(2021-02-02). Russia's Sputnik V Is Found to Be 91.6% Effective, Providing Boost for Global Vaccination Effort. democracynow.org 
Russia has been one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic, recording about 73,000 deaths and over 3.8 million infections over the past year. Meanwhile, there is widespread skepticism over the domestically developed Sputnik V vaccine, with many Russians reluctant to get the shot. Now a peer-reviewed study published in the respected Lancet medical journal has confirmed the vaccine's 91.6% efficacy, as developers of the shot have long maintained. "That's good news for the developers of the vaccine in Russia. That's good news for Russia writ large, which certainly has plenty of geopolitical ambitions surroundi…
(2021-02-02). Alexei Navalny Faces "Kafkaesque" Charges in Russia for Breaking Parole While in Poison-Induced Coma. democracynow.org 
Russian authorities have arrested thousands of people during anti-government protests in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has been held in jail since returning to Russia on January 17 after recovering in Germany from an attempt on his life in August using the nerve agent Novichok. Navalny has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being behind the poisoning that nearly killed him. While Navalny has emerged as Russia's leading opposition figure and anti-corruption campaigner, his political roots have links to right-wing nationalist and anti-immigrant causes. Joshua Yaffa, Moscow corresp…
(2021-02-02). China's New Aircraft Carrier Killer Is World's Largest Air-Launched Missile. anti-empire.com 
Navies are racing to develop hypersonic missiles which may change the pace of naval warfare. Russia will deploy the Zircon hypersonic missile aboard warships and submarines. The US Navy has started down the path of the common hypersonic glide body (c-HGB) for its destroyers. Meanwhile China's latest hypersonic weapon is something completely different; it is air launched. | The massive new missile, labelled CH-AS-X-13, is probably the largest air-launched missile in the world. | The missile was first reported by Ankit Panda, the Stanton Senior Fellow at the Nuclear Policy Program, Carnegie Endowment for Internatio…
(2021-02-02). Germany Rejects French Call to Scrap Russia Gas Pipeline Over Navalny. anti-empire.com 
France on Monday urged Germany to scrap a major gas pipeline project with Russia in protest over the detention in Moscow of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but the plea fell on deaf ears in Berlin. | "We have always said we have the greatest doubts on this project in this context," European Affairs minister Clement Beaune told France Inter radio. | Asked specifically if France wanted Berlin to drop the project, Beaune said: "Indeed, we have already said this." | Nord Stream 2 is a 10 billion euro ($11 billion) pipeline that will run beneath the Baltic Sea and is set to double Russian natural-gas shipments to Ge…
(2021-02-02). Russia's Sputnik V vaccine 'safe, effective': Study. yenisafak.com The Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine developed in Russia has shown "a consistent strong protective effect across all participant age groups," according to a study published in medical journal The Lancet.Interim results from a Phase 3 trial that included some 20,000 people showed 91.6% efficacy of a two-dose regimen of the adenovirus-based vaccine."No serious adverse events were deemed to be associated with vaccination, and most reported adverse events were mild, including flu-like symptoms, pain at the injection site, and weakness or low energy," the article said.Serious complications, such as requiring hospital ad…
(2021-02-02). Iran less than 2 years away from nuke weapons: Israel. yenisafak.com Israel's Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz warned on Tuesday that Iran needs a year or two to acquire a "nuclear weapon".Speaking to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, Steinitz claimed that Iran needs "around half a year" to produce enough uranium for a nuclear weapon."As for nuclear weaponry, the range is around one or two years", he said.Steinitz also credited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former US President Donald Trump for weakening Iran's goal of acquiring nuclear weapons."The withdrawal [of Trump] from the nuclear deal has weakened Iran," he said.Senior Israeli officials, including…
(2021-02-02). As The Doomsday Clock Nears Midnight, We Can Abolish Nuclear Weapons. popularresistance.org On January 22, the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons went into effect. This treaty, which is supported by more than two-thirds of the countries in the world but none of the nuclear states, is groundbreaking in many ways and is a significant step toward nuclear disarmament at a time when the threat of nuclear war is the highest it has ever been. I speak with Seth Shelden of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons about the treaty, how it came about, what it will do and what people in the United States can do to press our government to ratify it.
