More War by Other Means: Sanctioning the Wife of Syria's President Makes No Sense to Anyone
Philip Giraldi | globalresearch.ca | 2021-01-08
I am a recipient of regular, usual weekly, emails from the Department of the Treasury providing an "Update to OFAC's list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) and Blocked Persons." OFAC is the Office of Foreign Assets Control, which is tasked …
globalresearch.ca/more-war-other-means-sanctioning-wife-syria-president-makes-no-sense-anyone/5733890

Compelling account of inspirational Black activist Claudia Jones in new booklet
Morning Star | peoplesworld.org | 2021-01-08
Claudia Jones (1915-1964) is hardly unsung, given the growing number of books and film documentaries on the woman who, on indisputable merit, is interred immediately to the left of Karl Marx in Highgate Cemetery. In this account of an extraordinary Caribbean communist, David Horsley's focus is on Jones's life in advancing class, race, and gender …
peoplesworld.org/article/compelling-account-of-inspirational-black-activist-claudia-jones-in-new-booklet/

In Hong Kong, We Thought We Had More Time
Wilfred Chan | thenation.com | 2021-01-08
In Hong Kong, We Thought We Had More Time…
thenation.com/article/world/democracy-hong-kong/

Will US Farmers Follow India's Lead?
_____ | popularresistance.org | 2021-01-08
Thousands of farmers in India are braving cold winter temperatures in the outskirts of New Delhi, their tractors and tents blocking traffic along three main roads leading to the capital city, in protest of new agricultural laws that farmers say leave them at the mercy of multinational corporations. The protests, which began in August, morphed into a general strike of 250 million workers on November 26, which has been called the largest-ever global demonstration. | The ongoing demonstrations have struck a chord with agricultural communities in North America, where solidarity protests were held throughout December,…
popularresistance.org/will-us-farmers-follow-indias-lead/

US congresswoman apologises for referencing Hitler at pro-Trump rally
MEE staff | middleeasteye.net | 2021-01-08
US congresswoman apologises for referencing Hitler at pro-Trump rally | Republican Mary Miller had initially doubled down on her remarks that 'Hitler was right on one thing – that whoever has the youth has the future' | MEE staff | Fri, 01/08/2021 – 18: 23 | Miller, who has been in office for less than a week, drew widespread condemnation, sparking calls for her to resign over her comments (AFP/File photo) | US Representa…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-congresswoman-apologises-hitler-pro-trump-rally

Hotel diplomacy: Qatari hotel opens in Cairo as economic ties take centre stage
MEE correspondent | middleeasteye.net | 2021-01-08
Hotel diplomacy: Qatari hotel opens in Cairo as economic ties take centre stage | While Qatari investment projects in Egypt have not stopped during a three-year rift, the opening of the Qatari-funded luxury St Regis hotel in Cairo is seen as official sign of thawing relations | MEE correspondent | Fri, 01/08/2021 – 14: 04 | The St Regis overlooks the Nile and is located in downtown Cairo (Marriott hotel we…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/qatar-egypt-st-regis-hotel-rift-investment

Student protests continue in Turkey in defiance of police-state measures
wsws.org | 2021-01-08
The mass student protests in Istanbul that started to oppose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's appointment of a new rector to Boƒüaziàßi University, continued yesterday in defiance of police-state measures to suppress the movement.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/01/08/turk-j07.html

Korean workers say POSCO steel company guilty of manslaughter
IndustriALL | peoplesworld.org | 2021-01-08
SEOUL–A pattern of fatal accidents at facilities in South Korea belonging to the global steel company POSCO will only be resolved when workers' have the right to organize freely and participate in safety systems, says the Korean Metal Workers' Union (KMWU). Accidents in November and December at POSCO's Gwangyang steelworks in Korea resulted in the …
peoplesworld.org/article/korean-workers-say-posco-steel-company-guilty-of-manslaughter/

When the Left Side is the Only Hope Left: The Destruction of Mosul
Louis Yako | counterpunch.org | 2021-01-08
I wrote recently about the field research I conducted in the early months of 2020 for an international organization supporting Iraqi youth. The research focused on young boys and girls attending sessions in different parts of Iraq to engage in dialogues and conversations about pressing issues in Iraqi society such as citizenship, gender, culture and heritage, media,…
counterpunch.org/2021/01/08/when-the-left-side-is-the-only-hope-left-the-destruction-of-mosul/

