2021-02-09: News Headlines

Monica Moorehead (2021-02-09). Reparations, health care and the pandemic. workers.org The late John Conyers — U.S. Representative from Michigan and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus — introduced bill HR 40 back in 1989, titled "Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act." New York City protest, Feb. 3. WW PHOTO: Sara Flounders Conyers said, "African slaves were . . . |

IMEMC & Agencies (2021-02-09). Analysis: Israel's Crimes, Legitimacy and Free Speech. imemc.org By Ron Forthofer for the Palestine Chronicle Israel is waging an intense campaign against the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement, a nonviolent campaign called for by Palestinian civil society in 2005. This Movement was modeled on the campaign against South African Apartheid. Palestinians felt compelled to issue the call for a BDS campaign since previous …

_____ (2021-02-09). Egypt Reopens Rafah Crossing Indefinitely. popularresistance.org Egypt today opened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip until further notice, Egyptian and Palestinian sources said, a move described as an incentive for reconciliation between the main Palestinian factions meeting in Cairo, Reuters reported. | Leaders of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction, which controls the West Bank, and of Hamas, which governs the besieged Gaza Strip, began Egyptian-brokered talks yesterday to address long-standing divisions ahead of elections planned for later this year. | The 365 square kilometre (141 square mile) Gaza Strip is home to around two million Palestinian…

Binoy Kampmark (2021-02-09). China, Papua New Guinea and Australia's Backyard Blues. dissidentvoice.org Clever diplomacy rarely involves total commitment or unqualified fidelity to any one state. Treacherous waters require careful navigation, an understanding of shifty and shifting allegiances. The goal for the prudent statesperson is the pursuit of self-interest without alienation. In that regard, Papua New Guinea is proving increasingly interesting, finding itself between playground thugs with varying …

yenisafak (2021-02-09). Zimbabwe loses another top official to COVID-19. yenisafak.com Zimbabwe lost another top official to COVID-19, the country's president announced Tuesday.Lt-Gen. (Retd) Douglas Nyikayaramba, ambassador to neighboring Mozambique, has died due to COVID-19, President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced during a cabinet briefing Tuesday morning, the national broadcaster reported.His death comes a day after Mnangagwa made some cabinet changes, filling the vacant posts after three ministers' death due to COVID-19.Two ministers died last month when the second wave of the COVID-19 struck, killing nearly 1,000 people in less than two months.Following these deaths, the Southern Africa country…

Online News Editor (2021-02-09). The soup kitchen providing for a town with 93% unemployment. laprensalatina.com The Compassionate Hearts soup kitchen provides food aid for many residents of Touws River in South Africa, which has a 93% unemployment rate, according to humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers Foundation. During the lockdowns for the pandemic, the majority of the town's residents have become unemployed with what few businesses existed now closed. The …

Ralph Nader (2021-02-09). Democrats Disarm Themselves Before Trump's Senate Impeachment Trial. zcomm.org If the Democrats do not go full throttle in this trial — this last clear chance to exercise the Constitution against Tyrant Trump — they will be remembered as profiles of infamy…

yenisafak (2021-02-09). Egypt opens Gaza crossing in both directions. yenisafak.com Egypt on Tuesday opened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip for the movement of travelers in both directions, according to the Hamas-run Interior Ministry.A ministry statement said that "passenger buses began to leave the crossing, while returnees will arrive at noon".It is unclear how many days the crossing will remain open.Palestinian factions are currently holding dialogue in Cairo on preparations for elections.Last week, Egypt opened the crossing for four days in both directions.Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in March, Egypt and Hamas agreed to close the crossing. The terminal was sp…

yenisafak (2021-02-09). Zimbabwe fills cabinet slots created by COVID-19. yenisafak.com Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa late Monday night filled the cabinet slots that fell vacant because of ministers' death due to coronavirus last month.The Zimbabwean leader appointed Fredrick Shava, the country's ambassador to the United Nations, as minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, replacing Sibusiso Moyo, who died of coronavirus last month.Felix Tapiwa Mhona, a parliamentarian from Chikomba Central district in the country's East Province Mashonaland, has been appointed transport minister, replacing late Joel Biggie Matiza with the novel coronavirus last month.Nokhuthula Matsikenyeri,…

