Daily Archives: April 20, 2021

2021-04-20: News Headlines

Juan Cole (2021-04-20). Despite Hawks Seeking new Cold War, the US and China can only Confront Climate Emergency by Cooperating. juancole.com ( China Dialogue ) — They say don't mess with Texas, but Mother Nature didn't get the memo. A surprise winter storm killed at least 111 people in March, when rolling blackouts left several million Texans without power for several freezing days. Their misery came just a few years after Hurricane Harvey put a US$125 …

_____ (2021-04-20). How To Make A Gulf Monarchy All-American. popularresistance.org Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S., was on the hot seat. In early March 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world, oil prices collapsed and a price war broke out between Saudi Arabia and Russia, leaving American oil and gas companies feeling the pain. As oil prices plummeted, Republican senators from oil-producing states turned their ire directly on Saudi Arabia. Forget that civil war in Yemen — what about fossil-fuel profits here at home? | To address their concerns, Ambassador Bandar Al-Saud agreed to speak with a group of them in a March 18th conference call [m…

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). Russia's daily COVID-19 infections drop to lowest since late September. ecns.cn Russia logged 8,164 coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the lowest daily increase since Sept. 28, bringing the nationwide count to 4,718,854, the country's monitoring and response center said Tuesday.

Andrew Korybko (2021-04-20). Czechia's Surprise Decision to Expel Russian Diplomats. globalresearch.ca Strategic Context | All of Europe is discussing Czechia's

Anonymous007 (2021-04-20). Russia Restricts Civil Aviation Over Crimea And The Black Sea. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | Russia announced the introduction of a dangerous zone for civil aviation in the area over the Black Sea and Crimea, this was published in the operational information on changes in the rules for conducting and ensuring flights (NOTAM). | In total, the Russian Federation has issued three NOTAMs. They are valid until April 24tj, with minor differences. | A number of air routes in the Simferopol flight information area over the Black Sea were completely blocked. | At the…

Anonymous103 (2021-04-20). 200 Militants Killed In Russian Airstrikes On Hidden Training Base In Central Syria. southfront.org Illustrative image | On April 19, Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) had destroyed a training base near the city of Palmyra, in Central Syria, killing about 220 militants. | According to Rear Adm. Alexander Karpov, Deputy Head of Russian Coordination Center in Hmeimim, terrorists have established a hidden military base northeast of Palmyra, where they formed terrorist groups for deployment in several areas of Syria in order to carry out terrorist operation…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-20). U.S. Ambassador Leaves Russia To "Visit Family" southfront.org Click to see full-size image | US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan will return to the US, Axios

Stephen Lendman (2021-04-20). Biden Regime Behind Czech Expulsion of Russian Diplomats. globalresearch.ca The Czech Republic is virtual US occupied territory, its pro-Western puppet …

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). ROK says to join IAEA monitoring team for Fukushima wastewater release. ecns.cn South Korea will make sure to participate in an international monitoring team led by the UN nuclear watchdog for Japan's planned release of nuclear polluted water from its wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, Yonhap reported, citing the country's foreign ministry.

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). Japan's decision to dump nuclear wastewater 'extremely irresponsible': experts. ecns.cn Chinese experts have condemned Japan's unilateral decision to discharge nuclear wastewater into the sea, calling it "extremely irresponsible."

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-20). Israel's Cabinet Concerned US Wants an Iran Deal 'At All Costs'. news.antiwar.com Israel continues to express its opposition to the Biden administration rejoining the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the JCPOA. "The Americans want a deal at all costs and the Iranians know it," one minister said at the meeting. The minister told…

IDN (2021-04-20). Lessons Of The Bay Of Pigs Invasion Followed By The Cuban Missile Crisis — OpEd. eurasiareview.com By Jonathan Power* | The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 is well remembered, even by those not yet born when it happened. The word has been passed down the generations and probably always will be. It was the first and only time, say many historians and political scientists, that the world faced the likelihood of nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the USA. | For my part, I find it impossible to forget. | I was chairman of Manchester University's Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Within four hours after the BBC reported the beginnings of the crisis, we had organized a massive march. To my knowledge, we were t…

