(2021-12-23). TPLF Announces Retreat. What Lies Ahead for Ethiopia? libya360.wordpress.com Elias Amare, editor of Horn of Africa TV, explains the situation in Ethiopia in light of the declaration by the TPLF that they are withdrawing to Tigray. He analyzes the situation over the past few months that led to this moment. The Tigray People's Liberation Front has announced that it will withdraw its forces to…
(2021-12-23). "Civilian Casualty Files" documents the barbarism of US imperialism in Iraq and Syria. wsws.org The Civilian Casualty Files are evidence of extensive war crimes. They reveal that the US military, under the Obama and Trump administrations, deliberately killed civilians, including children.
(2021-12-23). The military: the year in review — war crimes, withdrawals and secrecy. thecanary.co 2021 was a year of decline and reorganisation for the British military. It was also a year when historical war crimes allegations resurfaced, secrecy was expanded and a major defeat became undeniable. We decided to look back over some of the key themes in military affairs which emerged over the year. | This article is another in The Year In Review series. You'll be able to catch up on the many of the other review articles Cut and run: | The Afghanistan occupation finally ground to an end as the Taliban took Kabul in Aug…
(2021-12-23). How Red Are the EU's 'Greens'? moderndiplomacy.eu Blood-red. But that's a banned fact. (It will be documented in what follows.) Here are the announced values (the "Guiding Principles") of the European Green Party: "Environmental Responsibility" "Freedom through Self-Determination" "Extending Justice" "Diversity, an Indispensable Condition" "Non-Violence" "To sum it up, Sustainable Development" This "Charter of the European Greens" fills-in those blanks by stringing …
(2021-12-23). D.C. Police Closely Watched Anti-Racist Groups for Years. splcenter.org The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department's Intelligence Bureau (IB) closely watched Black-led organizations and anti-racist groups for years while ignoring the growing far-right threat, according to Hatewatch's review of leaked documents. Experts say this is in line with broader law enforcement attitudes toward such groups.
(2021-12-23). New US Embargo on Cambodia Over Friendship with China. journal-neo.org 
The United States continues a process of targeting and isolating nations around the globe increasingly choosing to do business with Beijing rather than Washington. The most recent of these is the Southeast Asia nation of Cambodia. For years Cambodia has incrementally pivoted from once serving US foreign policy objectives in the region, to striking a …
(2021-12-23). The Hypersonic Fall of US Prestige. journal-neo.org 
Even against the backdrop of recent events, the US stubbornly refuses to acknowledge that "American credibility" in the world is falling apart. It is not just a question of political credibility or the collapse of 20 years of American military intervention in Afghanistan. This fall did not begin with Biden or Trump, but with the …
(2021-12-23). The Vienna Talks are at a Difficult Stage. journal-neo.org 
As the complex Vienna talks and desperate disputes among their participants proceed, unconcealed threats against Iran are heard from Tel Aviv several times a day. The growing hysteria and multiplication of Israeli military threats against Tehran suggest that the Israeli regime has forgotten that Iran is a powerful state with a modern, well-equipped army and …
(2021-12-23). 300 Doctors Implore Australia To Bring Assange Home. popularresistance.org The letter begins by commending Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce for his recent statements calling for the U.S. extradition request against Julian Assange to be dropped. It continues: | "We are concerned that Mr. Assange's apparent mini stroke [reported in the Daily Mail on 11 December] may be the tip of a medical iceberg. Indeed his symptoms suggest as much. It is therefore imperative that Mr. Assange be released from prison, where his health will otherwise continue to deteriorate and where his complex medical needs cannot be met." Continued incarceration, the doctors warn, will place Julian Assange's life at…
(2021-12-23). A For-Profit Company Is Trying To Privatize Public Libraries. popularresistance.org "Even if we don't see a written-out master plan, the banning of books, the attacks on teaching real US history, the efforts to push out professors with views that transgress official US policy: In their myriad forms, these actions tell us that it's important to powerful people to restrict what ideas people can access. It's the land of the free and the home of the brave—except if you want to know what's happened, and happens, here, or to tell people about it. | It all shows us the power of ideas. As infuriating and sad and enervating as it all is, it reminds us that knowledge is power."
