2021-02-07: News Headlines

Tibor Zenker (2021-02-07). "The burdens of the pandemic must not be passed on to the working class" peoplesdispatch.org The pandemic has exposed the inadequacy of the Austrian public health system, the failure of the federal government, and led to the acceleration of the economic crisis, writes Tibor Zenker, chairman of the Party of Labor of Austria…

Editor (2021-02-07). The Folly of Backing France's African Adventures. scheerpost.com U.S. Army photo by Spc. Yvette Zabala-Garriga/Released) By Maj. Danny Sjursen / AntiWar In Africa, Islamic State, and other Islamists, are just the tip of an underlying conflicts iceberg. Still, for decades, French Titanics — fueled by America — have rammed the symptomatic spire whilst ignoring the subsurface bulk of problems Paris largely caused or catalyzed. As for those running that nuance-free… |

_____ (2021-02-07). A Common Platform: Reimagining Data And Platforms. popularresistance.org On October 20, 2020, the US Department of Justice filed an antitrust action against Google, the first step in what might be one of the biggest anti-monopoly cases of this century. With Google controlling more than an 87% share of the U.S. search market and its parent company, Alphabet, now one of the largest and most valuable companies in history, the move is likely long overdue. Yet Google/Alphabet is not alone. Just weeks later, the European Commission formally accused Amazon of breaking EU antitrust rules by distorting competition in online retail markets. | At this point, it is relatively uncontroversial to p…

Ajit Singh (2021-02-07). China Detaining Millions of Uyghurs? Serious Problems With Claims by US-Backed NGO and Researcher 'LED by God' Against Beijing. anti-empire.com Text is from December 2019. | The US House of Representatives passed the To drum up support for the sanctions bill, Western governments and media outlets have portrayed the People's Republic as a human rights violator on par with Nazi Germany. Republican Rep. Chris S…

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

Juan Cole (2021-02-07). Denmark to build Artificial Island for Wind Farms to Power the Whole Country. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — AFP reports that Denmark's parliament has just committed to building an artificial island off its shores that will be home to hundreds of huge wind turbines. It is the largest construction project in Denmark's history, and will be as big as 80 football fields. It will be protected on three …

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

Online News Editor (2021-02-07). The Netherlands brought to standstill after first snow in over a decade. laprensalatina.com The Hague, Feb 7 (efe-epa).- Storm Darcy brought the first snow to the Netherlands in more than a decade, dumping up to 30 centimeters as rail, road and air traffic were all suspended on Sunday. The disruption has also affected Covid-19 testing centers, which have been closed for the next few days. The Netherlands Meteorological …

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

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

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

yenisafak (2021-02-07). Turkey 'friend and ally' to Libya: Interim PM. yenisafak.com Libya's new Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh on Sunday described Turkey as a "friend and ally", saying his government will work to achieve peace in war-torn Libya.This came in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, the first by a foreign news agency with the new premier after being elected to lead an interim government.On Friday, Libya's rival political groups agreed to form an interim unity government after five days of talks in Switzerland. Mohammad Younes Menfi was elected to head the Presidency Council of an interim government and Dbeibeh as its prime minister. Mossa Al-Koni and Abdullah Hussein Al-Laf…

yenisafak (2021-02-07). Turkish vice president to pay working visit to N Cyprus. yenisafak.com Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay will pay a working visit to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Feb. 10-11.Oktay will be accompanied by Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun and President of Digital Transformation Office Ali Taha Koc.On the first day of the visit, Oktay will meet with TRNC President Ersin Tatar, Prime Minister Ersan Saner and Parliament Speaker Onder Sennaroglu.During the two-day working visit, talks on a financial cooperation protocol between Turkey and the TRNC will also be held.The Presidential Digital Transformation…

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

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

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

Peadar O'Cearnaigh (2021-02-07). Northern Ireland's ministerial list of interests to 'be published this month'. thecanary.co A register of members' interests for However, once an MLA becomes a minister…

_____ (2021-02-07). Dealing With the Bosnian Conundrum. strategic-culture.org The stage is being set in the Republic of Srpska for what in Texas they call a double whammy. | There is a Serbian saying that when an idle priest can think of nothing better to do he entertains himself by baptising goats. Bosnia's High Representative Valentin Inzko apparently finds himself in a similarly absurd position. Oblivious to the Great Reset issues gripping the world around him and even of the dire condition of his own Bosnian raj, Inzko was busy over the last couple of days composing a letter to Nedeljko ƒåubriloviƒá, speaker of parliament in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia's Serb-…

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

_____ (2021-02-07). Why Israel Is Joining The Pentagon's 'Arab NATO'. popularresistance.org With none of the usual fanfare associated with such a momentous decision, the Pentagon announced last month a major reorganisation to bring Israel – for the first time – inside its military command in the Middle East alongside the Arab states. | Until now, Israel has belonged to the US military's European command, or Eucom, rather than the Middle Eastern one, known as Central Command, or Centcom. The decision effectively jettisoned the traditional wisdom that Israel's inclusion in Centcom would increase friction between the US and Arab states, and would make the latter more reluctant to share intelligence or coop…

