_____ (2021-12-21). Next Phase in US Economic and Political Crisis Begins. popularresistance.org The response of Democrat leaders to Manchin's announcement killing the bill has been typically timid. Senator Sanders replied they should put the bill to a vote in the Senate to show West Virginians where Manchin stands. As if it was not already clear to everyone! Dick Durbin's reply was 'let's all go home for Xmas' and we'll all feel better when we return and maybe can get something done'. Such timidity reveals traditional Democrat political pusillanimity and a desperate 'too clever' spin that the bill isn't quite dead. Somehow the Zombie legislation can be resurrected. But Build Back Better is not only DOA, but…

Adomas Abromaitis (2021-12-21). Lithuania bets only on the U.S. moderndiplomacy.eu Lithuania has reached the highest level of cooperation with the United States. Contacts of the Lithuanian authorities with the US officials take place regularly. On 1 December in Riga, on the margins of the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis met with the United States Secretary of State …

Manlio Dinucci (2021-12-21). ´Mossa aggressiva ª russa: Mosca propone la pace. globalresearch.ca La Federazione Russa ha consegnato agli Stati Uniti d'America, il 15 dicembre, il progetto di un Trattato e di un Accordo per disinnescare la crescente tensione tra le due parti. I due documenti sono stati resi pubblici, il 17 dicembre, …

Editor (2021-12-21). How do we stop the neocons from starting another disaster in Ukraine. mronline.org If anything, Washington's neoconservatives have an unerring instinct for survival.

Roger Annis (2021-12-21). The Self-determination Struggle in Russian Crimea and the Pro-autonomy Struggle in Donbas (formerly eastern Ukraine). dissidentvoice.org Dissident Voice has published an article by U.S. writer William Boardman on December 14 titled 'Ukraine is a problem only as long as the West makes it one'. The article is reprinted from Reader Supported News and warns of the dangerous consequences emanating from the military threats by the Western powers against Russia. The U.S. …

_____ (2021-12-21). New York Times Reporting on Airstrikes Should Give Daniel Hale More Credit. popularresistance.org Hale used his first hand experience identifying targets for the drone program to highlight how it relies on faulty criteria, and as a result, kills civilians. Later, Hale worked for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, where he had access to documents on how the drone program operates. Hale provided those documents to the Intercept which published them as The Drone Papers in 2015. While Hale's documents were not as comprehensive as the trove recently published by the New York Times, they did provide much of the same core revelations, particularly the faulty nature of how intelligence is gathered and the h…

WSWS (2021-12-21). Classified documents reveal Israeli government cover-up of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1948. wsws.org The Akevot report reveals that testimonies about several massacres of Palestinians and war crimes committed by Israeli military forces during the 1948-49 war were presented to the cabinet in 1948.

_____ (2021-12-21). New Program Is Secretly Privatizing Medicare. popularresistance.org A new program is placing Medicare recipients into private health insurance plans without their knowledge or consent in a final effort to fully privatize our national Medicare system. Known as "Direct Contract Entities (DCEs)," this program is putting more of our healthcare system into the hands of private equity to generate enormous profits at the expense of our health. Clearing the FOG speaks about this with Kay Tillow, a long time health care, civil rights and union activist. Tillow explains what these entities are, why they threaten the future of our entire healthcare system and how they block our ability to a…

Dana Sanchez (2021-12-21). Senior Economist At Moody's, Mark Zandi: I'm Lowering My Economic Forecast For US Due To Omicron Variant. moguldom.com Moody's Analytics is expected to downgrade its U.S. economic forecast by as much as one percentage point in the coming days due to the double blow from the intensifying pandemic and Sen. Joe Manchin's opposition to President Joe Biden's signature Build Back Better legislation. Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Analytics, told CNN on Monday that …

Editor2 (2021-12-21). Want to Know How to Beat COVID? Look at China. orinocotribune.com By Scott Scheffer — Dec 17, 2021 | The world is now nearing the end of the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States has the highest death toll in the world — 823,390 as of Dec. 16. | With all the scientific resources available, and billions of dollars in the vaults of the richest capitalist class in history, the U.S. should have been able to succeed in a vaccination campaign and treat everyone before they were infected. Vaccines should have made their way throughout the world, including the global south where the challenges of poverty magnify the horrors of the pandemic. | Instead, the W…

James O'Neill (2021-12-21). United States and Israeli Intransigence vis-à -vis Iran. dissidentvoice.org In 2015, the United States signed what is popularly referred to as the JCPOA (the joint comprehensive plan of action) a deal involving Iran and the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) designed to limit the capacity of Iran to develop nuclear weapons. In exchange for their signature, the …

Project Censored (2021-12-21). A Julian Assange Update Featuring Kevin Gosztola. projectcensored.org Independent journalist Kevin Gosztola of Shadowproof.com returns to the program to deliver another update about the Julian Assange extradition case in the UK, and its disturbing implications for press freedom. Then we hear a… | Project Censored's new annual volume, "State of the Free Press 2022," has just been released from The Censored Press. It includes the well-known 'Top 25' censored stories of the preceding…

WSWS (2021-12-21). Voting closes on concessions contract at Kellogg's, while union uses divide-and-conquer tactics to break strike. wsws.org The BCTGM is copying the UAW's method used to break the John Deere strike of dividing workers up by plant, seeking to isolate the more militant plants from the less militant.

Ana Perdigón (2021-12-21). UK Imperialism Tightens its Grasp on Venezuela's Gold. orinocotribune.com The case of the Venezuelan gold seized by the United Kingdom continues to develop as the UK Supreme Court ruled earlier today that the case should now be referred to the Commercial Court. The UK Supreme Court stated that it could not contradict the decision of the country's Executive, which alarmingly—and in a contradictory fashion—continues to recognize former deputy Juan Guaidó as "interim president." | The UK Supreme Court explained in its ruling that the UK courts cannot contradict the government, which claims to recognize the self-proclaimed president and not the Constitutional President, Nicolás…

_____ (2021-12-21). Who Might Strike in 2022? Hundreds of Big Contracts Will Be Up. popularresistance.org Workers are already sensing their increased leverage in a tight labor market. They'll be feeling the squeeze of record inflation while their employers rake in profits. There's every reason to hold the line against concessions, or to win back what they gave away before. | A Bloomberg analysis in November found that nearly 200 large union contracts (covering at least 1,000 workers) would expire between then and the end of 2022. Together these contracts cover 1.3 million workers—and there are hundreds of thousands more covered under the hundreds of smaller contracts that are also expiring. Here are some of the…

Tony Murphy (2021-12-21). Rally for Amazon workers! Dec. 22, New York City. workers.org New York City Amazon union organizing is accelerating, as Staten Island Amazon workers refile for union election. On Dec. 22 the Amazon Labor Union will resubmit its petition for a union vote at the facility, known as JFK8, to the National Labor Relations Board. Workers will hold a lunchtime walkout . . . |

Eric Zuesse (2021-12-21). The Path to Corruption in France. moderndiplomacy.eu Whereas Germany takes an extremely libertarian approach to corruption, and even allows foreigners to donate secretly and in any amount to support a candidate, France has one of the world's best anti-corruption legal systems, so that virtually the only pathway by which a person can legally perpetrate corruption of the French Government is indicated by …

Staff (2021-12-21). "Shut Down Those Tanks": Anger Grows in Hawaii After U.S. Navy Fuel Site Contaminates Water. democracynow.org The United States Navy is facing growing calls to permanently shut down one of their fuel storage facilities in Hawaii after a petroleum leak contaminated the water supply that serves over 90,000 families around the naval base of Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu. The storage site, called the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, has long been protested by environmental activists in part because of its location just 100 feet above the primary groundwater aquifer for Honolulu and the rest of Oahu. We speak with two Native Hawaiian guests: civil rights lawyer Camille Kalama and Kamanamaikalani Beamer, a former comm…

Sandipan Talukdar (2021-12-21). The Arctic is warming much faster than thought earlier. peoplesdispatch.org The new finding comes at a time when we have already witnessed permafrost declining which has impacted Indigenous villages, caused vanishing of summer sea ice, and resulted in water washing down Greenland's ice sheets at a record amount…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-21). Hospitality workers on strike in Cambodia's biggest casino. peoplesdispatch.org Despite pressure from authorities, more than 1,300 workers in Phnom Penh's NagaWorld have been on strike against mass lay-offs and wage cuts. The entire leadership of the Labour Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld is among those laid off…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-21). Israel closes investigation against security personnel accused of killing mentally ill Palestinian citizen. peoplesdispatch.org The family of Mustafa Younis (26) has appealed the verdict of the Israeli public prosecutor which justified the murder as the correct response to a "terrorist attack"

Abdul Rahman (2021-12-21). External pressure intensifies uncertainty over elections in Libya days before scheduled vote. peoplesdispatch.org The much awaited presidential elections in Libya scheduled for December 24 will most likely be postponed. The uncertainty is exacerbated by external pressures by countries such as Imad al-Sayeh, head of the High National Election Comm…

Staff (2021-12-21). Venezuela Mourns Earle Herrera, Mentor for Journalists & Remarkable Chavista. orinocotribune.com Through his Twitter account, Venezuelan Minister for Communication and Information Freddy àëáñez announced the passing of prominent journalist and remarkable Chavista Earle Herrera. "I am very sorry for the death of Earle Herrera, an institution in journalism, a lucid man and faithful to ideas," wrote àëáñez. "His articles accompanied us with humor and intelligence on sunny and rainy days, and now with his silence he will continue to demand more from us. Until we meet again, maestro." | Born in El Tigrito, Anzoátegui state, on April 23, 1949, Herrera was an outstanding professor at the Central Universit…

Martin Empson (2021-12-21). Gregory T. Cushman — 'Guano and the Opening of the Pacific World: A Global Ecological History'. mronline.org In the last two decades it has been common, in Marxist books on ecology, to find discussions of how capitalist agriculture developed an urgent need for fertilisers to solve the crisis of soil fertility in the 19th century.

Editor (2021-12-21). LABOUR live at Metabolic Rift. mronline.org Titled Metabolic Rift, the month-long event series combined both an exhibition spread across Berlin's Kraftwerk venue and a series of concerts that captured the spirit of Berlin through site-specific interventions and live performance.

Editor (2021-12-21). Property: Is it theft? Is it freedom or is it both? Merry Christmas! mronline.org Not long after Thanksgiving this year, I went to San Francisco's Japantown ("Jtown" to locals). Surrounded by commodities for sale and in a high rent district I was reminded of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's famous remark, "La propriété, c'est le vol!, which is usually translated as "Property is theft."

Kevin Mwanza (2021-12-21). Man Thought To Be Cannibal Believed Eating Victim Would Cure Him. moguldom.com A man from Idaho who was arrested and charged with murder allegedly was a cannibal too, eating parts of his victim believing it would "cure his brain," the Bonners Ferry Herald reported. James David Russell, 39, was arrested in September and charged with first-degree murder after tissue belonging to 70-year-old David Flaget was found inside a …

Kevin Mwanza (2021-12-21). Global Study: 4 In 10 With Covid Are Spreading It Unknowingly. moguldom.com Four out of 10 people who are infected with covid-19 are spreading the disease unknowingly, according to a global study. Findings of a study by researchers from Peking University showed that more than 40 percent of the tested population confirmed to be infected with coronavirus were asymptomatic, exhibiting no symptoms of the disease. The study, …

Ann Brown (2021-12-21). Harvard University Journal Retracts Fake Disinformation Criticism Of ADOS Reparations Organization. moguldom.com On Jan. 18, 2021, Harvard University's Harvard Kennedy School published an article entitled "Disinformation creep: ADOS and the strategic weaponization of breaking news" that was decidedly anti-ADOS. ADOS is an acronym for American Descendants of Slavery, a growing reparations movement started in 2016 by Yvette Carnell, formerly a board member of Progressives for Immigration Reform, and …

Newsroom (2021-12-21). Moscow's digital ecosystem was awarded with Runet prize. moderndiplomacy.eu Projects of the Moscow Government received the Runet Prize in five nominations at once, in particular in "State and Society", "Creative Industries", "Development of Domestic Tourism" nominations and others. Among the laureates are the digital ecosystem of Moscow, the service of short-term rent of urban spaces "Together with Culture", the Russpass tourist service and the …

Newsroom (2021-12-21). Iran, Saudi Arabia FMs hold brief meeting in Pakistan. moderndiplomacy.eu The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia held a brief meeting in Islamabad on Sunday on the sidelines of a regional summit on Afghanistan, the spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry said. Speaking during a presser on Monday, Saeed Khatibzadeh said, "The foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia had a brief meeting on the …

Newsroom (2021-12-21). A Climate Change Solution Direct from the Congo. moderndiplomacy.eu A revealing account authored by former US Diplomat and World Bank Group (IFC) official Oliver Griffith provides a compelling perspective on a scalable solution for climate change. Investigating the impact of UN backed projects that work to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+), Griffith makes his case for listening to the people on the …

Newsroom (2021-12-21). Coal power's sharp rebound is taking it to a new record in 2021, threatening net zero goals. moderndiplomacy.eu The amount of electricity generated worldwide from coal is surging towards a new annual record in 2021, undermining efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and potentially putting global coal demand on course for an all-time high next year, the International Energy Agency said in its latest annual market report. After falling in 2019 and 2020, …

Giancarlo Elia Valori (2021-12-21). The diplomatic waltz rounds of the United Arab Emirates. moderndiplomacy.eu Abu Dhabi sets aside differences between the seven United Arab Emirates (Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Umm Al Quwain, Ajman, Dubai and Fujairah) for rapprochement with Iran, in line with its bilateral dialogue with other countries in the region. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has initiated a process of rapprochement with Iran. In the …

Uzay Bulut (2021-12-21). Cyprus: Turkish Occupation and Unpunished Crimes Against Women and Children. moderndiplomacy.eu On December 16 and 17, Democracy Today, an NGO that focuses on human rights issues, organized its annual international conference in Armenia's capital of Yerevan. This was part of a cooperation with the Working Group (WG) on women and gender realities in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) region. This year's agenda …

Amjed Jaaved (2021-12-21). The right to self-determination for the Kashmir "colony" moderndiplomacy.eu The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has unanimously adopted a Pakistan-sponsored resolution, titled "Universal Realisation of the Right of the Peoples to Self-Determination". It unequivocally supports the right to self-determination for all peoples under subjugation, alien domination and foreign occupation". With close to nine lack troops, police constabulary and security sleuths deployed, the Indian-held Kashmir …

_____ (2021-12-21). Even More Chronicles of the Taiwan Issue. journal-neo.org Last time the author left the Taiwan problem with a sense of faint hope for possible glimpses into the general gloom which has been lingering for a long time. But nothing particularly reassuring happened either then or as a result of subsequent contradictory events, which have been flowing around the almost central point of the …

_____ (2021-12-21). US and Israel Oppose Rapprochement of UAE and Iran. journal-neo.org The aspiration of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to become an essential independent geopolitical player in the Middle East is perceived with great wariness and jealousy in Washington and Tel Aviv, openly not wishing to release Abu Dhabi "from their ranks." Of particular concern to the USA and Israel was the announcement on November 30 …

Gidimt'en Yintah Access (2021-12-21). Wet'suwet'en Evict Coastal Gaslink From Drill Site; Re-Establish Coyote Camp. itsgoingdown.org Report on re-occupation of drill site and area known as Coyote Camp and eviction of Coastal Gaslink workers on Wet'suwet'en territory. Gidimt'en land defenders and supporters have once again evicted Coastal Gaslink workers from a key pipeline drill site, protecting Wet'suwet'en headwaters and re-occupying the area known as "Coyote Camp." Early Sunday, in observance of…

Reynard Loki (2021-12-21). There's Only One Essential Role Humans Have on Earth—A Humbler Perspective Could Save the World. independentmediainstitute.org While the world's oceans, nonhuman animals, and plants play starring roles in sustaining our ecosystem, why are we so bent on sabotaging it? By Captain Paul Watson, Independent Media Institute 6 min read This excerpt is from Urgent! Save Our Ocean to Survive Climate Change, by Captain Paul Watson (GroundSwell Books, 2021). This web adaptation …

Philip Giraldi (2021-12-21). The Totalitarian Moment: Woke Democrats are establishing "Social Justice" despotism. globalresearch.ca The Democrats have held the presidency and a majority of both houses of Congress for only eleven months, but they have already put their stamp on the transformation of the United States from top to bottom. In reaction to those …

Marie Kelly (2021-12-21). In a Pennsylvania prison, a COVID-19 related death. workers.org A 52-year-old man, Melvin James Anderson IV, died while incarcerated in the Chester County Correctional Complex and Youth Center in Pocopson, Pennsylvania, Dec. 7. He was jailed while waiting to be tried for a charge of burglary, which he may or may not have committed. How did he die? He . . . |

Tamara Nassar (2021-12-21). Israel's cyberwarfare industry had a bad year. electronicintifada.net NSO Group may be on the ropes, but new spy firms are waiting in the wings.

C.J. Hopkins (2021-12-21). The Year of the New Normal Fascist. dissidentvoice.org Nazis on holiday And so, as 2021 goose-steps toward its fanatical finish, it is time for my traditional year-end wrap-up. It's "The Year of the Ox" in the Chinese zodiac, but I'm christening it "The Year of the New Normal Fascist." And what a phenomenally fascist year it has been! I'm not talking amateur fascism. …

James L. VanHise (2021-12-21). Why activists need art to create social change. nationofchange.org The authors of a new book on artistic activism discuss the importance of fighting on the terrain of popular culture to reach a mass audience.

Julia Conley (2021-12-21). Displaying 'inhuman disdain' for working families, Manchin said child tax credit would be used for drugs. nationofchange.org "Sen. Joe Manchin—who is a multimillionaire—doesn't think his poor constituents can be trusted with a little help."

Andrew Emett (2021-12-21). Democratic legislators send scathing letter to Amazon inquiring about employee deaths. nationofchange.org "Amazon has proven time and time again that it views workers as disposable means to achieving greater profits."

WSWS (2021-12-21). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Teachers in two districts are planning walkouts over stalled contract talks while London, Ontario city workers are discussing work refusals amidst the latest COVID wave.

WSWS (2021-12-21). Tentative agreement to end Massachusetts nurses strike after intervention of Biden administration. wsws.org The Massachusetts Nurses Association is quick to explain that the deal contains "necessary" compromises. According to one of these, Tenet will reportedly allow the scabs it began hiring in May to permanently replace workers to remain on the job.

WSWS (2021-12-21). UK Tesco workers—reject USDAW-Unite pay sellout! wsws.org USDAW and Unite are recommending workers call off their offensive and accept an effective pay cut in conditions in which they occupy a powerful economic position and confront the serious dangers of COVID-19 in the workplace.

_____ (2021-12-20). Yemen and Afghanistan Face Unprecedented Famine — Crimes of Mass Starvation. journal-neo.org Sounding the alarm this December Nicholas Papachrysostomou, MSF head of mission in Yemen made clear that well beyond the many casualties War claimed over the past seven years, famine weighs much heavier on the war-torn nation, a fate Afghanistan unfortunately shares. "A nearly seven-year long conflict has badly affected the country's economy and weakened an …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-20). Leftist Gabriel Boric wins Chile's key presidential election and other stories. peoplesdispatch.org In today's episode of the Daily Round-up we look at progressive former student leader Gabriel Boric's victory in Chile's presidential runoff elections; massive protests against the October military coup in Sudan on the 3rd anniversary of the 2019 Revolution; a New York Times report on the "deeply flawed" intelligence informing U.S. airstrikes in the Middle East which killed over 1,000 civilians; and an indefinite strike launched by workers at the NagaWorld casino and resort in Cambodia to protest the targeting of unionised workers, and demand better pay.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-20). Left candidate Gabriel Boric wins presidential elections in Chile. peoplesdispatch.org This Sunday December 19 over eight million Chileans voted to decide who will be the next president of Chile. According to Chile's electoral service SERVEL, with 96.75% of the votes processed, Gabriel Boric of the left-wing Approve Dignity coalition won with 55.8% of the votes over far-right José Antonio Kast of the Christian Social Front who received 44.19% of the votes. | At around 7: 20pm (Chilean time) when the first electoral bulletins were being released, Kast accepted his defeat in a message on

Newsroom (2021-12-20). Afghanistan economy in 'freefall', threatening to take entire population with it. moderndiplomacy.eu Afghanistan's economy is in "free fall", the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator told a special meeting on Sunday, warning that if decisive and compassionate action is not taken immediately, it may "pull the entire population with it". Speaking virtually to the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers in …

WSWS (2021-12-20). West Virginia Senator Manchin kills Biden's already stripped-down "Build Back Better" legislation. wsws.org Announcing his opposition to the measure on Fox News Sunday, the right-wing Democrat ensured that the meager social, tax and climate bill will not be passed in anything like its current form.

