2021-04-01: News Headlines

_____ (2021-04-01). Syria War: Who Are The Real Anti-Imperialists? popularresistance.org In the history of post-World War Two US imperialism, there have been various cases of aggression against countries and regimes that many anti-imperialist, socialist leftists around the world have considered reactionary, or at least not worthy of their support. | In some cases, there was a consensus that while the regime in question was not to be defended, the imperialist aggression against it was not intended to save people from its dictatorial predations, but rather to secure imperialist hegemony and economic profits that would continue to oppress people. Even in cases when anti-imperialists thought the targeted…

orinocotribune (2021-04-01). #EEUUCompraCaboVerde: New Developments in Alex Saab Case. orinocotribune.com The plot around the kidnapping of the Venezuelan diplomat Alex Saab in Cape Verde peaks, intensifies and continues to be a trending topic on Twitter, while the United States government relentlessly applies pressure to bring the diplomat to its territory. | Meanwhile, social media networks again reflect opinions about the case—#EEUUCompraCaboVerde was a trending topic in Venezuela this Wednesday, March 31. This, with respect to the most recent movements of Washington through a policy that, in general, is based on blackmail and financial suffocation. | The complaints about new agreements signed between the US…

Juan Cole (2021-04-01). Egypt's Sisi threatens 'Instability that no one Can Imagine": Will the Next Mideast War be over Water? juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The closure of the Suez Canal for a week by the Ultra Large Container Ship, the Ever Given, signaled the importance to world commerce and energy supplies of the canal, through which some 12 percent of world trade passes. Another danger to that world artery, which connects the Indian Ocean …

Maxximilian Seijo (2021-04-01). Ministry for the Future with Kim Stanley Robinson. mronline.org Science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson joins Money on the Left to discuss his Modern Monetary Theory-inspired "cli-fi" novel, The Ministry for the Future (2020). Throughout his distinguished Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke award-decorated career, Robinson has repeatedly offered visions of the future that are grounded in, and speak directly to, urgent present problems. […] | April 1, 2021 | Money on the Left Episodes…

Mark Gruenberg (2021-04-01). Big changes needed to bring kicked-out women back to work. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—Big changes, in financing, social programs, and male-centered attitudes towards work and its worth, are needed to bring the millions of working women whom coronavirus-caused closures kicked out of their jobs back into the labor force. Three panelists drew that conclusion at a March 31 seminar hosted by the National Press Foundation, a D.C.-based think …

Sameena Rahman (2021-04-01). Life in prison: New York trial exposes alliance between U.S. government, right wing drug kingpin. liberationnews.org The United States claims to be waging a "war on drugs" internationally, but is perfectly content to ally itself with drug kingpins if they agree to submit to Washington's dictates.

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-01). Amazon workers in Germany strike for binding collective agreements. peoplesdispatch.org Workers of six Amazon warehouses in Germany went on a 4 day strike demanding an increase in wages and to recognize binding collective agreements for the retail sector…

orinocotribune (2021-04-01). Jorge Arreaza: Colombia's Reaction Confirms Accurate Blow to Narco-Paramilitaries in Apure. orinocotribune.com Foreign Affairs Minister of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza, criticized Colombia's response to the actions of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces in Apure state, labeling them as "absurd, fanciful and schizoid." Arreaza was referring to an interview conducted by the Colombian news outlet Noticias RCN with the Colombian minister for defense, Diego Molano, who tried to implicate the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) with FARC dissidents, in an attempt to hide the responsibility of his government in the recent clashes between the Venezuelan Army and Colombian criminal groups. | Arreaza wrot…

John Feffer (2021-04-01). The US lost the Afghanistan War and is finally Leaving, but can Biden win the Peace? juancole.com ( Foreign Policy in Focus) — In October 1944, with the end of World War II in sight, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin passed a note back and forth to each other at a conference in Moscow. On the piece of paper, Churchill had assigned percentages to several Eastern European countries. Stalin amended the numbers, …

