Staff (2021-01-01). Dr. Paul Farmer: Centuries of Inequality in the U.S. Laid Groundwork for Pandemic Devastation. democracynow.org As the United States sets records for COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations, we speak with one of the world's leading experts on infectious diseases, Dr. Paul Farmer, who says the devastating death toll in the U.S. reflects decades of underinvestment in public health and centuries of social inequality. "All the social pathologies of our nation come to the fore during epidemics," says Dr. Farmer, a professor of medicine at Harvard University, chair of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-founder and chief strategist of Partners in Health.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). From Largest Communal Dispute to an End to Colonial Baggage: Top 10 India Events in 2020. sputniknews.com From a pandemic-induced migration crisis to a Supreme Court judgement in favour of Ram Mandir, 2020 has been an eventful year for India. Here is a recap of 10 major developments in the nation that have made the boldest headlines.

Staff (2021-01-01). People's Vaccine: Calls Grow for Equal Access to Coronavirus Vaccine as Rich Countries Hoard Supply. democracynow.org While the United States, Britain and other wealthy countries race to vaccinate their populations against the coronavirus, a new report finds that as much as 90% of the population in dozens of poorer countries could be forced to wait until at least 2022 because wealthy countries are hoarding so much of the vaccine supply. A growing movement is calling for the development of a people's vaccine and the suspension of intellectual property rights to expand access. We speak with Dr. Mohga Kamal-Yanni, a policy adviser to the People's Vaccine Alliance, and Achal Prabhala, a public health advocate and coordinator of the…

Staff (2021-01-01). Colonization Fueled Ebola: Dr. Paul Farmer on "Fevers, Feuds & Diamonds" & Lessons from West Africa. democracynow.org We continue our conversation with medical anthropologist Dr. Paul Farmer, whose new book, "Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds," tells the story of his efforts to fight Ebola in 2014 and how the history of slavery, colonialism and violence in West Africa exacerbated the outbreak. "Care for Ebola is not rocket science," says Dr. Farmer, who notes that doctors know how to treat sick patients. But the public health response was overwhelmingly focused not on care but containment, Dr. Farmer says, which "generated very painful echoes from colonial rule."

Vijay Prashad (2021-01-01). You don't want to imagine an ocean without coral reefs — but you might have to. peoplesdispatch.org Coral reefs across the world may disappear by the 2040s, according to a new report. While it's tempting to blame 'humanity' for this crisis, the truth is that it is the social formation called capitalism that is central to global warming…

Vijay Prashad (2021-01-01). You Don't Want to Imagine an Ocean Without Coral Reefs, But You Might Have to. counterpunch.org The average temperature in oceans has increased by 0.1 degrees Celsius (32.18 degrees Fahrenheit) in the past century as a result—among other factors—of increased use of fossil fuels. This increase in atmospheric warming, combined with phenomenon such as the 1997-98 and 2010 El Niño, have resulted in catastrophic coral reef degradation. But these earlier episodes do not compare to the impact of the long period of coral reef bleaching from 2014 to 2017; for example, the 1997-98 period saw the death of 16 percent of coral reefs, while the 2014-2017 warming saw 80 percent of the Great Barrier Reef suffer…

Paul Street (2021-01-01). Petit-Bourgeois "Normalcy" Pining at The New York Times. counterpunch.org Few things nauseate quite so much as "liberal" professional class pining for "normalcy" — a return to the supposedly good way things were — after Trump and COVID-19. Look at last Sunday's New York Times' Sunday Review section. It begins by asking readers what they would give to be standing at a bar in a

Jeffrey St. Clair (2021-01-01). Roaming Charges: It is What It is, But is That All There is? counterpunch.org In order to understand the sometimes perplexing nuances of the US political economy, you first have to realize that the people who manage it believe as an article of faith that the poor have too much money and the rich not enough.

Ramzy Baroud (2021-01-01). The US Money Tree: The Untold Story of American Aid to Israel. counterpunch.org On December 21, the United States Congress passed the COVID-19 Relief Package, as part of a larger $2.3 trillion bill meant to cover spending for the rest of the fiscal year. As usual, US representatives allocated a massive sum of money for Israel. While unemployment, thus poverty, in the US is skyrocketing as a result

Karen Conner (2021-01-01). Surprise Medical Billing Legislation is Good News for Patients, CEPR Co-Director Says. cepr.net Washington DC — In response to Surprise Medical Billing legislation inserted into the omnibus spending and COVID relief bill introduced December 21st (passing on December 22nd), CEPR Co-Director Eileen Appelbaum issued the following statement: "We commend Congressional leaders for passing a spending and relief package that includes legislation to end surprise medical billing. That is …

Tony Murphy (2021-01-01). Capitalism's COVID relief shell game. workers.org

Chloe Brimicombe, Elliott Sainsbury (2021-01-01). Overshadowed by COVID: The Deadly Extreme Weather of 2020. commondreams.org 2020 was alarming, unforgettable and traumatic—and not only because of COVID-19. Lethal natural hazards are increasing in frequency under our changing climate, and 2020 is a testament to that. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/file-20201209-18-1njg452.jpg …

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). 114 deaths, 6,286 infections in past 24h: Health Ministry. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) —Spokesperson for Ministry of Health and Medical Education Sima Lari said on Fri. that in the past 24 hours, 114 patients have lost their lives to Covid-19, while 6,286 new coronavirus cases have been detected in the nationwide.

Online News Editor (2021-01-01). US ends 2020 with record hospitalizations, black Covid forecasts. laprensalatina.com By Lucia Leal Washington, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- The United States on Thursday closes out 2020 with a record number of people hospitalized for Covid-19 and with discouraging forecasts for the first months of 2021 after the arrival of the mutated and much more infectious British strain of the coronavirus and the slowness of the vaccination …

Online News Editor (2021-01-01). 'We have the right to enjoy ourselves': Wuhan celebrates end of 2020. laprensalatina.com Jesus Centeno Wuhan, China, Jan 1 (efe-epa).- A couple walked along a crowded pedestrian street and could not believe their eyes: Wuhan, the city where Covid-19 began to spread and the one that experienced the first lockdown, was celebrating en masse the arrival of the new year, almost as if nothing had happened. From early …

Online News Editor (2021-01-01). US senator from Georgia enters 14-day quarantine before key runoff race. laprensalatina.com Washington, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- Republican Senator from Georgia David Perdue on Thursday began a 14-day quarantine after having contact with someone who had tested positive for Covid-19, a situation that complicates his party's campaign to retain his Senate seat five days before key runoff elections in his state. Perdue is one of two GOP senators …

MEE staff (2021-01-01). 'Think of the children': Pope Francis shares worries for Yemen in New Year message. middleeasteye.net 'Think of the children': Pope Francis shares worries for Yemen in New Year message | Catholic pope says six-year conflict, which shows no signs of easing, has 'numerous innocent victims' | Fri, 01/01/2021 – 20: 15 | Pope's blessing was moved indoors to limit spread of Covid-19 (AFP) | Pope Francis delivered an appeal for world peace on Friday and highlighed his worries about Yemen, a country that has been plag…

Laurel Mellin (2021-01-01). How to outsmart your COVID-19 fears and boost your mood in 2021. salon.com Emotional brain training can help people who get stuck experiencing high stress and negative emotions…

_____ (2021-01-01). Prisons And Jails Are COVID-19 Super-Spreaders. popularresistance.org One in five prisoners in the U.S. has been reported to have had COVID-19. That's 20% of people behind bars. And that is likely a "vast undercount," according to Homer Venters, the former chief medical officer at New York's Rikers Island jail complex. | If compassion for prisoners does not move policy makers or the general public, then eyes should turn to a pair of recent studies, one by the Prison Policy Initiative and the other by the Marshall Project, focused on prisons and jails in the U.S. According to data in these two reports: | Prisons and jails are "super-spreaders" of the virus, not only among prisoners,…

_____ (2021-01-01). Equity Is More Than Words. popularresistance.org On behalf of Physician Women SOAR, an antiracist physician group, we wish to respond to the Indiana University Health (IU Health) statement regarding the medical treatment provided to the late Dr. Susan Moore, a Black physician who was admitted to IU Health in early December for COVID-19. | Twelve hours after she was discharged from IU Health, Dr. Moore was readmitted to another hospital in respiratory failure, where she was quickly transferred to the ICU. Dr. Moore remained in critical condition for over two more weeks and died on December 20th. While admitted to IU Health, Dr. Moore was treated so poorly that s…

teleSUR (2021-01-01). Venezuela Announces Return of 7+7 Quarantine. telesurenglish.net Venezuelans are resuming, as of this Monday, the conscious and voluntary quarantine under the 7+7 scheme, according to an announcement from today by Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. | RELATED: | A total of 437 new cases of COVID-19, all of which were community transmitted, were detected in the last 24 hours of 2020 by Venezuelan health authorities, bringing the total number of infections to 113,558, while the rate…

RT (2021-01-01). WATCH Piers Corbyn FIRE-BREATHING as he stages anti-lockdown 'party' in London. rt.com Piers Corbyn, a prominent anti-lockdown activist and brother of Labour's ex-leader, has violated anti-coronavirus measures again and taken part in a restriction-defying party in London, announcing his bid for the city's mayor. | Multiple gatherings in violation of the UK's strict anti-coronavirus rules took place across the English capital overnight. While some were merely New Year celebrations, other 'parties' carried quite a political charge as well. | A massive gathering, dubbed the NYE Party of Parties, was staged by Piers Corbyn along the South Bank. The event attracted over 1,000 people, united in defyin…

RT (2021-01-01). Portugal promises 'fair, green & digital' Covid recovery for EU as it assumes European Council presidency. rt.com Portugal has taken the reins of the European Council, vowing in its role as president of the group to implement a sustainable economic recovery for the bloc and act as a fair negotiator between the UK and the EU. | Lisbon was handed the rotating presidency by Germany, and will lead the council until June. The leadership role, which is responsible for heading the Council of Ministers, changes hands between EU member states every six months. Portugal's term officially began on January 1, 2021. | A website dedicated to Portugal's new role explained that the country was committed to pursuing "a fair, green and dig…

RT (2021-01-01). Hundreds of Israelis get infected with Covid-19 after receiving Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine — reports. rt.com With the vaccine not providing immediate immunity to the coronavirus, over two hundred Israeli citizens have been diagnosed with the disease days after getting the Pfizer/BioNTech jabs, local media reported. | The number of those who got Covid-19 despite being vaccinated was at around 240 people, according to data from Channel 13 News. | The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which the Israeli health authorities rely on, doesn't contain the coronavirus and can't infect the recipient. But time is needed for the genetic code in the drug to train the immune system to recognize and attack the disease. | The course of the US…

