(2022-02-19). Ukraine's NATO Membership Not on Agenda, Won't Happen in Foreseeable Future, German Chancellor Says. sputniknews.com Ukraine's ambassador to Germany has adamantly demanded membership in the Western alliance for his country, warning that Kiev may be forced to pursue nuclear weapons if its membership bid is declined. Last week, German media reported that officials in Berlin were consciously avoiding the "pain in the a**" diplomat over his "undiplomatic contact."
(2022-02-19). Hedges: Democrats, the More Effective Evil. orinocotribune.com By Chris Hedges — Feb 14, 2022 | The US is a de facto one-party state where the ideology of national security is sacrosanct, unsustainable debt props up the empire and the primary business is war. | When all else fails, when you are clueless about how to halt a 7.5% inflation rate, when your Build Back Better bill is gutted, when you renege on your promise to raise the minimum wage or forgive student debt, when you can't halt the Republican suppression of voting rights, when you have no idea how to handle the pandemic which has claimed 900,000 lives — 16% of the world's total deaths although we are les…
(2022-02-19). Russian region declares emergency amid influx of refugees. rt.com 
The two self-proclaimed Donbass republics in eastern Ukraine have announced they are evacuating civilians across the border | A Russian region bordering Eastern Ukraine has declared a state of emergency on Saturday, with reports of refugees from the separatist-held Donbass crossing over the border amid a military escalation with Kiev. | The self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) announced that they had begun evacuating civilians to Russia on Friday, with rebels and Ukrainian army forces accusing each other of shelling across the contact line. It is unclear how many…
(2022-02-19). Ukrainian breakaway republic shelled, RT crew nearby. rt.com 
A small town outside Donetsk came under fire as RT Arabic was covering the events | The area where an RT Arabic television channel crew was working came under fire in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in southeastern Ukraine on Saturday, the network has confirmed. According to preliminary information, nobody was injured. | "Our correspondent said that the incident has occurred in the town of Zaitsevo, located near the line of contact between the two sides of the conflict in Donbass," RT Arabic reported. | According to the channel's editor-in-chief Maya Manna, the reporter Maxim Al-Toury, his camera…
(2022-02-19). Gas company comments on blast amid escalation in eastern Ukraine. rt.com 
An explosion in the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic was reported around midnight | A gas company from the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) in eastern Ukraine has said that the blasts at a local pipeline were manmade. | "After assessing the damage, [we can say] that the cause of explosions is a sabotage," Tatyana Bogorodko, the director of Luganskgaz, said on Saturday. | The first blast was reported in the village of Malaya Vergunka outside Lugansk shortly after midnight. The second explosion occurred at a pipeline in Lugansk itself around half an hour later, the company said, adding th…
(2022-02-19). Explosion reported in southern Russia. rt.com 
Russian media quotes a police source as saying that a shell exploded close to the shared frontier | A shell has allegedly exploded on Russian territory, close to the border with the war-torn Donbass region of Ukraine, local media has reported. | On Saturday, Russian news agency RIA Novosti wrote that a police source in the southern Rostov region had claimed authorities were responding to the detonation in a rural community in the area. "The blast occurred at 4 am, 300 meters (984 feet) away from a house in the village of Mityakinskaya," the official said. | The incident reportedly occurred one kilometer (0.6 m…
(2022-02-19). 'Omens are grim' for Ukraine, UK PM warns. rt.com 
Boris Johnson called on Western nations to stand with Kiev and support sanctions against Moscow | Moscow could be just moments away from ordering a full-blown invasion of Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has alleged, amid reports of heavy shelling and explosions near the contact line in the Donbass. | Speaking at a press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Johnson claimed that the world is at "a very dangerous moment in history" and stands "on the brink of what could be a war in Europe." | "If Ukraine is invaded and if Ukraine…
(2022-02-19). Putin launches nuclear war drills (VIDEOS). rt.com 
The exercise is taking place amid tensions with the West over Ukraine | Russian President Vladimir Putin launched strategic drills on Saturday, and is following the exercises from the situation center in Moscow, along with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. | The drills involve both nuclear and non-nuclear weapons, and are being held amid the escalation in eastern Ukraine and continuing tensions with NATO. The Russian Defense Ministry said ahead of the maneuvers that they would include the "launching of ballistic and cruise missiles." The air force is set participate along with the country's Northern and…
(2022-02-19). Germany has no plans to allow Ukraine join NATO — Scholz. rt.com 
The German chancellor said the row between Russia and the West is potentially dangerous but can be resolved | NATO currently has no plans to admit Ukraine as a member despite Moscow's demands that the US-led military bloc pledge not to expand further towards its borders, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said amid a worsening standoff between the two former Soviet republics. | Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Berlin's top politician said that "Russia has made the issue of Ukraine's possible NATO membership a casus belli," effectively making it a pretext for war if Kiev's ambitions to joi…
(2022-02-19). Russia rejects Moscow's involvement in Ukraine cyberattacks. en.mehrnews.com Russian Embassy in Washington debunked claims of US Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger regarding Moscow's alleged involvement in the recent cyberattacks in Ukraine.