Staff (2021-04-20). JCPOA Joint Commission meet to continue next week in Vienna. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA)-Stressing that discussions made in today's Joint Commission of JCPOA with regard to lifting sanctions and nuclear issues, coordinator of Joint Commission of JCPOA announced that next meeting of Commission will be held next week.

ecns.cn (2021-04-20). Xi, Putin congratulate 9th meeting of China-Russia dialogue mechanism between ruling parties. ecns.cn Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday respectively sent congratulatory letters to the ninth meeting of the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Russia, held via video link.

Rodolfo Bueno (2021-04-20). Estados Unidos — Desaciertos de un prepotente presidente. globalizacion.ca Los vaivenes del Presidente Biden son notorios: primero llamó asesino a su homólogo Putin, después le propuso celebrar una reunión, pues es el momento de reducir tensiones, y el camino a seguir es el diálogo y el proceso diplomático. | Le…

Rick Rozoff (2021-04-20). Pentagon Adds Africa to Global Battleground with China and Russia. globalresearch.ca General Stephen Townsend, commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), and …

Dr. Gilbert Doctorow (2021-04-20). Zero Mainstream Coverage Today of the Foiled, U.S. Backed Plot to Assassinate Belarus President Lukashenko. globalresearch.ca In his last book "War with Russia?" my friend and colleague …

Rick Rozoff (2021-04-20). Several dozen U.S. fighter jets land in Poland for air combat drills. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Several dozen U.S. fighter jets land in Poland for air combat drillsRick Rozoff U.S. Air Force and Polish government sources confirm that American F-15 and F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Poland for joint exercises with host country aircraft; as a Radio Poland report phrases it, "amid concerns over a Russian troop build-up on the …

RFE RL (2021-04-20). Amid A Czech Spy Scandal, A Meltdown Of Moscow's Atomic Ambitions? — Analysis. eurasiareview.com By Mike Eckel* | ( Now, a snowballing spy scandal in the Czech Republic, involving a pair of 7-year-old explosions and Russia's military intelligence agency, threatens to pull the plug on one of Rosatom's higher-profile i…

Manlio Dinucci (2021-04-20). Ordine Usa contro la Russia: Italia sull'attenti. globalresearch.ca Il ministro degli Esteri Di Maio e il ministro della Difesa Guerini sono stati convocati d'urgenza al quartier generale della Nato a Bruxelles, per una riunione straordinaria del Consiglio Nord Atlantico il 15 aprile: il giorno stesso in cui, a …

The Canary (2021-04-20). Raab confirms Magnitsky sanctions will be introduced to tackle dirty money. thecanary.co The government will introduce Magnitsky sanctions to tackle dirty money following the Russia report, Dominic Raab has confirmed. | Money laundering Britain: | As ministers were pressed on why half of all the money laundered out of Russia travels through the United Kingdom, Raab announced he will "shortly be introducing an extension to the Magnitsky sanctions" to crack down on the scandal. | The foreign secretary's comments came as MPs raised concerns about rising tensions at Ukraine's border due to the recent Russian military build-up of forces there. | Speaking during Foreign Office departmental question…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-20). US and Russia Won't Have Ambassadors in Each Other's Capitals as Tensions Simmer. news.antiwar.com Due to the hostile policies of the Biden administration, tensions between the US and Russia are soaring. Now, amid the souring relations, US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-20). EU Walks Back Claim of 150,000 Russian Troops Near Ukraine Border. news.antiwar.com The European Union had to correct a claim made by its foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, concerning Russian troops near the Ukrainian border. Borrell told reporters on Monday that

Rick Rozoff (2021-04-20). Several Dozen US Fighter Jets Land in Poland for Air Combat Drills. news.antiwar.com U.S. Air Force and Polish government sources confirm that American F-15 and F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Poland for joint exercises with host country aircraft; as a Radio Poland report phrases it, "amid concerns over a Russian troop build-up on the border with neighbouring Ukraine." The exercises are preplanned though the message they send …

