(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). 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). 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). Sunday 1/17: The Farmer's Movement in India. indybay.org Log-info available on our website; | ICSSMARX.ORG LINK: OUR CURRENT SCHEDULE…
(2021-01-17). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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…
(2021-01-16). 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). 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). 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). 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). Iraqi protest leaders launch political bloc ahead of elections. middleeasteye.net 
Iraqi protest leaders launch political bloc ahead of elections | New party to push for demands made by protesters in 'October Revolution' upcoming in parliamentary elections | Sat, 01/16/2021 – 11: 30 | An Iraqi protester holds up a photo of Alaa al-Rikabi, who became a face of Iraq's protest movement (AFP) | A new party aimed at challenging Iraq's political class and representing the country's youth…
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). UN Expert: End US Sanctions On Syria. popularresistance.org An independent United Nations expert is calling on the US to lift its crippling sanctions on Syria. | Under the Caesar Act, US sanctions explicitly target Syria's reconstruction in the aftermath of a catastrophic 10-year war. Alena Douhan, the UN Special Rapporteur on the impact of sanctions, says that the US sanctions are illegal and depriving Syrian civilians of their basic needs. | "People shouldn't die, people shouldn't suffer, and people shouldn't fear whether they can survive after tomorrow, because they have neither medicine or food, because of the sanctions applied," Douhan says.
(2021-01-16). Mental Health Issues Facing the Asian American Community. indybay.org …
(2021-01-16). What's next after "Bridgerton"? 5 romance series ripe for TV adaptation. salon.com The show's success opens up the possibility for new TV adaptations of a largely unexplored genre: romance fiction…
(2021-01-16). Magia Record, Kakushigoto, Fruits Basket and Sword Art Online: A general review of anime in 2020. wsws.org A total of 140 Japanese animated television series numbering more than 1,865 episodes debuted in 2020. Our critic comments on a selection of the more popular titles.
(2021-01-15). 'Dear Tayyip': Erdogan and Macron exchanged letters to repair ties. middleeasteye.net 
'Dear Tayyip': Erdogan and Macron exchanged letters to repair ties | Turkish president made the first move, with the two leaders seeking to meet in person soon | Fri, 01/15/2021 – 14: 01 | France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) meets Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Osaka on 28 June 2019. (AFP) | The presidents of Turkey and France have…
(2021-01-15). Iraq: Bird flu blamed for deaths of tens of thousands of chickens. middleeasteye.net 
Iraq: Bird flu blamed for deaths of tens of thousands of chickens | Local authorities said a buffer zone was being imposed on the infected region | Fri, 01/15/2021 – 16: 04 | Iraqi vets check chickens that entered Iraq from Turkey at a market in the southern port city of Basra (AFP) | An outbreak of bird flu was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of chickens in central Iraq, officia…
(2021-01-15). Covid-19: Israeli man arrested for tricking ex into quarantine four times. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: Israeli man arrested for tricking ex into quarantine four times | Police said the suspect, a health ministry employee, sent messages on four separate occasions to his ex-girlfriend telling her she needed to isolate | Fri, 01/15/2021 – 13: 48 | An Israeli woman wearing a protective mask due to the Covid-19 pandemic sits on a park bench by feeding pigeons in Jerusalem on 16 April 2020 (2020) | An Israe…
(2021-01-15). A Yemeni Famine Made in Washington and Riyadh. counterpunch.org 
Ending months of speculation, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on January 10 that the Trump Administration would designate Yemen's Houthi rebels (Ansar Allah) as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization" (FTO). Branding the Houthis as terrorists will make it vastly more difficult for humanitarian groups to deliver desperately needed food, fuel, and medicine to 24 million
(2021-01-15). Will the Senate Confirm Coup Plotter Nuland? counterpunch.org 
Who is Victoria Nuland? Most Americans have never heard of her because the U.S. corporate media's foreign policy coverage is a wasteland. Most Americans have no idea that President-elect Biden's pick for Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs is stuck in the quicksand of 1950s U.S.-Russia Cold War politics and dreams of continued NATO
(2021-01-15). The Confederate battle flag, which rioters flew inside the US Capitol, has long been a symbol of white insurrection. juancole.com 
By Jordan Brasher | — Confederate soldiers never reached the Capitol during the Civil War. But the Confederate battle flag was flown by rioters in the U.S. Capitol building for the first time ever on Jan. 6. The flag's prominence in the Capitol riot comes as no surprise to those who, like me, know its …
(2021-01-15). Neo-fascists found their voice in Trump. Where will the left's voice come from? therealnews.com 
With COVID-19 still raging and Biden's inauguration around the corner, Warnock and Ossoff win big in Georgia, Trumpist insurgents storm the U.S. Capitol, and Democrats and Republicans seethe with internal strife. What's next?
