(2023-12-18). Big Oil Wins Big at COP28 in Dubai. transcend.org 14 Dec 2023 – COP29 next year will be in Azerbaijan, another repressive petrostate where on 5 Dec six journalists were arrested. Petrostates like the UAE and Azerbaijan play predictable roles in protecting the status quo, but it's the world's biggest petrostate that brandishes the most power inside the COPs: the United States.
(2023-12-19). Moms and their babies often share birth month. independent.co.ug 
ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | Women are more likely to have children in the same month as their own birth, and now researchers think they might know why. Births within immediate families tend to cluster within a given month, according to data on more than 10 million deliveries in France and Spain. Siblings tend to share the …
(2023-12-19). France, Germany still discussing specific numbers on debt reduction – German finance minister. devdiscourse.com Germany and France are still discussing the specific numbers in debt reduction that should be part of a reform of EU fiscal rules, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said on Tuesday in Paris.
(2023-12-19). Bretaña y Francia reiteraron que aspiran a que la operación especial rusa en Ucrania acabe en un fracaso. cubadebate.cu El secretario británico del Exterior David Cameron y su contraparte francesa Catherine Colonna insistieron en que Rusia no puede derivar beneficios de su agresión en momentos que flaquea la ayuda militar del principal financiador de Ucrania durante la guerra, Estados Unidos. Ni Cameron ni Colonna anunciaron nueva ayuda para Ucrania.
(2023-12-18). How could theater not be political? Left theater troupe in France fights eviction. peoplesdispatch.org Saint Denis city government allotted the La Belle Étoile theater, base of Compagnie Jolie Mà¥me since 2004, to a different group in November, over apprehensions of the group's politics…
(2023-12-18). 3rd World March for Peace and Non-Violence Takes Off in the Asia Pacific. pressenza.com 
Humanists and Peace Advocates Chat with the Founder and Lay the Groundwork for the 3rd WM in the Asia Pacific: | Humanists from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines, and Australia including friends from the UK, France, and Italy, got together to have a virtual chat with Rafael de la Rubia, about the up and coming 3rd World March of Peace and Non-violence. | Officially presented at the Congress of Deputies of Spain in Madrid on 2 October 2023, International Day of Nonviolence, in the Ernest Lluch Hall, the 3rd World March is being planned to start on October 2, 2024 from Costa Rica,…
(2023-12-18). France calls for Gaza ceasefire after consulate staff killed in Israeli bombing. presstv.ir French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has called for an "immediate" ceasefire in the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
(2023-12-18). 470 Levi's Workers In Turkey Need Support. indybay.org Workers in Turkey who make Levis are fighting against union busting and need international solidarity…
(2023-12-19). Activists block several airports in Belgium — grounding private jets, despite police crackdown. thecanary.co 
On Saturday 16 December, supporters of campaign group Belgium: airports blocked over climate crisis: | This happened just after hundreds of activists were arrested around Antwerp, while preparing to block Antwerp International airport, one of the biggest private jet airports in Belgium. Despite police targetting activists, a large group m…
(2023-12-19). BREAKING: "Later this Week, Denmark and the US will Sign a Defence Cooperation agreement" globalresearch.ca
(2023-12-19). Single-Use Food Packaging from 17 Countries Contains PFAS "Forever Chemicals" pressenza.com 19 December 2023, Gothenburg City, Sweden/Quezon City Philippines. A study released today by the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) and 18 IPEN member groups found toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals, including globally banned substances, in single-use, paper, cardboard, and plant-based molded fiber food containers and tableware purchased from 17 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. | PFAS chemicals have been linked to cancer, infertility, and endocrine disruption. Prior studies have shown that PFAS in food packaging can…
(2023-12-19). CJ Hopkins: The Gestapo raided homes in New Normal Germany as part of the Third European Day of Action Against Hate Crimes. expose-news.com In April 2022, during the second EU-wide joint action day against "hate crime," supported by Europol's European Counter Terrorism Centre, law enforcement authorities raided multiple locations across Europe and targeted 176 people …
(2023-12-18). Gaza and Ukraine leave Europe divided. independent.co.ug 
BRUSSELS | Xinhua | More than two months into the Israel-Hamas conflict, violence in the Middle East has no end in sight and Europe as a neighbor is still struggling to unify around a call for ceasefire in Gaza. The European Union (EU) summit ended December 15 without a much-expected tougher stance on the conflict …
(2023-12-18). Europe feels fallout of conflict in Gaza. ecns.cn Fallout from the Palestine-Israel conflict is increasingly being felt in Europe, including through social polarization and antagonism, as sharply divided views on the conflict pit Europeans against one another, analysts say.
