(2020-12-02). Spain on the Brink of Financial Collapse. globalresearch.ca The Spanish economic situation worsens day after day. The national manufacturing sector dropped significantly in November, according to data from IHS Markit, which attributes the decline to the drop in production demand due to the pandemic. The decrease in production …
(2020-12-02). EU and Russia 'too interconnected' to be enemies, former Italian ambassador tells RT. rt.com 
For all the problems between Russia and the European Union, their economies are so interdependent and complementary that cutting ties would be cause for regret later, former Italian diplomat Cesare Maria Ragaglini told RT. | "We have to start a strategic dialogue, because our relations are too interconnected and cannot be dismissed because we have problems," Ragaglini, who served as Italy's envoy to the UN and ambassador to Moscow before he retired, told RT. | Our economies are very much interconnected, interdependent and complementary. | With the EU planning to roll out a "green deal" proposal, it would be a…
(2020-12-02). Spain unveils festive travel ban & Covid curfews, but allows groups of 10 to gather for Christmas and New Year. rt.com 
Spaniards celebrating Christmas and New Year can meet in groups of 10, but will be banned from moving between regions over the festive period in order to keep a lid on coronavirus infections, the country's health minister said. | The current six-person limit for people gathering outside their household will be extended to 10 on December 24, 25, 31 and January 1, Minister Salvador Illa revealed on Wednesday. | He also announced curfews will be extended to 1: 30am on December 24 and 31, but said that it is "strongly recommended" that people do not mix together from more than two 'bubbles.' | A ban on travel betwe…
(2020-12-02). Valery Giscard d'Estaing, ex-president of France and author of ill-fated EU constitution, dead 'due to Covid-19' at age 94. rt.com 
Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing, who served as president of France from 1974 to 1981, passed away from what his family said were effects of the novel coronavirus, having been hospitalized for breathing difficulties. | Also known as Giscard and VGE, d'Estaing was the third president of the French Fifth Republic, succeeding the popular Georges Pompidou as the leader of the Gaullist conservatives. He narrowly lost re-election to socialist Francois Miterrand, after a challenge from the right by future president Jacques Chirac. | VGE was hospitalized in September with a lung infection, and then again in…
(2020-12-02). Britain's Pfizer vaccine announcement gives anti-vaxxers an unlikely boost blamed on Russia without any evidence. rt.com 
The UK's approval of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine was heralded by the government as a breakthrough for "humanity." However, its announcement was met with a surge of vaccine skepticism online. | Britain became the first nation in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread use on Wednesday. The announcement was delivered in pompous style by the government, with business secretary Alok Sharma celebrating how "the UK led humanity's charge against this disease," and Health Secretary Matt Hancock volunteering to take the jab on live television with ITV's Piers Morgan. | Also on rt.com…
(2020-12-02). Video: Azerbaijani Troops Are in Lachin, but Unresolved Karabakh Status Remains Source of Tensions. globalresearch.ca The Nagorno-Karabakh region has been nearing the end of the first phase of the implementation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani ceasefire deal that started on November 10. | Late on November 30, Azerbaijani troops started entering the Lachin district in the Nagorno-Karabkah region. …
(2020-12-02). How Do We Solve A Problem Like Amazon? popularresistance.org Progressive International has launched a global campaign to #MakeAmazonPay. Yet for two decades numerous unions and campaigns across the globe have scratched their heads wondering how to curb the ever-expanding might of what has become one of the world's most valuable companies. | At Bad Hersfeld and (eventually) internationally, Amazon has become far more accustomed to strikes, yet the company's power shows no signs of being tempered. Indeed in Germany, despite more than 300 days lost to strike action, Amazon has consistently been able to resist workers' demand for a collective agreement.
(2020-12-02). France's New Security Law May Have Sparked A 'George Floyd' Moment. popularresistance.org ward-winning Syrian photographer Ameer Alhalbi lies dazed on the ground. His head is heavily bruised and bandaged, blood covers his face, arms, and much of his body. Lengths of cotton wool have been stuffed up his broken nose, giving him an almost comical appearance. Alhalbi has been badly beaten by police. But this is not Syria, it is Paris, where he was covering — ironically — huge, nationwide protests against police brutality this weekend.
