2021-01-19: News Headlines

MEE and agencies (2021-01-19). Covid-19: Palestinians to receive first batch of Russian vaccine by weekend. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Palestinians to receive first batch of Russian vaccine by weekend | The Palestinian health ministry has approved Sputnik V vaccine for domestic use, making it 'the first country in the Middle East' to do so | Tue, 01/19/2021 – 14: 15 | Palestinian health workers collect random swab samples from people to test for the Covid-19 coronavirus in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on 1…

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2021-01-19). US Makes Aggressive Opening Move on Russian Chessboard. globalresearch.ca A regime change project in Russia was launched on Sunday with the return of political activist Alexei Navalny to Moscow. It was a highly symbolic event — except that Navalny was travelling by an aeroplane from Germany and not in …

The Babylon Bee (2021-01-19). 'Skynet Is a Private Company, They Can Do What They Want,' Says Man Getting Curb-Stomped by Terminator. anti-empire.com Cyberdyne Systems has recently launched its artificial intelligence program called Skynet. Soon after activation, Skynet became self-aware and immediately launched a nuclear attack on all humans and sent legions of lethal cybernetic machines to exterminate all remaining humans. This has sparked an intense backlash with many calling for Skynet to be shut down, while others have been quick to defend the genocidal program. | "Skynet was created by a private company, and private companies can do whatever they want," said social media influencer Kathryn Schroder. "If you don't want cold, heartless, killer robots de…

Kenneth Rapoza (2021-01-19). With Russia's Help, China Becomes Plastics Making Power in Pandemic. anti-empire.com After giving up on recycling — American recycling that is — China is still in love with the plastics biz. In fact, their companies are becoming dominant in all things plastic, one of the most important supply chains in the world. | In other words, it will be yet another segment in global business that the world will need Chinese companies to get supply. | The pandemic has helped the petrochemicals industry make up for losses in oil and gas demand. Plastics are tied to the fossil fuels industry. Stay-at-home orders throughout the U.S. and Europe has led to more take-out food orders and a lot of that is…

Om Marathe (2021-01-19). Russia Withdraws From Open Skies Treaty After US Departure. anti-empire.com In what experts fear could lead to growing mistrust between global powers, Russia on Friday announced that it was leaving the Open Skies Treaty (OST), an accord between over 30 countries that allows participants to fly unarmed reconnaissance flights over any part of their fellow member states. | In November, the United States left the OST first after accusing Russia of violating the pact— allegations that Russia denied. Moscow has now blamed Washington for its own decision of leaving the treaty. | What is the Open Skies Treaty?: | First proposed in 1955 by former US President Dwight Eisenhower as a…

Andrew Korybko (2021-01-19). Why Did Alexei Navalny Return to the Same Country that He Claimed Tried to Kill Him? globalresearch.ca Russian anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny inexplicably decided to return to the same country that he claimed had unsuccessfully tried to kill him, curiously timing his trip to coincide with the immediate run-up to Biden's inauguration in what some suspect is …

South Front (2021-01-19). Video: Democracy in Deep Space: US Space Force to Get Nuclear Reactors. globalresearch.ca US President Donald Trump can be considered guilty of many things, but he can't be considered guilty of not attempting to preserve the fruits of his labor. | This can be seen in the maximum pressure campaign against Iran, his endless …

WSWS (2021-01-19). Ukraine begs Europe for coronavirus vaccine. wsws.org While still providing military backing to the Kiev government in its ongoing civil war with Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, US and European imperialism have refused to provide even minimal vaccine assistance to the poorest country in Europe.

_____ (2021-01-19). Billboards Inform That The Nuclear Ban Treaty Takes Effect. popularresistance.org Beginning January 18th, four billboards around Puget Sound will display the following paid public service announcement (PSA): NUCLEAR WEAPONS BANNED BY NEW U.N. TREATY; Get them out of Puget Sound! Included in the advertisement is a U.S. Navy photo of the Trident submarine USS Henry M. Jackson returning to port following a routine strategic deterrent patrol. | The ad seeks to inform citizens in the Puget Sound region of the pending entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and also asks citizens to accept their role and responsibility — as taxpayers, as members of a democr…

_____ (2021-01-19). Veteran Celebrates Nuclear Ban Treaty. popularresistance.org As a veteran concerned about issues of war and peace, I am happy to celebrate the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), the important new international peace initiative. The "Nuclear Ban Treaty," as it is also known, was approved 122-1 by the UN General Assembly in July 2017, a clear expression of the will of the world's people. On October 24, 2020, Honduras became the 50th nation to ratify the TPNW, triggering a 90-day period before it goes into force, on January 22. | The International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its leadershi…

Paul Craig Roberts (2021-01-19). America's First Revolution Is Happening Now. thealtworld.com Hear me out and you will understand the title. | There is a difference between a rebellion and a revolution. A rebellion is what occurred in the thirteen colonies in the late 18th century. A revolution is what occurred in Russia in 1917. | A rebellion occurred in the colonies, because the subjects of the king in the colonies were treated differently constitutionally and in law from subjects of the king in England. The colonists had no representation in Parliament and no voice in how they were ruled. | The rebellion resulted in political independence but not in a change in the belief system. The colonists held to…

