2020-12-25: News Headlines

MEE staff (2020-12-25). Netanyahu invites Morocco's King Mohammed VI to visit Israel. middleeasteye.net Netanyahu invites Morocco's King Mohammed VI to visit Israel | Morocco is the fourth Arab nation to normalise ties with Israel in exchange for various incentives | Fri, 12/25/2020 – 22: 45 | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Morocco's King Mohammed VI congratulated each other over the renewal of ties between the countries (AFP) | Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Morocco's King Mohammed…

MEE and agencies (2020-12-25). Libya's Khalifa Haftar urges his forces to 'drive out' Turkish soldiers. middleeasteye.net Libya's Khalifa Haftar urges his forces to 'drive out' Turkish soldiers | Eastern commander called Ankara a 'coloniser' and said there would be no peace until Turkish troops leave the country | Fri, 12/25/2020 – 17: 45 | Haftar's forces have been backed by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt (AFP/File photo) | Libya's eastern commander Khalifa Haftar has called on his fighters to "drive out…

Mustafa Abu Sneineh (2020-12-25). Al-Akhbar under cyberattack for reporting Saudi and Emirati bankrolling Israel deals. middleeasteye.net Al-Akhbar under cyberattack for reporting Saudi and Emirati bankrolling Israel deals | The Lebanese newspaper published a report on Riyadh and Abu Dhabi's plans to finance the new Arab normalisation agreements with Israel
| Fri, 12/25/2020 – 11: 56 | The reception space of the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper office in Beirut (Screengrab\Haitham al-Mousawi) | The website of the Le…

Online News Editor (2020-12-25). South Africa reports record daily number of Covid-19 cases. laprensalatina.com Johannesburg, Dec 25 (efe-epa).- South Africa reported a record 14,305 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours amid a second wave of the virus, driven by a potent new variant. According to the latest figures, which run up until Thursday, South Africa, the epicenter of the virus in Africa, has logged a total of 968,500 …

F. William Engdahl (2020-12-25). 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.

Gilbert Achcar (2020-12-25). The First Decade of the Arab Revolutionary Process. zcomm.org Ten years ago, a young street vendor in the town of Sidi Bouzid in central Tunisia sparked a political firestorm that soon engulfed the whole country, before spreading across the entire Arabic-speaking region, in what has been known since 2011 as the 'Arab Spring'

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-12-24). Arabic press review: UAE sends expired Covid-19 kits to Gaza. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: UAE sends expired Covid-19 kits to Gaza | Meanwhile, Kuwait detains six children recruited by Islamic State group via video games; new trial faces Algerian journalist released after serving term for threatening national unity | Thu, 12/24/2020 – 12: 37 | A Palestinian medical worker performs a Covid-19 test on a woman at a mosque in Gaza City on 20 September 2020 | UAE s…

RT (2020-12-24). Another variant of coronavirus 'seems to have emerged' in Nigeria — Africa's disease control agency. rt.com The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday that a new strain of the coronavirus appears to have emerged in Nigeria, but further investigation is needed. | "It's a separate lineage from the UK and the South African lineages," John Nkengasong, director of the CDC, told reporters from Addis Ababa. "The one we are seeing in Nigeria, and this is based on very limited data yet, has the 501 mutation," he said, referring to the variant termed 501.V2 and announced by South African health officials on December 18. | Britain had earlier reported a new strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that…

teleSUR (2020-12-24). Venezuela Calls for a Humanitarian Measure on Saab's Case. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Ministry urged Cape Verde's government to grant a humanitarian measure to Venezuelan citizen Alex Saab who has been detained in that country since June as a result of a request made by the United States. | RELATED: | Highlighting the deterioration of Saab's health condition, Venezuela pointed out that all procedural timelines established by the Cape Verdean justice system to reach a conc…

Editor (2020-12-24). America's Christmas Gift to Africa? War Crimes. scheerpost.com The U.S. Army / CC BY 2.0] By Maj. Danny Sjursen / AntiWar Ethiopia has pursued "legitimate" military action in its Tigray province since early November, according Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairman of the African Union (AU) Commission. Maybe. It does seem that the northern state's regional forces — the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) — attacked federal military bases on November 4 and may… |

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-24). Morocco and the Grand Bargain with US and Israel. peoplesdispatch.org A deal to normalize diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel was signed at the Rabat's Royal Palace, on December 22 in Morocco. The deal has been criticized by prominent Palestinian organizations, as well as by Iran and Hezbollah.

news.un (2020-12-24). Central African Republic: Pre-election violence 'must stop' — UN envoy. news.un.org Days before Sunday's election, armed clashes in the Central African Republic (CAR) have prompted the "serious concern" of the UN aid coordinator in the country.

