2021-01-29: News Headlines

Royce Kurmelovs (2021-01-29). Who is Alexei Navalny? Behind the myth of the West's favorite Russian opposition figure. thegrayzone.com Despite facing repression, Alexei Navalny is no hero. Russian writer Katya Kazbek reveals the Western-backed opposition figure's real history. This interview was originally published at Royce Kurmelovs' Raising Hell Substack newsletter and republished with permission. Compressed into a two-minute soundbite, the story of Alexei Navalny and the recent protests that have erupted across Russia seems simple enough. The Russian opposition figure who recently survived an attempt on his life — an alleged poisoning delivered via Novichok-laced pants — was arrested and convicted …

Jordan Woll (2021-01-29). Biden administration signals it will maintain U.S. hardline anti-Iran policy. liberationnews.org Photo: B-52 bomber, the type that conducted a "patrol" over this Middle East this week Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on his first day of work that President Biden wishes to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran, but that it will be a "long road" before the U.S. …

yenisafak (2021-01-29). Russia reports 19,238 new COVID-19 cases, 534 deaths. yenisafak.com The country's total number of cases passed 3.81 million, while 72,185 people lost their lives to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.Some 26,204 people recovered from the virus and the total recoveries exceeded 3.25 million.Meanwhile, the Education Ministry said universities will begin face-to-face education on Feb. 8 depending on the epidemiological situation of their region.COVID-19 measures will also be applied in the universities, it added.

Ali Harb (2021-01-29). Biden appoints Rob Malley as Iran envoy despite backlash from hawks. middleeasteye.net Biden appoints Rob Malley as Iran envoy despite backlash from hawks | Conservatives and foreign-policy hawks have voiced opposition to Malley, veteran diplomat who helped negotiate Iran nuclear deal | Fri, 01/29/2021 – 17: 56 | Biden administration taps Robert Malley, who served on Obama's negotiating team for Iran nuclear deal, as its new top envoy for Iran (AFP) | US President Joe Biden on Friday appointed Rob…

MEE and agencies (2021-01-29). Turkish-Russian centre monitoring Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire due to open. middleeasteye.net Turkish-Russian centre monitoring Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire due to open | Turkey's Hulusi Akar said Turkish personnel would work at the centre to oversee the maintenance of a ceasefire that ended six weeks of fighting | Fri, 01/29/2021 – 15: 40 | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attending a military parade marking Azerbaijan's victory against A…

sputniknews (2021-01-29). Former FBI Lawyer Gets Probation For Altering Russia Probe Documents. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith received a year of probation and 400 hours of community service for doctoring an email as a means of getting permission to spy on a former Trump campaign adviser during the Russia investigation.

yenisafak (2021-01-29). Turkey 'hopes' US returns to Iran nuclear deal. yenisafak.com Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday that he hopes the Biden administration would return to the nuclear deal and lift sanctions on Iran.Speaking at a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif in Istanbul, Cavusoglu said that Turkey has always supported the nuclear deal that was reached by the US, EU and Iran. "I hope the Biden administration will return to the agreement and so the sanctions on brotherly Iran will be lifted."Touching on the Karabakh deal, he said that they want a permanent cease-fire.In this regard, we are planning to establish a mechanism with Azerbaijan,…

yenisafak (2021-01-29). Nuke deal up in air as Iran, US bicker over first move. yenisafak.com Clouds of uncertainty continue to loom over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, with neither Tehran nor the new US administration willing to make the first move.Mahmoud Vaezi, the Iranian president's chief of staff, said on Friday that Iran "did not leave the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] to return to it," asserting that Tehran will return to full compliance when the US and Europe "live up to their commitments."On Thursday, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also strongly defended Iran's position, saying Washington needs to "take the first step."Addressing new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, he said "the US…

