(2021-12-28). Headlines for December 28, 2021. democracynow.org World Coronavirus Cases Hit Record High as Omicron Surges, Israel Tests Fourth Vaccine Doses as COVID Surges in Largely Unvaccinated African Nations, Biden Warns Governors of Looming Shortages of Hospital Beds as COVID-19 Cases Near Pandemic Highs, CDC Recommends Shorter Isolation for People with Asymptomatic Coronavirus Infections, Afghan Taliban Bans Women from Road Trips Without Male Escort, Talks on Reviving Iran Nuclear Deal Resume in Vienna, Iraq's Top Court Ratifies Results of October's Contested Election, Russia to Hold Talks with U.S. and NATO Allies over Ukraine Border Tensions, New German Government Mo…
(2021-12-28). "People Have the Power": Poet & Singer Patti Smith Awarded Key to New York City. democracynow.org 
Legendary poet, singer, author and activist Patti Smith has been awarded a key to New York City. Smith's music has inspired countless bands and helped earn her the title of the queen of punk. Her song "People Have the Power" has become an anthem at protests across the globe. Patti Smith has also been a longtime activist, performing regularly at antiwar rallies and political benefits. She gave an emotional acceptance speech during a ceremony Monday with outgoing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. We also air a clip of her live performance with singer Michael Stipe at Democracy Now!'s 20th anniversary celebration…
(2021-12-28). Guatemala: 25 Years of Peace Accords, 25 Years of Neoliberalism. libya360.wordpress.com Ollantay Itzamná Mayan peasant women harvesting sesame seeds. OI In the Christmas atmosphere, and the day after the feast of the "Holy Innocents", the groups that took up arms in the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG) and the Creole State of Guatemala, after 36 years of "internal war", signed the firm and lasting Peace Agreements….
(2021-12-28). Yes, There Were 10 Good Things About 2021. dissidentvoice.org 
Photo credit: peace-justice.org This year, 2021, began with a huge sense of relief as Trump left office. We hoped to emerge from the ravages of COVID, pass a hefty Build Back Better (BBB) bill, and make significant cuts to the Pentagon budget. But, alas, we faced a January 6 white nationalist insurrection, two new COVID …
(2021-12-28). "His Spirit Reflected a Giant": Mumia Abu-Jamal Remembers Archbishop Desmond Tutu's Visit on Death Row. democracynow.org 
Mumia Abu-Jamal remembers South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who died on Sunday at the age of 90. Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for fighting to end apartheid in South Africa. In 2007, Tutu visited Mumia when he was still on death row. "His spirit reflected a giant," says Abu-Jamal. "He struggled for change with his prophetic voice, his sweet humor, his deep love and his boundless sense of compassion."
(2021-12-28). 2021 Samidoun Year in Review: Help us organize a new year of Palestinian liberation struggle! samidoun.net 
2021 has been a year of struggle for Palestine — towards return and liberation. This year, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network has taken to the streets, organized new chapters, marched for justice, and fought to free Palestinian prisoners. We're now preparing for 2022. From New York to Vancouver, from Germany to occupied Palestine, from Toulouse […] | The article
(2021-12-28). Pakistan — A Wonderful Destination For Adventurous Sports. moderndiplomacy.eu Pakistan is famous for its exciting cities, historical sites, hospitality, great cuisines across the world. However, most of the international states are not aware of the fact that it is an excellent destination to enjoy adventurous sports as well as cultural festivities. The variety of adventure sports in Pakistan is enormous. There are a number …
(2021-12-28). Warnings from the Far North. dissidentvoice.org Forces profound and alarming are reshaping the upper reaches of the North Pacific and Arctic oceans, breaking the food chain that supports billions of creatures and one of the world's most important fisheries. 1 "Breaking the food chain that supports billions of creatures" is horrific to contemplate. It sends a powerful signal of trouble dead ahead. …
(2021-12-28). Solomon Islands' government invites Chinese riot police deployment. wsws.org The move has triggered alarm in Australian ruling circles—ever since World War II, Australian imperialism has regarded the South Pacific as its exclusive "sphere of influence."
(2021-12-28). The Collapse of Afghanistan's Economy. zcomm.org More Afghan people may die from sanctions than from 20 years of war…
(2021-12-28). History: "Wipe the Soviet Union Off the Map", 204 Atomic Bombs against 66 Major Cities, US Nuclear Attack against USSR Planned During World War II. globalresearch.ca According to a secret document dated September 15, 1945, "the Pentagon had envisaged blowing up the Soviet Union with a coordinated nuclear attack directed against 66 major urban areas.
