(2023-12-20). France shaping as popular study destination, report says. ecns.cn More Chinese students intend to study business, science and engineering in France, with major events scheduled for 2024 such as the Paris Summer Olympics, according to a report released on Saturday by an overseas education consultancy.
(2023-12-20). The U.S. Navy is Unprepared for a Prolonged war With Yemen. sonar21.com 
Aegis Missile Defense System | It looks like the United States, along with 9 allies — Great Britain, Italy, Bahrain, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain — are on the verge of entangling itself in a new Middle East quagmire as an international armada assembles in the international waters around Yemen. The mission? Stop Yemen from threatening cargo and oil tankers headed to Israel. | Tiny Yemen has surprised the West with its tenacity and ferocity in attacking ships trying to ferry containers and fuel to Israel. Yes, this is a violation of international law and the West is f…
(2023-12-20). Parlamento francés adopta severa ley migratoria. telesurtv.net El texto incluye una distinción entre extranjeros que no sean ciudadanos de la Unión Europea en función de si están o no "en situación de empleo".
(2023-12-19). Rejection reactions in France to the immigration bill. plenglish.com Paris, Dec 19 (Prensa Latina) Progressive sectors of French society reacted today with discomfort and denunciation of the agreement reached between the government and the conservatives on an immigration bill, which the Senate and the National Assembly will vote on.
(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.
(2023-12-20). Europe's military drift and the attack on social services. workers.org 
By Manuel Raposo Lisbon, Portugal Raposo is a Marxist analyst and editor of the Portuguese web periodical found at jornalmudardevida.net, where this article was published on Dec. 16, 2023. Translation: John Catalinotto. Demonstration in Lisbon, February 2023. For a fair life, not a penny more for NATO. Judging by recent . . . |
(2023-12-19). Northern Cyprus to restrict property sales after rumours of mass Jewish purchases. middleeasteye.net 
Northern Cyprus to restrict property sales after rumours of mass Jewish purchases | Media campaign has alleged that thousands of Israelis and Jewish Europeans had purchased land in the region, though Turkey's foreign minister denies this is the case | Tue, 12/19/2023 – 08: 12 | The Kyrenia mountain range, north of the divided Cypriot capital, with the flags of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of No…
(2023-12-19). FDA Approves First Chikungunya Vaccine. jamanetwork.com The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently greenlit the first vaccine to prevent chikungunya, a disease spread by mosquitos carrying the chikungunya virus. The agency called the virus an "emerging global health threat" due to its growing prevalence and geographic range. The vaccine, marketed as Ixchiq by Valneva Austria GmbH, is approved for adults 18 years or older who are at high risk of exposure to chikungunya virus.
(2023-12-19). BREAKING: "Later this Week, Denmark and the US will Sign a Defence Cooperation agreement" globalresearch.ca
(2023-12-20). Red Sea concerns hit shipping, trade. ecns.cn Global shipping companies' recent reluctance to transit through the Suez Canal will affect China-Europe trade and exert pressure on operational costs of businesses on both sides, said experts and business executives on Tuesday.
(2023-12-20). China hits back at EU resolution on Tibet. ecns.cn China slammed the European Parliament on Tuesday over the latter's resolution on boarding schools in the Tibet autonomous region, and urged the institution to stop undermining mutual trust and cooperation between China and Europe.
(2023-12-20). Offshore wind power can help reduce greenhouse gases. pressenza.com All emerging nations, not just our own, struggle with electricity. And the straightforward explanation that electricity is either not available or not available by demand, etc., is often given. Scientists have taken the initiative to develop a new device that uses the temperature differential between the European deep sea and the surface to create power, to avert this electrical crisis. They have achieved a completely sustainable and continuous electricity supply by addressing climate change. For the benefit of the free market economy, there is a growing demand for and use of alternative fuels, particularly as th…
(2023-12-20). The New Forms of Socialism in the Twenty-First Century. dongshengnews.org 
The world has come a long way since the mid-nineteenth century, when scientific socialism emerged in Europe. Contrary to initial expectations, socialism did not emerge in the developed capitalist countries, but in the underdeveloped colonies and semi-colonies, such as China. Faced with challenges that could not be answered by classical theories of socialism, China had to develop its own solutions. Having attained significant achievements in modernisation, China must now reach a higher level of socialist development and surpass capitalism.