(2021-02-02). Explosive Video Exposes MI6 Links to Alexei Navalny. dissidentvoice.org RT's Murad Gazdiev reports on new evidence of links between MI6 and Russian opposition figure and activist Alexei Navalny. Then author and professor of international human rights Dan Kovalik joins Rick Sanchez to discuss the role of the US and UK in fomenting political discord in Russia and other countries.
(2021-02-02). Russia Confronts International Law: Nyet, Nyet. counterpunch.org "What good is international law when countries do whatever they want?" I aggressively asked my international law professor years ago. "Well," he replied with a certain pride, "the United States president usually confers with the State Department legal adviser before he sends troops somewhere." "But does that change anything?" I insisted. "No," he replied, "but
(2021-02-02). Building a Nuclear Weapon-Free World. dissidentvoice.org On January 22, 2021, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) became international law for the 122 states who signed the agreement in July 2017. Article 1a of TPNW states: "Each State Party undertakes never under any circumstances to… Develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive …
(2021-02-02). Kabul Must Identify The Perpetrators Of The Terrorist Attack Against The Russian Embassy. oneworld.press Based on the statement of the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Kabul should investigate all the circumstances of the terrorist attack as soon as possible and identify the persons involved in its implementation.
(2021-02-02). Kabul Must Identify The Perpetrators Of The Terrorist Attack Against The Russian Embassy. oneworld.press Based on the statement of the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Kabul should investigate all the circumstances of the terrorist attack as soon as possible and identify the persons involved in its implementation.
(2021-02-01). Putin and Navalny Both Represent Big Russian Capital — Alexander Buzgalin. theanalysis.news The recent protests in Russia were more about the failed economic policies of Putin than support for Navalny, whose program may be even worse than Putin's. The West loves Navalny because they think he will open Russia to U.S. finance capital. From Moscow, Prof. Alexander Buzgalin joins theAnalysis.news with Paul Jay.
(2021-02-01). Putin and Navalny Both Represent Big Russian Capital — Alexander Buzgalin. theanalysis.news The recent protests in Russia were more about the failed economic policies of Putin than support for Navalny, whose program may be even worse than Putin's. The West loves Navalny because they think he will open Russia to U.S. finance capital. From Moscow, Prof. Alexander Buzgalin joins theAnalysis.news with Paul Jay.
(2021-02-01). Triple shock of US sanctions, oil price collapse and the pandemic decimates Iranian living standards. wsws.org The "hardline" faction around the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is attacking the faction around President Hassan Rouhani who negotiated the nuclear agreement with the Obama administration, amid indications that the Biden administration intends to continue enforcing the "maximum pressure" campaign of draconian sanctions and military provocations against Iran.
(2021-02-01). Embrittlement in Nuclear Power Plants. counterpunch.org Of all the daunting tasks Joe Biden faces, especially vital is the inspection of dangerously embrittled atomic reactors still operating in the United States. A meltdown at any one of them would threaten the health and safety of millions of people while causing major impact to an already struggling economy. The COVID-19 pandemic would complicate
(2021-02-01). As EU falls behind on supplies of Covid-19 vaccines, German health minister entertains possibility of using Russia's Sputnik V. rt.com 
German Health Minister Jens Spahn has revealed that Berlin would be open to importing Covid-19 vaccines from Russia and China as the government looks to find ways to overcome the country's shortage of doses. | "Regardless of the country in which a vaccine is manufactured, if they are safe and effective, they can help cope with the pandemic," Spahn told Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. | The German minister's comments came before Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's permanent representative to the EU, revealed that Moscow is not only open to selling its Sputnik V vaccine but will also share information about how…
(2021-02-01). Top Navalny aide asked alleged British spy for millions in funding, intelligence video released by Russia's FSB claims to reveal. rt.com 
Surveillance footage, recorded in the early 2010s, appears to show a close associate of Alexey Navalny seeking cash and intelligence from an alleged British spy and suggesting his anti-corruption work may benefit firms in London. | The tape, which was first reported by RT television on Monday, is said to have been filmed by the Federal Security Service (FSB) sometime in 2012 and allegedly shows a meeting between Vladimir Ashurkov and an employee of the British Embassy in Moscow. Ashurkov is the executive director of the FBK, Alexey Navalny's anti-corruption organization. | The person he met at a Moscow cafe…
(2021-02-01). Is Russia waking up? mronline.org 
The reasons behind the protest actions that began in Russia in January 2021, the social forces involved, and the possible consequences.
