SABRE RATTLING PREPPER

Russia to prepare for war with NATO

Putin warned that Western help for Ukraine is reaching a “red line” for Russia.


“The Ministry of Defense of Russia must be ready for any development of events, including a possible military conflict with NATO in Europe in the next decade,” Andrei Belousov said. | Pool photo by Grigory Syosev/Sputnik/EPA-EFE

December 16, 2024 
By Veronika Melkozerova

POLITICO EU

Russia has to prepare for war with NATO as well as complete its war against Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov told the Defense Ministry on Monday in a joint meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

“The Ministry of Defense of Russia must be ready for any development of events, including a possible military conflict with NATO in Europe in the next decade,” Belousov said.

The Russian comments come as United States President-elect Donald Trump called for a rapid end to the fighting, saying on Monday: “We’re trying to get the war stopped, that horrible, horrible war that’s going on in Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine. We’re going to get a little progress, it’s a tough one, it’s a nasty one, it’s nasty.”

Trump added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "should be prepared to make a deal."

But Moscow shows no sign of giving up the fight it launched over two years ago.

Belousov said that Russia has taken the initiative in the fighting and aims to fully conquer Ukraine's Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Donetsk regions by next year. He claimed that Ukrainian troops are exhausted and the Russian army has been rapidly advancing on all fronts.

He added that Russia has managed to recruit more than 427,000 troops this year — or an average of 1,200 a day.

He also warned that Russia has to prepare to fight NATO due to the threat posed by the alliance.

“This is evidenced by the decisions that were taken at the North Atlantic alliance summit held in July this year. It is also reflected in the doctrinal documents of the U.S. and other NATO countries,” the minister added.

At the same time, Putin blamed the U.S. for “scaring people with a mythical Russian threat” while sending “instructors” to help Ukraine; there is no evidence of Ukraine's allies sending instructors into the country.

“Due to this, Russia is approaching the red line, through which it can no longer retreat and begins to respond," Putin said.

He put the blame for tensions with the West on NATO.

“NATO countries increase military spending and presence near Russian borders. The number of American servicemen in Europe has already exceeded 100,000,” Putin said.

In South Korea, Democracy and Human Rights Prevail

Democracies around the world are increasingly under attack from autocratic forces seeking to rule by fiat. In South Korea, ordinary people rose up to defend the systems that protect their human rights.

Published in:The Diplomat

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Hye Jung Han
Researcher and Advocate, Children's Rights Division

techchildrights

techchildrights

John Sifton
Asia Advocacy Director



Click to expand Image
Protesters rally to demand South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment outside the National Assembly in Seoul, December 14, 2024. © 2024 Lee Jin-man/AP Photo

The South Korean National Assembly’s December 14 vote to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol, 204 to 85, in response to his rejected imposition of martial law on December 3, has reinforced democratic rule and checks and balances in South Korea. It is a fitting and proper response to Yoon’s shocking acts late on the night of December 3.

Yoon’s December 3 martial law decree, banning all political activities and suspending freedoms of speech and assembly, was an extraordinary attack on human rights and the rule of law. Yoon’s claims that it was justified – due to opposition efforts to impeach members of his cabinet and obstruct the government’s budget, and unspecified threats from “North Korean communist forces” – were ludicrous. In his telling, the political turmoil of his administration was as grave a situation as war.

The people of South Korea immediately rejected his gambit on December 3. Thousands of people raced from their homes into the freezing night to the National Assembly, where military special forces were assembling under orders to arrest political leaders and to stop lawmakers from voting to lift the martial law decree. Citizens spontaneously formed groups to block soldiers from entering the National Assembly, tightly clasping hands in a human chain to buy time for lawmakers to vote. Scuffles ensued.

In one widely shared video, Ahn Gwi-ryeong, an opposition party spokesperson, grabbed the barrel of a soldier’s assault weapon pointed at her and pushed it away, yelling, “Have you no shame? Have you no shame?” The crowds blocked military vehicles as they arrived at the National Assembly. One man stopped an armored vehicle by stepping in its path and refusing to move, shouting, “Over my dead body!” in an echo of the lone man near Tiananmen Square in 1989 who for a moment stopped Chinese military tanks. Unlike that incident, however, others quickly joined him.

190 lawmakers were ultimately able to gather inside the assembly – including members from Yoon’s own party – and they voted unanimously to reverse the martial law decree. A few tense hours later, Yoon reversed course and lifted the order. His attempt to impose martial law barely lasted six hours.

The courageous people who assembled at the National Assembly on December 3 understood the threats posed to their hard-won freedoms. Yoon’s announcement triggered many Koreans’ collective trauma from the country’s brutal past under martial law in the 1980s. Under martial law imposed by the military dictator Chun Doo-hwan, who came to power through a coup d’etat in 1979, the military massacred hundreds of pro-democracy student activists in the southwestern city of Gwangju in 1980 and used arbitrary arrests, torture, and executions to ensure Chun’s rule.

“I experienced martial law in 1979,” Lee Hyun-gyu, a 63-year-old retired teacher, told a local reporter. “I spent three and a half hours at the rally to block this from happening again to the next generation.” A woman in her 70s was overheard telling fellow protesters that older people should place themselves at the front of the scrum if the military began shooting, to protect the younger generation, to sounds of assent from the crowd. Kang Seon-gyong, 29, who stayed vigil all night at the National Assembly, said, “Even though I have to go to work in the morning, I’m going to hold my position in case I need to block the military and their armed vehicles from coming again. If I’m not here, democracy could fall.”

Yoon’s martial law order was as dangerously overreaching as Chun’s in the 1980s. In addition to suspending protests and civil gatherings, it placed the media under military rule and outlawed “fake news, public opinion manipulation, and false propaganda.”

Like the lawmakers, the media did not comply. Major news networks and newspapers immediately dispatched reporters to the National Assembly and provided live coverage all night. After Yoon’s announcement, editors and staff at the two largest local newspapers in Gwangju, the site of the 1980 massacre, barricaded their newsrooms and rushed to finalize and print copies to throw out their windows into the square below in the event that military paratroopers invaded their offices, as they had in 1980.

