(2021-04-13). Anti-war Activist Visited by Police After Posting Embarrassing AOC Video. orinocotribune.com 
By Max Blumenthal — Apr 9, 2021 | An anti-war activist was visited by California Highway Patrol officers after posting video of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's bumbling comments on Israel-Palestine. The action, which AOC denies triggering, was initiated by a call to US Capitol Police. | As he waited for a food delivery at his home in Los Angeles on April 8, Ryan Wentz, an anti-war activist and producer for the online viral program Soapbox, heard two men calling his name from over his front gate. When he approached, he realized they were not delivery drivers, but police officers flashing badges of the Califor…
(2021-04-13). Headlines for April 13, 2021. democracynow.org Brooklyn Center Police Chief Claims Officer Mistook Gun for Taser in Killing of Daunte Wright, Prosecution Rests Case in Murder Trial of Minneapolis Ex-Cop Derek Chauvin, U.S. to Pause Use of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Amid Reports of Rare Blood Clots, WHO Warns of Exponential Rise in COVID-19 Cases, COVID-19 Cases Surge in the Philippines as Duterte Appears in Public for First Time in Two Weeks, European Union Officials Consider Use of Russian COVID-19 Vaccine, Biden Admin Strikes Deals with Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala to Further Militarize Borders, As Volcano Erupts, Only Vaccinated Residents of St.
(2021-04-13). Enough with the brinksmanship! Let's give peace a f**king chance. nationofchange.org The world's been going to s**t for too long…
(2021-04-13). Australia's most decorated Afghan veteran accused of covering up war crimes. wsws.org A media investigation has accused Ben Roberts-Smith, previously lauded as a "national hero," of conducting a campaign to suppress evidence of war crimes in Afghanistan.
(2021-04-13). UK bill shielding soldiers from war crimes charges challenged in House of Lords. middleeasteye.net 
UK bill shielding soldiers from war crimes charges challenged in House of Lords | Lords vote to amend Overseas Opposition Bill to ensure serious offences by military personnel, including genocide and torture, can be prosecuted | Tue, 04/13/2021 – 16: 51 | British soldiers during a training operation in Basra, southern Iraq, in November 2007 (AFP) | The British government's attempts to shield its armed force…
(2021-04-13). Sweden Axes Gates's Mad Global Warming Scheme. globalresearch.ca For more than a decade Bill Gates has funneled millions of …
(2021-04-13). Amazon Vote Shows Why We Need the PRO act. counterpunch.org Following one of the most high-profile union votes in history, workers at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama — led by Black organizers — ultimately rejected efforts to form a union by 71 percent, according to the National Labor Relations Board. But for labor advocates, this fight is far from over. "The Amazon workers who
(2021-04-13). Venezuela Proposes Anti-Fake News Alliance Within ALBA-TCP. orinocotribune.com 
This Monday, April 12, before the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples' Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), Venezuelan Minister for Communication and Information, Freddy àëañez, proposed the creation of an alliance to create a joint communication policy. The proposed alliance would allow not only to demonstrate the daily differences and similarities in points of view on economic, political and social issues, but would also facilitate the dismantling of fake news that seeks to promote hateful messages, creating "preludes to military invasions and economic aggression." | At the meeting of high autho…
(2021-04-13). US Military Plane RC-135W Spotted Over Conflict Area in Apure — NASA Publishes Satellite Image of Paraguaná (Coincidence?). orinocotribune.com 
This Monday, April 12, it was reported that a United States Air Force (USAF) plane flew over the airspace that comprises the Colombian-Venezuelan border on the Colombian side, where the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) recently expelled Colombian narco-paramilitary groups. | The details were reported through social media networks by journalists and specialized aeronautical accounts, which indicated that it was a Boeing RC-135W RIVET JOINT (R135) REG 62-4139, Alias HORN41. | The plane, according to the Patriota Cazador account on Twitter, took off from Lincoln, Nebra…
(2021-04-13). Western Media Eager to See Ukraine Use US-Supplied Weapons Against Russia. news.antiwar.com With tensions simmering in eastern Ukraine, US media outlets are happy to push the narrative that Russia is the aggressor and is preparing to invade its neighbor. These reports ignore the fact that the Donetsk and Lugansk republics in the eastern Donbas region declared independence from Ukraine back in 2014 in response to a US-backed coup. | Since 2014, the US has provided Ukraine with about $2 billion in military equipment and supported its fight against the Donetsk and Lugansk separatists. Supporting a war on Russia's border is an incredible provocation, but these facts are lost on the Western press, and som…