RT (2021-01-01). Norway to lift UK travel ban but will keep special quarantine & testing rules amid concerns over new Covid-19 strain. rt.com Norway has announced it will end travel restrictions placed on the UK aimed at stopping the spread of a coronavirus mutation. It said that special rules pertaining to travelers from the country will remain in place, however. | The Norweigan government

Dr. Gary G. Kohls (2021-01-01). Chronic Fatigue Syndromes and the Gardasil Scandal: POTS and the Dangers of Aluminum-Adjuvanted Vaccines. globalresearch.ca Of relevance to the ongoing debate on the Covid vaccine, this incisive article by Dr. Gary Kohls was first published by Global Research on May 3, 2017. | *** | "The full extent of the Gardasil scandal needs to be assessed: …

teleSUR (2021-01-01). WHO Authorizes Universal Access for Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine. telesurenglish.net We have given the emergency approval in favor of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which will facilitate its use in countries that have not yet validated it. | This is a very positive step to guarantee universal access to COVID-19 vaccines, said Mariangela Simao, director in charge of access to medicines at the World Health Organization (WHO). | RELATED: | For the specialist, an even greater effort is needed to ensure that…

teleSUR (2021-01-01). 1.8 Mln Doses of Sinovac COVID-19 Vaccine Arrive in Indonesia. telesurenglish.net A total of 1.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine made by the Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech on Thursday arrived in Indonesia. | RELATED: | Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi said this is the second batch of the Sinovac vaccine delivery for Indonesia, and that the first batch of 1.2 million doses arrived on Dec. 6. | "With this arrival, it means that there are already 3 million doses of Sinovac vaccin…

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-01-01). Canada: The Killer H1N1 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Of relevance to the current debate on the Covid19 vaccine, this article on the H1N1 vaccine was first published on November 20, 2009. | In 2009, the Canadian media provided us with detailed coverage on the adverse health impacts of the …

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-01-01). Canada: The 2009 Killer H1N1 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Of relevance to the current debate on the Covid19 vaccine, this article on the H1N1 vaccine was first published on November 20, 2009. | In 2009, the Canadian media provided us with detailed coverage on the adverse health impacts of the …

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Wisconsin Pharmacist Jailed After Purposely Spoiling Hundreds of COVID-19 Vaccine Doses. sputniknews.com In mid-December 2020, Americans began receiving vaccines against COVID-19, after the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized two jabs — the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, developed in cooperation between the US-based Pfizer and the German-based BioNTech SE companies, and a second vaccine from US-based Moderna.

Erik Molvar (2021-01-01). The Times Call for a Bold Conservation Agenda, Will Biden Seize the Moment? counterpunch.org For four long years, Donald Trump and his industry cronies have waged war on lands, wildlife, climate, and science itself. They leave behind a legacy of shattered agencies, broken regulations, and demoralized public servants. At the same time, America's awareness of environmental justice disparities — and the moral imperative to alleviate the burdens of pollution

Jenn Beverly (2021-01-01). City of Denver 2021 budget cuts pay for workers, gives future raises to Denver Police. liberationnews.org It's staggering to know that even the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression won't stop the City of Denver from spending millions on cops.

Devin C (2021-01-01). Alabama prisons: ON STRIKE! workers.org Occupied Muscogee Creek/Cherokee/Yuchi/Choctaw/Shawnee/Chickasaw land As of Jan. 1, 2021, incarcerated workers in Alabama's odious prison system are on strike! Led by the Free Alabama Movement, incarcerated workers throughout the state of Alabama have put down their work tools and refused to go to work from now until Jan. 31. The . . . |

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (2021-01-01). Best of CounterSpin 2020. fair.org (photo: Daniel Arauz/Wikimedia) | As we start a new year, longtime CounterSpin listeners will know, we revisit a few of our weekly looks behind the headlines. We call it "the best of," but it's just a reflection of the sorts of conversations we hope have offered some voice or context or information that you might not have heard elsewhere, or that might help you assess the news you are hearing. We're thankful to all of the activists, researchers, reporters and advocates who appear on the show to help us understand the world and how we can change it.

Andrew Levine (2021-01-01). Donald the Culpable. counterpunch.org To the best of my knowledge, Donald Trump has never actually shot anybody on Fifth Avenue, not yet anyway, though the thought of acting out that famous boast of his must surely have crossed his mind. The man is amoral and sadistic, and always looking for ways to show off what he can get away

Scott Ferguson (2021-01-01). Money as a Constitutional Project with Christine Desan. mronline.org In this episode we are joined by Christine Desan, Leo Goettlieb professor of law at Harvard Law School to discuss her excellent book, Making Money: Coin, Currency, and the Coming of Capitalism.

Charlotte Dennett (2021-01-01). The Georgia Fraud Story You Haven't Heard: Sec of State Raffensperger Speaks With a Forked Tongue. counterpunch.org In recent weeks, the news filling American living rooms is that Georgia's Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, bravely stood up to President Trump's claim of voter fraud in the November 2020 elections and continues to do so now that Georgians are heading to the polls next week to decide a crucial runoff election that

Peter Coyote — Terry Bisson (2021-01-01). The Grinnell 14 Go to Washington. counterpunch.org It was autumn in Iowa, it was 1961. It was fifty years ago. The sanitized 1950s, its Men in Grey Flannel Suits, and the Military-Industrial complex President Eisenhower warned about, were the dominant voices. Bob Dylan had just released his first record, and the folk music movement was emerging, but the old order maintained cultural

Nancy Krieger (2021-01-01). Queen of the Bolsheviks. mronline.org Now forgotten, Dr. Marie Equi (1872—1952) was a physician for working-class women and children, a lesbian, and a dynamic and flamboyant political activist. She was a "firebrand in the causes of suffrage, labor and peace, in Portland in the 'teens, '20s, and '30s." A reformer turned revolutionary, Equi earned the nickname "Queen of the Bolsheviks," …

Alicia Jrapko and Bill Hackwell (2021-01-01). In the Fabric of the Cuban Revolution. dissidentvoice.org Image from the Plaza of the Revolution by Bill Hackwell Time is starting to distance itself from that dramatic moment, 6 years ago today, when the final 3 members of the Cuban Five were freed from the prisons of the Empire after 16 years. Never the less, because of a healthy distrust of the US …

Eds. (2021-01-01). Five radical films to watch this holiday. mronline.org In this powerful new documentary, filmmaker James Erskine utilises journalist Linda Lipnack Kuehl's interviews with Billie Holiday's associates to illustrate how the singer overcame adversity to become one of the greatest artists in American music.

Eve Ottenberg (2021-01-01). The Aftermath of the George Floyd Rebellion. counterpunch.org The media may not cover them much anymore, but Black Lives Matter protests have not died out completely. At their height, last summer, multiple cities convulsed in protest simultaneously. Smaller gatherings still trickle into public parks in cities like Washington, D.C., they have not stopped totally; nor, at all, have the police killings that prompted

Desiree Hellegers (2021-01-01). Victor Jara's Hands: An Anti-Fascist Memoir-festo and Brief Personal History of Neoliberalism. counterpunch.org You can easily carbon date your friends on Facebook based on where they were during any major milestone in U.S. history. As a university professor teaching now for decades at what we euphemistically call a "land grant" university, many of my students these days were born after 9-11—into the U.S.'s seemingly endless "War on Terror." It's a war that some of their family members died in, but one that few of them seem to know much about.

Gloria La Riva (2021-01-01). Cuba welcomes 2021 in victory, introduces new monetary policy. liberationnews.org Today, January 1, the 62nd anniversary of Cuba's revolutionary victory, the government is implementing a sweeping economic policy with reorganization of the monetary system to promote more efficiency and greater production.

Patrick Bond (2021-01-01). As South African Climate Justice Veterans Fall, Consciousness Begins Reviving, From Below and Across. counterpunch.org As South African climate justice veterans fall, consciousness begins reviving, from below and across Deaths of four frontline KwaZulu-Natal activists — and latest Durban oil refinery explosion — define 2021 battlegrounds On three days last week — December 23-25 — South Africa's east coast province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) lost three of its clearest voices for

Ron Jacobs (2021-01-01). Facebook and the Street. counterpunch.org Ever since I signed onto Facebook twelve years ago, I've learned some interesting things about music, art, and sport. I've also engaged in intelligent and informative conversations with people about politics and the aforementioned topics. My original reason for signing up had to do with being able to see photos posted by family and friends.

Patrick Bond (2021-01-01). As South African climate justice veterans fall, consciousness begins reviving, from below and across. mronline.org On three days last week—December 23-25—South Africa's east coast province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) lost three of its clearest voices for social justice and environmental sanity: rural women's leader Sizani Ngubane (74), trade unionist Patrick Mkhize (60) and progressive activist Faith ka-Manzi (52).

Joseph Natoli (2021-01-01). Right Now: The New Year. counterpunch.org "[S]ocial media had provided a breeding ground for fanaticism, authoritarianism, and nihilism. It had also proved to be easily manipulated, not least by foreign agents." — Jill LePore, These Truths President-elect Biden may succeed in forming an administration that represents differences of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, and gender identity but the disruptive differences regarding truth, reality,

Devin C (2021-01-01). Alabama prisons: ON STRIKE! workers.org Occupied Muscogee Creek / Cherokee / Yuchi / Choctaw / Shawnee / Chickasaw land As of Jan. 1, 2021, incarcerated workers in Alabama's odious prison system are on strike! Led by the Free Alabama Movement, incarcerated workers throughout the state of Alabama have put down their work tools and refused . . . |

Eds. (2021-01-01). Don't You Mess With Cuba — video. mronline.org World Premiere!!!..üòâüòâüòâ…subtitled version of the video clip "Don't You Mess With Cuba"

RT (2021-01-01). Independent Britain's first day: Channel traffic smooth on French & UK sides as new post-Brexit era begins. rt.com Despite fears of a transport collapse, freight traffic across the Channel continued without major hold-ups and complications in the first hours of Friday after the UK officially quit the EU customs union. | Hundreds of lorries have already travelled between France and Britain in both directions through the Channel Tunnel, while dozens more have been transported by ferries. | "The traffic was strong enough for an exceptional and historic night," a spokesman for Getlink, the Channel Tunnel's operator, told AFP, adding that "everything went well." | Due to Britain no longer being part of the EU customs union, the…

RT (2021-01-01). 'Keep the light on' Sturgeon tells EU, suggesting Scotland might SECEDE from post-Brexit UK 'soon'. rt.com Within minutes of Brexit taking effect, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted a message to Brussels that Scotland might be rejoining the EU "soon," following up on a recent demand for another independence referendum. | "Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on," Sturgeon said as clocks struck midnight in Brussels and the UK's exit from the European Union became official on Friday. | | Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on üè¥Û ÅßÛ Å¢&Uci…

Anand Naidoo (2021-01-01). The Heat: President Xi Jinping's New Year Address. america.cgtn.com China celebrates the New Year. And President Xi Jinping delivers a major address to the nation.

