Daily Archives: January 30, 2021

2021-01-30: News Headlines

yenisafak (2021-01-30). Iran authorizes use of Russian COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Iranian envoy to Moscow Kazem Jalali said Saturday that the second consignment of the Russian vaccine will reach Iran by the end of February.In the second phase, the vaccine will be jointly produced by the two countries, Jalali said, while emphasizing its safety and efficacy.The confirmation first came during Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's visit to Moscow this week, where he said the vaccine has been registered in Iran after approval from the country's health authorities.Produced by Russian Health Ministry's Gamaleya Center, Sputnik V has so far been approved for use in 14 countries even though discussions at the…

RT (2021-01-30). US Navy berates 'destabilizing' Chinese activity as pro-NATO Atlantic Council publishes blueprint for Cold War with Beijing. rt.com The US accused China of ramping up tensions in the South China Sea amid new drills. The statement came shortly after a notorious pro-NATO lobby group published an anonymously-authored proposal for long-term conflict with Beijing. | PACOM (United States Indo-Pacific Command) announced on Friday evening that the Chinese military flights over the past week "at no time" posed any threat to US Navy ships, sailors, or aircraft, according to a statement cited by Reuters. | An official speaking on condition of anonymity said the Chinese warplanes never came within 250 nautical miles (463 km) of the USS Theodore Roosev…

RT (2021-01-30). US shows off nuclear-capable B-52 bombers on Iran's doorstep week after Biden's inauguration (VIDEO). rt.com The US Air Force has published footage of its B-52 Stratofortress nuclear-capable bombers flying over the Persian Gulf in what was described as a mission showcasing America's "global reach capability." | The mission that saw B-52s flying non-stop from the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana was conducted on Wednesday, just a week after President Joe Biden's inauguration. During their flyover of the Gulf, the American bombers were accompanied by US Navy and US Marines' fighters as well as Saudi Air Force jets. | A video released by the US Army Central Command on Saturday shows at least two bombers in the s…

yenisafak (2021-01-30). Turkey, Russia begin monitoring Karabakh truce. yenisafak.com A joint Turkish and Russian center to monitor a cease-fire deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia has become operational in Upper Karabakh on Saturday.Established in the Merzilli village of the Aghdam region, the center will monitor the implementation of the Russian-brokered agreement which was reached in November after six weeks of intense fighting.Following the Nov. 10 truce, Turkey and Russia signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a joint center to monitor the peace deal on Azerbaijani territories liberated from Armenia's occupation.Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov, Turkey's Deputy Minister of N…

Online News Editor (2021-01-30). China's first Hualong-1 nuclear reactor begins commercial operation. laprensalatina.com Shanghai, China, Jan 30 (efe-epa).- China's first nuclear power unit using a third-generation reactor named Hualong-1 began commercial operations Saturday at the Fuqing power plant, state media reported. Fuqing's No. 5 unit in Fujian province is now generating electricity for commercial use after a week's trial, and will pave "the way for mass production and …

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-30). Iran recent nuclear moves 'not a violation of JCPOA'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 30 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Spain Hassan Ghashghavi said that the recent move taken by the Islamic Republic of Iran in the nuclear field is its inalienable right not a violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-30). US, Russia in 'serious' talks over JCPOA: envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 30 (MNA) — US Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan told TV Rain in an interview that Washington was carefully considering the issue of returning to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

RT (2021-01-29). 'No prejudice': French vaccination strategy chief says EU should 'consider' using Russian, Chinese jabs. rt.com There is no reason for Brussels not to consider using the Covid-19 vaccines developed by Russia or by China if their safety and efficacy has been demonstrated, France's vaccination program coordinator, Alain Fischer, has said. | The EU should consider every Covid-19 vaccine available, Fischer told France's BFM TV on Friday, adding that "there should be no prejudices regarding the origins of vaccines." The immunology professor and pediatrician said that the only criteria one should use in assessing a jab are its efficacy and safety, and the ease with which it can be delivered to European countries. | "If they s…

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

RT (2021-01-29). 'This issue is not on the agenda': Kremlin rejects suggestions that Ukraine's breakaway Donbass should be integrated into Russia. rt.com Russia has no plans to absorb the Donbass region of Ukraine and the Kremlin is solely focused on protecting the Russian-speaking population of that area, according to comments on Friday from spokesman Dmitry Peskov. | Peskov's remarks came after RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan spoke at the 'Russian Donbass' conference in Donetsk on Thursday, at which she appealed to the authorities to place the territory under Moscow's control. | "Russia takes a very responsible position in the effort to assist Ukraine in resolving its internal crisis," Peskov said. "This issue is not on the agenda, either directly or in…

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

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

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

RT (2021-01-29). No one's above the law? FBI lawyer who altered evidence to enable spying on Trump gets PROBATION instead of jail. rt.com The only FBI official charged in the improper use of FISA warrants to spy on President Donald Trump via campaign aide Carter Page got a slap on the wrist. Kevin Clinesmith's sentence was a year of probation, and community service. | Clinesmith worked at the FBI General Counsel's Office (GCO) and was assigned to Crossfire Hurricane, the probe of Trump's alleged ties with Russia during the 2016 election. In that capacity, he altered an email from the CIA that described Page as a source for the spy agency, to say he was "not" a source — enabling the FBI to request a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FIS…

RT (2021-01-29). A done deal: Following agreement with Biden, law extending New START nuclear treaty with US for 5 years signed into law by Putin. rt.com Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill extending the New START nuclear arms reduction agreement, the Kremlin has announced. Should his US counterpart Joe Biden follow suit, the treaty will remain in force until 2026. | Friday evening's move comes just two days after the Russian parliament unanimously agreed to prolong the pact that was about to expire on February 5. | Earlier this week, Putin and Biden agreed to trigger the five-year extension clause following a lengthy phone call. This launched the paperwork needed to save the treaty, which had been left in limbo after the previous Donald Trump ad…

RT (2021-01-29). 'I'm satisfied': 18yo Russian genius scores sensational win over world chess champ Carlsen — then says he could have played better. rt.com Russian chess grandmaster Andrey Esipenko earned a huge upset by beating world chess champion Magnus Carlsen at a tournament — then claimed he had not felt pre-match nerves and humbly reflected that he "could have played better." | The 18-year-old beat the world's best chess player in style, inflicting a crushing defeat on the famed Norwegian in the Netherlands to end his impressive winning streak of 125 games. | Esipenko needed just eight rounds to crush the reigning World Chess Champion in 17 moves, recording Carlsen's first loss since 2017. | The result was one of the most shocking defeats suffered by…

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

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

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-01-29). Progressives Applaud Rob Malley, Key Nuclear Deal Negotiator, as Biden's Special Envoy for Iran. commondreams.org "Malley should be celebrated for his ability to understand how adversaries see problems and find common ground, for this is the art of diplomacy." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-8830106521.jpg

Roger Sollenberger (2021-01-29). Florida man's arrest on 2016 election charges suggests Russia probe may have survived Bill Barr. salon.com Indictment of a Roger Stone-connected operative may signal that Robert Mueller's spinoffs are still bearing fruit…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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