2021-02-11: News Headlines

Kristen Yoonsoo Kim (2021-02-11). 'Minari' Is a Landmark for Asian American Cinema. thenation.com 'Minari' Is a Landmark for Asian American Cinema…

Eds. (2021-02-11). Newsclick says 'our voice can't be muzzled' as ED raids continue for over 30 hours. mronline.org The Editors Guild of India, The Press Club of India and The Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemned the action against the news portal.

Eli Morey (2021-02-11). Attacks on tenants' rights intensify in Indianapolis, activists resist. liberationnews.org Dozens of activists convened on the steps of the Indiana State Capitol building at 9 am on Feb. 8, bearing freezing temperatures to protest the Indiana General Assembly's attacks on the limited rights that tenants have in Indiana. The protest, called for by Family Promise of Greater Indianapolis and supported by the Indianapolis branch of …

Anya Parampil (2021-02-11). Explaining India's farmer uprising, the largest strike in human history. thegrayzone.com Anya Parampil speaks with New Delhi-based journalist Prasanth Radhakrishnan about the historic farmer strike currently sweeping India Radhakrishnan explains why farmers are rising up, how they are organized, and how the neoliberal government of Narendra Modi has responded to the movement. Just one day after this interview, the Modi government raided the offices of Radhakrishnan's employer, Newsclick.in, and detained its editors in what has been denounced as an act of intimidation against critical media. Learn more about the disturbing press crackdown …

Reese Erlich (2021-02-11). What Trump and the Myanmar Coup Have in Common. zcomm.org The Asian country's military overthrew its government over baseless claims of voter fraud. Sound familiar?

Online News Editor (2021-02-11). India, China agree on military disengagement from Himalayan border lake. laprensalatina.com New Delhi, Feb 11 (efe-epa).- India on Thursday said it reached an agreement with China on disengagement from a Himalayan lake after their months-long deadly military standoff in the disputed eastern Ladakh border region. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told the upper house of the Indian parliament that the pact with the Chinese side "for disengagement …

Ramzy Baroud (2021-02-11). The Russian Alternative: How Moscow is capitalizing on US Retreat in Palestine, Israel. dissidentvoice.org Israeli anxiety was palpable when it was reported that Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was not contacted by the new American President, Joe Biden, for days after the latter's inauguration. While much is being read into Biden's decision, including Washington's lack of enthusiasm to return to the 'peace process', Moscow is generating much attention as a …

Liaquat Ali Khan (2021-02-11). Fatou Bensouda: A Daring Prosecutor Who Challenged the US, Israeli Impunity. counterpunch.org Fatou Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has dared to take on the US, Israeli impunity and opened investigations in Afghanistan and the Israeli-occupied territories of Gaza and the West Bank. In March 2020, the ICC authorized the Prosecutor to investigate whether the US troops and contractors committed war crimes and crimes

Brian Terrell (2021-02-11). Ending the Other War in Yemen. dissidentvoice.org On February 4, in his first major foreign policy address, President Joe Biden announced "we are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arms sales." Speaking of the Saudi-led coalition that has been at war in Yemen since 2015, creating what he called "a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe," …

Charles Pierson (2021-02-11). Yemen: "Mission Accomplished"… For Now? counterpunch.org Since 2015, the US has been giving crucial assistance to Saudi Arabia's military coalition in its war against Yemen's Houthi rebels. US assistance takes the form of intelligence sharing, logistics and targeting assistance, arms sales, and transfer of spare parts for coalition warplanes.

Lawrence Davidson (2021-02-11). Biden Adopts a Trump Approach to Iran. counterpunch.org All right! Let's hear it for Joe Biden! Our new president is leading us in the direction of domestic sanity, and there are even hints of progressive potential in his evolving agenda. Under his leadership, we might soon master the Covid-19 plague and dig ourselves out of our near-depression economic straits. This is terrific! Some

Workers World Party (2021-02-11). PDF of February 11 issue. workers.org Download the 12-page PDF. Haiti: Struggle intensifies Black History Month: Salute to Rosa Parks, Harry Haywood, Ben Fletche ALSO: Nurses, autoworkers, teachers on the move! Reparations for racist pandemic!; Capitalist accumulation and agriculture; GameStop bubble; COVID: comparing economic systems. Editorial: Dangling the carrot. GLOBAL: Sanctions Kill. Yemen: Bait and switch. . . . |