MEE staff (2021-01-01). Qatar tells UN Security Council of repeated Bahraini violations of its territory. middleeasteye.net Qatar tells UN Security Council of repeated Bahraini violations of its territory | Move is the second time in less than a week that Doha has informed the UN about such allegations against Manama | Fri, 01/01/2021 – 12: 31 | Alya bint Ahmed Al Thani, the Qatari permanent representative to the UN, called on top UN officials to put an end 'to the tendentious Bahraini violations' (Social media) | Qatar's Foreign M…

MEE and agencies (2021-01-01). UN calls for international monitors to oversee Libya ceasefire. middleeasteye.net UN calls for international monitors to oversee Libya ceasefire | Antonio Guterres asks African Union, European Union and Arab League to contribute civilians and retired soldiers | Fri, 01/01/2021 – 17: 01 | Guterres calls on all nations to respect UN arms embargo on Libya (Reuters) | The United Nations called for international monitors to support a fragile ceasefire in Libya, in the hope t…

MEE and agencies (2021-01-01). Sudan declares full control of border territory settled by Ethiopians. middleeasteye.net Sudan declares full control of border territory settled by Ethiopians | After weeks of clashes, Sudan says it now controls all its territory in the al-Fashqa area settled by Ethiopian farmers | Fri, 01/01/2021 – 10: 45 | Sudan's General Abdelfattah al-Burhan said his troops had not left the country's territory and that Khartoum was looking to solve the issue of trespassing farmers through…

Olivia Lazard (2021-01-01). The power of soil: How our precarious climate shaped the Arab Spring. middleeasteye.net The power of soil: How our precarious climate shaped the Arab Spring | Fri, 01/01/2021 – 18: 40 | The history of the Middle East, and the recent teachings of the 2010-11 uprisings, highlight an important lesson: Ignore ecological integrity at your peril | In 149 BC, Marcus Porcius Cato – a politician, soldier and citizen dedicated to the study of agriculture – saw a major goal realised when Rome

Sheren Khalel (2021-01-01). Israeli forces shoot Palestinian in neck as they attempt to confiscate generator. middleeasteye.net Israeli forces shoot Palestinian in neck as they attempt to confiscate generator | Harun Abu Aram, 24, in critical condition after being shot while trying to stop Israeli forces from seizing electric generator | Fri, 01/01/2021 – 19: 26 | Harun Abu Aram is hospitalised and in critical condition (Screenshot) | Israeli forces shot a 24-year-old Palestinian man in the neck on Friday as they attempted…

RT (2021-01-01). Russia's Asian path may benefit stability in Europe by forcing declining EU to deal with Moscow as it is not as it wants it to be. rt.com After the fall of communism, the NATO powers expected Russia to fall into line and Westernize, but without the prospect of Western integration. But that plan has blown up in their faces. | It has pushed Moscow towards Asia, just as the global balance of power flipped. The historical shift of economic power from the West to the East is a catalyst for a revolutionary change in EU-Russian relations. While Asia continues its rise, economic stagnation and relative decline has seemingly destined Europe to growing irrelevance in the world. | For the first time in its history, Russia does not need to look towards Euro…

RT (2021-01-01). Multiple Bundeswehr vehicles 'extensively damaged' during suspected arson attack in Leipzig. rt.com Several off-road military vehicles caught fire overnight in German city of Leipzig. The cars have sustained heavy damage, according to local police, who suspect a deliberate arson attack caused the blaze. | Some ten Mercedes-Benz G-class vehicles, parked at a local car dealership in Leipzig, were engulfed in flames during New Year's night. | While the blaze was promptly put out, at least seven of them were "extensively damaged," local police have said. According to preliminary findings, the fire was likely caused by a deliberate arson attack. So far, no suspects have been apprehended. | | © Global Look…

RT (2021-01-01). Pentagon sends aircraft carrier USS Nimitz home from Middle East as anniversary of Soleimani killing looms. rt.com The USS Nimitz, the US Navy's only aircraft carrier currently deployed near the Persian Gulf, has been sent home just a day after two B-52 bombers were sent to the area — despite supposed 'chatter' about a coming Iranian attack. | Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller announced the Nimitz would be heading back to its home port of Bremerton, Washington on Thursday, avoiding so much as a mention of Iran in his remarks — even as Washington and Tehran have traded threats and barbs for weeks ahead of the anniversary of Quds Force Major General Qassem Soleimani's killing by US airstrike. | Also on rt.com…

RT (2021-01-01). Welcome to the Vaccine Canteen: Brewing company tempts hipsters in for vaccinations with free beer. rt.com Pubs across the UK may be shuttered, but one brewer wants to convert its bars into vaccination centers, rewarding customers with a free beer for taking the jab. | Scottish beer manufacturer BrewDog is no stranger to taking up fashionable causes. In 2015 it

RT (2021-01-01). Crimean senator tells Zelensky – return Ukraine to Moscow Time to recall days before it became 'Europe's most backward country'. rt.com As the last few hours of 2020 ticked away, Ukraine's president urged Crimeans to "turn back the clock" and return to rule by Kiev. But one local leader says the troubled country would be better off adopting Russian time instead. | In his address to citizens in the Eastern European country on Thursday, Volodymyr Zelensky bemoaned the fact that those living in the disputed Crimea and Donbass regions would be celebrating the new year an hour earlier than Kiev. | Breaking into Russian, the dominant language of the breakaway former territories, he acknowledged that "Donetsk, Lugansk and Crimea now live in every sen…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2021-01-01). Youth Activists Ring In 2021 With Renewed Demand That World 'Wake Up to the Climate Crisis'. commondreams.org "It must be the year we take real action instead of continuing to repeat meaningless words and empty promises." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/2021-first-fridaysforfuture.jpg …

teleSUR (2021-01-01). Mexico's President Proposes Plebiscite on Safe Abortion Bill. telesurenglish.net Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) proposed to hold a plebiscite on safe abortion so "women can decide what is best for them." | RELATED: | "Such a measure should not be taken by an authority, nor the Church. Women must be heard. It is in their hands whether a Safe Abortion bill is drafted," he assured. | AMLO made the statements one day after Argentina passed the Safe Abortion Law. On a broadcast messa…

Joshua Frank (2021-01-01). My Favorites of 2020. counterpunch.org Like so many of you, I spent countless hours these past nine excruciating months locked inside my home, consuming music, reading and watching too many shows. I'm really not a big fan of these "best of" lists (I don't believe art ought to be judged), but of all the arts entertainment (or edutainment as KRS-One

John Laforge (2021-01-01). Court Orders Veterans Affairs Department to Replace Flawed Science in Plutonium Disaster Case. counterpunch.org In a major class action ruling issued December 17, the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in Washington, DC has ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to re-examine how it evaluates disability claims from veterans exposed to deadly alpha radiation during cleanup operations following a disastrous nuclear weapons accident at Palomares, Spain. The

Peter Mayo, Paolo Vittoria (2021-01-01). Migration and Racism: Lessons From Antonio Gramsci. counterpunch.org Italian political theorist and activist Antonio Gramsci, who died eighty-four years ago, in an Italy that was a far cry from the multiethnic country it is today, provides much grist for the mill when it comes to a complex analysis of migration and racism. He underscores the need to interpret migratory movements through complex analyses.

teleSUR (2021-01-01). The African Continental Free Trade Area Is in Effect From Today. telesurenglish.net The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) went into operation on January 1 with the aspiration of becoming the world's largest single market. | RELATED: | "The African Continental Free Trade Area will change the economic fortunes of our continent," said South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is also the leader of the African Union (AU). | At the virtual launch ceremony, the AfCFTA Secretary Wamkele Mene…

teleSUR (2021-01-01). Cuban Revolution Marks 62 Years of Heroic Resistance. telesurenglish.net The Cuban Revolution Friday marked 62nd years of resistance to the U.S. blockade, which was intensified during President Donald Trump's administration. | RELATED: | On New Year's Eve, President Miguel Diaz-Canel congratulated the people and called for unity, the only possible way for the Revolution to keep moving forward. | "We went through a year of challenges, tensions, and aggressions. I extend my gratitude to the Cu…

teleSUR (2021-01-01). Implementation of New Monetary System Begins in Cuba. telesurenglish.net The so-called Restructuring Task, promoted by the government, implies unifying the current exchange rates, the cessation of the circulation of the convertible peso, and a general reform of salaries and prices, with the gradual elimination of excessive subsidies and undue gratuities. | RELATED: | These procedures find legal backing in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Cuba in its extraordinary edition number…

teleSUR, CE (2021-01-01). Colombia: First Ex-Combatant Killed in 2021, Yolanda Zabala Mazo. telesurenglish.net The year begins in Colombia with the painful news of the killing of Peace Accords signer Yolanda Zabala Mazo and her sister Reina Zabala Mazo, in Briceño, Antioquia. Yolanda was carrying out her reincorporation process at the Territorial Spaces for Training and Reincorporation (ETCR) of Plancha, Anorí, Antioquia. | RELATED: | Yolanda and Reina, 22 and 17 years old respectively, were murdered in the early morning Friday, January 1st, making Yola…

Fight Back (2021-01-01). Photo Essay: The Minneapolis George Floyd uprising. fightbacknews.org &nbsp…

Andrew Emett (2021-01-01). Joliet sergeant indicted after releasing video of alleged police misconduct. nationofchange.org "You arrest the sergeant for doing the right thing, but you don't arrest the officers for doing the wrong thing."

teleSUR (2021-01-01). Peruvian Govt. Promises Actions Against Police Brutality. telesurenglish.net Peru's Interior Minister Jose Elice Thursday assured authorities would radically reform the National Police after three people were killed due to police brutality during farmworkers' protests against the new Agrarian Law. | RELATED: | His announcement occurred after a picture of a police officer using a firearm to suppress protests went viral on social media. | "We cannot be sure that the policeman photographed is responsible for the deaths a…

Dr. Birsen Filip (2021-01-01). The 62nd Anniversary of the Cuban Revolution: An Unprecedented Chapter in World History. globalresearch.ca January 2019: Cubans are commemorating the 60th anniversary of their independence. On this day in 1959, the Cuban Revolution was successfully conducted by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement[i] and became an enduring symbol of resistance to neo-colonialism, capitalism, and hegemony.