yenisafak (2021-02-09). Turkey trains Libyan troops on counter-terrorism. yenisafak.com The Turkish Armed Forces continue to provide counter-terrorism training to the Libyan Armed Forces, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Tuesday."As part of the military training, assistance and advice agreement, we continue to provide training to the Libyan Armed Forces. Our personnel are providing 'Basic Counter-Terrorism Training' to the Libyan soldiers in the Homs Joint Maritime Training Center Command," the ministry said on Twitter.On Nov. 27, 2019, Ankara and Tripoli signed two memorandums of understanding: one on military cooperation and the other on maritime boundaries of countries in the Eastern…

yenisafak (2021-02-09). Third round of Libya constitutional talks starts in Egypt. yenisafak.com A third round of Libya's dialogue on the constitutional track kicked off in Egypt's Red Sea resort of Hurghada on Tuesday, days after the election of a new interim authority in the war-torn country. | Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel and the recently-appointed UN Special Envoy on Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission (UNSMIL), Jan Kubis, addressed the opening session. | "The Libyan Constitutional Committee will discuss arrangements for holding a popular referendum on a new constitution," committee member Naema Elhammi told Anadolu Agency. | She said the committee meetings will continue for th…

Yanis Iqbal (2021-02-09). Neoliberal Authoritarianism in Egypt. dissidentvoice.org The whiplash of authoritarianism is being ruthlessly used in Egypt. On January 6, 2021, Ahmed Khalifa, social news editor of Egypt 360 website, was arrested after publishing a series of reports on workers' legitimate protests. He was falsely charged with joining a terrorist group and spreading fake news, and remains in detention to date. Before his arrest, Khalifa …

The Palestinian News & Info Agency (2021-02-08). WAFA: "African leaders: Israeli settlements on occupied territories are illegal" imemc.org ADDIS ABABA, Sunday, February 07, 2021 (WAFA) — African leaders reaffirmed today that all Israeli settlements erected on the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem and the Syrian Golan, are illegal. In the final statement of the two-day virtual 34th African Union Summit, African leaders stressed that Israel's settlements constitute serious violations of international humanitarian …

RT (2021-02-08). South Africa mulls 'stepped' rollout to test AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab against local variant after study raises efficacy concerns. rt.com Around 100,000 people in South Africa could be given the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to test if it is effective at protecting against the local variant of the virus, the government's chief scientific adviser said on Monday. | South Africa's health minister announced on Sunday that the government was putting a "temporary hold" on its rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine after a study suggested it would not work against the 501.V2 variant. | On Monday, government adviser Salim Abdool Karim said health chiefs are now looking at a "stepped" rollout of the vaccine where 100,000 people are given the jab, with the opt…

Joe Murphy (2021-02-08). Brits Told to Expect to Take a Third Vaccine Jab in the Autumn. anti-empire.com A health minister today signalled that millions of Britons can expect to get a third injection of Covid-19 vaccine this year to halt the South African mutation and other new variants. | Ed Argar said an autumn booster was being developed to "outwit" a virus that is constantly evolving to beat human defences. | The development came as South Africa suspended its mass roll-out of the AstraZeneca / Oxford vaccine following a small-scale study of younger volunteers that suggested it did not prevent transmission of the new variant or mild-to-moderate illness. Experts warned that the South African strain could prolong s…

Matthew Rozsa (2021-02-08). AstraZeneca's vaccine doesn't work against mutant coronavirus strain, South African government says. salon.com South Africa is halting use of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to its ineffectiveness against the mutant strain…

WSWS (2021-02-08). Nigerian farmers win hollow legal victory against Shell for oil spillages. wsws.org Shell have long sought to evade responsibility via lengthy legal proceedings, many in UK courts, for their part in regular oil spills on the Niger Delta. Even when courts find against Shell, the oil giant manages to manoeuvre its way out of its obligations.

_____ (2021-02-08). Defensive Moves Or Preparation For War With Iran? popularresistance.org The US has decided to deploy the Israeli Iron Dome Missile Interceptor Systems, purchased in 2019, in Eastern European countries and also in the Gulf countries where the US Central Command (CENTCOM) operates and has established operational military bases. This step coincides with the US decision that Israeljoin CENTCOM (with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrein, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Pakistan and more) following the normalisation of trade and diplomatic relations between several Arab and Islamic countries and Tel Aviv.

