(2021-01-06). UN chief welcomes declaration on resolving the 'Gulf rift'. news.un.org The United Nations Secretary-General has welcomed the al Ula declaration on "solidarity and stability", announced at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit on Tuesday, aimed at strengthening peace and prosperity in the region.
(2021-01-06). Security Culture and a New Day in Portland. zcomm.org For there to be true peace we need an end to secrecy, to toxic security culture, to violence. Come out of the shadows and let's speak face to face, as humans do…
(2021-01-06). Welsh NHS chief warns Covid-19 patient numbers could double from first wave. thecanary.co 
The number of coronavirus (COVID-19) patients in Welsh hospitals could soon be double that seen during the first wave of the pandemic, the country's NHS chief executive has warned.Dr Andrew Goodall said Wales's health system was under "immense pressure", with critical care units operating at 140% of normal capacity. Two health boards are dedicating almost half their beds to patients with the virus.Almost 2,800 people are in Welsh hospitals with Covid-19-related illness. That's an increase of 4% in just a week, and the highest number on record following a surge in transmissions over the last fortnight.More dif…
(2021-01-06). 21-year-old college student elected Mayor of Kerala Capital. mronline.org 
Ms Rajendran had won from the Mudavanmughal ward of the city corporation, bagging 2,872 votes, 549 more than the rival Congress candidate.
(2021-01-06). Wealth Inequality Virus Spikes During the Last Days of 2020. counterpunch.org 
As of December 23, the combined wealth of the ten wealthiest was needed to reach the "magic" sum of one trillion dollars. As of December 31, the combined wealth of the nine wealthiest is now more than a trillion. This change was helped by Warren Buffet's loss for the year shrinking during the last eight days of the year from $4.62 billion to $1.62 billion, and Musk's wealth increasing another $15 billion.
(2021-01-06). Venezuela Elections: A key victory for anti-Imperialist Movement in Latin America. mronline.org 
The people of Venezuela have dealt another decisive blow against U.S. domination in Latin America. The successful continuity of two decades of Venezuelan Bolivarian revolutionary process has turned Venezuela into the backbone of the Latin American anti-imperialist and revolutionary movement.
(2021-01-06). Environmental Capitalism and Climate Change Wars: Australia in 2000. counterpunch.org The Australian was convinced. "Australia could have avoided two decades of climate change wars had the Howard government pushed ahead with its majority view of an emissions trading scheme (ETS), newly released documents reveal." Historian Chris Wallace is not as unequivocal in this assertion, but nonetheless observes in The Conversation that "a working consensus among
(2021-01-06). Raphael Warnock ran for the Senate from Ebenezer Baptist Church. zcomm.org What that means to American History…
(2021-01-06). Democrats set to secure historic win in Georgia's senate run-offs. peoplesdispatch.org While Democratic candidates leading by a significant margins over the Republican incumbents, the two seats will tilt the balance of power in the US Senate towards the Democrats…
(2021-01-06). 50 Years Into the War on Drugs, Biden-Harris can Fix the Harm It Created. aclu.org An earlier version of this blog appeared in
(2021-01-06). Kim admits North Korea struggling with economic hardships. laprensalatina.com (Update 1: Includes Kim's speech, edits throughout) By Andrés Sánchez Braun Seoul, Jan 6 (efe-epa).- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has warned that the country was facing economic hardships as he admitted during a congress of the ruling Workers' Party that the five-year plan had fallen "way short of the set objectives." In his address …
(2021-01-06). Americans recent actions in region 'psychological warfare'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 06 (MNA) — President's Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi considers the recent actions of the US in the region as psychological warfare.
(2021-01-06). Iran warns IAEA over Israelis' covert nuclear program. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 06 (MNA) — Iran has called on the International Atomic Energy Agency over the Israeli regime's unlawful and clandestine nuclear activities.
(2021-01-06). Iran's software dominance to be next slap to arrogant power. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 06 (MNA) — IRGC Quds Force Commander Esmaeil Ghaani said Iran's next slap to the arrogant power, the US, would be the Islamic Republic's dominance in the software sector.