(2021-04-13). Venezuelan Army Engineers Begin Clearing Mines in Apure State. orinocotribune.com President Nicolás Maduro assured in a speech this Sunday, April 11, that "Venezuelan military engineers have begun work demining the territory of Apure (state bordering Colombia), where they have brought the dirty war to us in Colombia." He also reiterated that there are "irregular armed groups, disguised as guerrillas, but who serve the drug gangs of Iván Duque and àÅlvaro Uribe Vélez." With all of them there will be "zero tolerance," he warned once again. | For their part, Chief General Vladimir Padrino López, Minister of Defense, and Chief Admiral Remigio Ceballos, CEOFANB commander, offered a briefing o…
(2021-04-13). President Maduro Holds Meeting with WHO Director General to Speed Up Arrival of COVAX Vaccines. orinocotribune.com The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, reported this Monday, April 12, that he held an online meeting with the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom, as well as with different representatives of this international body, in order to accelerate the delivery of vaccines to the people of Venezuela through the COVAX initiative. | Through his account on the social media network Twitter, @NicolásMaduro, the Head of State wrote: "I had a very productive videoconference with Dr. Tedros Adhanom, General Director of @WHO, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, Director of the @opsoms and the represen…
(2021-04-13). The Return of Northern Ireland as the Most Dangerous Open Wound in British Political Life. counterpunch.org 
On the night of 15 August 1969, a Protestant mob burst into the Catholic part of west Belfast and burned down houses in and around Bombay Street, forcing the Catholic population to flee. The pogrom had a traumatic impact on Catholics in Northern Ireland, delegitimising the authorities for tolerating or assisting the mob, and playing a key role in the creation of the Provisional IRA.
(2021-04-13). Technology innovation gives government leverage to drive down CO2 emissions fast — here's how. juancole.com 
By Jessika E. Trancik | — To avert the worst effects of climate change, global greenhouse gas emissions should fall at faster rates than they have risen for over a century. Economies must essentially turn on a dime and then move quickly toward a carbon-free future. In the U.S., the Biden-Harris administration has recommitted the …
(2021-04-13). When Prince Philip Became a Monument. counterpunch.org 
The student from Ghana was insistent. "I want to meet him." The stubborn, well-attired fool, groomed and keen to make a good impression, was attending the Senate House ceremony in Cambridge for honorary awardees. He was not the only one. In attendance on this warm June day in 2006 were a gaggle of rascals, well-wishers
(2021-04-13). The Biden Administration and the Chaotic Middle East. counterpunch.org 
The Middle East is as combustible as ever, and there is no non-Arab state with decisive influence in the region. Lawrence of Arabia warned more than 100 years ago that the Middle East was a "trap from which it will be hard to escape with dignity and honor." Did someone say that what goes around
(2021-04-13). Biden To Pull US Troops Out Of Afghanistan By September 11. eurasiareview.com 
By Steve Herman | All U.S. troops in Afghanistan will be withdrawn by September 11 — the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a senior administration official announced on Tuesday. | President Joe Biden "made the determination and is announcing tomorrow that the best path forward to advance American interests is to end the war in Afghanistan after 20 years, so that we can address the global threat picture as it exists today, not as it was two decades ago," said the official. | The government of Turkey announced on Tuesday it will host a 10-day peace confer…
(2021-04-13). The Role Of Portuguese In The Decline Of Muslims In Maritime Trade — Analysis. eurasiareview.com 
European ruthlessness coupled with the Muslims' inability to keep pace with technology caused their downfall: | Muslims of Ceylon and peninsular India, who are ethnologically similar, were in the vanguard of maritime trade in South and South East Asia from the 3 rd., century BC till the emergence of the Portuguese and other European powers in the 16 th. Century. These Tamil-speaking Muslims of part Arab ancestry were trading peacefully in the region for centuries. But they were eventually outmaneuvered by European traders who were ruthless, armed, and technologically better equipped than the Muslims.
