2019-09-26: News Headlines

Mats Svensson (2019-09-26). Bewildered in Jerusalem. counterpunch.org It was desolate. Quiet. In the quietness I heard voices, whispers, words being repeated. Words that had been repeated for a long time. "Two states", "peace", "demolitions", "negotiations", "walls", "rocks", "keys", "reconciliation", "resistance", "executions", "we are staying". I had been served repetitions for breakfast, lunch, dinner. They ruined my sleep. They were in every report, in every conversation. More

WSWS (2019-09-26). Washington uses UN session to unveil new sanctions against Iran and Venezuela. wsws.org US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo made it clear that the target of the latest sanctions was not just Iran, but China, which accounts for half of Iran's sharply reduced oil exports.

Leonardo Flores (2019-09-26). Dialogue in Venezuela is a Missed Opportunity for Democrats. counterpunch.org Days after the Democratic presidential candidates missed yet another opportunity to challenge President Donald Trump's failed Venezuela policy on the debate stage on September 12, President Nicolás Maduro signed an important agreement with four opposition parties. These events offer insight into the differing perspectives on the economic, social and political crises in Venezuela — one More

Staff (2019-09-26). Corporate Media Ignores Connection Between Militarism and Climate Change. therealnews.com Joe Jamison of the U.S. Peace Council explains that the Pentagon is one of the world's worst polluters.

Staff (2019-09-25). Democrats Are Blowing A Huge Opportunity on Venezuela. truthdig.com Days after the Democratic presidential candidates missed yet another opportunity to challenge President Donald Trump's failed Venezuela policy on the debate stage on September 12, President Nicolás Maduro signed an important agreement with four opposition parties. These events offer insight into the differing perspectives on the economic, social and political crises in Venezuela—one perspective from the Washington political establishment, the other from Venezuelans. | The Trump administration has applied brutal economic sanctions on Venezuela that functionally create a…

teleSUR (2019-09-25). Greenpeace: Indonesian Firms Involved in Fires Have Not Been Punished. telesurenglish.net Indonesian palm oil and pulp companies involved in forest fires between 2015 and 2018 have gone unpunished, Greenpeace denounced on Tuesday. | RELATED: | 20 People Killed in Protests in Indonesia's West Papua | The non-profit organization grounded its accusations on "burn scar" analysis of satellite images that showed that between 2015 and 2018, 3.4 million hectares of land was burnt. | The findings were then compared to concession data relating to pulp and palm oil companies and sanct…

United Nations (2019-09-25). UN chief urges scaled up response for peace, across troubled Sahel's region. un.org Humanitarian and development responses for Mali and Africa's wider Sahel region "are falling short", and support must be scaled up to ensure a hopeful future for its people, the Secretary-General told world leaders at a special high level meeting inside UN Headquarters on Wednesday.

Peter Koenig (2019-09-25). Peace versus Climate. dissidentvoice.org Monday, 23 September, the UN in New York hosted a special meeting on Climate Change. There were massive predominantly youth demonstrations of tens of thousands around the globe, many of them in New York, one of them led by Greta Thunberg, the Swedish 16-year-old climate activist, who is sponsored mostly by Soros and his clan …

teleSUR (2019-09-25). Brazilian Amazon Chief Raoni: 'Bolsonaro Should Go'. telesurenglish.net Indigenous chief Raoni Metuktire, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, said on Wednesday his people would not leave the Amazon and called on Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to step down, a day after the head of state accused him of being a pawn to foreign interests. | RELATED: | Brazil's Bolsonaro Blames Media for Hyping Amazon Fire | A top Indigenous chief in Brazil was welcomed by opposition lawmakers with ovations and tribal chants at the nation's Congress, which he addressed and…

United Nations (2019-09-25). Central African Republic President says country 'remains fragile', despite progress on peace deal. un.org President Faustin-Archange Touadéra of the Central African Republic (CAR), addressing the UN General Assembly's annual general debate, spotlighted "modest but sure" progress in implementing the landmark peace agreement signed by his Government and 14 armed groups on 6 February 2019.

United Nations (2019-09-25). Mali President outlines achievements and challenges since 2015 peace deal. un.org A 2015 peace deal for Mali has led to a "progressive return of trust between parties", President Ibrahim Boubacar KeàØta told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday evening.