The head of South Korea’s police, Cho Ji-ho, later testified in the National Assembly that the military had asked the police on December 3 to help locate and detain 15 key opponents, including the leaders of opposition political parties. He also said that several hours before declaring martial law, Yoon ordered him to occupy the newsrooms of several media organizations, including MBC, one of South Korea’s largest broadcasters and a repeated target of criminal defamation charges by Yoon and his allies.

Another official testified that he was ordered to arrest a broadcaster and a union official, as well as several political leaders. Martial law troops also occupied the National Election Commission’s offices and confiscated the phones of five election officials.

A special police investigation team arrested Yoon’s former defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, on December 8, charging him with insurrection. On December 11, the team arrested Cho on the same charge, along with another senior police official.

The historic resonance of the events of December 3 is undeniable. Democracies around the world are increasingly under attack from autocratic forces seeking to rule by fiat. The events that unfolded in South Korea on December 3 and 4 show that checks and balances in a democratic system are crucial to help stop abuses of power. But blocks on the misuse of power can only fully come into play – and democracy prevail – when ordinary people rise up and defend the systems that protect their human rights.

The Korean people who put their safety and lives at risk on December 3 should be lauded not just as heroic, but as inspirational.

Travellers and Roma face most prejudice of any ethnic group in Ireland – report


Women and young people (aged between 16-20) were more tolerant towards Travellers and Roma than men and older age groups, research found (Paul Faith/PA)

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, 

PAToday 

Travellers and Roma face the highest levels of prejudice of any ethnic group in Ireland, according to new research.

The study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found people living in affluent areas were less comfortable with having Travellers as neighbours or in a relationship with their child than those living in disadvantaged areas.

Previous ESRI research found the opposite was the case for immigrants.

The report examined the factors associated with attitudes to a range of social, ethnic and religious groups, using a representative survey of 3,008 adults carried out in spring 2023.

It also outlined the socio-economic situation of Travellers and Roma communities based on the latest Census data.

The ESRI research found people were most comfortable having Travellers and Roma in their child’s class in school, less comfortable with having them as neighbours and least comfortable with having them in a relationship with their child.

People finding it more difficult to make ends meet, those living in social housing and those living in disadvantaged communities are generally more comfortable with TravellersReport author Frances McGinnity

It found that while positive attitudes to Roma were in some cases associated with positive attitudes to a broader range of ethnic and national groups, this was not the case for Travellers.

Women and young people (aged between 16-20) were more tolerant towards Travellers and Roma than men and older age groups, according to the research.

Those who described themselves as “middle class” were less comfortable with Travellers and Roma than those who described themselves as “working class”.

More educated respondents were generally more comfortable with Travellers and Roma compared to less well-educated respondents, and homeowners were less tolerant of Travellers and Roma than renters or people in social housing.

People who volunteered in the past year were more positive to both Travellers and Roma, which researchers said suggested that civic engagement is associated with tolerance.

The ESRI said the most substantial factor in different attitudes towards the two groups were what region they are in.

Residents of the border region and Dublin were most tolerant of both groups, people living in the West and Midlands were least tolerant of Travellers, whereas people in the South West and Midlands were least tolerant of Roma.

The study notes that Irish Travellers are much less likely to report their health as good or very good (67%) than white Irish (88%) or Roma (86%).

It also pointed out that 3% of Irish Travellers and 26% of Roma aged over 15 had a third-level degree, compared to 34% of the white Irish population.

Report author Frances McGinnity said the findings highlighted “high levels of both prejudice and disadvantage”.

“In some ways, factors associated with higher levels of comfort towards Travellers and Roma are similar to migrant minority groups, for example, having third-level education,” she said.

“Yet people finding it more difficult to make ends meet, those living in social housing and those living in disadvantaged communities are generally more comfortable with Travellers, in contrast to findings for migrant groups, suggesting anti-Traveller racism may be distinct from other forms of prejudice in Ireland.”

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, which was part of the programme behind the ESRI research, said it builds on an Ipsos survey published in June 2023 which reported “disappointing attitudes [amongst the wider population] towards members of the Traveller community and the Roma community”.

“That survey reinforced the need for revised national equality strategies to address the attitudes that give rise to discrimination,” the department said in a statement.

“To this end, the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II 2024 – 2028 was launched in July 2024. The new ESRI research provides welcome new insight into perspectives and prejudices, and so will greatly assist in the delivery of actions under the strategy.”

INDIA / BENGAL

'We thought it was a ball' - the bombs killing and maiming children

Soutik Biswas, Nupur Sonar & Tanushree Pandey
BBC World Service
Reporting from West Bengal

Ronny Sen for the BBC
Puchu was nine when he struck what he thought was a ball, causing a deadly explosion

Over the last three decades, at least 565 children in the Indian state of West Bengal have been injured or killed by home-made bombs, a BBC Eye investigation has found.

So what are these deadly devices and how are they linked to political violence in West Bengal? And why are so many Bengali children paying the price?

On a bright summer morning in May 1996, six boys from a slum in Kolkata, the capital of India's West Bengal state, stepped out to play cricket in a narrow alley.

Their shantytown, nestled in the middle-class neighbourhood of Jodhpur Park, thrummed with life. It was a holiday - voting day in a general election.

Nine-year-old Puchu Sardar, one of the boys, grabbed a cricket bat and quietly slipped past his sleeping father. Soon, the cracking noise of bat meeting ball echoed through the alley.

A ball batted out of the boundaries of their makeshift pitch sent the boys searching for it in a small garden nearby. There, in a black plastic bag, they found six round objects.

They looked like cricket balls someone had left behind, and the boys returned to the game with their spoils.

One of the "balls" from the bag was bowled at Puchu who struck it with his bat.

A deafening explosion tore through the alley. It was a bomb.

