2021-02-01: News Headlines

RT (2021-02-01). Austria to ease Covid-19 lockdown by opening schools and shops, while tightening borders to hinder arrival of new variants. rt.com Schools and non-essential shops in Austria will reopen next week as the country loosens its lockdown, though border measures will be tightened to stop Covid-19 variants coming in, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has said. | From February 8, schoolkids will have to furnish negative coronavirus test results in order to attend their classes, while shoppers will have to wear the higher-grade FFP2 face masks, which are already mandatory on public transport and in essential shops. | Austria will also reopen museums, galleries, libraries and zoos, and will switch from its current 24-hour ban on movement to overnight curfew…

RT (2021-02-01). Germany rejects France's call to halt construction on Nord Stream 2 pipeline over Navalny detention. rt.com Germany said it plans to complete the Russian-led Nord Stream 2 offshore gas pipeline project despite opposition from France over Moscow's jailing of opposition figure Alexey Navalny. | The stance of the German government "has not changed" in recent days, deputy government spokeswoman Martina Fietz said on Monday in Berlin, after France's secretary of state for Europe Clément Beaune asked Germany to halt the project. | A spokesman for Germany's Federal Foreign Office in Berlin told Die Welt that although the project is going ahead, the German government was aware of the French position and having a "ver…

RT (2021-02-01). Former head of Twitter Europe warns anonymity ban won't stop racism on social media. rt.com Twitter's former Europe boss, Bruce Daisley, has warned social media sites that simply removing the anonymity of users will not solve the problem of racism on their platforms, calling on companies to do more to address the issue. | Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Daisley addressed some of the proposals that have been presented to tackle the growing issue of racism and other abusive behavior on social media, with culprits often accused of hiding behind fake or anonymous profiles. | Calling on social media firms, including Twitter, to do more to address toxic content on their platforms, Daisley warned that a "sim…

Jeff Amy (2021-02-01). Liquid nitrogen leak at Georgia poultry plant kills 6. peoplesworld.org GAINESVILLE, Ga, (AP) — A liquid nitrogen leak at a northeast Georgia poultry plant killed six people Thursday and sent 11 others to the hospital, officials said. At least three of those injured at the Foundation Food Group plant in Gainesville were reported in critical condition. Poultry plants rely on refrigeration systems that can include …

RT (2021-02-01). As EU falls behind on supplies of Covid-19 vaccines, German health minister entertains possibility of using Russia's Sputnik V. rt.com German Health Minister Jens Spahn has revealed that Berlin would be open to importing Covid-19 vaccines from Russia and China as the government looks to find ways to overcome the country's shortage of doses. | "Regardless of the country in which a vaccine is manufactured, if they are safe and effective, they can help cope with the pandemic," Spahn told Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. | The German minister's comments came before Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's permanent representative to the EU, revealed that Moscow is not only open to selling its Sputnik V vaccine but will also share information about how…

RT (2021-02-01). Portugal to receive planeload of German doctors, hospital beds & ventilators to counter dire Covid-19 surge. rt.com Germany will send 26 doctors, nurses and hygiene experts to Portugal on Wednesday to help prop up the nation's Covid-19 efforts as it battles one of the world's worst outbreaks, the German defense minister said on Monday. | "We support our friends in Portugal who find themselves in an especially dramatic situation," Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said. | The German military medical team will stay in Portugal for three weeks. Berlin is also sending 150 infusion machines and 50 ventilators, which are also set to arrive in Lisbon by plane on Wednesday. | Newspaper reports last week said the German armed forc…

MEE staff (2021-02-01). Kosovo formally establishes ties with Israel, to open embassy in Jerusalem. middleeasteye.net Kosovo formally establishes ties with Israel, to open embassy in Jerusalem | In exchange for setting up mission in Jerusalem, Kosovo gets recognition from Israel, as it seeks to further legitimise independence from Serbia | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 21: 18 | In a ceremony held over Zoom, Israel's foreign minister and his Kosovar counterpart signed a joint declaration establishing ties (AFP) | Kosovo and Israel establi…

