John Pilger: The Most Lethal Virus Is Not COVID. It Is War
John Pilger | mintpressnews.com | 2020-12-14
In the midst of the greatest health emergency in modern times, with more than 4 million surgical procedures delayed by the National Health Service, Britain has announced a record increase of £16.5 billion in so-called defense spending.
mintpressnews.com/john-pilger-lethal-virus-not-covid-war/273597/

Israel's Isolation of Palestinian Child Prisoners Amounts to Torture
Defense for Children International, Palestine | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-14
Israeli authorities routinely detain Palestinian children in isolation solely for interrogation purposes, a practice that amounts to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, Defense for Children International — Palestine said in a report released today. | The 73-page …
globalresearch.ca/israel-isolation-palestinian-child-prisoners-amounts-torture/5732181

Nothing Was Delivered: Trump's Antiwar Deception
Connor Freeman | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-14
President Donald Trump seems uninterested in ending any "endless wars." Before leaving office, he could and should do so in Afghanistan, for example, where U.S. forces–while losing the longest war in our history–have led a brutal occupation for nearly 20 years. Afghanistan is just one of the places where Donald Trump has set records for…
counterpunch.org/2020/12/14/nothing-was-delivered-trumps-antiwar-deception/

Europe's Anti-Russia Sanctions Result in Extensive Economic Losses and Growing Tensions with Russia
Strategic Culture Foundation | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-14
New data out this week indicates that the European Union has suffered aggregate economic losses amounting to over ‚Ǩ120 billion due to its policy of imposing sanctions against Russia. That's according to figures released by the Dusseldorf Chamber of Commerce …
globalresearch.ca/europe-anti-russia-sanctions-self-harm-loathing/5732198

Big Pharma Strikes Back
Dean Baker — Arjun Jayadev | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-14
On Monday, we, along with Achal Prabhala, had a column in the New York Times arguing in support of a resolution put forward before the WTO by India and South Africa, which would suspend intellectual property rights related to vaccines and treatments during the pandemic. The main point is that these rights are slowing the…
counterpunch.org/2020/12/14/big-pharma-strikes-back/

South Korean Kia workers strike again as GM and union push vote on rejected contract
wsws.org | 2020-12-14
The autoworkers' struggles are continuing even though the Korean Metal Workers Union has isolated the negotiations and strikes at the three major auto companies.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/12/14/skor-d14.html

A Middle Finger Cost Me My Livelihood as a Woman Athlete
Noriana Radwan | aclu.org | 2020-12-14
It took a split second for my whole world to come crashing down. , , My teammates on the University of Connecticut's women's soccer team were jumping and screaming and hugging each other. We had just won a championship game. It was one of the happiest moments of my life — my first championship win at the collegiate level. Without thinking, I flashed a middle finger in celebration as I embraced teammates on camera. I couldn't have known that split-second, mindless gesture of celebration would cause UConn to suspend me from the NCAA tournament, revoke my scholarship, and completely upend my life as I…
aclu.org/news/womens-rights/a-middle-finger-cost-me-my-livelihood-as-a-woman-athlete

India moves to strengthen strategic relations with Sri Lanka and the Maldives
wsws.org | 2020-12-14
Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's trip to Sri Lanka was aimed at securing maritime cooperation to counteract Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean region.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/12/14/indi-d14.html

Saudi Arabia: Explosive boat hits oil tanker off Jeddah
MEE and agencies | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-14
Saudi Arabia: Explosive boat hits oil tanker off Jeddah | No claim of responsibility for blast but incident comes as Houthis rebels step up cross-border attacks | MEE and agencies | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 07: 34 | Last month, the Houthis said they struck a plant operated by Saudi Aramco Jeddah with a Quds-2 missile (AFP) | Saudi Arabia confirmed on Monday that a fuel-transport ship off the port city of Jeddah was…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/jeddah-saudi-arabia-port-explosion-tanker

Kiwi exports from Iran's Mazandaran province
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-14
TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — Mazandaran province, located along the Caspian Sea coastline, is Iran's biggest producer and exporter of Kiwi. Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asian countries are traditional customers of Iranian kiwis.
en.mehrnews.com/photo/167167/Kiwi-exports-from-Iran-s-Mazandaran-province

Borrel says EU should find ways to return US to JCPOA
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-14
TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — The European Union's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, says the bloc should find a way with the Biden administration to return the US to its commitments under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167160/Borrel-says-EU-should-find-ways-to-return-US-to-JCPOA

US imposes sanctions on two Iranian nationals
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-14
TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on two Iranian nationals on Monday.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167180/US-imposes-sanctions-on-two-Iranian-nationals

Enemies deafeated by Iran's 'active resistance'
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-14