Daily Archives: January 21, 2021

2021-01-21: News Headlines

IMEMC News (2021-01-22). Israeli Colonists Injure Child Near Ramallah. imemc.org Several fanatic illegal Israeli colonists attacked, on Thursday evening, many Palestinian cars near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, causing damage and injuring a child in the face. Media sources said the colonists injured Jad Ala' Sawafta, 3, in the face after hurling stones at the family's car while his father was driving near …

IMEMC News (2021-01-22). Israeli Colonists Attack, Displace, Palestinian Family Near Hebron. imemc.org Several fanatic Illegal Israeli colonists attacked, on Thursday at night, a Palestinian family and forced them out of a cave they were using as a residence in Khirbat Tawamin, east of Susiya village in Masafer Yatta, south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron. Fuad al-'Amour, the coordinator of the Protection and Steadfastness Committees, …

IMEMC News (2021-01-22). Israeli Colonists Close Many Roads In Northern West Bank. imemc.org Groups of fanatic illegal Israeli colonialist settlers closed, on Thursday evening, many roads and junctions, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, and attacked homes, before the soldiers abducted a young Palestinian man. Eyewitnesses said the colonists gathered at Huwwara junction, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and closed it. …

IMEMC News (2021-01-22). Ongoing Escalation: Israeli Colonists Hurled Molotov Cocktails At Homes Near Nablus. imemc.org Israeli colonists hurled Molotov cocktails, on Thursday evening, at two Palestinian homes in Burin village, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Local sources in the village said the colonists invaded the southern area of Burin, and hurled Molotov cocktails at two homes. They added that the residents rushed to help the family …

IMEMC News (2021-01-22). Palestinian PM Condemns "Organized Settler Terrorism" in West Bank. imemc.org Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh denounced, on Thursday at night, the seriously escalating attacks, carried out by the illegal Israeli colonialist settlers against the Palestinians in the West Bank, and described them as organized terrorism. Shtayyeh said the colonists attacked and injured many Palestinians, including women and children, after hurling stones and Molotov cocktails at …

Judith Deutsch (2021-01-21). Israel at the Current Global Juncture. socialistproject.ca How does Israel fit in with current global emergencies and unprecedented dangers, those being the worsening provision of food, water, shelter, and healthcare for the global population, the COVID-19 pandemic and warnings of worse to come, and climate-related calamities? Massive fatalities and immiseration are not inevitable, but the current human situation is shaped by forces …

RT (2021-01-21). 'With lives at stake, politics must be forgotten': Sputnik V sponsor warns demonizing Russian vaccine distracts from saving people. rt.com Saving human lives amid the raging global pandemic is much more important than following political considerations, Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund that sponsored Sputnik V vaccine development, told RT. | "We are strongly against the politicization of the vaccine," said Dmitriev, adding that when it comes to health and the very life of many people, "one should forget about politics or any attempts to 'contain' Russia." | In its international dealings related to Russia's pioneering Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, RDIF is simply guided by the principle of helping those in need and is ready…

_____ (2021-01-21). My Wish Is That You Win This Fight For Truth. popularresistance.org On 26 January, India's Republic Day, thousands of farmers and agricultural workers will drive their tractors and walk into the heart of the capital, New Delhi, to bring their fight to the doors of the government. For two months, these farmers and agricultural workers have been part of a nation-wide revolt against a government policy that seeks to deliver all the gains of their labour to the large corporate houses, whose profits have ballooned during this pandemic. Despite the cold weather and the pandemic, the farmers and agricultural workers have created a socialistic culture in their encampments with community…

Andrew Korybko (2021-01-21). Sweden Doesn't Need to Join NATO to be a Security Threat to Russia. globalresearch.ca Sweden's growing ties with NATO over the past half-dozen years make many observers wonder whether the Nordic country will soon join the transatlantic bloc, but it actually doesn't even have to do so formally since it's already a de facto …

Leonid Savin (2021-01-21). Are Israel And Palestine Headed Towards Yet Another Conflict? thealtworld.com In December 2020, there was a rise in tensions in the West Bank, including demonstrations and Reports indicate that it was

Staff (2021-01-21). "The Work Continues": Cornel West & Maria Hinojosa on the Promise & Dangers of the Biden Admin. democracynow.org We host a wide-ranging discussion of the historic inauguration of President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris — the first-ever woman, South Asian and Black vice president — how we got here, and what comes next, with award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa and author and Harvard professor Cornel West. Hinojosa says she had "mixed emotions" watching the inauguration, her sense of hope tempered by memories of the Obama administration. "We all had these extraordinary expectations, and then things didn't turn out that way," she says. "The work continues." West says that while getting Trump out of office was vita…

