(2021-02-05). Are We Not All in Search of Tomorrow. dissidentvoice.org 
Oswaldo Terreros (Ecuador), Mural para la Universidad Superior de las Artes ('Mural for the University of the Arts'), 2012. In 2019, 613 million Indians voted to appoint their representatives to the Indian parliament (Lok Sabha). During the election campaign, the political parties spent Rs. 60,000 crores (around US $8 billion), 45% of which was spent …
(2021-02-05). U.S. Should Pay Iran Reparations. counterpunch.org Why would I say such an outrageous, treasonous, delusional, OBVIOUSLY-funded-by-Putin thing? Am I hoping to enrage war-crazed sadists who've seen too much television "news"? Not at all. I want them to still be around when I say that it would actually be preferable for the United States to pay reparations to the entire rest of
(2021-02-05). Should People Who Want to Save the World from the Pandemic Be Demanding We Pay China to Produce Billions of Vaccine Doses? cepr.net I have written repeatedly on how we should have been looking for a collective solution to the pandemic, where countries open-source their research and allow anyone with manufacturing capacity to produce any treatment, test, or vaccine. (We pay upfront, like with Moderna, for those wondering why anyone would do the work.) Anyhow, we obviously did …
(2021-02-05). The Struggle Inside Senator Mitch McConnell's Brain. counterpunch.org Since 2015, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell has ruled the Senate with an iron hand, describing himself as "the Guardian of Gridlock." He was Senator "NO," except for confirming over 200 mostly corporatist federal judges. Now comes a new challenge for Mitch McConnell as he leads 49 other Republican Senators, twenty of whom are up
(2021-02-05). The Year of the Aurochs. counterpunch.org 
On the 12th of February, the Year of the Ox begins. Let's call it the Year of the Aurochs (Bos primigenius): primordial oxen, the ancestors of cows. They carved paths through the woodlands and steppes of Europe, North Africa and Asia for hundreds of thousands of years, until 1627, when the last living aurochs was
(2021-02-05). China's Sea of Conflict. counterpunch.org 
Biden 's administration faces a host of difficult problems, but in foreign policy its thornist will be its relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC). How it handles issues of trade, security and human rights will either allow both countries to hammer out a working relationship or pull the US into an expensive–and unwinnable–cold war that will shelve existential threats like climate change and nuclear war.
(2021-02-05). Our Mutual Fight: The Case against Pakistani Normalization with Israel. dissidentvoice.org 
The Pakistani government should never, under any circumstances and no matter the pressure, normalize with Israel. Doing so is not only dangerous — as it will embolden an already vile, racist, violent apartheid Israel — but it would also be considered a betrayal of a historic legacy of mutual solidarity, collective affinity and brotherhood that …
(2021-02-05). About Those Executive Orders… counterpunch.org 
A strange stasis now characterizes U.S. foreign affairs, while on the domestic front, Biden roars ahead. As of January 29, he had signed 42 executive orders. Not one addresses what the U.S. does abroad. True, Biden made the superb move of resuming negotiations over the START nuclear treaty with Russia, and he rejoined the Paris Accords and the World Health Organization. But otherwise, quiet blankets the foreign policy landscape.
