(2021-02-03). Ramy Youssef and Tahar Rahim nominated for 2021 Golden Globes. middleeasteye.net 
Ramy Youssef and Tahar Rahim nominated for 2021 Golden Globes | Comedian Youssef is up for an award for second year running, while Rahim is being recognised for his portrayal of Guantanamo detainee | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 16: 11 | Egyptian-American Ramy Youssef and French-Algerian Tahar Rahim were nominated for the 2021 edition of the Golden Globes (AFP) | Egyptian-American actor Ramy Youssef and French-A…
(2021-02-03). Egypt asked for 'goodwill' gesture from Israel as condition for Netanyahu visit: Report. middleeasteye.net 
Egypt asked for 'goodwill' gesture from Israel as condition for Netanyahu visit: Report | According to Israeli news outlet Walla, the Israeli prime minister was hoping to visit prior to legislative elections, but Cairo conditioned trip on support for two-state solution | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 14: 08 | Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, right, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, on t…
(2021-02-03). 'Unlawful': Backlash against Egypt's plan to offer Covid-19 vaccine for money. middleeasteye.net 
'Unlawful': Backlash against Egypt's plan to offer Covid-19 vaccine for money | As Cairo is set to charge the majority of the public for the coronavirus jab, one lawyer launches a legal challenge against the country's president arguing the decision is unconstitutional | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 10: 04 | Egypt's Health Minister Hala Zayed speaks during a news conference announcing the details o…
(2021-02-03). Normalisation deals with Israel 'not a substitute for peace', State Department says. middleeasteye.net 
Normalisation deals with Israel 'not a substitute for peace', State Department says | Peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine still 'very important', spokesperson Ned Price says | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 16: 19 | US State Department spokesman Ned Price speaks at his first daily press briefing at State Department on 2 February (AFP/File photo) | Recently cemented normalisation deals between several Arab count…
(2021-02-03). Caught in tangled web of vaccine nationalism. mronline.org 
As known COVID-19 infections exceed 100 million internationally, with more than two million lives lost, rich countries are now quarrelling publicly over access to limited vaccine supplies. With 'vaccine nationalism' widespread, multilateral arrangements have not been able to address current challenges well.
(2021-02-03). Covid-19: Tunisia and occupied Palestinian territory to receive vaccine via Covax. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: Tunisia and occupied Palestinian territory to receive vaccine via Covax | Both areas were given vaccines from Covax after meeting the requirements for the programme | Wed, 02/03/2021 – 13: 38 | The World Health Organisation said that Tunisia would receive 37,000 shots from Pfizer and BioNTech with the Palestinians getting 93,600 (AFP)
| Tunisia and the occupied Palestinian t…
(2021-02-03). After Most US Troops Pull Out of Somalia, Some Reenter for Training. anti-empire.com 
Editor's note: It appears the Pentagon never even fully withdrew as Trump had told them to, but kept some behind with an eye to Biden. |
| The U.S. military on Sunday held its first training engagement in Somalia after the recent drawdown of most American troops stationed there, Africa Command announced Monday. | "Our first engagement back into Somalia so quickly after the repositioning shows we remain committed to our Somali and regional partners and support their fight against violent extremism," U.S.
(2021-02-03). Top Turkish, Norwegian diplomats discuss relations. yenisafak.com Turkish and Norwegian foreign ministers on Wednesday met virtually and discussed bilateral relations, regional and global developments.In a Twitter post, Turkey's Mevlut Cavusoglu said he discussed bilateral relations and recent developments in Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria, Libya, the US, and the East Mediterranean with his Norwegian counterpart Eriksen Soreide.Turkey and Norway maintained its "bilateral trade volume despite the pandemic," Cavusoglu noted, and wished "further cooperation in every field, particularly energy."Meanwhile, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said in a Twitter post that Soreide had a "good and f…
(2021-02-03). Palestine gives first doses of coronavirus vaccine to healthcare workers. laprensalatina.com Hebron, West Bank, Feb 3 (efe-epa).- Palestine started its coronavirus vaccine rollout on Wednesday, administering the first doses to healthcare workers. The Palestinian National Authority received its first 5,000 doses of the BioNTech vaccine from Israel on Saturday. This comes a few days after the PNA's foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki told the United Nations Security …
(2021-02-03). Dutch court orders Shell to pay Nigerian farmers over oil spills. zcomm.org The energy company's Nigerian subsidiary must pay out over a 2008 case, Court of Appeal in The Hague rules…
(2021-02-03). Urgent steps needed to alleviate suffering in Ethiopia's Tigray region: Guterres. news.un.org The United Nations Secretary-General, on Tuesday, voiced grave concerns over the crisis in Ethiopia's Tigray region and underscored the need for urgent efforts to protect populations at risk.