As the smoke lifted and neighbours rushed outside, they found Puchu and five of his friends sprawled on the street, their skin blackened, clothes scorched, bodies torn.

Screams pierced the chaos.

Seven-year-old Raju Das, an orphan raised by his aunt, and seven-year-old Gopal Biswas died of their injuries. Four other boys were wounded.

Puchu narrowly survived, having suffered serious burns and shrapnel wounds to his chest, face and abdomen.

He spent over a month in hospital. When he came home he had to use kitchen tongs to remove shrapnel still lodged in his body because his family had run out of money to pay for any more medical care.

Puchu and his friends are part of a long, tragic list of children killed or maimed by crude bombs, which have been used in West Bengal for decades in a bloody battle for dominance in the state's violent politics.

There are no publicly-available figures on the number of casualties in West Bengal.

So the BBC World Service went through every edition of two prominent state newspapers - Anandabazar Patrika and Bartaman Patrika - from 1996 to 2024, looking for reports of children injured or killed by these devices.

We found at least 565 child casualties - 94 deaths and 471 injuries - as of 10 November. This means a child has fallen victim to bomb violence, on average, every 18 days.

However, the BBC has found incidents in which children were wounded by these bombs that were not reported by the two newspapers, so the real number of casualties is likely to be higher.

More than 60% of these incidents involved children playing outdoors - gardens, streets, farms, even near schools - where bombs, typically used during elections to terrorise opponents, were hidden.

Most victims the BBC spoke to were poor, the children of house-help, odd-jobbers, or farm workers.

The revolutionary history of bombs in West Bengal


West Bengal, India's fourth-largest state with a population of more than 100 million, has long struggled with political violence.

Over the years, since India's independence in 1947, the state has cycled through different rulers - the Congress party for two decades, the Communist-led Left Front for three, and the current Trinamool Congress since 2011.

In the late 1960s, the state was wracked by armed conflict between Maoist rebels – also called Naxalites – and government forces.

A common thread across all governments and rebel conflicts since then has been the use of bombs as tools of intimidation by political parties to silence opponents, especially during elections.

"Bombs have been [used to settle scores]. This has been happening in Bengal for a long time, more than 100 years," Pankaj Dutta, a former Inspector General of West Bengal police, told us.

Ronny Sen for the BBC
Today's crude bombs in West Bengal are bound with jute strings and stuffed with shrapnel-like nails, nuts and glass

Bomb-making in Bengal has its roots in the rebellion against British rule in the early 1900s.

Early efforts were crude and accidents were common: One rebel lost a hand and another died testing a bomb.

Then a rebel returned from France armed with bomb-making skills.

His book bomb - a legal tome loaded with explosives hidden in a Cadbury cocoa tin - would have killed its target, a British magistrate, if he had opened it.

The first explosion rocked Midnapore district in 1907, when revolutionaries derailed a train carrying a senior British official by planting a bomb on the tracks.

A few months later, a botched attempt to kill a magistrate in Muzaffarpur with a bomb hurled into a horse-drawn carriage claimed the lives of two Englishwomen.

The act, described by a newspaper as a "tremendous explosion that startled the town," had turned a teenage rebel called Khudiram Bose into a martyr and the first "freedom fighter" in the pantheon of Indian revolutionaries.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a nationalist leader, wrote in 1908 that bombs were not just weapons but a new kind of "magical lore," a "witchcraft" spreading from Bengal to the rest of India.

Today, Bengal's crude bombs are known locally as peto. They are bound with jute strings and stuffed with shrapnel-like nails, nuts and glass.

Variations include explosives packed into steel containers or glass bottles. They are used primarily in violent clashes between rival political parties.

Political activists, particularly in rural areas, use these bombs to intimidate opponents, disrupt voting stations, or retaliate against perceived enemies.

They are often deployed during elections to sabotage polling booths or to assert control over areas.

Ronny Sen for the BBC
Poulami Halder had been picking flowers when she found what she thought was a ball

Children like Poulami Halder bear the brunt of such violence.

On an April morning in 2018, the-then seven-year-old was picking flowers for morning prayers in Gopalpur, a village in the North 24 Parganas district dotted with ponds, paddy fields, and coconut trees. Village council elections were barely a month away.

Poulami saw a ball lying near a neighbour's water pump.

"I picked it up and brought it home," she recalls.

As she stepped inside, her grandfather, sipping tea, froze at the sight of the object in her hand.

"He said, 'It's not a ball - it's a bomb! Throw it away!' Before I could react, it exploded in my hand."

The blast shattered the quiet of the village. Poulami was struck in the "eyes, face, and hands" and fainted, as chaos erupted around her.

"I remember people running towards me, but I could see very little. I was hit everywhere."

Villagers rushed her to the hospital.

Her injuries were devastating – her left hand was amputated, and she spent nearly a month in hospital.

An ordinary morning routine had turned into a nightmare, forever altering Poulami's life in a single, shattering moment.

Ronny Sen for the BBC
Sabina Khatun struggles to perform simple daily tasks because of her injuries

Poulami is not alone.

Sabina Khatun was 10 years old when a crude bomb exploded in her hand in April 2020 in Jitpur, a village flanked by rice and jute fields in Murshidabad district.

She had been taking her goat out to graze when she stumbled upon the bomb lying in the grass. Curious, she picked it up and began playing with it.

Moments later, it detonated in her hands.

"The moment I heard the explosion, I thought, who's going to be disabled this time? Has Sabina been maimed?," her mother, Ameena Bibi, says, her voice heavy with anguish.

"When I stepped outside, I saw people carrying Sabina in their arms. The flesh was visible from her hand."

Doctors were forced to amputate Sabina's hand.

Since returning home, she has struggled to rebuild her life, her parents consumed by despair over an uncertain future. Their fears are not unwarranted: In India, women with disabilities often face social stigma that complicate their prospects for marriage and jobs.

"My daughter kept crying, saying she would never get her hand back," says Ameena.

