Daily Archives: February 15, 2021

2021-02-15: News Headlines

Alan Macleod (2021-02-15). "Stop Interfering in Our Lives": Haitians Protesters Condemn US Support for Dictator. mintpressnews.com Protests in Haiti have led to hundreds of deaths yet have drawn little attention in the west, thanks in large part to its strongman leaders' continued loyalty to the United States.

Eds. (2021-02-15). Preliminary findings of the visit to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela by the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights. mronline.org The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Ms. Alena Douhan, visited the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela from 1 to 12 February 2021. She thanks the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for enabling and supporting her visit to the country. The purpose …

teleSUR (2021-02-15). Venezuela to Resume Face-to-Face Classes Partially in March. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro Sunday informed that his country will partially resume face-to-face classes as of March complying with "all necessary health measures to prevent contagion." | RELATED: | "The return to the classroom will be carried out under a strict biosecurity protocol to preserve students' health," Maduro highlighted, adding that the vaccination campaign will kick off in the next few days. | In early…

_____ (2021-02-15). Louisville Is Failing Homeless People This Winter. popularresistance.org As much of Louisville remains under a layer of ice and with another winter storm on the way, the city is doing nothing to keep alive its homeless population, several advocates contended Saturday evening. | Leaders from local homeless outreach organizations spoke in front of Hotel Louisville Saturday night, demanding city leaders address what they called a humanitarian crisis. | Donny Greene, co-founder of Feed Louisville, said the city has given excuses for not helping people left outside in the below-freezing temperatures, contending there is no shelter space available. | "The truth of the matter is the city is…

Paul Dobson (2021-02-15). UN Special Rapporteur Blasts 'Devastating' and 'Illegal' US and EU Sanctions against Venezuela. venezuelanalysis.com UN Human Rights expert Alena Douhan called for sanctions to be lifted and revised.

MEE staff (2021-02-15). Iran denies ownership of seized oil tanker, tells Washington to 'stop acts of piracy'. middleeasteye.net Iran denies ownership of seized oil tanker, tells Washington to 'stop acts of piracy' | United States seized Liberian-flagged tanker earlier this month, forcing ship to anchor outside Texas port | Mon, 02/15/2021 – 16: 13 | The US Justice Department on 14 August 2020 confirmed it had seized fuel cargo aboard four tankers sent by Iran to crisis-wracked Venezuela (AFP/File photo) | The seizure of a cargo of oil…

Online News Editor (2021-02-15). At least 1 dead, others injured in large Haiti protests. laprensalatina.com Port-au-Prince, Feb 14 (efe-epa).- At least one man died Sunday and another was shot during a large protest in the Haitian capital called to demand the resignation of President Jovenel MoàØse. Security forces were stationed at Delmas 60 area, where they responded with live fire and tear gas to protesters who threw stones and a …

Ronald Suárez Rivas (2021-02-15). Cuba: Millions for Democracy Made in USA. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Although the effort has never produced the results expected by its …

Orinoco Tribune (2021-02-15). Biden Administration Should Scrap Trump's Economic Sanctions that "Have Killed Tens of Thousands of People" in Venezuela, CEPR Co-Director Says. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | A

Peoples Dispatch (2021-02-15). Haitians continue to mobilize against Jovenel MoàØse's dictatorship. peoplesdispatch.org According to the article 134-2 of the Haitian Constitution of 1987, Jovenel MoàØse's presidential term ended on February 7, however, he has refused to leave power and has unleashed brutal police repression against protesters…

Ken Livingstone (2021-02-15). Trump Has Gone — Time to End US Sanctions on Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | The United States has an extensive sanctions programme affecting two dozen …

Orinoco Tribune (2021-02-15). GAO Report Findings Show that Biden Administration Should Scrap Trump's Economic Sanctions that Have Killed Tens of Thousands of People in Venezuela, CEPR Co-Director Says. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | A

teleSUR (2021-02-14). Socialists and Republican Left Tied in Catalonia. telesurenglish.net Following the count of the polling stations, the electoral authorities of Catalonia reported a technical tie between the Party of Socialists for Catalonia (PSC) and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya-Izquierda Republicana Republicana de Cataluña (ERC) with 33 seats in Parliament for each organization. | Likewise, it is reported that Together for Catalonia (JxCat) (a group that went to the polls for the first time), was ranked as the third force with 32 seats, while the far-right VOX party obtained 11 seats in Parliament. | For its part, Dolors Sabater (CUP-Unión Popular) won nine seats, Comú Podem eight, Ciudad…

