2021-02-13: News Headlines

Sophia Purdy-Moore (2021-02-13). Armed security forces stamp out planned peaceful protest in Nigeria. thecanary.co Armed security forces have suppressed a planned peaceful protest in Lagos, Nigeria. End SARS protesters planned to occupy Lekki toll gate, where state-sponsored armed security forces shot and killed 12 peaceful protesters in October 2020. Organisers intended to protest against the government's plan to reopen the toll gate while covering up its involvement with the tragedy. Authorities have arrested a number of individuals for exercising their right to peaceful protest. And the police are allegedly denying them access to lawyers. They've also shut down the planned protest and opened the toll gate. | Lekki toll…

Munyaradzi Makoni (2021-02-13). [World Report] Tanzania refuses COVID-19 vaccines. thelancet.com Government officials have dismissed COVID-19 vaccines and promoted unfounded remedies. Munyaradzi Makoni reports.

yenisafak (2021-02-13). Impact of France's nuclear tests persists: Algeria. yenisafak.com France's nuclear experiments in the Algerian desert in the 1960s were three to four times equal to the Hiroshima bombing in Japan, Algerian Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum said on Saturday.In a Twitter post on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the first French nuclear explosion in the Algerian desert, on Feb. 13, 1960, Boukadoum described the impacts of the tests as "catastrophic"."On this day in 1960, imperialist France carried out the first nuclear explosion in the Reggane region in the Algerian desert, in a process code-named 'Gerboise Bleue' (Blue Desert Rat)," Boukadoum said.He added that the French n…

yenisafak (2021-02-13). Six of rescued Turkish sailors brought to Abuja embassy. yenisafak.com Six out of 15 rescued Turkish sailors were brought Saturday to the Nigerian capital Abuja under local security forces' guard and reached the Turkish embassy in the city.Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria Melih Ulueren, Turkey's National Intelligence Organization members, and embassy officials welcomed the crew members, who were kidnapped after the cargo vessel had fallen victim to a pirate attack off Nigeria and rescued on Friday.Upon their arrival at the embassy, the sailors talked to their families over the phone.Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ulueren said the worry was over now. "We are very happy to see our citizens…

Online News Editor (2021-02-13). Car bomb kills 2 near Mogadishu's presidential palace. laprensalatina.com Mogadishu, Feb 13 (efe-epa).- At least two people were killed and seven injured on Saturday when a member of Somali militant group Al Shabab detonated a car bomb near the presidential palace in Mogadishu, witnesses told Efe. The assailant sought to break through a security checkpoint toward the entrance of the palace but guards opened …

news.un (2021-02-13). Mali: UN chief says 'complex attack' against blue helmets may constitute war crime. news.un.org Secretary-General‚ÄØAntónio Guterres condemned‚ÄØ on Saturday, a "complex attack" against the UN mission in the West African country of Mali…

Mohammad Ayesh (2021-02-12). Arabic press review: Egypt's opposition establishes new coalition. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Egypt's opposition establishes new coalition | Also threats against Hezbollah's opponents in Lebanon have been escalating and a Palestinian man was forced to demolish his own home in Jerusalem | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 11: 33 | A new opposition coalition has been launched 10 years after Egyptians launched their uprising on 25 January 2011 and ousted President Hosni Mubarak (AFP)…

Paul Street (2021-02-12). On Some Bad House Manager Language. counterpunch.org The House Managers' presentation in the second Senate impeachment trial of the malignant fascist reptile (MFR) Donald Trump has been, to put it mildly, a slam dunk. With great skill and abundant proof, they have demonstrated beyond all reasonable doubt that the orange monstrosity fueled and sparked a mass violent and fascistic assault on the

RT (2021-02-12). South Africans being infected with Covid-19 variant AGAIN after recovering from virus — WHO chief scientist. rt.com Some people in South Africa have been re-infected with variants of Covid-19 after they had already recovered from the virus, the World Health Organization's (WHO) chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, said on Friday. | "We are now getting reports of people getting re-infected with the new variant of the virus, and there have been some initial reports from South Africa suggesting that people who have had prior infection could get infected again," she told a WHO news briefing. | Swaminathan did not specify the number of people re-infected in South Africa, but said that ongoing scientific studies are looking at ho…

