2020-12-27: News Headlines

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-27). Iran producing 5 million COVID-19 test kits monthly. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 27 (MNA) — Five Iranian knowledge-based companies are making their best efforts to produce 5 million COVID-19 test kits monthly.

Online News Editor (2020-12-27). China records highest locally transmitted Covid-19 cases in 2 months. laprensalatina.com Beijing, Dec 27 (efe-epa).- China on Saturday detected 12 cases of Covid-19 that were transmitted locally, seven of them in the northeastern province of Liaoning and five in the capital Beijing, the National Health Commission reported, marking the largest transmission within its borders in two months. The last time the country detected a similar number …

yenisafak (2020-12-27). 96-year-old woman gets Spain's 1st COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Araceli, a 96-year-old woman, laughed after receiving Spain's first COVID-19 vaccine in a nursing home in Guadalajara on Sunday morning.She said she hardly felt the shot."Let's see if everyone behaves well and we can make this virus go away," said Araceli, who wore a blue pantsuit and a white silk scarf to the first of her two vaccine appointments.She is the oldest resident of Los Olmos nursing home.Minutes after, Monica, an assistant nurse at the center, got the same Pfizer/BioNTech shot.She said she was nervous, but her tension appeared to be more due to sending an important message to the media than about the…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-27). Two injured in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. peoplesdispatch.org The airstrikes on Saturday also caused damage to a hospital, a mosque and a several residential buildings. Electricity and water supply of the citizens of Gaza was also affected…

Richard Becker (2020-12-27). Colonialist injustice: The pardoning of the Blackwater killers. liberationnews.org Along with a motley collection of wealthy swindlers and fraudsters, President Donald Trump on Dec. 22 pardoned four former Blackwater private contractors (mercenaries) convicted in the infamous Sept. 16, 2007, Nisour Square massacre in Baghdad. Seventeen Iraqis were killed and 14 seriously wounded in an unprovoked attack by the four, who indiscriminately fired machine guns, …

_____ (2020-12-27). Veteran Diplomat: U.S. Confronts China to Protect Supremacy, Not Security. strategic-culture.org Veteran US diplomat Chas Freeman says that despite talk of a New Cold War between the US and China, the US in reality is reacting aggressively to a rising Chinese power whose economic gains threaten US global supremacy. "We've become accustomed over the past 75 years to be the overlord in East Asia," Freeman says. | By Aaron MATÉ | Chas Freeman, who served in top State Department positions and as Richard Nixon's chief interpreter on his historic 1972 visit to China, discusses the state of US-China relations and flashpoints of conflict such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Xinjiang. | "Since around 1870, we have been the…

RT (2020-12-27). 'Playing a similar audio': ANOTHER suspicious truck searched by Tennessee deputies with bomb robot in wake of Nashville RV blast. rt.com Sheriff's deputies in Wilson County, Tennessee have stopped a "suspicious vehicle" and sent in a bomb-defusing robot, after it reportedly played a similar audio recording to an RV that exploded in Nashville on Christmas Day. | The vehicle, a white box truck, was stopped along Highway 231 South near Cedars of Lebanon State Park, Tennessee, on Sunday. The Wilson County Sheriff's Office in Lebanon closed the road and investigated the "suspicious" vehicle, sending in a bomb squad robot. | ***ROAD CLOSURE*** | Highway 231 South from the Cedars of Lebanon State Park to Richmond Shop road is currently shut down due t…

MEE and agencies (2020-12-27). Israel and the UAE working together to eliminate UNRWA: Report. middleeasteye.net Israel and the UAE working together to eliminate UNRWA: Report | Report in Le Monde says Abu Dhabi would be 'rallying to a long-standing demand from Israel', which has long insisted the Palestinian refugee agency perpetuates conflict | Sun, 12/27/2020 – 19: 44 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L), US President Donald Trump (C) and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahya…

MEE correspondent (2020-12-27). Yemen: Anger as newly sworn-in cabinet excludes women for first time in 20 years. middleeasteye.net Yemen: Anger as newly sworn-in cabinet excludes women for first time in 20 years | Women activists take to the streets declaring the composition of the Saudi-backed government as illegitimate | Sun, 12/27/2020 – 11: 13 | Dozens of female activists protested in Taiz city demanding women be given positions in the cabinet (MEE) | The swearing in of a new government in Yemen on Saturday has…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-12-27). Europe's Lack of Confidence Hampers Signing of Trade Agreement with China. globalresearch.ca After seven years of tough negotiations, the European Union and China were close to signing an investment agreement. However, at the last moment, it hit a road block as it faced pressure from those wanting Washington's involvement, or those wanting …

