(2021-04-23). Biden's Appeasement of Hawks and Neocons Is Crippling His Diplomacy. counterpunch.org President Biden took office promising a new era of American international leadership and diplomacy. But with a few exceptions, he has so far allowed self-serving foreign allies, hawkish U.S. interest groups and his own imperial delusions to undermine diplomacy and stoke the fires of war. Biden's failure to quickly recommit to the Iran nuclear deal,
(2021-04-23). African Activists: The Earth Is in Peril If Wealthy Nations Don't Slash Emissions & Pay Climate Debt. democracynow.org 
As President Biden convenes a major climate summit, we speak with two leading climate activists from Africa about the "climate debt" rich countries owe the Global South and the major emissions cuts still needed in order to avert the worst effects of the planetary emergency. "Given the scale of the crisis right now, the only thing that is going to get us out of it is not going to be baby steps in the right direction," says Kumi Naidoo, special adviser for the Green Economy Coalition's Social Contract Initiative, as well as the former head of Greenpeace International. "It's going to be big, bold, courageous, struct…
(2021-04-23). Ankara Tense Ahead Of Biden's Expected Recognition Of Armenian Genocide. eurasiareview.com Tensions between Washington and Ankara may be further strained on Saturday when US President Joe Biden is expected to become the first US leader to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915 onward. | The massacre of around 1.5 million Armenians in the early 20th century was formally recognized as genocide by the US Senate in 2019, but then-President Donald Trump did not follow suit. | April 24 is Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, and ahead of Saturday's annual commemoration, this much-anticipated move is now a major concern for Ankara, and likely to inflame an already tense relationship. Turkey denie…
(2021-04-23). Reflections on Genocide as the Ultimate Crime. counterpunch.org 
The misuse of the word genocide is disdainful toward relatives of the victims of the Armenian massacres, the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide — and as well a disservice to both history, law, and the prudent conduct of international relations. We already knew that we were adrift in an ocean of fake news. It is far more dangerous to discover that we are also at risk of being immersed in the turbulent waters of "fake law". We must push back with a sense of urgency. Such a development is not tolerable.
(2021-04-23). Why Brazil's President Is a Dangerous Steward for the Amazon. counterpunch.org 
Carved out of the rainforest, the Trans-Amazonia Highway is a 2.500 mile-road that connects seven northern states in Brazil. The audacious project was started in 1972 during the country's Military Dictatorship (1964-1985) with two objectives: development and security of the "unoccupied" region. In order to bring companies and large-scale farmers there, the government offered large portions
(2021-04-23). Climate 'Tipping Points' Need Not Be End Of World. eurasiareview.com The disastrous consequences of climate "tipping points" could be averted if global warming was reversed quickly enough, new research suggests. | Once triggered, tipping points may lead to abrupt changes such as the dieback of the Amazon rainforest or melting of major ice sheets. | Until now, crossing these thresholds has been assumed to be a point of no return, but the new study – published in the journal Nature – concludes that thresholds could be "temporarily exceeded" without prompting permanent shifts. | The research team, from the University of Exeter and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), s…
(2021-04-23). Democrat Opposed to the PRO Act Was Showered With Cash From Amazon Executives. zcomm.org Tactics used by Amazon to defeat the union organizing drive at the company's Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse have highlighted the need for Democrats to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act…
(2021-04-23). Capitalism as a Suicide Cult. counterpunch.org 
From the launch of the U.S. war against Iraq to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic there were over four million 'excess deaths' in the U.S., deaths over and above the rates experienced in other rich nations. Given the class distribution of longevity— the rich live a full decade longer than the poor on average, these excess deaths were overwhelmingly concentrated amongst those cast aside by neoliberal economic policies.