(2021-01-15). India's farmers dig in for long haul against Modi's neoliberalism. peoplesworld.org 
DELHI—As I move away from the massive kisan (farmers and peasants) assemblage at the Singhu border between the province of Haryana and Delhi, a heavy drizzle starts to add to my misery in the bone-chilling cold of late Indian winter. I plan to drive along several narrow link roads to gain access to the otherwise …
(2021-01-15). With Trump Gone, Can the U.S. and China Cooperate on a Failing Planet? juancole.com 
( Tomdispatch.com) — For just a moment, let me try to look on the bright side of the storming of the Capitol last week by a mob incited and dispatched by President Trump. When George W. Bush, the president who launched the Global War on Terror and then invaded Saddam Hussein's Iraq, referred to what …
(2021-01-15). China Tech Ban Mirrors 1980s Attempts To Destroy Japanese Competition. mintpressnews.com In the 1980s, the US 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.
(2021-01-15). Trump Hardliners Poisoning US-China Relations. Pompeo "Spreads Political Viruses" globalresearch.ca In its waning days in power, Trump regime hardliners are going all-out to more greatly deteriorate US relations with China than already — Pompeo leading the assault. | Mindful of what's going on with more coming, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao …
(2021-01-15). Video: Israel and US Efforts in Large-scale Strikes on Iranian Infrastructure in Syria. globalresearch.ca The first two weeks of 2021 have, so far, been marked by an incredible increase in Israeli activity in the skies over Syria. | The most intense strike took place on January 13 morning hitting multiple Syrian and Iranian-affiliated targets in …
(2021-01-15). Deadly earthquake hits Indonesia: Dozens killed, hundreds injured. news.un.org At least 35 people have been killed and hundreds of others injured after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck the West Sulawesi Province of Indonesia on Friday morning, according to the UN humanitarian coordination office (OCHA).
(2021-01-15). Citing famine, UN urges reversal of terrorist designation for Yemen's Houthis; US refuses. peoplesdispatch.org Mark Lowcock of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that recent labeling of Houthis as a terrorist organization by the US would likely trigger a "famine on a scale we have not seen in 40 years…
(2021-01-15). Encircling China and Praising India: The US Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific. asia-pacificresearch.com …
(2021-01-15). 6.2 Earthquake Hits Indonesia Island, at Least 42 Dead. telesurenglish.net At least 42 people died and 600 injured during a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in the Sulawesi island, Indonesia, on Friday. | RELATED: | According to the Disaster Management Agency, the natural disaster displaced over 2000 people, although the authorities carry out the damage assessment as dozens of buildings are partially or destroy. | A 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit West Sulawesi, Indonesia. | In the middle of the pandemic, team…
(2021-01-15). UN steps up support for thousands left homeless after fire at Rohingya refugee camp. news.un.org UN agencies have stepped up efforts to help thousands of Rohingya refugees left without shelter after a devastating fire tore through a crowded refugee camp in south-eastern Bangladesh on Thursday.
(2021-01-15). Racism in sport and why the media misses the point. greenleft.org.au When Indian cricketers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj reported racist abuse during the recent Sydney test match, Australia's ugly racism hit the headlines again. Sue Bull argues that the big media has an interest in muddying the connection between capitalism and racism.
(2021-01-15). Here We Go Again, But Now the Target Is Iran. commondreams.org Two decades after invading Iraq for alleged links to al-Qaeda, the US now says Iran is the armed group's 'new home.' | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/pompeo_7_0.jpg …
(2021-01-15). We Should Learn From Georgia to Show Us the Way Forward. commondreams.org Over slow generations, they built a broad enough "we" and an effective bottom up force that formed not just a victorious voting block this year, but a caring community dedicated explicitly to dismantling white supremacy. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/abrams.jpg …
