(2022-02-13). Probability of hostilities outbreak between Russia and Ukraine extremely low – expert. tass.com Russian leaders confirm absence of any aggressive plans regarding Ukraine at all levels during several months, head of the Russian International Affairs Council Andrey Kortunov added…
(2022-02-13). German State Plans Hundreds of Artificial Energy Islands to Deploy North Sea Wind. juancole.com By Jessica Bateman | — The northernmost German state of Schleswig-Holstein has announced it wants to help push forward the energy transition by building artificial power islands in the North Sea, newspaper Die Zeit reported. Tobias Goldschmidt, the state's energy secretary, said the energy produced on "hundreds" of offshore plants could be bundled and then …
(2022-02-13). U.S. states begin rolling back mask mandates as COVID-19 cases fall. america.cgtn.com Children in many K -12 schools across the United States have been wearing masks to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. But with coronavirus case numbers on their way down again, from a national peak in mid-January, some states are deciding to roll back …
(2022-02-13). Quad is a tool to contain China: Foreign Ministry spokesperson. ecns.cn Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Friday described the Quad, an informal alliance between the United States, Japan, Australia and India, as a "tool to contain China."
(2022-02-13). Labor-Indigenous solidarity spotlighted. iacenter.org February 11, 2022 On Jan. 20, hours before members of Boston School Bus Drivers, United Steelworkers Local 8751, were scheduled to take a strike vote, the drivers' transnational, private employer Transdev and its City of Boston client came to the negotiating table with substantially more wages than the union was officially demanding. But even in this unprecedented situation, the 1,000-strong Local 8751 made another pass which emphasized solidarity with the communities the union serves. Paid job training to recruit young drivers from the communities, COVID-19 protections, benefits for elder retirees and correcting…
(2022-02-13). Starbucks fires entire organizing committee in Memphis, union spreads to NYC. iacenter.org By Arjae Red February 11, 2022 Seven Starbucks workers at the Poplar and Highland Starbucks in Memphis, Tennessee, were fired Feb. 8 in the most vicious and blatant act of union busting by the company so far. These firings accounted for approximately 35% of the total workforce in the store, according to the press statement released by Starbucks Workers United. Among those fired was the entire union Organizing Committee, comprised of mostly Black and Brown workers. Protesters, union organizers picket outside Memphis, Tenn., Poplar-Highland Starbucks store to protest mass firing Feb. 9. "I was fired by Starbucks to…
(2022-02-13). Canada: A right-wing, air-horn insurrection. iacenter.org By Paddy Colligan and G. Dunkel February 12, 2022 Update — Saturday, Feb. 12, 2: 30 PM Ottawa: Even though Ottawa's premier, Doug Ford, declared a state of emergency on Friday, Feb. 11, threatening harsh penalties, and local police were reinforced with provincial and federal officers, the cops have not done much to unblock Canada's capital. Some truckers have removed their tires and drained their brakes to make their trucks very difficult to move. Towing companies are reluctant to tow their best customers. Vehicles block route leading from the Ambassador Bridge, linking Detroit and Windsor, as truckers conti…
(2022-02-13). The Cover-up Begins: Philip Zelikow's Questionable Role in Proposed Bipartisan COVID-19 Commission. libya360.wordpress.com Jeremy Kuzmarov Philip Zelikow's Role in Proposed Bipartisan COVID-19 Commission Raises Serious Doubts About its Credibility Zelikow was Executive Director of the 9/11 Commission which suppressed evidence and misrepresented facts A bipartisan group of senators, led by Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Burr (R-NC), has developed legislation to create a commission to investigate the origins…
(2022-02-13). We Won't Rest in Defending the Revolution. orinocotribune.com By William Grigsby Vado — Feb 10, 2022 | Let us begin with the decision taken by the National Assembly at the request of the Ministry of the Interior to cancel the legal status of a handful of non-governmental organizations which in practice are fronts for European and North American interference in Nicaragua's internal affairs. I believe that the logic that must be understood in this type of decision is the logic of the defense of the power of the Nicaraguan people, the defense of revolutionary power. In other words, in this logic we must understand that these types of decisions are not capricious, they are…
(2022-02-13). Freedom Convoy 2022: The Rising of Unity and International Solidarity. globalresearch.ca These of the words of a duly elected head of government, who claims to represent Canadians: | "The small fringe minority who are on their way to Ottawa who are holding unacceptable views that they're expressing do not represent the views …
(2022-02-12). Propagandist For Syria Terror Proxies Compromised Amnesty International. popularresistance.org This December, The Grayzone exposed how a shadowy communications firm, Valent Projects, enlisted a prominent YouTube influencer to front a covert state-sponsored influence operation designed to undermine critics of London's pandemic policies. That company was founded by Amil Khan, a veteran of long-running and lavishly funded UK Foreign Office information warfare operations in Syria.
