(2023-12-20). Israel to begin hiring Indians to replace Palestinian workers from Dec 27. muslimmirror.com New Delhi : A team of "selectors" from Israel visited India last week and another senior delegation will leave for India next week to start the process of recruiting thousands of workers to be brought to the country to fill in the acute shortage faced by its construction industry, a senior executive at the Israel …
(2023-12-20). The suffocation of democracy in India. peoplesdispatch.org On December 18 and 19, 141 members of the two houses of India's Parliament were
(2023-12-20). Moves of UK and U.S. over Chagos expose true nature of 'values-based alliance'. mronline.org U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and visiting British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Thursday local time in a joint press conference that they had discussed the "vital" U.S.-UK Indian Ocean air base at Diego Garcia.
(2023-12-20). Diez fallecidos y miles de desplazados en India por lluvias. telesurtv.net El ministro jefe de Tamil Nadu, Shiv Das Meena, informó que además de los diez fallecidos, cerca de 12.600 personas tuvieron que huir a sitios seguros.
(2023-12-20). Comercio entre Rusia e India supera 54 millones de dólares en 10 meses. telesurtv.net El embajador ruso, Denís Alípov, puntualizó que en 2023 aumentó el número de misiones empresariales y eventos de industrias entre ambos países.
(2023-12-19). The Surveillance Showdown That Fizzled. scheerpost.com 
By India McKinney / Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Like the weather rapidly getting colder outside, the fight over renewing, reforming, or sunsetting the mass surveillance power of Section 702 has been put on ice until spring. In the last week of legislative business before the winter break, Congress was scheduled to consider two very different proposals: H.R. 6570, …
(2023-12-19). Moves of UK and US Over Chagos Expose True Nature of 'Values-Based Alliance'. orinocotribune.com By Global Times — Dec 9, 2023 | US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and visiting British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Thursday local time in a joint press conference that they had discussed the "vital" US-UK Indian Ocean air base at Diego Garcia. Cameron did not give a specific response when asked if the UK was dropping plans to return the Chagos Islands, of which Diego Garcia is the largest member, to Mauritius, while Blinken said that Washington "recognizes UK sovereignty over British Indian Ocean Territory." | The word "recognize" here is full of darkness, injustice and irony. This immediately…
(2023-12-19). Postdoc hangs herself in IIT-Kanpur hostel room. devdiscourse.com A 34-year-old research staff of Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur hanged herself on Tuesday from the ceiling fan of her second-floor hostel room, police said.
(2023-12-19). Three drones, nearly 1 kg heroin seized in Punjab village near Pakistan border. devdiscourse.com Three drones and nearly a kilogramme of heroin were seized from a village near the India-Pakistan border in Punjab's Amritsar, a BSF spokesperson said on Tuesday.
(2023-12-19). Cricket-De Zorzi ton guides South Africa to eight-wicket win over India. devdiscourse.com (adds quotes) Dec 19 (Reuters) -…
(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.
(2023-12-19). Stalin seeks Rs 2,000 crore interim relief for rain-battered southern Tamil Nadu districts. devdiscourse.com Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release Rs 2,000 crore from the National Disaster Relief Fund to bolster the efforts for livelihood support and repair of public infrastructure affected by the recent flooding in the state's southern districts.
(2023-12-20). Union minister Giriraj Singh urges Hindus to embrace 'Jhatka' meat, calls for Halal ban. muslimmirror.com In Begusarai, Union Rural Development Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Giriraj Singh called upon Hindus to exclusively consume 'jhatka' meat instead of halal meat. Singh 'praised' the commitment of Muslims to consuming only halal meat and urged Hindus to demonstrate a similar dedication to their religious traditions. He emphasized the Hindu way …
(2023-12-20). Union minister Giriraj Singh urges Hindus to embrace 'Jhatka' meat, calls for Halal ban. muslimmirror.com In Begusarai, Union Rural Development Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Giriraj Singh called upon Hindus to exclusively consume 'jhatka' meat instead of halal meat. Singh 'praised' the commitment of Muslims to consuming only halal meat and urged Hindus to demonstrate a similar dedication to their religious traditions. He emphasized the Hindu way …
(2023-12-19). US Congressmen announce creation of Hindu Caucus. devdiscourse.com Republican lawmakers Pete Sessions and Elise Stefanim on Tuesday announced the inauguration of a Congressional Hindu Caucus to protect the interests of this religious minority and raise their issues in the US Congress.
