2020-02-10: News Headlines

RT (2020-02-10). Amazon wants to 'depose' Trump over losing $10 billion Pentagon contract. rt.com Still fuming over the loss of the Pentagon cloud computing deal to Microsoft, Amazon is arguing that President Donald Trump's personal bias improperly influenced the decision, even invoking his impeachment to make their case. | Court

RT (2020-02-10). Coronavirus likely to have minimal effect on Russia's economic growth — Alexei Kudrin. rt.com Russian economy could feel the impact of the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, but it is likely to be less damaging than expected, according to the head of Russia's Accounts Chamber, Alexei Kudrin. | "It [the coronavirus outbreak] will have an impact on the economic growth rate, but it will be minor," the former finance minister told reporters on Monday. "It might be within 0.1 – 0.2 [percent of GDP]." | The virus has severely affected the demand for oil, as China is one of the major global importers. This has been driving oil prices down since the beginning of the year and the demand is unlikely to fully rebound,…

RT (2020-02-10). Russian court extends house arrest of US investor Calvey until May 13. rt.com A Moscow court ruled on Monday to extend until May 13 the house arrest of US investor Michael Calvey, an executive at private equity group Baring Vostok, TASS reported. The court also ruled to extend the house arrest of Calvey's French colleague Phillipe Delpal until the same date. | The executives, who were detained in February 2019, deny any wrongdoing. | They had asked the court to mitigate the preventive measure, to be allowed to take walks or to release them on bail, but th…

Staff (2020-02-10). World War III Could Be Fought in the Arctic. truthdig.com In early March, an estimated 7,500 American combat troops will travel to Norway to join thousands of soldiers from other NATO countries in a massive mock battle with imagined invading forces from Russia. In this futuristic simulated engagement — it goes by the name of Exercise Cold Response 2020 — allied forces will "conduct multinational joint exercises with a high-intensity combat scenario in demanding winter conditions," or so

RT (2020-02-10). Turkey strikes Syrian Army positions after '5 troops killed in shelling'. rt.com Five Turkish troops were killed in the shelling of an observation post in Syria's Idlib province, Ankara has said, blaming Damascus for the attack. Turkish forces then fired on Syrian Army positions. | "Five of our troops were killed and five others were injured in the shelling by the Syrian regime," the Turkish Defense Ministry said on Monday, adding that "return fire was opened." | It's not the first shelling incident between Turkish and Syrian forces in Idlib. A week ago, six Turkish troops were killed by Syrian artillery fire in an incident that Russia said was a result of miscommunication. | The casualtie…

RT (2020-02-10). Russian 'anarchists' jailed for planning FIFA World Cup and presidential election terrorist attacks. rt.com A court in the central Russian city of Penza has handed down prison sentences of between six and 18 years to seven anarchists convicted on terrorism charges. | The men, all members of the group 'Network ('Set,' in Russian), were accused of possession of weapons and drugs, and of planning attacks during the FIFA World Cup and presidential election in 2018. They were arrested in 2017, in Penza and St. Petersburg. The Federal Security Service (FSB) claims that 'Network' also operated 'cells' in Moscow, Omsk and the capital of Belarus, Minsk. | Investigators asserted that Dmitry Pchelintsev and Ilya Shakursky were…

RT (2020-02-10). Sick joke: Blogger arrested after brutal coronavirus prank on Moscow subway (VIDEO). rt.com A prankster is facing up to five years in prison for causing panic on the Moscow underground. That's the high price he may yet paying for an ill-conceived attempt to turn Chinese coronavirus hysteria into online likes. | A young man in a black tracksuit and a face mask was walking along the subway car on one of the busiest lines before suddenly collapsing on the floor and starting to convulse in agony. Several guys rushed to help the poor soul, but then quickly fled, shouting "Coronavirus! Coronavirus!" | The event had a strong effect on other passengers, who started rushing out of the car as soon as the train…

RT (2020-02-10). Russia starts training crew for India's 1st manned space mission. rt.com Four Indian astronauts that will take part in their country's first manned space mission have begun tuition at Russia's famed Cosmonaut Training Center (CTC) after coming through a rigorous selection process at home. | The quartet, sent by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), commenced training on Monday, the center "All candidates served as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force. After serious tests,…

