May 02, 2017
Reign of Idiots
By Chris Hedges |
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There is a
familiar checklist for
extinction. We are ticking off
every item on it. -
Continue |
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Islamic State attack on displaced in Syria
kills 37;
Islamic State militants staged a surprise
attack early Tuesday at a crossing
frequently used by Iraqi and Syrian
civilians seeking safety in northeastern
Syria, killing at least 37 people, mostly
civilians,
Kurdish forces 'take 90 percent' of Syria's
Tabqa:
US-backed forces have advanced in Tabqa as
they eye the ISIL stronghold of Raqqa, a
spokesperson says.
Tomahawk missile strike on Syria was
‘after-dinner entertainment’ – US commerce
secretary
: US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross
delivered the controversial comments while
speaking at the Milken Institute Global
Conference on Monday
More
than 30 Islamic State militants killed in
western Mosul:
Islamic State members were killed as Iraqi
troops targeted regions held by the
militants in the west of Mosul, according to
the army’s elite Counter Terrorism Service
(CTS).
MP:
IS killed 25 Iraqis bound to refugee camp in
Syria;
Islamic State militants have killed 25 Iraqi
refugees and wounded 100 others who were
heading to a refugee camp in Syria near the
borders with Iraq, a senior parliamentarian
said.
IS
attack in western Iraq kills 10 soldiers:
The attack near the remote outpost of Rutba
brought to at least 26 the number of members
of the Iraqi security forces killed by the
Islamic State group in the area in recent
days.
Haunting drone footage reveals death and
catastrophic horror of Mosul conflict;
It's incredible to think that some 800,000
desperate people are still trying to go
about their lives in war-ravaged western
Mosul.
Saudi
coalition attack on Yemen port appears
imminent;
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers urged
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Tuesday to
reconsider his support for a seemingly
imminent assault by a Saudi-led coalition on
the crucial Yemeni port city of Hodeida.
Al-Qaeda claims it is ‘fighting alongside’
US-backed coalition forces in Yemen:
Remarks from leader of al-Qaeda’s branch in
Yemen about de facto alliances have
potential to undermine Yemeni
government-allied fighters
Belgium urged diplomats to vote for Saudi
Arabia in UN women’s rights commission
: Leaked emails show that the Belgian
delegation was instructed in advance to vote
for the appointment of Saudi Arabia to the
UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW),
and to make sure its support was known to
the Saudis, UN Watch reports.
Hamas
accepts Palestinian state with 1967 borders:
Khaled Meshaal presents a new document in
which Hamas accepts 1967 borders without
recognising state of Israel.
Meshaal: 'We want to restore our national
rights':
Al Jazeera speaks with Hamas leader Khaled
Meshaal upon the release of the group's new
political document.
Israel refuses to extradite alleged war
criminal wanted in Argentina;
Israel has concluded that it will not void
the Israeli citizenship of Argentine
national Teodoro Aníbal Gauto, despite
accusations that he committed war crimes and
suspicions that he lied in his immigration
application.
Libya: Rocket attack
on Benghazi’s Leithi leaves one man dead:
One person is said to have been killed and
two others wounded when a number of
rocket-propelled grenades hit Benghazi’s
Leithi district this evening.
Gunmen kill 3 police
in Egypt's capital; Gunmen attacked a police
patrol in Cairo,
killing three policemen and wounding five
before fleeing the scene, Egypt's Interior
Ministry said Tuesday.
Libyan political rivals meet in UAE capital
for talks:
According to media outlets in both Libya and
the United Arab Emirates, Fayez al-Sarraj
and Khalifa Haftar are expected to issue a
joint statement after the meeting.
Taliban attacks Pakistan army border posts;
3 militants killed:
Taliban said it was to avenge a suspected US
drone strike in neighbouring North
Waziristan last week.
Here’s the sad news of what ‘mother of all
bombs’ did for U.S. fight in Afghanistan:
The use of the “mother of all bombs” on an
underground network of Islamic State tunnels
in a remote district in Afghanistan was a
lot of hype with little long-term impact
U.S.
anti-missile system begins operating in
South Korea;
A controversial U.S. anti-missile system in
southeastern South Korea is active and can
now defend against North Korean missiles, a
South Korean official said Tuesday.