Online News Editor (2021-02-11). 3 get prison until death for crimes during Bangladesh liberation war. laprensalatina.com Dhaka, Feb 11 (efe-epa).- Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal sentenced three people in jail until death and five more to 20 years in prison on Thursday for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 struggle for independence from Pakistan. The three-judge panel of the International Crimes Tribunal, led by Justice Md Shahinur Islam, acquitted one of …

yenisafak (2021-02-11). Turkish charity to build 1,000 houses in Syria. yenisafak.com A Turkish charity will build 1,000 houses in Idlib, northwestern Syria for those who are living in hard conditions due to the ongoing civil war.The Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) has been working to find permanent solutions to the humanitarian crisis in Syria for more than 10 years.It has started to renew and improve briquette houses built as an emergency solution, the foundation said in a statement on Wednesday.Thousands of Syrian families have found the opportunity to live in warm houses rather than makeshift tents.The IHH will build 1,000 houses in the first phase of the project. They will…

yenisafak (2021-02-11). UN sends 71 truckloads of humanitarian aid to NW Syria. yenisafak.com The UN on Thursday sent 71 truckloads of humanitarian aid to northwestern Syria, where millions of people need assistance due to internal conflict.The trucks carrying supplies passed through the Cilvegozu border gate in Turkey's southern Hatay province.The aid will be distributed to those in need in Idlib and nearby rural areas.A civil war has ravaged Syria since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and displaced since then.Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia.*Writing by A…

Online News Editor (2021-02-11). Malaysia posts biggest GDP contraction since 1998. laprensalatina.com Bangkok, Feb 11 (efe-epa).- Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 5.6 percent in 2020, its worst contraction since the 1998 crisis when it had fallen by 7.4 percent, due to the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the country's statistics bureau said Thursday. The construction sector plummeted by 19.4 percent while net exports …

yenisafak (2021-02-11). 'Turkey favors fair, permanent solution of Cyprus issue'. yenisafak.com Turkey believes in a fair and permanent solution to the Cyprus issue, the country's vice president said during a visit to Northern Cyprus on Wednesday."We stand against injustice and stand by the will for a solution on the Cyprus issue. The Turkish side favors a fair, permanent solution," Fuat Oktay told a joint press conference in Lefkosa, the Turkish Cypriot capital, with Ersin Tatar, president of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).Stressing that Turkey will never abandon Northern Cyprus, he said there are two separate communities, democracies, and states on the island.Oktay called on the European U…

yenisafak (2021-02-11). BioNTech, Turkey in talks on opening research center in country. yenisafak.com German-based BioNTech is in talks with Turkey to set up a research center in the country, the Turkish industry and technology minister told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.Ugur Sahin, the Turkish-German co-founder of BioNTech, "wants to work on cancer research in Turkey, and continues to negotiate with the authorities to build a center," said Mustafa Varank."We discussed with Sahin what can be done in Turkey apart from vaccine development work. He's preparing his plans now and wants to set up a cancer research center here."Sahin and Hasan Mandal, head of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TU…

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-11). Three explosions hit Afghanistan's Kabul, Nangarhar. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 11 (MNA) — The three explosion in Afghanistan's Kabul and Nengarhar claimed lives of two civilians and six people were injured as a result of the blast.

yenisafak (2021-02-11). Qatar to resume trade with Saudi Arabia on Feb. 14. yenisafak.com Qatar's authorities Wednesday said the country will resume commercial traffic with Saudi Arabia on Feb. 14, adhering to the coronavirus protective measures.The Qatari News Agency quoted the customs authority as saying: "The General Authority of Customs has issued a number of regulatory and precautionary controls pertaining to the movement of imported and transiting goods from the Salwa border port in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Abu Samra border port in the State of Qatar."Truck drivers coming from the Salwa port must obtain a certificate attested by the Saudi Health Ministry, proving that they have been te…