(2021-02-05). Our Mutual Fight: The Case Against Pakistani Normalization with Israel. counterpunch.org The Pakistani government should never, under any circumstances and no matter the pressure, normalize with Israel. Doing so is not only dangerous — as it will embolden an already vile, racist, violent apartheid Israel — but it would also be considered a betrayal of a historic legacy of mutual solidarity, collective affinity and brotherhood that
(2021-02-05). 'America is back!' Biden talks 'tough' on Russia and China, vows to reclaim 'moral leadership & defend democracy'. rt.com 
In his first major foreign policy address, President Joe Biden vowed to confront the enemies of 'democracy' globally, while seeking to reclaim America's 'moral credibility' and leadership in LGBT and climate change issues. | Speaking at the State Department headquarters in the nation's capital on Thursday, Biden outlined his foreign policy vision in a 20-minute address, laying out a sprawling list of priorities for his administration, among them countering supposed US "adversaries." | "American leadership must meet this new moment of advancing authoritarianism, including the growing ambitions of China to rival…
(2021-02-05). Erdogan says Turkey now has 8.4M university students. yenisafak.com The number of university students in Turkey increased from 1.6 million to 8.4 million over an 18-year period, the country's president said on Thursday.Turkey's higher education has reached a capacity that goes beyond our borders, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a project presentation meeting of the Council of Higher Education in the capital Ankara.He said the number of universities in Turkey has gone up from 76 to 207 and the number of staff members at these institutes increased from 70,000 to 180,000."Our female students have an important place in this rise. The ratio of female students has increased from…
(2021-02-05). Istanbul to host 1 of Turkey's biggest rivalries. yenisafak.com ISTANBUL (AA) – Fans in Turkey are excited to witness one of the biggest derbies of Turkish football this weekend as the winning side will gain the edge in the title race.In the most anticipated game of matchday 24, league leaders Fenerbahce will host runners-up Galatasaray at Ulker Stadium Saturday, with the whistle to blow at 1600GMT.Having won eight out of the last nine league matches, Fenerbahce had an impressive form in recent weeks, collecting 48 points in 22 matches to top the Turkish Super Lig.The Yellow Canaries actively sought to bolster their squad during the winter transfer window in a bid to end thei…
(2021-02-05). Israeli army gunfire kills Palestinian man in West Bank. yenisafak.com A Palestinian man was fatally shot Friday by Israeli forces in the central West Bank, according to a Palestinian official.Radhi Abu Fakhida, head of the village council of Ras Karkar, west of Ramallah, told Anadolu Agency that the Palestinian Civil Liaison Authority, a Palestinian body for communication with Israeli authorities, informed the family of a young man named Khaled Nofal that he had been martyred.He said the body of the martyr was in the Israeli occupation authorities' custody.Since morning, the Israeli army has barred entry into Ras Karkar, also preventing those inside from leaving.Eyewitnesses told A…
(2021-02-05). 'Turkey won't let FETàñ poison relations with Albania'. yenisafak.com By Fatjon Cuka, Furkan Abdula, and Talha OzturkBELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – Turkey will do whatever needed to prevent the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETàñ) from harming its relations with Albania, the visiting Turkish parliament speaker said on Thursday."The Fetullah Terrorist Organization has some presence in Albania as well, like as in several Balkan countries… The terrorist group carries out its covered goals [worldwide] under the guise of education and health institutions, associations, and media," Mustafa Sentop said, warning against the FETàñ threat in countries where it operates."I want to…
(2021-02-05). Brewer Kirin to cut ties with Myanmar military in wake of coup. laprensalatina.com Tokyo, Feb 5 (efe-epa).- Japanese brewer Kirin Holdings announced Friday that it will end its two operations in Myanmar as a result of this week's military coup in the Southeast Asian country. Kirin said the military's actions were "against our standards and Human Rights Policy." The Japanese multinational owns 51 percent of two Myanmar operations, …
(2021-02-05). Coronavirus / Tokyo Olympics: The Japanese government's clever way of deceiving its people. indybay.org Please comment to the Japanese government about the Coronavirus Tokyo Olympics. There is no e-mail address, and it is not necessary to include a name. This stupid government plans to trick the world into hosting the Olympics.
(2021-02-05). Indonesia's economy posts first year-on-year contraction in over 20 years. laprensalatina.com Jakarta, Feb 5 (efe-epa).- Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 2.07 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year, its first contraction in more than two decades. Transport, export manufacturing and services were some of the sectors most impacted by the year-on-year decline, the country's statistics bureau, Statistics Indonesia, locally known as BPS, said …
(2021-02-05). India's central bank projects 10.5% growth, leaves lending rates unchanged. laprensalatina.com Srinagar, India, Feb 5 (efe-epa).- India's economy is expected to grow at 10.5 percent in the next financial year, its central bank said on Friday, as signs of recovery have strengthened after a record-breaking slump caused by the coronavirus. Reserve Bank of India Governor Shantikanta Das also announced that they had left policy lending rates …
(2021-02-05). Washington and Tehran: Who will make the first move? juancole.com ( Middle East Monitor) — From the outside, the heated debate between Tehran and Washington seems as though it could be summarised by the question: Which side will make the first move? Tehran wants Washington, which was responsible for violating its obligations and inflicting heavy losses on Iran, to start by lifting all additional sanctions …
(2021-02-05). Biden's Top Foreign Policy Challenge: Avoiding a Cold War with China. juancole.com Taiwan and the South China Sea are the likeliest points of conflict — but conflict is not an option. ( Foreign Policy in Focus) — President Joe Biden's administration faces a host of difficult problems, but in foreign policy its thorniest will be its relations with the People's Republic of China. How the new administration …
(2021-02-05). Farmer protest: It seems India is at war with itself. nationofchange.org The demonstrators are requesting that Mr. Modi repeal farming laws that would limit the public authority's job in horticulture and open more space for private financial specialists.
