(2021-12-19). US Air Wars Killed Thousands of Civilians, Including Children, NY Times Reports. truthout.org 
Thousands of previously hidden Pentagon documents show that the U.S. air wars in the Middle East have been marked by "deeply flawed intelligence" and have killed thousands of civilians, many of them children, The 5-year Times investigation received more than 1,300 reports examining airstrikes in Iraq an…
(2021-12-19). Anti-Chinese Sentiment Continues in South Korea. journal-neo.org 
We have mentioned more than once how anti-Chinese sentiments are nurtured in today's South Korea, and although according to conservative circles, Moon Jae-in's administration pursues a pro-Beijing course, an incitement of hatred towards China comes not only from below but also from above. According to a joint survey conducted in June 2021 by the daily …
(2021-12-19). Changes in Afghanistan: Regional and International Implications. moderndiplomacy.eu The Taliban's return to power has fundamentally changed the political environment of Afghanistan, both internally and externally. The internal leading forces inside Afghanistan have turned to be the Taliban instead of the political forces represented by the former Afghanistan government, and the external forces with the greatest political responsibility began to shift from the United …
(2021-12-19). WEEKEND READER: The Inside Stories of 2021. dailyposter.com 
(2021-12-19). Significance Of The lndian President's Recent Bangladesh Visit. moderndiplomacy.eu The President of India came to Dhaka on Wednesday at the invitation of the President of Bangladesh to take part in the celebration of the golden jubilee and the centenary of the victory. After a three-day state visit, Indian President Ramnath Kobind left Dhaka at noon on December 17,2021. The three-day visit of Indian President …
(2021-12-19). WHO lists 9th COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. moderndiplomacy.eu The World Health Organization (WHO) approved on Friday the Covovax vaccine for emergency use listing (EUL), elevating to nine the number of immunizations approved to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The vaccine is produced by the Serum Institute of India, under licence from Novavax, and will now be part of the COVAX facility portfolio, boosting efforts to vaccinate more people in lower-income countries. WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, Dr. Mariângela Simà£o, said that "even …
(2021-12-19). Pakistan-Bangladesh: Need to move forward. moderndiplomacy.eu History tells that countries, at daggers drawn for centuries, progressed by leaps and bounds once they buried the hatchet. Europe is a case in point. They first general agreement on trade and tariffs to to remove kinks and wobbles in free flow of goods and services. And , then joined the European Union. Thus they …
(2021-12-19). Venezuela: Oil Output Continues Upward Swing as Iran Calls for Greater Cooperation. venezuelanalysis.com Oil revenues will reportedly fund 61 percent of Venezuela's 2022 budget following a recent hike in crude production and exports.
(2021-12-19). Rocket Attack Targets Green Zone in Baghdad. telesurenglish.net Two Katyusha rockets were fired early Sunday on the heavily fortified Green Zone that houses the U.S. embassy in central Baghdad, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported. | RELATED: | One of the rockets was destroyed in the air by the C-RAM defense system, which protects the U.S. embassy site, and the other landed near the grand celebrations square in the zone, damaging two civilian cars. | According to INA, there were no im…
(2021-12-19). Mr. Blue and Maria: A Musical Dream. dissidentvoice.org 
Sixty years ago in the late fall and early winter, a seventeen-year-old blue-eyed Bronx boy went by himself to see an afternoon showing of West Side Story on Fordham Road in the north Bronx. He took the bus to the theater but walked the few miles home in a romantic daze, in love with Maria …
(2021-12-19). Delegation visits Georges Abdallah in Lannemezan with greetings of international solidarity. samidoun.net 
A delegation from the Collectif Palestine Vaincra visited Georges Ibrahim Abdallah in Lannemezan Prison in December 2021. Georges Abdallah is a Lebanese Arab struggler for the Palestinian resistance who has been imprisoned in French jails for 37 years. His story and life in struggle is the subject of the film "Fedayin: Georges Abdallah's Fight," and […] | The article
(2021-12-19). Filipino Communists: Mobilize the people in the wake of typhoon Odette's destruction. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Dec. 18 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines | The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) extends its sympathies to the millions of people who suffered the devastation wrought by supertyphoon Odette in Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao regions and in Palawan island. Thousands upon thousands of homes, agricultural fields, fishing boats, and other sources of livelihood were destroyed or severely damaged. | The toiling masses are the most grievously affected, especially the fisherfolk, the small peasants and fa…
(2021-12-18). A Sino-Russian military alliance is gratuitous (as of now). mronline.org 
To apply a western analogy, while the Sino-Russian partnership has great potential to model itself after the European Union, neither Moscow nor Beijing desires an Eurasian NATO to create synergy for it.