MEE and agencies (2021-02-12). Sudan cracks down on supporters of former ruler Omar al-Bashir after protests. middleeasteye.net Sudan cracks down on supporters of former ruler Omar al-Bashir after protests | Committee issues order for arrest of National Congress Party members following days of unrest and looting | Fri, 02/12/2021 – 09: 01 | Supporters of Sudan's ousted president Omar al-Bashir rally in front of a court in the capital Khartoum during the former leader's trial on 14 December 2019 (AFP) | A committee…

Staff (2021-02-12). Ralph Nader: Biden Must Hold Boeing Accountable for Deaths Due to Faulty Planes. truthout.org Legendary consumer advocate Ralph Nader says the U.S. is experiencing a "corporate crime wave," and that the Trump administration's $2.5 billion settlement with Boeing over the manufacturer's faulty 737 MAX jets amounts to a "slap on the wrist." Boeing's faulty planes were involved in two fatal crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, including Nader's 24-year-old grandniece Samya Stumo. Nader says the Biden Justice Department should reopen the previous administration's settlement and…

Staff (2021-02-12). Where Are the Witnesses? Ralph Nader Says Democrats' Impeachment Case Is "Prescription for Defeat" democracynow.org As the historic Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump continues, we speak with longtime consumer advocate, corporate critic and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who says Democrats have set themselves up for defeat by rushing proceedings and failing to call witnesses — including Trump himself. "The narrow approach of the articles of impeachment keep the Democrats from having a full hand," says Nader. "They have like 10 arrows in their quiver and they're using one or two."

Staff (2021-02-12). Ralph Nader on Corporate Crime, Holding Boeing Accountable for 737 MAX Deaths & Biden's First Weeks. democracynow.org Legendary consumer advocate Ralph Nader says the U.S. is experiencing a "corporate crime wave," and that the Trump administration's $2.5 billion settlement with Boeing over the manufacturer's faulty 737 MAX jets amounts to a "slap on the wrist." Boeing's faulty planes were involved in two fatal crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, including Nader's 24-year-old grandniece Samya Stumo. Nader says the Biden Justice Department should reopen the previous administration's settlement and hold Boeing fully accountable. "This is just another example of giant companies getting away with their corporate criminal…

RT (2021-02-12). UFC 258: Despite Dana White's theory he might soon be MMA's GOAT, Kamaru Usman has some way to go to be considered the best. rt.com Kamaru Usman could eclipse Georges St-Pierre's haul of 12 consecutive 170lb victories if he defends his crown against Gilbert Burns at UFC 258 but despite Dana White's praise, Usman must test himself further to be called the best. | 'The Nigerian Nightmare' takes on the third defense of his UFC welterweight title late on Saturday night when he faces former training partner and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu phenom Burns in the UFC 258 headliner in Las Vegas. | A win on for the reigning champ would be his 13th consecutive 170lbs victory since his debut with the UFC in 2015, marking him alone as having the lengthiest ru…

Medea Benjamin, Ariel Gold (2021-02-12). Biden Should Stop Payment on U.S. Funds to Sisi's Egypt. counterpunch.org Under Donald Trump's presidency, Egypt, as well as Saudi Arabia, Israel, the UAE, and other repressive regimes, had virtually free reign to commit unchecked human rights abuses without worry that they might be chastised or lose U.S. diplomatic and financial support. But when Joe Biden won the 2020 election, President Sisi of Egypt started to

news.un (2021-02-12). Ethiopia: 'Incomplete but troubling picture' reveals impact of Tigray crisis on children. news.un.org Humanitarians are learning more about the dire situation of children in Ethiopia's Tigray region, where fighting continues between Government troops and regional forces of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

yenisafak (2021-02-12). Journalist wins award for exposing corruption in Zimbabwe. yenisafak.com Hopewell Chin'ono, a top Zimbabwean journalist, has been honored with a media award following his reporting last year which unearthed a corruption scandal concerning the government's procurement of COVID-19 material.Chin'ono's story led to the firing of the southern African country's then Health Minister Obadiah Moyo who was implicated in the scandal.Notifying Chin'ono about the good news in an email, the Greenfield People Journalism Prize for Africa, which awarded the prize, said the scribe was winning the award jointly with Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin.The prize is dubbed the People Journalist for Informe…

