2021-12-05: News Headlines

_____ (2021-12-05). Will Ethiopia Become Biden's Libya 2.0 or a Driver for an African Renaissance? strategic-culture.org The situation in Ethiopia is rather simple to understand as long as you don't believe western media spin doctors, Matthew Ehret writes. | Many westerners trying to make sense of the events in the "dark continent" of Africa have many barriers standing in the way of their minds and reality. This must be the case, for without such filters of spin proclaiming Africa's problems to be self-induced (or the consequence of Chinese debt slavery), we in the west, might actually feel horrified enough to demand systemic change. We might come to recognize that the plight of Africa has less to do with Africa and more to do with…

Mnar Adley (2021-12-05). Camila Saab Speaks Out: Wife of Venezuelan Diplomat "Kidnapped" by US Gov't Talks to MintPress. orinocotribune.com While Washington cannot choose the president of Venezuela, it can make life impossible for officials, such as Alex Saab, who attempt to defy its sanctions regime. | On Wednesday, November 24, MintPress News Editor in Chief Mnar Adley sat down to speak with Camila Saab, the wife of imprisoned Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab. | Saab was on a diplomatic mission to Iran in June 2020, where he was tasked with securing deals for food, medicine and personal protective equipment. His plane stopped off in Cabo Verde — a group of islands off the west coast of Africa — for a routine refueling. | He would never fin…

WSWS (2021-12-05). UN's highest ever humanitarian appeal falls on imperialism's deaf ears. wsws.org There was no mention of the appeal in the world's press, testifying to the degree to which starvation and misery are not only being normalized but becoming the policy of choice—a weapon in the hands of the major imperialist powers that speak for their corporate and financial oligarchs, and their puppet regimes in the world's poorest countries…

Rick Rozoff (2021-12-05). Turkey offers to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Turkey possesses NATO's second-largest population and second-largest armed forces. It has provided 24 Bayraktar TB2 combat drones of the sort used against Russian allies in Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia to Ukraine, which have been used in Donetsk, and has a contract in the works with Ukraine to produce over 500 Bayraktar and Akinci drones, …

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-04). The Supreme Council of Libyan Tribes Calls for Continued Protests in Sebha. libya360.wordpress.com The head of the Supreme Council of Tribes and Cities of Fezzan in Libya, Abu Sbeiha, called on the people of the south to demonstrate tomorrow, Sunday, in front of the headquarters of the High Electoral Commission in Sebha. In his Facebook post, Abu Sbeiha urged citizens to demonstrate to demand "the impartiality of the…

_____ (2021-12-04). Backed By AFRICOM, Corporations Plunder DR Congo. popularresistance.org Cobalt, A Key Metallic Element Used In Lithium Batteries And Other "Green" Technology, Is Sourced From Slave Labor In The Democratic Republic Of Congo. As The West Points The Finger At China, The US Africa Command Is Indirectly Policing Mining Operations That Profit US Corporations.

_____ (2021-12-04). #NoMore Censorship Of Africa's Roving Digital Army Of Peace. popularresistance.org At approximately 5 am PST on November 29th, I awoke to an almost uninterrupted buzz of text messages from my cell phone. I turned to my nightstand, put my glasses on and quickly learned through concerned friends that my Twitter account had been taken down. Naturally, I logged on to Twitter. From one account to the next, including my "burners", I received an error message indicating that each account had been suspended. I was given no explanation. How could Twitter take down all my accounts without any explanation? What did I do to deserve such an honor? It didn't take long for me to discover that I wasn't alone.

Pavan Kulkarni (2021-12-04). Newly elected General Secretary of Abahlali baseMjondolo vows: "We will resist" peoplesdispatch.org The congress of Abahlali baseMjondolo, held at a time of severe repression but also of expanding influence, has laid out for South Africa's shack-dwellers' movement the road ahead for the next three years.