(2021-01-05). Afghan negotiators leave for 2nd round of talks in Doha. laprensalatina.com Kabul, Jan 5 (efe-epa).- The Afghan government negotiators on Tuesday left for Doha where they will hold the second round of peace talks with Taliban leaders after a three-week pause. The two sides are expected to discuss a nationwide ceasefire among other topics during the parleys in Qatar to broker an end to two decades …
(2021-01-05). Trump repeats election fraud claims in Georgia rally for crucial Senate races. laprensalatina.com By Lucia Leal Washington, Jan 5 (efe-epa).- President Donald Trump turned a campaign rally for two critical Senate runoffs in Georgia into an act of defense as he reiterated his debunked claims of fraud in the Nov.3 presidential election and veiled threats on the peaceful transfer of power in the United States. Both Trump and …
(2021-01-05). Josh Hawley claims family was terrorized by "antifa scumbags" in peaceful "vigil" at his home. salon.com Video shows about 15 protesters holding candles and signs and making speeches over a bullhorn…
(2021-01-05). Central African Republic: Respect final results of the election, UN and partners urge. news.un.org Senior officials from the United Nations and regional organizations have called on all political actors in the Central African Republic (CAR) to respect the final results of the recent presidential elections, and to settle any disputes peacefully and in accordance with the country's laws.
(2021-01-05). 'Hands on trigger': Iran ready to counter any threat. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — Reacting to Trump's adventurism in the region, a top Iranian commander said the country's armed forces are ready to counter any external threat that aims to undermine the Islamic Republic's peace and security.
(2021-01-05). Julian Assange wins victory as extradition denied. liberationnews.org 
The U.S. government has pursued Assange since at least 2012, for his work exposing hundreds of thousands of U.S. military and intelligence documents and video that show outright war crimes, included targeted murders of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.
(2021-01-05). Assange Wins. The Cost: Press Freedom Is Crushed. popularresistance.org The unexpected decision by Judge Vanessa Baraitser to deny a US demand to extradite Julian Assange, foiling efforts to send him to a US super-max jail for the rest of his life, is a welcome legal victory, but one swamped by larger lessons that should disturb us deeply. | Those who campaigned so vigorously to keep Assange's case in the spotlight, even as the US and UK corporate media worked so strenuously to keep it in darkness, are the heroes of the day. They made the price too steep for Baraitser or the British establishment to agree to lock Assange away indefinitely in the US for exposing its war crimes and its…
(2021-01-05). The Art of Losing—3 Poems for the COVID-19 Pandemic. jamanetwork.com This Arts and Medicine essay features 3 poems—Elizabeth Bishop's "One Art," Marilyn Chin's "Hospital in Oregon," and Edward Hirsch's "What the Last Evening Will Be Like"—as sources of wisdom and insight in the turmoil and pain of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2021-01-05). One in 50 people in England has Covid-19, health chief reveals, also warning of further restrictions NEXT winter. rt.com 
An average of one in 50 people in England has Covid-19, the government said on Tuesday, the country's first day of its new national lockdown in response to the rapidly spreading new virus variant driving record infection rates. | England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty revealed the grim data, as he warned that the new form of the virus discovered in London and the south of England is now "taking off" across the country, saying "one in 50 is really quite a large number indeed." | The figure is equivalent to about one million people. | In London, as many as one in 30 had the virus between December 27 and Ja…
(2021-01-05). "It's not as bad as Iwo Jima, I suppose": The Julian Assange Extradition Verdict. dissidentvoice.org The barrister-brewed humour of Edward Fitzgerald QC, one of the solid and stout figures defending a certain Julian Assange of WikiLeaks at the Old Bailey in London, was understandable. Time had worn and wearied the parties, none more so than his client. Fitzgerald had asked for water, but then mused that its absence could hardly …
(2021-01-05). "Every journalist should be concerned about what was said today in court. Because the political arguments provided by the United States were upheld by the British judicial system" wsws.org Assange's closest associates hailed the court's decision as a victory but warned that the fight to secure his freedom was far from over.
