(2022-02-12). [Perspectives] Deirdre Cooper Owens: bringing context to systemic medical racism. thelancet.com In the 1790s, Franàßois Marie Prevost, a young French surgeon fresh from his medical training in Paris moved to Port-de-Paix, Haiti. "Of course at that time Haiti was France's most economically valuable colony", says historian Deirdre Cooper Owens. "So there he began some experimental work on enslaved Haitian women, trying to perfect the caesarean section." Prevost's sojourn coincided with the leadership of Toussaint Louverture, who had been born a slave, the fight for Haitian independence, and the abolition of slavery.
(2022-02-12). Spanish Eurofighter squadron lands in Bulgaria. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com NATOAllied Air CommandFebruary 11, 2022 Bulgarian and Spanish Fighter Aircraft to Implement Joint Air Policing Missions Spanish fighter jets landed at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria on 11 February 2022 to support the NATO Air Policing mission and work out air-to-air manoeuvres with their Bulgarian Allies. Spain will deploy up to 130 service members and …
(2022-02-12). Putin, Belarusian president discuss situation around West's response to Russia's proposals. tass.com Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko also touched upon "some issues related to future bilateral cooperation"
(2022-02-12). NATO chief holds emergency talks with leaders of main NATO powers, EU. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com NATOFebruary 11, 2022 NATO Secretary General takes part in meeting with US President Biden NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday (11 February 2022) took part in a virtual meeting organised by the President of the United States Joe Biden on Russia's continued military build-up in and around Ukraine, and its implications for European and …
(2022-02-12). Possible link between Covid vaccines and menstrual disorders prompts investigation. rt.com 
The European Medicines Agency has decided to reassess its own conclusions following multiple reports and scientific findings | The European health watchdog has The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Friday that its safety committee (PRAC) "is assessing reported cases of heavy menstrual bleeding…
(2022-02-12). Ukraine's president asks West to share evidence of alleged Russian invasion. rt.com 
Russia says the West is 'mocking' the Ukrainians and common sense | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on his allies to share information about the alleged Russian invasion, prompting Russia to accuse the West of "mocking" the Ukrainians and common sense. | Zelensky's remarks come as the crisis over Ukraine is deepening, with NATO forces building up their presence in Eastern Europe. They explain their actions as an attempt to prevent Russia from attacking, despite Moscow's numerous denials of such intentions. On Friday, a number of Western news outlets, quoting unnamed US officials, published st…
(2022-02-12). US & European Partners Finalizing Anti-Russia Sanctions, SWIFT Ban Off Table – Reports. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States and its European partners are finalizing sanctions targeting major Russian banks should the Ukraine situation escalate, but banning Russia from the SWIFT financial system is off the table, Reuters reported citing US and European Union officials.
(2022-02-12). Top U.S. European/NATO commander sends F-15s to Poland, F-16s to Romania, nuclear-capable B-52s to Britain. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com These are the five most recent stories on the website of U.S. European Command, which shares its top commander, General Tod Wolters, with NATO as the latter's Supreme Allied Commander Europe. On Memorial Day last year the U.S. deployed B-52s with NATO escorts to fly over NATO's thirty members states in one day: Memorial Day: …
(2022-02-12). Pentagon sends 3,000 more paratroopers to reinforce 40,000-troop NATO Response Force. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Air Force TimesFebruary 11, 2022 3,000 more paratroopers head to Europe amid White House warnings of Ukraine invasion Thousands more soldiers are preparing to deploy to Eastern Europe as Russia-Ukraine tensions continue, the Pentagon announced Friday. Three thousand members of the 82nd Airborne Division would join 3,000 troops already mobilized to Poland, Germany and Romania. …
(2022-02-12). [Comment] Offline: Complacency threatens progress against COVID-19. thelancet.com Hans Kluge, WHO's Regional Director for Europe, has been reported as saying that European nations could soon be entering a "long period of tranquillity" as the pandemic abates. Pointing out that mortality from COVID-19 seemed to be plateauing, he suggested the continent was approaching a "plausible endgame" and an "enduring peace". As WHO's chief spokesperson for the 53 countries that make up his regional responsibility, Kluge was no doubt seeking to strike an optimistic and encouraging note. But it is disappointing that he took such a narrow geographical perspective about a global pandemic.