Paolo Vittoria (2021-01-01). Migration and Racism: Lessons From Antonio Gramsci, an interview with Peter Mayo. counterpunch.org Italian political theorist and activist Antonio Gramsci, who died eighty-four years ago, in an Italy that was a far cry from the multiethnic country it is today, provides much grist for the mill when it comes to a complex analysis of migration and racism. He underscores the need to interpret migratory movements through complex analyses.

Derek Royden (2021-01-01). Biden/Harris and the progressive case against a 'return to normal'. nationofchange.org Come January 20th, the American left will need to be ready to fight for a seat at the table in an incoming administration that seems less and less inclined to woo them the closer he gets to taking office.

teleSUR (2021-01-01). Russia: Putin Voices Confidence in Overcoming 2020 Challenges. telesurenglish.net Russia's President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual New Year speech on Thursday, during which he expressed the belief that his nation will be able to overcome existing challenges and restore normalcy. | RELATED: | "I am convinced that together we will overcome everything, establish and restore normal life and with renewed vigor continue to solve the tasks facing Russia in the coming third decade of the 21st centu…

Richard C. Gross (2021-01-01). The Chaotic Life of Donald Trump. counterpunch.org A woman recently wrote a letter to my city's newspaper lamenting witnessing a driver reaching out his window to give money to a lawful panhandler on a street corner. As the panhandler went for it, the driver snatched it away and drove off. That's a basic Donald Trump move. The difference between him and that

teleSUR (2021-01-01). Two Dormant Volcanoes Raise Eruption Alarms in the Caribbean. telesurenglish.net Two Caribbean volcanoes that had been dormant for decades in suddenly awoke, triggering eruption alerts in Martinique and St. Vincent & the Grenadines. | RELATED: | Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency informed that La Soufriere volcano in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines could erupt within 24 hours. | "People living nearby should leave their homes immediately," authorities urged as they asked inhabitants to ke…

teleSUR (2021-01-01). Panama Commemorates 21 Years of Self-Administration of the Canal. telesurenglish.net Panama's President Laurentino Cortizo Thursday welcomed the 21st anniversary of the handing over by the U.S. of the administrations' right of the Panama Canal. | RELATED: | "Twenty-one years ago we made a dream come true: the transfer of the Canal into Panamanian hands. Today, we continue to demonstrate to the world the ability to maintain an efficient administration," Cortizo twitted. | Panama Canal Administration (ACP)…

Diane Ravitch (2021-01-01). Welcome 2021! Go Away, 2020! commondreams.org Four years of the worst, most malicious, most demagogic, most crooked, most lying president in American history will come to an end in less than three weeks. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1269284605.jpg …

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-01-01). 81 Senators Vote to Override Trump Veto of NDAA as GOP Continues to Block $2,000 Relief Checks. commondreams.org "At a time when so many Americans are facing economic desperation," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, "it is tragic that the Republican leadership has turned their backs on the working families of this country." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12300975631.jpg …

Kelley Beaucar Vlahos (2021-01-01). Iraq Today Is a Nightmare That Americans Largely Sleep Through. commondreams.org "It is part of the American way of making war, arriving unwanted in a third world country with promises to liberate, and then leaving as our domestic politics (or just losing) turn that war into an unwanted child." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-903732720.jpg …

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2021-01-01). Biden Cabinet Picks Blinken and Yellen Each Made Over $1 Million From Corporate Clients and Speeches. commondreams.org "This crap is why Washington doesn't change," said one critic in response to the new financial disclosures. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/blank_955_x_500.png …

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). US responsible for consequences of any possible adventurism. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the United States would be held responsible for consequences of any possible adventurism in the region.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Three people dead in stabbing incident in London. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Three people were injured in a stabbing incident that took place in London at the beginning of New Year.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Iraqi army arrests 10 ISIL's Takfiri elements in Nineveh Gov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Iraqi army forces identified and arrested 10 Takfiri elements of ISIL terrorist group during an operation in Nineveh Province.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). VIDEO: Dozens of cars set on fire on eve of New Year. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — At least 30 cars were set on fire in the city of Strasbourg on New Year's Eve following annual violence and sabotage in various French cities.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). US recent moves in region 'sign of fear: Badr Org. Chief says. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Head of Iraq's Badr Organization Hadi Al-Amiri said that the recent moves of the United States in the region are a sign of fear.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Blood of martyr Gen. Soleimani heralds liberation of Al-Quds. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Grand Mufti of Syria Sheikh Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun said that blood of Martyr Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani heralds liberation of Al-Quds.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Gen. Soleimani's School must be clarified for generations. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Iranian Judiciary Chief Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi said that various aspects of Martyr Lt. Gen. Soleimani must be explained to the present and future generations.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Intl. figures talk of most significant 2020 developments. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — While many believe that 2020 has been a year full of important and influential events in many aspects of human life, others consider 2020 the worst year ever that you would never want to revisit it.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Terror of Soleimani, testament to US ruinous role in region. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — The Embassy of Islamic Republic of Iran in Norway issued a statement on Thu., stating that assassination of Iran's top commander Martyr Gen. Soleimani is a testament to US destructive role in the region.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Briefing on Iran's daily developments. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — The following are the Islamic Republic of Iran's latest developments in the last 24 hours.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Blood of martyr Soleimani to accelerate annihilation of US. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Iran's Army issued a statement on the occasion of 1st anniversary of martyrdom of former IRGC Quds Force Commander Lt. Gen. Soleimani, stating that blood of martyr Gen. Soleimani will accelerate annihilation of United States.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Gen. Soleimani spirit of martyrdom a model in proving freedom. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) in a message said that Lt. Gen. Soleimani's spirit of martyrdom is a convincing model in providing freedom.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Iran warns of US military adventurism in Persian Gulf. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) —Iran's Permanent Mission in the United Nations warned the Security Council of increasing US military adventurism in the Persian Gulf.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). US maximum pressure policy against Iran 'failed': Ulyanov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna said that maximum pressure policy exerted by the United States against Iran did not produce any positive result and failed.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Armenia suspends import of Turkish goods. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Yerevan government suspended the import of Turkish —made goods to Armenia for six months in response to Turkish military support for the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Path of Resistance not to change with US mischief: Ghaani. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) —Iran's IRGC Quds Force Commander Esmaeil Ghaani said that the path of IRGC Quds Force and Resistance will not change with evils and mischief of the United States.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Cowardice in killing foreign leaders, 'US-Israeli trademark'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman said that cowardice in assassinating foreign leaders is a US-Israeli trademark.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). IRGC Quds Force achievements led to security in Iran, region. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Salient achievements of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Crops (IRGC) Quds Force have led to the lasting and sustainable security both in Iran and the region.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). 1st martyrdom anniversary of Gen. Soleimani kicks off. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — The first martyrdom anniversary of former Iran's IRGC Quds Force Commander started in Tehran on Fri. in the presence of state and military officials and a great number of families of martyrs at Tehran University.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Senior Iranian cleric 'Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi' passes away. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Senior Iranian cleric 'Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi', Head of Imam Khomeini (RA) Educational and Research Institute and Member of Assembly of Experts passed away at the age of 86 on Friday evening.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Martyrdom anniversary of martyrs of resistance held in Syria. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — The 1st martyrdom anniversary of former IRGC Quds Forces Commander Qassem Soleimani and Second-in-Command of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was held in Syria's Al Bukamal.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Iran to bring Gen. Soleimani's assassins to justice: FM. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Iranian Foreign Ministry in a message stressed that Iran will not rest until perpetrators of assassinating Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani are brought to justice.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Iran fully ready to confront any US move in region: IRGC cmdr. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said that Armed Forces of the country is fully prepared to give a crushing response to any US anti-Iran move in the region.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). 1st VP felicitates world Christians on New Year. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Iran's First Vice President Es'hagh Jahangiri in a message on Wed. congratulated the world nations on the advent of New Christian Year and the followers of Prophet of Peace Jesus Christ (PBUH) especially Christian compatriots.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Martyr Gen. Soleimani stood against Western plots in region. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Representative of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Resistance Movement (Hamas) said that Martyr Lt. Gen. Soleimani firmly stood against the plots hatched by western countries in the region.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). 1st martyrdom anniversary of Gen. Soleimani marked in Tehran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — The 1st anniversary of martyrdom of former IRGC Quds Force Commander Lt. Gen. Soleimani and Second-in-Command of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was held at Tehran University's Campus on Fri.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Mural of martyr Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani unveiled in Tehran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — The unveiling ceremony of mural of martyr Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani was held at District 5 Municipality of Tehran on Fri. in the presence of Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation (IKRF) Chief and a number of Tehran councilors.

Staff (2021-01-01). Reproductive Rights Advocates Say Ohio Fetal Remains Bill Is Unconstitutional. truthout.org Reproductive rights and civil liberties groups condemned as "unconstitutional and medically unnecessary" a bill signed into law Wednesday by Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine requiring the burial or cremation of fetal remains resulting from abortion. |

Online News Editor (2021-01-01). US withdraws aircraft carrier from Middle East amid tensions with Iran. laprensalatina.com Washington, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- The Pentagon on Thursday said it was calling back its only navy aircraft carrier operating in the Middle East, in a move that surprised many observers because it would reduce United States' military power in the region amid escalating tensions with Iran. The decision comes as Washington fears that Iran may …

Online News Editor (2021-01-01). US Senate overrides Trump's veto of bill funding the military. laprensalatina.com Washington, Jan 1 (efe-epa).- The Republican-controlled US Senate voted overwhelmingly Friday to override outgoing President Donald Trump's veto of the $741 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The House of Representatives, where Democrats are in the majority, overrode the veto on Monday, so the path is now clear for the bill to become law. Though …

Online News Editor (2021-01-01). Myanmar rebels free 3 abducted politicians in Rakhine. laprensalatina.com Yangon, Myanmar, Jan 1 (efe-epa).- Guerrillas of the Arakan Army on Friday released three politicians of the ruling party in Myanmar who were kidnapped during the election campaign in October, officials said. "We are told that our candidates have been released but they have not called us yet. We understand that they are in a …

Online News Editor (2021-01-01). EU, UK learn to live without each other at dawn of new era. laprensalatina.com London/Brussels, Jan 1 (efe-epa).- The European Union and the United Kingdom brought in the new year on Friday, which also marked the first day of their new, post-Brexit relationship after almost half a century together. Having struggled — and ultimately failed — to live together, now they will have to learn to live without each …