United Nations (2019-09-25). Liberian President credits UN for '16 years of unbroken peace', outlines plan to reduce poverty, boost growth. un.org "Liberia is a UN success story", President George Manneh Weah told the annual United Nations high-level generalral debate in New York on Wednesday.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2019-09-25). Washington Gives Guaido $52M in Funding, Slaps Venezuela with New Sanctions. venezuelanalysis.com The new aid package dovetailed with fresh sanctions targeting Venezuela-Cuba oil shipping.

teleSUR (2019-09-25). Putin Backs Venezuela Talks in Meeting With Maduro in Moscow. telesurenglish.net Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his support of Venezuela'snew round of dialogue Wednesday as he met with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at the Kremlin to discuss further cooperation between the two countries. | RELATED | Venezuela: PSUV Lawmakers Return to National Assembly Tuesday | The meeting tok place as both Putin and Maduro skipped the United Nations General Assembly taking place in New York. Moscow ¥s support has been essential for the South Am…

teleSUR-EF (2019-09-25). Duque Uses Venezuela as 'Smoke Screen' for Colombian Problems. telesurenglish.net Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said after President Ivan Duque gave his speech at the 74th United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that the Colombian head of state is using Venezuela as a "smoke screen" to avoid discussing the "real problems going on in his country." | RELATED: | Venezuelan Rep at UN Reads Bolivar's Book in Defiance to Trump | When talking to the press after Duque spoke at the assembly meeting in New York, Arreaza said the "Colombian people must…

Staff (2019-09-25). Trump Lashes Out at Iran, China & Venezuela in Nationalist Address to U.N. General Assembly. democracynow.org On Tuesday, President Trump made his third address to the United Nations General Assembly amid simmering tensions in the Middle East over recent attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities, which the United States blames on Iran. Tehran denies the allegations. Trump also lashed out at China and Venezuela. We speak with Vijay Prashad, director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and chief editor of LeftWord Books. His latest article for Salon is headlined "World leaders gather at the UN in the face of war, climate catastrophe & global worker exploitation."

Jon Rainwater (2019-09-25). Take Action to Avoid War with Iran. peaceaction.org photo credit Dear Groundswell Readers, We have to keep pushing Congress this week if we want to avoid war with Iran. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said recently that the U.K. might join a U.S.-led military effort in the Gulf. When other nations step up to join the "coalition of the willing" it's often a bad sign. …

United Nations (2019-09-25). At UN, Colombia's Duque stands behind peace process, vows to stamp out narco-terrorists. un.org Vowing to carry forward Colombia's peace process, President Iván Duque outlined for delegations gathered for the UN General Assembly's annual debate, his country's efforts to disarm ex-combatants, protect the Amazon and root out drug traffickers and narco-terrorists.

Nick Turse (2019-09-25). More U.S. Commandos Are Fighting Invisible Wars in the Middle East. theintercept.com The percentage of commandos deployed to the Middle East is on the rise, according to new statistics provided to The Intercept by U.S. Special Operations Command. On average, more than 4,000 Special Operations forces — Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets, and Marine Corps Raiders among them — are deployed to the region each week, more than anywhere else in the world. | The increase comes at a time when the United States is apparently planning a troop drawdown in Afghanistan, despite a peace agreement with the Taliban having f…

Staff (2019-09-25). Headlines for September 25, 2019. democracynow.org Pelosi Launches Impeachment Inquiry Against President Trump, IPCC: World Must Cut Greenhouse Emissions or Face Catastrophic Sea Level Rise, Bolsonaro Faces Condemnation For Defending Deforestation of Amazon in U.N. Speech, Trump Denounces Iran, Venezuela & Calls for Countries to Embrace Nationalism at U.N., Pakistani PM Demands World to Address Crisis in Kashmir, U.K. Parliament Reconvenes After Court Declares Boris Johnson's Parliament Suspension Illegal, Egyptian Authorities Arrest At Least 900 Following Anti-Government Protests, Spain to Exhume Body of Former Dictator Francisco Franco from State Mausoleum, Nig…

patrick (2019-09-25). Documents Prove "Creative Community for Peace" is Front for Right-Wing Israel Lobby Group "StandWithUs" bdsmovement.net Documents Prove "Creative Community for Peace" is Front for Right-Wing Israel Lobby Group "StandWithUs": UpdateArtists who support justice for all and oppose racism in all forms should be aware of CCFP's deception and steer clear of its lobbying agenda. | Cultural BoycottSeptember 25, 2019 | By: | | Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI)

