2022-02-14: News Headlines

_____ (2022-02-14). Threat of War between Syria and Israel is getting More Real. journal-neo.org On February 9, Israel launched yet another series of strikes on targets near Damascus, which resulted in one Syrian killed and five injured, which has aggravated the threat of war between Syria and Israel. According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), on February 9, four Israeli F-16s, without crossing the state border of Syria, …

WSWS (2022-02-14). US steals billions in Afghan bank funds. wsws.org The decision to seize $7 billion in central bank funds will further undermine the economy of Afghanistan under conditions of mass starvation.

New Atlas (2022-02-14). US vs. China in Laos: Two Nations, Two Approaches, One Obvious Difference. newatlas.report February 14, 2022 (Brian Berletic — NEO) — The United States has elected to lock itself in a zero-sum conflict with China, attempting to stop China's inevitable rise as the world's largest, most powerful economy and thus nation. The narrative the US employs to justify political, economic, and even military measures it is targeting China …

Editor (2022-02-14). 'Thank you for hearing our Afghan pain'. mronline.org People in the United States must recognize the suffering their country continues inflicting in Afghanistan.

Editor (2022-02-14). When cruelty is the point — U.S. decides to kill more Afghan people. mronline.org Last summer, after decades of killing Afghans in Afghanistan, the U.S. government decides to move its occupation forces out of that country.

Staff (2022-02-14). Headlines for February 14, 2022. democracynow.org High-Level Diplomatic Talks Continue as U.S. Warns Russia Could Invade Ukraine at Any Time, Canadian Police Clear Trucker Convoy from Ambassador Bridge as Protests Spread to More Countries, Pfizer's Vaccine for Under 5s on Hold; Study Finds Even Mild COVID Cases Up Risk of Heart Disease, Afghan Central Bank, Aid Groups Condemn U.S. Move to Seize and Redirect Billions in Afghan Assets, Honduran Court Releases Environmental Activists Who Protested Open-Pit Mining Project, Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon Reached Record Levels Last Month, U.S. Judge Restores Protections for Gray Wolves; Australia Declares Koa…

Dave DeCamp (2022-02-14). Karzai: Giving Afghan Funds to 9/11 Families an 'Atrocity'. news.antiwar.com On Sunday, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai Karzai said the move was "unjust and unfair" and was an "atrocity" against the Afghan people since they had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. In the wake of the 20-year US war, Afghanistan is in the midst of a dire humanitarian crisis, and millions of Afghans are facing starvation.

Staff (2022-02-14). Ex-Afghan leader slams 'unjust' Biden $7bn order. rt.com Hamid Karzai urges US to reverse decision to spend half of frozen Afghan funds on 9/11 victims | Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned on Sunday the US government's move to divert some $3.5 billion in frozen Afghan assets held by US banks to families of 9/11 victims, branding it an "atrocity" against the country's people. He stated that it was "unjust and unfair" since Afghanistan had also suffered at the hands of Al-Qaeda, the Associated Press reported. | Speaking at a press conference in Kabul, Karzai called on US courts and the American public — especially the relatives of 9/11 victims —…

Editor (2022-02-14). Malaysian officials dampen prospects for giant, secret carbon deal in Sabah. mronline.org An agreement for the rights to the natural capital covering 2 million hectares (4.9 million acres) in Malaysian Borneo for the next 100 years "in its present form is legally impotent," according to Nor Asiah Mohd Yusof, the attorney general for the state of Sabah.

New Atlas (2022-02-14). Myanmar's Terrorists Nominated for "Nobel Peace Prize" to Prop up Western Regime Change Proxies. newatlas.report February 14, 2022 (The New Atlas) — The US-backed opposition in Myanmar continues pressing on with the division and destruction of the Southeast Asian country — and key player in China's Belt and Road Initiative. Let's take a look at how bad the propaganda is and how directly the West is involved in creating a …

