.org Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and

Staff (2020-02-18). Teacher Strikes Boost Fight for Racial Justice in Schools. truthout.org One year ago, Los Angeles teachers on strike were demanding an end to random searches where students were yanked out of class to be frisked. By the time they walked back into work, they had won a partial victory. | Now these searches are coming to an end districtwide — landing a blow against racism in the schools. | L.A. teacher union activists, like their counterparts in Chicago, Seattle, St. Paul, and other cities, are making contract demands to confront segregation, underfunding, and the criminalizatio…

Staff (2020-02-18). Striking LA Teachers' Win Against Random Frisking Is Becoming District Policy. truthout.org One year ago, Los Angeles teachers on strike were demanding an end to random searches where students were yanked out of class to be frisked. By the time they walked back into work, they had won a partial victory. | Now these searches are coming to an end districtwide — landing a blow against racism in the schools. | L.A. teacher union activists, like their counterparts in Chicago, Seattle, St. Paul, and other cities, are making contract demands to confront segregation, underfunding, and the criminalizatio…

WSWS (2020-02-18). Striking University of California-Santa Cruz grad students defy UAW, arrests and threats of termination. wsws.org UC president and former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano threatened to fire striking workers and demanded that they honor the contract imposed by the UAW.

WSWS (2020-02-18). Australian universities slash jobs in response to coronavirus travel ban impact. wsws.org As well as students having their lives and futures severely disrupted, thousands of casual academics are having their hours slashed.

WSWS (2020-02-18). Quebec: Students protest against CAQ's chauvinist "secularism" law. wsws.org Protest organizer Courtney Murdoch told the WSWS that Bill 21 "tells every minority group in Quebec that they don't belong here, that they should be less visible, and that is not something we are willing to let pass."

UCB Nikkei Student Union (2020-02-18). 2020 Day Of Remembrance of EO 9066 at UC Berkeley. indybay.org Stephens Lounge at MLK Student Union, UC Berkeley Berkeley, CA 94720…

WSWS (2020-02-18). Ontario teachers, locked out Regina refinery workers must wage a working-class political struggle. wsws.org To prevail in the struggle to defend their jobs, wages and social rights, workers must recognize that they are facing not simply an especially ruthless employer or right-wing government, but a class-war assault and a political struggle.

sputniknews (2020-02-18). Jamia University Violence: One Student Named in Delhi Police Charge Sheet. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): On 15 December 2019, the Indian capital city witnessed protests by Jamia Millia Islamia University students against the amended citizenship law that turned violent, leaving four buses in flames and several other vehicles damaged.

yenisafak (2020-02-18). Syrian dad helps little girl avoid trauma by teaching her to laugh as bombs fall. yenisafak.com Italian screenwriter and director Roberto Benigni's 1999 Academy Award-winning movie "Life is Beautiful" centers around a father and son who were imprisoned at a Nazi concentration camp during World War II.In an effort to protect his son from the unbearable conditions, the father, Guido, turns the Nazi death camps into an imaginary playing field.However, the nine-year conflict in Syria that the world has been watching live on TV and the internet is nothing like a blockbuster.A Syrian father, who fled toward the Turkish border due to recent shelling by the Assad regime in Idlib's de-escalation zone, turned the hor…

yenisafak (2020-02-18). Pakistani madrassas: Enduring through challenges. yenisafak.com Long controversial, Islamic education institutions in Pakistan have begun to enter the limelight thanks to their students' success.Known as madrassas, students in these institutions are receiving all the latest scientific and technical education, said Umar Saif, a computer scientist and academic."I always find these students very much disciplined. They are sharp and quick learners. Most of them are very much into science and technology. Better education opportunities will also give them a chance of better employment," said Saif.Following its counter-terrorism policy launched in January 2015, Islamabad started to…

yenisafak (2020-02-18). Erdogan set to cut ribbon of Nation's Library in Turkey. yenisafak.com President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to inaugurate the Nation's Library in the capital Ankara on Thursday. The grand library will offer students, researchers and literature enthusiasts a collection enriched with millions of books, articles, and reports available in the printed and online format.Ayhan Tuglu, head of the presidential library department, said the new library was decorated with the traditional Seljuks, Ottoman and contemporary motifs.With the inauguration looming, the library will serve round-the-clock. It was built on 125,000-square meters (some 1,345.500 square feet) area inside the presidential c…

Manlio Dinucci (2020-02-18). Il futuro dell'America sempre più armato. globalresearch.ca Il ´Budget per il futuro dell'America ª, presentato dal Governo Usa, mostra quali sono le priorità dell'Amministrazione Trump nel bilancio federale per l'anno fiscale 2021 (che inizia il 1 ∞ ottobre di quest'anno). | Anzitutto ridurre le spese sociali: ad esempio, essa taglia …