Staff (2020-02-10). Headlines for February 10, 2020. democracynow.org Coronavirus Deaths Soar as First U.S. Citizen Succumbs to Disease, Iowa Dem. Party Officially Gives Buttigieg the Lead as Candidates Prepare for New Hampshire Vote, Trump Budget Seeks Boost to Military and Nuclear Spending, Cuts to Social Programs and EPA, Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan, Trump Fires Key Impeachment Figures Following Acquittal, Thai Soldier Kills 29 People in Shooting Rampage, Brazilian Police Kill Hitman Suspected of Involvement in Marielle Franco's Assassination, Temperature Reaches Record-Breaking 65 Degrees in Antarctica, Extinction Rebellion Activists Demand New York Divest from Foss…

Scott Ritter (2020-02-10). Step to Nuclear Doomsday: US Puts Low-yield Nukes on Submarines to Counter Made-up Russian 'Strategy'. globalresearch.ca The US has deployed "low-yield" nuclear missiles on submarines, saying it's to discourage nuclear conflict with Russia. The move is based on a "Russian strategy" made up in Washington and will only bring mass annihilation closer. | In a statement released …

No Nukes Action (2020-02-10). Rally At Japanese Consulate To Stop Nuclear Olympics In Japan, End Nuclear Power. indybay.org San Francisco Japanese Consulate | 275 Battery St/near California | San Francisco…

Andrew Facini (2020-02-10). The "Low-yield" Nuclear Warhead: A Dangerous Weapon Based on Bad Strategic Thinking. globalresearch.ca In the unintuitive world of nuclear weapons strategy, it's often difficult to identify which decisions can serve to decrease the risk of a devastating nuclear conflict and which might instead increase it. Such complexity stems from the very foundation of …

Michael T. Klare (2020-02-10). World War III's Newest Battlefield: U.S. Troops Head for the Far North. globalresearch.ca In early March, an estimated 7,500 American combat troops will travel to Norway to join thousands of soldiers from other NATO countries in a massive mock battle with imagined invading forces from Russia. In this futuristic simulated engagement — it …

Andrew Korybko (2020-02-10). It's No Big Deal that There Are Some Limits to Russia-Israel "Cooperation" in Syria. globalresearch.ca Russia's condemnation of the "Israeli Air Force's" recklessness in once again hiding behind a civilian aircraft to deter anti-air fire by the Syrian Arab Army during their latest bombing operation against Damascus isn't contradictory to the principles of the unofficial …

Christopher Black (2020-02-10). NATO "Preparations" for Attack on Russia. Operation Barbarossa II: Setting the Stage for War. globalresearch.ca I have written several times about the continuing NATO preparations for an attack on Russia, a second Operation Barbarossa, the code name for the Nazi invasion of the USSR in 1941. Circumstances prompt me to write about it again, for …

teleSUR (2020-02-10). China, Russia to Defy US Sanctions Over Support to Venezuela. telesurenglish.net The Russian government rejected on Monday the U.S. threats to impose new sanctions against several Russian companies for their cooperation with Venezuela in the oil sector. | RELATED: | Last week, the United States special representative for Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, warned Russia that its support for Venezuela will cost them econmically as Washington is looking to sanction them.

yenisafak (2020-02-10). 'No consensus with Russian delegation on Idlib yet'. yenisafak.com Turkey's foreign minister said Monday that there had been no consensus with the visiting Russian delegation so far regarding the escalating situation in Idlib, Syria.Mevlut Cavusoglu's remarks came during a joint news conference with visiting Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Miro Cerar in the capital Ankara.He said that since the talks had failed in the first meeting on Saturday, a second session was in progress.Cavusoglu said recommendations were presented from both sides."There was an exchange of views and suggestions [on Saturday] and thus [the delegations] agreed to meet again. The Russian…

yenisafak (2020-02-10). Russia ready to exchange ambassadors with Ukraine: FM. yenisafak.com Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that his country was ready to exchange ambassadors with Ukraine."The Ukrainian side recalled the ambassador, threatened to break off diplomatic relations. Now, someone mentioned the possibility of [Ukranian President Volodymyr] Zelensky's decision to return the ambassadors. We will be fine with it," the minister told Russian daily Rossiyskya Gazeta in an interview.Despite tensions, he said, the two countries were strongly tied together."Our countries, even in the current conditions are strongly interconnected in the economy, transport, humanitarian affairs, fa…

sputniknews (2020-02-10). UN Has Adopted 'Highly Likely' Method to Blame Countries Instead of Seeking Truth – Russia's Envoy. sputniknews.com On 10 February, Russia celebrates diplomatic worker day. Earlier today, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Russian diplomats' contribution to international stability. On this occasion, Sputnik has spoken with Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya about the acute challenges of Russia's diplomacy.

sputniknews (2020-02-10). 'Not True': Moscow Authorities Deny Reports of Spike in Radiation Levels. sputniknews.com The spike in radiation levels was earlier reported by a local lawmaker citing data from a measurement device installed near one of the landfills.