_____ (2021-04-01). Government Offices Occupied Across Nova Scotia. popularresistance.org Kjipuktuk (Halifax) — After 23 days Jacob Fillmore is ending his hunger strike in support of a temporary clearcutting moratorium on Nova Scotia Crown lands. He made the announcement during a well-attended rally at Province House, the third one in as many weeks. | "I am feeling increasingly weaker, especially mentally things are getting harder and harder," he told an appreciative and grateful crowd. | This fight is far from over. As I take a step back folks across the province are stepping up," he said. | "If asking politely doesn't work, we are not afraid to resort to peaceful nonviolent direct action. When…

_____ (2021-04-01). Nicaragua And The Western Human Rights Industry. popularresistance.org Every area of reporting has become increasingly shaped by corporate funding either directly or else indirectly, via government bodies strongly under corporate influence. The Western intellectual managerial classes have generally abandoned basic reporting standards. This is self-evident to anyone who has tried to challenge false received wisdom in relation to NATO country aggression against sovereign nations from Cuba and Venezuela to Libya and Syria. | Western organizations and institutions claiming to be accountable and transparent are not — neither UN bodies nor regional institutions like the Organization…

Editor2 (2021-04-01). The Blockade Against Cuba and Venezuela: If they Touch One, we all Respond. orinocotribune.com By Gabriela Cultelli — Mar 29, 2021 | March is the month of women, and the slogan "If they touch one, they touch us all" or "If they touch one, we all respond" as the song says, is more valid today than ever, it resounds everywhere. | The time has come to raise the voice for Cuban and Venezuelan women, because the economic blockade and the restrictive measures that the United States is carrying out against these sisters is a particularly aggressive form of gender violence, fundamentally affecting the most vulnerable populations, and therefore women, girls, young women, adults, workers of yesterday, today, to…

Editor2 (2021-04-01). Subnational Elections in Bolivia: Another Vote of Confidence for MAS Party. orinocotribune.com By Peoples Dispatch — Mar 28, 2021 | The 240 out of the 336 elected mayors and 3 of the 5 elected governors in Bolivia belong to the ruling government of the progressive Movement Towards Socialism party | The results of the subnational elections held in Bolivia on March 7 confirm the faith of the Bolivian people in the ruling government of the progressive Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party and its transformation project. According to the results of the departmental, regional and municipal elections released on March 22, the MAS is the only party that has a broad presence in all the nine departments of th…

WSWS (2021-04-01). Australian government announces missile building program as US steps up war drive against China. wsws.org The plan has been welcomed by the most hawkish sections of the establishment, who have presented it as part of the preparations for an imminent war.

Wafica Ibrahim (2021-04-01). Cuba, Biden, and the Romantic Interlude. orinocotribune.com By Wafica Ibrahim — Mar 28, 2021 | For those who dreamed of an idyl between the United States and Cuba after Joe Biden's victory was confirmed in the U.S. elections, reality is starting to show the confrontational and interventionist nature of the U.S. establishment, once again. | As is the custom in "liberal democracies," after tallying up the final vote totals, the electoral campaign and its promises are left behind. Although in rallies and interviews, Biden may have promised indifferently to change policy toward Cuba and to return to the progress made by Barack Obama, the reality is that, with respect to…

_____ (2021-04-01). Opposing All Governments Equally Is Supporting The Most Powerful Government. popularresistance.org The US-centralized empire is waging nonstop wars that have killed millions of human beings just since the turn of this century, and people will still say things like "We've really got to do something about Cuba." | The US-centralized empire is circling the planet with hundreds of military bases, working to destroy any nation which disobeys its dictates and brandishing armageddon weapons at its enemies like a drunken hillbilly with a shotgun, and people are still like "Something must be done about China's intellectual property theft!" | Among the violent and destructive governments in our world, one towers high ab…

_____ (2021-04-01). China-Iran Deal Aims To Expand 'Common Interests In A Win-Win Manner'. popularresistance.org Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has presented "some points" of a landmark cooperation deal that was recently concluded between Beijing and Tehran. | In a message posted on his Instagram account on Thursday, Zarif underscored that the Sino-Iranian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership focuses on a "practical promotion" of bilateral ties and provides "a roadmap and long-term horizon" toward such relations. | According to him, the accord paves the way for full-blown collaboration between the two sides in the fields of politics, economy, trade, culture, defence, and security. | The Iranian foreign ministe…