_____ (2021-01-29). Nuclear Agreement: Biden Wants To Strike A 'Better Deal' With Iran. popularresistance.org Washington re-joining the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), won't happen overnight and will require consultations with Israel and Gulf states, signalled then Secretary of State-designate Tony Blinken during last week's confirmation hearings. | Former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the multilateral agreement in May 2018, prompting the Islamic Republic of Iran to gradually roll back its commitments on uranium enrichment since 2019. Now that Joe Biden has assumed office, Tehran is calling upon the White House to make the first step and lift all sanctio…

sputniknews (2021-01-29). 'Window is Closing': Iranian Diplomat Says US 'Must Act Quickly' to Rejoin JCPOA. sputniknews.com With US President Joe Biden just a few weeks into a four-year Oval Office term, talks of how the new administration will work to repair US-Iranian ties has been among the top concerns for many Washington DC insiders, particularly when it concerns the JCPOA Iran nuclear deal.

_____ (2021-01-29). New START Extension a Step in Right Direction. strategic-culture.org There is no guarantee of successful outcome. But at the very least there must be a commitment to work together and to dialogue. Thus, New START is a step in the right direction. | The agreement this week by the United States and the Russian Federation to extend the New START arms control treaty is a symbolic step of reengagement by both sides. That has to be welcomed. | Bilateral relations have deteriorated so badly in recent years that if the treaty was allowed to expire — as it was slated to do next week — then the world was facing the danger of a new, destructive nuclear arms race. The US had alrea…

Dave DeCamp (2021-01-29). Blinken Says Iran Must Comply with Nuclear Deal before the US Does. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles including the E-Book can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | In a sign that the US is a …

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2021-01-29). Russia's "Tatyana Day": Putin's Statement on University Education. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | As a good tradition observed in Russia, Jan 25 is popularly …

RT (2021-01-28). Russia's population decline accelerated in 2020, losing 500,000 residents amid Covid deaths, falling birth rate & less immigration. rt.com Russia has recorded its largest annual population decline in 15 years. According to Rosstat, the official government statistics service, the number of people permanently living in the country dropped by 510,000 in just 12 months. | The national population now totals 146.24 million, a steep drop from 146.75 million at the start of 2020. The last time the country saw such a significant decline was in 2005, when the number of people decreased by 564,500. | Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Moscow was already concerned about the country's falling number of inhabitants. Russia's population peaked at the start of 2018 a…

teleSUR (2021-01-28). The Third Batch of Sputnik V Vaccines Arrives in Argentina. telesurenglish.net Argentina Airlines (AA) President Pablo Ceriani on Thursday received the third shipment of COVID-19 Sputnik V vaccines from Russia. | RELATED: | Flight AR1062 carried 240,000 vaccine doses, 20,000 of which will be sent to Bolivia as part of the purchase agreed between Bolivian authorities with Russia's Gamaleya Institute. | Ceriani highlighted that AA and President Alberto Fernandez's administration are committed to ensuring the "supply…

Dove of Peace (2021-01-28). End of Anti-Russian Electioneering; Palestinian Funding Restored. indybay.org One week after the Inauguration, Pres. Biden called Pres. Putin to extend the START nuclear arms control treaty, due to expire 2/5/21. Pres. Biden's administration also announced restoration of relations with Palestine and aid to Palestinians.

Stephanie Pavlick (2021-01-28). After landmark international treaty, anti-nuclear demonstrators rally in Pittsburgh. liberationnews.org On Jan. 22, a broad coalition of organizations including PSL Pittsburgh, ANSWER Coalition, the Green Party of Allegheny County, Code Pink, and others joined for a rally and speakout at the PNC Bank headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh. This action was the latest in years of work on the part of local activists in a movement …

Eds. (2021-01-28). Oligarchy in Russia—Alexei Navalny's telling mistake. mronline.org On the subject of oligarchy and the treasure storehouses which oligarchs build for themselves, Alexei Navalny reveals that he's following a U.S. and NATO script: this takes no account of how President Vladimir Putin rules Russia, or the choice most Russians believe is the preferred alternative to Putin—that's rule by a combination of officers and …

MEE staff (2021-01-28). US calls on Turkey and Russia to 'immediately' withdraw forces from Libya. middleeasteye.net US calls on Turkey and Russia to 'immediately' withdraw forces from Libya | The deadline for withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries passed on Saturday with no movement observed on ground | Thu, 01/28/2021 – 21: 38 | Haftar failed in his bid to wrest control of Tripoli last year, ultimately leading to stalemate with GNA (AFP) | The United States has called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian and Turki…

