(2021-12-15). UN Report Raises Concern Over Human Rights Crisis In Colombia. telesurenglish.net On Wednesday, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) published a report demonstrating that the Colombian State must urgently reform its way of handling protests so as to avoid massive human rights violations. | RELATED: | The report entitled "The 2021 National Strike: Lessons for the Exercise of the Right of Peaceful Assembly in Colombia" exhaustively analyzes the behavior of security…
(2021-12-15). US Torches Solomon Islands for Choosing China. newatlas.report December 15, 2021 (Brian Berletic — NEO) — Recent unrest in the Solomon Islands, a small Oceania nation northeast of Australia's coasts, is a reminder of just how far the US is willing to go to penalize nations for choosing to do business with China versus obeying threats from Washington not to. Reuters in an article titled, "Explainer: …
(2021-12-15). U.S. politicians must stop playing with fire on Taiwan-related issues: mainland spokesperson. ecns.cn A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday called on certain individuals from the U.S. side to stop playing with fire on Taiwan-related issues, urging them to adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques.
(2021-12-15). Putin hails Russia-China ties as paradigm of int'l relations in 21st century. ecns.cn Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia-China relations are a paradigm of international relations in the 21st century.
(2021-12-15). Chinese researchers find new treatment for thyroid cancer. ecns.cn Chinese researchers have found that a multi-targeted drug showed efficacy in patients with locally advanced thyroid cancer.
(2021-12-15). There is no alternative to JCPOA: Russia UN envoy. en.mehrnews.com Emphasizing that there is no alternative to the JCPOA, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to UN Russia views as dangerous and irresponsible attempts to portray JCPOA on Iran's nuclear program as outdated.
(2021-12-15). Crunch time coming after Biden-Putin meet. asiatimes.com 
Moscow is reiterating its "red lines," seeking long-term legal guarantees against NATO's further advancement to the east and the deployment of weapons on Russia's western borders. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on December 10, putting on record its expectation that long-term legal guarantees must be given "within a specific timeframe and on the …
(2021-12-15). Saudi-led coalition launches airstrike on Sana'a. en.mehrnews.com Saudi coalition launched heavy airstrike on Yemeni capital of Sana'a on Wednesday.
(2021-12-15). Cuba Hosts 20th ALBA-TCP Summit to Promote Regional Unity. orinocotribune.com The 20th Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) was inaugurated this Tuesday in Havana, Cuba, on the occasion of its 17th anniversary, to reaffirm regional unity and solidarity, and reject US interference in regional affairs. | Among other topics to be discussed are the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the alliance's action program for the coming year. Its objective is to defend the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, approved in Havana in accordance with the 2nd Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbea…
(2021-12-15). UN: Drivers of Humanitarian Aids Trucks Held by Hijackers. telesurenglish.net UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that drivers of eighteen trucks of humanitarian aid are being hold by military groups in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia. | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that drivers of eighteen trucks of humanitarian aid are being hold by military groups in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia. Dec. 13, 2021.
(2021-12-15). SEP (Australia) Emergency Public Meeting: British court decision puts Assange's life in danger. Demand his immediate release! wsws.org The Socialist Equality Party (Australia) has called an online public meeting to fight for the immediate freedom of Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, after the British High Court last week ordered his extradition to the US.
(2021-12-15). "These laws aim to keep us in the dark"—Australian SEP electoral members denounce new anti-democratic laws. wsws.org SEP electoral members speak on the link between Australia's party deregistration laws, the COVID-19 disaster and last week's British High Court ruling to extradite Julian Assange.
(2021-12-15). Union battles at Amazon and Starbucks are hot news. zcomm.org Which can only be good for the labor movement…
(2021-12-15). Neocons bent on starting another disaster in Ukraine. asiatimes.com 
If anything, Washington's neoconservatives have an unerring instinct for survival. Having brought about multiple disasters in the two decades since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, from the Iraq war to the twin debacles in Libya and Syria, the neocons seem to have perfected the art of failing up. Harvard University's Stephen Walt once quipped that …
(2021-12-15). Honduras' Left-Wing Breakthrough. orinocotribune.com By Francisco Dominguez — Dec 10, 2021 | Since a US-backed coup toppled Mel Zelaya in 2009, Honduras has faced a clampdown on democracy and serious human rights abuses. But the election of socialist Xiomara Castro is a chance to break the cycle. | What appeared impossible has been achieved: the people of Honduras have broken the perpetuation, through electoral fraud and thuggish violence, of a brutal, illegal, illegitimate, and criminal regime.By means of sheer resistance, resilience, mobilisation, and organisation, they have managed to defeat Juan Orlando Hernandez's narco-dictatorship at the ballot box. Xio…
(2021-12-15). Casey Mulligan Says Build Back Better Will Raise Childcare Costs by $27,000. cepr.net But tens of millions of families with children will have better access to quality childcare. I suspect most parents will be fine with this situation.
