(2021-01-29). Corporate Media Bash Teachers Unions For Resisting School Reopenings. popularresistance.org The seven-day average COVID death toll hit an all time high yesterday, with over 3,400 Americans expected to die on any given day. Educator cases are on the rise. Studies have shown that children are as likely to contract and pass the coronavirus on as adults, making schools potential super spreading hotspots. As a result, European nations like the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands are shuttering schools, despite, in many cases, having lower infection rates than the U.S. | President Biden, however, is pushing forward with a new plan to achieve a near full reopening within his…
(2021-01-29). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org British energy strike continues over "fire-and-rehire"; French teachers, school nurses and students walk out over pay and Covid safety issues; Dutch metal and electronic workers strike over pay; Nigeria's non-teaching university staff to strike over cuts, pay and conditions…
(2021-01-29). Iran pursues German companies that gave Saddam Hussein chemical weapons. peoplesworld.org 
Iran vowed on Wednesday to take action against German companies for supplying the former Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein with chemical weapons. Ismail Baqai Hamaneh, Tehran's representative at the United Nations in Geneva , told the UN-linked Conference on Disarmament: "Iran will never back down from pursuing Germany's crime of arming Saddam with chemical weapons." …
(2021-01-29). Italy blocks arms exports to Saudi Arabia and UAE. middleeasteye.net 
Italy blocks arms exports to Saudi Arabia and UAE | Campaigners said the decision would block 12,700 bombs bound for Riyadh and Abu Dhabi | Fri, 01/29/2021 – 11: 21 | Campaigners described the decision to block arms sales as 'historic' (Screengrab) | Italy has stopped arms exports to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after concerns were raised that Italian weapons could be used to kill civilians…
(2021-01-29). Who is Alexei Navalny? Behind the myth of the West's favorite Russian opposition figure. thegrayzone.com Despite facing repression, Alexei Navalny is no hero. Russian writer Katya Kazbek reveals the Western-backed opposition figure's real history. This interview was originally published at Royce Kurmelovs' Raising Hell Substack newsletter and republished with permission. Compressed into a two-minute soundbite, the story of Alexei Navalny and the recent protests that have erupted across Russia seems simple enough. The Russian opposition figure who recently survived an attempt on his life — an alleged poisoning delivered via Novichok-laced pants — was arrested and convicted …
(2021-01-29). Russia reports 19,238 new COVID-19 cases, 534 deaths. yenisafak.com The country's total number of cases passed 3.81 million, while 72,185 people lost their lives to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.Some 26,204 people recovered from the virus and the total recoveries exceeded 3.25 million.Meanwhile, the Education Ministry said universities will begin face-to-face education on Feb. 8 depending on the epidemiological situation of their region.COVID-19 measures will also be applied in the universities, it added.
(2021-01-29). Germany reports downward trend in COVID-19 cases. yenisafak.com A decline in Germany's coronavirus cases continues as the number of infections per 100,000 people in seven days fell to 94.4 on Friday — the lowest figure since October.Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, Professor Lothar Wieler, head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), said the seven-day incidence rate dropped below 100 for the first time on Thursday and the downward trend continued today."We are on the right path, but we must resolutely pursue this path further," Wieler said, urging people to strictly observe safety measures.He warned that the recently detected more contagious COVID-19 variants remai…
(2021-01-29). At least 4 killed in COVID-19 hospital fire in Romania. yenisafak.com At least four people were killed in a fire at a hospital in the Romanian capital Bucharest on Friday, local media reported.The fire broke out at the Matei Bals Hospital, one of the city's largest hospitals where COVID-19 patients are treated.Some 102 people were evacuated from the hospital, according to the Romanian news agency Agerpres.Bucharest prosecutors opened an investigation to search the cause of the fire, said Agerpres.