(2021-02-03). Qatar Airways to cut costs by $1.2 bln after Gulf deal. yenisafak.com The reopening of Arab airspace to Qatari flights will decrease costs by around $1.2 billion, the executive chairman of Qatar Airways said. | "The reopening of airspace following the Gulf reconciliation will have a positive impact on the company's financial performance," Akbar al-Baker told the state television in an interview late Tuesday. | Last month, Qatar signed a reconciliation agreement with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to heal their rift, which started in 2017. | The Saudi-led bloc accused Qatar of "supporting terrorism" and severed diplomatic and trade relations with Doha, whi…
(2021-02-03). 'Meaningful and inclusive' dialogue essential to end upsurge in clashes across Central African Republic. news.un.org The UN chief António Guterres on Wednesday said he continues to be "very concerned" about armed clashes and the threat to civilian life across the Central African Republic, where around 200,000 have been displaced by fighting in under two months.
(2021-02-03). Where does the Sudanese Revolution stand today? peoplesdispatch.org Dr. Fathi Elfad of the Sudanese Communist Party talks about the developments in Sudan over the past two years, the betrayal of the revolution by certain political forces and the party's stand on the future…
(2021-02-02). Netanyahu to visit UAE next week in first trip post-normalisation. middleeasteye.net 
Netanyahu to visit UAE next week in first trip post-normalisation | Israeli premier said he would travel to Abu Dhabi and would 'possibly make a lightning visit to Bahrain'
| Tue, 02/02/2021 – 19: 26 | The UAE and Israel signed a US-brokered agreement to normalise ties in September during a ceremony at White House (AFP/File photo) | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he planned to pa…
(2021-02-02). UAE confident F-35 jets sale will go through despite Biden review, says ambassador. middleeasteye.net 
UAE confident F-35 jets sale will go through despite Biden review, says ambassador | UAE ambassador to Washington, Yousef al-Otaiba, says if US plans to pivot from Middle East to China it cannot 'take tools away from your partners' | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 15: 52 | The US agreed to sale of F-35 jets to Abu Dhabi following normalisation agreement between UAE and Israel (AFP) | The United Arab Emirates is confident t…
(2021-02-02). Aboriginal Historical Memory and 'Australia Day'. thealtworld.com The symbolic "Australia Day" celebrations should be juxtaposed against the normalised violations occurring against indigenous populations and their terrain, Ramona Wadi writes. | January 26 marks Australia Day in colonial narratives, when the British First Fleet arrived in 1788 to establish a penal colony on indigenous land. For the Aboriginal people, the annual commemoration is a reminder of the colonial invasion and its ramifications — the historical massacres, heritage theft, exploitation of history and a political system which to date discriminates against the indigenous. | Defying Covid restrictions, A…
(2021-02-02). Biden urged to publicly support rights of citizens to boycott Israel. middleeasteye.net 
Biden urged to publicly support rights of citizens to boycott Israel | Human Rights Watch calls on Biden administration to renounce Trump-era policy that labelled BDS movement as antisemitic | Tue, 02/02/2021 – 16: 47 | The BDS movement was founded in 2005 and modelled after a similar campaign credited with ending apartheid in South Africa (AFP/File photo) | A leading human rights group has called on US Presid…
(2021-02-02). Headlines for February 2, 2021. democracynow.org U.S. Tops 26 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Shots, Surpassing Confirmed Coronavirus Cases , Biden Takes Executive Action to Reverse Trump Immigration Policies as Deportations Continue, Senate Republicans Meet at White House to Press Far Smaller Coronavirus Relief Bill, South Africa Receives First COVID-19 Vaccines; New Variant Linked to Reinfections in Brazil, WHO Team Probes Virus Origins in Wuhan; Australia Puts Perth on Lockdown After Single COVID-19 Case, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Reveals She Is a Sexual Assault Survivor in Video Recalling Jan. 6 Capitol Attack, Trump Hires New Lawyers. One Declined to Prosecute Bil…
(2021-02-02). Biden's Nominee For New Cabinet-Level Science Position is Epstein-Linked Geneticist. thelastamericanvagabond.com CRISPR gene-editing expert Eric Lander, Biden's director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, is awaiting Senate confirmation to serve in a new Cabinet-level position in the Biden administration. Jeffrey Epstein, the eugenicist pedophile and sex trafficker, bragged about funding Lander's research and was photographed taking part in at least one meeting with him.