(2023-12-20). Tamil refugees hope to ask Richard Marles for permanent visas. greenleft.org.au 
(2023-12-19). Tamil refugees hope to ask Richard Marles for permanent visas. greenleft.org.au
(2023-12-20). A Merry AUKUS Surprise, Western Australia! dissidentvoice.org The secretive Australian government just cannot help itself. Clamouring and hectoring of other countries and their secret arrangements (who can forget the criticism of the Solomon Islands over its security pact with China for that reason?) the Albanese government is a bit too keen on keeping a lid on things regarding the withering away of …
(2023-12-19). Solomon Islands: World Bank Assistance Will Boost Solomons Islands' Public Financial Management, Private Sector Development, and Support Climate Resilience. reliefweb.int Country: Solomon Islands | Source: World Bank | WASHINGTON, December 19, 2023 —The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved a US$20 million grant to support the Government of Solomon Islands in improving financial management, strengthen the business environment, and improve emergency preparedness. | The First Solomon Islands Resilience Development Policy Operation with a Catastrophe Drawdown Option will support the Solomon Islands government to increase tax revenue through the government's Value Added Tax Bill and the introduction of a new nickel royalty based on the value of the metal containe…
(2023-12-20). Section 144 imposed in Manipur's Churachandpur district following fresh violence. muslimmirror.com Churachandpur : The Manipur government has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC for two months in Churachandpur district following fresh violence, according to an official order. Various parts of the northeastern state have been rocked by ethnic strife since May this year. Incidents of sporadic violence were reported from several places in …
(2023-12-20). Despite Biden's Claims, Gaza Health Ministry Death Toll Is Accurate. popularresistance.org The death toll of Israel's war on Gaza reported by the Palestinian health ministry is accurate, according to two peer-reviewed studies by scientific experts published in top medical journal The Lancet. | As of December 18, Israel had killed 19,453 Palestinians in Gaza, the ministry reported. Two-thirds of the deaths were children (7,729) and women (5,153). | United Nations bodies, human rights organizations, and major media outlets have often used these statistics, because they have a history of being accurate. | "International organizations including the United Nations usually rely on these same figures as they…
(2023-12-20). China urges U.S. to play due role for truce in Gaza. ecns.cn Beijing said on Tuesday that it hopes Washington will listen to the growing international calls to end hostilities between Palestine and Israel, and refrain from unilaterally obstructing the United Nations Security Council from passing relevant resolutions.
(2023-12-20). Pope Condemns Israeli Killings of Palestinian Christians; Relative of 84-Year-Old Victim Mourns Her Death. democracynow.org 
As international outrage grows over Israeli attacks on churches in Gaza, we speak with Philip Farah, co-founder of the Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace. Israeli snipers shot dead an elderly woman and her adult daughter at the Holy Family Parish, a Catholic church, on Sunday. Pope Francis denounced the killings as "terrorism." Farah's elderly relative Elham Farah, a beloved music teacher and member of one of the oldest Christian families in Gaza, was killed by an Israeli sniper in November while sheltering outside the church. Israeli soldiers have also attacked Palestinian Christians else…
(2023-12-20). Israel's slaughter of president of the Islamic University of Gaza triggers international protest. wsws.org Professor Sofyan Taya was a UNESCO Chair for Physical and Astrophysical Sciences. According to a 2021 report by Stanford University, he was among the top 2 percent of researchers in optics globally.