(2021-02-04). Pelosi Calls McCarthy a Member of the "Q" Party After Failure to Act on Greene. truthout.org 
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) referred to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) as a member of the "Q" political party after House Republicans failed to take any action against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia). | Pelosi released the statement following news that the Republican caucus would not remove Greene, a supporter of QAnon, from the House Budget and Education panels. Greene has been criticized for espousing anti-Semitism and conspiracies, includin…
(2021-02-04). A Museum Dedicated to Stalin: An Example of How to Deal With Historical Memory. counterpunch.org Before the pandemic started, I was invited to give a series of talks at the University of Tbilisi, in the Republic of Georgia. Taking advantage of my day off, I went to visit the Stalin Museum in Gori. The road runs parallel to the Caucasus with its imposing, snow-covered peaks. And it runs close past
(2021-02-04). Why Always Israel? Only One Country Matters to Congress and the Media. thealtworld.com Pandering to Israel as part of the political process in the United States has become part of the DNA of both major parties. | The job of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations must have some kind of curse on it as it seems to attract a type of woman who seeks to prove her suitability by running up a tally of how many wars she can start and how many people she can kill. One recalls fondly Bill Clinton's monstrous Madeleine Albright, who famously declared the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children as "worth it" due to the sanctions that Washington had imposed and enforced. And then there was Barack Obama's darling Samanth…
(2021-02-04). The Real Story: Biden Targets China. liberationnews.org 
Will the U.S. continue under Biden to push towards confrontation with China?>
(2021-02-04). Israeli Military Detains One Palestinian, Attacks Fishermen, Farmers in Gaza. imemc.org 
The Israeli occupation army opened fire at Palestinian farmers, and fishermen, on Wednesday morning, in different areas of the besieged Gaza Strip, The Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) reported. The army opened fire with live ammunition and smoke bombs at farmlands, while farmers were present, south of Khan Younis in the southern coastal enclave, …
(2021-02-04). OCHA: Protection of Civilians Report | 19 January — 1 February 2021. imemc.org 
The United Nations Office for the Coordination Of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OCHA-OP): Latest development (outside the reporting period) On 3 February, the Israeli authorities demolished or confiscated 21 structures in Humsa al Bqai'a, two days after the previous operation took place, as described below. The two military operations displaced 60 people, …
(2021-02-04). Biden ends US support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. middleeasteye.net 
Biden ends US support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen | War in Yemen 'has to end', Joe Biden says in first foreign policy-focused address as president | Thu, 02/04/2021 – 17: 01 | Conflict in Yemen is world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to UN (Reuters/File photo) | US President Joe Biden announced the end of US support for a Saudi-led coalition that is waging war in Yemen, in a major policy reversal from…
(2021-02-04). Biden ending US 'support for offensive operations' in Yemen doesn't mean actual end to war, skeptics caution as activists rejoice. rt.com 
While peace activists cheered the news that the US will be ending its support for Saudi-led "offensive operations" in Yemen, that's a far cry from actually ending the six-year war that began with Barack Obama's tacit blessing. | National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan previewed the Yemen announcement ahead of President Joe Biden's major foreign policy speech on Thursday, telling reporters the decision "extends to the types of offensive operations that have perpetuated a civil war in Yemen that has led to a humanitarian crisis," and that it does not apply to US operations against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsu…
(2021-02-04). US Cuts Support to Saudis, Freezes Arms Sales Over Yemen Crisis. telesurenglish.net The United States has announced an end to the Saudi-led offensive operations in Yemen, citing how the bombing campaign has led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis. | The announcement came during a visit of Joe Biden to the State Department on Thursday, one of the multiple drastic foreign policy shifts made since his January 20th inauguration. | RELATED: | "This war has to end," Biden said. "And to underscor…
