Daily Archives: December 9, 2020

2020-12-09: News Headlines

Sara Flounders (2020-12-09). China's global vaccines — a game changer. workers.org In the U.S., with less than 5% of the world's people, there is little concern for the fate of the globe's other 95% who are facing the pandemic. When, how and under what conditions a vaccine will be distributed in the U.S. is the overwhelming U.S. concern. Rates of COVID-19 . . . |

Alan Macleod (2020-12-09). John Kerry's Think Tank Calls for War With Russia Over Climate Change. mintpressnews.com Recently-appointed Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry has The announcement drew praise from many prof…

Editor (2020-12-09). Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin: A Certain Kind of Diversity. scheerpost.com by Maj. Danny Sjursen, USA (ret.) / Original to ScheerPost America's first black presumptive secretary of defense grew up in the same town — Thomasville, GA — as the first black West Point graduate, Henry O. Flipper. I actually took select cadets from my civil rights history class to visit the southwest Georgia city on an academic trip in the summer of 2016. In fact, I vaguely remember the owner… |

Caoimhghin àì Croidheáin (2020-12-09). Diversity in Dance Today: Enlightenment and Romanticist Perspectives. dissidentvoice.org The drum is always there. In life and death. In between is dance. Always the drum is everywhere. — Peniel Guerrier, Interview with Yvonne Daniel, BOMB, January 1, 2005 I don't think this world was made for a small minority to dance on the faces of everyone else. — H.G. Wells, In the Days of …

Craig Wood (2020-12-09). Those Who Don't Fear the Lobby. dissidentvoice.org With the encouragement of friends and after serving eleven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (1961-1983), Congressman Paul Findley (R-IL) wrote a book, They Dare to Speak Out, about influences and pressures inside the Israeli lobby. His was the first book to point out ways the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), along with …

Binoy Kampmark (2020-12-09). Think Tankers Against China: the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. counterpunch.org Security think tanks are the leeches of industry. Attached to their appropriate field, they compile analysis that is supposedly masterful, insightful and even useful. Reports can recommend courses of action, from a troop surge in a failing war, to an increase of defence spending in bolstering cyber capabilities. Bunkered in these institutes, the think tanker

James O'Neill (2020-12-09). China's Rise and Rise Proves a Winning Formula. dissidentvoice.org On the second of December this year the Chinese representative to the United Nations General Assembly addressed the meeting on the topic of Palestine and more particularly on his country's view of the ongoing disasters that daily inflict the Palestinians in that country. Unsurprisingly, the speech received no coverage in the Australian media. The continued …

MEE staff (2020-12-09). ICC drops probe into alleged UK war crimes in Iraq. middleeasteye.net ICC drops probe into alleged UK war crimes in Iraq | ICC prosecutor stresses, however, that there is 'reasonable basis' UK forces committed abuses, including willful killing and rape, in Iraq | Wed, 12/09/2020 – 19: 36 | Human Rights Watch voiced disappointment about the decision (AFP/File photo) | Despite finding "reasonable basis" for allegations of war crimes against British soldiers in Iraq, an Internation…

MEE and agencies (2020-12-09). Covid-19: UAE officially registers Chinese-produced vaccine for use. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: UAE officially registers Chinese-produced vaccine for use | Health ministry cites trials showing vaccine as 86 percent effective | Wed, 12/09/2020 – 12: 03 | Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm's vaccine has been undergoing third-phase trials in the Emirates since July (AFP) | The UAE has officially approved a Chinese-produced vaccine for Covid-19, citing third-phase trial a…

Suddaf Chaudry (2020-12-09). Pakistan and Saudi Arabia: Why Kashmir won't stop Riyadh's rush to embrace India. middleeasteye.net Pakistan and Saudi Arabia: Why Kashmir won't stop Riyadh's rush to embrace India | Pakistan's old relationship with Saudi Arabia has deteriorated under Imran Khan as India draws closer to the Gulf kingdom | Wed, 12/09/2020 – 15: 30 | Pakistan's army chief was snubbed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when he was sent to apologise for its foreign minister's criticism (Reuters) | Pakistan'

