2021-02-07: News Headlines

Thomas Knapp (2021-02-07). Biden's Iran Dilemma: Serve Obama's Third Term — or Trump's Second? anti-empire.com Even before winning the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden began hedging his bets on US policy toward Iran. While correctly blaming Donald Trump for violating the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, aka the Iran nuclear deal, he tried to fob responsibility for restoring that deal off on the Iranians rather than accepting the job himself. | "If Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal," he

Field Empty (2021-02-07). Russia Expels Diplomats From Germany, Sweden and Poland for Attending Protests in Russia. anti-empire.com Moscow has revoked the credentials of three officials from EU nations, over claims they took part in unauthorized rallies in support of jailed opposition figure Alexey Navalny, local media reported on Friday. | In a statement issued on Friday, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had made formal protests to the embassies of Germany, Poland and Sweden. Representatives of these countries are said to have participated in mass-demonstrations that saw thousands take to the streets in cities across Russia over the past two weeks. According to officials, they have now been made "personae non grata" and "ordered…

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-07). Iran to receive next shipment of Russian vaccine in mid-Feb. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 07 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Russian Federation said that Tehran will receive the next shipments of Russian COVID-19 vaccine in mid-February, March, and April.

MEE and agencies (2021-02-07). Joe Biden says no lifting of Iran sanctions before talks. middleeasteye.net Joe Biden says no lifting of Iran sanctions before talks | Tehran has previously called for the lifting of sanctions before it returns to the 2015 nuclear accords | Sun, 02/07/2021 – 15: 52 | US President Joe Biden makes his way to board Air Force One before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on 5 February 2021 (AFP) | US President Joe Biden said he would not lift sanctions…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-07). No return to nuclear deal before Iran sanctions lifted, says Khamenei. middleeasteye.net No return to nuclear deal before Iran sanctions lifted, says Khamenei | Supreme Leader says US needs to 'completely lift sanctions… not just on paper' before any return to 2015 deal | Sun, 02/07/2021 – 10: 08 | Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivering a speech in front of air force commanders on 7 February, days ahead of the 42nd anniversary marking the victory of the Isla…

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-07). Tehran ,Moscow to finalize tie on joint vaccine production. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 07 (MNA) — An Iranian delegation, who just arrived in Moscow, will finalize a joint cooperation agreement for the production of the Sputnik V vaccine between Iran and Russia.

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-07). Iran, Russia enjoying excellent, strategic relations. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 07 (MNA) — Saying that Tehran-Moscow relations are excellent and strategic, a senior Iranian Parliamentary advisor noted that Ghalibaf's trip takes place in the light of important regional and international developments.

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-07). Iranian Parl. speaker arrives in Moscow for bilateral talks. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 07 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf arrived in Russian capital Moscow on Sunday to discuss bilateral ties and relevant issues.

Katya Kazbek (2021-02-07). Who The Hell Is Alexei Navalny? zcomm.org Nothing fundamentally new is happening right now. A part of Russian society is unhappy with Putin and his government, but that's been a constant throughout his 20-plus year term…

yenisafak (2021-02-07). Russia searches for remains of 2 Israelis in Syria. yenisafak.com The Russian army conducted searches in a cemetery near the Yarmouk camp for Palestinian refugees in Syria, in an attempt to find the remains of two Israeli soldiers who went missing 39 years ago during the first Lebanon war, The Times of Israel reported.The Hebrew daily, citing Syrian media reports, named the two soldiers as Tzvi Feldman and Yehuda Katzwent. They went missing during the battle of Sultan Yacoub in 1982, along with Zachary Baumel, whose remains were recovered and returned to Israel in 2019.In 2019, Tel Aviv received the remains of Baumel, who was killed in the same battle with the Syrian army near…

_____ (2021-02-07). Ideological Imperialism Is Leading to a Bad End. strategic-culture.org By Patrick BUCHANAN | When it was learned in 2016 that Russia may have hacked the emails of John Podesta and the DNC, and passed the fruits on to WikiLeaks to aid candidate Donald Trump, mighty was the outrage of the American establishment. | If Russia's security services filched those emails, and a troll farm in Saint Petersburg sent tweets and texts to stir up rancor in our politics, it was said, this was an attack on American democracy and its most sacred of rituals — the elections by which we chose our leaders. | Some called it an "act of war." Others compared it to Pearl Harbor. | Almost all agreed it…

