(2022-01-06). Selected Articles: Pfizer 6 Month Data Shows COVID Shots May "Cause More Illness than They Prevent" globalresearch.ca 
By OneAmerica is a large life insurance company in Indianapolis. The chief executive officer, Scott Davison just announced that judging …
(2022-01-06). Libya: Tough Elections During Tough Times. journal-neo.org 
Presidential elections should have been held in Libya on December 24, but now, in a country torn apart by war, acrid feud, and institutional divisions, few believe that the vote will take place at all. The High National Electoral Commission (HNEC), the body overseeing the vote, stated with great regret that it was unable to …
(2022-01-06). Australian prime minister declares the country must "ride the wave" of Omicron surge. wsws.org The bipartisan National Cabinet wound back testing further amid record infections and upheld a program of mass illness and death in the interests of corporate profit.
(2022-01-05). Neocolonialism Haunts the Horn of Africa. libya360.wordpress.com M.K. Bhadrakumar Ethiopian troops vanquish US-backed Tigray rebels (File photo) Chinese foreign ministers have traditionally marked the new year by visiting the African continent. Wang Yi's 2022 African tour begins with Eritrea against the backdrop of the US strategy in the Horn of Africa to gain control of the strategically vital Red Sea that connects Indian Ocean…
(2022-01-05). Sullivan, Nordic Partners Talk Readiness to Impose Costs on Russia Over Ukraine – NSC. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his counterparts from the Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden discussed by telephone each country's readiness to impose consequences on Russia should it escalate tensions with Ukraine, Nation Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said.
(2022-01-05). Kazakhstan's main airport seized by protesters — reports. rt.com 
Almaty transit hub overrun after president promised 'tough as possible' response to unrest | Flights to Kazakhstan are being canceled after Almaty International Airport, the country's busiest, was reportedly seized by protesters on Wednesday, amid mass unrest triggered by a hike in the price of liquefied gas. | While no visual evidence was immediately available from the airport due to a mass internet blackout said to be happening in Kazakhstan, locally-sourced Telegram news channel Orda cited the airport's press service as confirming they were no longer in control of the location. | It claimed the media team h…
(2022-01-05). Airport takeover, palace fire & promise of 'tough' response: Here's how Kazakhstan's unrest escalated. rt.com 
The Central Asian state continues its apparent descent into chaos as street protests triggered by a hike in gas prices grow increasingly violent | The situation in Kazakhstan took a sharp turn for the worse on Wednesday, as several cities saw violent unrest, with administrative buildings stormed, a presidential residence set on fire, and the main airport allegedly seized. | The protests began after a twofold hike in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at the start of the new year. The price caps that had existed in the country for years had turned LPG into an extremely popular type of fuel, widely utili…
(2022-01-05). Internet switched off in Kazakhstan amid unrest — reports. rt.com 
TV broadcasting has also been disrupted in the Central Asian country faced with a wave of protests over a spike in fuel prices | The internet was reportedly switched off across Kazakhstan on Wednesday, as the country remains gripped by violent protests that began in response to a hike in fuel prices after the New Year. | NetBlocks, a British organization that monitors internet freedom, has described the situation in the country as "a nation-scale internet blackout." | Access to the web was cut off completely following a day of mobile internet disruptions and partial curbs on Tuesday, it added. | "The incident…
(2022-01-05). Nationwide state of emergency declared in Kazakhstan. rt.com 
President vows 'tough' response to ongoing violent protests | Kazakhstan's authorities have imposed a state of emergency across the country in an attempt to get a grip on a deteriorating security situation, after widespread demonstrations were sparked by a gas price hike. | President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reached for the sweeping measures late on Wednesday, hours after saying he intended to act "as tough as possible" against the violence. | The state of emergency vastly expands the powers of the country's police and military, as well as allowing the handing down of heavy penalties, including lengthy prison ter…
(2022-01-05). Kazakh president asks Russia-led bloc for military help. rt.com 
Allied military help needed to quell actions of "terrorist bands" amid violent civil unrest in Kazakhstan, the president insists | The Kazakh president has asked the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for help amid violent unrest gripping the nation, claiming that "terrorists" were overrunning strategic facilities across the country. | "I believe reaching out to our CSTO partners is appropriate and timely," President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was quoted as saying by the media late on Wednesday. | The president slammed the violent protesters who have overrun government buildings and other fac…
(2022-01-05). US Plays Tibet Card as India Seeks Modus Vivendi with China. asia-pacificresearch.com
(2022-01-05). Mob Lynches Man in India's Jharkhand, Sets His Body Alight Over Felling of a Revered Tree. sputniknews.com Religious vigilantism has been a subject of public discussion in India in recent years, especially after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led federal government came to power in 2014. The subject gained much traction after a series of lynchings in subsequent years over allegedly possessing beef or killing of cows, considered sacred in Hinduism.