(2021-12-15). Casey Mulligan Says Build Back Better Will Raise Child Care Costs by $27,000. cepr.net Many people may remember University of Chicago economist Casey Mulligan for his argument that unemployment in the Great Recession was caused largely by generous food stamp benefits. Well he's back, and telling us that the child care provisions in President Biden's Build Back Better (BBB) plan could raise the cost of child care by $27,000 …
(2021-12-15). Check Out the Check List to End Tyranny. davidswanson.org By David Swanson, World BEYOND War, December 15, 2021 Whether or not you're familiar (as everyone should be) with Peter Ackerman's book and film "A Force More Powerful" about successful nonviolent activism campaigns, or his other books and films on the same theme, if you have any interest in changing the world for the better …
(2021-12-15). Audio: Cover-Up in Kabul Strike. davidswanson.org By Political Misfits, December 15, 2021 LISTEN HERE. David Swanson, activist, journalist, radio host and author of the book "Curing Exceptionalism," talks to us about how the Pentagon "cover-up" in the Kabul drone killing of a family continues, with the news that no US troops will be punished for deadly Kabul strike, how impunity is …
(2021-12-15). In OtherWords: December 15, 2021. otherwords.org On December 15, the families of 65 million U.S. children received their last monthly payment under the expanded Child Tax Credit, which expires this month. | Those payments have kept millions out of poverty, writes West Virginia mom Kristen Olsen. Unfortunately, the GOP is unanimously opposed to extending them — and so far, they've had an ally in West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin. | Will the multimillionaire senator, Kristen wonders, really vote to send millions of kids back into poverty — including in his home state, whose kids are among the poorest in the country? The answer will have national impl…
(2021-12-15). The GOP's Deadly Islamophobia. otherwords.org Get a full-res version
(2021-12-15). The Planet Is Not a Dumping Ground. otherwords.org In a world that's clogged and choking with a massive overdose of plastic trash, you'll be heartened to learn that governments and industries are teaming up to respond forcefully to this planetary crisis. | Unfortunately, their response has been to engage in a global race to make more plastic stuff — and to force poor countries to become dumping grounds for plastic garbage. | Leading this Kafkaesque greedfest are such infamous plunderers and polluters as Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, and other petrochemical profiteers. With fossil fuel profits crashing, the giants are rushing to convert more of their over-sup…
(2021-12-15). Some truths about the 1971 East-Pakistan war. moderndiplomacy.eu India is busy celebrating Swarni Vijay Parv (golden-victory festival) to commemorate its "victory" against Pakistan in the 1971 Indo-Pak War. India's defence minister Rajnath Singh thinks that this victory is even greater than the two world wars fought. It was "the most decisive" as the "Indian Armed Forces in the 1971 War changed the history …
(2021-12-15). Victory for Starbucks Workers United! workers.org 
Starbucks workers made history here Dec. 9 by winning the first union election at a corporate-owned Starbucks store in the United States. Starbucks Workers United gained a sweeping victory at the Elmwood Starbucks store with a greater than two-to-one margin (19 yes, 8 no). The win comes on the heels . . . |
(2021-12-15). 12 hospitalized after major fire at Hong Kong's World Trade Center. ecns.cn Twelve people were hospitalized after a major fire broke out inside the World Trade Center in Hong Kong at around noon on Wednesday.
(2021-12-15). China, Russia to expedite cooperation on cutting-edge technologies: Xi. ecns.cn Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China and Russia should take the opportunities brought by the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and expedite industrial cooperation on cutting-edge technologies.
(2021-12-15). China urges U.S. to uphold open, fair environment for scientific, technological development. ecns.cn The United States should work with the international community to uphold an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for scientific and technological development and international businesses, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in Beijing Wednesday.
(2021-12-15). Teachers across Iran take strike action demanding jailed trade unionist is freed. mronline.org 
Thousands of protesting teachers assembled in front of the Majlis, or Iranian parliament building, in central Tehran today demanding justice and the release from prison of a leading teacher trade unionist.
(2021-12-15). Keep your filthy SCOTUS hands off our bodies!!! workers.org 
In a just world, who would ever think that a known rapist would have the power to compel pregnant rape survivors, including minors, to carry their forced pregnancy to term? But that's exactly what happens in "the good old USA." Supreme Court of the U.S. "Justice" Brett Kavanaugh was part . . . |
(2021-12-15). The Two Michaels, Canada's Kovrig and Spavor, Caught Red-Handed Spying Against China and North Korea. covertactionmagazine.com Western Politicians and Media, However, Made It Seem Like They Were Innocent Victims of China's Authoritarianism On December 1, 2018, …
(2021-12-15). Venezuela Challenges Illegal Blockade: New OPEC Data Published. orinocotribune.com While President Nicolás Maduro assures that 2022 will be the year for the definitive recovery of Venezuela, reports from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) point in the same direction, showing an increase in oil production despite the illegal US and European economic blockade. | In this way, it is evident how the South American nation has challenged the illegal coercive measures imposed by the United States government and its European lackeys, an economic attack that initially led to a 99% drop in Venezuela's foreign revenue, completely disrupting Venezuela's economy. | This was highlighted…
(2021-12-15). Digital Technology Key to Supporting Thailand's Recovery from COVID-19. moderndiplomacy.eu After being severely hit by a surge of COVID-19 cases in the third quarter of 2021, Thailand's economic activity has subsequently rebounded and is expected to grow by 1.0 percent this year, according to the World Bank's latest Thailand Economic Monitor "Living with COVID in a Digital World" published today. Going forward, the adoption of …
(2021-12-15). Protests continue in Thailand demanding the recall of lèse-majesté law. peoplesdispatch.org The contentious provision that is at the heart of the protests is Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code or the lèse-majesté law which criminalizes a broad range of actions concerning defamation or insult to the monarchy and the larger royal family.
