(2021-01-18). Encircling China and Praising India: The US Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific. counterpunch.org 
The feeling from Rory Medcalf of the Australian National University was one of breathless wonder. "The US government," he wrote in The Strategist, "has just classified one of its most secretive national security documents — its 2018 strategic framework for the Indo-Pacific, which was formally classified SECRET and not for release to foreign nationals." Washington's
(2021-01-18). Israel is increasingly an Apartheid State: What Martin Luther King Jr. Would have thought of that. juancole.com Revised Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose activism we honor today, took stands far beyond Selma and Montgomery, and called on other capitals than Washington, D.C., to ensure a dignified life for human beings. Dr. King was an early and vigorous opponent of the white South African Apartheid (segregationist) …
(2021-01-18). Meeting Between Moldovan and Ukrainian Leaders Was to Coordinate Actions Against Russia. globalresearch.ca The visit of Moldovan President Maia Sandu to Ukraine last week is the first interaction between the two neighboring countries at the highest level in recent years. For Sandu, this trip became her foreign policy premiere since she became president …
(2021-01-18). Israel must Provide Vaccines to Occupied Palestinians: HRW says Over 4.5 Million in West Bank, Gaza Excluded From Vaccination Push. juancole.com ( Human Rights Watch) — (Jerusalem) — Israeli authorities should provide Covid-19 vaccines to the more than 4.5 million Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, Human Rights Watch said today. While Israel has already vaccinated more than 20 percent of its citizens, including Jewish settlers in the West Bank, it has not …
(2021-01-18). Indiana lawmakers propose new law shielding businesses from COVID-19 liabilities. wsws.org The proposed law seeks to remove legal rights from workers if they get sick or die from contracting COVID-19 at work.
(2021-01-18). Philippines records first case of new COVID-19 strain. wsws.org The authorities have ruled out introducing more stringent lockdown measures and travel bans, with government officials declaring that they "want to balance health with the economy."
(2021-01-18). COVID-19: How the world fought in 2020. mronline.org 
In December 2019, China's Wuhan city witnessed an abnormal rise of what was initially thought to be cases of pneumonia, as identified by the Wuhan Municipality Health Commission. However, upon further investigation by Chinese officials, a novel coronavirus was identified. By then the city's health system was already dealing with dozens of cases of coronavirus.
(2021-01-18). MLK Day Special: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in His Own Words. democracynow.org 
Today is the federal holiday that honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was born January 15, 1929. He was assassinated April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was just 39 years old. While Dr. King is primarily remembered as a civil rights leader, he also championed the cause of the poor and organized the Poor People's Campaign to address issues of economic justice. Dr. King was also a fierce critic of U.S. foreign policy and the Vietnam War. We play his "Beyond Vietnam" speech, which he delivered at New York City's Riverside Church on April 4, 1967, as well as his last speech, "I've Been to…
(2021-01-18). Peace in Nagorno-Karabakh Remains Fragile, With Key Issues Unresolved. counterpunch.org 
As Armenia ends its annual two-week holiday period, the mood in the country is sombre. The former Soviet state is continuing to reckon with its losses from the six-week war it waged last year with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. The Nagorno-Karabakh region, or Artsakh to Armenians, lies within Azerbaijan's international border. However, up until last year,
(2021-01-18). This week in history: January 18-24. wsws.org 25 years ago: Arafat wins Palestinian voteOn January 20, 1996, PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat and his al-Fatah party won the election held among residents of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem. The electoral triumph confirmed Arafat's role as the chief enforcer of Israeli dictates in the territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Arafat won 88 percent of the vote for president of the Palestinian Council while his nominees took more than half the seats on the legislative body.