Staff (2021-02-14). The Growing Vaccine Corps of Medical Students Could Aid Underserved Areas. truthout.org The U.S. faces one of the most consequential public health campaigns in history right now: to vaccinate the population against COVID-19 and, especially, to get shots into the arms of people who cannot easily navigate getting vaccinated on their own. | Time is of the essence. As new, potentially more

RT (2021-02-14). Israel's 'fake news war room' set up to tackle vaccine disinformation loses battle to Telegram, unit's head admits. rt.com As Israel's record-setting inoculation drive slows down, it has set up a special unit to combat 'fake news' about coronavirus vaccines, but messaging app Telegram turned out to be too much to handle for official cyber warriors. | More than 2.4 million Israelis have already been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by getting both shots of the Pfizer jab. That's roughly 27 percent of the country's population of nine-million and the highest per-capita figure anywhere in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University data. | But recently the pace of the vaccination has dramatically decreased, with the target of 20…

Yves Engler (2021-02-14). Will any MPs criticize Ottawa's Support for Dictatorship in Haiti? dissidentvoice.org The Liberals' commitment to a neo-Duvalierist dictatorship in Haiti is being tested. Hopefully Black History Month offers opposition parties an opportunity to finally echo growing grassroots criticism of Canadian policy in the hemisphere's poorest country. Since Monday a squatter has been occupying the presidential palace in Port-au-Prince. On Sunday evening Supreme Court Justice Joseph Mecene …

Online News Editor (2021-02-14). Japan okays use of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine. laprensalatina.com Tokyo, Feb 14 (efe-epa).- Japan on Sunday formally approved Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine for domestic use, marking an important step to immunize most of its people in the run-up to the Summer Olympics that begin on July 23 in Tokyo. The immunization drive will start on Wednesday as the government targets to inoculate its entire population …

Ralph Nader, Bruce Fein (2021-02-14). Democrats' Shameful Cave. commondreams.org www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/gettyimages-12923215461.jpg

RT (2021-02-14). 'I may have worn pink': Russian tennis great Maria Sharapova poses in swimsuit on exotic island for happy Valentine's Day message. rt.com While her homeland and much of Europe saw sub-zero temperatures on Valentine's Day, Russian ex-tennis champion Maria Sharapova was tickled pink as she posed in a swimsuit at a luxury resort on the Caribbean Turks & Caicos Islands. | Touted as the region's "best-kept secret", the islands boast pristine sandy beaches, cays and clear waters across more than 40 islands – and Sharapova could not resist taking a snapshot in the sun. | The retired five-time Grand Slam winner was a guest of a boutique hotel set by an idyllic mile-and-a-half of private beaches, picturing herself by a sun lounger under an umbrella on a…

_____ (2021-02-14). For Biden Administration, Black Lives Don't Matter In Haiti! popularresistance.org The people of Haiti have been demanding freedom from the succession of U.S.-imposed dictators for decades. One such dictator, Jovenel MoàØse, refused to leave office February 7, which marked the end of his term five years after an illegal election. This move catapulted yet another intense episode in the historic struggle of the Haitian masses against colonial intervention. Tens of thousands of Haitians went to the streets demanding democracy and an end to dictatorship. And what was the response from the U.S. puppet regime? Bullets, paramilitary terror, curfews, house raids, beatings and the imprisonment of…

_____ (2021-02-14). UN Special Rapporteur Urges US To Lift The Blockade Against Venezuela. popularresistance.org The Special Rapporteur of the United Nations (UN) on the effects of sanctions on human rights, Alena Douhan, held a press conference today before leaving Venezuela. Douhan detailed the impact of the United States' unilateral coercive measures on the Venezuelan people. | Douhan reported that the unilateral "sanctions" violate International Law. The conclusion followed Douhan's comprehensive report on damages caused by coercive measures implemented by Washington and its European partners against Venezuela, and specified that the final report will be presented to the UN in September 2021. Douhan urged the interlocut…

_____ (2021-02-14). Damning UN Report Urges The UK To Unfreeze Venezuelan Gold. popularresistance.org Alena Douhan is the United Nations' special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights. Douhan visited Venezuela on 1 February "to assess the impact of unilateral sanctions on the enjoyment of human rights by people living in Venezuela and any other affected people". | On 12 February, Douhan published her preliminary findings based on "extensive consultations with a wide range of interlocutors". The UN independent expert recognised the negative impact of coercive sanctions on human rights and urged European banks to "unfreeze assets of the Venezuela Central…

