2020-12-30: News Headlines

Aaron Maté (2020-12-30). Stephen F. Cohen on Russia's democratization and how US meddling undermines it. thegrayzone.com Pushback rounds out 2020 by airing an unpublished interview with Stephen F. Cohen, the eminent Russia historian and scholar who passed away in September at the age of 81. In an interview recorded one year before his death, Stephen F. Cohen discusses local elections and protests in Russia; opposition leader Alexei Navalny; as well as the state of Russia's post-Soviet democratization and how US meddling undermines it. Guest: Stephen F. Cohen. Professor emeritus of Russian studies at New York University …

Alan Macleod (2020-12-30). Fingers Point to US-Backed Gov't in Colombia's Ninetieth Massacre of the Year. mintpressnews.com "The Trump administration waged a full scale campaign to undermine Colombia's peace accords. We must not waste our time hoping the Biden administration might reverse course, we must demand it." — James Jordan, Alliance for Global Justice…

Staff (2020-12-30). "This Is How Black People Get Killed": Dr. Susan Moore Dies of COVID After Decrying Racist Care. democracynow.org ‚Ä®As the United States reports record deaths and hospitalizations from COVID-19 in the final days of 2020, we look at how the pandemic that ravaged the country this year has shone a stark new light on racism in medical care. In a viral video recorded by Black physician Dr. Susan Moore, she describes racist treatment by medical staff at a hospital in Indianapolis and says they did not respond to her pleas for care, despite being in intense pain and being a doctor herself. In the video, Dr. Moore says she had to beg to receive pain medication and the antiviral drug remdesivir, and accuses a doctor a…

Eds. (2020-12-30). Native Youth provide for community and elders during COVID pandemic. mronline.org 2020 has been a year of many trials across Indian Country. Across our many Nations, rural, city and everywhere in between, we are all coping with the catastrophic effects of the COVID-19 virus.

WSWS (2020-12-30). Excess deaths in Russia spike. wsws.org While Russia's official death toll from coronavirus stands at just over 55,000, the real number of COVID-19 victims is likely at least double or triple those officially reported.

Ramzy Baroud (2020-12-30). The US Money Tree: The Untold Story of American Aid to Israel. dissidentvoice.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 …

Ramzy Baroud (2020-12-30). The American Money Tree: The Untold Story of US Aid to Israel. mintpressnews.com Congress quietly wedged billions of dollars of aid to Israel even as it debated for months over a measly $600 to help Americans endure the COVID downturn.

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). China's Sinopharm says its vaccine is over 79% effective against Covid-19. laprensalatina.com Shanghai, China, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- A vaccine developed by China's state-run Sinopharm is 79.34 percent effective in protection against the Covid-19, the company said on Wednesday, seeking approval from the government for its general public use in the country. The vaccine, developed by a unit of the China National Biotec Group (CNBG), an affiliate of …

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Coronavirus vaccination gets under way in Argentina. laprensalatina.com Buenos Aires, Dec 29 (efe-epa).- Health care workers were at the head of the line Tuesday as Argentina began Covid-19 vaccination using Sputnik V, developed by Russia's Gamaleya Research Institute, amid concerns about a second wave of infections in the South American country that has already lost nearly 43,000 lives to Covid-19. "It is a …

Staff (2020-12-30). Dr. Susan Moore Died of COVID 2 Weeks After Recording Video Decrying Racist Care. truthout.org As the United States reports record deaths and hospitalizations from COVID-19 in the final days of 2020, we look at how the pandemic that ravaged the country this year has shone a stark new light on racism in medical care. In a viral video recorded by Black physician Dr. Susan Moore, she describes racist treatment by medical staff at a hospital in Indianapolis and says they did not respond to her pleas for care, despite being in intense pain and being a doctor herself. In the video, Dr. Moore says she had to beg…

RT (2020-12-30). Bolivia signs contract to purchase 2.6mn doses of Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com Bolivia has become the third Latin American nation to strike an agreement with Russia's Direct Investment Fund for supplies of its Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19. Under the deal, Bolivia will receive 2.6 million doses. | The contract between the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Bolivia's Health Supply Center (CEASS) was signed during a videoconference, which was also attended by Bolivian President Luis Arce. | The president praised Sputnik V in a Twitter

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-30). Tehran, Doha to make joint documatry on Covid-19. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 30 (MNA) — Iran's Documentary & Experimental Film Center and the Qatari Al-Jazeera are to make a joint documentary on Covid-19.