(2022-02-19). EU issues warning about Russian 'isolation'. rt.com 
Brussels' top official has warned of a return to the days of the Cold War | The worsening standoff between Russia and the West threatens to upend European security and ultimately could end up isolating Moscow in a way not seen since the days of the Soviet Union, the European Union has cautioned as an escalating crisis unfolds on the border with Ukraine. | Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that "the world has been watching in disbelief we face the largest build-up of troops on European soil since the darkest days of the Cold War." | A…
(2022-02-19). Valieva returns to hero's welcome in Moscow (VIDEO). rt.com 
Shouts of support were heard for the figure skater as a military band greeted Russian Olympians | Russian figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva walked through flanks of fans who offered words of support as she returned to Moscow from the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. | The eyes of the world have been on the 15-year-old prodigy during a campaign that began in history-making fashion as part of a team gold medal and ended in despair following a stuttering individual performance amid an anti-doping saga that is set to rumble on while she awaits a definitive verdict. | About 100 fans are said to have gathered…
(2022-02-19). British MP has Russia & China warning. rt.com 
The remarks come as Moscow and Beijing emphasize their deepening ties amid an impasse in eastern Europe | If the US and its partners in Europe hit Moscow with crippling embargoes, Russia could seek more economic and political cooperation with Beijing and form a pact with China against the West, a leading British lawmaker has warned. | Speaking to Sky News from Kiev on Thursday, Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood set out his view on the standoff between the two eastern European nations and what impact punitive measures could have in the event of a Russian incursion. | "Any sanctions that are imposed onto Russia, th…
(2022-02-19). UK Foreign Office blames Russia for cyberattacks on Ukrainian banks. tass.com Earlier on Friday, US Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Ann Neuberger made a similar claim…
(2022-02-19). Russians have hacked American military-industrial complex — US. rt.com 
The purported cyber attacks are said to date back at least two years | Russian government-backed hackers have been stealing "sensitive" information from American weapons companies for several years, a recent announcement by US security agencies has claimed. | The FBI, National Security Agency, and US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a report on Wednesday alleging that since at least January 2020, the hackers have been collecting information that is unclassified but contains "significant insight into US weapons platforms development and deployment timelines." | The attacks appare…
(2022-02-19). NATO did promise Moscow it wouldn't expand, former German defense official tells RT. rt.com 
Willy Wimmer told RT he personally witnessed the West vowing that NATO would not expand to the east | Despite their denials, Western leaders did make a promise to the USSR that NATO would not expand to Central and Eastern Europe when Moscow agreed to Germany's reunification, Willy Wimmer, a former vice president of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), has claimed in an interview with RT on Saturday. | The veteran politician, who served as parliamentary secretary to Germany's defense minister between 1985 and 1992, said that he personally witnessed this promise when he "sent Chancell…
(2022-02-19). Europe has next to no gas left — Gazprom. rt.com 
The EU has used up more than 95% of the gas it stored last summer | Underground gas storage facilities (UGS) in Europe were 95.3% empty as of February 17, Russia's state energy giant and major gas exporter Gazprom said on Saturday, citing data from Gas Infrastructure Europe. | This means that Europe now has only 4.7% of its gas reserves left for the remainder of the winter season. | The volume of active gas in storage facilities is 21% or 8.3 billion cubic meters less compared to the same time last year. In total, 44.8 billion cubic meters have already been withdrawn from Europe's UGS this winter. | According…
(2022-02-19). Haitian workers demand: 'Triple the minimum wage!'. workers.org 
Haiti faces a crisis of government legitimacy. The only elected officials in the country at any level whose terms have not expired are 10 senators. The date for the expiration of the term of Haiti's President Jovenel MoàØse would have been Feb. 7, 2022 — before he died by assassination . . . |
(2022-02-19). Another meeting of Quad Foreign Ministers. journal-neo.org 
On February 11, Melbourne hosted the fourth meeting of foreign ministers of the countries participating in the Quad, which consists of the United States, Japan, India and Australia. Since the creation of this alliance in 2019, Washington (together with Tokyo and Canberra) attempted, firstly, to expand the scope of activity beyond the framework of an …
(2022-02-19). Bella Hadid Condemns Indian State's Hijab Ban: 'It's Not Your Job to Tell Women What They Wear'. sputniknews.com The Indian state of Karnataka issued an order on 5 February making uniforms mandatory at pre-university colleges, thus banning religious clothing. The decision has sparked international furore, with many Islamic nations as well as Nobel laureate Malala Yousufzai, among others, voicing their concerns. India has rejected the criticism.
