2021-01-27: News Headlines

Online News Editor (2021-01-28). New Zealand tops global Covid-19 management rankings. laprensalatina.com Sydney, Australia, Jan 29 (efe-epa).- New Zealand has topped the rankings of almost 100 countries and territories that have best managed the Covid-19 pandemic, according to an index published Thursday in Australia. The Oceanian country was followed by Vietnam and Taiwan in second and third place. The Covid Performance Index compares the response of governments …

Online News Editor (2021-01-28). Biden commits to US defense of Japan in maritime dispute. laprensalatina.com Tokyo, Jan 28 (efe-epa).- In a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday, United States President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washington's "unwavering commitment" to defending the Asian country under their joint security treaty. This includes a group of small islands in the East China Sea, which are administered by Tokyo and claimed by …

Alfred W. McCoy (2021-01-27). That Time when America was a Superpower before Trump surrendered to China. juancole.com ( Tomdispatch.com ) — After four years of Donald Trump's fitful tenure, America is awakening from a long, troubled sleep to discover, like the fictional character Rip Van Winkle, that the world it once knew has changed beyond all recognition. In that classic American tale by Washington Irving published in 1819, an amiable but shiftless …

WSWS (2021-01-27). Global and domestic tensions fuel moves to oust Australian Labor Party leader. wsws.org Plans to dump Albanese are intensifying as the worldwide COVID-19 catastrophe worsens, fuelling working class unrest internationally, and the incoming Biden administration steps up the US confrontation with China.

Melvin Goodman (2021-01-27). China: Enemy Du Jour? But Why? counterpunch.org Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States has not faced an existential threat—nothing to justify the trillions of dollars given to the Pentagon to maintain military predominance over the entire global community. The United States requires a foil for its foreign policy declarations and for maintaining the allegiance of the U.S. citizenry. Has China become that foil?

alexander (2021-01-27). Different Models, Single Payer: Health Care for All. dsausa.org We often look to Canada as an example of how Single Payer Medicare for All (SP) could function in the United States. Like Medicare for people over 65 and people with disabilities, Canadian Medicare is federally funded. Unlike U.S. Medicare, each Canadian province or territory manages its own program. | But there is another model we look at less frequently: SP in Taiwan. There, the Ministry of Health and Welfare determines the global budget and negotiates fees for medical services and supplies and keeps administrative costs low for the National Health Insurance (NHI). Stakeholders are involved in the budget pro…

sputniknews (2021-01-27). Biden Nominee for UN Envoy Reveals State Department Plans to Designate China's Actions as 'Genocide'. sputniknews.com Earlier, the US Congress passed the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, calling on all countries to condemn Beijing's alleged human rights violations towards the Muslim population of Xinjiang.

Online News Editor (2021-01-27). Tracing the origin of the coronavirus: WHO begins field visit in Wuhan. laprensalatina.com By Javier García Wuhan, China, Jan. 27 (efe-epa).- An international team of 13 experts of the World Health Organization is set to begin its ground visit in Wuhan on Thursday to investigate the origins of the new coronavirus, after completing a mandatory 14-day quarantine at a hotel in the city. The complicated mission — marred …

sputniknews (2021-01-27). China Using 'Accurate' Anal Swabs to Test for COVID-19, Report Says. sputniknews.com Although many have deemed a nasal COVID-19 test as uncomfortable, there is perhaps another option that is arguably even more so, but, notably, in equal measure conclusive.

yenisafak (2021-01-27). Oil prices up on estimated big fall in US crude stocks. yenisafak.com Oil prices rose on Wednesday as a more-than-expected decrease in US crude oil inventories and a decline in coronavirus cases in China, the world's second largest consumer, relieved investor fears over a fall in demand.International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $55.98 per barrel at 0703 GMT for a 0.61% increase after closing Tuesday at $55.64 a barrel.American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was at $52.97 per barrel at the same time for a 0.68% increase after it ended the previous session at $52.61 a barrel.Late Tuesday, the American Petroleum Institute (API) announced its estimate of a fall of 5.3…

Jonathan Cook (2021-01-27). The 'Humanitarian' Left Still Ignores the Lessons of Iraq, Libya and Syria to Cheer on More War. counterpunch.org The instinct among parts of the left to cheerlead the right's war crimes, so long as they are dressed up as liberal "humanitarianism", is alive and kicking, as Owen Jones revealed in a column last week on the plight of the Uighurs at China's hands. The "humanitarian war" instinct persists even after two decades of

