(2021-12-15). Putin hails Russia-China ties as paradigm of int'l relations in 21st century. ecns.cn Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia-China relations are a paradigm of international relations in the 21st century.
(2021-12-15). There is no alternative to JCPOA: Russia UN envoy. en.mehrnews.com Emphasizing that there is no alternative to the JCPOA, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to UN Russia views as dangerous and irresponsible attempts to portray JCPOA on Iran's nuclear program as outdated.
(2021-12-15). Crunch time coming after Biden-Putin meet. asiatimes.com 
Moscow is reiterating its "red lines," seeking long-term legal guarantees against NATO's further advancement to the east and the deployment of weapons on Russia's western borders. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on December 10, putting on record its expectation that long-term legal guarantees must be given "within a specific timeframe and on the …
(2021-12-15). Headlines for December 15, 2021. democracynow.org U.S. Tops 800,000 COVID Deaths as Officials Around the World Warn of Omicron's Rapid Spread, House Votes to Hold Mark Meadows in Contempt; D.C. Sues Oath Keepers, Proud Boys over Insurrection, Judge Dismisses Trump Attempt to Shield Tax Docs from House; NY Probe into Trump Org. Continues, Another GOP Rep. Attacks Ilhan Omar as House Passes Anti-Islamophobia Bill, Congress Votes to Increase Debt Ceiling by $2.5 Trillion, Averting Default, UAE Suspends Talks with U.S. on $23 Billion Arms Sale, Presidents Putin and Xi Meet Amid Mounting Tensions with U.S., Belarusian Opposition Leader Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison…
(2021-12-15). Neocons bent on starting another disaster in Ukraine. asiatimes.com 
If anything, Washington's neoconservatives have an unerring instinct for survival. Having brought about multiple disasters in the two decades since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, from the Iraq war to the twin debacles in Libya and Syria, the neocons seem to have perfected the art of failing up. Harvard University's Stephen Walt once quipped that …
(2021-12-15). Widespread boycott marks New Caledonia independence referendum. wsws.org The vote to remain part of France, boycotted by pro-independence Kanaks and widely viewed as illegitimate, resolves nothing.
(2021-12-15). Jailing Former Immigration Ministers: Denmark's Inger Stà∏jberg. dissidentvoice.org It's not the sort of thing you encounter regularly. A member of a government cabinet, responsible for arguably one of the country's most important portfolios, found both wanting and culpable for their actions after leaving their post. But this is what former Danish immigration minister Inger Stà∏jberg found when she was convicted for illegally separating …
(2021-12-15). Venezuela Challenges Illegal Blockade: New OPEC Data Published. orinocotribune.com While President Nicolás Maduro assures that 2022 will be the year for the definitive recovery of Venezuela, reports from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) point in the same direction, showing an increase in oil production despite the illegal US and European economic blockade. | In this way, it is evident how the South American nation has challenged the illegal coercive measures imposed by the United States government and its European lackeys, an economic attack that initially led to a 99% drop in Venezuela's foreign revenue, completely disrupting Venezuela's economy. | This was highlighted…
(2021-12-15). History of World War II: Did Mussolini's Fate Prompt Hitler to Kill Himself? globalresearch.ca First published on October 26, 2018 With Allied armies pushing ever northwards through the "tough old gut" of Italy, and German forces pulling out, Benito Mussolini took a long look at the situation before departing Milan on 25 April …
(2021-12-15). China, Russia to expedite cooperation on cutting-edge technologies: Xi. ecns.cn Xi Jinping said Wednesday that China and Russia should take the opportunities brought by the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and expedite industrial cooperation on cutting-edge technologies.
(2021-12-15). JCPOA members, US hold meeting to discuss talks' acceleration. en.mehrnews.com Russian representative in Vienna talks said that JCPOA participants, without Iran, and the US held a meeting on Tuesday to exchange views on how best to proceed in order to expedite the Vienna talks.
(2021-12-15). Russia anticipates new COVID surge, even as deaths remain at record highs. wsws.org The country continues to experience extremely high daily COVID-19 infections and death, as the spread of the Omicron variant threatens yet another spike.