South Front (2020-12-30). Video: Russia Suffers Casualties in Greater Idlib. Israeli Air Force Strikes Damascus Countryside. globalresearch.ca On the morning of December 30th, warplanes of the Israeli Air Force once again carried out strikes on alleged Iranian targets in the countryside of Damascus. According to reports one person was killed and 3 others injured in the attack….

Marjorie Cohn (2020-12-30). Civil Rights Groups Fight Back Against Georgia's Voter Purges. zcomm.org The importance of the January 5 Senate runoff elections in Georgia cannot be overestimated…

Akram Al-Waara (2020-12-30). A rave, a DJ and a debate. Palestinians outraged over techno party at holy site. middleeasteye.net A rave, a DJ and a debate. Palestinians outraged over techno party at holy site | Despite issuing an event permit, the Palestinian government arrests renowned Palestinian DJ Sama Abdulhadi and extend her detention for 15 days | Wed, 12/30/2020 – 12: 26 | Palestinian DJ Sama Abdulhadi poses outside her Parisian flat during a photo session on 7 December 2017 (AFP) | A dance party on Saturday has c…

Anya Parampil (2020-12-30). An exclusive look inside Iran's supermarket in Venezuela. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil visits Megasis, an Iranian supermarket which recently opened in Caracas, Venezuela, and explores cooperation between Tehran and Caracas against the US economic blockade. The Grayzone's Anya Parampil provides an exclusive look inside a superstore which the US government and corporate media have condemned and attempted to link to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. She also speaks with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza about how increased cooperation between Tehran and Caracas is improving the material …

news.un (2020-12-30). Looking back at 2020, In Case You Missed It. news.un.org At UN News, 2020 started with a hope that the year would be one of peace for Syria's children. However, in the weeks that followed, the news cycle was upended by the coronavirus pandemic, that not only changed what we covered, but also how we covered UN-related news around the world.

Prabhat Patnaik (2020-12-30). A matter of survival of the peasantry. mronline.org The kisans gathered around the Delhi border have unerringly put their fingers on the real issue confronting them, namely their very survival as peasants.

MEE staff (2020-12-30). Prominent Moroccan historian and human rights activist arrested in Rabat. middleeasteye.net Prominent Moroccan historian and human rights activist arrested in Rabat | Maati Monjib, who has been targeted by authorities using Israeli spyware, is accused of money laundering | Wed, 12/30/2020 – 11: 36 | Maati Monjib, a Moroccan historian, political analyst and human rights activist, speaks in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, 20 February 2014 (AFP) | Moroccan historian and human rights activist Maati Monjib w…

Amandla Thomas-Johnson (2020-12-30). 'Sold out': Uighurs fear deportation as China ratifies extradition treaty with Turkey. middleeasteye.net 'Sold out': Uighurs fear deportation as China ratifies extradition treaty with Turkey | Uighur activists urge Turkish government not to abide by agreement that could put tens of thousands at risk of being detained in internment camps
| Wed, 12/30/2020 – 10: 17 | Supporters of China's Muslim Uighur minority protest in Istanbul against B…

Sheren Khalel (2020-12-30). Pompeo and State Department face legal action over $23bn UAE arms sale. middleeasteye.net Pompeo and State Department face legal action over $23bn UAE arms sale | New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs claims in lawsuit that massive weapons sale violates US Arms Export Control Act | Wed, 12/30/2020 – 17: 05 | The $23bn arms sale to UAE includes sale of killer drones and American-made F-35 jets (AFP/File photo) | An American NGO has filed a lawsuit against the State Department and it…

MEE staff (2020-12-30). US sends dozens of armoured vehicles to Iraq ahead of Soleimani death anniversary. middleeasteye.net US sends dozens of armoured vehicles to Iraq ahead of Soleimani death anniversary | Provision comes amid frequent rocket attacks targeting Green Zone which is home to US embassy and other foreign diplomatic missions | Wed, 12/30/2020 – 17: 18 | Rocket attacks have been launched at Baghdad's Green Zone in the weeks leading up to anniversary of Qassem Soleimani's assassination (AFP/File photo) | The United State…