Jason Ditz (2021-04-20). Russia: 200 Militants Killed in Airstrikes in Eastern Syria. news.antiwar.com Russian Admiral Alexander Karpov has This area is known to be one of those awash in ISIS holdouts. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that ISIS had claimed to have killed two Russian soldiers in the area, speculating that this is why Russia hit them. | Admiral Karpov reported that in addition to 200 killed, the airstrikes destroyed 24 ve…

_____ (2021-04-20). Russia Increases Its Defense, While U.S. Backs Down From Provoking WWIII. strategic-culture.org The stooge-President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, appears to be trapped between what he has promised to do — which is for Ukraine to retake both Donbas and Crimea — and what will be within his power to do. | Ever since Joe Biden became America's President in January, America's hostile and threatening actions and rhetoric against (as Biden refers to him) the '

Susan Price (2021-04-20). United States: Biden announces 'America is back', pressures Europe on China, Russia. greenleft.org.au President Biden is attempting to shore up the US' role as an international leader through multilateral agreements, with the expectation that Europe will fall in behind Washington, writes Barry Sheppard.

Staff (2021-04-20). Delegations satisfied with progress in Vienna talks. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna said being satisfied with the progress made in negotiations to restore the JCPOA, delegations are to consult with the capitals.

Balkan Insight (2021-04-20). Reparations Debate Stirs Old Anti-Semitic Prejudices In Romania — Analysis. eurasiareview.com Arguments over whether former fascists are entitled to state compensation as victims of communism are awakening anti-Jewish sentiments that never went away in Romania. | By Marcel Gascón Barberá* | The exclusion of former fascists from state compensation for having been persecuted under the communist regime has riled many nationalists in Romania, who are back at blaming Jews for the Soviet occupation and subsequent terror. | On 5 November 2020,

Juan Cole (2021-04-19). The Saudi Lobby is Coming for You, Small Town America. juancole.com By Ben Freeman, Brian Steiner and Leila Riazi | — ( Tomdispatch.com) — Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S., was on the hot seat. In early March 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world, oil prices collapsed and a price war broke out between Saudi Arabia and Russia, leaving …

South Asia Monitor (2021-04-19). Russia Holds The Key To India's Eurasian Policy — Analysis. eurasiareview.com By Lt Gen (Dr) Yash Malhotra (retd)* | A recent op-ed piece in the Washington Post (13 March 2021), written jointly by the Quad leaders, President Joe Biden of the US, Prime Ministers Narendra Modi, Scott Morrison and Yashihide Suga of India, Australia and Japan respectively, morphs the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD or the Quad) to a "Quad Framework" hailed by Modi as a "force for global good". | It inter alia includes climate change, critical and new technologies, and handling of Covid-19 pandemic, while remaining committed to: "…. a shared vision for an Indo-Pacific Region that is free, open, resili…

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2021-04-19). U.S. expects Russia to submit. Will it? mronline.org In his landmark foreign policy speech delivered from the U.S. state department on February 4, President Joe Biden had proclaimed that "America is back. Diplomacy is back at the centre of our foreign policy." That maxim was put to test last week. And it failed to make the grade. | April 19, 2021 | Newswire…

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2021-04-19). US Expects Russia to Submit. Will It? globalresearch.ca In his landmark foreign policy

Vijay Prashad (2021-04-19). Why Xinjiang is emerging as the epicenter of the U.S. Cold War on China. mronline.org The U.S. government's information warfare against China has produced the "fact" that there is genocide in Xinjiang. Once this has been established, it helps develop diplomatic and economic warfare. | April 19, 2021 | Newswire…

Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J. S. Davies (2021-04-19). U.S. Joins Past Empires In Afghan Graveyard. counterpunch.org An Afghan taxi-driver in Vancouver told one of us a decade ago that this day would come. "We defeated the Persian Empire in the eighteenth century, the British in the nineteenth, the Soviets in the twentieth. Now, with NATO, we're fighting twenty-eight countries, but we'll defeat them, too," said the taxi-driver, surely not a member