Online News Editor (2021-02-07). Flames of protests against Kremlin burn behind bars. laprensalatina.com Zakharova, Russia, Feb 7 (efe-epa).- Bags of cigarettes, sachets of tea and boxes of cookies are piled up in the snow in front of the detention center. They are for demonstrators who were detained in the mass protests in favor of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The demonstrations have stopped, but the discontent of these young …

Armen Khachatryan (2021-02-07). The Russia-Africa Partnership. 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 this interview with Armen Khachatryan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer …

oneworld.press (2021-02-07). Syria Should Talk With The US Since Its Iranian & Russian Allies Are Already Doing So. oneworld.press Syria must become diplomatically proactive in order to adapt to the changing regional geopolitical situation of the early Biden era during a time when both its Iranian & Russian allies are already talking with the US otherwise it'll be left out of the negotiation process and ultimately told what to do without any reliable alternative if certain issues of relevant importance are decided without its input.

Eds. (2021-02-06). How the Gulf War sparked China's military revolution. mronline.org With the technology and firepower on show during the conflict — precision bombing, satellite guidance, missile interception, air-to-surface strike to eliminate tanks, electronic warfare, one-way transparency on the battlefield, stealth bombers — the Gulf War was a "psychological nuclear attack" on China, observers say.

RT (2021-02-06). 'Genie's out of the bottle': German FM pledges ‚Ǩ21 million to help Belarusian opposition in fight to remove embattled Lukashenko. rt.com Germany has set aside ‚Ǩ21 million ($25.3 million) as part of its new "action plan" aimed at supporting opponents of the Belarusian government, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has told an improvised pro-opposition online conference. | Seemingly in an effort to cement an image of Berlin as the leader among European nations sponsoring anti-government movements in…

Levada (2021-02-06). Just 15 Percent of Russians Believe Navalny's Account of 'Poisoning'. anti-empire.com Machine translated from Russian. | The majority of Russians (78%) are aware of the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, although they closely follow the development of events for less than a fifth of the population. The respondents name three main versions of what happened: 30% consider the incident to be a staging of the politician himself, 19% see this as a provocation of the Western special services, 15% speak of an attempt by the authorities to eliminate a political opponent. | Most Russians are aware of Navalny's poisoning today: 17% are watching closely, 61% have at least heard something about it. At the same time,…

RT (2021-02-06). $60 billion court battle: Russian deputy Justice Minister says Yukos oligarchs seeking 'legal protection for illegal behavior'. rt.com A long-running legal battle over the legacy of defunct energy giant Yukos, has resumed in the Netherlands, this week. RT spoke to Russia's Deputy Justice Minister about the landmark case and why it also matters for other nations. | Speaking exclusively to RT, Mikhail Galperin outlined how the Russian defense team has several arguments, but the one with particular precedent-setting ramifications concerns its contention that international law should not be abused to protect criminals. | On Friday, the Supreme Court in The Hague started hearings over a complaint brought against Russia in 2005 by former shareholde…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-06). Iran again warns US of dangers in delaying return to nuclear deal. middleeasteye.net Iran again warns US of dangers in delaying return to nuclear deal | Foreign minister says December legislation passed in parliament, dominated by hardliners, set a two-month deadline for the easing of sanctions | Sat, 02/06/2021 – 20: 17 | "We don't need to return to the negotiating table. It's America that has to find the ticket to come to the table,' said Mohammad Javad Zarif (AFP) | Ira…

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-06). Ghalibaf to convey Leader's message to Russian officials. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 06 (MNA) — An advisor to the Iranian Parliament Speaker said that Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf will convey the message of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution to the Russian government in his upcoming visit to Moscow.

