2020-12-31: News Headlines

news.un (2020-12-31). United Nations, African Union reiterate commitment to Sudan, as joint mission ends operations. news.un.org The United Nations Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission have reiterated their commitment to continue to support Sudan consolidate peace as the AU-UN hybrid peacekeeping mission in the country's Darfur region ends its operations on Thursday.

teleSUR (2020-12-31). Venezuela: Top Court Supports New Parliament's Inauguration. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Supreme Court (TSJ) Wednesday ruled to void a legislative reform submitted by opposition lawmakers of the outgoing Parliament, which sought to prevent the inauguration of a new legislative period set to begin on January 5. | RELATED: | The TSJ ruling responds to an appeal requesting a mandate extension of the 2015 Parliament which is currently in contempt and is set to end with the installation in…

Online News Editor (2020-12-31). Released Taliban militants behind journalist's killing, Kabul says. laprensalatina.com Kabul, Dec 31 (efe-epa).- Two of the 5,000 Taliban fighters who were released earlier this year after an agreement with the United States — as a precondition for intra-Afghan peace negotiations — were behind the recent assassination of Afghan journalist Rahmatullah Nikzad, Afghanistan's principal intelligence agency claimed on Thursday. The alleged perpetrators of the killing …

Mehr News Agency (2020-12-31). "Our region lost a real peace hero": Iran Foreign Ministry. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 31 (MNA) — Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a tweet on Thu. wrote that the region lost a real peace hero, referring to the 1st anniversary of martyrdom of former IRGC Quds Force Commander Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

_____ (2020-12-31). US Blockade Prevents Venezuela From Funding COVAX. popularresistance.org Venezuela's Health Minister Carlos Alvarado on Sunday said that the economic blockade imposed by the United States is preventing his country from funding the COVAX initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO). | He recalled that his country offered to place US$18 million into the COVAX fund, but as a result of the U.S. blockade, Venezuela has not "been able to free those resources to pay the fund." | Alvarado added that the U.S. sanctions have affected other vaccination programs previously conducted through the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) revolving fund. | "We have not been able to pay the re…

news.un (2020-12-31). Guinea-Bissau: UN chief commits to continued support as peacebuilding office closes. news.un.org United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres reaffirmed the Organization's commitment to the people of Guinea-Bissau on Thursday, the final day of operations for the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the West African country (UNIOGBIS).

Jeremy Corbyn (2020-12-31). Jeremy Corbyn: Why I'm Launching a Project for Peace and Justice. zcomm.org Interview on his hopes for the initiative — and why he refuses to be cowed by the attacks he has endured…

news.un (2020-12-30). First Person: family tragedy and the UN as 'saviour' in Darfur. news.un.org The people of the restive region of Darfur in Sudan have seen the joint United Nations and African Union peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) as a "saviour" according to a writer for UN News who grew up in Darfur.

news.un (2020-12-30). UN confirms closure of Darfur peacekeeping mission. news.un.org The joint United Nations-African Union mission in the Darfur region of Sudan (UNAMID) will officially end operations on Thursday, when the Government of Sudan will take over responsibility for the protection of civilians in the area.

Alan Macleod (2020-12-30). Fingers Point to US-Backed Gov't in Colombia's Ninetieth Massacre of the Year. mintpressnews.com "The Trump administration waged a full scale campaign to undermine Colombia's peace accords. We must not waste our time hoping the Biden administration might reverse course, we must demand it." — James Jordan, Alliance for Global Justice…

teleSUR, CE (2020-12-30). Puebla Group's Plea to US & EU: Release Venezuela's Funds. telesurenglish.net The Puebla Group (Grupo de Puebla) has penned a statement demanding the release of Venezuela's financial resources by the U.S., EU and European countries to ensure that citizens have access to the vaccine against COVID-19. | RELATED: | The statement signed by 32 progressive political leaders of Latin America and Spain notes the retention of billions of dollars in assets belonging to the Venezuelan people. While th…

teleSUR, CE (2020-12-30). Legislator Nicolas Maduro Guerra Receives Second Sputnik V Dose. telesurenglish.net Deputy-elect to the National Assembly, and legislator of the National Constituent Assembly Nicolas Ernesto Maduro Guerra, received his second dose of the Russian vaccine against COVID-19, Sputnik V on Wednesday. | RELATED: | The son of the Venezuelan President was one of the first citizens in his country to be administered the initial doses of Sputnik V as part of the third phase of the clinical trial, which has hundreds of vol…

Anya Parampil (2020-12-30). An exclusive look inside Iran's supermarket in Venezuela. thegrayzone.com Red Lines host Anya Parampil visits Megasis, an Iranian supermarket which recently opened in Caracas, Venezuela, and explores cooperation between Tehran and Caracas against the US economic blockade. The Grayzone's Anya Parampil provides an exclusive look inside a superstore which the US government and corporate media have condemned and attempted to link to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. She also speaks with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza about how increased cooperation between Tehran and Caracas is improving the material …

teleSUR (2020-12-30). US Backs Guaido's Farce Extending Protection on CITGO. telesurenglish.net New York Court Tuesday accepted a request from the Venezuelan opposition to protect Citgo Petroleum Corporation, a decision that shows Washington's support for Juan Guaido. | RELATED: | Citgo is a subsidiary of the state-owned Oil of Venezuela (PDVSA) and the leading supplier of gasoline, lubricants, and petrochemicals in the U.S. | U.S. Judge Katherine Polk Failla ruled in favor of the measure that bars Bono PDVSA…

