(2022-01-08). Moscow hits back at Blinken's 'history lesson'. rt.com 
The US secretary of state claimed that 'once Russians are in your house, it's sometimes very difficult to get them to leave' | Russia's Foreign Ministry has denounced remarks by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Moscow's involvement in Kazakhstan, telling Washington it should know better about coming uninvited and overstaying its welcome. | Asked about ongoing protests and rioting across Kazakhstan during a Friday
(2022-01-08). CSTO in Kazakhstan Annoys US. libya360.wordpress.com M.K. Bhadrakumar Gen. Andrey Serdyukov, commander of Russian Airborne Troops, will lead the CSTO peacekeeping forces in Kazakhstan The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's Press Availability at Washington on Friday was largely devoted to Ukraine and the forthcoming strategic stability talks with Russia. But in response to a carefully planted question at the fag-end…
(2022-01-08). Who benefits most from tensions in Kazakhstan? en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 08 (MNA) — Tensions in Kazakhstan continue as the country's main cities have been the scene of clashes between protesters and government forces, and with the intervention of the CSTO forces, it is taking on an international dimension.
(2022-01-08). CSTO Operations in Kazakhstan. libya360.wordpress.com Alessandro Lattanzio Nine Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft landed at Almaty airport in the Republic of Kazakhstan, carrying BTR-82A and Tigr-M armored vehicles and soldiers of the 45th Special Airborne Forces Brigade from the CSTO peacekeeping contingent. The units of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, after clarifying the situation, began to carry out their assigned tasks….
(2022-01-08). 'Risk of conflict is real' — NATO chief. rt.com 
NATO boss says the alliance is ready to negotiate with Russia, but does not rule out a 'conflict' | NATO is open to hearing Moscow's concerns, the bloc's head Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday. However, he added that any moves to reduce Ukraine tensions must be reciprocal, and not undermine the European "security order." | NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg explained the bloc's approach to negotiations with Russia during a press conference on Friday, following an extraordinary meeting of the member states' foreign ministers. | The alliance's boss squarely blamed the deteriorating relations and tensions arou…
(2022-01-08). From Summits to Boycotts — America's Waning Influence. libya360.wordpress.com Brian Berletic In recent months the US has attempted to flex its geopolitical might on the global stage in regards to China. First, the US attempted to trigger a widespread diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympic games. After announcing no US diplomats would attend the games in Beijing, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada…
(2022-01-08). Thursday 1/6: National Prayer Call: From Insurrection to Resurrection w/ Poor People's Campaign. indybay.org Online event…
(2022-01-08). The Uprising of Peasants and Workers in Naxalbari. dissidentvoice.org 
The words were red. And the rifles were red too. It was a time to win back everything that belonged to the people. A flame of rebellion raging against tyranny of the exploiting classes in remote Naxalbari in north-eastern India spread to different parts of the vast land of India, and in its neighboring countries. …
(2022-01-08). India reports first Omicron death as daily infections surge past 100,000. wsws.org Despite a sudden and massive rise in cases, the Indian government is not ready to enforce a lockdown to break the chain of COVID-19 infections.
(2022-01-08). An open letter to all South Asian workers: The pandemic must be ended and lives saved in 2022! wsws.org In terms of its cost in human lives, the pandemic ranks among the greatest tragedies in the history of South Asia and in particular India.
(2022-01-08). Some Reflections on Venezuela's Resiliency. orinocotribune.com By Maria Páez Victor — Jan 5, 2022 | The end of the year 2021 has come and as customary, we reflect upon what we have lived during it. | Pandemic | First to be considered is the pandemic. We thought that with the roll out of the vaccines we would see the ebbing of the epidemic. But it has not been so. | ‚Ä¢ The USA continues to be the epicenter of the pandemic with 167,302 cases per million, and 2,537 deaths per million. | ‚Ä¢ It is followed in severity by India, Brazil, Great Britain, Russia, Turkey, France, Germany, Iran, Spain and Italy. | ‚Ä¢ Canada is numb…
(2022-01-08). Iranian, Indian FMs discuss bilateral ties, Vienna talks. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 08 (MNA) — Indian Foreign Minister held a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart on Saturday to discuss bilateral issues, prospects of Chabahar port, latest developments in Afghanistan and Vienna talks.