_____ (2021-02-14). Urgent Solidarity With Haiti Is Needed. popularresistance.org A long-brewing crisis in Haiti, created through intervention by the United States, United Nations and allied western imperialist countries, has now come to a head. The Biden administration is openly backing a violent, corrupt and fraudulent leader, Jovenel MoàØse, and maintaining the policies of previous presidents, including Donald Trump, in Haiti. | Activists in Haiti have reached out to the Haitian diaspora in the United States and to organizations that support respect for self-determination and human rights for their solidarity. Listen to my interview with filmmaker and political activist Wilkenson Bru…

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-14). VIDEO: Hirom lake hosting Eurasian cranes. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 14 (MNA) — These days, the Hirom Lake, located in Larestan, Fars province, south of Iran, hosts a large population of Eurasian cranes that landed there on their way back to their northern habitats.

Online News Editor (2021-02-13). Haiti appoints new judges in crackdown on judiciary after failed coup. laprensalatina.com By Maria Montecelos Port-au-Prince, Feb 13 (efe-epa).- Haiti has replaced three Supreme Court judges who allegedly participated in a failed bid to overthrow the government of President Jovenel Moise amid a mounting public outrage over when his term ends. The new Supreme Court judges are Octélus Dorvilien, Louiselmé Joseph, and Pierre Harry Alexis. However, their …

Neha S Singh, Michelle Lokot, Chi-Chi Undie, Monica A Onyango, Rosemary Morgan, Anne Harmer, Jane Freedman, Shirin Heidari (2021-02-13). [Comment] Research in forced displacement: guidance for a feminist and decolonial approach. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened inequities and undermined health, human rights, and gender equality for forcibly displaced populations.1,2 The United Nations Refugee Agency estimates that, at the end of 2019, there were 79 ∑5 million people forcibly displaced as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, or events seriously disturbing public order.3 Evidence about the needs of these populations is crucial to tailor effective and equitable responses, but data collection efforts are faced with considerable new challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mehr News Agency (2021-02-13). UN envoy urges US, EU to stop sanctions against Venezuela. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Feb. 13 (MNA) — A UN envoy called on the United States and European Union to lift sanctions against Venezuela, noting that such coercive measures have worsened the humanitarian crisis in the country.

Ahmet Sezer, Saadettin Kilickap, Mahmut Gàºmàº≈ü, Igor Bondarenko, Mustafa àñzgàºroƒülu, Miranda Gogishvili, Haci M Turk, Irfan Cicin, Dmitry Bentsion, Oleg Gladkov, Philip Clingan, Virote Sriuranpong, Naiyer Rizvi, Bo Gao, Siyu Li, Sue Lee, Kristina McGuire, Chieh-I Chen, Tamta Makharadze, Semra Paydas, Marina Nechaeva, Frank Seebach, David M Weinreich, George D Yancopoulos, Giuseppe Gullo, Israel Lowy, Petra Rietschel (2021-02-13). [Articles] Cemiplimab monotherapy for first-line treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with PD-L1 of at least 50%: a multicentre, open-label, global, phase 3, randomised, controlled trial. thelancet.com Cemiplimab monotherapy significantly improved overall survival and progression-free survival compared with chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with PD-L1 of at least 50%, providing a potential new treatment option for this patient population.

Dougal Macdonald (2021-02-13). 76 Years Ago, The February 1945 Dresden Fire Bombing: Allied War Crime Prelude to the Cold War. globalresearch.ca This article was originally published in 2016. | On the night of February 13-14, 1945, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) bomber command carried out two devastating attacks on the German city of Dresden. At the time, Dresden's pre-war population of …

Online News Editor (2021-02-13). Haiti's foreign chief: Situation is 'under control'. laprensalatina.com Port-au-Prince, Feb 13 (EFE).- Haiti's foreign affairs chief Claude Joseph insisted during an interview with Efe that the situation in the country was "under control," despite the fact that President Jovenel Moise recently denounced a coup attempt against his leadership amid a prolonged socio-political crisis in the nation. Less than a week after the crisis …

teleSUR (2021-02-13). Bolivia and Cuba To Resume Pre-Coup Political and Trade Agenda. telesurenglish.net The authority informed the program 180, of Patria Nueva radio, that he recently held a virtual meeting with the Minister of Commerce of Cuba, with whom he agreed to invigorate bilateral ties. | RELATED: | "We are resuming the economic and commercial agenda and obviously the political relations are becoming quite dynamic again," informed the Vice Minister. | Viceministro

WSWS (2021-02-13). German government registers record military budget and gears up for war. wsws.org A Defence Ministry position paper reveals that, behind the backs of the population, the German ruling class is preparing the biggest arms offensive since Hitler's build-up of the Wehrmacht in the 1930s.

