2020-12-22: News Headlines

Sonali Kolhatkar (2020-12-22). Millions of India's Farmers Are in a Fight for Their Economic Lives. counterpunch.org India's farmers are revolting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in a mass movement that has drawn international attention. The world's largest democracy is witnessing a collective groundswell of protest as hundreds of thousands of farmers, largely from the states of Punjab and Haryana, have laid siege to the outskirts of the capital of New

Martha Grevatt (2020-12-22). Cleveland baseball team finally retires racist name, mascot. workers.org Cleveland It's official. And it's about time. After months of discussions and rumors, Cleveland's Major League Baseball team announced Dec. 14 that 2021 would be the last season for the racist, offensive name "Indians." With it will go the team's demeaning mascot, which was being phased out after it was . . . |

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-22). Communist-led coalition sweeps local body elections in the southern Indian State of Kerala. mronline.org The alliance led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has won more seats in local government bodies than the opposition groups combined.

Miko Peled (2020-12-22). Israel's Genocide in Gaza Goes Uninterrupted, But Is Europe Finally Taking Notice? mintpressnews.com A long and cruel siege, constant Israeli attacks resulting in the killing of countless civilians, destruction of homes and infrastructure, extreme poverty, and trauma remain the daily bread of Palestinians in Gaza.

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-12-22). US Treasury Accuses Vietnam of Currency Manipulation, but this Will Not Lead to Sanctions. globalresearch.ca The U.S. Treasury Department accused Vietnam of currency manipulation in its

Deng Xiaoci (2020-12-22). Chang'e-5 Completes Lunar Trip, More Space Missions Planned. asia-pacificresearch.com

Andrew Korybko (2020-12-22). US Cyber Spy Scandal: Pompeo Blames Russia, Trump Blames China. Why? globalresearch.ca The contradictory claims from Secretary of State Pompeo and President Trump blaming Russia and China respectively for carrying out what's been described by many as one of the most intrusive cyber espionage operations against America in history are confusing for …

Areeb Ullah (2020-12-22). Pakistan Returns $1bn to Saudi Arabia and Turns to China for Loan Assistance. asia-pacificresearch.com

WSWS (2020-12-22). India: Karnataka state government factory inspectors find workers' abuse at the Wistron iPhone plant. wsws.org The report, issued after an uprising by workers at the Wistron factory in India has revealed slave-like working conditions and wage delays, which are common among Apple iPhone manufacturers throughout Asia.

Janice Kortkamp (2020-12-22). "Walk the Streets of Damascus, and Listen to the People Concerning US Sanctions and Aggression Against Syria" globalresearch.ca The Syrian crisis which began in 2011 has left many wondering what it was really about. Most western news observers may be confused, disinterested, or have bought-in to the lies they were told by the media. However, there is an …

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-22). IRIMC calls on WHO to act against US sanction amid Covid-19. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 22 (MNA) — Cheif of Iran's Medical council called on the Director-General of WHO to take appropriate measures against the US cruel sanctions preventing Iran from providing Covid-19 vaccines.

RT (2020-12-22). Putin signs legislation strengthening lifetime immunity from prosecution for former Russian presidents & their family members. rt.com Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new law that will ensure lifetime immunity from prosecution for former presidents of Russia after they leave office, also extending protections to the families of ex-heads of state. | In practice, it means that Putin can't be taken to court for criminal or administrative offences after leaving the Kremlin. The same rules will apply to Dmitry Medvedev, who held the position from 2008-2012, and all future office holders. The new set-up was included in constitutional amendments, approved by a public vote in June, that made significant changes to Russia's system of gov…

Online News Editor (2020-12-22). Taiwan detects first local Covid case in over 8 months. laprensalatina.com Taipei, Dec 22 (efe-epa).- Taiwanese health authorities on Tuesday reported the first locally transmitted coronavirus case in more than eight months, the island's official news agency CNA reported. Taiwan has largely escaped the worst of the pandemic, having fared much better than most other developed nations, after restricting foreign travel during the early stages of …

South Front (2020-12-22). Video: Turkish Attack on Ain Issa Turns into Failure. globalresearch.ca The last few days in Syria was marked by a serious military escalation in the north of the country. | Members of pro-Turkish militant groups, supported by Turkish combat drones and artillery, launched an attack on the town of Ain Issa, …

news.un (2020-12-22). COVID-19 hits trade in Asia-Pacific, but impact 'less bad' than elsewhere. news.un.org Despite a sharp fall in global trade in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and lingering trade tensions, Asia and the Pacific is expected to perform relatively less badly than the rest of the world, the United Nations development arm in the region said on Tuesday.

