(2021-02-13). Federal Court strikes down Arkansas' attempt to Punish proponents of Boycotting Israel over its treatment of Palestinians. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Andrew DeMillo at the Associated Press reports that a 3-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis has struck down an Arkansas law requiring contractors with the state to sign a pledge not to boycott Israel. The alternative print monthly the Arkansas Times carried advertising …
(2021-02-13). Will the ICC Finally Put an End to Israel's War Crimes? scheerpost.com By Juan Cole / Informed Comment On February 5, the International Criminal Court found that it had jurisdiction to consider war crimes and crimes against humanity and the crime of Apartheid in the Palestinian territories. Israeli politician Abba Eban once quipped that Palestinians never lost the opportunity to lose an opportunity. But Palestinians have carefully… |
(2021-02-13). Lebanon receives first Covid-19 vaccine shipment. middleeasteye.net 
Lebanon receives first Covid-19 vaccine shipment | The vaccines have been sponsored by the World Bank, as Lebanon struggles with a financial crisis and a devastated healthcare system | Sat, 02/13/2021 – 15: 47 | Hospitals in Lebanon, including St George Hospital devastated by the 4 August Beirut blast, have been struggling to care for the influx of Covid-19 patients (MEE/Elizabeth Fitt)…
(2021-02-13). The biopolitics of nursing homes. mronline.org 
Historically, the châteaux of the Loire Valley were assessed by their windows. 'A fifty-windowed castle', an onlooker might surmise to suggest its worth. Russian boyars quantified their properties in souls—whether dead or alive, according to Gogol's Dead Souls.
(2021-02-13). Iraq: Forty Years Ago. The St. Valentine's Day Massacres: Still Ongoing. globalresearch.ca Initially published on Valentine's Day 2010. | Veteran War Correspondent and Associate Editor of Global Research Felicity Arbuthnot reminds us of the crimes against humanity committed against the Iraqi people at the height of Iraq War I, euphemistically described as …
(2021-02-13). The complex politics, geopolitics of the Myanmar coup. zcomm.org The 'new cold war' between the US and China has deepened the instability that has marked Myanmar's history since 1962…
(2021-02-13). Yemeni scientist in Turkish team developing COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Even as Yemen continues shocking the world, with its images of deaths, destruction, and starvation, one of its citizens Ali Azzawri is part of a Turkish scientific team rolling out a vaccine against the COVID-19.Azzawri, 39, was selected by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey known as TUBITAK in May 2020 to be part of a team of 13 scientists to indigenously develop Messenger RNA vaccines — also called mRNA vaccines to combat the pandemic.According to experts, these are new types of vaccines, who direct cells to make a particular protein to trigger an immune response. Other vaccines, inst…
(2021-02-13). Biden Wants to Extradite Peace Hero Assange. indybay.org Proud Democrat Pres Biden's "Justice" Dept is appealing a British decision to not allow extradition of Julian Assange who exposed American war crimes in Iraq. See consortiumnews.com/2021/02/12/biden-doj-files-appeal-to-get-assange-extradited/…
(2021-02-13). Massive fire engulfs fuel trucks on Iran-Afghanistan border. middleeasteye.net 
Massive fire engulfs fuel trucks on Iran-Afghanistan border | More than 500 trucks carrying natural gas and fuel were burned in the blaze, Iranian officials said | Sat, 02/13/2021 – 22: 07 | The inferno was powerful enough to be spotted from space (Reuters) | Dozens of oil and gas tankers carrying millions of dollars' worth of fuel caught fire on Saturday, creating an inferno at Afghanista…
(2021-02-13). Democrats BACKTRACK on vote to call witnesses at Trump's impeachment trial, averting a potential political quagmire. rt.com 
Hours after a surprise vote to allow for calling witnesses in Donald Trump's impeachment trial, the US Senate agreed to enter into the record a statement that prosecutors considered critical, averting weeks or months of testimony. | House impeachment managers and lawyers for Trump agreed on Saturday to enter as evidence a statement by Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Washington) describing what she had been relayed about a telephone call during the January 6 Capitol riot. The congresswoman said late Friday that when House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) called Trump and asked him to demand…
(2021-02-13). Biden press sec Psaki insists lack of contact with Israel's Netanyahu 'not an intentional diss'. rt.com 