_____ (2020-12-24). 'There Won't Be Snow In Africa This Christmas'. popularresistance.org Ethiopia has pursued "legitimate" military action in its Tigray province since early November, according Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chairman of the African Union (AU) Commission. Maybe. | It does seem that the northern state's regional forces — the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) — attacked federal military bases on November 4 and may even have executed some surrendering soldiers. Still, one suspects something a bit more complicated afoot inside America's "strategic linchpin" partner on Africa's Horn. In fact, that Ethiopia — particularly its Western-favorite of a prime minister, Abiy Ahme…

Malik Washington (2020-12-24). Racist practices at the SF Health Service System will no longer be tolerated: Remove Mitch. indybay.org SF Bay View Editor Malik Washington reports on systemic racism in the SF Health Service System…

Pavan Kulkarni (2020-12-24). Sudan and Ethiopia fail to reach an agreement on border demarcation. peoplesdispatch.org The meeting between the authorities of the two countries to demarcate the land border came a week after the attack on a Sudanese army patrol by Ethiopian forces on December 15. The failure of talks may lead to more clashes…

National Union of the Homeless (2020-12-24). Wednesday 12/23: Honoring South African & U.S. Homelessness Activists w/ National Union of the Homeless. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

Ronnie Kasrils (2020-12-23). Against the witch-hunt. mronline.org Veteran of the fight against Apartheid RONNIE KASRILS warns that the IHRA is being used to suppress left-wing supporters of Palestine, just as anti-communist hysteria was used against the national-liberation movement in South Africa…

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-23). 'Tie normalization with Tel Aviv a stab in back of Palestine'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 24 (MNA) — Head of political Bureau of Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said that tie normalization with the Zionist regime is a stab in the back of Palestine and Islamic Ummah.

Chad Marlow (2020-12-23). A Tale of Two Body Camera Videos. aclu.org Over the past month, two high-profile incidents reaffirmed why police body cameras cannot serve as a police transparency and accountability tool as long as state law empowers the police to determine what footage the public gets to see. As we have said

sputniknews (2020-12-23). Morocco Urges Biden to 'Preserve' Trump's Recognition of Its Western Sahara Sovereignty Claims. sputniknews.com While all of the recent peace deals between Israel and Muslim nations have come under fire for one reason or another, the most recent accord with Morocco has attracted a bevy of naysayers from the highest echelons of US political circles as well.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-12-23). EU Ramps Up Fight Against Pollution With Ban on Plastic Waste Exports to Poorer Countries. commondreams.org "This is an important milestone in fighting plastic pollution, transitioning shifting to a circular economy, and achieving the aims of the European Green Deal." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty-plastics-kenya-2_0.jpg

Abayomi Azikiwe (2020-12-23). The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Project (GERD) and the Quest for African Unity. globalresearch.ca Since November 4, the focus of the international community in their observations of the internal conflict in Ethiopia has largely been centered on the central government's suppression of a rebellion against its authority in the northern region of Tigray. | Within …

commondreams (2020-12-23). Center for Constitutional Rights Condemns Arrest and Detention of Human Rights Defenders in Uganda. commondreams.org ______________________________…

John Whitehead (2020-12-22). What If Jesus Had Been Born in the American Police State? mintpressnews.com The Christmas story of a baby born in a manger is a familiar one. The Roman Empire, a police state in its own right, had ordered that a census be conducted. Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary traveled to the little town of Bethlehem so that they could be counted. There being no room for the couple at any of the inns, they stayed in a stable (a barn), where Mary gave birth to a baby boy, Jesus. Warned that the government planned to kill the baby, Jesus' family fled with him to Egypt until it was safe to return to their native land | Yet what if Jesus had been born 2,000 years later? | What if, instead of being born…

2020-12-24: News Headlines

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-24). Morocco and the Grand Bargain with US and Israel. peoplesdispatch.org A deal to normalize diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel was signed at the Rabat's Royal Palace, on December 22 in Morocco. The deal has been criticized by prominent Palestinian organizations, as well as by Iran and Hezbollah.