Sheren Khalel (2020-12-09). Top Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi quits PLO amid rumours of rift. middleeasteye.net Top Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi quits PLO amid rumours of rift | Calls speculation 'misleading and irresponsible' that her resignation was caused by Palestinian Authority's resumption of coordination with Israel | Wed, 12/09/2020 – 18: 33 | Ashrawi served on executive committee of PLO for more than decade (AFP) | Prominent Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi has confirmed her resignation fr…

Global Research News (2020-12-09). Selected Articles: How to Get Saved from COVID-19 Under Nuclear Bombs. globalresearch.ca By Given the outrage over what the court historians and the U.S. mainstream press have long maintained was an unprovoked attack by Japan on the United …

South Front (2020-12-09). Video: Turkey Strikes against Kurdish SDF Forces in Northern Syria. globalresearch.ca The situation in the northern Syrian provinces of Aleppo and al-Hasakah is once again escalating amid speculations on the upcoming Turkish advance in the area. | In recent weeks, the Turkish military and its proxies increased the intensity of strikes on …

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-09). Iran imposes sanctions on US envoy to Yemen. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 09 (MNA) — Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Wed., emphasizing pivotal role of US Ambassador to Yemen Christopher Hansel in humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and placed his name on Iran's sanctions list.

Andrew Korybko (2020-12-09). Is Washington Trying to Ruin Shinzo Abe's Legacy of Japan's Rapprochement with Russia? globalresearch.ca Recent reports from Japanese media alleging that US immigration authorities there consider Russian nationals in some of the Kuril Islands to legally be Japanese represent an attempt by the fading unipolar superpower to ruin former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's legacy …

Yaghout Meraji (2020-12-09). Anti-Iran Terrorist Group Mojahedin-e Khalq's Ties to Iraqi Army in 1980s. globalresearch.ca Below is an interview with Mr. Yaghout Meraji, a former member of the anti-Iran terrorist group the Mojahedin-e Khalq MEK, conducted November 24 and 25, 2020. | *** | Robert Fantina: The participation of the MEK in the joint operation …

Timothy Pratt (2020-12-09). The Georgia GOP's Fight Against Voter Registration. thenation.com The Georgia GOP's Fight Against Voter Registration…

Jacob G. Hornberger (2020-12-09). Pearl Harbor and the Bay of Pigs. globalresearch.ca U.S. officials have long criticized Japan for its supposedly unprovoked military attack on Pearl Harbor, which enabled President Roosevelt to fulfill his desire to intervene into World War II. As I showed in

Ashoka Mukpo (2020-12-09). Report: WWF Knew About Rights Abuses by Park Rangers, but Didn't Respond Effectively. asia-pacificresearch.com

Oakland Asian Cultural Center (2020-12-09). Saturday 1/9: Book Talk: Women and the Legacy of Imperialism in the Pacific. indybay.org Zoom…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-09). At least eight people killed in anti-government protests in Iraq's Kurdistan region. peoplesdispatch.org At least eight people have been killed by security forces in violence against the protestors in Iraqi Kurdistan which continued on Tuesday, December 8. On Monday, six people were killed when security forces and some cadres of the ruling parties opened fire on the protesters demanding timely disbursal of their salaries and more employment. Two more people died in similar incidents on Tuesday. | The peaceful protests in different districts of Iraq's Kurdistan region started on December 3 when thousands of teachers and other government employees demonstrated against the delay in their salaries accusing the regional…

