2021-01-03: News Headlines

Andrew Korybko (2021-01-03). Russia's Constitutional Amendments. Domestic Law Takes Precedence over International Law. globalresearch.ca The recent amendments to the Russian Constitution confirm that domestic document's precedence over international law, and while Russia still respects the latter, it won't ever let it be exploited for "lawfare" like in the Yukos case. | The Russian people overwhelmingly …

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2021-01-03). Same Procedure as Every Year: The Story of "Dinner for One" globalresearch.ca Memories are thick of this: the respectful, even reverential German introduction of a comedy sketch; the scratchy string orchestral music that adds a layering of anticipation. Black-and-white film. Dining room, white tablecloth, silver chandeliers. The names Freddy Frinton and May …

Abayomi Azikiwe (2021-01-03). Africa in Review 2020: The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Imperatives of the 21st Century. globalresearch.ca Although the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa does not in any way rival the existing public health situation in Western Europe and the United States, the presence of a new variant in South Africa and other regions of …

Online News Editor (2021-01-03). Nepal tourist arrivals drop to 34 years low in 2020. laprensalatina.com By Sangam Prasain Kathmandu, Jan 3 (efe-epa).- The number of foreign tourists in Nepal plunged more than 80 percent in 2020, the lowest level in 34 years, according to official figures released on Sunday, as the coronavirus pandemic hit global travel. According to the statistics by the Department of Immigration, 230,085 foreign tourists visited the …

Rod Driver (2021-01-03). Selling Weapons: The Military-Industrial Complex. globalresearch.ca This is the second of a 2-part beginners' guide to the weapons industry. The first part is called 'Selling Weapons — The Most Corrupt Industry in the World' | *** | "We have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of …

Peter Koenig (2021-01-02). The World Economic Forum (WEF) Knows Best — The Post-Covid "Great Global Reset" globalresearch.ca First published on July 28, 2020 | The World Economic Forum (WEF) has just made a grandiose discovery and declared (21 July 2020) under the alarming title "This is now the world's greatest threat — and it's not coronavirus". The superb …

Dr. Vandana Shiva (2021-01-02). The Seeds Of Suicide: How Monsanto Destroys Farming. globalresearch.ca Control over seed is the first link in the food chain because seed is the source of life. When a corporation controls seed, it controls life, especially the life of farmers.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-01-02). The 2020 Worldwide Corona Crisis: Destroying Civil Society, Engineered Economic Depression, Global Coup d'État and the "Great Reset" globalresearch.ca We are at the crossroads of one of the most serious crises in modern history. We are living history, yet our understanding of the flow of events since January 2020 has been blurred. Worldwide, people have been misled both by their governments and the media as to the causes and devastating consequences of the Covid-19 "pandemic".

Jon Miltimore (2021-01-02). Masks Aren't Helpful in Beating COVID-19: Europe's Top Health Officials. globalresearch.ca This article was first crossposted in August. | Denmark boasts one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the world. As of August 4, the Danes have suffered 616 COVID-19 deaths, That's less

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-02). Top Iranian, Omani medical universities sign MoU. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 02 (MNA) — Tehran University of Medical Sciences and National University of Science and Technology of Oman have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost cooperation in different academic fields.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-02). Iran, Iraq seeking to expand academic cooperation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 02 (MNA) — The cultural advisor of the Iraqi Embassy in Iran said that the Iraqi Ministry of Science seeks to expand academic cooperation with Qom University.

Staff (2021-01-02). Activists Say Wealthy Universities' Property Tax Exemptions Hurt Public Schools. truthout.org When the University of Pennsylvania said it would pay $10 million a year for 10 years to address environmental hazards in Philadelphia's public schools, Gerald Campano's reaction was complicated. | "Of course it's important that Penn at least recognizes the profound challenges that the School District of Philadelphia faces with things like lead poisoning and asbestos," Campano, a professor at Penn's Graduate School of Education, said. "But charity is not the same as social and racial justic…

_____ (2021-01-02). The Future Will Only Contain What We Put Into It Now. popularresistance.org At Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, we take the UN Charter as the foundation of our work. To advance its goals is an essential step for the construction of humanity, which is a concept of aspiration rather than a concept of fact; we are not yet human beings, but we strive to become human. Imagine if we lived in a world without war and with respect for international law, if we lived in a world that honoured fundamental human rights and tried to promote the widest social progress? This would a be a world where the productive resources would no longer be used for military hardware but would be used to…