yenisafak (2021-02-11). At least 17 asylum seekers held in northwestern Turkey. yenisafak.com Seventeen asylum seekers were held by Turkish security forces in the northwestern province of Kirklareli, which borders Bulgaria, security sources said on Thursday.The Afghan and Syrian nationals were held by local gendarmerie forces in Kofcaz and Demirkoy districts near the border.According to insiders, the asylum seekers told Turkish forces that they crossed the border but were arrested by Bulgarian police and left on the Turkish side after being beaten and their valuables snatched.After routine medical checks, they were referred to the provincial Gendarmerie Command, and later transferred to the local repatria…

yenisafak (2021-02-11). Turkey 'neutralizes' 2 YPG/PKK terrorists in N.Syria. yenisafak.com The terrorists attempted to infiltrate the area of Turkey's cross-border anti-terror offensive Operation Peace Spring to disrupt peace and security in the region, the ministry said on Twitter.Turkish authorities use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).In its more than 30-year terror campaign agains…

yenisafak (2021-02-11). Turkey, US conduct joint maritime drill in Black Sea. yenisafak.com Turkish and US naval forces conducted a joint maritime exercise in the Black Sea, Turkey's National Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.Turkish frigates TCG Turgutreis and TCG Orucreis were part of the drill along with the USS Porter and USS Donald Cook destroyers of the US Navy, the ministry said in a statement. | Two Turkish Air Force F-16s and one US maritime patrol aircraft also participated in the exercise, it added."The training conducted for the fundamental types of naval warfare has further strengthened cooperation between the Naval Forces of the two countries and has contributed to their interoperability,…

yenisafak (2021-02-11). Iran's Zarif says 'window closing' for US. yenisafak.com Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif warned Wednesday that the "window of opportunity" for the United States was "fast closing", calling on Washington to end its "fruitless hostility" with Tehran. | Speaking on the sidelines of the 42nd anniversary of the 1979 Iranian revolution, Zarif expressed hope that the new US administration would take a "new approach" towards Iran. | "The existing window is closing," Zarif said, referring to the Iranian parliament's deadline of Feb. 21 for Washington to return to the joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA), also known as Iran nuclear deal. | He said Tehran would be force…

yenisafak (2021-02-11). Armenia says must normalize ties with Turkey to guarantee own security. yenisafak.com Ayvazyan, in an address to parliament, also underscored the need to reopen borders with Turkey, noting that keeping them closed "makes no sense anymore," according to TASS news."Keeping Armenia's borders with Turkey closed serves no purpose," Ayvazyan said as he called on ties with Turkey to be normalized.Ayvazyan also reportedly expressed concern over the joint Turkey-Azerbaijan military exercises as the two nations boost military cooperation.In December 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country could open its borders to Armenia, if Yerevan takes steps toward regional peace."We have no grudge…

Manlio Dinucci (2021-02-11). "Strategic Dialogue" Between Italy and Saudi Arabia. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | The fact, that Matteo Renzi was received in Riyadh by His …

Jonathan Cook (2021-02-11). How Israel's Netanyahu helped break apart the Joint List. dissidentvoice.org For six years the Joint List had served as a beacon of political hope. Not just for the large Palestinian minority in Israel it represented, but also for a global Palestinian audience disillusioned by years of infighting between Fatah and Hamas that has sidelined the national cause. But last week, the Joint List's coalition of …

Online News Editor (2021-02-11). British man convicted over policeman's killing released from Bali jail. laprensalatina.com Jakarta, Feb 11 (efe-epa).- A British man jailed on Indonesia's tourist island of Bali over the brutal killing of a local policeman was released from prison Thursday after completing his sentence. David Taylor was released at 8 am, Directorate General of Corrections spokesperson Rika Aprianti told EFE. It is expected he will be deported. Originally …

Online News Editor (2021-02-11). Tokyo 2020 chief to resign over sexist remarks: Japanese media. laprensalatina.com Tokyo, Feb 11 (efe-epa).- The president of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee resigned Thursday following controversy sparked by sexist remarks her made last week, according to local media reports. Yoshiro Mori has communicated his decision to resign from office to people close to the organization after continuing to face criticism for his remarks at a …