Staff (2020-12-09). Georgia Moves to Shut Down Early Voting Sites Ahead of Senate Runoff. truthout.org Civil rights groups warned on Monday that a decision by election officials in Georgia to shutter numerous early-voting sites ahead of the state's Senate runoff elections would disproportionately impact people of color. | The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the ACLU's Georgia branch and other groups

teleSUR (2020-12-09). Russia Sends Data From Its Second COVID-19 Vaccine To WHO. telesurenglish.net Russia's Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection Director Anna Popova announced her country sent the EpiVacCorona vaccine's clinical data to the World Health Organization (WHO). | RELATED: | "On Dec. 8, the documentation of another Russian vaccine was sent to the WHO. It is EpiVacCorona. We are awaiting the decision of the WHO" on its registration, Popova said, as reported by the Interfax agency. | Developed at th…

Philip J Cunningham (2020-12-09). China Shoots the Moon. globalresearch.ca China's Challenge to US-Russia Space Exploration Hegemony | China is taking aim at the moon, establishing itself as a space power to be reckoned with. While currently playing catch-up behind the space accomplishments of the US and Russia, it is rapidly …

_____ (2020-12-09). VIDEO: Covering Russia: What Sucks About The New York Times. strategic-culture.org There are nations on Earth that can in theory pose a threat to the U.S.A. But dangers from modern Russia are vastly overblown. Watch the video and read more in the

Paul Von Blum (2020-12-09). Tragedy and Art in the South Caucasus. progressive.org Protest art from Armenia highlights the resilience of a people in the face of war.

San Francisco Human Rights Commision (2020-12-09). Wednesday 12/9: Stand Together SF: Systemic Racism and How it has Affected the Asian and Black Communities. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Aaron Mate (2020-12-08). OPCW Executives Praised Whistleblower and Criticized Syria Cover-up, Leaks Reveal. globalresearch.ca Exclusive: Documents obtained by The Grayzone show that OPCW executives privately criticized the manipulation of a Syria chemical weapons probe, and supported a dissenting veteran inspector. One official, however, feared helping the "Russian narrative." These private admissions further expose the …

Ralph Nader (2020-12-08). Action for Change Starts in Congress. counterpunch.org We know their names! We've given immense power to Five Hundred and Thirty-Five People to do good or bad. One Hundred Senators and Four Hundred and Thirty-Five Representatives. Unfortunately, some 1500 corporations control most Members of Congress. Think about all the dreams for a better world that could come to be realized if our elected officials

Patrick Cockburn (2020-12-08). Gangsterism as Foreign Policy: Assassinations are Becoming the New Norm. counterpunch.org I was in Israel on 4 November 1995 when a student named Yigal Amir assassinated the Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin as he left a peace rally in Tel Aviv. A video shows Amir loitering by an exit to the square for 40 minutes before Rabin appears, when his killer takes out a pistol and

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2020-12-08). Relations Between Colombia and China Are on the Rise. globalresearch.ca China is about to accomplish a historic act in Colombia. In 1942, when Bogotá had 380,000 inhabitants, a project was launched to build the urban metro. After more than 75 years and with 8 million people, the work finally seems …

Media Lens (2020-12-08). Stuck in a Lift with John Pilger: News and How to Use It by Alan Rusbridger. dissidentvoice.org Noticing the way journalists seemed unable to resist commenting on our work, even if it was just to slag us off, Glenn Greenwald tweeted us in 2012: 'You are really deeper in the heads of the British establishment-serving commentariat than anyone else — congrats.' ((Greenwald, Twitter, 12 September 2012.)) If that was true then, our relationship …

Shatha Hammad (2020-12-08). Killed on his birthday: Family grieves Palestinian boy shot by Israeli forces. middleeasteye.net Killed on his birthday: Family grieves Palestinian boy shot by Israeli forces | A few minutes before he was shot, Ali said he did not expect Israeli soldiers to target him 'because I am a little child' | Tue, 12/08/2020 – 11: 28 | Ali Abu Alia was killed by Israeli forces on 4 December in his hometown of al-Mughayir (Supplied) | When she prepared the traditional Palestinian dish of maqlouba at the…