"I kept consoling her, telling her, 'your hand will grow back, your fingers will grow back.'"

Now, Sabina grapples with the loss of her hand and the struggle with simple daily tasks. "I struggle with drinking water, eating, showering, getting dressed, going to the toilet."
Advertisement

The children of the bombs

In the Indian state of West Bengal, children are routinely maimed, blinded, or killed by home-made bombs. BBC Eye investigates the political violence that underlies this tragedy and asks why the carnage is allowed to continue.

 watch on YouTube

Maimed by bombs yet lucky to survive, these children have had their lives changed forever.

Poulami, now 13, received an artificial hand but couldn't use it - too heavy and quickly outgrown. Sabina, 14, struggles with failing eyesight.

Her family says she needs another operation to remove bomb debris from her eyes, but they cannot afford it.

Puchu, now 37, was pulled out of school by his fearful parents and spent years refusing to step outside, often hiding under his bed at the slightest noise.

He never picked up a cricket bat again. His childhood stolen, he's now scraping by with odd construction jobs and bears the scars of his past.

But all hope is not lost.

Poulami and Sabina have both learned to ride a bicycle with one hand and continue to go to school. Both dream of becoming teachers. Puchu hopes for a brighter future for his son, Rudra, five, - a future in uniform as a policeman.

Ronny Sen for the BBC
Sabina, like Poulami, has learned to ride a bike one-handed and dreams of becoming a teacher

Despite the terrible toll it inflicts, there is no sign of crude bomb violence in West Bengal ending.

None of the political parties admit to using bombs for political gain.

When the BBC asked the four main political parties in West Bengal whether they were involved, directly or through intermediaries, in manufacturing or using crude bombs, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not respond.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) strongly denied being involved, saying it was "committed to upholding the rule of law…and that when it comes to protecting rights and lives, children are of the utmost concern".

The Indian National Congress (INC) also strongly denied using crude bombs for electoral advantage, and said it had "never engaged in any violence for political or personal gain".

Although no political party will admit responsibility, none of the experts who spoke to the BBC is in any doubt this carnage is rooted in Bengal's culture of political violence.

"During any major election here you will see the rampant use of bombs," Pankaj Dutta told us. "Extreme abuse of childhood is going on. It is a lack of care on the part of the society." Mr Dutta passed away in November.

Poulami adds: "Those who planted the bombs are still free. No one should leave bombs lying around. No child should ever be harmed like this again."

'Look what they have done to my son'


But the tragedy continues.

In May this year in the Hooghly district, three boys playing near a pond unknowingly stumbled upon a cache of bombs. The explosion killed Raj Biswas, nine, and left his friend maimed, missing an arm. The other boy escaped with leg fractures.

"Look what they have done to my son," Raj's grieving father sobbed as he caressed the forehead of his dead child.

As Raj's body was lowered into a grave, political slogans crackled through the air from a nearby election rally: "Hail Bengal!" the crowd chanted, "Hail Bengal!"

It was election time. And once again, children were paying the price.
India

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau considers resigning over tariff threat: report

Sarah K. Burris
December 16, 2024 

RAW STORY

FILE PHOTO: Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during news conference with Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 31, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie/File Photo

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is reportedly considering submitting his resignation after a public battle over the economy amid U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's tariff threats.

Sources told CTV News that Trudeau told his cabinet that he was considering prorogation or resignation and potentially planning to address Parliament this afternoon.

Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland quit Monday morning in a surprise move after disagreeing with Trudeau over the threats. In a post on X, she said that she was offered a different position, but upon reflection just assumed she'd leave.

"Our country today faces a grave challenge. The incoming administration in the United States is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism, including a threat of 25 percent tariffs. We need to take that threat extremely seriously," Freeland wrote in her resignation letter.

"That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war," she continued. "That means eschewing costly political gimmicks, which we can ill afford and which make Canadians doubt that we recognize the gravity of the moment. That means pushing back against 'America First' economic nationalism."

CTV's official pollster Nik Nanos called the ordeal a disaster for Trudeau.

"Justin Trudeau just learned what it's like to be thrown under the political bus," said Nanos in an interview. "I can't envision what Justin Trudeau can do right now to fix this."

By Monday afternoon, Trudeau's party was in disarray, with leaders debating whether or not they had confidence in his leadership. Meanwhile, conservative leaders called the country "out of control."

Last week, Trump mocked Trudeau on TruthSocial in a late-night post where he continued his mockery at Canada. Trump told Trudeau that Canada should simply decide to become the 51st state of the United States.

"It was a pleasure to have dinner the other night with Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada," Trump posted at 12:06 a.m., degrading the prime minister's office and his nation's autonomy.

The prime minister warned that a 25 percent across-the-board tariff would devastate the Canadian economy and create "real hardship for Americans."

"Americans import 65% of their crude oil from Canada, significant amounts of electricity," Trudeau said. "Just about all the natural gas exported from Canada goes to the United States. They rely on us for steel and aluminum. They rely on us for a range of agricultural imports. All of those things would get more expensive.”

Argentina at a crossroads: A trade union perspective of one year of Milei’s policies

As trade unionists, we represent the workers whose labour sustains the economy, the families who aspire to a better future, and the communities who depend on collective strength for survival.

09-12-2024

One year into Javier Milei’s presidency, Argentina faces a reprehensible situation: his policies have plunged workers and vulnerable populations into deeper hardship.

Despite the prominence his anarcho-capitalist plan in mainstream media, with promises of a thriving economy and reduced inflation, the social costs of Milei’s economic shock therapy are undeniable.

The social fabric under strain

Milei’s administration has undermined the very foundations of Argentina’s social contract around labour and civil rights. By slashing public expenditures, criminalising dissent, and empowering corporate interests, his government has deepened inequality.

Cuts equivalent to 4% of GDP targeted pensions, public sector wages, social protection programs, and public works – the lifeblood of communities reliant on infrastructure and social services. The near-total elimination of infrastructure spending has not only halted essential maintenance but also destroyed hundreds of thousands of jobs in construction and related industries.