The Global Research Team (2021-04-01). Support Global Research: True Change Through Awareness and Action. globalresearch.ca While we must always hold on to hope, true change can only be achieved through awareness and action. As opposed to the mainstream media's lies and half-truths, it is the focus and objective of Global Research to ask real questions, …

Andy Kroll (2021-04-01). Stumbling into War? tomdispatch.com The leaders of China and the United States certainly don't seek a war with each another. Both the Biden administration and the regime of Chinese President Xi Jinping view economic renewal and growth as their principal objectives. Both are aware that any conflict arising between them, even if restricted to Asia and conducted with non-nuclear weapons — no sure bet — would produce catastrophic regional damage and potentially bring the global economy to its knees. So, neither group has any intention of deliberately starting a war. Each, however, is fully determined to prove its willingness to go to war if…

Shane Quinn (2021-04-01). US-NATO Planned Invasion and Proxy War Against Syria. globalresearch.ca The Syrian president Bashar al-Assad must have looked on with some …

Peoples Dispatch (2021-04-01). Demonstrations held across US in solidarity with Asian community. peoplesdispatch.org The protests called attention to the alarming rise in anti-Asian hate crimes over the past year, as well as the racist and imperialist campaigns that have characterized US foreign policy towards China…

WSWS (2021-04-01). IMF chief warns of debt crisis for developing countries. wsws.org Kristalina Georgieva said while the overall economic outlook had improved, "prospects are diverging dangerously not only within nations but also across countries and regions."

Rosa Miriam Elizalde (2021-04-01). Una leyenda negra que afecta a todos. globalizacion.ca John Ford, en una de sus mejores películas, El hombre que mató a Liberty Valance, de 1962, presenta a tres periodistas que entrevistan a un senador interpretado por James Stewart. Al final, este le pregunta a uno de los reporteros: …

_____ (2021-04-01). Tens Of Millions In Florida Properties Linked To Ecuadorian Candidate. popularresistance.org In March 2017, ahead of Ecuador's second-round presidential election, CEPR reported that Florida-based shell companies linked to then-candidate Guillermo Lasso owned 144 properties in Broward and Miami-Dade counties valued at over $30 million. In that election, voters approved a referendum barring politicians and civil servants from holding assets in tax havens and giving them one year to divest or transfer their holdings. Though Florida is not included among the list of tax havens, it is considered a "low tax jurisdiction," which authorities will handle on a case-by-case basis. | Four years later, Ecuador is aga…

Megan Sherman (2021-04-01). War Policy and Banking. globalresearch.ca Surprisingly, with the financial crisis, the ascendancy of Occupy and the …

Moderator (2021-04-01). Biden Is Playing an Apocalyptic Game of Chicken With China. scheerpost.com By Michael Klare / TomDispatch The leaders of China and the United States certainly don't seek a war with each another. Both the Biden administration and the regime of Chinese President Xi Jinping view economic renewal and growth as their principal objectives. Both are aware that any conflict arising between them, even if restricted to Asia and conducted with non-nuclear weapons — no sure bet… |

WSWS (2021-04-01). Australian Labor Party prepares for war and social unrest. wsws.org Party leader Anthony Albanese claimed the mantle of the wartime and post-war Labor governments which held power from 1941 to 1949.

Anonymous669 (2021-04-01). 'International Resistance' Blows Up US Supply Convoy Near Iraqi Capital. southfront.org A US soldier runs at a coalition forces forward base near West Mosul, Iraq June 21, 2017 (photo credit: REUTERS) | On April 1, a convoy carrying logistic supplies and communication equipment for the US-led coalition came under attack near the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. | According to the Sabereen News, the convoy was hit by an impressive explosive device as it was passing in the district of Abu Ghraib to the west of Baghdad."The convoy, which was heading to Ain Assad Base, was subjected to an indirect fire attack." The T…