(2021-01-29). Turkey to fine vendors selling food at high prices, says Erdogan. yenisafak.com Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that heavy fines will be imposed on vendors selling food at high prices.Those who are responsible for high food prices will face heavy penalties, Erdogan said in a speech after Friday prayer in Istanbul.He said that the government will continue supporting small businesses during the pandemic."The decline in the number of casualties makes me very hopeful," Erdogan stated.He added that he hoped to overcome the negative developments stemming from the new variants of COVID-19.As of Thursday, Turkey had registered a total of 25,605 deaths due to the coronavirus, w…
(2021-01-29). Over 12M visitors flocked to Turkey's online museums. yenisafak.com Over 12 million people visited Turkey's 32 museums and archaeological sites in the first 10 months of 2020 through the government's digital platform, tourism officials announced on Friday.Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry unveiled a digital portal of museums and historical sites on March 25, 2020, after the COVID-19 outbreak, which hit the tourism industry hard.The museums and archaeological sites, which host millions of rare works of culture and art, have been made accessible to visitors through a virtual environment at sanalmuze.gov.tr, according to the officials.Virtually the most visited is the Gobeklitep…
(2021-01-29). EU / UK Vaccine spat highlights the need for a 'radical shake-up in the way vaccines are produced'. thecanary.co The European Medicines Agency plans to deliver its verdict on the Oxford/AstraZeneca Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine on 29 January. But Brussels could also announce powers that would block the shipment of millions of vaccine doses to Britain within days. | The European Commission (EC) is considering an export ban in a bid to solve its vaccine supply shortage issues. Member states were forced to pause or delay rollout, after AstraZeneca — which aims to supply two million doses per week to the UK — allegedly told the EC that only a quarter of the 100 million doses it was expecting by March were likely…
(2021-01-29). EU publishes redacted AstraZeneca contract amid delivery row. laprensalatina.com (Update 1: Adds detail) Brussels, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- The European Commission on Friday published a redacted version of its purchase agreement for Covid-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca amid an ongoing dispute over a delivery shortfall. The row erupted after it emerged that the firm would only be able to deliver 25% of the vaccines earmarked for …
(2021-01-29). EMA: No new side effects found in Pfizer vaccine month after EU rollout. laprensalatina.com Amsterdam, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- The European Medicines Agency on Friday announced it had not identified any new side effects of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the first month of its rollout in the European Union. The report added that the vaccine, known as Comirnaty, had not been linked to any deaths in patients after receiving …
(2021-01-29). Why EU is Lagging Behind UK in COVID Vaccine Rollout. sputniknews.com The European Commission's coordinated rollout of a vaccination programme, presented by Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides on 17 June 2020 and lauded in December as a "success story" by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, is not going as smoothly as planned.
(2021-01-29). Robert Koch Institute Chief Warns About More Outbreaks of New COVID Strains Being Reported. sputniknews.com The UK authorities previously reported discovering another variant of coronavirus that is presumed to be more virulent. The strain has since spread across other countries despite attempts to prevent it.
(2021-01-29). Now you see him, now you don't: Emotional Djokovic shocks fans by leaving tennis event ahead of Australian Open — then reappearing. rt.com 
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has left fans puzzled by his latest show of unorthodox behavior ahead of the Australian Open, pulling out of an exhibition event in Adelaide before emerging back on court midway through a match. | The top-ranked player withdrew from Adelaide's Memorial Drive just hours after being released from quarantine, citing blisters on his right hand as he hit the headlines again before the headline tournament had even started. | The 17-time Grand Slam winner, who served his quarantine in Adelaide alongside other top stars including Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, left fa…
(2021-01-29). Turkish-Russian centre monitoring Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire due to open. middleeasteye.net 
Turkish-Russian centre monitoring Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire due to open | Turkey's Hulusi Akar said Turkish personnel would work at the centre to oversee the maintenance of a ceasefire that ended six weeks of fighting | Fri, 01/29/2021 – 15: 40 | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attending a military parade marking Azerbaijan's victory against A…
(2021-01-29). Iran's foreign minister condemns US sanctions on Turkey. middleeasteye.net 
Iran's foreign minister condemns US sanctions on Turkey | Javad Zarif calls for lifting of sanctions in Iran and Turkey at press conference in Istanbul | Fri, 01/29/2021 – 09: 12 | Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu welcomes his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif before their meeting at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul (AFP) | Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has condemne…
(2021-01-29). Marjorie Taylor Greene Has Long Used Racism, Anti-Semitism to Get Famous. truthout.org 
Just days before Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene faced a fresh round of calls to resign from Congress after CNN reported that her Facebook page had endorsed calls to execute top Democrats in 2018, the Republican from Georgia was starting her own social media buzz around articles of impeachment she filed against President Joe Biden. | Greene