(2022-02-12). [Editorial] Health and health care in Ukraine: in transition and at risk. thelancet.com The crisis in Ukraine continues to intensify. Russian troops are massing near the Ukrainian border and the US military is reinforcing its NATO allies in Europe. Meanwhile, diplomatic talks are loaded with accusations but little resolution, and Ukrainian forces are already fighting Russia-backed separatists in the east. With the world's attention on the geopolitical situation in the region, there is a danger that the ordinary lives and health of Ukrainians are forgotten.
(2022-02-12). Tensions not to ease with Moscow's security concerns ignored: Russian defense chief. ecns.cn Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday that if the West fails to resolve Moscow's fundamental security concerns, it will be impossible to reduce tensions and build Europe's security architecture.
(2022-02-12). From seabed to space: NATO's new transatlantic command signs pact with Norway for High North. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com NATO's Joint Force Command is based in Norfolk, Virginia which also hosts NATO's Allied Command Transformation and the world's largest naval base, Naval Station Norfolk. The command was inaugurated last year in conjunction with NATO's Joint Support and Enabling Command in Ulm, Germany. The first expedites the shipment of troops, arms and equipment across the …
(2022-02-12). [Correspondence] Stigma, vaccination, and moral accountability. thelancet.com Gàºnter Kampf1 argues that use of the term pandemic of the unvaccinated by officials in Germany is both overly simplistic and dangerous. The danger he says arises from "engender[ing] negative experiences by stigmatising parts of the population…I call on high-level officials and scientists to stop the inappropriate stigmatisation of unvaccinated people, who include our patients, colleagues, and other fellow citizens".1 I leave it to epidemiologists to comment on whether the description that Kampf condemns is simplistic.
(2022-02-12). Hungary's gov't says no to extra NATO troops. ecns.cn The government of Hungary will not accept further North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops on the country's soil as part of maneuvers related to the Ukraine crisis, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said here on Friday.
(2022-02-12). Romania bringing Moldova into NATO. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com AgerpresFebruary 11, 2022 Romanian, Moldovan defense ministers sign military education co-operation protocol Romania's Defence Minister Vasile Dincu and his Moldovan counterpart Anatolie Nosatii signed in Chisinau a protocol on co-operation in the field of military education on the sidelines of a joint meeting of the national governments of Romania and Moldova hosted by Chisinau. *** …
(2022-02-12). Romania: U.S. F-16s, German Eurofighters added to NATO buildup along eastern flank. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com NATOAllied Air CommandFebruary 11, 2022 US aircraft heading to Romania to enhance NATO collective defence American fighter aircraft will arrive at Fetesti Air Base, Romania, February 11, to enhance NATO's collective defence posture and support the NATO Air Policing mission, joining Italian fighters already deployed in Romania. U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 52nd Fighter …
(2022-02-12). Seventy-Seven Years Ago, U.S. and Russia Signed Historic Agreement at Yalta. covertactionmagazine.com With tensions between the U.S. and Russia at historic levels and threat of a hot war breaking out in Ukraine, …
(2022-02-12). Biden is rooting for Russia to invade Ukraine, Tulsi Gabbard says. rt.com 
The former US congresswoman suggests US and NATO want Moscow to attack so they can impose "draconian" sanctions and enrich the military-industrial complex | President Joe Biden and his NATO allies could easily prevent war in Ukraine but would rather see Russia invade their ally to justify harsh sanctions against Moscow and spur a money-making cold war, former US congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said on Friday in a Fox News interview with Tucker Carlson. | Gabbard, an Iraq war veteran who ran unsuccessfully for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, made her comments as Biden's administration and US media outl…
(2022-02-12). Russia 'Optimising' Staff Stationed in Ukraine Out of Fear of Provocations, Moscow Says. sputniknews.com According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Western media reports about Russia pulling out its diplomats from Kiev are fake and were used as a pretext for the West to withdraw its diplomats.
(2022-02-12). Diplomatic efforts underway to defuse Russia-Ukraine tensions. ecns.cn As uncertainty on the Russia-Ukraine border keeps growing, intensive diplomatic efforts are underway, aiming to resolve the tensions through peaceful settlement.
(2022-02-12). US State Department Tells Non-Emergency Personnel at US Embassy in Ukraine to Leave Country. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) -The US State Department has told non-emergency personnel at its embassy in Ukraine to leave due to reports of Russian troop build-up near the border with Ukraine and "potential for significant military action," the US embassy in Kiev said.
