(2024-01-05). International pressure increases on Israel as it continues committing genocide in Gaza. peoplesdispatch.org Israel has come under fire over comments from a number of ultra right-wing ministers and politicians who have called for the complete and permanent transfer and expulsion of the Palestinian population of Gaza. The officials have suggested that Gazans should be forcibly transferred to other countries in the region, as well as to countries in Africa. | The United Nations, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, France, the European Union, as well as Israel's primary backer, the United States, among others have condemned these statements and noted that such a move would constitute a grave violat…
(2024-01-04). Digital visa for athletes to be issued for Paris Games. ecns.cn France will issue around 70,000 visas completely online to athletes, journalists, and delegations for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, making it the first European Union member state to offer a fully digital application procedure for a Schengen visa.
(2024-01-05). Spain's PSOE-Sumar government renews austerity. wsws.org The PSOE-Sumar government is now preparing to roll back all the concessions made to workers at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and impose the dictates of the European Union on behalf of the banks and major corporations.
(2024-01-05). Turkey, Malaysia Back South Africa's ICJ Genocide Case Against Israel. popularresistance.org South Africa is no longer alone in bringing its claim of genocide by the Israeli government to the International Court of Justice, following announcements from the Turkish Foreign Ministry and the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that they support the case. | Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said Wednesday that those responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza since October 7 "must be held accountable before international law." | "Israel's murder of more than 22,000 Palestinian civilians, the majority of whom were women and children, in Gaza for nearly three mont…
(2024-01-05). 'Incirlik is Yours': How Erdoƒüan Handed a Major Military Base to the Americans. libya360.wordpress.com Matt Kennard US President George W. Bush (R) meets with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoƒüan in the Oval Office at the White House, 2 October 2006, Washington DC. (Photo: Jay L. Clendenin-Pool/Getty Images) The US and UK militaries refuse to tell Declassified if a US Air Force flight from Turkey to the UK's Cyprus…
(2024-01-05). Kurdish leader: Turkey's attacks on Rojava weaken the fight against ISIS. greenleft.org.au 
Turkey carried out a devastating string of airstrikes on North East Syria (NES) over Chrsitmas, targeting civilian service facilities and infrastructure. The Rojava Information Center (RIC) spoke with Kurdish politician and former Syrian Democratic Council co-chair, Ilham Ahmed, about the latest attacks.
(2024-01-05). QUOTES-Industry experts react to China's anti-dumping probe into EU brandy. devdiscourse.com China launched on Friday an anti-dumping investigation into brandy imported from the European Union, which will focus on brandy in containers of less than 200 litres (44 British gallons). Trade disputes between China and Europe have been mounting over the past year, with both sides exchanging accusations of unfair competition and protectionism.
(2024-01-05). Global minimum tax of 15% for multinational companies comes into force. pressenza.com Many major multinational companies must pay a global minimum tax of at least 15% on corporate profits for the first time. The historic tax reforms went into effect on Monday, nearly three years after 140 countries agreed to a new tax system, which is expected to increase tax revenues by $220 billion a year. | The United States is not currently participating in the reform despite having endorsed the agreement in 2021. | Countries that have implemented the 15% tax since 1 January include the UK, Australia, South Korea, Japan and Canada, as well as the European Union and countries known as tax havens, such as Irelan…
(2024-01-05). Loong products made in Yiwu gain global popularity. ecns.cn As the Chinese Year of the Dragon approaches, Yiwu International Trade Market, home to over 2.1 million types of goods, has unveiled a diverse range of Chinese Loong-themed products. These items are not only supplied to the Chinese market but also enjoy robust sales in Southeast Asia, Europe, and other regions.
(2024-01-05). 55 percent of Germany's power in 2023 came from renewables. nationofchange.org "Wind farms—especially those on land—made the largest contribution."
(2024-01-05). The Commonality of Megalomania. counterpunch.org 
The geopolitical bookends of my life may include existing with the megalomania and mendacity of two dangerous individuals: Adolf Hitler and Donald Trump. Hitler was the dominant force of the geopolitical environment in my first seven years, and now that I'm in my mid-eighties it is possible that Donald Trump will dominate my later years. I cannot explain why these depraved and pathetic excuses for human beings exercised so much influence and power over seemingly normal people in their countries, but the fact that they were able to prosper politically in socially and scientifically advanced states such as Germany…
(2024-01-05). Activists intensify campaign to conserve nature reserve in Abruzzo, Italy. peoplesdispatch.org Leftists, environmental groups, and locals from the Roseto degli Abruzzi coastal commune in Italy have intensified their campaign to protect Borsacchio Nature Reserve on the Abruzzo coast. They are protesting the amendment to the budget law passed by the right-wing-led Abruzzo regional council in December which would substantially reduce the protected area of the Borsacchio Nature Reserve in the municipality of Roseto degli Abruzzi by 98%. | The Borsacchio Reserve Guides Association has also denounced such a decision, organized a protest demonstration on January 1, and called for further campaigns on January 6 an…
(2024-01-05). Ukrainian Post-Mortems Starting to Appear. sonar21.com 
The war in Ukraine continues to grind on and Ukrainian troops are falling back all across the 600 mile front. Not a good start to the New Year for Zelensky and the future is bleak at best. Russia is methodically destroying Ukrainian factories set up to manufacture military tactical clothing, ammunition, drones and vehicles. Repair facilities also have been hit and obliterated. Ditto for military training facilities aka bases. Ukraine's recent use of cluster munitions on Belgorod and Donetsk killed a few civilians but enraged Putin and his military commanders. In response Russia has unleashed a devastating s…
(2024-01-05). India-Russia Ties Get a Makeover. globalresearch.ca
(2024-01-05). The Russian Art of War: How the West led Ukraine to defeat. mronline.org The problem with the vast majority of our so-called military experts is their inability to understand the Russian approach to war.
(2024-01-05). Ukraine War Day #681: Kvartal-95 Sketch Scandal. awfulavalanche.wordpress.com 
Dear Readers: | Yesterday we were discussing Russian popular culture (gangster shows and so on), today it's the turn for Ukrainian popular culture, namely sketch humor.‚My starting point During the course of this war, a lot of ordinary Ukrainians have had to leave their homes and move around a lot.
(2024-01-05). Ukraine – Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #3, Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. reliefweb.int 
(2024-01-05). Ukraine: USG Humanitarian Response to the Complex Emergency (01/04/2024). reliefweb.int 
(2024-01-05). In Ukraine, 2023 Was a Year of Disappointment: Ever-Present Corruption, Military Failure and Flight From the Country. orinocotribune.com By Dmitri Kovalevich — Jan 1, 2024 | Dmitri Kovalevich is the special correspondent in Ukraine for Al Mayadeen English. He writes a monthly situation report as well as occasional special reports. This is his situation report at the end of 2023. | For Ukraine, the year 2023 was far from comforting, notwithstanding the efforts by the country's government and heavily-censored media to uplift the spirits of the population with promises of economic improvement and military victories in the new year. | The news at the end of the year makes clear, even to optimists, that everything promised by the West and by the U…
(2024-01-05). Funding the Imperium: Australia Subsidises US Nuclear Submarines. dissidentvoice.org AUKUS, the trilateral pact between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, was a steal for all except one of the partners. Australia, given the illusion of protection even as its aggressive stance (acquiring nuclear-powered submarines, becoming a forward base for the US military) aggravated other countries; the feeling of superiority, even as it …