(2022-02-12). Concern as auctioneer collapses at Indian cricket showpiece. rt.com 
Hugh Edmeades collapsed on stage due to having low blood pressure, said the IPL | The Indian Premier League (IPL) suspended its auction temporarily when auctioneer Hugh Edmeades collapsed on stage during the two-day event in Bangalore. | Edmeades was conducting the leading cricket championship's auction, which sees stars assigned to new teams for the upcoming season, for the fourth successive campaign. | During the third set of players, however, he collapsed on the podium which shocked those in attendance. | The IPL later confirmed that 62-year-old Edmeades' fall was caused by low blood pressure, and a reporte…
(2022-02-12). Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and New Zealand. wsws.org India: Andhra Pradesh government-sector workers strike; Tamil Nadu railway workers oppose extended hours; Thailand: Truck drivers protest high fuel costs; New South Wales Nurses vote to walk out; INPEX LNG workers to strike in Northern Territory…
(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). Modi blames losses from COVID-19 lockdown on Indian opposition parties. wsws.org By attacking lockdowns, Modi is trying to justify the policy of mass infection that his government is pursuing.
(2022-02-12). Drivers, delivery workers rally for union, higher pay. themilitant.com NEW YORK — More than 100 Uber, Lyft and other app-based ride and food-delivery workers and their supporters from New York City and Long Island rallied here Feb. 1 demanding higher pay, better working conditions, an end to arbitrary employer deactivations and for access to bathrooms and the right to form a union. | The rally was called to announce the formation of Justice for App Workers, a coalition of mainly local groups of drivers and delivery workers. Speakers addressed the rally in English, Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Tibetan and Uzbek, reflecting the heavily immigrant workforce. | There are 100,000 or mor…
(2022-02-12). Nadal's uncle delivers GOAT snub to Djokovic. rt.com 
Toni Nadal claimed his nephew Rafael would be the undisputed GOAT in tennis without so many injuries | Tennis ace Rafael Nadal's uncle claimed his nephew would be the sport's undisputed greatest of all time were it not for so many injuries, as he also snubbed Novak Djokovic and criticized the world number one for his Australian visa and vaccine scandal. | After Djokovic was denied the right to defend his Australian Open crown in Melbourne despite receiving a medical exemption, Nadal went on to beat Daniil Medvedev in the final and therefore surpassed Djokovic and Roger Federer on 21 Grand Slam wins. | Accordin…
(2022-02-12). 12 major US cities broke murder records in 2021 — senator. rt.com 
Republican senator blames 'soft on crime' Democratic leaders | Twelve major American cities experienced record-breaking homicide numbers in 2021, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) revealed during a Republican press conference earlier this week. The senator blamed "soft on crime" Democratic leaders, noting all 12 cities were run by party members. | "Crime is surging across this country," Cruz warned, pointing out that not only were murder rates on the rise but assaults and carjackings are also through the roof. The crime spike, he said, is a "direct result of Democrats' soft-on-crime policies." | The 12 cities the Rep…
(2022-02-12). Apple admits unwanted tracking. rt.com 
The Big Tech company has announced a new policy on the malicious usage of its AirTags | Apple has come to admit that at least one of its products, the AirTag tracking device, is being misused for "malicious or criminal purposes." The company said it will change its policies in an effort to curb criminality and violations of privacy. |
(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). 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). 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). The Left has culture, but the World still belongs to the banks: The Sixth Newsletter (2022). mronline.org 
Dear friends, Greetings from the desk of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. '[T]here is great intellectual poverty on the part of the right wing', Héctor Béjar says in our latest dossier, A Map of Latin America's Present: An Interview with Héctor Béjar (February 2022). 'There is a lack of right-wing intellectuals everywhere'. Béjar speaks …
(2022-02-12). WATCH Canadian truckers defy court injunction, maintain border blockade. rt.com 
Anti-vaccine mandate truckers refused to back down despite the threat of impending arrests and fines | Canadian protesters opposing Covid-19 curbs and vaccine mandates have defied a court injunction and government warnings to maintain their days-long blockade of the Ambassador Bridge, which has paralyzed trade and traffic at the busiest land border crossing into the US. | According to videos circulating on social media, demonstrators overwhelmingly voted to continue occupying access roads to the bridge minutes before Friday's order by the Ontario Superior Court took effect at 7pm local time. The protesters can…