(2022-01-08). Workers Struggles: Asia and New Zealand. wsws.org India: Tamil Nadu sanitation workers protest outsourcing of jobs; Kerala government doctors protest pay anomalies; New Zealand casino workers strike on New Year's Eve…
(2022-01-08). Chris Hedges and Mark Rudd Discuss Self Destructive Forces on the Left. scheerpost.com 
The Weather Underground, a clandestine revolutionary organization that carried out a wave of bombings in the 1970s, was seen by Hedges' father and other clergy members who were involved in Vietnam anti-war protests as one of the most self-destructive forces on the left. These members of the clergy, many of whom, including Hedges' father, were World War II veterans, had often became ministers because of their experiences in the war. They understood the poison of violence. One of the most prominent leaders of Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam (CALCAV), to which Hedges' father belonged, was the Catholi…
(2022-01-08). Man bursts into flames after being tasered. rt.com 
A police officer's stun gun appeared to react with flammable hand sanitizer, which a suspect had doused himself with during an aggressive encounter | The New York Attorney General's office has released footage of a man who burst into flames after he was tasered by police, as part of its investigation into the man's eventual death nearly two months after the incident. | In the October 30 surveillance
(2022-01-08). President plans to shut 'Door to Hell'. rt.com 
The burning gas crater in the Karakum Desert has been one of Turkmenistan's main tourist attractions | Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has ordered his government to find a way of extinguishing an infernal-looking gas crater that has been burning in the Karakum desert for the past 50 years. | The crater located near the village of Darvaza, some 270km from Turkmenistan's capital of Ashgabat, is officially called 'The Radiance of Karakum', but the locals usually refer to it as 'The Door to Hell'. | The 60-meter-wide pit is man-made, formed as the result of a ground collapse during gas exploration back…
(2022-01-08). Mom brings child to Covid-testing site in car trunk. rt.com 
A high-school teacher has been accused of felony child endangerment after taking drastic measures to avoid catching the coronavirus from her son | Texas police are looking for a high-school English teacher after she allegedly locked her Covid-19 positive child in a car trunk to limit exposure on the way to a testing facility. | An arrest warrant for felony child endangerment was issued for Sarah Beam, 42, on Friday after her 13-year-old son was discovered in the car trunk at Houston's Pridgeon Stadium Covid-19 testing center this week. | Bevin Gordon, the health services director for the local independent scho…
(2022-01-08). Mystery on Moon's dark side solved. rt.com 
Chinese rover got close-up shot of 'mysterious' lunar object | A Chinese rover has finally made it close enough to explore an oddly-shaped object spotted on the far side of the Moon last year. The discovery was dubbed 'mystery hut' online. | The image of a gray cube-shaped object on the Moon's horizon was published by Our Space, a channel affiliated with the China National Space Administration (CNSA), early last month. | The photo was taken by Chinese rover Yutu-2 when it was traversing the large Von Karman crater. It was reported at the time that it would take two to three months for the rover to reach the ob…
(2022-01-08). There is nothing wrong with Helen Mirren playing Golda Meir. rt.com 
Should an actor's religion or ethnicity matter when they play a role? Well according to British screen legend Dame Maureen Lipman, it should. She has criticised the casting of fellow British acting icon Dame Helen Mirren as former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in the upcoming Hollywood biopic, In an interview given to the Jewish Chronicle, Lipman, who is herself Jewish, called out the casting of Mirren as Golda Meir…
(2022-01-08). 'Free speech' platform accused of censoring critics. rt.com 
A popular 'free speech' social network has faced repeated allegations of censorship, with many users expressing concern over its links to a Chinese billionaire | Gettr, a conservative free speech Twitter alternative led by a former adviser to ex-US President Donald Trump, has been accused of censoring users who criticize the platform and one of its backers. | The site — which has managed to draw users as big as podcast host Joe Rogan with its free speech claims — sparked accusations of hypocrisy after it banned several users, including controversial right-wing political commentator Nick Fuentes. | Fu…
(2022-01-08). Ralph Nader: What Are Torts? They're Everywhere! scheerpost.com 
[ By Ralph Nader | Editor's note: This article first appeared February 20, 2019. | What exposed the Tobacco industry's carcinogenic cover-up? The lethal asbestos industry cover-up? The General Motors' deadly ignition switch defect cover-up? The Catholic Church's pedophile scandal? All kinds of toxic waste poisonings? | Not the state legislatures of our country. Not Congress. Not the regulatory agencies of our federal or state governments. These abuses and other wrongs were exposed by lawsuits brought by individuals or groups of afflicted…
(2022-01-08). Biden assesses future of Covid-19 'new normal'. rt.com 
The US president weighed in on whether the coronavirus will ever be contained | President Joe Biden said he believes the "new normal" brought by the Covid-19 outbreak will eventually let up, offering some optimism about the pandemic while arguing the US is already in a much better place than it was in 2021. | "Covid as we are dealing with it now is not going to stay," Biden told reporters on Friday, adding that the US has "so many more tools we are developing and continue to develop" to suppress the virus. | The president argued that the US is currently in a better position compared to last year, with 90% of s…
(2022-01-08). Affordable Child Care Is the Boost Our Economy Needs. scheerpost.com 
[ By Child care is one of the biggest expenses many families face — in much of the country, it can run higher than college tuition. Could a national child care program ease that burden? | We've come close before. During World War II, the federal government provided child care around the clock to enable more women to work in the war industries.
