Chancellor Friedrich Merz has launched a fresh critique of German work ethic, questioning why employees take an average of “almost three weeks” of sick leave annually instead of working harder to boost the country’s dwindling economy.

Campaigning in Baden-Württemberg last week, Merz took aim at the system of telephone sick notes, introduced during the coronavirus pandemic, wondering “does it still make sense today?”

 

Paul Ritter was born in Prague on 6 April 1925 to Jewish parents Carl Ritter and Elsa (née Schnabel).[3] In 1939, at the age of 13, Ritter was evacuated from Czechoslovakia to England via the Kindertransport.

 

You can always tell how murderous the U.S. empire is being from day to day from the expression on warmongering senator Lindsey Graham’s face, and right now he looks like he just found his mother dead in the bathtub.

 

Caitlin Johnstone: Just Read Lindsey Graham’s Face

Lindsey Graham’s long face is encouraging. Maybe war with Iran really has been put off for the time being.

 

“The United States of America is running Venezuela. By definition that’s true,” Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, said in a notable CNN interview last week.

“You can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else, but we live in a world – in the real world – that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time.”

 

Trump 2.0 is all about power. His biggest move may be just days away

BY Michael Koziol

 

IN PHYSICS EVERY ACTION HAS A REACTION…

Isaac Newton's Second Law of Motion describes what happens when an external force acts upon a massive body at rest or in uniform linear motion. What happens to the body from which that external force is being applied? That situation is described by Newton's Third Law of Motion. It states, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." 

Newton published his laws of motion in 1687, in his seminal work “Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica” (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) in which he formalized the description of how massive bodies move under the influence of external forces. 

CSIRO chief Doug Hilton announced he’s sacking 350 scientists, but the $965K pa head of the science body now refuses to have his own ‘sacking science’ publicly reviewed. Transparency Warrior Rex Patrick reports.

Back in April 2024, in the context of a newly announce ‘Made in Australia’ policy, MWM wrote about our flat-lined manufacturing as a percentage of GDP (5%) and our plummeting economic complexity world ranking (105th).

 

The science of sacking. Be gone CSIRO scientists!
by Rex Patrick

 

The old aphorism that makes the aw-shucks-golly-gee-willikers observation, “Laws are like sausages; it is best not to see them being made,” has been referenced by docile nitwits since the late 1800s as a cloying and unforgivable defense as to why it might be acceptable to remain a passive nonparticipation in the democratic process, its urbane quotability crafted no doubt for those least likely to be victimized by legislation rendered in contempt of a person’s ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious conviction, or political affiliation.

 

F(ascism) YOU!
“I'm afraid, based on my own experience, that fascism will come to America in the name of national security.” ― Jim Garrison

MR. FISH — THE INDEPENDENT INK

 

In this interview, I [WALLY RASHID] speak with Elina Xenophontos, a Cyprus-based international law specialist, about the rapid influx of Israeli nationals relocating to Cyprus and the growing political debate surrounding it.

Elina explains how entire communities are being built that remain socially and economically closed off, why some local politicians are now publicly raising concerns, and how these developments are being discussed inside Cyprus itself. We also explore what this trend means for housing, demographics, sovereignty, and regional dynamics in the eastern Mediterranean.

This conversation focuses on facts, legal context, and on-the-ground perspectives from someone who lives in Cyprus and closely follows the issue. The goal is to understand what is happening, why it matters, and why the discussion is becoming more visible inside the country.

The past year has demonstrated a notable decline in the influence of Western civilization. Discord in the actions of the United States and the European Union is felt across various domains and has manifested with particular intensity regarding the Ukraine conflict.

While Washington genuinely seeks to resolve this crisis [GUSNOTE: WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT TRUMP SEEKS TO RESOLVE THIS CONFLICT. HE PLAYS A DISHONEST CARD], the leaders of major European powers are steering toward prolonging the war.

 

The West Is in Disarray

BY Mohammed Amer

 

BRUSSELS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The European Commission is considering ways to allow Ukraine's quick accession to the EU as part of a peace deal with Russia but without giving Kyiv full membership rights, which would only be "earned" after transition periods, EU officials said.

 

EU executive weighs idea of quick, but limited membership for Ukraine

EU's Proposal for Ukraine's Membership

By Jan Strupczewski, Lili Bayer and Andrew Gray

Background on Ukraine's EU Aspirations

 

Challenges in the Accession Process

When the shadow of Washington and Tel Aviv looms over Tehran, the aspiration for change becomes intertwined with the power games of a reinvented Cold War.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has become a geopolitical obsession for the United States and Israel. But far from being a simple regional antagonism, their hostility is part of a broader strategy: the systematic encirclement of emerging powers, foremost among them Russia and China.

 

The United States And Israel Are Joining Forces Against Iran To Contain China And Russia

BY Mohamed Lamine Kaba

 

 

Trump’s illegal invasion of Venezuela to abduct President Nicolás Maduro is an act of imperialist plunder targeting not only Venezuela but all of Latin America and the world. Its utter lawlessness and Trump’s open calls for US banks to seize Venezuela’s oil revenues mark a major escalation in the international class war on working people. At home, Trump is sending anti-immigrant ICE police to occupy US cities and faces rapidly growing opposition in the working class, including calls for a general strike in Minneapolis.

 

US invasion of Venezuela exposes bankruptcy of Mélenchon’s France Unbowed Party

Alex Lantier

 

Just days ago, we had heavy snowfall, with more than a metre of fresh snow in parts of the Alps. But for many ski resorts, it has come too late.

The crucial Christmas and New Year holiday period was marked by a lack of snow, hitting visitor numbers hard. 

The impact is especially severe in Ticino, where several resorts remained closed over the holidays due to unusually warm temperatures and little snowfall.

In Airolo, the season began ten days late, cutting expected visitor numbers in half. At Carì, skier numbers have fallen by up to 90 percent, forcing operators to consider short-time work.

Despite altitudes above 2,200 metres, snow levels south of the Alps remain well below average. 

Further snowfall is forecast, but experts say it will bring only limited relief.

US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to place tariffs on nations that do not go along with his ambitions to annex Greenland.

Trump said at a White House meeting that he "may put a tariff on countries if they don't go along with Greenland", which is a self-governing territory controlled by Denmark. 

He did not say which countries might be hit with new tariffs, or what authority he would invoke to use such import taxes in pursuit of his goal.

Along with Denmark and Greenland, other countries oppose his plans, and many in the US have expressed scepticism about an acquisition. As Trump spoke, a bipartisan congressional delegation was visiting Greenland to show support for the territory.