Editor2 (2022-02-14). Israel to Establish 'Triangle of Relations' with UAE, India. orinocotribune.com In addition to the normalization deals between Israel and several Arab and Gulf states, Israel is looking forward to developing relations with India, hoping to establish a "triangle of Israeli-Indian-Emirati relations," Israeli sources reported. | In the first meeting of its kind held in October 2021 between the foreign ministers of India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel and the US, it was decided to establish an international forum for economic cooperation. | t.co/ada0JECRiu | — Muhabarishaji News Agency (@Muhabarishaji) sputniknews (2022-02-14). India Bans 54 Chinese Apps Linked to Alibaba, Tencent Over 'Transmitting' Data to 'Hostile Country'. sputniknews.com India earlier banned over 200 apps, including globally popular apps such as TikTok and PUBG after serious clashes erupted in 2020 over border infrastructure in the Ladakh region.

Antonio C.S. Rosa (2022-02-14). Barbarism Practised by the Epicentre of Civilisation (Part 1). transcend.org The Brutal Massacre at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar by the British Raj in India…

Staff (2022-02-14). Conviasa Announces Direct Flights from Tehran to Caracas. orinocotribune.com Venezuela's national airline is ready to start direct flights between Caracas and Tehran in March 2022. The flights will benefit tourists, commerce, and industry. | Ramón Velázquez, Venezuelan vice minister for air transport and president of the Venezuelan national airline, Conviasa, announced direct flights between Tehran, Iran, and Venezuela's capital. The announcement occurs in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which remains relatively controlled in both countries, due to the approach of each country's government. | In an exclusive interview for HispanTV, Velázquez said that "joining Tehran with Caracas is a…

Staff (2022-02-14). Iran shares progress on nuclear negotiations. rt.com Tehran says Vienna talks have not reached a dead end | The success of the nuclear talks in Vienna depends on the willingness of the Western parties to come to an agreement, a spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the press on Monday. | "Our distance from the agreement is inversely proportional to the will of the Western and American sides. The higher the will of the Americans, the lower our distance from reaching an agreement," Saeed Khatibzadeh stated. | Read more | | He…

slorinoco (2022-02-14). African Union Ignores Foundational Values By Upholding Apartheid Israel's Observer Status (PAPSN Statement). orinocotribune.com [Palestine Chronicle Editor's Note: The Pan African Palestine Solidarity Network (PAPSN) issued the following statement regarding the African Union (AU) Summit and the way that Israel's "observer status" was handled by AU leaders and new chair, Macky Sall. | Though initially, the AU had decided to suspend Israel's observer status, which was granted by AU Commission Chair Moussa Faki in July 2021, the new chair has reportedly ended deliberation with the understanding that Israel's status is to remain in effect until a new AU Commission produces a final verdict.] | PAPSN Statement, February 7: | The Pan African Pal…

Antonio C.S. Rosa (2022-02-14). Can Israel Stop the World from Saying 'Apartheid'? Concealing the Suffering in Palestine. transcend.org 2 Feb 2022 — Statements by Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups (including B'Tselem, Al-Haq and Addameer) as well as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch—are a reflection of the facts witnessed on the ground, and no amount of Hasbara 2.0 can erase these facts.

TASS (2022-02-14). IAEA experts arrive in Japan to inspect Fukushima water release plan – agency. tass.com The delegation will include some experts from China and South Korea that are expressing concern over Japan's plans…

WSWS (2022-02-14). Sri Lankan president imposes essential services strike ban on health and power workers. wsws.org While the nurses and other health workers have demonstrated their determination to fight, the GNOA leadership responded to Rajapakse's dictates by announcing that the union was immediately withdrawing from the strike.

_____ (2022-02-14). The Uneasy Balance of the US-Turkey Relations is getting Tilted. journal-neo.org The relations between Ankara and Washington have for many years now been characterized as a "fragile equilibrium." Back when Erdogan just came to power, the US supported his Justice and Development Party, which, however, over time stopped being an American project and gained independence. Barack Obama, for instance, hoped that Turkey would become an exemplary …

Gregory Clark (2022-02-13). Ignorance dominates Western stance on Ukraine crisis. asiatimes.com On December 8, 2021, newly appointed British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told a Chatham House audience that the UK was trying to build a "network of liberty" around the world. On January 30, 2022, Truss, talking on the British Broadcasting Corporation's Sunday Morning show about measures to stop Russian "aggression," said "we are supplying and offering …

ecns.cn (2022-02-13). Interview: UN refugee agency official says China's contribution helps alleviate dire situation in Afghanistan. ecns.cn The resources provided by China to Afghanistan are helping the internally displaced Afghans to weather the harsh winter and COVID-19 pandemic, while China's engagement in political levels would facilitate a long-term solution to the situation.