(2021-01-18). Sunday 1/17: The Farmer's Movement in India. indybay.org Log-info available on our website; | ICSSMARX.ORG LINK: OUR CURRENT SCHEDULE…
(2021-01-18). US Never Ending Wars: Thirty Years Ago, America's "First War" against Iraq. globalresearch.ca Thirty years ago. The so-called "Gulf War" (Iraq War I) was launched against Iraq on January 17, 1991. | Extensive crimes against humanity have been committed. | On January 16, President George H. Walker Bush announced the start of what was called …
(2021-01-18). Friday 2/12: Welcome the Year of the Ox with Oakland Asian Cultural Center! indybay.org Virtual Event on YouTube Live…
(2021-01-18). Western Society in Crisis: Repression and Impoverishment of Their Own People. globalresearch.ca Ever since at least the Iraq War of 2003, the fundamental alternatives facing North American and European elites have been constant. One alternative might have been to accept a certain loss of global power so as to share global influence …
(2021-01-18). Philippines: Threats to kill labor leaders. fightbacknews.org The militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (May First Workers Movement) condemned the harassment, threats and intimidation towards known labor leaders in Cebu, January 18. | The group expressed deep concern over the safety of progressive individuals and their organizations after an unknown number blasted text messages containing outright threats to the activists' lives and safety. | In the morning of January 17, labor leader Jaime Paglinawan, chairperson of Alyansa sa mga Mamumuo sa Sugbo (AMA SUGBO KMU) received texts that he, along with other Cebu leaders and organizers, are targets for the week, most pro…
(2021-01-18). America versus China: The Consequences of Moving from Industrial to Financial Capitalism. globalresearch.ca Michael Hudson: Well, I'm honored to be here on the same show with Pepe and discuss our mutual concern. And I think you have to frame the whole issue that China is thriving, and the West has reached the end …
(2021-01-18). 780 West Bank Settlement Housing Units In Palestinian Lands, Approved Ahead of US Presidential Transition. globalresearch.ca 780 housing units in settlements, most of them deep in the West Bank (714 units (92%) in settlements that Israel will have to evacuate under a …
(2021-01-17). Qatar blockade ends: Egypt to resume flights to Doha, opening economic doors. middleeasteye.net 
Qatar blockade ends: Egypt to resume flights to Doha, opening economic doors | Resumption of flights brings economic opportunities for both countries amid the Covid-19 pandemic | Sun, 01/17/2021 – 15: 12 | An Egypt Air Embraer 170 aircraft on the tarmac at Cairo International Airport, while another plane takes off, on 15 January 2021 (AFP) | Egyptian national carrier EgyptAir says it will start operating direc…
(2021-01-17). Health Experts Call for Suspension of Pfizer Vaccination Among Elderly After Norway Deaths. globalresearch.ca Update (1630ET): In what can only be described as a somewhat concerning turn of events, health experts from Wuhan, China, called on Norway and other countries to suspend the use of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines produced by companies such as …
(2021-01-17). Australian father and son released by Qatar after months jailed without charge. middleeasteye.net 
Australian father and son released by Qatar after months jailed without charge | Advocacy group says the two men, one a professor who had been on Doha's Covid-19 task force, were secretly detained and tortured | Sun, 01/17/2021 – 09: 59 | Professor Lukman Thalib (right) received a teaching award at Qatar University in 2018. He is a public health expert and helped Qatar with its Covid-19 re…
(2021-01-17). WATCH Russian opposition figure Navalny leave plane in Moscow before being detained. rt.com 
Alexey Navalny has arrived in Moscow after spending several months recuperating in Berlin. He was detained at the airport for violating probation terms. | The plane carrying Navalny was due to land in Moscow's Vnukovo Airport, but it was instead diverted to the capital's Sheremetyevo Airport. The airliner told the media that the last-minute change happened due to "technical issues" on the ground. | The activist left the plane and entered the airport via shuttle bus. He was then detained by police during documents check at the arrivals terminal. | The Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) confirmed to the medi…
(2021-01-17). 'Absolute nonsense': Iranian FM rejects French claim that Tehran is building up nuclear weapons capacity. rt.com 
Iran's FM Javad Zarif has blasted France for its continuous support of "Saudi war criminals," dismissing French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian's claims that Tehran is building up nuclear weapons capacity as "absolute nonsense." | The top Iranian diplomat took to Twitter on Sunday, sending an angry message to France's foreign minister. Zarif signaled that Paris is in no position to lecture Tehran on anything, pointing fingers at French arms sales to Saudi Arabia — and getting quite personal with Le Drian as well. | Dear colleague: You kick-started your cabinet career with arms sales to Saudi war criminals.
