(2021-12-17). Cyprus: More awareness of Armenian and Cypriot Maronite Arabic languages. moderndiplomacy.eu State authorities in Cyprus continue to support minority language speakers by funding existing cultural institutions and establishing new sports facilities where their languages can be used, according to a new report by the Committee of Experts for the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. (see executive summary in Greek) The Charter had entered into …
(2021-12-17). COVID-19 infections in France explode to over 60,000 per day. wsws.org As the vaccine-resistant Omicron variant spreads across Europe, daily new cases in France are exploding, rising from 5,940 cases to over 60,000 in just one month.
(2021-12-17). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org Continuing strike wave of French transport workers over pay and conditions joined by waste collection workers and extracurricular school staff; national one-day strike across Italy against government's budget joined by teachers demanding more resources; strike by teachers across 100 Iranian cities over pay and conditions attacked by police; municipal and health workers strike in Free State, South Africa over pay and conditions…
(2021-12-17). Volkswagen to cut around 900 temporary jobs in Germany. wsws.org Volkswagen is cutting the positions of around 900 temporary workers in the midst of the current coronavirus wave. VW General Works Council Chairwoman Daniela Cavallo and VW brand board member Ralf Brandstà§tter announced this just four weeks before Christmas in an online workforce meeting.
(2021-12-17). German Chancellor Scholz's first speech: Praising Merkel, threatening Russia and committing to mass infection. wsws.org The new Chancellor's remarks confirmed the assessment of the WSWS that the programme of the so-called traffic light coalition of SPD (red), Liberals (FDP, yellow) and Greens is a declaration of war on the working class.
(2021-12-17). Red Star Over the Third World w/ Vijay Prashad: Lessons of Soviet History, Part 2. mronline.org 
Russia's October Revolution in 1917 and the rise of Soviet power reverberated across the world, from Latin America to Africa to Asia, and Middle East — that part of the world that lived under the ravages of colonialism and under-development.
(2021-12-16). Flanked by Ukrainian president, NATO chief issues abrasive writ of indictment to Russia. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Joint press point by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Edited. Only Stoltenberg's statements are currently available in transcript form. It's more than a little surprising that Zelensky hasn't been taught English; his generals have been. In the video below his threats are directed against Belarus as well as …
(2021-12-16). Neocons Bent On Starting Another Disaster In Ukraine. popularresistance.org 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 "Being a Neocon Means Never Having to Say You're Sorry." And in this regard, the story of the Kagan family is instructive. | Robert Kagan, a contributing columnist for The Washington Post, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and author of pseudo-his…
(2021-12-16). New U.S. military budget includes another $300 million for Ukraine, $150 million for Baltic states. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com US Senate approves defense budget with $300 million in support for Ukraine The US Senate has approved a draft defense budget for 2022 in the amount of $768 billion. The bill provides the allocation of $300 million to support Ukraine as European Truth reported. 89 legislators voted in favor, 10 opposed. The $770 billion draft …
(2021-12-16). Russia closer to NATO's eastern flank than ever: Lithuanian president. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com In 1989 NATO's "eastern flank" was a narrow strip of Norway and the Berlin Wall. In 1991 it was a reunified Germany's borders with Poland and then Czechoslovakia. Now it's Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Albania, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and, with Enhanced Opportunities Partners, Finland, Sweden, Ukraine …
(2021-12-16). Ukraine, Turkey, Azerbaijan form pan-Turkic bloc against Russia in Crimea. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Zelensky invites President of Azerbaijan to host Kyiv-Ankara-Baku summit in Feb During his working visit to Brussels, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, during which they discussed issues of enhancing bilateral cooperation between the countries… It is noted that Zelensky thanked Aliyev for supporting the sovereignty …