Alison Weir (2020-12-22). U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act: US Congress Votes $4 Billion to Israel for 2021. globalresearch.ca Congress just voted billions of dollars of U.S. tax money to Israel, No mainstream US media appear to have told Americans that both houses of Congress just voted massive aid to Israel, a tiny country with a long record …

Fight Back (2020-12-22). Solidarity with the trade unionists in the Philippines, Human Rights Day 7. fightbacknews.org We strongly condemn the repression that has been unleashed against leading trade unionists in the Philippines and stand in solidarity with the militant labor federation Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) / May First Movement. | On Human Rights Day, December 10, the Philippine National Police raided the homes and jailed Dennise Velasco of Defend Jobs Philippines; Romina Astudillo, Deputy Secretary-General of Kilusang Mayo Uno-Metro Manila; Mark Ryan Cruz, Regional Executive Committee of KMU-Metro Manila; Jaymie Gregorio Jr. of KMU-Metro Manila; Joel Demate of Solidarity of Labor Rights and Welfare (SOLAR); Rodrigo Esparago o…

John Whitehead (2020-12-22). What If Jesus Had Been Born in the American Police State? mintpressnews.com The Christmas story of a baby born in a manger is a familiar one. The Roman Empire, a police state in its own right, had ordered that a census be conducted. Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary traveled to the little town of Bethlehem so that they could be counted. There being no room for the couple at any of the inns, they stayed in a stable (a barn), where Mary gave birth to a baby boy, Jesus. Warned that the government planned to kill the baby, Jesus' family fled with him to Egypt until it was safe to return to their native land | Yet what if Jesus had been born 2,000 years later? | What if, instead of being born…

Dean Baker (2020-12-22). China, Christmas, and the Coronavirus. zcomm.org We lost an opportunity to have worldwide cooperation in the development of vaccines, bringing in not only Europe, but China…

_____ (2020-12-21). Ex-UK Ambassador On Syria And Propaganda. popularresistance.org Former UK ambassador to Syria Peter Ford on how the US and its allies continue to wage war on Syria via sadistic sanctions, an illegal US military occupation, the OPCW cover-up, and media propaganda that masks the brutality. | Syria and its allies prevented regime change, but the US and its allies are continuing to squeeze Syria's population with crippling sanctions on all aspects of civilian life and a US military occupation in Syria's northeast breadbasket. Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, analyzes the state of the Syria proxy war and the ongoing propaganda campaign to whitewash it.

Leo Panitch (2020-12-21). Empire, socialism and November /w Leo Panitch. mronline.org First, whether the pandemic has fundamentally altered the geopolitical balance between the U.S. and other great powers, specifically China. And second, how socialists in the U.S. should approach the November elections. For Panitch, the two issues are intimately connected.

Joseph Gedeon (2020-12-21). A Covid Christmas in Palestine. thenation.com A Covid Christmas in Palestine…

sputniknews (2020-12-21). Haley Urges US to 'Wake Up' in Light of China's Ambitions to 'Dominate the World'. sputniknews.com US officials have often accused China of allegedly harbouring plans to overthrow the dominant position of the US in the world arena. Tensions between the two countries have existed for the past several years and rose greatly with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the US president claimed China was responsible for its spread.