(2021-01-05). Who to believe about Venezuela's election? Firsthand observation or PBS Newshour? dissidentvoice.org 
In early December I travelled to Venezuela to be an election observer at their national assembly election. I was part of a group of eight persons from Canada and US organized by CodePink. There were about two hundred international observers in total, including the Latin American Council of Electoral Experts. I have previously been an official …
(2021-01-05). Google workers organize innovative new type of union with CWA. peoplesworld.org 
Using innovations to attract their colleagues—everyone from software engineers to outside "contractors"—a committed group of Google workers has taken on the task, aided and encouraged by the Communications Workers of America, of organizing the high-tech behemoth. And its size and reach means they're working around the restrictions U.S. labor law puts on organizing drives, Chewy …
(2021-01-05). Jerusalem's Orthodox church accused of selling off land for 'settlement belt'. middleeasteye.net 
Jerusalem's Orthodox church accused of selling off land for 'settlement belt' | If sold, the land would connect Bethlehem-area Gilo settlement to Jerusalem, a leading Palestinian Christian grassroots group warns | Tue, 01/05/2021 – 15: 56 | Jerusalem's Patriarch Theophilos III leads Christmas midnight mass for the Greek Orthodox in Bethlehem on 7 January 2018 (AFP/File photo) | The Orthodox patriar…
(2021-01-05). Unexploded bombs at military site hinder Australian firefighters tackling enormous 'life-threatening' blaze. rt.com 
Firefighters in Western Australia are being prevented from reaching at-risk homes due to unexploded bombs buried in the ground, as they tackle a huge blaze that has ripped through more than 9,000 hectares of land since Saturday. | The fire is located near the town of Lancelin, some 160km north of Perth, and is advancing at a pace of about 3.5km an hour towards the mainland settlement of Wedge Island, where a bombing range contains explosives buried underground. | The Department of Fire & Emergency Services (DFES) told local residents on Tuesday to "act immediately to survive" and ordered them to evacuate the a…
(2021-01-05). Selected Articles: Venezuela Elections: A Key Victory for Anti Imperialist Movement in Latin America. globalresearch.ca 
By On election day, Sunday December 6, we visited many different elections sites. Typically, the election voting takes place at a school, with five or ten …
(2021-01-05). "I intend to reconcile the Venezuelans" zcomm.org Interview on domestic policy, economics, and international policy…
(2021-01-05). Who to Believe about Venezuela's Election? US Meddling. globalresearch.ca In early December I travelled to Venezuela to be an election observer at their national assembly election. I was part of a group of eight persons from Canada and US organized by CodePink. There were about two hundred international observers …
(2021-01-05). Kenosha, WI: Rally, march demands justice for Jacob Blake 1 day before DA's verdict. fightbacknews.org Kenosha, WI – Activists from multiple southeastern Wisconsin organizations gathered Monday, January 4, blocks from downtown Kenosha, to hear from Jacob Blake's family and demand justice. The gathering came together in response to the upcoming decision from Kenosha District Attorney Michael Graveley on whether Rusten Sheskey will be charged with any kind of crime. Sheskey is the officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times in August, which sparked a week of protest in Kenosha and surrounding areas. | Protesters stopped along the way to hand out handwarmers to fight the cold and hear from Jacob Blake's fami…
(2021-01-05). Venezuela's new National Assembly takes office today. peoplesdispatch.org The inauguration of the new congress marks the end of the body's submission to the US imperialism and the return of the revolutionary legacy of Simón Bolívar and Hugo Chávez…
(2021-01-05). Diversity in Medical Schools—Need for a New Bold Approach. jamanetwork.com In this issue of JAMA, Montgomery Rice details the wrenching history of Black men and women and medical education and the many challenges still thwarting the long-standing goal of increasing diversity in US medical schools. From her purview as dean at Morehouse School of Medicine, she offers unique insights and specifically illuminates the failure to increase the enrollment of Black medical students, especially at new medical schools, many of which have explicitly adopted diversity as a foundational pillar of contemporary mission statements. As a consequence, the medical schools serving historically Black college…
(2021-01-05). Hemming and Hawing: Our Exceptionally Unexceptional Future. progressive.org Looking forward to 2021 . . . when politics are boring again.