Online News Editor (2021-02-12). Osaka, Halep cruise to Aussie Open 4th round, Williams edges through. laprensalatina.com Bangkok Desk, Feb 12 (efe-epa).- Japan's Naomi Osaka beat Tunisia's Ons Jabeur to make the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday in Melbourne, as No. 2 seed Simona Halep breezed past Veronika Kudermetova in under an hour and 20 minutes. Osaka won her 17th match in a row in what was often an …

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2021-02-12). Health Diplomacy: China Made Vaccine Donations to Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | As coronavirus infection rapidly spreads across the African continent, reaching nearly …

_____ (2021-02-12). The Mechanics Behind The Egyptian Revolution. popularresistance.org The Egyptian revolution, which flared from early 2011 to mid-2013, is usually presented in the media (and some academic circles) as a "Facebook Revolution" or at least as one gigantic event that was ignited and organized online. The truth is slightly different. | The 2011 uprising was the product of a decade-long complicated political process, in which dissent was accumulating, organizing skills were honed, small victories were achieved and fear of the regime's repressive apparatus was gradually eroding. | One central element in this process that would in 2011 culminate in a full-blown revolution was the visualiz…

WSWS (2021-02-12). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East and Africa. wsws.org Engineers at British gas continue strikes against "fire and rehire"; walk out by UK airport staff at London's Heathrow over pay cut; Nigerian University administration workers' stoppage over pay…

teleSUR (2021-02-12). 28 Togolese Peacekeepers Injured in Central Mali Attack. telesurenglish.net The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) on Thursday confirmed that 28 Togolese peacekeepers were injured in an attack targeting its temporary base in Kerena, Mali. | RELATED: | The attack was carried out by unidentified armed men, MINUSMA's spokesperson Olivier Salgado said, adding that it was a vehicular suicide that exploded with its driver on board near the base. | The mai…

teleSUR (2021-02-12). Egyptian, Palestinian Leaders Discuss Palestinian Cause. telesurenglish.net Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday made a phone call to his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the latest developments of the Palestinian cause. | RELATED: | Sisi reiterated Egypt's support for the Palestinian cause as well as its continuous coordination with Palestinian and international partners "to crystallize a clear vision" to advance the peace process between the Palestinians and the…

MEE correspondent (2021-02-11). 'Punishing dissent': Egypt revokes citizenship of 2011 revolution activist. middleeasteye.net 'Punishing dissent': Egypt revokes citizenship of 2011 revolution activist | Ghada Naguib, now in exile, says she has been targeted due to her criticism of a top intelligence officer | Thu, 02/11/2021 – 13: 17 | Activist Ghada Naguib (L) and her husband, actor Hisham Abdullah (Supplied) | Egypt has revoked the nationality of an exiled activist in an apparent reprisal for her outspoken o…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-11). Egypt reopens its Rafah border with besieged Gaza. peoplesdispatch.org Egypt announced that it has reopened its Rafah border with the blockaded Gaza strip, following the agreement reached between the Palestinian factions during talks being held in Egyptian capital Cairo. The Palestinian embassy in Cairo welcomed the decision, calling it a "result of intensive bilateral discussions and contacts between the Egyptian and Palestinian leaderships." The border was reportedly reopened on Monday. Travel between Gaza and Egypt has already begun with buses carrying Palestinian passengers seen crossing the border on Tuesday morning. Palestinians stuck in Egypt are able to go back to Gaza follo…

yenisafak (2021-02-11). Merkel warns of aggressive coronavirus mutations. yenisafak.com New mutations of coronavirus first seen in the UK, South Africa and Brazil are more aggressive and more dangerous, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned on Thursday.Addressing lawmakers in parliament, Merkel said it was necessary to extend the country's coronavirus lockdown until March 7, as new variants of the virus could lead to a more dangerous third wave of the pandemic."Not all the research has yet been finalized, but we'd be well advised to listen to what so many experts both in Germany and abroad tell us," she told lawmakers, referring to the UK, South Africa and Brazil variants, which were also detected…

