(2021-02-11). The Russian Alternative: How Moscow is capitalizing on US Retreat in Palestine, Israel. dissidentvoice.org 
Israeli anxiety was palpable when it was reported that Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was not contacted by the new American President, Joe Biden, for days after the latter's inauguration. While much is being read into Biden's decision, including Washington's lack of enthusiasm to return to the 'peace process', Moscow is generating much attention as a …
(2021-02-11). Head of Strategic Command: U.S. must prepare for "very real possibility" of nuclear war with China. mronline.org 
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.
(2021-02-11). Los Alamos lab, birthplace of the atomic bomb, STILL under threat from wildfires despite repeated major incidents. rt.com 
Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, birthplace of the atomic bomb and critical US nuclear weapons production facility, remains under threat from wildfires despite several high profile, expensive blazes in recent decades. | A recent
(2021-02-11). Iran's Zarif says 'window closing' for US. yenisafak.com Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif warned Wednesday that the "window of opportunity" for the United States was "fast closing", calling on Washington to end its "fruitless hostility" with Tehran. | Speaking on the sidelines of the 42nd anniversary of the 1979 Iranian revolution, Zarif expressed hope that the new US administration would take a "new approach" towards Iran. | "The existing window is closing," Zarif said, referring to the Iranian parliament's deadline of Feb. 21 for Washington to return to the joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA), also known as Iran nuclear deal. | He said Tehran would be force…
(2021-02-11). UN sends 71 truckloads of humanitarian aid to NW Syria. yenisafak.com The UN on Thursday sent 71 truckloads of humanitarian aid to northwestern Syria, where millions of people need assistance due to internal conflict.The trucks carrying supplies passed through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's southern Hatay province.The aid will be distributed to those in need in Idlib and nearby rural areas.A civil war has ravaged Syria since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and displaced since then.Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia.*Writing by A…
(2021-02-11). Are the New York Times and Washington Post Fraudulent? strategic-culture.org An article by the Moon of Alabama (MoA) blogger, on February 5th, decimated the credibility of two American newspapers in just that one shot. It was aptly headlined "New York Times Editors Lie, Obfuscate Facts, To Reinforce Their False Russia Narrative". The following commentary will presume the reader has already read it, because this is a commentary upon his commentary, which was a brilliant (though I shall also note, imperfect) analysis. So, that article should be read first, because the following builds upon it.
(2021-02-11). Rublev wins, Tsitsipas, Fognini grind to reach Aussie Open 3rd round. laprensalatina.com Bangkok Desk, Feb 11 (efe-epa).- Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas played a tennis marathon Thursday to defeat local crowd favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis in four hours and 32 minutes at the Australian Open, as Russia's Andrey Rublev faced a tough third set before advancing into the third round. Rublev remains undefeated in 2021 after recently winning the ATP …
(2021-02-10). EU parl. official says Iran has not violated nuclear deal. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 10 (MNA) — In an interview with Al-Jazeera, Cornelia Ernst, the Chairwoman of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iran has stressed the need to resume talks with Tehran.
(2021-02-10). Rehire the Namibia Rossing Miners! Letter To Chinese President Xi-Jinping. indybay.org Namibia Mineworkers Union Rossing branch union leaders were fired by the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation CNN in a major union busting move. They discuss the illegal actions of the CNN and the corruption in their own national union leadership and then read their letter to President Xi-Jinping. They called on him to rehire the 9 members and end the attacks on Namibian workers.
(2021-02-10). For Russian leftists, Western favorite Navalny represents same corrupt elitism. thegrayzone.com Western politicians and media pundits portray Alexei Navalny as the leader of the Russian opposition. But Russian leftists see something quite different: a representative of a different faction of the Russian elite, who backs continued neoliberal policies and aligns with destabilizing NATO-backed actors. The imprisoned Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny has been held up in the West as…
(2021-02-10). Dear Comrades: Russian film about the 1962 Novocherkassk massacre. wsws.org Konchalovsky's film offers a view of the crisis of Stalinism in the Soviet Union, but he does so from the standpoint of the Stalinist bureaucracy itself.