(2022-01-05). Soldier killed by deer at presidential palace. rt.com 
A sergeant in the Paraguayan presidential guard died after being attacked by a gifted non-indigenous deer | A Paraguayan soldier has died after he was run through and gored by an axis deer from India in the gardens of the country's presidential palace. He was declared dead in a military hospital. | Speaking on Tuesday, military spokesman Colonel Victor Urdapilleta said that Sergeant Victor Isasi, 42, died as a result of piercing injuries, having been run down by a deer in the early hours of Tuesday morning. | The non-native deer, which was gifted to the presidential residence, gored the soldier with its antler…
(2022-01-05). India concerned by Merck Covid pill side effects. rt.com 
Delhi has restricted the use of the company's coronavirus cure amid concerns about its safety | India has announced it won't be adding Merck's Covid-19 pill to its national treatment protocol due to concerns about its safety. It can cause fetal defects and cell changes, according to the country's medical research council. | On Wednesday, the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said it had become aware of "major safety concerns." | "It can cause teratogenicity and mutagenicity, and it also can cause cartilage damage and be damaging to muscles," ICMR Director-General Balram Bhargava stated. "Mor…
(2022-01-05). Decretan confinamiento en Nueva Delhi tras repunte de contagios. telesurtv.net El Ministerio de Salud informó que en esta última jornada se reportaron más de 37.000 casos de la Covid-19.
(2022-01-05). Headlines for January 5, 2022. democracynow.org Chicago Cancels Classes After Union Vote to Move to Remote Learning, CDC Keeps in Place New Rule About 5-Day Isolation, Amid Surge, Delhi to Enforce Weekend Curfew as Hong Kong Bans Flights from U.S., U.K., Jan. 6 Committee Seeks to Question Fox's Sean Hannity over Insurrection, "Do You Realize You Are Describing a Coup?" Ex-Trump Official Defends Plan to Overturn Election, Report: 650,000 Messages Posted on Facebook Attacking Election Results Before Jan. 6, Manchin Says Changing Filibuster Rules to Pass Voting Rights Is "Heavy Lift", Canada Reaches $31 Billion Settlement with First Nations over Child Welfare Abu…
(2022-01-05). Starbucks union drive erupts across the country. workers.org 
Buffalo, N.Y. The spark that started in this city last August, when Starbucks workers announced their intent to unionize, has turned into a wildfire of righteous working-class ambition, with new locations across the country filing for union elections. Stores in Mesa, Arizona; Boston; Seattle; Knoxville, Tennessee; Chicago; and Bloomfield, Colorado, . . . |
(2022-01-05). Selling Out Democracy for Political Influence. otherwords.org One year ago, the foundation of our democracy was jeopardized in a full-blown coup attempt by seditionists egged on by former president Donald Trump. People died. | Confederate flags were waved inside the Capitol. People with zip ties and weapons were ready to do harm or even kill members of Congress and the vice president. These were right-wing extremists who had the encouragement, and even help, from Trump allies in Congress. | When the dust settled, many corporations rightly spoke out and pledged to halt contributions to lawmakers whose rhetoric and actions played a part in the insurrection — including t…
(2022-01-05). January 6 Showed Why D.C. Deserves Statehood. otherwords.org At around noon on January 6, 2021, a friend in Virginia Beach sent me a private message: "If you need a place to stay, our living room isn't much, but at least it's not in D.C." More than two dozen similar messages poured in throughout the day from generous friends in the area. | The phone call from my mom was more direct: Were my partner and I safe, and did we have a plan in case things went south at the Capitol? | The insurrection instigated by Donald Trump has become a kind of political north star in the year that's passed since. An entire ecosystem of post-mortem analyses has grown up around the day. | Expert…
(2022-01-05). Devastating US rowhouse fire leaves seven children dead. rt.com 
The blaze ripped through two Philadelphia rowhouse apartments, killing 13 | A massive early-morning fire in Philadelphia engulfed a building with two apartments, killing at least 13 people and injuring two. All smoke detectors in the rowhouse apparently didn't work. | The fire started on the second story at around 6.30am on Wednesday and was brought under control about an hour later, Philadelphia Fire Department officials said. Some residents were able to escape on their own, and firefighters rescued several others after cutting a hole in the building's roof. | Of the 13 fatalities, at least seven were childre…
(2022-01-05). Taiwan fighter jets act out war scenario. rt.com 
Combat-readiness exercise comes amid heightened tensions with mainland China | Taiwan's air force has held combat-readiness drills that simulated a 'war scenario,' amid escalating tensions with mainland China, which sees the island as part of the People's Republic. | Military pilots rushed to their F-16 fighter jets at the sound of an alarm in Taiwan's southern city of Chiayi on Wednesday, according to media reports. The enactment came as part of a three-day exercise aimed at testing the Taiwan military's battle readiness. | Taking part in the drills were the very same aircraft that have been used to intercept…