The Biden administration sought to downplay questions about a perceived cooling of relations between the US and Israel, saying the lack of a call between the countries' leaders was "not an intentional diss." | White House Press secretary Jen Psaki said during a Friday press briefing that a call between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would take place "soon," but was unable to give a specific time. | "It is not an intentional diss. Prime Minister Netanyahu is someone the president has known for some time," Psaki said. "It is just a reflection of the fact that we've been here…
(2021-02-13). ANALYSIS – Palestinian elections to test Fatah's cohesion. yenisafak.com Abbas is facing stiff competition from two candidates — Marwan Barghouti, a member of the central committee currently serving a life sentence in an Israeli jail, and Muhammad Dahlan, a controversial figure who was dismissed and is currently harbored by the United Arab Emirates as he faces legal cases from Palestine and Turkey on several charges, including murder, corruption, and involvement in a 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.Palestinian factions agreed Tuesday in Cairo to establish an elections court based on a national consensus among judges from Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.- Barred from runningAbdullah K…
(2021-02-13). At least 30 militants dead in mosque blast, claims Afghan army. yenisafak.com At least 30 militants died when landmines they were preparing exploded in a mosque in Afghanistan's northern Balkh province, authorities said on Saturday.The dead include 24 Taliban insurgents and six foreign militants, the Afghan National Army's 209 Shaheen Corps said in a statement.The explosion occurred when the insurgents were making landmines during a training session in a mosque in Qiltaan village in the restive Dawlatabad district of the province bordering Uzbekistan, the statement said.The Taliban, however, refuted the claim, saying in a statement that a landmine exploded inside an empty room and there we…
(2021-02-13). Iran seeking to vaccinate 10,000 athletes: official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — A high-ranking sports official says the country aims to vaccinate some 10,000 athletes against the COVID-19.
(2021-02-13). Rouhani warns Iranians of fourth wave of Covid-19. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — Iranian President, called on Iranians to be careful not to enter the fourth wave of the Covid-19, saying that people must observe health protocols even after vaccination.
(2021-02-13). Turkish charity helps Syrian refugees in Lebanon. yenisafak.com Emre Kaya, the Middle East Desk coordinator for IHH, said the Lebanese city of Arsal was home to nearly 60,000 Syrian refugees who are struggling to survive in make-shift tents in harsh winter conditions.The IHH helped out more than 2,000 families with their humanitarian aid supplies.Noting that temperatures could drop to minus 15C (5F), Kaya said the charity gave 20 liters of fuel for heating to 1,100 families and blankets to as many.The official figures suggest that about 1.5 million Syrians fled their country and took refuge in Lebanon since 2011, when civil war broke in the country.According to the UN-affilia…
(2021-02-13). Copper artisans face severe crisis in Kashmir. laprensalatina.com Like most business ventures, coppersmiths of Indian Kashmir are suffering significant losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. | A visual story by EFE/EPA photographer FAROOQ KHAN…
(2021-02-13). Turkey neutralizes two PKK terrorists in N.Iraq. yenisafak.com Turkey neutralized two more PKK terrorists as part of its anti-terror operation in northern Iraq, the National Defense Ministry said on Saturday."Operation Claw-Eagle 2 is ongoing in Gara region of northern Iraq. Two PKK terrorists detected in the region are neutralized in an air operation," the ministry said on Twitter.It added that the number of terrorists neutralized since the start of the second phase of Operation Claw-Eagle on Wednesday has reached 39.Turkish authorities use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.Turkey's operations Claw-Tiger and Cl…
(2021-02-13). Impact of France's nuclear tests persists: Algeria. yenisafak.com France's nuclear experiments in the Algerian desert in the 1960s were three to four times equal to the Hiroshima bombing in Japan, Algerian Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum said on Saturday.In a Twitter post on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the first French nuclear explosion in the Algerian desert, on Feb. 13, 1960, Boukadoum described the impacts of the tests as "catastrophic"."On this day in 1960, imperialist France carried out the first nuclear explosion in the Reggane region in the Algerian desert, in a process code-named 'Gerboise Bleue' (Blue Desert Rat)," Boukadoum said.He added that the French n…