(2023-12-18). More than half of Germans want new government and early elections. infobrics.org German minister says Europe will take between 5-8 years to recover its defensive capacity.
(2023-12-18). Acto de guerra de la Union Europea contra Rusia. strategic-culture.su 
El Consejo de jefes de Estado y de gobierno de la Unión Europea decidió, el 14 de diciembre de 2023, iniciar negociaciones de adhesión con Ucrania y con Moldavia. El Tribunal de Cuentas Europeo formulaba entonces 7 recomendaciones, evidentemente imposibles de aplicar en condiciones de guerra, sobre todo en los casos de la recomendación 2 (apoyo a la sociedad civil y al periodismo de investigación) y de la recomendación 3 (supresión de los obstáculos a la competencia libre y honesta).
(2023-12-19). US Granted Access to 15 Military Bases in Finland Under New Deal. news.antiwar.com The US and Finland signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) on Monday that gives the US access to 15 military bases in the Nordic nation, which shares an over 800-mile border with Russia. According to The Barent's Observer, the northernmost site in the agreement is a border guard base in Ivalo, a small town located …
(2023-12-19). How Much Longer Can Danes Snore While Their Security and Democracy are Being Stripped away and Danish Politics Increase the Risk of World War III? dissidentvoice.org 
It's a damn good thing we have Washington to inform the Danes about what's coming, right before Christmas when people are thinking about everything else. The procedure is completely obscene: An agreement is first signed (as with Norway, Finland and Sweden), and then it must (possibly) be approved by the Danish parliament: How on earth …
(2023-12-18). Finland's new 'defense' deal with US eerily reminds of similar one with Nazi Germany. infobrics.org An increase in American military presence in Finland should always be observed from the perspective of US expansionism, as the world's most aggressive country keeps moving its "defense" infrastructure ever closer to the borders of its geopolitical adversaries.
(2023-12-19). The Israeli state's fascist ideology and the genocide in Gaza. wsws.org This lecture was given by World Socialist Web Site International Editorial Board Chairman David North at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany.
(2023-12-18). Headlines for December 18, 2023. democracynow.org HRW Accuses Israel of Using Starvation as a Weapon of War in Gaza as Sweeping Assault Continues, Pope Francis Condemns Shooting of Two Palestinian Women at Gaza's Catholic Church, Gaza Hospitals Have Become a "Bloodbath" as Israel Targets Health Facilities, Residential Areas, Palestinian Authorities Call for Probe into Bulldozing Deaths at Kamal Adwan Hospital, Al Jazeera Journalist Samer Abudaqa Bleeds to Death After Israeli Drone Strike Amid Attack on Press, IDF Kills 3 Hostages as Israelis Demand Netanyahu Gov't Make Deal to Release Remaining Captives, U.K. and Germany Call for "S…
(2023-12-18). West Sabotaged Ukraine Peace Deal with Russia, Admit Zelensky Official and Germany's Ex-Leader. transcend.org 4 Dec 2023 – Russia wanted to sign a peace deal with Ukraine in March 2022, but NATO countries sabotaged it, according to Germany's former Chancellor Gerhard Schrà∂der and the parliamentary faction leader of Zelensky's political party, Davyd Arakhamia.
(2023-12-18). German-born panda twins arrive in Chengdu. ecns.cn The 4-year-old giant panda twins Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan, the first giant pandas born in Germany, arrived in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Sunday.