(2021-04-13). Israel agrees to increase water supply to Jordan after pressure from Biden. middleeasteye.net 
Israel agrees to increase water supply to Jordan after pressure from Biden | After weeks of delays, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approves increase in water supply to Jordan as kingdom experiences water crisis | Tue, 04/13/2021 – 15: 22 | Due to a past peace agreement, Israel pumps water out of the Jordan river and transfers it back to Jordan during dry spells (AFP/File photo) | Israel has agreed to increa…
(2021-04-13). 25 Chinese Warplane Fly In Taiwan's ADIZ Immediately After US State Secretary Warns Beijing. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 12th, China's People Liberation Army flew 25 warplanes into Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ). | This is the largest "encroachment" ever by Beijing. At least from what is known when Taiwan began revealing the PLA warplane movement in 2020. | According to Taiwan's defence ministry, the PLA warplanes — 14 Jian-16 fighter jets, four Jian-10s, four H-6K bombers, two Y-8 anti-submarine warfare planes and one KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft."[Taiwan's…
(2021-04-13). Military Situation In Syria On April 13, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 12th, the Russian Reconciliation Center recorded 23 breaches of the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib, of which in the Idlib province — 10 attacks, in the Latakia province — 9 attacks, in the province of Aleppo — 2 attacks, in the province of Hama — 2 attacks. | On April 12, a car bomb exploded near a camp belonging to Turkish-backed forces south of Afrin | On April 12, a car bomb exploded south of the town Raas al-Ain. No casualties were…
(2021-04-13). If Armenians Want Revenge, Azerbaijan Will Destroy Them: President Ilham Aliyev. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 13th, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev gave a speech at the "New vision for South Caucasus: Post-conflict development and cooperation" international conference held at ADA University. | The speech could be viewed and listened to on Azerbaijan is ready to sign a peace agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh, but "does not see" readiness for similar steps in the st…
(2021-04-13). Bozeman Watershed Logging Project Based on Flawed Assumptions. counterpunch.org 
The Montana Forest Action Plan recently awarded funding to the Bozeman Watershed logging project. Flawed assumptions and science characterize all these state-funded projects. Even though numerous studies have documented that logging/thinning fails to protect homes or reduce fire severity in nearly all instances, the mindless mantra that logging will preclude large fires continues unabated. +
(2021-04-13). Taliban Won't Attend Turkey Conference If Held This Week. news.antiwar.com Weeks of expectation of the high-profile Istanbul conference had all suggested one of a handful of starting dates, all this week. With no decisions made, the Taliban spokesmen said they'd already told Turkey they couldn't attend, even if the conference started on Friday, but that they are open to attending if it happens at a later date. | The conf…
(2021-04-13). "Symbolic Naval War" Is Emerging Between Israel and Iran. globalresearch.ca In the Middle East, tensions between Israel and Iran are escalating, …
(2021-04-13). Inter-Parliamentary Union Confirms Preparations for a Mission to Venezuela. orinocotribune.com The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) confirmed today, Monday, April 12, that it is preparing to send a mission to Venezuela to learn firsthand about the situation of the Legislative Power and inquire about complaints of human rights violations against former opposition parliamentarians. | "This is a mission that we have requested for a long time and it seems that it can finally be carried out, because we have received an invitation from [the new] 2020 Parliament," IPU spokesperson Thomas Fitzsimons told news agency EFE. | Last Friday the highest officials of the organization, which brings together parliaments from…
(2021-04-13). US, Philippines Launch Military Drills Amid China Tensions. news.antiwar.com On Monday, the US and the Philippines kicked off two weeks of military drills that come amid heightened tensions between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea. This year's drills, known as the Balikatan exercises, are being held at a scaled-down level compared to previous years due to coronavirus. Last year's Balikatan exercises were …
(2021-04-13). US Officials to Meet With NATO on Afghan Deployment. news.antiwar.com Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will participate in meetings with NATO officials in Brussels this week. Expectations are that they will talk up the usual buildups against Russia and other long-term interests. | Another focus though is Afghanistan, The Biden Administration has downplayed the idea of meeting the May…
(2021-04-13). Biden to Stay in Afghanistan Past May 1, Plans to Withdraw by Sept. 11. news.antiwar.com According to
(2021-04-13). Natalie Shapero's poetry: Popular Longing and the "look outward" wsws.org Unlike other contemporary poets, Natalie Shapero offers mordant commentary on social and environmental degradation.