(2021-12-15). A Drug-addled Parliament Rules the UK. journal-neo.org 
Lately, the more often you read British media material or speeches of politicians of the United Kingdom, the clearer becomes the thought: are they stoned or high on cocaine, commonly called "belted"? Judge for yourself: in January, British journalist Helen Rumbelow of The Times wrote a review of The Great (TV series) about the earlier …
(2021-12-14). The United States Is Using Nazis In Ukraine To Provoke War With Russia. popularresistance.org If you listen to the corporate media in the United States, you may believe the lies that say Russia is preparing to invade Ukraine. In reality, it is the United States, led by then vice president Joe Biden, that conducted a coup to replace the elected president of Ukraine in 2014 and has been training and arming Nazis to attack the ethnically Russian Donbass Region in eastern Ukraine ever since. There is daily violence against civilians and basic infrastructure. The Biden administration is escalating this aggression and trying to blame Russia with the support of the same corporate media that defended US attacks o…
(2021-12-14). Assange Extradition, US Appeal Result. popularresistance.org On Thursday afternoon I was in Edinburgh High Court to get back my passport, which had been confiscated during my own court proceedings avowedly to stop me going to Spain to testify in the trial of David Morales of UC Global. He stands accused by whistleblowers in his own company of spying on Julian Assange, his lawyers and other associates (including myself), on behalf of the CIA, and in engaging with them on plans to kidnap or assassinate Assange. | Having got my passport, I was wandering down the Canongate to buy a new sporran. I fear that I only wear my kilt on occasions where I end up not at all sober, and i…
(2021-12-14). Hungary: Ukraine's sixth battlefront? antibellum679354512.wordpress.com In addition to Belarus, Crimea, Donetsk, the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov, and Lugansk. Defense Ministry: Ukraine strengthens its borders due to threats in all directions Ukraine is strengthening its borders due to threats from all directions as the Defense Ministry of Ukraine reported. *** In November, Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov exchanged …
(2021-12-14). Belarus To Purchase Cuban Medicines for Agricultural Supplies. telesurenglish.net Belarus will purchase medicines from pharmaceutical organizations in Cuba and, in exchange, supply agricultural machinery, automobiles and spare parts to the Caribbean nation, according to a decree of President Alexander Lukashenko published Monday on the national legal website. | The purchases were made within the framework of the annual plan of centralized state purchases of medicines authorized through Belarus' federal budget.
(2021-12-14). Who is Responsible for the Deteriorating Situation in Lebanon? journal-neo.org 
For many years, Lebanon was considered the safe haven of the Middle East plagued by wars, instability, and colored revolutions. Many have referred to the country as the Middle East's Switzerland, including investments in Lebanon's economy from countries of the region where the political crises were raging. The country's banks were especially valued, prosperous and …
(2021-12-14). Government crisis in Sweden strengthens far-right. wsws.org For the first time, the Swedish parliament voted for a budget drafted by the conservative Moderate Party in collaboration with the far-right Sweden Democrats.
(2021-12-14). Political Corruption in U.S., Germany, and Russia. moderndiplomacy.eu The U.S. Government shaped the Governments of Germany and of Russia; and, therefore, the campaign-finance laws in these three countries will be compared here. The U.S. Government shaped the German Government not only because the U.S. Government (with the cooperation of its WW II allies) shaped post-War West Germany, but because that West German Government …
(2021-12-14). Russia may Find it Necessary Take Action to Secure its Borders with Ukraine, According to Dan Kovalik (Interview). orinocotribune.com Tensions eased after Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned of the US and NATO risking a "nightmare scenario of military confrontation" in Europe following NATO's expanding military infrastructure in Ukraine. While speaking at a conference of the Organizati…
(2021-12-14). Ukraine Is a Problem Only as Long as the West Makes It One. dissidentvoice.org 
Ukrainian servicemen take part in a drill of the airborne troops taking place in Zhytomyr region on November 21, 2018. (photo: AFP) Since the fall of the Soviet Union thirty years ago, US policy on Ukraine has been an ugly mix of inconsistency, quiet aggression, fear-mongering and stupidity. Now President Biden is recklessly intensifying the …
(2021-12-14). Fight for Crimea: Turkish president to visit Ukraine, attend High-Level Strategic Council meeting. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Ukraine in early 2022. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said this in his speech at the event "Diplomacy 2022: Priorities of the Foreign Policy Strategy of Ukraine"…. "Early [next] year, Turkish President Erdogan will visit Ukraine to hold a meeting of the High-Level Strategic Council. This will be …
(2021-12-14). How Do We Stop the Neocons From Starting Another Disaster in Ukraine? independentmediainstitute.org If anything, Washington's neoconservatives have an unerring instinct for survival. Having brought about multiple disasters in the two decades since 9/11—from the Iraq War to the twin debacles in Libya and Syria—the neoconservatives seem to have perfected the art of failing up. Harvard University's Stephen Walt once quipped that "Being a Neocon Means Never Having …