Rick Rozoff (2021-12-20). Belarus ready to host nuclear weapons in face of NATO threat: foreign minister. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com FM: Belarus ready to host nuclear weapons if under threat from NATO ==== Zelensky says if Russia deploys nuclear arms to Belarus, Ukraine will "know where they are located" NATO threat to redeploy nuclear arms led to Belarus to moot basing Russian nuclear weapons — analyst Insane, sociopathic or sadists: Tulsi Gabbard blasts U.S government, …

Staff (2021-12-20). "Unacceptable": Rep. Jamaal Bowman Slams Manchin After Senator Says No to Build Back Better Plan. democracynow.org President Biden's signature $1.75 trillion Build Back Better package appears to be dead after Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced on Fox News this Sunday he would not support the plan to expand the social safety net and combat the climate crisis. Without Manchin, Senate Democrats do not have enough votes to pass the landmark legislation, which has already been approved by the House. We speak with Congressmember Jamaal Bowman, who is one of six progressive Democrats in the House who correctly predicted that his party's decision to vote on the infrastructure bill prior to the Build Back Better…

Rick Rozoff (2021-12-20). Why NATO continues to ignore Russian security concerns, spurn its overtures: recent examples. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Emblematic temporizing, equivocation and approval-seeking from the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Kremlin, below. From the government's TASS and Interfax news agencies. What real message is being delivered to Washington and NATO other than an acknowledgment of weakness, fear, even desperation? And as to the pat response that in making concession after concession to NATO …

Rick Rozoff (2021-12-20). Senate approves Brzezinski to initiate conflict with Belarus. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com US Senate approves Mark Brzezinski as ambassador to Poland ==== Brzezinski spawn vows to complete cordon around Russia, unite Ukraine, "democratize" Belarus Brzezinski brothers want Biden, NATO to reprise father's confrontation with Russia over Poland Ukraine reprised: Victoria Nuland discusses Belarus with Ukrainian official ==== The US Senate confirmed more than 30 ambassadors on Saturday, …

Rick Rozoff (2021-12-20). Increased NATO military exercises in Ukraine are preparation for war with Russia: military analyst. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Complete from today's TASS. As reported here two days ago: DM: Ukraine to host 10 NATO exercises, participate in 16 abroad next year Izvestia: NATO approaching Russia's borders Ukraine plans ten large-scale military drills with NATO's participation in 2022, which obviously raises serious alarm bells in Russia. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the alliance's …

Rick Rozoff (2021-12-20). Ukraine's NATO neighbors pledge support for NATO accession, against Russia. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Ukraine's accession to EU, NATO: Lublin Triangle leaders sign declaration Presidents of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausƒóda, and President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda signed a joint declaration in support of Ukraine's membership in the European Union and NATO. "The joint declaration stipulates clear support for Ukraine's …

Rick Rozoff (2021-12-20). "Critical place": NATO expands, modernizes Albanian airfield. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Albanians Protest Against Proposed NATO Airfield in South Residents in Morave and Kucova have been protesting against plans to expand a NATO airfield onto their land, claiming the government compensation offered is far below the market rate. Albania joined NATO in 2009, and now plans are underway to upgrade and extend the Kucova Air Base, …

WSWS (2021-12-20). UN report documents massive attacks on democratic rights in Ukraine. wsws.org Limited as it is, the UN report exposes attempts to frame a potential war between a "free Ukraine" against an "aggressive" Russia as a "war for democracy" as a complete fraud.

Rick Rozoff (2021-12-20). Zelensky says if Russia deploys nuclear arms to Belarus, Ukraine will "know where they are located" antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Zelensky will have to explain in which " different parts of the world" Russia has deployed or exported nuclear weapons. With the assertion that his regime will "definitely know where part of Russia's nuclear weapon is located," he appears to indicate that a preemptive strike against them could be conducted. ==== Can't play with these …

Rick Rozoff (2021-12-20). U.S. congressional delegation arrives in Ukraine to discuss threat of war with Russia. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com US Congress delegation arrives in Ukraine to discuss threat of war with RussiaA group of congressmen announced Washington's readiness to take tough measures in response to any encroachment on sovereign Ukrainian territory *** "Representative Jason Crow led a U.S. Congressional delegation to Kyiv to discuss Russia's aggressive military buildup in and around Ukraine and hear …

Rick Rozoff (2021-12-20). West mulls Finnish war scenario for Russia in addition to Bandera, Mujahideen models. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com As Helsinki confirms it will purchase 64 U.S. F-35s, now equipped to deliver B61-12 tactical nuclear weapons, the 1939-1940 Finnish-Russian Winter War scenario is also being proposed by Western analysts to combat Russia in Ukraine in addition to those of the World War II Ukrainian Insurgent Army and the Afghan Mujahideen model of the 1980s. …

Norman Solomon (2021-12-20). The Pentagon's 20-Year Killing Spree Has Always Treated Civilians as Expendable. zcomm.org The killings have resulted from policies that gave very low priority to prevention of civilian deaths…

Combined Sources (2021-12-20). Progressive anger erupts after Manchin kills Build Back Better. peoplesworld.org

Staff (2021-12-20). Headlines for December 20, 2021. democracynow.org Build Back Better in Jeopardy After Sen. Joe Manchin Announces He Will Not Vote in Favor, Federal Company Vaccine Mandate Reinstated; New Data Show Moderna Booster Helps Fight Omicron, Southwest CEO Tests Positive After Senate Hearing; Sens. Booker and Warren Announce They Have COVID, Omicron Sends COVID Cases Surging, Prompts New Restrictions in Israel, U.K., the Netherlands, 35-Year-Old Progressive Activist Gabriel Boric Will Be Chile's Next President, Death Toll from Super Typhoon Rai Rises to 375 in Philippines; Floods Kill 8 in Malaysia, Hong Kong's "Patriots Only" Election Sees Record Low Turnout, Hundreds…

Ahmed Saber Abbas (2021-12-20). Military alliance requires ideological cover. moderndiplomacy.eu Weeks after the announcement of the Aukus Alliance, which aims to confront China in the Asia- Pacific region, the United States launched a summit for democracy, aimed at uniting the countries of the region and building more military alliances, which must be based on an ideological cover that gives them legitimacy. Why does the United …

_____ (2021-12-20). Beijing and Moscow Strengthen Cooperation in Response to the West's Incitement of Hatred Against Russia and China. journal-neo.org The United States' and the European Union's desire to increase pressure with sanctions and hostile rhetoric on Russia and China has resulted in the tightest possible partnership between Moscow and Beijing, which are already united by years of extensive ties in various areas. Bilateral trade exceeded $132 billion from January to November, increased by 24 …

_____ (2021-12-20). Belt and Road: How Laos Exemplifies Preconditions for Global Success. journal-neo.org More than eight years ago, in September 2013, Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced the launch of China's global transport initiative, One Belt One Road (OBOR). The project implies the unification of all major world transport routes into a single system and removing all economic and political barriers to the free circulation of goods through this …

WSWS (2021-12-20). Canada joins US-led Olympic boycott as Trudeau government pursues ever more belligerent anti-China policy. wsws.org Canada's Liberal government is binding itself ever more tightly to Washington's all-sided diplomatic, economic and military-strategic offensive against China.

WSWS (2021-12-20). New Zealand Defence Assessment calls for more aggressive anti-China stance. wsws.org The Defence Assessment firmly aligns New Zealand with US and Australian imperialism in the escalating drive to war against China.

WSWS (2021-12-20). VIDEO: Assange's life is in danger. Attend emergency online meeting to demand his immediate release. wsws.org "The campaign for Assange's freedom must turn to the emerging struggles of the working class against social inequality and the murderous policies of mass infection."

Fra Hughes (2021-12-20). Julian Assange and the Day Democracy Died. orinocotribune.com By Fra Hughes — Dec 18, 2021 | The travesty of Justice which we have witnessed in the persecution of Julian Assange has proven beyond all shadow of a doubt that there is no press freedom in the Western world. | The real losers in the Julian Assange case are Julian Assange, his family, freedom of the Press, truth, and justice. | Britains decision to grant America's appeal, to have Julian Assange extradited to face 175 years in a deep dark windowless dungeon, in isolation, in the most inhospitable hole in the ground the American penal system can find, where most likely he will be waterboarded to gain informati…

_____ (2021-12-20). What Are The Fundamental Differences Between Capitalist And Socialist Democracy? popularresistance.org The United States hosted a "Summit for Democracy" on December 9th and 10th in an obvious attempt to legitimize its unipolar and hegemonic claim of leadership over the so-called "rules-based international order." While on the surface this appeared to be an unproductive move on the part of the world hegemon, it aligned well with the U.S. strategy of cloaking its aggressive and exploitative policies under the guise of "democracy." Joe Biden's administration has repeatedly hyped the differences between "autocracy" and U.S.-led "democracy." So-called allies were summoned to give the U.S.'s vision for democracy credibi…

Dan Yaseen (2021-12-20). Speaking Truth to Empire about Metaverse and Civil Liberties. warisacrime.org Speaking Truth to Empire on KFCF 88.1 FM independently owned and locally operated since 1975 in Fresno, Dan Yaseen interviews John Whitehead, an attorney and author who has written, debated and practiced widely in the area of constitutional law and human rights. Whitehead's concern for the persecuted and oppressed led him, in 1982, to establish …

_____ (2021-12-20). Low Wages And Exploitative Conditions Are Sparking Graduate Student Strikes. popularresistance.org Many graduate students find themselves caught between these multiple fronts: burdened with past student debt, earning sub-living-wage pay in their present work and facing dwindling future opportunities. Universities have grown over-reliant on graduate students and other contingent faculty to maintain a pool of low-cost labor. But an upswell of organizing activity in the last year indicates that graduate students have been emboldened to take a collective stand against the precarity and untenable conditions that mar the academic experience in the U.S.

Christopher Orlet (2021-12-20). The Working Class is Not Voting Against Its Interests. zcomm.org America needs a labor party. A party of the working class. But right now it has nothing that even vaguely resembles either one…

Ann Brown (2021-12-20). US Lawmakers Call For Sanctions After 9 State Department Employees' iPhones Hacked With Software From Israeli NSO Spyware Company. moguldom.com A group of 18 Democratic lawmakers has asked President Joe Biden to impose financial sanctions on controversial Israel spyware firm NSO Group and several other surveillance companies following the revelation that nine U.S. State Department employees had their iPhones hacked with the company's software. NSO Group has come under global scrutiny for its Pegasus software, …

Editor (2021-12-20). Prisoners Sue California Prison System Following Targeted Raid Against Black People. scheerpost.com Talib Williams performing one of his spoken word poems at his Defy Ventures graduation in 2019. | By Claude Marks / Original to ScheerPost | California prisoner, Talib Williams, is bringing a class action lawsuit on his behalf as well as other Black incarcerated people who were targeted by a July 20, 2020 raid at Soledad, California's Correctional Training Facility (CTF). The suit seeks a reprieve from the state-sponsored terror that is their norm. Injunctive and declaratory relief, among other remedies, are necessary to stop the violence, change CDCR policy, and compensate the prisoners for the degradation t…

_____ (2021-12-20). Gabriel Boric Victory Speech: 'I Will Be The President Of All Chileans'. popularresistance.org The president-elect of Chile, Gabriel Boric, thanked the people this Sunday, December 19, for their support in the second round of the presidential elections, in which he defeated the extreme right-wing Pinochet-admirer José Antonio Kast, becoming the new president of Chile for the 2022-2026 term.

_____ (2021-12-20). Teamsters Union Shuts Down Southern California Sanitation Workers Strike. popularresistance.org In coastal Orange County, south of Los Angeles, 400 sanitation workers went on strike on December 9 against Republic Services, the second-largest waste management firm in the US. The workers, members of International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 396, had voted by a large majority in favor of a strike on November 23.

_____ (2021-12-20). 'Fortress Conservation' Is Driving Us From Our Homes. popularresistance.org Kaziranga is also a World Heritage site recognized by UNESCO and listed as a global hotspot of biodiversity by the IUCN. However, all that is under threat thanks to an increasingly militarized form of conservation. This is being promoted by the Indian Forest Department, in a feudal, colonial setup, assisted by large international and national NGOs. A flawed and exploitative idea has emerged: the plan to turn 30 per cent of the world's surface into Protected Areas by 2030 (30×30). This idea, being pushed by the IUCN, has been greenwashed, whitewashed and sold to the world, alongside 'nature-based solutions' (NBS),…

_____ (2021-12-20). Rocket Attack Targets Green Zone In Baghdad. popularresistance.org Two Katyusha rockets were fired early Sunday on the heavily fortified Green Zone that houses the U.S. embassy in central Baghdad, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported. | One of the rockets was destroyed in the air by the C-RAM defense system, which protects the U.S. embassy site, and the other landed near the grand celebrations square in the zone, damaging two civilian cars.

_____ (2021-12-20). Unions, Worker Advocates Call Out Backroom Deal To Sneak Amazon Into NJ Airport. popularresistance.org The Teamsters, along with RDWSU and other worker advocacy groups belonging to the coalition calling on New York State Governor Kathy Hochul to back new anti-trust legislation pending in the Legislature, rallied outside the Amazon Go outlet at the corner of Church and Cortland streets in Manhattan this week, before marching over to the Port Authority offices where the agency was busy behind closed doors planning a new regional hub for Amazon at Newark Airport.

_____ (2021-12-20). Amazon Workers Are Organizing For Cellphone Access. popularresistance.org Hundreds of Amazon employees at warehouses across the mid-Atlantic are organizing to push the company to allow workers to keep their phones with them throughout their shifts and adopt an inclement weather policy in the aftermath of the collapse of the Amazon warehouse in Illinois that killed six workers. | The Amazon workers are demanding that Amazon pay workers for shifts cancelled due to inclement weather. And during school closures, they want Amazon to excuse all absences caused by severe weather and to be paid 80 percent of their salary.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-20). Gabriel Boric's victory in Chile's presidential run-off hailed across the globe. peoplesdispatch.org Political leaders from across the globe hailed the victory of Gabriel Boric of the left-wing Approve Dignity coalition in Chile's presidential elections. Boric won the presidency with 55.87% of the votes…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-20). Leftist candidate Gabriel Boric emerges victorious in Chilean elections. peoplesdispatch.org Boric has promised to deliver on key demands raised during the 2019 protests which includes an increase in state spending on social services, progressive taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-20). Israeli court rejects appeal to release administrative detainee on hunger strike. peoplesdispatch.org Palestinian detainee Hisham Abu Hawwash has been on hunger strike for 125 days now to protest his illegal administrative detention by Israel. His release has been rejected despite serious life-threatening health issues…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-20). Karachi climate march 2021 demands end of forced displacement. peoplesdispatch.org Residents of Karachi's working-class neighborhoods organized the People's Climate March to protest against the eco-fascist policies of the government and the upper class which have led to the systematic eviction of the city's marginalized communities…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-20). Italian working class mobilizes for worker-friendly budget, pension reforms and job security. peoplesdispatch.org National trade unions in Italy organized a general strike protesting the 2022 budget plan of the Mario Draghi government for not meeting the expectations of the working class, particularly on tax cuts, pension reforms and preventing the relocation of industries…

Sandipan Talukdar (2021-12-20). NASA spacecraft touches outer atmosphere of Sun for first time. peoplesdispatch.org The Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, has been orbiting the Sun. The craft has a carbon composite shield which protects the instruments inside it from the scorching heat of around 1370 degree Celsius…

Staff (2021-12-20). Lack of Left-Wing Culture, Weakness of Progressivism in Latin America (Interview). orinocotribune.com One of the great weaknesses of Latin American progressivism and something that explains its partial defeats is the lack of a leftist, alternative and accessible popular culture, promoting new ways of organizing daily life, affirms àÅlvaro García Linera. | Despite the electoral triumphs of progressive ideas in the region, neoliberalism has established a common sense which goes beyond who is the ruler, García Linera expressed in a talk with La Jornada on progressivism, left, right, and popular culture. Here is the final part of that interview: | -It seems that in countries like Chile, El Salvador, and Ecuador…

Editor (2021-12-20). 'The Dawn of Everything' gets human history wrong. mronline.org Is inequality inevitable? Is freedom just a choice? Two materialist critiques of a widely-praised book.

Editor (2021-12-20). The full story of Metabolic Rift: A new format of underground culture by Berlin Atonal [Part 1/2]. mronline.org In 2020, we were forced to put our lives on pause. Countries were divided from one another; communication between people moved to the more diluted online space. The schedules of jet setters across the world became completely blank, and one German artist passionate about the environment went as far as to say they'd never fly again.

Editor (2021-12-20). Sustainable technology isn't enough to save us. mronline.org How many minutes till midnight? Two different but related news stories give us a clue.

Prabhat Patnaik (2021-12-20). U.S. inflation and India's economic recovery. mronline.org The very day, December 11, when the Indian finance ministry spuriously claimed a robust recovery in…

Dana Sanchez (2021-12-20). Legendary Hedge Fund Manager Ray Dalio: Bitcoin Has Merit, Is Like The Younger Generation's Alternative to Gold. moguldom.com Billionaire investor and hedge-fund founder Ray Dalio said he is impressed with Bitcoin, although less than two years ago, he said Bitcoin was not the best way to store value as it and other cryptocurrencies are fundamentally flawed. "It has been an amazing accomplishment for Bitcoin to have achieved what it has done, from writing that …

teleSUR (2021-12-19). Chile: Kast and Boric Before the Count of the Votes. telesurenglish.net The campaign coordinators of José Antonio Kast and Gabriel Boric, Cristian Valenzuela and Giorgio Jackson, respectively, maintained contact to coordinate the acts to be carried out once the next president's name is known. | Second round presidential elections in Chile between Gabriel Borinc and José Antonio Kast takes place on Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021…

Common Dreams Staff (2021-12-19). US Air Wars Killed Thousands of Civilians, Including Children, NY Times Reports. truthout.org Thousands of previously hidden Pentagon documents show that the U.S. air wars in the Middle East have been marked by "deeply flawed intelligence" and have killed thousands of civilians, many of them children, The 5-year Times investigation received more than 1,300 reports examining airstrikes in Iraq an…

Common Dreams Staff (2021-12-19). Manchin Rejects Build Back Better Bill, Likely Killing Social and Climate Agenda. truthout.org "I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation," Mr. Manchin said on "Fox News Sunday, "I've tried everything humanly possible. I can't get there. This is a no." | The comments from Mr. Manchin dealt a fatal blow to the legislation that is central to President Joe Biden's agenda. | "I think he's gonna have a lot of explaining to do to the people of West Virginia," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union." | Sanders said Manchin "doesn't have the…

_____ (2021-12-19). Anti-Chinese Sentiment Continues in South Korea. journal-neo.org We have mentioned more than once how anti-Chinese sentiments are nurtured in today's South Korea, and although according to conservative circles, Moon Jae-in's administration pursues a pro-Beijing course, an incitement of hatred towards China comes not only from below but also from above. According to a joint survey conducted in June 2021 by the daily …

teleSUR (2021-12-19). Trump: China Should Pay Trillions of Dollars for COVID Damages. telesurenglish.net Donald Trump, former U.S. President, claimed once again that China is responsible for the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. He calls for China to pay 60 trillion dollars for the damage caused by the epidemic worldwide. | RELATED: | "China has to pay, they have to pay reparations, and China does not have the money to pay those reparations," Trump declared during an interview with Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartir…

Jonathan Cook (2021-12-19). The hounding of Julian Assange leaves honest journalism with no refuge. dissidentvoice.org It is no accident that Julian Assange, the digital transparency activist and journalist who founded Wikileaks to help whistleblowers tell us what western governments are really up to in the shadows, has spent 10 years being progressively disappeared into those very same shadows. His treatment is a crime similar to those Wikileaks exposed when it …

Staff (2021-12-19). Venezuela and Belarus Sign Bilateral Agreements in Strategic Areas. orinocotribune.com This Friday, December 17, the governments of Venezuela and Belarus signed several agreements at the closing event of the Eighth Meeting of the Venezuela-Belarus high level mixed commission, in order to consolidate strategies for the benefit of both nations and for strengthening cooperation relations. At the Simón Bolivar room of the Miraflores Palace, the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, stressed that Venezuela "is taking a successful step in the right direction, with the pace, speed and intensity that is needed," by signing agreements that will allow the development of different sectors of the national ec…

Ian Angus (2021-12-19). Dispossessed: Origins of the Working Class. mronline.org Deprived of land and common rights, the English poor were forced into wage-labor. CAPITAL VERSUS COMMONS, 4…

Bianca Tylek (2021-12-19). Corporate Exploitation of Prison Labor Reaches Deep into the Supply Chain. truthout.org This article is part of a five-part The exception clause allowed states, often in the South, to pass Black Codes, laws that specifically criminalized Black life and filled jails with Black people. States then used "convict leasing" to rent incarcerated people to private individuals and corporations looking for cheap labor, often plantations. By the late 1800s, states like Alab…

Hamilton Nolan (2021-12-19). Ten Predictions For the Year Ahead in Labor. zcomm.org Our infallible crystal ball reveals that 2022 will make workers want to holler…

Don Gross (2021-12-19). Senate approves Rahm Emanuel for ambassadorship despite opposition from Chicago progressives. liberationnews.org In addition to his role in the murder of Laquan McDonald, Rahm's policies while mayor of Chicago were devestating for the working class in the city, especially Black and Latino communites.

