(2021-12-23). New ADB Facility to Help Southeast Asia Revive Tourism. moderndiplomacy.eu The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has set up a $1.7 million technical assistance facility to accelerate Southeast Asia's tourism recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, boost inclusive, sustainable development in the sector, and help local tourism entrepreneurs, especially women and youth, adopt digital platforms to grow their businesses. The Southeast Asia Sustainable Tourism Facility …
(2021-12-23). German banks and big business profit from death in the pandemic. wsws.org Like vultures feasting on the victims of a disaster, the profiteers on the banking floors are enriching themselves from the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
(2021-12-23). Minimal restrictions introduced in Scotland as Omicron wave takes hold. wsws.org Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's latest update on the coronavirus pandemic included only the most minimal public health measures to be introduced after this weekend, guaranteeing rapid ongoing infection in the run-up to Christmas.
(2021-12-23). Headlines for December 23, 2021. democracynow.org South Africa Says Omicron Coronavirus Surge Has Peaked, WHO Warns Blanket Booster Programs Divert Vaccine Supply, Prolonging Pandemic, FDA Approves COVID-19 Pill; Most Monoclonal Antibody Treatments Fail Against Omicron, New York Coronavirus Cases Surge to Record High; Supreme Court to Weigh Vaccine Mandates, Proud Boys Member Pleads Guilty to Capitol Riot Conspiracy, Will Cooperate with FBI, FBI Undercover Teams Infiltrated Portland Racial Justice Protests, U.S. Relaxes Limits on Aid as Afghanistan Faces Dire Humanitarian Crisis, U.N. Calls for Probe into Reports That Sudanese Security Forces Raped Anti-Coup Pro…
(2021-12-23). The left's contempt for bodily autonomy during the pandemic is a gift to the right. dissidentvoice.org When did parts of the left get so contemptuous of the principle of "bodily autonomy"? Answer: Just about the time they started fetishising vaccines as the only route out of the current pandemic. Only two years ago most people understood "bodily autonomy" to be a fundamental, unquestionable human right. Now it is being treated as …
(2021-12-23). No One Is Safe Until Everyone Is Safe: Oxfam on Vaccine Equity & Taking On Moderna. democracynow.org 
Oxfam America has accused Moderna of misleading its investors about an ongoing dispute over whether it needs to share vaccine patent rights with the U.S. government. Oxfam filed a shareholders complaint against Moderna with the Securities and Exchange Commission over the company's resistance to recognizing the role played by three scientists with the National Institutes of Health in developing the vaccine. We speak with Robbie Silverman, senior corporate advocacy manager at Oxfam America, who says the federal government owns a right to license the vaccine to manufacturers. "It is simply not sufficient just to vac…
(2021-12-23). Nigeria Destroys 1 Million Expired COVID-19 Vaccines. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, Nigerian government destroyed over 1 million COVID-19 vaccines withdrawn from across the country after being identified for having a short shelf life. | RELATED: | The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) monitored the exercise at a dumpsite in a suburb of Abuja, the Nigerian capital. Authorities took the decision to join other African nations which earlier destroyed vaccines for the same reaso…
(2021-12-23). WHO: Blanket COVID-19 vaccine booster programmes could prolong the pandemic. moderndiplomacy.eu Blanket COVID-19 vaccine booster programmes could prolong the pandemic and increase inequity, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday. "No country can boost its way out of the pandemic," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking in Geneva during his final press briefing for the year. "And boosters cannot be seen …
(2021-12-23). What We Know about COVID Vaccines. dissidentvoice.org 
Is the COVID vaccine safe? Pfizer's own data revealed that by February of 2021, Pfizer had already received more than 1,200 reports of deaths allegedly caused by the vaccine and tens of thousands of reported adverse events, including 23 cases of spontaneous abortions out of 270 pregnancies and more than 2,000 reports of cardiac disorders.