(2022-01-05). Taiwan cheers rum producer to make China feel sour. rt.com 
'A toast to that,' the island says, and buys Lithuanian liquor destined for the mainland | Taiwan's government-owned liquor and tobacco company has bought a shipment of Lithuanian rum that had been bound for, but blocked by mainland China. | In a statement on Monday, Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor (TTL), a firm wholly owned by the Finance Ministry, said it had stepped in and bought the entire Lithuanian rum shipment, which had been "drifting at sea," after it discovered that China had refused its customs clearance. | TTL said the move to buy some 20,400 bottles of dark rum made by MV Group Production had been an effo…
(2022-01-05). Pope Francis accuses childless pet owners of 'selfishness'. rt.com 
The Catholic leader blames them for robbing the world of 'the richness of fatherhood and motherhood' | Speaking at the Vatican, Pope Francis has criticized individuals who let pets "take the place of children" for leaving civilization "without humanity," saying they deprive society of "the richness of fatherhood and motherhood." | The Pope's address to a general audience on Wednesday risked sparking the anger of childless pet owners by once again taking aim at their decision to avoid parenthood. | The condemnation from the pontiff came despite him seemingly being a fan of animals, having been photographed stro…
(2022-01-05). 'MasterChef' slammed after cooking showdown features shark, alligator & capybara. rt.com 
Ecuador has warned of prison time for wild animal eaters after a controversial 'MasterChef' episode | An episode of 'MasterChef Ecuador' has triggered an almighty backlash, with the Quito government warning that wild animal eaters may end up in prison, while Colombia has launched an investigation into the ingredients used. | On Tuesday, Ecuador's government slammed the country's 'MasterChef' show after a recent episode featured ingredients including tollo (a small shark), an alligator, a type of wild deer, and a capybara — a massive rodent which can weigh as much as 80 kilograms (175 lbs). | In a statemen…
(2022-01-05). The War on Terror Is a Success — for Terror. scheerpost.com 
[ By It began more than two decades ago. On September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush declared a "war on terror" and
(2022-01-05). New legal filing in Mumia's case. workers.org 
The following statement was issued Jan. 4 regarding new legal filings by attorneys for Mumia Abu-Jamal. Mumia Abu-Jamal By Johanna Fernández Campaign to Bring Mumia Home In her novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God," Zora Neale Hurston wrote, "There are years that ask questions, and years that answer." With continued . . . |
(2022-01-05). Pandemic babies may have slight development lag — study. rt.com 
Researchers found infants born into a Covid-impacted environment scored lower on skills development tests than pre-pandemic babies | Babies born in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic may have experienced delayed motor and social skills development compared to those born earlier, according to new research that suggests stress on pregnant mothers played a part. | The
(2022-01-05). Belgium complicit in killing of popular African leader, book claims. rt.com 
New evidence shows Belgium turned a blind eye as its officials plotted the assassination of Burundian PM Prince Louis Rwagasore in 1961 | Belgium has "overwhelming responsibility" for the killing of Prince Louis Rwagasore, the popular Burundian leader who sought to unite the country's ethnic groups as it gained freedom from the colonial power, new evidence shows. | Weeks after being elected prime minister in a landslide, Rwagasore, the 29-year-old son of a former king, was assassinated in October 1961. The governing Belgian elite masterminded the shooting while Brussels turned a blind eye, according to archive…
(2022-01-05). Chicago teachers shut down in-person classes. rt.com 
Mayor's office insists she's doing 'everything in her power' to bring kids back to school – including threatening teachers' pay | The Chicago Teachers Union has voted to shut down in-person classes, insisting the surge in Covid-19 cases has made schools unsafe, while school-board officials warn the work stoppage amounts to an illegal strike. | While Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Pedro Martinez acknowledged on Tuesday that if the union voted for remote learning and opted not to show up, there would be no classes on Wednesday, he insisted school buildings would be open and teachers and students alike were wel…
(2022-01-05). MMA fighter axed after discovery of shocking tattoo. rt.com 
A Czech MMA fighter has been banned from a local fight league event after neo-Nazi symbology was found among his tattoos | Radek Rousal has had his professional MMA debut canceled by Czech organization Oktagon MMA after it was discovered that he had numerous neo-Nazi tattoos, including one of Adolf Hitler on his right arm. | Rousal, who is untested as an MMA pro but has a 0-1 kickboxing record, was in line to make his first appearance in the cage as a short-notice replacement against Slovakian Nikolas Krivak. | However, officials from the fight league were forced to rethink their plans after noticing the offen…