F. William Engdahl (2021-01-01). Flying Pigs Saga Continued: WHO admits no Deadly Mutation of the 2009 H1N1 Swine Flu. globalresearch.ca Alleged Mutation of the H1N1 virus, then in 2009 and now in 2020-2021 with the SARS-2-CoV virus. | This article was first published on September 29, 2009. | *** | The World Health Organization, the UN agency (ir-)responsible for declaring a Phase …

Desiree Hellegers (2021-01-01). Victor Jara's Hands: An Anti-Fascist Memoir-festo and Brief Personal History of Neoliberalism. counterpunch.org You can easily carbon date your friends on Facebook based on where they were during any major milestone in U.S. history. As a university professor teaching now for decades at what we euphemistically call a "land grant" university, many of my students these days were born after 9-11—into the U.S.'s seemingly endless "War on Terror." It's a war that some of their family members died in, but one that few of them seem to know much about.

Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (2021-01-01). Best of CounterSpin 2020. fair.org (photo: Daniel Arauz/Wikimedia) | As we start a new year, longtime CounterSpin listeners will know, we revisit a few of our weekly looks behind the headlines. We call it "the best of," but it's just a reflection of the sorts of conversations we hope have offered some voice or context or information that you might not have heard elsewhere, or that might help you assess the news you are hearing. We're thankful to all of the activists, researchers, reporters and advocates who appear on the show to help us understand the world and how we can change it.

Erik Molvar (2021-01-01). The Times Call for a Bold Conservation Agenda, Will Biden Seize the Moment? counterpunch.org For four long years, Donald Trump and his industry cronies have waged war on lands, wildlife, climate, and science itself. They leave behind a legacy of shattered agencies, broken regulations, and demoralized public servants. At the same time, America's awareness of environmental justice disparities — and the moral imperative to alleviate the burdens of pollution

Olivia Lazard (2021-01-01). The power of soil: How our precarious climate shaped the Arab Spring. middleeasteye.net The power of soil: How our precarious climate shaped the Arab Spring | Fri, 01/01/2021 – 18: 40 | The history of the Middle East, and the recent teachings of the 2010-11 uprisings, highlight an important lesson: Ignore ecological integrity at your peril | In 149 BC, Marcus Porcius Cato – a politician, soldier and citizen dedicated to the study of agriculture – saw a major goal realised when Rome

Cesar Chelala (2021-01-01). Girls' Education is Another Casualty of the Coronavirus Pandemic. counterpunch.org Girls' education, particularly in developing countries, is being hindered by the coronavirus pandemic. Drawing on lessons from the Ebola outbreak, the Malala Fund (Girl's education and COVID-19) estimates that approximately 20 million more secondary school-aged girls could be out of school after the end of the pandemic, only exacerbating the serious educational inequality between girls

Brian Cloughley (2021-01-01). Covid, Brexit and Dreadnought : the UK Slides Into Economic And Social Turmoil. counterpunch.org Covid-19 is familiar to us as the virus causing a worldwide pandemic that has killed millions. Brexit is withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, which, although calamitous for Britain, is not a matter for wide international concern. And thirdly, as the excellent researchers of the House of Commons note, "the Dreadnought program is about the design,

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). 114 deaths, 6,286 infections in past 24h: Health Ministry. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) —Spokesperson for Ministry of Health and Medical Education Sima Lari said on Fri. that in the past 24 hours, 114 patients have lost their lives to Covid-19, while 6,286 new coronavirus cases have been detected in the nationwide.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-01-01). Canada: The Killer H1N1 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Of relevance to the current debate on the Covid19 vaccine, this article on the H1N1 vaccine was first published on November 20, 2009. | In 2009, the Canadian media provided us with detailed coverage on the adverse health impacts of the …

Dr. Gary G. Kohls (2021-01-01). Chronic Fatigue Syndromes and the Gardasil Scandal: POTS and the Dangers of Aluminum-Adjuvanted Vaccines. globalresearch.ca Of relevance to the ongoing debate on the Covid vaccine, this incisive article by Dr. Gary Kohls was first published by Global Research on May 3, 2017. | *** | "The full extent of the Gardasil scandal needs to be assessed: …