Betsey Piette (2020-12-08). Palestine Writes: A labor of love. workers.org Originally scheduled to take place in New York City this March, but canceled due to the pandemic, the Palestine Writes Literature Festival aired as a virtual event on Dec. 2-6. The event brought together writers, artists, publishers, booksellers, activists and scholars for conversations about art, literature and the intersection between . . . |

Fight Back (2020-12-08). Farmer protests in India. fightbacknews.org A reported 250 million people turned out on December 3 to protest three oppressive farm bills in India. The record-breaking number of farmers, trade unionists, communists and socialists mobilized from Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Maharashtra to protest the anti-farmer laws. Farmers over the years have turned out in the tens of thousands to protest the unjust laws, worsening conditions of cultivation, and the introduction of businesses to take over their livelihood. The upcoming days will see more resistance from people. | The farmer protest in India is sparked by the introduction of three oppressive bills.

Matthew Hoh (2020-12-08). Keep Active, Fight Hard and Wear a Damn Mask. counterpunch.org Last week Covid killed more Americans than the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have directly killed since 2001. 15,682 Americans died from Covid over the seven days from November 28-December 4. This is a larger number than the 14,000+ killed in action as both service-members and private contractors since 2001. The number of Iraq and

Eds. (2020-12-08). Think tankers against China: The Australian Strategic Policy Institute. mronline.org Security think tanks are the leeches of industry. Attached to their appropriate field, they compile analysis that is supposedly masterful, insightful and even useful.

CP Editor (2020-12-08). Lebanon, Hezbollah, and a US-Israeli Plan for Civil War? counterpunch.org

RT (2020-12-08). Turkey threatens 'grave consequences' after east Libyan forces seize its ship over alleged arms smuggling. rt.com Ankara has condemned the seizure of a Turkish vessel in the Mediterranean by forces from east Libya, promising a robust response to the interception and calling for the ship to be allowed to continue its journey. | "Targeting Turkish interests in Libya will have grave consequences, and these elements (who target Turkish interests) will be viewed as legitimate targets," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. | The ministry "strongly condemned" the move, stressing that the vessel should be allowed resume its planned voyage "immediately," and adding that the ship had been fined and the crew…

Joshua Hanks (2020-12-08). China replacing U.S. as world's leading scientific power. workers.org The first day of December saw two major scientific events: the Arecibo observatory in Puerto Rico collapsed, and China's Chang'e 5 spacecraft landed on the moon. These two events are the latest developments in the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and China — a new Cold War being fought on . . . |

Elijah Magnier (2020-12-08). Venezuela, a population difficult to defeat: Lessons for the Middle East. thealtworld.com At the "Escuela Técnica Comercial Manuel Palacio Fajardo De Caracas Venezuela" in an area called 23 Enero, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza came to vote. The people of the neighbourhood stood in line waiting their turn after being disinfected by the sanitary officers. A few guards were in the background, not interfering with the self-organisation of the population. The Minister Arreaza was later joined by the daughter of Comandante Hugo Chavez, Maria Gabriel, who also came to vote at the same school where the late Chavez used to vote. | It is indeed a normal scene here to see people from all walks of…

Pip Hinman (2020-12-08). US imperialist alliance cause of trade war with China. greenleft.org.au China's restrictions on a range of Australian goods has come about because of Australia's double standard on human rights and its alliance with the United States, argues Chris Slee.

WSWS (2020-12-08). Ukraine, Hungary clash as NATO discusses Ukrainian membership. wsws.org The conflict between Ukraine and Hungary demonstrates the deep crises that is confronting the right-wing capitalist states of NATO as they seek to further encircle Russia.

sputniknews (2020-12-08). US House Passes Defence Bill With Sanctions on Nord Stream 2, Turkey's S-400 Purchase. sputniknews.com The Defen—Åe Bill, totaling more than $740 billion, includes $635.5 billion for the Pentagon's basic needs, $26.6 billion for the implementation of national security programs through the Department of Energy, and $69 billion for operations abroad.