MEE and agencies (2021-02-08). Sudan dissolves cabinet to bring ex-rebels into lineup. middleeasteye.net Sudan dissolves cabinet to bring ex-rebels into lineup | Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is expected to include seven ministers from rebel groups in his new cabinet | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 16: 36 | Former rebel groups struck a peace deal with Khartoum in October, but violence continues in Darfur (AFP)
| Sudan's ruling body said on Monday it would announce a new cabinet to include ex-rebel ch…

Mohammad Ayesh (2021-02-08). Arabic press review: Palestinians step up efforts to sue Israel at ICC. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Palestinians step up efforts to sue Israel at ICC | Meanwhile, Hamas is reportedly split on decision to participate in elections, and Egypt and the UAE feel alienated after results of UN-sponsored Libyan elections | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 14: 25 | The Bakr family in their house in the al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on 7 February, with posters of four children from their exten…

N.D. Jayaprakash (2021-02-08). Conspiracy to Malign Farmers' Movement in India. counterpunch.org Why was Red Fort Left Unguarded When Delhi was on "High Alert"? For over two months now, hundreds of thousands of farmers have been waging an unprecedented struggle at five locations around the National Capital Region of Delhi against three farm laws, which essentially seek to hand over control of India's agricultural sector to large

Staff (2021-02-08). Headlines for February 8, 2021. democracynow.org Dems to Introduce $3,000 Benefit for Children as They Push Ahead with $1.9 Trillion Stimulus, Pentagon to Deploy Troops for Vaccination Effort as Fans Defy Warnings Around Super Bowl Parties, South Africa Halts Rollout of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine, Wyoming GOP Censures Rep. Liz Cheney for Backing Trump's Impeachment, Judge Rules NY Republican Claudia Tenney Won Last Open House Race, Mass Protests Continue in Burma Opposing Military Coup, Removal of Aung San Suu Kyi, Indian Farmworkers Blockade Roads as Mass Protests Show No Sign of Slowing Down, Scores of People Missing and Feared Dead After Himalayan Glacier Co…

Online News Editor (2021-02-08). South Africa halts use of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine over new variant. laprensalatina.com Johannesburg, Feb 8 (efe-epa).- The South African government said it is suspending its rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine after a study suggested it only had limited effect on a variation of the coronavirus that originated in the country. Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize, along with several of the country's experts, announced the decision in …

sputniknews (2021-02-08). WHO Chief Says 'Concerning News' COVID Vaccines May Not Work Against Novel Strains. sputniknews.com In December 2020 a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 was reported in South Africa. The mutation, known as 501.V2, is said to be more aggressive and dangerous for young men. The highly transmissible new strain could also be resistant to existing COVID-19 vaccines.

Donald Pols (2021-02-08). 13 Years Is Too Long for Victims of Shell's Oil Spills to Wait for Justice. commondreams.org This case has beaten a path through the undergrowth for victims of corporate crimes. Now we need strong laws to make this avenue easier to access. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/shell-appeals-court-compensation-nigerian-farmers.jpg

Rayhan Uddin (2021-02-08). Aboutrika: The unlikely reunion of an exiled Egyptian icon and his former team. middleeasteye.net Aboutrika: The unlikely reunion of an exiled Egyptian icon and his former team | Al Ahly's trip to Qatar brings dissident football star into spotlight, just weeks after Doha and Cairo restore ties | Mon, 02/08/2021 – 08: 12 | Retired footballer Mohamed Aboutrika, who lives in exile in Qatar, attends Al Ahly vs Bayern Munich in the Qatari city of Al Rayyan on 8 February (AFP/File photo) | "After four y…

news.un (2021-02-08). Ethiopia: Government approves 'first step' towards Tigray emergency assistance. news.un.org UN agencies have received approval from the Ethiopian Government for 25 international staff to provide humanitarian assistance inside the country's conflict-torn Tigray region, the UN Spokesperson said on Monday.

Susan Price (2021-02-08). United States: Health care, racism and death. greenleft.org.au Physician Susan Moore died of COVID-19 in December, after making a video from her bed describing the racism she experienced from a white doctor when she presented for treatment, writes Malik Miah.

yenisafak (2021-02-08). Tough schedule awaits new Libyan gov't until Dec.24. yenisafak.com A busy schedule awaits Libya's new interim government until national elections in December.On Friday, Libya's rival political groups agreed to form an interim unity government after five days of talks at the UN-led Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) in Switzerland.Mohammad Younes Menfi was elected to head the Presidency Council of the interim government and Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh as its prime minister. Mossa Al-Koni and Abdullah Hussein Al-Lafi were also voted on the three-man Presidency Council.Menfi's ticket garnered 39 votes to 34 of the second group in a second round of voting on Friday with 30% of the elect…

