(2022-02-20). Yet again, Israel refuses to cooperate with inquiry on human rights violations. peoplesdispatch.org Israel is continuing its policy of not engaging with international investigations into human rights violations in Palestine. In a letter to the head of the international commission of inquiry, Navi Pillay, Israel's representative to the UN Meirav Eilon Shahar refused to cooperate in the investigations to identify possible violations of human rights, war crimes and reasons for protraction of conflict in historic Palestine. | Accusing Pillay of bias against Israel, Meirav claimed that there is simply no reason to believe that Israel will receive reasonable, equitable and non-discriminatory treatment from the Counci…
(2022-02-20). Venezuela Pulls Plug on Lie that Alex Saab is DEA "Informer" orinocotribune.com Venezuela has pulled the plug on a false claim which circulated Wednesday that diplomat Alex Saab is working as an "informer" or "collaborator" of the United States and specifically of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). | President of the National Assembly Jorge Rodríguez When asked by a reporter following a press conference, Rodríguez called it strange that the United S…
(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). Truths and lies about pledges made to Russia. mronline.org 
The information war surrounding tensions between NATO and Russia over Ukraine often leads to distortions of historical reality.
(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). 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). 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 Is Pressing For More Concessions While Donbas Heats Up. popularresistance.org "For the past 15 years, ever since the Munich speech, Russian officials have been arguing against the unilateral use of force and demanding a UN-centered security system founded on international law. Were we to wake up one day and find that Russian tanks were rolling towards Kiev without any kind of excuse, it would amount to a complete abandonment of 15 years of argumentation as well as a negation of the entire legal/moral position built up by the Russian Federation in that period, a position reinforced just this month in the Putin/Xi statement." It would also be very odd. For you can hardly achieve the objectiv…
(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). 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). 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). Biden administration and Republicans use war crisis to push phony "national unity" wsws.org The foreign policy aim is to accomplish American imperialism's decades-long goal of subjugating Russia. The domestic aim is to protect corporate profits and suppress social opposition amid the country's political crisis.
(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). 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). How to Respond to War Threats on Russia — the antiwar movement comes together to respond. iacenter.org How to Respond to War Threats on Russia — Understanding U.S. Objectives — The Role of NATO, a U.S. Commanded Military Alliance TUES. Feb 22 at 8: 30 pm ET / 7: 30 pm CT / 6: 30 pm MT / 5: 30 pm PT Please click here to register for the meeting. us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_10cVDLQuQR6T3WPeAkJwtw Please join us for this important meeting and discussion with leaders from the antiwar movement including: (in alphabetical order) Leela Anand — ANSWER coalition Bahman Azad — US Peace Council Ajamu Baraka — Black Alliance for Peace Madea Benjamin — CodePink Sara Flounders [mdas…
(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). Eileen Gu controversy exposes the importance of racial loyalty to the American Empire. mronline.org 
Corporate media used the 2022 Beijing winter Olympics to create endless anti-China screeds. An athlete was even condemned for choosing to affirm her Chinese heritage. White supremacy drives foreign policy decisions and American thinking.