(2021-04-13). Facing the Facts of War with Russia. globalresearch.ca Conflict with Russia may be inevitable. Kiev's strident threats to resolve …
(2021-04-13). Cold War on Trial: Truth Commission Details Horrible Crimes Akin to Native American Genocide and Slavery. globalresearch.ca With a new Cold War heating up between the U.S. and …
(2021-04-13). Russia deploys two armies, three airborne units to counter threat from 40,000 NATO troops on its border. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Russia deploys two armies, three airborne units to counter threat from 40,000 NATO troops on its borderRick Rozoff Major Russian officials today have warned of military threats posed by the U.S.-led thirty-nation North Atlantic Treaty Organization to its western border: its entire western border. And its northern one as well. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu …
(2021-04-13). Canadians Hunger Strike to Protest Canada's New $75 Billion Warplanes. orinocotribune.com Canadians across the nation are fasting in protest of the country's plans to purchase a new fleet of stealth warplanes. | Montreal, April 11, 2021 (OrinocoTribune.com) — "We will not allow Canada to buy 88 new warplanes to rain bombs in US and NATO wars," wrote World Beyond War, who co-hosted the demonstration alongside Canada's No Fighter Jets Coalition. Over 100 Canadians joined the hunger strike, and many more participated in online vigils for those killed in NATO bombing campaigns, announced No Fighter Jets Coalition. The event's April 10 starting date was chosen to mark the 10-year anniversary of Global…
(2021-04-13). Azerbaijan: We have created a new reality by shedding blood. Everyone should reckon with us today. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com The Turkish-directed onslaught by the armed forces of Azerbaijan (population of 10 million) against minuscule Nagorno-Karabakh (145,000) was one of the most atrocious acts of military aggression in modern times. It was also a NATO proxy war in the former Soviet Union/Russia. Baku: Multinational Turkic Council applauds Azerbaijani-Turkish war against Nagorno-Karabakh NATO appoints Turkey to …
(2021-04-13). How Warming Oceans Are Accelerating the Climate Crisis. thenation.com How Warming Oceans Are Accelerating the Climate Crisis…
(2021-04-13). What's Really Behind the Opposition to a $15 Minimum Wage. zcomm.org Fifty-seven senators from both parties are determined to preserve an economic system that rewards the rich and punishes the poor…
(2021-04-13). China Isn't the Problem, Neoliberalism Is. zcomm.org Beginning in the 1970s, the American political class made decisions at the behest of business interests and oligarchs to restructure the U.S. economy in ways intended to shift the balance of political and economic power towards capital…
(2021-04-13). Casino compromises and buying elections. greenleft.org.au If you thought the political compromises exposed by the Bergin inquiry into casino operations were bad, what happened in Tasmania should be a warning to us all, writes Suzanne James.
(2021-04-13). Giant swarm of jellyfish invades Italian port. ecns.cn The spotted jellyfish belong to the 'Rhizostoma Pulmo' family, commonly known as the barrel jellyfish. Barrel jellyfish swarms are becoming increasingly frequent throughout the Adriatic Sea.
(2021-04-12). Post-COVID World Economy: Out of the Frying Pan … Into the Fire? theanalysis.news For sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 global economic shock, it's imperative to break from policy choices that produce a concentration of economic power and wealth in a limited section of the economy but old habits, die hard warns UNCTAD's Richard Kozul-Wright.