_____ (2021-02-08). Protesters Say Mine Expansion Ignores Nunavut Agreement. popularresistance.org Protests continue in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, on Saturday, as a two-week environmental hearing on an expansion at the Mary River iron ore mine wraps up. | At noon Saturday, around 50 residents gathered outside the community hall where the hearings are happening. It was — 32 C with the windchill, according to Environment Canada. | "We protested and chanted, 'Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, protect our rights, protect our people, protect our animals'," said resident Sheena Akoomalik. | At the protest, she brandished a copy of the Nunavut Agreement. She said the legal agreement between Nunavut Inuit and the Canadia…

Robert Reich (2021-02-08). No Perks, No Cushy Benefits for Twice-Impeached President. commondreams.org Someone who has disgraced the office of the president so maliciously should not reap its amenities for the rest of his life. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/donald_trump_9_0.jpg

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-08). Global outcry for the release of Egyptian student. peoplesdispatch.org Ahmed Samir Santawy is the latest victim of the Egyptian government's intimidation of academics and students studying abroad. Samir, an Egyptian student at the Central European University (CEU) in Vienna, was remanded for a period of 15 days on February 6.

_____ (2021-02-07). BAP Solidarity Network Demands Biden End War In Afghanistan. popularresistance.org In response to the Biden administration suggesting it will not complete the withdrawal of U.S. forces, per the Doha Agreement of February 2020, the Black Alliance for Peace Solidarity Network demands the United States end the war in Afghanistan. | The BAP Solidarity Network, comprised of non-African/Black people and organizations who support BAP's anti-imperialist mission, released a petition today, calling on everyone committed to peace, human rights and common sense, to demand Biden re-start peace talks; immediately withdraw all U.S. forces, private contractors, and other mercenaries; close all U.S. bases; and…

Editor (2021-02-07). The Folly of Backing France's African Adventures. scheerpost.com U.S. Army photo by Spc. Yvette Zabala-Garriga/Released) By Maj. Danny Sjursen / AntiWar In Africa, Islamic State, and other Islamists, are just the tip of an underlying conflicts iceberg. Still, for decades, French Titanics — fueled by America — have rammed the symptomatic spire whilst ignoring the subsurface bulk of problems Paris largely caused or catalyzed. As for those running that nuance-free… |

yenisafak (2021-02-07). South Africa records 3,184 new COVID-19 infections. yenisafak.com South Africa recorded 3,184 new coronavirus infections, taking the country's total to 1,473,700, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said late Saturday. | "Regrettably, we report a further 278 COVID-19 related deaths," Mlkhize said, adding that it brings the number of fatalities to 46,180. | The coastal city of Kwa-Zulu Natal had the highest death toll Saturday with 109, followed by the tourism province of Western Cape which recorded 57 deaths. | Gauteng province, which includes the capital of Pretoria and the largest city, Johannesburg, registered 50 deaths. While the remaining six provinces each have less than 47 deat…

RT (2021-02-07). South Africa SUSPENDS AstraZeneca vaccine rollout after study shows its 'limited efficacy' against local variant. rt.com South Africa is putting on hold the rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, after disappointing study results suggested the jab offers significantly less protection against the locally prevalent variant of Covid-19. | "The AstraZeneca vaccine appeared effective against the original strain, but not against the [B.1.351 South African] variant," Health Minister Zweli Mkhize We have decided to put a temporary hold on the rollout of the vaccine… more work needs to be done.

Staff (2021-02-07). A Return to "Normal" Under Biden Is Not Good Enough. We Must Demand More. truthout.org A return to "normality." A collective sigh of relief. From Washington, D.C. to living rooms across the world, the inauguration of President Joe Biden signalled a return to "normal." Back to the old ways of doing politics. The slew of executive actions Biden signed on his first day undid (thankfully) many of the draconian dictates of the Trump administration. For many, January 20, 2021, was like waking up after a four-year nightmare. And of course, the damage of those years — whether in packing…

yenisafak (2021-02-07). Bomb blast kills at least 12 in central Somalia. yenisafak.com The attack, which wounded several others, targeted the vehicle of Abdirashid Abdi Qooje as it passed through the village of Eldhere 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of Dhusamareb, the administrative capital of Galmudug State. Qooje was the head of the National Intelligence and Security Agency in Dhusamareb.Speaking to Anadolu Agency, security officials in the region confirmed the attack and number of casualties on condition of anonymity."A military vehicle carrying Dhusamareb intelligence chief Abdirashid Abdi Qooje, was attacked while traveling between Eldhere and Guriel town, killing him and 11 of his bodyguards,"