(2021-12-14). Ukraine appeals to new German government to unblock NATO arms deliveries. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Ukraine in talks with Germany to unblock arms purchases from NATO — Kuleba Ukraine is in talks with Germany to unblock the purchase by Kyiv of weapons systems…through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency. *** He recalled that Ukraine had previously gained access to NATO's defense procurement system, which means the Ukrainian Defense Ministry can …
(2021-12-14). Mapping Faultlines: After Biden-Putin summit, what next for Ukraine and the region? peoplesdispatch.org NewsClick's Prabir Purkayastha talks about the recent call between US president Joe Biden and Russian president Vladimir Putin and the emerging situation in Ukraine…
(2021-12-14). Britain may deploy military bases in Ukraine: Russian ambassador. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Deployment of UK military bases in Ukraine possible, Russian envoy says Russian Ambassador to UK Andrey Kelin speculated that London may deploy military bases in Ukraine under a bilateral agreement. "In theory, such situation is possible," he said on TV Tuesday, answering a question. "This is a privileged partnership, which the Americans, for example, have …
(2021-12-14). Video: President of Azerbaijan visits NATO HQ, attends 30-nation North Atlantic Council session. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev Welcome back to the NATO Headquarters.It is good to see you at again.This is actually your second time in the new building. We have just had a very constructive discussion.And you will now participate in a meeting of the …
(2021-12-14). President of Azerbaijan visits NATO HQ, attends 30-nation North Atlantic Council session. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev Welcome back to the NATO Headquarters.It is good to see you at again.This is actually your second time in the new building. We have just had a very constructive discussion.And you will now participate in a meeting of the …
(2021-12-14). Sudanese people's struggle against the military dictatorship. fightbacknews.org Dallas, TX – On April 11, Omar al-Bashir, the military leader of Sudan for over 20 years, from 1989 to 2019, was deposed in a military coup. The coup occurred amidst largescale protests calling for the overthrow of al-Bashir, demanding democracy and an end to austerity measures enacted by the government in response to the country being over $60 billion in debt to the International Monetary Fund and France. | The protests were largely led by the National Consensus Forces (NCF), an alliance consisting of political parties including the Sudanese Communist Party, the Sudanese Baath Party, the National Umma Party, and…
(2021-12-14). Cuba: Signing of New Agreement Strengthens Ties With France. telesurenglish.net Cuba and France signed six cooperation deals at the Bilateral Economic and Commercial Commission's ending held in the French Foreign Ministry's headquarters. | RELATED: | The meeting was headed by Rodrigo Malmierca, Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, and Franck Riester, the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness. | Notifications for the approval of financing from the Counter va…
(2021-12-14). Visegrad Four meeting: Chastised stepchild Poland defending NATO, EU border. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com EU must protect its borders, Polish PM says after V4 summit with France's Macron Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki attended a meeting between Visegrad Group leaders and French President Emmanuel Macron in Budapest on Monday, and said afterwards that the European Union must be able to protect its borders. The Budapest get-together, which was also …
(2021-12-14). As COVID-19 surges, France's Révolution Permanente attacks public health measures. wsws.org By opposing necessary health measures, the pseudo-left Révolution Permanente website aligns itself with the policies of Emmanuel Macron's government.
(2021-12-14). Spain's Foreign Minister Now Urges EU to Promote Dialogue in Venezuela. orinocotribune.com According to the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, the European Union (EU) should concentrate its efforts on encouraging dialogue between Venezuela's government and the opposition factions. | According to Albares, the EU should act as a bridge between both poles so that the dialogue process can restart and "for us to be able to see democracy win in Venezuela." | He also noted that in the EU C…
(2021-12-14). Massive workers' mobilization in Turkey demands fair minimum wage. peoplesdispatch.org 
In a massive rally in Istanbul called by the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (DiSK), workers demanded an increase in the minimum wage in the country to at least 5,200 Turkish Lira (USD 358.80) in order to meet their basic needs…
(2021-12-14). NATO's full-court press: Turkey denounces Republika Srpska as threat to "the whole of Europe" antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Turkey says Serb move to start quitting Bosnia's key institutions "dangerous" A vote by Serb lawmakers to start pulling their autonomous Serb Republic out of Bosnia's armed forces, judiciary, and tax system is "wrong, dangerous" and could threaten regional stability, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday. His comments came after Germany's new government …
(2021-12-14). Austria ends partial lockdown. wsws.org On Sunday, the limited lockdown, which had brought about a slight reduction in the number of infections after less than three weeks, was ended in almost all provinces by the Austrian government.