Pensions, once a critical safety net, lost 22% of their purchasing power in just one year. Public education and science, transportation, and energy subsidies – essential for millions of households – were drastically reduced. Meanwhile, these cuts were paired with tax breaks for the wealthiest Argentinians, further widening the gap between rich and poor.

Poverty and inequality

Since Javier Milei assumed office in December 2023, poverty has risen sharply. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC), 52.9% of the population was living below the poverty line in the first half of 2024, an increase of 11.2 percentage points from 41.7% in the second half of 2023.

Those impacted by extreme poverty, meaning they were unable to afford basic food, represented 18.1% of the population during the same period.

Income distribution in Argentina has become alarmingly unequal. The richest 10% now control 33% of the national income, while the poorest 10% barely survive on 1.8%. The Gini coefficient, a key measure of inequality, increased from 0.417 to 0.436 over the course of a year, highlighting the widening chasm between the privileged few and the marginalised majority.

This polarisation extends beyond economics, fracturing society along lines of opportunity, access, and hope.

For young workers, the outlook is bleak. Youth unemployment has risen, forcing many into informal jobs or platform work that lacks stability or protections. Families who once aspired to upward mobility now send spouses and teenagers into the workforce just to make ends meet.

Workers under siege

Unemployment has risen to 7.6%, while underemployment climbed to 20%, forcing many to juggle multiple precarious jobs just to survive. Real wages have plummeted, with the minimum wage now covering less than 30% of basic living expenses and 50% of basic food needs.

A small number of workers in export-oriented industries may see modest gains, but these benefits exclude the majority employed in sectors decimated by austerity.

Labour reforms introduced through the controversial “Basis Law” have eroded decades old, hard-won rights. These changes include extending probation periods, reducing severance protections, and encouraging the rise of “independent collaborators” – a euphemism for workers stripped of labour rights.

These measures are a clear attempt to weaken unions and undermine collective bargaining, leaving workers more vulnerable to exploitation.

The criminalisation of dissent

Milei’s administration has not only marginalised workers but actively suppressed their right to protest. New laws impose severe penalties for organisers of social protests, including potential prison sentences of up to six years.

Police have been authorised to disperse demonstrators and threaten them with the withdrawal of social assistance by the authorities if they resist. Meanwhile, internal security budget has increased significantly. These actions form part of a broader attack on labour unions, with leaders targeted by smear campaigns and institutional harassment.

This repression, amplified by a parallel army of social media trolls, is a stark reminder that Milei’s government prioritises the interests of capital over the rights of people. By stifling dissent, it seeks to silence the voices that speak for fairness, equity, and justice.

The toll of inflation and creative accounting

While the government claims progress in reducing inflation, the reality for workers tells a different story. Inflation remains a daily burden, particularly for essentials like food and utilities, which have experienced the sharpest price increases. The administration’s reliance on outdated inflation metrics obscures the true extent of this crisis, further eroding trust in public institutions.

Creative accounting extends to fiscal policy as well. Announced surpluses exclude billions in unpaid obligations, offering no real relief to the workers whose incomes continue to lose value.

What’s at stake?

Milei’s economic experiment represents a stark departure from Argentina’s traditions of social solidarity, commitment to workers’ rights and empowerment. His policies dismantle mechanisms that once supported broad-based growth, replacing them with a narrow focus on market-driven efficiency, while praising monopolies as “heroes”.

But who does this efficiency benefit? Workers struggling to feed their families? Pensioners whose life savings are worth a fraction of what they once were? Young people entering a labour market devoid of opportunity?

History shows that such experiments rarely succeed. Argentina has seen similar attempts at neoliberal restructuring, which have failed and left lasting scars: rising poverty, weakened institutions, and diminished social cohesion.

The Milei administration’s focus on short-term gains for the elite, while relying on international financial speculation, ignores the long-term damage being inflicted on the very fabric of the society.

The path forward?

As unionists, we must present an alternative vision rooted in equity, inclusion, and dignity. We must advocate for:

•  Restoring labour rights: Protecting collective bargaining and ensuring every worker is treated with respect and fairness.
•  Rebuilding public services: Investing in education, science, health, and infrastructure to create jobs and improve living standards.
•  Addressing inequality: Implementing fair taxation and redistributive policies to close the gap between rich and poor.

Argentina’s three main labour unions are denouncing the government’s violation of ILO Conventions (C87 and C98) and constitutional norms before the ILO’s Committee on Freedom of Association.

The fight for workers’ rights is a fight for Argentina’s foundation. We cannot allow Milei’s presidency to leave a legacy of broken families, shattered dreams and lost opportunities.

 UPDATED

Bashar al-Assad Issues First Statement Since Fall of Syria Regime

ByChristopher Gomez

December 16, 2024

Former President of Syria Bashar al-Assad has issued his first statement since fleeing the country following the fall of Damascus. Credits: Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Former leader of Syria Bashar al-Assad has issued his first statement since fleeing the country following the fall of Damascus.

Assad aired his statement on the official Syrian President Telegram channel. However, despite his post, it is unclear whether he was the one who wrote it and who is in control of the social media page.

According to the statement, he fled from Syria to Russia on December 8th, the day after Damascus fell. The former Syrian President expressed his determination to continue the battle.

“This [leaving Syria for Russia] took place a day after the fall of Damascus, following the collapse of the final military positions and the resulting paralysis of all remaining state institutions,” said Assad. “At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge. The only course of action was to continue fighting against the terrorist onslaught.”

Bashar al-Assad’s statement

“When the state falls into the hands of terrorism and the ability to make a meaningful contribution is lost, any position becomes void of purpose,” said Assad.

Assad fled the capital following an offensive from the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and, on December 9th, Russian media reported he had arrived in the country and had been granted asylum. He said in the statement that he remained in the capital “carrying out [his] duties” until the rebels attacked.