Online News Editor (2021-01-01). Mexicans say bye to 2020 at jammed hospitals waiting for news of relatives. laprensalatina.com By Cristina Sanchez Reyes Mexico City, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- Many families are spending the last day of 2020 at the doors of hospitals in Mexico City, which are on the verge of overflowing, waiting for any encouraging news about the health situation of their loved ones both inside and waiting to be admitted. Veronica Rojas …

Online News Editor (2021-01-01). Kim sends 'heartfelt' New Year's letter to North Korean people. laprensalatina.com Seoul, Jan 1 (efe-epa).- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a letter to the citizens of the hermetic Asian country, wishing them happiness and good health in the New Year, state media reported on Friday. The letters replaced his traditional New Year's speech and come on the eve of an important party congress. "I extend …

sputniknews (2021-01-01). 'Keep the Light On': Scottish FM Sturgeon Tweets to EU 'Scotland Will Be Back Soon'. sputniknews.com The Scottish Parliament rejected UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's post-Brexit trade deal on Wednesday, and last month the Conservative leader smeared Scotland's devolved power as a "disaster" for the country.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). UK Will Remain EU's Friend, Ally After Brexit — Macron. sputniknews.com PARIS (Sputnik) — The United Kingdom will remain the friend and ally of the European Union after completing its withdrawal from the union, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

Andrew Glencross (2021-01-01). Brexit deal done: What's in it and where next for the UK and EU?>. salon.com While the UK claims it will have full political and economic independence on Jan. 1, the reality is more complex…

teleSUR (2021-01-01). Scotland To Return To the EU Soon, First Minister Sturgeon Vows. telesurenglish.net The First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon asked the European Union (EU) to "keep the light on" because "Scotland will be back soon." | RELATED: | The pro-independence politician tweeted that message after the Brexit transition period expired at 23: 00 GMT on December 31. | From that moment on, Scotland's trade relations and travel regulations with EU countries began to be ruled by the guidelines agreed in the new agreem…

reddebrek (2021-01-01). The History of Anarchism in 8 Minutes. dissidentvoice.org A short video on the Anarchist movement throughout history to the modern day.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Alien Hunter Spots 'UFO' in WWII Iwo Jima Flag Raising Video. sputniknews.com The blogger claimed that up to 30 seconds are missing from the footage of the famous flag-raising operation.

Wallace Shawn (2021-01-01). Breakfast Table With Jewish Newsletters. thenation.com Breakfast Table With Jewish Newsletters…

imperial.ac.uk (2021-01-01). Professor Sir Mark Walport named as Imperial College AHSC chair. imperial.ac.uk Professor Sir Mark Walport, has been appointed chair of the Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC) Strategic Partnership Board.

news.un (2021-01-01). Make 2021 'safer, healthier world for children', UNICEF chief urges. news.un.org The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday that more than 371,500 children would be born on the first day of 2021.

news.un (2021-01-01). Yemen: Fatal airport attack 'potentially amounts to a war crime' — UN envoy. news.un.org On the last day of a year that has continued to brutalize the war-torn people of Yemen, UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths condemned a "despicable attack" on the country's newly formed government as they arrived at Aden airport‚ÄØon Wednesday.

Chris Scott (2021-01-01). America's essential connection to cornbread. salon.com "Cornbread. Ain't nothing wrong with that." The joke from Chris Rock's standup act rings true…

Alex Dew (2021-01-01). Best of 2020: My houseplant garden is a tiny national park Donald Trump can never destroy. salon.com Our 2020 retrospective continues with this meditation on what is and is not possible for one individual to save…

Chauncey DeVega (2021-01-01). Top 10 reasons why making year-end lists won't save America. salon.com List-making is a way to assert control in the face of uncertainty. But in 2021, America faces more difficult tasks…

J. David McSwane (2021-01-01). "Those of us who don't die are going to quit": Overwhelmed hospitals and the nurse who lost hope. salon.com Supply shortages remain so severe that nurse Kristen Cline reuses her N95 for shifts as her hospital buckles…

Roger Sollenberger (2021-01-01). Kelly Loeffler's extensive ties to the energy sector suggest major conflict of interest. salon.com Loeffler was named to Georgia Power board of directors two months before she had to leave for the Senate…

Nicole Karlis (2021-01-01). The key to a successful "Dry January" salon.com Salon spoke with the author with the "The Dry Challenge" about the benefits of a one-month sobriety campaign…

Alex Henderson (2021-01-01). Yet another audit of Georgia's election fails to find evidence of fraud. salon.com Audit of absentee ballot signatures in Georgia finds no evidence of voter fraud…

Melanie McFarland (2021-01-01). Like 2020, "Revolution of the Daleks" is dark. The heroic Captain Jack insists "hope is still there" salon.com Salon talks to "Doctor Who" guest star John Barrowman and Mandip Gill about its relevant holiday special…

Ryan Nebeker (2021-01-01). The sustainability challenges that threaten the agave industry. salon.com The growing demand for agave has led some farmers to turn to environmentally taxing production methods…

Melanie McFarland (2021-01-01). In its third season, "Cobra Kai's" one-note villain knocks it off its game. salon.com With too much Kreese in its wheels, the series flattens out all the layers that once made it great…

Nik Sharma (2021-01-01). The savory power of kala namak, aka black salt. salon.com Why you should keep this savory super-ingredient in your pantry…

Thomas Klikauer (2021-01-01). How Austerity Is Re-Shaping Work Regimes. zcomm.org In the period since 2010, when Austerity mania took over government policies fuelled by media calls to balance the books, the capital-media alliance has been a winning ticket…

Tom Phillips (2021-01-01). Argentina Legalizes Abortion in Landmark Moment for Women's Rights. zcomm.org The victory is the result of five years of mass protest marches by Argentina's grassroots women's movement, which began as a Twitter campaign against gender violence…

Rod Driver (2021-01-01). Selling Weapons — The Most Corrupt Industry in the World. zcomm.org The US government has the highest military spending in the world, with approximately one-third of the world's military expenditure…

_____ (2021-01-01). UK MPs Nominate Cuban Doctors For Nobel Peace Prize. popularresistance.org The Cuba Solidarity Campaign in the United Kingdom announced Thursday that four more members of the British Parliament have nominated the Cuban doctors for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. | According to a message spread through Twitter, MPs from Liverpool Paula Barker, Ian Byrne, Kim Johnson and Dan Carden joined other MPs and academics from the UK who had previously formally nominated the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade from Cuba for the award. | The online petition, published by the solidarity campaign on its website, had accumulated by November's end, more than 6,400 signatures of legislators, academics,…

_____ (2021-01-01). Organizations Diverting Food Waste To Provide Meals For People In Need. popularresistance.org One-third of the world's food is wasted, according to the United Nations (UN). That number jumps to 40 percent in the United States—enough to feed 2 billion people. | Uneaten food has dire consequences for the planet: decomposing waste releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. According to the UN, if food waste was its own country, it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gas in the world, after the United States and China. | And yet, a recent Census Bureau survey finds that 1 in 8 Americans is struggling to secure reliable, nutritious food. | "There's no shortage of food," Regina Anderson, Exec…

Cecilia Nowell (2021-01-01). Argentina's Decades-Long Fight to Legalize Abortion Ends in Victory. thenation.com Argentina's Decades-Long Fight to Legalize Abortion Ends in Victory…

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Three Iraqi Servicemen Killed in Blast in Northern Kirkuk Province – Source. sputniknews.com BAGHDAD (Sputnik) -Three Iraqi servicemen were killed by an explosive device in the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk, a source in the country's security service told Sputnik on Friday.

WorkWeek (2021-01-01). WorkWeek Exposes Racist & Corrupt SF City Health Service System Boss Mitch Griggs. indybay.org WorkWeek on Thursday 12/31/20 at 12 noon on San Francisco's KPOO 94.1 FM www.kpoo.com will have guests who expose the systemic racism and corruption at the San Francisco City Health Service System run by Mitch Griggs and also at the Department of Public Health. Joining the show will be the new editor of the SF Bay View Malik Washington who broke the story of the racist terrorism against SF City Health Service worker Malika Alima. Also joining the show will be SFCC Department of Public Health nurse and whistleblower W.D. Flient.

Sathyagraha (2021-01-01). Superior Brain Function In Fruitarians, Vegans, And Vegetarians. indybay.org Diets without animal or fish flesh, eggs or dairy are free of many neurotoxins…

Michael Klundt (2021-01-01). Corona Measures: When children are the ones who suffer (I and II). indybay.org The government seems to be abdicating its responsibility by 1) not supplying the population with masks, 2) not compensating people so they can stay away from workplaces, 3) eliminating school meals for hundreds of millions of children and 5) not including children in decision-making.

Khubaka, Michael Harris (2021-01-01). 2020 California State Capitol – Racism in the Farm to Fork Capitol. indybay.org Our 22nd Annual, 2020 California State Capitol Kwanzaa continues a special tradition in the seat of authority of our Great State of California, Farm to Fork Capitol of America, where "Racism" is officially a Public Health Crisis throughout the Capitol Region.

John Malkin (2021-01-01). Stop The Sweeps in Santa Cruz: Activists Resist Closing San Lorenzo Park. indybay.org Interviews with human rights activist Abbi Samuels and unhoused activist Hannah, who lives in a homeless encampment in San Lorenzo Park in downtown Santa Cruz.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Alexander Wang Denies 'Baseless, Grotesquely False' Sexual Assault Accusations From Male Models. sputniknews.com Earlier this week, British fashion model Owen Mooney again publicly accused Alexander Wang of sexual assault, claiming that the famed US designer groped him at a NYC nightclub in 2017. Other anonymous male sources have now come forward with similar accusations against Wang, and advocacy groups have began distributing the allegations online.