Kathy Kelly (2021-01-21). About Suffering: A Massacre of the Innocent in Yemen. globalresearch.ca In 1565, Pieter Bruegel the Elder

Prof. Joseph H. Chung (2021-01-21). Washington's 40-year North Korea Policy: Success or Failure? globalresearch.ca Washington's 40-year offensive policy of North Korean regime change has gone nowhere. | Bill Clinton created a chance of peace with North Korea in 1994 and he blew it. | George W. Bush accepted the 2005 agreement for peace, then, he threw …

news.un (2021-01-21). Senior panel probing violations in Syria, examining new measures to safeguard humanitarians. news.un.org The UN chief announced on Thursday that he has set up an independent Senior Advisory Panel on strengthening the mechanism whereby humanitarian workers and sites are better protected from attack in Syria, according to a statement released by his spokesperson.

Alan MacLeod (2021-01-21). China tech ban mirrors 1980s attempts to destroy Japanese competition. mronline.org In the 1980s, the U.S. imposed a 100% tariff on virtually all Japanese electronics and forced Tokyo to sign a one-sided trade deal that reserved much of its domestic semiconductor sector for American companies.

Staff (2021-01-21). Cornel West and Maria Hinojosa Discuss Promise and Dangers of the Biden Admin. truthout.org We host a wide-ranging discussion of the historic inauguration of President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris — the first-ever woman, South Asian and Black vice president — how we got here, and what comes next, with award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa and author and Harvard professor Cornel West. Hinojosa says she had "mixed emotions" watching the inauguration, her sense of hope tempered by memories of the Obama administration. "We all had these extraordinary expectations, and then th…

MEE and agencies (2021-01-21). Covid-19: Dubai suspends non-essential surgery, entertainment after surge in cases. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Dubai suspends non-essential surgery, entertainment after surge in cases | The increase in infections in the UAE came after the emirate relaxed its entry requirements to boost tourism and save its economy | Thu, 01/21/2021 – 10: 28 | Dubai plans to vaccinate at least 50 per cent of its population using China's SinoPharm vaccine (AFP) | Dubai has suspended all non-essential surger…

RT (2021-01-21). In non-binding resolution, EU parliament calls for new anti-Russia sanctions that would stop Nord Stream 2 over Navalny's arrest. rt.com An EU parliament resolution, backed by 581 MEPs out of 675 present, directs members to ramp up sanctions against Russia to stop the Nord Stream 2 project "once and for all," linking it to opposition figure Alexey Navalny's arrest. | The EU member states should take "an active stance" on Navalny's 30-day arrest in Russia. This is according to a non-binding

Dave DeCamp (2021-01-21). Over 18,000 Pentagon Contractors Remain in Afghanistan. anti-empire.com While US troop numbers in Afghanistan are down to 2,500, a deep US presence According to a report released by the US military this week, there are over 18,000 contractors in Afghanistan. The numbers mean that the Pentagon employs about seven contractors for each US service member in Afghanistan. | At the height of President Obama's Afghanistan surge, there was about one contractor for each US soldier. As troop numbers decreased, the Pentagon increased reliance on contractors. | About 4,700 of the current contra…

Ragip Soylu (2021-01-21). Refusal to retry Turkish MP triggers second ruling by high court. middleeasteye.net Refusal to retry Turkish MP triggers second ruling by high court | Lower courts continue to dismiss the rulings of higher courts in politically sensitive cases, such as the imprisonment of former MP Enis Berberoglu | Thu, 01/21/2021 – 10: 31 | Enis Berberoglu, a former MP from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leaves after taking his oath at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Oct…

Yasmina Allouche (2021-01-21). Mesut Ozil: How the politicised playmaker is already causing a stir in Turkey. middleeasteye.net Mesut Ozil: How the politicised playmaker is already causing a stir in Turkey | Fans and politicians alike have made Ozil's arrival "home" to join Fenerbahce a sporting and political spectacle | Thu, 01/21/2021 – 13: 32 | No stranger to controversy, the German playmaker has seen the last four years of his career marred by controversies for his actions and words off the pitch. (AFP) | "I ha…

Azhar Al-Rubaie (2021-01-21). Iraq: Deadly suicide attacks in central Baghdad market kills 32 people. middleeasteye.net Iraq: Deadly suicide attacks in central Baghdad market kills 32 people | Two bombers hit crowds in Tayaran Square, wounding 110, in rare terror attack on Iraqi capital | Thu, 01/21/2021 – 08: 37 | The twin suicide attack took place in Baghdad's Bab al-Sharqi area after security forces pursued the attackers (Reuters) | A twin suicide attack struck a popular crowded market in central Baghdad on…