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-01-01). Canada: The 2009 Killer H1N1 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Of relevance to the current debate on the Covid19 vaccine, this article on the H1N1 vaccine was first published on November 20, 2009. | In 2009, the Canadian media provided us with detailed coverage on the adverse health impacts of the …

John Laforge (2021-01-01). Court Orders Veterans Affairs Department to Replace Flawed Science in Plutonium Disaster Case. counterpunch.org In a major class action ruling issued December 17, the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in Washington, DC has ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to re-examine how it evaluates disability claims from veterans exposed to deadly alpha radiation during cleanup operations following a disastrous nuclear weapons accident at Palomares, Spain. The

Dr. Birsen Filip (2021-01-01). The 62nd Anniversary of the Cuban Revolution: An Unprecedented Chapter in World History. globalresearch.ca January 2019: Cubans are commemorating the 60th anniversary of their independence. On this day in 1959, the Cuban Revolution was successfully conducted by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement[i] and became an enduring symbol of resistance to neo-colonialism, capitalism, and hegemony.

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-01). Senior Iranian cleric 'Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi' passes away. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 01 (MNA) — Senior Iranian cleric 'Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi', Head of Imam Khomeini (RA) Educational and Research Institute and Member of Assembly of Experts passed away at the age of 86 on Friday evening.

Catherine Austin Fitts (2021-01-01). The Injection Fraud — It's Not a Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Of relevance to the debate on vaccines, this incisive and carefully researched article first published by Global Research on May 28. 2020 | *** | I am not a scientist. I am not a doctor. I am not a biotech engineer. I …

imperial.ac.uk (2021-01-01). Professor Sir Mark Walport named as Imperial College AHSC chair. imperial.ac.uk Professor Sir Mark Walport, has been appointed chair of the Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC) Strategic Partnership Board.

sputniknews (2021-01-01). Roscosmos Head Reveals Likely Cause of Crack in ISS Hull. sputniknews.com While the crack has already been located and patched up by the space station's crew, a more permanent solution is expected once special repair equipment reaches the ISS in February.

Stephen Lendman (2020-12-31). The Great 2020 Seasonal Flu/Influenza Disappearing Act. globalresearch.ca According to the WHO, seasonal flu/influenza practically disappeared this year in the southern hemisphere. | "In tropical South America, there were no influenza detections…" | "Globally… influenza activity remained at lower levels than expected for this time of the year." | Lower …

Vijay Prashad (2020-12-31). The Future Will Only Contain What We Put into It Now. dissidentvoice.org Image in homage of Bolivian people's resistance by Tings Chak (China) Towards the end of November, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres addressed the German Bundestag to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations (UN). At the heart of the UN is its Charter, the treaty that binds nations together in a global project, …

_____ (2020-12-31). Victories For Palestine Continued On US Campuses In 2020. popularresistance.org Despite the challenges of online/remote learning, campus activism has not stopped over the past year. National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) is currently planning their 2021 conference, celebrating 10 years of this annual reunion of SJP chapters from around the nation. And many student chapters have passed significant resolutions around some major issues, from censorship, to the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, to divestment and, most recently, the training of campus police by the Israeli military. As we wrap up 2020, here is a representative sample of…

Thomas Knapp (2020-12-31). Yes, Americans are Fat. The US Military is Fatter. counterpunch.org "Military leaders are worried about the shrinking pool of young people who qualify for military service," Gina Harkins reports at Military.com. "More than 70% of young Americans remain unable to join the military due to obesity, education problems, or crime and drug records." Mission: Readiness, a group of retired military officers, wants the US Department of

Brianna Bilter (2020-12-31). The Potential (and Peril) of Legalizing Psychedelics. progressive.org Allowing use for research and treatment is a step forward, but it leaves out some of those it might help.

teleSUR (2020-12-31). Dominican Congress Passes Law Banning Child Marriage. telesurenglish.net Dominican Republic's Congress Wednesday passed a bill to prohibit child marriage in the Caribbean nation. | RELATED: | The document catalogs early marriage as "a harmful practice that limits children's s opportunities for development and access to education." | The Executive Branch will discuss the norm that states that "a man or woman may not marry before reaching the age of 18." President Luis Abinader will be in ch…

Dr. Joseph Mercola (2020-12-31). Why Lockdowns Don't Work and Hurt the Most Vulnerable. Bankruptcies, Poverty, Despair. globalresearch.ca In a December 9, 2020, Twitter thread,1 Michael P. Senger, an attorney and author of the September 2020 article,2 "China's Global Lockdown Propaganda Campaign," reviewed the largely hidden impacts of global lockdowns. Ivor Cummins' video also reviews …

StudentNation (2020-12-31). Give the Students a Round of Applause. thenation.com Give the Students a Round of Applause…

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-31). Iran's trade value with Eurasia hits $1.4bn in eight months. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 31 (MNA) — According to the statistics, Islamic Republic of Iran's trade value with Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) hit $1.4 billion in the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (from March 21 to Nov. 22).