TASS (2022-02-13). The West does not need cause for sanctions against Russia – Foreign Ministry. tass.com Russia has already been living for a decade in the phase of active sanctions, while there were indirect sanctions before, concealed as lists, threats of stop lists and pinpoint sequestration, official spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova added…

sputniknews (2022-02-13). Kazakh President Pays Tribute to Memory of People Killed in January Protests. sputniknews.com NUR-SULTAN (Sputnik) – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part Sunday in a commemorative ceremony to honour the memory of those killed in the unrest that rocked Kazakhstan in early January, the presidential office said.

Human Rights Watch (2022-02-13). Biden Seeks to Seize Afghanistan's Assets. juancole.com By John Sifton | Asia Advocacy Director | — ( Human Rights Watch ) — The Biden administration has decided to recommend directing $3.5 billion of Afghanistan's $7 billion in foreign currency reserves in the United States to a trust fund for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, while agreeing to release another $3.5 billion to families …

sputniknews (2022-02-13). Several UN Staff Abducted in Yemen's Abyan Province – Reports. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Six UN workers have been kidnapped in southern Yemen, the Yemen Press Agency (YPA) reports.

Carlos Martinez (2022-02-13). Along the Belt and Road: Breaking the Cycle of Underdevelopment in Latin America. orinocotribune.com By Carlos Martinez — Feb 10, 2022 | The last few months have seen a significant expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean. Although this region of the world is not the most obvious fit for an undertaking that was originally modelled on the Silk Road — a network of trade routes linking East Asia with the Middle East, Africa and Europe — the reality is that the countries of South America, Central America and the Caribbean share many of the same needs as their counterparts in Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. | Most Latin American countries…

Staff (2022-02-13). But How Do You Stop Putin and the Taliban? davidswanson.org When I suggest not stealing billions of dollars from Afghanistan, and thereby not causing mass starvation and death, otherwise intelligent and informed people tell me that human rights demands that theft. Starving people to death is a means of protecting their "human rights," in fact. How else can you (or the U.S. government) stop Taliban …

Florence CGTN (2022-02-13). Lunar New Year celebrations return in New York. america.cgtn.com Big public celebrations for the Lunar New Year have returned in New York after many were cancelled last year during the coronavirus pandemic. The festivities saw crowds fill the streets of Manhattan's famous Chinatown. But with more and more Asian American families moving out to residential …

Benjamin Norton (2022-02-13). EEUU convoca su alianza anti-China el 'Quad', y Beijing la llama 'herramienta para la contención y el asedio'. multipolarista.com Estados Unidos, Japón y la India realizaron una reunión de la alianza Quad en Australia. Beijing la condenó como "una herramienta para contener y asediar a China para mantener la hegemonía estadounidense", con una "mentalidad anticuada de Guerra Fría".

Benjamin Norton (2022-02-13). US convenes anti-China 'Quad' alliance, Beijing calls it 'tool for containment and siege'. multipolarista.com The US, Japan, and India held a meeting of the Quad alliance in Australia. Beijing condemned it as "a tool for containing and besieging China to maintain US hegemony," with an "antiquated Cold War mentality."

ecns.cn (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."