(2022-02-19). Unite for Feb. 26 — Workers Power Day! workers.org 
Solidarity with Starbucks, Amazon and all workers who are organizing and fighting back Fight against racism and all forms of oppression and exploitation — these struggles are part and parcel of the workers movement. Black Lives Matter! Unite our many struggles into one powerful force! Starbucks workers are leading an . . . |
(2022-02-19). Workers now organizing unions in over 100 Starbucks stores. workers.org 
Blatant, racist acts of union-busting by Starbucks have only poured fuel on the fire of worker organizing. Seven Starbucks workers were fired Feb. 8 in Memphis, Tennessee, including the entire union Organizing Committee for the store, comprised of mostly Black and Brown workers. Now, the total number of stores organizing . . . |
(2022-02-19). Education workers fight for justice. workers.org 
Education workers are adding to a recent surge of worker organizing across the country and around the world, a surge that is energizing the solidarity of the working class. This surge is reminding the capitalists that they are dependent on the labor of workers and that decent wages and safe . . . |
(2022-02-19). Britain loses Olympic medal over sprinter's doping shame. rt.com 
The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed that British sprinter CJ Ujah's Tokyo 2020 sample contained two banned substances | Team GB has been stripped of the silver medal its men's 4×100-meter relay won at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed that sprinter CJ Ujah's test sample showed traces of two banned substances. | Ujah's sample was taken after the event in August, when he ran alongside teammates Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty, and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake. According to CAS, traces were found of two banned performance-enhancing substances that help…
(2022-02-19). Classified docs found at Trump's resort. rt.com 
Items marked as 'classified national security information' have been discovered in boxes kept at the former US president's mansion | A total of 15 boxes recently returned to the US National Archives from Donald Trump's private residence in Florida contained items marked as classified, the agency revealed on Friday. A letter sent to a House of Representatives committee, which is investigating Trump's alleged mishandling of presidential records, says the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) discovered some classified data and has been in communication with the Department of Justice on the matter.
(2022-02-19). China highlights metaverse risks. rt.com 
The virtual space network is the primary target of scammers and fraudsters, regulator warns | The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission warned on Friday about the associated risks the emerging metaverse technology could bring as the virtual space fever sweeps the world. | The watchdog said in a statement published on its website that some companies were engaging in illegal fund-raising, fraud, and virtual real estate speculation. | "Beware of being duped, and if you find clues of suspected illegal crimes, please actively report this to the relevant local departments," it said. | The official warnin…
(2022-02-19). The West still misunderstands the man who shaped China's rise. rt.com 
25 years after the death of former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, his legacy remains complicated | Saturday, February 19, marks 25 years since the death of Deng Xiaoping, the leader who succeeded Mao Zedong and oversaw a fundamental transition in China's place in the world with a policy dubbed For those in the West, Deng's reign, which began in 1978, heralded a hope that China was going to become more open and more liberal, and that its transition towards market-bas…
(2022-02-19). Oakland ILWU. OEA, Students & Community Rally To Stop Privatization & Union Busting. indybay.org Hundreds of ILWU Longshoreman, OEA teachers, students, labor and community activists rallied against the privatization of the Port Of Oakland Howard Terminal to the GAP A's billionaire owner John Fisher for a stadium and 3,000 condos and also against the closure of public schools in Oakland.