(2023-12-20). Egypt Joins China's ILRS Moon Base Initiative. infobrics.org Egypt and China signed a series of space agreements including cooperation on the China-led International Lunar Research Station…
(2023-12-20). Palestinian activist Munther Amira tied up, beaten, and arrested by Israeli forces in Aida refugee camp. mondoweiss.net 
Israeli forces raided Aida refugee camp and detained activist Munther Amira after attacking his family. With Amira's fate inside Israel's military court system unknown, his family recounts his traumatic arrest and calls for international solidarity.
(2023-12-20). Australian workers and youth condemn violent attack on Sri Lankan SEP members. wsws.org Workers, students, youth, academics and the sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) have denounced the violent attack on two SEP members by pro-government thugs and demanded the culprits be punished.
(2023-12-20). International students from BJTU proud to study in China. ecns.cn Last Thursday, a group of international students from Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU) engaged in a cultural tour in Beijing.
(2023-12-20). UK Parliament debates IHR amendments: If sovereignty is knowingly and deceitfully forfeited by government there are specific laws for dealing with that, says Andrew Bridgen. expose-news.com On Monday, the UK House of Commons debated the World Health Organisation's ("WHO's") proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations ("IHR"). The debate was held in response to a petition to the …
(2023-12-20). World Insights: Egypt's Sisi secures 3rd presidential term amid interwoven challenges. independent.co.ug 
CAIRO, EGYPT | Xinhua | Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, Egypt's incumbent president, won the 2024 presidential election with 89.6 percent of the vote, securing a third term in office, according to results released Monday afternoon by Egypt's National Election Authority (NEA). Sisi has thus become the chosen leader of the most populous Arab country, which has played …
(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). China releases first batch of 789 important terrestrial wildlife habitats. ecns.cn China has unveiled the first batch of 789 crucial terrestrial wildlife habitats, safeguarding a remarkable 82.36 percent of the nation's protected species, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
(2023-12-20). An Unfinished Struggle: the 50-Year Campaign to Abolish Torture. counterpunch.org 
At the Amna Suraka museum in Iraq, exhibits show the torture that was carried out in the cells. Hélène Veilleux/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA Christopher Justin Einolf, Northern Illinois University The world's first conference on the abolition of torture drew more than 300 delegates representing over 70 countries and international organizations. It opened with the news that
(2023-12-20). "Developing Countries" are Trapped in a New Debt Crisis : How Can This be Explained? counterpunch.org 
The latest World Bank report on the debts of "developing countries", published on December 13, 2023 [1], reveals an alarming fact: in 2022, developing countries as a whole spent a record US$ 443.5 billion to pay for their external public debt. The 75 low-income nations that are eligible for loans from the International Development Association (IDA),
(2023-12-20). Housing activists organise national day of action for public housing, rent controls. greenleft.org.au 
(2023-12-20). Law Center Statement on 12% Increase in Homelessness. indybay.org Point in Time results must drive housing investments, not despair…
(2023-12-20). Exclusive: Hamas says resolve to fight Israel outweighs its missiles. presstv.ir A senior Hamas official says Operation Al-Aqsa Storm was meant to show the world that ignoring the rights of the Palestinian people will affect international stability.
english.wafa.ps (2023-12-19). UN Security Council postpones to Wednesday vote on UAE resolution demanding immediate ceasefire in GazaThe UN Security Council postponed to tomorrow, Wednesday, voting on a resolution drafted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. | | On December 8th, despite immense efforts by the Secretary-General and invoking Article 99 of the UN Charter, which grants him the responsibility to "bring to the attention" of the Security Council any matter that in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security, US vetoed a resolution urging for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
(2023-12-19). When genocide is no longer genocide. mronline.org 
Some of Israel's defenders want to do away with the concept of genocide in hopes of washing away its war crimes. Any redefinition would allow the U.S. to disappear the many genocides it has committed domestically and internationally.
(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.
(2023-12-19). Joint meeting of US educators and students resolves to mobilize the working class to stop the genocide against Gaza. wsws.org The meeting was sponsored by the International Youth and Students for Social Equality and the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee in the US.