China
demands halt to US missile shield in S.Korea;
"We oppose the deployment of the THAAD
system in (South Korea) and urge relevant
sides to immediately stop the deployment. We
will firmly take necessary measures to
uphold our interests,"
US
deploys Global Hawk high-altitude drone to
Japanese air base ‘to monitor N. Korea’:
It will be remotely controlled from Yokota
during takeoff and landing. Once it reaches
a sufficient altitude, it will be controlled
from the US mainland.
Trump
Says He’d Meet With Kim Jong Un Under Right
Circumstances:
“If it would be appropriate for me to meet
with him, I would absolutely, I would be
honored to do it,” Trump said Monday in an
Oval Office interview with Bloomberg News.
Trump: Americans probably not safe from
North Korean nuclear "threat";
“Nobody's safe,” Trump told Fox News’. “I
mean, who's safe? The guy's got nuclear
weapons.”
Philippines President Duterte may turn down
Trump's invite:
A meeting between Mr Duterte and Mr Obama
was called off last year after he insulted
the US president.
Undecided voters and 'shy FN' supporters
could win the French election for Marine Le
Pen:
Polls giving Emmanuel Macron a clear victory
might be way off
Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro Raises
Minimum Wage by 60%;
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
announced an increase to the minimum wage
Sunday in order to protect workers from the
effects of the economic war.
Hillary Clinton: "I Was On The Way To
Winning Until Comey And 'Russian' WikiLeaks":Speaking
during an interview on CNN, losing
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton
explained why she thinks she lost the
election
Texas
Police Kill Unarmed 15-Year-Old:
Another black teen is dead following an
encounter with police.
'Trump Slump': President's rhetoric and
travel ban repel millions of tourists to USA:
The US could see 4.3m fewer international
tourists equating to a revenue loss of
$7.4bn (£5.73bn).
Budget fight imperils Trump’s military
spending demands:
One of President Donald Trump’s biggest
goals this year is a huge boost in military
funding. He’ll probably get more funding
when Congress votes later this week on a
spending plan, but nowhere near what he’s
seeking.
US
budget: No cash for Trump's wall in budget
deal:
Congress has struck a budget deal to avert a
government shutdown, but it allocates no
cash for President Donald Trump's proposed
US-Mexico border wall.
GOP
Losing Votes on Health Bill, Imperiling Its
Chances;
House Republican leaders are on the brink of
losing too many GOP votes to pass their
health-care bill overturning much of the
Affordable Care Act, potentially dashing
hopes raised by the White House of a big
legislative win this week.
Republican Blurts Out That Sick People Don’t
Deserve Affordable Care:
In a CNN interview, Representative Mo
Brooks, an Alabama Republican, makes the
case for Trumpcare in much starker terms: It
will free healthy people from having to pay
the cost of the sick.
April 30/May 02, 2017
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The Barrel Bomb
Conundrum
By Craig Murray |
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The blanket media
use of “barrel bomb” as though
it represents something uniquely
inhumane is a fascinating
example of propaganda. -
Continue |
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Iraq:
Airstrike kills 20 IS officials of Wilayat
Baghdad in Qaim;
Iraqi Ministry of Defense’s War Media Cell
announced, on Sunday, that 20 officials of
the so-called Wilayat Baghdad of the Islamic
State group were killed by an air strike, in
the district of Qaim.
Turkey kills 14 people in Iraq:
Turkey’s military said it killed 14 members
of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
in airstrikes in northern Iraq on Saturday,
as Ankara steps up a push against the group
and their affiliates in Iraq and Syria.
Iraq:
Coalition jets kill 13 Islamic State members
in western Anbar:
Jets pounded two vehicles and a rest house
used by IS at the towns of Annah and Qaim,
killing all of the 13 group members on board
and at the house.
US
soldier killed in explosion near Mosul
; A
spokesperson for US Central Command said: "A
US service member died from wounds sustained
in an explosive device blast outside of
Mosul, Iraq, on Saturday."
35%
of western Mosul still controlled by Islamic
State;
Iraqi Defense Minister Erfan al-Hiyali said
life returned back to normal in the eastern
side and that the Iraqi troops are in high
spirit and making their best to secure the
citizens and their properties.
Erdogan Arrests and Fires Thousands, Bans
Dating Shows:
While a hotly contested referendum earlier
this month expanded Turkish President Tayyip
Erdogan’s authoritarian powers — it appears
the Justice and Development (AKP) party
leader is wasting no time exercising them.
US-led coalition airstrikes kill 14
civilians in northern Syria
: At least 14 civilians were killed by
airstrikes carried out by the US-led
international coalition in the outskirts of
Raqqa, in northern Syria, Al Mayadeen TV
channel reported on Sunday.