AFP (2020-12-08). China Overtakes the US to Become EU's Biggest Trade Partner as Beijing's Economy Continues to Boom Post-COVID while the Rest of the World Slides into the Red. asia-pacificresearch.com

Sumit Sharma (2020-12-08). Canada, India Mudslinging over Sikh Farmer Protests. asia-pacificresearch.com

Brett Wilkins, staff writer (2020-12-08). Civil Rights Groups Sound Alarm Over Planned Closure of More Than Half of Early Runoff Voting Sites in Key Georgia County. commondreams.org The coronavirus pandemic "has had extremely harsh effects in Black and Latinx communities and makes in-person voting on Election Day an untenable option for many voters," the groups' letter states. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12188457441_0.jpg

Jordan Schachtel (2020-12-08). Everyone Is Already Wearing a Mask. They Just Don't Work. globalresearch.ca One of the most common pro-mask arguments I've heard over the course of the past year, both from "public health experts" and your average citizen, sounds similar to the following statement: | "If only everyone would just wear a mask, we …

Negar Mortazavi (2020-12-08). US Sanctions Have Caused Iranians Untold Misery — And Achieved Nothing. globalresearch.ca "My young cousin passed away last week," an Iranian Twitter user recently lamented. "She needed medication for her cancer that doctors said can't be found." | The tweet tragically went on: "Maybe she'd be alongside her little daughter now if she …

Hallel Rabin (2020-12-08). 'Refusing to Serve in the Army is My Small Act of Making Change'. zcomm.org Hallel Rabin spent 56 days in an Israeli military prison for refusing to serve in the Israel Defense Force. Rabin, 19, talks about her time behind bars, conversations with her fellow inmates, and talking to young Israelis about the occupation…

2020-12-09: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin: A Certain Kind of Diversity
Editor | scheerpost.com | 2020-12-09
by Maj. Danny Sjursen, USA (ret.) / Original to ScheerPost America's first black presumptive secretary of defense grew up in the same town — Thomasville, GA — as the first black West Point graduate, Henry O. Flipper. I actually took select cadets from my civil rights history class to visit the southwest Georgia city on an academic trip in the summer of 2016. In fact, I vaguely remember the owner… | Source…
scheerpost.com/2020/12/09/secretary-of-defense-lloyd-austin-a-certain-kind-of-diversity/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=secretary-of-defense-lloyd-austin-a-certain-kind-of-diversity

John Kerry's Think Tank Calls for War With Russia Over Climate Change
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-12-09
Recently-appointed Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry has announced his intention of dealing with the pressing issue of global warming as a national security concern. "America will soon have a government that treats the climate crisis as the urgent national security threat it is," the 76-year-old former Secretary of State wrote. "I am proud to partner with the President-elect, our allies, and the young leaders of the climate movement to take on this crisis." | The announcement drew praise from many prof…
mintpressnews.com/john-kerry-think-tank-calls-for-war-with-russia-over-climate-change/273480/

China's global vaccines — a game changer
Sara Flounders | workers.org | 2020-12-09
In the U.S., with less than 5% of the world's people, there is little concern for the fate of the globe's other 95% who are facing the pandemic. When, how and under what conditions a vaccine will be distributed in the U.S. is the overwhelming U.S. concern. Rates of COVID-19 . . . | Continue reading China's global vaccines — a game changer at Workers.org
workers.org/2020/12/53125/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chinas-global-vaccines-a-game-changer

Anti-Iran Terrorist Group Mojahedin-e Khalq's Ties to Iraqi Army in 1980s
Yaghout Meraji | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-09
Below is an interview with Mr. Yaghout Meraji, a former member of the anti-Iran terrorist group the Mojahedin-e Khalq MEK, conducted November 24 and 25, 2020. | *** | Robert Fantina: The participation of the MEK in the joint operation …
globalresearch.ca/anti-iran-terrorist-group-mojahedin-e-khalqs-ties-iraqi-army-delegation-european-parliament/5731640