(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…
(2023-12-19). Palestinian and international networks demand Israel release hospital director Dr. Ahmed Muhanna. peoplesdispatch.org Al Awda Association and the People's Health Movement launched a campaign for the release of Dr. Ahmed Muhanna, director of Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza…
(2023-12-19). Israel's War on Children: Fadi Abu Shammalah on Horrific Ordeal Facing Kids in Gaza, Including His Own. democracynow.org 
In Part 2 of our interview with Fadi Abu Shammalah, the head of Gaza's General Union of Cultural Centers, he describes how his three children were finally able to flee to Cairo this morning. He is now working to secure safe passage for more than a dozen family members still stuck behind the blockade. "The international community are silent. And a lot of them are supporting it," Abu Shammalah says.
(2023-12-19). Yemeni movement's solidarity with Palestine. iacenter.org December 18, 2023 Below is a statement by Ansarallah (called the Houthi movement in the imperialist media) spokesperson, Mohammed Abdul Salam, which was posted on Resistance News Network on Dec. 16. The accompanying news is that the largest shipping company in the world, the Swiss-Italian MSC, has decided to cease all shipments in the Red Sea in response to the operations of the Yemeni Armed Forces targeting any ship headed to the Zionist entity's Eilat port in southern occupied Palestine until the siege of Gaza is lifted. This port has been temporarily closed. According to Israel National News, maritime shipping…
(2023-12-19). Euro-Med Monitor: Investigate Reports 'Israel' Burying Victims Alive. popularresistance.org The human rights organization Euro-Med Monitor has urged to probe Israeli war crimes after reports of Palestinian civilians buried alive at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. | In a report published on Saturday, the Geneva-based group said that "an independent international investigation must be opened into these reports." | According to Euro-Med Monitor, "Israeli army bulldozers drove into the hospital (on Saturday) morning and destroyed its southern section, leaving behind massive destruction following several days of non-stop attacks and siege."
(2023-12-19). IMSS-Bienestar health federalization plan advances in Mexico. plenglish.com This was informed by the director of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) Zoé Robledo -who is in charge of this plan- at the morning press conference held at the National Palace of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, dedicated as every other Tuesday to the subject of health. | The expert said that the progress of the plan for the care of Mexicans without social security is remarkable, which includes the hiring of national and foreign general practitioners, specialists and nurses, mainly Cubans, and an increase in the 23 states of census beds with a perfect control of how many in each hospital and heal…
(2023-12-19). Kawempe Hospital registers decline in maternal deaths. independent.co.ug 
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kawempe National Maternal Hospital is witnessing a noteworthy decrease in avoidable maternal and neonatal deaths, thanks to corporate support received from various companies as part of Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. During the reception of essential utility commodities from Stanbic and its partners, Dr. Emmanuel Byaruhanga, the hospital's executive director …
(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). 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). Federal Judge Halts Removal of Confederate Statue at Arlington National Cemetery. truthout.org A federal judge has blocked the removal of a Confederate statue at Arlington National Cemetery which depicts enslaved people, prior to and during the Civil War, as being content and devoted to their enslavers. The statue, which is called the Confederate Memorial, was erected in Virginia in 1914 and features a female figure standing atop a 32-foot tall pedestal with an olive leaf crown. |
(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 …
(2023-12-19). Celebrating its 30th anniversary, MVIWATA vows to strengthen peasant solidarity in Tanzania. peoplesdispatch.org MVIWATA or the National Network of Farmers Groups in Tanzania just concluded its 30th-anniversary celebration and 28th Annual General Meeting (AGM). Fraternal organizations from all over the world traveled to Njombe to participate in the meeting. MVIWATA was formed in 1993 for farmers to unite and face the challenges presented by neoliberalism. | During the meeting, members remembered the legacy of former socialist president Mwalimu Julius Nyerere who was instrumental in organizing the country's peasantry. | Stephen Ruvuga and Theodora Pius from the organization talk about the historical significance of MVIWATA.