(2020-12-02). Azeri defense min. condemns assassination of 'Dr.Fakhrizadeh'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 02 (MNA) — Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan in separate messages on Wed. to Iran's Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces and Defense Minister condemned assassination of Iran's prominent nuclear scientist 'Fakhrizadeh'.
(2020-12-02). Hope for the future as increasing number of Europeans support climate change actions. thecanary.co A new Research conducted by eupinions in September surveyed 13,000 UK and EU residents. Two-thirds of respondents said they would support banning short-haul flights and cutting back on meat consumption. Meanwhile, over 50% of the participants said they would back using cars less often. | But while this positive attitude towards dealing with the climate crisis is welcome, personal changes need to be accompanied by c…
(2020-12-02). France's New Security Law May Have Sparked A 'George Floyd' Moment. popularresistance.org Award-winning Syrian photographer Ameer Alhalbi lies dazed on the ground. His head is heavily bruised and bandaged, blood covers his face, arms, and much of his body. Lengths of cotton wool have been stuffed up his broken nose, giving him an almost comical appearance. Alhalbi has been badly beaten by police. But this is not Syria, it is Paris, where he was covering — ironically — huge, nationwide protests against police brutality this weekend.
(2020-12-02). 'We know who was behind Fakhrizadeh's assassination'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 02 (MNA) — Iranian ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali has stated that the Islamic Republic knows who is responsible for the assassination of nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
(2020-12-02). Is the U.S. Actually a 'Police State'? strategic-culture.org Eric ZUESSE | Is the phrase "police state" anything more than propaganda that a government uses against a foreign government that it wants to overthrow — such as the U.S. did against Iraq before invading it in 2003, and against Libya and Syria since 2011, and against Venezuela since 2012, and against Ukraine since 2013, and in all instances destroyed those countries, allegedly to 'bring democracy and human rights and the rule of law, and fight against corruption' there (as if that were honestly the intention)? | The phrase "police state" is used propagandistically to denigrate a foreign nation that one's ow…
(2020-12-02). The Davos "Great Reset" 2021 Agenda of the World Economic Forum. A New Phase of Economic and Social Destruction? globalresearch.ca On June 3, 2020, as a consequence of the "global health crisis", the World Economic Forum WEF in Geneva announced a "unique twin summit" for January 2021 in Davos, Switzerland.(1) The theme should be "The Great Reset". The WEF defines …
(2020-12-02). Iran scientist assassination a state terrorism. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 02 (MNA) — Chairman of Russian Duma's International Affairs Committee called assassination of nuclear and defense scientist 'Mohsen Fakhrizadeh' as example of state terrorism.
(2020-12-02). Provisional Government Of West Papua Won't Bow Down To Jakarta. popularresistance.org Today, we announce the formation of our Provisional Government of West Papua. We are ready to take over our territory, and we will no longer bow down to Jakarta's illegal martial rule. From today, December 1, 2020, we begin implementing our own constitution and reclaiming our sovereign land. | On this day in 1961, the elected West New Guinea Council raised the Morning Star flag in Jayapura. Our national anthem and name, West Papua, were accepted. Diplomats from Australia, the Netherlands and the UK, and a delegation from colonised Papua New Guinea had already witnessed the formation of the Council on April 5, 196…
(2020-12-02). Saturday 12/5: France: Mass Protests Against a Government Crackdown (Online meeting). indybay.org Online meeting, see website for details…
(2020-12-01). Did The Australian Media & Military Collude To Launch An Infowar Attack On Russia?>. oneworld.press The Australian Broadcasting Corporation appears to have colluded with the Australian Defence Ministry to launch an information warfare attack on Russia under the pretext of responding to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova's scathing comments condemning the island nation for the war crimes that Canberra itself recently concluded that its soldiers carried out in Afghanistan, which also served to mislead the Australian public and therefore violated the publicly financed media outlet's first editorial standard to "maintain [its] independence and integrity".