(2021-12-18). News on China | No. 80. dissidentvoice.org Nicaragua switches allegiance from Taiwan to China; free online tutoring for students; China observes the National Memorial Day for the victims of the
(2021-12-18). China Rescues Myanmar From Dangerous Dollar-Dominated Waters. newatlas.report December 18, 2021 (Brian Berletic — NEO) — For nearly a year now the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar has been racked by US-sponsored terrorism attempting to reinstall Washington's client regime of choice headed by Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. Compounding the daily violence carried out by the US-sponsored …
(2021-12-18). US maintains support for Solomon Islands' opposition forces after failed coup attempt. wsws.org The Solomons' government has been in Washington's cross hairs since it announced in late 2019 that it was ending diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognising Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China.
(2021-12-18). Five ways to adjust mRNA vaccines for Omicron. asiatimes.com 
If the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is different enough from the original variant, it's possible that existing vaccines won't be as effective as they have been. If so, it's likely that companies will need to update their vaccines to better fight omicron. Deborah Fuller is a microbiologist who has been studying mRNA and DNA …
(2021-12-18). 100+ Firms in Africa, Asia & Latin America Can Make mRNA Vaccine If Tech Shared. zcomm.org If mRNA technology could be shared with the listed companies, "we could vaccinate the world in as close to six months from now"
(2021-12-18). Azerbaijan might be the champion that GUAM needs. moderndiplomacy.eu International organizations remain key venues where states with overlapping interests try to cooperate and find common ground. Such organizations range from all-encompassing global organizations to small thematic institutions. In order to remain operationally relevant and on the agenda, they may need to seek ways of reviving organizational structures with fresh methods and ideas that fit …
(2021-12-18). Simmering resentment in Indian-held Kashmir. moderndiplomacy.eu The writer if of the view that the politico-economic situation in the occupied Kashmir is in a state of flux. All the leading politicians are frustrated at apathetic, nay callous, attitude of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party autocrats in New Delhi. They are unanimous that the situation, after abrogation of the special status and hereditary domiciliary …
(2021-12-18). Fall Of Dhaka 16 Dec, 1971: Causes, Concocted Myths & Lessons Learnt. moderndiplomacy.eu The creation of Bangladesh is one of the most sensitive and tragic chapters in the history of Pakistan. On Dec 16, 1971, Pakistani troops laid down their arms and surrendered for secession of East Pakistan. It is considered the darkest day in our history. The grievances of Dhaka were political one: it should have been …
(2021-12-18). Massive Blackout Affects Caracas and Several Regions of Venezuela, Labeled as New Attack — Service Restored 100%. orinocotribune.com 
Caracas, December 17, 2021 ( Several parishes in Caracas, as well as various parts of the states of Zulia, Mérida, Carabobo, Miranda, Lara, Aragua, Apure, Anzoátegui, Vargas, Bolívar, Nueva Esparta, Barinas, Trujillo, Sucre, Táchira, Falcón, Yaracuy, and Portuguesa were affected by the blackout. | The b…
(2021-12-18). Israel pushes U.S. into 'aggressive posture toward Iran that could spiral into war' — but mainstream press is indifferent. mronline.org 
Trump says, Netanyahu was 'willing to fight Iran to the last American soldier.' That ought to be big news, as Israel's defense minister gets unrivaled access in D.C. to threaten war and block the U.S. path to a new Iran deal.
(2021-12-18). [Comment] COV-BOOST: evidence to support rapid booster deployment. thelancet.com With accruing evidence that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines wanes over time,1—4 and the recent emergence of the omicron (B.1.1.529) variant,5 some countries are rapidly deploying vaccine boosters.6 In the UK, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign launched in December, 2020, and began with prioritised population groups, including people most likely to be at higher risk for severe outcomes or those providing health services or care for these individuals. With emerging evidence from Israel and the UK of vaccine waning, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in September, 2021, recommende…
(2021-12-18). Founder reconnects with her roots while building her products. america.cgtn.com 
It's a "hot" product that's taken years to develop. Behind it — a Chinese-American woman who embarked on a personal journey to make it happen. She hopes to awaken people's senses to Sichuan cuisine.
(2021-12-18). Pakistan: Brutal lynching of Priyantha Kumara. workers.org 
Sialkot, Pakistan — Last week a mob tortured and then lit Priyantha Kumara on fire. Kumara, a Sri Lankan, was a factory manager in Pakistan and was murdered outside of the factory in which he worked. In the aftermath of this horrific lynching, mob participants informed media outlets that they . . . |
(2021-12-18). South Korea: Covid Numbers Reach Record Peak Despite 92% of Adults Fully 'Vaccinated'. globalresearch.ca Korea's soaring number of Covid infections follows the exact pattern we see in other areas with very high rates of mRNA injections of the population. | South Korea was …
(2021-12-18). Turkey to Scale-up Renewable Geothermal Energy Generation. moderndiplomacy.eu The World Bank's Board of Directors has approved two loans worth $300 million for the Geothermal Development Project in Turkey, to support the development of renewable energy by tapping heat sources deep in the ground. The loans are Additional Financing to two initial loans worth $250 million. The loans, approved yesterday, are complemented by a …