Dongsheng News (2021-12-04). News on China | No. 78. dissidentvoice.org Meeting in Dakar, Senegal, China announces that it will donate 600 million doses of vaccines for African countries and produce 400 million doses in partnership with African countries. China will send 500 specialists for ten agriculture and poverty alleviation projects on the continent, among other commitments. Macao tightens regulations on casino operators. The ex-Portuguese colony …

Sam Manuel (2021-12-04). Rejecting self-defense claim, jury convicts killers of Ahmaud Arbery. themilitant.com ATLANTA — Three men involved in the vigilante-style entrapment and killing of 25-year-old African American jogger Ahmaud Arbery last year were found guilty Nov. 24 in a unanimous verdict by a nearly all-white jury. | Arbery was chased and gunned down by Travis McMichael while his father, Gregory McMichael, a retired county investigator, drew down on the youth with his pistol from the back of their truck. They were joined in the assault by William Bryan, a neighbor who used his truck to help the McMichaels trap Arbery "like a rat," the elder McMichael told investigators. | Only after protests swelled in the…

WSWS (2021-12-04). Global vaccine inequality: "A policy decision by the rich countries" wsws.org African Union officials estimate the COVAX global vaccine distribution scheme will deliver just 470 million doses to African countries by the end of December, less than a quarter of the 2 billion needed to deliver two shots to its entire adult population.

Staff (2021-12-04). CNE Discusses Procedure to Include Venezuelan Migrants in Electoral Registry. orinocotribune.com Ahead of the 2024 presidential elections, the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela has started to discuss how to incorporate Venezuela's migrant population into the electoral registry. | At a conference held on Friday, December 3, CNE rector Roberto Picón explained that the incorporation of migrants into the registry involves a series of technical and political procedures ranging from the normalization of consular relations with some countries, and the updating of host country immigration records, to an actual voter registration. | In his opinion, the first step need to be taken within the political a…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-04). Moroccans protest normalization of ties with Israel. peoplesdispatch.org On November 29, the the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, protests were held in Rabat against the normalization of relations with Israel and an agreement that was signed between the countries a few days before…

teleSUR (2021-12-04). Mali Reports 31 Civilian Casualties After Attack in Mopti. telesurenglish.net In Mali, the transitional government reported Sunday that 31 civilians were killed and 17 others were wounded in an attack perpetrated by suspected terrorists in Mopti. | RELATED: | On Friday, armed individuals attacked a truck traveling from the Songho village to a fair in Bandiagara town. | According to local press reports, the attackers stopped the vehicle which was set on fire even if there were pregnant women and childr…

2021-12-06 05:42 | 01:42 EST | jz | 16 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 0 

2021-12-04: News Headlines

Editor2 (2021-12-04). Backed by AFRICOM, Corporations Plunder DR Congo for "Climate-Friendly" Materials and Blame China. orinocotribune.com By T.J. Coles — Nov 30, 2021 | Cobalt, a key metallic element used in lithium batteries and other "green" technology, is sourced from slave labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As the West points the finger at China, the US Africa Command is indirectly policing mining operations that profit US corporations. | Ever since Belgium's King Leopold II (1835-1909) established the Congo Free State in 1885, international powers have exploited the region's vast resources. Leading a regime that went on to kill an

WSWS (2021-12-04). Global vaccine inequality: "A policy decision by the rich countries" wsws.org African Union officials estimate the COVAX global vaccine distribution scheme will deliver just 470 million doses to African countries by the end of December, less than a quarter of the 2 billion needed to deliver two shots to its entire adult population.

Jake Johnson (2021-12-04). Marking World AIDS Day, Campaigners Warn 'History Is Repeating Itself With Covid'. zcomm.org "In Africa alone, it's estimated up to 12 million people died needlessly in the time it took to make HIV treatment universally available. We cannot allow it to happen again with Covid-19."

sputniknews (2021-12-04). World Must Not Blame Africa for Undervaccination While Denying Continent Shots – Expert. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The international community should not be blaming African nations for being undervaccinated while at the same time limiting their access to vaccines, South African expert Solly Moeng told Sputnik.

