(2020-12-17). When the People Rose: How the Intifada Changed the Political Discourse around Palestine. dissidentvoice.org 
December 8 came and went as if it were an ordinary day. For Palestinian political groups, it was another anniversary to be commemorated, however hastily. It was on this day, thirty-three years ago, that the First Palestinian Intifada (uprising) broke out, and there was nothing ordinary about this historic event. Today, the uprising is merely …
(2020-12-17). PDF of December 17 issue. workers.org 
Download the 12-page PDF. 'Red House on Mississippi Ave.' Portland activists block eviction Fight for Mumia's freedom; NYC cops & landlords, hand in hand; Boston solidarity with workers, farmers in India; Buffalo anti-racists face down fascists; Michigan: Confronting white supremacy; Justice for Casey Goodson! Attack on anti-ICE marchers; Indigenous land . . . |
(2020-12-17). Communist-led coalition sweeps local body elections in the southern Indian State of Kerala. peoplesdispatch.org The alliance led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has won more seats in local government bodies than the opposition groups combined…
(2020-12-17). China's Economy of Peace. dissidentvoice.org 
In the context of China's webinar on 14 December 2020, on the topic of "China's New Development Paradigm and High-Quality Belt and Road Cooperation", organized by the China Center for Contemporary World Studies, International Department of CPC Central Committee and the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China, my presentation was on China's …
(2020-12-17). Video shows Chicago cops terrorizing Black social worker in her home. peoplesworld.org 
CHICAGO—Video finally released after almost two years shows police in Chicago terrorizing an innocent Black woman social worker who had just undressed in her home after a long day on her job of two years. Brandishing a completely baseless search warrant which was itself issued under highly questionable circumstances, they burst into her home as …
(2020-12-17). Coalition of groups criticise OIC for failing to condemn China's treatment of Uighurs. middleeasteye.net 
Coalition of groups criticise OIC for failing to condemn China's treatment of Uighurs | One hundred and forty rights and advocacy groups are calling on Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to demand accountability and transparency from Beijing | Thu, 12/17/2020 – 19: 55 | Despite protests from Uighurs outside of China, many Muslim-majority countries have remained silent on China's rights violations…
(2020-12-17). Azerbaijan, Turkey, and the Geopolitics of Caspian Gas. counterpunch.org 
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(2020-12-17). ICC Drops Inquiry Into British War Crimes In Iraq. popularresistance.org The International Criminal Court (ICC) decided, on December 9, to abandon its inquiry into war crimes committed by British forces during the Iraq war, despite its investigation having concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe war crimes were in fact committed. | Fatou Bensouda, the ICC's Chief Prosecutor, announced in a public statement that she had decided to close the preliminary examination and not pursue an investigation into war crimes committed by the British Armed Forces in Iraq. The Chief Prosecutor also confirmed in her statement that despite closing the case, the report had found "…that…
(2020-12-17). Video: Russian Forces Establish Presence on Syrian-Iraqi Border. globalresearch.ca Over the past weeks, the Syrian Army and its allies have intensified their operations against ISIS cells hiding in the Homs-Deir Ezzor desert. | According to pro-government sources, during the past few days, Syrian government forces and Iranian-backed militias carried out …
(2020-12-17). 'Intentional lethal force': UN experts slam Israel for killing Palestinian child. middleeasteye.net 
'Intentional lethal force': UN experts slam Israel for killing Palestinian child | The fatal shooting of 15-year-old Ali Abu Aliya a 'grave violation of international law', says UN Human Rights Office | Thu, 12/17/2020 – 19: 36 | The experts called for a transparent investigation into the killing of Ali Abu Aliya (Photo supplied) | United Nations experts have condemned the Israeli military for killing a Palest…
(2020-12-17). Beirut explosion: Judge suspends blast probe amid political pressure. middleeasteye.net 
Beirut explosion: Judge suspends blast probe amid political pressure | Two ministers charged in the explosion investigation have requested Judge Fadi Sawwan be removed from proceedings | Thu, 12/17/2020 – 18: 17 | A helicopter puts out a fire at scene of explosion at port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on 4 August (AFP/File photo) | The judge overseeing an investigation into the massive explo…
(2020-12-17). Israel's Benny Gantz gives interview to Saudi newspaper. middleeasteye.net 
Israel's Benny Gantz gives interview to Saudi newspaper | The minister of defence told Asharq al-Awsat that Jerusalem should remain fully under Israeli control and pushed for annexation of parts of the West Bank | Thu, 12/17/2020 – 15: 14 | Benny Gantz speaks to the media near Kibbutz Ravid in the northern part of Israel, on 27 October 2020 (AFP) | Israeli Defence Minister Benny G…
(2020-12-17). Putin says outrage over 'anti-Islam' cartoons & French street beheading is evidence that 'multiculturalism has failed' in West. rt.com 
Russian President Vladimir Putin has weighed in on the debate around freedom of speech and the rights of religious believers, saying the clash of cultures is an existential problem in the West. | In response to a question from RT correspondent Igor Zhdanov as part of his annual end-of-year press conference on Thursday, Putin said there was a fine balance between expressing yourself and insulting the feelings of entire groups of people. | "Where is the boundary between one freedom and another freedom," the president asked. "It is well known that where one man's freedom begins, another's must end." He added that…
(2020-12-17). Nasrin Sotoudeh, Iran's Courtroom Gladiator, for the Defense. progressive.org A stirring new documentary captures the fight for women's rights in the Islamic Republic.