Online News Editor (2021-02-07). Spain's FM begins Gulf tour in UAE. laprensalatina.com Cairo, Feb 7 (efe-epa).- Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Arancha Gonzalez Laya on Sunday arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), kicking off a Gulf trip that will also take her to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Spanish official held a meeting with the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Sheikh Saif …

Donald Monaco (2021-02-07). The Biden Presidency: Political Factionalism and Continuity. globalresearch.ca Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States amidst an armed fortress in the nation's capital on January 6, 2021. Twenty-five thousand National Guard troops were deployed to ensure a peaceful transition of power for …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-07). Egyptian student Ahmed Samir Santawy remanded to 15 days in prison. peoplesdispatch.org Ahmed Samir Santawy, a student of the Central European University (CEU) in Vienna, was detained by the police in Cairo on February 1, leading to an international outcry…

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

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-07). Students in Turkey continue protests in defense of academic autonomy. peoplesdispatch.org The protests in Turkey began on January 4 against the appointment of Melih Bulu, an outsider and loyalist of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as rector of Boƒüaziàßi University. They have continued despite hundreds of arrests by the police…

Armen Khachatryan (2021-02-07). The Russia-Africa Partnership. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | In this interview with Armen Khachatryan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer …

WSWS (2021-02-06). Europe nears 750,000 COVID-19 deaths as governments move to end lockdown restrictions. wsws.org Lockdowns in Europe are being ended in the knowledge that not only are new and more deadly variants of the virus developing, including the UK's B117, but they continue to infect, and at a higher rate.

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

The Local (2021-02-06). Denmark to Roll Out a 'Digital' Vaccine Passport in 3-4 Months. anti-empire.com The exact practical applications of the digital documentation are still under consideration, but its primary purpose is to facilitate a reopening of society. | "We are taking the first steps so that, before the end of February, you will be able to see your vaccination on (online health services platform) Sundhed.dk," acting finance minister Morten Bà∏dskov said. | "In three to four months, the digital corona passport will be ready for use for things like business trips," Bà∏dskov added. | The government and business representatives will decide on the exact applications of the vaccination 'passport' once…

RT (2021-02-06). 'Martian landscape': Sahara sand covers Alpine snow as early desert wind from Africa turns Europe orange (PHOTOS). rt.com Photographs from France showed orange skies above layers of snow as the sandy wind from the Sahara, known as sirocco, made its way across Europe weeks earlier than expected. | While pictures of the surreal scenes flooded social media on Saturday, the French are actually quite used to the annual phenomenon: the sandy wind is "not extremely rare," but it is "exceptional" that it is so early in the year,

Robert Jensen (2021-02-06). An Interview with: "A simple boy from the prairie" dissidentvoice.org When a European graduate student emailed to ask if I would participate in an assignment to "do an interview with one of my favourite authors," I said yes. My books have not exactly been best-sellers, and so I was an easy target for anyone describing me as a "favourite author." But beyond my gratitude for …

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

MEE and agencies (2021-02-06). New Libyan interim unity government met with cautious optimism. middleeasteye.net New Libyan interim unity government met with cautious optimism | UN-brokered deal could end a decade of chaos, but rival administrations face a difficult road ahead | Sat, 02/06/2021 – 15: 26 | Participants in UN talks on Friday in Switzerland voted government head to oversee the run-up to elections (AFP) | Libya's Tobruk administration welcomed Friday's announcement of a new interim gover…

_____ (2021-02-06). Sputnik V Gets an Unexpected Boost From NATO in Serbia. strategic-culture.org Aleksandar Pavic describes how the lack of either EU or NATO membership has proven to be an advantage for Serbia in a time of crisis. | Serbia has been one of the stars of the first weeks of the global vaccination effort to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. Differently from other European, and especially EU countries — despite its official

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

RT (2021-02-06). 'Best thing to ever happen to the Premier League': Football 'super-agent' hails Roman Abramovich's impact on English football. rt.com Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is the "best thing to ever happen to the Premier League" – that's the verdict of football super-agent Jonathan Barnett, who counts Welsh supremo Gareth Bale among his galaxy of clients. | Abramovich has pumped in countless millions since assuming control of the cash-strapped West London club in 2003, delivering a two-decade spell of (mostly) success during that time which has seen Chelsea claim five Premier League trophies, a Champions League title and numerous domestic cups. | The success under Abramovich's rule has seen the club assume a seat at European football's top table bu…

RT (2021-02-06). 'Round two!': UFC ace Merab Dvalishvili returns for 'rematch' with frozen lake after he was BUSTED OPEN in dive gone wrong (VIDEO). rt.com Georgian UFC star Merab Dvalishvili has shown that his sense of humor has remained intact after he returned to "rematch" the frozen lake which led to a nasty head wound and a trip to the emergency room earlier this week. | Dvalishvili caused a stir online when he released a video on Instagram showing him attempting to dive into what he thought was a snowy lake – but one sickening thud and a some gnarly head lacerations later, he quickly discovered that the lake had frozen over since the last time he had been there. | The 30-year-old, who is the 12th-ranked fighter in the UFC's bantamweight fold, was in clear d…

