(2021-12-22). Russia Warns NATO Membership for Ukraine Would Mean WW III. moderndiplomacy.eu Just like when U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's American Government, during the 1962 Cuban Crisis, warned that Soviet missiles in Cuba would mean World War 3, Russia's President Vladimir Putin's Russian Government warned, on 20 December 2021, that if its adjoining nation of Ukraine becomes a NATO member (which would present the danger of U.S. …
(2021-12-22). 'We have to reexamine the legality of US drone wars'. peoplesdispatch.org Newly declassified Pentagon documents revealed the scale of devastation caused by flawed US intelligence as US forces bombed across various countries in West Asia. An investigation by New York Times showed that "flawed intelligence" and "faulty targeting" resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 civilians over the last decade. Official numbers undercounted these deaths by several hundred at least.
(2021-12-22). Chris Hedges on the Persecution of Julian Assange (Video). scheerpost.com 
In July 2010, Wikileaks published Cablegate, one of the biggest leaks in the history of the US military, including evidence for war crimes and torture. Julian Assange, the founder and spokesman of Wikileaks, immediately found himself a target, accused of hacking, and later sexual assault. He spent the next seven years in asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, fearful that he would be extradited to Sweden to face the accusations of assault and then sent to US. In 2019, Assange was handed over to the British police. On the same day, the US demanded his extradition. He faces up to 175 years in prison for…
(2021-12-22). Two Olympic boycotts: Human rights in the service of imperialist gangsterism. wsws.org The 1980 boycott of the Moscow games was bound up with the US agenda of weakening and fracturing the former Soviet Union, which is precisely the Biden administration's strategy toward China in its boycott of the Beijing Olympics.
(2021-12-22). Nicaragua's evidence-based democracy threatens U.S. oppression domestically and abroad. mronline.org 
Despite Washington's best effort to derail Nicaragua's electoral process through hybrid warfare, strong voter turnout resulted in a decisive victory by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), and the reelection of President Daniel Ortega with 75.92% of the votes cast. Nicaragua's non-partisan, independent Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) reported on Monday, November 8th that 65.23% of …
(2021-12-22). Afghan crisis emerged as the biggest human-made disaster. moderndiplomacy.eu The situation in Afghanistan has emerged as the biggest human-made crisis, where almost half of the 40 million people are facing a shortage of food and almost one-fourth are reached at the starvation stage. The war-torn country is facing a severe shortage of food, medicines, fuel, electricity and severe winter has aggregated the situation further. …
(2021-12-22). New German Defense Minister visits German combat troops in Lithuania. wsws.org Eighty years after the Third Reich's war of annihilation against the Soviet Union, the German Defense Minister denied Russia the right to even criticize the threatening military build-up on its border.
(2021-12-22). At Long Last, Ban Weaponized Drones. warisacrime.org 
An artist in Pakistan attempted to make U.S. drone pilots face the fact that they were killing children. By David Swanson, World BEYOND War, December 21, 2021 Former President Barack Obama recently tweeted that the day of a school shooting was the worst day of his presidency. Well, it certainly shouldn't have been a good …
(2021-12-22). Venezuela and Turkey Agree to Strengthen Cooperation Projects. orinocotribune.com This Tuesday, December 21, President Nicolás Maduro reported that he had a pleasant phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to consolidate the cooperation agreements that both nations develop in different areas. | "We talked about the great challenges for the coming years and the need to advance in all areas of cooperation for shared development. Venceremos!" says the tweet shared by the president. |
(2021-12-21). As Omicron Is Expected To Overtake Delta, Democrat Senators Cory Booker And Elizabeth Warren Announce They Have Covid Virus. moguldom.com The coronavirus variant omicron accounted for 73 percent of new infections during the week of Dec. 13, and among the newly infected are Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey. Along with Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, all three announced they have tested positive for coronavirus, have received covid-19 booster shots and are having mild …