Malik Washington (2020-12-24). Racist practices at the SF Health Service System will no longer be tolerated: Remove Mitch. indybay.org SF Bay View Editor Malik Washington reports on systemic racism in the SF Health Service System…

National Union of the Homeless (2020-12-24). Wednesday 12/23: Honoring South African & U.S. Homelessness Activists w/ National Union of the Homeless. indybay.org Online via Zoom…

RT (2020-12-23). France sends warplanes to Central African Republic for flyover to prop up president ahead of vote in former colony. rt.com French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed sending fighter planes on a flyover mission in the Central African Republic, as a show of condemnation of "attempts to destabilize" the country ahead of a general election. | Macron "ordered a flyover of Central African territory by fighter planes" at the request of CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, and it took place on Wednesday, the Elysee Palace said in a

Ronnie Kasrils (2020-12-23). Against the witch-hunt. mronline.org Veteran of the fight against Apartheid RONNIE KASRILS warns that the IHRA is being used to suppress left-wing supporters of Palestine, just as anti-communist hysteria was used against the national-liberation movement in South Africa…

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-23). 'Tie normalization with Tel Aviv a stab in back of Palestine'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 24 (MNA) — Head of political Bureau of Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said that tie normalization with the Zionist regime is a stab in the back of Palestine and Islamic Ummah.

news.un (2020-12-23). Uganda: UN food assistance programme hit as COVID-19 dries funding. news.un.org The UN World Food Programme (WFP) will have to further reduce food rations and cash assistance for more than 1.2 million refugees in Uganda due to a funding shortfall, the agency has said, calling for urgent resources to sustain aid efforts.

teleSUR (2020-12-23). UN Regains Control of Bambary City in Central African Republic. telesurenglish.net The United Nations on Wednesday said that UN peacekeepers have regained control of Bambari, a Central African Republic (CAR) city taken by armed rebels. | RELATED: | "The rebels were pushed back into the bush, and the residents of Bambari who had fled began to return," the UN peacekeeping mission in the CAR (MINUSCA) spokesperson Abdoulaziz Fall said. | On Tuesday, Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (U…

Chad Marlow (2020-12-23). A Tale of Two Body Camera Videos. aclu.org Over the past month, two high-profile incidents reaffirmed why police body cameras cannot serve as a police transparency and accountability tool as long as state law empowers the police to determine what footage the public gets to see. As we have said

commondreams (2020-12-23). Center for Constitutional Rights Condemns Arrest and Detention of Human Rights Defenders in Uganda. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-12-23). EU Ramps Up Fight Against Pollution With Ban on Plastic Waste Exports to Poorer Countries. commondreams.org "This is an important milestone in fighting plastic pollution, transitioning shifting to a circular economy, and achieving the aims of the European Green Deal." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/getty-plastics-kenya-2_0.jpg

Abayomi Azikiwe (2020-12-23). The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Project (GERD) and the Quest for African Unity. globalresearch.ca Since November 4, the focus of the international community in their observations of the internal conflict in Ethiopia has largely been centered on the central government's suppression of a rebellion against its authority in the northern region of Tigray. | Within …

sputniknews (2020-12-23). Morocco Urges Biden to 'Preserve' Trump's Recognition of Its Western Sahara Sovereignty Claims. sputniknews.com While all of the recent peace deals between Israel and Muslim nations have come under fire for one reason or another, the most recent accord with Morocco has attracted a bevy of naysayers from the highest echelons of US political circles as well.