(2022-02-19). The Convoy And Canada — A Call To Step Up. popularresistance.org I have spent time listening to leaders and activists from across this country, and I have learned one thing: we as civil society must step up and provide courageous leadership in this time of crisis. Unions, racial and climate justice organizations, faith leaders, students, residents' groups, health care activists — all of us have a role to play to help overcome this polarization, to bridge divides and to focus on crucial issues of social justice. We need to start organizing at the national and local level — bringing together people from all walks of life to determine strategies that will address the…
(2022-02-19). The Truckers Have Changed Canada Forever. libya360.wordpress.com Rupa Subramanya The Freedom Convoy has shaken Canadian politics to its core. On Monday 14 February, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau sent an unlikely Valentine's gift to his citizens, invoking rarely used emergency powers, which came into effect the next day. This was in response to the 'Freedom Convoy' of thousands of truckers and protesters who…
(2022-02-19). Freedom Convoy in Ottawa Live Feb 19, 2022. libya360.wordpress.com Cops advancing onto Parliament so I have to go to streets. I have met no one from the United States yet. Everyone I have met is from East Coast, West Coast, Prairies, Quebec, Ontario. #Ottawa, #Canada. People are still trying to get into city, to join, through the checkpoints. pic.twitter.com/qCbxPmGxux — Cory Morningstar (@elleprovocateur) February…
(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). The Right to Protest in the Stolen Indigenous Territory Called Canada. dissidentvoice.org Canada will always stand up for the right of peaceful protest anywhere around the world and we are pleased to see moves to deescalation and dialogue. — Justin Trudeau So said Canada's prime minister Trudeau about the farmer protests in India. One assumes that "anywhere" includes Canada. Nonetheless, Trudeau has rejected dialogue with the peaceful …
(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). A Weapon Against Radicalism: Debunking the Myth of the Conservative Black Voter. orinocotribune.com 
By Eugene Puryear — Feb 15, 2022 | Nina Turner's loss, the primary results of Bernie Sanders, India Walton's win—and then loss—the victory of Eric Adams, and the triumph of Cori Bush's sit-in once again ignited the political discussion around the political make-up of the Black electorate. The general trend has been a strengthening of the view that Black voters are "more conservative" and that more progressive Black voters and those they elect are unrepresentative, out-of-step and, as elected officials, actually backed by white middle-class people at the ballot box rather than working-class Blacks…
(2022-02-19). National Day Of Strikes And Protests In Puerto Rico. popularresistance.org Teachers and government workers carried out a national day of strikes and protests in Puerto Rico Friday. There were marches and rallies across the US territory. A mass demonstration took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital city. The marchers demanded just wages and pensions and an end to the privatization of schools and government services. Despite a morning attempt by San Juan police to block a section of marchers, the protests were peaceful and high-spirited. | In San Juan, in the early morning hours demonstrators began congregating in the Hiram Bithorn baseball stadium before marching toward the headquar…
(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). 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). 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). Mexico's National Electoral Institute Issues Ultimatum, Gives AMLO Three Hours to Take Down Government 'Propaganda'. orinocotribune.com The National Electoral Institute (INE) of Mexico has ordered President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his political party Morena to withdraw "government propaganda issued last week." | The "propaganda" referred to by the INE was publication of the livestreams and YouTube videos showcasing López Obrador's February 12 meeting, in Hermosillo, Sonora state, with authorities from the Seri indigenous community, as well as an official supervision act that took place at the Tomás Oroz Gaytán stadium in Cajeme, Sonora state. According to the Complaints and Denunciations Commission of the INE, these videos and streams exh…
(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). 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). National Lawyers Guild International calls for the immediate release of Venezuelan Diplomat Alex Saab. mronline.org 
The National Lawyers Guild International calls for the immediate release of Venezuelan Special Envoy Alex Saab, imprisoned in a Miami federal prison by the United States in a violation of diplomatic norms and protections.
(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). The Maoist 'Exceptionalism' at the Heart of China's COVID Strategy. mronline.org 
Arguably the best known contemporary proponent of Chinese exceptionalism in the English-language is Martin Jacques, best known for his 2009 bestseller 'When China Rules the World', a tour-de-force in the repackaging of orientalist tropes for the 21st-century.
(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). Political prisoners in Cuba? mronline.org 
Can those prosecuted for acts of violence and recklessly endangering the public order, with no program, no proposals for positive change, be considered political prisoners?>
(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). 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). 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). 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). Missile In Australia's Western Desert Sparks Landmark OECD Case. popularresistance.org Culturally significant Aboriginal heritage sites continue to be put at risk in Australia, despite the international outcry following Rio Tinto's destruction of the 46,000-year-old caves at Juukan Gorge. | The culprit this time is the Australian Defense Force, which undertakes live-fire training exercises and weapons testing at the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA). Within range of falling missiles and mortars there is evidence of sequential spiritual engagement spanning centuries in rock engravings, heritage artefacts, tool-making sites, and also sites of mythological importance for Indigenous people. | Andrew and Ro…
(2022-02-19). Island States Meet To Discuss Suing Global North Over Climate Change. popularresistance.org Leaders of small island nations met on Tuesday to discuss suing countries in the Global North for the damage caused by emissions. | This week's discussion, convened by the Commonwealth Foundation, was the first major meeting of the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law, a body formed to help small island developing states (SIDS) bring legal action against major carbon-emitting countries. | The commission, announced last year at COP26 by Antigua and Barbuda with Tuvalu, has now called for as many countries as possible to join. | Kausea Natano, the prime minister of Tuvalu, said…