Moscow is ready to cooperate with Washington
on Syria — Lavrov:
The Russian foreign minister stressed that
in order to eliminate the terrorist threat,
"it is important that all those fighting
terrorism in Syria join their efforts." "I
mean the Russian Force and the US-led
coalition,"
Kurdish-Arab force pushes back ISIL in
Syria's Tabqa;
Fighting rages on, with US-backed SDF
controlling ahout 40 percent of strategic
town near ISIL's stronghold of Raqqa.
Claims of Syrian Chemical Weapons Attacks
Are Total B.S.;
The U.S. government has been trying to
replace the Syrian government with folks who
will be subservient to America since 1949...
3 years after Syria became an independent
nation.
Yemeni forces kill 9 Saudi mercenaries:
On Saturday, the Army and their allies
killed five Saudi mercenaries in Midi
District of the northwestern Hajjah
Province, Yemen’s al-Masirah television
network said.
US
kills 8 alleged AQAP terrorists in Yemen;
: The strike targeted a car in which the
suspects were traveling in the Rawda region
of Shabwa province, according to a Yemeni
official who preferred anonymity.
German chancellor in Saudi for talks on G20
and cooperation:
King Salman received Merkel in his palace in
Jeddah, Spa state news agency said, adding
that the two presided over a signing
ceremony for several cooperation agreements
in the fields of technology, energy,
business and security.
Iran
satellite TV head shot dead in Istanbul:
The head of an Iranian satellite television
network who last year was sentenced in
absentia to six years in prison by a Tehran
court was shot dead in Istanbul together
with a business partner
Why
Israel Supports ISIS?
: Syriana
Analysis addresses the recent bombings of
Israel and US on Syria, elaborating the
geopolitical goals behind these strikes.
Leaked report highlights Israel lobby’s
failures;
The Reut Institute, founded by former
government advisor Gidi Grinstein, has
conceded in a secret report jointly prepared
with the ADL that Israel’s efforts to thwart
the Palestine solidarity movement have
failed
BBC smears BDS:
A BBC
report on alleged “anti-Semitism” on campus
failed to disclose a key interviewee’s
leadership role in the pro-Israel advocacy
group StandWithUs.
French forces kill 20
alleged jihadists on Mali-Burkina Faso
border; A
resident in a nearby village said planes
dropped bombs in the area late Saturday and
many jihadists fled by foot.
Tunisia forces kill fighters planning
Ramadan attack:
Two men in an ISIL and al-Qaeda-linked group
killed during a security sweep in Sidi
Bouzid.
U.S.
Signals Possible Airstrikes in Somalia by
Asking Aid Groups for Their Locations:
The notice to NGOs comes a month after
President Trump declared portions of the
country an “area of active hostilities,”
giving the military wider scope to launch
strikes that could potentially kill more
civilians.
Afghanistan ; 43 Armed Militants Killed In
Latest Operations:
As a result 43 armed militants were killed,
40 wounded and 30 others were arrested by
Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.
Trump
calls North Korean leader 'a pretty smart
cookie' - but isn't sure if he's sane:
Trump said he had “no idea” whether Kim was
sane or not, but said the North Korean
leader had faced a formidable challenge in
taking over the country at a reported age of
27 after his father’s death
Seoul
rejects Trump demand it pays for THAAD
missile system:
Seoul retorted that under the Status of
Forces Agreement that governs the US
military presence in the country, the South
would provide the THAAD site and
infrastructure while the US would pay to
deploy and operate it.
US to
deploy missile-capable drones across border
from North Korea:
Deployment of Grey Eagle drones, designed to
carry Hellfire missiles, in the South
represents significant build-up of US
military muscle. It will make the North
Koreans even more jumpy.
The power of
propaganda;
Poll: 37% of Americans see North Korea as an
'immediate threat';
And 57% see Russia as unfriendly or an
enemy, as investigations into interactions
between Trump campaign associates and the
Russian government have continued to swirl.
Pyongyang slams Israel as ‘disturber of
peace armed with illegal nukes under US
patronage’:
North Korea has accused Israel of being the
“only illegal possessor” of nukes and threat
to peace in the Middle East
Venezuela Opposition Criticizes Pope's Call
for Dialogue:
Henrique Capriles rejected any dialogue with
the government of Nicolas Maduro to
peacefully resolve the current political
impasse in the country
Venezuela Celebrates 1.6 Millionth Home
Built for the Poor:
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will
deliver on Sunday house number 1.6 million
as part of the Great Venezuela Housing
Mission.