(2021-02-10). Venezuela to Receive 100,000 Doses of Sputnik V Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday announced that 100,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine will arrive in his country next week. | RELATED: | Once the first lot arrives in Caracas, the national vaccination campaign will kick off, prioritizing health workers who are on the front line against COVID-19 and the people most vulnerable to the disease. | The next to be vaccinated will be the country's t…
(2021-02-10). Navalny's 'doctor', who never actually treated activist, 'liquidated' in secret Kremlin plot, says conspiracy-loving Western media. rt.com 
Western media has jumped down the rabbit hole into another Kremlin killing conspiracy after a doctor in the Siberian city of Omsk died suddenly — taking to the grave, they say, secrets about opposition figure Alexey Navalny. | On Monday, a number of outlets, including US state-run media, splashed the explosive claims that the clinician's death had been part of a cover up relating to the anti-corruption campaigner. The Sun, the UK's best read newspaper,
(2021-02-10). Wake up call for Ukrainian PM in Brussels as top EU official says Kiev remains hindered by 'criminals' & 'widespread corruption'. rt.com 
Given his country's geopolitical importance to the bloc, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmigal might have expected a smoother ride on his visit to the European Union in Brussels this week. | Addressing the European Parliament on Tuesday, its executive vice president, MEP Valdis Dombrovskis, revealed that the bloc believes corruption is still holding Kiev back. | Speaking on behalf of the EU's high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell, Dombrovskis said Ukraine "remains high on the European agenda," but "comprehensive judiciary reform is long overdue," noting that the country still has issues with "
(2021-02-10). Beyond Nuclear Files Federal Lawsuit Challenging High-Level Radioactive Waste Dump Targeted at Texas/New Mexico Border. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-02-10). The Diplomacy of No Diplomacy. strategic-culture.org 
By Patrick LAWRENCE | A return to diplomacy: Let us hold this thought up to the light. Among all the promises President Joe Biden is going to break over the next four years, this will prove the most fraudulent and, in the larger scheme of things, the most consequential of his breaches. | As of last week, it is the crisis over the agreement governing Iran's nuclear programs that stands to demonstrate the truth of this judgment. On Sunday Tehran appeared to put the Biden administration on notice that it has two weeks to get serious about reentering diplomatic negotiations, after which time the shutter will come dow…
(2021-02-10). Russian Communist politician and YouTube star Bondarenko accused of violating corruption laws after attending Navalny protest. rt.com 
A Russian MP who attended a protest supporting opposition figure Alexey Navalny has been accused of breaking corruption laws after monetizing his YouTube channel. He says he is being targeted to stop him from running in elections. | Nikolay Bondarenko, a Communist politician in the Saratov regional parliament, around 700km southeast of Moscow, runs a channel called 'Diary of an MP', which has over one million subscribers. Some of his videos have garnered multiple millions of views, including one titled 'A fight in Parliament. I was beaten by United Russia deputies. The truth hurts scumbags'. | In September, he…
(2021-02-10). 'Russia has most favorable situation of all Euro 2020 host countries': Organizing committee chief Sorokin to RT. rt.com 
Alexey Sorokin, Russia's Euro 2020 Organizing Committee chief, says the country has the "most favorable circumstances" of all host nations to hold the football tournament with regard to the Covid-19 pandemic in an interview to RT. | The northern Russian city of St Petersburg was chosen as one of the 12 host cities for the pan-continental tournament, and Sorokin says the decrease in number of infections there and in Moscow, as well as the stadium and city's experience of hosting games at the Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup, makes it the perfect location to host games. | Sorokin, who also served as Local Organizing C…
(2021-02-10). Heavy is the head: Khabib says giving up UFC lightweight crown will be 'A RELIEF' — as star plays down Dana White talks (VIDEO). rt.com 
Khabib Nurmagomedov says he will be relieved to no longer hold the UFC lightweight title as the Russian star doubled down on his retirement stance and urged fans not to read anything into his meetings with Dana White. | Khabib set some sections of the MMA fanbase aflutter again this week when he revealed he was set to meet UFC boss White on his next trip to the US at the end of the month. | The Eagle — as he has done consistently in recent months — reiterated however that he was intent on allowing the 155lbs division to move on in his absence, and that he will stick by the retirement decision he anno…
(2021-02-10). Multinational military drill 'to give Pakistan diplomatic push'. yenisafak.com Hosted by Pakistan, a week-long multination naval exercise is set to begin in the Arabian Sea from Thursday, a move that could set the tone for its enhanced bilateral relations with many countries, experts said.Naval forces from 45 countries, including the US, China, Russia and Turkey are participating in Aman-2021 from Feb.11-16.Russia will join the military drill with NATO members for the first time in a decade, a development considered significant. The last time Russian and NATO naval forces took part in a joint exercise was at the Bold Monarch 2011 off the coast of Spain.Organized under the slogan, 'Together…
(2021-02-10). Philippine Stalinists try to cover their tracks after promoting Navalny. wsws.org The Communist Party of the Philippines again displayed its opportunist politics with a revealing "amended version" of a statement on the pro-Navalny protests in Russia.