“With no viable means of leaving the base, Moscow requested that the base’s command arrange an immediate evacuation to Russia on the evening of Sunday 8th December,” said Assad in the statement.

However, according to the BBC, Assad was nowhere to be found, as the Syrian Prime Minister, Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, could not reach him while the HTS was making its way through Syria, capturing city after city until reaching Damascus.

Meanwhile, the Islamic group is forming a transitional government, marking the end of al-Assad’s 24-year reign over Syria.

Islamic group HTS

The HTS is Syria’s most powerful rebel force, but it was initially established under a different name, Jabhat al-Nusra, in 2011. Upon its inception, members pledged allegiance to the infamous terrorist group Al-Qaeda.

The group broke ties with Al-Qaeda in 2016 and changed its name when it merged with other Islamic groups, forming the powerful HTS. The leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who previously went by the name Abu Mohammad al-Julani, has pledged tolerance for different religious denominations, but it remains to be seen whether that sentiment will continue to hold true throughout the rule of HTS.

The group’s prior affiliation with Al-Qaeda raises doubts as to whether claims of religious tolerance are true, as several Islamic groups who have taken over countries have enforced strict rule (and intolerance) over citizens.

‘Never considered stepping down’: Bashar al-Assad says Russia forced him to flee Syria

ByDaniel Hardaker
December 17, 2024 — 

Bashar al-Assad has said Russia forced him to flee Syria and that he wanted to continue fighting the “terrorist onslaught”.

In his first statement since the fall of Damascus, the former president said that he went to the Russian air base in Latakia on December 8 to “oversee combat operations” as the rebels took the capital.

Deposed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.CREDIT:AP

After the base came under drone fire, Moscow ordered an immediate evacuation to Russia, Assad said.

“At no point during these events did I consider stepping down or seeking refuge, nor was such a proposal made by any individual or party,” he said.

Assad then went on to claim that he had never betrayed his country for personal gain and had, throughout the war, “stood alongside officers and soldiers of the army on the front lines, just metres from the terrorists”.

“This does not, in any way, diminish my profound sense of belonging to Syria and her people,” he added.

A view from the Presidential Palace in Damascus, Syria. CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES

Assad, who Russia says is now living in asylum in Moscow with his family, released the statement on Monday via the Syrian presidency’s Telegram channel.

Last week, Russia began evacuating personnel and equipment from Syria but said it was in discussions with the ruling Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham rebels about securing the future of its naval port at Tartus and the Hmeimim air base in Latakia.

On Monday, it admitted that the fate of the two bases had not yet been decided.


Syria shudders as Assad’s atrocities come into the light

“There are no final decisions on this,” Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s press secretary, said. “We are in contact with representatives of the forces that now control the situation in the country.”

Russia has been rapidly withdrawing from the Manbij and Kobani areas of northern Syria because HTS and Turkish-backed rebel groups will not let them stay there, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

It was also revealed on Monday that Assad sent about £200 million in cash to Russia between 2018 and 2019, a period when Syria became dependent on Moscow’s military support.

Nearly two tonnes of banknotes in $US100 and €500 bills were flown from Syria into Moscow’s Vnukovo airport to be deposited at sanctioned Russian banks, according to records seen by The Financial Times.



Opposition leaders in Syria rush to form new government amid search for prisoners of former regime.

On Monday, EU leaders suggested that Russia must be thrown out of Syria before the bloc will support the new rebel government, as a tug of war emerges between the West and Moscow for influence over Damascus.

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said, “Regarding the Russian military bases in Syria, we want the Russians out.”

He added that lifting sanctions on HTS should be on the condition of an “inclusive political transition”.

Veldkamp’s comments were echoed by Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, who warned Syria’s new rulers that “Russia and Iran are not your friends, are not helping you if you are in trouble”.

‘You’re a coward’: Australia-based Syrian Girl lashes out after fall of Assad

She added: “They left Assad’s regime, and that is a very clear message showing that their hands are full elsewhere, and they are weakened.”

José Manuel Albares, Spain’s foreign minister, said the new administration in Damascus must respect the EU’s “red lines” before it gets the bloc’s support. He said one of these was that there must be no “foreign interference” in the country.

The UK and the US confirmed at the weekend that they had made diplomatic contact with HTS without elaborating on details of the talks.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Monday: “I can confirm today that we have sent a delegation of Syria UK officials to Damascus this week for meetings with the new interim Syrian authorities.” He noted that the move “underlies our commitment to Syria”.

Syria shudders as Assad’s atrocities come into the light

He added: “Yesterday, I announced a £50 million package of humanitarian aid, also further money to help secure chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria.

“We confirmed our support for the principles that have been set out at an inclusive transitional political process that is Syria-led and Syria-owned.”

Talks between the Kremlin and its former enemies who now control Syria are understood to be tense, but the country is reliant on Russia as its major wheat supplier.

Two Russian ships carrying wheat to Syria failed to reach the country on Friday because of payment delays and uncertainty over the new government, Russian and Syrian sources said.

On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stepped in, saying he had instructed officials to set up grain shipments to Syria.

On Sunday, Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya’s leader and an ally of Putin, vowed to ensure that wheat would be delivered to Syria without specifying how or from where the wheat would come.

“I, as the head of the Chechen Republic, am ready to take responsibility and ensure the necessary amount of wheat for Syria,” he wrote on Telegram.

Telegraph, London

"There's no reason for Russian troop presence in Syria" - Syria's new transitional government

Copyright Leo Correa/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved.

By Euronews with AP
Published on 16/12/2024 -

Syria’s new transitional government says there is no place for Russian presence in Syria a week after the country’s long-time President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown. The new government also says it is open to engage in contacts with all countries to pave Syria’s new future.

The Spokesperson for the political department of Syria’s new transitional government has called on Russia to reconsider its presence in the country now that their ally; President Bashar al-Assad, has been overthrown.

A convoy of Russian military vehicles was spotted traveling from the coastal city of Latakia, and were headed southward towards the city of Tartus.