(2020-12-17). US secretary of state incites xenophobic hysteria against Chinese students, denounces "anti-American" universities. wsws.org The remarks represent a coming together of the war drive against China and the assault on the exchange of ideas on college campuses.
(2020-12-17). France: President Macron Tests Positive for COVID-19. telesurenglish.net France's President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and will isolate himself for seven days. As a result, his to Lebanon scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday is canceled. | RELATED: | First Lady Brigitte Macron, who tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday and does not present any symptoms, is also placed in self-isolation. | Prime Minister Jean Castex, who is considered "a contact case" of M…
(2020-12-17). The China Shock May Provide a Much-Needed Catalyst for Change. dissidentvoice.org In an opinion poll published in the Guardian online an astonishing 2/3 of voters either approved or strongly approved of the Prime Minister's conduct of the nation's affairs. While this may in part be a reflection of the abysmal performance of the official Labor "opposition" there must be a deeper reason for the Prime Minister's …
(2020-12-17). History of World War I: German Colonialism in Central and Eastern Europe and the Fall of Tsarist Russia. globalresearch.ca When in February 1918, the German politician Prince Max of Baden asked his country's military dictator, Erich Ludendorff, what would happen if the latter's spring offensive failed, he replied, "Then Germany will just have to suffer annihilation". | General Ludendorff's …
(2020-12-17). Led by Black Women, Organizers in Georgia Work to Replicate Election Success in Senate Runoff. zcomm.org After turning out Georgia voters in record numbers in the general election, organizers work to mobilize the youth vote in the pivotal Senate runoff election…
(2020-12-17). History: Israeli Propaganda on the 'Expulsion' of Arab Jews. globalresearch.ca Israeli propaganda about the "expulsion" of Arab Jews from Arab countries in the late 1940s and early 1950s continues without respite. Earlier this month, Israel's UN ambassador, Gilad Erdan,
(2020-12-17). China, Christmas, and the Coronavirus. cepr.net As we hunker down this holiday season, waiting for our vaccines, or at least until the diffusion of the vaccines has slowed the spread of the pandemic, it's worth thinking for a moment about an opportunity lost. Specifically, we lost an opportunity to have worldwide cooperation in the development of vaccines, bringing in not only …
(2020-12-16). Trump Is Prolonging the Civil War in Syria. progressive.org Under the Obama and Trump administrations, the unending war has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. But will Biden be any different?
(2020-12-16). Taliban delegation arrives in Pakistan for afghan peace talks. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 16 (MNA) — Led by the deputy political chief and head of the political office of the Taliban Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a Taliban delegation arrived in Pakistan to negotiate Afgan Peace Talks.