(2023-12-19). Italy court hands lifetime sentence to Pakistani parents in 'honour killing' case. devdiscourse.com An Italian court sentenced two parents to lifetime imprisonment on Tuesday for killing their teenage daughter after she refused to travel to Pakistan for an arranged marriage. The so-called honour killing of 18-year-old Saman Abbas, who went missing in April 2021, shocked Italy.
(2023-12-18). Serbia celebra sus quintas elecciones parlamentarias en 10 años. telesurtv.net Unos 100.000 electores serbios residentes en Kosovo podrán votar en cuatro municipios de la parte central de Serbia.
(2023-12-19). Ongwen transfered to Norway jail to serve 25-year jail sentence. independent.co.ug 
The Hague, Netherlands | THE INDEPENDENT | Dominic Ongwen, the former rebel Lord's Resistance (LRA) Army Commander will serve his 25-year jail term in Norway. He was transferred to an undisclosed detention facility in Norway on Monday, according to a statement from the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC)in the Netherlands. This comes more than two years after …
(2023-12-18). Israel-Palestine war: Israel should 'level Gaza and make it look like Auschwitz', says official. middleeasteye.net 
Israel-Palestine war: Israel should 'level Gaza and make it look like Auschwitz', says official | David Azoulay, head of northern Israeli town, calls for besieged enclave to become a museum that 'should resemble' the extermination camp in Poland | Mon, 12/18/2023 – 09: 49 | A smoke plume erupts during Israeli bombardment on the northern Gaza Strip near the border with southern Israel on 17 December 2023…
(2023-12-19). Former Ukrainian PM insists on Kiev joining NATO. infobrics.org According to former Prime Minister Yatsenyuk, Ukraine's entry into the Western military bloc would be the best way to put pressure on Russia.
(2023-12-19). Will political West transfer $300 billion of stolen Russian assets to Kiev regime. infobrics.org The political West is trying to hurt Russia by not only stealing its reserves, but also illegally transferring them to the Neo-Nazi junta. The obvious goal is to "adequately" substitute US funding that is now virtually guaranteed to run out thanks to the peculiarities of America's political system, as the growing GOP-DNC divide turns into an even bigger headache for Kiev.
(2023-12-19). Dedollarization: 95% of trade between China and Russia is no longer done in US currency. peoplesdispatch.org On a recent visit to China, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov stated that this year the use of the Russian ruble and Chinese yuan in trade between the two countries has already reached 95%. | At the same time, from January to October, 68% of all Russian trade was carried out in the two countries' currencies, according to Russian Minister of Economic Development Maksim Reshetnikov. | The yuan has also been used by Russia in commercial transactions with Mongolia, the Philippines, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Japan, Tajikistan, and Singapore. | The debate about the need for de-doll…
(2023-12-19). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds end-of-year news conference. informationclearinghouse.blog "We are becoming stronger every month" Watch It follows Vladimir Putin giving his own end-of-year news conference last week in which he said his war objectives had not changed — and that Russia will have met its stated aims of "denazification", demilitarisation and neutral status of Ukraine by the time the war ends. A Note …
(2023-12-19). Discussion of the 'Israeli-US bloodbath' on Iran's Press TV yesterday. gilbertdoctorow.com Until about four months ago, I was a frequent guest on Iran's global English-language news service, Press TV, mostly for analysis of Russia-related issues. Then there was a long pause during which my most frequent host has been the Indian television network WION. Yesterday, Teheran kindly invited me back to join Professor Anthony Hall of …
(2023-12-19). Blizzards sweep across Russia, bringing massive snow falls. presstv.ir Blizzards swept across swathes of Russia, carpeting Moscow in one of the biggest snow falls in decades.