Erika Hidalgo (2021-12-19). Ajmal Amani, another veteran killed by SFPD. liberationnews.org On Nov. 19 the San Francisco Police Department shot and killed 41 year-old Ajmal Amani as he suffered a severe mental health crisis. The brief but deadly interaction with Amani included multiple moments of police simply shouting at Amani while using the wrong name.

_____ (2021-12-19). Wet'suwet'en Resistance And Solidarity: Evicting The Colonizers. popularresistance.org One month ago today, the RCMP violently raided unceded Gidimt'en territory (November 18-19, 2021), removing Indigenous people from their land at gunpoint on behalf of TC Energy's proposed Coastal GasLink pipeline. The Wet'suwet'en enforced our standing eviction of CGL by closing roads into the territory November 14-17. Following the raids, arrestees received cruel and violent treatment in prison. The conditions set forth by the court are human rights violations to Indigenous peoples. We're still here. We're still throwing down. We are more determined than ever to protect our traditional territories for future gen…

Amjed Jaaved (2021-12-19). Pakistan-Bangladesh: Need to move forward. moderndiplomacy.eu History tells that countries, at daggers drawn for centuries, progressed by leaps and bounds once they buried the hatchet. Europe is a case in point. They first general agreement on trade and tariffs to to remove kinks and wobbles in free flow of goods and services. And , then joined the European Union. Thus they …

Andreína Chávez Alava (2021-12-19). Venezuela: Oil Output Continues Upward Swing as Iran Calls for Greater Cooperation. venezuelanalysis.com Oil revenues will reportedly fund 61 percent of Venezuela's 2022 budget following a recent hike in crude production and exports.

Dean Baker (2021-12-19). Plans to Save the Local Newspaper. cepr.net As we all know, local newspapers have been dropping like flies over the last two decades. Even major regional papers like the Chicago Tribune and Cleveland Plain Dealer have fallen on hard times, sharply cutting back their staff and coverage. In many cases, hedge or private equity funds have done the downsizing or closures. They …

Dmitri Trenin (2021-12-19). After COP26: Russia's Path to the Global Green Future. moderndiplomacy.eu Russia is certainly now taking climate-related issues seriously, but even though a latecomer in embracing the climate change agenda, it will not simply accept the West's or the EU's lead. Rather, it will act in accordance with its national interests. At the COP26 UN climate change summit that ended last week, Russia was noted mainly …

Dmitri Trenin (2021-12-19). Russian Foreign Policy: Shifting Gears. moderndiplomacy.eu Not long ago, a popular Russian joke went: "Those who do not want to listen to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will have to deal with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu." Now it is official. President Vladimir Putin often makes statements on foreign policy. Just last month, he spent several hours discussing world affairs at the annual …

F. William Engdahl (2021-12-19). The Green Agenda and the Plan to Collapse the Industrial World Economy. globalresearch.ca

IGD Worldwide (2021-12-19). Communique from Mapuche Political Prisoners of Elicura Imprisoned in Lebu. itsgoingdown.org | On January 29, 2020 in so-called Chile, police violently raided five houses in the Valley of Elicura, in the Lavkenche territory of Wallmapu, detaining six Indigenous Mapuches. Another Mapuche was detained almost a year later and linked to the same case. The seven have been charged with a death at Playa Blanca, in the Mapuche territory of Lake Lanalhue, land usurped by the forestry businessman Hector Garcia. | The seven Mapuche political prisoners from Elicura are part of a larger Mapuche movem…

In Defense of Liberation! (2021-12-19). Historical Development of Revolution. anchor.fm In this episode I give my best attempt to add a description of how it is that we must try to understand the development of a revolution. I try to explain how consciousness, active participation, struggle and organization are some of the most crucial parts of building a revolutionary movement. I also discussed the need to understand concrete conditions in a concrete fashion, and why it is that we must take into account all of the particularities and universalities of our system our situation and others. I hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think! Email me at indefenseofliberation@gmail.com !

Jubeda Chowdhury (2021-12-19). Significance Of The lndian President's Recent Bangladesh Visit. moderndiplomacy.eu The President of India came to Dhaka on Wednesday at the invitation of the President of Bangladesh to take part in the celebration of the golden jubilee and the centenary of the victory. After a three-day state visit, Indian President Ramnath Kobind left Dhaka at noon on December 17,2021. The three-day visit of Indian President …

Kite Line (2021-12-19). Kite Line: Carceral Nonprofits. itsgoingdown.org Long-running abolitionist radio show Kite Line looks at the impact of carceral non-profits who steer radical change towards liberal reform under the guise of decarceration. We are sad to report that Russell Maroon Shoatz, who was recently granted compassionate release after his decades in prison, has passed away. This week, we return to the final…

Newsroom (2021-12-19). HIPAA Violations: 6 Tips for Preventing Them. moderndiplomacy.eu The US healthcare industry is unfortunately not immune to HIPAA violations. In 2020 there have already been 421 reported violations, and several investigations are still ongoing. The COVID-19 pandemic challenges healthcare professionals in unprecedented ways, which is why additional discretions were introduced in March. There have been over 20 million recorded instances of health information …

Newsroom (2021-12-19). International Youth Forum "BRICS Plus" moderndiplomacy.eu The International Youth Forum "BRICS PLUS" was held in the online format on 14-15 December 2021. Due to some COVID-19 restrictions it was decided to hold the first part of the forum online and the second part of it will be held offline in 2022. More than 200 youth leaders, public organizations, scientists, entrepreneurs and …

NYC Anarchist Black Cross (2021-12-19). NYC: Noise Demo Against the Prison Industrial Complex, In Solidarity with PPs and POWs. itsgoingdown.org Call for noise demo in New York City on New Year's Eve from NYC Anarchist Black Cross. photo: Ash Agony On the noisiest night of the year in New York City, come help us remind folks locked up that they are not alone. NYC Anarchist Black Cross, in response to an international call for noise…

Staff (2021-12-19). Venezuela Has Carried Out Largest Drug Seizure in 10 Years. orinocotribune.com This Saturday, December 18, Venezuelan National Anti-Drug Superintendent, Richard López Vargas, highlighted that Venezuela has seized 51 tons of illicit drugs so far in 2021, the highest amount in the last 10 years. | "A significant quantity, 51 tons, were seized in 5,334 procedures by law enforcement agencies," he informed. "The last time this figure was superceded was in 2011; which means that today represents the largest seizure in the last 10 years." The superintendent explained this during the first edition of the 2021 Citizen Security Expo, which is being held in the Military Circle, Los Próceres, in Caraca…

Staff (2021-12-19). Delegation visits Georges Abdallah in Lannemezan with greetings of international solidarity. samidoun.net A delegation from the Collectif Palestine Vaincra visited Georges Ibrahim Abdallah in Lannemezan Prison in December 2021. Georges Abdallah is a Lebanese Arab struggler for the Palestinian resistance who has been imprisoned in French jails for 37 years. His story and life in struggle is the subject of the film "Fedayin: Georges Abdallah's Fight," and […] | The article

Tanya Wadhwa (2021-12-19). Bolivian government creates trust for reparations to victims of 2019 state violence. peoplesdispatch.org The trust will provide loans to the relatives of the deceased and living victims of the human rights violations committed during Jeanine àÅñez's de-facto rule, with a 10-year repayment policy and an annual interest rate of 0.5%…

Zhao Huasheng (2021-12-19). Changes in Afghanistan: Regional and International Implications. moderndiplomacy.eu The Taliban's return to power has fundamentally changed the political environment of Afghanistan, both internally and externally. The internal leading forces inside Afghanistan have turned to be the Taliban instead of the political forces represented by the former Afghanistan government, and the external forces with the greatest political responsibility began to shift from the United …

Marco Teruggi (2021-12-19). Venezuela: What Country Will it Be? orinocotribune.com By Marco Teruggi — Dec 8, 2021 | The economic and financial catastrophe that relentlessly devastated the Venezuelan population during the last few years seems to be easing, while the government of Nicolás Maduro encourages the return of the old entrepreneurial forms of accumulation. Harassed by the imperial powers, the recent elections revealed a decrease in the hard core of the Chavista hardliners and at the same time revealed the fragmentation of the opposition. From Caracas, a chronicle brimming with questions, about the country that mocks forecasts and closed conclusions. | "This was the richest country,…

_____ (2021-12-19). U.S. Police Unions Starting to Ask: Why Does the ACLU 'Defend the Indefensible'? strategic-culture.org With the introduction of ACLU Watch, more people can better understand that a robust police presence is not the true source of America's crime problem, Robert Bridge writes. | Law enforcement officials have begun a watch beat of sorts against the American Civil Liberties Union, whose support of justice reform has translated into more criminals roaming the streets as police officers lose their jobs. | A number of liberal activists, armed with the most altruistic intentions, of course, are busy remaking America into a liberal bastion of utopian thinking, where the Cultural Marxists have put down the stakes on their…

WSWS (2021-12-19). Morenoites promote pseudo-left-Stalinist candidate in Chile's election. wsws.org The center-left parties that dominated the transition to civilian rule from Chile's military dictatorship three decades ago have all but collapsed.

Ted Glick (2021-12-19). It's Time to Occupy Biden. zcomm.org Let's turn our sadness, anger and frustration into the organized power of the people which, alone, can win victories and bring into being a new world…

Global Research (2021-12-19). The Omicron Fraud Used to Justify the "Christmas Covid Lockdown" globalresearch.ca The alleged spread of the "deadly" Omicron variant has now become the pretext and justification for implementing partial lockdowns, restrictions on travel as well as confinement and stay at home mandates. | Anthony Fauci is leading the disinformation campaign, intimating that …

Fight Back (2021-12-19). Filipino Communists: Mobilize the people in the wake of typhoon Odette's destruction. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Dec. 18 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines | The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) extends its sympathies to the millions of people who suffered the devastation wrought by supertyphoon Odette in Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao regions and in Palawan island. Thousands upon thousands of homes, agricultural fields, fishing boats, and other sources of livelihood were destroyed or severely damaged. | The toiling masses are the most grievously affected, especially the fisherfolk, the small peasants and fa…

Liberation Staff (2021-12-19). Massive new union of student researchers at the U-Cal wins recognition. zcomm.org In a historic victory decades in the making, Student Researchers at the University of California have won union recognition and will soon begin bargaining…

Leanna First-Arai (2021-12-19). States Are Letting Utility Companies Cut Off Power Just as Winter Arrives. truthout.org Millions of U.S. residents behind on bills are at risk of having their electricity, heat and ability to stir up a hot meal cut off on December 22 by private utility companies, just a day after the solstice heralds the colder states' descent into true winter's chill. During the early months of the pandemic,

Edward Curtin (2021-12-19). Mr. Blue and Maria: A Musical Dream. dissidentvoice.org Sixty years ago in the late fall and early winter, a seventeen-year-old blue-eyed Bronx boy went by himself to see an afternoon showing of West Side Story on Fordham Road in the north Bronx. He took the bus to the theater but walked the few miles home in a romantic daze, in love with Maria …

Joel Warner (2021-12-19). WEEKEND READER: The Inside Stories of 2021. dailyposter.com

Binoy Kampmark (2021-12-19). Forbidden Parties: Boris Johnson's Law on Illegal Covid Gatherings. dissidentvoice.org It was meant to be time to reflect. The eager arms of a new pandemic were enfolding a society with asphyxiating, lethal effect. Public health authorities advocated various measures: social distancing, limited contact between family and friends, limited mobility. No grand booze-ups. No large parties. No bonking, except within dispensations of intimacy and various "bubble" …

Lawrence Wittner (2021-12-19). Special Privilege in Admission to Elite U.S. Colleges. zcomm.org Although a major scandal erupted in 2019 over bribery and other fraudulent practices used by wealthy Americans to secure their children's admission to elite colleges, the affluent continue to benefit from other kinds of special admission policies that are perfectly legal. Consider the fact that, according to a recent study, only about 57 percent of

teleSUR (2021-12-19). I Won't Disappoint Chilean People: Presidential Candidate Boric. telesurenglish.net After casting his vote in Chile's run-off presidential elections on Sunday, the left-wing Social Convergence (CS) party candidate Gabriel Boric reaffirmed that he will assist the population and defend its rights if elected President. | RELATED: | "I will not lead a government locked in its headquarters but one that has dirty shoes of walking all over Chile to listen to its people," Boric said and promised to su…

Eric Zuesse (2021-12-19). Why Russia vetoed at the U.N. the U.S.-proposed inclusion of climate-change as a 'National Security' issue. moderndiplomacy.eu The United States Government wants to persuade the gullible global public that that Government takes seriously the global-warming threat. The only way actually to stop global warming — if it still can be stopped — is to outlaw, even if in only one major country (such as the U.S.), purchases of stocks and bonds in …

Thomas Klikauer (2021-12-19). Covid-19, Hospitals & The Curse of Capitalism. zcomm.org The idea that sickness must be profitable reaches deep into the ideological heart of neoliberalism…

teleSUR (2021-12-19). Chileans Denounce Lack of Public Transportation on Election Day. telesurenglish.net Using social networks to make themselves heard on Sunday morning, Chileans denounced that businessmen are prompting a shortage of transport services in Santiago City to sabotage an election in which the leftist presidential candidate Gabriel Boric is the favorite to defeat the far-right candidate Jose Antonio Kast. | RELATED: | The absence of transportation occurs on a day with temperatures above 96.8 ∞F and…

Alexandra Bradbury (2021-12-19). 2021 Year In Review: The Only Way Out Is Through. zcomm.org Here's hoping this year's ripple of militancy is followed by a much bigger wave. We're going to need all the power we can muster…

teleSUR (2021-12-19). Threat of 'Nationwide School Shooting' Proves Uncredible. telesurenglish.net Due to the continued incidence of student-perpetrated school shootings around the U.S., school officials nationwide went to heightened alert on Friday in reaction to an unspecified threat of on-campus violence that was proved to be faux by the authority later. | RELATED: | The rumors circulating on social media proclaimed Dec. 17, as the grisly "National School Shooting Day." The Los Angeles Unified School District…

David Sirota (2021-12-19). The Democrats Are Trying To Lose. dailyposter.com

Global Research (2021-12-19). 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.

Sharmila Devi (2021-12-18). [World Report] Russia—Ukraine tensions hampering health-care access. thelancet.com Humanitarian groups warn that medical care for civilians is being jeopardised amid a military standoff. Sharmila Devi reports…

Chris Hedges (2021-12-18). Hedges: The Execution of Julian Assange. orinocotribune.com By Chris Hedges — Dec 13, 2021 | He committed empire's greatest sin. He exposed it as a criminal enterprise. He documented its lies, callous disregard for human life, rampant corruption and innumerable war crimes. And empires always kill those who inflict deep and serious wounds. | Let us name Julian Assange's executioners. Joe Biden. Boris Johnson. Scott Morrison. Theresa May. Lenin Moreno. Donald Trump. Barack Obama. Mike Pompeo. Hillary Clinton. Lord Chief Justice Ian Burnett and Justice Timothy Victor Holroyde. Crown Prosecutors James Lewis, Clair Dobbin and Joel Smith. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser.

WSWS (2021-12-18). "Julian Assange is an international hero to millions"—SEP supporters denounce British court ruling. wsws.org "If he is extradited, it will set a precedent for the oppression of all dissenting voices. He has fought for the truth and now we must fight for him."

WSWS (2021-12-18). Australian governments ramp up "reopening drive" amid record COVID-19 infections. wsws.org As Labor and Coalition governments alike scrap public health measures, to satisfy the demands of the corporate elite, there are signs of mounting public concern and hostility.

Eric Zuesse (2021-12-18). The Dangerous Ignorance of Germany's New Foreign Minister. moderndiplomacy.eu Germany's new Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock came into office on December 8th without her knowing that America's stationing missiles in Ukraine on Russia's border, and only a 7-minute flying distance away from Moscow, would be even more unacceptable to Moscow than, in 1962, would have been, to Washington, the Soviet Union's stationing missiles in Cuba, …

WSWS (2021-12-18). Leaked email exposes union-management conspiracy to defeat Kellogg's strike as Sanders attempts to deflect anger towards Mexico. wsws.org The entire bargaining committee should be kicked out in light of this exposure, and a new bargaining committee elected consisting of the most trusted rank-and-file workers from the shop floor.

Richard Horton (2021-12-18). [Comment] Offline: The origin story—division deepens. thelancet.com After more than a year of contentious debate about the origins of SARS-CoV-2, David Relman and colleagues, including Alina Chan and Michael Worobey, published a letter in Science on May 14, 2021, arguing that a more forensic examination was needed. They noted that an inquiry commissioned by WHO had concluded that a lab leak was "extremely unlikely". But they criticised WHO for not taking this possibility more seriously. They called for a more transparent, objective, and independent investigation.

New Atlas (2021-12-18). China Rescues Myanmar From Dangerous Dollar-Dominated Waters. newatlas.report December 18, 2021 (Brian Berletic — NEO) — For nearly a year now the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar has been racked by US-sponsored terrorism attempting to reinstall Washington's client regime of choice headed by Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. Compounding the daily violence carried out by the US-sponsored …

WSWS (2021-12-18). "The raises are insulting in this economy": Postal workers oppose union-brokered tentative agreement. wsws.org The agreement continues decades of attacks on workers by offering meager raises and expanding the second tier of lower-paid postal employees.

WSWS (2021-12-18). EU summit threatens Russia. wsws.org The escalating coronavirus pandemic and threats against Russia were the focus of the EU summit that met on Thursday in Brussels.

WSWS (2021-12-18). PSOE-Podemos government arrests Cádiz workers as strikes spread in Spain. wsws.org The PSOE-Podemos government's arrests in Cádiz are a blatant attempt to intimidate workers to prevent them from exercising their right to strike and to protest.

WSWS (2021-12-18). US maintains support for Solomon Islands' opposition forces after failed coup attempt. wsws.org The Solomons' government has been in Washington's cross hairs since it announced in late 2019 that it was ending diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognising Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China.

WSWS (2021-12-18). Castillo government unleashes police against mining protest in Peru. wsws.org The peasant blockade of the giant Chinese-owned Las Bambas copper mine in Peru's southern Andes is creating a growing crisis for the Castillo government.

WSWS (2021-12-18). Teamsters union shuts down Southern California sanitation workers strike. wsws.org In coastal Orange County, south of Los Angeles, 400 sanitation workers went on strike December 9 against Republic Services, the second-largest waste management firm in the US. The strike was abruptly ended by the Teamsters after seven days.

WSWS (2021-12-18). As COVID-19 cases skyrocket in New York City, schools, offices remain open. wsws.org The rapid growth in infections this week have not deterred the Democratic mayor and governor of New York from keeping schools, government offices and other public institutions open.