(2020-12-16). Iran's Rouhani to Biden: We Will Fulfill Our Nuclear Obligations on Day One if You Return to 2015 Deal. globalresearch.ca
(2020-12-16). 'Solidarity with the people, not the state'. workers.org 
Skehan delivered the Workers World Party solidarity message at the Dec. 12 action called by the Boston South Asian Coalition in support of farmers and workers in India who are leading historic strikes. As we come together on a rainy Saturday, there is much cause for revolutionary optimism as we . . . |
(2020-12-16). Behind Morocco's recognition of Israel. workers.org 
A February demonstration was held in Rabat, Morocco's capital, in support of Palestine. It was a deal, pure — but not so simple. The U.S. recognized the Western Sahara — the last remaining colony in Africa according to the United Nations — as part of Morocco, while Morocco upgraded its . . . |
(2020-12-16). Resistance in the face of repression: India's striking farmers share their stories. peoplesworld.org 
DELHI—Across the rows of concrete barricades at the Tikri border blocking the entrance into New Delhi from the neighboring state of Haryana, a stretch of more than ten kilometers of Rohtak Road remains occupied by caravans of tens of thousands of farmers. They have journeyed hundreds of kilometers from different parts of Punjab and Haryana. …
(2020-12-16). Rabbi Moshe Ber Beck Endured a Nearly a Century of Struggle for His Beliefs. mintpressnews.com 
Having dodged Nazi soldiers at 10 years old and later beatings by Israeli police, Rabbi Moshe Ber Beck is not the type to let a bit of adversity stand in the way of fighting for his beliefs.
(2020-12-16). Boston rallies for striking Indian workers, farmers. workers.org 
Hundreds of millions of Indian workers and farmers staged the world's largest strike on Nov. 26 and are continuing to shut down areas of the economy. On Dec. 12, the anniversary of the racist and discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act of India's fascist-minded Modi government, the Boston South Asian Coalition brought . . . |
(2020-12-16). JatiIndia: Atrocities Caste, Present and Future. counterpunch.org 
The jingoist nation and nationalism have got weaponized by the political class to destroy dissent and polarize people. The mass frenzy has accomplished complete derationalization and inversion of meanings where destroyers of the nation become deshbhakts (patriots) and selfless servers of people become deshdrohis (traitors). As I see my India being ruined, it is with
(2020-12-16). Chicken run: Lebanese boy risks life and limb to rescue runaway fowl from Israel. middleeasteye.net 
Chicken run: Lebanese boy risks life and limb to rescue runaway fowl from Israel | Hussein Shartoony becomes an unexpected hero after Israeli soldiers fire bullets into the air as he attempts to rescue his friend | Wed, 12/16/2020 – 11: 59 | The reaction of the Israeli soldiers to Hussein and his chicken garnered ridicule online (Screengrab/Twitter) | Hezbollah may be Israel's most pressing threat on the Le…
(2020-12-16). Tunisia and Algeria try to cool tensions over Western Sahara. middleeasteye.net 
Tunisia and Algeria try to cool tensions over Western Sahara | Tunisia's former foreign minister provoked anger after blaming Algiers for pushing Morocco to normalise with Israel | Wed, 12/16/2020 – 15: 07 | Tunisia's foreign minister Othman Jerandi has reiterated "Tunisia's pride in brotherly relations with Algeria" (Photo/Screengrab) | Tunisian and Algerian officials are attempting to pu…
(2020-12-16). Qatar beats Saudi Arabia to host 2030 Asia Games. middleeasteye.net 
Qatar beats Saudi Arabia to host 2030 Asia Games | Doha will hold competition while Riyadh takes the 2034 event, Olympic Council of Asia announces | Wed, 12/16/2020 – 12: 37 | Doha was revealed as the host city of the 2030 Asia Games during the Olympic Council of Asia's general assembly in Muscat, Oman (AFP) | Qatar has beaten off competition from Saudi Arabia and won the rights to host the 2030 Asia…
(2020-12-16). Family of Australian professor detained in Qatar say they fear for his life. middleeasteye.net 
Family of Australian professor detained in Qatar say they fear for his life | Professor Lukman Thalib told relatives that his blood pressure and heart rate had become dangerously low | Wed, 12/16/2020 – 14: 36 | Professor Lukman Thalib (right) received a teaching award at Qatar University in 2018. He is a public health expert and helped Qatar with its covid-19 response (Supplied) | The family of an Austr…
(2020-12-16). Covid-19: Scholars say having vaccine is religious duty for Egyptians. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: Scholars say having vaccine is religious duty for Egyptians | Arrival of first shipment of vaccine from China has raised religious, political and public debate in the country | Wed, 12/16/2020 – 12: 41 | Worshippers attend Friday prayers inside Cairo's historic al-Azhar mosque (AFP) | Egypt's religious establishment has stepped into the heated debate over Covid-19 vaccines, ur…
(2020-12-16). Antisemitism Claims Mask a Reign of Political and Cultural Terror Across Europe. counterpunch.org 
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz has run a fascinating long report this week offering a disturbing snapshot of the political climate rapidly emerging across Europe on the issue of antisemitism. The article documents a kind of cultural, political and intellectual reign of terror in Germany since the parliament passed a resolution last year equating support for non-violent boycotts
(2020-12-16). Why Make the Dogs Bark: a Tale from Communist Bulgaria. counterpunch.org Recently, I came across an article in the New York Times about an assassination attempt on a Bulgarian arms manufacturer in Sofia, Emilian Gebrev. They smeared poison on his car door handles. The Times points the finger at the same Russians they say were behind the attack on double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, England.