(2021-02-09). Asheville, NC, locals reject Raytheon's blood money jobs. liberationnews.org 
Although the protest was primarily focused on nuclear proliferation, these recent demonstrations spearheaded by Veterans for Peace, are part of a larger movement in opposition to Raytheon's plans to bring a plant to Asheville.
(2021-02-09). Where is Biden's Foreign Policy Headed? zcomm.org 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…
(2021-02-09). Between a Heating Globe and a Nuclear Conflagration, Can Biden Meet the Urgency? truthout.org 
If you live in California, you're likely to be consumed on occasion by thoughts of fire. That's not surprising, given that, in last year alone, actual fires
(2021-02-09). Democrats Disarm Themselves Before Trump's Senate Impeachment Trial. counterpunch.org Donald Trump, has with luck, eluded the consequences of being a failed gambling czar with no respect for the law. But his luck has reached a new level with Congressional Democrats refraining from holding him accountable for breaking the law and violating the Constitution as regularly as the rising and setting of the sun for
(2021-02-09). Turkey proposes 'Greek model' to address S-400 missile crisis. middleeasteye.net 
Turkey proposes 'Greek model' to address S-400 missile crisis | Defence minister says Ankara doesn't need to keep Russian missile system operational all the time in an attempt to placate Washington | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 12: 02 | A Turkish Defence Ministry photograph of a Russian military cargo plane discharging the S-400 missile defence system components, 27 August 2019 (AFP) | Turkey signalled on Tuesday…
(2021-02-09). 'Marble-ous': Russian maestro's masterful Michelangelo biopic. peoplesworld.org 
My father, Richard Rampell, was a photographer who used to exhibit his artsy black and white pictures in Manhattan's top photo galleries. Always a good provider, Dad supported our family by teaching at Boys High in Bed Stuy, explaining: "All artists require patrons. Even Michelangelo needed patrons. By working as a teacher, I can support …
(2021-02-09). 'Stop calling them the opposition': Russian Foreign Ministry says Navalny team are 'agents of NATO,' not legitimate politicians. rt.com 
The Russian Foreign Ministry believes that it is time to stop calling associates of Alexey Navalny the 'opposition', with its spokeswoman insisting they are better described as agents of NATO than conventional political figures. | "We should stop calling them the opposition. The opposition is something else," Maria Zakharova said on Thursday to Russia's Channel One. "They are agents of influence, and I will prove it to you now." | Zakharova recalled how key Navalny ally Leonid Volkov revealed last week that they would no longer hold demonstrations in the winter and planned to wait until spring and summer. Then…
(2021-02-09). Iran Begins Sputnik V Vaccination Campaign Against COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Several doctors, nurses, and first responders were vaccinated this Tuesday with the Russian anti-COVID vaccine. | A vaccination campaign against COVID-19 began this Tuesday in Tehran with Sputnik V's application to the nation's health sector professionals. | RELATED: | The campaign to put an end to the pandemic in the Persian nation began with applying the Russian substance to prevent infection of the new coronavirus. | Parsa Namaki, the son of…
(2021-02-09). Facebook hires ex-NATO press officer and social media censor Ben Nimmo as intel strategist. thegrayzone.com Nimmo has previously worked for NATO and the Integrity Initiative, a covert UK govt troll farm. His move to Facebook suggests more censorship on the way for anti-establishment voices. This report was originally published by Mint Press News. Ben Nimmo, a former NATO press officer and current senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, has announced Facebook has hired him to "lead global threat intelligence strategy against influence operations" and "emerging threats." Nimmo specifically named Russia, Iran and China as potential dangers to the …
(2021-02-09). Democrats WANT To Lose The Midterms: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com Republicans: Good. | Democrats: We hear you and we honor your experience. | ‚ùñ | The USA is the single worst human rights offender on our planet. The fact that most of its transgressions take place outside its own borders makes it more egregious, not less. So-called human rights watchdog groups which fail to acknowledge this fact are propaganda constructs. | ‚ùñ | By 2024 the only mainstream US political debate allowed will be about whether America should nuke Russia or China. | ‚ùñ | "Kindly let me help you or you will drown, said the monkey putting th…