WSWS (2021-12-18). Michigan educators call for immediate end to in-person schooling as COVID-19 infections surge. wsws.org At an urgent meeting of the Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee Friday afternoon, educators passed a resolution calling for the immediate end to in-person to stop the transmission of the virus and protect lives.

WSWS (2021-12-18). "Workers around the world suffer the same conditions": A former Kellogg's worker in Australia sends a message of solidarity to US strikers. wsws.org Warwick Dove, a member of the Socialist Equality Party (Australia) and former Kellogg's worker, has a message for striking Kellogg's workers in the United States on the eve of their vote on another concessions contract this weekend.

WSWS (2021-12-18). Retail chain pharmacy staff to stage walkout over unsafe working conditions, low pay. wsws.org Thousands of CVS and other retail pharmacy staff organize to protest abhorrent working conditions and chronic understaffing.

WSWS (2021-12-18). Committee for Public Education (Australia) holds successful online meeting on the COVID crisis. wsws.org The event, titled "COVID-19 spreads through Australian schools: Lives before profit! Stop the pandemic!" featured a report from Evan Blake, a member of the US SEP and a leading WSWS writer.

WSWS (2021-12-18). Australian budget update flies in face of pandemic disaster. wsws.org The government's mid-year review directly reflects the demands of the corporate elite for a full reopening of the economy, in the interest of profit, regardless of the human cost.

WSWS (2021-12-18). Attacks on Brazilian scientists grow amid COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org The Brazilian and international working class must oppose attacks on scientists whose work has helped educate the public and expose the criminal politics of the world's ruling elite during the greatest global health crisis in a century.

Madaar (2021-12-18). Palestinian female prisoners prepare campaign to address abuse in Israeli prisons. peoplesdispatch.org Detainees in Israeli prisons have launched a protest to reject the decision by Israeli prison authorities to isolate two prisoners Shorouk Dwayat and Marah Bakir in the Damon Prison and the attack by the Nashon* forces on Nafoud Hammad according to the Palestinian Prisoner's Society. | The Prisoners Information Office confirmed that there has been a climate of high tension in the prisons in response to the systematic attacks launched by the Israeli prison authorities against Palestinian female prisoners, pointing out that "prisoners have refrained from leaving the rooms for security checks, and a state of alert i…

Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza (2021-12-18). Massive Blackout Affects Caracas and Several Regions of Venezuela, Labeled as New Attack — Service Restored 100%. orinocotribune.com Caracas, December 17, 2021 ( Several parishes in Caracas, as well as various parts of the states of Zulia, Mérida, Carabobo, Miranda, Lara, Aragua, Apure, Anzoátegui, Vargas, Bolívar, Nueva Esparta, Barinas, Trujillo, Sucre, Táchira, Falcón, Yaracuy, and Portuguesa were affected by the blackout. | The b…

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2021-12-18). A Sino-Russian military alliance is gratuitous (as of now). mronline.org To apply a western analogy, while the Sino-Russian partnership has great potential to model itself after the European Union, neither Moscow nor Beijing desires an Eurasian NATO to create synergy for it.

Guntaj Mirzayev (2021-12-18). Azerbaijan might be the champion that GUAM needs. moderndiplomacy.eu International organizations remain key venues where states with overlapping interests try to cooperate and find common ground. Such organizations range from all-encompassing global organizations to small thematic institutions. In order to remain operationally relevant and on the agenda, they may need to seek ways of reviving organizational structures with fresh methods and ideas that fit …

Giancarlo Elia Valori (2021-12-18). Ethical aspects relating to cyberspace: Web ideologies. moderndiplomacy.eu The ethos of web culture is based on the principles of: unlimited and unrestricted freedom of information, privacy, general availability, quality of information, no harm, limitation of the excessive use of web resources and the principle of inviolability of intellectual property. The actual implementation of these principles is possible through a number of institutional measures: …

Ajit Singh (2021-12-18). The Closer on Netflix — Some valuable lessons with a pinch of transphobia. moderndiplomacy.eu Since the last few weeks there's been a mounting backlash against Comedian Dave Chapelle's Netflix Special The Closer which debuted on October 5th. The controversy erupted as some people alleged that the show was extremely transphobic & anti-women. Even the employees of Streaming giant staged protests & demanded the content must be removed from the …

_____ (2021-12-18). The Sociopolitical and Economic Impact of the Pandemic. journal-neo.org Two years of the coronavirus pandemic have seriously changed the world around us economically and politically. The pandemic demonstrated that any mass epidemic is as much a generic challenge to society as war, a change in geological epochs, or economic stages. At this challenging time for everybody, all power structures and public institutions have faced …

Agency (2021-12-18). Understanding the Modern State: An Interview with Eric Laursen. itsgoingdown.org Anarchist Agency speaks with Eric Laursen, author of The Operating System: An Anarchist Theory of the Modern State. It's become increasingly common to see news stories about the record levels of dissatisfaction and distrust in governments and institutions. One of the most recent came from a Harvard Kennedy School poll of young people in the…

CrimethInc. Ex-Workers Collective (2021-12-18). Help CrimethInc. Recover from a Catastrophic Fire. itsgoingdown.org Call to support CrimethInc. as they recover from a massive fire which destroyed their mail order space. Donate here. On December 15, 2021, the mail-order space of the CrimethInc. Ex-Workers Collective was destroyed in a catastrophic fire that reduced three large buildings to burned-out shells in downtown Olympia, Washington. Thousands of our books, posters, and…

Jenny Pierson (2021-12-18). How a Group of Starbucks Workers Emerged Victorious in Their Union Fight. independentmediainstitute.org The iconic American coffee chain, Starbucks, employs hundreds of thousands of people in nearly 9,000 cafés nationwide. And yet, the news that a handful of Starbucks employees at one café in Buffalo, New York, recently voted to join Workers United—an affiliate of SEIU—made headlines nationally. The New York Times called it a "big symbolic win …

Michael Welch (2021-12-18). Light at the End of his Tunnel: A Tribute to Paul Theodore Hellyer. globalresearch.ca

Gargi S Sarode, Sachin C Sarode (2021-12-18). [Correspondence] The global oral health workforce. thelancet.com Habib Benzian and colleagues1 aptly put forth the six key recommendations for the new WHO global strategy for oral health. We take this opportunity to address some key issues that can affect the action plan.

Andrew Smart (2021-12-18). Public health sacrificed for business as usual. greenleft.org.au The COVID-19 catastrophe presents a challenge of planetary proportions. You would expect it would elicit a response drawing on all our skills, compassion and collective resources. But, as Andrew Smart, argues, we are seeing the opposite.

Niall Boyce, Joanna Palmer, Sheila Pinion, Maneet Virdi, Jack Williamson (2021-12-18). [Comment] Winner of the 2021 Wakley Prize: something good enough. thelancet.com Earlier this year, inspired by George Eliot's Middlemarch,1 we invited readers to enter the Wakley Prize, The Lancet's annual essay competition, and tell us about those "unhistoric acts—small incidents of kindness, care, compassion, and conscience" that had made a difference and "can provide a shield against the evils of the world, and be a potent force for good".2 There were many impressive entries and we were engaged by the wide-ranging topics explored in the submitted essays. We thank all the writers who entered this year's competition.

Editor2 (2021-12-18). How Washington led the Purge of Christians from its 'New Middle East'- Part 1. orinocotribune.com By Tim Anderson — Dec 14, 2021 | In pursuit of its declared aim to create a 'New Middle East', it was Washington that masterminded the purge of Christians from the region, under the guise of its pseudo-Christian 'crusade' of the 21st century. | Behind its pseudo-Christian That purge made use of…

Habib Benzian, Carol Guarnizo-Herreño, Cristin Kearns, Miriam Wamotho Muriithi, Richard G Watt (2021-12-18). [Correspondence] The global oral health workforce — Authors' reply. thelancet.com In response to our Comment,1 Gargi Sarode and Sachin Sarode point out the crucial role of human resources for oral health as well as the predominance of the private practitioner model to deliver oral health care. Frank Lobbezoo and Ghizlane Aarab suggest strengthening dental—medical integration as an additional strategy to address oral diseases. These are notable aspects to consider in the context of a future WHO global oral health strategy and country-level reforms of health-care systems towards universal oral health coverage.

WSWS (2021-12-18). Close schools and nonessential businesses! Workers must act to stop Omicron! wsws.org In just two weeks, all of the lies of the government and media have been exposed. Omicron is not "mild," and it is not "manageable." The irresponsible policies being carried out today will result in a wave of deaths in January and beyond.

Tom Eccles (2021-12-18). Mental health workers speak out about pandemic challenges. greenleft.org.au Mental health workers Dr Nikola Leka and Sarah Ellyard spoke to Green Left about the mental health crisis exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

WSWS (2021-12-18). Democrats allow child tax credit to lapse as Omicron surges. wsws.org The elimination of the last social support measures implemented during the pandemic threaten destitution to working class families facing dislocation as a new, deadly wave of the virus gathers force.

Walker Bragman (2021-12-18). YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: The Sacklers Strike Out. dailyposter.com

Joanna Palmer, Highlights 2021 winning contributors (2021-12-18). [Perspectives] Highlights 2021: line of sight. thelancet.com Earlier this year The Lancet invited readers to submit arresting images that illuminate health stories for our annual photography competition, Highlights. We wanted to see what was in your line of sight and we were delighted by the rich variety of images submitted. 17 winning images are published in this issue.

Pedro Brieger (2021-12-18). La revuelta popular argentina de 2001 y su impacto en América Latina. globalizacion.ca Veinte años después del 19 y 20 de diciembre de 2001 en la Argentina vale la pena recordar el impacto que tuvo la revuelta popular en América Latina y el Caribe. Hoy soplan otros vientos en la región, pero el…

WSWS (2021-12-18). Donald Trump invokes antisemitic tropes in interview with Israeli journalist. wsws.org In newly-aired clips from an audio interview by an Israeli journalist, Donald Trump articulated a series of antisemitic tropes including that Jews control the US Congress and media and have "dual loyalty" to both Israel and America.

Farhat Yaqub (2021-12-18). [World Report] 2021: a year in review. thelancet.com COVID-19, climate, conflict, and good news for malaria. Farhat Yaqub looks back at the major stories in health and medicine in 2021.

Richard F Mollica, Gregory L Fricchione (2021-12-18). [Correspondence] Mental and physical exhaustion of health-care practitioners. thelancet.com Health-care workers are experiencing mental and physical exhaustion after coping with 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many dedicated staff members are retiring from the field and leaving their jobs. This occurrence is now widespread. A recent study by The Physicians Foundation found that doctors were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: 61% reported often experiencing feelings of burnout; 57% had experienced inappropriate feelings of anger, tearfulness, or anxiety; 46% had isolated themselves from others; and more than 55% know of a physician who has either considered, attempted, or died by suicide.

Victoria Hall, Susan Hopkins (2021-12-18). [Comment] COV-BOOST: evidence to support rapid booster deployment. thelancet.com With accruing evidence that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines wanes over time,1—4 and the recent emergence of the omicron (B.1.1.529) variant,5 some countries are rapidly deploying vaccine boosters.6 In the UK, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign launched in December, 2020, and began with prioritised population groups, including people most likely to be at higher risk for severe outcomes or those providing health services or care for these individuals. With emerging evidence from Israel and the UK of vaccine waning, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in September, 2021, recommende…

Aram Aharonian (2021-12-18). El progresismo en su laberinto. globalizacion.ca El Grupo de Puebla nació para juntar líderes progresistas al momento del reflujo de la "primera ola" mientras algunos gobiernos de derecha (Argentina, Brasil, Ecuador, Colombia) destruían la Unión de Naciones Suramericanas (UNASUR) y los cimientos de la integración regional….

Philip Weiss (2021-12-18). Israel pushes U.S. into 'aggressive posture toward Iran that could spiral into war' — but mainstream press is indifferent. mronline.org Trump says, Netanyahu was 'willing to fight Iran to the last American soldier.' That ought to be big news, as Israel's defense minister gets unrivaled access in D.C. to threaten war and block the U.S. path to a new Iran deal.

WSWS (2021-12-18). Scientists warn Canada's health care system could collapse within weeks as Omicron infections explode in Ontario and Quebec. wsws.org Amid dire warnings of a surging toll of mass infection and death over the coming weeks and months, Canada's official pandemic death toll surpassed the horrendous figure of 30,000 Thursday.

Patricia Ferrer (2021-12-17). Extreme Right Journalist Nitu Pérez: Washington Keeps on Supporting Guaidó to Avoid Accepting It Was a Mistake. orinocotribune.com During an online chat with Daniel Lara Farías, a self-defined independent communicator, extreme right-wing journalist Nitu Pérez Osuna declared that the United States maintains its support for Guaidó so as not to accept that it was a mistake on their part to do so. The conversation between Lara Farías and Pérez Osuna was published in the latter's Youtube In the live-streamed conversation, Pérez Osuna stated that "in relation to this gentleman [Guaidó] in charge, the truth is that I stopped watching him a long time ago, because he…

ecns.cn (2021-12-17). U.S. military should account for killings globally: Chinese FM spokesperson. ecns.cn The U.S. military should be held accountable for its war crimes of killing innocent civilians worldwide, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Friday.

David Swanson (2021-12-17). Video: U.S. Senate Passes Colossal $770 Billion Military Bill. warisacrime.org By

_____ (2021-12-17). Congress Passes Massive $778 Billion NDAA. popularresistance.org On Tuesday, the Senate passed the massive $778 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in a vote of 89 to 10. | The legislation is a compromise version of the NDAA that was already passed by the House and now just needs President Biden's signature to become law. Congress added $25 billion more to the spending bill than Biden requested. | The bill authorizes $740.3 billion for the Pentagon, $27.8 billion for the Energy Department's nuclear weapons program, and $9.9 billion for "Defense-related Activities Outside NDAA Jurisdiction." | In September, the House passed a different version of the NDAA that inc…

G. Dunkel (2021-12-17). Ethiopia: U.S. sanctions create misery and division. workers.org Washington plans to impose sanctions on the central government in Ethiopia starting Jan. 1. The sanctions remove Ethiopia's Special Trade Status, which enables Ethiopian goods to be sold in the U.S. free of import duty. Ethiopia's government is involved in a civil war with forces based in Tigray that had . . . |

WSWS (2021-12-17). Hypocritical expressions of concern over Assange from Australian politicians. wsws.org Statements by the deputy prime minister and other government members are anxious efforts to contain the popular outrage over the psychological and physical torture of the WikiLeaks founder.

_____ (2021-12-17). Why We Must Defend Julian Assange. popularresistance.org Julian Assange is one of the political prisoners that the US claims not to have. The UK is again the good vassal, keeping him locked up until the Biden administration finds an opportune time to ship him off to a kangaroo court. Everyone who believes in press freedom and who opposes imperialism must be a staunch Assange defender.

_____ (2021-12-17). They Won't Ever Find Us Because Our Love Is Bound to the Rocks. popularresistance.org At the US State Department's Summit for Democracy (9—10 December), US President Joe Biden announced a range of initiatives to 'bolster democracy and defend human rights globally'. These measures are to be funded by $424.4 million from the United States. This money will go towards the same institutions that have — for the past sixty years — intervened to undermine the sovereignty of democratic processes from Iran (1953) and Guatemala (1954) to Honduras (2009) and Bolivia (2019). The US focuses on falsely portraying governments that are unwilling to accept US leadership as corrupt — as was w…

Rainer Shea (2021-12-17). Terror, Destabilization, Genocide: India's Imperialist Proxy Role. orinocotribune.com By Rainer Shea — Dec 10, 2021 | As the U.S. empire has continued intensifying its hybrid asymmetrical warfare against China, and has caused the world to divide between the U.S. and Sino blocs, I've been

WSWS (2021-12-17). Both major parties in Australia plan accelerated pro-business university restructuring. wsws.org Regardless of whether the Coalition or Labor form the next government, the devastating attacks on jobs, conditions and the quality of education will accelerate.

Marie Kelly (2021-12-17). Yes Virginia, there is a labor movement. workers.org Workers in Virginia flexed their organizing muscle in two separate industries recently. First, hospitality workers at the tourist attraction, Colonial Williamsburg village, held a rally in front of various sites within the complex. The majority of the workers are Black. Their grievances include low wages and long hours. Colonial Williamsburg . . . |

Erica L. Green (2021-12-17). New Leader Pushes Teachers' Union to Take On Social Justice Role. zcomm.org Becky Pringle, the country's top Black labor leader, has plunged the National Education Association into the reckoning unfolding in public schools…

WSWS (2021-12-17). B&Q distribution centre workers in Worksop, UK stage second week of strike action. wsws.org Workers have voted to escalate the dispute from alternating weeks of strike action followed by an overtime ban to continuous strike action from Christmas Eve.

WSWS (2021-12-17). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Continuing strike wave of French transport workers over pay and conditions joined by waste collection workers and extracurricular school staff; national one-day strike across Italy against government's budget joined by teachers demanding more resources; strike by teachers across 100 Iranian cities over pay and conditions attacked by police; municipal and health workers strike in Free State, South Africa over pay and conditions…

WSWS (2021-12-17). After working to the bone … German orchestra leader sacked following musicians' protest. wsws.org The response of the Social Democratic Party here, as in other areas of society, is typical. For many years the SPD has imposed austerity measures in cooperation with the trade unions while seeking to dissipate all opposition.

WSWS (2021-12-17). German Chancellor Scholz's first speech: Praising Merkel, threatening Russia and committing to mass infection. wsws.org The new Chancellor's remarks confirmed the assessment of the WSWS that the programme of the so-called traffic light coalition of SPD (red), Liberals (FDP, yellow) and Greens is a declaration of war on the working class.

WSWS (2021-12-17). Mother threatened with jail and hefty fines for protecting her son from rampant COVID-19 infections in UK schools. wsws.org Sarah Paxman was called to a meeting at her son's primary school under police caution for refusing to send Stanley, who has a number of rare conditions, into school while no serious mitigation measures are in place.

WSWS (2021-12-17). The Mark Meadows documents: The smoking gun of the January 6 coup plot. wsws.org Texts and emails turned over to the House Select Committee confirm the central role of Trump and his top White House aides in orchestrating the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election by force.

WSWS (2021-12-17). Six-week-long Maharashtra public transport workers strike endangered by unions' sabotage. wsws.org The trade unions and Stalinist parliamentary parties are systematically isolating the MSRTC workers as they courageously defy government threats and savage management reprisals.

WSWS (2021-12-17). Extreme low-pressure storm carves path of devastation across central US. wsws.org At least five people have been reported dead and approximately half a million homes and businesses were without power as of Thursday morning.

WSWS (2021-12-17). Jon Donaire bakery workers in California continue strike against speed up, mandatory overtime and low wages. wsws.org The workers have been on strike since November 3 against mandatory overtime, long hours, relentless speedup, poor pay, lack of breaks and a punitive point system for attendance.

WSWS (2021-12-17). Less than 24 hours before it announces sellout agreement, BCTGM tosses insulting $200 holiday "gift" to Kellogg's strikers. wsws.org The $200 "gift" expresses the contempt of the well-heeled union bureaucracy for the workers they claim to represent.

WSWS (2021-12-17). Vote NO on the tentative agreement at Kellogg's! Build rank-and-file committees to expand the strike! wsws.org The contract, announced abruptly Thursday night, is virtually identical to the one which workers rejected overwhelmingly two weeks ago.

WSWS (2021-12-17). Fred Meyer and QFC grocery workers in Portland set to strike Friday. wsws.org Workers are confronting a rapid increase in the cost of living as well as the added risk of being in a workplace with increased danger of daily exposure to the virus.

WSWS (2021-12-17). UK announces 88,000 COVID cases in 24 hours as daily record broken twice. wsws.org Wednesday saw the UK pass 11 million cases of COVID—only the fourth to country in the world to reach the tally. It has taken just three weeks for another million people to be infected.

WSWS (2021-12-17). Derek Chauvin admits to killing George Floyd in plea deal on federal civil rights charges. wsws.org The former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck and killed him on May 25, 2020, pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges in order to avoid a likely life sentence.