(2021-04-23). Venezuela Advances in Clearing Landmines Laid by Colombian Narco-Terrorists in Apure. orinocotribune.com The demining operations of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) in Apure state have achieved the neutralization of at least 100 of the illegal explosives. | General Commander of the Army, General Domingo Hernández Lárez, confirmed that this challenge prompted the military to make special adaptations to its weapons and minesweeper systems to clear the territory of one of the deadly consequences of the internal Colombian conflict, that some are trying to export to Venezuela. | These explosive devices, illegal under international law, were planted by narco-terrorist gangs of Colombia in their attempt to instal…
(2021-04-23). Russia's Red Lines, Weaponizing Ukraine for War. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | Ukraine is a virtual US military base along Russia's border — …
(2021-04-23). EFF and ACLU Ask Supreme Court to Review Case Against Warrantless Searches of International Travelers' Phones and Laptops. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-04-23). We Don't Lose Our Privacy Rights When We Travel. aclu.org 
Every year, millions of people cross the U.S. border through airports, land crossings, and other ports of entry. Each will pass through customs before entering the country. For some travelers, however, the process isn't simple. A growing number of travelers are being detained and subjected to warrantless and suspicionless searches of their phones, laptops, and other electronic devices by border officers who may cite a host of reasons for doing so, or no reason at all. By searching travelers' electronic devices, border officers can access a vast array of personal, sensitive information, including photos, texts,…
(2021-04-23). Letters From Minsk: Coming in From the Cold War at Brest-Litovsk. counterpunch.org 
This is the seventh in a series about train and bicycle rides from Switzerland to Belarus, in those carefree days before pandemic lockdowns. My afternoon train to Terespol, on the Polish border with Belarus, left Warsaw central station around 2: 30 in the afternoon. Although I had my visa for Belarus, I didn't quite know how
(2021-04-23). Whose agriculture drives disease? mronline.org 
We concur that linking land-use change science, ecology, and epidemiology is a critical step towards developing a more robust understanding of zoonotic diseases. Yet we are wary of the way the authors omit the historical specificities, political economy, and agroecological dynamics of land-use change, and their implications for disease ecologies. | April 23, 2021 | Commentary…
(2021-04-23). GOP infrastructure maneuvering can kill plans to mitigate climate change. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—As world leaders came together at the invitation of President Joe Biden for an Earth Day summit to commit to saving a planet imperiled by global warming, a group of Senate Republicans engaged in political maneuvering which, if successful, could dash the hopes of ever addressing climate change in a meaningful way. Trying to sound …
(2021-04-23). Assassination Of Tribal Leader Inflamed New Clashes Between SDF, NDF In Al-Qamishli (Videos). southfront.org 
The coffin of Sheikh Hayis Al-Jaryan, source: the Hawar News Agency (ANHA). | The assassination of an Arab tribal leader has inflamed the ongoing The leader, Hayis Al-Jaryan, was shot and killed…
(2021-04-23). Bursting Pantsirs, Falling Bayraktars: Turkish-Russian Virtual War. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 22nd, Turkish defense company Roketsan released a video hyping up its Akƒ±ncƒ± UAV. | The video shows the drone use a MAM-T smart bomb, which hits a Russian Pantsir-S1 in a desert setting and destroys it. | Apparently, this is a kind of response to a video report on Russian TV, in which Russian "Lancets" destroy Turkish drones. | On April 18th, The Turkish media drew attention to the fact that in a report on military developments aired on the stat…
(2021-04-23). Japanese Militarism Redux: Russian Connection. southfront.org 
Ronin right and left. "Employed" samurai in middle.Popular TV actors in Edo Period drama | Submitted by Japan fought three wars with Russia in the 20th Century. It won one in 1905, and lost two. It was Russia that drove the Japanese Army from China, in a short, sharp campaign. The Japanese haven't forgotten that. Russia has won respect. The Chinese, by contrast, are still regarded as inferior. | The extreme Japanese rig…
(2021-04-23). Love and Revolution. counterpunch.org 
The French military and political response to the Algerian war of national liberation became, along with the British anti-guerrilla operation in Malaysia, the template for many subsequent such operations. From Vietnam to Latin America, the French and British colonial model of counterinsurgency became the reference to which other imperial nations looked. Torture, the targeting of
(2021-04-23). A crowning achievement: Fairy tale prevails over reality in 'The Crown'. peoplesworld.org 
I write this as the annual Academy Awards ceremony approaches; Hollywood's landmark Cinerama Dome, with its iconic concave screen, closes; and Prince Philip has made his last journey from Windsor Castle to St. George's Chapel for one final pageant, His Royal Highness's funeral. The confluence of these events has moved this film/TV historian to meditate …
(2021-04-23). Afghanistan's Green Future? counterpunch.org Everyone has a different Doomsday scenario for Afghanistan once U.S. and NATO troops withdraw by September 11. The Taliban will take over and reimpose their repressive social agenda. Al-Qaeda will multiply rapidly and again become a global threat. Rival warlords will split apart the country. Another wave of Afghan refugees will overwhelm Europe. And then
(2021-04-23). Taliban Says It's 'Too Early' to Know if They Will Start Attacking the US. news.antiwar.com The Taliban "It's too early for these issues, nothing can be said about the future,"
(2021-04-23). Venezuela's Guaido Taps $152 Million in Funds Stolen by US. news.antiwar.com Venezuela's Juan Guaido is planning to make Guaido is tapping $152 million from the accounts. $100 million is said to be going towards purchasing vaccines through the World Health Organization. It's not clear what the remaining funds…
(2021-04-23). 'Financing Border Wars' Corporations violating human rights on Arizona border. indybay.org The new report, "Financing Border Wars," details the push for border walls, drones and biometrics — including iris scans and finger prints — which violate the international human rights of migrants and refugees. The abuse includes tracking surveillance on phones and social media.