Indian Toyota workers continue strike in defiance of company-government repression
wsws.org | 2021-01-08
Striking Toyota workers also face mounting pressure from the Congress and Janata Dal opposition parties, and the isolation of their struggle by the Stalinist-dominated unions.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/01/08/toyo-j08.html

South Korean court orders Japan to compensate survivors of sexual violence during World War II
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2021-01-08
A lower court in Seoul ordered Japan to compensate 12 Korean women, who were forced to serve as "comfort women" for its military during the Second World War. The verdict is expected to pave the way for more such judgments…
peoplesdispatch.org/2021/01/08/south-korean-court-orders-japan-to-compensate-survivors-of-sexual-violence-during-world-war-ii/

Global wildlife trading body under fire over highly questionable Asian elephant exports
Tracy Keeling | thecanary.co | 2021-01-07
2020 was a bumpy year for the wildlife trade and the UN body that is meant to oversee the buying and selling of wild lives on an international level. The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is widely believed to have originated in this trade. As a result, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) h…
thecanary.co/exclusive/2021/01/07/global-wildlife-trading-body-under-fire-over-highly-questionable-asian-elephant-exports/

Re-Plug: 28 Protests in 22 days! Kranti ka Naqsha (Mapping the Revolution) Brings the Latest Updates
Sabrangindia | asia-pacificresearch.com | 2021-01-07
asia-pacificresearch.com/re-plug-28-protests-in-22-days-kranti-ka-naqsha-mapping-the-revolution-brings-the-latest-updates/5629723

New book: Indonesia was model for anti-communist massacres, U.S. complicity
W. T. Whitney Jr. | peoplesworld.org | 2021-01-07
U.S imperialism was on a roll in the mid-20th century as Cold War problems were emerging. These included U.S.-Soviet conflict, nuclear-war fears, the Korean and Vietnam wars, domestic anti-communism, and Indonesia. Having thrown of Dutch colonial rule, that country led by President Sukarno was in the vanguard of nations striving to steer clear of both …
peoplesworld.org/article/new-book-indonesia-was-model-for-anti-communist-massacres-u-s-complicity/

New book: Indonesia was model for anti-communist massacres, U.S. complicity
W. T. Whitney Jr. | peoplesworld.org | 2021-01-07
U.S imperialism was on a roll in the mid-20th century as Cold War problems were emerging. These included U.S.-Soviet conflict, nuclear-war fears, the Korean and Vietnam wars, domestic anti-communism, and Indonesia. Having thrown off Dutch colonial rule, that country led by President Sukarno was in the vanguard of nations striving to steer clear of both …
peoplesworld.org/article/new-book-indonesia-was-model-for-anti-communist-massacres-u-s-complicity/

'Irresponsible and inhumane' Home Office continuing with deportations despite lockdown
Joe Glenton | thecanary.co | 2021-01-07
The Home Office plans to press forward with the deportation of up to 60 people despite a full national lockdown and a massive spike in coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in the UK. | The Independent newspaper reported on 6 January that two flights were set to leave in the next week despite current restrictions. One is bound for Romania, the other for Poland. | "Irresponsible and inhumane": | New lockdown rules say that people cannot leave their homes or travel abroad except wh…
thecanary.co/trending/2021/01/07/irresponsible-and-inhumane-home-office-continuing-with-deportations-despite-lockdown/

"Americans Are Now Getting a Mild Taste of Their Own Medicine" of Disrupting Democracy Elsewhere
Staff | democracynow.org | 2021-01-07
World leaders reacted in horror over the storming of the U.S. Capitol, with the U.N. secretary-general calling on political leaders to demand their followers refrain from violence. Leaders of the U.K., New Zealand, Australia, Canada, India, Japan, France, Germany, NATO and the European Council called for a peaceful transfer of power to Joe Biden. Investigative journalist Allan Nairn looks at what steps Trump may take next, and says despite protestations from President-elect Joe Biden and others that the insurrection was "not who we are," the U.S. has a long track record of disrupting democratic processes elsewher…
www.democracynow.org/2021/1/7/us_foreign_election_interference_allan_nairn