RT (2021-02-11). 'Should get banned for that!': Palmeiras ace Rony a laughing stock after ABSURD Club World Cup penalty miss (VIDEO). rt.com What do you get if combine the spot-kick abilities of the David Luiz run-up, the Jorginho hop and the Paul Pogba shuffle technique? The answer is an absolute abomination of a penalty, as Palmeiras' Rony has discovered. | Copa Libertadores champions Palmeiras were expected to easily dispatch Egyptian side Al Ahly in Thursday's third-place playoff of the FIFA Club World Cup but after a scoreless draw in regulation time at the Education City Stadium in Qatar, the match was to be decided by a penalty shootout. | Signs that things weren't tipping in the Brazilian side's favor soon became clear though when Brazilian…

Sophia Purdy-Moore (2021-02-11). Angola has decriminalised same-sex relationships. Will the rest of Africa follow? thecanary.co Angola has introduced a new penal code which decriminalises same-sex relationships and prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. The colonial-era code, which characterised gay relationships as "vices against nature", was

Joe Glenton (2021-02-11). Covid colonialism: outbreak among UK troops could jeopardise Kenyan successes. thecanary.co Six British soldiers have now been hospitalised in Kenya amid confusion over an outbreak of coronavirus (Covid-19) among a group of 1,600 troops deployed to the east African nation for a training exercise. | The latest case was Reuters said on Twitter: | pic.twitter.com/JEuEXtOY4y | — Reuters (@Reuters)

yenisafak (2021-02-11). Nigeria reports 1,131 new COVID-19 cases, 8 deaths. yenisafak.com Nigeria reported 1,131 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, up from 1,056 confirmed the previous day.The new numbers pushed the overall caseload to 142,578 and 1,702 deaths as eight more patients succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.A record 2,314 infections were registered on Jan. 22.All travelers entering the West African country are required to take a COVID-19 test five days before departure.According to the Health Ministry, an estimated 80% of coronavirus patients are asymptomatic but can spread the disease to other people. It has urged the public…

yenisafak (2021-02-11). Supreme court starts hearing Bobi Wine petition in Uganda. yenisafak.com The Supreme Court of Uganda started hearing a petition Thursday by the runner-up candidate of the country's presidential elections last month.Robert Kyagulanyi, locally known as Bobi Wine, is seeking to get the Jan. 14 ballot annulled after the country's electoral commission named sitting President Yoweri Museveni the winner.At the nine-judge hearing in the capital Kampala led by chief justice Alfonse Owiny Dollo, Wine claims that the election was not held in accordance with the Constitution and the law, according to his lead lawyer Medard Segona."The elections were not free and fair and I expect court to rule th…

Kamal Iranidoost (2021-02-11). Egypt pledges support for Libya's interim government. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 11 (MNA) — Egypt has dramatically changed its position on the Libyan crisis.

commondreams (2021-02-11). Launch of Mustafa Kassem Fellowship in Memory of U.S. Citizen Who Died in Egyptian Prison. commondreams.org ______________________________…

yenisafak (2021-02-11). Armenia says must normalize ties with Turkey to guarantee own security. yenisafak.com Ayvazyan, in an address to parliament, also underscored the need to reopen borders with Turkey, noting that keeping them closed "makes no sense anymore," according to TASS news."Keeping Armenia's borders with Turkey closed serves no purpose," Ayvazyan said as he called on ties with Turkey to be normalized.Ayvazyan also reportedly expressed concern over the joint Turkey-Azerbaijan military exercises as the two nations boost military cooperation.In December 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country could open its borders to Armenia, if Yerevan takes steps toward regional peace."We have no grudge…