(2021-04-23). 175 Years Of Border Invasions. popularresistance.org Amid renewed fear mongering about an "invasion" at the U.S.-Mexico border, this week's 175th anniversary of the 1846—1848 war the U.S. government instigated with Mexico is a reminder that throughout U.S. history, invasions have gone almost exclusively from north to south, not vice versa. A near-continuous series of invasions—military, political, and economic—moving from north to south has helped produce the poverty, violence, and insecurity driving people to migrate from south to north. The current humanitarian crisis at the border, with record numbers of unaccompanied minors desperately fleeing…
(2021-04-23). Online events w) Angela Davis, Dave Zirin, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Vandana Shiva & others. indybay.org Here are some 20 online events taking place over the next few weeks (and starting today, Friday, April 23, at 4 pm), featuring people such as Angela Davis, Dave Zirin, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Immanuel Ness, Ian Haney López, Aviva Chomsky, Vandana Shiva, and many others. | These events are hosted from various locations all across the country, as well from Canada, Australia and the UK (however, the listed times are all for our "Pacific time zone"). Of course, feel free to share this info with others who might be interested in it.
(2021-04-23). William Shakespeare and the New World Order: "Hell is Empty and all the Devils are Here" globalresearch.ca William Shakespeare's birthday: he taught us never to despair in our resolve to confront the Lie. "to unmask falsehood and bring truth to light". War criminals in high office are celebrated as messengers of peace: "And thus I clothe my naked villany. And seem a saint, when most I play the devil." (Shakespeare, the words of King Richard III)…
(2021-04-23). Amid Chauvin trial and more police killings, we need to stress Boycotts and the 'Noncooperation' in 'Nonviolent Noncooperation'. juancole.com By Maria J. Stephan | — ( Waging Nonviolence) — In his March 1956 sermon "When Peace Becomes Obnoxious," Martin Luther King, Jr. responded to a headline in a local Alabama newspaper that read, "Things are quiet in Tuscaloosa today. There is peace on the campus of the University of Alabama." The headline was referring …
(2021-04-23). Saving the planet by disempowering the elites. indybay.org Humanity is at the final crossroads of becoming aware of the drama of the ecological and peace crisis in which it finds itself. The book "The Eco-Catastrophe" is a wake-up call to take note of the seriousness of the situation, to accept the Herculean tasks ahead, to understand the growth ideology of global capitalism and its structural lack of peace as a cancerous evil.
(2021-04-23). Lobbying Politicians Is Holding Back The Climate Movement. popularresistance.org In early January, Labour leader Keir Starmer tweeted about his commitment to tackling the climate emergency, sharing an image of him meeting with several climate groups. The screenshot revealed all the Zoom meeting attendees: the Queen's Council and several other Shadow Cabinet members, alongside figures from all the major wildlife and environmental charities, from Greenpeace to the WWF. The tweet showed a motley crew — a collection of old and pale smiling faces, confident in their ability to tackle the climate crisis. | The tweet was quickly ridiculed. Many from the UK Student Climate Network, the group co…
(2021-04-23). Venezuela's Arreaza: Assistant Secretary of State Chung's Confession is More Evidence of US Aggressions. orinocotribune.com This Thursday, April 22, Venezuelan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza commented that a tweet posted by the acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the United States Department of State, Julie Chung, reveals how the US applies arbitrary and illegal measures that have generated suffering across an entire country. | Through his official Twitter account @jaarreaza, the Venezuelan top diplomat pointed out that what was written by the US official will be used as evidence in the International Criminal Court (ICC) and before the UN, as false ideologized arguments showing disrespect…
(2021-04-23). US Sanctions Against Venezuela Violate the Human Rights They Claim to Protect, Says UN Special Rapporteur on Sanctions. globalresearch.ca All Global Research articles can be read in 51 languages by activating the "Translate Website" drop down menu on the top banner of our home page (Desktop version). | *** | "You cannot claim to protect human rights by violating human rights," …
(2021-04-23). Report: US Open to Lifting 'Terror' Sanctions on Iran's Central Bank. news.antiwar.com Since the Biden administration refuses to lift all Trump-era sanctions on Iran to restore the JCPOA, the US is negotiating with Tehran what specific sanctions need to be lifted through indirect talks in Vienna. | The Trump administration imposed sancti…
(2021-04-23). Israeli Officials Headed to DC to Protest US Return to Iran Deal. news.antiwar.com A high-level Israeli delegation is visiting Washington next week, and The Israeli officials visiting Washington include National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat, Military Intelligence chief Tamir Hayman, Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi, and Yossi Cohan, who heads Israel's Mossad spy agency. | Israeli so…
(2021-04-23). Top General Expresses 'Concern' Over Afghanistan Withdrawal. news.antiwar.com The head of US Central Command "My concern is the ability of the Afghan military to hold the ground that they're on now without the support that they've been used to for many years," Gen. Frank McKenzie told the Senate Armed Services Committee. In particular, McKenzie said he was concerned about the "ability of the Afghan air force to fly" a…
(2021-04-23). CENTCOM Commander Doesn't Think Iraq Wants US to Leave. news.antiwar.com Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the head of Central Command, claimed that he believes Iraq wants the US troops to stay in the country, noting that "The government of Iraq wants us to stay," McKenzie insisted, "to continue the fight against ISIS." These claims fly in the face of a lot of evidence to the contrary, as Iraq's parliament voted unanimously to expel the US troops last year. | Protesters were already agitatin…
(2021-04-23). UAW works to sell out New York University strike before it starts. wsws.org A sharp warning must be made: Before the strike has even begun, the UAW is doing everything to sell it out.