Nur Ayoubi (2020-12-30). Uproar in Kuwait as minority Bidoon man attempts self-immolation in protest. middleeasteye.net Uproar in Kuwait as minority Bidoon man attempts self-immolation in protest | The 27-year-old had recently been dismissed from his job for not renewing his security card, without which Bidoon are not allowed to work | Wed, 12/30/2020 – 14: 44 | In 2012, Bidoon protested against their living conditions, insisting that the only solution to their plight was to gain Kuwaiti citizenship (AFP) | A Kuwaiti man att…

MEE staff (2020-12-30). Kushner family business plans $100m bond sale in Israel: Report. middleeasteye.net Kushner family business plans $100m bond sale in Israel: Report | Kushner Companies filed paperwork with Israeli Securities Authorities earlier this month, with sale to take place in 2021, Wall Street Journal says | Wed, 12/30/2020 – 15: 30 | Jared Kushner resigned from his family's real estate business in 2016 after joining White House (AFP) | The family business of senior White House adviser Jared Kushner ha…

Tony Cartalucci (2020-12-30). US Government Role in Thailand's "Student Protests" asia-pacificresearch.com

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-30). UN human rights expert calls for withdrawal of US sanctions on Syria. peoplesdispatch.org Alena Douhan, the UN special rapporteur about the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on human rights, said the US sanctions violated the human rights of the Syrian people…

Steven Sahiounie (2020-12-30). Syrian Refugees Flee as Their Tents Are Torched in Lebanon. globalresearch.ca On December 26, hundreds of Syrian refugees fled their refugee camp in the Miniyeh region near the coastal city of Tripoli in north Lebanon after

Rod Driver (2020-12-30). Selling Weapons — The Most Corrupt Industry in the World. globalresearch.ca "In his [1996] arms-to-Iraq enquiry, Lord Richard Scott heard evidence that an entire tier of the Thatcher government, from senior civil servants to ministers, had lied and broken the law in selling weapons to Saddam Hussein…Thumb through old copies of …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-30). Thousands of Rohingya refugees relocated. peoplesdispatch.org The Bangladeshi government dispatched 1,800 Rohingya refugees on Tuesday, December 29, to the island of Bhasan Char. The island is said to have emerged from the sea just 20 years ago and is prone to flooding.

Ulson Gunnar (2020-12-30). Russia-China Civilian Aviation Production Challenges Boeing-Airbus Dominance. globalresearch.ca For decades US-based Boeing and European aerospace giant, Airbus, have dominated global civilian aviation in what many in the industry describe as a duopoly. But as is the case in so many other industries as of late, China's economic and …

_____ (2020-12-30). Iraq: 'British Company G4S Implicated In Assassination Of Soleimani'. popularresistance.org An Iraqi politician accused the UK private security company G4S of being involved in the assassination of Iranian Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani. | The commander of the Quds Force of the Corps of Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (IRGC) of Iran, Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani, and the deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Units of Iraq (Al-Hashad Al-Shabi in Arabic), Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, were martyred on January 3 in a drone strike perpetrated by the US in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. | This Monday the leader of the Iraqi political party Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Qais Al-Jazali, accused the British co…

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Outrage in India-administered Kashmir over alleged extra-judicial killings. laprensalatina.com Srinagar, India, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- Security forces in India-administered Kashmir on Wednesday gunned down three alleged militants, sparking outrage and allegations that the troops had staged a gunfight to hide civilian killings. "Three militants have been killed in an overnight operation in the Lawaypora area of Srinagar," an officer at the police control room told …

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Democrats relying on Latino vote in key Georgia Senate elections. laprensalatina.com By Marcelo G. Wheelock Atlanta, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- Democrats want to repeat the formula that led them to victory in the Nov. 3 presidential election in Georgia and they are relying on the local Hispanic vote in the crucial runoffs for the state's two US Senate seats in early January, races that will decide which …

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). EU and China conclude negotiations on investment deal. laprensalatina.com Brussels, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- The European Union and China concluded negotiations on a long-awaited investment deal designed to lower business barriers to European companies in China and push toward leveling the playing field between the two economic powers. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen tweeted: "The EU has the largest single market in the …

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Over 20 killed in attack on new Yemeni government in Aden. laprensalatina.com By Khaled Abdullah Sana'a, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- At least 22 people were killed and 50 others injured on Wednesday when three explosions rocked the airport of the southern Yemeni city of Aden upon the arrival of members of the new government. The internationally-recognized government blamed the attack on the Houthi rebels, with whom it has …