Panic
Bank Run Leaves Canada's Largest Alternative
Mortgage Lender On Edge Of Collapse:
Home Capital Group suffered a spectacular
spectacular implosion last week when its
stock price crashed by the most on record
after HCG revealed that it had taken out an
emergency $2 billion line of credit
Donald Trump invites Rodrigo Duterte to
White House
: Three Chinese navy ships, including a
guided-missile destroyer and a
guided-missile frigate, were also welcomed
by officials on Sunday in Davao city, Mr
Duterte's southern hometown,
Washington climate march draws massive crowd
amid sweltering heat:
This large-scale climate march marked U.S.
President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in
office, which have already seen multiple
rollbacks of environmental protections and
Obama climate policies.
Middle Class Contracted in U.S. Over 2
Decades, Study Finds:
Middle-class Americans have fared worse in
many ways than their counterparts in
economically advanced countries in Western
Europe in recent decades, according to a
study released Monday by the Pew Research
Center.
Fox’s
Legendary Hypocrisy Is On Full Display With
Underwhelming GDP Report:
This is not the first time a Fox personality
has backtracked on mischaracterizations of
the economy in order to hype or defend the
Trump administration.
Man
Trump Named to Fix Mortgage Markets Figured
in Infamous Financial Crisis Episode;
The emerging absurd narrative that is Donald
Trump naming Phillips, of all people, to
head up the effort to reform the
Government-Sponsored Entities, Fannie Mae
and Freddie Mac.
U.S.
Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Replaced by
Robots:
About 38 percent of U.S. jobs could be at
high risk of automation by the early 2030s
Tillerson puts Nikki Haley in her place.
Tells her to clear comments with State
Department:
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acts to
bring Nikki Haley, the US's out of control
UN ambassador, to heel, instructing her to
coordinate her comments in future with the
State Department.
Trump
Has Flip-Flopped. But His Supporters Aren't
Upset — Or Haven't Noticed.;
Despite Trump’s flip-flops on economic and
foreign policy issues, most of his
supporters still feel they’re getting
exactly the man they voted for
Watch: Hasan Minhaj, Rosting Trump at White
House Correspondents' Dinner;
Hasan Minhaj took full advantage of Donald
Trump's absence by taking aim at the
president and his administration during his
monologue at the White House Correspondents'
dinner.
April 28, 2017
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Venezuela Ablaze
By Robert Hunziker
|
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American media
claims Maduro is a horrible
despicable dictatorial creepy
monster. -
Continue |
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40
killed, 70 wounded in rebel-jihadist clashes
near Damascus:
Fierce clashes between jihadists and
Islamist rebels near Damascus left at least
40 dead and 70 wounded on Friday,
Kurdish SDF Kills 23 Daesh Militants;
The SDF was formed in 2015 as the defense
force of northern Syria's de facto
autonomous Rojava federation and is
supported by the US-led coalition
Turkey says 11 Syrian Kurds killed in border
clash;
This was the third day in a row that clashes
have been reported across the tense border
after the Turkish military jets carried out
airstrikes targeting the YPG fighters in the
area earlier this week.
Syrian Kurds call for no-fly zone after 20
die in Turkish airstrike:
Syrian Kurds angered by an overall lack of
United States action to protect them from
attacks have called for a no-fly zone,
following Turkish airstrikes on Kurdish
targets in Syria and Iraq earlier this week.
Reports: US troops deploy along
Syria-Turkish border:
It is a message of reassurance for the Kurds
and almost a "warning message" to the Turks,
he said.
Militants of Nusra Front Attack Daesh
Terrorists on Syrian-Lebanese Border;
Both sides have incurred losses from the
attack which started from disagreements over
the control of mountain trails and gorges
through which both terrorist sides smuggle
arms and militants.
Moscow: Israeli aggression on military site
violates international law:
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman
affirmed that the Israeli aggression on a
military site southwest of Damascus Airport
violates international law and is in the
interests of terrorists.
Iraq:
Airstrikes across western Mosul leave nearly
40 IS fighters dead;
Coalition commanders have estimated the
number of remaining IS members in Mosul by
less than 1000.