(2022-01-08). Australian state government considers forcing unvaccinated COVID patients to pay for hospital care. wsws.org Unvaccinated persons, currently less than 6 percent of adults in NSW, are being scapegoated for large outbreaks, with claims that they are taking up a disproportionate amount of healthcare resources.
(2022-01-08). US pressure mounts over Solomon Islands' relations with China. wsws.org A Wall Street Journal editorial reminded its readers of the 1942 Battle of Guadalcanal, which, it stated, "proved the critical importance of the Solomon Islands for Pacific security."
(2022-01-08). Colombia and Ecuador Join the Lawfare Campaign Against Alex Saab. orinocotribune.com The Colombian government has made clear its intention to join in the lawfare campaign against Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab, who has been illegally imprisoned in the United States since October 16, 2021. | Moreover, on January 11 a group of extreme right-wing spokespersons from Ecuador will present to Colombian President Iván Duque a series of documents as supposed evidence of alleged links between Saab and some Colombian companies accused of having committed various felonies. This announcement was made by Fernando Villavicencio Valencia, president of the Supervisory Commission of the National Assembly of Ecuador…
(2022-01-08). Iran Mission to UN reacts to US newspaper's hostile article. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 08 (MNA) — In reaction to an article published by an American newspaper, Iran Permanent Mission to UN said that encouraging leaders to initiate war, amid serious diplomatic talks, are in violation of the principles of International Law.
(2022-01-08). Make Xinjiang Indispensable in International Supply Chain. orinocotribune.com By Global Times — Jan 4, 2022 | As a new American legislation puts multinational companies in a dilemma when it comes to their Xinjiang-related businesses, one of the countermeasures China could take is to increase the region's economic attractiveness to foreign companies to gradually put this debate to rest. | Ever since the Biden administration heaped more pressure on Xinjiang-related trade issues, some American companies have complied with various bans to rid their supply chains of any hint of Xinjiang, which eventually result in Chinese people's boycott of their products. | Even though it is crystal clea…
(2022-01-08). Guatemala: Why Do Members of the Same Indigenous Peoples Kill Each Other? libya360.wordpress.com Ollantay Itzamná Territory in conflict between Santa Catarina and Nahualá occupied by PNC. Internet The territorial conflict between Nahualá and Santa Catarina Ixtahuacán is an iceberg in a country with criminal internal borders that dissect the peoples, turning them into territorial enemies among themselves, families belonging to the same native peoples. In recent months, the…
(2022-01-08). Moscow, Beijing, Washington frame opponents as 'foreign agents'. themilitant.com As they deepen their assaults on working people and political rights, the regimes in Moscow and Beijing are trying to silence political opponents by smearing them as "foreign agents." Washington condemns these two rivals for repression, but has used the very same smears to target and frame up working-class organizations at home. | On Dec. 28, Russia's Supreme Court ordered the closing of Memorial International, a long-standing rights organization that has chronicled decades of Stalinist political repression in the Soviet Union. Its archives hold tens of thousands of documents, books and artwork by prisoners spann…
(2022-01-08). Iran to export 110-MW electricity to Afghanistan: official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 08 (MNA) — A senior advisor to Iran's Minister of Energy for International Affairs said that the country will export 110 megawatts of electricity to neighboring Afghanistan in the current year.