Tony Pecinovsky (2021-01-28). Washington Bullets: A History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations. peoplesworld.org The 20th century saw a wave of anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, national liberation movements transform the world, often with the aid of Soviet, Eastern European, and Cuban Communists. Just as often, these revolts against the old world — the racist, sexist world of subjugation and oppression of entire peoples — were violently suppressed. In the first two …

RT (2021-01-28). As the Olympics and Euro 2020 hang in the balance, should elite athletes be fast-tracked for the Covid-19 vaccine? rt.com Considerable question marks remain as to the possibility of holding two of this summer's largest sporting events amid the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, but should athletes be allowed jump the vaccine queue to ensure they go ahead? | The rollout of the various vaccines to combat Covid-19, including Russia's Sputnik V jab, have promised a glimmer of light amid the global Coronavirus chaos which has affected practically every person on the planet in one way or another. | However, the rollout of the various vaccines has brought with it another debate: to whom should they be available, and where should the early applica…

RT (2021-01-28). 'I just wanted to cry': Russian high jump champ Lasitskene backs hurdles king as he vows to contest 'ridiculous' doping violation. rt.com Prominent Russian high jumper Maria Lasitskene has voiced her support for fellow athlete Sergey Shubenkov after reports emerged in the Russian press of an alleged doping violation, triggering speculation that he could face a ban. | Multiple Russian sports outlets reported on Thursday that the prohibited substance furosemide – a masking agent that can help to rid the body of traces of doping – had been detected during Shubenkov's doping probe. | The medicine is not a performance enhancing drug and the hurdler has described the news as an "outrageous lie." | "During my entire career, I have never taken prohibite…

RT (2021-01-28). Announce Khabib: Russian champ receives public offer to make professional debut in 'the football UFC' as club bids to sign him up. rt.com Khabib Nurmagomedov could officially join a football club for the first time next month if he accepts an offer from FC Kamaz, a Russian Professional Football League team who have made an ambitious public bid for the UFC champion. | Playfully producing an image of football-loving Nurmagomedov in their shirt, promotion-chasing Kamaz gave the unbeaten lightweight king a list of enticements to sign for them following his session at a Spartak Moscow training school in Dubai earlier this week. | Responding to a tantalizing post offering his services to clubs, Kamaz declared that their aim is to score a knockout blow…

teleSUR (2021-01-28). Bolivia Gets Its First 20,000 Sputnik V Vaccines. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that the first 20,000 Sputnik V vaccines will arrive in La Paz on Thursday. | RELATED: | On Wednesday, the shipment left Russia heading to Buenos Aires city aboard an Argentine Airbus 330-200. Today, the 20,000 doses will be transshipped to a Bolivian aircraft that will transfer them to La Paz. | "Bolivia will be the second Latin American country to use the Russian vaccine, after Argentina," the F…

Robert C. Koehler (2021-01-28). Nukes Are Illegal, Now What? commondreams.org The necessity for total nuclear disarmament—including American disarmament—is more urgent than ever. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/nuclearweapons.jpg

Peter Bolton (2021-01-28). Behind Biden's warnings to Putin about election meddling lies a deep hypocrisy. thecanary.co Newly elected US president Joe Biden had a But the corporate-owned media has been glossing over one major piece of hypocrisy. It seems to be repeating unchallenged Biden's implication that Russia has all the answering to do when it comes to electoral interference. But the reality is that it's the…

Vadim Nikitin (2021-01-28). Alexei Navalny Grows More Powerful Every Time Putin Talks About Him. thenation.com Alexei Navalny Grows More Powerful Every Time Putin Talks About Him…

sputniknews (2021-01-28). Iran Unveils Plans to Install 1,000 Advanced Uranium Enrichment Centrifuges in Natanz. sputniknews.com Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif stressed that Tehran resuming 20 percent uranium enrichment is fully in line with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

sputniknews (2021-01-28). Israeli Defense Minister Gantz Denounces IDF Chief's Remarks on Iran 'Nuclear Threat'. sputniknews.com In Tuesday remarks, the chief of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Aviv Kohavi, alleged that Iran was close to creating a nuclear bomb, and said that as a result the IDF will prepare "additional military operations".

