(2020-12-21). Today is Stalin's birthday. fightbacknews.org December 21 marks the birthday of Joseph Stalin, leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. | Though reviled in the West, Stalin oversaw the period of socialist construction in the USSR. Under his leadership the country abolished illiteracy, unemployment, homelessness, and put an end to Russia's centuries-long history of famines. Under the leadership of Stalin, the USSR played a key role in turning back the tide of fascism and the defeat of Nazi Germany. This victory was not just a victory for the Soviet Union and socialism, but a victory for the peoples of the world…
(2020-12-21). Germany: Coronavirus pandemic exacerbates social inequality. wsws.org An Economic and Social Science Institute (WSI) report by the trade union-sponsored Hans Bà∂ckler Foundation sheds light on the income losses workers have suffered in recent months.
(2020-12-21). Austrian students demand support amid COVID-19 crisis, reject changes to university law. peoplesdispatch.org Austrian students have been seeking comprehensive financial support in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. They are also calling for the withdrawal of proposed changes to the University Act which impose higher grade point requirements for them to pass their courses…
(2020-12-21). 80,000 People Sign "Stop Clinical Trials of Corona Vaccines" Petition —European Medicines Agency (EMA) Silent. globalresearch.ca Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg, pulmonologist and former head of a public health department, and Dr. Michael Yeadon, ex-Pfizer research director for respiratory diseases, petitioned the EMA, the European Medicines Agency, on December 1, 2020, to immediately stop clinical trials of …
(2020-12-21). Joe Biden and the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty: A Timeline of Inaction and Disingenuous Proposals. globalresearch.ca Upon entering office on January 20, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden will have 16 days before the last remaining treaty limiting US and Russian nuclear arsenals, the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty ( The treaty limits …
(2020-12-21). Boris Johnson holds crisis talks as countries cut off UK over mutant coronavirus. thecanary.co 
Boris Johnson will hold crisis talks with senior ministers and officials after France banned hauliers carrying freight across the channel amid fears over the new coronavirus strain.Countries around the world have banned flights from the UK as an emergency response to the emergence of the mutant coronavirus, which spreads more easily than previous strains.Ahead of a meeting of the Cobra committee chaired by the prime minister, transport secretary Grant Shapps said emergency measures were being put in place to cope with a backlog of lorries heading for the channel ports. | But he sought to play down the potential i…
(2020-12-21). UK coronavirus variant is in Belgium, NL, but 'not yet' in France. laprensalatina.com Madrid Desk, Dec 21 (efe-epa).- A new infectious strain of coronavirus that was detected in the United Kingdom last week and which has led to increased restrictions on large parts of England ahead of the Christmas holidays has been circulating in Belgium and the Netherlands for at least a month, authorities in Brussels said. Officials …
(2020-12-21). Iran, Russia energy cooperation expanding: Oil Minister. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 21 (MNA) — Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zangeneh stressed that Iran and Russia seek to expand their energy cooperation.
(2020-12-21). Video allegedly showing Russian opposition figure Navalny 'talking to FSB officer' is fake, Russia's Security Service says. rt.com 
Footage published by the Russian opposition activist Alexey Navalny that purportedly demonstrates him talking to an 'FSB agent' about his alleged August poisoning is a fake, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has said. | A conversation between Navalny and a man described as one of the FSB agents supposedly involved in an alleged operation by the security service to poison and kill the opposition figure is nothing but a ruse, the FSB press service said in a statement. | The authors of the footage resorted to the phone number spoofing to conceal the real people involved in the conversation, FSB said, callin…
(2020-12-21). New COVID-19 variants under the microscope as travel bans mount over UK strain. news.un.org The UN health agency chief said on Monday that scientists have been working to understand new COVID-19 variants that have been reported in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
(2020-12-20). Video: Is Israel Searching for A Pretext to Invade Southern Syria? globalresearch.ca The Russian military and Russian-backed Syrian forces have been increasing their presence on the border with Iraq. | Less than a week ago, the Russian Military Police established a local HQ in al-Bukamal. Recently, the 5th Corps of the Syrian Army, …
(2020-12-20). Russia's Hypersonic 'Zircon' Missile Takes Flight. "Can't Be Seen on Radar". Strategic Implications. globalresearch.ca Russian state media reported a successful test flight of its new hypersonic missile, the Zircon. Flying at Mach 8 (8 times the speed of sound or around 10,000 kph), the missile poses a new and credible threat to the air …
(2020-12-20). Belarus on the Edge. counterpunch.org The ascent of Joe Biden and his neocon "promoters of democracy" to the White House likely means renewed attention to the idea of Color Revolutions once thought to bring liberation to nations under the heel of dictators. First in line for this latest geopolitical blessing could be Belarus, already site of protracted street protests in
(2020-12-20). It's Time for Africa: Assessing Russia's Relations with the Continent. globalresearch.ca A Moscow-based public policy advisor specializing in Russia, the Eurasian Union and Africa explains some of the aspects of current Russia-Africa relations, problems and challenges, as well as its future perspectives. While over the past two decades, Russia's efforts to …
(2020-12-20). "Global Security Bill: French government's posture is hypocritical and dangerous" peoplesdispatch.org Sofian Nejjari of Mouvement Jeunes communistes de France, a communist youth organization, talks about the protests against the Global Security Bill, the repression unleashed against the protesters and the impact of the policies of the Macron government…
(2020-12-20). No-Deal Brexit Still 'Likeliest Outcome' as Another Deadline Passes. sputniknews.com British and European Union sources told local media that the two sides were no closer to a post-Brexit trade deal on Sunday evening, despite weeks of intensive negotiations. They said the EU demands that it must continue the agreement on UK fishing waters, a key sticking point, with France still unwilling to bend on the issue.