(2023-12-18). Israel's Gaza war has 'spilled over into the Red Sea': WION interview yesterday. gilbertdoctorow.com As a commentator on current events, my general rule is to 'stick to my knitting.' By 'knitting,' I mean the field of my expertise, namely Russia and its relations with the world. However, as the promotional spot for BBC business news tells us: everything is interconnected. As we know, Russia's war with Ukraine affects and …
(2023-12-18). Putin: Russia uninterested in war with NATO. independent.co.ug 
MOSCOW | Xinhua | Russia has no interest in having war with NATO countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday. In an interview with a local TV channel, Putin refuted the claims that Russia may attack NATO as "absurd and a figure of speech." Moscow and NATO countries "have no territorial claims against each …
(2023-12-18). In Donbass, life gradually returns to normal – special report. infobrics.org In the liberated People's Republic of Lugansk, the population's living conditions have improved significantly since reintegration with the Russian Federation.
(2023-12-18). Indias Strong Relationship with Russia: A 60-Year Engagement. infobrics.org Indias External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasizes the importance of Indias 60-year relationship with Russia, stating that it has saved India many times and should not be seen as a handicap…
(2023-12-18). Ukraine War Day #663: Volhynian Drone Workshop. awfulavalanche.wordpress.com 
Dear Readers: | Today A Russian "foto-lovushka" device in act…
(2023-12-18). The End of Ukraine. sonar21.com 
According to many reports, the population of Ukraine has declined by more than half, from 40+ million to 20- million, with death, injury, and destruction widespread in the country since February 2014. Let's look at some of the stages where this outcome might have been prevented: | Stage One—The Ukraine administration of Yanukovych had negotiated a better economic deal with China and Russia than what the West was offering. China was very much interested in helping Ukraine increase agricultural production, thereby increasing exports to China. However, Yanukovych was overthrown in the 2014 Maidan revolut…
(2023-12-18). Ret. Col. Ann Wright Unmasks the Truth in Arms Transfer Debate. dissidentvoice.org 
In a heated session at the United Nations Security Council, diplomats engaged in a vigorous debate over the provision of arms to Ukraine amid the protracted war with Russia. The eleventh meeting on this pressing issue since Russia invaded in February of 2022 drew sharp criticisms from multiple speakers, who accused Moscow of deflecting attention …
(2023-12-18). Is the ICC Still Relevant? Not So, Says Brazil's Lula da Silva—and He Is Not Alone. transcend.org Brazil's President Lula da Silva questioned the value of a court that does not include the US, Russia, or China. The ICC cannot be that relevant considering that major powers do not submit to its jurisdiction. The ICC is about geopolitics as much as it is about international law.
(2023-12-18). Blizzards sweep across Russia, bringing massive snow falls. presstv.ir Blizzards swept across swathes of Russia, carpeting Moscow in one of the biggest snow falls in decades.
(2023-12-18). The Genocide in Gaza: Statement by Sweden's Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research. globalresearch.ca
(2023-12-19). Boycott Switzerland, The Partner In Genocide! popularresistance.org At a time when Israel's genocidal war on Gaza is increasingly met with international condemnation, the world has started to take action to halt the daily massacres against Palestinian civilians in Gaza, most recently with the near-unanimous adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution calling for a ceasefire. Still, some international actors have not been fulfilling their roles and obligations, chief among them Switzerland, which has violated its own commitment to neutrality by firmly taking a proactive stand on the side of the perpetrators. | On this account, on December 9, coinciding with the International Day…
(2023-12-18). Switzerland: Health insurance data shows 73% increase in people receiving cancer treatment since 2020. expose-news.com According to Helsana, a major Swiss health insurance company, since 2016 the number of patients receiving cancer treatments has decreased. However, something changed in 2021 and 2022. In 2021, Helsana's data shows …
(2023-12-19). Ukraine's intelligence chief admits there are no more troops without forced mobilisation. infobrics.org Pregnancy is the only guaranteed way women can avoid conscription into the Ukrainian military.
