(2021-12-01). People's movements, trade unions, and left parties join hands demanding TRIPS waiver on Covid-19 medical products. peoplesdispatch.org After the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference was called off following the discovery of the Omicron variant, trade unions, civil society organizations and parties on the left ramped up actions in favor of a TRIPS waiver for Covid-19 medical products…
(2021-12-01). Australia Will Not Return to Lockdown in Wake of Omicron Variant: PM. asia-pacificresearch.com
(2021-12-01). Omicron variant exposes "vaccine only" strategy to combat COVID-19. wsws.org The Omicron variant has shattered the lie that the pandemic can be ended without a globally-coordinated strategy aimed at the elimination and eradication of Sars-CoV-2.
(2021-12-01). Headlines for December 1, 2021. democracynow.org Omicron Detected in Europe Days Before South Africa Reported Variant; FDA Endorses Merck COVID Pill, Michigan High Schooler Kills 3 Other Students in Shooting Rampage, Mark Meadows to Testify Before House Jan. 6 Cmte, Panel Pursues Jeffrey Clark Contempt Charges | , U.S. Removes FARC From Terror Blacklist, HRW: Taliban Have Killed or Disappeared 100+ Ex-Afghan Security Forces Since August, German Court Convicts Ex-Member of Islamic State For Genocide of Iraq's Yazidi Community, France Inducts Josephine Baker into Pantheon As Far-Right, Racist Pundit Announces Presidential Bid, Rep. Ilhan Omar Shares Violent, Isla…
(2021-12-01). Australian governments respond to Omicron with homicidal "herd immunity" policies. wsws.org Government officials and sections of the corporate media have said they hope the new mutation spreads, based on unsubstantiated assertions that it "may be" less lethal.
(2021-12-01). Will Omicron be more contagious than Delta? asiatimes.com 
A new variant named Omicron (B.1.1.529) was reported by researchers in South Africa on November 24, 2021, and designated a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organization two days later. Omicron is very unusual in that it is by far the most heavily mutated variant yet of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. The …
(2021-12-01). As winter wave of COVID-19 infections looms, Canada's political elite plans to let Omicron variant rip through population. wsws.org The travel history of the five Omicron cases in Canada, four of which are in Ontario and one in Quebec, suggests that the variant has been spreading widely throughout Africa for some time. All five, none of whom are related, returned from Nigeria via Montreal.
(2021-12-01). "The Viral Underclass": COVID-19 and AIDS Show What Happens When Inequality and Disease Collide. democracynow.org 
As December 1 marks World AIDS Day, we look at the pandemic that preceded COVID-19 and how recorded deaths of complications from the coronavirus this year have surpassed those of HIV/AIDS in the United States. The head of UNAIDS has warned the COVID-19 pandemic may result in an increase in infections and deaths from HIV and AIDS. Both viruses disproportionately impacted vulnerable minority communities. Although treatment rollout for HIV/AIDS was uniquely inhibited by homophobia, racism, and sexism, it was also plagued by corporate greed and U.S. exceptionalism. "We're seeing very similar dynamics again now with C…
(2021-12-01). Rise in coronavirus outbreaks in German workplaces. wsws.org Alongside the health authorities and company managements, the trade unions and their affiliated works councils ensure that infection rates are concealed and business operations continue as workers fall ill.
(2021-12-01). Selected Articles: Trump-Appointed Judge Blocks Biden's Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers in 10 States. globalresearch.ca 
By Finish naturopathic Doctor Ariyana Love s…
(2021-12-01). Indigenous people in Australia twice as likely to be infected with COVID-19. wsws.org The increasing number of infections and deaths in indigenous communities was both predicted and preventable, but the warnings of health experts and community leaders were ignored.
(2021-12-01). Rise in cornonavirus outbreaks in German workplaces. wsws.org Alongside the health authorities and company managements, the trade unions and their affiliated works councils ensure that infection rates are concealed and business operations continue as workers fall ill.
(2021-12-01). As COVID-19 cases surge throughout Ohio, Republican-controlled state senate holds a hearing on antivaccine bill. wsws.org Following the trend in the Midwest and Upstate New York, cases are resurging through Ohio after a brief respite, and hospital admissions are once more climbing.