Lucas Koerner (2019-09-24). Media Continue to Push Misinformation About Venezuela and Drug Trafficking. fair.org The Wall Street Journal ( 9/15/19) claims that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez "ordered his top lieutenants to work with Colombian Marxist guerrillas to flood the US with cocaine in his government's efforts to combat the Bush administration." | In recent years, Western corporate journalists have turned to systematically citing unnamed sources and secret documents from the US national security state. Indeed, one would be forgiven for thinking it was standard operating procedure. | Th…

Staff (2019-09-24). Meet Brazil's Indigenous Leader Attacked by Bolsonaro at U.N. over Efforts to Preserve the Amazon. democracynow.org A number of indigenous leaders from Brazil traveled to New York to protest Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's push to open the Amazon rainforest for agribusiness, logging and mining. Democracy Now!'s Nermeen Shaikh spoke to Chief Raoni Metuktire of the Kayapó tribe on Monday outside the U.N. Climate Action Summit about the situation in the Amazon, including the recent outbreak of devastating fires. After the interview, Chief Raoni attempted to enter the U.N. summit, but despite support from dozens of activists, he was barred from entering. He is a nominee for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.

Paul Dobson (2019-09-23). Venezuela: Dueling Delegations Sent to New York as TIAR Treaty Invoked. venezuelanalysis.com Colombian President Ivan Duque raised tensions on the eve of the UN General Assembly when he compared Maduro to Slobodan Milosevic and Al Qaeda.

Staff (2019-09-23). Headlines for September 23, 2019. democracynow.org 4 Million Take to the Streets for Global Climate Strike, Trump Admin Ignored CBP Report Linking Climate Change and Increased Migration, Honduran Woman and 21-Month-Old Son Die While Attempting to Reach U.S., New Deal Would Force Asylum Seekers to Return to El Salvador Despite Obvious Dangers, Calls for Impeachment Grow as Trump Acknowledges Ukraine Phone Call About Bidens, U.S. to Send Troops to Saudi Arabia, Impose Iran Sanctions, as Rouhani Heads to UNGA with Peace Plan, Arab Parties in Israel Back Benny Gantz in Bid to End Netanyahu's Rule, Egyptians Take to Street in Rare Protest Against President Sisi, Gov't…

Staff (2019-09-19). Amnesty Head: Climate Crisis Is a "Death Penalty" for Humanity. Leaders Need Political Will to Act. democracynow.org More than a million students are expected to walk out of class on Friday in a Global Climate Strike, with more than 800 climate strikes scheduled in the United States alone. Strikes are also being organized in another 150 countries around the world. In our New York studio, we speak to Amnesty International's Secretary General Kumi Naidoo, who has urged school districts across the globe to allow students to walk out of school on Friday without facing punishment. In a letter, Naidoo, who is also the former executive director of Greenpeace, writes, "Children should not be punished for speaking out about the great in…

Lucas Koerner (2019-09-18). US imposes New Sanctions Targeting Venezuela's Food Program. venezuelanalysis.com The Treasury Department has targeted people and companies involved in imports for Venezuela's CLAP program.

Lucas Koerner (2019-09-18). Venezuela: Gov't Releases Opposition Leader, Guaido Ratified as Parliament Head. venezuelanalysis.com Edgar Zambrano was a high-profile participant in the opposition's April 30 military putsch.

Anya Parampil (2019-09-16). La hipocresía de Hausmann: Ganando dinero de dictaduras mientras promueve 'democracia' en Venezuela. thegrayzone.com Ricardo Hausmann arremetió contra bancos por hacer negocios con el negocio electo de Venezuela. Pero sus declaraciones financieras a Harvard…

Paul Dobson (2019-09-16). Government Signs Agreement with Opposition Factions as Guaido Declares Dialogue Over. venezuelanalysis.com Guaido called for a "new stage of struggle" including the recent activation of the TIAR mutual defence treaty.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2019-09-15). Venezuela Probes Guaido over Photos with Colombian Drug Traffickers. venezuelanalysis.com Los Rastrojos have been accused of drug smuggling, extortion, and targeted killings.