(2021-12-28). The World is Turning to Nuclear Power amid the Raging Energy Crisis. journal-neo.org 
The energy crisis is perhaps the worst since 1973, when the Arab countries imposed an oil embargo, protesting against Western support for Israel in the Yom Kippur War. Combined with a pandemic, new strains, and a lockdown relapse threat, it is a deadly blow to economies and industries worldwide. Bloomberg sounds the alarm: problems with …
(2021-12-28). UK Johnson government takes no new measures against pandemic. wsws.org The decision was a fait accompli. Johnson is under instruction from his party's most fascistic wing in the COVID Recovery Group to ignore all warnings that the Omicron variant of the virus is surging out of control, infecting millions and rapidly overwhelming the National Health Service.
(2021-12-28). Maduro to Al Mayadeen: We Will Not Abandon Palestine. orinocotribune.com Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro says, in an interview for Al Mayadeen, that the Venezuelan people resisted fierce attacks launched by US imperialism and its allies, and discusses relations with some countries, including Iran and Syria. | In an exclusive interview with Al Mayadeen, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro noted that 2021 was the first year in which Venezuela registered economic growth since "the beginning of the criminal imperialist US sanctions," adding that this growth was the result of Venezuela's economy which produces food, goods, products, and services. The country has witnessed growth in i…
(2021-12-28). María Corina Machado Speaks Out Against 'Interim Government'. orinocotribune.com Faced with the announcement of former deputy Juan Guaidó's clan and the fake National Assembly that Washington uses to provide some legitimacy to its actions, the Vente Venezuela party, led by María Corina Machado, rejected the recent steps to renew the "interim government" and announced that it will not support them in this new stage. | It should be remembered that next January 5 is the date that the US-led extreme opposition politicians consider as the deadline for the renewal of the pseudo-parliament that supports Guaidó, following the directions of the US government —despite countless corruption scandal…
(2021-12-27). The West Might Deliberately Start A War In Ukraine. popularresistance.org On Monday, Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov denounced that the West might provoke a war in Ukraine to blame Russia and impose economic sanctions on it. | "I do not rule out that there is such a desire to fuel militaristic sentiments [in Ukraine] to stage a 'small war' and then accuse us and impose new sanctions to suppress our competitive advantages," Lavrov said. | The Foreign Minister, who has repeatedly reiterated that the concentration of Russian troops in the vicinity of Ukraine is not for aggressive purposes, denounced that the West has sent over US$2.5 billion in weapons to Ukraine since 201…
(2021-12-27). The West Might Deliberately Start A War In Ukraine: Lavrov Says. popularresistance.org On Monday, Russia's Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov denounced that the West might provoke a war in Ukraine to blame Russia and impose economic sanctions on it. | "I do not rule out that there is such a desire to fuel militaristic sentiments [in Ukraine] to stage a 'small war' and then accuse us and impose new sanctions to suppress our competitive advantages," Lavrov said.
(2021-12-27). Desmond Tutu Opposed Capitalism, Israeli Apartheid And US/UK Imperialism, Too. popularresistance.org Being a leader in the movement to end apartheid in South Africa was probably the greatest achievement of the man's life work, and it should come as a surprise to no one that this is the focus of his many obituaries, along with the Nobel he was awarded in 1984. After Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, he was remembered by the establishment in much the same way, as a leader of the movement against apartheid in the US. The fact that he had become one of the most well-known and well-loved voices of the antiwar movement in the United States and around the world at the time of his death has largely been written o…
(2021-12-27). Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) on Apartheid, War, Palestine, Guantánamo, Climate Crisis & More. dissidentvoice.org Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African anti-apartheid icon, has died at the age of 90. In 1984 Desmond Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work fighting to end white minority rule in South Africa. After the fall of apartheid, Archbishop Tutu chaired the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, where he pushed for …
(2021-12-27). Forced Displacements in Colombia Increase by Over 169% During 2021. libya360.wordpress.com Tanya Wadhwa The Peace Community of San José de Apartadó is one of the many communities that has seen an increase in paramilitary violence and threats. They carried out a march for the right to life on December 23, 2021. Photo: Contagio Radio The Office for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES) condemned that 2021 had…
(2021-12-27). Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) on Apartheid, War, Palestine, Guantánamo, Climate Crisis & More. democracynow.org 
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African anti-apartheid icon, has died at the age of 90. In 1984 Desmond Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work fighting to end white minority rule in South Africa. After the fall of apartheid, Archbishop Tutu chaired the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, where he pushed for restorative justice. He was a leading voice for human rights and peace around the world. He opposed the Iraq War and condemned the Israeli occupation in Palestine, comparing it to apartheid South Africa. We reair two interviews Archbishop Tutu did on Democracy Now!, as well as two speech…