Manlio Dinucci (2020-02-18). O futuro da América cada vez mais armado. globalresearch.ca O "Oràßamento para o futuro da América", apresentado pelo Governo dos EUA, mostra quais sà£o as prioridades da Administraàßà£o Trump no oràßamento federal para o ano fiscal de 2021 (que inicia em 1 ∫ de Outubro deste ano). | Antes de tudo, …

Global Research News (2020-02-18). Selected Articles: America "Down the Rabbit Hole" globalresearch.ca By Just last month, if you remember, U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened Iran in a barrage of tweets that his regime "have targeted 52 Iranian sites …

Global Research News (2020-02-18). Selected Articles: Trump's War Budget. globalresearch.ca A future without independent media leaves us with an upside down reality where according to the corporate media "NATO deserves a Nobel Peace Prize", and where "nuclear weapons and wars make us safer" | | | If, like us, this is a …

Shawgi Tell (2020-02-18). Federal Charter Schools Program, a Lifeline for Owners of Capital, Under Threat. dissidentvoice.org Neoliberals established the Federal Charter Schools Program in 1994, three years after the nation's first charter school law was passed in Minnesota. Since then, billions of public dollars have been handed over to privately-owned-operated non-profit and for-profit charter schools through the federal program. The money is usually used for charter school start-up costs. Putting aside …

Staff (2020-02-17). 300 Cruise Passengers Are Quarantined at U.S. Military Bases. truthdig.com TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — More than 300 American cruise ship passengers, including 14 who tested positive for coronavirus, were being quarantined at military bases in California and Texas on Monday after arriving from Japan on charter flights overnight. | One plane carrying cruise passengers touched down at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California just before midnight Sunday, while another arrived at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas early Monday. The passengers will remain at the bases for two weeks. | Japan's Defense Minister Taro Kono tweeted earlier that Japanese troops helped transport 340 U.S…

news.un (2020-02-17). Amid global 'learning crisis', Parliaments can ensure adequate resources for education, says UN Assembly President. news.un.org Education is the "great equalizer" and Parliaments have a major role to play in scaling up action to ensure that adequate financial resources are allocated to education, girls' education and technical and vocational training throughout in national budgetary processes, the President of the UN General Assembly said on Monday.

news.un (2020-02-17). Iraq: Education access still a challenge in former ISIL-controlled areas. news.un.org More than two years after the defeat of ISIL in Iraq, some children in areas formerly controlled by the terrorist group still cannot access school or get the necessary documentation required for enrollment, a UN report published on Monday finds.

Staff (2020-02-17). Trump's Budget Would Slash Support for Low-Income Students. truthout.org As the presidential election campaign picks up, almost every top candidate has released a plan for higher education that addresses college affordability and student debt issues. But there's only one candidate who's already in the White House — Donald Trump — and last week he released his plan in the form of a If Congress were to approve it, some higher education ex…

Iran Front Page (2020-02-17). US Pressuring Iraq Not to Reveal Details of Soleimani Killing: MP. globalresearch.ca A member of Iraq's Fatah Alliance says the United States is putting a lot of pressure on the Iraqi government to prevent the disclosure of the results of a probe into the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi …

Timothy Alexander Guzman (2020-02-17). Kill the Culture, Destroy a Nation. globalresearch.ca During the Gulf War of the 1990‚Ä≤s, U.S. troops in Baghdad looted important museums, destroyed historical artifacts, some were even found outside of the museums and on the side of roads, many of ancient artifacts and pieces of artworks were …

Arabi Souri (2020-02-17). Syrian Forces Secure Aleppo City Completely. globalresearch.ca Against all odds, and in the very difficult weather conditions the SAA cleaned all of Jamiyat Zahraa western Aleppo after taking control of the Llayramon and cleaned the two cities of Hreitan and Anadan in Aleppo's northwestern countryside. | Hayyan, Bayanon, …

Eric Margolis (2020-02-17). Wake Up Senators! New bipartisan War Powers Act to Constrain Military Action against Iran. globalresearch.ca The US Senate, long the lap dog of the man who would be king, President Donald Trump, appears to have finally remembered its proper constitutional role. | Last week, the Senate voted 55/45 for a new bipartisan War Powers Act to …

Daniel Willis (2020-02-17). Doing More Harm Than Good? Our Latest Report on the UK's Development Bank, CDC. globalresearch.ca Amid the recent back and forth over whether the Department for International Development

The Global Research Team (2020-02-17). Help Us Protect the Future of GlobalResearch.ca. globalresearch.ca Dear Readers, | We have been bringing you independent news and analysis for close to 19 years. Our intention is to continue to relentlessly promote independent voices that speak out on issues too often neglected by the corporate media. There are …

Ellen Moore (2020-02-17). Global Mining Corporations Have a Friend in the New Guatemalan Government. globalresearch.ca Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei is less than a month into his term and yet there are already disturbing signs that his administration will side with global mining corporations against indigenous communities fighting to protect their land and water. | The clearest …