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-06). Small-sized industries can help promote Iran-Russia trade tie. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 07 (MNA) — The Director General of Tehran Province Industrial Townships Company said that expansion of trade exchanges between Iran and Russia using the capacities of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is of paramount importance.

yenisafak (2021-02-06). Fenerbahce Beko beat Zenit for 9th straight win. yenisafak.com Turkish basketball team Fenerbahce Beko beat Zenit St Petersburg from Russia 92-84 in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game Friday for their ninth consecutive win.French playmaker Nando De Colo led the team from Istanbul to victory at home in the Round 24 game, scoring 24 points with seven assists at Ulker Sports and Event Hall.Serbian guard Marko Guduric had 19 and Czech center Jan Vesely added 16 for the Turkish club.US forward Will Thomas led Zenit with 21 points.KC Rivers scored 14. American guard Billy Baron added 13.Fenerbahce Beko have 14 wins in the 2020-21 EuroLeague regular season.This season Zenit has los…

_____ (2021-02-06). The Q-Word: Weapon of Choice for Smearing Opponents. strategic-culture.org By Trevor Scott FITZGIBBON | –ûne of the most effective information-operation weapons during the 2016 presidential election was to smear political targets as "Russian bots" working on behalf of the Kremlin. Journalists were de-platformed, presidential candidates were The art of attacking political targets by using open-sourced guilt-by-association is not new — nor is using Russians as foils: Joseph McCarthy and his ilk did it in the…

WSWS (2021-02-06). Behind Biden's invocations of "democracy," US military prepares for nuclear war. wsws.org As Biden devoted his first foreign policy speech to invocations of "democracy" and "human rights," the head of US nuclear forces declared nuclear war "a very real possibility."

Alan Macleod (2021-02-05). Head of Strategic Command: US Must Prepare for "Very Real Possibility" of Nuclear War With China. mintpressnews.com In an era when international cooperation in the face of pandemics and climate change is essential, the world appears to be racing towards a new Cold War, and unfortunately, few except the military top brass are talking about it.

Alan Macleod (2021-02-05). Dems Deride MTG for Supporting Conspiracies While Claiming Russia Was Behind Capitol Riots. mintpressnews.com The House of Representatives has stripped new Georgia official Marjorie Taylor Greene from two committees over her history of promoting conspiracy theories. Congress took the highly unusual step today in voting 230 to 199 in favor of removing her from the education and budget committees, limiting her abilities and powers. In response, the 46-year-old freshman congresswoman Greene was a noted proponent of the QAnon conspiracy theory; a belief that Donald Tru…

Marilyn Bechtel (2021-02-05). U.S. & Russia extend New START nuclear treaty for five years. peoplesworld.org Thanks to a process set in motion by the Biden administration on its first full day in office, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia, set to expire Feb. 5, has been extended for the maximum possible five years. The New START treaty, negotiated in 2010 under President Obama and …

Eve Ottenberg (2021-02-05). About Those Executive Orders… counterpunch.org A strange stasis now characterizes U.S. foreign affairs, while on the domestic front, Biden roars ahead. As of January 29, he had signed 42 executive orders. Not one addresses what the U.S. does abroad. True, Biden made the superb move of resuming negotiations over the START nuclear treaty with Russia, and he rejoined the Paris Accords and the World Health Organization. But otherwise, quiet blankets the foreign policy landscape.

RT (2021-02-05). Biden Vows to Confront Russia, Enemy of Democracy, and China, Enemy of 'Global Governance'. anti-empire.com In his first major foreign policy address, President Joe Biden vowed to confront the enemies of 'democracy' globally, while seeking to reclaim America's 'moral credibility' and leadership in LGBT and climate change issues. | Speaking at the State Department headquarters in the nation's capital on Thursday, Biden outlined his foreign policy vision in a 20-minute address, laying out a sprawling list of priorities for his administration, among them countering supposed US "adversaries." | "American leadership must meet this new moment of advancing authoritarianism, including the growing ambitions of China to rival th…

Noam Chomsky (2021-02-05). The Threat of Nuclear Weapons. zcomm.org "The Threat of Nuclear Weapons: Why Canada Should Sign the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty" Presented by the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute…

David Swanson (2021-02-05). U.S. Should Pay Iran Reparations. counterpunch.org Why would I say such an outrageous, treasonous, delusional, OBVIOUSLY-funded-by-Putin thing? Am I hoping to enrage war-crazed sadists who've seen too much television "news"? Not at all. I want them to still be around when I say that it would actually be preferable for the United States to pay reparations to the entire rest of

Ralph Nader (2021-02-05). The Struggle Inside Senator Mitch McConnell's Brain. counterpunch.org Since 2015, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell has ruled the Senate with an iron hand, describing himself as "the Guardian of Gridlock." He was Senator "NO," except for confirming over 200 mostly corporatist federal judges. Now comes a new challenge for Mitch McConnell as he leads 49 other Republican Senators, twenty of whom are up