A Russian soldier stands next to a Russian military convoy as it moves along a road near the Mediterranean town of Tartus, Syria, Monday Dec. 16, 2024Leo Correa/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved.

Russia operates two military bases in Syria: The Khmeimim Air Base near the port city of Latakia and the Tartus naval base on the Mediterranean coast. They are considered among the Kremlin’s most strategically important military outposts.

The Tartus site is particularly critical, providing Russia with its only direct access to the Mediterranean Sea and a base to conduct naval exercises, station warships and even host nuclear submarines.

Western analysts and intelligence say the Kremlin is engaging in a large-scale withdrawal from Syria, though Moscow has yet to confirm.

Obeida Arnaout, the spokesman for Syria’s new transitional government appointed by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group responsible for Assad’s downfall, says Russia’s recent movement in Syria has been ambiguous.

He stresses that their decision to remove navy ships from ports and move fleets of military vehicles from bases does not clearly indicate whether the Kremlin is indeed withdrawing, or if this is part of their regular movements.


“I think that Russia should reconsider its presence on Syrian territory as well as its interests,” he said.

“Their interests were linked to the criminal Assad Regime. They can reconsider and take the initiatives to reach out to the new administration to show that they have no animosity with the Syrian people, and that the era of Assad regime is finally over,” Arnaout added.

Obeida Arnaout, spokesman for the political department of the new government speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024

Omar Sanadiki/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved.

Arnaout says the new government has been holding talks at the highest level with many countries around the world. Speaking to Arabic media, he emphasised that Syria has entered a new phase, a phase focused on repairing decades of domestic division and almost 14-years of brutal fighting.

He continued saying that Syria’s new policy is one of openness, an approach that seeks to build good relations with its neighbours and the wider world.

On Saturday, the US publicly confirmed for the first time its participation in talks with the HTS, the UK confirmed similar action the following day.

And on Monday, the EU also announced it was taking its first step towards making contact with the rebel group. The move represents the strongest indication yet about the bloc's willingness to begin normalising ties with HTS.

"I've tasked a European top diplomat in Syria to go to Damascus to make the contacts with the new government and people there," said Kaja Kallas; EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Monday morning before heading into a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Brussels, where the future of Syria is one of the main items on the agenda.

Is a change in the HTS’ terrorist designation on the horizon?

The HTS has been blacklisted for terrorism by the United Nations since 2014 due to its previous alliance with al-Qaeda. All 27 members of the EU follow that designation.

But it’s a designation the HTS is hoping countries would quickly abandon. Arnaout says labelling the HTS as such is “not right and not accurate.” He expressed the group’s new operations are centred on unity and justice, and urged the EU, US, UK and other countries to reconsider the classification.

Asked if the bloc should revise the terrorist designation to facilitate diplomacy, the EU High Representative said "For us, it's not only the words, but we want to see the deeds going in the right direction. So not only what they are saying, but also what they are doing," Kallas said.

She continued saying "I think the coming weeks and months will show whether it goes in the right direction."

Concerns over the HTS’ ‘reformed’ approach

Since overthrowing Assad's regime, HTS has positioned itself as the leading force in the new political era, appointing a caretaker prime minister to administer a transitional government until March 2025. The group has also vowed to move the war-torn country from a state-controlled to a free-market economy to attract investors.

However, HTS remains plagued by accusations of human rights abuses, including alleged executions for blasphemy and adultery carried out under a strict, and at times, extreme, interpretation of Islamic law. This background has raised doubts about the rebel force's ability to guarantee pluralism and tolerance after the fall of Assad.

Syria is a highly diverse country, inhabited by Sunni Muslims, who represent over 70% of the population, alongside Shia Muslims, Alawites, Christians and ethnic minorities like Druze, Iraqis, Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds and Palestinians.

Christians in Aleppo face uncertainty after fall of Assad

02:00
Issued on: 16/12/2024 - 
Video by: Andrew HILLIAR

On Sunday, many Christians across Syria attended mass for the first time since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. In Aleppo, only 10% of the city's pre-war Christian population is thought to remain. Since capturing the city, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has reached out twice to representatives of minority groups to insist they'll be protected. But as FRANCE 24's team on the ground found out, some members of the Christian community aren't convinced.

Syrian man 'rescued' in viral CNN report was 'Assad regime intelligence officer'

The man, who said he was a civilian by the name of 'Adel Ghurbal', has now been identified as a former member of the Syrian regime's intelligence services.

The New Arab Staff
17 December, 2024

CNN said on Monday that the man had been identified as Salama Mohammed Salama [Getty]

A Syrian man who was filmed by CNN being freed from a notorious Damascus prison was a former intelligence officer for the now-deposed Assad regime, local residents and a monitoring group have said.

The man, who identified himself in the report as a civilian by the name of 'Adel Ghurbal', was the subject of a video report by CNN journalist Clarissa Ward broadcast on 11 December.

Footage of the incident went viral on social media.

" 'Syria is free' Extraordinary moment as @clarissaward and her team witness a Syrian prisoner freed from a secret prison in Damascus. Left alone for days without food, water or light, the man was unaware Bashar al-Assad's regime had fallen," read a post from X from CNN on 11 December describing the report.

In the video, the man emerges from under a blanket with his hands raised after fighter removes a lock on a cell door.


Ward and the fighter then assist the man, who claims he has been locked up for three months and appears surprised when told of the Assad regime's collapse.

CNN now says that based on photos given by a resident of Homs' Bayada neighbourhood, the man's real name is likely Salama Abu Salama -- a lieutenant in the former regime's Air Force Intelligence Directorate. The US news outlet said facial recognition software gave a 99 percent match between the man and Salama.

CNN said multiple residents of Homs have identified the man as Salama, who is also known by the nickname Abu Hamza. Those who spoke to the outlet alleged that Salama was notorious for extortion and harassment.

"We can confirm the real identity of the man from our story last Wednesday as Salama Mohammed Salama," Ward said on X on Monday.