Princess Harmony (2021-12-17). NYC opens first safe consumption sites. workers.org With fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses dramatically rising during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. needs a new strategy for countering this menace. In a number of cities, steps are underway to counteract this horrible loss of life. One is the foundation of safe consumption sites — places where addicted people . . . |

_____ (2021-12-17). Tel Aviv Insists on a Radical Solution to Iran's Nuclear Program. journal-neo.org On December 10, at the annual Israeli-American Council (IAC) National Summit in Miami, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz met with senior US functionaries about a radical solution to Iran's nuclear program. He warned his American counterpart Lloyd Austin, and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that he had ordered the Israel Defense Forces or the …

Archana Jyoti (2021-12-17). Impact of Terrorist Organizations in the Middle East. moderndiplomacy.eu Terrorism is a significant variable in security studies and it is hindering a wide range of safety. Likewise, because of the emotional expansion in psychological militant assaults in the course of the most recent twenty years, have economies have found a way broad ways to work on the political, social, and financial circumstances by diminishing …

Binoy Kampmark (2021-12-17). Covid Testing Rackets and Flying Again. dissidentvoice.org The young boy of seven or so was kissing a toy doll affixed with an alarmed face. The doll, no doubt of full Chinese make, was fully tarted up, lips glossy, eyes wide, a blonde with curls. "Stop making out with her," cried his mother, sitting in the seat beside him with concern. "It's creepy." …

Editor2 (2021-12-17). Moussa Ibrahim: Saif Al-Islam Qaddafi has the Widest Support Heading into Libyan Elections. orinocotribune.com We speak to Moussa Ibrahim, the former spokesperson for late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He discusses the overturning of the decision banning Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi (the son of Muammar Gaddafi) from running in the Libyan Presidential elections, current polling for the elections and why he beli…

Newsroom (2021-12-17). Cyprus: More awareness of Armenian and Cypriot Maronite Arabic languages. moderndiplomacy.eu State authorities in Cyprus continue to support minority language speakers by funding existing cultural institutions and establishing new sports facilities where their languages can be used, according to a new report by the Committee of Experts for the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. (see executive summary in Greek) The Charter had entered into …

Newsroom (2021-12-17). Indonesia's Economy Grew in 2021 Despite COVID-19, Will Accelerate in 2022. moderndiplomacy.eu The Indonesian economy continued to recover in 2021 despite moderating due to the COVID-19 Delta variant wave mid-year. The economy is estimated to have expanded 3.7 percent this year and is forecast to accelerate to 5.2 percent in 2022, the World Bank said on Thursday. The projection assumes that Indonesia will avoid another severe COVID-19 …

Newsroom (2021-12-17). WEF Develops Framework to Transition Colombia to Data-Driven Economy. moderndiplomacy.eu The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and a multistakeholder community have developed a technology and governance framework for trustworthy and commercially sustainable public-private data exchanges in Colombia. This new public-private resource will give individuals greater control over how their data is used and serve as a means for responsible value creation. The multistakeholder community …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-17). Peruvian President Pedro Castillo presents a bill to reduce poor families' electricity bills. peoplesdispatch.org The energy bill, presented in the Peruvian Congress by President Pedro Castillo, will provide over 21 million vulnerable families with a discount of up to 15% on their monthly electricity bills…

Peoples Health Dispatch (2021-12-17). Nurses protest in Tbilisi for better pay and working conditions. peoplesdispatch.org A group of nurses and trade union organizers staged a protest in front of Georgia's government headquarters in Tbilisi on December 10, calling for fairer pay and measures to ease the extreme workload they have faced for years. | "Nurses in Georgia are very low in the health system hierarchy, maybe just a bit ahead of orderlies," says Sopo Japaridze from Tbilisi-based trade union Solidarity Network. "Because of this, they don't really have a voice at work, few people consider them to be professionals like doctors are perceived to be professionals," she adds. | Although they do not enjoy the same position in the hi…

Prof. Louis René Beres (2021-12-17). Existential Perils From Iran: Israel's Options in Law and Strategy. moderndiplomacy.eu Abstract: Eleventh-hour diplomacy notwithstanding, few tangible barriers remain in the way of an Iranian nuclear capability. If Israel should decide that it no longer maintains any reasonable self-defense alternative to launching selective military attacks against Iranian hard targets, those preemptive strikes would need to be justified in both strategic andlegal terms. In this article, Professor …

Vijay Prashad (2021-12-17). Red Star Over the Third World w/ Vijay Prashad: Lessons of Soviet History, Part 2. mronline.org Russia's October Revolution in 1917 and the rise of Soviet power reverberated across the world, from Latin America to Africa to Asia, and Middle East — that part of the world that lived under the ravages of colonialism and under-development.

ecns.cn (2021-12-17). China offers meteorological satellite services to 121 countries, regions. ecns.cn China has provided its Fengyun meteorological satellite data to 121 countries and regions, including 85 along the Belt and Road, its meteorological authority said Friday.

ecns.cn (2021-12-17). Democracy not a one-size-fits-all product: Chinese envoy. ecns.cn Democracy is not a one-size-fits-all product that has only one model or configuration for the whole world, a senior Chinese envoy in Australia has said in an article published on The Canberra Times on Wednesday.

ecns.cn (2021-12-17). 'Virus hunters' race against time in East China. ecns.cn Medical workers at Zhenhai District Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, have been devoted to the fight against COVID-19 since the first local case of a new surge was reported on Dec. 5, 2021.

teleSUR (2021-12-17). Latin America Must Unite To Fight US Interference: Llorenti. telesurenglish.net In an interview to TeleSUR on Thursday, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples' Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP) Secretary Sacha Llorenti pointed out that Latin American integration is essential to fight regional issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | "Only united, we will be able to fight recession, which has increased the capitalist system's social inequalities and the impact of the U…

Robert Koehler (2021-12-17). Mass murder: New victims, same old questions. zcomm.org What I fear is that, socially speaking, we're afraid of change. We're not afraid to wage war; we're not afraid to kill. But we're afraid of change…

Chevy McBride (2021-12-17). Plasterboard workers demand CSR pays up. greenleft.org.au Plasterboard workers at CSR Gyprock in Yarraville who are continuing their campaign for a 4% pay rise are receiving a lot of union support. Chevy McBride reports.

imperial.ac.uk (2021-12-17). Boosters vital to mitigate impact of Omicron, but may lose some effectiveness. imperial.ac.uk Levels of neutralizing antibody to prevent Omicron infection reduced and vaccine efficacy against severe disease predicted to drop says new report.

Adolph Reed Jr. (2021-12-17). The limits of anti-racism. zcomm.org My point is that it's more effective politically to challenge the inequality and injustice directly and bypass the debate over whether it should be called "racism."

Jonathan Strauss (2021-12-17). Pat O'Shane to stand in Leichhardt for the Socialist Alliance. greenleft.org.au Pat O'Shane, a Kuku Yalanji woman from Mossman, will run for the Socialist Alliance in the Far North Queensland lower house seat of Leichhardt in the federal election. Jonathan Strauss reports.

imperial.ac.uk (2021-12-17). Climatologist award and medicinal cannabis: News from the College. imperial.ac.uk Here's a batch of fresh news and announcements from across Imperial.

Max Haiven (2021-12-17). Our Age of Uprisings: We Are a World Remaking Itself. zcomm.org Amidst capitalist crises, social movements are telling new stories about what it means to be human, revealing our collective power to refuse and create…

Emir Sader (2021-12-17). Brasil — Una historia hecha de pactos entre las élites. globalizacion.ca Si hasta la independencia Brasil tuvo una historia similar a la de otros países del continente -con la única diferencia de que fue colonizado por los portugueses y no por los españoles-, a partir de ese momento el país comenzó…

Staff (2021-12-16). U.S. Hypocrisy Exposed As It Massacres Civilians Abroad. davidswanson.org By By Any Means Necessary, December 16, 2021 In this episode of By Any Means Necessary, hosts Sean Blackmon and Jacquie Luqman are joined by David Swanson, activist, journalist, radio host, Executive Director of World BEYOND War and author of the new book "Leaving World War II Behind" to discuss the recently revealed "Talon Anvil" …

_____ (2021-12-16). The UN's Human Rights Failure. strategic-culture.org Will the UN assume responsibility for failing to protect civilians as governments waged war and plunder? | On the occasion of International Human Rights Day which was marked on December 10, the UN pledged to accelerate the implementation of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), without taking into consideration the various global inequalities which make generic implementation impossible. | The UN's "Common Agenda Framework" which was published in September 2021 is one example of how the UN glosses over the international law violations emanating from within its institutions to portray a deceptively humanitaria…

Staff (2021-12-16). Headlines for December 16, 2021. democracynow.org Unprecedented December Storms Hit Central U.S. as Biden Tours Kentucky Tornado Damage, U.K. and South Africa Set Coronavirus Records as Omicron Spreads Rapidly, Senate Approves Record $778 Billion Pentagon Budget, Build Back Better Act Stalls in Senate Again as Joe Manchin Rejects Expanded Child Tax Credit, Civil Rights Leaders Demand Senate Democrats Pass Federal Voting Rights Legislation, Democrats Call on Biden to Extend Student Loan Pause, Grant Debt Forgiveness, Syrian Conflict Has Stripped Civilians of Access to Healthcare, Created Humanitarian Disaster, Protesters Demand Mexico Decriminalize Immigration to…

Answer Coalition (2021-12-16). Report from Ethiopia: The untold story w/ journalists Eugene Puryear & Hermela Aregawi. answercoalition.org

_____ (2021-12-16). How the Left Can Get Ethiopia Right. popularresistance.org In the last few months, the left media outlets from various camps, in their sincere attempts to demonstrate solidarity and spotlight conflict in the Horn of Africa and internal developments in Ethiopia, got it wrong. They have been uncritically centering active ideological players on two opposing camps. The significant focus on the TPLF attacks on Eritrea, its invasion of Afar and the Amhara region, and its existence as a willing proxy actor of Washington was correct. They got it wrong, however, in their uncritical framing of neoliberal Abiy. They have chosen to over-amplify the Abiy camp's reactionary narrative…

WSWS (2021-12-16). "His freedom is a political question"—Australian SEP supporters demand Assange's release. wsws.org "The US, UK and Australian governments are all implicated in the crimes published by WikiLeaks. As a result, they are all playing a role in destroying an award-winning journalist right before the world's eyes."

Alfred de Zayas (2021-12-16). A Litmus Test for Democracy? Democratic Deficits at the Summit for Democracy. orinocotribune.com By Alfred de Zayas — Dec 6, 2021 | The so-called "Summit for Democracy" should first agree on a definition of what democracy means. Whereas etymologically we know that the definition of democracy means rule by the people, instinctively we feel that people power must be more than a slogan, that it must be concretized by genuine public participation in the conduct of public affairs. | There are, of course, many manifestations or "models" of democracy, exercised nationally as well as locally in provinces and communities. The spectrum of democratic governance goes from direct democracy by way of citizen power of…

Amy Goodman (2021-12-16). More Than 100 Firms Across the World Can Make the mRNA Vaccine If Tech Is Shared. truthout.org Image Credit: Facebook: Global Justice Now | As the coronavirus variant Omicron spreads across the world at an unprecedented rate, a group of vaccine experts has just released a list of over 100 companies in Africa, Asia and Latin America with the potential to produce mRNA vaccine. They say it is the one of the most viable solutions to fight vaccine inequity around the world and combat the spread of coronavirus variants, including Omicron. We speak to Achal Prabhala, one of the vaccine exper…

Michael Moore (2021-12-16). Report exposes dangerous conditions at Minnesota's Amazon warehouses. peoplesworld.org MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, Minn. (PAI)—Amazon workers this week echoed the findings of a new report that paints a troubling picture of labor conditions and inequities at the retailer's Minnesota warehouses, prompting one state lawmaker to pledge action in the coming legislative session. In analyzing data from six Amazon facilities, researchers from the National Employment Law Project …

WSWS (2021-12-16). US postal workers' union proposes tentative agreement with cuts to real wages, keeps two-tier system. wsws.org The deal, which contains a measly 1.3 percent wage increase and provides for the expansion of second-tier labor, keeps every prior concession intact while adding a few more.

WSWS (2021-12-16). Omicron explodes in Australia as governments scrap nearly all safety measures. wsws.org As a result of truly criminal decisions taken by governments, Liberal-National and Labor Party alike, millions of people face infection within weeks.

_____ (2021-12-16). Neocons bent on starting another disaster in Ukraine. popularresistance.org 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 "Being a Neocon Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry." And in this regard, the story of the Kagan family is instructive.

Rick Rozoff (2021-12-16). Ukraine, Turkey, Azerbaijan form pan-Turkic bloc against Russia in Crimea. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Zelensky invites President of Azerbaijan to host Kyiv-Ankara-Baku summit in Feb During his working visit to Brussels, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, during which they discussed issues of enhancing bilateral cooperation between the countries… It is noted that Zelensky thanked Aliyev for supporting the sovereignty …

John Knefel (2021-12-16). Most of the Democratic Party Is Responsible for the Build Back Better Debacle. truthout.org Democrats are bracing for potentially huge losses in next year's midterm elections, and many believe the next few months will be the last chance for President Joe Biden to turn the tide back by passing major legislation. His signature bill, the Build Back Better Act, is currently being held up by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who is claiming that rising inflation and the level of federal debt is causing him to rethink his support for the bill. Progressives in the party have been sidelined,…

_____ (2021-12-16). How the OPCW's Syria probe censored science. popularresistance.org New reports explore how the suppressed findings that undermined US-led allegations of a chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria in April 2018. Piers Robinson and Aaron Maté discuss the latest revelations on how the OPCW censored science.

Michael Nevradakis (2021-12-16). Digital Surveillance — the Real Motive Behind Push to Vaccinate Kids. globalresearch.ca "The real purpose behind the historic, unprecedented push to vaccinate the very young, even against diseases like COVID that do not pose a threat to them, is to fold the current generation of children into the blossoming global digital identity …

_____ (2021-12-16). Afghanistan's Labyrinth of Opportunity. journal-neo.org Four months after the withdrawal of the US and NATO troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban (movement is banned in the Russian Federation) attempts to shape the country on their image, despite the lack of recognition. Nevertheless, they have complete freedom from their neighbors to do whatever they want. They do not officially interfere but try …

Newsroom (2021-12-16). New Project to Build a Climate-Resilient Landscape in Nigeria. moderndiplomacy.eu The World Bank today approved a $700 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA)* for the Nigeria Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project. The project will increase the implementation of sustainable landscape management practices in northern Nigeria and strengthen the country's long-term enabling environment for integrated climate-resilient landscape management. The productivity of major …

Newsroom (2021-12-16). Greenpeace Demands immediate return of German plastic waste. moderndiplomacy.eu Greenpeace, Basel Action Network (BAN), Zero Waste Europe and other organizations are calling for illegally exported waste to be returned to Germany. On December 2, the environmental groups prevented 37 containers with German plastic waste from being loaded in the port of Piraeus (Greece), and the customs authorities there confiscated the containers. In a letter …

Alaeddin Saleh (2021-12-16). Libya Elections: A New Hope or Another Crisis in the Making? moderndiplomacy.eu After a decade of disastrous civil war, thousands of deaths and a complete collapse of the political system Libyans have finally seen a glimpse of light in the ongoing chaos — the nation is preparing to hold a general election. Those few with more optimistic expectations even foretell a new chapter in Libyan history, in …

Paul Wang (2021-12-16). Ethical faults in U.S. approach to the Beijing Winter Olympics. moderndiplomacy.eu Since 1924, the first Olympic Winter Games have carried on the legacy of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which embraces the idea of "building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal". Now as an integral part of the work of the organization, its strategic roadmap further aims to turn challenges into …

Newsroom (2021-12-16). 'Restraint, de-escalation and dialogue' needed to stem war in Yemen. moderndiplomacy.eu Yemen is teetering on a new "fragmented and bloody" chapter of war as military escalation and conflict escalates, Special Envoy Hans Grundberg told the Security Council on Tuesday, calling for "restraint, de-escalation and dialogue". "Even as the conflict parties all profess to me their desire for peace, their focus remains on military options…[which] will not …

Newsroom (2021-12-16). 5 Phone Camera Accessories on Amazon Under $20. moderndiplomacy.eu Everyone's using their phone for TikTok and Instagram, but you're going to need some accessories to make it look good. A few lenses and a tripod should definitely be on your list. Smartphones are incredibly useful tools that we take for granted, but they're very versatile. They're the do-everything computers in our pockets. Read on …

Anosh Samuel (2021-12-16). Is Deterrence in Cyberspace Possible? moderndiplomacy.eu Soon after the Internet was founded, half of the world's population (16 million) in 1996 had been connected to Internet data traffic. Gradually, the Internet began to grow and with more users, it contributed to the 4 trillion global economies in 2016 (Nye, 2016). Today, high-speed Internet, cutting-edge technologies and gadgets, and increasing cross-border Internet …

Hellmut Lagos Koller (2021-12-16). The Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty (TPNW): Wishful daydream or historic milestone? moderndiplomacy.eu The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), adopted in 2017, has entered into force on the 22nd of January of this year and the number of ratifying states continues to grow, with Mongolia being the latest to announce its accession. This positive trend is certainly welcomed with enthusiasm by the Civil Society campaigners …

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-16). Colombia and Venezuela: Where is There a Dictatorship? libya360.wordpress.com María Fernanda Barreto Photo: Carlos García Rawlins / Reuters What is democracy in the 21st century? Where is there a true democracy? They say that all comparisons are odious, but at the same time they are inevitable. In the case of Colombia and Venezuela, the comparison between their political systems is constantly made by the…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-16). Libya: Military Mobilization in Sebha and the Looming Threat of War. libya360.wordpress.com The head of the Supreme Council of Tribes and Cities of Fezzan, Ali Misbah Abu Sbeiha, confirmed the presence of intensive military mobilizations in a number of locations in the city of Sebha by the General Command of the Army and the 166th Brigade of the Presidential Council led by Masoud Gedo. Abu Sbeiha said …

Anonymous Contributor (2021-12-16). Presentation of the Little Autonomous Community School "Agua de Lluvia" in the Sierra Mazateca of Oaxaca. itsgoingdown.org In the Sierra Mazateca of Oaxaca, in the pueblo of Agua de Lluvia, teachers, community members, and youth are building autonomous education through community organization. Dating back to the 2006 social revolt in Oaxaca, and a conflict between the radical section 22 of the CNTE (National Coordinator of Education Workers) and the right wing Section…

Anonymous Contributor (2021-12-16). Snitches and Sleuths: An Update from Puget Sound Prisoner Support. itsgoingdown.org Statement from Puget Sound Prisoners Support about a recent federal arrest in the Seattle area. This information was compiled from public arrest documents regarding incidents in the Seattle area and does not involve sensitive or personal information beyond names already made public by the state. We provide our observations of these cases to highlight the…

Eric A. Gordon (2021-12-16). A small but mighty IATSE organizing drive pops up in Beverly Hills. peoplesworld.org BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — A funny thing happened to me on the way to The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts the other night to see Love Actually, Live, the classic Christmas-season film with Hugh Grant done up as a combined film cum live spectacle extravaganza with a large cast of actors, dancers, singers, …

People's World Editorial Board (2021-12-16). Uphold truth—by supporting People's World. peoplesworld.org Dear readers and friends, Our working class and people urgently need media that upholds the truth. People's World promotes solidarity. It gives voice to the heroic actions in defense of democracy, equality, and climate justice, that all of us, our fellow grassroots activists, neighbors, and co-workers are involved in. Please donate today to support the …

Kristen Olsen (2021-12-16). West Virginia mom asks Joe Manchin: Which side are you on? peoplesworld.org I work hard to make ends meet for my family. But as an educator in West Virginia, that's hard sometimes—especially with child care to pay for. Fortunately, the expanded Child Tax Credit that Democrats passed this spring has been a lifeline. Those monthly payments mean that my child has food, a roof, electricity, and heat. …

Mark Gruenberg (2021-12-16). First Buffalo, now Boston: More Starbucks workers file for union recognition. peoplesworld.org BOSTON (PAI)—Energized by the unionization vote win in Buffalo, N.Y., workers at two Starbucks cafes in Boston filed on Dec. 13 for union representation elections. And even as the Buffalo ballots were mailed in November, Starbucks workers in Mesa, Ariz., filed, too. Workers United, the Service Employees sector that won recognition in Buffalo, filed all …

Kit Klarenberg (2021-12-16). Meet Edward Isaacs, the student waging a campus war for Israel. electronicintifada.net Bristol Jewish Society president helped get academic David Miller fired.