(2021-12-01). Growing outrage among Australian teachers and parents over school COVID infections. wsws.org Opposition to school reopenings is a significant element in the wider hostility toward the political establishment and its callous indifference to the lives and well-being of working people that Australia's new electoral laws are designed to silence.
(2021-12-01). Referendum in Switzerland: A vote for the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. wsws.org Amid an explosive new coronavirus wave, a clear 62 percent majority in Switzerland voted on Sunday to keep the COVID-19 law in place.
(2021-12-01). Army general to lead Germany's coronavirus crisis response team. wsws.org The decision to put a general in charge of its COVID-19 crisis team permits only one conclusion: the German government in waiting does not regard the pandemic as a medical problem, but rather as a security issue.
(2021-11-30). Omicron COVID-19 Variant Poses Downside Risks To US Economy. telesurenglish.net On Monday afternoon, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said that the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and the emergence of the Omicron variant pose downside risks to U.S. employment and economic activity and increased uncertainty for inflation. | RELATED: | "Greater concerns about the virus could reduce people's willingness to work in person, which would slow progress in the labor market and intensify supply-chain disrup…
(2021-11-30). Washington State Hospital Association CEO: Almost No Chance Omicron Variant Is Not In America. moguldom.com Eighteen countries have already confirmed cases of the "omicron" covid-19 variant. Although there have been no reported cases in the U.S. yet, a Washington State Hospital Association executive says there is no chance that the variant isn't already in the country. "I think all of our panelists and I agree wholeheartedly that Omicron is in the …
(2021-11-30). Markets bounce back after Omicron shock as governments decide to let it rip. wsws.org Notwithstanding the rebound, Friday's sharp fall again underscored the fragility of the entire financial system and its dependence on the flow of cheap money from the world's central banks.
(2021-11-30). WHO Assembly Seeks 'Pandemic Treaty' Amid Omicron Concerns. telesurenglish.net On Monday, a special session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) kicked off amid growing concerns over the latest Omicron coronavirus variant, where the participants aim to negotiate a new "pandemic treaty." | RELATED: | The WHA May session this year decided to set up a working group to consider the findings and recommendations of a number of panels and committees on global preparedness for and response to COVID-19 before starting t…
(2021-11-30). German government rejects lockdown despite spread of Omicron variant. wsws.org Last weekend alone, 80 people from Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia were flown out to the north and west of the country by air force troop carriers for treatment.
(2021-11-30). Headlines for November 30, 2021. democracynow.org World Health Organization Warns of "Very High" Risk Posed by Omicron Variant, Nurses Demand COVID-19 Vaccine Patent Waiver; China Pledges 1 Billion Doses for Africa, Centers for Disease Control Strengthens Vaccine Booster Recommendation for Adults, Federal Judge Blocks Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers in 10 States, Pentagon to Investigate U.S. Airstrike That Killed Dozens of Civilians in Syria, Iran Demands Sanctions Relief as Talks on Revived Nuclear Deal Resume in Vienna, Majority of Australian Parliament Workers Face Bullying, Sexual Harassment or Assault, Ghislaine Maxwell Sex Trafficking Trial Gets Und…
(2021-11-30). G7 health ministers agree to do nothing over Omicron variant threat. wsws.org The Omicron variant has been detected in at least 17 countries, including five of the G7 nations. The US is one of the exceptions, likely due to its poor testing system.
(2021-11-30). Britain: Health and Care Bill — integration or imperialism? greenleft.org.au Britain's Health and Care Bill, which will undermine the country's National Health System, was effectively designed and fast-tracked by US insurer UnitedHealth, write Stewart Player and Bob Gill.