Staff (2020-12-22). Black Critical Care Dr. Taison Bell of UVA on Fighting COVID, Racism & Securing Fair Vaccine Access. democracynow.org More than 40 countries have temporarily suspended some or all travel from the United Kingdom after British health officials announced a highly infectious variant of the novel coronavirus has been spreading in the country. South Africa has detected a similar variant. The new variant is believed to be 70% more contagious, but health experts say existing vaccines will still be effective against it. "What's important to remember is that mutations will naturally happen in the course of a virus that's in the community and circulating," says Dr. Taison Bell, critical care and infectious disease physician at the Universi…

MEE and agencies (2020-12-22). UN calls for $156m to aid Ethiopian refugees in Sudan. middleeasteye.net UN calls for $156m to aid Ethiopian refugees in Sudan | United Nations seeking access to war-torn Tigray region of Ethiopia, from where hundreds of thousands have been displaced | Tue, 12/22/2020 – 16: 37 | Ethiopian refugees who fled fighting in Tigray receive maternity care in the Hamdaiet area of Sudan's eastern Kassala state on 22 November 2020 (AFP) | The United Nations on Tuesday app…

MEE staff (2020-12-22). US authorises aid to Sudan and restores sovereign immunity. middleeasteye.net US authorises aid to Sudan and restores sovereign immunity | The move, which follows Sudan's removal from terror list, shields Khartoum from being sued in US courts | Tue, 12/22/2020 – 18: 10 | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok during a visit to Khartoum (AFP) | The US Congress has passed legislation reinstating Sudan's sovereign immunity, a step that would shield K…

Margaret Flowers (2020-12-22). This Is How We Fight for Our Human Rights. dissidentvoice.org Person arrested protesting for Medicare for All. New York City. 2009 (HealthcareNow.org.) It was ten years ago last week that the Arab Spring began. I recall it well as the day before Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in Tunisia and ignited a revolutionary movement, I stood in the snow for hours protesting outside the …

Online News Editor (2020-12-22). First direct flight between Morocco, Israel lands in Rabat. laprensalatina.com Rabat, Dec 22 (efe-epa).- The first direct commercial flight between Morocco and Israel since the two countries normalized relations landed in Rabat from Tel Aviv on Tuesday with an Israeli-American delegation led by Jared Kushner, son-in-law and advisor to outgoing US president Donald Trump. The flight follows the agreement on the restoration of bilateral ties …

John Whitehead (2020-12-22). What If Jesus Had Been Born in the American Police State? mintpressnews.com The Christmas story of a baby born in a manger is a familiar one. The Roman Empire, a police state in its own right, had ordered that a census be conducted. Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary traveled to the little town of Bethlehem so that they could be counted. There being no room for the couple at any of the inns, they stayed in a stable (a barn), where Mary gave birth to a baby boy, Jesus. Warned that the government planned to kill the baby, Jesus' family fled with him to Egypt until it was safe to return to their native land | Yet what if Jesus had been born 2,000 years later? | What if, instead of being born…

Mohammad Ayesh (2020-12-21). Arabic press review: Saudi Arabia and UAE bankrolling Arab states' Israel deals. middleeasteye.net Arabic press review: Saudi Arabia and UAE bankrolling Arab states' Israel deals | Meanwhile, Jordanian prisoner numbers soar and Egypt revokes citizenship of 17 people under nationality law | Mon, 12/21/2020 – 16: 12 | A Moroccan diplomat said that the UAE and Saudi Arabia were sponsoring normalisation agreements on behalf of the US (AFP) | Saudi Arabia, UAE bankrolling normalisation agreeme…

_____ (2020-12-21). This Is How We Fight For Our Human Rights. popularresistance.org It was ten years ago last week that the Arab Spring began. I recall it well as the day before Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in Tunisia and ignited a revolutionary movement, I stood in the snow for hours protesting outside the White House with hundreds of veterans against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Inside the White House, President Obama was telling the press how well the wars were going. Outside, soldiers who fought in those wars told a different story. | Tired of symbolic actions, many involved in that protest held a series of meetings afterwards that resulted in organizing the occupy encampment on…

Fight Back (2020-12-21). Commentary: Mao greets Stalin's birthday. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following article written by Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong on the 60th birthday of Joseph Stalin | Stalin, Friend of the Chinese People | On the Twenty-first of December, Comrade Stalin will be sixty years old. We can be sure that his birthday will evoke warm and affectionate congratulations from the hearts of all revolutionary people throughout the world who know of the occasion. | Congratulating Stalin is not a formality. Congratulating Stalin means supporting him and his cause, supporting the victory of socialism, and the way forward for mankind which he points out…