(2021-02-02). Aboriginal Historical Memory and 'Australia Day'. strategic-culture.org The symbolic "Australia Day" celebrations should be juxtaposed against the normalised violations occurring against indigenous populations and their terrain, Ramona Wadi writes. | January 26 marks Australia Day in colonial narratives, when the British First Fleet arrived in 1788 to establish a penal colony on indigenous land. For the Aboriginal people, the annual commemoration is a reminder of the colonial invasion and its ramifications — the historical massacres, heritage theft, exploitation of history and a political system which to date discriminates against the indigenous. | Defying Covid restrictions, A…
(2021-02-02). Drug traffickers gaining clout in Chilean capital. laprensalatina.com By Sebastian Silva Santiago, Feb 2 (efe-epa).- Even the youngest children have learned the street codes in some neighborhoods on the southern periphery of Santiago. Every time they hear fireworks or firecrackers, they know that they must return home: a new shipment of drugs has arrived and they need to take cover. "We can't normalize …
(2021-02-02). Court Orders Shell To Pay Nigerian Farmers Over Oil Spills. popularresistance.org A Dutch court has ordered the Nigerian subsidiary of Shell to pay compensation over oil spills in Nigeria's Niger Delta, a ruling which could pave the way for more cases against multinational oil firms. | The Court of Appeal in The Hague on Friday ruled that the Nigerian arm of the British-Dutch company must issue payouts over a long-running civil case involving four Nigerian farmers who were seeking compensation, and a clean-up, from the company over pollution caused by leaking oil pipelines. | It held Shell's Nigerian subsidiary liable for two leaks that spewed oil over an area of a total of about 60 football p…
(2021-02-02). Kosovo establishes diplomatic relations with Israel, will open embassy in Jerusalem. peoplesdispatch.org Kosovo is the latest in a line of countries which have decided to normalize their relations with Israel, while being only the third to open its embassy in Jerusalem…
(2021-02-02). Human rights: Widespread attacks in DR Congo may amount to crimes against humanity. news.un.org The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has warned against potential crimes against humanity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following a spike in attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed group, in two provinces in the east of the country.
(2021-02-02). Some 130,000 Israelis Have Visited UAE Since Normalization of Relations, Ambassador Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Some 130,000 Israelis visited the United Arab Emirates since the normalization of relations under the US-brokered Abraham Accords over the past few months, UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousel Al Otaiba said on Tuesday.
(2021-02-02). Libyan factions meet in Geneva to decide on interim government. peoplesdispatch.org Representatives of Libyan groups are meeting in Geneva from February 1-5 to decide on a prime minister and a three-member presidency council from a list of 45 candidates…
(2021-02-02). Does Iran's Government Persecute Its Christian Population? thelastamericanvagabond.com A report published last year by experts working at the United Nations has been repeatedly cited, especially throughout Right-Wing press in the United States, as proof that Iran persecutes its Christian population for practicing their faith. But are these charges true, or is there more to the story? Iran's constitution unequivocally protects the rights of
(2021-02-01). The Appointment of Samantha Power is Bad News for USAID. counterpunch.org 
For all its faults, USAID — the US Agency for International Development — will be one of the most vitally important agencies of the Biden administration. The confluence of Covid-19, global warming, famines in the Horn of Africa, forced migration and a series of unending proxy wars in the Middle East is a perfect storm that
(2021-02-01). The Appointment of Samantha Powers is Bad News for USAID. counterpunch.org For all its faults, USAID — the US Agency for International Development — will be one of the most vitally important agencies of the Biden administration. The confluence of Covid-19, global warming, famines in the Horn of Africa, forced migration and a series of unending proxy wars in the Middle East is a perfect storm that
(2021-02-01). South Africa receives its first 1 million-dose batch of Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com 
The first coronavirus vaccine shipment to South Africa has arrived in the country, as it struggles with the continent's highest caseload alongside a more transmissible strain of the virus. | A plane carrying the vaccines touched down at OR Tambo international airport on Monday. The load of one million AstraZeneca jabs, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII), were warmly welcomed, with President Cyril Ramaphosa and other high-ranking officials in attendance. | Late in January, the president
(2021-02-01). England's health officials begin urgent tests amid fears South African Covid strain now spreading in communities. rt.com 
Urgent testing for the highly contagious South African strain of Covid has been ordered by Public Health England (PHE) as 11 cases were reported across Britain by Monday afternoon amid growing fears of community transmission. | Authorities are to step up testing for the new variant in London, the Southeast and the Midlands. So far, PHE has ordered new tests in eight separate areas of England. | Initially, PHE reported two people who had no travel links to South Africa tested positive for the mutant strain in Surrey on Monday morning. | Just like the UK mutant strain discovered in November, the South Africa var…