(2022-02-19). Oakland Protest to Stop Port Privatization, A's Fisher Stadium Scam & OUSD School Closure. indybay.org IlWUpart of protest at Oakland City Hall…
(2022-02-19). 'Naive' govt policy poses 'catastrophic' security risk — media. rt.com 
Interviews for 'top secret' UK jobs are being done by video call, whistleblowers warn | British military personnel, civil servants, and private contractors applying for positions with access to "top secret" information are no longer automatically vetted in person, whistleblowers have revealed to The Telegraph. The UK risks a "catastrophic security breach" due to this shift toward virtual vetting, they warned. | Officers in the UK Security Vetting Department (UKSV) have raised concerns with the Cabinet Office over retaining online interviews via phone and video conferencing as part of the selection process, the…
(2022-02-19). Global semiconductor sales jump amid shortage. rt.com 
Chip production and sales soar to unprecedented levels to meet high demand | Global computer chip industry sales reached the highest-ever annual total of $555.9 billion last year, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported this week. The figure represents an increase of 26.2% compared to the 2020 total of $440.4 billion. | The association went on to report that the industry shipped a record 1.15 trillion units in 2021 in response to high demand. | "In 2021, amid the ongoing global chip shortage, semiconductor companies substantially ramped up production to unprecedented levels to address persistentl…
(2022-02-19). Indigenous Zapotecs Denounce Dispossession in Jalapa del Marqués, Oaxaca. itsgoingdown.org Communique from the Indigenous Zapotec community assembly of Jalapa del Marqués, Oaxaca, denouncing ongoing attempts of dispossession being carried out by local power holders aligned with the state. To the Zapatista Army of National Liberation To the National Indigenous Congress-Indigenous Governing Council To the Isthmus People To the Indigenous Peoples, Organizations, and Collectives of the…
(2022-02-19). More than 3.06b COVID-19 vaccine doses administered on Chinese mainland. ecns.cn The number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered on the Chinese mainland has reached over 3.06 billion on Wednesday, data from the National Health Commission showed Tuesday.
(2022-02-19). Tuesday 3/8: Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights on International Women's Day! indybay.org Rally starts at noon in Sproul Plaza on UC Berkeley Campus (public welcome) | Entrance near Telegraph and Bancroft | One hour rally to be followed by march through the city of Berkeley.
(2022-02-19). Australia Accuses Chinese Guided-Missile Destroyer of Aiming Laser at Its Surveillance Aircraft. sputniknews.com The incident comes amid strained ties between Australia and China over Prime Minister Scott Morrison demanding an international enquiry into the origins of COVID-19 and an ongoing trade war between the two nations. China, Australia's largest trading partner, is also unhappy about Canberra's membership of US-led alliances such as Quad and AUKUS.
(2022-02-18). Breakaway Ukrainian region orders evacuation. rt.com 
(2022-02-18). Ukraine's security council chief sees no threat of Russian attack. tass.com Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Alexey Danilov said Kiev is registering "provocations by Russia in Donbass"
(2022-02-18). Lavrov labels Western 'Russia invasion' claims 'propaganda, fakes and fiction'. rt.com 
"If they enjoy it, let them," the foreign minister told RT regarding claims from officials and media | Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has lashed out at Western officials who have been peddling the purported threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Apparently, they do it for the sheer pleasure of accusing Moscow, he told RT in an exclusive interview on Friday. | "I am certain that even casual observers of foreign policy have long confirmed to themselves that all of it is propaganda, fake news, fiction," Lavrov said of the accusations. | He suggested that Western officials making such claims simply like…
(2022-02-18). Putin to take part in nuclear war drills. rt.com 
The strategic weapons exercises are scheduled to take place on Saturday | Russian President Vladimir Putin will take direct command of scheduled ballistic missile training on Saturday, which will see the country's military test its nuclear capabilities, Moscow has confirmed. | Officials released a statement on Friday, writing, "on February 19, under the supervision of the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, a planned exercise of the forces of strategic deterrence will take place, during which ballistic and cruise missiles will be launched." | The statement goes…
(2022-02-18). West bullies world while citing threats from China, Russia. asiatimes.com 
On January 21, Vice-Admiral Kay-Achim Schà∂nbach attended a talk in New Delhi organized by the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses. Schà∂nbach was speaking as the chief of Germany's navy during his visit to the institute. "What he really wants is respect," Schà∂nbach said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "And my god, giving someone respect is low-cost, even …
(2022-02-18). Documents Reveal US Gov't Spent $22M Promoting Anti-Russia Narrative in Ukraine and Abroad. mintpressnews.com 
The National Endowment for Democracy can claim it is in the business of democracy promotion. In reality, it does anything but that, unless "democracy" is entirely synonymous with elite U.S. interests.