(2021-01-17). Russian opposition figure Navalny detained at passport control after returning to Moscow following almost five months in Germany. rt.com 
Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny has been detained by police at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after returning from Germany, where he had been recovering following an alleged poisoning attempt last summer. | Navalny and his wife Yulia left the plane together on Sunday evening with the rest of the passengers and drove to the terminal in a bus. The activist was arrested at the immigration desk. | Russia's prison authority has confirmed the detention. Navalny, who was wanted for breaching the terms of his probation from a previous criminal case, will remain in custody until the court rules on pre-trial res…
(2021-01-17). Russia's FM spokeswoman urges US & other countries decrying Navalny's detention 'not to interfere' with Russian law. rt.com 
Instead of rushing to condemn the detention of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny upon his return to Moscow, foreign politicians should focus on domestic issues at hand and respect the Russian law, Maria Zakharova has said. | In a Facebook
(2021-01-17). Revisiting the Indonesian Massacres of 1965-1966. counterpunch.org 
Of all the tragic events of the 20th Century, the 1965-1966 campaign of mass killing in Indonesia is among the least known in the U.S. Researchers estimate that the Washington-backed Indonesian military and its civilian militias killed up to one million people. Around a million others were arbitrarily imprisoned with little to no legal process,
(2021-01-17). Thirty years Ago. The 1991 Gulf War: The Massacre of Withdrawing Soldiers on "The Highway of Death" globalresearch.ca I want to give testimony on what are called the "highways of death." These are the two Kuwaiti roadways, littered with remains of 2,000 mangled Iraqi military vehicles, and the charred and dismembered bodies of tens of thousands of …
(2021-01-17). The Indonesian Massacres of 1965-1966. counterpunch.org Of all the tragic events of the 20th Century, the 1965-1966 campaign of mass killing in Indonesia is among the least known in the U.S. Researchers estimate that the Washington-backed Indonesian military and its civilian militias killed up to one million people. Around a million others were arbitrarily imprisoned with little to no legal process,
(2021-01-17). International Support Continues for Protesting Farmers in India. dissidentvoice.org On 5 January, British MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi wrote a letter to Boris Johnson urging him to convey to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the "heartfelt anxieties" of MPs' constituents (many emanating from Punjab) regarding the treatment of protesting farmers in India. The letter was signed by more than 100 MPs and Lords and had …
(2021-01-17). Thirty Years Ago: The Gulf War. globalresearch.ca Thirty years ago, in the early hours of January 17, 1991, Operation "Desert Storm" began in the Persian Gulf, this war against Iraq opened the sequence of wars after the Cold War. The USA and its allies launched it at …
(2021-01-17). The Jewish Supremacist State. popularresistance.org The respected Israeli human rights organization, B'Tselem, has now officially reached this conclusion: "[T]he entire area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River is organized under a single principle: advancing and cementing the supremacy of one group—Jews—over another—Palestinians"; "A regime that uses laws, practices and organized violence to cement the supremacy of one group over another is an apartheid regime." | The B'Tselem position paper focuses on four aspects of Israeli apartheid. Two aspects—Jewish-only immigration and Jewish-only land development—operate in the…
(2021-01-17). Zakharova Calls For Respecting International Law After Sullivan Comments on Navalny. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – In response to comments on the detention of Russian opposition vlogger Alexey Navalny made by Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor for US President-elect Joe Biden, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova advised foreign officials to respect international law and focus on domestic issues.
(2021-01-17). European Council President Calls on Russia to Release Opposition Vlogger Navalny. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The European Council president, Charles Michel, on Sunday urged Russian authorities to release Russian political opposition vlogger Alexey Navalny.
(2021-01-17). Death Toll of Indonesia's Earthquake Rises To 73. telesurenglish.net The death toll of a 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Indonesia's West Sulawesi province has risen to 73, with over 27,000 people taking shelters, the National Disaster Management Agency said on Sunday. | RELATED: | A total of 67 bodies were retrieved in Mamuju city. The rest were in Majene district, the agency's spokesman Raditya Jati said, adding that the jolts forced 27,850 residents to flee home and take shelters in 25 evac…
(2021-01-17). Peru: Ex-President Vizcarra Barred From Run for Congress. telesurenglish.net Lima's Special Electoral Jury (JEE) excluded Peru's former President Martin Vizcarra's (2018-2020) candidacy for Congress over the omission of information about his personal incomes. | RELATED: | The JEE concluded that Vizcarra did not specify all the information about the incomes received from the company Agrotecnica Estuquiña SA, of which he has 30 percent of the share. | Ex-Congresswoman Yeni Vilcatoma made the banning…
(2021-01-17). India faces grim jobs crisis: 17 million jobs lost in past year. peoplesdispatch.org In the three months from September 2020 alone, 9 million people lost their jobs. A breakdown of job losses shows that younger people and women have borne the brunt…
(2021-01-17). Aleppo: Industrial Capital of Syria Rises from the Ashes. globalresearch.ca Saint Simeon, on the outskirts of Aleppo, was the largest church in the world in the fifth century. After Islam arrived in Syria, the country has remained a dense mixture of cultures and faiths, living in tolerance and cooperation until …
(2021-01-17). The Russian Revolution: Separating Truth From Myth. dissidentvoice.org There is a deceitful and ahistorical myth that frequently resurfaces in right-wing circles seeking to discredit socialism with lies about the Russian Revolution. No matter how many times it has been invalidated as fabrication, the reactionary mythos endures. As might be expected, the author is referring to the preposterous claim that American capitalists — or …
(2021-01-16). Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
(2021-01-16). Yemen: UN condemnation of Houthi terror designation sparks campaign against envoy. middleeasteye.net 
Yemen: UN condemnation of Houthi terror designation sparks campaign against envoy | UN special envoy to Yemen accused by government supporters of taking sides, while others warn of humanitarian issues at stake | Sat, 01/16/2021 – 16: 24 | Martin Griffiths, centre, the UN special envoy for Yemen, arrives at Sanaa international airport on 11 February 2019 (AFP) | The reaction of Martin Gr…
(2021-01-16). Public warned over coronavirus cons amid rising vaccine fraud reports. thecanary.co Doctors and police are warning the public not to fall for fraudsters trying to sell fake coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines, affirming that the jab will always be free. | Scams rising: | Reports to Action Fraud have been rising in the last two months, particularly around scam text messages, as con artists seek to gain from the pandemic. City of London Police are investigating one case in which a man knocked on the door of a 92-year-old woman and administered a fake vaccine before charging £160 and claiming it would be reimbursed by the NHS. | Suspicious text messages reported by members of the public u…
(2021-01-16). First Person: Syrian refugee makes cheese to survive the pandemic. news.un.org Syrian refugee Fatima Hussein Al Ahmad, a mother of four, lives on a farm with 50 other workers in Sahba, Jordan. COVID-19 travel restrictions meant that didn't work for two months in 2020, and feeding her family became a daily struggle.