(2021-12-23). Oxfam Takes On Moderna in Fight for Vaccine Equity. truthout.org 
Oxfam America has accused Moderna of misleading its investors about an ongoing dispute over whether it needs to share vaccine patent rights with the U.S. government. Oxfam filed a shareholders complaint against Moderna with the Securities and Exchange Commission over the company's resistance to recognizing the role played by three scientists with the National Institutes of Health in developing the vaccine. We speak with Robbie Silverman, senior corporate advocacy manager at Oxfam America, who says the federal government…
(2021-12-23). Trump's 2024 Campaign Will Likely Be: "I Did the Vaccines All by Myself!" truthout.org 
The key to understanding Donald Trump's core belief system is found in the proper placement of three letters: i, m and a; two vowels and a consonant. A person is said to be immoral if they share a value set with a community but fail to follow those values. A person is said to be amoral if they have no personal value set whatsoever, and give not a single fig for what society has to say about right and wrong. | Trump is amoral to a nearly pitch-perfect degree. His existence is entirely transactional: n…
(2021-12-23). Tea Party Redux: How the Koch Network Funds and Fuels the Anti-Lockdown Movement. democracynow.org 
A new report titled "How The Koch Network Hijacked The War On COVID" reveals how a right-wing network linked to billionaire Charles Koch has played a key role in fighting public health measures during the pandemic, including mask and vaccine mandates, contact tracing and lockdowns. The groups include the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), Donors Trust, the Hoover Institution and Hillsdale College. We speak about the contents of the report with co-author Walker Bragman, who says the right-wing network's attack on public health is designed to "maintain…
(2021-12-23). Bombshell Document Dump on Pfizer Vaccine Data. globalresearch.ca What is contained in Pfizer's confidential report is detailed evidence on the impacts of the "vaccine" on mortality and morbidity. This data which emanates from the Horse's Mouth can be used to confront as well formulate legal procedures against Big Pharma, the governments, the WHO and the media.
(2021-12-23). Venezuela To Vaccinate 90% Of Its Population To Face Omicron. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro announced that the first seven COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant were detected in citizens who traveled abroad and recently returned to the states of Miranda, Lara and Caracas. | RELATED: | "It was inevitable that Omicron would arrive in Venezuela. Therefore, we reiterate the call to reinforce biosecurity measures and vaccination. We continue working to care fo…
(2021-12-23). A painful year for Gaza's patients. electronicintifada.net Israel has blocked entry of spare parts for medical equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2021-12-23). Venezuela Maintains 7 International Air Routes. orinocotribune.com Despite the fact that the state of emergency declared in Venezuela due to the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to be lifted, the president of the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC), Juan Teixeira Díaz, announced that seven international air routes will continue to service the country. | He clarified that commercial flights to Mexico, Turkey, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Russia, Bolivia, and Cuba will remain availa…
(2021-12-23). Life expectancy in the US dropped by an astounding 1.8 years during the first year of the pandemic. wsws.org Despite President Biden's claim that the US is in a better place since March 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that life expectancy in 2020 dropped by nearly two years. By all indications, this trend will worsen in 2021.
(2021-12-23). Tom Engelhardt: Surviving Another Year in This Disturbed Country of Ours. scheerpost.com 
[ By Whether the pandemic that's swept the world started from In my neighborhood at least, as this year draws to a close, that old Lone…
(2021-12-23). My Year and Welcome to It. tomdispatch.com Whether the pandemic that's swept the world started from a bat or not, as 2021 ends, I think it's safe to say that we're all far battier than we were when it began. In my neighborhood at least, as this year draws to a close, that old Lone Ranger line, "Who was that masked man?," again applies to just about anyone. In fact, as Delta cases rise in New York City and Omicron arrives on the scene in a startling fashion, indoor mask wearing in my own apartment building — from the halls to the elevators to the laundry room — has been reinstituted (not that I ever stopped) and the city's indoor public-mask ma…
(2021-12-23). Tomgram: Engelhardt, Thanks a Million for 2021! warisacrime.org This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. My Year and Welcome to ItWhat a Boost(er) It Was for Me! By Tom Engelhardt Whether the pandemic that's swept the world started from a bat or not, as 2021 ends, I think it's safe to …
(2021-12-23). Canada's top doctor: Reduce contacts immediately or Omicron will overwhelm hospitals. wsws.org Chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam's stark warning was swiftly followed by Canada recording its highest total of daily infections since the pandemic began, with 13,460 new cases on Wednesday.