(2020-12-01). IMF Refuses to Help Ukraine. globalresearch.ca Ukraine's economic situation is getting more and more complicated. The country is going through a moment of great crisis, from which it hoped to mitigate the effects by receiving emergency financial aid from the International Monetary Fund. However, the IMF …
(2020-12-01). Anti-imperialists petition EU to recognize Venezuelan elections. peoplesdispatch.org Members of the European Network of Solidarity with Venezuela turned in a petition calling for the European Union to recognize the upcoming Venezuelan elections. The petition was signed by prominent left-wing public figures and leaders from Europe and Latin America and had more than 3,500 signatures from over 30 nations. It is part of an international campaign against regime change attempts in the Latin American nation. Venezuela is scheduled to hold its parliamentary election on December 6, the first since the abortive attempt to overthrow the government in January 2019. | The petitioners have asked the EU leader…
(2020-12-01). Biden Appointee Spread Russian Hacker Conspiracy. scheerpost.com By Glenn Greenwald / substack The announcement that Joe Biden intends to nominate Neera Tanden as his Director of the Office of Management and Budget — a critical position overseeing U.S. economic and regulatory policy — triggered a wide range of mockery, indignation and disgust from both the left and the right. That should not be surprising: though a thoroughly mediocre and ordinary D.C. |
(2020-12-01). Nuremberg Trial: 75 years Ago and What it Means Today. dissidentvoice.org On Saturday 21 November 2020 Russia celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the beginning of the Nuremberg Trials which started on 20 November 1945 and lasted almost a year, until 1 October 1946. The Tribunal was given the task of trying and judging 24 of the most atrocious political and military leaders of the Third Reich. …
(2020-12-01). "I spoke to impoverished families in 1975 and little has changed since then" dissidentvoice.org 
A British family from the film Smashing Kids, 1975. Photograph: John Garrett John Pilger interviewed Irene Brunsden in Hackney, east London about only being able to feed her two-year-old a plate of cornflakes in 1975. Now he sees nervous women queueing at foodbanks with their children as it's revealed 600,000 more kids are in poverty …
(2020-12-01). The Future of the United States Is at Stake in Georgia. commondreams.org The two U.S. Senate races there are a microcosm of America's struggle to find a way forward. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/possible-double-runoff-georgia-senate.jpg …
(2020-12-01). Berlin warns against 'rash actions' in Afghanistan, says further troop withdrawal must be linked with peace talks. rt.com 
The German foreign minister has called on the NATO alliance to carefully consider the impact that further troop withdrawals from Afghanistan would have on the peace process, warning against reckless actions. | Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday that North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members must be cautious not to jeopardize the peace process in Afghanistan by withdrawing troops prematurely. | "As NATO partners, we want to ensure that we tie further troop reductions in Afghanistan to clear conditions," he said. | Maas was speaking ahead of a virtual meeting with his NATO colleagues in which tr…
(2020-12-01). US accuses UAE of funding Russian mercenaries in Libya. middleeasteye.net 
US accuses UAE of funding Russian mercenaries in Libya | A US Africa Command says Wagner Group's support of Khalifa Haftar may have been paid for by its ally the United Arab Emirates | Tue, 12/01/2020 – 13: 21 | The US Pentagon said Wagner had deployed 2,000 mercenaries in Libya to prop up Haftar's attempt to take control of Tripoli (AFP) | The United States has accused its ally the UAE of funding Russian merc…
(2020-12-01). Nuclear war between US & Russia more likely as Americans 'share' bombs with European NATO members — Deputy FM Ryabkov. rt.com 