Stephen Lendman (2021-01-27). No Likely Change in US Dirty Business as Usual. Pro-Navalny Protests in Russia. globalresearch.ca Straightaway after replacing Trump by election theft, the illegitimately installed Biden/Harris regime targeted Russia, China, and domestic freedoms — the latter by inventing a domestic terrorist threat that doesn't exist except when state-sponsored. | It's an ominous sign for what's likely …

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-27). China urges Indonesia to infrom of seized tankers crew. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 27 (MNA) — China's Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday it was seeking details about 25 of its nationals who were among 61 crew on two supertankers seized by Indonesia on suspicion of illegally transferring oil.

sputniknews (2021-01-27). Chipmaker Group Urges Biden Government To Reassess 'Unilateral' Trump-Era Trade Ban, Policy On China. sputniknews.com The letter from the major trade association representing industry leaders such as Intel, NXP Semiconductors, Samsung Electronics, Broadcom and Micron Technology slammed the former Trump administration's trade policy in an open letter as being imposed without public input and doing harm to the long-term competitiveness of tech firms.

Online News Editor (2021-01-27). Two deaths reopen debate on exploitation in Chinese technology. laprensalatina.com By Victor Escribano Shanghai, China, Jan 27 (efe-epa).- The death of two employees of the e-commerce giant Pinduoduo, allegedly related to stress and overwork, has reopened the exploitation debate in China in a sector whose leaders proudly defend endless working hours. Social networks and even the official press have dealt with the controversy profusely, which …

Dean Baker (2021-01-26). The NYT's Has Not Heard of China's Vaccine (Or Russia's or India's). counterpunch.org It is more than a bit bizarre that the New York Times can run a major piece about the lack of access of developing countries to Covid vaccines and never once mention the vaccines developed by China, Russia, or India. The piece is very useful in highlighting the fact that the United States and Europe

Global Research News (2021-01-26). Selected Articles: After COVID, Davos Moves to The "Great Reset" globalresearch.ca By With China making loud pledges about meeting strict CO2 emission standards by 2060, now the World Economic Forum is about to unveil what will …

Anthony Cartalucci (2021-01-26). US Targets China over Tibet. thealtworld.com The US Congress has recently passed the so-called Tibetan Policy and Support Act (TPSA) — slipped into a COVID-19 relief package and a 1.4 trillion dollar government spending bill, US State Department-funded Voice of America reported in their article, "US Congress Passes Landmark Bill in Support of Tibet." | The article would claim: | The U.S. Congress on Monday passed a bill that is expected to upgrade U.S. support for Tibetans in key areas, including sanctioning Chinese officials if they try to appoint the next Dalai Lama. | VOA would also report that: | It will pave the way for the U.S. government to i…

_____ (2021-01-26). The Economics Lesson Taught By The Pandemic. popularresistance.org On this week's show, Professor Wolff explains that in countries where the government is respected and empowered, such as New Zealand, Taiwan and Cuba, among others, the COVID-19 pandemic has been effectively contained. Alternately, where the government is demonized, disrespected and distrusted, such as in the UK and the US, the pandemic has been devastating. | Prof. Wolff argues that a rational economy includes both private businesses (regulated by the government to different degrees) and state-owned and operated enterprises, depending on which performs best to meet the needs of society. Moreover, besides the que…

Peter Koenig (2021-01-26). Pandemic, Lockdown, Economic Disaster: Are We at War? globalresearch.ca Are we at War? This has become a legitimate question over the last 12 months in the western world. | And we are not talking of war by the west against Russia or China, or the east in general. It's a …

Umar A Farooq (2021-01-26). US court issues summons for MBZ over hacking of Al Jazeera anchor via Twitter. middleeasteye.net US court issues summons for MBZ over hacking of Al Jazeera anchor via Twitter | Al Jazeera presenter Ghada Oueiss says she hopes lawsuit will reveal UAE and Saudi Arabia are leading 'campaign of terror against journalists and activists' | Tue, 01/26/2021 – 18: 49 | The summonses were previously issued to MBZ through mail last month (AFP) | The crown prince of Abu Dhabi and top Saudi officials have…