Conn Hallinan (2020-02-10). Turkey's Latest Quagmire: Intervention in Libya. counterpunch.org By openly declaring for one side in Libya, Turkey has damaged its ability to influence events. The Russians and French are also deeply involved in Libya, backing the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) in Tobruk. Italy backs the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli.

RT (2020-02-09). Russia is ready to extend New START arms control treaty & negotiate on new weapons, yet US ignores the offers — Lavrov. rt.com Moscow is ready to prolong the crucial New Start arms control treaty without any preconditions — and even negotiate on its new, state-of-art weaponry — yet the US is dodging the talks, Russia's FM Sergey Lavrov has said. | One of the last obstacles on the path of the unhinged nuclear arms race, the US-Russia Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is set to expire in a year. Still Moscow and Washington have been unable to engage into any meaningful discussion on it yet, since the US has been ignoring the repeated calls for dialogue, Lavrov said during an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspa…

Jonathan Cook (2020-02-09). Israel's "Peace Camp" Flirts with Oblivion. dissidentvoice.org For Israel's so-called peace camp, the past 12 months of general elections — a third ballot is due on 2 March — have felt more like a prolonged game of Russian roulette, with ever-diminishing odds of survival. Each time the electoral gun barrel has been spun, the two parliamentary parties associated with liberal Zionism, Labor …

Washington's Blog (2020-02-09). The Real Reason America Used Nuclear Weapons Against Japan. It Was Not To End the War Or Save Lives. globalresearch.ca Like all Americans, I was taught that the U.S. dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order to end WWII and save both American and Japanese lives. But most of the top American military officials at the time said otherwise.

teleSUR (2020-02-09). Trump Proposes Cuts in Social Safety Net, Aid For 2021 Budget. telesurenglish.net United States President Donald Trump will propose cutting billions of dollars in U.S. social safety net and foreign aid in his fiscal 2021 budget, which begins on Oct. 21, while redirecting and increasing funds to counter China and Russia, senior administration officials told Reuters. | RELATED: | According to an administration official, Trump will seek to make a 21 percent cut in foreign aid in the proposal, reducing the budget to US$44.1 bi…

RT (2020-02-08). 'Unhinged': MSNBC host Chris Matthews goes on bizarre rant about mass executions & 'the Reds' while discussing Bernie Sanders. rt.com MSNBC host Chris Matthews is facing backlash on social media after he launched into a heated rant about socialism and appeared to suggest a Bernie Sanders presidency could somehow lead to mass executions in the streets. | During a post-debate special Friday evening, Matthews said his personal views on socialism go back "to the early 1950s" before drawing comparisons between Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and former leader of Cuba Fidel Castro. | "I believe if Castro and the Reds had won the Cold War there would have been executions in Central Park and I might have been one of the ones getting…

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.

Staff (2020-02-07). Risk of Nuclear War Rises as U.S. Deploys a New Nuclear Weapon for the First Time Since the Cold War. democracynow.org The Federation of American Scientists revealed in late January that the U.S. Navy had deployed for the first time a submarine armed with a low-yield Trident nuclear warhead. The USS Tennessee deployed from Kings Bay Submarine Base in Georgia in late 2019. The W76-2 warhead, which is facing criticism at home and abroad, is estimated to have about a third of the explosive power of the atomic bomb the U.S. dropped on Hiroshima. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) called the news "an alarming development that heightens the risk of nuclear war." We're joined by William Arkin, longtime reporter…

Agha Hussain (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…

Aaron Maté (2020-02-07). Iowa debacle fueled by anti-Bernie billionaires, Russiagate hucksters, failed DNC elites. thegrayzone.com Max Blumenthal breaks down the shadowy network of billionaires, Democratic elites, and Russiagate profiteers behind the Shadow app that ruined…

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."

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…

Staff (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…

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, …

Peace Action (2019-06-25). Peace Action Endorses Ilhan Omar for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 25, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …

Peace Action (2019-06-24). Peace Action Endorses Kara Eastman for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 24, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Kara Eastman for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …