2021-02-03: News Headlines

John Feffer (2021-02-03). What Explains COVID's East-West Divide? counterpunch.org COVID-19 has been ruthless in choosing winners and losers around the world. The obvious "losers" have been those countries led by right-wing nationalists: Brazil, India, Russia, the United Kingdom, and (until recently) the United States. These five countries are responsible for more than half of the world's coronavirus infections and nearly half the deaths. Just

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-03). Iran reiterates its commitment to JCPOA, proposes US return to the deal. peoplesdispatch.org Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif, in an interview with CNN, said that talks about nuclear weapons in the western media is baseless speculation aimed at directing public opinion against the country…

(2021-02-03). The Threat of Nuclear Weapons with Noam Chomsky. theanalysis.news As the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons enters into force on January 22, join the world-renowned intellectual for "The Threat of Nuclear Weapons: Why Canada Should Sign the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty" Presented by the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute.

Staff (2021-02-03). The Threat of Nuclear Weapons with Noam Chomsky. theanalysis.news As the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons enters into force on January 22, join the world-renowned intellectual for "The Threat of Nuclear Weapons: Why Canada Should Sign the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty" Presented by the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute.

Behrooz Ghamari Tabrizi (2021-02-03). Biden and Iran. counterpunch.org Last week's statements by the Biden appointees made the matter unnecessarily more complicated, sounding more like a continuation of the Trump policy rather than its refutation. In his confirmation hearing, Antony Blinken, Biden's choice for secretary of state, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the new administration believes that Iran needs to resume strict compliance with the nuclear agreement before the US contemplates a return to the JCPOA. In response to the question of lifting the economic sanctions that the previous administration imposed on Iran, Blinken told the committee that "we are a lon…

Staff (2021-02-03). Jeff Bezos to Quit as CEO, But Amazon's "Predatory Business Model" Will Continue Unless Lawmakers Act. democracynow.org Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has announced he will step down as CEO and move into a new role as executive chairman later this year, giving up the reins after nearly three decades during which he grew Amazon from an online book retailer into a sprawling business empire and became one of the world's richest people in the process. Andy Jassy, the head of the company's cloud computing division, is set to take over the top job, but Bezos will continue to be the largest Amazon shareholder and remain on the board of directors. The news comes as calls continue to mount for lawmakers to break up Amazon and other tech giants.

John Vandiver (2021-02-03). Russian Strike Jet Flies Low Past US Destroyer in the Black Sea. anti-empire.com A Russian warplane conducted a low pass near the USS Donald Cook on Sunday in the Black Sea, where the Navy has dispatched three ships for exercises. | The Sukhoi Su-24 fighter-bomber screeched past the U.S. destroyer while it was operating in international waters, the U.S. Navy's 6th Fleet said in a statement. | The Navy said it operates in the Black Sea to reassure allies in the region and "ensure security and stability." | USS Donald Cook is operating alongside the destroyer USS Porter and USNS Laramie, which is refueling the warships during operations. | Refueling at sea is fundamental for the Navy, but doing…

MEE staff (2021-02-03). 'Victory': Iran hails UN court decision to hear case over US sanctions. middleeasteye.net 'Victory': Iran hails UN court decision to hear case over US sanctions | International Court of Justice says it has jurisdiction to take on Iran's case against US over Trump-era sanctions | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 16: 36 | Zarif asked the European Union to coordinate a synchronised return of Washington and Tehran to the nuclear deal (AFP) | Iran's foreign minister hailed a decision by the UN's top court on Wednesday…

Scott Newman (2021-02-03). Where is Biden's Foreign Policy Headed? — Phyllis Bennis and Larry Wilkerson. theanalysis.news Biden has appointed many old guard interventionists and new Cold Warriors, but there is some hope for a better Iran policy. Watch out for attempts by Israel to scuttle the nuclear deal. A wide-ranging discussion with Phyllis Bennis and Larry Wilkerson on theAnalysis.news with Paul Jay.

Paul Jay (2021-02-03). Where is Biden's Foreign Policy Headed? — Phyllis Bennis and Larry Wilkerson. theanalysis.news Biden has appointed many old guard interventionists and new Cold Warriors, but there is some hope for a better Iran policy. Watch out for attempts by Israel to scuttle the nuclear deal. A wide-ranging discussion with Phyllis Bennis and Larry Wilkerson on theAnalysis.news with Paul Jay.

Online News Editor (2021-02-03). Over 1,400 arrested after Putin critic Navalny jailed in Russia. laprensalatina.com Moscow, Feb 3 (efe-epa).- Russian police have arrested more than 1,400 people from various places during overnight protests to support jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, a rights monitoring group said on Wednesday. The OVD-Info that keeps track of political persecutions in Russia said the police detained 1,145 protesters from Moscow streets. Nearly 250 were arrested …

Online News Editor (2021-02-03). Biden, Putin extend New START at start of a difficult relationship. laprensalatina.com Washington, Feb 3 (efe-epa).- President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have agreed to extend the New START nuclear arms treaty for another five years, making what appears to be a good start in a bilateral relationship that, by all accounts, will be a difficult one. "Especially during times of tension, verifiable limits …

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2021-02-03). Russia's Demography Crisis. 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). | *** | Russia has demographic crisis. Notwithstanding official efforts to boost birth rates, …

Karl Grossman and Harvey Wasserman (2021-02-03). Biden must inspect America's embrittled reactors. nationofchange.org Biden must act to prevent what would constitute nuclear suicide in the United States.

RT (2021-02-02). 'Really good news': Vaccine expert hails trial results of Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V published in Lancet. rt.com Results of the Phase III clinical study of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus jab should dispel any skepticism and help the global fight against Covid-19, Dr. Hildegunt Ertl from the Wistar Institute for vaccine research told RT. | Trial results, published on Tuesday in the Lancet — the UK's most prestigious medical journal — as a peer-reviewed study, show the vaccine is over 91 percent effective in all age groups, including the elderly most at risk of death from Covid-19, and 100 percent effective in preventing the severe cases of the disease. | "That's really good news," Dr. Ertl told RT from Philadelp…

RT (2021-02-02). 'All vaccines welcome': Merkel eyes Russia's Sputnik V jab after 'good data' show over 91% effectiveness in clinical trial. rt.com Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is open to Germany using Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 jab after a study in The Lancet reported its effectiveness as 91.6 percent against the virus overall and 100 percent against severe cases. | "We have received good data today from the Russian vaccine," Merkel said on Tuesday in a TV interview with public broadcaster ARD after interim analysis of Phase III clinical trial data was published by the esteemed British journal. | "Every vaccine is welcome in the EU, but only after it has been approved by EMA," Merkel said, referring to the European Medical Agency that regulates…

Staff (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…

RT (2021-02-02). 'All vaccines welcome': Merkel eyes Russia's Sputnik V jab after 'good data' shows over 91% effectiveness in clinical trial. rt.com Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is open to Germany using Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 jab after a study in The Lancet reported its effectiveness as 91.6 percent against the virus overall and 100 percent against severe cases. | "We have received good data today from the Russian vaccine," Merkel said on Tuesday in a TV interview with public broadcaster ARD after interim analysis of Phase III clinical trial data was published by the esteemed British journal. | "Every vaccine is welcome in the EU, but only after it has been approved by EMA," Merkel said, referring to the European Medical Agency that regulates…

H.I. Sutton (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…

RT (2021-02-02). Moscow slams West's 'foreign interference' as US and EU react to Navalny sentence. rt.com Condemnation poured in from western leaders after a Moscow court sentenced opposition figure Alexey Navalny to nearly three years in prison. The Russian government cautioned the concerned westerners to mind their own business. | "Don't meddle in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. And we recommend that everyone deals with their own problems," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian broadcaster RBC on Tuesday. | "Believe me," she added, "there are enough of their own problems in these countries, there are plenty of issues to deal with." | Shortly before Zakharova spoke, the Moscow City…

RT (2021-02-02). Alexey Navalny jailed for over 2.5 years as Moscow Court says he violated terms of suspended sentence in 'Yves Rocher' fraud case. rt.com Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny will serve two years and almost eight months in prison after being found guilty of breaking the terms of a suspended sentence, handed down for an embezzlement case in 2014. | On Tuesday, Moscow City Court ruled that Navalny had failed to regularly report to the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), and his excuse for non-appearance was deemed insufficient. Therefore, the judge decided that the suspended judgment should be converted into a real one. | The anti-corruption activist was originally sentenced in 2014 to three-and-a-half years, but he has already served close t…

Gordon Duff (2021-02-02). Duff on RT: Could SU-25 fighter jet down a Boeing? Former pilots speak out on MH17 claims. thealtworld.com Why is the MH17 supposed controversy rearing it ugly head again? Why are the two Russian media giants — RT and Sputnik, both carrying versions of the long discredited Buk missile theory of the attack? RT put that to bed in the article in Appendix A, featuring VT's Gordon Duff, over a year ago. | Now, the current senseless and even idiotic versions being portrayed in the Russian press evidence two things: | 1. That the news agencies are penetrated, not just Abby Martin penetration but that wonderful ability that planted Zionist agents have to direct and misdirect from embedded staff positions. | 2. Israel an…

RT (2021-02-02). Moscow slams West's 'foreign interference' as US & EU issue statements condemning jail sentence for opposition figure Navalny. rt.com As condemnation poured in from western leaders after a Moscow court sentenced opposition figure Alexey Navalny to nearly three years in prison, the Russian government cautioned the concerned westerners to mind their own business. | "Don't meddle in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. And we recommend that everyone deals with their own problems," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Moscow news outlet RBK on Tuesday. | "Believe me," she added, "there are enough of their own problems in these countries, there are plenty of issues to deal with." | Shortly before Zakharova spoke, Moscow's Simon…

RT (2021-02-02). Alexey Navalny jailed for over 2.5 years as Moscow Court says he violated terms of suspended sentence in 'Yves Rocher' fraud case. rt.com Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny will serve two years and almost eight months in prison after being found guilty of breaking the terms of a suspended sentence, handed down for an embezzlement case in 2014. | On Tuesday, a Moscow court ruled that Navalny had failed to regularly report to the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), and his excuse for non-appearance was deemed insufficient. Therefore, the judge decided that the suspended judgment should be converted into a real one. | The anti-corruption activist was originally sentenced in 2014 to three-and-a-half years, but he has already served close to t…

AFP (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…

RT (2021-02-02). 'Lancet driven by science, not politics,' Sputnik V sponsor tells RT as UK journal confirms effectiveness of Russian vaccine. rt.com The Russian fund behind Sputnik V has thanked Lancet for putting science ahead of politics after the prestigious British medical journal published peer-reviewed results of clinical trials, showing the jab's 91.6 percent efficacy. | The high effectiveness of Sputnik V is "really a monumental achievement of Russia, but also a monumental achievement for the world because there are only three vaccines now… with efficacy of more than 90 percent," Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which funds the jab, told RT. The other two are the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. | We are thankfu…

Staff (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…

Online News Editor (2021-02-02). Mexico turns to COVAX and Russia to speed up vaccination plan. laprensalatina.com By Pedro Pablo Cortes Mexico City, Feb 2 (efe-epa).- The Mexican government on Tuesday announced that more than three million doses of Covid-19 vaccine from Russia and the World Health Organization's COVAX platform will arrive in February to speed up the country's ambitious but delayed immunization program. "We're going to have the vaccines, we're going …

RT (2021-02-02). Band of brothers: The men UFC icon Khabib is bidding to push to the pinnacle of MMA. rt.com The curtain may have definitively been brought down on the career of UFC lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov, but that does not mean that the undefeated Russian's time in MMA is over. | UFC boss Dana White has appeared to admit defeat in his persistent efforts to lure Khabib back to the octagon for one final swansong, leaving fans mourning the loss of one of MMA's biggest and brightest stars. | However, Khabib's work is far from done as he aims to ensure that members of his family and inner circle follow the path of 'The Eagle' to the very top of their sport. | Khabib's long-time coach Javier Mendez has al…

Pepe Escobar (2021-02-02). Forever Wars by Pepe Escobar. thealtworld.com Description: | I have the pleasure to welcome you to the third in a series of e-books recovering the Pepe Escobar archives on Asia Times. | The archives track a period of 20 years — starting with the columns and stories published under The Roving Eye sign in the previous Asia Times Online from 2001 all the way to early 2015. | The first e-book tracked the interplay between China, Russia, and the U.S. between 2017-2020. | The second tracked the Islamic Republic of Iran throughout the "axis of evil" era, the Ahmadinejad years, the nuclear deal, and "maximum pressure" im- posed by the Trump administrat…

Chauncey DeVega (2021-02-02). Following Donald Trump's trail of dirty money: No "smoking gun," but plenty of sleaze. salon.com Forbes editor Dan Alexander sees no hidden Russia connection — because Trump's corruption is out in the open…

yenisafak (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…

yenisafak (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…

RT (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.