(2021-01-29). This Is Why Texas Is the Next Georgia. thenation.com This Is Why Texas Is the Next Georgia…
(2021-01-29). Turkey to help modernize Albania customs administration. yenisafak.com Turkey will help the modernization of the Albanian Customs Administration to set effective, fast, and efficient customs procedures, the Turkish trade minister said on Friday.Speaking at the virtually held Turkey-Albania Chamber of Commerce and Industry Forum First Economy Conference, Ruhsar Pekcan said in line with the requests of the Albanian customs authority, a delegation from the Turkish Trade Ministry will visit the country in February for technical cooperation.The decision was taken during Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama's visit to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the capital Ankara on Jan. 6.She stressed…
(2021-01-29). Nuke deal up in air as Iran, US bicker over first move. yenisafak.com Clouds of uncertainty continue to loom over the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, with neither Tehran nor the new US administration willing to make the first move.Mahmoud Vaezi, the Iranian president's chief of staff, said on Friday that Iran "did not leave the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] to return to it," asserting that Tehran will return to full compliance when the US and Europe "live up to their commitments."On Thursday, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif also strongly defended Iran's position, saying Washington needs to "take the first step."Addressing new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, he said "the US…
(2021-01-29). More families join sit-in against YPG/PKK in Turkey. yenisafak.com Families of children abducted or forcibly recruited by the YPG/PKK terror group continue their sit-in protest in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakir province, calling on their sons and daughters to lay down arms and surrender to authorities.The protest began on Sept. 3, 2019, in Diyarbakir province when three mothers said their children had been forcibly recruited by YPG/PKK terrorists. The sit-in outside the office of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which the government accuses of having links to the YPG/PKK, has been growing every day.Solmaz Ovunc, a mother from the eastern Van province, joined the protest fo…
(2021-01-29). Turkey 'hopes' US returns to Iran nuclear deal. yenisafak.com Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday that he hopes the Biden administration would return to the nuclear deal and lift sanctions on Iran.Speaking at a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif in Istanbul, Cavusoglu said that Turkey has always supported the nuclear deal that was reached by the US, EU and Iran. "I hope the Biden administration will return to the agreement and so the sanctions on brotherly Iran will be lifted."Touching on the Karabakh deal, he said that they want a permanent cease-fire.In this regard, we are planning to establish a mechanism with Azerbaijan,…
(2021-01-29). Turkish speaker rejects 'paranoid' Neo-Ottoman claims. yenisafak.com Turkey's parliament speaker on Friday said his country was resolute in protecting its legitimate rights based on international law.Speaking at an Istanbul-based commemoration program dedicated to the Turkish independence struggle, Mustafa Sentop commented on his country's goals and political stance.We are determined to protect and defend Turkey's legitimate rights arising from international law, Sentop said, adding the threats his country faced over a century ago were still existing.Stressing that the Turkish administration worked hard to make Turkey stronger, safer and more peaceful, he noted that Ankara was see…
(2021-01-29). PKK suspect caught trying to illegally cross to Greece. yenisafak.com Turkey's northwestern border troops nabbed a terror suspect trying to flee to Greece, the National Defense Ministry said on Friday."A person trying to cross from our country to Greece illegally was caught by our border units in Ipsala district of Edirne," the ministry said on Twitter."The person, who was previously tried for aiding and abetting the PKK terrorist organization, was handed over to the Ipsala District Gendarme Station," it added.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU — has been responsible for the…
(2021-01-29). Islamophobic attacks sharply rise in Macron's France in 2020. yenisafak.com Amid controversy over the government's stance towards Muslims, Islamophobic attacks in France shot up by over half in 2020, the head of a monitoring group said Friday.There were 235 attacks on Muslims in France in 2020, up from 154 the previous year, a 53% jump, Abdallah Zekri, head of the National Observatory of Islamophobia, said in a statement.Most of the attacks took place in the Ile-de-France (greater Paris), Rhones-Alpes, and Paca regions of the country, Zekri said.Attacks on mosques jumped 35% in the same year, Zekri said.Stating that 70 threatening letters were sent to the headquarters of the French Counc…
(2021-01-29). London calls for EU pragmatism on market access. laprensalatina.com London, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- The United Kingdom's financial hub is calling for "pragmatism" from the European Union when it comes to market access and tying up the loose ends of Brexit, Catherine McGuinness, chair of the City of London Corporation's policy committee, tells Efe in an interview. McGuinness makes no secret of her disappointment in …
(2021-01-29). Iran, Turkey ink a draft of 1mn ton of freight agreement. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 29 (MNA) -Turkish Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure revealed the signing and sealing a draft of one-million-ton freight agreement with the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2021.