Edward Curtin (2021-01-26). The Will to Believe: Americans and their Divine Masters. dissidentvoice.org Ah, mon cher, for anyone who is alone, without God and without a master, the weight of days is dreadful. Hence one must choose a master, God being out of style. — Albert Camus, The Fall, 1956 Propagandists are smart people. They begin their devious machinations with the premise that people need to believe in …

A Guest Author (2021-01-26). Elliott Abrams, fire your own president; you couldn't fire mine in Venezuela. workers.org By Sergio Rodríguez Gelfenstein The writer was the director of international relations in Venezuela's presidential office and the country's ambassador to Nicaragua. Currently, he is a guest professor at Shanghai University in China. Translation: Angel Alvarez. Nicolás Maduro In an appearance before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Aug. . . . |

Tom Clifford (2021-01-26). When Biden's "New" America Confronts the New China. counterpunch.org The lexicon has changed. Words and phrases that seemed to define our world until quite recently now belong to a bygone era. Remember BRICs? The grouping of the next economic superpowers. Well, Brazil, Russia, India and China now resemble a brash start-up promising a whole new way of doing things only to fall out among

WSWS (2021-01-26). Biden administration warns China over Taiwan, as US carrier enters South China Sea. wsws.org Just a week after his inauguration, Biden's administration is already signalling that it will escalate Trump's confrontation with Beijing.

yenisafak (2021-01-26). 'Cancer patients can safely get CoronaVac vaccine'. yenisafak.com China's CoronaVac vaccine, which is being administered against the novel coronavirus in Turkey, does not pose a risk for cancer patients, a Turkish doctor said on Tuesday.Timucin Cil, the research associate at the Medical Oncology Clinic in Adana Training and Research Hospital, said that cancer patients are among the risk groups of the novel coronavirus."Cancer patients can safely get the inactivated vaccine. It is very safe and does not pose a risk to them. Its implementation is clearly recommended by all guidelines around the world," Cil said.‚Ä®"CoronaVac vaccine can be used safely. The flu vacc…

sputniknews (2021-01-26). Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine Has Been Registered in Iran. sputniknews.com Last week, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei stated that Iran had held talks with Russia, China, and India on the potential procurement of vaccines against the coronavirus.

sputniknews (2021-01-26). The Task: China Must Rally 'Whole Country' to Defeat US 'Technology Blockade', Top CCP Official Says. sputniknews.com The news comes as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced on Tuesday it would back mainland and foreign enterprises in the nation's semiconductor sector to boost production of integrated circuits, a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report revealed.

Michael T. Klare (2021-01-26). Averting a Cold War With China Takes On Greater Urgency. thenation.com Averting a Cold War With China Takes On Greater Urgency…

Online News Editor (2021-01-26). Merkel welcomes EU-China investment deal but acknowledges divergences. laprensalatina.com Berlin, Jan 26 (efe-epa).- German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday commended the European Union's investment deal with China as adding quality to the relationship between the two superpowers although acknowledged divergences on issues like human rights. Merkel, in her final year as Germany's chancellor, a position she has held since 2005, spoke at the World …

Asad Ismi (2021-01-26). The US-Kenya Bilateral Free Trade Agreement. Garbage In, Garbage Out. globalresearch.ca Washington hopes a free trade pact with Kenya will give it a beachhead in its hot war with Al-Shabab and cold war with China—and an African dumping ground for GMOs and plastic waste. What Kenya gets in exchange is not …

WSWS (2021-01-26). Biden administration enlists unions in anti-China drive, reopening policy. wsws.org The Biden administration has made it clear the unions will play a key role in promoting the anti-China drive and enforcing the deadly reopening of schools and workplaces.

teleSUR (2021-01-26). China's President Calls for Multilateralism To Overcome Crisis. telesurenglish.net Addressing the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Monday, China's President Xi Jinping called on the world to abandon ideological prejudice and jointly follow a path of peaceful coexistence, mutual benefit, and cooperation. | RELATED: | "Difference in itself is no cause for alarm. What does ring the alarm is arrogance, prejudice and hatred," Xi said, adding that no global problem can be solved by any one country alone. | Noting that the problem…