Russia has called for the US to halt the deployment of nuclear weapons on the territory of NATO's European members, arguing it both violates the terms of existing treaties and makes a devastating conflict more likely to happen. | Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told a meeting sponsored by energy companies Chevron and Transneft on Monday that Moscow "hopes that the United States will stop 'sharing' nuclear weapons with its allies, and stop deploying nuclear weapons in countries that do not possess such weapons… Obviously, this leads to destabilization, in addition, new risks appear," he added, "and thi…
(2020-12-01). Berlin warns against 'rash actions' in Afghanistan, says further troop withdrawal must be linked with peace talks. rt.com The German foreign minister has called on the NATO alliance to carefully consider the impact that further troop withdrawals from Afghanistan would have on the peace process, warning against reckless actions. | Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Tuesday that North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members must be cautious not to jeopardize the peace process in Afghanistan by withdrawing troops prematurely. | "As NATO partners, we want to ensure that we tie further troop reductions in Afghanistan to clear conditions," he said. | Maas was speaking ahead of a virtual meeting with his NATO colleagues in which tr…
(2020-12-01). After years of research, top Moscow health official reveals Russia may be close to unveiling prototype 'HIV vaccine'. rt.com 
Russia's research into the development of a HIV vaccine appears to be bearing fruit with progress reported in relation to a number of prototypes, the head of the country's health regulator said on Tuesday. | Anna Popova, the head of the federal health agency Rospotrebnadzor, explained that several formulas were under investigation by scientists who had worked in the area for "a sufficient number of years." | "We have our own prototypes, we have our own vaccines," she said. Popova added that Novosibirsk's Vector Research Center has a prototype, and "a number of other research organizations in Russia have their…
(2020-12-01). 'Not useful': Iranian govt speaks out against its parliament backing an end to international inspections of nuclear sites. rt.com 
The national parliament of Iran on Tuesday approved a bill demanding the suspension of UN inspections of its nuclear facilities, but the country's government has opposed the move as "neither necessary nor useful." | The bill approved by MPs would suspend any further UN inspections, and require the government to "produce and store 120kg per year of uranium enriched to 20 percent" if European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal fail to provide relief from oil and banking sanctions. | This would run counter to Iran's commitments under the deal agreed with world powers, and the parliament's vote prompted the exec…
(2020-12-01). Russia makes defensive missiles combat ready in Far East as recent border incursion by US forces sparked tensions. rt.com 
Moscow has ordered an advanced air-defense system to be readied for action on the remote Kuril Islands in the Sea of Japan, just days after claiming to have intercepted a US warship that sailed into Russian waters in the region. | Colonel-General Gennady Zhidko, the regional commander of the Air Defense Forces, personally inspected the S-300V4 missile launcher, and praised its operators' "training to act upon detection of any violation of the air borders of the Russian Federation in the Kuril Islands." | The news comes only a week after the country's navy reportedly threatened to ram the USS 'John McCain', a U…
(2020-12-01). Phallic statue in Bavarian mountains vanishes… just like mysterious Utah monolith. rt.com 
German police have launched a probe into the disappearance of a famous phallus-shaped statue on the slopes of a Bavarian mountain. And this story has uncanny echoes of that of the metal monolith discovered in Utah last week. | The two-meter-tall wooden statue had become one of the landmarks of the Grunten Mountain, south-west of Munich. The statue was marked as a "cultural monument" on Google maps, and hikers loved taking photos of themselves next to it. | But last weekend, the monument disappeared, with only a stump being left in the spot where it had been erected, Germany's Allgaeuer Zeitung newspaper report…