(2021-01-29). China won't recognize British overseas passports issued to Hong Kongers. laprensalatina.com Shanghai, China, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- China will not recognize British overseas passports from Sunday, when the United Kingdom will begin to accept applications from Hong Kongers, who are offered residence and residence permits to work for five years. At his daily press conference, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian said "China will stop recognizing the British …
(2021-01-29). EMA gives AstraZeneca vaccine green light for use in over 18s. laprensalatina.com Amsterdam, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- The European Medicines Agency on Friday recommended the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine for use on all ages above 18 in the European Union. The European Commission will now give the green-light to begin rolling out the vaccine, the third to be approved in the EU. The EU signed a pre-order for 400 …
(2021-01-29). Italy's president urges estranged coalition partners to reconcile. laprensalatina.com Rome, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- Italian President Sergio Mattarella pointed Friday to an incipient rapprochement among elements of the coalition government that collapsed at the start of this week and he asked the speaker of the lower house of parliament to mediate talks aimed at reconstituting that administration. "The prospect of a political majority among the …
(2021-01-29). EU May Block Pfizer Vaccine Exports to UK to Ensure Stable Supplies Within Bloc — Reports. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The European Union may block the export of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to the United Kingdom as a means of retaining stable vaccine supplies for its member states, media reported.
(2021-01-29). EU must place social justice 'at its core' to lift people out of poverty. news.un.org The European Union's failure to lift 20 million people out of poverty by 2020, is "a defeat for social rights", an independent UN human rights expert said on Friday, urging the bloc to boldly rethink its whole socio-economic approach.
(2021-01-29). Former FBI Lawyer Gets Probation For Altering Russia Probe Documents. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith received a year of probation and 400 hours of community service for doctoring an email as a means of getting permission to spy on a former Trump campaign adviser during the Russia investigation.
(2021-01-29). New START Extension a Step in Right Direction. strategic-culture.org There is no guarantee of successful outcome. But at the very least there must be a commitment to work together and to dialogue. Thus, New START is a step in the right direction. | The agreement this week by the United States and the Russian Federation to extend the New START arms control treaty is a symbolic step of reengagement by both sides. That has to be welcomed. | Bilateral relations have deteriorated so badly in recent years that if the treaty was allowed to expire — as it was slated to do next week — then the world was facing the danger of a new, destructive nuclear arms race. The US had alrea…
(2021-01-29). 'Embarrassing': Sweden's Public Health Chief Slammed for Maskless Ride During Rush Hour. sputniknews.com A number of high-ranking Swedish politicians, including cabinet ministers up to Prime Minister Stefan Là∂fven himself were previously caught breaking their own recommendations. In some cases, this led to resignations.
(2021-01-29). Russia's "Tatyana Day": Putin's Statement on University Education. 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). | *** | As a good tradition observed in Russia, Jan 25 is popularly …
(2021-01-29). Portugal on Track to Become Coal-free by Year End. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles including the E-Book 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 Sines coal plant in Portugal went offline …
(2021-01-29). Teachers strike in France demanding better wages and working conditions. peoplesdispatch.org Teachers across France observed a national strike on 26 January demanding better working conditions, higher salaries and protesting over the government's education budget for 2021.The teachers were joined by school nurses and students as well.