(2021-12-27). Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) Speaks on Apartheid, Palestine, Climate Crisis and More. truthout.org 
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African anti-apartheid icon, has died at the age of 90. In 1984 Desmond Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work fighting to end white minority rule in South Africa. After the fall of apartheid, Archbishop Tutu chaired the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, where he pushed for restorative justice. He was a leading voice for human rights and peace around the world. He opposed the Iraq War and condemned the Israeli occupation in Palestine, comp…
(2021-12-27). Talk World Radio: Greta Zarro on Peace Activism in 2021. warisacrime.org 
AUDIO: Talk World Radio is recorded as audio and video on Riverside.fm. Here is this week's video and all the videos on Youtube. VIDEO: This week on Talk World Radio we're talking about peace activism in 2021 and looking ahead to 2022. Our guest Greta Zarro is Organizing Director for World BEYOND War, where I'm …
(2021-12-27). Amazon Unionization Efforts Get A Boost Under A Settlement With NLRB. popularresistance.org According to the settlement, the online behemoth Amazon said it would reach out to its warehouse workers — former and current — via email who were on the job anytime from March 22 to now to notify them of their organizing rights. The settlement outlines that Amazon workers, which number 750,000 in the U.S., have more room to organize within the buildings. For example, Amazon pledged it will not threaten workers with discipline or call the police when they are engaging in union activity in exterior non-work areas during non-work time. | According to the terms of the settlement, the labor board will be…
(2021-12-27). Amazon Unionization Efforts Get A Boost Under A Settlement With US Labor Board. popularresistance.org According to the settlement, the online behemoth Amazon said it would reach out to its warehouse workers — former and current — via email who were on the job anytime from March 22 to now to notify them of their organizing rights. The settlement outlines that Amazon workers, which number 750,000 in the U.S., have more room to organize within the buildings. For example, Amazon pledged it will not threaten workers with discipline or call the police when they are engaging in union activity in exterior non-work areas during non-work time.
(2021-12-27). Media Forget Afghan Plight As US Sanctions Drive Mass Famine Risk. popularresistance.org As the United States withdrew militarily from Afghanistan in August, US TV news interest in the plight of the country's citizens spiked, often focusing on "the horror awaiting women and girls" (CNN Situation Room, 8/16/21) to argue against withdrawal (FAIR.org, 8/23/21). | Four months later, as those same citizens have been plunged into a humanitarian crisis due in no small part to US sanctions, where is the outrage? | Experts warned of an impending humanitarian crisis in the wake of the US withdrawal (IRC, 8/20/21). In recent months, the messages have become more urgent. A UN report (10/25/21) warned that "combi…
(2021-12-27). TikTok Beat Google As The Internet's Most Visited Site In 2021. moguldom.com TikTok, the short-form video-sharing and social networking app that has made people famous for lip-synching, hugging animals, or peeling a banana, is more popular than Google. Taking over the internet toward the end of 2021, TikTok became a more dominant domain than Alphabet's Google, the world's No. 1 search engine, which owns 86 percent of …
(2021-12-27). Argentina Responds to Boris Johnson's 'Militaristic Rhetoric' on Malvinas. orinocotribune.com Argentine authorities responded to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his "militaristic rhetoric" on the disputed Malvinas (Falkland) Islands. | Johnson transmitted his traditional end-of-year message on December 23, in which he called Argentina's claim to the Malvinas Islands an "invasion" and boasted of his country's warlike power. | "One thing that remains absolutely unchanged is the UK's commitment to the Malvinas Islands and its people," Johnson said, recalling the 1982 war fought over the territory. "It is as firm a commitment as it was when Major General Moore accepted General Menendez's surrender. A…
(2021-12-27). Flight Cancellations Continue Amid Omicron Advance. telesurenglish.net A total of 1,033 Monday flights within, into and out of the United States were canceled and 2,982 faced delays as of 1: 20 p.m. East Time, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware, as the recent Omicron-fueled COVID-19 surge has resulted in crew shortages and disrupted the operations of some airlines. | RELATED: | The cancellations on Monday included 264 by SkyWest, 141 by Alaska Airlines, 93 by United an…
(2021-12-27). World's Most Destructive Climate Disasters of 2021 Cost Nearly $200 Billion. truthout.org 
A new report out Monday shows that 2021 continued the trend of annual climate devastation worldwide that is costing the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars as planet-heating emissions unleash exactly the kind of damage scientists have warned about for decades. | The new report by Christian Aid — entitled "
(2021-12-27). Christmas On Strike: Warrior Met Miners Stick It Out. zcomm.org "At the end of the day we're all workers, and workers have to stay together. It's been eye-opening to see where your support comes from."