Alena Peryshkina (2020-12-27). Multicultural Cooperation between BRICS Member States: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa. globalresearch.ca In this interview, Alena Peryshkina, Co-Chair of the BRICS Civil Forum, Director of the AIDS Infoshare Foundation, Co-Chair of the BRICS and G20 CSOs Working Group, discusses some aspects of multicultural dimensions, especially the need to institutionalize cultural ties and …

Steven Sahiounie (2020-12-27). How Will Joe Biden "Resolve" the Syrian Crisis? The Viewpoint of a French Diplomat. globalresearch.ca While, much of his analysis demonstrates professionalism; he misses a very important point …

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2020-12-27). Multicultural Cooperation between BRICS Member States: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa. globalresearch.ca In this interview, Alena Peryshkina, Co-Chair of the BRICS Civil Forum, Director of the AIDS Infoshare Foundation, Co-Chair of the BRICS and G20 CSOs Working Group, discusses some aspects of multicultural dimensions, especially the need to institutionalize cultural ties and …

Askiah Adam (2020-12-27). Is Iran Contemplating Vengeance in Regards to the Murder of Its Two Prominent Leaders? globalresearch.ca Brigadier General Mohsen Fakhrizadeh of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Command (IRGC) and Iran's most important nuclear scientist was assassinated not too far from Tehran recently. Iran immediately accused Israel , an allegation confirmed by a senior Washington official soon after. …

Prabhat Patnaik (2020-12-27). Why are people going hungry if India has surplus foodgrain stocks? peoplesdispatch.org A country that ranks 94 among 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index can't be said to be self-sufficient in foodgrains. The surplus stocks are due to shortage of purchasing power in peoples' hands…

Deirdre Jonese Austin (2020-12-27). In the Georgia runoffs, 'poll chaplains' continue King's legacy. zcomm.org "I want people to go to the polls knowing that they have nothing to fear — that their right to have their voice heard will be encouraged, uplifted, and defended by people of hope"

news.un (2020-12-27). Young Champions of the Earth: trashing barriers to boost recycling in Kuwait. news.un.org An electrical engineer from Kuwait is being recognized by the United Nations for her success in raising the environmental importance and economic value of recycling in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-12-26). Palestinians, Advocates Blast New U.S. Rule Requiring 'Made in Israel' Label on Settlement Goods. commondreams.org "Such a decision attempts to legitimize settlement-manufactured goods as well as the theft of Palestinian land and products," said Palestine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/psag.jpg

Fight Back (2020-12-26). FRSO greets the Communist Party of the Philippines on 52nd anniversary. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following message of Freedom Road Socialist Organization to the Communist Party of the Philippines. | Dear Comrades, | On the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Freedom Road Socialist Organization sends its warmest greetings and salutes your many accomplishments. Your persistence in leading the people's national democratic revolution with a socialist orientation, that aims to lift the burdens imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism from the backs of the Filipino people, is an inspiration to all who yearn…

Alan MacLeod (2020-12-26). 'Freedom Is Blossoming': After Dismembering a Journalist, Saudi Arabia Goes on a PR Spree. commondreams.org Behind the media and money blitz, the kingdom remains one of the world's worst human rights violators—both at home and abroad. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/khashoggi_1.jpg

Aaron Maté (2020-12-26). Veteran diplomat: US confronts China to protect supremacy, not security. thegrayzone.com Veteran US diplomat Chas Freeman says that despite talk of a New Cold War between the US and China, the US in reality is reacting aggressively to a rising Chinese power whose economic gains threaten US global supremacy. "We've become accustomed over the past 75 years to be the overlord in East Asia," Freeman says. Chas Freeman, who served in top State Department positions and as Richard Nixon's chief interpreter on his historic 1972 visit to China, discusses the state …

Dean Baker (2020-12-26). China Has the World's Largest Economy: Get Over It. cepr.net It is more than a bit annoying to hear reporters endlessly refer to China as the world's second largest economy. It isn't. It's the world's largest economy and has been since 2017. Here are the data from the International Monetary Fund. Source: International Monetary Fund. As the chart shows, China's economy first passed the U.S. …

Suadad al-Salhy (2020-12-26). Iraq's central bank under investigation for alleged money laundering. middleeasteye.net Iraq's central bank under investigation for alleged money laundering | Country's Supreme Judicial Council also probing allegations of involvement in terrorist financing by Central Bank of Iraq, along with 13 private banks | Sat, 12/26/2020 – 16: 11 | Police guard the Central Bank of Iraq HQ in Baghdad on 22 December 2020 after a currency devaluation caused panic and anger among Iraqis (AFP)…

sputniknews (2020-12-26). Putin Says Russia Always Ready to Provide Humanitarian Assistance to Other Countries. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Providing humanitarian aid is one of the key areas covered by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations and Russia will always provide the necessary assistance to other countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-12-26). A Country in Turmoil. zcomm.org Why Netanyahu is a Symptom, Not Cause of Israel's Political Crisis…

Newsclick (2020-12-26). Publishing giants sue those trying to make knowledge accessible for all. peoplesdispatch.org Three of the world's most profitable publishing houses have filed a case in Delhi High Court against Sci-Hub and Libgen. These two websites provide an essential service to students, researchers, teachers, and the public in general, across the world, by bypassing the prohibitively high paywalls put in the way of accessing knowledge. Prabir Purkayastha talks about the implications of this case for the Indian research community.