Amanda Marcotte (2021-04-01). Biden's infrastructure bill is popular — so Republicans are trying to make it a culture war fight. salon.com Green buildings and electric cars are the new Potato Head and Dr. Seuss in this round…

commondreams (2021-04-01). Supreme Court Awards the FCC for Long Neglecting Its Mandate to Promote Media Diversity in the United States. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Robert C. Koehler (2021-04-01). Can Biden End the Endless Wars and Learn to Wage Peace? commondreams.org Militarism is embedded in the infrastructure of the nation state. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/nowar_6.jpg

Adam Parsons, Sonja Scherndl (2021-04-01). It's Time to End the Insanity of Colossal Military Spending and Reallocate Funds to Basic Economic and Social Needs. commondreams.org Imagine what could be achieved if just a portion of the money spent on military expenditures were pooled into a global fund, and redirected towards ending hunger and massively investing in public health systems. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/lineforfood_1.jpg

RT (2021-04-01). Warships & submarines entering zone of Nord Stream 2 pipeline in 'planned & prepared provocations' to obstruct work, says operator. rt.com With the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline nearing completion and US sanctions against contractors failing to stop its construction, its operator has reported an increased "provocative" activity of warships in the area. | According to Moscow news agency TASS, Nord Stream 2 AG's branch director, Andrey Minin, claimed that the last three months have seen a growth in military presence in the area. | "After the resumption of Nord Stream 2 offshore construction in January 2021, there has been an increase in activity of military ships, planes, and helicopters, as well as civilian ships of foreign countries, w…

Anonymous103 (2021-04-01). Naval Provocations: Unidentified Submarine Emerged Near Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. southfront.org War-ship spotted near the Nord Stream 2. Click to see full-size image | Nord Stream 2 AG, the operating company of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline construction, reported provocations of warships and civilian vessels in the security area of the project. According to director of the company's branch office, such hostile actions may lead to emergency damage to the gas pipeline."We are talking about apparently planned and prepared provocations, both with the use of fishing vessels and warships, submarines and…

teleSUR (2021-04-01). Warship Activities Jeopardize Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. telesurenglish.net The operator of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline being built on the Baltic Sea floor on Thursday complained that the transit of military equipment near the project area poses a risk to the engineering work. | RELATED: | "Higher activity of naval vessels, airplanes, and helicopters and civilian vessels of foreign states is observed in the work area," Nord Stream 2 Director Andrei Minin said, commenting that their "actions are often…

Jason Ditz (2021-04-01). US Envoy Meets Taliban, Seeks Longer Troop Presence. news.antiwar.com With the Biden Administration continuing to talk down the May 1 deadline date for leaving Afghanistan, Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has met with Taliban leaders to discuss possible dates later in 2021. | Reports are that Khalilzad At any rate, the Taliban is pushing for the release of some 7,000 prisoners being held in Afghanistan, and wants to b…

Jason Ditz (2021-04-01). US Envoy Sees Productive Meetings on Yemen Peace Talks. news.antiwar.com US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking has returned to the US after a series of meetings in Saudi Arabia and Oman. The State Department Details aren't all clear, but the meetings were with Omanis, Saudis, and Yemenis. It isn't clear if the Yemeni participant included any members of the Houthi opposition, or just the Saudi-backed government. | Six years into the war there have…

Jason Ditz (2021-04-01). State Dept Report Faults Iraq on Human Rights Over Shi'ite Militias. news.antiwar.com The annual State Department human rights report has singled out Iraq for criticism with regard to the nation's approach, and The PMF groups are part of the Iraqi security apparatus, but operate somewhat independently. Being Shi'ite militias, the US accuses them of being pro-Iran, and says the government doesn't control them enough. | A particular problem is the civilian protest movements in Iraq, which seek to elect parties that are not d…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-01). Taiwan to Buy New US Air Defense Missiles. news.antiwar.com Taiwan said it has In comments to Reuters, Taiwan's Air Force said it plans to buy Patriot Advanced Capability‚Äë3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles, which will be delivered in 2025 and deployed the following year. The Ai…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-01). US Affirms 'Unwavering Support' for Ukraine Amid Russia Tensions. news.antiwar.com Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart on Thursday and expressed Washington's "unwavering" support for Kyiv amid tensions with Russia. According to a readout of the call, Austin "reaffirmed unwavering US support for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations." He also condemned what he called "Russian aggression." Secretary of State Antony …