Ali Abunimah (2021-12-16). EU shrugs at Israeli execution of injured Palestinian. electronicintifada.net Brussels ignores growing demands to hold Tel Aviv accountable.

William Manson (2021-12-16). The Re-Humanizing Power of Great Musical Art. dissidentvoice.org As history repeatedly shows, it is under deteriorating social and economic conditions that the most unscrupulous, the most opportunistic—i.e., the very worst people—end up on top. And because they are the worst, they demand even more, take even more, and abuse and intimidate and/or bribe anyone who stands in their way. Such persons, clearly sociopathic …

Colin Todhunter (2021-12-16). Key Body Demands Complete Ban on Glyphosate in India. dissidentvoice.org In October 2020, Pesticide Action Network India and PAN Asia Pacific released the report 'State of Glyphosate Use in India'. It concluded that the use of the world's most widely used herbicide is rampant. Despite this, it noted that its disturbing effects on the environment and the health of farmworkers and the public are not …

Dean Baker (2021-12-16). Quick Note on the Inflation Debate and November Retail Sales. cepr.net People are still not spending the money banked in the pandemic. This means that we have less reason to fear excess demand driving inflation.

In Defense of Liberation! (2021-12-16). How Can We Expect Things to Change?>. anchor.fm In this episode I discuss the practical ways in which we can expect the world to change based on the ways in which it has historically changed; through people taking control of their circumstances and building a new tomorrow. However it comes, we know that a new tomorrow must come, but if we want that new tomorrow to lead us towards an actually better society, then we need socialism. So how do we get there? Well, let's discuss!

Monica Cruz (2021-12-16). Hawaiians demand justice after pollution of water source from navy facility. peoplesdispatch.org On December 10, the Hawaii Department of Health announced that the Navy found gasoline and diesel-range hydrocarbons in the Red Hill shaft. For eight decades, the Navy has stored upwards of 200 million gallons of fuel only about 100 feet above an underground aquifer…

WSWS (2021-12-16). West Coast hospitals severely stressed as winter surge begins. wsws.org The situation facing the health care system on the West Coast exposes the criminality of the Alliance of Health Care Unions, which rammed through a contract at Kaiser Permanente earlier this month.

WSWS (2021-12-16). Wall Street rises on Fed monetary policy decision. wsws.org While the Fed's decision has been described as "hawkish," the markets took reassurance from the fact that Powell has indicated the central bank will take into account their reaction to its decisions.

WSWS (2021-12-16). The issues in the Turkish health care workers national strike. wsws.org The Turkish Trotskyists support this strike movement and call on all workers and youth to draw the necessary lessons for the development of an independent political and social movement of the international working class.

WSWS (2021-12-16). New Zealand rail union cancels strike, presents sellout deal. wsws.org After unilaterally cancelling a scheduled nationwide strike, the Rail and Maritime Transport Union presented KiwiRail workers with a proposed flat rate increase of $2.48 an hour, which does not keep pace with the cost of living.

WSWS (2021-12-16). Minneapolis-St. Paul airport maintenance workers authorize strike action. wsws.org The workers are demanding increased compensation, under conditions of soaring inflation, and benefits that correspond to other MAC workers.

WSWS (2021-12-16). US Congress approves massive $770 billion war budget. wsws.org The strategic orientation of the huge military bill is to prepare for war against Russia, China or both. Coupled with Tuesday's vote to raise the debt ceiling, congressional Democrats have satisfied their two main constituencies: the Pentagon and Wall Street.

WSWS (2021-12-16). Marighella, film on Brazil's urban guerrilla leader, screened after two-year delay. wsws.org A target of far-right attacks for centering on Brazil's foremost guerrilla leader in the late 1960s, the movie offers neither clarity on his life and times nor a perspective for those seeking to counter the current threat of dictatorship.

WSWS (2021-12-16). Tokyo considers boycott of Beijing Olympics. wsws.org As Japan fully embraces the war drive being led by the United States against China, Tokyo is increasing pressure on Beijing on a number of fronts. These moves are highly provocative and can only push Northeast Asia further towards the brink of armed conflict.

WSWS (2021-12-16). At least 77 dead and dozens injured after gas tanker explodes in Haiti's second largest city. wsws.org Most of the deaths happened as a result of passers-by rushing to the tanker moments after it tumbled to collect the escaping fuel.

WSWS (2021-12-16). Indiana University grad student workers seek union certification. wsws.org Graduate student workers have not had a university-wide wage increase since 2014 while tuition fees and living expenses have continued to rise.

teleSUR (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…

New Atlas (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: …

ecns.cn (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.

ecns.cn (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.

ecns.cn (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.

Morteza Ahmadi Al Hashem (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.

MK Bhadrakumar (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 …

Staff (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.

Staff (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…

teleSUR (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.

WSWS (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.

WSWS (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.

John Logan (2021-12-15). Union battles at Amazon and Starbucks are hot news. zcomm.org Which can only be good for the labor movement…

James Carden (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 …

Francisco Dominguez (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…

Dean Baker (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.

Dean Baker (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 …

Staff (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 …

Staff (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 …

Peter Certo (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…

Khalil Bendib (2021-12-15). The GOP's Deadly Islamophobia. otherwords.org Get a full-res version

Jim Hightower (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…

Amjed Jaaved (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 …

Arjae Red (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 . . . |

ecns.cn (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.

ecns.cn (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.

ecns.cn (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.

Editor (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.

Editor (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 . . . |

Jeff J. Brown (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, …

José Manuel Blanco Diaz (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…

Newsroom (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 …

Peoples Dispatch (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.

Prof. Pankaj Jha (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, …

Sandipan Talukdar (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…

Workers World Texas Bureau (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 . . . |

WSWS (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.

WSWS (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.

WSWS (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.

WSWS (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.

WSWS (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.

WSWS (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.

WSWS (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.

WSWS (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.

WSWS (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.

WSWS (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.

WSWS (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.

WSWS (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.

Michael Albert (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?>

Staff (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 …

Newsroom (2021-12-14). More than half a billion people pushed into extreme poverty due to health care costs. moderndiplomacy.eu New evidence compiled by the World Health Organization and the World Bank shows that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to halt two decades of global progress towards Universal Health Coverage. The organizations also reveal that more than half a billion people are being pushed or pushed further into extreme poverty because they have to pay …

_____ (2021-12-14). The United States Is Using Nazis In Ukraine To Provoke War With Russia. popularresistance.org If you listen to the corporate media in the United States, you may believe the lies that say Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine. In reality, it is the United States, led by then vice president Joe Biden, that conducted a coup to replace the elected president of Ukraine in 2014 and has been training and arming Nazis to attack the ethnically Russian Donbass Region in eastern Ukraine ever since. There is daily violence against civilians and basic infrastructure. The Biden administration is escalating this aggression and trying to blame Russia with the support of the same corporate media that defended US attacks o…

William Boardman (2021-12-14). Ukraine Is a Problem Only as Long as the West Makes It One. dissidentvoice.org Ukrainian servicemen take part in a drill of the airborne troops taking place in Zhytomyr region on November 21, 2018. (photo: AFP) Since the fall of the Soviet Union thirty years ago, US policy on Ukraine has been an ugly mix of inconsistency, quiet aggression, fear-mongering and stupidity. Now President Biden is recklessly intensifying the …

Alexander Rubinstein (2021-12-14). US Shouldn't Be Invited to Summit for Democracy, Let Alone Be its Host. orinocotribune.com By Alexander Rubinstein — Dec 8, 2021 | In every one of the countries the United States has intervened in over the past decades, anti-democratic means are almost always used towards anti-democratic ends, all in the name of promoting democracy. | This week, the United States is convening a virtual "Summit for Democracy," the first of its kind in what the State Department hopes to make an annual event. | "The summit will focus on challenges and opportunities facing democracies and will provide a platform for leaders to announce both individual and collective commitments, reforms, and initiatives to defend demo…

Peoples Dispatch (2021-12-14). No action against personnel responsible for killing Afghan civilians in August drone strike, says US defense department. peoplesdispatch.org Several human rights groups have questioned the internal investigation by the Pentagon which called the drone strike inside a residential building in Kabul an "honest mistake". 10 Afghan civilians including seven children, were killed in the US drone strike in August…

Staff (2021-12-14). Headlines for December 14, 2021. democracynow.org Eight Killed by Tornado at Kentucky Factory Whose Workers Were Ordered to Remain on Site, Ice Sheet Holding Back Vast Antarctic Glacier Poised to Collapse Within Five Years, U.K. Reports First Death Linked to Fast-Spreading Omicron Coronavirus Variant, New York City to Require Proof of Vaccination for Kids 5 and Up to Enter Public Spaces, Pentagon Won't Punish Anyone over Kabul Drone Strike That Killed 10 Civilians, Sudanese Police Fire Tear Gas at Protesters Demanding End to Military Rule, Report: Colombian Police Killed at Least 11 People Protesting Police Brutality, Danish Ex-Minister Gets Prison for Illegally…

Jamil Dakwar (2021-12-14). Over a Year After His Election, President Biden's Human Rights Commitments Fail to Meet the Moment. aclu.org Throughout his presidential campaign, then-candidate Joe Biden The United States' meager commitments presented before last week's Summit for Democracy are illustrative. Instead of undertaking new initiatives to protect democracy, advance racial justice, and implement U.S. obligations on human rights, the Biden adm…

_____ (2021-12-14). Absurd Guardian Article Declares China World's Only Imperialist Power. strategic-culture.org Another cartoonishly ridiculous anti-China propaganda piece has been published in the western mass media, this time by The Guardian, which at this point could arguably be labeled the single most destructive promulgator of empire propaganda in the western world. It is authored by Simon Tisdall, who could most certainly be labeled the single most destructive promulgator of empire propaganda at The Guardian.

Prabir Purkayastha (2021-12-14). Why poorer nations aren't falling for green-washed imperialism. canadiandimension.com Streets in the district of Satkhira, in southern Bangladesh, are flooded after months of heavy rain. Photo by Rafiqur Rahman Raqu/Department for International Development/ Fighting global warming is not just about providing a path to net-zero carbon emissions for all countries. It is also about figuring out how best to meet the energy needs of people across the world while working toward net-zero emissions. If fossil fuels have to be given up, which has now become an urgent need given the current environmental challenges, co…

WSWS (2021-12-14). Barbados declares a republic: British imperialism's legacy of slavery and colonialism. wsws.org None of the island's governments have been able to redress British imperialism's legacy of underdevelopment, dependency and above all economic hardship and social inequality.

_____ (2021-12-14). Who is Responsible for the Deteriorating Situation in Lebanon? journal-neo.org For many years, Lebanon was considered the safe haven of the Middle East plagued by wars, instability, and colored revolutions. Many have referred to the country as the Middle East's Switzerland, including investments in Lebanon's economy from countries of the region where the political crises were raging. The country's banks were especially valued, prosperous and …

WSWS (2021-12-14). Government crisis in Sweden strengthens far-right. wsws.org For the first time, the Swedish parliament voted for a budget drafted by the conservative Moderate Party in collaboration with the far-right Sweden Democrats.

Staff (2021-12-14). Strike Wave in the U.S.? Labor Historian Nelson Lichtenstein on Union Drives & Worker Revolts. democracynow.org As unionizing efforts have taken the U.S. by storm, we look at the history of the U.S. labor movement and how unions have acted as a bulwark against corporate power. Worker organizing at Starbucks, Kellogg's and Amazon shows that unions help enforce health and safety measures and protect workers who speak out. "A working-class consciousness ebbs and flows," says Nelson Lichtenstein, director of the Center for the Study of Work, Labor, and Democracy at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "A union is a way of capturing that consciousness and making it the law of the land."

Newsclick (2021-12-14). Mapping Faultlines: After Biden-Putin summit, what next for Ukraine and the region? peoplesdispatch.org NewsClick's Prabir Purkayastha talks about the recent call between US president Joe Biden and Russian president Vladimir Putin and the emerging situation in Ukraine…

Matt Sedlar (2021-12-14). Family Policies in the Build Back Better Act Would Reduce Burdens on Families and Provide a Better Buffer to Economic Instability. cepr.net Many US workers could not say exactly when or how much they will be working two weeks from today. As one might imagine, this situation makes it difficult to plan and control one's nonwork life. It also can lead to financial hardship for low- and moderate-income households when they experience a decline in earnings due …

Mark Gruenberg (2021-12-14). Parade of hurting people prods lawmakers to pass Build Back Better. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—One by one, advocating ending income inequality, strengthening and restoring voting rights, cutting military spending, extending the child care tax credit, raising the minimum wage, and more, a parade of people hurting from exploitation by corporations, the economic elite, and their political allies, took a hand-held microphone in D.C. Monday to campaign for their combined …

Jake Johnson (2021-12-14). Amid Tornado Devastation, Sunrise Says 'Call It What It Is: A Climate Disaster'. zcomm.org "We aren't asking, we demand change. Kentucky needs Build Back Better now."

Project Censored (2021-12-14). Andy Lee Roth and Steve Macek Discuss the Under-Reported Stories of the Year. projectcensored.org Project Censored's new annual volume, "State of the Free Press 2022," has just been released from The Censored Press. It includes the well-known 'Top 25' censored stories of the preceding…

WSWS (2021-12-14). Philippine Supreme Court upholds anti-democratic Anti-Terrorism Law. wsws.org The ruling greenlights the full implementation of the draconian law, which targets social unrest and authorizes surveillance, wire-tapping, and arrests without warrant.

Staff (2021-12-14). "No Rules": A Border Patrol Unit Worked with the FBI to Investigate Journalists. Is It Still Running? democracynow.org A shocking exposé reveals how a secretive Customs and Border Protection division investigated as many as 20 journalists and their contacts by using government databases intended to track terrorists. Those investigated include the Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press reporter Martha Mendoza, along with others at The Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. We speak to Jana Winter, the investigative correspondent who broke the story at Yahoo News, who says it's unclear if the surveillance program was discontinued. "These were career officials who are still running this secretive unit with…

Lucas Leiroz de Almeida (2021-12-14). UK Claims China Is About to Use Its Digital Yuan for Surveillance. globalresearch.ca To receive Global Research's Daily Newsletter (selected articles), Visit …

Adam Ramsay (2021-12-14). Culture wars: identity politics and the fight against surveillance capitalism. zcomm.org For some, it's a left-wing adoption of neoliberalism. For others, it's authoritarian. But it's really just about equality…

WSWS (2021-12-14). Fuel leak at Pearl Harbor military base contaminates drinking water on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. wsws.org The Board of Water Supply for Honolulu closed down Oahu's largest water source on December 2 after the Navy reported in a virtual town hall meeting that it found "a likely source of the contamination."

Maureen Clare Murphy (2021-12-14). Israel kills two in West Bank. electronicintifada.net Deadliest year for Palestinian children since 2014.

Anonymous (2021-12-14). Video: How Israeli bombing poisoned Gaza's water. electronicintifada.net Destruction of warehouses released toxic chemicals into environment.

Staff (2021-12-14). A Christmas Truce Would Come in Very Handy Right About Now. davidswanson.org By David Swanson, World BEYOND War, December 14, 20 Ya gotta love how the U.S. media annually freaks out about a "war on Christmas" by which it means something completely unrelated to any wars, while the U.S. military always has several actual wars going on Christmas, the same as every other day. Perhaps especially on …

Staff (2021-12-14). Elizabeth Samet Thinks She Already Found the Good War. davidswanson.org If you were to read reviews of Elizabeth Samet's book, Looking for the Good War — such as the one in the New York Times or the other one in the New York Times — a little too quickly, you might find yourself reading her book and hoping for a reasoned argument against the supposed …

In Defense of Liberation! (2021-12-14). Understanding the Historical Moment We're in Takes Practical Action! anchor.fm In this episode I go into a discussion about the political, social, and economic placement we as working class people seem to find ourselves in today, not simply in the US but in some sense around the world. We are all hurting in a very similar way, added onto by our own individual struggles or difficulties we might face because of the color of our skin, our gender, our ability or willingness to be taken advantage of, etc. We are all suffering very difficult situations which none of us can take on alone, but if we want to do something about these things, we can't just pick up a gun and go, we'll be killed, or mos…

WSWS (2021-12-14). Over 100 feared dead as recovery efforts continue following massive tornado outbreak across the US Midwest and South. wsws.org Workers at the candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky which was destroyed by a tornado Friday night were told they would be fired if they left the facility in response to warnings made hours before the storm hit.

WSWS (2021-12-14). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Some 400 Teamsters members at Republic Services in Southern California are on the picket lines as Fred Meyer workers in the Pacific Northwest are threatening strike and daycare workers across Quebec, Canada ended their walkout with a contract ratification.

WSWS (2021-12-14). The New York Times' crude attempt to pit Detroit parents against educators as pandemic rages. wsws.org The New York Times published an article last week under the headline, "Schools are closing classrooms on Fridays. Parents are furious."

WSWS (2021-12-14). Support the Turkish health care workers' strike movement! wsws.org This strike movement, amid a raging pandemic, is internationally significant and deserves support from all sections of the working class.

WSWS (2021-12-14). As COVID-19 surges, France's Révolution Permanente attacks public health measures. wsws.org By opposing necessary health measures, the pseudo-left Révolution Permanente website aligns itself with the policies of Emmanuel Macron's government.

WSWS (2021-12-14). Quebec authorities left long-term care residents to die in pandemic's first wave. wsws.org A report from the Quebec Ombudsman demonstrates that the province's CAQ government abandoned vulnerable seniors and lied to the public as COVID-19 ripped through nursing homes between March and June 2020.

WSWS (2021-12-14). Soaring social inequality under New Zealand Labour government. wsws.org Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger warned recently that society is increasingly divided between the poor and the "obscenely rich," and that historically inequality was "the root cause of revolution."

WSWS (2021-12-14). Another Minnesota teenager dead from COVID-19. wsws.org Another death in a young person aged 15—19 from COVID-19 in Minnesota marks the second in less than a one-week period.

WSWS (2021-12-14). José Antonio Kast: Chile's left paves the way for a fascist. wsws.org The political descendants of the forces that bore responsibility for straitjacketing the working class ahead of the September 11, 1973 coup are today playing the same role.

WSWS (2021-12-14). South Dakota teachers scramble at "Dash for Cash" in desperate attempt to fund their classrooms. wsws.org Workers across the US have reacted in horror to a stage-managed competition for teachers to win a few hundred dollars for their classrooms.

WSWS (2021-12-14). Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows referred for criminal contempt of Congress in January 6 probe. wsws.org The report by the House Select Committee recommending the contempt charges reveals that Meadows was in close contact with the Pentagon throughout January 5-6 and expected the military to intervene on the side of Trump's coup plans.

WSWS (2021-12-14). Columbia student workers begin sixth week on strike, defying university's strikebreaking threats. wsws.org Columbia's threats not to rehire striking workers raises the urgency for student workers to expand their strike.

WSWS (2021-12-14). An interview with veteran Australian actor, director John Bell: Eliminating Shakespeare is "like having a part of your brain removed" wsws.org Bell is one of Australia's most illustrious theatre personalities. He founded the Bell Shakespeare theatre company in 1990.

WSWS (2021-12-14). Austria ends partial lockdown. wsws.org On Sunday, the limited lockdown, which had brought about a slight reduction in the number of infections after less than three weeks, was ended in almost all provinces by the Austrian government.

Albert Bender (2021-12-14). Decolonizing the holiday: A way forward on Thanksgiving? peoplesworld.org EDITOR'S NOTE: Though Thanksgiving is now passed, People's World thinks it important to bring the following commentary article to our readers from Albert Bender, a regular PW correspondent. After speaking at a Native event this year on the "holiday," he penned the following reflections. The Thanksgiving holiday, or as it also called by many "Thanks-taking" …

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana (2021-12-14). A new transport agenda to carry Asia and the Pacific towards sustainable development. moderndiplomacy.eu Transport ministers from across Asia and the Pacific are meeting this week to consider a potentially transformational agenda for how people and goods are moved around the region and across the globe. Pre-COVID-19 transport connectivity weaknesses in the Asia-Pacific region became even more apparent during the pandemic: landlocked developing countries, least developed countries and small …

Canadian Tire Fire (2021-12-14). Canadian Tire Fire #23: Gidimt'en Calls for Week of Action, Defund the Ottawa Police, Encampment Solidarity Updates. itsgoingdown.org photo: @RisingTideTor As CGL attempts to move forward with their work on the Yintah, inching ever closer to drilling under Wedzin Kwa, Gidimt'en Checkpoint has called for a week of actions starting December 20th. They're calling for specific attention to be paid to investors such as RBC, which has already been the target of a…

Editor (2021-12-14). ACT-UP and Win: a riveting account of NYC activism during the AIDS crisis. mronline.org Sarah Schulman's recently released political history shines light on AIDS activism that often goes unrecognized.