(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). 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). Saudis used Pegasus to spy on UN investigator looking into war crimes in Yemen. peoplesdispatch.org Saudi Arabia started spying on the chairman of the UN-mandated Group of Eminent Experts weeks before the independent panel released a bombshell report recommending criminal prosecution against members of the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen…
(2021-12-21). Despite Manchin's blow to Build Back Better, Biden boosts fuel economy standards to fight climate change. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a major step to fight climate change, the Biden administration is raising vehicle mileage standards to significantly reduce emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases, reversing a Trump-era rollback that loosened fuel efficiency standards. A final rule issued Monday would raise mileage standards starting in the 2023 model year, reaching a projected industry-wide target of …
(2021-12-21). Is Killing the Build Back Better Act Part of Manchin's Run for President? truthout.org 
I've spent the last several months trying to settle on a straightforward explanation for why Joe Manchin decided to attack, denude and ultimately destroy the centerpiece of President Biden's domestic agenda on the cusp of what already looks to be a brutal midterm season for the Democrats. | Manchin loves his coal, sure, so the clean energy provisions at the core of the Build Back Better Act (BBB) were poison to his own personal fortune. He's a Democrat from a bright red state, and so must cleave a…
(2021-12-21). Have you been lied to about Xinjiang, human rights ‚àí and China? workers.org 
This statement was issued by the International Action Center (iacenter.org), posted at wp.me/p4Yme1-4Rf and available in PDF at wp.me/P4Yme1-4SF. Claiming that it is acting in defense of human rights, the U.S. tries to cover its own criminal record on internal human rights violations and its record of endless wars, assassinations, . . . |
(2021-12-21). Why Poorer Nations Aren't Falling For Green-Washed Imperialism. popularresistance.org 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 production—if they do not use the fos…
(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). 5 Years for a Retweet: Egyptian Rights Activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah Sentenced by Emergency Court. democracynow.org 
An emergency court in Egypt has sentenced leading human rights activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah to an additional five years in prison on the charge of "spreading false news undermining national security" for sharing a post on Twitter. El-Fattah has been imprisoned since his arrest in September 2019, just six months after he was released following a five-year prison term for his role in the peaceful demonstrations of 2011 that led to the fall of Egypt's longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak. "Alaa wasn't even in the courtroom," says El-Fattah's aunt, the acclaimed Egyptian novelist Ahdaf Soueif, who was in the courtroom at t…
(2021-12-21). Russian "Aggressive Gambit": Moscow Proposes Peace. globalresearch.ca On December 15, the Russian Federation delivered to the United States of America the project of a Treaty and an Agreement to defuse the growing tension between the two parties. | The two documents were made public by the Russian Foreign …
(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. …
(2021-12-21). Cambodian PM orders destruction and disuse of all American military equipment. globalresearch.ca Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered his country's military to destroy or submit to warehouses all weapons that were produced in the US. The reason for such a harsh reaction by the Cambodian leader is because of provocative actions and …
(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.
(2021-12-21). Joe Manchin's War Against Workers. liberationnews.org 
After months of talking, begging and offering concessions the Biden administration's dead-end strategy of appeasing right wing Democrat Joe Manchin has gone up in flames.
(2021-12-21). Retired US generals warn of 2024 election coup. wsws.org The three generals urged the Pentagon to begin planning now for a post-election conflict that could split the military.
(2021-12-21). Australian immunologist warns of Omicron "disaster" wsws.org Dr Dan Suan: "Unfortunately, the government has left the field, so it's up to us."