Amid their sweeping offensive that led to the toppling of the Assad regime, rebel forces broke open prisons where thousands of people had been held and tortured. Scenes of prisoners being freed and reunited with their families have been a cause for celebration in Syria and around the world, with footage being circulated widely on social media.

However, CNN's report on 11 December drew scepticism from viewers, including supporters of the now triumphant Syrian opposition.

"There are credible voices, incl former detainees, raising questions on the authenticity of this footage, @cnnipr. CNN must immediately & transparently investigate. Amid thousands of real stories from survivors of Assad's prisons, failure to do so would be professional misconduct," wrote human rights lawyer Mai El-Sadany at the time.

Others highlighted that it was unlikely that the man, who had allegedly been kept in a dark cell, would be able to be exposed to direct sunlight after his reported ordeal.

The CNN post was also flagged with a community note which said that Syrian fact checking group Verify-Sy had identified the man as Salama.

"According to locals, his recent incarceration—lasting less than a month—was due to a dispute over profit-sharing from extorted funds with a higher-ranking officer. This led to his detention in one of Damascus's cells, as per neighborhood sources," read a report from Verify-Sy on 15 December.

The New Arab was unable to verify the reports on Salama.

CNN says it has been unable to contact Salama, who was handed over to the Syrian Red Crescent by the rebel guards.

Rebels capture 'Saydnaya jailer' who 'confessed' to secret ward, more prisoners

More horrific details continue to surface from the notorious Saydnaya prison in Damascus after Assad's regime was finally toppled on Sunday.

The New Arab Staff
11 December, 2024

Dozens of bodies were found at the prison, dubbed the human slaughterhouse [Sally Hayden/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty]

A jailer who was allegedly responsible for secret underground wards at the infamous Saydnaya prison in Syria has reportedly made damning confessions about more secret wards holding further prisoners following his capture, the pan-Arab Al Arabiya news channel has reported.

The individual, whose identity was not disclosed, was apprehended on Wednesday after he allegedly tried to sneak into the prison to confiscate some documents that would reportedly give more details about the fallen regime's crimes.

Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, previously said no more secret cells existed after inspecting the prison for three days; however, it has become clear that more may yet be uncovered.

The operations management for the Syrian rebels, led by the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham group, told Al Arabiya that the jailer reportedly revealed to them the whereabouts of more detainees and a secret ward at the prison.

Al Arabiya was asked not to film but kept the cameras rolling.


Families of prisoners were at the scene waiting anxiously to hear news of their loved ones.

The jailer was allegedly one of very few people who knew about the secret wards and how they were managed. He had reportedly worked at Saydnaya since 2008 and was in possession of codes that lead to the underground ward, which could likely expose more horrors.

Some documents allegedly related to the 2005 assassination of Lebanon’s premier Rafik Hariri and the killing of the now-defunct regime’s former interior minister Ghazi Kanaan that same year were also revealed after people got their hands on them. The classified documents were read out by Al Arabiya’s correspondent.

What is Syria's Saydnaya prison and why is it notorious?

Saydnaya was broken into by rebels when they captured Damascus and officially toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Sunday, freeing hundreds of prisoners, some of whom had been kept for decades without trial and in bleak conditions.

Rebels liberated prisons elsewhere around Syria as they began a lighting offensive on 27 November in the country’s northwest. Dozens of bodies were also found, and families have spent days trying to see if their loved ones were among those killed.

Gruesome details of the detention facility were quickly brought to light when rebels took over Damascus, including a machine used to crush the bodies of those sentenced to death. Harrowing images have been shared, showing the extent of torture the prisoners were subjected to.

Saydnaya prison was divided into two sections. It included the white prison, which had wards for ordinary detainees, and the red prison, where people given the death sentence were placed, sometimes without fair and proper trials. Amnesty International reports that around 13,000 pro-opposition Syrians were killed at the facility between the years 2011 and 2016.

Assad and his family fled to Moscow where they were given political asylum. Russia had helped prop up the Assad regime during the country’s war that erupted in 2011 and has killed hundreds of thousands of people and devastated much of Syria.

Vanuatu 7.3 magnitude earthquake: First reports of damage

30 minutes ago



A landslide in Port Vila after the quake. Photo: Development Mode / Facebook via ABC News

An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck Vanuatu's capital Port Vila at a depth of 10km on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

Footage posted on social media showed buckled windows and collapsed concrete pillars on a building hosting foreign embassies in the capital.

One showed damage to a building containing embassies for the US, UK, France and New Zealand. A sign on the front of the building matched that listed on the New Zealand High Commission to Vanuatu's website. French news agency AFP reported it had verified the video as legitimate.

Another video showed a building on the city's main street had partially collapsed and crushed vehicles underneath, ABC News reported.

An image posted to social media appeared to show a landslide had buried part of Port Vila's wharf, ABC said, and witnesses have reported major landslides near the capital.

Vanuatu government websites were offline in the aftermath of the quake, CNN reported.

Dan McGarry, a local journalist in Port Vila, said it was a "violent, high-frequency shake" that lasted for about 30 seconds, ABC reported. He said there were sirens being heard around the capital.

Following the earthquake, the US Tsunami Warning System issued a warning, which it later cancelled, CNN said. There were no tsunami threats reported in New Zealand and Australia.

The MInistry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was "monitoring the developing situation in Vanuatu".

"There are 37 New Zealanders registered on SafeTravel as being in Vanuatu," it said in a statement.

"New Zealanders there should follow the advice of authorities. Anyone in need of consular assistance should contact the 24/7 emergency consular line on +64 99 202020."

Director of the NZ National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) John Price said if there are aftershocks, the tsunami threat would be re-assessed.

"We also have our dart buoy network that will trigger if there is any activity at sea, which would indicate a possible tsunami wave. There is no indication that there will be any land threat, that means any threat of tsunami hitting New Zealand land."

He said marine and beach areas were still being assessed for unusual currents.

- RNZ / Reuters / ABC News / AFP