(2023-12-19). Chile rejects far-right constitution in latest plebiscite. peoplesdispatch.org On December 17, Chileans rejected a proposed far-right constitution in a plebiscite, which would have included provisions against abortion and same-sex marriage and been even more conservative than the current constitution, a Pinochet-era document. The "against" option obtained 55.76% of the votes, while the "in favor" received 44.24% of the votes, generating various reactions at the national and international level. | As a result of the plebiscite, Chile will maintain the constitution of 1980, approved during the Pinochet dictatorship, which has received important, but not structural, modifications during subseq…
(2023-12-19). Scientists Say COP28 Is A Blank Cheque For More Deadly Delay. popularresistance.org The UN climate summit, hijacked by the fossil fuel cartel, has gifted a blank cheque to rich countries and Big Oil to kill one billion people and force billions more to flee their homes by 2100. | The so-called 'historic' outcome of COP28 fails to deliver the most basic and necessary measures which would have prevented societal and earth systems collapse, as outlined by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): eliminate fossil fuel subsidies and halt all new gas and oil projects. | Instead, the new resolution includes numerous loopholes which will allow polluters to greenwash emissions through fictional…
(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). Coffee price increases at international market. plenglish.com San Salvador, Dec 19 (Prensa Latina) The price of Salvadoran coffee increased in the international market by 6.3 percent compared to October (1.61 dollars per pound) but is still below the figures of 2022.
(2023-12-19). Israel mercilessly massacres a people, denounces Cuban President. plenglish.com Havana, Dec 19 (Prensa Latina) Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced today that the government of Israel mercilessly massacres the Palestinian people and challenges the international community with its escalation of abuses.
(2023-12-19). Calendar of Resistance for Palestine! Events and actions around the world. iacenter.org
(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). General Manager Ryan Poles Is Putting The Chicago Bears In Position To Be Great, Again. moguldom.com The role of a general manager is pivotal to the success of any franchise. They are responsible for making critical decisions that shape the team's present and future. In the case of the Chicago Bears, Ryan Poles has emerged as a generational manager, steering the National Football League franchise toward a promising future. Prior to …
(2023-12-19). Generational Manager Ryan Poles Is Putting The Chicago Bears In Position To Be Great, Again. moguldom.com The role of a general manager is pivotal to the success of any franchise. They are responsible for making critical decisions that shape the team's present and future. In the case of the Chicago Bears, Ryan Poles has emerged as a generational manager, steering the National Football League franchise toward a promising future. Prior to …
(2023-12-19). COP28 Gave Us Another Agreement Full of Loopholes for Fossil Fuels. truthout.org The outcome of global climate summits has barely changed since the United Nations held the first Conference of the Parties (COP) in Berlin in 1995. Reaching an international consensus on climate action that might avert the worst effects of global warming and put the planet on a sustainable track has always been an elusive goal due to the power of the fossil fuel industry and political short… |
(2023-12-19). The National Debt, Tax Farming, and Patent Monopolies. cepr.net It increasingly looks like the Fed and the Biden administration have nailed the notoriously difficult soft landing, with inflation rapidly falling towards the Fed's 2.0 percent target and the unemployment rate still under 4.0 percent. All the signs are that the economy will continue to grow and create jobs at a healthy pace in 2024 …
(2023-12-19). Efforts to improve child development in rural areas. ecns.cn China is ramping up efforts to enhance early development of infants and young children in villages in a bid to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas, officials and experts said at an international symposium in Beijing on Saturday.
(2023-12-19). China's top health authority sends multiple experts to help with relief in Gansu. ecns.cn The National Health Commission, China's top health authority, said on Tuesday morning that it has dispatched its officials in charge of health emergency work and medical experts to Jishishan county.
(2023-12-19). U.S.-China relations committee president emphasizes need for 'courage'. ecns.cn The United States and China need to "boost courage" to drive relations a step forward to benefit all, said Steve Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.