(2021-12-23). How Public Workers Can Stop The Privatization Of Everything. popularresistance.org Several years ago, Don Cohen, a former central labor council staffer from San Diego, appeared on a panel discussing the privatization threats faced by union members across the country. He and other speakers were addressing a conference of state, county, and municipal workers represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), a group which did not include any federal employees. When Cohen described propaganda campaigns that proponents of privatization conduct to pave the way for out-sourcing local government or state university jobs, audience members immediately recognized that kind of employer behavior a…
(2021-12-23). New Anti-Protest Laws Cast A Long Shadow On First Amendment Rights. popularresistance.org Tiffany Crutcher was worried. | Oklahoma lawmakers had passed a new measure stiffening penalties for protesters who block roadways and granting immunity to drivers who unintentionally hit them. The state NAACP, saying the law was passed in response to racial justice demonstrations and could chill the exercising of First Amendment rights, filed a federal lawsuit challenging portions of it. But the new law was only weeks from taking effect. | Crutcher, an advocate for police reform and racial justice, was moderating a virtual town hall about it, featuring panelists who brought the lawsuit. At the end, she asked a q…
(2021-12-23). Stoney Nakoda Language Resources Launched To Preserve Language. popularresistance.org The Stoney Education Authority (SEA), with support from The Language Conservancy, is releasing historic Stoney Nakoda language learning resources this December. This release includes three picture books, a Level 1 textbook, and an alphabet colouring book. The release also includes several digital resources: a 9,000-word web and mobile dictionary, a textbook-accompanying media player app, and a vocabulary-building app.
(2021-12-23). The Pendulum Swing Of Black Liberation. popularresistance.org In June of last year, I wrote a piece about the call-and-response between movements for Black liberation in the United States and elsewhere, focusing on the upheavals that happened in Sudan in late 2018, and of course the protests that erupted in Minnesota and spread across the country after the murder of George Floyd in May of last year. In this piece, I encouraged all of us to refuse the enclosures of hemisphere, market, nation and language, to embrace urgency and refuse to concede to the divisions presented by nation, market and geography. | This piece focused on the activation of struggles, and less so on the…
(2021-12-23). UN Fails To Agree On 'Killer Robot' Ban. popularresistance.org Autonomous weapon systems — commonly known as killer robots — may have killed human beings for the first time ever last year, according to a recent United Nations Security Council report on the Libyan civil war. History could well identify this as the starting point of the next major arms race, one that has the potential to be humanity's final one. | The United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons debated the question of banning autonomous weapons at its once-every-five-years review meeting in Geneva Dec. 13-17, 2021, but didn't reach consensus on a ban. Established in 1983, the conventi…
(2021-12-23). Wet'suwet'en Retake Checkpoint A Month After Police Crackdown. popularresistance.org On Saturday, December 19, activists leading the Wet'suwet'en resistance against the Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline project declared that they evicted workers of the project from the drill site. This development comes exactly a month after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) violently dismantled a blockade led by the Gidimt'en clan near Camp Coyote and arrested dozens of protesters and even bystanders. | The declaration of reclaiming Camp Coyote was made over a statement released by the Gidimt'en Checkpoint, on Sunday, December 20. "This courageous action took place one month after a wave of militarized raids…
(2021-12-23). What Russia Says About Its Not-An-Ultimatum Demands To The US And NATO. popularresistance.org Andrei Martyanov also explains the timing. Russia is technologically and militarily in a strong position and currently can survive a break with the 'western' world without too much trouble. The U.S. is in disarray and NATO not ready to fight. It is simply the right moment. | To add to his short video I will also note that it is winter and that Europe depends on Russian gas. Gazprom is no longer offering gas at European spot markets but only delivering in previously agreed quantities to long term contract partners. This puts pressure on German regulators to finally sign off on Nord Stream II which the U.S. and Ukr…