(2023-12-19). 2023 in Review: Reality Makes a Forceful Comeback. pressenza.com Three major issues dominated 2023: the conflict in Ukraine, the economy and the conflict in Palestine. The first two upheavals began in 2022, the third in 2023. In all three cases, developments brought about a head-on collision with largely concealed realities. A mental universe built on myths, fantasies, fables, "alternative facts", and "narratives", not to mention crass ignorance, self-delusion, and conceit, smashed against the reef of the real world. The shock was brutal, akin to a hard landing, and devastating for the storytelling in which the West has become accustomed to wallowing. It has now become harder…
(2023-12-19). Ukraine's Intelligence Chief admits there are no More Troops without "Forced Mobilisation" globalresearch.ca
(2023-12-19). Ukraine War Day #664: Drone-Starved Ukraine Wastes What It Has! awfulavalanche.wordpress.com 
(2023-12-19). Biden, Democrats offer virtual destruction of asylum rights in return for Ukraine war funding. wsws.org Since the funding bill was first introduced in October, President Joe Biden has repeatedly called on Congress to pass his request, warning that the funds are imperative for Ukraine, and more broadly, for US national security.
(2023-12-19). Friday 12/29: Peace Vigil — Call for Ceasefire + Diplomacy Not More Weapons for Ukraine or Israel! indybay.org in front of MLK Library | 4th and San Fernando | San Jose, CA…
(2023-12-18). Selected Articles: Same War Strategy from Ukraine to Palestine. globalresearch.ca 
By The United States continues to support Israel in the war in Gaza while it continues to fuel the war in Ukraine directly and through NATO. …
(2023-12-18). Merchants of Death… transcend.org are Making a Killing in Gaza, Ukraine, …
(2023-12-18). Channeling Hitler, Trump accuses migrants of "poisoning the blood of our country" wsws.org Emboldened by Biden's pledge to enact Trump's border policies as part of a $105 billion military package to Ukraine and Israel, Trump upped his fascistic agitation in Saturday's New Hampshire campaign speech.
(2023-12-18). Ukraine War Disaster. Zelensky Replacement Imminent? U.K. Will Extradite Ukrainian RefugeesÔªø. Rodney Atkinson. globalresearch.ca
(2023-12-18). War In Ukraine And The 'Crisis Of Western Civilization'. popularresistance.org The war in Ukraine has become a crisis of Western civilization. | Wall Street Journal Editor-at-Large Gerard Baker writes that the West is "losing our soul, our sense of purpose as a society, our identity as a civilization. We in the West are in the grip of an ideology that disowns our genius, denounces our success, disdains merit, elevates victimhood, embraces societal self-loathing, and enforces it all in a web of exclusionary and authoritarian rules, large and small." | Baker nevertheless reminds us that "liberal capitalism has done more for human prosperity, health and freedom than any other economic or polit…
(2023-12-18). White House Says US Can Only Fund One More Weapons Package for Ukraine. news.antiwar.com The White House said on Monday that a weapons package will be provided to Ukraine later this month, and after that, the US will be out of funds to arm Ukraine until Congress authorizes more spending on the proxy war. According to POLITICO, the Pentagon still has $4.4 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows …
(2023-12-18). War in Ukraine & the 'Crisis of Western Civilization'. strategic-culture.su
(2023-12-18). IT ARMY OF UKRAINE: How U.S. Intelligence Agencies Have Elevated Cybercrime in Ukraine into a Freedom-Fighting Cult. sonar21.com 
The following was written by Valeriy Krylko and first published at Covert Action Magazine. Mr. Krylko asked if I would publish it here as well. | As we know, freedom ends where the freedom of another begins. That is why today, more than ever before, everyone simply needs to develop within themselves a self-control tuning fork—an analytical tool that allows them to evaluate what is happening in a sensible way. The battle for minds and souls is in full swing. This means that the truth often becomes an idea that can infect us. And here the main thing is not to miss the moment when the tantalizing, sweet…
(2023-12-18). Friday 12/29: Peace Vigil — Call for Ceasefire + Diplomacy Not More Weapons for Ukraine or Israel! indybay.org in front of MLK Library | 4th and San Fernando | San Jose, CA…