(2021-02-01). Top Navalny aide asked alleged British spy for millions in funding, intelligence video released by Russia's FSB claims to reveal. rt.com Surveillance footage, recorded in the early 2010s, appears to show a close associate of Alexey Navalny seeking cash and intelligence from an alleged British spy and suggesting his anti-corruption work may benefit firms in London. | The tape, which was first reported by RT television on Monday, is said to have been filmed by the Federal Security Service (FSB) sometime in 2012 and allegedly shows a meeting between Vladimir Ashurkov and an employee of the British Embassy in Moscow. Ashurkov is the executive director of the FBK, Alexey Navalny's anti-corruption organization. | The person he met at a Moscow cafe wa…
(2021-02-01). Top Navalny aide asked alleged British spy for millions in funding, intelligence video released by Russia's FSB claims to reveal. rt.com 
Surveillance footage, recorded in the early 2010s, appears to show a close associate of Alexey Navalny seeking cash and intelligence from an alleged British spy and suggesting his anti-corruption work may benefit firms in London. | The tape, which was first reported by RT television on Monday, is said to have been filmed by the Federal Security Service (FSB) sometime in 2012 and allegedly shows a meeting between Vladimir Ashurkov and an employee of the British Embassy in Moscow. Ashurkov is the executive director of the FBK, Alexey Navalny's anti-corruption organization. | The person he met at a Moscow cafe…
(2021-02-01). Germany rejects France's call to halt construction on Nord Stream 2 pipeline over Navalny detention. rt.com 
Germany said it plans to complete the Russian-led Nord Stream 2 offshore gas pipeline project despite opposition from France over Moscow's jailing of opposition figure Alexey Navalny. | The stance of the German government "has not changed" in recent days, deputy government spokeswoman Martina Fietz said on Monday in Berlin, after France's secretary of state for Europe Clément Beaune asked Germany to halt the project. | A spokesman for Germany's Federal Foreign Office in Berlin told Die Welt that although the project is going ahead, the German government was aware of the French position and having a "ver…
(2021-02-01). From former Soviet Kyrgyzstan comes new book on Lenin's 150th. peoplesworld.org 
Published to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Lenin's birth and conceived in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, Lenin 150 (Samizdat) is an outstanding collection of essays, poems, and photos. Lively, thought-provoking, and informative, its roots are in the ideas of a group of young communists living and working in Kyrgyzstan, a country which has …
(2021-02-01). Headlines for February 1, 2021. democracynow.org CDC Orders Mask-Wearing on Public Transportation as Experts Urge Speedy Vaccination to Combat Variants, Johnson & Johnson Says One-Shot Vaccine Is Effective, Especially in Preventing Severe Cases, Major Racial Disparities Emerge in Vaccine Recipients as Latinx Deaths in L.A. Jump by 1,000%, Biden Meets with GOP Leaders to Discuss Stripped-Down Counter Bill to $1.9 Trillion Package, Burmese Military Stage Coup, Detain Aung San Suu Kyi, Police Arrest Over 5,100 in Pro-Navalny Protests Across Russia, Car Bomb Blasts Kill at Least 12 in Aleppo, Syria, U.N. Calls for Repatriation of 27,000 Children Stranded in al-Hol…
(2021-02-01). 'Russiagate' lives on: Donald Trump was a Soviet spy recruited decades ago by KGB, according to conspiracy-loving Western media. rt.com 
Donald Trump's rise and fall as the most powerful man in the world was one of the shock stories of the century. However, explosive claims picked up by Western media now suggest there was a secret masterplan behind it all along.