(2021-12-23). Who Actually Owns Corporations, Anyway? popularresistance.org According to elementary students of economics and Wall Street financiers alike, the answer to this question is as simple as it is intuitive: the shareholders. The standard narrative goes like this: a share is a "piece of a company." Accordingly, the holders of those shares are the company's collective owners. Shareholder ownership explains why an army of retail investors coordinating trades on Reddit could claim they "owned a piece" of the struggling video game retailer GameStop and why Warren Buffet is as certain he "owns" companies as varied as GEICO and Dairy Queen as less wealthy Americans are certain they ow…
(2021-12-23). A painful year for Gaza's patients. electronicintifada.net Israel has blocked entry of spare parts for medical equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2021-12-23). Drakeo The Ruler's Mom Plans To Sue Live Nation After Stabbing Death, Cites Failed Security. moguldom.com Hip-hop artist Drakeo the Ruler was stabbed backstage on Dec. 18 at the Once Upon a Time in L.A. festival, and his mother vows to sue over her son's death. Drakeo, born Darrell Caldwell, was attacked by a group of people and died hours later on Dec. 19 from his stab wounds. Several videos emerged after the muder, sources …
(2021-12-23). Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Calls On U.S. Government To Send ATF Feds To Help With Violence. moguldom.com Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is in over her head trying to deal with rising violence and after she proposed cutting $80 million from her city's police budget last year, she is now publicly pleading with the feds to help beef up the ranks of the city's cops. Lightfoot called on U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland …
(2021-12-23). Voices of Concern: Aussies for Assange's Return. dissidentvoice.org With Julian Assange now fighting the next stage of efforts to extradite him to the United States to face 18 charges, 17 of which are based on the brutal, archaic Espionage Act, some Australian politicians have found their voice. It might be said that a few have even found their conscience. Australia's Deputy Prime Minister …
(2021-12-23). Absurd Guardian article declares China world's only imperialist power. mronline.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.
(2021-12-23). Silicon Valley Execs Quit Good-Paying Jobs For Crypto Startups, Quick Riches. moguldom.com Some of the biggest tech companies are scrambling to retain employees as a wave of engineers and executives quit jobs that pay as much as seven-figure salaries for what's seen as a once-in-a-generation opportunity — to join crypto startups. Stories of massive crypto wealth amassed by early investors in Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptos including …
(2021-12-23). Are Arab militias losing their usefulness for Iran? moderndiplomacy.eu Iranian support for Arab militias has long threatened Iran's detractors, unable to develop an effective counterstrategy. Now, the tide may be turning. A string of events suggests that the usefulness of at least some of the militias in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Palestine is waning as their popularity diminishes and relations with Iran encounter headwinds. The …
(2021-12-23). The American deal with the popular decline in support of political Islam after Arab Spring revolutions. moderndiplomacy.eu Before answering this question, it is necessary to understand (the Brotherhood's grand strategy), which is based on the role of the international organization of the Muslim Brotherhood inside the United States of America, in Europe and around the world, through a strategy based on (the Brotherhood's penetration into the United States of America with its …
(2021-12-23). The influence of the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates inside and outside the United States. moderndiplomacy.eu The Muslim Brotherhood has a great influence on the American interior, and they have had relations with Washington for 70 years. From the point of view of the American historian (William Engdahl), he sees that the Muslim Brotherhood is just a tool and a means used by Washington to employ them for its interests. Especially …
(2021-12-23). àÅlvaro García Linera: The Central Command of the Latin American Right is the US, not Spain. orinocotribune.com The conservative command of the Latin American right is in the United States, not in Spain. Vox is small and clumsy. On the other hand, Washington promotes a series of basic values: market, individuality, institutionality against social convulsions and wealth as the goal of life, affirms àÅlvaro García Linera. | The vice president of the Plurinational State of Bolivia between 2006 and 2019 is one of the most prominent contemporary leftist intellectuals. His extensive and provocative intellectual production is the result of a political commitment that led him to imprisonment for seven years and of a solid th…
(2021-12-23). Frederick Douglass and American Empire in Haiti. mronline.org 
Toward the end of his life, Frederick Douglass served briefly as U.S. ambassador to Haiti. The disastrous episode reveals much about the country's long struggle for Black sovereignty while always under the threat of U.S. empire.