(2021-11-30). Congress 'Asleep at the Switch' as Biden Continues Trump-Era Ploy to Privatize Medicare. scheerpost.com 
By Jake Johnson / Common Dreams A Trump-era pilot program that could result in the complete privatization of traditional Medicare in a matter of years is moving ahead under the Biden administration, a development that—despite its potentially massive implications for patients across the U.S.—has received scant attention from the national press or Congress. On Tuesday, a group of …
(2021-11-30). Biden Is Quietly Continuing a Trump-Era Ploy to Privatize Medicare. truthout.org 
A Trump-era pilot program that could result in the On Tuesday, a group of physicians from around the nation will tr…
(2021-11-30). A phase 2/3, participant-blind, observer-blind, randomised, controlled study to assess the safety and immunogenicity of SII-ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (COVID-19 vaccine) in adults in India. thelancet.com SII-ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 has a non-inferior immune response compared to AZD1222 and an acceptable safety/reactogenicity profile. Pharmacovigilance should be maintained to detect any safety signals.
(2021-11-30). SEP electoral members oppose Australian governments' dangerous COVID-19 reopening drive. wsws.org "This disease is not to be taken lightly. We need to find a way to eradicate it."
(2021-11-30). Why Do Walmart, Amazon, Target And IKEA Have Such High Emissions? popularresistance.org As a congestion crisis continues to stall polluting container ships in ports around the world, there is a growing awareness of the role that international shipping plays in both the climate crisis and the public-health impacts of air pollution. | Released on Cyber Monday, a new report from Ship It Zero coalition members Stand.earth and Pacific Environment details the relationship between four major retailers that ship goods to the U.S. — Walmart, Amazon, Target and IKEA — and the fossil-fueled carrier companies that make that shipping possible. | "Major retail companies and cargo carriers are flush wi…
(2021-11-30). Walmart, Amazon, Target, IKEA shipping emissions play role in climate crisis. peoplesworld.org 
As a congestion crisis continues to stall polluting container ships in ports around the world, there is a growing awareness of the role that international shipping plays in both the climate crisis and the public health impacts of air pollution. Released on Cyber Monday, a new report from Ship It Zero coalition members Stand.earth and Pacific Environment details the relationship …
(2021-11-30). Protecting Seniors? Bill 37 and the Ontario Crisis in Long-Term Care. socialistproject.ca 
The 'new' Ontario Long-Term Care legislation, Bill 37 Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors, and Building More Beds Act, 2021, has been referred to the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly for public hearings. Here is the Ontario Health Coalition's analysis of the new LTC (long-term care) bill. It first outlines priorities of the Coalition, with its many union, community, and healthcare worker partners, and then provides an overview of key parts of the proposed legislation and its failings in addressing the crisis in LTC and the perils of for-profit provisioning (where the thousands of deaths over…
(2021-11-30). Quebec government left seniors' homes unprotected at start of COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org "It's not just science that decides," said Quebec's director of public health, Horacio Arruda, in defense of the government's policy of putting profits before human lives.
(2021-11-30). How Gen Z Is Fighting Back Against Big Tech. zcomm.org Many in this generation are aware of what they have lost by having grown up on social media, so they're logging off and working to create a safer, healthier future…
(2021-11-30). Chinese study warns ending zero-COVID policy could lead to over 600,000 daily infections. wsws.org The report conservatively estimates that if China followed the US "herd immunity" policy the number of daily cases would exceed 637,000, and the daily tally of serious cases would be more than 22,000, quickly overloading the country's health system.
(2021-11-30). Brazil To Remove Barriers To The Use Of Sputnik V Vaccine. telesurenglish.net On Tuesday, Brazil's Foreign Affairs Ministry Carlos Franca indicated that his country will use the Sputnik V vaccine as soon as the World Health Organization (WHO) approves it. | RELATED: | "We must bring positions between our regulatory agencies to withdraw the current demand," he said after a meeting with the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry Sergey Lavrov, with whom he signed a diplomatic consultation agreement that…
(2021-11-30). Chinese study warns ending zero-COVID policy would be "a great disaster" wsws.org The report conservatively estimates that if China followed the US "herd immunity" policy the number of daily cases would exceed 637,000, and the daily tally of serious cases would be more than 22,000, quickly overloading the country's health system.
(2021-11-30). Number of Covid boosters given in US exceeds single shots in 8 African nations combined. nationofchange.org "Our leaders' failure to help bring the vaccines to everyone, everywhere will keep us on a cruel and never-ending cycle of illness, death, and economic suffering."