(2020-12-16). Will Israel Deploy Missile Defense Systems to Persian Gulf Amid Growing Tension with Iran? globalresearch.ca On Tuesday, a senior Israeli official expressed his country's readiness to cooperate in the future in the field of missile defense with Gulf states that share their concerns about Iran. | Moshe Patil, head of the Israeli Defense Ministry's Missile Defense …
(2020-12-16). Casting a Historic Vote in Georgia. thenation.com Casting a Historic Vote in Georgia…
(2020-12-16). China undermining human rights by locking up rights lawyers, UN independent expert says. news.un.org China has mounted a "shocking" five-year assault on lawyers who stand up for human rights, putting them in prison and even torturing them, an expert mandated by the UN Human Rights Council said in a statement on Wednesday.
(2020-12-16). Protesters demand HSBC stop funding Adani. greenleft.org.au Protesters want HSBC to use its influence over the State Bank of India to walk away from funding Adani, reports Jim McIlroy.
(2020-12-16). Netanyahu to Become First Israeli to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine. sputniknews.com MOSCOW, (Sputnik) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to be the first person in Israel to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
(2020-12-16). Post-Election Reflections on Sinophobia in U.S. Politics. zcomm.org The last 12 months have seen a sharp rise in anti-China sentiment and, consequently, anti-Asian racism…
(2020-12-16). Georgia's Senate Runoffs Set New Record for In-Person Voting on First Day. truthout.org As in-person voting begins for two Georgia senatorial runoff races, a surprising statistic has emerged: more people voted on the first day of in-person voting this week than on the first day of in-person voting for the general election earlier this year. |
(2020-12-15). Aleppo's Liberation Three Years Ago Today: Anybody Ashamed? globalresearch.ca December 12, 2017, marks the anniversary of the liberation — the West called it fall — of Aleppo in Syria. What happened is conveniently forgotten today by the West. | Some of us can't and won't forget what was both world, …
(2020-12-15). Researchers Warn of Looming Oil Spill Four Times Larger Than Exxon Valdez If Urgent Action Not Taken. commondreams.org A "regional environmental and humanitarian disaster" is guaranteed should the oil escape from an aging tanker in the Red Sea. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/tanker-yemen-fso_0.jpg …
(2020-12-15). Nature under settler colonialism in Palestine. workers.org 
By Rana Baker This slightly edited presentation was given by Rana Baker, a Palestinian PhD student at Columbia University, during the online Palestine Writes Festival, Dec. 5. Baker's research focuses on infrastructure and environmental resources as micro-sites of political struggle in colonial and anti-colonial contexts. A Palestinian incendiary kite crosses . . . |
(2020-12-15). Rouhani Tells Biden How to Get the Iran Deal Back on Track. scheerpost.com Asia Society / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0] By Juan Cole / Informed Comment Iranian president Hassan Rouhani was asked Tuesday in an interview with a state-owned news outlet under what conditions Iran would return to the 2015 nuclear deal with the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council (P5), including the U.S., plus Germany (+1) He replied, "A thing we are saying today is that if tomorrow morning the… |
(2020-12-15). How the rich are cashing in on pandemic pain. mronline.org 
Millions of day labourers in India lost their jobs overnight earlier this year when Narendra Modi's central government hastily announced a national lockdown.
(2020-12-15). Iraqi activist shot dead in Baghdad. middleeasteye.net 
Iraqi activist shot dead in Baghdad | Local media reports that Salah al-Iraqi was shot five times in suburb of Baghdad al-Jadeed | Tue, 12/15/2020 – 17: 02 | A social media picture of Salah al-Iraqi (Facebook) | A well-known Iraqi activist was shot dead in Baghdad on Tuesday evening, the latest in a long line of assassinations in the country. | According to local media, Salah al-Iraqi was shot f…