(2021-12-23). Democrats are NOT your friends! anchor.fm In this episode I discuss the duopoly between Republicans and Democrats and how the continued "fumbling" by the Democrats is not unintentional. They have direct interests and reasons as to why they continue to do things only for themselves. Stay well you all, and get organizing!
(2021-12-23). Libya: National Committee for Human Rights Warns of the Political and Humanitarian Consequences of Aborting Elections. libya360.wordpress.com Demonstrations in Libya protest…
(2021-12-23). Libya: Protests Mark the Postponement of Elections Amidst Threats of Deepening Chaos. libya360.wordpress.com Participants in the Friday of Salvation demand the overthrow of the existing political bodies A group of activists called on citizens to participate in a demonstration entitled "Friday of Salvation" in Tibesti Square in the city of Benghazi. Participants demand the overthrow of all political bodies currently in place, with parliament's work limited to legislative…
(2021-12-23). The Need for a Multidimensional Democracy. libya360.wordpress.com Javier Tolcachier Celebrating and reflecting are two actions that do not usually go hand in hand. Celebration implies an achievement, even if it is only the satisfaction of something well done, while reflection usually accompanies failure or error. Much more so in political terms, since it is not the euphoria of triumph but defeat that…
(2021-12-23). NAACP President Sends Message To Biden: If You Can Afford To Pause Student Loan Payments Over And Over, You Can Cancel Them. moguldom.com Some rejoiced when President Joe Biden announced that he was extending the pause on making student loan payments for three additional months while others urged Biden to go further and cancel student loan debt altogether. Among the latter group are NAACP president Derrick Johnson and renowned wealth inequality expert and economist William "Sandy" Darity. Biden …
(2021-12-23). Mismeasuring progress: A critique of the growth paradigm. roarmag.org Cityscape of Johannesburg, South Africa in 2013. Photo: Nataly Reinch / Shutterstock.com | In recent years, more and more people have begun to question the received wisdom of "economic growth" — the idea that government policies can be measured a success or failure based on an increase in national income. Many, that is, except most economists. For them, growth is still the sacred benchmark on the road to development — for those countries deemed "undeveloped" — and something to be maintained and if possible expanded in all the OECD countries. | Governments follow suit and design their policies ar…
(2021-12-23). Cuba Denounces US Allegations of Human Trafficking. orinocotribune.com Cuba firmly rejected the allegations fabricated by the US accusing the Caribbean island of involvement in human trafficking, and has assured that these claims are simply another way of justifying the aggressive measures which continue to be taken against Havana. | "The declarations made by the US government, regarding human trafficking, terrorism and human rights abuses, have no relation with the reality of out country," responded Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez through his Twitter account. "The US is trying to justify—with lies—the abusive and aggressive measures taken against the Cuban popul…
(2021-12-23). Venezuela Maintains 7 International Air Routes. orinocotribune.com Despite the fact that the state of emergency declared in Venezuela due to the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to be lifted, the president of the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC), Juan Teixeira Díaz, announced that seven international air routes will continue to service the country. | He clarified that commercial flights to Mexico, Turkey, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Russia, Bolivia, and Cuba will remain availa…
(2021-12-23). Chicago's last black-owned bank got millions in government deposits — then had to give them back. nationofchange.org As Black-owned banks disappear, politicians are under increasing pressure to save them. Big deposits are a ready solution, but sometimes they burden the banks more than they help.