(2023-12-20). Restrictivo pacto migratorio de la UE crea controversia. telesurtv.net El presidente del Gobierno español, Pedro Sánchez, dijo que este pacto "va a permitir conducir de forma más humana y coordinada flujos migratorios".
(2023-12-19). Germany to Permanently Deploy 4,800 Troops in Lithuania. news.antiwar.com Germany is set to permanently station 4,800 troops in Lithuania as part of NATO's military buildup in Eastern Europe aimed at Russia. Lithuania shares a border with Kaliningrad, the Russian oblast on the Baltic Sea that's separated from the Russian mainland. Germany already leads a NATO deployment in Lithuania with 1,000 troops, but an agreement …
(2023-12-19). Scholz's low blow: Telling Orban to 'get coffee' during Ukraine vote. mronline.org 
The German chancellor has taken credit for a cunning coffee break tactic, which saw the European Union voting to advance accession talks with Ukraine.
(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 …
(2023-12-19). 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). 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 …
(2023-12-20). Brutal police operation against anti-genocide protest at Berlin's Free University. wsws.org The ruling class in Germany is taking increasingly brutal action against the enormous opposition to Israel's genocide against the Palestinians.
(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.
(2023-12-20). World's largest luxury ro-ro passenger vessel sets sail. ecns.cn The luxury ro-ro passenger ship, Moby Legacy, with a maximum displacement of over 70,000 tonnes, one of the largest in the world, set sail on Tuesday to Italy from the city of Guangzhou in south China. "ÄÄ…
(2023-12-19). UK Prime Minister Sunak joins hands with Italy's Meloni over immigration at far-right rally. wsws.org Sunak paid Meloni the highest compliment a Tory is capable of giving, comparing her with Margaret Thatcher, who also set out to "revive her country both domestically and on the international stage" and "never shied away from the hard choices and the big issues."
(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.
(2023-12-19). 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 …
(2023-12-20). Israel should 'level Gaza and make it look like Auschwitz', says official. mronline.org David Azoulay, head of northern Israeli town, calls for besieged enclave to become a museum that 'should resemble' the extermination camp in Poland.
(2023-12-20). Headlines for December 20, 2023. democracynow.org Openings for New Truce as Deadly Israeli Attacks Continue to Target Civilians in Jabaliya, Rafah, U.N. Security Council Again Delays Gaza Resolution Vote as U.S. Stalls over Language, Lloyd Austin Announces Coalition to Combat Houthi Red Sea Attacks, Police Arrest High-Profile Activists as Multifaith Groups from Across the U.S. Protest at Capitol, Colorado Supreme Court Bars Trump from Appearing on Presidential Primary Ballot, Senate Confirms Final Pentagon Nominees as Tuberville Blockade Ends, U.N. Says Russian Forces Have Committed War Crimes in Ukraine, Incl. 142 Civilian Executions, Sudan's Paramilitary…
(2023-12-20). Georgia at the crossroads: EU process and NATO or the "3+3" format? uwidata.com The South Caucasus is expecting with important developments in terms of regional peace and stability. It is not possible for such an environment of peace and stability to exist without Georgia. We talked with Shota Apkhaidze, Georgian political scientist and expert at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, about Georgia's new …
(2023-12-20). UK about to escalate naval tensions in Black Sea. infobrics.org According to a recent report, London plans to improve Ukrainian Navy's capabilities in the Black Sea, creating high tensions with Russia.
(2023-12-20). "Victory Over Russia is Impossible": Zelensky Can't Eschew Responsibility for Rising Public Anger at Ukraine's Conscription Crisis. globalresearch.ca
(2023-12-20). 95% Of Trade Between China And Russia No Longer Done In US Currency. popularresistance.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.
(2023-12-20). Putin to run for top post in 2024 as independent. ecns.cn Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted documents to Russia's Central Election Commission on Monday to register as a self-nominated candidate in the 2024 presidential election.