Ashlie D. Stevens (2020-12-26). Netflix's "Tiny Pretty Things" challenges the idea that bulimia is only a white woman's disease. salon.com The soapy teen ballet series is high on melodrama, but its eating disorder plot rings true to life…

Poor People's Campaign (2020-12-26). Tuesday 12/29: Jump-Off for the Run-Off: Zoom Rally Supporting Georgia Voters w/ Poor People's Campaign. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

HTFIVP (2020-12-26). Saturday 12/26: Georgia Comes Alive! Virtual Music Festival to Support Georgia Voters & Equal Voter Rights. indybay.org Virutal music festival…

MEE staff (2020-12-25). Covid-19: Iran says US approved its transfer of funds to buy vaccines. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Iran says US approved its transfer of funds to buy vaccines | Central Bank governor says US approved transfer of Iranian funds to Swiss bank to pay for coronavirus vaccines | Fri, 12/25/2020 – 15: 33 | Iranian officials have repeatedly said US sanctions were preventing them from making payments for vaccine (AFP) | Iran has secured approval from the United States to transfer funds for coronavirus vacc…

Workers World Party (2020-12-25). PDF of December 24 issue. workers.org Download the 12-page PDF. Georgia Senate runoff Redbaiting derails people's needs Youth in vanguard; Russell Maroon Shoatz; The real 2020 heroes; Amazon union drive in Ala.; Five hottest years; Vaccine chaos; Editorial: Too little, too late GLOBAL: Amauta in Peru; 'Soft coup' attempt in Cuba; BLM in France. TEAR DOWN . . . |

Staff (2020-12-25). John le Carré (1931-2020) on the Iraq War, Corporate Power, the Exploitation of Africa & More. democracynow.org The world-renowned British novelist John le Carré died on December 12 at the age of 89. Le Carré established himself as a master writer of spy novels in a career that spanned more than half a century. He worked in the British Secret Service from the late 1950s until the early '60s, at the height of the Cold War — which was the topic of his early novels. His later works focused on the inequities of globalization, unchecked multinational corporate power and the role national spy services play in protecting corporate interests. His best-known books include "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" and "The Constant…

Martin Chulov (2020-12-25). 'Our Blood is Cheaper than Water': Anger in Iraq Over Trump Pardons. zcomm.org Biden to be lobbied to reverse decision to pardon security guards jailed over massacre…

Riya Behl (2020-12-25). Indian Farm Suicide Widow: "There's No One to Depend On" counterpunch.org "Kondra Sammaiah…consumed pesticide poison due to mental agony regarding financial debts…" said the FIR. The FIR (first information report) was filed on September 17, 2017, at the Tharigopulla police station, three kilometres from Narasapur, the village where Sammaiah and his wife Kondra Sagarika cultivated Bt-cotton on six acres of rain-fed land. Their debt had reached

Priti Gulati Cox (2020-12-25). JatiIndia Flag of the Week: Atrocities Caste, Present and Future. counterpunch.org Sandip, Ramu, Lavkush and Ravi. Those are the names of the upper-caste Thakurs who tortured and gang-raped a 19-year-old girl in Hathras, Utter Pradesh, JatiIndia, on September 14. Folding his palms, [Manisha's father] pleaded, 'Our daughters are no longer safe. We are helpless, I request the nation to stand with us, help us get justice

Evaggelos Vallianatos (2020-12-25). Thebes of Myth and History. counterpunch.org Thebes was one of about 1,000 poleis (city-states) spread all over the mainland of classical Greece, the islands of the Aegean and Ionian seas, the Black Sea coast, Asia Minor, north Africa, southern France, eastern Spain and southern Italy and Sicily. There were so many Greeks and Greek city-states in Italy and Sicily the Romans

Stanley L. Cohen (2020-12-25). Stealing Native Children: the Revolting Legacy of Canada's Residential School System. counterpunch.org Tsi Wá: ton tsi Enskarihwahserón: ni — Tsi Niká: ien Rati'terón: tahkwe ne Ronnonkwehón: we Tsi Ionteweiénsta Ronwati'terontáhkhwa "… [I]f anything is to be done with the Indian, we must catch him very young. The children must be kept constantly within the circle of civilized conditions." -Nicholas Flood Davin, Report on Industrial schools for Indians and Half-Breeds, 1879. Of late,