(2022-02-12). Putin and Macron discuss Ukrainian crisis. rt.com 
Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron have held phone talks on the standoff centered around Ukraine | Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron held phone talks on Saturday, discussing the Ukrainian crisis as well as other international security issues. | The two leaders discussed "the provocative speculations around the allegedly planned Russian 'invasion' of Ukraine, which provide background while the country is getting pumped with modern weaponry," the Kremlin press service said in a statement. | Russia's president also underlined the "reluctance" displayed by "leading Western…
(2022-02-12). US accelerates troop deployments as Biden threatens "world war" with Russia. wsws.org Washington and its NATO allies are concocting a strategy to provoke a war with Russia over Ukraine under conditions where they can also try to blame Russia for it.
(2022-02-12). Minsk remains only path to Ukraine peace. rt.com 
Increasingly alarmist warnings of a Russian invasion overlook the fact there is a roadmap for de-escalation | Some war scares are short; others don't stop giving. And if they last long enough, they may even lead to a real war. The intense stand-off between Russia and the West over Ukraine that began last October has just escalated again, with US President Joe Biden and his administration issuing new, and once again urgent, alarms about, in effect, an imminent large-scale Russian invasion, complete with instructions for American citizens to leave Ukraine immediately. | Several other governments have followed su…
(2022-02-12). US propaganda campaign on 'Russian aggression' against Ukraine is provocative – Lavrov. tass.com The minister stressed that the propaganda crusade on 'Russia's aggression' against Ukraine unleashed by the United States and its allies pursued provocative goals…
(2022-02-12). Russia issues warning to US. rt.com Another round of negotiations between Moscow and Washington on Ukraine has been held ahead of crucial talks | Another round of Russia-US negotiations on the Ukraine crisis, on Saturday, saw Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warn his American counterpart, Antony Blinken against a "propaganda campaign" over an alleged plan by Moscow to attack Ukraine. | Both foreign and defense ministers of the two countries held phone conversations over "security issues of mutual interest," ahead of crucial talks between the presidents of Russia and the US, Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, in the evening. | According to a statement f…
(2022-02-12). Putin tells Macron there is no substantive response to Russian security guarantees. tass.com Provocative speculations about alleged Russian plans to invade Ukraine were in the focus of a telephone conversation between Russian President and his French counterpart…
(2022-02-12). How Chechen terrorists overran a hospital, murdered dozens and made Russia tremble. rt.com 
Chechen separatists captured a hospital in southern Russia. They managed to get what they wanted and get away. | Terrorism — plane hijacking and hostage crises — was not a concept entirely unfamiliar to the USSR, but it was post-Soviet Russia where terrorism became an oppressively grim backdrop to everyday life. While in the USSR, terrorist attacks had been perpetuated by ordinary criminals, the wars that took place in former Soviet countries gave rise to separatists and Islamist zealots. The 1995 Budyonnovsk tragedy, in which Chechen terrorists took an entire hospital hostage, left many wounded and…
(2022-02-12). US exploits Quad meeting in Australia to condemn Russia. wsws.org The failure of the US, Japan, Australia and India to concur over the Ukraine crisis did not stop the four powers from targeting China, despite the Indian external affairs minister's claim that the grouping was not directed "against" anyone.
(2022-02-12). Explosion in eastern Ukraine — reports. rt.com 
The news comes amid heightened tensions between NATO and Russia | Several unverified reports on social media and in local media have claimed that a large bang could be heard in the territory of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine on Saturday. Some alleged eyewitnesses said they felt a "shockwave." | Denis Pushilin, the top official in the region, told RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan that the blast occurred in the area controlled by Kiev and that, in his opinion, the situation is "under control" so far. He added that the explosion appeared to come from what he described as a "
(2022-02-12). Russia Kicks Off Massive 30+ Ship Drill in Black Sea to Protect Crimea. sputniknews.com The drills are part of a larger series of war games announced by the Russian Navy in January across multiple theatres and involving over 140 warships.
(2022-02-12). Meet Russia's Beijing golden girls. rt.com 
The quartet of Russian stars produced a blistering gold medal performance at the Winter Olympics | The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team has its third gold medal of the Beijing Winter Olympics after an imperious performance from the women's 4x5km cross-country relay team in China on Saturday. | The awesome Russian foursome romped home after a tussle with the second-placed Germans, while powerhouses Sweden were forced to settle for the bronze. | Russia's ROC stars celebrated wildly on clinching victory as youngster Veronika Stepanova anchored the final leg. | There was even a celebratory twirl on the podium…
(2022-02-12). New Zealand joins diplomatic offensive against Russia amid escalating war build-up. wsws.org The Labour-led government, the foreign policy establishment and a layer of pseudo-lefts have lined up with the escalating imperialist operation against Russia.