Online News Editor (2021-02-11). Israel relaxes lockdown restrictions to partially reopen schools. laprensalatina.com Jerusalem, Feb 11 (efe-epa).- Hundreds of thousands of kindergarten and elementary school students returned to in-person learning for the first time in a month on Thursday as Israel continued easing its lockdown restrictions despite climbing daily coronavirus cases. The partial school reopening only affects 20 percent of the students in Israel, while the remaining 80 …

Brian Terrell (2021-02-11). Ending the Other War in Yemen. zcomm.org Peace in Yemen, peace in the world, demands no less than an end to the production, trade and use of weaponized drones…

JMG Motion Pictures (2021-02-11). Saturday 2/13: Sexuality & Relationships Film Screening: Romantic Chorus (animated-documentary)! indybay.org Online Film Screening…

Colin Todhunter (2021-02-11). Farmers' Protest in India: Price of Failure Will Be immense. dissidentvoice.org Globally, there is an ongoing trend of a handful of big companies determining what food is grown, how it is grown, what is in it and who sells it. This model involves highly processed food adulterated with chemical inputs ending up in large near-monopoly supermarket chains or fast-food outlets that rely on industrial-scale farming. While …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-11). Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul released after 1001 days in prison. peoplesdispatch.org Her release as per a judge's order also includes the conditions that she stay on probation for three years and refrain from travelling outside of Saudi Arabia for five years…

Howard Lisnoff (2021-02-10). When It Seemed as If the World Took Notice. counterpunch.org An antiwar protester in Providence, Rhode Island, Jerry Elmer, noted in the middle of the decade of the 1970s that it was difficult to sustain interest in the antiwar movement as the American war in Southeast Asia came to a close. Elmer, and other peace activists, had set up a replica of the tiger cages

Nyla Ali Khan (2021-02-10). Why I Wrote "Educational Strategies for Youth Empowerment in Conflict Zones" counterpunch.org In a world that continues to be carved up into the false binary of West vs. East, there is an abundance of scholarly work on trauma, healing, and rebuilding solidarities in Europe and the United States, but a dearth of such scholarly work and literature about regions in South Asia, mainland Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Eds. (2021-02-10). The Indian farmers are right: their land is at stake (Part 2). mronline.org In the previous part of this article we saw that the Indian rulers are actively preparing the legal groundwork for parting peasants from their land. In the following part we place this in an international context.

Eds. (2021-02-10). The Indian farmers are right: their land is at stake (Part 1). mronline.org The protesting kisans on the borders of Delhi repeat one thing over and over: When fighting against the three farm-related Acts, they are fighting to save their land.

Eds. (2021-02-10). The Kisans are right. Their land is at stake (Part 2). mronline.org In the previous part of this article we saw that the Indian rulers are actively preparing the legal groundwork for parting peasants from their land. In the following part we place this in an international context.

MEE and agencies (2021-02-10). Covid-19: Several Gulf states see daily cases rise to near 2020 highs. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Several Gulf states see daily cases rise to near 2020 highs | The UAE, the region's tourism hub, has seen the biggest surge with daily infections tripling in six weeks | Wed, 02/10/2021 – 10: 44 | Last week, visitors from several countries told Middle East Eye they were shocked by how desolate Dubai felt (AFP) | Several Gulf Arab states have seen daily coronavirus cases climb bac…

Staff (2021-02-10). I'm on Hunger Strike in Guantánamo. I Dream of Cooking for My Family. truthout.org There are very few freedoms at Guantánamo Bay prison, where I have been held without charge or trial — referred to as Guantánamo ISN 1461 — for over 16 years. The right to starve myself is one of them, but even then, they force-feed me, to spare themselves the embarrassment of my death. | Back in Pakistan, before I was kidnapped and tortured and flown halfway around the world in chains, I loved cooking. There is nothing more satisfying than preparing a hot meal for your family and sharing i…