Gareth Porter (2021-04-19). Vienna talks reveal Biden team's attachment to sanctions that would torpedo Iran deal. thegrayzone.com Biden's foreign policy team refuses to relieve Iran from sanctions illegally imposed by the Trump administration, setting the stage for the collapse of negotiations and a major crisis. The Biden administration signaled once again at the April 9 Vienna meeting on the Iran nuclear deal that it intends to maintain Trump-era Iran sanctions in an effort to win political and military concessions going well beyond the original deal itself. Team Biden continued to insist during the conference that Iran return …

Anonymous103 (2021-04-19). Biden Blames Russia For The Exact Same "Interference" That US Corporate Media Is Guilty Of. southfront.org Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | Although obviously not an avid reader or fan of Southfront, Michael Tracey's concise post of April 16th very clearly captures the irony and hypocrisy of the latest round of sanctions announced by the Biden administration. The allegations of "influencing" or "interfering" in the U.S election process that undermined the public's trust in the process was actually carried out on a daily basis by right-leaning corporate media such as Fox News or Newmax. Not to mention corporate media's total censorship of the New York Post's story on the infamous Hunter Biden laptop. Why were…

Patrick Mazza (2021-04-19). Advanced Nuclear Dreaming in Washington State. counterpunch.org It was once known by one of the most inadvertently appropriate acronyms ever, WPPSS, the Washington Public Power Supply System. "Whoops!," as they called it, in the early 1980s brought on what was then the worst municipal bond default in U.S. history trying to build five nuclear reactors in Washington state at once, completing only one.

Robert Fantina (2021-04-19). Renegotiating JCPOA: Biden, Europe and Iran. counterpunch.org After years of negotiations, the U.S., under President Barack Obama (don't get this writer started on him), Iran and several other nations signed an agreement that limited Iran's nuclear development program, in exchange for the lifting of many sanctions issued against that nation. This was good news all around: many nations had a major new market for their goods, Iran was able to export its own products and services, and the world, bizarrely, breathed a sigh of relief that Iran would not develop the nuclear weapons that its spokespeople always said it never had any interest in anyway; its nuclear program was for…

Eds. (2021-04-19). What Bill Gates has wrong about "advanced" nuclear reactors. mronline.org If nuclear power needs to be part of the climate solution, why not continue to use what we have? I understand the reactors that we have are aging out. But why not either shore those up or use the same design that we currently have where we wouldn't have to go through the lengthy and […] | April 19, 2021 | Newswire…

Jenny Farrell (2021-04-19). Prokofiev's 'Peter and the Wolf': A beloved piece of music for children. peoplesworld.org Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev is among the great composers of the 20th century. He was born 130 years ago, on April 23, 1891, in Sontsovka, Ukraine, into a rural family. Village life, with its peasant songs, left a permanent impression on him. His musical mother arranged trips to the opera in Moscow when he was a …

Anonymous007 (2021-04-19). The UK Sends Two Warships To Black Sea, As Russia Sends Dozens For Military Exercise. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On April 17, detachment of ships of the Russian Caspian Fleet passed under the Crimean bridge across the Kerch Strait and entered the Black Sea, while earlier it was reported that Russia relocated Su-25SMZ attack aircraft to Crimea. | This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. | It is reported that among the 15 warships of the Caspian Flotilla there are 3 artillery and 8 landing boats, as well as support vessels. | The ships entered the Black Sea allegedly as par…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-19). The UK Sends Two Warshpis To Black Sea, As Russia Sends Dozens For Military Exercise. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On April 17, detachment of ships of the Russian Caspian Fleet passed under the Crimean bridge across the Kerch Strait and entered the Black Sea, while earlier it was reported that Russia relocated Su-25SMZ attack aircraft to Crimea. | This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. | It is reported that among the 15 warships of the Caspian Flotilla there are 3 artillery and 8 landing boats, as well as support vessels. | The ships entered the Black Sea allegedly as par…