(2021-12-23). South African Hospitalization Rates Plunge Despite Omicron Onslaught: 'They Are At Very Low Levels'. moguldom.com The hospitalization rate of South Africans infected with the omicron variant is less than 80 percent compared to other variants of the disease, according to a study released by the country's National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). Covid-19 infections in South Africa have spiked in the fourth wave of the pandemic after scientists identified the …
(2021-12-23). COVID-19 infections in South Korea hit record high following implemenation of "with COVID" policy. wsws.org South Korean President Moon Jae-in's government enacted new social distancing measures on Saturday that will do nothing to halt the spread of the virus.
(2021-12-23). UK Tory government weaponises Christmas against COVID restrictions. wsws.org The government's brutal determination to keep the profits flowing at all costs is meeting widespread opposition. Workers are defying all instructions from the mass murderers in Westminster to just keep on shopping and socialising in pubs, clubs and restaurants. Millions have stopped using public transport, are working from home and are already limiting their contacts with other people.
(2021-12-23). Alarm bells ring across South Asia as Omicron variant spreads unchecked. wsws.org Highlighting capitalist governments' failure to eliminate COVID-19, South Asia, home to a fourth of humanity, is on the brink of a horrific new surge of the virus.
(2021-12-23). IHME projects 3 billion COVID-19 infections worldwide by March 2022. wsws.org The institute based at the University of Washington forecasts 140 million new infections in the United States by the spring, nearly all of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
(2021-12-23). Australia's "National Cabinet" sets course for mass Omicron infections. wsws.org "Living with COVID-19 means living with COVID-variants," the meeting's communiqué declared.
(2021-12-23). As Patients Caught COVID Inside Hospitals, Government Oversight Fell Short. truthout.org 
One by one, the nurses taking care of actress Judi Evans at Riverside Community Hospital kept calling out sick. | Patients were coughing as staffers wheeled the maskless soap opera star around the California hospital while treating her for injuries from a horseback fall in May 2020, Evans said. | She remembered they took her to a room to remove blood from her compressed lung where another maskless patient was also getting his lung drained. He was crying out that he didn't want to die of covid.
(2021-12-23). Pharmacy Workers Describe Conditions That Sparked US Walkouts. popularresistance.org Retail pharmacy workers conducted a nationwide walkout on Monday in the US, organized on social media, to protest worsening work conditions at large retail chains such as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart. As the hyper-infectious Omicron variant continues to spread throughout the country, this much overlooked section of the health care industry is making its own demands for better working conditions, including patient safety, and an overdue increase in wages. | One pharmacist who requested to remain anonymous told the WSWS, "We work 12 hour shifts without technicians, we have no breaks and no lunch break as the drive-th…
(2021-12-23). Wet'suwet'en Retake Checkpoint A Month After Police Crackdown. popularresistance.org On Saturday, December 19, activists leading the Wet'suwet'en resistance against the Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline project declared that they evicted workers of the project from the drill site. This development comes exactly a month after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) violently dismantled a blockade led by the Gidimt'en clan near Camp Coyote and arrested dozens of protesters and even bystanders. | The declaration of reclaiming Camp Coyote was made over a statement released by the Gidimt'en Checkpoint, on Sunday, December 20. "This courageous action took place one month after a wave of militarized raids…