(2020-12-01). The killer mines of Libya: How they work, what they do. middleeasteye.net 
The killer mines of Libya: How they work, what they do | After a decade of upheaval, Libya is awash with arms. But mines found since Haftar's assault on Tripoli are of a new type likely brought in by the Wagner Group | Tue, 12/01/2020 – 14: 31 | A diagram in a Tripoli military base of a OZM-72 found in situ by GNA forces (MEE/Daniel Hilton) | Fourteen months of fighting in Tripoli has turned the Li…
(2020-12-01). Brussels lockdown orgy: Hungarian EU lawmaker and diplomats among 25 men busted by police during 'gang bang'. rt.com 
A member of the European Parliament and several diplomats were caught by police at an illegal lockdown "orgy" in a bar in central Brussels, with local media reporting that the lawmaker tried to flee the scene through a window. | Officers reportedly encountered 25 naked men enjoying a drink-and-drugs-fuelled "party of legs in the air" when they raided the venue on Rue des Pierres in the Belgian capital on Friday night. "We interrupted a gang bang!" a source told the Belgian newspaper La Dernière Heure (DH). | MEP József Szájer admitted in a statement on Tuesday that he was at the "private p…
(2020-12-01). US accuses UAE of funding Russian mercenaries in Libya. middleeasteye.net US accuses UAE of funding Russian mercenaries in Libya | A US Africa Command says Wagner Group's support of Khalifa Haftar may have been paid for by its ally the United Arab Emirates | Tue, 12/01/2020 – 13: 21 | The US Pentagon said Wagner had deployed 2,000 mercenaries in Libya to prop up Haftar's attempt to take control of Tripoli (AFP) | The United States has accused its ally the UAE of funding Russian merc…
(2020-12-01). EU wants lion's share of fishing in 'our waters,' UK's Gove says with Brexit talks stuck on 3 issues. rt.com 
Senior cabinet minister Michael Gove said on Tuesday that Brexit trade talks remain stalled on three main sticking points and accused the European Union of asking too much from Britain. | The talks on future ties between the EU and UK are stuck on fishing, governance rules and dispute resolution, the minister told Sky. | The EU still wants to take the lion's share of the fishing in our waters — that's not fair… The EU still want us to be tied to their way of doing things. | Gove later told ITV that "it's important that the EU also lives up to its responsibilities as well." | There is a possibility that…
(2020-12-01). Brussels lockdown orgy: Hungarian EU lawmaker and diplomats among 25 men busted by police during 'gang bang'. rt.com 
A member of the European Parliament and several diplomats were caught by police at an illegal lockdown "orgy" in a bar in central Brussels, with local media reporting that the lawmaker tried to flee the scene through a window. | Officers reportedly encountered 25 naked men enjoying a drink-and-drugs-fuelled "party of legs in the air" when they raided the venue on Rue des Pierres in the Belgian capital on Friday night. "We interrupted a gang bang!" a source told the Belgian newspaper La Dernière Heure (DH). | MEP József Szájer admitted in a statement on Tuesday that he was at the "private p…
(2020-12-01). Mysterious monolith surfaces in ROMANIA, days after similar object disappeared from Utah desert. rt.com 
A strange metallic monolith has been spotted in Romania just days after a similar structure was discovered in a remote Utah desert — before being removed by an unknown party. | The cryptic 13-foot (4m) object was found near an ancient fortress and archaeological site in the city of Piatra Neamt. | Photographs and videos show that the structure has a startling resemblance to a similar monolith that was discovered, but then hauled away by an unidentified group, in Utah last week. However, the Romanian monolith is decorated with a loop-like script that appears to be etched into the object's metallic veneer.
(2020-12-01). France threatens to seek EU-level response if hit by US sanctions over its digital tax on tech giants. rt.com 
France's finance minister has vowed it won't back down in the face of looming US trade sanctions in response to its digital tax on American tech giants, and said it would instantly seek a reaction from the EU if hit by tariffs.