(2022-02-12). US withdraws military personnel. rt.com 
Washington has withdrawn its military advisers from Ukraine, as US officials warn of war | US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Saturday ordered 160 members of the Florida National Guard to leave Ukraine, as the UK made a similar move. Officials in Washington, based on evidence they refuse to make public, claim that Russia is preparing to invade the country. | "Secretary Austin has ordered the temporary repositioning of the 160 members of the Florida National Guard who have been deployed to Ukraine since late November," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Kirby said that the move was being made ou…
(2022-02-12). Russian diplomatic missions keep working in Ukraine – embassy. tass.com The diplomatic missions of various countries located in Ukraine have been lately reporting that they are evacuating their staff from that country or are considering this possibility over the escalation of tension there…
(2022-02-12). UK announces urgent troop withdrawal. rt.com 
British soldiers to leave Ukraine amid fears of a Russian attack, the armed forces minister discloses | The UK will remove all of its troops from Ukraine amid fears that Russia could invade its neighbor, Britain's armed forces minister, James Heappey, said on Saturday. | "All of them will be withdrawn," Heappey told BBC Radio 4's Today show. "There will be no British troops in Ukraine if there is to be a conflict there." | "They will be leaving over the course of the weekend," Heappey added. He urged British nationals to leave Ukraine immediately, arguing that Russia can attack "at no notice." On Friday, the U…
(2022-02-12). US nuclear submarine violates Russian waters — Defense Ministry. rt.com 
The Russian Navy has detected a US nuclear submarine in the country's territorial waters, chasing the vessel away, the country's military has said | A US Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine has been detected and chased away in Russian territorial waters off the Kuril Islands, Russia's Defense Ministry said on Saturday. | The vessel was found submerged off the small uninhabited island of Urup while Russia's Pacific Fleet was holding exercises in the area. Russian vessels contacted the submarine, warning it was in the country's territorial waters and ordering it to surface immediately, the military s…
(2022-02-12). Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists sounds warning over threat of nuclear war. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsFebruary 11, 2022 Putin reminds everyone that Ukraine joining NATO could lead to nuclear war Excerpts "[T]here will be no winners," [Russian President Vladimir Putin] said, describing a hypothetical future in which Ukraine had joined NATO and then attempted to invade Russian-occupied Crimea, "and you will find yourself drawn into this …
(2022-02-12). Russia to optimize its diplomatic staff in Ukraine – Foreign Ministry. tass.com "We want to highlight that our embassy and consulates will keep performing their basic functions," the Maria Zakharova says…
(2022-02-12). Russian Diplomats Start Leaving Ukraine Amid Escalation of Tensions, Source Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian diplomats and employees of the Russian consulates started leaving Ukraine, which made it more difficult to make an appointment at the diplomatic agencies, an informed source told Sputnik on Saturday.
(2022-02-12). Pentagon chief assures NATO counterparts of Article 5 commitment. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com U.S. Defense DepartmentFebruary 11, 2022 Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby provided the following readout: On Friday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with several of his NATO Ally counterparts to share with them his perspectives on Russian military force posture around Ukraine. Secretary Austin spoke with Polish Minister of National Defence Blaszczak, …
(2022-02-12). Blinken speaks to Lavrov about possible diplomatic solution to Ukraine crisis – State Dept. tass.com According to the document, Blinken "made clear that a diplomatic path to resolving the crisis remained open, but it would require Moscow to deescalate and engage in good-faith discussions"
(2022-02-12). US claims of Russian 'invasion' of Ukraine not backed by evidence – Russian ambassador. tass.com According to the Anatoly Antonov, even US observers "note that US citizens are becoming increasingly distrustful of such baseless claims."
(2022-02-12). World champion Gut-Behrami grabs gold in women's SG at Beijing 2022. ecns.cn Two-time world champion Lara Gut-Behrami from Switzerland added an Olympic gold medal into her collection after winning women's super-G at Beijing 2022 here on Friday.
(2022-02-12). Zelensky asks for proof of invasion of Ukraine allegedly planned for February 16. tass.com In addition, he said that there is too much information on the subject in the public space…
(2022-02-12). Macron's phone call with Putin about Ukraine lasted 1 hour 40 minutes, Elysee Palace says. tass.com According to an AFP source in the French president's administration, "the conversation focused on prospects for reducing tensions in the crisis around Ukraine"