Jan Oberg (2020-12-30). The Peace Discourse that Disappeared: Go on with Passion and Detachment. globalresearch.ca Look at and listen in to three spheres of contemporary Western society — politics, research and media: The word" peace" and related words, such as the UN Charter norm of" making peace by peaceful means", nonviolence, negotiations — have disappeared. …

news.un (2020-12-30). Looking back at 2020, In Case You Missed It. news.un.org At UN News, 2020 started with a hope that the year would be one of peace for Syria's children. However, in the weeks that followed, the news cycle was upended by the coronavirus pandemic, that not only changed what we covered, but also how we covered UN-related news around the world.

Online News Editor (2020-12-30). UN mission leaves Darfur amid security concerns. laprensalatina.com By al-Nur al-Zaki Khartoum, Dec 30 (efe-epa).- The United Nations peace mission to Darfur's (UNAMID) mandate ends on Thursday, 13 years after its launch, despite several persistant challenges. A rebel group is still active in the Sudanese region, 1.8 million people are displaced and tribal violence is not rare although the civil war that hit …

Dr. Rudolf Hà§nsel (2020-12-29). The Future Vision of Free Citizens: Leading Humanity to Freedom. Towards a New Social Order. globalresearch.ca Free citizens who stand up against tyranny have nothing against those in power. They do nothing to them. They fight for a more just order, for their right to life, to freedom, peace and security. When nothing else helps, that …

news.un (2020-12-29). Lebanon: UN chief welcomes murder conviction for 1980 blue helmet killings. news.un.org United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed Lebanon's decision to bring to justice the man found guilty of killing two UN peacekeepers decades ago.

Online News Editor (2020-12-29). Watchdog says 50 journalists killed in 2020, majority in countries not at war. laprensalatina.com By Maria D. Valderrama Paris, Dec 29 (efe-epa).- A total of 50 journalists were killed in connection with their work in 2020, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Tuesday, warning that more media persons were being murdered in countries not at war. "More journalists are being killed in countries considered to be 'at peace'," RSF said …

teleSUR (2020-12-29). Venezuela Signs Agreement for Mass Vaccination With Sputnik V. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, Venezuela signed a contract with Russia to begin mass vaccination of its citizens with the Sputnik V vaccine. | RELATED: | "In the first stage of the coronavirus vaccination campaign, 10 million people will get the Russian medicine," Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said, although she did not inform about the start date of the campaign. | Health Minister Carlos Alvarado, Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arre…

teleSUR (2020-12-28). Nicolas Maduro Highlights Army's Role During A Historic Year. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro congratulated on Monday the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) for helping to keep the country at "peace, alive, active, standing, in victory for unity, for territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence and civic-military resistance." | RELATED: | Maduro said that the FANB has become into "a well-established Bolivarian National Armed Forces, stronger and more united than ever," as its men and wom…

teleSUR (2020-12-28). UN Rapporteur To Analyze Impacts of US Sanctions on Venezuela. telesurenglish.net Following an invitation of President Nicolas Maduro's administration, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Alena Douhan, will undertake an official visit to country in February 2021. | RELATED: | The Special Rapporteur and her team will collect information and hold a series of meetings with Government authorities, social organizations, private sector,…

teleSUR (2020-12-28). 249 Peace Signatories Killed in Colombia Since 2016. telesurenglish.net The number of former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) combatants who have been killed in Colombia climbed to 249, following the assassination of two of its members over the weekend. | RELATED: | The Revolutionary Alternative Force of the Common (FARC) party on Sunday denounced the deaths of Manuel Alonso, who was supporting rural workers and Indigenous leaders after his demobilization in the Cauca department. | It was also re…

teleSUR (2020-12-28). Over 200 Venezuelans Have Returned Home From Chile. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Foreign Ministry reported on Monday that over 200 citizens returned to the country on a flight from Chile as part of the Return to the Homeland Plan. | RELATED: | According to Venezuelan authorities, 216 Venezuelans arrived Monday to the Maiquetía International Airport in the Northern state of La Guaira. Moreover, another 120 returned from Argentina on Sunday night. The Foreign Ministry detailed that these Ven…

_____ (2020-12-28). Alex Saab Case: 'One Of The Most Egregious Examples Of Jurisdictional Overreach'. popularresistance.org Baltasar Garzón, former Spanish judge who is the defense attorney for Venezuelan diplomatic envoy àÅlex Saab, reiterated during an interview with the Colombian newspaper El Espectador that his client is a special envoy of the Government of Venezuela who works as a diplomatic agent for commercial and trade purposes, and that he was illegally detained by the Cape Verdean authorities in a process that violated international law in addition to violating his rights that are inherent to diplomatic immunity established in global laws. | The interview was offered by Garzón on the occasion of completion of 6 months…