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-01). Philippines Says Chinese Vessels Have Spread in Disputed Waters. news.antiwar.com The Philippines said Wednesday that a group of over 200 Chinese vessels it spotted sailing near a disputed reef in the South China Sea The Philippines' task force on the South China Sea said in a statement that it expressed "deep concern over the continuing unlawful presence…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-01). Report: Biden Reducing Military Forces in Saudi Arabia. news.antiwar.com According to The report said the US has removed at least three Patriot antimissile batteries from t…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-01). US Army Seeks Long-Range Missiles in Pacific to Face China. news.antiwar.com As part of its modernization efforts, While the Army is traditionally a land-based service, it is developing fast-moving island-hopping forces that can sink ships in the western Pacific, similar to what the Marine Corps has traditionally done. | On Tuesday, US Army leaders discussed the service's future in the Indo-Pacific and said the Army is not trying to compete for funding with the Marine Corp…

Dave DeCamp (2021-04-01). Senators Ready to Give NSA More Domestic Power Over SolarWinds Hack. news.antiwar.com Several members of the Senate Armed Services Committee

teleSUR (2021-04-01). Biden Orders Removal of Missiles, Forces Around Persian Gulf. telesurenglish.net A report issued last Thursday by the Wall Street Journal cites officials from the Pentagon indicating that President Biden has issued orders to remove Patriot anti-missile systems, miscellaneous military hardware, and troops from the area of the Persian Gulf, to deploy them elsewhere to be used against Russia and China, two countries which the Pentagon sees as its primary global competitors. | RELATED: | According to the report,…

RT (2021-04-01). Delays in deliveries of Indian-made AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine could be 'catastrophic', African Union's health boss warns. rt.com India's decision to postpone major exports of locally made AstraZeneca jab could have a "catastrophic" impact on Africa, a top health official has warned, expressing hope the delays won't turn into a permanent ban. | Speaking during a press conference in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on Thursday, the chief of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, John Nkengasong, raised concerns over the delays. | Insufficient deliveries of AstraZeneca's jab, produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII), are expected to disrupt the African Union's (AU) vaccination plans, the official said. While the AU has…

RT (2021-04-01). WHO criticizes Europe for 'unacceptably slow' rollout of Covid-19 vaccines and 'prolonging the pandemic'. rt.com The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled Europe's rollout of Covid-19 vaccines as "unacceptably slow," warning delays are "prolonging the pandemic" and described a surge in new infections in the region as "worrying." | The WHO statement from its top leadership in Europe on Thursday came after most countries reported increased coronavirus cases and deaths over the past seven days. Last week, Europe recorded 1.6 million new Covid-19 infections and close to 24,000 deaths. It is the world's second-worst affected region with nearly 1 million deaths and 45 million infections since the pandemic began. | "Vacci…

Anonymous007 (2021-04-01). Even Terrorists Don't Want AstraZeneca Vaccine. southfront.org Click to see full-size image | On March 30th, al-Shabaab terrorists issued a statement rejecting the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for Somalia. | They cited its 'ineffective and adverse' side effects. | A statement released by the group warned Somalis against administering the AstraZeneca vaccine saying it is "deadly and unsafe." | The statement linked the recent move by dozens of countries including European nations like Germany, Italy and France to reject the vaccine becau…

Andreína Chávez Alava (2021-04-01). Venezuela and Russia Ramp up Economic Ties with 10-Year Plan. venezuelanalysis.com The two nations signed treaties to boost the Venezuelan transportation system, oil industry security and access to COVID-19 vaccines.

teleSUR (2021-04-01). Panama Detects Nine Cases of Brazilian COVID-19 Strains. telesurenglish.net Panama's Gorgas Memorial Institute Director Juan Pascale confirmed nine patients with the SARS-CoV-2 strains originated in Brazil. | RELATED: | The P.1. and P.2. strains have been detected in community transmission cases in San Francisco, Don Bosco, Parque Lefevre, and San Miguelito. | The Health Ministry warned that the P.1. variant is the most contagious and reduces vaccines' effectiveness by 30 percent. | At least two patients with these strain…

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