Diversity in Dance Today: Enlightenment and Romanticist Perspectives
Caoimhghin àì Croidheáin | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-12-09
The drum is always there. In life and death. In between is dance. Always the drum is everywhere. — Peniel Guerrier, Interview with Yvonne Daniel, BOMB, January 1, 2005 I don't think this world was made for a small minority to dance on the faces of everyone else. — H.G. Wells, In the Days of …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/12/diversity-in-dance-today-enlightenment-and-romanticist-perspectives/

10 Iranian ships are on their way to Venezuela with fuel
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-12-09
According to reports, a fleet of 10 Iranian ships is carrying millions of barrels to help Venezuela deal with shortages in the domestic market. The ships will carry Venezuelan crude during their return journey…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/12/09/10-iranian-ships-are-on-their-way-to-venezuela-with-fuel/

China Shoots the Moon
Philip J Cunningham | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-09
China's Challenge to US-Russia Space Exploration Hegemony | China is taking aim at the moon, establishing itself as a space power to be reckoned with. While currently playing catch-up behind the space accomplishments of the US and Russia, it is rapidly …
globalresearch.ca/china-shoots-moon/5731685

Iran Arrests People Involved in Killing of Nuclear Scientist
telesurenglish.net | 2020-12-09
The Special Aide to the President of the Parliament in International Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, claimed that Iranian authorities had arrested people involved in the murder of scientist nuclear Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on Nov. 27. | RELATED: | The US Imposes Sanctions on Iran's Ambassador to Yemen | "The perpetrators of this assassination, some of whom have been identified and even arrested by our security apparatus, will not escape justice and will be dealt with severely," Abdollahia…
telesurenglish.net/news/Iran-Arrests-People-Involved-in-Killing-of-Nuclear-Scientist-20201209-0008.html

Is Washington Trying to Ruin Shinzo Abe's Legacy of Japan's Rapprochement with Russia?
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2020-12-09
Recent reports from Japanese media alleging that US immigration authorities there consider Russian nationals in some of the Kuril Islands to legally be Japanese represent an attempt by the fading unipolar superpower to ruin former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's legacy …
globalresearch.ca/us-trying-ruin-shinzo-abe-legacy-rapprochement-russia/5731701

ICC drops probe into alleged UK war crimes in Iraq
MEE staff | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-09
ICC drops probe into alleged UK war crimes in Iraq | Still, ICC prosecutor says there is 'reasonable basis' UK forces committed abuses, including willful killing and rape, in Iraq | MEE staff | Wed, 12/09/2020 – 19: 36 | Human Rights Watch voices disappointment about decision (AFP/File photo) | Despite finding "reasonable basis" for allegations of war crimes against British soldiers in Iraq, an International Criminal Cour…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-iraq-war-crimes-icc-drops-probe

China's Rise and Rise Proves a Winning Formula
James O'Neill | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-12-09
On the second of December this year the Chinese representative to the United Nations General Assembly addressed the meeting on the topic of Palestine and more particularly on his country's view of the ongoing disasters that daily inflict the Palestinians in that country. Unsurprisingly, the speech received no coverage in the Australian media. The continued …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/12/chinas-rise-and-rise-proves-a-winning-formula/

Think Tankers Against China: the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-09
Security think tanks are the leeches of industry. Attached to their appropriate field, they compile analysis that is supposedly masterful, insightful and even useful. Reports can recommend courses of action, from a troop surge in a failing war, to an increase of defence spending in bolstering cyber capabilities. Bunkered in these institutes, the think tanker…
counterpunch.org/2020/12/09/think-tankers-against-china-the-australian-strategic-policy-institute/

Iran imposes sanctions on US envoy to Yemen
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-09