RT (2021-02-01). Top Navalny aide asked alleged British spy for millions in funding, intelligence video released by Russia's FSB claims to reveal. rt.com Surveillance footage, recorded in the early 2010s, appears to show a close associate of Alexey Navalny seeking cash and intelligence from an alleged British spy and suggesting his anti-corruption work may benefit firms in London. | The tape, which was first reported by RT television on Monday, is said to have been filmed by the Federal Security Service (FSB) sometime in 2012 and allegedly shows a meeting between Vladimir Ashurkov and an employee of the British Embassy in Moscow. Ashurkov is the executive director of the FBK, Alexey Navalny's anti-corruption organization. | The person he met at a Moscow cafe wa…

Aleksandr Buzgalin (2021-02-01). Is Russia waking up? mronline.org The reasons behind the protest actions that began in Russia in January 2021, the social forces involved, and the possible consequences.

RT (2021-02-01). Madrid to relax restaurant Covid-19 rules to help businesses and push back against 'political pressure' despite high infections. rt.com The region of Madrid will relax some of its Covid-19 restrictions this week, the region's president announced on Monday, even though infection rates in the capital remain high and most of Spain is tightening health measures. | From Friday, the number of diners allowed per table on outdoor restaurant terraces in Madrid will be upped from four to six and the 10pm curfew on business activity will be pushed back to midnight "as soon as possible," Isabel Diaz Ayuso said. | Ayuso also announced that the use of face masks inside hospitality establishments will be made mandatory. | Those in the Spanish capital are alr…

RT (2021-02-01). 7 die at Spanish care home after getting Pfizer Covid-19 jab as ALL residents test positive for virus, second doses still to come. rt.com All 78 residents at a nursing home in central Spain have tested positive for Covid-19 after being given their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and at least seven people have died, staff confirmed on Monday. | Most of those who succumbed to the virus had existing conditions, according to Spanish news agency EFE, while four residents are currently hospitalized, and 12 staff have also been infected. | The huge outbreak is at the Lagartera Residence for the Elderly in the Toledo area, southwest of the capital Madrid. | The home's 33 staff must now present a negative PCR test before they start work, and a…

Staff (2021-02-01). Headlines for February 1, 2021. democracynow.org CDC Orders Mask-Wearing on Public Transportation as Experts Urge Speedy Vaccination to Combat Variants, Johnson & Johnson Says One-Shot Vaccine Is Effective, Especially in Preventing Severe Cases, Major Racial Disparities Emerge in Vaccine Recipients as Latinx Deaths in L.A. Jump by 1,000%, Biden Meets with GOP Leaders to Discuss Stripped-Down Counter Bill to $1.9 Trillion Package, Burmese Military Stage Coup, Detain Aung San Suu Kyi, Police Arrest Over 5,100 in Pro-Navalny Protests Across Russia, Car Bomb Blasts Kill at Least 12 in Aleppo, Syria, U.N. Calls for Repatriation of 27,000 Children Stranded in al-Hol…

WSWS (2021-02-01). Commerzbank cuts 10,000 jobs in Germany, with union support. wsws.org The trade union Verdi supports the jobs massacre at Commerzbank, which will destroy 10,000 posts and close half its branches.

WSWS (2021-02-01). Strikes mount in Turkey against austerity and herd immunity policies. wsws.org The Turkish government's murderous response to the pandemic and the collapse of social conditions for millions are increasingly driving workers into struggle.

Scott Newman (2021-02-01). Putin and Navalny Both Represent Big Russian Capital — Alexander Buzgalin. theanalysis.news The recent protests in Russia were more about the failed economic policies of Putin than support for Navalny, whose program may be even worse than Putin's. The West loves Navalny because they think he will open Russia to U.S. finance capital. From Moscow, Prof. Alexander Buzgalin joins theAnalysis.news with Paul Jay.