(2021-02-09). New NORAD Warfare Strategies and Canada's Role in the Great Game Revisited. strategic-culture.org 
The future battleground which Canada is being prepared to set up is to be found in the Arctic, Matthew Ehret writes. | As relations between the USA and Russia continue to fall ever deeper into the abyss, and as China's Belt and Road Initiative continues to evolve deep into the Eurasian Arctic via the Polar Silk Road, a new era of potential for cooperation as well as nuclear war awaits humanity. The decisions made over the coming months will determine which of those two opposing destinies are selected. | For the time being, things are looking bad. | On February 5, 2021 the Canadian press was lit abuzz with the hea…
(2021-02-09). Saudi Arabia says regional states must be part of Iran nuclear talks. middleeasteye.net 
Saudi Arabia says regional states must be part of Iran nuclear talks | Kingdom calls on international community to confront Iran but fails to comment on US decision to end support for war in Yemen | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 21: 40 | Saudi King Salman headed a virtual cabinet meeting on Tuesday (AFP/File photo) | The Saudi government has called for regional countries to be part of any negotiations over Iran's nuclear…
(2021-02-09). British PM, German Chancellor hold talks on JCPOA. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 09 (MNA) — British Prime Minister and German Chancellor conferred on the Nuclear Deal in a phone talk on Tuesday.
(2021-02-09). Permanent exhibition of Iran nuclear achievements in Qazvin. en.mehrnews.com QAZVIN, Feb. 09 (MNA) — The second permanent exhibition of the achievements of Iran's nuclear industry was inaugurated in the presence of Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization, and some officials in Qazvin on Monday.
(2021-02-09). Iran begins Covid-19 vaccination campaign, says state media. middleeasteye.net 
Iran begins Covid-19 vaccination campaign, says state media | Last week the health ministry announced it bought two million doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine | Tue, 02/09/2021 – 07: 24 | A member of staff holds a vial of the Iranian-made "Razi Cov Pars" coronavirus vaccine during an unveiling ceremony at the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute in the city of Karaj in the northern A…
(2021-02-09). WATCH: Fighter lands INCREDIBLE spinning wheel kick KO at Khabib's EFC 33 event in Moscow. rt.com 
Gergi Shakhruramazanov scored an explosive knockout to illuminate EFC 33 in Moscow as the promotion held a first event in the Russian capital since being acquired by UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. | Russian featherweight Shakhruramazanov set up the finish with a brutal knee to the body of opponent Ali Dikaev before unleashing the kick which left him out cold on the canvas just under three minutes into the first round. | Shakhruramazanov improved to 10-0 with the stunning KO and was the toast of MMA Twitter after the clip was shared. | "Looks like Khabib made a good investment," read one reply…
(2021-02-09). EU chief diplomat failed in his plan to 'publicly flog' Russia during last week's trip to Moscow, says Foreign Ministry. rt.com 
The European Union wanted to humiliate Russia during High Representative Josep Borrell's visit to Moscow last week, but the bloc's plan spectacularly failed, according to Russia's Foreign Ministry. | "The task [of Borrell] was to carry out a public flogging, which, I think, they planned very carefully," the ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Vesti FM on Tuesday morning. "It was a cascade of topics: talks about rallies, talks about journalists, and making [Alexey] Navalny the main theme of the discussion." | According to her, the European Union's plans fell flat because the Russian side wanted "to dis…
(2021-02-09). Start of Sputnik V vaccination campaign brings hope to Iran. laprensalatina.com Tehran, Feb 9 (efe-epa).- Iran on Tuesday started the immunization program against Covid-19 using the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine in what was a major step toward containing a pandemic that has hit the country hard with more than 1.4 million cases and 58,000 deaths reported so far. This long-awaited step took place before a large …