Mustafa Abu Sneineh (2020-12-25). Al-Akhbar under cyberattack for reporting Saudi and Emirati bankrolling Israel deals. middleeasteye.net Al-Akhbar under cyberattack for reporting Saudi and Emirati bankrolling Israel deals | The Lebanese newspaper published a report on Riyadh and Abu Dhabi's plans to finance the new Arab normalisation agreements with Israel
| Fri, 12/25/2020 – 11: 56 | The reception space of the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper office in Beirut (Screengrab\Haitham al-Mousawi) | The website of the Le…

teleSUR (2020-12-25). 14 Female Migrants Sue US Immigration Services for Abuses. telesurenglish.net A class-action lawsuit was filed by 14 women against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE), and Georgia's Irwin Immigration Detention Center (ICDC) for "non-consensual and invasive gynecological abuse". | RELATED: | A complaint was also submitted to Georgia's Medical Council in order to request the license revocation of gynecologist Mahendra Amin who is accused of performing surger…

Eve Ottenberg (2020-12-25). The U.S. and Yemen: Will Biden End the Nightmare? counterpunch.org Over 100,000 people have perished in Yemen since Saudi Arabia began bombing it in 2015, in a doomed attempt to dislodge rebel Houthis. More than 85,000 have starved to death. Those are long, slow, excruciating deaths. According to the International Red Cross last week, roughly 24 million Yemenis need aid and "the majority of the country really needs UN and humanitarian funding in order to meet their basic day-to-day needs." Aljazeera reports that last month, "Yemen had received less than half of the emergency funds it needed this year…About 13.5 million Yemenis currently face acute food insecurity." Four millio…

Ralph Nader (2020-12-25). Recidivist Criminal and Constitutional Outlaw Trump Rushes to Pardon Criminal Lawbreakers. commondreams.org Trump and future presidents cannot be allowed to brazenly dishonor justice and undermine the rule of law. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/roger_stone_0_1.jpg

Hanh Nguyen (2020-12-25). "Wonder Woman 1984" is "chaotic" and "delightfully cheesy": Reviews of this year's superhero sequel. salon.com Patty Jenkins' follow-up to her 2017 blockbuster is a totally '80s adventure with two villains and fanny packs…

Melanie McFarland (2020-12-25). "Bridgerton" is Netflix's randy costume confection that you'll want to put in your face straightaway. salon.com As with all things made to be mindlessly inhaled over the holidays, gorge now and think about its flaws later…

Josh Schoolar (2020-12-25). Working for the revolution in Rojava. zcomm.org Interview on the political and military upheaval taking place in Rojava and northern Syria from the perspective of someone who not only witnessed the struggle but was an active participant…

WSWS (2020-12-24). Rubber glove factories become COVID-19 epicentres in Malaysia. wsws.org Damning exposures by Top Glove workers have revealed sweltering conditions, with lack of protections, no social distancing and packed dormitories.

Dan Cohen (2020-12-24). Propaganda pandemic: The craziest COVID claims of the year. mronline.org No matter how many Americans die, corporate media is desperate to shore up support at home and attempt to discredit foreign countries for handling the pandemic properly. Behind The Headlines' Dan Cohen reviews the most absurd COVID propaganda of the year..

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-12-24). Arabic press review: UAE sends expired Covid-19 kits to Gaza. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: UAE sends expired Covid-19 kits to Gaza | Meanwhile, Kuwait detains six children recruited by Islamic State group via video games; new trial faces Algerian journalist released after serving term for threatening national unity | Thu, 12/24/2020 – 12: 37 | A Palestinian medical worker performs a Covid-19 test on a woman at a mosque in Gaza City on 20 September 2020 | UAE s…

Vijay Prashad (2020-12-24). All the Cannons Will Silently Rust. dissidentvoice.org Chittaprosad (India), Peace, undated. Our year has been eclipsed by the pandemic, the rush of a virus paralysing societies across the world. Some governments offered smarter, more scientific, and humane approaches to the pandemic; many (but not all) of these have been governments with a socialist orientation. Amongst them is the Indian state of Kerala, …

Joe Emersberger (2020-12-24). UN agencies not above playing politics with statistics. zcomm.org It's clear that technical departments within the UN sometimes have their work corrupted by the US government and its allies. Consider recent reporting by the Grayzone on OPCW whistleblowers who exposed manipulation of an investigation into alleged chemical weapons use in Syria in 2018. Going further back, Hans Blix, the Swedish diplomat who was in

Eds. (2020-12-24). Why is the Guardian promoting more Pentagon propaganda? mronline.org Recent reporting reinforces the false impression that the United States is threatened by Chinese and Russian expansionism.