yenisafak (2021-02-07). Turkey 'friend and ally' to Libya: Interim PM. yenisafak.com Libya's new Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh on Sunday described Turkey as a "friend and ally", saying his government will work to achieve peace in war-torn Libya.This came in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, the first by a foreign news agency with the new premier after being elected to lead an interim government.On Friday, Libya's rival political groups agreed to form an interim unity government after five days of talks in Switzerland. Mohammad Younes Menfi was elected to head the Presidency Council of an interim government and Dbeibeh as its prime minister. Mossa Al-Koni and Abdullah Hussein Al-Laf…

yenisafak (2021-02-07). Saudi-led coalition intercepts rebel drone from Yemen. yenisafak.com The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Sunday it had intercepted an explosive-laden drone fired by Houthi rebels towards Saudi Arabia.The Houthi drone attack was a "systematic and deliberate attempt to target civilians and civilian objects", coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki said in a statement cited by Saudi SPA News Agency.There was no comment from the Houthi group on the coalition's statement.The rebel movement regularly announces rocket and drone attacks on Saudi territories, saying they are a reaction to the Saudi-led coalition's assault on Yemen.Yemen has been wracked by violence and instability since…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-07). Egyptian student Ahmed Samir Santawy remanded to 15 days in prison. peoplesdispatch.org Ahmed Samir Santawy, a student of the Central European University (CEU) in Vienna, was detained by the police in Cairo on February 1, leading to an international outcry…

MADISF (2021-02-06). Friday 2/12: Conversations Across the African Diaspora w/ Filmmaker & Director Xoliswa Sithole (MOAD). indybay.org Online speaker event…

WSWS (2021-02-06). Canada's governments lift COVID-19 restrictions, even as pandemic rages. wsws.org The lifting of COVID-19 restrictions threatens to plunge Canada into a death spiral, especially since there are now scores of cases—including some linked to community transmission—of the more contagious British and South African variants.

F. William Engdahl (2021-02-06). What's Not Being Said About the Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine. "Human Guinea Pigs"? globalresearch.ca The Pharma giant Pfizer use an experimental technology known as gene editing, specifically mRNA gene-editing, something never before used in vaccines. Before we rush to get jabbed in hopes of some immunity, we should know more about the radical experimental technology and its lack of precision.

Mary J Warrell (2021-02-06). [Correspondence] Time to revise the strategy for Gavi funding of rabies vaccine? thelancet.com The Global Burden of Disease cause and risk summary on rabies shows the 13‚Äà700 deaths worldwide in 2019, close to the estimated 12‚Äà700 furious rabies cases in India alone.1 Figure 4 of this summary is misleading, especially the key. As there is no surveillance in many of the poorest countries, the global annual deaths quoted by WHO2 of 59‚Äà000 is derivedfrom extensive extrapolation. Rabies encephalomyelitis is always fatal in Asia and Africa. Although prevention of infection by correct vaccination after dog bites is extremely effective, vaccines are often…

yenisafak (2021-02-06). Africa suffers 'devastating impact' of COVID-19. yenisafak.com The coronavirus pandemic has had a "a devastating impact" on Africa," the South African president said on Saturday.Speaking at the 34th ordinary session of the African Union, Cyril Ramaphosa, who was the chairperson of the union for 2020, said global inequalities were further revealed by the pandemic."COVID-19 has not been defeated and there will be difficult times ahead," he said, adding there is also "a long road to travel to silence the guns in Africa."The pan-African body had planned to achieve the silencing of the guns by 2020, but due to the threat of terrorism, cross-border clashes and civil wars, the plan…

Jacqui Thornton (2021-02-06). [World Report] Hopes for trachoma control in South Sudan. thelancet.com Conflict has hampered trachoma control in South Sudan, but there are new plans to map and treat the disease. Jacqui Thornton reports.

Zachary Conti (2021-02-06). After Default, Zambia Becomes Third Country Seeking G20 Debt Relief. indybay.org Zambia requested the G20 coronavirus debt relief process, the "Common Framework for Debt Treatment beyond the Debt Service Suspension Initiative."

yenisafak (2021-02-06). Turkey's Erdogan congratulates Libya interim gov't leaders. yenisafak.com Turkey's president congratulated the leaders of Libya's interim government in a phone call on Saturday.Recep Tayyip Erdogan wished success to Mohammad Younes Menfi and Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbebibeh, who have been elected as head of the Presidential Council and prime minister, respectively, according to a statement by the Turkish Presidency."Turkey will continue its efforts for political unity, territorial integrity, stability, peace, security and prosperity in Libya and further enhance its cooperation with Libya in the new period," Erdogan said.Menfi and Dbebibah, who were chosen at the UN-led Libyan Political Di…