2020-03-13: News Headlines

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

RT (2020-03-13). Moscow BATTERED by strong winds — one dead. rt.com Russia's capital has so far avoided a coronavirus death, but its more traditional foe, the weather, caused havoc on Friday with strong winds up to 25m/s, killing at least one man and hospitalizing others. | Speaking to news agency RIA Novosti, a spokesman for the emergency services said that a driver died in the east of Moscow after wind caused a tree to fall on the car. Other reports suggest that the vehicle, a Mazda, continued a few meters before colliding with two other automobiles. | "Near number 20, on 1st Myasnikovskaya Street, a tree fell on a passing passenger car. The driver died," he said. | Another…

RT (2020-03-13). Coronavirus fears '50% panic,' could be over by summer — top Russian scientist. rt.com While some countries are experiencing a scramble for toilet paper and certain prominent politicians are calling the pandemic a hoax, the real experts are a bit more rational about Covid-19. | In Russia, one senior scientist believes the crisis could have stabilized by the middle of summer. | "It can be predicted that the spread in the world will subside by June-July. In China, the peak incidence rate passed on February 2," says Alexander Shestopalov, head of the experimental modeling and pathogenesis department of infectious diseases at the Federal Research Center for Fundamental and Translational Medicine.

RT (2020-03-13). Turkey, Russia agree on details of Idlib ceasefire, joint patrols to begin on Sunday — Ankara. rt.com Turkey and Russia have agreed on the details of a ceasefire in Syria's Idlib region after four days of talks in Ankara, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Friday. Joint patrols along a key highway will begin on Sunday as planned, Reuters quoted Akar as saying. | Ankara and Moscow, which back opposing sides in Syria's war, agreed on March 5 to halt hostilities in the country's northwest. | Under the agreement, Turkish and Russian forces will carry out joint patrols along the M4 highway linking Syria's east and west, and establish a security corridor on either side of it. A Russian delegation arrived in Ankara…

RT (2020-03-13). Russia restricts air travel to EU over coronavirus, leaving only select few flights open. rt.com Russia is limiting flights to and from EU member countries, Norway and Switzerland over the COVID-19 pandemic now raging in Europe, exempting only regular flights from Moscow to their capital cities and charter evacuation trips. | Temporary flight restrictions will go into effect starting March 16, said the government's center for combating the spread of the infection. | However, regular flights to capitals of EU member nations, as well as Oslo and Geneva, will continue through Terminal F of Moscow's Sheremetyevo international airport. Charter flights bringing Russians back to the homeland and repatriating the…

RT (2020-03-13). Flares & crazy moves: Russia's Little Big disco-inspired Eurovision clip becomes most viewed among all contenders (VIDEO). rt.com Disco vibes, flare pants, a chorus in Spanish and serious faces, while performing the freakiest of dance moves — Russia's rave-pop-punk hooligans Little Big have impressed the Eurovision crowd with a clip for its contest song. | Little Big, often described as "a Russian mental patient's answer to Die Antwoord," sure know how to make a hit. Two years ago their song, called 'Skibidi,' became a viral sensation, gaining 23 million views on YouTube in just 1 week. Since then it was seen by almost 370 million people, while the dance routine from the clip became a meme. | The Saint Petersburg band's entry for t…

sputniknews (2020-03-13). 4.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Mongolia Near Russian Border. sputniknews.com A 4.8-magnitude earthquake was registered on 13 March in northern Mongolia near the Russian border, the regional branch of the Geophysical Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported.

sputniknews (2020-03-13). Russian Health Ministry Says 8 Discharged After Recovering From Coronavirus. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Eight people who had been diagnosed with coronavirus in Russia have been discharged completely recovered, Russian Health Ministry said in a statement Friday.

sputniknews (2020-03-13). Russia's Super Rich Lost $15 Billion in One Day Over Global Stock Meltdown — Report. sputniknews.com On Monday, global stock markets plunged drastically over panic selling triggered by fears over the double threat of the coronavirus outbreak and slump in oil prices in the wake of the failure to reach an agreement on crude production cuts under the OPEC+ deal.

sputniknews (2020-03-13). Pentagon Considers Reviewing Its Hefty Cloud Contract With Microsoft After Amazon Lawsuit. sputniknews.com Earlier on Thursday, a US judge ordered a temporary halt to the Pentagon-Microsoft contract related to the Joint Enterprise Defence Infrastructure (JEDI) cloud-computing project.

yenisafak (2020-03-13). Turkey says agreed with Russia on details of Idlib ceasefire. yenisafak.com Turkish and Russian officials have agreed on the details of a ceasefire in northwest Syria's Idlib region and joint patrols along the key M4 highway will begin on Sunday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was cited as saying on Friday.State-owned Anadolu news agency quoted him as saying there were signs that migration in the region had stopped and returns had begun. He said Turkey and Russia will establish joint coordination centres to monitor implementation of the agreement after the conclusion of talks with Russian officials in Ankara.

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. …

teleSUR (2020-03-12). Turkey, Russia Reach Consensus on Syria's Idlib. telesurenglish.net Turkish and Russian military delegations who have been discussing the ceasefire in Idlib since Tuesday have reached an agreement "to a large extent," Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Thursday. | RELATED: | "The attacks have halted, and the ceasefire continues at the moment. We are carefully and sensitively following the field," Akar said during a visit to Turkey's defense company ASELSAN. | There is no change…

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 …

Alice Slater (2020-03-12). The Virus of Nuclear Proliferation. commondreams.org A view of the sculpture—Good Defeats Evi—on the UN Headquarters grounds, presented to the UN by the Soviet Union on the occasion of the Organization's 45th anniversary. (Photo: UN Photo/Manuel Elias) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-03-12_at_4.19.48_pm.png

The Canary (2020-03-11). Russia passes bill allowing Putin to stay in power past 2024. thecanary.co The Russian parliament has approved a sweeping constitutional reform that will allow president Vladimir Putin to stay in power for another 12 years after his current term ends in 2024.The Kremlin-controlled lower house, the State Duma, endorsed a set of amendments to the constitution and a provision resetting the term count for Putin. A nationwide vote on the proposed amendments is set for 22 April.Kremlin critics condemned the move as a cynical manipulation and called for protests.The Russian Duma passed amendments to the constitution (AP/Pavel Golovkin)Putin, a 67-year-old former KGB officer, has ruled Russia f…

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: …

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-03-11). Golden Anniversaries for Flawed Treaties: The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Turns Fifty. globalresearch.ca In an era where agreements have been abandoned as "bad", to use that favourite word of US President Donald Trump, the

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…

Juan Cole (2020-03-10). Russia Provoked Oil Price Fall to Protect its Markets from US Frackers, which could Collapse. iranian.com Last weekend, OPEC Plus, an expanded cartel of petroleum exporters, considered a plan for members to cut back on their oil production so as to support prices in the face of a slowing world economy owing to the novel coronavirus. The Russian Federation rejected the plan put forward by OPEC, insisting on continuing to export …

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

news.un (2020-03-09). Atomic agency cites concerns over Iran testing sites, offers COVID-19 assistance. news.un.org Iran's nuclear capabilities moved back into the international spotlight on Monday as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that it had concerns about possible "undeclared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities" in unregistered locations there.

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, …