sputniknews (2021-01-28). Iranian Foreign Minister Explains Why US Should Make First Step in Returning to Nuclear Deal. sputniknews.com The new US administration earlier indicated its interest in returning to the Iran nuclear deal, but newly sworn-in Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that the Islamic Republic, which had been suffering from US sanctions over the past three years, should be the party to make the first step in reaching the agreement.

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts (2021-01-28). The Putin-Biden Strategic Telephone Call: How Long Before Washington's Demonization of Russia, China, and Iran Leads to War? globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles including the E-Book can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Biden, the current occupant of the White House, …

WSWS (2021-01-28). The Biden climate plan, Part 2: Preparation for war. wsws.org Elevating longtime defender of US imperialism John Kerry as his international "climate envoy," Biden proposes to "rally the world" to fight climate change by isolating China and conducting military exercises on Russia's newly-melted Arctic Ocean coast.

WSWS (2021-01-27). The American state, the fascists and the Soviet Union's ex-revolutionaries. wsws.org Author Benjamin Tromly explores the relationship between America's post-war spy agencies and anti-communist Russian and Soviet émigrés dedicated to regime change in the USSR.

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2021-01-27). '100 Seconds to Midnight': Doomsday Clock Reveals Humanity Closer Than Ever to the Apocalypse. commondreams.org Citizens must "demand… that their governments reorder their priorities and cooperate… to reduce the risk of nuclear war, climate change, and other global disasters, including pandemic disease." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/doomsday.jpg

Howard Lisnoff (2021-01-27). At the End of the Barrel of a Gun: From Voluntown, Connecticut to D.C. counterpunch.org Understanding the attack against antiwar activists and protesters at "The Farm" in Voluntown, Connecticut in late August 1968, without the larger context of the antinuclear and antiwar movement, would be like viewing the insurrection in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021, as an aberration. The attack against members of the group the Committee for Non-Violent

Marilyn Bechtel (2021-01-27). Treaty to ban all nuclear weapons is now international law. peoplesworld.org A major milestone on the long road to ridding the world entirely of nuclear weapons was reached on Jan. 22, as the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons officially became part of international law. That road began Jan. 24, 1946, when the newly formed United Nations adopted its very first resolution, just …

RT (2021-01-27). Doomsday Clock poised at 100 seconds to midnight, scientists cite nuclear arms race & 'online lying' as threats. rt.com The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists' "Doomsday Clock" — a construct representing the threats to humanity from the nuclear to the natural — remains in the red at 100 seconds to midnight for 2021, its proprietors have warned. | The scientists released their While the clock's hands haven…

Staff (2021-01-27). For Peace With North Korea, Biden Must End the US-South Korea Military Exercises. truthout.org One of the thorniest foreign policy challenges the Biden administration will need to face is a nuclear-armed North Korea. Talks between the U.S. and North Korea have been stalled since 2019, and North Korea has continued to develop its weapons arsenal, recently As a retired U.S. Army Colonel and U.S. diplomat with 40 years…

Tom Rodgers (2021-01-27). Witnessing "Camp Auschwitz" in the US Capitol Implores us to Remember "the Forgotten Holocaust" of the Roma. counterpunch.org On January 27, 1945, a detachment of the Red Army's 322nd Rifle Division entered what appeared to be a hastily abandoned labor camp. "Arbeit Macht Frei" was cast into the gates, "work sets you free." The Soviet troops were about to confront the horrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where the Nazis had made genocide a national industry.

Melvin Goodman (2021-01-27). China: Enemy Du Jour? But Why? counterpunch.org Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States has not faced an existential threat—nothing to justify the trillions of dollars given to the Pentagon to maintain military predominance over the entire global community. The United States requires a foil for its foreign policy declarations and for maintaining the allegiance of the U.S. citizenry. Has China become that foil?