(2021-01-05). Debating Maoism in Contemporary China. globalresearch.ca Xi Jinping's frequent references to Mao Zedong, along with Xi's own claims to ideological originality, have fueled debate over the significance of Maoism in the PRC today. | The discussion recalls an earlier debate, at the height of the Cold War, …
(2021-01-05). New speaker of Venezuela's congress vows to promote "great national dialogue" laprensalatina.com Caracas, Jan 5 (efe-epa).- The new head of Venezuela's unicameral legislature said Tuesday he will promote a "great national dialogue" that includes all sectors of the crisis-ridden South American nation. Jorge Rodriguez said the goal is to achieve reconciliation in a country where the US-aligned opposition has long refused to accept the legitimacy of its …
(2021-01-05). My Recent Experience with Immigration Control Tyranny. counterpunch.org Over Christmas, I visited my hometown of Laredo, Texas, which is situated on the U.S.-Mexico border. As I was leaving the city and driving north on IH35 toward San Antonio, I was reminded of the tyranny that comes with a system of immigration controls. The tyranny came in the form of a domestic—i.e., inside the
(2021-01-05). Venezuela Elections: A Key Victory for Anti Imperialist Movement in Latin America. commondreams.org Throughout Latin America, poor masses, the working class and young people are rising—in response to the deepening crisis imposed upon them by U.S. imperialist domination and neo-Liberal governments. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/vene.jpg …
(2021-01-05). 'Be ready for war at any second': Chinese president to Army. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — In his first order of the new year to the country's armed forces, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need for "full-time combat readiness".
(2021-01-05). 'Better than Neil Armstrong' wins at Italian filmfest. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — Iranian short film 'Better than Neil Armstrong' has won two awards at the sixth edition of Via Dei Corti film festival in Italy.
(2021-01-05). Iraqi army thwarts ISIL attacks on north of Baghdad. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 05 (MNA) — Iraqi army forces thwarted an operation by ISIL takfiri terrorists to attack Tarmiyah in the north of Baghdad.
(2021-01-05). I Observed Venezuela's Elections Firsthand. popularresistance.org On election day, Sunday, December 6, we began a tour of election sites. Typically, the voting takes place at a school, with five to ten classrooms designated as "mesas," and each voter goes to his or her designated mesa." | The voting process was quick and efficient, with bio-safety sanitation at each step. Voters first showed their identity cards and confirmed their identity with fingerprint recognition. Step two was to cast a ballot on a touchscreen computer and receive a paper receipt. Step three was to verify that the receipt matches the voting choice and deposit the receipt in a ballot box. Finally, voters w…
(2021-01-05). How an Austrian and British Malthusian Brainwashed a Generation of Americans. globalresearch.ca The creation of false opposites has been a long-standing obstacle to human progress. | From the ancient pleasure-seeking Epicureans who argued against the logic-heavy Stoics of ancient Rome to the war of "salvation through faith vs works" that schismed western Christianity, …
(2021-01-04). Taliban, US accuse each other of violating Doha peace deal. laprensalatina.com Kabul, Jan 4 (efe-epa).- The Taliban and the United States Monday accused each other of breaching the peace agreement signed between them last year in the Qatari capital. The Taliban said the US forces in the country were carrying out airstrikes in non-combat zones in the insurgent-controlled areas. The military forces returned the accusation, saying …
(2021-01-04). Gen. Soleimani flag-bearer of fight against terrorism: envoy. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 04 (MNA) — Iranian Ambassador to Brazil pointed to sacrifice and braveries of Iran's top commander martyr Lt. Gen. Soleimani and said that he stood firmly in the face of a global threat against international peace and security.
(2021-01-04). Tehran ready to negotiate with Riyadh. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 04 (MNA) — Stating that Iran welcomes any attempt to bridge the gap among regional neighbors, the Iranian envoy to Kuwait expressed Iran's readiness to discuss any disputes and crises with Riyadh via peaceful and formal negotiations.
(2021-01-04). US Blockade Reportedly Hampers Venezuela's Covid-19 Vaccination. venezuelanalysis.com The country will maintain its week-on-week-off lockdown until vaccination begins around April.
(2021-01-04). "Victory for Julian": U.K. Blocks WikiLeaks Founder Assange Extradition to U.S. on Espionage Charges. democracynow.org 
In a stunning decision, a British judge has blocked the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States, saying he would not be safe in a U.S. prison due to his deteriorated mental state. In 2019, Assange was indicted in the United States on 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act related to the publication of classified documents exposing U.S. war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. The United States has already announced plans to appeal the ruling. Press freedom advocates have campaigned against Assange's prosecution for years, arguing it would set a dangerous precedent for prosecut…