(2021-12-27). Venezuelan Economic Recovery Is Underway: President Maduro. telesurenglish.net During an interview with Al Mayadeen on Sunday, President Nicolas Maduro highlighted the gradual recovery of the Venezuelan economy amid the U.S. sanctions against his country. | RELATED: | "2021 has been the year of economic recovery since the economic war began… Despite the U.S. criminal sanctions, the production of food, goods, and services grows. Domestic industries and trade also increase, which has a great i…
(2021-12-27). Chicago Local 705 Teamsters defend one of their own with solidarity. fightbacknews.org Chicago, IL – On Tuesday, December 22, 150 workers at the Jefferson Street UPS barn in Chicago staged a protest before work. | According to Sean Orr, a driver and elected shop steward, the members of Teamsters Local 705 took action to defend one of their own. | "UPS unjustly fired one of us last week and refused to schedule a return-to-work day to keep our sister out through the holidays. In response, over 150 drivers stood outside and denied management the 'flex start' they crave during the holidays." | "Flex start" is when drivers arrive ahead of their 9: 30 start time to be ready when their trucks are loaded.
(2021-12-27). Social Change in Canada Will Come out of Indigenous Resistance Movement — Chavista Chronicles from Caracas Interview with Maria Páez Victor and Nino Pagliccia. orinocotribune.com Caracas, December 25, 2021 ( Maria Páez Victor is a sociologist, born in Caracas, Venezuela where she obtained her first degree. She has an MA from the University of Kent at Canterbury and a PhD from York University, Canada. She lives in Toronto, and travels regularly to Ven…
(2021-12-27). President Maduro: 'In 2022 the Economy will Focus on Boosting Trade'. orinocotribune.com This Sunday, December 26, Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro assured that in 2022 the nation will concentrate its economic growth on the promotion of internal trade. The development of its real economy is essential for the country, added the president. | During an exclusive interview for television channel Al Mayadeen, President Maduro described 2021 as a year of economic recovery for Venezuela, despite the pressure of ongoing economic "sanctions" applied by the US and its allies. | "We are witnessing a sustainable recovery process based on work, on the recovery of the productive and real economy, in addition t…
(2021-12-27). President Maduro Will Travel to Iran to Accelerate Cooperation. libya360.wordpress.com Kawsachun News President Nicolas Maduro has announced upcoming travel Iran "to accelerate the processes of cooperation at all levels and to sign agreements." In an interview for Al Mayadeen, the Venezuelan president said that the Joint Commission between Iran and Venezuela is working on new plans for relations and cooperation. "Very soon I am going…
(2021-12-27). Why the Media Silence About Trudeau's Worst Foreign Policy Failure. orinocotribune.com By Yves Engler — Dec 23, 2021 | Imagine if Nicolás Maduro's vice president quit and called for his government to be disbanded. Or if Venezuela's opposition won a landslide in regional elections or if 90% of member states voted against the government's UN credentials. The Canadian media would have splashed this news on front pages, but the shoe was on "our guy's" foot so they've been silent. | The dominant media has all but ignored the collapse of Canada's unprecedented bid to create an international coalition to support a parallel Venezuelan government. It's quite a turnaround from when the media published <...
(2021-12-27). Prospects for Venezuela's Oil Industry. libya360.wordpress.com Orlando Rangel An oil well operated by PDVSA in Morichal, Venezuela, on July 28, 2011 (Ramon Sahmkow / AFP) Oil experts Carlos Mendoza Pottellá and Ingerzon Freites look at some of the challenges facing the sector, as well as the possibilities of recovery after years of sanctions. Venezuela's oil sector has been the main target…
(2021-12-27). Venezuela: 87% Of Vaccinated Against COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Regarding the omicron variant, he indicated that this Monday, two other new cases were detected in people coming from flights coming from the United Kingdom and Panama, both asymptomatic. | RELATED: | He pointed out that while Spain, for example, registers 1,200 cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 inhabitants, in Venezuela, 6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants are reported "thanks to the fact that we take care of ourselves collectively, thanks to…
(2021-12-27). Maduro's Statements in an Interview for Al Mayadeen. telesurenglish.net President Nicolas Maduro noted the resistance by the Venezuelan people to the sanctions imposed by the United States' administration in an Interview for Al Mayadeen. | RELATED: | President Nicolas Maduro declared in an interview for Al Mayadeen that 2021 was, since "the beginning of the criminal imperialist U.S. sanctions," the first year in showing registered economic growth. He stated that this results from Venez…