Ricardo Vaz (2019-09-12). Venezuela Oil Production Continues Decline as China Cancels More Shipments. venezuelanalysis.com Russian oil giant Rosneft blasted threats of US sanctions as "unfair competition."

Kathy Kelly (2019-09-11). A Morning in Afghanistan. progressive.org Amidst political posturing, aerial terrorism, and street bombings, Afghan citizens pursue their daily work toward peace.

Lucas Koerner (2019-09-11). Venezuela's Maduro Warns of Colombia 'Threat' as Trump Fires Bolton. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuelan military exercises along the border started on Tuesday.

Paul Dobson (2019-09-09). Venezuela: Guaido Under Investigation over Essequibo Bargaining Revelations. venezuelanalysis.com Guaido envoy Vanessa Neumann was caught on tape offering to relinquish Venezuela's historic claim in exchange for backing from London.

Eoin Higgins, Common Dreams (2019-09-08). New Season of Amazon's Jack Ryan Focused on Venezuela Denounced as 'Over-the-Top and Ridiculous' US Propaganda. venezuelanalysis.com The upcoming season of Amazon's Jack Ryan could have been scripted by John Bolton.

Ricardo Vaz and Lucas Koerner (2019-09-06). Mastercard Blocks Two Venezuelan Banks as Inflation Rises. venezuelanalysis.com A Chinese contractor has also suspended work on an oil expansion project.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2019-09-04). Venezuela: Gold Reserves Fall to 75-year Low as Guaido Seeks to Restructure Debt. venezuelanalysis.com Venezuelan gold reserves fell by $1 billion in the first semester of 2019.

James Jordan (2019-09-03). Former Colombian guerrillas rearm as government undermines Peace Accords. liberationnews.org A new phase of armed conflict in Colombia has emerged with the declaration by some former leaders of the FARC-EP (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia — People's Army) that they are reorganizing and rearming as an insurgent force.

Paul Dobson (2019-09-02). Venezuela Points Finger at Duque for Breakdown of Colombian Peace Process. venezuelanalysis.com The Maduro government also refuted accusations that it offers "refuge" to FARC-EP rebels.

TeleSur English (2019-09-02). Venezuela Exposes Failed Plan to Attack Justice Palace, Police Headquarters. venezuelanalysis.com Vicepresident Jorge Rodriguez presented evidence of a failed attack on Venezuela's highest courts located in Caracas allegedly to be carried out by criminals trained in Colombia.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-28). Report: One Venezuelan Migrant Killed Every Day in Colombia. venezuelanalysis.com Criminal activity and xenophobic attacks have been cited among the main causes.

Lucas Koerner and Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-28). US Opens Venezuela Interest Section in Colombia as Guaido Rebuffs Further Talks. venezuelanalysis.com It remains unclear whether the new Venezuela Affairs Unit will facilitate talks with Caracas.

Paul Dobson (2019-08-26). MLB Breaks Ties with Venezuelan Baseball over US Embargo. venezuelanalysis.com All US-based ball players, including Venezuelan nationals, are now barred from playing in Venezuela.

TeleSur English (2019-08-26). Venezuela: Major Gas Explosion Called Act of 'Sabotage'. venezuelanalysis.com Government spokespersons have blamed opposition activists from First Justice Party.

Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-23). Venezuela's Maduro Confirms Secret Trump Talks as US Navy 'Ready' For Action. venezuelanalysis.com US Southern Command chief said US Navy will "do what needs to be done."

Paul Dobson (2019-08-19). Venezuela Oil Production Continues Slump as US Embargo Deters Foreign Trade. venezuelanalysis.com July's production was 740,000 barrels per day, 4 percent lower than in June.

TeleSUR English (2019-08-14). Venezuelan Opposition Journalist Served as Agent for US, UK Gov't. venezuelanalysis.com In a U.S. diplomatic cable, Bocaranda is dubbed a "reliable source" and to be "strictly protected."

Ricardo Vaz (2019-08-14). Venezuela's Maduro Reshuffles Cabinet as Supreme Court Strips Three Opposition Lawmakers of Immunity. venezuelanalysis.com The National Constituent Assembly will also evaluate bringing forward legislative elections.

Paul Dobson (2019-08-12). Venezuela Secures New Chinese Oil Investment. venezuelanalysis.com The move defies the US embargo's secondary sanction provisions targeting foreign firms trading with Venezuela.