MandelNews.com world news

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has told the ‘60 Minutes’ TV show Moscow is convinced that a nuclear conflict can't be won and under any circumstances should not be launched. However, Lavrov has also said that position does not mean that Russia’s patience should be tested and that Moscow 

would not hesitate to defend its interests with all means which are available. Lavrov commented "We are firmly sticking to a position that there can be no winners in a nuclear war." But Lavrov also commented "I would advise anyone against testing our patience, our determination to defend our legitimate national interests with all means available. They that have ears to hear, let them hear; they that have brains to understand, let them understand.”>>>RT 

Human Rights Watch has reported the citizens of South Korea recently rose up to defend the systems which protect their human rights. On December 14 the South Korean National Assembly voted to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol, 204 to 85. This impeachment was in response to his rejected imposition of martial law in a shocking act on December 3. Yoon’s martial law decree banned all political activities and suspended freedoms of speech and assembly. Rationalizations of why this was in the nation's best interests were not accepted by most of the citizens of South Korea. On December 3 thousands of people gathered together in the freezing night to block soldiers from entering the National Assembly in order to give the lawmakers enough time to vote. The military special forces were ordered to stop lawmakers from voting to lift the martial law decree. The South Korean soldiers did not fire on their citizens and the martial law decree was lifted. >>>Human Rights Watch 

The defense ministry of China has accused the Pentagon of the fabrication of false narratives and the twisting of reality in order to mislead the public with perceptions in its most recent annual report on Chinese military and security developments. According to Chinese ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang the US Department of Defense report has misinterpreted China’s defense policies, made speculations about its military capacity, pried in China's domestic affairs, and “desperately slandered” Beijing with a goal of exaggerating the so-called Chinese threat. Zhang has said “The ‘war-addicted’ United States has become the biggest destroyer of international order and the greatest threat to global security.” Zhang says China has a policy of adhering to a path of peaceful development and national defense policy while also fulfilling the international responsibilities which are expected of a major world power. Zhang also says the United States utilizes its military strength to maintain unilateral hegemony while also often resorting to extreme pressure in order to forcibly promote “regime changes” and incite “color revolutions.” However, Zhang hopes for better relations with the USA in the future saying  “We aim to build a military relationship based on equality and respect, characterized by no conflict or confrontation, open and pragmatic cooperation, and gradually accumulating mutual trust.” >>>RT News 

Pravda has reported Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed making changes to conditions for the use of nuclear weapons in "Fundamentals of State Policy in the Field of Nuclear Deterrence." Putin has said "In the updated version of the document, aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, is proposed to be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation." This revised version of this document also states Moscow may immediately begin using nuclear weapons when reliable information is received about a "massive launch of air and space attack weapons" and their crossing the Russian border.  Russia also reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against both Russia or Belarus as a member of the Union State.>>>Pravda 

RT News has reported French President Emmanuel Macron envisions reform of the present “unjust” world order so that humans will be able to coexist in a more peaceful manner. Macron outlined this vision as part of the international ‘Imagining Peace’ gathering which was held in Paris. Macron commented "We must be imaginative enough to think about the peace of tomorrow, a peace in Europe in a new form." He went on to state in order for the European continent to become more stable, everyone should acknowledge that it is "neither quite the EU, nor resolutely NATO." Macron also commented "We will have to think of a new form of organization for Europe and rethink our relationship with Russia" when the Ukraine conflict is over. It is Macron's position that the global system which was created after World War II was "incomplete and unjust.">>>RT News 

UN Secretary-General Guterres has called on Israel and Hamas to end the Gaza war. The situation in Gaza has been getting worse daily and Guterres has appealed for Israeli and Hamas leaders to agree to a ceasefire agreement. Guterres has said “For the sake of the people of Gaza, for the sake of the hostages and their families in Israel and for the sake of the region and the wider world, I strongly encourage the Government of Israel and the Hamas leadership to reach now an agreement.”>>>UN News  

President Putin has issued a warning that he is prepared to use nuclear weapons if Western forces enter the war in Ukraine. While speaking to Rossiya-1 television and news agency RIA 

Putin said he does not see nuclear war as imminent but that he was ready to launch the missiles if necessary. Putin has also said he will send soldiers to the border with Finland because the country has joined NATO. He commented that there were not any systems of destruction there, but now there will be. >>>The Independent

Russian President Putin has warned that if Western nations allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons to hit inside Russia then this will mean NATO would be “at war” with Russia. He has said on Russian state TV "This would in a significant way change the very nature of the conflict. It would mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries, are at war with Russia. And if this is so, then, bearing in mind the change in the very essence of this conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be created for us.">>>Al Jazeera