Ahmad Jalalpour (2020-12-21). Iran Is Nearing Collapse Under the Strain of Covid-19. thenation.com Iran Is Nearing Collapse Under the Strain of Covid-19…

MEE and agencies (2020-12-21). Covid-19: Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait close borders to tackle new strain. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait close borders to tackle new strain | Freight operations not affected by new measures, which are to be reviewed after a week | Mon, 12/21/2020 – 14: 23 | The first Saudi citizen prepares to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine in the capital Riyadh, 17 December 2020 (AFP) | Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman have announced that they are suspendi…

Colin Todhunter (2020-12-21). Imperial Intent: Destroying India's Farm Sector. counterpunch.org Agriculture in India is at a crossroads. Indeed, given that over 60 per cent of the country's 1.3-billion-plus population still make a living from agriculture (directly or indirectly), what is at stake is the future of India. Unscrupulous interests are intent on destroying India's indigenous agri-food sector and recasting it in their own image. Farmers are rising up in protest.

C.P. Chandrasekhar (2020-12-21). Bilateral swaps in China's global presence. mronline.org China's use of yuan-denominated central bank swaps, while enhancing its influence, is a source of support for developing countries in an unequal international order.

CP Editor (2020-12-21). Beer in Palestine. counterpunch.org

MEE staff (2020-12-21). Egypt to open diplomatic mission in Western Sahara's Laayoune. middleeasteye.net Egypt to open diplomatic mission in Western Sahara's Laayoune | Cairo follows Bahrain, the UAE and the United States by opening consulate in disputed Morocco-controlled territory | Mon, 12/21/2020 – 15: 29 | Moroccans celebrate in Rabat after the US adopted a new official map of Morocco that includes the disputed territory of Western Sahara, 13 December 2020 (AFP) | Egypt is planning to open a general consulat…

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-12-21). Arabic press review: Saudi Arabia and UAE bankrolling Arab states' Israel deals. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Saudi Arabia and UAE bankrolling Arab states' Israel deals | Meanwhile, Jordanian prisoner numbers soar and Egypt revokes citizenship of 17 people under nationality law | Mon, 12/21/2020 – 16: 12 | A Moroccan diplomat said that the UAE and Saudi Arabia were sponsoring normalisation agreements on behalf of the US (AFP) | Saudi Arabia, UAE bankrolling normalisation agreeme…

Dr. Melinda Rankin (2020-12-21). Prosecution of Alleged War Crimes: Need for Afghan Voices in Australian Judicial Process. globalresearch.ca The release of the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force's report on the Afghanistan Inquiry (the Brereton Report) into alleged war crimes committed by Australian SAS soldiers has prompted outrage and shock. Questions are being asked in Australia and around …

Alan Macleod (2020-12-21). Trump Enacts Sweeping New Sanctions on China, Iran, Venezuela. Biden Promises More To Come. mintpressnews.com The new sanctions come even as an estimated 100,000 people have been killed by American sanctions in Venezuela alone as vital medical equipment and lifesaving drugs have been blocked from entering the country.

Staff (2020-12-21). AOC Slams Democrats for Shutting Progressives Out of Policy Negotiations. truthout.org Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday voiced frustration with what she characterized as Democratic leaders' efforts to shut progressives out of key policy negotiations, a message that came as the details of a roughly $900 billion coronavirus relief package began to slowly trickle out just ahead of an expected vote. | "One major difference between GOP and Dems is that [Republicans] leverage their right flank to gain policy concessions and generate enthusiasm, while Dems lock their left…

Matthew Ehret-Kump (2020-12-21). Today's China Espionage Scandals Revive the Gouzenko Hoax That Unleashed the Cold War. globalresearch.ca Today, a new coordinated psychological operation has been sprung to convince every living patriot across the Five Eyes sphere of influence that the enemy of the free world who lurks behind every conspiracy to overthrow governments, and western values is…China….