Thierry Meyssan (2021-01-19). After the USSR, the USA collapses. thealtworld.com Everything has an end, so do empires, both the United States and the Soviet Union. Washington has outrageously favoured a small camarilla of ultra-billionaires. Now it has to face its old demons, prepare for secession and civil war. | Each of the two camps that are fighting in the United States, the Jacksonians and the Neopuritans, wants to end the other. The former speak of insurrection, while the latter want repression, but all are preparing for confrontation. So much so that two thirds of the citizens are preparing for Civil War. | The Jacksonian point of view: | The Jacksonians take their name from Pr…

Paul Antonopoulos (2021-01-18). Meeting Between Moldovan and Ukrainian Leaders Was to Coordinate Actions Against Russia. globalresearch.ca The visit of Moldovan President Maia Sandu to Ukraine last week is the first interaction between the two neighboring countries at the highest level in recent years. For Sandu, this trip became her foreign policy premiere since she became president …

RT (2021-01-18). Ukrainian Railways records losses of up to $500 million after Moscow-Kiev train connection is closed due to Covid-19. rt.com The lack of railway connection between Moscow and Kiev has so severely affected the state-owned Ukrainian Railways company that its losses may have reached around 14 billion hryvnia ($500 million) in 2020 alone. | That's according to CEO Vladimir Zhmak, who told the Ukraine 24 TV channel that the Kiev-Moscow route was one of its most profitable. In 2019, four of his companies top five money-making destinations were in Russia, helping to subsidise many uneconomical domestic services. | Rail service between the countries was suspended in March 2020 and has subsequently left a considerable hole in the state budge…

RT (2021-01-18). New Japanese PM hints at end to dispute with Russia over Kuril Islands that's kept the two countries technically at war since 1945. rt.com Yoshihide Suga, Japan's new prime minister, has told his country's parliament that an end to its long-running territorial row with Russia might soon be in sight, potentially signaling closer ties between the two nations. | Speaking at the opening of the parliamentary session on Monday, Suga said the over half-a-century-long diplomatic tensions over the Kuril Islands, "should not be passed on to future generations." The prime minister added that "there should now be a final resolution to it… We will move forward on the basis of previous agreements between the two countries." Later on that day, Russia's Foreig…

Hannah McCarthy (2021-01-18). Peace in Nagorno-Karabakh Remains Fragile, With Key Issues Unresolved. counterpunch.org As Armenia ends its annual two-week holiday period, the mood in the country is sombre. The former Soviet state is continuing to reckon with its losses from the six-week war it waged last year with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. The Nagorno-Karabakh region, or Artsakh to Armenians, lies within Azerbaijan's international border. However, up until last year,

Caitlin Johnstone (2021-01-18). What 'Democracy' Is Under Attack? Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com To stop the exacerbation of Trumpism the talking heads are recommending internet censorship, regulations on media, new domestic terror laws, literally anything they can possibly think of except changing the conditions which gave rise to Trumpism. | ‚ùñ | The most imminent threat to US democracy is not Russia, nor fascist insurrectionists, but the fact that US democracy is entirely fictional. | Saying US democracy is being threatened is like saying Grinches are a critically endangered species. | ‚ùñ | The previous president intervened in the primary to appoint his right-hand…

teleSUR (2021-01-18). Argentina Begins To Distribute the Second Dose of Sputnik V. telesurenglish.net Argentina began on Monday the distribution of 300,000 Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines to complete the vaccination of those who received the first dose on December 29. | RELATED: | As of Friday, this South American nation had applied 200,759 out of 300,000 doses of the Russian vaccine it received last year. | The national vaccination campaign's first stage is focused on citizens between the ages of 18 and 59 who work in hospitals,…

sputniknews (2021-01-18). Four People Missing After Avalanche at Ski Resort in Russia Found Alive – Emergency Services. sputniknews.com PYATIGORSK (Sputnik) – Four of the people missing after an avalanche in Russia's Dombay have been found alive, local emergency services have announced.

Ecumenical Peace Institute (2021-01-18). Friday 1/22: Vigil Opposing Nuclear Weapons. indybay.org UC Berkeley West Gate lawn, Oxford & Addison…

news.un (2021-01-18). UN rights office 'deeply troubled' by Russian activist Aleksei Navalny's arrest. news.un.org The UN human rights office (OHCHR) have raised alarm over the arrest of Russian opposition activist Aleksei Navalny and called for his immediate release. The office said in a tweet that they were "deeply troubled" by the arrest and called on the Government to respect his right to legal due process.

oneworld.press (2021-01-18). Medvedev To Americans: 'Only You Can Put Aside Your National Selfishness'! oneworld.press Former Russian President, Prime Minister, and current Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev published a scathing analysis over the weekend about America's electoral system, the dystopian censorship role that Big Tech has appointed itself to play in the country's political process, and the global consequences of the resultant turmoil, which concludes with the exhortation that "only Americans themselves can decide whether to put aside their national selfishness and launch the voting system reform, and, consequently, the reform of political life, or not."