(2021-12-16). U.S., Canadian defense chiefs discuss "Russian aggression" antibellum679354512.wordpress.com The United States and Canada are deeply concerned about Russia's aggressive actions in and around Ukraine. "During their one-hour call, Minister Anand and Secretary Austin discussed key issues of mutual interest between our two nations, including shared concerns regarding Russia's recent aggressive and destabilizing actions in and around Ukraine," reads the news release of the …
(2021-12-16). Max Boot: U.S. should use Ukrainian Insurgent Army, Afghan Mujahideen models against Russia. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com This is in response to an article from Max Boot, who is Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and regular contributor to The Washington Post; in fact from that newspaper's edition of December 15 entitled To deter a Russian attack, Ukraine needs to prepare for guerrilla …
(2021-12-16). Zelensky invites NATO warships, warplanes, troops for more exercises in Black Sea. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Ukraine wants to boost number of international exercises in Black Sea "Ukraine initiated a negotiation process with partners in the Black Sea region to step up confidence-building measures, increase the number of exercises and training activities," President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, …
(2021-12-16). UAE Charts a Path to Regional Leadership. journal-neo.org 
Apart from making a defense deal — which came as a potential snub to the US' dillydallying on the sale of the F-35s to Abu Dhabi — with France to purchase 80 state-of-the-art Rafael jets, the UAE is cosying up to Iran and Turkey as a means to place itself as a key player in …
(2021-12-16). Health workers hang up their lab coats in protest. peoplesdispatch.org More than 300 health workers in Konjic in the south of Bosnia and Herzegovina decided to hang up their lab coats at the entrance of Konjic General Hospital on 15 December, in protest against a financial crisis that the town's health institutions have been struggling with for months on end. Nurses, doctors, and other health workers warned the authorities that this was their last warning before they quit en masse, a move that would cause the collapse of health services in the area. | The protest is the latest in a series of workers' actions since late November this year. Until now, workers have engaged in striking…
(2021-12-16). Video: U.S.-led NATO battle group in Poland. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Video: enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Poland Comprised of units from four Allied nations: Croatia, Romania, the UK and US, NATO's enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup Poland is a key asset….in the [NATO] eastern flank. As part of their mission, Battlegroup Poland is continuously executing training exercises to enhance their readiness and ability to operate as …
(2021-12-16). Venezuela Slams the Intrusion of the EP in Cuban Affairs. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia denounced the European Parliament's interference in Cuba matters. | RELATED: | In his Twitter account, Plasencia slams the intentions of the European Parliament to use the Human Rights issue in that Caribbean nation as a political instrument. | His statement came right after the European organization introduced Cuba's situation on the Thursday debate once agai…
(2021-12-16). Greenpeace Demands immediate return of German plastic waste. moderndiplomacy.eu Greenpeace, Basel Action Network (BAN), Zero Waste Europe and other organizations are calling for illegally exported waste to be returned to Germany. On December 2, the environmental groups prevented 37 containers with German plastic waste from being loaded in the port of Piraeus (Greece), and the customs authorities there confiscated the containers. In a letter …
(2021-12-16). Why Cuba Does Not Have an Anti-Vaccine Movement. libya360.wordpress.com Marc Vandepitte, Toon Danhieux Increasingly, large sectors of the European population, and in the US to a lesser extent, openly express their distrust towards their government's policies to combat COVID-19. The reaction of the traditional policy is one of panic and is characterized by paternalism and repression: general obligation to vaccinate and restricting freedom of…
(2021-12-16). Tomgram: Alfred McCoy, On the Most Fundamental of All Human Rights: Survival. warisacrime.org This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. Yes, it's far more extreme and happening far faster than anyone imagined possible. From Australia to China, Germany to Greece, Canada to the U.S. and beyond, the planet is already being devastated by climate change. And no, I …
(2021-12-16). Iranian vaccines to be exported to other countries soon: FM. en.mehrnews.com Hungary agreed to accept the visa of Iranian citizens vaccinated with Iranian-made vaccines, the Iranian Foreign Minister said, adding that in the near future, Iranian vaccines will be exported to other countries.