Staff (2021-12-04). Twitter's new censorship policy backfires. rt.com A new policy on personal information has apparently backfired, with the platform claiming it had resulted in a large number of "malicious" and "coordinated" reports against users, some of whom were suspended by "accident." | Twitter spokesman Trenton Kennedy said a new rule barring "the misuse of media" such as photos and videos "to harass or intimidate private individuals" had led it to suspend accounts in error, the Washington Post reported on Friday night. | Read more | | The platform ha…

_____ (2021-12-03). Why We Should Oppose The Democracy Summit. popularresistance.org The exclusion of certain countries from the U.S. "democracy summit" is not a side issue. It is the very purpose of the summit. And excluded countries have not been excluded for failing to meet the standards of behavior of those that were invited or the one doing the inviting. Invitees didn't even have to be countries, as even a U.S. backed failed coup leader from Venezuela has been invited. So have representatives of Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, DRC, Zambia, Angola, Malaysia, Kenya, and — critically — pawns in the game: Taiwan and Ukraine. | What game? The weapons sales game. Which is the whole point. Look…

Ana Malinow (2021-12-03). An Obscure Agency Is Threatening to Hand Medicare Over to Wall Street. truthout.org In the face of massive support for Medicare for All and the failure of the U.S.'s for-profit health care system, the inevitable fall of the medical-industrial complex can be predicted, if not with precision, with certainty. Everyone is aware of the impending demise, none more so than those in charge of the for-profit health care system and their supporters in Congress, as evidenced by the frenetic activity at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to transfer the traditional Medicare p…

sputniknews (2021-12-03). Explosive & Nearing Dominance: What the Data Out of South Africa is Telling Us About Omicron. sputniknews.com The omicron variant of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, first identified in South Africa, has quickly spread throughout the world. Cases have emerged in Europe, the United States, Australia, and China. The World Health Organization has labeled it a variant of concern.

teleSUR (2021-12-03). Presence of Omicron Variant Confirmed by WHO in 38 Countries. telesurenglish.net World Health Organization (WHO) authorities have detected the presence of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 in 38 countries, although the Delta strain continues to be the most prevalent worldwide. | Maria Van Kerkhove, head of health emergencies at the WHO, stated during a press conference from its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland: "So far, omicron has been reported in 38 countries in all six WHO regions, with a significant increase in infections in Africa. But the Delta variant contin…

F. William Engdahl (2021-12-03). Who Gains from Ethiopia Tigray War? dissidentvoice.org If you want to know who is likely to be at war, just look at who is given the Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian (NATO) Parliament. Obama got it just days into office before he escalated the war in Afghanistan. Henry Kissinger got it in the 1970'S. And two years ago the Prime Minister …

WSWS (2021-12-03). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Danish nurses organise wildcat stoppage and mass resignation in protest at pay and working conditions in defiance of government and unions; French transport workers, including bus, tram and train drivers, continue wave of strikes over pay and conditions; South African gold miners at Sibanye-Stillwater poised to join strikes of Clover dairy and Massmart store workers over pay; protests in Lebanon over continuing economic crisis plunging six million into poverty…

_____ (2021-12-03). China is Not Colonizing Africa. popularresistance.org International media are reporting that the Ugandan government has turned over Entebbe airport to a Chinese bank in order to make payment on a loan. "Museveni to surrender Uganda's only international airport over Chinese loan," claimed The Guardian . Similar headlines have appeared widely and all repeat as fact an allegation that Uganda will lose its airport to Exim bank. Uganda has not defaulted on the $200 million loan yet the false bad news continues to be reported. Despite denials from China and Uganda the story continues to circulate and is now accepted as being true.