(2021-02-01). Putin orders officials to prepare plans for creation of Russian Court of Human Rights as possible alternative to pan-European ECHR. rt.com 
Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the country's Supreme Court and the Ministry of Justice to assess the feasibility of creating a national court of human rights. He first expressed interest in the idea last year. | As things stand, Russia is a party to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), a body that is part of the Council of Europe. Membership of the court has been costly for Moscow, and in 2019 alone, the Ministry of Justice spent more than 1.1 billion rubles ($14 million) on 1,240 judgments. | An order published on the Kremlin website gives the Supreme Court, Russia's highest judicial bo…
(2021-02-01). Kremlin dubs some protesters 'hooligans & provocateurs,' says appeal for US sanctions proves Navalny's team are 'foreign agents'. rt.com 
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has defended the police's decision to take tough measures to detain and disperse supporters of jailed opposition figure Alexey Navalny at rallies across the country over the weekend. | Speaking to journalists on Monday, Dmitry Peskov said that the demonstrations attracted "quite a large number of hooligans and provocateurs," which, he argued, explained the violent clashes with authorities. However, he added, the use of force had to be carefully monitored, even if it was necessary in the face of "illegal actions." | The Kremlin press secretary added that there was no…
(2021-02-01). Ukrainian President Zelensky admits he's 'angry' with Trump over leaked phone call, expresses hope Biden will help Kiev join NATO. rt.com 
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized former US President Donald Trump for his move to release the transcript of an infamous 2019 phone call between the two leaders, calling the breach of privacy "totally wrong." | Speaking to US outlet Axios, Zelensky revealed the publication of the call made him a "little bit" angry. In his opinion, conversations between presidents should be kept secret and confidential. | "I think this is totally wrong," the president noted in the interview, recorded last week. "This was the first serious conversation between two presidents, between strategic partners. And i…
(2021-02-01). Russia ramps up natural gas supplies to China via Power of Siberia mega-pipeline. rt.com 
Russian energy major Gazprom pumped more gas to China in January via the Power of Siberia pipeline than it had initially planned, boosting daily supplies by as much as 2.5 percent. | "The export of gas to China through the Power of Siberia gas pipeline continues to grow. Supplies regularly exceed Gazprom's daily contractual obligations," the company said in a statement, adding that the volume of gas delivery last month "was 2.9 times higher than in January 2020." | The 3,000km (1864 mile) cross-border pipeline started official deliveries of Russian natural gas to China in 2019. The so-called eastern route's ca…
(2021-02-01). Former Russian President Medvedev calls Twitter 'politicized' platform, slams ban of Trump & claims site is biased towards Navalny. rt.com 
Twitter is a "politicized" website, involved with interference in foreign states. That's according to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who also attacked the platform for blocking former US President Donald Trump's account | Medvedev's comments come after Twitter, along with other social media networks, received blame for allowing Russian opposition figures to advertise protests. | According to the former leader, who now sits on the Russian Security Council, his acquaintance signed up to the popular social network and was immediately recommended to subscribe to Alexey Navalny. When joining Twitter, the…
(2021-02-01). Navalny press secretary Yarmysh is latest associate put under house arrest, gets two months over alleged role in opposition protes. rt.com 
Kira Yarmysh, a close ally of imprisoned opposition figure Alexey Navalny, will be confined to her home until late March, a court ruled on Monday, amid a wave of restrictions aimed at the organizers of nationwide protests. | Moscow's Basmanny Court ordered the activist to remain under house arrest until March 23 while charges are prepared by prosecutors. A spokesman for the judges told RIA Novosti that investigators had requested the "preventative measure" because of allegations that Yarmysh was involved in "creating the threat of mass disease" after crowds gathered to demonstrate for Navalny's release earlier…