(2021-02-04). China readies Asia's largest reflector antenna to receive data from its first Mars mission. rt.com 
China's 70-meter-wide steerable reflector antenna has completed its operational checks and is ready to receive signals from the country's Tianwen-1 mission, which is expected to enter the orbit of Mars next week. | The construction of the massive radio telescope to service the maiden voyage of China's mission to Mars began in 2018 in the country's northern region of Tianjin. It was finished just in time for the spacecraft's approach to the Red Planet. | The new dish antenna, which was put in service on Thursday, is composed of 1,328 high-precision panels covering an area equal to ten basketball courts, accordi…
(2021-02-04). NATO Supreme Allied Commander Says West Is Concerned With China-Russia Ties. anti-empire.com 
On Wednesday, the top general of NATO Gen. Tod Wolters, who currently serves as the head of US European Command and as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, told reporters that the increased ties between Beijing and Moscow "really does suggest an emergence of a partnership of convenience." | Welters said the partnership seeks to advance the mutual…
(2021-02-04). First week of Black History Month: Stacey Abrams, BLM nominated for Nobel Peace Prize. peoplesworld.org 
It seems more than fitting that in the first week of Black History Month Stacey Abrams has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. Abrams, whose on-the-ground work is credited with boosting voter turnout during the 2020 elections, helping then-presidential candidate Joe Biden secure an historic win in Georgia, was nominated by Lars Haltbrekken, …
(2021-02-04). The struggle continues: Indian protesters resist state terror. workers.org 
In September 2020, India's Parliament passed three "farm bills" intended to crush India's workers. To serve capitalist interests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leader of the fascist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), lent his support to the bills depriving farms of current protections. He allowed corporate greed to further encroach on India's . . . |
(2021-02-04). Tehran slams Iranian diplomat's 20-year jail term for bomb plot as 'violation of international law'. rt.com 
The 20-year jail term handed down to an Iranian diplomat by a Belgian court for his role in a foiled bomb plot is illegal and a clear violation of international law, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. | Assadolah Assadi, 49, who served as Iran's envoy in Vienna, was given the maximum sentence on Thursday in Europe's first trial of an Iranian official on terrorism charges since the Iranian revolution of 1979. | "As we have stated many times before, Assadolah Assadi's detention, the judicial process and the recent sentencing are illegal and a clear violation of international law, especially t…
(2021-02-04). Islamic State regrouping in northern Iraq and relying on women operatives. middleeasteye.net 
Islamic State regrouping in northern Iraq and relying on women operatives | Militant group capitalising on breakdown in relations between Baghdad and Erbil to carry out attacks from its base in the Hamrin Basin | Thu, 02/04/2021 – 13: 17 | A policeman stands guard at the Sadriya market in the centre of Iraq's capital Baghdad (AFP) | Islamic State group (IS) militants have been regrouping in n…
(2021-02-04). Israel razes Palestinian Bedouin village for second time. middleeasteye.net 
Israel razes Palestinian Bedouin village for second time | Rights group denounces attempt to displace entire Palestinian community from Khirbet Humsa in Jordan Valley | Thu, 02/04/2021 – 08: 20 | On Wednesday, Israeli troops accompanied by bulldozers also knocked down several steel and wooden structures in the village (Reuters) | Israel has begun demolishing a Bedouin village in the occupi…
(2021-02-04). PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. imemc.org 
Summary for 28 January — 03 February 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 force, assault, abuse and attacks on civilians that are mostly conducted after midnight and in the early morning …
(2021-02-04). Biden urged to hold Israel accountable over home demolitions. middleeasteye.net 
Biden urged to hold Israel accountable over home demolitions | Progressive Jewish group J Street says if US president is serious about backing two-state solution he must investigate Israel's use of US aid, equipment and weapons contracts | Thu, 02/04/2021 – 20: 40 | Israeli excavators demolish Palestinian house in southern outskirts of Hebron in occupied West Bank on 3 February (AFP/File photo) | A left-leanin…