RT (2021-02-01). Russia ramps up natural gas supplies to China via Power of Siberia mega-pipeline. rt.com Russian energy major Gazprom pumped more gas to China in January via the Power of Siberia pipeline than it had initially planned, boosting daily supplies by as much as 2.5 percent. | "The export of gas to China through the Power of Siberia gas pipeline continues to grow. Supplies regularly exceed Gazprom's daily contractual obligations," the company said in a statement, adding that the volume of gas delivery last month "was 2.9 times higher than in January 2020." | The 3,000km (1864 mile) cross-border pipeline started official deliveries of Russian natural gas to China in 2019. The so-called eastern route's ca…

RT (2021-02-01). Macron urges swifter European vaccine response after EU spat with AstraZeneca over Covid-19 jab supplies. rt.com Europe must act more quickly and efficiently in its Covid-19 vaccine rollout, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday after a week of turmoil in which the EU sparred with the UK and AstraZeneca over shortages. | "We are in a race against time against the virus," the French leader said in Paris, as he met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. | We, as Europeans, need to be more efficient on this matter. I know this is also the intention of Chancellor [Angela] Merkel and [Commission] President [Ursula] Von Der Leyen. We will continue in the coming weeks and months to speed things up. | Last week ended…

RT (2021-02-01). Navalny press secretary Yarmysh is latest associate put under house arrest, gets two months over alleged role in opposition protes. rt.com Kira Yarmysh, a close ally of imprisoned opposition figure Alexey Navalny, will be confined to her home until late March, a court ruled on Monday, amid a wave of restrictions aimed at the organizers of nationwide protests. | Moscow's Basmanny Court ordered the activist to remain under house arrest until March 23 while charges are prepared by prosecutors. A spokesman for the judges told RIA Novosti that investigators had requested the "preventative measure" because of allegations that Yarmysh was involved in "creating the threat of mass disease" after crowds gathered to demonstrate for Navalny's release earlier…

RT (2021-02-01). Former Russian President Medvedev calls Twitter 'politicized' platform, slams ban of Trump & claims site is biased towards Navalny. rt.com Twitter is a "politicized" website, involved with interference in foreign states. That's according to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who also attacked the platform for blocking former US President Donald Trump's account | Medvedev's comments come after Twitter, along with other social media networks, received blame for allowing Russian opposition figures to advertise protests. | According to the former leader, who now sits on the Russian Security Council, his acquaintance signed up to the popular social network and was immediately recommended to subscribe to Alexey Navalny. When joining Twitter, the…

RT (2021-02-01). Kremlin dubs some protesters 'hooligans & provocateurs,' says appeal for US sanctions proves Navalny's team are 'foreign agents'. rt.com Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has defended the police's decision to take tough measures to detain and disperse supporters of jailed opposition figure Alexey Navalny at rallies across the country over the weekend. | Speaking to journalists on Monday, Dmitry Peskov said that the demonstrations attracted "quite a large number of hooligans and provocateurs," which, he argued, explained the violent clashes with authorities. However, he added, the use of force had to be carefully monitored, even if it was necessary in the face of "illegal actions." | The Kremlin press secretary added that there was no…

RT (2021-02-01). Ukrainian President Zelensky admits he's 'angry' with Trump over leaked phone call, expresses hope Biden will help Kiev join NATO. rt.com Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized former US President Donald Trump for his move to release the transcript of an infamous 2019 phone call between the two leaders, calling the breach of privacy "totally wrong." | Speaking to US outlet Axios, Zelensky revealed the publication of the call made him a "little bit" angry. In his opinion, conversations between presidents should be kept secret and confidential. | "I think this is totally wrong," the president noted in the interview, recorded last week. "This was the first serious conversation between two presidents, between strategic partners. And i…