CP Editor (2021-02-12). Ralph Nader on Corporate Crime, Holding Boeing Accountable for 737 MAX Deaths & Biden's First Weeks. counterpunch.org

teleSUR (2021-02-12). President Maduro Seeks Multilateral Mechanisms To Get Vaccines. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday said he was looking for an agreement with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to create a fund to finance COVID-19 vaccines. | RELATED: | This agreement would seek to obtain US$300 million to purchase COVID-19 vaccines, a task that is currently very difficult due to the U.S. blockade on the country. | The Bolivarian leader made p…

RT (2021-02-12). Swedish university wants to test-compare Covid vaccines' effectiveness on population of ENTIRE REGIONS, promises option to opt-out. rt.com Researchers at Sweden's Uppsala University aim to embark on the world's first comparative study evaluating the parade of Covid-19 jabs coming to market. They promise it will be voluntary and won't disrupt the vaccination program. | The scientists are waiting for authorization to launch a study comparing every Covid-19 vaccine that has been given the green light by the Swedish Medical Products Agency. They say that while those jabs were tested against a placebo, they haven't been tested against each other to see how their attributes compare among the Swedish population. | "In Sweden we have unique conditions to…

Ted Kelly (2021-02-12). 'Progressive' prosecutors put thousands of lives at risk. workers.org Philadelphia The novel coronavirus has claimed an unlikely victim in the United States: the Sixth Amendment. The right to a "speedy trial" is in critical condition. Philadelphia's county jail population has risen to 4,500 and is growing steadily. Half of those behind bars have "detainers," meaning they aren't eligible for . . . |

Staff (2021-02-12). Where Are the Witnesses? Ralph Nader Says Democrats' Impeachment Case Is "Prescription for Defeat" democracynow.org As the historic Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump continues, we speak with longtime consumer advocate, corporate critic and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who says Democrats have set themselves up for defeat by rushing proceedings and failing to call witnesses — including Trump himself. "The narrow approach of the articles of impeachment keep the Democrats from having a full hand," says Nader. "They have like 10 arrows in their quiver and they're using one or two."

Staff (2021-02-12). Ralph Nader on Corporate Crime, Holding Boeing Accountable for 737 MAX Deaths & Biden's First Weeks. democracynow.org Legendary consumer advocate Ralph Nader says the U.S. is experiencing a "corporate crime wave," and that the Trump administration's $2.5 billion settlement with Boeing over the manufacturer's faulty 737 MAX jets amounts to a "slap on the wrist." Boeing's faulty planes were involved in two fatal crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, including Nader's 24-year-old grandniece Samya Stumo. Nader says the Biden Justice Department should reopen the previous administration's settlement and hold Boeing fully accountable. "This is just another example of giant companies getting away with their corporate criminal…

Staff (2021-02-12). Ralph Nader: Biden Must Hold Boeing Accountable for Deaths Due to Faulty Planes. truthout.org Legendary consumer advocate Ralph Nader says the U.S. is experiencing a "corporate crime wave," and that the Trump administration's $2.5 billion settlement with Boeing over the manufacturer's faulty 737 MAX jets amounts to a "slap on the wrist." Boeing's faulty planes were involved in two fatal crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, including Nader's 24-year-old grandniece Samya Stumo. Nader says the Biden Justice Department should reopen the previous administration's settlement and…

_____ (2021-02-12). Study Finds Increase In Anti-Zionism At US Universities. popularresistance.org The past few years have witnessed a significant rise in anti-Zionism across colleges and universities in the United States, a new study has found. | Professor of Political Science at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, Miriam Elman, said in a study published by the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University that a majority of universities in the United States have turned into incubators of anti-Zionism, which contributes to creating a negative atmosphere against Jews on campus. | Elman claimed that university and college officials respond to this by vie…

news.un (2021-02-12). Independent UN rights expert calls for unilateral sanctions to be dropped against Venezuela. news.un.org At the end of a two-week visit to Venezuela, an independent UN human rights expert noted on Friday that unilateral sanctions imposed on the country have exacerbated pre-existing crises, calling for them to be dropped.

Nino Pagliccia (2021-02-12). Venezuela — Food Security and Sovereignty to Fight Starvation Sanctions. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 27 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Mainstream media references to Venezuela always focus on the devastating economic …