Catherine Austin Fitts (2021-01-01). The Injection Fraud — It's Not a Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Of relevance to the debate on vaccines, this incisive and carefully researched article first published by Global Research on May 28. 2020 | *** | I am not a scientist. I am not a doctor. I am not a biotech engineer. I …

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Alibaba Group's Founder Vanishes From His Own Talent Show, Media Says. sputniknews.com The shuffle of the show's panel come as Chinese authorities conduct an antitrust probe into the business group founded by Jack Ma.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Joe Exotic's Legal Team Traveling to Washington, DC, for 'High Level' Meeting. sputniknews.com Earlier this month, the 57-year-old penned a letter to Kim Kardashian West, pleading for the American socialite to use her passion for social justice and connections with US President Donald Trump to obtain a pardon from the outgoing administration.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Iranian Foreign Ministry Says Aden Airport Attack Resulted From Yemen's Foreign Occupation. sputniknews.com TEHRAN (Sputnik) — The deadly terrorist attack on the airport of the southern Yemeni city of Aden is a result of the foreign occupation of the country, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Iran Tells IAEA It Plans to Push Uranium Enrichment Up to 20%, the Level Achieved Before JCPOA. sputniknews.com Under the deal reached between Iran with major powers in 2015, it could only enrich uranium up to 3.67 percent.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Some 30 Cars Burnt on New Year's Eve in France's Strasbourg — Reports. sputniknews.com MOSCOW, January 1 (Sputnik) — Hooligans have burnt some 30 cars in the eastern French city of Strasbourg despite the coronavirus-linked curfew, the Figaro newspaper reported on Friday, citing a source in the local authorities.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Four Planes Damaged by New Year Shooting in Beirut — Reports. sputniknews.com MOSCOW, January 2 (Sputnik) — At least four Lebanese planes were damaged over the sporadic firing on New Year's Eve in Beirut, media reported.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Roscosmos Head Reveals Likely Cause of Crack in ISS Hull. sputniknews.com While the crack has already been located and patched up by the space station's crew, a more permanent solution is expected once special repair equipment reaches the ISS in February.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Airport of New Zealand's Gisborne Reports About Evacuation Over Bomb Threat. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The airport of New Zealand's northeastern city of Gisborne said that there was mass evacuation in it on Friday over a bomb threat.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Office of Management and Budget Rejects Biden's Claims of Obstructing Transition. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) dismissed as false President-elect Joe Biden's statements in which he accused the OMB of obstructing the presidential transition process.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). 'Real-Life Indiana Jones' Paved Way for Biblical Discovery at Temple Mount, Media Says. sputniknews.com Commenting on the possible significance of Warren's efforts, Professor Tom Meyer asserted that their discovery helps to prove the potential existence of a Jewish temple on the Temple Mount.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Man Accidentally Shot Dead During Peaky Blinders Party in Southwestern France – Reports. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A man was accidentally shot dead by one of the guests during a Peaky Blinders fancy dress party held in the southwestern French commune of Monbazillac. The shooter carried a hunting shotgun and is reported to have unintentionally fired at his associate, the France 3 broadcaster reported on Friday.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). IRGC Says Iran Has 'No Worries' About Any Foreign Adversary as US Carrier Group Heads Home. sputniknews.com On Thursday, the Pentagon announced that the carrier strike group led by the USS Nimitz, the sole US aircraft carrier in the Middle East, would be heading home following a deployment of nearly 10 months. The drawdown comes despite rising tensions between the US and Iran, and the recent deployment of US bombers and a missile sub to the region.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). History in the Making: Senate Prepares Vote on Whether or Not to Override Trump's Defence Bill Veto. sputniknews.com On 23 December, President Trump vetoed the $740 billion 2021 National Defence Authorisation Act, saying it failed to provide respect to US veterans and military history and contradicted his "America First" vision of national security. The House moved to override the veto on Monday, with the bill's future now resting in the hands of the Senate.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). US Sanctions Cuban Bank for Alleged Ties With Military, Pompeo Says. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States has added Cuban Banco Financiero International to its list of sanctioned entities, saying it is controlled by the country's military, State Secretary Mike Pompeo said Friday.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Furtsy Feline: Tiny Kitten Just Can't Get Enough Milk. sputniknews.com Even when kittens are hogging all the milk, they're still super cute — they can't help it.

Stephen Lendman (2020-12-31). The Great 2020 Seasonal Flu/Influenza Disappearing Act. globalresearch.ca According to the WHO, seasonal flu/influenza practically disappeared this year in the southern hemisphere. | "In tropical South America, there were no influenza detections…" | "Globally… influenza activity remained at lower levels than expected for this time of the year." | Lower …

The Jimmy Dore Show (2020-12-31). #ForceTheVote Pressure Growing from Inside. dissidentvoice.org Force The Vote! We demand that every progressive in Congress refuse to vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House until she publicly pledges to bring Medicare for all to the floor of the House for a vote in January: forcethevote.org/…

_____ (2020-12-31). Victories For Palestine Continued On US Campuses In 2020. popularresistance.org Despite the challenges of online/remote learning, campus activism has not stopped over the past year. National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) is currently planning their 2021 conference, celebrating 10 years of this annual reunion of SJP chapters from around the nation. And many student chapters have passed significant resolutions around some major issues, from censorship, to the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, to divestment and, most recently, the training of campus police by the Israeli military. As we wrap up 2020, here is a representative sample of…

Margaret Flowers (2020-12-31). The 2020s Bring the Crises We Face into Clear Focus. dissidentvoice.org The year 2020 is coming to an end, and that is cause for celebration, in COVID-19-safe ways, of course. The 2020s is the beginning of an era in which the roots of the crises we face are coming into clear focus. The Trump administration openly exposed these crises through its candid disdain for the well-being …

David Swanson (2020-12-31). Top 10 Questions for Antony Blinken. dissidentvoice.org Before Antony Blinken can become Secretary of State, Senators must approve. And before that, they must ask questions. Here are some suggestions for what they should ask. 1. Second to the war on Iraq, which of the disasters you've helped facilitate do you most regret, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, or something else? And what have you …

David Swanson (2020-12-31). Top 10 Questions for Neera Tanden. zcomm.org Before Neera Tanden can become Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Senators must approve. And before that, they must ask questions. Here are some suggestions for what they should ask…

teleSUR (2020-12-31). Putin Highlights Strategic Partnership with Venezuela in 2020. telesurenglish.net The Foreign Ministry of the Eurasian country highlighted the Russian-Venezuelan strategic partnership, thanks to the interest of Presidents Nicolas Maduro and Vladimir Putin. | The Russian Head of State expressed his hope to continue the joint work, the development of bilateral relations and to coordinate efforts in the international arena. | RELATED: | In early December 2020, President Nicolas Maduro…

news.un (2020-12-31). United Nations, African Union reiterate commitment to Sudan, as joint mission ends operations. news.un.org The United Nations Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission have reiterated their commitment to continue to support Sudan consolidate peace as the AU-UN hybrid peacekeeping mission in the country's Darfur region ends its operations on Thursday.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-31). 2020: Unprecedented struggles, renewed hope for victories. peoplesdispatch.org 2020 brought unexpected and unforeseen challenges. It tore away the fantasies of the capitalist regimes who amid the worst global healthcare crisis in history, still put profits over people. People's movements and socialist governments showed that a different world is possible, and that we must fight for it.

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-12-31). New Year's Eve Celebrations Tamped Down as Officials Caution Large Gatherings Could Be 'Catastrophic' for Healthcare Systems. commondreams.org With the number of new Covid-19 cases growing faster than ever around the world, and more than a dozen countries reporting cases of the new, highly contagious coronavirus variant that was first detected in the U.K., major New Year's events have been canceled in large cities. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1293887676_1.jpg …

Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones (2020-12-31). "Say Her Name: Dr. Susan Moore" zcomm.org Black Female Doctors Condemn Racial Disparities in Healthcare…

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). Rights group says Philippine forces shot dead 9 indigenous community leaders. laprensalatina.com Bangkok, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- Philippines security forces have killed nine suspected members of a leftist guerrilla group on Panay Island, sparking an allegation that the deceased were civilians and indigenous community leaders. Another 17 people were arrested during a joint police and military operation on Wednesday. According to Karapatan, a network of human rights organizations, …

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). China approves commercial use of indigenous Covid-19 vaccine. laprensalatina.com Shanghai, China, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- China on Thursday greenlighted the commercial use of a homegrown coronavirus vaccine after an interim analysis of clinical trial results showed it is more than 79 percent effective against Covid-19. State-run Xinhua news agency reported that the government granted "conditional marketing authorization for a self-developed Covid-19 vaccine." A unit of …

teleSUR, CE (2020-12-31). President Arce Encourages Use of Traditional Indigenous Medicine. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's government is encouraging the use of traditional medicine, in addition to more orthodox approaches, as a means to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as the country prepares for the arrival of the Sputnik V vaccine acquired from Russia. | RELATED: | President Luis Arce noted the benefits reported by Bolivians in rural areas, many of which experienced no major COVID-19 outbreak, in contrast with the city of Santa…

Greta Thunberg (2020-12-31). Greta Thunberg dismisses 'empty words' in new climate crisis appeal — video. zcomm.org There is hope … we are the hope — we, the people'.

Staff (2020-12-31). 2020 Was a Record Year for Far Right Violence in the US. truthout.org This year was quite active for the far right in the United States, especially after its relative downturn in 2019 as an active street movement compared to the recent past. Although the far right may not have committed as many high-profile massacres as previous years, 2020 saw more murders and car attacks at demonstrations than any year in recent memory. | While the openly fascist wing of the "alt-right" continued to implode over the past year, some on the far right picked up steam: the Boogaloo movement — a…

WSWS (2020-12-31). Best films and television of the year and the devastation of cultural life. wsws.org It is not possible to discuss any aspect of artistic life, or life in general, in 2020 without central reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, which the various ruling elites have permitted to ravage the world's population.

WSWS (2020-12-31). The New York Times scapegoats medical workers in the tragic death of Dr. Susan Moore. wsws.org The New York Times has used Dr. Moore's tragic death to promote its racialist narrative of American society and the COVID-19 pandemic.

WSWS (2020-12-31). South Africa: COVID-19 cases soar with little prospect of widespread vaccination. wsws.org The situation in South Africa is replicated in a second wave of the pandemic that is sweeping across much of the continent, which has seen a steady rise in infections since November…

teleSUR (2020-12-31). Officials from Bolivia's Coup Regime Will Be Put on Trial. telesurenglish.net Bolivian authorities will investigate members of Jeanine àÅñez's executive, involved in these acts of corruption in the middle of the quarantine against the pandemic, Minister of Justice Iván Lima assured. | RELATED: | The official pointed out there is no documentation to withstand such acquisitions, about which some processes remain open, such as one referring to the purchase of some 300 defective respirators.

Pavan Kulkarni (2020-12-31). The year the unions kept us strong. peoplesdispatch.org Amid the devastation and misery brought by the pandemic, the working class across the world was the core of the resistance, calling to account governments and standing in solidarity with the most oppressed…

WSWS (2020-12-31). Favorite music of 2020. wsws.org The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the music industry in 2020. With live performances cancelled and music venues forced to shut down, vast numbers of performers were thrown out of work.

teleSUR (2020-12-31). Nicaragua Repatriates 121 Citizens From Panama. telesurenglish.net Nicaragua's authorities Thursday reported the return to the homeland of 121 citizens who were stranded in Panama due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | The citizens arrived in the country at 19h00 local time through the Peñas Blancas border point. Each carried the negative result of the COVID-19 test. | "The 73 women and 48 men could reunite with their families after a safe and orderly return process," Nicaragua's Immigration Department stated. | H…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-31). Under the cover of the pandemic, states cracked down even harder. peoplesdispatch.org Despite promises to focus all efforts towards combating the pandemic, many states used the pretext of the lockdown to intensify repression of people's movements and dissenting voices…

WSWS (2020-12-31). South Korean Kia workers approve new contract after union isolates auto struggles. wsws.org The auto companies have exploited the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to deepen their attacks on the working class.