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Kidney On Sale: Economic fallout of back-to-back lockdowns in Indian Kashmir. laprensalatina.com By Sarwar Kashani Qazigund, India, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- Nearly two years ago, Sabzar Khan, a 26-year-old businessman, expanded his construction business that was already growing rapidly in Qazigund, the gateway to the idyllic Kashmir Valley, nestled in the Indian Himalayas. But soon after he raised funds by securing loans from a bank and local lenders, …

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). North Korea's ruling party to hold 8th congress in early January. laprensalatina.com Seoul, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- The eighth congress of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, which is expected to decide the regime's economic and foreign policy goals, will be held in early January, state media KCNA reported Wednesday. The agency did not specify an exact date for the event. The decision to hold the party congress early …

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Islamist mob razes Hindu temple in Pakistan. laprensalatina.com Islamabad, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- A mob of around 2,000 people on Wednesday destroyed a Hindu temple in northwestern Pakistan, reacting in rage to the religious premises being expanded, in the latest act of violence against a religious minority in the Muslim-dominated country. The act of vandalism took place around noon in the Karak district of …

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Proud and patriotic, Wuhan boasts of virus defeat. laprensalatina.com By Jesús Centeno Wuhan, China, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- At 85-years-old, Korean war veteran Chen Jixian cannot hold back his emotions when he recalls the calamities that struck Wuhan when the new coronavirus first emerged a year ago and led to the deaths of 3,869 people, according to official figures. Chen was visiting People First, Lives …

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Bangladesh urges UN to participate in Rohingya relocation process. laprensalatina.com Dhaka, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- The government of Bangladesh said on Wednesday that it was ready to involve the United Nations in the process of relocating Rohingya refugees to a remote island, after a barrage of criticism by rights groups over the lack of transparency in the transfers. The government urged the UN to join the …

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). Magnitude-5.1 earthquake shakes parts of Japan. laprensalatina.com Tokyo, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- An earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Ritcher scale shook eastern Japan on Wednesday but there was no tsunami alert and the authorities did not report any human or material losses. The earthquake shook the capital Tokyo at 9.35 am local time (0.35 GMT) with its epicenter in Ibaraki prefecture, northeast of …

news.un (2020-12-30). UN chief and Yemen Envoy condemn deadly Aden airport attack. news.un.org The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, have strongly condemned Wednesday's deadly attack on Aden airport, which is reported to have resulted in the deaths of at least 26 people, and injured more than 50.

news.un (2020-12-30). Questions and answers about the UN mission to the SAFER oil tanker in Yemen. news.un.org 1. What is the SAFER oil tanker? | SAFER is a Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) oil vessel moored off Yemen's west coast, approximately 8 kilometers (4.8 nautical miles) South West of the Ras Isa peninsula on the West coast of Yemen, permanently anchored at the same location for more than 30 years without any dry-docking or shipyard repairs.

news.un (2020-12-30). UN Yemen envoy condemns deadly Aden airport attack. news.un.org The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, has strongly condemned Wednesday's deadly attack on Aden airport, which is reported to have resulted in the deaths of at least 26 people, and injured more than 50.

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-30). Soleimani blood united regional nations against US arrogance. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 30 (MNA) — In a tweet on early Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry stated that the blood of Martyr General Soleimani united regional nations against the US arrogance and presence.

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-30). Araghchi holds talks with Qatari Foreign Minister. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 30 (MNA) — Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs held talks with the Foreign Minister of Qatar on Wednesday.

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-30). Basiji ladies donate blood in Tabriz. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 30 (MNA) — A group of Basiji ladies donated blood in Tabriz, the capital city of East Azerbaijan Province, in northwestern Iran.

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-30). Martyr Soleimani defended resistance under any circumstance. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 30 (MNA) — The Head of Iraq's Fatah (Conquest) Alliance Hadi al-Ameri said Martyr Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani was responsible for defending 'resistance movement' everywhere.

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-30). Iran has promoted combat capability proportionate to threats. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 30 (MNA) — The Second-in-Command of the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base said that the base has upgraded its combat capability proportionate to the existing threats.

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-30). 25 Killed, 13 injured in terrorist attack on bus in Syria. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 30 (MNA) — At least 25 civilians have been killed and 13 others injured after a bus was attacked on the M20 highway in the Deir ez-Zor province of Syria.