Al-Thawra (2020-12-31). Yazidi survivors of ISIS want to go back to school. indybay.org Young people who survived Islamic State (ISIS) captivity say they have not been able to resume their formal education for years while living at camps for the internally displaced in the Kurdistan Region.

Michael Shane (2020-12-31). "We're Part of the Reproduction of the Working Class" zcomm.org Interview on what the district is doing to try and get teachers back in the classroom, how his union and others around California are responding, and why capitalism wants and needs the schools open…

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). China's manufacturing continues growth but at slower pace. laprensalatina.com Shanghai, China, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- The manufacturing sector in China has expanded in December, albeit at a slower pace than the last month. The official manufacturing Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) slid to 51.9 in December from 52.1 recorded in November, according to the data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) published on Thursday. A …

South Front (2020-12-30). Video: Russia Suffers Casualties in Greater Idlib. Israeli Air Force Strikes Damascus Countryside. globalresearch.ca On the morning of December 30th, warplanes of the Israeli Air Force once again carried out strikes on alleged Iranian targets in the countryside of Damascus. According to reports one person was killed and 3 others injured in the attack….

Stephen Lendman (2020-12-30). Mass-Vaxxing of US Military Forces for COVID. globalresearch.ca On December 9, the US war department announced its "distribution plan" for covid mass-vaxxing. | Service members to be vaxxed include active duty personnel — including National Guard troops — their family members, war department civilian personnel and their families. | "Distribution …

Peter Koenig (2020-12-30). The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real Danger is "Agenda ID2020" globalresearch.ca WHO has most likely received orders from "above", from those people who also manage Trump and the "leaders" (sic) of the EU, European Union. The final decision to go ahead NOW with COVID-19 pandemic, was taken in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos – behind very much closed doors.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-30). To reflect, to breathe, to hope and to stay human: Review of Hybrid War poster exhibition. peoplesdispatch.org The Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and International Week of Anti-Imperialist Struggle organized four poster exhibitions over the last year on different themes related to imperialism…

RT (2020-12-30). England school holiday closures extended by 14 days to allow army-led mass Covid testing of pupils & teachers. rt.com Some schools in England will delay their reopening in the new year so that mass testing can be rolled out for all pupils and staff in an attempt to reduce the spread of Covid-19, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has said. | Some 1,500 soldiers will be brought in to provide assistance to schools, including remotely training teachers, advising staff on setting up facilities, and standing by in case they are needed in person. | Williamson said that all pupils in exam years would go back to school on January 11, with all secondary and college students returning a week later on January 18. | The "overwhelming m…

RT (2020-12-30). Siberian Instagram model who performed cosmetic procedures without qualifications banned from leaving city after botching lip job. rt.com A Russian Instagram model, who moonlighted as a cosmetologist, has been banned from leaving her city for two and a half years after she was found to be performing lip jobs without a license, leaving one of her clients disfigured. | Anastasia Fokina, known to her followers as Anastasia Boyarskaya, ran a beauty clinic in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, 3,000km east of Moscow. The fake beautician turned her apartment into a medical practice, performing lip injections on her clients — all without medical education and without a license. | Following a lip procedure gone wrong, in which a woman had to visit h…

Paul Antonopoulos (2020-12-30). Economic Matters in Ukraine Are at Standstill. globalresearch.ca It was a quiet year for Ukraine and its many issues compared to previous years, or at least in the eyes of most Westerners. Other global issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and elections in Belarus, took greater precedence and …

Surangya (2020-12-30). Patriarchy and the pandemic: Disentangling the web of oppression. peoplesdispatch.org We discuss Coronashock and Patriarchy, a study done by Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, with Renata Porto Bugni to understand the impact of the pandemic on women and the LGBTQIA+ community.