John Pilger: The Most Lethal Virus Is Not COVID. It Is War
John Pilger | mintpressnews.com | 2020-12-14
In the midst of the greatest health emergency in modern times, with more than 4 million surgical procedures delayed by the National Health Service, Britain has announced a record increase of £16.5 billion in so-called defense spending.
mintpressnews.com/john-pilger-lethal-virus-not-covid-war/273597/

Big Pharma Strikes Back
Dean Baker — Arjun Jayadev | counterpunch.org | 2020-12-14
On Monday, we, along with Achal Prabhala, had a column in the New York Times arguing in support of a resolution put forward before the WTO by India and South Africa, which would suspend intellectual property rights related to vaccines and treatments during the pandemic. The main point is that these rights are slowing the…
counterpunch.org/2020/12/14/big-pharma-strikes-back/

Barack Obama Is Not My Hero
Malik Pitchford | progressive.org | 2020-12-14
His politics have always been that of a cautious centrist.
progressive.org/op-eds/barack-obama-not-my-hero-pitchford-201214/

US removes Sudan's designation as state sponsor of terrorism
MEE and agencies | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-14
US removes Sudan's designation as state sponsor of terrorism | Move comes amid reports Khartoum threated to pull out of normalisation deal with Israel if process not completed by year's end | MEE and agencies | Mon, 12/14/2020 – 09: 28 | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, is seen with with Sudan Sovereign Council Chair General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Khartoum in August (AFP) | The United States on Mo…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-sudan-terrorism-sponsor-list-removed

US removes Sudan from state terrorism sponsors blacklist
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-14
TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) — The US has removed Sudan from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism after nearly three decades.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167164/US-removes-Sudan-from-state-terrorism-sponsors-blacklist

UN chief calls for immediate release of abducted children in Nigeria
news.un.org | 2020-12-14
The United Nations Secretary-General has called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of hundreds of boys, believed abducted by suspected bandits, after an attack on their school in northwest Nigeria.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/12/1079942

Armed group abducts nearly 400 male students in Nigeria
Mehr News Agency | en.mehrnews.com | 2020-12-13
TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (MNA) — An armed group has abducted nearly 400 male students at a boarding school in northern Nigeria, local media outlets reported on Saturday.
en.mehrnews.com/news/167124/Armed-group-abducts-nearly-400-male-students-in-Nigeria

Sudan's prime minister arrives in Ethiopia as refugee crisis continues
MEE and agencies | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-13
Sudan's prime minister arrives in Ethiopia as refugee crisis continues | Sudan has absorbed tens of thousands of refugees from Ethiopia's war-stricken Tigray region | MEE and agencies | Sun, 12/13/2020 – 12: 00 | A handout picture provided by Sudan's Foreign Media Council shows Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (R) meeting with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed in Khartoum on 25 August 2020 (AFP) | S…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/sudans-prime-minister-abdalla-hamdok-arrives-ethiopia-refugee-crisis-continues

[World Report] Humanitarian access deal for Tigray
Sharmila Devi | thelancet.com | 2020-12-12
Humanitarian groups will be allowed into Tigray, Ethiopia, where conflict has displaced thousands and strained health services. Sharmila Devi reports.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32669-6/fulltext?rss=yes

Israel-Morocco deal: Palestinians and Sahrawis hope for renewed solidarity
Alex MacDonald | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-12
Israel-Morocco deal: Palestinians and Sahrawis hope for renewed solidarity | Activists have long linked the two people's struggles, and hope the latest normalisation deal will encourage the Palestinian leadership to do the same | Alex MacDonald | Sat, 12/12/2020 – 10: 26 | Supporters of the Polisario Front separatist movement hold a banner reading "All for Palestine, all for Western Sahara" during a demonstratio…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-morocco-deal-palestine-western-sahara-solidarity

Go Vote Yourself a Raise, Georgia—You've Long Earned It
Ralph Nader | commondreams.org | 2020-12-12
Candidates should be pushed to say if they stand with the super-rich profiteering, callous Big Business tycoons or with the people who work for pitiful wages, on the rugged frontlines, and keep our society running. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/georgia_primary.jpg …
commondreams.org/views/2020/12/12/go-vote-yourself-raise-georgia-youve-long-earned-it?cd-origin=rss

Israel establishes 'formal diplomatic relations' with Bhutan
MEE and agencies | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-12
Israel establishes 'formal diplomatic relations' with Bhutan | Himalayan kingdom is latest country to recognise Israel in a normalisation deal, days after Morocco signed agreement | MEE and agencies | Sat, 12/12/2020 – 23: 25 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the agreement with Bhutan, saying that his country was 'in contact with other countries that want to establish relations with' Israel…
www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-establishes-formal-diplomatic-relations-bhutan

US adopts 'new official' map of Morocco that includes Western Sahara
MEE and agencies | middleeasteye.net | 2020-12-12