Eric A. Gordon (2021-12-14). 'Good People': Some are better than you think, others a whole lot worse. peoplesworld.org BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — An abyss divides the worlds of Southie—South Boston's Lower End, home of generations of working-class whites, many of Irish background, with its adjacent Black communities—and the toney residential suburb of Chestnut Hill. That insuperable class divide is a microcosm of America in 2009, in the wake of the wreckage of George …

Liberation Staff (2021-12-14). 11-year-old sexually assaulted at school, mother fights for justice: 'How am I gonna trust them to teach my son?'. liberationnews.org "If they're not educated on it, how am I gonna trust them to teach my son the difference?"

Liberation Staff (2021-12-14). UAW members vote strongly in favor of 'One worker, one vote' referendum. liberationnews.org In voting results announced on December 2, members of the United Auto Workers overwhelmingly voted to change the union's method of choosing its top leadership…

Mark Gruenberg (2021-12-14). El monopolio corporativo dificulta económicamente a las trabajadoras. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON: øPor qué los trabajadores no pueden salir adelante? Económicamente, eso es. Los salarios medios de la amplia clase media estadounidense han estado prácticamente estancados durante al menos 40 años, ajustados a la inflación, incluso cuando la productividad se ha adelantado al galope. La mediana del 20% inferior de hecho se ha reducido. Mientras tanto, …

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-13). Guernica, Lidice, My Lai … and Now Talon Anvil. libya360.wordpress.com Patrick Martin US MQ-9 Reaper Drone (Image credit: U.S. Air Force/Paul Ridgeway public domain) On Sunday, the New York Times published a detailed report chronicling the systematic, years-long mass murder of civilians by the United States in Iraq and Syria, carried out by a death squad called Talon Anvil. The unit directed air strikes and…

New Atlas (2021-12-13). The US is Getting the Public Accustomed to the "Idea" of War with China. newatlas.report December 13, 2021 (The New Atlas) — It is becoming increasingly obvious that US propaganda aimed at demonizing China and poisoning the world against serves to set up a long-discussed limited, conventional conflict waged along China's shores to cripple its economy and prevent it from surpassing the West irreversibly. Western propaganda is even openly discussing this …

Associated Press (2021-12-13). Was the Kentucky tornado outbreak rooted in climate change? peoplesworld.org The calendar said December but the warm moist air screamed of springtime. Add an eastbound storm front guided by a La Nina weather pattern into that mismatch and it spawned tornadoes that killed dozens over five U.S. states. Tornadoes in December are unusual, but not unheard of. But the ferocity and path length of Friday night's tornadoes likely …

Bruce Schreiner, Dylan Lovan (2021-12-13). Thousands without infrastructure after tornadoes kill dozens. peoplesworld.org MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — Residents of a Kentucky town devastated by a tornado could be without heat, water and electricity in chilly temperatures for a long time, the mayor warned Monday, as officials struggled to restore services after a swarm of twisters leveled neighborhoods and killed dozens of people in five states. Authorities are still tallying the …

Staff (2021-12-13). Eight Palestinian students from Al-Najah University seized by Israeli occupation forces. samidoun.net On Thursday, 9 December, Israeli occupation forces seized eight Palestinian students at An-Najah National University after raiding their homes in pre-dawn invasions. Following the arrests, occupation forces then sent threatening text messages to fellow students at the university, warning them that they too would be arrested if they participated in the activities of the Islamic […] | The article

John Pilger (2021-12-13). A Day in the Death of British Justice. dissidentvoice.org The pursuit of Julian Assange for revealing secrets and lies of governments, especially the crimes of America, has entered its final stage as the British judiciary — upholders of 'British justice' — merge their deliberations with the undeterred power of Washington. I sat in Court 4 in the Royal Courts of Justice in London with …

Binoy Kampmark (2021-12-13). How to Chill Free Speech: Defamation Down Under. dissidentvoice.org The free speech argument in Australia has always been skewed. Lacking the confidence, courage and maturity to have a bill of rights that might protect it, Australia's body politic has stammered its way to the frailest of protections. The Australian High Court has done its small bit to read an implied right into one of …

Staff (2021-12-13). Headlines for December 13, 2021. democracynow.org Biden Declares Major Federal Disaster in KY; 100+ Feared Dead After Tornadoes Rip Through 8 States, U.S. Health Officials Say Boosters Could Curb Winter COVID Surge as NY Tightens Mask Rules, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Tests Positive for COVID-19, Over Half a Billion People Faced Extreme Poverty Due to Healthcare Costs During Pandemic, SCOTUS Says Providers Can Sue over Texas Abortion Law But Limits Scope and Keeps Ban in Place, Gov. Gavin Newsom Says He Will Use Texas Abortion Ban as Model for CA Gun Control Laws, NYT: Secret Unit Launched 10,000s of Strikes Against ISIS, Killing Syrian Civilians in…

Pavan Kulkarni (2021-12-13). 'UN WFP and USAID have been using humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia to prepare grounds for Western intervention'. peoplesdispatch.org Horn of Africa TV's editor, Elias Amare, talks to Peoples Dispatch on the latest military developments in Ethiopia, the setbacks faced by the TPLF and the collusion of international aid agencies…

Alan MacLeod (2021-12-13). "Every option is on the table": U.S. prepping for Libya-style intervention in Ethiopia. mronline.org A considerable military buildup is now underway. Last week, the U.S. military announced it was sending over 1,000 National Guard members to nearby Djibouti.

_____ (2021-12-13). US Prepping For Libya-Style Intervention In Ethiopia. popularresistance.org Amid a bloody civil conflict and increasing great-power competition between the United States and China, there are a number of alarming signs that Ethiopia will become the next Libya — an African nation where the U.S. intervenes militarily under the pretext of stopping an impending genocide. | A considerable military buildup is now underway. Last week, the U.S. military announced it was sending over 1,000 National Guard members to nearby Djibouti. This is on top of the special operations forces already sent in November. Perhaps most notably, a government official told CNN that the aircraft carrier USS Essex…

_____ (2021-12-13). Assange's Fiancee Accuses US Of Using UK As 'Executioner' In Plot To Kill WikiLeaks Founder. popularresistance.org Earlier this year, reports surfaced detailing alleged plots in 2017 to either kidnap or assassinate WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, when he was five years into his political asylum inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London. At the time, Assange's team hoped the revelation would helped their push to not have the publisher extradited to the US. | Stella Moris, the fiancee of Julian Assange, accused the UK on Sunday of playing the "executioner" in a US "plot" to kill the WikiLeaks publisher.

Editor2 (2021-12-13). Assange Suffered Stroke in UK Prison — Fiancee. orinocotribune.com WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange has suffered a ministroke due to the extreme stress of fighting extradition to the US from the UK's maximum-security Belmarsh Prison, according to his fiancee Stella Moris. | Assange was diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack following one of his High Court appeal appearances via video link back on October 27, the mother of his two children

Caitlin A. Johnstone (2021-12-13). They're killing him: Assange's stroke reveals the Western version of the Saudi bone saw. mronline.org They are killing Julian Assange. Experts agree that they are killing him. Assange's stroke is just another item on the mountain of evidence we already had for this.

WSWS (2021-12-13). Australian government, Labor opposition greenlight US rendition of Julian Assange. wsws.org There is outraged opposition to Assange's persecution in Australia, but it will find no way forward within the parliamentary set-up.

WSWS (2021-12-13). Julian Assange suffered stroke during High Court appeal for extradition. wsws.org Assange's fiancée Stella Moris warned, "Look at animals trapped in cages in a zoo. It cuts their life short. That's what's happening to Julian."

_____ (2021-12-13). On Contact: Assange Can Be Extradited, Says Court. popularresistance.org Chris Hedges and Consortium News Editor-in-Chief Joe Lauria discuss the British High Court ruling to allow the extradition of Julian Assange. | On Friday, the British High Court in London overturned an earlier lower court decision blocking the extradition of Julian Assange to the United States. The ruling sends the case back to the Magistrate's Court with instructions to allow the extradition to be approved or denied by British Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Sapan Maini-Thompson (2021-12-13). USA successfully appeals Assange case. ukhumanrightsblog.com In Government of the United States v Julian Assange [2021] EWHC 3313 (Admin), the High Court allowed the appeal of the United States of America against the ruling of Westminster Magistrates' Court, thereby permitting the extradition of the WikiLeaks founder to the US where he faces criminal charges relating to the unlawful obtaining and publication …

John Pilger (2021-12-13). Justice denied: the judicial kidnapping of Julian Assange. greenleft.org.au The ruling to allow Julian Assange's extradition to the United States is based on fraudulent "assurances" scrabbled together by the Biden administration when it looked in January like justice might prevail, writes John Pilger.

Stuart Rees (2021-12-13). No justice for Julian Assange, but plenty of cruelty. greenleft.org.au Cruelty has caught fire in Australian politics; cowardice has become the currency affecting exchange with Washington and London, argues Stuart Rees.

Moderator (2021-12-13). Hedges: The Execution of Julian Assange. scheerpost.com Original illustration by Mr. Fish, "Mind Games." | By Chris Hedges / Original to ScheerPost | Let us name Julian Assange's executioners. Joe Biden. Boris Johnson. Scott Morrison. Theresa May. Lenin Moreno. Donald Trump. Barack Obama. Mike Pompeo. Hillary Clinton. Lord Chief Justice Ian Burnett and Justice Timothy Victor Holroyde. Crown Prosecutors James Lewis, Clair Dobbin and Joel Smith. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser. Assistant US Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia Gordon Kromberg. William Burns, the director of the CIA. Ken McCallum, the Director General of the UK Security Service or MI5. | Let…

Ivan Timofeev (2021-12-13). Knights Close the Ranks: New Sanctions Against Belarus. moderndiplomacy.eu Another package of sanctions has been introduced against the Republic of Belarus. The USA, UK and Canada simultaneously announced restrictive measures against a number of Belarusian officials, security officials and persons close to the government structures. The restrictions also affected a number of Belarusian legal entities. These countries openly say that the imposed sanctions are …

Morning Star (2021-12-13). NATO and Lithuania talking tough as EU-Russia tensions loom over Ukraine. peoplesworld.org

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-13). Paper Tiger Imperialism and the US-Beijing Boycott. libya360.wordpress.com Miguel Garcia On Monday, December 6, 2021, the United States government announced they would not be sending government officials to the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022. The diplomatic boycott is the latest move by Washington and the Biden administration in their all-out-blitz smear campaign against the People's Republic of China. White House…

Sonali Kolhatkar (2021-12-13). Amazon preparing its next offensive, but it can't bust unions forever. peoplesworld.org The National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB, just ruled that a historic union vote among Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Ala., was not valid. The highly publicized vote resulted in a resounding defeat for the union in March 2021, with more than 70% of those voting choosing against union membership. The union accused Amazon of engaging in "efforts to gaslight its …

WSWS (2021-12-13). Germany's new chancellor and foreign minister visit Paris and Warsaw: Promoting European Great Power policy. wsws.org The new German government regards a strong European Union as a precondition for an aggressive military foreign policy. This calls for close collaboration with its largest neighbours, France and Poland.

Joris Leverink (2021-12-13). Mutual aid and solidarity in Nigeria's #EndSARS protests. roarmag.org Young people joining the #EndSARS protesters in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. October 20, 2020. Photo: Emmage / Shutterstock.com | On October 18, 2020, during the #EndSARS protests against police violence and state corruption in Nigeria's capital Abuja, a photo was shared on social media that quickly drew nationwide attention. The image showed passionate protesters with their fists pumped in the air, mouths wide open singing songs and chanting slogans. Some were holding placards that read "Our Lives Matter." | What drew the attention of the public, however, was the woman right at the center of the image. With a small N…

Dr. Andrey KORTUNOV (2021-12-13). The Russians Love Their Children Too. moderndiplomacy.eu Recently, there have been all the more articles with headlines screaming "What does Vladimir Putin really think about Donbass?" or "When will the war between Russia and Ukraine break out?" To be honest, I really envy the authors of such publications. All these contributors must have supernatural telepathic channels of communication with the Russian leadership, …

WSWS (2021-12-13). G7 foreign ministers summit in Liverpool threatens Russia, China. wsws.org The summit communiqué accused Russia of planning war with Ukraine and threatened Moscow with "massive consequences" if it did not bow to US demands.

teleSUR (2021-12-13). Honduras: Xiomara Castro Announces Inauguration Date January 27. telesurenglish.net The president-elect of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, announced this Sunday that she will be sworn in and take office on January 27, 2022. | In a message disseminated through social networks, the representative of the leftist party Libertad y Refundación (Libre) informed that the former prosecutor and deputy for that political party, Jari Dixon, will coordinate the transfer of power. | RELATED: | Together with the former m…

Chabeli Carrazana (2021-12-13). Build Back Better Could Help End Subminimum Wages for People With Disabilities. truthout.org Originally published by For almost a century, it has been completely legal for companies to pay workers with disabilities mere cents on the hour. Employees This practice of paying "subminimum wage," which the U.S. Departm…

teleSUR (2021-12-13). TeleSUR Denounces Censorship Of Its Instagram Account. telesurenglish.net On Monday, the Latin American multistate company teleSUR reported that its official Instagram account was arbitrarily deactivated without prior notice. | RELATED: | The teleSUR team considers this act of censorship as another attempt to silence an independent outlet that gives voice to the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. | Faced with what happened, it reaffirmed its determination to remain firm in showing the…

_____ (2021-12-13). A Recent Case in Point of What anti-Chinese Sanctions Could Bring. journal-neo.org "One gets an impression that the West has lost a culture of political dialogue. The partners have forgotten how to address problems in a civilized manner," said Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Pankin on December 8. Pankin explained that the West most often responds to any decision that does not conform to …

_____ (2021-12-13). NATO's Indo-Pacific Expansion to Tackle China. journal-neo.org The most recent US decision to do a 'diplomatic boycott' of winter Olympics in Beijing has caused a new low in the US-China bi-lateral relations. The decision to boycott has firmly established the drastic failure of the US-China summit that Biden had only recently called to sort out some of the outstanding issues facing their …

_____ (2021-12-13). Vienna Talks and the Future of the Middle East. journal-neo.org The negotiations now opening in Vienna under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran on the one hand and, on the other, a number of countries including the E3 (France, Great Britain, and Germany), Russia, China, and the US, are not generally thought likely to make any major positive change to the stability …

_____ (2021-12-13). China And Nicaragua To Collab On New Multipolar World. popularresistance.org China and Nicaragua have resumed diplomatic relations in what Nicaragua's Presidential Advisor Laureano Ortega Murillo called "a historic date." The Government of the Republic of Nicaragua announced it had broken diplomatic relations with Taiwan, ceasing to have any contact or official relationship, in a statement by Foreign Minister Denis Moncada before Nicaraguan diplomats and press, on Thursday and effective immediately. Kawsachun News attended the meeting virtually.

_____ (2021-12-13). Columbia University Strikers Raise Hell, Saying School Plans To Illegally Replace Them. popularresistance.org Now, the brinkmanship has heightened. Late last week, Columbia Vice President of Human Resources Dan Driscoll emailed all of the student workers telling them that only strikers who returned to work by December 10 would be assured of work assignments for the spring term. (The email also said that "striking student officers who return to work after December 10, 2021 will be appointed/ assigned to suitable positions if available.") To the union, this was a clear threat to permanently replace striking workers‚Äâ—‚Äâand an illegal one.

_____ (2021-12-13). Iran Threatens Sanctions Against US Over Treatment Of Black Americans. popularresistance.org The Iranian government vowed today to impose sanctions on the United States over racial and policing issues. | Secretary-General of Iran's Human Rights Office Kazem Gharibabadi said the Islamic Republic will publish a list of American entities and individuals involved in human rights abuses. They will then be subject to sanctions from Iran, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

_____ (2021-12-13). Workers At Activision Blizzard Lead Week-Long Work Stoppage. popularresistance.org The work stoppage began on Monday when quality assurance (QA) workers at Raven Software, one of the main developers behind the hit Call of Duty video game series, began being laid off. Employees are demanding that these contractors be reinstated and given full-time contracts. The exact number of workers participating in the work stoppage is unclear, but hundreds of both remote and in-person employees across studios and states participated, with many walkouts occurring virtually.

Brasil de Fato (2021-12-13). "You can feel it, Lula president": crowd welcomes former president in Buenos Aires. peoplesdispatch.org The presence of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva marked the return to the streets of the Day of Democracy mobilization in Buenos Aires on Friday November 10. The event began at 3pm in the historic Plaza de Mayo, a symbol of the struggle for human rights. With the slogan "Democracy forever", the mobilization gathered thousands of people. | Lula arrived in the country especially for the occasion. On the same stage where former Uruguayan president Pepe Mujica spoke, followed by vice-president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and president Alberto Fernández, Lula listed the achievements of the so-called "deca…

Cam Scott (2021-12-13). Canadian Communist movement celebrated in new feature-length documentary. peoplesworld.org The life of a Communist Party, in its everyday intensity and historical specificity, too often eludes commemoration. There are meetings, demonstrations, pickets; glowing victories and momentary defeats. So much remains unwritten in the momentum of revolutionary enthusiasm that it can be astonishing to notice just how far we've come. To celebrate the centenary of the …

David Martin, Hugh Turley (2021-12-13). Was America's Outspoken Catholic Priest and Best-Selling Author, Thomas Merton, "Eliminated" Because of His Outspoken Opposition to the Vietnam War? covertactionmagazine.com [This article continues CAM's series into suspicious deaths and political assassinations. Today marks the 80th anniversary of Thomas Merton's entry …

Dr. Arshad M. Khan (2021-12-13). India And Pakistan: Leaders Then And Now. moderndiplomacy.eu In 1947, after decades of struggle, India became independent with Jawaharlal Nehru as its first prime minister. Educated at Harrow, an elite English school (Winston Churchill went there for example), he went on to Trinity College, Cambridge, and finally Inner Temple to become a barrister. During the struggle for independence, Nehru led the Indian National …

Dr. Thomas Binder (2021-12-13). The Prevailing Corona Nonsense Narrative. globalresearch.ca There has been no epidemic of COVID-19 of national scope in any country, no pandemic internationally, for the general population SARS-CoV-2 is not a killer virus, and it is the same in every country.

Dr.Basel Haj Jasem (2021-12-13). New page in Turkey-UAE ties: Why now? moderndiplomacy.eu Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed's (MBZ) recent visit to Ankara came after a long period of frozen relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). For years, the two have held different positions on several regional and international developments including the 2013 Egypt events, the Libya crisis and the tensions in the Middle East …

Editor (2021-12-13). The construction of Israel's Gaza concentration camp is complete. mronline.org Israel announced the completion of an underground wall and maritime barrier surrounding the besieged Gaza Strip. Not a single mainstream media outlet used the term "concentration camp" to report on it but they should have.