(2021-12-22). The US Fights Asia, Not Just China. newatlas.report December 22, 2021 (Brian Berletic — NEO) — US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken cut short his tour of Southeast Asia due to concerns over COVID-19, the New York Times would report. The aborted trip comes at a time when the US finds itself struggling for relevance in a region it had once held considerably more …
(2021-12-22). A Pentagon Cover-Up: Azmat Khan on How U.S. Hid Thousands of Civilian Deaths in Middle East Air War. democracynow.org 
U.S. air power has been central in the country's wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, with officials promising that drones and other sophisticated weapons allow the U.S. military to carry out precision airstrikes that spare civilians caught in war zones. But a groundbreaking investigation by The New York Times reveals the U.S. military's air wars have been plagued by bad intelligence, imprecise targeting and a lack of accountability for thousands of civilian deaths, many of them children. The two-part series by reporter Azmat Khan is based on a trove of internal Pentagon documents, as well as on-the-gr…
(2021-12-22). Civilian Casualty Files Reveal U.S. Hid Thousands of Deaths in Middle East Air War. democracynow.org 
U.S. air power has been central in the country's wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere, with officials promising that drones and other sophisticated weapons allow the U.S. military to carry out precision airstrikes that spare civilians caught in war zones. But a groundbreaking investigation by The New York Times reveals the U.S. military's air wars have been plagued by bad intelligence, imprecise targeting and a lack of accountability for thousands of civilian deaths, many of them children. The two-part series by reporter Azmat Khan is based on a trove of internal Pentagon documents, as well as on-the-gr…
(2021-12-22). Finance capital and the COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org Since the interventions by central banks, led by the Fed, into financial markets, starting in March 2020, they have been buying financial assets at the rate of $800 million per hour.
(2021-12-22). Harvard professor convicted over China & Wuhan university ties. rt.com 
The former head of Harvard University's chemistry department has been convicted for lying to authorities about his connections to China and the Wuhan Institute of Technology. | Professor Charles Lieber, 62, was found Lieber also aided…
(2021-12-22). 3rd-largest US city introduces intentionally 'inconvenient' vax mandate. rt.com 
Only those who present proof of Covid-19 vaccination and ID will be allowed into Chicago bars, restaurants and gyms after the new year, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has announced, calling the mandate "inconvenient by design." | Citing the surge in coronavirus cases in the largest Illinois city, the Democrat mayor said she had "no choice" but to impose the mandate, in order to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. | "If you wish to live life as normally as possible, with the ease to do things that you love, you must be vaccinated in the city of Chicago starting January 3," Lightfoot announced on Tuesday. "This heal…
(2021-12-22). Saudi-led coalition siege on Yemen took another life. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 22 (MNA) — On Tuesday morning, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh broke the news that the Iranian ambassador to Yemen, Hassan Irlou, has passed away due to severe coronavirus disease.
(2021-12-22). Investment Manager Peter Schiff: Bitcoin Is A Craze And All Crazes End, It's Not An Inflation Hedge. moguldom.com Gold investor and crypto critic Peter Schiff said Bitcoin is just a craze that will eventually come to an end like a pyramid scheme. Bitcoin has fallen some 30 percent since its $67,000+ peak in November 2021 in a selloff after news broke about the omicron coronavirus variant. The largest cryptocurrency by market value is still up …
(2021-12-22). China confina a 13 millones de personas en Xi'an por Covid-19. telesurtv.net En fecha reciente se han detectado 149 positivos en la provincia de Shaanxi, de los cuales 143 corresponden a la ciudad de Xi'an.