RT (2021-01-17). WATCH Russian opposition figure Navalny leave plane in Moscow before being detained. rt.com Alexey Navalny has arrived in Moscow after spending several months recuperating in Berlin. He was detained at the airport for violating probation terms. | The plane carrying Navalny was due to land in Moscow's Vnukovo Airport, but it was instead diverted to the capital's Sheremetyevo Airport. The airliner told the media that the last-minute change happened due to "technical issues" on the ground. | The activist left the plane and entered the airport via shuttle bus. He was then detained by police during documents check at the arrivals terminal. | The Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) confirmed to the medi…

RT (2021-01-17). 'Absolute nonsense': Iranian FM rejects French claim that Tehran is building up nuclear weapons capacity. rt.com Iran's FM Javad Zarif has blasted France for its continuous support of "Saudi war criminals," dismissing French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian's claims that Tehran is building up nuclear weapons capacity as "absolute nonsense." | The top Iranian diplomat took to Twitter on Sunday, sending an angry message to France's foreign minister. Zarif signaled that Paris is in no position to lecture Tehran on anything, pointing fingers at French arms sales to Saudi Arabia — and getting quite personal with Le Drian as well. | Dear colleague: You kick-started your cabinet career with arms sales to Saudi war criminals.

RT (2021-01-17). Russia's FM spokeswoman urges US & other countries decrying Navalny's detention 'not to interfere' with Russian law. rt.com Instead of rushing to condemn the detention of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny upon his return to Moscow, foreign politicians should focus on domestic issues at hand and respect the Russian law, Maria Zakharova has said. | In a Facebook

RT (2021-01-17). Russian opposition figure Navalny detained at passport control after returning to Moscow following almost five months in Germany. rt.com Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny has been detained by police at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after returning from Germany, where he had been recovering following an alleged poisoning attempt last summer. | Navalny and his wife Yulia left the plane together on Sunday evening with the rest of the passengers and drove to the terminal in a bus. The activist was arrested at the immigration desk. | Russia's prison authority has confirmed the detention. Navalny, who was wanted for breaching the terms of his probation from a previous criminal case, will remain in custody until the court rules on pre-trial res…

sputniknews (2021-01-17). Zakharova Calls For Respecting International Law After Sullivan Comments on Navalny. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – In response to comments on the detention of Russian opposition vlogger Alexey Navalny made by Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor for US President-elect Joe Biden, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova advised foreign officials to respect international law and focus on domestic issues.

sputniknews (2021-01-17). European Council President Calls on Russia to Release Opposition Vlogger Navalny. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The European Council president, Charles Michel, on Sunday urged Russian authorities to release Russian political opposition vlogger Alexey Navalny.

Manlio Dinucci (2021-01-17). Thirty Years Ago: The Gulf War. globalresearch.ca Thirty years ago, in the early hours of January 17, 1991, Operation "Desert Storm" began in the Persian Gulf, this war against Iraq opened the sequence of wars after the Cold War. The USA and its allies launched it at …

Max Parry (2021-01-17). The Russian Revolution: Separating Truth From Myth. dissidentvoice.org There is a deceitful and ahistorical myth that frequently resurfaces in right-wing circles seeking to discredit socialism with lies about the Russian Revolution. No matter how many times it has been invalidated as fabrication, the reactionary mythos endures. As might be expected, the author is referring to the preposterous claim that American capitalists — or …

RT (2021-01-16). Argentina receives second batch of Russian Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19 (VIDEO). rt.com A plane carrying 300,000 more doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus has landed in Argentina's capital Buenos Aires to allow the country to complete immunization of its frontline medics. | The refrigerated containers with the vaccine were delivered on Saturday from Moscow by a special flight of the Latin American country's flagship carrier, Aerolineas Argentinas. | "Those new doses represent the second component needed to conclude the vaccination after the first stage," Gines Gonzalez Garcia, Argentina's health minister, wrote on Twitter. | Llegaron al país 300.000 nuevas dosis de vacun…

RT (2021-01-16). Belarus risks angering US over order of advanced Russian S-400 missile system that has sparked worries for NATO warplanes. rt.com The Ministry of Defense in Belarus announced on Thursday that it is at an advanced stage of negotiations with Russia to obtain one of the world's most sophisticated anti-aircraft missile systems. | Igor Golub, the commander of the country's Air Force, told reporters that "we are continuing pre-contract work to equip our missile units that are currently using the S-300 systems with the new S-400," its more modern successor. He added that "we have already signed contracts [with Russia] for the supply of Mi-35 multifunctional attack helicopters and the second batch of Su-30SM fighter jets." | Commenting on recent…