(2022-02-12). New Zealand uses unusual tactics to flush out anti-mandate protesters. rt.com 
The parliament speaker used sprinklers and blasted annoying music to scare away demonstrators camping outside | Hundreds of anti-vaccine mandate protesters camped outside New Zealand's parliament in the capital city of Wellington throughout Saturday, despite the authorities' unconventional techniques to flush them out. | The parliament speaker, Trevor Mallard, said he ordered the sprinkler system to be turned on to flood the lawn where the protesters set up camp. The use of sprinklers in addition to heavy rain turned the lawn outside the parliament into a muddy field, videos from the scene show. | "I ordered t…
(2022-02-12). °La solución a la desigualdad global es el socialismo! workers.org 
En todo el mundo, miles de millones de personas están sufriendo pérdidas increíbles como consecuencia de la incapacidad y la negativa del capitalismo a abordar seriamente la pandemia del COVID-19. Millones han perdido la vida o a sus seres queridos. Las familias se han quedado sin casa. Los trabajadores se . . . |
(2022-02-12). US nuclear reactors contain 'fake' parts, watchdog finds. rt.com 
The investigation followed whistleblower allegations about the use of counterfeit items in 'most, if not all' plants | An unspecified number of US nuclear power plants contain counterfeit parts that could potentially lead to "serious" safety risks, an investigation by the federal nuclear industry watchdog has found. The new report revealed that the Energy Department (DOE) had flagged over 100 "incidents" of fake parts in reactors last year. | The
(2022-02-12). Thousands of protesters swarm Australian parliament (VIDEOS). rt.com 
The demonstrators, who have been in Canberra over a week, want an immediate end to Covid restrictions | Protesters gathered at Parliament House in the Australian capital, Canberra on Saturday, demanding an end to coronavirus measures. The demonstrators, who arrived by truck, car, and bus over the last week, had Video footage of the demonstration showed crowds of people streaming into the city and assembl…
(2022-02-12). Candidate slammed for shooting at opponents in ad. rt.com 
Republican Senate candidate's ad features an 'Old West'-style showdown with Democratic rivals | Jim Lamon, a Republican candidate for the Senate in Arizona, has been roasted by the media for a campaign ad in which he shoots at Democratic rivals — including President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — portrayed by lookalike actors in a stylized 'Old West' scenario. | Lamon attracted particular criticism for including incumbent Arizona Senator Mark Kelly (D) as a target. Kelly's wife, former Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords, was left with permanent brain damage after being shot in the head…
(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). 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). 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 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). AI could already be 'slightly conscious', expert claims. rt.com 
Other experts are skeptical, accusing the OpenAI researcher of "trolling" | The co-founder of a San Francisco-based AI research laboratory claimed in a Twitter post this week that "today's largest neural networks" could already be "slightly conscious." | Ilya Sutskever from OpenAI did not clarify what system or systems he was referring to, or how exactly he defines "slightly conscious." | It is possible he was referring to OpenAI's GPT-3 — an advanced language processing system developed for translation, question answering, and filling in missing words. | Sutskever's cryptic tweet quickly engendered a deb…
(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). 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). Mr. Fish: Demokracy and the Whole Point of Political Cartooning and Satire. scheerpost.com 
| Mr. Fish will be at the RECEPTION FOR MR. FISH: | Saturday, February 19: | 4-7 pm: | ROBERT BERMAN GALLERY: | 2525 Michigan Ave., Suite A5: | Santa Monica, CA 90404: |
| By Mr. Fish / Original to ScheerPost | Most people are…
(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). 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). 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). [Correspondence] The Global Drug Policy Index: its rationale and the role of civil society. thelancet.com One of our goals in creating the inaugural Global Drug Policy Index (GDPI) was to encourage debate about how to best measure and compare states' drug policies, and we therefore welcome well informed critical commentary. Although such commentary did feature in the World Report1 (for example, Harry Sumnall offered lucid and insightful criticism), we felt that this was not true across the piece.