(2021-12-14). Chinese, Russian presidents to discuss NATO's bellicose rhetoric. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Russian, Chinese presidents to discuss NATO's belligerent rhetoric, says Kremlin spokesman Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will address NATO's belligerent rhetoric and tense situation in Europe during the talks, which are going to take place on Wednesday via video linkup, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Tuesday. "[The sides] will …
(2021-12-14). Nationalism and Liberal Democracies: The Rise of Nationalism in Brazil. moderndiplomacy.eu Twenty-five years ago, liberal democracies rose; the Berlin Wall had fallen, the Soviet Union collapsed, and new democracies emerged in Europe. In South Africa, the apartheid regime was removed. Even though the Chinese government brutally crushed a democracy, the belief existed that a more educated and wealthy middle class would demand democratic reforms. The 2008 …
(2021-12-14). The European Parliament's Double Standard on Cuba, Human Rights. telesurenglish.net teleSUR English reproduces in full a declaration from Cuba's Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the manipulative and politicized treatment of human rights in Cuba during the plenary session of the European Parliament this week. | Cuba asserted that "neither threats nor blackmail will wring from us the slightest political concession. Only the Cuban people can decide their destiny."
(2021-12-14). The Franco-German solidarity is the pivot to a sovereign Europe. moderndiplomacy.eu On December 8, Olaf Scholz was sworn in as new chancellor of Germany after his predecessor and political mentor Angela Merkel had governed the country for the past 16 years. In the wake of power-transition in Germany, Scholz went onto Paris and Brussels where he announced that he will earnestly work with other member states …
(2021-12-14). Winners Announced for 2021 Best Annual Report and Transparency Award. moderndiplomacy.eu The Best Annual Report and Transparency Award (BARTA) ceremony was held today in Tbilisi, the third occasion for celebration of this award since its establishment under the joint World Bank and European Union project — Georgia Financial Inclusion and Accountability, in partnership with the National Reforms Support Foundation in Accounting, Reporting and Auditing (RSF). BARTA, …
(2021-12-14). Latvia: NATO war games boost combat capability, interoperability, "rapid surge of combat-ready forces into and across the theater" antibellum679354512.wordpress.com NATO Allies enhance interoperability during exercise Winter Shield in Latvia Between 22 November and 4 December, Allies with the Latvian Mechanized Infantry Brigade, NATO's enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup Latvia and the U.S. 1 st Infantry Division conducted exercise Winter Shield. This annual military exercise served to upgrade Allied combat capabilities and interoperability, and demonstrate …
(2021-12-14). War Isn't Funny: a Comedy of Errors. itsgoingdown.org 
syndicated from The Transmetropolitan Review If everyone fought for their own convictions, there would be no war. —Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace Hey. Are you there? It's me, Barabule Cuterescu, the Moldovan peasant, your humble potato. This will be my fourth dispatch from northeastern Romania, and to be totally fucking honest, it could very…
(2021-12-14). Netherlands Blocks Venezuelan Delegation's Meeting with ICC. orinocotribune.com This Monday, December 13, the Netherlands prevented the arrival of a Venezuelan delegation that was to meet with the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan. The meeting had been agreed to in the memorandum of understanding signed between Venezuela and the ICC at the beginning of November. | The news was reported by Venezuela's Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, who indicated that she planned to head the delegation. "The government of the Netherlands has obstructed and prevented the delegation that would go to The Hague to fulfill the special mission in accordance with international treatie…
(2021-12-14). US Exit from Weapons Treaty Built Up Russia's Defense Industry. telesurenglish.net In June 2002 the U.S under former President George W. Bush's administration decided to exit the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM), putting an end to the accord that limited Washington and Moscow to only having two ABM complexes. | Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev declared on Tuesday the development of Russia's Defense and Arms industries occurred after US quit the ABM.
(2021-12-14). Russia wants a treaty with NATO on eastern enlargement. indybay.org There is now a need for "a treaty that prevents NATO from standing on the Russian border: " "We need to start negotiations on the new NATO expansion plans." Conceding such a "red line" to the Russians has so far been rejected by NATO…
(2021-12-14). Kiev to terrorize population with mass-scale "Russian invasion" drills. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Kyiv to host drills with alarm sirens in several weeks, — official Kyiv city administration prepares to conduct explanatory work with the population, drills with alarm sirens and trainings with police and subway employees in case the Ukrainian capital faces the attack by Russian forces. Andriy Kryschenko, the deputy head of Kyiv city state administration …
(2021-12-14). The 0.01% vs. the rest of us. canadiandimension.com 
Protestors in the Occupy movement in Manchester, United Kingdom, 2011. Photo by Plashing Vole/ While the one percent are obviously much richer than the average person, the disparity is even more stark when we look at the ultra-elite 0.01 percent. | The figure above shows just how much higher ultra-elite incomes are than even other members of the…