(2021-02-13). Death toll at 19 in India factory fire. yenisafak.com The death toll rose to 19 Saturday from a massive fire that erupted in a fireworks factory in southern India, according to an official.Senior district administrative officer R. Kannan confirmed the number to Anadolu Agency in the fire that broke out Friday in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu state, about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the state's capital of Chennai.Forty-seven people were initially trapped inside the factory and those who were injured were transported to a hospital for treatment.Media reports Friday said an explosion at the factory caused the firePrime Minister Narendra Modi called the accident "saddeni…
(2021-02-13). Kashmir becomes voiceless in Indian parliament. yenisafak.com For the third time in history, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir will go without any political representation in Rajya Sabha — the upper house of the Indian parliament.Four members of the parliament from the region, including leader of the opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, are retiring by the end of this week, leaving their seats vacant.The region disputed between India and Pakistan used to send six directly elected MPs to Lok Sabha — the lower house and four members elected by the state assembly to represent Rajya Sabha, also called the house of states.On Aug. 5, 2019, when India revoked the autonomy and di…
(2021-02-13). PKK terrorist surrenders to security forces in Turkey. yenisafak.com As a result of persuasion efforts, another PKK terrorist surrendered to security forces in Turkey, according to the Interior Ministry on Saturday.The ministry said in a statement that the terrorist, who escaped from the organization through persuasion efforts of the gendarmerie command and security directorate teams, had joined the terror group in 2014 and was active in Syria.With the latest addition, the number of terrorists who have laid down their arms through persuasion efforts this year has reached 23.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Tu…
(2021-02-13). Massive fire engulfs Afghan port bordering Iran. yenisafak.com A massive fire broke out on Saturday in a dry port in western Afghanistan, officials said.The fire engulfed scores of oil and gas tankers in the Islam Qala Port bordering Iran.Herat province's Governor Sayed Abdul Wahid Qatali said the reason of the fire and damage caused by it could not be immediately assessed. However, he added, the blaze was so big that neighboring Iran was asked for help in controlling it.Mohammad Rafiq Sherzai, spokesman for the Health Department, told Anadolu Agency that at least 10 people with fire burns were rushed to the public hospital. He feared the casualties could rise.Visuals circul…
(2021-02-13). Turkey condemns terror attack on UN personnel in Kabul. yenisafak.com Turkey condemned a deadly terrorist attack on a vehicle carrying UN personnel in Afghanistan, said the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Saturday."We are saddened to receive the news that 5 security guards lost their lives in a terrorist attack against a vehicle carrying UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) employees in Kabul on February 11," the ministry said in a written statement.It strongly condemned the "heinous act of terrorism", and conveyed condolences to the relatives of the deceased.It added that Turkey shares the pain of the UN community.Following the attack, UNAMA said on Twitter: "The UN family in…
(2021-02-13). Six of rescued Turkish sailors brought to Abuja embassy. yenisafak.com Six out of 15 rescued Turkish sailors were brought Saturday to the Nigerian capital Abuja under local security forces' guard and reached the Turkish embassy in the city.Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria Melih Ulueren, Turkey's National Intelligence Organization members, and embassy officials welcomed the crew members, who were kidnapped after the cargo vessel had fallen victim to a pirate attack off Nigeria and rescued on Friday.Upon their arrival at the embassy, the sailors talked to their families over the phone.Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ulueren said the worry was over now. "We are very happy to see our citizens…