A Guest Author (2021-12-03). Popular struggle challenges Sudan 'agreement'. workers.org By Carlos Lopes Pereira The author, a veteran of the liberation movement in Guinea and Cape Verde, is a regular contributor of articles on Africa to Avante, the weekly newspaper of the Portuguese Communist Party. This article was published Nov. 25. Translation: John Catalinotto. Popular protests defy tear gas, bullets, . . . |

MEE, agencies (2021-12-03). NSO Group: Israeli company spyware 'hacked US State Department phones'. middleeasteye.net NSO Group: Israeli company spyware 'hacked US State Department phones' | Reuters reports the hacks focused on US officials either based in Uganda or working on matters related to the East African country | Fri, 12/03/2021 – 17: 30 | State Department officials with foreign registered phones were targeted with spyware produced by Israeli cyber company (AFP) | The iPhones of at least nine US…

Anonymous669 (2021-12-03). ISIS Claims Its Cells Carried Out 74 Assassinations In Middle East, South Asia, Central & East Africa. southfront.org ISIS cells in the Middle East, South Asia, Central and East Africa carried out 74 successful assassinations in the first…

Editor2 (2021-12-03). Libya: Protesters Gather in Sebha in Support of Saif Gaddafi, Demanding Free and Fair Elections and an Impartial Judiciary. orinocotribune.com The people of Ghat confirmed that there are those who want to occupy the country and restore colonialism again, and who threaten to divide the country according to the interests of the international powers. | This came during a protest organized by the people of the city of Ghat in front of the Sebha Court of First Instance to support the demonstrators against the closure of the court by force. The people added that it is the duty of all of us to unite to save the country from division and refraction, and what is happening in front of the court complex in Sebha, and to prevent them from considering the appeals su…

teleSUR (2021-12-03). Gunmen Attack Four Libyan Election Centers. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, the Libyan High National Elections Commission (HNEC) said that four of its election centers have been attacked by a group of gunmen. | RELATED: | Said Al-Qasabi, head of the main operations chamber of the HNEC, said that gunmen in civilian clothes launched the attacks on Wednesday, taking away 2,312 voter cards and damaging 69 others. Interior Minister Khaled Mazen on Tuesday warned that obstructing the…

MEE staff (2021-12-03). Twitter removes pro-Russia accounts attacking Libyan government. middleeasteye.net Twitter removes pro-Russia accounts attacking Libyan government | Network of accounts were also supportive of Russia's geopolitics in Syria and Libya | Fri, 12/03/2021 – 20: 25 | Over the years, Twitter has removed tens of thousands of accounts that the company found were using its platform to further political interests (AFP/File photo) | Twitter has announced that it removed thousands of accounts linked to s…

_____ (2021-12-03). Battle Over Jordan Cove Energy Project Is Over After Developers Pull Plug. popularresistance.org The bitter and protracted battle over the Jordan Cove Energy Project has finally come to a close. The Calgary-based Pembina company formally asked federal energy regulators Wednesday to withdraw authorizations for the proposed pipeline and liquified natural gas export terminal in southwest Oregon. Pembina's plan called for a 229-mile-long natural gas pipeline that would have run from Malin, Oregon, on the California border, over the Coast Range to Coos Bay. The gas would then have been super-cooled into a liquified form (LNG), loaded onto ships and exported to Asia.

Monica Cruz (2021-12-03). US Supreme Court might sabotage abortion access nationally. peoplesdispatch.org The right to abortion is under imminent threat as the Supreme Court begins deliberations on a case which may chart the path to overturn the landmark ruling in Roe V. Wade, which established a constitutional right to abortion in 1973. On December 1, the court heard arguments in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which examines the constitutionality of a Mississippi state law banning abortions after the fifteenth week of pregnancy, except in cases of medical emergencies or fetal abnormalities. The six justices who make up the conservative majority in the court have expressed favorability towards…

Staff (2021-12-03). Hoteles de La Habana listos para el turismo de eventos. cubadebate.cu Emblemáticos hoteles de La Habana se alistan para acoger en sus salones a parte de los 160 eventos nacionales e internacionales planificados en Cuba para el próximo año, ofreciendo servicios de excelencia y acorde a las características de la nueva normalidad.

WSWS (2021-12-03). UK mother Lisa Diaz faces malicious prosecution for her stand over unsafe, COVID-infested schools. wsws.org "I can't help feeling that they are threatening me because I have been so vocal in speaking out against the spread of COVID in schools and the dangers."

2021-12-04 19:06 | 15:06 EST | jz | 24 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 0