Qatar and GCC Detente? In the Wake of a Three Year Blockade Imposed by Saudi Arabia
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2021-01-07
The unexpected detente between Qatar and its GCC partners saw the full restoration of political ties between them following the end of the over three-year-long blockade against the peninsular nation, but speculation remain about the future of their reconciliation considering …
globalresearch.ca/gcc-detente-facts-analysis-forecasts/5733829

In "Pieces of a Woman," Vanessa Kirby survives the worst in a heartbreaking, measured performance
Gary M. Kramer | salon.com | 2021-01-07
Kornél Mundruczó's film addresses the fragmentation of a life after losing a child at birth…
salon.com/2021/01/07/pieces-of-a-woman-review-netflix/

Sri Lankan president orders all state employees to commit to his election manifesto
wsws.org | 2021-01-07
These preparations of Rajapakse are aimed at cementing his autocratic rule and taking on the working class.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/01/07/slpr-j07.html

UAE to resume trade and travel with Qatar within a week
MEE and agencies | middleeasteye.net | 2021-01-07
UAE to resume trade and travel with Qatar within a week | Emirati foreign minister said restoring full diplomatic relations would take time as trust issues linger | MEE and agencies | Thu, 01/07/2021 – 12: 13 | UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum signing a document during the opening session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in the Saudi city of al-Ula, 5 January 2021 (AFP)…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/uae-qatar-trade-travel-gcc-rift

Saudi Arabia: UN rights expert welcomes 'positive first step' toward détente in Gulf
news.un.org | 2021-01-07
Saudi Arabia's action in lifting sanctions against Qatar is a "positive first step" towards normalized relations in the Gulf region, a UN independent human rights expert said on Thursday, urging the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt to follow suit.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2021/01/1081612

Farmer's Tractor Rally Rejects Pro-Corporate Laws in India
telesurenglish.net | 2021-01-07
Thousands of Indian peasants aboard tractors on Thursday are heading to New Delhi and will try to enter this capital city on Republic Day (Jan. 26), to press for the repeal of three laws that favor corporations through the deregulation of the agricultural markets. | RELATED: | India: No Results in Dialogue Between Government and Farmers | At least 2,000 tractors traveled an important highway today to express their rejection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration. The "Tr…
telesurenglish.net/news/Farmers-Tractor-Rally-Rejects-Pro-Corporate-Laws-in-India-20210107-0006.html

Deadly car bomb attacks 'tragic reminder' of price civilians pay in Syria
news.un.org | 2021-01-06
The killing of civilians in separate car bomb attacks in northern Syria on Saturday has been condemned by top UN humanitarian officials for the country.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2021/01/1081512

[Research Paper] Descriptive epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Karnataka state, South India: Transmission dynamics of symptomatic vs. asymptomatic infections
Narendra Kumar, Shafeeq K. Shahul Hameed, Giridhara R. Babu, Manjunatha M. Venkataswamy, Prameela Dinesh, Prakash Kumar BG, Daisy A. John, Anita Desai, Vasanthapuram Ravi | thelancet.com | 2021-01-06
Our findings indicate that both asymptomatic and symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 cases transmit the infection, although symptomatic cases were the main driving force within the state during the beginning of the pandemic. Considering the large proportion of asymptomatic cases, their ability to spread infection cannot be overlooked. Notwithstanding the limitations and bias in identifying asymptomatic cases, the findings have major implications for testing policies. Active search, early testing and treatment of symptomatic elderly patients with comorbidities should be prioritized for containing the spread of COVID-19 and red…
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30461-2/fulltext?rss=yes

Citing 'Open Sedition,' Rep. Ilhan Omar Vows Trump Impeachment Resolution
Brett Wilkins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2021-01-06
"Today, I watched as armed terrorists stormed the United States Capitol," the Minnesota congresswoman wrote. "We should not mince words about what this was: a coup attempt." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/barb.jpg …
commondreams.org/news/2021/01/06/citing-open-sedition-rep-ilhan-omar-vows-trump-impeachment-resolution?cd-origin=rss

How the System Kept Failing the Only Woman on Federal Death Row
Victoria Law | thenation.com | 2021-01-06
How the System Kept Failing the Only Woman on Federal Death Row…
thenation.com/article/society/lisa-montgomery-execution-federal/