Anonymous669 (2022-02-13). US-led Coalition Shot Down Unidentified Drone Over Iraqi Kurdistan Region (Photos). southfront.org The Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Missile gun fires flares during a weapons test at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Jan. 31, 2010. Taken on 31 January 2010 by Senior Airman Brittany Bateman, U.S. Air Force. | The US-led coalition has intercepted and shot down an unidentified drone that penetrated the airspace of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. | Speaking to a number of Iraqi outlets, a source in the coalition said that the drone was one of several that entered Iraq's airspace from the eastern di…

Anonymous669 (2022-02-13). Israeli Soldiers Shot Down Own Drone Near Separation Line With Lebanon By Mistake. southfront.org File image. | Israeli soldiers shot down a drone near the separation line with Lebanon on February 13 afternoon only to then find out that it belonged to their military. | In a brief statement, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that the soldiers fired at the drone due to a "mistaken identification". The soldiers thought that the drone crossed from Lebanon into Israeli airspace | The IDF said that the drone was not damaged in the incident, without providing any information on its type. The incident is currently being inv…

ecns.cn (2022-02-13). Lao leader speaks highly of China-Laos railway. ecns.cn General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith has spoken highly of the China-Laos Railway during his recent trip by the Lane Xang EMU train and inspection on the railway's operation.

Anonymous Contributor (2022-02-13). In Defense of Anarchist Memory: One-Hundred Years Since the Death of Ricardo Flores Magón. itsgoingdown.org Statement from anarchists in so-called Mexico calling for a year of activity to defend and continue the anarchist memory of Ricardo Flores Magón, one-hundred years since his death. La versión en español sigue a la versión en inglés. Let every man and woman who loves freedom and the anarchist ideal, propagate it with determination, with…

Anonymous669 (2022-02-13). Saudi-led Coalition Attack On Houthi-Held Harad In Northwestern Yemen Is Going Nowhere (Video). southfront.org File image. | The Saudi-led coalition's large-scale attack on the city of Harad in the northwestern Yemen province of Hajjah has been going nowhere. | Harad, one of the key cities held by the Houthis (Ansar Allah), is located less than 15 kilometers away from al-Tuwal border crossing with Saudi Arabia. | The attack on Harad began in the first week of February. Forces from the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) 5th Military District, which was trained and equipped by the Saudi-led coalition, have been leading the attack.

_____ (2022-02-13). President Moon and the Beijing Olympics. journal-neo.org On February 4, 2022, the Winter Olympic Games opened in Beijing, where 63 South Korean athletes will compete for medals in six sports. On December 6, 2021, Jen Psaki said that the United States is "diplomatically boycotting" the Beijing Winter Olympics because of human rights violations in China. The next day, on December 7, the …

Anonymous669 (2022-02-13). Turkish Strikes Kill Or Wound Three SDF Fighters Building Fortifications In Norther Raqqa (Videos). southfront.org Image: aa.com.tr | On February 13, a fighter of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was killed and two others were wounded when a series of Turkish artillery strike hit the outskirts of the town of Ain Issa in the northern countryside of Raqqa, according to Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. | The London-based monitoring group said that the fighters were overseeing the construction of fortifications near Ain Issa refugee camp. | From its side, the Hawar News Agency repor…

Anonymous669 (2022-02-13). Syrian Soldiers & Government Supporters Intercept US Convoy In Northern Al-Hasakah. southfront.org Click to see full-size image. | On February 13, Syrian Arab Army (SAA) soldiers and supporters of the Damascus government intercepted a convoy of the US-led coalition near the town of Tell al-Dahab in the northern al-Hasakah countryside. | According to the Syrian Arab News Agency, the convoy was stopped at an army checkpoint in the outskirts of Tell al-Dahab. After a short stand-off, a group of locals, backed by the checkpoint personnel, forced the convoy to retreat. | The US-led coalition convoy consisted of six vehicl…

ecns.cn (2022-02-13). Xinjiang's Yecheng County launches first freight train to Tajikistan. ecns.cn A freight train loaded with 1,980 tons of fiberboard departed the Yecheng County railway station on Wednesday. It is expected to arrive in Tajikistan after a 15-day journey.

Anonymous103 (2022-02-13). Military Situation In Yemen On February 13, 2022 (Map Update). southfront.org Click to see full-size image | The Liaison and Coordination Officers' Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 290 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah in the past 24 hours; | On February 12, warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition conducted 7 airstrikes on the Sanaa district; | On February 12, warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition conducted 4 airstrikes on the Saada province; | On February 12, warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition conducted 16 airstrikes on the Haradh district; | On February 13, clas…

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