(2021-02-09). Nadal, Tsitsipas, Medvedev qualify for 2nd round at Melbourne. laprensalatina.com Melbourne, Australia, Feb 9 (efe-epa).- Spaniard Rafael Nadal, Russia's Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev and Greece's Stéfanos Tsitsipas reached the Australian Open second round, while David Goffin of Belgium and Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut did not make the cut. Nadal, the second seed, prevailed over Serb Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 in one hour and …
(2021-02-09). Biden to ask resignation of Trump-era US attorneys. yenisafak.com US President Joe Biden's administration will ask resignation of nearly all attorneys appointed by former President Donald Trump as soon as Tuesday, according to a report.Citing a Justice Department official, CNN reported that the process will be done with two exceptions.David Weiss from Delaware will remain in place as he oversees the tax probe of Biden's son Hunter. John Durham also will continue as an attorney to investigate the origins of the Russia probe, but will not continue as Connecticut attorney, according to the official.When Trump assumed power in 2017, he ordered the resignation of 46 attorneys appoin…
(2021-02-09). Iranian Parl. speaker visiting Russia's State Duma. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 09 (MNA) — In the course of second day of his visit to the Russian Federation, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf attended the State Duma of Russian Federation on Mon. and held talks with his Russian counterpart.
(2021-02-09). Leader's message signals long-term strategic Iran-Russia ties. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 09 (MNA) — Iran's Parliament Speaker said that the message of Leader of Islamic Revolution implies that the bilateral relations between Iran and Russia will be a strategic, deep and lasting one for several decades.
(2021-02-09). Tehran, Moscow thinking of 20, 50 years coop. : Ghalibaf. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Parliament Speaker said that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation are thinking of a 20- and 50-year cooperation.
(2021-02-09). The EU's Infowar Outlet Inadvertently Debunked Its Most Important Propaganda Point. oneworld.press "EU vs. Disinfo", which functions as the infowar outlet of the European External Action Service's (EEAS) East Stratcom Task Force, inadvertently debunked its most important propaganda point about Russia by drawing attention to the fact that publicly financed RT's Editor-In-Chief Margarita Simonyan has the professional freedom to voice views that differ from the Kremlin's official ones.
(2021-02-09). In Confronting Russian 'Aggression', Biden Forgets He Is the Problem, Not the Solution. 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). | *** | Joe Biden calls on American leadership to confront Russian authoritarianism that …
(2021-02-08). Intellectual Property, Inequality, and the New Cold War with China. cepr.net My diatribe in the Nation — the risk of a new Cold War gives us yet another good reason not to be fans of intellectual property.
(2021-02-08). Will return to obligations under nuclear deal after all Trump-era sanctions are lifted, says Iran. peoplesdispatch.org The Biden administration, however, has refused to lift sanctions first and has put pre-condition of Iran's full compliance to the Iran nuclear deal before it rejoins it…
(2021-02-08). Russia's real pandemic death rate similar to US & UK: New official data reveals around 162,000 people died of Covid-19 in 2020. rt.com 
Around 162,000 Russians died because of Covid-19 last year. That's according to preliminary data from the federal statistics agency, which has revealed that the country's death rate in 2020 shot up by around 18% compared to 2019. | Rosstat said that approximately 323,800 more people died in 2020 than the previous year, around half of them due to Covid-19. | The data published by the agency is much worse than the figures presented by Russia's official coronavirus headquarters. According to its numbers, just 57,555 people had died due to Covid-19 as of January 1, meaning the country's real death count is almost…
(2021-02-08). The US Is Sending Bomber Crews and Destroyer Captains North to Learn How to Fight in the Arctic. anti-empire.com 
The US military is getting more active in the Arctic, working with allies amid tensions with Russia. | US Air Force bombers and Navy surface ships have been an increasingly visible presence there. | The region remains one of low tension, but Russia and NATO are both wary of the other's activity. | The US military's renewed focus on the Arctic means more operations in a uniquely challenging environment, and its personnel a…