Jordan Elgrably (2021-01-21). Forgetting in the land of poets and bones: Spain's 'Desmemoria'. peoplesworld.org I've long wondered what might have been the final thoughts of Federico García Lorca in the moments before Franco's mercenaries murdered him in his pajamas, in cold blood. No poet characterizes 20th-century Spain for me more than Lorca, who lost his life near the start of that country's civil war in 1936. Did he perhaps …

Danny Haiphong (2021-01-21). Casualties of the Old Cold War should inform opposition to U.S.' New Cold War against China. mronline.org The U.S. share of the global economy has shrunk dramatically since 1960. On the other hand, China is on pace to surpass the U.S. in GOP terms in 2030.

IMEMC News (2021-01-21). Soldiers Abduct Two Palestinians In Jerusalem. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Wednesday evening, two Palestinians in the al-'Isawiya town, and in front of the al-Makassed hospital, in occupied Jerusalem. Media sources said the soldiers abducted Mohammad Nayef Obeid, 32, from his home in al-'Isawiya, after the army invaded the property and searched it. They added that Obeid's abduction came only one day …

Satya Vatti (2021-01-21). Massive farmers' blockade shakes far right Indian government to the core. liberationnews.org Braving fierce police repression, tens of thousands of farmers in India are carrying out one of the largest sustained strikes the country has seen.

IMEMC News (2021-01-21). Israeli Soldiers Abduct Fifteen Palestinians In West Bank. imemc.org Israeli soldiers abducted, on Thursday at dawn, fifteen Palestinians from their homes, in several parts of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) has reported. The PPS office in Jericho, in northeastern West Bank, said the soldiers invaded and searched many homes in Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, southwest of the Jericho city, before …

PCHR (2021-01-21). PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. imemc.org The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Summary for January 14 — 20, 2021 Israeli occupation forces (IOF) continued to commit crimes and multi-layered violations against Palestinian civilians and their properties, including raids into Palestinian cities that are characterized with excessive use of …

Celine Hagbard (2021-01-21). Pregnant Palestinian Woman Miscarries After Inhaling Tear Gas Fired by Israeli Military. imemc.org A Palestinian woman who was seven months pregnant suffered a miscarriage last Thursday after Israeli forces repeatedly fired tear gas toward her home in Mughayir village, east of Ramallah, Areej Abu Alya, 37, was hospitalized for several days with severe bleeding following the firing of over a hundred tear gas canisters by the Israeli military in …

Ali Salam (2021-01-21). Palestinian Prisoner Dies After 14 Years in Israeli Jail. imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners' Society, and the Prisoners and Executives Affairs Authority in a joint statement, on Wednesday, announced the death of a Palestinian political prisoner Maher Thieb Sa'sa, 45, in an Israeli jail. Sa'sa died Wednesday in Rimonim Israeli prison, after spending years incarcerated and suffering from chronic illnesses, however no clear cause of death …

IMEMC & Agencies (2021-01-21). Major Victory for BDS Movement in Spanish Court Ruling. imemc.org The Electronic Intifada Activists in Spain are celebrating a big legal win against Israel lobby efforts to punish support for Palestinian rights. Their victory also exposes a lie that European Union officials are spreading to discredit BDS — the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. On 11 January a court in Valencia dismissed a criminal complaint …

Philip A Farruggio (2021-01-21). Democracy USA? Biden's Neoliberal "Far Left Wing Agenda" globalresearch.ca You look at what they call 'The Industrialized world' and you can get a feel for how they run their democracies. Canada, France, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea and Scotland, to name a few, all have at least FIVE viable …

news.un (2021-01-21). Iraq: UN chief condemns 'horrific' double suicide bombing at Baghdad market. news.un.org Perpetrators behind twin deadly suicide bombings at a busy market in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Thursday must be prosecuted, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement strongly condemning the attacks.