RT (2021-02-01). Elderly will not be given AstraZeneca jab in Poland, vaccine chief says as concerns persist about lack of trial data. rt.com Poland has joined a list of countries, including Germany and France, who have questioned the efficacy of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in elderly people, citing too little research involving people over the age of 55. | "If we are talking about the decision of the [Polish] medical council, we expect it in the coming days or possibly hours, but it is clear that elderly people will not be vaccinated with this shot," said Michal Dworczyk, the prime minister's top aide, who has been put in charge of vaccinations. | He added that a final decision on the issue would be made after the medical council had made its…

RT (2021-02-01). Putin orders officials to prepare plans for creation of Russian Court of Human Rights as possible alternative to pan-European ECHR. rt.com Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the country's Supreme Court and the Ministry of Justice to assess the feasibility of creating a national court of human rights. He first expressed interest in the idea last year. | As things stand, Russia is a party to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), a body that is part of the Council of Europe. Membership of the court has been costly for Moscow, and in 2019 alone, the Ministry of Justice spent more than 1.1 billion rubles ($14 million) on 1,240 judgments. | An order published on the Kremlin website gives the Supreme Court, Russia's highest judicial bo…

RT (2021-02-01). 'Russiagate' lives on: Donald Trump was a Soviet spy recruited decades ago by KGB, according to conspiracy-loving Western media. rt.com Donald Trump's rise and fall as the most powerful man in the world was one of the shock stories of the century. However, explosive claims picked up by Western media now suggest there was a secret masterplan behind it all along.

_____ (2021-02-01). Other People's Cultural Assets Are Up for Grabs. strategic-culture.org The rapacious conduct of the big hyenas is being replicated by their camp followers. Not to be outdone, Kosovo Albanians are laying claim to Serbian cultural monuments in Kosovo. | A controversy has recently erupted in Mexico, of the type that may quite often be seen in other similarly defrauded countries. Its focus is the magnificent quetzal-plumed headdress of the last Aztec emperor Moctezuma which, contrary to the misleading impression encouraged by the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, is not displayed there at all. It is actually located, of all places, in the Ethnological Museum in Vienna, Austria. | T…

Staff (2021-02-01). 50 House Democrats Back Resolution to Remove Marjorie Taylor Greene From Office. truthout.org Image Credit: Facebook: Marjorie Taylor Greene | Republicans face increasing pressure to strip Georgia Congressmember Marjorie Taylor Greene of her post on the House Education Committee. Greene was elected in November 2020 and is a far-right conspiracy theorist who has promoted QAnon, supported the execution of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and claimed the school shootings in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, and Parkland, Florida, were staged — as was the September 11 attack on the Pentagon. She al…

Staff (2021-02-01). Is Far-Right QAnon Conspiracy Theorist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene the New Face of the GOP? democracynow.org Republicans face increasing pressure to strip Georgia Congressmember Marjorie Taylor Greene of her post on the House Education Committee. Greene was elected in November 2020 and is a far-right conspiracy theorist who has promoted QAnon, supported the execution of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and claimed the school shootings in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, and Parkland, Florida, were staged — as was the September 11 attack on the Pentagon. She also has a history of racist, anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic comments. Bee Nguyen, a Democratic state representative in Georgia, recently joined other lawmakers in signing a…

_____ (2021-02-01). Why We Must Do More To Recognize The Application Of Indigenous Law. popularresistance.org In the Supreme Court of Canada's 1996 decision in R v Van Der Peet, Justice Beverley McLachlin[1] famously made reference to a "golden thread": | The history of the interface of Europeans and the common law with aboriginal peoples is a long one. As might be expected of such a long history, the principles by which the interface has been governed have not always been consistently applied. Yet running through this history, from its earliest beginnings to the present time is a golden thread — the recognition by the common law of the ancestral laws and customs of the aboriginal peoples who occupied the land prio…