Editor (2021-12-13). Israel is Hell-Bent on Sabotaging U.S. Nuclear Negotiations With Iran. scheerpost.com Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Joint Commission negotiations in Vienna, Austria. (Askin Kiyagan / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) | By Ariel Gold & Medea Benjamin / After a 5-month hiatus, indirect negotiations between the U.S. and Iran resumed last week in Vienna in an attempt to revise the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA). The outlook isn't good. | Less than a week into negotiations, Britain, France, and Germany…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-13). Highland Resistance: How the Che Guevara Commune Confronts the Crisis. libya360.wordpress.com Cira Pascual Marquina and Chris Gilbert First-hand accounts of the impact of the US sanctions on a coffee and cocoa growing commune in the Venezuelan Andes. The Che Guevara Commune lies on the fertile hillsides that rise up from the shores of Lake Maracaibo in western Venezuela. Historically this has been a cocoa-growing region but…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-13). Indian Farmers Celebrate Victory March as Their Historic Struggle Ends. libya360.wordpress.com Peoples Dispatch On December 11, tens of thousands of farmers in India participated in a final 'Victory March' from the borders of national capital Delhi where they had been camping in protest for over a year After a year and 15 days, the historic farmers' struggle at the borders of the Indian capital New Delhi…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-13). Moussa Ibrahim: Saif Al-Islam Qaddafi Has the Widest Support Heading into Libyan Elections. libya360.wordpress.com We speak to Moussa Ibrahim, the former spokesperson for late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He discusses the overturning of the decision banning Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi (the son of Muammar Gaddafi) from running in the Libyan Presidential elections, current polling for the elections and why he believes the polls are wrong, why Saif Al-Islam is the…

_____ (2021-12-12). The Assange Case Is the U.S. Defending Its Right to Lie. strategic-culture.org By Caitlin JOHNSTONE | * * * | Q: What's the difference between how the US deals with journalists it hates and how Saudi Arabia deals with journalists it hates? | A: Speed. | * * * | The US is

scorinoco (2021-12-12). Why Poorer Nations Aren't Falling for Green-Washed Imperialism. orinocotribune.com By Prabir Purkayastha — Dec 8, 2021 | Fighting global warming is not just about providing a path to net-zero carbon emissions for all countries. It is also about figuring out how best to meet the energy needs of people across the world while working toward net-zero emissions. If fossil fuels have to be given up, which has now become an urgent need given the current environmental challenges, countries in Africa and a significant part of Asia, including India, need an alternate path for providing electricity to their people. What then is the best alternate course for poorer countries to follow for electricity…

_____ (2021-12-12). Who is to Blame for the Fall of French Influence in Africa? journal-neo.org Despite the Africa-France Summit held recently, and intense attempts by individual French politicians to publicize Paris' actions on the African continent, criticism of France's current neo-colonial policy in Africa continues to increase in the region. Africa has recently become rapidly embroiled in anti-French demonstrations. People have taken to the streets in particular because of the …

_____ (2021-12-12). A Plea To Make Widespread Environmental Damage An International Crime. popularresistance.org The campaign to make ecocide an international crime took center stage in the Hague on Tuesday as Bangladesh, Samoa and Vanuatu advocated criminalizing environmental destruction during a virtual forum at the annual meeting of the International Criminal Court's 123 member nations. The forum, attended by more than 1,300 individual participants, represented a collective cry for justice from three of the world's most climate vulnerable countries. It came less than a month after they and other developing nations pressed their claims at the United Nations climate talks in Glasgow for greater resiliency and adaptation fu…

_____ (2021-12-12). Solidarity Action Rebukes Navy Over Toxic Water Pollution. popularresistance.org Activists with CodePink, in solidarity with Hawaii-based water protectors, on Friday projected images on a submarine tower outside the Navy museum in Washington, D.C., calling for a shutdown of a military fuel storage facility associated with contamination of Oahu drinking water. | Messages displayed on the USS Balao Conning Tower included "Shut down Red Hill tanks," "Demilitarize Hawaii," and "Navy is poison."

Amjed Jaaved (2021-12-12). How India stifled dissent on the United Nations' "Human Rights Day" moderndiplomacy.eu Each year, on 10th December, the United Nations observes international human rights day. When the General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, it was proclaimed as a "common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations". The Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets out a broad range of fundamental rights …

Antonia Dimou (2021-12-12). Geopolitics and strategy drive Greece-US relations. moderndiplomacy.eu A new era has unfolded in Greece-United States relations that are based on common democratic values and shared interests. The bilateral relationship is strategic, multifaceted and is bound to expand in the years to come. The promotion of a solid defense cooperation and the support of a secure East Mediterranean constitute major pillars of the …

Editor2 (2021-12-12). "We're Not Going to Mass." — How the Nicaraguan People are Punishing Their Coup-Mongering Priests. orinocotribune.com By Becca Mohally Renk — Dec 9, 2021 | "I'm Catholic. I still pray in my house every day. I just don't go to mass anymore." | We're sitting in a swept dirt yard outside of Managua talking with community leaders when the topic veers suddenly to Nicaragua's Catholic priests. | "I didn't hear this from somebody else, I saw it with my own eyes," says Marisol,* a no-nonsense woman in her sixties. The fervor of the words pouring out demonstrates the depth of emotions: her hurt, and her anger. | "I couldn't believe it. But there was my parish priest, standing in the back of a pickup truck with a megaphone, encouragi…

Jesús Rodríguez-Espinoza (2021-12-12). November Elections in Latin America Panel: A South to North Perspective. orinocotribune.com Caracas, December 4, 2021 (OrinocoTribune.com)—On November 29, Orinoco Tribune, within the framework of its third anniversary celebration, organized a panel with experts about the very busy electoral schedule in Latin America during the month of November. These included presidential and parliamentary elections held in Nicaragua on November 7, followed by parliamentary elections in Argentina seven days later, and then regional and municipal elections in Venezuela and presidential elections in Chile one week after that, and presidential and regional elections in Honduras on November 28. We added Mexico to the…

Ken Hammond (2021-12-12). "Ten crises: The political economy of China's development," by Wen Tiejun. mronline.org Wen's vision is of a China which would be increasingly self-reliant, delinking from the American dominated global capitalism and developing its own key technologies and productive capacities, while at the same time continuing to engage with other emerging economies which share a desire to be free of Western neo-imperial control.

Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (2021-12-12). The countries of the Sahel unite for universal access to quality education. moderndiplomacy.eu Authors: Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania; Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, President of the Republic of Burkina Faso; Mohamed Bazoum, President of the Republic of Niger; and Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa. In accordance with the rule and spirit of each of our Sahelian countries, …

Naseem Javed (2021-12-12). Trends 2022: Our New World Now Demands New Thinking. moderndiplomacy.eu Like a firmly gripped tube of toothpaste, pandemic already squeezed out old economic development models in the drain. The new math now fogs the smoke and mirror economies already in bubble baths dancing on wet-floors. New configurations of efficiencies frighten the daylights out of the bureaucracies, and new logic awakens the populace where new courage …

Newsroom (2021-12-12). 5 Security Benefits of Hybrid Cloud Solutions. moderndiplomacy.eu Most modern businesses are using Cloud deployments to handle a great deal of their business operations. These might be public or private, or a combination of both known as a hybrid cloud. Regardless of the deployment type and service model used, keeping things secure is of the utmost importance. Whether you're using Amazon's AWS services, …

Newsroom (2021-12-12). Growth Hormone and Peptide Therapy: What You Need to Know. moderndiplomacy.eu This form of treatment targets multiple systems in the body with short chains of amino acids called peptides. In contrast to recombinant HGH (rhGH), an HGH secretagogue helps to increase growth hormone levels more naturally. People who want a healthy and long life should not pass HGH. This hormone is known as the repair hormone …

Sheikh Fakhar-e-Alam (2021-12-12). Afghan War: Pakistan's Sacrifices & Indian Hegemonic Designs. moderndiplomacy.eu Pakistan has been most affected country due to US-led war against terror. It has supported the US in combating terrorism in Afghanistan. The country paid a heavy cost in Afghan war as around 70, 000 causalities happened in the last two decades. Pakistan's contributions to Afghan peace process are highly appreciated worldwide. Pakistan has tried …

Staff (2021-12-12). Calderon Berti: G4 Cannot Have Monopoly on Power. orinocotribune.com Humberto Calderon Berti, former Venezuelan "ambassador" to Colombia illegally appointed by Juan Guaidó, have made some new and controversial statements in a recent interview, calling for an end to the G4 monopoly, which reveals, among other things, the internal contradictions within the hard right opposition platform. G4 is the group of hard core extreme right political parties of Venezuela that have supported the failed US "Guaido project," and comprises the parties Popular Will, Democratic Action, Un Nuevo Tiempo, and Justice First. | Berti is known for making public the theft of "humanitarian aid" money in 201…

Timofey Bordachev (2021-12-12). The Confused Superpower: A Year After America's Elections. moderndiplomacy.eu By virtue of its combined power capabilities, the United States continues to occupy a central place in international politics, and developments inside the country inevitably become the most important factor in world affairs. Even if we deny the significance of what is happening inside this huge "billiard ball", the transformations taking place there inevitably affect …

William Mallinson (2021-12-12). Greece's American NaàØveté: Beware Americans Bearing Gifts. moderndiplomacy.eu Early last year, I concluded an article entitled 'Greece and Russia: back to the 'Truman Doctrine?', with the words: 'Then becomes now, albeit with different colors. Just as with Britain during her heyday, Greece's relations with Russia today are predicated on the US's keeping Russia at bay in the Eastern Mediterranean, and therefore from having …

Dr. Roxana Bruno (2021-12-12). 57 Top Scientists and Doctors Release Shocking Study on COVID Vaccines and Demand Immediate Stop to All Vaccinations. globalresearch.ca First published on May …

_____ (2021-12-12). Protesters Demand Justice For Survivors Amid Maxwell Trial. popularresistance.org Dozens Of Protesters Gathered Outside The Thurghood Marshall Courthouse In New York City, Where Ghislaine Maxwell Is On Trial For Her Role In Jeffrey Epstein's Decades-Long Sex Trafficking Operation Invovling Numerous Elite Figures. Dan Cohen Reports From The Demonstration.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-12-12). The "Killer Vaccine" Worldwide. 7.9 Billion People. globalresearch.ca The stated objective is to enforce the Worldwide vaccination of 7.9 billion people in more than 190 countries, to be followed by the imposition of a digitized "vaccine passport". The evidence of mortality and morbidity resulting from the vaccine is overwhelming. Needless to say this is a multi-billion dollar operation for Big Pharma.

_____ (2021-12-12). Another Bloody Day Under the Biden Immigration Regime. strategic-culture.org Sadly, I don't mean "bloody" in the informal British sense. | By Bradley DEVLIN | America's current immigration regime, created and willed into being by our elites, simply manned at the moment by the Biden administration, finds itself morally responsible for yet another tragedy. | A thought that might jump into someone's mind is the conditions in migrant detention facilities have led to an untold number of deaths. Substitute "Biden" for "Trump" in that first sentence, and it sounds exactly like allegations you heard hurled at the Trump administration from 2018 on. (Remember "kids in cages"?) But, while conditions…

WSWS (2021-12-12). Numerous warnings were issued in advance of tornadoes that killed dozens of candle factory and Amazon workers. wsws.org At least six Amazon workers died after a warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois received a direct hit. In Kentucky, a tornado struck an occupied candle factory in the city of Mayfield, with 100 workers in it.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2021-12-12). The US-NATO War of Aggression against Yugoslavia. globalresearch.ca First published on March 21, 2021 |
| The US-NATO : …

F. William Engdahl (2021-12-12). Colossal Financial Pyramid: BlackRock and The WEF "Great Reset" globalresearch.ca First published by …

Dr. Mike Yeadon (2021-12-12). Video: A Final Warning to Humanity from Former Pfizer Chief Scientist Michael Yeadon. globalresearch.ca

Kerry Smith (2021-12-12). Protesters say 'No' to AUKUS, nuclear submarines and war with China. greenleft.org.au A national weekend of action against AUKUS was organised over December 10-12, with protests in Canberra, Perth, Sydney, Wollongong, Hobart, Brisbane and Adelaide. Kerry Smith reports.

Mickey Z. (2021-12-12). We've Still Got the Numbers. dissidentvoice.org In the Vietnam War protest song "Five to One," Jim Morrison of The Doors sings: The old get old/And the young get stronger May take a week/And it may take longer They got the guns/But we got the numbers Gonna win, yeah/We're takin' over In my youth, I took solace in the whole "we got …

WSWS (2021-12-11). UK High Court orders Assange extradited: A pseudo-legal travesty. wsws.org The UK High Court is greenlighting a prosecution, in open defiance of the American constitution and international law, of a journalist for exposing monstrous criminal wrongdoing by the US government and military.

_____ (2021-12-11). Assange Plans To Appeal High Court Decision Backing Extradition. popularresistance.org Attorneys for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange plan to appeal to the Supreme Court in the United Kingdom after the country's appeals court overturned a decision that blocked the extradition of Assange to the United States. | The High Court of Justice was "satisfied" with diplomatic assurances offered by the U.S. government related to how Assange would be treated in jail or prison, and they stated, "There is no reason why this court should not accept the assurances as meaning what they say." | "There is no basis for assuming that the U.S.A. has not given the assurances in good faith," the High Court also insisted.

Binoy Kampmark (2021-12-11). Journalism, Assange and Reversal in the High Court. dissidentvoice.org British justice is advertised by its proponents as upright, historically different to the savages upon which it sought to civilise, and apparently fair. Such outrages as the unjust convictions of the Guilford Four and Maguire Seven, both having served time in prison for terrorist offences they did not commit, are treated as blemishes. In recent …

Editor2 (2021-12-11). On Human Rights' Day, UK Court Permits Extradition of Julian Assange to US. orinocotribune.com The British High Court's decision overturns the January decision by the district judge that found that extraditing Wikileaks founder Julian Assange would be "oppressive". Rights advocates and Assange's supporters and family strongly condemned the High Court's decision | On Human Rights Day, a British court cleared the way for the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the US where he will stand trial on espionage charges. On Friday, December 10, the High Court of Justice in London overturned the decision by Judge Vanessa Baraitser of Westminster Magistrate's Court in January this year to deny the US e…

Kamala Emanuel (2021-12-11). Assange extradition 'an attack on us all'. greenleft.org.au The British decision to extradite Julian Assange is an attack on us all, argues Socialist Alliance Senate candidate Kamala Emanuel.

John Pilger (2021-12-11). The judicial kidnapping of Julian Assange. peoplesdispatch.org What was truly shocking in Friday's British court verdict, writes John Pilger, was that the judges showed no hesitation in sending Julian Assange to his death, living or otherwise. They offered no mitigation, no suggestion that they had agonized over legalities or even basic morality…

_____ (2021-12-11). John Pilger: A Judicial Kidnapping. strategic-culture.org Julian Assange's High Court judges offered no mitigation, no suggestion that they had agonised over legalities or even basic morality, writes John Pilger. | By John PILGER | "Let us look at ourselves, if we have the courage, to see what is happening to us" —- Jean-Paul Sartre. | Sartre's words should echo in all our minds following the grotesque decision of Britain's High Court to extradite Julian Assange to the United States where he faces "a living death". This is his punishment for the crime of authentic, accurate, courageous, vital journalism. | Miscarriage of justice is an inadequate term in these cir…

Iveta Cherneva (2021-12-11). The U.S. national security establishment needs a paradigm shift. Now. moderndiplomacy.eu If you can sense one trend over the past weeks is that war is in the air, both on the Ukraine and the Taiwan fronts. That brings the world to a brink of war, and it seems like the US military establishment is interested in connecting the dots. They have been waiting for this for …

_____ (2021-12-11). Dangerous Games: Western Militaries on the Doorsteps of Russia and China. strategic-culture.org By Eve OTTENBERG | Last spring the hoopla about Russia invading Ukraine died an ignominious death when nothing happened. This autumn, the latest Russia-will-invade boogeyman was already on life-support when the pro-western Ukrainian president decided to goose it November 26 with the breathless proclamation that Moscow intended to overthrow him "next week." When that didn't happen, on December 4, the Washington Post hyperventilated about Russia igniting a war, like, any day, in an anonymously sourced piece of exemplary CIA stenography, worthy of the fantasies published in the run-up to the U.S. 2003 invasion of Ir…

_____ (2021-12-11). Erdogan's Bayraktar Bonanza. journal-neo.org On December 3, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called Russian President Vladimir Putin. The heads of the two states spoke about Libya, Ukraine, and what is happening in Transcaucasia. While discussing the Ukrainian conflict, the Russian President stressed the importance of full and strict compliance with the Implementation of the 2015 Minsk Package of Measures …

Emil Avdaliani (2021-12-11). Much More Than Just Ukraine. moderndiplomacy.eu A war scare in Ukraine is a pivotal moment for the West. It tests transatlantic resolve, unity, and the very foundations of NATO. Failure to prevent potential Russian military advances or an unwillingness to respond if such a move occurs will likely cause an accentuation of internal divisions within NATO and the European Union (EU.) …

Editor (2021-12-11). The Maidan massacre in Ukraine: revelations from trials and investigations. mronline.org The Maidan massacre trial and investigation produced overwhelming evidence that Maidan protesters were massacred by snipers at Maidan-controlled buildings, rather than by government snipers or Berkut policemen—who were nevertheless charged with the crime.

_____ (2021-12-11). Democratic Deficits At The Summit For Democracy. popularresistance.org The so-called "Summit for Democracy" should first agree on a definition of what democracy means. Whereas etymologically we know that the definition of democracy means rule by the people, instinctively we feel that people power must be more than a slogan, that it must be concretized by genuine public participation in the conduct of public affairs. | There are, of course, many manifestations or "models" of democracy, exercised nationally as well as locally in provinces and communities. The spectrum of democratic governance goes from direct democracy by way of citizen power of initiative and the possibility to chall…

_____ (2021-12-11). The Fierce Determination Of Ordinary People To Build An Extraordinary World. popularresistance.org United States President Joe Biden has suborned 111 countries to attend his Summit for Democracy on December 9—10, ending on Human Rights Day. 'We welcome all countries, organizations, and individuals to support the goals of the Summit', the US State Department wrote. However, there are 82 countries that have not been invited, including two large countries that are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (the People's Republic of China and Russia) and two small countries from the Caribbean (Cuba and Haiti). In the name of democracy, the US government is pushing its own agenda to consolidate…

Abhijan Choudhury (2021-12-11). Report reveals Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in May 2021 overwhelmingly targeted civilians. peoplesdispatch.org The damning new report found that in 70% of the airstrikes that killed civilians, no corresponding 'militants' or 'military targets' were found to have been killed…

Donald Shaw (2021-12-11). Pharma-Backed Group Hosted Dem Staffers at Resort Before Build Back Better Vote. truthout.org This article was produced by In mid-November, as House Democrats were putting the finishing touches on their most substantial legislative package in at least a decade, the Build Back Better Act, dozens of Dem…

_____ (2021-12-11). Ethiopians, Eritreans Hold #NoMore March Outside US State Department. popularresistance.org Washington, DC – Thousands of Ethiopians, Eritreans and their allies rallied outside the US State Department on Friday as part of the #NoMore campaign opposing US intervention in the Horn of Africa. Their protest comes as the US' chief envoy to the Horn, Jeffrey Feltman, is visiting several countries connected to the conflict after failing to secure a ceasefire. | The crowd chanted "fake news CNN" and "no more TPLF," referring to the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front, a rebel group with Western support that earlier this year made a blitz on the capital from the northern Tigray state. Their offensive was blunted…

Internationalist 360 ∞ (2021-12-11). "Every Option is On the Table": US Prepping for Libya-Style Intervention in Ethiopia. libya360.wordpress.com Alan MacleodADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — Amid a bloody civil conflict and increasing great-power competition between the United States and China, there are a number of alarming signs that Ethiopia will become the next Libya — an African nation where the U.S. intervenes militarily under the pretext of stopping an impending genocide. A considerable military buildup…

Editor (2021-12-11). Opaque algorithms are creating an invisible cage for platform workers. mronline.org We live in a world run by algorithms. Nowhere is this more apparent than with platform companies, such as Facebook, Uber, Google, Amazon, and Twitter.

WSWS (2021-12-11). US State Department holds talks with Sri Lankan Tamil leaders. wsws.org The TNA and the GTF are acting as quislings of US imperialism, seeking privileges for the Tamil elite.

Newsroom (2021-12-11). Public-Private Collaboration Will Define New Era for Cities. moderndiplomacy.eu At the World Economic Forum's inaugural Urban Transformation Summit, which closed on Wednesday, global leaders underscored the need for increased public-private collaboration to capitalize on new infrastructure funding and tackle growing urban challenges around the globe. "Our cities and our communities are changing right before our eyes. Digitization is transforming urban economies, public health and …

WSWS (2021-12-11). Fifty-five immigrants killed, over 100 injured in Mexico truck crash. wsws.org The catastrophic accident in southern Mexico came as Washington renews its "stay in Mexico" policy and the Mexican government collaborates in the repression of migrants.