(2021-02-13). Saudi-led coalition thwarts rebel attack from Yemen. yenisafak.com The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Saturday it had intercepted a drone fired by Houthi rebels towards the Abha airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia."Coalition forces managed to intercept and destroy an unmanned explosive-laden drone launched by Houthi militia that targeted Abha International airport," the coalition said in a statement cited by the Saudi Al-Ekhbariya channel.The Houthi attacks were a "systematic and deliberate attempt to target civilians" in Saudi Arabia, the statement said.There was no comment from the Houthi group on the coalition's statement.Yemen has been wrecked by violence and instability…
(2021-02-13). US And NATO Moving Against Russia's Last Buffers. popularresistance.org When in 1990 U.S. Secretary of State James Baker assured Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would not expand one inch eastward after German reunification, he was not alone in making that commitment. Documents declassified a few years ago establish that the same pledge was also made by President George H.W. Bush, West German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, CIA Director Robert Gates, French President Francois Mitterrand, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, British Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd, British Prime Minister Jo…
(2021-02-13). [World Report] Indian Medical Association launches hunger strike. thelancet.com A relayed hunger strike is underway in protest against new regulations allowing surgical training for Ayurvedic practitioners. Dinesh C Sharma reports.
(2021-02-13). [Perspectives] Rebecca Lee Crumpler: first Black woman physician in the USA. thelancet.com A passionate vocation to care for others and a desire to empower her patients drove Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831—95) to overcome 19th-century prejudice against her gender and ethnicity and qualify as "doctress of medicine" (the term she used), the first African American woman to do so. Crumpler gained extensive experience treating destitute former enslaved people in the southern states after the end of the American Civil War, and published A Book of Medical Discourses: in Two Parts, a practical guide to the care of infants and women's health.
(2021-02-13). [Articles] Cemiplimab monotherapy for first-line treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with PD-L1 of at least 50%: a multicentre, open-label, global, phase 3, randomised, controlled trial. thelancet.com Cemiplimab monotherapy significantly improved overall survival and progression-free survival compared with chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with PD-L1 of at least 50%, providing a potential new treatment option for this patient population.
(2021-02-13). Iran showing part of its defense power to enemies. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said that Iran occasionally shows just part of its defense power to enemies.
(2021-02-13). Involving Iran's rivals in JCPOA talks to lead to failure. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — Stating that involving Iran's rivals in JCPOA talks would mean the failure of any talks even before it starts, Shireen Hunter said that Macron wanted to curry favor with the Saudis in the hope of getting lucrative contracts.
(2021-02-13). English poster of "Landless" feature film unveiled. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — English poster of the movie "Landless", the third feature film directed by Touraj Aslani, which is a joint production of Iraq and Syria, was unveiled to attend the 71st Berlin International Film Festival.
(2021-02-13). Torture cannot silence Bahraini people. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — The leader of the Islamic Movement of Bahrain says the determination of the Bahraini people cannot be disrupted by repressive measures of Al Khalifa regime.
(2021-02-13). A powerful 7.1 magnitude quake hits Japan's Fukushima. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the city of Fukushima.
(2021-02-13). White House to review policy towards Saudi Arabia. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, "There's a review of our policy as it relates to Saudi Arabia."
(2021-02-13). Iran to aid Afghanistan following explosion in border area. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has adopted necessary measures to assist the injured people following the massive blast in a border crossing in Afghanistan.
(2021-02-13). Russia officially invites Iraq to Astana Process meeting. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — Moscow has officially handed in an invitation to Iraq to participate in the upcoming Astana Process meeting in Sochi as an observer.
(2021-02-13). Costs of grappling with state liberalism. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — It's been more than a century since a chain of tensions and shocks hit the Iranian society as a result of the imposed presence of "western modernity" in Iran.