yenisafak (2021-02-01). EU to get 75M extra Pfizer/BioNTech virus vaccine doses. yenisafak.com US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech will deliver an additional 75 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the EU until summer, the head of the European Commission said on Monday."BioNTech/ Pfizer will deliver 75 million of additional doses in the second quarter of the year – and up to 600 millions in total in 2021″, Ursula von der Leyen said in a Twitter post.‚Ä®On Sunday, the UK-based AstraZeneca also agreed to deliver 9 million more jabs to the bloc during the first three months of the year, making it 40 million doses for the period.‚Ä®This came as a sign…

sputniknews (2021-02-01). EU's COVID Failures Risk the Bloc's Future, Commentator Says. sputniknews.com The European Union has confirmed that AstraZeneca has agreed to supply an extra 9 million doses of its COVID vaccine as disputes between Britain, combined with supply issues across Europe, continue to impact the bloc's inoculation roll out.

Online News Editor (2021-02-01). Covid case numbers in Germany continue to fall thanks to restrictions. laprensalatina.com Berlin, Feb 1 (efe-epa).- Germany registered 5,608 coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours on Monday, as severe restrictions on public life that have seen all non-essential businesses closed since December bear fruit. Monday's caseload represents a drop of more than 1,000 cases since the same time last week, when 6,729 infections were reported. Germany …

Online News Editor (2021-02-01). Restrictions eased across Italy amid warnings against complacency. laprensalatina.com Rome, Feb 1, (efe-epa).- Most of the Italian population on Monday had the chance to toast the easing of Covid-19 restrictions with a leisurely coffee or drink on a cafe terrace although some experts warned that pandemic could run out of control if people became complacent. As of Monday there are no regions classed as …

Online News Editor (2021-02-01). Portugal records half of its pandemic deaths in January alone. laprensalatina.com Lisbon, Feb 1 (efe-epa).- Half of all Covid-19 deaths in Portugal took place last month, as patients died at a rate of 180 per day on averag,e culminating with a January death toll of 5,576. Portugal, a country of 10 million, has asked Austria and Germany to help lessen the burden by taking in some …

Online News Editor (2021-02-01). Greek schools reopen despite 3rd Covid wave fears. laprensalatina.com Athens, Feb 1 (efe-epa).- Greece reopened secondary schools on Monday as fears of a third wave forced the government to tighten restrictions. The full or partial opening of high schools was announced ten days ago, after almost three months of closure. Authorities in Thessaloniki detected the first confirmed case of the South African variant of …

yenisafak (2021-02-01). French hijab wearers must navigate politics to keep identity. yenisafak.com Few issues trigger reactions in French politics as much as Muslim women donning the veil and headscarf, or hijab, who once again find themselves at the center of controversy as far-right leader Marine Le Pen last week proposed a nationwide ban of the garment on the streets and in public places.A day before world hijab day is marked on Feb. 1, activists from feminist group Nemesis, dressed in flowing black burqas, staged a protest in front of the Trocadero, overlooking the Eiffel tower. They held a large banner that read, "France in 50 years" in a visual assertion that this is the future of the country if "creepin…

yenisafak (2021-02-01). 'Turkey cannot be ignored in Karabakh'. yenisafak.com Russia cannot ignore Turkey's position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday.Speaking in an interview with the Russian media about Turkey's role in the Karabakh issue, Medvedev stressed close Turkish-Azerbaijani relations and significance of Russia-Turkey partnership.He also called the Russian-Turkish cooperation in Nagorno-Karabakh "a stabilizing factor"."Turkey is our neighbor and a very important partner. And a very close country for Azerbaijan. This factor cannot be ignored. We have a productive dialogue with…

Luis Feliz Leon (2021-02-01). Life and Death in the Poultry Capital of the World. thenation.com Life and Death in the Poultry Capital of the World…

Peadar O'Cearnaigh (2021-02-01). The reality of Johnson's 'unfettered access' claim will bite him hard. thecanary.co In November 2019, while addressing business people in the north of Ireland before the general election, Boris Johnson So, people seeing

sputniknews (2021-02-01). Knife-Wielding Man Injures Several People in Brussels Metro, Reports Say. sputniknews.com According to as yet unconfirmed reports, the attacker injured several women and was detained.