(2021-12-21). Milwaukee Alliance organizes picket to free Theo Edgecomb. fightbacknews.org Milwaukee, WI — In the middle of a cold winter evening, on December 17, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression organized a picket with the family of Theodore Malcolm Edgecomb to amplify awareness of Edgecomb's case, which is set for a jury trial on January 3, 2022. | Edgecomb is being charged with first degree reckless homicide with a dangerous weapon for events that unfolded on September 22, 2020. When news initially broke out about Edgecomb killing Jason Cleereman, an immigration attorney, the narrative quickly became one of defending Cleereman's character while depicting Edgecomb…
(2021-12-21). Tomgram: Andrew Bacevich, Mission Unaccomplished. warisacrime.org This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. "There's no such thing as a free lunch" is an old American adage. Venerable, time-tested, and seemingly true, though here's an exception: retired general, disgraced former CIA chief, and leaker of classified information, David Petraeus. For years, I've …
(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…
(2021-12-21). COVID-19 explodes in Spain as PSOE-Podemos government refuses action. wsws.org The surge in infections in Spain is a warning of the dangers posed by the virus, which the Socialist Party (PSOE)-Podemos government has let spread unchecked.
(2021-12-21). As UK Omicron cases and deaths surge, Johnson government does nothing to protect population. wsws.org Despite warnings from his own advisers that the ineffectual "Plan B" measures currently in place will allow the population to be overwhelmed by an avalanche of COVID cases and deaths, Johnson announced no new measures yesterday after meeting with his Cabinet.
(2021-12-21). Scientists warn European governments' inaction on Omicron variant threatens social collapse. wsws.org Warnings that unprecedented numbers of workers may fall ill, leading to mass deaths and infrastructure collapse, point to the urgent need to halt transmission of the virus.
(2021-12-21). The End of Neoliberalism in Latin America?: Return of the Left. orinocotribune.com 
Without seeming like déjà vu, presidential candidates supported by progressive and left-wing parties and movements are regaining power on the Latin American continent. Everything indicates that it may be the end of neoliberalism once again. | The domino effect has reached Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Honduras, and more recently Chile, where the people have placed their hopes of progress on the new leftist presidency of Gabriel Boric, despite the hesitation by many on the left towards his statements on foreign policy. | Commander Hugo Chávez, alongside Fidel Castro, managed, at the beginni…
(2021-12-21). How Awesome is 'Awesome'? America's Underperforming Military. scheerpost.com 
By Andrew Bacevich / TomDispatch Professional sports is a cutthroat business. Succeed and the people running the show reap rich rewards. Fail to meet expectations and you get handed your walking papers. American-style war in the twenty-first century is quite a different matter. Of course, war is not a game. The stakes on the battlefield …
(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, …
(2021-12-21). Pegasus report: new evidence of Saudi interference in Yemen war probe and other stories. peoplesdispatch.org Today we look at the targeting of a UN investigator with the Pegasus spyware, the sentencing of 3 Egyptian activists to prison, and more…
(2021-12-21). Today is Stalin's birthday – here's what Mao had to say. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following article written by Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong on the 60th birthday of Joseph Stalin. | Stalin, Friend of the Chinese People | On the Twenty-first of December, Comrade Stalin will be sixty years old. We can be sure that his birthday will evoke warm and affectionate congratulations from the hearts of all revolutionary people throughout the world who know of the occasion. | Congratulating Stalin is not a formality. Congratulating Stalin means supporting him and his cause, supporting the victory of socialism, and the way forward for mankind which he points ou…
(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 …
(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 …
(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…
(2021-12-21). Venezuela condemns British Supreme court ruling to maintain blockade on gold. peoplesdispatch.org The Central Bank of Venezuela has been engaged in a legal battle to recover 31 tons of public gold deposited at the Bank of England…
(2021-12-21). President Maduro Congratulates Chile's Next President Gabriel Boric. orinocotribune.com 
Gabriel Boric was elected as president of Chile by the Apruebo Dignidad coalition. The 35-year old former student leader is the youngest president in the history of the country. In his term as a deputy, and during his campaign, Boric raised the issues of inclusion, decentralization and equal rights as cornerstones of his electoral campaign but questioned Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, repeating a familiar US and European imperialist narrative. | When the results were announced, Boric was immediately congratulated by his counterparts through the region. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro celebrated the election…