Anonymous103 (2021-04-19). In Video: Saudi Arabia Used TOS-1A "Solntsepyok" Against Houthis. southfront.org TOS-1A "Solntsepyok" | Saudi Arabia used the heavy flamethrower system TOS-1A "Solntsepyok" during operation against the Houthis (as Ansar Allah is known). The leaked photo and video reportedly show the use of TOS-1A in the south of Saudi province of Najran. No casualties have been reported yet as a result of the shelling. Ansar Allah has not commented on the issue yet. | The TOS-1A Solntsepek is a 24-barrel rocket launch (MBRL) system designed and developed by the Russian company — Omsk Transmash D…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-19). The UK Sends Two Warshpis To Black Sea, As Russia Sends 15 For Military Exercise. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | A detachment of ships of the Russian Caspian Fleet passed under the Crimean bridge across the Kerch Strait and entered the Black Sea, while earlier it was reported that Russia relocated Su-25SMZ attack aircraft to Crimea. | This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. | It is reported that among the 15 warships of the Caspian Flotilla there are 3 artillery and 8 landing boats, as well as support vessels. | The ships entered the Black Sea allegedly as part of a cont…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-19). Boris Johnson To Reveal New Foreign Registration Scheme Targeting Russian And Chinese "Spies" southfront.org Click to see full-size image | UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to use the Queen's Speech on May 11th to reveal a new foreign registration scheme for Great Britain. | Essentially, Britain plans to force those working for foreign governments to sign a central register in a bid to counter hostile spy activity, the UK's Home Office has confirmed."Foreign spies operating in Britain face being prosecuted and deported under new laws to protect the nation from hostile states such as China and Russia. Boris Johnson will us…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-19). Military Situation In Syria On April 19, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On April 19, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 33 times: 15 — in Idlib province, 12 — in Latakia province, 5 — in Hama province, 1 in Aleppo province | On April 18, artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled SDF positions near Ain Issa | On April 18, US forces conducted a military patrol in the vicinity of the city of al-Malikiyah | On April 18, SAA artillery shelled positions of Turkish-backed forces in…

RT (2021-04-19). Czech govt bars Russia's Rosatom from nuclear power plant contract tender amid diplomatic row. rt.com Russia's nuclear energy corporation Rosatom won't be invited for a security assessment as a bidder vying to renovate the Dukovany nuclear power plant, the Czech industry minister said, amid the diplomatic spat initiated by Prague. | The Czech government has approved a resolution effectively excluding the Russian company from the $7-billion project, the nation's industry and trade minister Karel Havlicek confirmed on Monday. | The construction project's investor, the majority state-controlled Czech utility company CEZ, will now only send a security assessment questionnaire to the remaining three contenders by A…

RT (2021-04-19). 'Beautiful win': Playboy model Maria Liman congratulates Premier League Chelsea on making it to the FA Cup final. rt.com Russian Playboy model and OnlyFans star Maria Liman has expressed her admiration after Premier League giants Chelsea reaching the final of the FA Cup, beating top-of-the-table Manchester City at Wembley over the weekend. | Liman, who was voted one of the sexiest fans of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, has shown she's a big football fan by closely following the sport's major events. | The model dedicated an Instagram post to the Blues, asking her followers to guess who they'll face in the tournament's final. | "Congratulations @chelseafc on a beautiful victory." Liman wrote alongside a photo of herself posin…

RT (2021-04-19). British warships set sail for Black Sea showdown with Russia, days after American sailors 'cancel' plan to chart course for region. rt.com Two British gunboats will soon be cutting through the waters off the south coast of Russia, amid escalating tensions between Moscow and the West over troop deployments and NATO military activity on Russia's border with Ukraine. | The Sunday Times reported over the weekend that a Type 45 destroyer, armed with anti-aircraft missiles, and a Type 23 submarine-hunting frigate will detach from the Royal Navy's carrier fleet in the Mediterranean in order to pass into the Black Sea next month. | At the same time, defense sources told the newspaper that British warplanes would be standing ready on the country's flagshi…

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