(2021-02-01). Xi and Putin Stand Up for Humanity at Davos: Closed vs Open System Ideologies Clash Again. strategic-culture.org 
Where one system promotes the trojan horse seeds of its own annihilation, the other promotes the seeds of fruitful new epochs of continual growth and discoveries both on the surface of the earth and also beyond, Matthew Ehret writes. | Between January 25-29, 2021, world leaders were corralled into a digital conference titled " For those who have not…
(2021-02-01). Iran's Zarif says time for US to return to nuclear deal is 'not unlimited'. middleeasteye.net 
Iran's Zarif says time for US to return to nuclear deal is 'not unlimited' | Commenting on 'who complies first' impasse, Iranian foreign minister says Tehran has shown that it fulfils its promises, and Washington has not | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 22: 14 | Zarif says Iran could have built a nuclear weapon if it were seeking one (AFP/file photo) | Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned the United Sta…
(2021-02-01). 'Turkey cannot be ignored in Karabakh'. yenisafak.com Russia cannot ignore Turkey's position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday.Speaking in an interview with the Russian media about Turkey's role in the Karabakh issue, Medvedev stressed close Turkish-Azerbaijani relations and significance of Russia-Turkey partnership.He also called the Russian-Turkish cooperation in Nagorno-Karabakh "a stabilizing factor"."Turkey is our neighbor and a very important partner. And a very close country for Azerbaijan. This factor cannot be ignored. We have a productive dialogue with…
(2021-02-01). Moscow doubles down on arrests of peaceful pro-Navalny protesters. laprensalatina.com Moscow, Feb 1 (efe-epa).- The Kremlin on Monday defended the actions of Russian police during peaceful protests a day early in over 140 cities across the country that led to the arrests of over 5,400 people. Moscow says the detentions were justified as none of the protests were legally authorized. "The police act in a …
(2021-02-01). Navalny supporters keep the pressure on Putin in new wave of protests. laprensalatina.com By Celine Aemisegger Moscow, Jan 31 (efe-epa).- Supporters of Alexei Navalny on Sunday kept the pressure on President Vladimir Putin by turning out for large protests all across Russia to demand the release from jail of the opposition leader and to express their indignation with the country's economic and social situation, and they did so …
(2021-02-01). The Dyatlov Pass incident, one of the most famous missing hiker mysteries, may have just been solved. salon.com In 1959, nine Russian hikers unexpectedly went missing. Scientists finally have a compelling theory as to why…
(2021-02-01). Biden should end US pretence over Israel's 'secret' nuclear weapons. zcomm.org The cover-up has to stop — and with it, the huge sums in aid for a country with oppressive policies towards Palestinians…
(2021-02-01). Zarif Suggests EU High Representative Borrell 'Choreograph' US-Iran Joint Return to JCPOA. sputniknews.com Earlier on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed Iran would be just "a matter of weeks" away from building an atomic bomb if it further strayed from its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal. However, Tehran has dismissed the claims, saying it is sworn against producing such a weapon.
(2021-02-01). VIDEO: New START Extension a Step in Right Direction. strategic-culture.org The balance of nuclear power probably saved humanity during the Cold War. But since the end of the Cold War, the Russians feel that Washington has rarely kept their word especially regarding NATO expansion and Russia's sovereignty. So should the Russians expect Washington to keep its end of the bargain and willingly disarm itself?>
(2021-02-01). The Strategic Consequences Of Myanmar's State Of Emergency: The Quad vs. China & Russia?>. oneworld.press The Tatmadaw's decision to impose a year-long state of emergency in response to the formerly ruling National League for Democracy's refusal to seriously investigate the military's accusations of fraud stemming from last November's contested elections will temporarily revert Myanmar back to its prior regional pariah status, one which will be exposed to multidimensional pressure from the US-backed Quad while China and Russia seek to stabilize the country in support of its political transition towards new elections in twelve months' time.