(2021-12-23). Middle East: Positive steps needed to restore calm. moderndiplomacy.eu The deteriorating security situation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, took centre stage at the Security Council on Tuesday as the UN Special Coordinator for the peace process in the region, expressed his "continued concern" over recent developments. Tor Wennesland painted a grim picture of "clashes, attacks, military operations" and continued settler-related violence …
(2021-12-23). New ADB Facility to Help Southeast Asia Revive Tourism. moderndiplomacy.eu The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has set up a $1.7 million technical assistance facility to accelerate Southeast Asia's tourism recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, boost inclusive, sustainable development in the sector, and help local tourism entrepreneurs, especially women and youth, adopt digital platforms to grow their businesses. The Southeast Asia Sustainable Tourism Facility …
(2021-12-23). Structural Reforms Can Ease China's Transition to High-Quality Growth. moderndiplomacy.eu To achieve quality growth over the medium-term, China will need to rebalance its economy across several dimensions, according to Rebalancing Act, From Recovery to High-Quality Growth, the latest China Economic Update released today by the World Bank. Following a strong rebound in the first half of 2021, economic activity in China cooled rapidly in the …
(2021-12-23). Sudan protests: Security forces in spotlight over sexual violence allegations. moderndiplomacy.eu In Sudan, reports of serious sexual violence and the use of live ammunition against protesters at the weekend must be investigated immediately, the UN rights office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday. The allegations surfaced after demonstrations in Khartoum on Sunday, where tens of thousands had massed to mark the third anniversary of protests that led to the …
(2021-12-23). Tajikistan's Energy Sector to Benefit from World Bank Support. moderndiplomacy.eu The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved today additional grant financing of $65 million in support of the Second Phase of the Nurek Hydropower Rehabilitation Project, which will contribute towards more reliable electricity supply and expansion of renewable energy exports in Tajikistan. "The World Bank is committed to supporting Tajikistan's energy sector, given the …
(2021-12-23). With decent work and a sustainable model aquaculture could feed the world. moderndiplomacy.eu Harnessing aquaculture's potential to effectively contribute to feeding the world's growing population in the decades to come will require concerted efforts to promote sustainable enterprises and decent work for its workforce. These are among the main conclusions of the Technical meeting on the future of work in aquaculture in the context of the rural economy …
(2021-12-23). Palestinian student receives death threats, FBI visit. electronicintifada.net University of Southern California has done little to protect against targeted smear campaigns by Israel lobby groups.
(2021-12-23). Chubut governor repeals mining law after days of protest. peoplesdispatch.org After five days of anti-mining protests across Argentina's Chubut province, the provincial governor repealed the law that paved the way for mega-mining in the province, and gave the call for a plebiscite to decide on this matter…
(2021-12-23). Fatal accidents reveal unsafe conditions in Pakistan's coal mines. peoplesdispatch.org As deadly accidents continue in various coal mines in Pakistan, senior representatives of IndustriALL Global have asked the Pakistani ambassador at Geneva to take immediate steps to ensure that Pakistan ratifies and implements ILO Convention 176 on Safety and Health in Mines…
(2021-12-23). Libyan presidential elections postponed. peoplesdispatch.org The Libyan election committee has proposed January 24 as the new date for the elections due to unresolved disputes regarding the electoral laws and the presence of foreign troops in the country…
(2021-12-23). Tunisia likely to see more protests against president Saied's power grab. peoplesdispatch.org Over the last few months, Tunisian president Kais Saied has consolidated his control over the executive and legislative authority in the country. His latest action was to announce the formulation of a new constitution to be put to a national referendum next year followed by general elections…
(2021-12-23). UK blocks Venezuela from accessing its international reserves. peoplesdispatch.org Britain's Supreme Court passed a ruling to continue blocking Venezuela from accessing 31 tons of Venezuelan gold valued at USD 2 billion. This gold is deposited at the Bank of England. The case went to court because the Bank has refused to release the gold reserves to the Bolivarian government stating that it recognizes the opposition activist Juan Guaidó as a legitimate authority.