(2021-01-16). First Person: Cheese proves key to survival for Syrian refugee family amid pandemic. news.un.org Syrian refugee Fatima Hussein Al Ahmad, a mother of four, lives on a farm with 50 other workers in Sahba, Jordan. COVID-19 travel restrictions meant that didn't work for two months in 2020, and feeding her family became a daily struggle.
(2021-01-16). Sri Lankan education safety committee holds well-attended online meeting. wsws.org Participants discussed the need to build a network of education action committees to stop the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.
(2021-01-16). After Biden Unveils Covid-19 Relief Plan, Tlaib Doubles Down on Demand for $2,000 Monthly Payments. commondreams.org "Stop compromising the working class, and our most vulnerable neighbors," said the Michigan congresswoman. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12292802211.jpg …
(2021-01-16). Chinese Authorities Trace Coronavirus-Infected Ice Cream. sputniknews.com A number of local residents in the northeastern Chinese port of Tianjin previously bought the contaminated ice cream that had not been refrigerated at a low-enough temperature which resulted in the treat's fat content becoming a fertile environment for the COVID-19 coronavirus.
(2021-01-16). Argentina receives second batch of Russian Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19 (VIDEO). rt.com 
A plane carrying 300,000 more doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus has landed in Argentina's capital Buenos Aires to allow the country to complete immunization of its frontline medics. | The refrigerated containers with the vaccine were delivered on Saturday from Moscow by a special flight of the Latin American country's flagship carrier, Aerolineas Argentinas. | "Those new doses represent the second component needed to conclude the vaccination after the first stage," Gines Gonzalez Garcia, Argentina's health minister, wrote on Twitter. | Llegaron al país 300.000 nuevas dosis de vacun…
(2021-01-16). 13 Israelis suffer FACIAL PARALYSIS after taking Pfizer Covid jab, amid influx of reports detailing adverse effects. rt.com 
At least 13 Israelis have experienced facial paralysis after being administered the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, a month after the US Food and Drug Administration reported similar issues but said they weren't linked to the jab. | Israel has been hailed for its speedy and efficient mass inoculation program, which has vaccinated a staggering 20 percent of the country's population since the drive For a handful of Israelis, however, the initiative has led to some unexpected health scares. At least 13 people have…
(2021-01-16). Peruvian healthcare workers strike for rights. peoplesdispatch.org In this episode of Around the World in 8 Minutes we take you to Peru, where healthcare workers have embarked on an indefinite strike. We also take you to India, where farmers continue their protest for the withdrawal of the three controversial farm laws and a segment from Brasil de Fato on the future of the COVID-19 vaccine in Brazil.
(2021-01-16). Belarus risks angering US over order of advanced Russian S-400 missile system that has sparked worries for NATO warplanes. rt.com 
The Ministry of Defense in Belarus announced on Thursday that it is at an advanced stage of negotiations with Russia to obtain one of the world's most sophisticated anti-aircraft missile systems. | Igor Golub, the commander of the country's Air Force, told reporters that "we are continuing pre-contract work to equip our missile units that are currently using the S-300 systems with the new S-400," its more modern successor. He added that "we have already signed contracts [with Russia] for the supply of Mi-35 multifunctional attack helicopters and the second batch of Su-30SM fighter jets." | Commenting on recent…
(2021-01-16). Selected Articles: Martin Luther King Day 2021. globalresearch.ca 
By January 15 is the day on which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born, in Atlanta, Georgia, …