sputniknews (2021-02-01). Erdogan Suggests Turkey Needs New Constitution. sputniknews.com ANKARA (Sputnik) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested on Monday that the time has come for Turkey to have a new constitution.

sputniknews (2021-02-01). Second Pre-Trial Hearing on Causes of Morandi Bridge Collapse Kicks Off in Genoa. sputniknews.com GENOA (Sputnik) – The second pre-trial evidentiary hearing on the collapse of the Morandi bridge, which led to the deaths of 43 persons in 2018, has kicked off in Italy's Genoa.

sputniknews (2021-02-01). Sex Out of Sight: New Red Light District May Be Built 'Away' From Amsterdam, Media Says. sputniknews.com Championed by the mayor of Amsterdam, the new proposals are reportedly aimed at improving city life, reducing crime, and "taking away the lure of sex and drugs."

Nikos Raptis (2021-02-01). Nazis, 'Commies', etc (Part 3a of 3). zcomm.org Please Help ZNet [Note: Here is a brief connection to Parts 1 and 2: Bernt Engelmann (1921 — 1994) wrote a book, 'In Hitler's Germany", in 1986, in which he presents what life was under Hitler's Germany. Part 1 stops at the point where Engelmann meets his compatriot named Richter. Richter

Online News Editor (2021-02-01). Navalny supporters keep the pressure on Putin in new wave of protests. laprensalatina.com By Celine Aemisegger Moscow, Jan 31 (efe-epa).- Supporters of Alexei Navalny on Sunday kept the pressure on President Vladimir Putin by turning out for large protests all across Russia to demand the release from jail of the opposition leader and to express their indignation with the country's economic and social situation, and they did so …

Online News Editor (2021-02-01). The guardians of Istanbul's cultural heritage. laprensalatina.com Istanbul, Feb 1 (efe-epa).- Istanbul has been a site of human settlement for around 3,000 years and nowadays it is a cradle of cultural and historical heritage points that plot the city's evolution over time. Byzantine churches, walls and cisterns rub shoulders with Ottoman mosques, fountains and tombs in the Turkish city that straddles Europe …

Online News Editor (2021-02-01). Atletico de Madrid downs Cadiz 4-2 in road win. laprensalatina.com Cadiz, Spain, Jan 31 (efe-epa).- Atletico de Madrid on Sunday notched a well-deserved 4-2 road win over Cadiz with two goals by Luis Suarez and one each from Saul àëiguez and Koke Resurreccion to strengthen its lead atop the Spanish First Division soccer table with its eighth straight La Liga win, now sitting pretty with …

Online News Editor (2021-02-01). Moscow doubles down on arrests of peaceful pro-Navalny protesters. laprensalatina.com Moscow, Feb 1 (efe-epa).- The Kremlin on Monday defended the actions of Russian police during peaceful protests a day early in over 140 cities across the country that led to the arrests of over 5,400 people. Moscow says the detentions were justified as none of the protests were legally authorized. "The police act in a …

_____ (2021-02-01). VIDEO: New START Extension a Step in Right Direction. strategic-culture.org The balance of nuclear power probably saved humanity during the Cold War. But since the end of the Cold War, the Russians feel that Washington has rarely kept their word especially regarding NATO expansion and Russia's sovereignty. So should the Russians expect Washington to keep its end of the bargain and willingly disarm itself?>

Matthew Rozsa (2021-02-01). The Dyatlov Pass incident, one of the most famous missing hiker mysteries, may have just been solved. salon.com In 1959, nine Russian hikers unexpectedly went missing. Scientists finally have a compelling theory as to why…

news.un (2021-02-01). Libya vote offers renewal and reconciliation chance, says veteran UN negotiator. news.un.org All Libyans have a chance at national reconciliation and renewal once the country's representatives, who have begun meeting in Switzerland, vote on a new executive, UN negotiator Stephanie Williams said on Monday.