Twenty civilians killed, three wounded in
two attacks by Iraqi troops, coalition:
Activist;
“Nineteen civilians were killed in an
airstrike launched by the international
coalition against al-Islah al-Zeraei
district, in western Mosul
Iraqi
Parliament to vote on draft to ban foreign
armed groups:
Referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK),
Abdullah said the presence of the party in
Sinjar will constitute major issues for
Iraq, Kurdistan Region and Turkey, noting
that Turkey may continue its military
operations on Sinjar.
Rand
Paul: The U.S. should not fund Saudi
Arabia’s war on Yemen:
American-built planes with American bombs
were used by the Saudis to bomb a funeral
procession in Yemen. Over 100 people were
killed, and 500 mourners were wounded.
How
Saudi Arabia Tricked American Veterans:
The latest Saudi tactic—recruiting unaware
American veterans to lobby their cause on
Capitol Hill—crosses a line and may have run
afoul of the law
Palestinian 'day of rage' in support of
prisoners:
At least 50 Palestinian protesters were
injured in clashes with Israeli forces on a
"day of rage" held across the occupied
Palestinian territories
Israeli newspaper reports Trump will
recognize entire Jerusalem as Israel’s
capital:
Trump will make the announcement during his
upcoming visit to Israel, reportedly in late
May
Abbas
turns screw on Hamas by cutting Gaza's
electricity:
Abbas's Western-backed Palestinian Authority
(PA) told Israel it would no longer pay for
the electricity Israel supplies to Gaza, a
move that could lead to a complete power
shutdown, where 2 million people already
endure blackouts for much of the day.
German FM refuses to take Netanyahu's phone
call;
In a retaliatory move, Germany Foreign
Minister Sigmar Gabriel refused to talk with
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
after the cancellation of a meeting over
Gabriel's decision to hold talks with rights
groups.
Facebook Double Standards Enable Targeting
of Palestinians:
Israel is arresting hundreds annually for
their posts - although similar behavior by
Israelis is censured neither by Facebook nor
the Israeli government.
Nigerian army kills at least 15 suspected
Boko Haram militants:
The fighting is said to have occured
Thursday morning when the fighters attacked
a base in Sambisa forest in nothern Nigeria,
which had been a Boko Haram stronghold
Suicide bomber kills five troops in north
east Nigeria;
At least five soldiers were killed and
another 40 injured when a Boko Haram
jihadist rammed an explosives-laden pick-up
truck into a military convoy in northeast
Nigeria, security sources told AFP on
Friday.
How
Obama and Clinton brought slavery to Libya:
Their deliberate destruction of Libya was a
war crime by all standards of international
law.
Qaddafi Was a ‘Hero,’ Says Africa’s
Longest-Serving President:
The president of Equatorial Guinea, a small
oil-rich country in Central Africa, said the
failure to realize Qaddafi’s vision was to
blame for poverty and conflict in parts of
the continent.
Nick
Turse, The U.S. Military Moves Deeper into
Africa
; Secret U.S. Military Documents Reveal a
Constellation of American Military Bases
Across That Continent
US
kills Pakistani Taliban militants - regional
official:
A suspected U.S. drone strike killed several
Pakistani Taliban militants in North
Waziristan close to the Afghanistan border,
a regional government official and an
Islamist militant said on Thursday
Pentagon: Friendly fire may have killed 2
Army Rangers in Afghanistan;
The Pentagon said Friday that two U.S. Army
Rangers killed in a night raid against an
Islamic State compound in Afghanistan this
week may have died from friendly fire.
N
Korea 'test-fires ballistic missile';
It was fired from a site in South Pyeongan
province north of Pyongyang in the early
hours of Saturday morning local time, South
Korea's military chiefs of staff said.
US
urges UN to act on 'real' nuclear threat of
North Korea or face 'catastrophic
consequences':
Diplomatic and financial levers of power
will be backed up by a willingness to
counteract North Korean "aggression" with
military action if necessary,” Mr Tillerson
said.
Trump
talks 'major conflict' with North Korea:
U.S. secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, is
signaling a rare willingness to hold direct
talks with North Korea in search of a
diplomatic solution.
Sec.
Tillerson to UN Security Council: ‘Act
Before North Korea Does’;
"Diplomatic and financial levers of power
will be backed up by willingness to
counteract North Korean aggression with
military action, if necessary."
Russia says strike on North Korea
‘completely unacceptable’:
Moscow tells UN Security Council meeting
that any military action to address nuclear
proliferation by Pyongyang could have
catastrophic consequences