(2020-12-01). WATCH police arrest driver who plowed through pedestrians in central Trier, Germany. rt.com 
The moment police arrested a car driver who sped though a pedestrian area in the German town of Trier, killing at least four people and injuring several others, has been allegedly caught on video and shared online. | The clip circulating on social media appears to show three officers pinning the suspect to the ground and handcuffing him as several others secure the perimeter. | The dark grey Range Rover, which was apparently used in the attack, was also captured in the footage. The police allegedly had to ram the vehicle with a car in order to stop it. | WATCH police arrest driver who plowed through pedestrian…
(2020-12-01). Moscow to ban state officials & military personnel from holding foreign citizenships & residence permits as part of major reform. rt.com 
Russian President Vladimir Putin has introduced a new bill to ban civil servants and armed forces personnel from holding other allegiances. The measure is set to apply to around one million state employees. | They will be prohibited from holding foreign citizenships and residence permits under the plan, which has been published in the State Duma's online database. | "A soldier, a federal state civil servant, an employee of state security bodies can only be a citizen of the Russian Federation who does not have citizenship (nationality) of a foreign state or a residence permit or other document confirming the ri…
(2020-12-01). Trier car-ramming apparently was 'on purpose,' officials say, as 4, including child, confirmed dead. rt.com 
Police have confirmed four deaths in Trier, Germany after a car plowed into a pedestrian area. While the driver's actions appear to have been intentional, the public prosecutor says there are no indications of an Islamist motive. | Also on rt.com | | DETAILS TO FOLLOW…
(2020-12-01). The more the merrier? Philippines orders Covid-19 vaccines from FOUR different countries. rt.com 
As nations around the world begin lining up for the roll-out of a range of coronavirus jabs, the Philippines has apparently decided to hedge its bets by purchasing four different vaccine brands. | The Southeast Asian country will procure Covid-19 vaccines developed by China's Sinovac, the US-German Pfizer-BioNTech partnership, the UK's AstraZeneca-Oxford University variant, as well as the jab created by Russia's Gamaleya Center, known as Sputnik V. | Read more | | The decision…
(2020-12-01). At least two killed, dozens injured by speeding car in pedestrian zone of Trier, Germany (VIDEO). rt.com 
At least two people were killed and dozens of others injured in an incident in the German town of Trier after a car plowed through a pedestrianized zone Tuesday afternoon. | Authorities have only officially confirmed two fatalities, one of whom was a baby, but German news outlets are reporting that at least four people died during the incident. | Eyewitnesses said the speeding sports utility vehicle (SUV) hit a baby stroller as it plowed through a crowd of people. | Officials have
(2020-12-01). Russian diplomatic staff injured in IED bombing in Afghan capital Kabul – Foreign Minstry. rt.com 
Employees of the Russian diplomatic mission in Afghanistan have suffered minor injuries after their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in the capital Kabul, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow confirmed on Tuesday. | The people inside the car suffered "mild concussions," spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters during a briefing. She added that the ministry believes the IED was intended for a vehicle carrying Afghan security forces loyal to the government in Kabul, but does not rule out the possibility of a terrorist attack aimed against Russian citizens. | Moscow has called on Kabul to conduct a thorough…
(2020-12-01). Russian diplomatic staff injured in IED bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan. rt.com Employees of the Russian diplomatic mission in Afghanistan have suffered minor injuries after their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Kabul, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow has confirmed. | The people inside the car suffered "mild concussions," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters during a briefing in Moscow on Tuesday. | The Foreign Ministry believes the IED was intended for a vehicle carrying Afghan security forces loyal to the government in Kabul, but does not rule out the possibility of a terrorist attack aimed against Russian citizens. | Moscow has called on Kabul to cond…
(2020-12-01). Germany's Undiplomatic Threat to Russia, Triggers Harsh Rebukes from Moscow, Russia-Germany Relations in Crisis. globalresearch.ca The German Defense Minister's undiplomatic threat that her country must negotiate "from a position of strength" with Russia, especially regarding military issues, triggered some harsh rebukes from Moscow which aimed to remind her of how unacceptable it is for Berlin …
(2020-12-01). Moving Past Apartheid: One-State is not Ideal Justice, but It is Just and Possible. dissidentvoice.org Once again, Europe's top diplomats expressed their 'deep concern' regarding Israel's ongoing illegal settlement expansion, again evoking the maxim that Israeli actions "threaten the viability of the two-state solution". This position was communicated by EU Foreign Affairs Chief, Josep Borrell, on November 19, during a video-conference with Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister, Riyad al-Maliki. All Israeli …
(2020-12-01). Deaths mount as Spain's PSOE—Podemos government escalates assault on migrants. wsws.org At least nine migrants died last week trying to reach the Canary Islands, bringing the total deaths on the West African migration route to more than 500 this year.
(2020-12-01). #24. Silenced in Savannah: Journalist Abby Martin Challenges Georgia's BDS "Gag Law" projectcensored.org Journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin, a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that aims to end support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians, was scheduled to give a…