(2023-12-19). Railway linking Tianjin, Beijing Daxing International Airport starts operation. ecns.cn A railway connecting Tianjin with Beijing Daxing International Airport opened on Monday. The line covers six stations, and a 47-km section is new, with a designed speed of 250 km per hour.
(2023-12-19). Myanmar needs holistic reforms to avert crisis. pressenza.com On January 31, 1949, the Karen National Union launched a revolt that marked the start of the war in Myanmar. Following 112 days of combat, the Myanmar Army routed the Karen National Defence Organisation in May 1949 and retook control of Yangon. The Karens are still engaged in this battle since they attempted to equalise possibilities with the Bhamars. Temporary ceasefire agreements were struck in the states of Kachin, Kayah, Mon, and Shan throughout the 1990s; yet, during that same period, twenty other armed ethnic groupings emerged. These gangs persisted in their conflict even after the cease-fire that lasted fr…
(2023-12-19). Court confirms murder, terror charges against Kiggundu suspect killers. independent.co.ug 
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The International Crimes Division of the High Court has formally charged individuals linked to the killing of Major Mohammad Kiggundu and his bodyguard Sergeant Steven Mukasa. Justice Richard Wejuli Wabwire, on Monday, confirmed multiple charges against the accused, who will now await trial before a designated panel. The accused, …
(2023-12-19). Court rules ex-LRA commander Kwoyelo to answer 78 of 93 charges, 14 dropped. independent.co.ug 
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & URN | Prosecution has secured a ruling of a case to answer in 78 charges in the ex-LRA commander Thomas Kwoyelo case. The High Court International Crimes Division has ruled that Thomas Kwoyelo alias Latoni has a case to answer in 78 out of 93 charges. Loss of the 14 …
(2023-12-19). Egypt's Sisi wins presidential election with 89.6% of vote. independent.co.ug CAIRO | Xinhua | Egypt's National Election Authority (NEA) declared on Monday that incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi won the 2024 presidential election with 89.6 percent of valid votes. At a press conference in the capital Cairo, the NEA said the turnout reached 66.8 percent of the total 67 million eligible voters. Voting in Egypt took …
(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 …
(2023-12-19). Nationwide Survey Reflects State of US Behavioral and Mental Health. jamanetwork.com Roughly 49 million people aged 12 years or older in the US lived with a substance use disorder in 2022, and about 59 million people lived with a mental illness, according to numbers from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
(2023-12-19). Life Expectancy Gap Grows Between Men and Women in US. jamanetwork.com The gap in life expectancy between men and women widened to about 6 years in 2021—an increase from the low of roughly 4.8 years in 2010, according to an analysis of US National Center for Health Statistics data. Overall, in 2021, women had an average life expectancy of 79.3 years and men had an average life expectancy of 73.5 years.
(2023-12-19). Eviction of encroachers at Lubigi wetland paralyzes traffic on Mityana Road. independent.co.ug 
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Environment Management Authority- NEMA has started evicting encroachers on Lubigi swamp in Wakiso district. On Tuesday, a joint task force comprising officials from the Police Environment Protection Unit, National Environment Management Authority, and KCCA among other agencies started destroying all structures and plantations in the wetland. Bulldozers …
(2023-12-19). New book: U.S. 'national security' born from Anti-Asian racism and white supremacist ideology. peoplesworld.org 
The convergence of state repression of people of color activism against white supremacy with radical internationalist, anti-colonial struggles constituted and justified the exponential expansion of the modern U.S. national security apparatus, argues a new book by historian Moon-Ho Jung. Menace to Empire offers this thesis, arguing that "the U.S. state melded the yellow peril and …
(2023-12-19). The Terror Watchlist Prepared the Way to Tyranny. thealtworld.com Did you know that there are 2,000,000 names on the Federal government's terror watchlist? The National Security Council claims most are not Americans, but the Department of Homeland Security admits that there have been tens of thousands of Americans who have been treated like terrorists. It does not occur to the National Security council that there are no terrorist events corresponding to two million terrorists. If there truly were two million terrorists, the US would be in chaos. | So what is the list for? | It expands the security bureaucracy. The list has grown from 120,000 to two million, seventeen times larg…
(2023-12-19). Panama Says Its Canal Produced Record Revenue Despite Drought. latintimes.com The Panama Canal delivered $2.5 billion to the national treasury for last year's operations, the government said Monday, despite record-low water levels that limited ship transits.