George Ochenski (2020-12-31). Good Riddance to 2020 and Mad King Trump. counterpunch.org You won't find much disagreement that 2020 was one of the worst years in memory for hundreds of millions of Americans. The red flags of a virulent and lethal pandemic went up early and the country shut down by March in an attempt to "flatten the curve" of infections. But actions by a hare-brained president

WSWS (2020-12-31). Spain to cut pensions as billions go to super-rich in EU pandemic bailout. wsws.org While handing out €140 billion in COVID-19 bailouts to the banks, the "left populist" Podemos party is moving to slash workers' pensions.

Staff (2020-12-31). The Year of COVID, Elections and Police Brutality Also Saw LGBTQ Activism. truthout.org For the past five years, Truthout has looked back at the queer and trans news you might've missed because corporate news outlets decided not to cover it. This year, almost all of us were tangled up with the biggest news stories — queer and trans people felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the feuds between the rich and powerful in Washington; the anti-racist uprisings; and the global warming-fueled hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires. | This year has reaffirmed what many of us have kn…

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). Covid-19 vaccination still weeks away in hard-hit Brazil. laprensalatina.com By Alba Santandreu Sao Paulo, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- Brazil, which is second only to the United States in deaths from Covid-19, is entering 2021 without a firm date for the arrival of vaccines amid numbers indicating that the dreaded second wave of the pandemic has arrived. Mass vaccination is already underway in several Latin American …

_____ (2020-12-31). Federal Judge Blocks Strike By Union Pacific Railroad Workers. popularresistance.org A federal judge in Nebraska issued a temporary restraining order last week to block a December 28 strike by thousands of Union Pacific Railroad (UP) workers over unsafe conditions, the lack of protective gear and the failure to pay workers who are quarantined due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | A strike by 8,000 members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED)—a division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters—would have quickly disrupted the operations of the second largest railroad in the US, which employs a total of 32,000 workers. The judge's restriction lasts until January 8 a…

Staff (2020-12-31). "America's Moment of Reckoning": Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor & Cornel West on Uprising Against Racism. democracynow.org Scholars Cornel West and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor respond to the global uprising against racism and police violence following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. "We're seeing the convergence of a class rebellion with racism and racial terrorism at the center of it," said Princeton professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. "And in many ways, we are in uncharted territory in the United States."

Staff (2020-12-31). The Freedom Struggle in 2020: Angela Davis on Protests, Defunding Police & Toppling Racist Statues. democracynow.org In a Democracy Now! special, we revisit our June 2020 interview with the legendary activist and scholar Angela Davis about the uprising against police brutality and racism launched in May after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The protests have helped dramatically shift public opinion on policing and systemic racism, as "defund the police" became a rallying cry of the movement. Davis is professor emerita at the University of California, Santa Cruz. For half a century, she has been one of the most influential activists and intellectuals in the United States and an icon of the Black liberation mov…

teleSUR (2020-12-31). Venezuela: Top Court Supports New Parliament's Inauguration. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Supreme Court (TSJ) Wednesday ruled to void a legislative reform submitted by opposition lawmakers of the outgoing Parliament, which sought to prevent the inauguration of a new legislative period set to begin on January 5. | RELATED: | The TSJ ruling responds to an appeal requesting a mandate extension of the 2015 Parliament which is currently in contempt and is set to end with the installation in…

_____ (2020-12-31). The Death Of Democracy In Brazil. popularresistance.org The dismantling of Brazil's democracy, which culminated in the jailing of former president Lula Da Silva as he looked certain to be reelected, is the subject of a new English-language investigative podcast. | Cícero Ezequiel Filho lay beneath the sweltering sun of Brazil's capital, Brasilia. He wore khaki shorts, John Lennon glasses and a long white beard, which stretched far below his chin and over a red long-sleeved shirt with the face of former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the front. | When I met him in August 2018, Cícero had been outside Brazil's Supreme Court for two weeks. He refused to eat until…

Staff (2020-12-31). US Has Entered Uncharted Territory in Uprising Against Racism. truthout.org Scholars Cornel West and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor respond to the global uprising against racism and police violence following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. "We're seeing the convergence of a class rebellion with racism and racial terrorism at the center of it," said Princeton professor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. "And in many ways, we are in uncharted territory in the United States." | TRANSCRIPT: | This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. | AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy…

Vijay Prashad (2020-12-31). You don't want to imagine an ocean without coral reefs—but you might have to. nationofchange.org Scientists call the coral reefs the "rainforests of the sea," because coral reefs—like rainforests—are highly diverse ecosystems; their destruction would lead to the extinction of a large number of species.

Vijay Prashad (2020-12-31). The Future Will Only Contain What We Put into It Now. dissidentvoice.org Image in homage of Bolivian people's resistance by Tings Chak (China) Towards the end of November, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres addressed the German Bundestag to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations (UN). At the heart of the UN is its Charter, the treaty that binds nations together in a global project, …

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-12-31). Booked Up: the 25 Best Books of 2020. counterpunch.org Baseless: My Search for Secrets in the Ruins of the Freedom of Information Act Nicholson Baker (Penguin Press) The Jakarta Method: Washington's Anticommunist Crusade and the Mass Murder Program that Shaped Our World Vincent Bevins (Public Affairs Books) Fallout: The Hiroshima Cover-up and the Reporter Who Revealed It to the World Lesley M.M. Blume (Simon

WSWS (2020-12-31). Freedom of Information request reveals surge of COVID-19 infections among London bus, rail and tube workers. wsws.org Transport for London's response has revealed the extent of COVID-19 exposure across the capital's transport network.

WSWS (2020-12-31). Australian youth speak on their experiences during COVID-19. wsws.org One health agency reported a 72 percent increase in serious self-harm and suicidal-ideation cases in youth under 18 years during last weeks of Melbourne's lockdown.

WSWS (2020-12-31). Political crisis deepens after Nepali parliament dissolved. wsws.org The conflict within Nepal's ruling Stalinist regime is driven by geo-political pressures and the escalating economic and social crisis exacerbated by COVID-19 within the landlocked country.

Kenny Stancil, staff writer (2020-12-31). "Drugs Don't Work If People Can't Afford Them": Big Pharma to Raise Prices of 300 Medications on Jan. 1. commondreams.org "The increases come as pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer are playing hero by developing vaccines for Covid-19 in record time." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/big_pharma.jpg …

Staff (2020-12-31). Months of Chaos and Systemic Failure Are Wearing Down Health Care Workers. truthout.org Nurse Kristen Cline was working a 12-hour shift in October at the Royal C. Johnson Veterans Memorial Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, when a code blue rang through the halls. A patient in an isolation room was dying of a coronavirus that had raged for eight months across the country before it made the state the brightest red dot in a nation of hot spots. | Cline knew she needed to protect herself before entering the room, where a second COVID-19 patient was trembling under the covers, sobb…

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). Indian capital imposes night curfew to restrict New Year mass celebrations. laprensalatina.com New Delhi, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- The government on Thursday imposed a night curfew in the Indian capital to restrict mass New Year celebrations after detecting an increasing number of cases of a more contagious strain of the coronavirus in the second-worst country affected by Covid-19. "Night curfew will be in force (not more than five …

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). Tokyo registers over 1,000 daily Covid cases for the first time. laprensalatina.com Tokyo, dec 31 (efe-epa).- The number of daily Covid-19 infections in the Tokyo region has crossed the 1,000 mark for the first time, authorities announced on Thursday even as they contemplate fresh measures to check the spread of the disease. Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike told reporters that cases registered within the past 24 hours had …

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). Australia tightens Covid-19 restrictions on New Year's Eve. laprensalatina.com Sydney, Australia, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- The Australian authorities tightened social distancing measures on Thursday ahead of the New Year holidays after eight local infections in Melbourne. The city, which is the capital of Victoria state, had been without local infections for 61 days after being the epicenter of the second wave of Covid-19 in Australia. …

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). Brazil suffers 1,194 Covid deaths, largest one-day toll in 4 months. laprensalatina.com Rio de Janeiro, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- Over the past 24 hours, Brazil has registered 1,194 deaths from Covid-19, the highest one-day death toll from the coronavirus since Sept. 1, when 1,215 people died. The total number of Covid-19 deaths in the South American giant is now approaching 194,000, according to figures released Wednesday by the …

imperial.ac.uk (2020-12-31). New COVID-19 variant growing rapidly in England. imperial.ac.uk The new SARS-CoV-2 variant is growing rapidly, is more transmissible than other variants, and affecting a greater proportion of under 20s.

news.un (2020-12-31). UN health agency clears COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. news.un.org To speed up access to COVID-19 vaccinations in the developing world, on the eve of the new year, the UN health agency approved Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccines for emergency use.

news.un (2020-12-31). The virus that shut down the world: the path to a vaccine. news.un.org Vaccines that protect against COVID-19 have been developed in record time over the year but, amid fears that people from poorer countries may miss out, the UN has consistently insisted on global solidarity, to ensure that all are protected. In the final part of our series on the ways that the virus has changed the world, we trace the evolution of the COVID-19 vaccines, and how protected we are likely to be in 2021.