RT (2021-02-06). German farmers drive their tractors by Brandenburg Gate with message: 'Don't kill farms to save bugs' (VIDEO). rt.com A German farmers' group has staged a tractor ride through central Berlin to protest against the looming approval of new regulations, which they predict will cost many of their livelihoods in the name of environmental protection. | Dozens of agricultural vehicles drove through the streets of the German capital on Friday, passing by Alexanderplatz, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Victory Column. The tractors and semis were carrying slogans like "Agriculture needs a future," "When right becomes wrong, resistance becomes duty," and "Schulze is getting rid of us." | The latter refers to Federal Minister for the En…

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

Neil Francey (2021-02-06). [Perspectives] 30th anniversary of Australian legal ruling on second-hand smoke. thelancet.com Before the 1990s, where people smoked was generally unrestricted. Legislation prohibited smoking near explosives or flammable materials, in other hazardous areas, and in some but not all confined spaces. Smoking was largely unrestricted in many work places and most public spaces, such as theatre foyers, pubs, clubs, restaurants, and hotel rooms. In Australia, all this changed after Federal Court Justice Trevor Morling handed down judgment on Feb 7, 1991, in Australian Federation of Consumer Organisations Inc (AFCO) versus the Tobacco Institute of Australia Limited (TIA).

yenisafak (2021-02-06). New coronavirus variants cause concern in Spain. yenisafak.com While the peak of Spain's third wave appears to have passed, new variants are causing unease as Madrid confirmed Spain's first ever case of the Brazil variant on Friday.Spain has now detected all three of the variants that have alarmed health officials worldwide.The mutant virus was detected in a 44-year-old man who had flown into the Madrid airport from Brazil. He presented a negative PCR test upon arrival on Jan. 29, but officials gave him a rapid test and discovered he was contagious.After sequencing the virus, scientists can now confirm that he was carrying the variant, which some studies suggest increases th…

yenisafak (2021-02-06). Turkey's Erdogan congratulates Libya interim gov't leaders. yenisafak.com Turkey's president congratulated the leaders of Libya's interim government in a phone call on Saturday.Recep Tayyip Erdogan wished success to Mohammad Younes Menfi and Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbebibeh, who have been elected as head of the Presidential Council and prime minister, respectively, according to a statement by the Turkish Presidency."Turkey will continue its efforts for political unity, territorial integrity, stability, peace, security and prosperity in Libya and further enhance its cooperation with Libya in the new period," Erdogan said.Menfi and Dbebibah, who were chosen at the UN-led Libyan Political Di…

yenisafak (2021-02-06). Turkey eyes becoming 10th largest global economy. yenisafak.com Turkey is engaging in major investments and projects, hoping to become one of the world's top 10 largest global economies, the country's president said Saturday."To make our country one of the 10 biggest economies in the world, we've turned towards bigger investments in bigger projects," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said via video link at the opening ceremony of a bridge in the eastern Malatya province.Today, Turkey by itself is realizing more than half of all megaprojects being carried out in the world, Erdogan added.He added that the country aims to embrace the future with space technology, hi-tech, and artificial inte…

yenisafak (2021-02-06). At least 10 tons of bootleg alcohol seized in Turkey. yenisafak.com Turkish law enforcement forces seized at least 10 tons of bootleg alcohol in separate operations in two southeastern provinces of the country, sources said on Friday.As part of operations against illegal alcohol production and distribution, gendarmerie teams captured six tons of bootleg alcohol in the Birecik district of Sanliurfa province. Three people were also held for their alleged involvement.In a separate operation, police forces captured at least four tons of bootleg alcohol in a storehouse in the Sehitkamil district of Gaziantep province and held two suspects.Bootleg alcohol is made by using low-cost meth…

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

yenisafak (2021-02-06). EU keeps PKK on terrorism list. yenisafak.com The European Union on Friday renewed its terrorist list for a further six months.The sanctions list features 14 persons and 21 entities or groups, including the PKK and Dalokay Sanli, a senior figure of the terrorist group.Terrorist organizations DHKP/C, IBDA-C, and TAK — a PKK offshoot — are also on the list.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — also listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and the US — has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.In order to combat terrorism, the bloc freezes the funds and financial a…

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

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

Online News Editor (2021-02-06). Early Aston Villa goal extends Arsenal's winless run. laprensalatina.com Birmingham, United Kingdom, Feb 6 (efe-epa).- An early goal by Aston Villa's English forward Ollie Watkins added to Arsenal's recent woes as they lost 1-0 at Villa Park on Saturday. The defeat means the Gunners have now gone three Premier League games without winning. Just two minutes into the game, the 25-year-old Watkins' shot punished …

Online News Editor (2021-02-06). Draghi obtains large majority to form government. laprensalatina.com Rome, Feb 6 (efe-epa).- Mario Draghi, who has been put in charge of forming a government in Italy, has achieved a broad majority after securing the support of the decisive 5 Star Movement (M5S) and the ultra-right-wing League. The economist must now find a way to make such opposing political forces coexist. After securing the …