RT (2021-02-05). Russia slams 'immoral' claims from oligarchs over collapsed Yukos oil empire as final showdown around $50bn legal case begins. rt.com A long-running battle over the world's largest legal bill could soon be settled as a court in the Netherlands begins hearing arguments in the case of defunct energy giant Yukos, once among Russia's largest resource companies. | Hearings as part of the $50 billion case began at the Supreme Court in The Hague on Friday, with lawyers for the Russian government seeking to overturn a Dutch tribunal's previous decision to hand damages to the business' ex-shareholders. Yukos' former owners say the company's assets were confiscated in what amounted to state "appropriation." Moscow insists that they are not 'bona fide'

_____ (2021-02-05). Russian Covid-19 Vaccine Vindicated Despite Western 'Pandemic' of Russophobia. strategic-culture.org Maybe after the novel coronavirus is eradicated, scientists should next work on a serum that immunizes people from irrational Russophobia. | In a stunning success this week, the Russian-made Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine was proven to be highly effective and safe. In a study published by the prestigious Lancet medical journal, the Russian vaccine was found to be effective against 91.6 per cent of symptomatic Covid-19 cases. | Sputnik V was originally given

RT (2021-02-05). 'America is back!' Biden talks 'tough' on Russia and China, vows to reclaim 'moral leadership & defend democracy'. rt.com In his first major foreign policy address, President Joe Biden vowed to confront the enemies of 'democracy' globally, while seeking to reclaim America's 'moral credibility' and leadership in LGBT and climate change issues. | Speaking at the State Department headquarters in the nation's capital on Thursday, Biden outlined his foreign policy vision in a 20-minute address, laying out a sprawling list of priorities for his administration, among them countering supposed US "adversaries." | "American leadership must meet this new moment of advancing authoritarianism, including the growing ambitions of China to rival…

RT (2021-02-05). Channel One Cup: Women's figure-skating team lands historic victory in fierce contest with male rivals at Moscow festival (VIDEO). rt.com The inaugural figure-skating jumping tournament in Moscow has seen an unexpected upset, with the women's squad sensationally destroying the men's team as they beat their male counterparts by almost 50 points. | The organizers of exhibition event the Channel One Cup changed the traditional rules, allowing female skaters to test their technical skills in fierce competition against the country's best male athletes. | The unusual format was hailed by many female skaters including Russian stars Alexandra Trusova and Kamila Valieva, who had repeatedly expressed their willingness to compete against men. | In accordan…

RT (2021-02-05). Do or die? Russian heavyweight slugger Volkov's title hopes on the line in pivotal UFC clash against fight veteran Overeem. rt.com Moscow's Alexander Volkov knows that he could take a giant step towards a future heavyweight title shot if he gets past wily veteran Alistair Overeem in Saturday night's UFC main event in Las Vegas. | The 6ft 7in Volkov has been impressive in his UFC tenure to date, opening his career in the world's premier mixed martial arts league with four consecutive wins – the most recent of which was a sensational fourth-round knockout of former heavyweight kingpin Fabricio Werdum. | Volkov came close to extending his run in his next fight but, after dominating Derrick Lewis for much of the three-round fight, he was hit…

RT (2021-02-05). Toilet trouble: Russian skaters miss flight after man locks himself in loo on plane 'saying he would be killed if he left' (VIDEO). rt.com Russian figure skaters who were returning from a competition in Krasnoyarsk had their flight delayed after a man locked himself in a toilet on board their plane, refusing to leave until police arrived in a baffling stand-off. | Several figure skaters who were traveling to Moscow on the aircraft were forced to spend an hour-and-a-half on board as takeoff was delayed by the bizarre incident. | A man whose identity remains unknown locked the door of the toilet and refused to come out and take his seat, forcing…

_____ (2021-02-05). Washington's Reckless Attitude Toward Nuclear War A Threat To World Peace. popularresistance.org Fox News reported that the head of US Strategic Command Charles Richard is calling on the US military and federal leaders to reimagine methods of deterring aggressive action from rivals such as China and Russia. He wrote in the February issue of Proceedings, the US Naval Institute's monthly magazine, that, "There is a real possibility that a regional crisis with Russia or China could escalate quickly to a conflict involving nuclear weapons." | It's not uncommon to hear the noise preaching so-called threats of China and Russia. Yet it's still shocking to see a US senior military official publicly urging leaders of…

sputniknews (2021-02-05). Pentagon: Decision to Purchase S-400 Is 'Inconsistent With Turkey's Commitments as US, NATO Ally'. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States is urging Turkey to dispose of the Russian S-400 air defense system, US Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