(2023-12-19). Cricket-Super Salt fires England to win against West Indies to square T20 series. devdiscourse.com Phil Salt smashed a magnificent record-breaking century in England's highest-ever T20 international total as they romped to a 75-run win against West Indies to square the series in a spellbinding match in Tarouba on Tuesday.
(2023-12-19). Olympics-International Surfing body refuses to support Paris 2024 judging tower project. devdiscourse.com The International Surfing Association (ISA) will not support the construction of an aluminium judging tower for the Paris 2024 events in Tahiti, the governing body said on Tuesday.
(2023-12-19). War Crimes and Genocide: Legal Accountability. counterpunch.org 
When Swiss businessman Henri Dunant witnessed the bloody outcome of the Battle of Solferino in 1859, he was struck by the unaided suffering of the wounded. His observations, recounted in his 1862 A Memory of Solferino led to the founding of the International Red Cross. Thereafter, the 1864 Geneva Convention marked the beginning of an international legal process that governs not only duties toward the wounded but also the protection of civilians in the conduct of war.
(2023-12-19). Loneliness, Donald Trump, and You. counterpunch.org 
Consider two phenomena that might seem unrelated. This fall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data showing a marked increase in overdose fatalities nationally. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, told CNN that she had expected overdose deaths to decline after a sharp spike during the pandemic. Instead, such fatalities
(2023-12-19). Loneliness, Donald Trump, and You. counterpunch.org 
Consider two phenomena that might seem unrelated. This fall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data showing a marked increase in overdose fatalities nationally. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, told CNN that she had expected overdose deaths to decline after a sharp spike during the pandemic. Instead, such fatalities
(2023-12-19). Myanmar's Junta Is in Trouble. counterpunch.org 
A Badly Weakened Dictatorship Myanmar's (Burma) military dictatorship, which seized power in 2021, suddenly is vulnerable to attack from the hodgepodge resistance forces loosely aligned under a National Unity Government. These forces are of two kinds: ethnic minority armies, sometimes referred to as the Three Brotherhood Alliance, that have a long history of opposition to
(2023-12-19). Housing activists organise national day of action for public housing, rent controls. greenleft.org.au
(2023-12-19). Monday 12/18: Webinar: Gaza & International Humanitarian Law. indybay.org
(2023-12-19). Saturday 6/8: Annual International Classic SF World Naked Bike Ride. indybay.org 11 am Gathering & 12pm Noon Start ( Times for All Rides&AfterParties ) | Rincon "Cupid's Arrow" Park, Folsom Street & The Embarcadero Drive, San Francisco USA…
(2023-12-19). Law Center Statement on 12% Increase in Homelessness. indybay.org Point in Time results must drive housing investments, not despair…
(2023-12-19). World leaders, intellectuals denounce Israel's 'genocidal' war. presstv.ir World leaders and intellectuals call on international community to prevent Israeli genocide against the Palestinian.
(2023-12-19). Iran urges intl. probe into Israel's burying of Palestinians alive in Gaza hospital. presstv.ir Iran urges an international investigation into Israeli forces' burying of wounded and displaced Palestinians alive in the yard of a hospital in the Gaza Strip.
(2023-12-19). Shipping firms avoid Red Sea amid Yemen's attacks on Israel-bound vessels. presstv.ir A growing number of international companies have decided to pause shipments through the strategic Red Sea amid Yemen's growing attacks on Israel-bound vessels.
(2023-12-19). The need to free Iran's economy from bondage of dollar. presstv.ir Iran's parliament has already come up with a plan to reduce the dependence of the economy on the dollar and pivot to national currencies in foreign trade.