(2021-11-30). Selected Articles: 13 Year-old Canadian Girl Took the COVID-19 Vaccine. "Try Not to Cry, Her Heart Stopped and Now She Is in Critical Condition" globalresearch.ca 
By In an exclusive interview w…
(2021-11-30). Video: #Yes, It's a "Killer Vaccine": Michel Chossudovsky. globalresearch.ca The unspoken truth is that the novel coronavirus provides a pretext to powerful financial interests and corrupt politicians to precipitate the entire World into a spiral of mass unemployment, bankruptcy, extreme poverty and despair.
(2021-11-30). Protests Demanding Affordable Housing Surge In The Netherlands. popularresistance.org On Sunday, November 28, housing rights groups and other progressive sections in the Dutch city of Groningen marched under the banner #Woonstrijd to protest the acute housing crisis in the city. Various groups including Shelter Our Students (SOS), International Socialists Groningen, New Communist Party of the Netherlands (NCPN), Communist Youth Movement (CJB), RED Groningen, Young Socialists Groningen, Democratic Academy Groningen, Groningen Feminist Network, and others, participated in the march while adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols. The protesters demanded a radical housing policy from the authorities whic…
(2021-11-30). These Tortilla Workers Walked Out And Won A Day Off Work. popularresistance.org Chicago —‚ÄâFood production workers at El Milagro, one of Chicago's most popular tortilla companies, join with community allies for a Day of the Dead vigil Nov. 2, 2021, in honor of five coworkers who died after contracting Covid-19 on the job. With candles and sugar skulls outside the company's flagship taqueria in the Little Village neighborhood on the city's Southwest Side, workers and supporters spoke about their ongoing standoff with management‚Äâ—‚Äâand their demands for justice on the job. | "We're here to remember our coworkers, friends and lo…
(2021-11-30). COVID-19 infects Sri Lankan schools: Stop sacrificing the lives of students and teachers! wsws.org The Rajapakse government rushed to reopen schools not out of concern for the education of children but to defend capitalist profits.
(2021-11-30). Global nurses coalition demands investigation against COVID-19 criminals. peoplesdispatch.org Nurses from 28 countries have filed a complaint in the UN alleging human rights violations by EU, UK, Norway, Switzerland, and Singapore for 'the loss of countless lives' in the pandemic.
(2021-11-30). Michigan COVID-19 hospitalizations hit new pandemic record. wsws.org Hospitalizations of those infected with coronavirus reached a record high of 4,185 people across the state of Michigan on Monday.
(2021-11-30). Pregnant women endangered by "herd immunity" policy and conflicting official advice on COVID-19. wsws.org Saiqa Parveen and Samantha Willis are two of the 13 pregnant or postpartum women killed by COVID-19 just since July in Britain.
(2021-11-30). Venezuela's mega-elections: Despite U.S. sanctions, COVID and economic crisis, Chavismo wins majority of states. workers.org 
By William Camacaro and Frederick Mills Caracas, Venezuela This slightly edited article first appeared on the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) website on Nov. 22 at tinyurl.com/2p8n6n87. The article was updated on Nov. 23. Translations into English are by the authors. Venezuelans celebrate Chavismo 2021 electoral victories. On Sunday, Nov. . . . |
(2021-11-30). Belgian organizations protest spike in violence against women. peoplesdispatch.org According to a recent report by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), partner violence in families has shot up during the COVID-19 pandemic. 18 femicides have been recorded in Belgium since the beginning of 2021…
(2021-11-30). Tennessee governor enacts reactionary legislation aimed at forcing the population to "live with the virus" wsws.org Republican Governor Bill Lee signed a bill earlier this month which bans mask mandates and provides unemployment benefits to those refusing employer-mandated vaccination against COVID-19.
(2021-11-30). Partial lockdown in Slovakia and Czech Republic following record COVID-19 infections. wsws.org After a partial lockdown had already been imposed in Austria, stricter measures and contact restrictions were also imposed in Slovakia and the Czech Republic last week.
(2021-11-30). Grace period in a time of Covid. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
In R (Babbage) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] EWHC 2995 (Admin), the Claimant applied for judicial review, claiming that his immigration detention from 27 February 2020 to 29 April 2021 had been unlawful and/or that there was a public law error relating to the delay in the provision of s.4 …