(2021-04-12). Lift Canada's Economic Sanctions against the World's Poorest Countries. Trudeau Government "Must Respect the Rule of International Law" globalresearch.ca One year ago, following the declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic, UN …
(2021-04-12). 'Critical point of the pandemic': WHO warns Covid cases are 'growing exponentially' globally. rt.com 
As some states proceed with easing lockdown, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the pandemic is at a "critical point" and new infections are "growing exponentially," with 4.4 million cases globally last week. | Speaking on Monday, the WHO's Covid-19 technical lead, Maria Van Kerkhove, laid out how "we're in a critical point of the pandemic" despite some nations claiming to have brought the virus domestically under control, as cases globally are currently eight times higher than they were a year ago. | This is not the situation we want to be in 16 months into a pandemic where we have proven con…
(2021-04-12). Headlines for April 12, 2021. democracynow.org Protesters Take to Minneapolis Streets After Police Kill 20-Year-Old Black Man Daunte Wright, Medical Examiner Reaffirms George Floyd Homicide Ruling, Caused by Derek Chauvin's Restraint, Black Army Lt. Sues After Virginia Police Attack, Pepper-Spray Him in Face Without Provocation, Maryland Passes Sweeping Police Reforms, Alabama Amazon Warehouse Organizers Lose Union Vote But Plan Legal Challenge, India Has World's 2nd-Highest COVID Caseload; WHO Blasts Vast Global Vaccine Inequality, Michigan Remains Major COVID Hot Spot But Refrains from Imposing New Lockdown | , Death Toll Mounts in Burma as Military Fires o…
(2021-04-12). Despite Supply, COVAX Distributes Nearly 40 Mln Vaccines: WHO. telesurenglish.net Close to 40 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have already been distributed through the COVAX Facility, half of them in Africa, but vaccine supplies are still stalled due to "tremendous demand" especially in India, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. | COVAX, a WHO-led program to secure equitable access to vaccines for low and middle-income countries, "has, as of today, distributed just over 38.7 million doses and we expect to get past 40 million doses later this week," Bruce Aylward, the WHO's senior advisor to the director general on organizational change, said at a press conference. | "Over 40…
(2021-04-12). Palestine election: Israel's wave of arrests sweeps up Palestinians before polls. middleeasteye.net 
Palestine election: Israel's wave of arrests sweeps up Palestinians before polls | Hamas and Fatah members caught up in series of Israeli arrests since March say they have been warned not to compete in coming elections | Mon, 04/12/2021 – 13: 56 | A Palestinian demonstrator is detained by Israeli soldiers during a protest near the West Bank village of Tubas, near the Jordan Valley, on 29 January 2020 (AFP) | I…
(2021-04-12). Venezuela Reports Release of Blocked Funds for COVAX Vaccines. venezuelanalysis.com According to Maduro, the funds to purchase 11.3 million doses were liberated by US authorities.
(2021-04-12). "Wipe the Soviet Union Off the Map", 204 Atomic Bombs against 66 Major Cities, US Nuclear Attack against USSR Planned During World War II. globalresearch.ca According to a secret document dated September 15, 1945, "the Pentagon had envisaged blowing up the Soviet Union with a coordinated nuclear attack directed against 66 major urban areas.
(2021-04-12). Amazon Bullied and Bribed Their Way to Anti-Union Votes. popularresistance.org At the end of the first day of counting, votes against unionizing at Amazon in Bessemer, Alabama lead the yes votes by a nearly 2-1 margin. With almost half the votes counted, that lead will be almost impossible to overcome. Vote counting resumes tomorrow morning. | From the outset, the organizing drive was a David-versus-Goliath story — and the Amazon Goliath used every legal mechanism in its arsenal, along with plenty of illegal ones that the union is contesting, to keep workers from voting for the union. Roughly 55 percent of the warehouse workers voted, with 3,215 ballots cast.
(2021-04-12). Amazon workers react to the defeat of the RWDSU at Alabama warehouse. wsws.org The defeat of this highly publicized unionization campaign in Bessemer, Alabama, shows that the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) was unable to make the slightest appeal to workers.