Global SolidarityTo Rehire Namibia MIners (2021-02-11). Friday 2/12: Namibian Mine Workers Union Rossing Solidarity At SF Chinese Consulate. indybay.org San Francisco Chinese Consulate | 1450 Laguna St at Geary St. San Francisco…

sputniknews (2021-02-11). After 'Mandalorian' Star Carano's Firing, Twitter Hounds Out Co-Star Pascal's Controversial Posts. sputniknews.com During Black Lives Matter mass protests in 2020, Disney drew sharp criticism from British-Nigerian actor John Boyega, who played Finn in the Star Wars films and accused the media company of pushing black characters "to the side" in the franchise while focusing heavily on the development of white characters.

news.un (2021-02-11). Egypt urged to remove activists from 'terrorist' list. news.un.org UN independent human rights experts appealed on Thursday for authorities in Egypt to remove two activists from a "terrorist" list and to stop systemic use of terrorism powers.

teleSUR (2021-02-11). Egypt to Promote Mutual Ties To Restore Stability in Libya. telesurenglish.net Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday said that his country is keen on promoting mutual relations with Libya to restore stability in that nation. | RELATED: | "Egypt is keen to continue meeting all the needs of the Libyans to restore the country's stability, and (help) complete the governance mechanisms for the country," said Bassam Rady, spokesperson of the Egyptian presidency. | In his phone call w…

Marlee Kokotovic (2021-02-11). Shell Oil defeated by Nigerian villagers in oil pollution case. nationofchange.org "Finally, there is some justice for the Nigerian people suffering the consequences of Shell's oil."

The Tricontinental (2021-02-10). Dawn: Marxism and National Liberation. mronline.org Only at the end of his life did Karl Marx leave the shores of Europe and travel to a country under colonial dominion. This was when he went to Algeria in 1882. 'For Mussulmans, there is no such thing as subordination', Marx wrote to his daughter Laura Lafargue.

Binoy Kampmark (2021-02-10). China, Papua New Guinea and Australia's Backyard Blues. counterpunch.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

Medea Benjamin (2021-02-10). A Pro-Cairo Lobby is Spending Big to Make Sure Biden Doesn't Cut Aid to Egypt's Dictatorship. mintpressnews.com President al-Sisi is afraid that his free rein to commit human rights abuses are over now that Trump is out of office, that's why he hired Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck to the tune of $65,000 per month to whitewash his image and keep the American money flowing.

RT (2021-02-10). Biden's budget nominee Neera Tanden grilled over calling Bernie Sanders 'everything but an ignorant SLUT' at contentious hearing. rt.com Neera Tanden, Joe Biden's nominee for budget director, was pressed over her history of insulting tweets and corporate coziness. However, neither party took her to task for suggesting that Libya pay for its own bombing. | Tanden sat before the Senate Budget Committee on Wednesday for her second confirmation hearing, after Tuesday's session with the Homeland Security Committee. This time, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) held the gavel, and questioned Tanden on her history of derogatory statements about him and his progressive supporters. | "Your attacks were not just made against Republicans," Sanders told Tande…

Rayhan Uddin (2021-02-10). Al-Ahly players removed from squad after shaking hands with exiled star Aboutrika. middleeasteye.net Al-Ahly players removed from squad after shaking hands with exiled star Aboutrika | Mahmoud Kahraba and Hussein el-Shahat to miss Club World Cup match for breaching Covid-19 regulations by greeting former star | Wed, 02/10/2021 – 13: 52 | Exiled Egyptian football star Mohamed Aboutrika attends a match between former team Al Ahly and Bayern Munich in the Qatari city of Al-Rayyan (Reuters) | Two Al Ahly…

news.un (2021-02-10). Libya: Security Council urges interim leadership to prepare for December polls. news.un.org The UN Security Council on Tuesday called on the new interim leadership of Libya to swiftly form an inclusive Government and make necessary preparations for December's presidential and parliamentary elections.