Online News Editor (2021-02-02). Putin critic Navalny sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. laprensalatina.com Moscow, Feb 2 (efe-epa).- Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison on Tuesday, as a judge imposed a suspended sentence from 2014 that the European Court of Human Rights has dismissed as arbitrary. Navalny was arrested on 17 January when he returned to Russia from Germany after months of recovering …

sputniknews (2021-02-02). Likud Minister Says US Will Never Attack a 'Nuclear Iran', Israel May Have to Act Alone – Report. sputniknews.com While no actual steps have been implemented to bring the 2015 nuclear deal back to life under the new US administration so far, Israel has continued to raise concerns about Iran's alleged plans of developing a nuke, which Tehran has strongly denied and dismissed as efforts to target the country.

sputniknews (2021-02-02). Russian Law Enforcement Officers Stop Unauthorized Protests in Downtown Moscow, Source Claims. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian law enforcement officers have suppressed all unauthorized rallies in the center of Moscow following the sentencing of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, a law enforcement source told Sputnik.

_____ (2021-02-02). US-Russia Nuclear Treaty Only First Step In Ensuring 'Future Existence' Of Humanity. popularresistance.org The total number of nuclear weapons both Russia and the US could possess was limited by New START, signed between the two countries in 2010. The treaty would have expired on 5 February 2021, had the Biden administration not agreed to extend it for another five years. | Peter Kuznick is a professor of history at American University, where he founded the Nuclear Studies Institute. He has authored and co-authored numerous books, including The Untold History of the United States, Rethinking the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Japanese and American Perspectives and Nuclear Power and Hiroshima: The Truth Beh…

_____ (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). Why We Can't Give Up On A World Free From Nuclear Weapons. popularresistance.org Nine countries of the 193 member states of the United Nations possess nuclear weapons. Two of them—the United States of America and Russia—have more than 90% of all the 13,410 warheads. Four countries—the US, Russia, the UK and France—have at least 1,800 warheads on high alert, which means that they can be fired at very short notice. | To compare the warheads currently deployed with the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima is enough to make the heart stop: the yield from the "Little Boy" used on Hiroshima is estimated at 15 kilotons, whereas the yield from one W88 warhead that is deployed on a T…

Scott Ritter (2021-02-02). Why the Biden administration has set itself up for failure on the Iran nuclear deal. thealtworld.com By laying out unrealistic demands to Iran and engaging in fearmongering about its nuclear program, Secretary of State Tony Blinken has underscored America's real intent about rejoining the controversial agreement. | President Joe Biden has made

Yanis Iqbal (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 …

Daniel Warner (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

Nick Licata (2021-02-02). Biden's Most Urgent Challenge: More Countries Wanting Nukes. counterpunch.org Former President Donald Trump had placed the United States on the runway to take off on another nuclear arms race. Trump threw out two treaties that held Russia and the U.S. in check. It also deterred other nations from developing nuclear weapons over the last thirty years. President Joseph Biden cut the throttle by agreeing to

Pepe Escobar (2021-02-02). Xi, Putin make the case for win-win vs zero-sum. thealtworld.com Xi and Putin's Davos speeches were de facto complementary emphasizing sustainable, win-win economic development | That was the virtual Great Reset preview, hosted by Kissinger acolyte cum World Economic Forum (WEF) oracle Herr Klaus Schwab. | Still, corporate and political so-called "leaders" will continue to wax lyrical about the Fourth Industrial Revolution — or its mild spin-offs such as Build Back Better, the favorite slogan of the new White House tenants. | The WEF co-sponsors — from the UN and the IMF to BlackRock, Blackstone and the Carlyle Group — will continue to expand their synchronic…

oneworld.press (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.

oneworld.press (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.

Karl Grossman, Harvey Wasserman (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

RT (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…

RT (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…