Stephen Lendman (2021-01-27). Saving the New START Arms Control Agreement between the US and Russia. globalresearch.ca The last remaining arms control agreement between Russia and the US expires on February 5 unless extended at the 11th hour. | Hardline Trump regime's arms control negotiator Marshall Billingslea rejected Vladimir Putin's good faith offer to extend it for another …

Andrew Korybko (2021-01-27). Russian-American Relations Under Biden: More of the Same Except for One Thing. globalresearch.ca Russian-American relations will remain just as bad under Biden as they were under Trump except for the 46th President's desire to extend the New START for another five years as part of an implied nuclear detente with Moscow after his …

_____ (2021-01-27). US Proposes 5-year Extension Of Nuclear Arms Treaty With Russia. popularresistance.org The United States will seek a five-year extension of the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia — the last remaining non-proliferation treaty between the two nations, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed on Thursday. | The New START, which came into force in 2011, limits the number of nuclear warheads and intercontinental ballistic missiles that each country can deploy. It was due to expire next month. | "The president has long been clear that the New START Treaty is in the national security interest of the United States. This extension makes even more sense when the relationship wit…

sputniknews (2021-01-27). Israeli Army Chief Slams Iran Nuclear Deal as Operationally, Strategically Unacceptable. sputniknews.com TEL AVIV (Sputnik) – Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Defence Forces Lt Gen Aviv Kohavi has described the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as a deal that is unacceptable to Israel both on the strategic and operational level.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-27). Lavrov suggests Mideast ministerial peace conference. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 28 (MNA) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has backed a Palestinian proposal for a Middle East peace conference which can be held in the upcoming months.

_____ (2021-01-27). Newspeak in the 21st Century: How to Become a Model Citizen in the New Era of Domestic Warfare. strategic-culture.org War will continue under the Old Cold War doctrine. War will always be present, and yet will never be seen by the majority of our citizens, Cynthia Chung writes. | With President Biden's inauguration many feel that they can finally breathe a deep sigh of relief. At last sanity has been restored and we can all go back to our predictable lives knowing that the future can only get better during these next four years. | Well…not quite. | There still remains the problem that everybody may not be on board with the progressive changes that Biden's Administration plans to push through. This, of course, is wholly unaccep…

Online News Editor (2021-01-27). Seoul, Washington see North Korea as 'urgent' issue. laprensalatina.com Seoul, Jan 27 (efe-epa).- South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and the United States' Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed Wednesday in a phone call on the need to deal urgently with the North Korean nuclear issue. "The two ministers shared the understanding that the North Korean nuclear issue is a matter that should be …

teleSUR (2021-01-27). Russian Senate Extends Nuclear Disarmament Treaty With the USA. telesurenglish.net Russia's Senate on Wednesday unanimously endorsed a five-year extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). | RELATED: | "When it comes to global stability and security, Russia and the U.S. can show responsible and pragmatic approaches and reach agreements," Senate President Valentina Matviyenko said. | This nuclear disarmament treaty, which was also previously approved by the Lower House (Duma), was set to expi…

Dr. Rudolf Hà§nsel (2021-01-27). Internationale Kriegstreiber ràºhren die Kriegstrommeln fàºr Krieg gegen Russland. globalresearch.ca ‚ÄûLiebesgràºàüe nach Moskau: Biden droht der ‚ÄöTyrannei' Putins mit dem Ende." Dieses vergiftete ‚ÄûVersprechen" gab Biden dem russischen Prà§sidenten bereits lange vor seiner gestohlenen Wahl zum neuen US-Prà§sidenten (1). àúber das in Màºnchen anstehende private Treffen ausgewà§hlter Kriegstreiber sagt er: …

Dr. Rudolf Hà§nsel (2021-01-27). International Warmongers Beat the War Drums for War Against Russia. globalresearch.ca This article can be read in 27 languages including Russian and Chinese by activating the Translate Website Drop Down Menu on the top banner of our home page. | The author's article in German is available on our German language page….