(2021-01-29). Health workers mobilize in Greece demanding more resources. peoplesdispatch.org The protesting workers have demanded massive refinancing of the health sector, more recruitments, and a substantial increase in their salaries and pensions by reversing the cuts introduced in 2012 due to the economic crisis…
(2021-01-28). France's Covid-19 vaccine woes continue as more regions SUSPEND first doses of Pfizer jab. rt.com 
Two more local public health agencies in France are suspending people's appointments for receiving their first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech, due to supply shortages. | The eastern Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region and the Île-de-France area surrounding Paris both said on Thursday that they would be axing Covid immunization appointments. | The Parisian ARS health agency said injections of first doses will stop there from February 2 and hospitals won't receive deliveries for the time being, although already-arranged second-dose appointments will still go ahead. | A spokesperson for AR…
(2021-01-28). Russia's population decline accelerated in 2020, losing 500,000 residents amid Covid deaths, falling birth rate & less immigration. rt.com 
Russia has recorded its largest annual population decline in 15 years. According to Rosstat, the official government statistics service, the number of people permanently living in the country dropped by 510,000 in just 12 months. | The national population now totals 146.24 million, a steep drop from 146.75 million at the start of 2020. The last time the country saw such a significant decline was in 2005, when the number of people decreased by 564,500. | Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Moscow was already concerned about the country's falling number of inhabitants. Russia's population peaked at the start of 2018 a…
(2021-01-28). The Third Batch of Sputnik V Vaccines Arrives in Argentina. telesurenglish.net Argentina Airlines (AA) President Pablo Ceriani on Thursday received the third shipment of COVID-19 Sputnik V vaccines from Russia. | RELATED: | Flight AR1062 carried 240,000 vaccine doses, 20,000 of which will be sent to Bolivia as part of the purchase agreed between Bolivian authorities with Russia's Gamaleya Institute. | Ceriani highlighted that AA and President Alberto Fernandez's administration are committed to ensuring the "supply…
(2021-01-28). The UK is now the world hotspot for COVID-19. peoplesworld.org 
UNITED KINGDOM—This time last year, and up to the end of 2020, the threat of coronavirus overtaking the whole island was a constant concern, but never a conceptual reality. Yet, reality came crashing down without warning—there were no sirens, or readymade shelters for those sick and injured. The U.K's official death toll in the coronavirus …
(2021-01-28). Network meeting of action committees for safe education discusses Europe-wide school strike. wsws.org The online meeting in Germany adopted a powerful resolution against the return to workplaces, schools and day-care centres under conditions of a widening pandemic.
(2021-01-28). Immigration Helps Maintain Population Levels in Spain. telesurenglish.net Spain's National Institute of Statistics (INE) on Thursday published a study showing that immigration helped this European country offset the increase in mortality and the decrease in birth rates since the beginning of the pandemic. | RELATED: | In the first half of 2020, this European country registered more deaths (261,616) than births (167,559). This meant a decrease of 80,230 persons of Spanish nationality. | However, t…
(2021-01-28). Opposition mounts to Spanish government's refusal to implement coronavirus measures. wsws.org The blame for the explosion of cases and deaths in Spain lies squarely on the shoulders of the Socialist Party (PSOE)-Podemos government, which has refused point-blank to take any serious measures to control the pandemic.
(2021-01-28). End of Anti-Russian Electioneering; Palestinian Funding Restored. indybay.org One week after the Inauguration, Pres. Biden called Pres. Putin to extend the START nuclear arms control treaty, due to expire 2/5/21. Pres. Biden's administration also announced restoration of relations with Palestine and aid to Palestinians.
(2021-01-28). Washington Bullets: A History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations. peoplesworld.org 
The 20th century saw a wave of anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, national liberation movements transform the world, often with the aid of Soviet, Eastern European, and Cuban Communists. Just as often, these revolts against the old world — the racist, sexist world of subjugation and oppression of entire peoples — were violently suppressed. In the first two …