(2022-01-08). LPNM: The Greatest Danger Libyans Face after Foreign Intervention is Armed Militias. libya360.wordpress.com Spokesman for the Libyan People's National Movement, Nasser Saeed The spokesperson for the Libyan People's National Movement, Nasser Saeed, confirmed that the dangerous enemy to the Libyans and to the state of security and stability in Libya after foreign intervention are the armed militias (criminal — regional — ideological). Saeed said, in a post on…
(2022-01-08). Omicron brings fresh woes to recovering hotel industry. america.cgtn.com 
Hotels in New York say the surge in cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant led to mass cancellations over the holiday season. Some hotels are also struggling to recruit staff in the face of a national labor shortage. But industry leaders say the situation is still …
(2022-01-08). Libya: The United States Obstructs Elections, Fearing the Victory of Dr. Saif al-Islam Qaddafi. libya360.wordpress.com Editorial Comment: Not only is the US manipulating events to place their own operatives in power, they are also laying the foundation for a protracted civil war and the balkanization of Libya to better serve imperial interests, which extend past Libya's borders, to threaten all of Africa. — A.V. The United States is following Britain's…
(2022-01-08). [Correspondence] Strengthening the reporting of stillbirths globally — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We appreciate the comments by Olga Joos and colleagues, in response to our Article,1 on prioritising stillbirth reporting and registration within civil registration and vital statistics system strengthening efforts. Improving data collection and data quality in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) is key since far too many of these countries have very scarce or no quality data on stillbirths. Integrating stillbirths in the vital registration process will allow us to produce better and more timely estimates of the risk of stillbirth and analyse inequities at the subnational level.
(2022-01-08). Russia and Egypt Strive to Ensure Food Security in Africa. libya360.wordpress.com Vladimir Odintsov Despite modern agro-industrial technologies, the trend towards food shortages continues. This, in particular, is evidenced by the information published by the UN that up to 820 million people are starving in the world, which is about 10% of the world population. There are more malnourished and hungry people around the world today than ever before, despite…
(2022-01-08). Squid Game and the survival drama genre. wsws.org While Squid Game presents a unique twist on the effort to represent capitalism as a fight to the death, it is only the most recent example of an international genre that began in the US in the 1970s.
(2022-01-08). Tuesday 1/18: National Day of Racial Healing – California State Capitol. indybay.org California State Capitol | Sacramento, CA…
(2022-01-08). Educators and parents denounce UK education unions over unsafe schools. wsws.org The National Education Union has worked to keep schools open throughout the pandemic. It now makes the lying claim that it organised the mobilisation of teachers and shutdown of schools last January, at the height of the pandemic.
(2022-01-08). The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the World's Future. warisacrime.org Late January of this year will mark the first anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This momentous international agreement, the result of a lengthy struggle by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and by many non-nuclear nations, bans developing, testing, producing, acquiring, possessing, …
(2022-01-08). Western Shoshone: 'After 900 Nuclear Tests On Our Land, US Wants to Ethnically Cleanse Us'. libya360.wordpress.com Chris Sweeney 'The most nuclear bombed nation on the planet' is the unwanted accolade claimed by the Shoshone Native American tribe. This has had devastating effects for the community, and RT spoke with one campaigner fighting for justice. "They are occupying our country, they are stealing our opportunities and we are expected to die because…
(2022-01-08). Saudi official holds meeting with US envoy in Vienna. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 08 (MNA) — Saudi news sources reported that Saudi representatives in international organizations based in Vienna Abdullah bin Khalid met and held talks with the US Special Representative for Iran Robert Malley on Friday.
(2022-01-08). [Correspondence] Strengthening the reporting of stillbirths globally. thelancet.com In their excellent Article, Lucia Hug and colleagues1 systematically assessed about two decades of stillbirth estimates acquired from national administrative records of 195 countries and report an alarming trend that demands expeditious action, if the Every Newborn Action Plan target of reducing stillbirths to fewer than 12 per 1000 is to be achieved by 2030.2…