(2022-02-12). Department of Homeland Security leaks security bulletin warning of far-right "trucker" protest culminating in occupation of Washington D.C. wsws.org Promoted by Fox and far-right politicians, the goal of the nascent trucker convoy is to rally fascists and militia members to abolish the few remaining COVID mitigation measures and occupy Washington D.C. sometime in March.
(2022-02-12). Falkland Islands of Contention between China and Britain. journal-neo.org 
Despite the active efforts of the White House, by various dirty machinations and the failed attempt at a "diplomatic boycott," to belittle the significance of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, these Games themselves, as well as the contacts held against their background by the Chinese authorities with the leaders of a number of foreign states, …
(2022-02-12). How The US Uses The NED To Export Obedience. popularresistance.org Today, Watchdog host Lowkey is joined by investigative journalist Matt Kennard to discuss how the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has infiltrated foreign media in an attempt to export obedience to the United States government and promote Washington's interests around the world.
(2022-02-12). US Attacks Against Cuba: Offensive or 'Counteroffensive'? orinocotribune.com By José Ramón Cabañas — Feb 8, 2022 | In conversations with neighbors, experts, young people, and following the thread of our national press, it is common to hear the assessment (true by the way) that there has been a brutal onslaught of the United States against Cuba in recent years. A number of arguments have been put forward that make this assertion undeniable, the evidence is everywhere. | However, it would be useful to dwell on a small question when assessing recent events: is it an offensive against our country, or a "counter-offensive?" Many readers will say, "who cares, it causes the same harm!" That…
(2022-02-12). Coup Plotter Cliver Alcala's Confession 'Compromises US National Security'. orinocotribune.com The United States does not want disclosure of classified materials that allegedly "involve Venezuela with drug trafficking," claiming that such information may cause "serious damage to national security" of the US. Such a decision came from the prosecutors in New York trying former Venezuelan general Clíver Alcalá Cordones of Operation Gideon fame, who has been accused on drug trafficking. This makes one wonder what information could Alcalá be supplying makes US intelligence conclude that it should be kept secret. | Alcalá, who was involved in the Operation Gideon and other plots to assassinate or abduct Venezuel…
(2022-02-12). FANB Neutralizes Explosives Planted by Colombian Terrorists in Apure School. orinocotribune.com The Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) of Venezuela neutralized explosives that were planted by Colombian terrorists at different locations in the Venezuelan state of Apure, including in a school. This was informed by the head of the Operational Strategic Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (CEOFANB), Domingo Hernández Lárez, who reported that a total of six explosive cylinders were deactivated, one of them found at the entrance of the Los Arenales Elementary School in the Arauca sector of Apure state, close to the border with Colombia. | This was part of the 2022 Bolivarian Shield Operation that t…
(2022-02-12). Venezuelan Authorities: Colombian Paramilitaries Fled Apure due to FANB Operation. orinocotribune.com On Friday, February 11, Venezuela's Sectorial Vice President of Political Sovereignty, Security and Peace, Major General Vladimir Padrino López reported that "the Bolivarian National Armed Force [FANB] has dealt heavy blows to the mafias and gangs that deal in drug and human trafficking, and which belong to the Colombian Armed Terrorist and Drug Trafficking Groups [TANCOL]." | He explained that it is due to the terrorist acts of TANCOL in Apure state that most of the FANB operations have focused there. TANCOL "is trying to secure that route [as their territory]," he stated. He praised the Strategic Operational Co…
(2022-02-12). Teamsters union denounces far-right so-called "trucker protest" liberationnews.org 
Representing 1.4 million workers mainly in the trucking industry in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is speaking out against the far-right "freedom convoy".
(2022-02-12). Blasphemy: How Many Circles of Hell are there for the Elite? dissidentvoice.org 
War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives. ‚Äï Smedley Butler, War is a Racket: The …