(2022-02-18). Not Another U.S. War! Demo TOMORROW @3PM: Grand Central Terminal, NYC. iacenter.org DANGER! Not Another U.S. War! SATURDAY, February 19, 2022, at 3 PM Inside GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL, At the Clock, Park Avenue & East 42nd Street, NYC Stop the war with Russia Every U.S. war in our life time is based on lies, provocations and false flag operations. We need healthcare and education, not endless US wars. Stop the NATO expansion! Stop sending U.S. weapons to Ukraine, Poland, Romania and throughout the European Union. Fight Racism! Not Russia With participation from: Antiwar, social justice, anti-racist, environmental, human rights and veterans groups. An Emergency Action with activists from groups incl…
(2022-02-18). Second Ukrainian tests positive for banned drug at Olympics. rt.com 
The bobsledder's Winter Olympics sample contained a steroid, doping chiefs announced in the wake of a Ukrainian skier testing positive for three banned substances | Strongwoman-turned-bobsledder Lidiia Hunko has become the second Ukrainian to fail a drugs test at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games this week, the International Testing Agency (ITA) has announced. | The 28-year-old, who is a former world champion deadlifter, was tested by the ITA during an in-competition anti-doping control check on Monday, when she finished 20th in the women's monobob. | A World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited (WADA) laboratory in B…
(2022-02-18). Ukraine crisis: who fabricates a war, and how? iacenter.org By Sergio Rodriguez Gelfenstein The author is a Venezuelan international relations expert, who was previously Director of the International Relations of the Presidency of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, his country's ambassador to Nicaragua and an advisor for international politics for TELESUR. Translation: United World International, edited by John Catalinotto. Feb. 2 — It is almost natural that countries (especially the powers that have more capability of doing so) would like to resolve their internal problems by unleashing conflicts abroad. For that, they invent attacks on their national security,…
(2022-02-18). Mexican Scientist In Miami: I'm A Russian Agent And I Plead Guilty. moguldom.com An internationally-renowned Mexican scientist pleaded guilty to acting as a Russian agent without notifying authorities in the United States. Attorneys for Hector Alejandro Cabrera Fuentes, 37, filed a plea deal on Tuesday, Feb. 15, nearly two years to the day after Fuentes was arrested by FBI agents. The FBI found incriminating information on Fuentes' phone …
(2022-02-18). Video: SGP chairman condemns NATO's war preparations against Russia. wsws.org In this video Christoph Vandreier, the chairman of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP—Socialist Equality Party), condemns NATO's preparations for war against Russia and explains the need for an international anti-war movement.
(2022-02-18). NATO's campaign made European region 'a hotbed of crime' — Lavrov to RT. rt.com 
Russia's foreign minister says the bloc's bombing campaign has not brought prosperity to Kosovo | Russia finds it hard to believe that NATO is a purely defensive bloc, giving its bombing campaign in Yugoslavia in 1999, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told RT on Friday. | The minister made his comments while speaking about the talks between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday. | "Scholz and others NATO officials say that NATO is a defensive alliance. Putin reminded Scholz at a joint press conference about the bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999," Lavrov remar…
(2022-02-18). Who is the coach at the center of Kamila Valieva's Olympic storm? rt.com 
Kamila Valieva's ordeal at the Beijing Olympics has brought added attention to a prominent Russian figure skating coach | Teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva has faced intense scrutiny at the Beijing Olympics, but the media has also been drawn to coach Eteri Tutberidze — someone who would otherwise have been a much less prominent presence. | Tutberidze is a renowned trainer of Olympic champions, a coach whose conveyor belt of talent has functioned relentlessly in recent years. | But as Tutberidze now faces questions over her methods in light of Valieva's unfortunate situation, we look at some of the key…
(2022-02-18). Olympic chief is 'weaving fiction' — Russian official. rt.com 
Russia's deputy prime minister attacked the comments made by IOC president Thomas Bach | International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach should stop "weaving his own fictional narrative" after he criticized figure skater Kamila Valieva's coaching team, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko has said. | Speaking to journalists in Beijing on Friday, Bach claimed he had been "disturbed" by the reaction from Valieva's trainers — including coach Eteri Tutberidize — after the teenager struggled badly in her free skate routine, finishing outside the medals. | Bach claimed Tutberidize…
(2022-02-18). With Its Doomsday Clock at 100 Seconds to Midnight, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists calls for escalating U.S. aggression against Russia. mronline.org 
The Bulletin emerged after World War II as a voice for peace, but has since drifted into being an echo chamber for the U.S. imperial project.