Conn M. Hallinan (2021-02-05). Biden's Top Foreign Policy Challenge: Avoiding a Cold War with China. juancole.com Taiwan and the South China Sea are the likeliest points of conflict — but conflict is not an option. ( Foreign Policy in Focus) — President Joe Biden's administration faces a host of difficult problems, but in foreign policy its thorniest will be its relations with the People's Republic of China. How the new administration …

teleSUR (2021-02-04). EU Open To Use of Approved COVID-19 Vaccines. telesurenglish.net European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday said that COVID-19 vaccines from Russia and China could be approved for use in the European Union (EU) if their full information is submitted. | RELATED: | If Chinese producers "show all the data… then they could get… a conditional market authorization like the other ones," von der Leyen said. | One of the criteria for the EU contracts for vaccines…

Dave DeCamp (2021-02-04). NATO Supreme Allied Commander Says West Is Concerned With China-Russia Ties. anti-empire.com On Wednesday, the top general of NATO Gen. Tod Wolters, who currently serves as the head of US European Command and as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, told reporters that the increased ties between Beijing and Moscow "really does suggest an emergence of a partnership of convenience." | Welters said the partnership seeks to advance the mutual…

Andrei Martyanov (2021-02-04). Russia's Zircon Missile Relegates Carriers to Bombing Small Poor Countries. anti-empire.com Judging by the stream of the news re: latest launch by Admiral Gorshkov of 3M22 Zircon, tests are very successful

Anand Naidoo (2021-02-04). The Heat: Russia politics. america.cgtn.com Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny sentenced to jail in a move criticized by western nations. How will his arrest impact U.S.-Russia relations?>

Susan Price (2021-02-04). We can't give up on a world free from nuclear weapons. greenleft.org.au The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons became international law on January 22 for the 122 states who signed the agreement in July 2017, writes Vijay Prashad.

RT (2021-02-04). Putin's approval rating drops slightly to 64%, while Navalny overtakes Communist Party leader in new Russian opinion poll. rt.com Despite recent street protests and the Covid-19 pandemic, almost two in three Russians say they approve of Vladimir Putin's record as president, according to a new poll, representing a slight drop since late last year. | New research, conducted by the Levada Center — a polling company registered as a foreign agent over receiving Western funding in the past —

RT (2021-02-04). Putin's approval rating drops slightly to 64%, while Navalny overtakes Communist Party leader in new opinion poll. rt.com Despite recent street protests and the Covid-19 pandemic, almost two in three Russians say they approve of Vladimir Putin's record as president, according to a new poll, representing a slight drop since late last year. | New research, conducted by the Levada Center — a registered foreign polling company that has received Western funding in the past —

RT (2021-02-04). Moscow officials deny conditions at post-protest detention centers are overcrowded as journalist live-blogs time behind bars. rt.com A row has broken out over conditions in Russian jails as facilities struggle to accommodate the large number of arrests made at protests earlier this week in support of imprisoned opposition figure Alexey Navalny. | A series of photographs published on Thursday, purportedly taken by detainees at the Sakharovo immigration detention center in the Moscow Region, which has been co-opted to house arrested demonstrators, show them sleeping two to a bunkbed, or resting at picnic tables. One cell, equipped with four metal beds without mattresses, reportedly housed 28 people. The scenes sparked concern for the wellbein…

RT (2021-02-04). 'I hope it's not in vain': Umar Nurmagomedov stokes hopes of quick UFC turnaround as he plots course to Las Vegas. rt.com The latest undefeated fighter from the Nurmagomedov assembly line, Khabib's cousin Umar, has signaled he is flying to Las Vegas amid talk that the Russian standout could be set to make his sophomore UFC appearance next month. | Umar improved his career record to an impressive 13-0 when he emerged from his UFC debut on "Fight Island" last month with second-round submission win against the gritty Kazakh Sergey Morozov. | Also on rt.com | | Umar's entry…