Telesur (2020-12-21). Will the Biden Administration Seek to Disrupt China's Presence in Latin America? globalresearch.ca While Donald Trump's policies towards Latin America sought to disrupt China's investments in the region, the ever-increasing presence of the Asian giant in the continent will be something with which the new Biden administration will have to contend. | China has …

Shannon Bugos (2020-12-21). Joe Biden and the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty: A Timeline of Inaction and Disingenuous Proposals. globalresearch.ca Upon entering office on January 20, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden will have 16 days before the last remaining treaty limiting US and Russian nuclear arsenals, the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ( The treaty limits …

Shane Quinn (2020-12-21). The US-China Power Struggle, Two Decades of CIA Interference in Tibet. globalresearch.ca Of relevance to the crisis in US-China relations, we bring to the attention of our readers this incisive historical analysis of CIA interference in Tibet by Shawn Quinn, first published in January 2020 | *** | America's position as the world's …

Alli Joseph (2020-12-21). Carey Mulligan on "Promising Young Woman," a feminist revenge story for the ages. salon.com The acclaimed actress appeared on "Salon Talks" to discuss her buzzy new film, a candy-coated dark comedy thriller…

James Zogby (2020-12-21). Conservative Christians Remain Silent About Suffering Bethlehem. commondreams.org "To most in the West, Palestinian Christians are simply invisible. To conservative Christians, they are at best a nuisance who stand in the way of their unquestioning ideological attachment to Israel." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/palx_0.jpg

Juan Cole (2020-12-20). Everyday War Crimes: Israeli PM Netanyahu Gets Covid Vaccine, Squatters Get Vaccine, But Not Occupied Palestinians. commondreams.org Vaccines will be supplied to the hundreds of thousands of government-backed illegal Israeli squatters on Palestinian land in the West Bank, but not to the indigenous Palestinian population. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/netanyahu_7.jpg

Aaron Maté (2020-12-20). Ex-UK Ambassador: war on Syria continues with US occupation, sanctions, propaganda. thegrayzone.com Peter Ford, the former UK Ambassador to Syria, on how the US and its allies continue to wage war on Syria via sadistic sanctions, an illegal US military occupation, the OPCW cover-up, and media propaganda that masks the brutality. Syria and its allies prevented regime change, but the US and its allies are continuing to squeeze Syria's population with crippling sanctions on all aspects of civilian life and a US military occupation in Syria's northeast breadbasket. Peter Ford, the former …

Tiago Correia (2020-12-20). Elderly 110 lb. woman shot and killed by jail guard in Spokane, Wa. liberationnews.org "We demand justice for Nancy King, which begins with a thorough and independent investigation and by jailing killer cops."

Akhilesh Pandey (2020-12-20). "This Is the Time to Unite": Trade Unions, Labourers Support the Farmers' Protest. asia-pacificresearch.com

Nataliya Zaiser (2020-12-20). It's Time for Africa: Assessing Russia's Relations with the Continent. globalresearch.ca A Moscow-based public policy advisor specializing in Russia, the Eurasian Union and Africa explains some of the aspects of current Russia-Africa relations, problems and challenges, as well as its future perspectives. While over the past two decades, Russia's efforts to …

Newsclick (2020-12-20). Now China achieves quantum supremacy — What does this mean? peoplesdispatch.org Chinese quantum computer Jiuzhang achieved quantum supremacy. It is only the second quantum computer to ever do so, after Google's Sycamore. How does this computer work and what does quantum supremacy mean for us?

Brian Berletic (2020-12-20). Russia's Hypersonic 'Zircon' Missile Takes Flight. "Can't Be Seen on Radar". Strategic Implications. globalresearch.ca Russian state media reported a successful test flight of its new hypersonic missile, the Zircon. Flying at Mach 8 (8 times the speed of sound or around 10,000 kph), the missile poses a new and credible threat to the air …

Gail Cornwall (2020-12-20). Why so many moms can't have great sex. salon.com Cultural stereotypes around mothering have a detrimental effect on many moms' sex lives. Time to rewrite the script…

Pip Hinman (2020-12-20). Vigil for Muhammad — Malaysian student dies in detention. greenleft.org.au Activists organised a vigil for a young Malaysian student who died in the Villawood detention centre, reports Stephen Langford.

Benjamin Barber (2020-12-20). 'Deep Canvassing' Targets Rural Georgia. zcomm.org "I think the one thing that we've learned is that it's important to connect with people's most immediate conditions"

Direct Action Everywhere (2020-12-20). Saturday 1/9: Online Assembly: What Industrialization Means for Dairy Cows in China (and for us). indybay.org Online Zoom…