(2022-01-05). Wall Street bank predicts end of gold era. rt.com 
Gold may soon lose its status as the universal "store of value" to Bitcoin, US bank claims | Bitcoin may overtake gold's market share in 2022, a Goldman Sachs analyst has said in a research note to clients, as cryptocurrencies and digital assets surge in price and attract increasingly more investor interest. | According to a list of 2022 predictions from the bank's analyst Zach Pandl, Bitcoin will "most likely" acquire a bigger piece of the pie in the year to come than its current 20%, which was calculated by comparing the cryptocurrency's $700 billion market capitalization to the roughly $2.6 trillion worth o…
(2022-01-05). 'Wonder Woman' addresses infamous 'Imagine' Covid video. rt.com 
The Israeli-born actress says the much-maligned video was 'premature' | Actor Gal Gadot has addressed her highly-mocked 'Imagine' cover video, featuring numerous celebrities and released at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. She says she had "pure intentions" but that the effort was in "poor taste." | The video was posted in March of 2020, just as government shutdowns and mandates were first taking effect in places like the US in response to coronavirus. The footage featured Gadot and numerous other celebrities singing lines from Beatle John Lennon's 'Imagine.' Gadot and others were heavily criticized and moc…
(2022-01-05). Disaster Victims Shouldn't Have to Run a PR Campaign to Get Federal Aid. cepr.net The Los Angeles Times | Suffering is not a competition, but the battle for attention and resources tragically is. | Children killed in a school shooting, fires raging across the West, deadly tornadoes slamming the Midwest and the South — all happening against a backdrop of more than 800,000 deaths from COVID-19. After a high-profile tragedy, sustained national news coverage can bring in sympathy, charity and pressure for government aid.
(2022-01-05). Columnist Will Bunch: Trump Came Much Closer to Pulling Off a January 6 Coup Than People Realize. democracynow.org 
The January 6 insurrection resulted in criminal charges for over 700 rioters, and the FBI has since called it an act of domestic terrorism. Philadelphia Inquirer national columnist Will Bunch says there is growing evidence that links Trump and his inner circle to the Capitol attack. He argues understanding what was happening behind the scenes at the Pentagon, which has operational control over the National Guard in D.C., can help explain Trump's botched attempt to overturn the 2020 election and the insurrection that followed. "I think they fully believed that they would be able to call out the National Guard," sa…
(2022-01-05). Venezuela Receives 3.1 Million COVAX Vaccines. orinocotribune.com This Tuesday, January 4, Venezuela received 3.1 million doses of vaccines through the World Health Organization (WHO) COVAX mechanism, reported Venezuelan Deputy Minister for Health, Gerardo Briceño. The vaccines were received at Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetía. | #Entérate | | COVAX: Venezuela recibe 3.1 millones de vacunas para fortalecer Plan de Inmunización y Refuerzo contra la
(2022-01-05). Costa Rica Announces the Expansion of Cocos Island National Park and the Seamounts Marine. indybay.org Costa Rica — Costa Rica announced today the expansion of Cocos Island National Park and the Seamounts Marine Management Area, increasing the protection around this biodiversity hotspot. Cocos Island is located approximately 320 miles from the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Due to its great biological diversity, the island was declared a national park in 1978.
(2022-01-05). Beyond the Capitalist Paradigm of Destruction: Generative Chaos. libya360.wordpress.com Leonardo Boff I believe that this leap, with our participation, especially the victims of the exploitation of capitalism, can occur and would be within the possibilities of the history of the universe and the Earth: from the current destructive chaos, we can move on to generative chaos of a new way of being and inhabiting…
(2022-01-05). Australian epidemiologist Adrian Esterman condemns government response to Omicron. wsws.org "There's no national approach. There are different definitions for things, different ways of calculating, different contact-tracing systems that don't talk to each other, different border regulations and different testing situations."
(2022-01-05). Southern Libya Emerges as a Third Force: Meeting in Sebha Demands Free and Fair Elections Including All Candidates. libya360.wordpress.com The political and social forces in southern Libya (the Fezzan region) are unifying their position to appear as a third force in the political scene that has a position which must be taken into consideration in both the general political scene and the course of the electoral process. The Forum for Uniting the Speech of…
(2022-01-05). Sri Lankan president blames COVID-19 for economic crisis. wsws.org Rajapakse was seeking to enlist the media in deflecting surging anger among workers and the poor over rising prices and shortages of essentials, and preparing the ground for more austerity measures.