(2021-12-16). China's Economic Diplomacy: Where do Taiwan and Kosovo fit in? moderndiplomacy.eu The attempt to unite Taiwan with the mainland since 1979 when Deng Xiaoping instituted the principle of "one country, two systems" has been ineffective to date. In fact, China is struggling with so-called "own provinces," such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Tibet, to name just a few. Internal conflicts are usually a cause of imbalance power …
(2021-12-16). "Time is short": U.S. continues to sell Black Hawks to Polish army. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Four more Black Hawks for Polish army: defence minister Poland's defence ministry on Wednesday signed a deal to buy four more American-designed S-70i Black Hawk helicopters for the country's military from aerospace manufacturer PZL Mielec. "We are strengthening the Polish armed forces," Defence Minister Mariusz B≈Çaszczak told reporters…. He congratulated PZL Mielec on the deal, …
(2021-12-16). China-Russia cooperation contributes to world peace, stability. ecns.cn Following the video meeting on Wednesday between the leaders of China and Russia, experts shared their views on China-Russia cooperation, saying that their relations play an important role in sustaining world peace and stability.
(2021-12-16). UN organization confirms hottest Arctic temperature. ecns.cn The World Meteorological Organization has officially recognized a new Arctic temperature record of 38 C in the Russian town of Verkhoyansk, and the agency says it is investigating an unprecedented number of additional extreme weather events that it links to climate change.
(2021-12-16). The Heat: Xi-Putin meeting. america.cgtn.com 
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a video summit on Wednesday. The two leaders discussed a range of major issues including their countries close bilateral ties, security and trade. To discuss: Victor Gao is a current affairs commentator and a Chair Professor …
(2021-12-16). Russian official says Third World War underway in cyberspace. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Full-blown warfare in cyberspace in progress, says Russian diplomat Full-scale military activities are unfolding in cyberspace, Special Russian Presidential Representative for International Cooperation in Cybersecurity and Director of the Foreign Ministry International Security Department Andrey Krutskikh said at the 9th All-Russian congress of political scientists held at MGIMO University on Thursday. "The war [in cyberspace] …
(2021-12-16). 89-10: Senate sends record-high $768 billion war budget authorization to White House. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com The Senate vote was 89-10.The House vote was 363-70.It's the highest-ever Pentagon budget in current dollars and the largest since World War II in constant dollars. Russian military spending for 2020 was an estimated $61.7 billion, less than 1/12 of next year's U.S. defense spending. Senate Passes $768 Billion Defense Bill, Sending It to Biden …
(2021-12-16). Russian Proposals for Dialogue Have Had No Answer From NATO. telesurenglish.net After numerous proposals by Russia's government for a security dialogue sent to NATO, it has not given a single answer, said Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday. | RELATED: | "We know what security issues are. This is why we are creating armed forces, calling on our Western partners to engage in talks on ways to make the world a safer and a more stable place, prevent conflicts and resolve issues peacefully," stated the Spokeswoman. | "Ho…
(2021-12-16). Afghanistan's Labyrinth of Opportunity. journal-neo.org 
Four months after the withdrawal of the US and NATO troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban (movement is banned in the Russian Federation) attempts to shape the country on their image, despite the lack of recognition. Nevertheless, they have complete freedom from their neighbors to do whatever they want. They do not officially interfere but try …
(2021-12-16). G7 threats push Russia-China ever closer together. asiatimes.com 
The initiative by Beijing to propose a virtual meeting between President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place on Wednesday, radically transforms the geopolitics of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) relentless eastward expansion and the Western military deployments on Russia's borders. The announcement of the meeting in Beijing came within a …
(2021-12-16). Russia To Build More Soyuz Ships To Develop Space Tourism. telesurenglish.net On Thursday, the director of the Russian space agency Roscosmos Dmitri Rogozin announced that his country will manufacture up to four Soyuz manned spacecraft per year in order to develop the space tourism industry. | RELATED: | He also indicated that Energuía Corporation, Russia's leading manufacturer of rockets and spacecraft, will present a plan to increase production. | After the cancellation of the NASA shutt…
(2021-12-16). US Congress approves massive $770 billion war budget. wsws.org The strategic orientation of the huge military bill is to prepare for war against Russia, China or both. Coupled with Tuesday's vote to raise the debt ceiling, congressional Democrats have satisfied their two main constituencies: the Pentagon and Wall Street.