(2023-12-23). Simon Kuper Wins The Ben Hodges Award for Ukraine Fabulism. sonar21.com 
Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels | No. That is not Simon Kuper hanging with Def Fàºhrer. This is Simon Kuper. | Simon Kuper | He is a "columnist" for the Financial Times. I think a more accurate title is, "fabulist." For those whose native tongue is other than English the word, "fabulist", is a polite synonym for LIAR. And boy did he lie in his latest column, "
nationofchange.org (2023-12-23). The profiteers of war: Companies fueling the Israeli assault on Gaza
The U.S. government has facilitated the transfer of an immense array of weaponry to Israel. In the initial month-and-a-half following the October 7 declaration of war, over 15,000 bombs and 50,000 artillery shells made their way into Israeli hands. The secrecy shrouding these transfers highlights the sensitive nature of this support, a topic often left out of public discourse and congressional oversight.
(2023-12-23). WRAPUP 5-Fighting rages in northern Gaza after U.N. stops short of ceasefire call. devdiscourse.com Israel battled Hamas militants on Saturday in pursuit of its elusive goal of full control of northern Gaza, after the U.N. Security Council appealed for more aid for the Palestinian enclave but stopped short of demanding a ceasefire. Thick smoke hung over the northern town of Jabalia – which is also home to Gaza's largest refugee camp – and residents reported persistent aerial bombardment and shelling from Israeli tanks, which they said had moved further into the town.
(2023-12-23). Netanyahu thanks Biden for U.N. stand, says Israel will press Gaza war. devdiscourse.com Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin voiced appreciation in a call with U.S. Joe Biden on Saturday for the U.S. stand at the U.N. Security Council, Netanyahu's office said in a statement, apparently referring to the forum's discussions of the Gaza war.
(2023-12-23). El Salvador court orders arrest of former president for cover-up of massacre. devdiscourse.com A local court in El Salvador has ordered the arrest of former President Alfredo Cristiani for the alleged cover-up of the 1981 El Mozote massacre during the Central American country's civil war that lasted twelve years. In the document, issued by a court in San Francisco Gotera on Friday, Cristiani, 76, is named as one of 10 people who promoted a general amnesty law that was approved in 1993 and exonerates those accused of war crimes.
(2023-12-23). Unaccompanied minors among Indian passengers on flight grounded in France. devdiscourse.com Eleven unaccompanied minors were among 303 Indian passengers on a plane grounded in France, a source close to the Paris prosecutor's office said on Saturday, as an investigation into suspected human trafficking continues.
(2023-12-23). US tensions with China are fraying long-cultivated academic ties. Will the chill hurt US interests? devdiscourse.com In the 1980s, Fu Xiangdong was a young Chinese virology student who came to the United States to study biochemistry. More than three decades later, he had a prestigious professorship in California and was conducting promising research on Parkinson's disease.
(2023-12-23). Yemen's warring parties commit to ceasefire steps – U.N. special envoy. devdiscourse.com The Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Iran-aligned Houthis have both committed to steps towards a ceasefire, the U.N. special envoy for Yemen said on Saturday. The Houthis, which control north Yemen, have been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and left 80% of Yemen's population dependent on humanitarian aid.
(2023-12-23). 12 Turkish soldiers have been killed over 2 days in clashes with Kurdish militants, authorities say. devdiscourse.com Six Turkish soldiers were killed on Saturday in clashes with Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, a day after another six were also killed.
(2023-12-23). HC expresses concern over poor condition of crematoriums in UP. devdiscourse.com The Allahabad High Court has expressed concern over lack of basic facilities at crematoriums across Uttar Pradesh and directed the state government to take concrete steps to improve the condition of cremation centres. Hearing a writ petition filed by one Rajendra Kumar Bajpai, a division bench comprising Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Prashant Kumar observed, "We have come across the horrific situation during the peak of Covid-19 pandemic, when we were unable to carry out proper cremation of the bodies of departed souls due to serious lack of infrastructure at cremation centres." "The population is i…
(2023-12-23). A rebel attack on Burundi from neighbouring Congo has left at least 20 dead, the government says. devdiscourse.com At least 20 people have been killed in Burundi following an attack by a rebel group based in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, a Burundian government spokesman said on Saturday.
(2023-12-23). ECI team reviews poll preparedness in AP, stresses on maintaining error-free electoral rolls. devdiscourse.com A team of Election Commission officers on Saturday reviewed the preparedness for next year's general elections and directed officials to ensure that the electoral rolls are free of any errors and maintain transparency while conducting polls.
(2023-12-23). Attendees at SEP (Australia) meeting against Gaza genocide: "Protesting is not working, we need a revolutionary perspective" wsws.org The meeting "summarised the situation that is occurring in Gaza but placed this in the context of bigger implications of the capitalist crisis and the American war drive globally."
(2023-12-23). Loneliness and social isolation through the holidays. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The holiday season, billed as the happiest time of the year, can be lonely, especially for those without close family and friends. Loneliness and social isolation, recognized as an epidemic by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have significant health implications. Dr. Amit Shah, a Mayo Clinic geriatrician and internist, says loneliness is a subjective feeling or perception when a person is not feeling connected to others. Social isolation is a lack of connections…
(2023-12-23). Made in the USA. counterpunch.org So much of Gaza has been disfigured by Israeli/US bombs that it is now a different color from space. A New York Times determined that Israel routinely dropped 2,000 lbs. bombs in the area south of Wadi Gaza, the place the IDF had repeatedly ordered civilians in Gaza to move to for safety. The US-made MK-84 2,000-pound bomb can leave craters 60 feet deep and create blastwaves capable of killing and maiming people up to 3,000 feet away. The NYT report concluded that the IDF dropped at least 200 such bombs in southern Gaza, where "even for those who followed every evacuation order, there was still no safety to be fo…