(2021-12-22). WHO: Warns Booster Campaigns Won't End the COVID-19 Pandemic. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, the WHO chief noted that the rush by wealthy countries to distribute additional COVID-19 jabs proliferates the inequity in accessing them. The United Nations health agency has warned about the inequalities that accessing Covid vaccines brings to the world, leaving too many people vulnerable in poorer nations. | RELATED: | "Blanket booster programs are likely to prolong the Covid-19 pandemic, rather tha…
(2021-12-22). Mayo Clinic expert explains why getting the COVID-19 vaccine is more important than ever. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Vaccine drugmaker Pfizer says its studies show three doses of its COVID-19 vaccine neutralized the omicron variant while two doses reduced severity. "These are studies where they try to look at how much antibody does it take to neutralize the virus in a test tube," says Dr. John O'Horo, an infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic. "What they found in these studies is that you need a significantly higher titer, or concentration of antibodies, to…
(2021-12-22). Cuba Speeds up COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Drive. telesurenglish.net The Cuban government has speeded up the pace of the national COVID-19 vaccine booster rollout in the face of the virus' Omicron variant, local media reported Wednesday. | RELATED: | In the coming weeks, "the Cuban biopharmaceutical industry plans to deliver six million doses of Abdala and Soberana COVID-19 vaccines to the Cuban Ministry of Public Health," Eduardo Martinez, president of the state-run biotech company Bio…
(2021-12-22). Headlines for December 22, 2021. democracynow.org Biden Announces New Measures, Defends Vaccine Mandates, Amid Omicron Surge, TX Man Is 1st Omicron-Linked U.S. Death; States Announce Incentives, New Rules to Fight Surge, Rep. Barbara Lee, Govs. Hogan and Walz Announce Breakthrough COVID Infections, U.S. Military to Announce Highly Effective COVID Vaccine, Israel Rolling Out 4th Dose of COVID Vaccine; France Expected to Reach 100,000 New Cases Per Day, Oxfam Files Complaint Against Moderna; EU Approves Novavax COVID Vaccine, Biden Says There Is Still Hope for Build Back Better as Mining Union Urges Manchin to Support Bill, Kellogg's Workers End 11-Week Strike Aft…
(2021-12-22). COVID-19 booster vaccine for teens. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org This past week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) authorized Pfizer COVID-19 booster vaccinations for 16 and 17-year-olds who are six months past their initial vaccination series. COVID-19 booster vaccinations for 16 and 17-year-olds will roll out at most Mayo Clinic locations beginning Tuesday, Dec. 14. Unlike previous changes in COVID-19 vaccination eligibility, boosters for this age group were authorized directly by the FDA and CDC without…
(2021-12-22). Cuba now exporting Covid vaccines. mronline.org 
After immunising its own population, Cuba's own developed vaccines are to be marketed internationally, says ANDREAS KNOBLOCH…
(2021-12-22). NFL star warns people who 'don't get what's happening' as vaxxed stars 'play on with Covid'. rt.com 
An NFL vaccine rebel who has contracted Covid has warned that there is no hope for people who "don't get what's happening" over Covid and warned that jabbed players are featuring on teams every week. | Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley will miss a potentially crunch clash with the New England Patriots on Sunday after being ruled out for ten days following a positive Covid test. | Unvaccinated Beasley has been one of the NFL's most outspoken vaccine skeptics, repeatedly speaking out to his vast media following in opposition to forced treatment against Covid. | That is in spite of a jump in Covid cases in…
(2021-12-22). Real-world data provides valuable insights into COVID vaccine roll-out. imperial.ac.uk Analysis of Europe's largest patient data record has provided valuable insights into the UK's COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, an Imperial expert has said.
(2021-12-22). New Yorkers offered holiday booster deal. rt.com 
The New York City government has vowed to shell out $100 to any resident who receives a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot before the end of the year, unveiling yet another cash incentive program amid panic over the Omicron strain. | Outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio "We want everyo…
(2021-12-22). Military medics tout new vaccine to end Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com 
A candidate vaccine that uses a novel platform and may be good enough to deal with existing and emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 viruses, will reportedly be announced soon by researchers at the Walter Reed Army Institute in the US. | The unveiling may come "within weeks," according to Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, director of Walter Reed's infectious diseases branch, who was
(2021-12-22). Fifth COVID-19 vaccine authorized in Europe as Omicron continues to surge. ecns.cn The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has added a fifth vaccine to its anti-COVID arsenal as the Omicron variant continued to spread across Europe.