(2021-02-04). WAFA: "Attorney, three minors among 25 Palestinians detained from West Bank" imemc.org 
RAMALLAH, Wednesday, February 03, 2021 (WAFA) — Israeli forces Wednesday overnight detained 25 Palestinians, including an attorney and three minors, from various parts of the occupied West Bank, according to local and security sources. They confirmed that Israeli forces detained five Palestinians, including two minors, aged 16 and 17, after ransacking their families' houses in …
(2021-02-04). Lebanon: Prominent Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim found murdered. middleeasteye.net 
Lebanon: Prominent Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim found murdered | Publisher and activist shot five times and discovered between the southern Lebanese villages of Tufahta and Adoussiyeh | Thu, 02/04/2021 – 09: 10 | Lokman Slim, who was found dead in his car in south Lebanon (AFP) | Lebanese activist and publisher Lokman Slim, a fierce critic of Hezbollah, was found shot dead in his car on Th…
(2021-02-04). Exports from Turkey to Saudi Arabia plummet by 92 percent amid unofficial boycott. middleeasteye.net 
Exports from Turkey to Saudi Arabia plummet by 92 percent amid unofficial boycott | Drop comes after Riyadh targeted Turkey's economy last year over Turkish indictments related to Jamal Khashoggi murder | Thu, 02/04/2021 – 12: 01 | A woman holds a packet of Turkish labneh (strained yogurt) while shopping at a supermarket in Riyadh (AFP) | An unofficial Saudi boycott against Turkish goods reduced Turkey's…
(2021-02-04). Ukraine appeals to Belarus for emergency electricity, as Lithuania admits it still imports energy from embargoed nuclear reactor. rt.com 
A Belarusian power station, once dubbed 'Chernobyl II' due to reported safety concerns, is set to do a roaring trade on the European energy market as neighboring countries increasingly find themselves in need of cheap energy. | Lithuania's minister for energy, Dainius Kreivys, told local media on Thursday that, despite efforts to cut the controversial plant out of its grid, the country was still importing significant amounts of its energy. | According to the politician, around 77 million kWh of electricity has been flowing into the Baltic nation at a cost of €4 million ($4.8 million) since the plant began…
(2021-02-04). The Heat: Russia politics. america.cgtn.com 
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny sentenced to jail in a move criticized by western nations. How will his arrest impact U.S.-Russia relations?>
(2021-02-04). Russia's Zircon Missile Relegates Carriers to Bombing Small Poor Countries. anti-empire.com 
Judging by the stream of the news re: latest launch by Admiral Gorshkov of 3M22 Zircon, tests are very successful
(2021-02-04). Biden will end US support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. middleeasteye.net 
Biden will end US support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen | Top aide to US president confirms he will formally announce ending American assistance for 'offensive operations in Yemen' later on Thursday | Thu, 02/04/2021 – 17: 01 | US President Joe Biden will announce the end of US support to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in a major policy reversal from the previous administration that may alter the course of th…
(2021-02-04). The Palestinian boycott of Israel is not racist, it is anti-racist. zcomm.org The boycott movement aims to hold the oppressor colonial state of Israel accountable as it places a price tag on its military occupation and apartheid…
(2021-02-04). EU Open To Use of Approved COVID-19 Vaccines. telesurenglish.net European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday said that COVID-19 vaccines from Russia and China could be approved for use in the European Union (EU) if their full information is submitted. | RELATED: | If Chinese producers "show all the data… then they could get… a conditional market authorization like the other ones," von der Leyen said. | One of the criteria for the EU contracts for vaccines…
(2021-02-04). Salma Hayek: 'It saddens me to think about what might happen to cinema'. laprensalatina.com Los Angeles, Feb 4 (efe-epa).- Salma Hayek is enjoying working with streaming platforms such as Netflix, HBO Max and Amazon, but the Mexican film star says she is worried about the uncertainty affecting the movie industry due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen theaters across the world close. "Romantically, it makes me very sad …
(2021-02-04). Codepink Applauds Biden's Decision to End U.S. Support for the War on Yemen. commondreams.org ______________________________…