(2021-04-23). The Rising Threat Of Nuclear War. popularresistance.org US Strategic Command, the branch of the US military responsible for America's nuclear arsenal, tweeted the following on Tuesday: | "The spectrum of conflict today is neither linear nor predictable. We must account for the possibility of conflict leading to conditions which could very rapidly drive an adversary to consider nuclear use as their least bad option." | The statement, which STRATCOM called a "preview" of…
(2021-04-23). Warrior Met Coal miners defiant, three weeks into Alabama strike. wsws.org Coal miners described the deadly conditions they confront and their determination to recoup the wages cut by the company five years ago.
(2021-04-23). The Envelope Please: Darnella Frazier Deserves an Academy Award. counterpunch.org The annual Academy Awards ceremony — wherein a pack of swag bag schlepping celebs clad in brand name couture pat themselves on the back on live TV, while thanking their agents, hair stylists, managers, makeup artists, etc. — is set for Sunday, April 25. To be fair, a number of films competing for those coveted
(2021-04-23). 'Justice Looks Like Abolition'. popularresistance.org On Tuesday, April 20, jurors in Minnesota found former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of all charges brought forward for the death of George Floyd: second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin's bail was also immediately revoked and he was taken into custody after the verdict was read. | The guilty verdicts represent a strong departure from the legal norm: between 2005 and 2019, only four police officers had been found guilty of murder in the United States, while an estimated 1,000 people have been shot and killed by cops every year since 2015. A breakdown o…
(2021-04-23). Biden climate summit offers empty spectacle. wsws.org The two-day event that began Thursday underscored the reality that there is no solution to global warming and climate change within the framework of capitalism.
(2021-04-23). California approves $44 million electric vehicle infrastructure program. nationofchange.org "This decision is another step toward meeting California's deep decarbonization and ambitious transportation electrification goals."
(2021-04-23). China Requires Switch To Zero-Carbon Energy To Achieve More Ambitious Paris Agreement Goal. eurasiareview.com A new multi-model analysis suggests that China will need to reduce its carbon emissions by over 90% and its energy consumption by almost 40%, in order to meet the more ambitious target set by the 2016 Paris Agreement. | The Agreement called for no more than a 1.5 ∞Celsius (C) global temperature rise by 2050. These results provide a clear directive for China to deploy multiple strategies at once for long-term emission mitigation, the authors say. | The findings also highlight the need for more research on the economic consequences of working toward a 1.5 ∞C warming limit, arguing that current studie…
(2021-04-23). Warren and Cleaver Lead Introduction of 'Historic' Bill to Address US Housing Crisis. commondreams.org "It's time to stop nibbling around the edges and, instead, pass this big, bold proposal," said the Massachusetts Democrat. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-12317344461.jpg …
(2021-04-23). Study Reveals Rapid Melting of Glaciers Has Shifted Earth's Axis. commondreams.org "Faster ice melting under global warming was the most likely cause of the directional change of the polar drift in the 1990s." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/melting_glacier.jpg …
(2021-04-23). MEPs Set Date For Brexit Vote But Warn London 'No New Concessions'. eurasiareview.com By Benjamin Fox | ( However, they warned that breaking a three-month stand-off on holding the vote did not mean that the UK could expect no new concessions. | The Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Boris Johnson's government was agreed…
(2021-04-23). War Is Over Before It Begins And Kiev Is Left To Play By Itself. southfront.org | DEAR FRIENDS. IF YOU LIKE THIS TYPE OF CONTENT, SUPPORT SOUTHFRONT WORK: | PayPal: southfront@internet.ru | Donation alerts: donationalerts.com/…
(2021-04-23). €2.5m ERC Advanced grant to make AI more accessible for health and law. imperial.ac.uk The European Research Council has awarded an Imperial College London researcher €2.5m to make AI more easily available in the areas of health and law.
(2021-04-23). Commissioner's office of Chinese foreign ministry in HKSAR firmly opposes interference under pretext of press freedom. ecns.cn The Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Friday expressed firm opposition against the unwarranted remarks by the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC) in Hong Kong and other external forces about a court ruling in Hong Kong.