(2021-02-01). Why the US Deep State Won't Forgive Russia and Iran. 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). | *** | In a stunning interview to the Beirut-based al Mayadeen network, Hezbollah's …
(2021-02-01). Why It Is The Way It Is. counterpunch.org Here are my reactions to three articles in the 28 January 2021 edition of Counter Punch. Why We Can't Give Up on the Idea of a World Free From Nuclear Weapons The "inability" to relinquish nuclear weapons is entirely a function of the "inability" of power elites to pry their cold dead hands off the
(2021-02-01). The Strategic Consequences Of Myanmar's State Of Emergency: The Quad vs. China & Russia?>. oneworld.press The Tatmadaw's decision to impose a year-long state of emergency in response to the formerly ruling National League for Democracy's refusal to seriously investigate the military's accusations of fraud stemming from last November's contested elections will temporarily revert Myanmar back to its prior regional pariah status, one which will be exposed to multidimensional pressure from the US-backed Quad while China and Russia seek to stabilize the country in support of its political transition towards new elections in twelve months' time.
(2021-01-31). '100 Seconds To Midnight'. popularresistance.org One hundred seconds to midnight. That's how close humanity is to the apocalypse, and it's as close as the world has ever been, according to Wednesday's annual announcement from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a group that has been running its "Doomsday Clock" since the early years of the nuclear age in 1947. | Although the scientists cite the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed 1.7 million people around the world and has "revealed just how unprepared and unwilling countries and the international system are to handle global emergencies properly," they acknowledge that the coronavirus does not pose an existe…
(2021-01-31). Democrats, You PROMISED Survival Checks NOW! realprogressives.org 
On January 5 there was a special election held in Georgia where the two running Democrats ultimately won. How were they able to pull it off? No, the election was not stolen by Russia, China, Venezuela, or little green men. It was won because the Democrats promised the American people relief in the form of immediate distribution of $2000 survival checks! | These words were verbatim, by then Senate candidate Jon Ossoff, during an interview just days before the election,"We will be able to pass $2,000 dollar stimulus checks for the people next week when we win these races in Georgia and get economic relief direct…
(2021-01-31). Delegation from Yemen separatists flies to Russia. yenisafak.com A high-level delegation from the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen flew to Moscow on Sunday for talks with Russian officials.The delegation, led by STC chairman Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, will hold talks with government officials and members of the Russian parliament on a host of files, the STC said in a statement, without elaborating.The STC, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said the visit comes upon an invitation from the Russian government.Formed in 2017, the STC controls large areas of southern Yemen, including the temporary capital Aden and Socotra province.However, the Yeme…
(2021-01-31). Thousands detained in Russia amid fresh pro-Navalny protests. laprensalatina.com (Update 1: Adds detail) Moscow, Jan 31 (efe-epa).- Russian police detained thousands of protesters across the country on Sunday amid demonstrations in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was detained after he returned to Russia earlier this month from Germany, where he had been recovering from a poisoning. OVD-Info, which specializes in tracking police …
(2021-01-31). Hundreds detained in Russia ahead of fresh pro-Navalny protests. laprensalatina.com Moscow, Jan 31 (efe-epa).- Russian police detained hundreds of protesters across the country on Sunday ahead of demonstrations in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was detained after he returned to Russia earlier this month from Germany, where he had been recovering from a poisoning. OVD-Info, which specializes in tracking police detentions in Russia, …
(2021-01-31). Iran Slams Macron's Proposal to Revise Nuke Deal, Says Agreement, Parties Not Up for Renegotiation. sputniknews.com This week, the French president proposed including Riyadh in the nuclear deal, suggesting that negotiators had made a mistake by not including regional powers in the nuclear talks, and warning that time was running out to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Tehran maintains it has no ambitions in that direction.