(2021-02-13). US troop to be expelled from Iraq: Iranian envoy to Baghdad. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — Saying that the Iraqi government is in talks with the US to set a timetable for expelling US troops, the Iranian envoy to Iraq stressed that this will happen and the American troops will leave Iraq.
(2021-02-13). Iran, Nakhchivan mull over expansion of border interactions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — Islamic Republic of Iran and Autonomous Republic of Nakhchievan mulled over the expansion of border interactions.
(2021-02-13). Strong earthquake rattles northeast Japan. laprensalatina.com Tokyo, Feb 13 (efe-epa).- A magnitude-7.3 earthquake was felt in the northeastern coastal prefecture of Fukushima late Saturday, but Japanese authorities ruled out the risk of a tsunami and said they had no reports of fatalities. The quake struck at 11: 08 pm (14: 08 GMT) off the coast of Fukushima, where a magnitude-9.0 temblor and subsequent …
(2021-02-13). Judge Refuses Injunction To Stop Sacred Oak Flat Destruction. popularresistance.org Phoenix, AZ — This afternoon, U.S. District Court Judge Steven Logan denied Apache Stronghold's request for an injunction preventing the giveaway and destruction of sacred Oak Flat to Rio Tinto/Resolution Copper. Judge Logan said that Apache Stronghold has no right to ask the Court for help because they are not an officially designated a "sovereign nation." Judge Logan said that the U.S. Government has no Trust Responsibility to the Apache even though their Treaty of 1852 says, "the government of the United States shall so legislate and act as to secure the permanent prosperity and happiness of said Indians…
(2021-02-13). China's Mars probe captures stunning video of red planet. laprensalatina.com Beijing, Feb 13 (efe-epa).- China has released the first video footage of Mars captured by its spacecraft circling the red planet, days after the Tianwen-1 probe successfully entered the orbit after nearly a seven-month journey from Earth. China National Space Administration (CNSA) released two stunning videos of less than a minute each captured when the …
(2021-02-13). Nadal, Medvedev, Barty book ticket to Assuse Open 4th round, Pliskova out. laprensalatina.com Melbourne, Australia, Feb 13 (efe'epa).- Second-seed Rafael Nadal of Spain, Russia's Daniil Medvedev, Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas and local favorite Ashleigh Barty advanced to the Australian Open 4th round, while Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova was sent home. Nadal, who has yet to drop a set at Melbourne, recovered from a slow start to prevail over Briton …
(2021-02-13). Nadal, Medvedev, Barty book ticket to Aussie Open 4th round, Pliskova out. laprensalatina.com Melbourne, Australia, Feb 13 (efe'epa).- Second-seed Rafael Nadal of Spain, Russia's Daniil Medvedev, Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas and local favorite Ashleigh Barty advanced to the Australian Open 4th round, while Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova was sent home. Nadal, who has yet to drop a set at Melbourne, recovered from a slow start to prevail over Briton …
(2021-02-13). US decisions on Yemen: insufficient steps toward peace. laprensalatina.com By Isaac J. Martín Cairo, Feb 13 (efe-epa).- The decision by US President Joe Biden's administration to remove Yemen's Houthi rebels from the terror list can be considered as a first step towards earning the confidence of the Shiite militia in the wider context of ending the conflict, but it does not go far enough, …
(2021-02-13). Global Economic Recovery, Debt, Climate, Vaccines Top G7 Finance Agenda. indybay.org Japan Says Accessing Global Reserve Funds Discussed…
(2021-02-13). FROM THE FIELD: The teenage Uzbek girls using science to help their community. news.un.org Young women in Uzbekistan are using technology to help improve the lives of those around them, challenging perceptions of the roles that women and girls play in society.
(2021-02-13). Facebook might censor criticism of Zionists. That's dangerous. zcomm.org By making 'Zionists' a de facto protected category, Facebook would shield the Israeli government from accountability and harm efforts to dismantle antisemitism…