(2020-12-20). 'Deep Canvassing' Targets Rural Georgia. zcomm.org "I think the one thing that we've learned is that it's important to connect with people's most immediate conditions"
(2020-12-19). How Georgia voters are transforming America's future. nationofchange.org They want to help the new administration put America on the path to health and shared prosperity.
(2020-12-19). France Cynically Hides Its Islamophobia Behind 'LaàØcité'. scheerpost.com MEAE ] By Mariamne Everett "… Our country is one that has no problems with any of the world's religions whatsoever, because they are all practised freely in our country. And to all French people of the Muslim faith, and indeed to citizens from anywhere else in the world whose religion is Islam, I should like to say to them that France is a country in which this religion, too, is freely practised."… |
(2020-12-19). Dystopian "Great Reset": "Own Nothing and Be Happy", Being Human in 2030. globalresearch.ca The World Economic Forum's (WEF) annual meeting at the end of January in Davos, Switzerland, brings together international business and political leaders, economists and other high-profile individuals to discuss global issues. Driven by the vision of its influential CEO Klaus …
(2020-12-19). US Votes Against UN Resolution Condemning Nazis. popularresistance.org The United States and Ukraine were the only two nations to vote against a United Nations resolution Wednesday on, "Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance." The resolution passed 130-2. | The resolution featured 70 fairly bland statements condemning the crimes of Adolf Hitler, while also expressing concern at the rise of contemporary Neo-Nazi groups. | "Neo-Nazism is more than just the glorification of a past movement, it is a contemporary phenomenon with strong vested inte…
(2020-12-18). US Votes Against UN Resolution Condemning Nazis, Labels It "Russian Disinformation" mintpressnews.com 
This is far from the first time the US has voted against similar resolutions; it has done so every year since 2014, dismissing them as Russian attempts to delegitimize the Ukrainian government.
(2020-12-18). Macron's Covid-hit visit was never going to be the tonic Lebanon needs. middleeasteye.net 
Macron's Covid-hit visit was never going to be the tonic Lebanon needs | The president has had to cancel his trip to Beirut, but in truth his 'French initiative' grew sick long before he did | Fri, 12/18/2020 – 15: 55 | French President Emmanuel Macron (R) speaks with Arnaud Tranchant, commander of the Tonnerre helicopter carrier, off the port of Beirut (AFP) | For anyone believing the format…
(2020-12-18). Explained: Sisi, Macron and the dubious history of France's Legion of Honour. middleeasteye.net 
Explained: Sisi, Macron and the dubious history of France's Legion of Honour | News that France granted the Egyptian leader an honorific medal has sparked outrage. But the grand cross has a long history of being handed out to questionable figures | Fri, 12/18/2020 – 16: 50 | French President Emmanuel Macron, right, welcomes Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at Elysee Presidential Palace on 7 De…
(2020-12-18). Learning the Lessons of the Latino Vote. counterpunch.org Among the many lessons learned in this year's election, one standout is that Latino voter turnout showed the power of extensive, culturally competent voter education and outreach. And in Georgia, we will soon discover whether progressive candidates have learned these lessons well enough to prevail again. Two critical U.S. Senate runoffs present an opportunity for
(2020-12-18). Air Force Veterans of Plutonium Dust Disaster Win Class Action Standing. counterpunch.org Air force veterans exposed to plutonium after a first-ever US nuclear weapons disaster in Spain have won extremely rare recognition as a class in a lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs. On Jan. 17, 1966, an air force B-52 bomber exploded over the village of Palomares, Spain during a routine airborne refueling. Seven airmen
(2020-12-18). Interview: Curitiba's First Afro-Brazilian Woman City Councilor. telesurenglish.net Carol Dartora, a history teacher and union activist in the Brazilian state of Parana has recently been elected as the first Black woman city councilor for Curitiba. She comes from the Workers Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores/PT) and recently gave an interview to Brian Mier. | Curitiba, the center of the US DOJ and FBI-backed Lava Jato investigation, has a reputation as a very conservative city. Priding itself on its German, Italian, Ukrainian and Polish heritage, during the 1930s it was the site of the largest Nazi rally ever to take place outside of Europe, and a recent study shows that there are currently at…