RT (2021-02-10). Sri Lanka u-turns over Covid-19 Muslim burial row after international backlash. rt.com The prime minister of Sri Lanka has announced in parliament that the country will reverse its earlier decision to prohibit the burial of Muslims who died of Covid-19, after international outcry over the ban. | While PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has stated the policy will change, Muslim lawmaker Rishard Bathiudeen said that the government must now issue a formal withdrawal of the compulsory cremation rule for the announcement to take effect. | In April, the government banned the burial of all Covid-19 victims over claims that the practice could spread the virus by contaminating the groundwater. | Muslims in Sri Lanka a…

MEE staff (2021-02-10). US senators urge Biden to press Turkey on human rights, 'combative' foreign policy. middleeasteye.net US senators urge Biden to press Turkey on human rights, 'combative' foreign policy | Fifty-four senators signed letter sent to Biden, saying Ankara needed to end 'crackdown on dissent' | Wed, 02/10/2021 – 14: 55 | Prior to Joe Biden's inauguration, the then-president-elect did not respond to multiple requests for call with Erdogan (AFP) | A bipartisan majority of the US Senate called on President Joe Biden to…

MEE staff (2021-02-10). UN expert calls on UAE to release jailed human rights defenders. middleeasteye.net UN expert calls on UAE to release jailed human rights defenders | Sentenced to ten years in prison, three imprisoned human rights defenders have been subjected to 'conditions that may amount to torture', says UN Special Rapporteur | Wed, 02/10/2021 – 15: 56 | A police officer enters Dubai's Al-Awir central prison in the United Arab Emirates, on 21 May 2020 (AFP/File photo) | A United Nations expert has called…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-10). UAE's Anwar Gargash removed as foreign affairs minister. middleeasteye.net UAE's Anwar Gargash removed as foreign affairs minister | Cabinet reshuffle sees Gargash, who has held the position since 2008, become a diplomatic advisor to the president | Wed, 02/10/2021 – 13: 24 | Sheikh Mohammed said Gargash, pictured, had been 'had been able to bring about major transformations in our foreign political work' (AFP) | Anwar Gargash, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) mini…

Staff (2021-02-10). Headlines for February 10, 2021. democracynow.org Senate Votes to Proceed with Impeachment as Managers Present Harrowing Video of Jan. 6 Insurrection, Gov't to Send Vaccines to Community Health Centers as U.S. Continues Ramping Up Vaccinations, WHO Team Confirms COVID-19 of Animal Origin; Ghana Shuts Parliament After Outbreak Infects Lawmakers, Protesters in Burma Defy Bans, Escalating Crackdown by Police, Journalists Decry Raid on Progressive Indian News Site NewsClick, U.S. to Pursue Extradition of Julian Assange as Press Freedom Groups Warn of Dangerous Precedent, Fossil Fuel Pollution Causes One in Five Global Deaths, Calls Growing to Shut Down DAPL as Key H…

Sheila Velazquez (2021-02-10). The Desiccated Hearts and Souls of Working-class Americans. dissidentvoice.org Desiccate: deaden, devitalize, lobotomize, castrate — Merriam-Webster In the United States the average man and woman has been dismissed, devalued and manipulated by both parties and the financial system. They have been prevented access to healthcare, decent-paying jobs, affordable education and food security. And their hopes and dreams have been crushed by the absence of …

Alan Macleod (2021-02-10). New US Military Base in Northeast Syria Latest of Biden's Warlike Moves. mintpressnews.com Many of Biden's first moves in the Middle East, including the building of a new base in Syria, suggest his term will be more of the same rather than a break with the old.

RT (2021-02-10). German World Cup winner Jerome Boateng's ex-girlfriend found dead just a week after pair split. rt.com Polish model Kasia Lenhardt was found dead in a Berlin apartment just a week after breaking up with German World Cup winner and Bayern Munich star Jerome Boateng | The exact details of the tragedy remain unknown, but German police said her death is not being treated as suspicious. | Her parents reportedly called the police after failing to contact Lenhardt for several hours. | The 25-year-old model reportedly committed suicide on her son's sixth birthday, just a week after Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng announced their split. | "She died a week after Jerome gave an interview in which he said their re…

sputniknews (2021-02-10). One More Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake Strikes Off New Caledonia Coast — US Geological Survey. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A new 6.4 magnitude earthquake was registered on late Wednesday off the coast of New Caledonia, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).