Dean Baker (2021-01-25). The New York Times Has Not Heard About China's Vaccines (or Russia or India's). cepr.net It is more than a bit bizarre that the New York Times can run a major piece about the lack of access of developing countries to Covid vaccines and never once mention the vaccines developed by China, Russia, or India. The piece is very useful in highlighting the fact that the United States and Europe …

teleSUR (2021-01-25). 100 Mln COVID-19 Cases Worldwide Expected This Week: WHO Chief. telesurenglish.net The number of COVID-19 cases worldwide is expected to reach 100 million within this week, said the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. | "A year ago today, fewer than 1,500 cases of COVID-19 had been reported to WHO, including just 23 cases outside China. This week, we expect to reach 100 million reported cases," Tedros said at a WHO press briefing on Monday. | RELATED: | "Num…

Online News Editor (2021-01-25). 10 of 22 people trapped in China mine accident confirmed dead. laprensalatina.com Beijing, Jan 25 (efe-epa).- Authorities confirmed Monday the death of 10 of the 22 people who became trapped two weeks ago after an explosion in a gold mine under construction in China, while one remains missing, according to press reports. Officials Sunday rescued 11 of the 22 miners who were trapped Jan. 10 after an …

Online News Editor (2021-01-25). At least two dead after gas explosion in northeast China. laprensalatina.com Beijing, Jan 25 (efe-epa).- At least two people died and eight were injured Monday after the explosion of a natural gas pipeline near a community of neighbors in the port city of Dalian, northeast China, according to media reports. Another person — previously reported missing — was sent to hospital, according to The Paper newspaper. …

Online News Editor (2021-01-25). Covid patients face layoffs, pay cuts in Wuhan as pandemic trauma persists. laprensalatina.com By Javier García Wuhan, China, Jan 25 (efe-epa).- Many of the residents in the Chinese city of Wuhan who contracted the new coronavirus have to not only struggle with the many possible aftereffects of the disease, but have also faced social and workplace discrimination, leading to feelings of shame and other self-esteem issues. Psychologists in …

Online News Editor (2021-01-25). Hong Kong lifts partial lockdown after less than two days. laprensalatina.com By Shirley Lau Hong Kong, Jan 25 (efe-epa).- Hong Kong's first lockdown targeting street blocks in a locality was lifted early Monday morning, less than two days after authorities made the unprecedented move to curb a novel coronavirus outbreak. Restrictions were formally lifted at about 3.30pm on Monday (20.30 GMT), when police at the Jordan …

RT (2021-01-25). Senator Hawley urges Americans to push back against corporate 'muzzling' of free speech as liberals continue shouting 'traitor'. rt.com US Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) has received accolades for penning an op-ed in which he denounced Big Tech's control over free speech, but the Republican's critics are still furious at him for challenging the 2020 election. | Writing in the New York Post, Hawley warned that "corporate monopolies" were silencing alternative views that they don't like and "forc[ing] their political agenda on America." | Comparing the situation in the United States to China's "social credit score," the Missouri senator claimed a growing army of "trained enforcers of woke orthodoxy" was being used to detect dissent. | The all…

Online News Editor (2021-01-25). Xi Jinping: Global unity key to overcoming pandemic. laprensalatina.com Geneva, Jan 25 (efe-epa).- China's president Xi Jinping opened the virtual Davos Forum on Monday with a message against confrontation in all forms and encouraging global unity to move past the pandemic. Xi's address to the World Economic Forum, this year held via video conference rather than at the traditional Davos summit in Switzerland, was …

Mehr News Agency (2021-01-25). In an provocative act Germany to send naval frigate to Japan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 25 (MNA) — The German government is considering sending a naval frigate to Japan and the South China Sea, claiming that the move aims at | expanding cooperation with its allies in East Asia.

sputniknews (2021-01-25). US Torpedoes WTO Panel on 'Made in China' Labels for Hong Kong Products. sputniknews.com Influential foreign policy think tanks in Washington are putting heavy pressure on newly-minted US President Joe Biden not to shred his predecessor's "get tough" approach on China, which has included sanctions, tariffs, and the blacklisting of Chinese companies.

Shahbazz Afzal (2021-01-25). The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Strained Relations with India? globalresearch.ca In September 2013, at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, presented his vision and plan for the 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI) — an ambitious vast complex trade and commercial network for China …

WSWS (2021-01-25). MIT faculty defend professor against trumped-up charges related to China ties. wsws.org A letter signed by 100 faculty members at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology calls for the defense of Professor Gang Chen, whom the US government is prosecuting on charges of wire fraud and tax violations as part of its witchhunt against academics who collaborate with Chinese institutions.