(2021-02-01). Afghanistan War Exposed: An Imperial Conspiracy. popularresistance.org The perpetual occupation of Afghanistan has become so normalized and mostly serves as background noise to Americans -it's even jokingly referred to as the "forever war" – accepted as just a constant reality. A soldier dies now and again. A couple dozen civilians get killed in another bombing. It's never enough to stir the population to pressure Washington to stop it. The endless war drags on. | Abby Martin covers the whole truth about the Afghanistan War, from the CIA construct of the 80's through today's senseless stalemate. Two decades, three administrations, tens of thousands of lives; it's time to #EndTheFore…
(2021-02-01). Camp: It's Now or Never — We Stare Into the Abyss. scheerpost.com By Lee Camp / Original to ScheerPost This column is hopeful. I promise. The northern white rhinoceros is now functionally extinct. Sudan — the last male of his kind — passed away recently. There are two females remaining but obviously they can produce no more of their species without a male — and mating with nearby giraffes is not something in which they seem interested. This is not the end but… |
(2021-02-01). Arabic press review: Parental violence against children on the rise in Iraq. middleeasteye.net 
Arabic press review: Parental violence against children on the rise in Iraq | Meanwhile, a US diplomat says Washington has failed Syria, Egypt appoints convicted security director as senior state official, and Kuwait investigates entire embassy staff in Cuba over house-storming incident | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 13: 58 | Iraqi pupils wearing masks attend class on the first day of the new academic year…
(2021-02-01). Jared Kushner nominated for Nobel peace prize for brokering Israeli-Arab deals. middleeasteye.net 
Jared Kushner nominated for Nobel peace prize for brokering Israeli-Arab deals | Trump's son-in-law and his deputy Berkowitz have been nominated by a friendly attorney who defended the former president in his impeachment trial | Mon, 02/01/2021 – 06: 42 | Jared Kushner played a key role in brokering Israel's normalisation deals with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Moroccco (AF…
(2021-02-01). Uganda's presidential election challenged in court. yenisafak.com Recent presidential elections in Uganda, won by President Yoweri Museveni, have been challenged in the country's top court by opposition leader Bobi Wine.Ugandan pop music star Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, Monday challenged the recent presidential elections in Supreme Court.The East African country's Electoral Commission on Jan. 16 announced Yoweri Museveni as the winner in the elections held on Jan. 14 followed by Bobi Wine, who refused to concede defeat.His legal team comprising over 10 lawyers is led by Medard Ssegona and Anthony Wameri.Briefly addressing the media outside the court, Medard…
(2021-02-01). Under the Current Rules, Vaccines Are Only Going To Rich Countries That Can Afford It. commondreams.org Despite Bill Gates' stated commitment to an equitable distribution of the Covid vaccine, he is refusing to back South Africa and India's calls for a waiver on patents. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gates_2.jpg …
(2021-02-01). Greek schools reopen despite 3rd Covid wave fears. laprensalatina.com Athens, Feb 1 (efe-epa).- Greece reopened secondary schools on Monday as fears of a third wave forced the government to tighten restrictions. The full or partial opening of high schools was announced ten days ago, after almost three months of closure. Authorities in Thessaloniki detected the first confirmed case of the South African variant of …
(2021-02-01). UN independent experts call for 'justice, accountability and reparation to victims' in Sudan. news.un.org Recent intercommunal violence and deadly attacks in Darfur have prompted two independent UN human rights experts on Monday to urge the Government of Sudan to urgently implement strong measures to ensure the safety of civilians, including the internally displaced.
(2021-02-01). UN envoy condemns terrorist attack on hotel in Somalia. news.un.org The United Nations envoy for Somalia has strongly condemned Sunday's terrorist attack on a hotel near the international airport in capital Mogadishu that left at least five people dead and dozens more wounded.
(2021-02-01). Libya vote offers renewal and reconciliation chance, says veteran UN negotiator. news.un.org All Libyans have a chance at national reconciliation and renewal once the country's representatives, who have begun meeting in Switzerland, vote on a new executive, UN negotiator Stephanie Williams said on Monday.
(2021-02-01). Sudan's Political Forces Distribute Portfolios in Future Government – Coalition. sputniknews.com KHARTOUM (Sputnik) – Political forces in Sudan have reached an agreement on the composition of the new transitional government, Al-Tijani Mustafa, a senior member of the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) alliance, told Sputnik on Monday.
(2021-02-01). City-State or Empire? The United Arab Emirates Seeks dominance in the Horn of Africa. juancole.com By Usman Butt | — ( Middle East Monitor) — Since the 2011 Arab Spring the United Arab Emirates has been taking an active role in a number of hotspots from Egypt, Libya to Yemen. The Gulf nation has spent $26 billion annually on its defence budget since 2016 and this is expected to increase …