RT (2020-12-31). Black man tests positive for Covid-19 after being wrongfully detained by maskless Virginia police officer in viral video. rt.com A black man has tested positive for Covid-19 soon after a maskless white officer mistakenly detained him at a mall in Virginia, his fiancee has said. Police previously apologized and admitted the officer had broken Covid-19 rules. | Jamar Mackey got tested three days after the altercation with a maskless officer, and the positive result arrived on Christmas Eve, the man's fiancee, Shantel Covil, told local news channel WAVY-TV. | "I'm very angry that they put my family at risk. Me and Jamar, that's one thing. But our kids, that's what upsets me the most," Covil said. | They arrested him, of course, no gloves,…

teleSUR (2020-12-31). Mexico Is Set to Receive Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine in March. telesurenglish.net Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) Wednesday informed that his country will receive the first doses of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine made by the United Kingdom-based AstraZeneca company and the Oxford University. | RELATED: | On Tuesday, the U.K. approved Mexico and Argentina to use the vaccine to immunize their people. Four months ago, British authorities also allowed both countries to produce the drug and distribute it in…

A Guest Author (2020-12-31). Buffalo, N.Y., press conference demands COVID relief. workers.org By Hadley Willow WW PHOTO: Lydian Deford Buffalo, N.Y. While the U.S. government has comfortably resigned itself to a criminally negligent stasis regarding any effective long-term COVID-19 response, Workers World Party, Queen City Workers Center, and the Green Party hosted a live-streamed press conference in downtown Buffalo on Dec. 28, . . . |

teleSUR (2020-12-31). 900 Migrants Face Winter Without Shelter in Bosnia. telesurenglish.net The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) asked the authorities of Bosnia-Herzegovina to offer accommodation to 900 migrants whose lives are in danger because of freezing temperatures. | RELATED: | These people are exposed to hypothermia and their situation worsens day by day amid the winter cold, local television RTV USK reported. | "Staying out in the open in these con…

Sophia Seawell (2020-12-31). 7 Ways Women of Colour Resisted Racism This Year. commondreams.org Women are leading anti-racist activism around the world, from Black Brazilians running for election to Germany's migrant rights movement. #12DaysofResistance | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-1229482477.jpg …

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). Refugee agencies call for provision of shelter to 900 migrants in Bosnia. laprensalatina.com Sarajevo, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- International refugee agencies have called on authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to provide shelter to 900 migrants forced to survive in freezing temperatures without proper accommodation for over a week after their camp burned to the ground. The International Organization for Migration and the UN's refugee office ACNUR said in a …

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). Released Taliban militants behind journalist's killing, Kabul says. laprensalatina.com Kabul, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- Two of the 5,000 Taliban fighters who were released earlier this year after an agreement with the United States — as a precondition for intra-Afghan peace negotiations — were behind the recent assassination of Afghan journalist Rahmatullah Nikzad, Afghanistan's principal intelligence agency claimed on Thursday. The alleged perpetrators of the killing …

WSWS (2020-12-31). Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to

Binoy Kampmark (2020-12-31). Same Procedure as Every Year: The Story of Dinner for One. dissidentvoice.org Memories are thick of this: the respectful, even reverential German introduction of a comedy sketch; the scratchy string orchestral music that adds a layering of anticipation. Black-and-white film. Dining room, white tablecloth, silver chandeliers. The names Freddy Frinton and May Warden. An English show broadcast on German public TV networks without subtitles. Family members, perched, …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-31). Iran expresses concerns over US military activities in the Persian Gulf. peoplesdispatch.org After increasing its military presence in the region in the last few weeks the US flew two of its B-52 bombers above the Persian Gulf on Tuesday…

Thomas Knapp (2020-12-31). Yes, Americans are Fat. The US Military is Fatter. counterpunch.org "Military leaders are worried about the shrinking pool of young people who qualify for military service," Gina Harkins reports at Military.com. "More than 70% of young Americans remain unable to join the military due to obesity, education problems, or crime and drug records." Mission: Readiness, a group of retired military officers, wants the US Department of

Eds. (2020-12-31). When Bolivians defeated U.S. imperialism with democracy. mronline.org The resounding victory of the MAS presidential ticket in the elections held on October 18 came after a year of struggle against the U.S.-backed coup regime.

Eds. (2020-12-31). Palestinian rights have always been secondary to the 'national interest' of Arab regimes. mronline.org Normalisation with Israel is just the latest example of Arab rulers advancing their own interests at the expense of Palestinians.

MEE correspondent (2020-12-31). Aden's terrified residents fear more attacks after return of Yemeni government. middleeasteye.net Aden's terrified residents fear more attacks after return of Yemeni government | Many express pessimism about future following deadly attacks that killed 25 and wounded more than 100 | Thu, 12/31/2020 – 18: 11 | Aden's residents say they have a hard time believing the promises made by the government (AFP) | Many residents of Aden city woke up to a sense of dread on Thursday morning.

Richard Norton-Taylor (2020-12-31). British diplomats probed Kissinger on possible use of force against Saudis. middleeasteye.net British diplomats probed Kissinger on possible use of force against Saudis | UK government believed Washington had drawn up plans including 'deposing existing regimes' in response to 1973 oil crisis, documents show | Thu, 12/31/2020 – 00: 01 | US secretary of state Henry Kissinger with Saudi Arabia's King Faisal in Riyadh in 1973 (Library of C…

MEE staff (2020-12-31). More than 10 million children at risk of famine in 2021: Unicef. middleeasteye.net More than 10 million children at risk of famine in 2021: Unicef | Millions of parents in Yemen in particular 'are being left to make the gut-wrenching choice between food and medical care for their children', UN body warns | Thu, 12/31/2020 – 17: 22 | Man and children seek refuge in cave amid poverty and lack of housing near Taiz, Yemen, on 2 December (AFP/File photo) | Almost 1o.4 million children will suffer…

MEE staff (2020-12-31). Israelis protesting settler's death in police chase arrested in West Bank. middleeasteye.net Israelis protesting settler's death in police chase arrested in West Bank | Tensions between extremist settlers and the police have risen sharply following the death of 16-year-old Ahuvia Sandak | Thu, 12/31/2020 – 13: 58 | Israeli protesters stand next to an image of Ahuvia Sandak, who died during a police chase when his car rolled over and crashed near a junction in the West Bank (Screengrab) | Hundreds of I…

Lily Galili (2020-12-31). Why Israel is now delighted about the Arab Spring. middleeasteye.net Why Israel is now delighted about the Arab Spring | The self-styled 'only democracy in the Middle East' was never comfortable with pro-democracy protests. But the autocratic counter-revolution that followed gave it new friends | Thu, 12/31/2020 – 12: 51 | A Palestinian boy walks past a section of Israel's separation wall and a billboard that reads in Arabic "The Arab Spring Coffee Shop" in the West Bank…

MEE staff (2020-12-31). 'Unacceptable': Italy slams Egypt decision to clear police of Giulio Regeni's murder. middleeasteye.net 'Unacceptable': Italy slams Egypt decision to clear police of Giulio Regeni's murder | Rome says it will work at all levels to find truth after Egyptian prosecutor clears five officers and criticises Italian accusations | Thu, 12/31/2020 – 17: 41 | Italian authorities say they plan to charge four senior Egyptian security officials in murder of Regeni (AFP) | Italy called Egypt's decision to clear five police o…

Rayhan Uddin (2020-12-31). Saudi preacher Yousef al-Ahmad sentenced to four years in prison. middleeasteye.net Saudi preacher Yousef al-Ahmad sentenced to four years in prison | Charges against the Islamic scholar and academic said to include attending a book fair and visiting detainees in jail | Thu, 12/31/2020 – 13: 50 | Ahmad was detained by Saudi authorities in September 2017 as a part of a widespread crackdown on scholars and intellectuals (Screengrab/Twitter) | Saudi preacher Yousef al-Ahmad has been sen…

MEE staff (2020-12-31). Nearly 10.4 million children at risk of famine in 2021: Unicef. middleeasteye.net Nearly 10.4 million children at risk of famine in 2021: Unicef | Millions of parents in Yemen in particular 'are being left to make the gut-wrenching choice between food and medical care for their children', UN body warns | Thu, 12/31/2020 – 17: 22 | A man and children seek refuge in a cave due to poverty and lack of housing near Taiz on 2 December (AFP/File photo) | Nearly 1o.4 million children will suffer fr…

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-12-31). Horror as Hedge Fund Alden, Accused of 'Bloodless Strip-Mining of American Newspapers,' Moves to Buy Tribune Publishing. commondreams.org "If you're a shareholder and you have any concern for the future of this institution or the common good, please don't sell to Alden Global Capital." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/chicago-tribune-building_0.jpg …

teleSUR (2020-12-31). Cuba To Keep Subsidies for 162 Basic Drugs Amid US Blockade. telesurenglish.net Cuban authorities announced that 46 percent of the items in the 2021 Basic Medicine Chart (BMC) will be subsidized to avoid affecting the population amid the U.S. blockade and the economic reforms starting on January 1st. | RELATED: | Health Ministry representative Emilio Delgado informed that the new BMC is made up of 619 products gathered in three main groups. | Placed in groups number 1 and 2, medicines associated with c…

Brianna Bilter (2020-12-31). The Potential (and Peril) of Legalizing Psychedelics. progressive.org Allowing use for research and treatment is a step forward, but it leaves out some of those it might help.

WSWS (2020-12-31). No federal charges in Cleveland police shooting of Tamir Rice. wsws.org The US Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that no federal charges would be brought against the Cleveland police officers who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in November 2014.

Amanda Mills (2020-12-31). Eco-advocacy group urges Biden to reverse Trump environmental rollbacks. nationofchange.org "By undoing the Trump administration's rollbacks of environmental protections, the Biden administration will be able to protect our natural landscapes and give Americans cleaner air, cleaner water and a more livable climate."

Paul Gilk (2020-12-31). Homemade End Times and Our Charismatic Trance. counterpunch.org There's a mystery buried inside an analysis. We might start this exploration by saying the Left doesn't have a Rush Limbaugh or a Sean Hannity on its propaganda squad. (And propaganda may be less about taking over one's thought process—slogans endlessly repeated can achieve that end—than it is the fine tuning of emotional tensions.) Or,

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-31). Workers across India strike in solidarity with farmers, against labor reforms. peoplesdispatch.org The left-wing trade union confederation, CITU, organized a strike in over 100,000 workplaces across India in support of the farmers' agitation and also called for repeal of labor reform laws, among other demands…

Dr. Joseph Mercola (2020-12-31). Why Lockdowns Don't Work and Hurt the Most Vulnerable. Bankruptcies, Poverty, Despair. globalresearch.ca In a December 9, 2020, Twitter thread,1 Michael P. Senger, an attorney and author of the September 2020 article,2 "China's Global Lockdown Propaganda Campaign," reviewed the largely hidden impacts of global lockdowns. Ivor Cummins' video also reviews …

Luke Eastwood (2020-12-31). The Machine Age: Is It Progress, or is It an Anomaly? dissidentvoice.org When one questions current trends, especially for those beyond their twenties, it is quite common to be thought of as 'out of touch', 'outdated', 'reactionary' or various other negative descriptions for those who might be resistant to the inevitable process of change. Change is perhaps the only constant in known existence, on both a micro …

WSWS (2020-12-31). Macron government rejects national lock-down in France. wsws.org Ignoring the recommendations of scientists, the government has determined to reopen schools and workplaces in the New Year…

WSWS (2020-12-31). Why was the 2019 New Zealand terror attack not prevented? wsws.org The royal commission's findings that fascist Brenton Tarrant could not have been stopped from killing 51 people in Christchurch, and that he had no connections with far-right groups, are not believable.