_____ (2021-01-21). Indian Government Offers To Suspend Farm Laws. popularresistance.org India's government has offered to suspend implementation of three new farm laws that have triggered the biggest farmers' protests in years. | The cornerstone of the legislation, introduced in September, allows private buyers to deal directly with farmers. | Angry farmers, who say that will make India's traditional wholesale markets irrelevant and leave them at the mercy of big retailers and food processors, have camped out on main highways outside capital New Delhi for more than two months. | Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Wednesday said the government was open to suspending the…

Qassam Muaddi (2021-01-21). 'Stripped to the Bone': Israel Advances Plan to Cut Off Palestinian Suburb from Jerusalem. globalresearch.ca Vehicles move slowly a few metres down the crowded main street of Aizarya, a Palestinian suburb east of Jerusalem, before stopping again. | Islam Rabea, a 23-year-old minibus driver, pulls on the handbrake and begins musing again. | "This town is more …

oneworld.press (2021-01-21). The Downfall of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. oneworld.press Mark Rutte (right), former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, defending ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Halbe Zijlstra (left) who lied about his visit to the dacha of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

WSWS (2021-01-21). Philippine military breaks longstanding agreement, returns forces to campuses. wsws.org The return of the Philippine military to the University of the Philippines campuses is both a salvo in the ongoing struggle between rival factions of the elite and another step towards authoritarian rule.

oneworld.press (2021-01-21). The Downfall of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. oneworld.press Mark Rutte (right), former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, defending ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Halbe Zijlstra (left) who lied about his visit to the dacha of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-21). In Pakistan's North Waziristan, residents take to the streets against murder of doctor. peoplesdispatch.org Dr. Waliullah Dawar was killed last week by unknown assailants. On Wednesday, led by Pashtun Tahafuz Movement leader Mohsin Dawar, protesters demanded legal action against the perpetrators and immediate release of all political prisoners…

_____ (2021-01-21). How use of drones to secure borders threatens all our rights. truepublica.org.uk A new report published by Drone Wars UK investigates the increasing use of military-style drones by governments to patrol state borders. The study, which examines the use of drones at the borders of the UK, EU, US, Russia, China, Australia and elsewhere, concludes that drones are contributing to the militarisation of everyday borders as part …

WSWS (2021-01-21). Yellen takes aggressive stance on China in treasury secretary confirmation hearing. wsws.org Yellen's nomination seems assured, as she enjoys support from both the Republicans and Wall Street.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-01-21). China sanctions Trump administration officials including Pompeo, Bolton and Bannon. peoplesdispatch.org 28 officials of the Donald Trump administration were sanctioned for having "seriously violated China's sovereignty" and being "mainly responsible for such US moves on China-related issues."

Colin Todhunter (2021-01-21). Farmers' Protests Reflect Existential Crisis of Indian Agriculture. globalresearch.ca With over 800 million people, rural India is arguably the most interesting and complex place on the planet but is plagued by farmer suicides, child malnourishment, growing unemployment, increased informalisation, indebtedness and an overall collapse of agriculture. | Given that India …

WSWS (2021-01-21). I'm Your Woman: The problem of films not genuinely drawn from life. wsws.org In the 1970s, a suburban housewife in the Pittsburgh area leading a largely conventional life experiences a series of increasingly rude and dangerous shocks.

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2021-01-21). Russia's Financial Strategy for Africa. globalresearch.ca In order to raise its geopolitical influence, Russia has been making efforts identifying mega infrastructure projects such as nuclear power and energy, natural resources exploration and talks consistently about increasing trade with Africa. On the other hand, Russia primarily needs …

Kathy Durkin (2021-01-20). Women bear brunt of unemployment in COVID economic crisis. workers.org The month of December revealed some stunning news affecting the U.S. working class, as the impact of the viral pandemic and the capitalist economic crisis continues. The burden of unemployment has fallen on women, especially Black, Latinx, Arab, Asian, Indigenous, im/migrant and low-wage workers. LGBTQ2S+ individuals and people with disabilities . . . |

news.un (2021-01-20). Healthy diets 'nearly impossible' for 1.9 billion in Asia-Pacific: UN report. news.un.org The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and surging food prices have made it "nearly impossible" for almost two billion people in Asia and the Pacific to eat healthy diets, a new United Nations report revealed on Wednesday.

news.un (2021-01-20). Over 1.9 billion people in Asia-Pacific unable to afford a healthy diet: UN report. news.un.org The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and surging food prices are keeping almost two billion people in Asia and the Pacific from healthy diets, United Nations agencies said on Wednesday.

MEE and agencies (2021-01-20). Covid-19: Turkey vaccinates more than one million people, says health ministry. middleeasteye.net Covid-19: Turkey vaccinates more than one million people, says health ministry | Turkey has now given a first shot of the coronavirus vaccine to more than one percent of the population | Wed, 01/20/2021 – 13: 17 | A healthcare worker checks the body temperature of an elderly woman at a nursing home in Ankara, on 19 January 2021, amid the Covid-19 pandemic (AFP) | More than one million peop…

WSWS (2021-01-20). China's growth rate increase fuels geo-political tensions. wsws.org The 6.5 percent growth in the fourth quarter indicates that the Chinese economy is expanding at a faster rate than before the COVID-19 pandemic.