(2021-12-15). Vietnam's Economic Policy and adaptation to COVID-19. moderndiplomacy.eu Vietnam which was seen as a success story in terms of countering COVID-19 is facing challenges with regard to re-invigorating its economy given the fact that the constraints related to international travel, trade and investment are still looming large on the horizon. As part of the initiative to provide the necessary support to the economy, …
(2021-12-15). Key chunk of vital Antarctic glacier under threat, says study. peoplesdispatch.org The huge ice shelf of the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica is likely to break apart within the next five years or so. This could have a catastrophic effect, leading to a rise in global sea levels…
(2021-12-15). Activists 'march' to abolish Texas death penalty. workers.org 
By Workers World Houston bureau Houston, Texas Though virtual for a second year due to the pandemic, the 22nd Annual March and Rally to Abolish the Death Penalty on Dec. 4 in Texas kept the fighting spirit alive here in the killing capital of the U.S. Demonstrators at Texas annual . . . |
(2021-12-15). "The emergency is over," declares Colorado Governor, as hospital system nears total collapse. wsws.org During an interview with Colorado Public Radio late last week, Democratic Governor Jared Polis doubled down on his declaration that he will not impose any statewide public health measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
(2021-12-15). "Amazon won't let us leave": Latest US tornado disaster exposes ruling elite's indifference to life. wsws.org In scenes reminiscent of conditions in the early 1900s, workers report that they were trapped in their factories by management in the hours and minutes before the storms bore down on them.
(2021-12-15). Jittery markets await central bank decisions. wsws.org Since the start of the pandemic trillions of dollars have been poured into financial markets by central banks, sending stock prices to record highs, but the rise of inflation is leading to increased instability.
(2021-12-15). What workers are striking against: A global profile of the Kellogg Company. wsws.org The company's threats to fire strikers en masse is the product of its ruthless struggle to cut costs and expand its international market share.
(2021-12-15). Widespread boycott marks New Caledonia independence referendum. wsws.org The vote to remain part of France, boycotted by pro-independence Kanaks and widely viewed as illegitimate, resolves nothing.
(2021-12-15). Australian university union holds back industrial action. wsws.org The votes for strike action reflect the anger and disgust that has built up over the past two years as managements continue to exploit the COVID pandemic to eliminate tens of thousands of jobs.
(2021-12-15). New York nurses' union stages impotent protests against understaffing. wsws.org At its "days of action," the union has proposed no actions other than fruitless appeals to Democratic politicians.
(2021-12-15). "There is no reason people should have been scrambling last minute to get to shelter": Sister of worker killed in Amazon warehouse crushed by tornado speaks out on lack of safety. wsws.org Rachel Cope's brother, Clayton Lynn Cope, was killed in an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois while trying to alert his coworkers to seek cover as a tornado barreled down upon the facility.
(2021-12-15). 17-year-old Philadelphia high school student dies from COVID-19. wsws.org Before catching COVID-19, Alayna Thach had circulated a petition at the school calling for outside learning and lunches to protect students from the deadly virus.
(2021-12-15). South Korea, Australia forge closer military ties. wsws.org Moon declared that his visit had "nothing to do with our position over China," but stronger ties with Australia inevitably draw South Korea more closely into the web of US alliances directed against Beijing.
(2021-12-15). Stagecoach Yorkshire bus drivers in UK reject revised pay deal and launch second week-long strike. wsws.org Stagecoach Yorkshire bus workers should view the company's favourably citing agreements it has reached with Unite across its UK network to end pay disputes as a warning.
(2021-12-15). The new West Side Story: A remaking of the Leonard Bernstein classic at war with itself. wsws.org The appearance of the new version is a much anticipated event. In the works for a number of years, Spielberg's film was shot and edited in 2019, but its opening was delayed a year by the pandemic.
(2021-12-15). Postcapitalist Work: Balanced Jobs And Equitable Remuneration. zcomm.org Owners gone. So, who decides what to do and how to do it?>
(2021-12-15). Reducing the Need for Poetry. davidswanson.org By David Swanson, World BEYOND War, December 15, 2021 Edward Tick's book, Coming Home in Vietnam, is made up of lovely and powerful poems. But I can't help wishing they weren't needed. Just as some members of Veterans For Peace talk about honoring veterans by ceasing to create any more veterans, I wish we could …