(2023-12-20). Putin extends ban on transactions with "unfriendly" foreigners' stakes in companies. independent.co.ug 
VLADIVOSTOK | Xinhua | Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended a ban on transactions by foreigners from "unfriendly countries" with shares in strategic Russian banks and companies until the end of 2025, according to a decree renewed on Monday. The decree, initially published on Aug. 5, 2022, banned investors from "unfriendly countries" from selling their …
(2023-12-20). Santa Claus and the Contradictions of Bourgeois Ideology. orinocotribune.com By Carlos L. Garrido — Dec 19, 2023 | A comrade recently pointed my attention to a comedy skit by Foil Arms and Hog called Santa: I think there has been some sort of a mistake. You see I have a very busy night tonight. | Soviet Police 1: He was found attempting to hide in a chimney. | Soviet Police 2: Chimney? What were you doing in Russian airspace? | Santa: I've…
(2023-12-20). Russian official says apartment complex on fire after Ukraine's shelling in Donetsk. presstv.ir An official in Russian-controlled Donetsk says Ukraine fired shells that hit an apartment complex in Donetsk city on Tuesday.
(2023-12-20). Dec 20, 2023. sitrepworld.info 
Arise Donbass! (–í—Å—Ç–∞–≤–∞–π –î–æ–Ω–±–∞—Å—Å!) Donetsk 'Tis the Season for War, by Bill Astore No Plan B: The Western Elites Didn't Plan for China, Russia and Iran Remaining Independent, by Roger Boyd Yuri Bezmenov: Interview with NS Lyons, author of The Upheaval, about "The China Convergence" The Terror Watchlist Prepared the Way to Tyranny, by Paul Craig Roberts Is neoliberalism really dead? Or does it live on like a zombie? V…
(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). Zelensky Suggests Ukraine Could Mobilize Up to 500,000 New Soldiers. news.antiwar.com Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Ukrainian military leadership proposed mobilizing 450,000-500,000 new conscripts to fight Russia as Kyiv is dealing with a manpower shortage. The Ukrainian leader said he needed to hear more about the plan before ordering the mobilization. "This is a serious number. I said I need more arguments to support …
(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). Russia's $300 Billion "Frozen Assets": Is The West Contemplating The Transfer of Russia's Confiscated Assets to the Kiev Regime? globalresearch.ca
(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.
(2023-12-20). Serbian Progressive Party retains the majority in the general elections. peoplesdispatch.org The elections have been regarded as a referendum on the popularity of the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic who is the leader of the incumbent Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) led coalition.
(2023-12-20). Sweden's verdict on Nouri 'unfair', only acquittal acceptable: Iran. presstv.ir Iran's Judiciary says a Swedish court's verdict against Hamid Nouri, a former Iranian Judiciary official who has been illegally imprisoned in Sweden, is unfair and that no ruling but the exoneration of the 62-year-old will be acceptable.
(2023-12-20). Swedish court upholds life sentence given to ex-Iranian official. presstv.ir A Swedish appeals court upholds a controversial life sentence given to a former Iranian official.
(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…
(2023-12-20). Ukraine weapons fund will run out on December 30, Pentagon claims. infobrics.org Kiev will hold out for 'a couple of months' without financial support from the West — IMF.
(2023-12-20). Ukraine Weapons Fund Will Run Out on December 30, Pentagon Claims. What Next? Ukraine is Totally Bankrupt According to the IMF. globalresearch.ca
(2023-12-20). 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…
(2023-12-20). Friday 12/29: San Jose: 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…
(2023-12-19). 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). Latin America economy wrap up 2023. america.cgtn.com 
The International Monetary Fund expects global growth will rise about three percent in 2024, despite inflation and concerns about the conflict in Ukraine. The nations of Latin America, with some exceptions, grew more than predicted in 2023 as the region faces challenges and opportunities in the coming year. | Joel Richards looks back on 2023.
(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). Ukraine War Day #664: Drone-Starved Ukraine Wastes What It Has! awfulavalanche.wordpress.com 
(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). 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…