(2019-08-01). Intimacies From an Awful War. counterpunch.org 
If you think you've seen enough of conflict, especially the war in Syria, you haven't. From love of nation and loathing of military rule, from inchoate hope of redemption and improbable determination, indebted to lost friends and seeded in the birth of your child, comes an intimate demonstration of how war happens to you and More
(2019-08-01). Russiagate as organized distraction. mronline.org 
Oliver Boyd-Barrett looks at who benefits from having the corporate media suffocate their public with a puerile narrative for over two years. | Source
(2019-08-01). China & World trade. mronline.org 
Just in case you had forgotten that China is a major part of the global economy, here is a chart from the Bank of England's Financial Stability Report. | Source
(2019-08-01). Tulsa Gabbard Blasts Kamala Harris Over Her Prosecutor Record. telesurenglish.net U.S. congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard blasted her opponent Senator Kamala Harris at the Democratic presidential debates over her record as a prosecutor. | RELATED: | Tulsi Gabbard, Squad's Ayanna Pressley Vote in Favor of AIPAC Bill Condemning Pro-Palestine BDS | During the second night of the Democrat debates in Detroit, House Representative Gabbard said that Harris owed an apology to the people who "suffered under your reign," pointing out that the Senator fro…
(2019-08-01). This Is What Happens When More Than One Woman Is Running for President. thenation.com This Is What Happens When More Than One Woman Is Running for President…
(2019-08-01). Yemen's Houthi Attack Military Parade in Aden: 32 Killed. telesurenglish.net Yemen's Houthi Movement launched this morning a drone and missile attack on a pro-government military parade in the port-city of Aden. | RELATED: | Saudi Forces Kill 13 in 'Massacre' at Yemen Market | According to a report from the Houthi-aligned Military Media, the attack was carried out on a military parade at the Al-Jalaa Camp in the Buraiqa District of Aden. | The Medecins Sans Frontieres tweeted that tens of wounded were hospitalized, while other reports claimed that 32 were killed, in…
(2019-08-01). Is India Preparing to Unleash "Weapons of Mass Migration" in Kashmir? asia-pacificresearch.com …
(2019-08-01). India Involved in China-Vietnam Dispute in the South China Sea? asia-pacificresearch.com …
(2019-08-01). Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Man at Gaza Border. telesurenglish.net A Palestinian man was killed on Thursday morning while attempting to carry out an operation to break the siege on the Gaza region, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported. | RELATED: | Palestine Energy Initiative: Use Biomass to be Self-Sufficient | According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the operation was carried out by Hani Abu Salah, a Palestinian man in his twenties from the Gaza region. | The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced shortly after the attack that thre…
(2019-08-01). Idlib and NATO's War of Terror against the Syrian People. globalresearch.ca UN Bullies in meticulous suits have launched another hospitals bombing psywar campaign to support NATO's last terrorists in Idlib. It should be scandalous, international news, that key members of the United Nations continue to ignore the Geneva Agreements on hospitals, …
(2019-08-01). Intimacies from an Awful War. "For Sama" by Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts. globalresearch.ca If you think you've seen enough of conflict, especially the war in Syria, you haven't. From love of nation and loathing of military rule, from inchoate hope of redemption and improbable determination, indebted to lost friends and seeded in the …
(2019-08-01). Calls to "Send Them Back" are Mainstream in Israel. counterpunch.org President Trump and his supporters have exploited the state of Israel for two shifty rhetorical maneuvers: accusing their opponents of racism, and concealing their own. The rebuttal to Trump's many flirtations with anti-Semitism and anti-Semites is his overflowing love for the Jewish State, while the Muslim women mildly supporting Palestinian rights in Congress are smeared More
(2019-08-01). Erdogan's Risky Geopolitical Pirouette. Turkey's Economy in "Troubled Waters" globalresearch.ca Turkey's economy has been in increasingly difficult straits for months, especially since the failed July 2016 coup attempt. The latest move by President Recep Tayyip Erdoƒüan to fire his central bank head and replace him with a more amenable loyalist …
(2019-08-01). Romanticism and Literature: Serving Human Liberty? globalresearch.ca "Swift has sailed into his rest; | Savage indignation there | Cannot lacerate his breast. | Imitate him if you dare, | World-besotted traveller; he | Served human liberty." | W. B. Yeats translation of Jonathan Swift's Latin epitaph. | Introduction | In this continuing series on the …
(2019-08-01). An Encounter in Pershing Square. counterpunch.org I was sitting at one of the cheap plastic tables in Pershing Square when a woman who had already stowed more than a couple under her belt fell into the next chair. She took out a wineskin and two glasses, poured a glass for each of us, and asked me what I did for a More
(2019-08-01). US Sanctions Iran's Foreign Minister; Move Seen as Rebuke of Diplomatic Offer. theantimedia.com The latest US sanctions on Iran are very specific, hitting FM Javad Zarif, blocking all property and financial interests he has in the US.
(2019-08-01). Rouhani Accuses US of 'Childish Behavior' Over New Sanctions. telesurenglish.net Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursdayslammed the U.S. Treasury's recent decision to sanction Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, describing the move as puerile and senseless. | RELATED: | Iran to Europe: Fix INSTEX or Will Reduce Deal Commitments | According to the state-owned Islamic Republic News Agency, Rouhani accused the U.S. of "childish behavior", especially after the Trump administration expressed an interest to meet with the Iranian government in Tehra…
(2019-08-01). Astana, Kazakhstan: the City of the Future? counterpunch.org Continuing my travels through the ex-Soviet states, I reached Astana (now, Nur-Sultan City) from Tashkent. Ever wondered what would happen if someone were to play Minecraft in real life? Like, build stuff from the ground up? Meet Astana, now known as Nur-Sultan City. This approx 1-million strong city happens to be the capital of Kazakhstan. More
(2019-08-01). German politicians and media urge military action in the Persian Gulf. wsws.org The more the US pushes ahead with its preparations for war against Iran, the louder the voices will become in Europe that are pushing for military action.
(2019-08-01). Thanks Miranda Devine, but we will win abortion reform. greenleft.org.au 
Thank you Miranda Devine for your wild overreaction to the bill before NSW parliament to treat abortion as a health issue ("Vote Libs, get Greens", Daily Telegraph, July 31), as it will no doubt lose you and News.com support. | It must also surely rank as top fake news of the week. Far from being "one of the most dangerous radical abortion bills on the planet", the bill is modelled on existing Queensland and Victorian law. | Moreover, your view that Coalition MPs' support for basic health care for women is somehow a Labor-Green plot is equally bizarre. This bill is not about late-term abortions, as you suggest. I…
(2019-08-01). List of Northern California Restaurants with Shark Fins on the Menu. indybay.org As Shark Week continues, restaurants across the nation are contributing to the rapid decline in shark species by serving up soup made from shark fins, despite bans in 12 states and counting. According to an online database maintained by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), nearly 200 restaurants across the country continue to offer shark fin products, including shark fin soup, a traditionally expensive East Asian dish associated with banquets and celebrations. Dozens of these restaurants are violating their state's prohibition on shark fins and shark fin products. California, for instance, leads the nation in the…
(2019-08-01). When Japanese print workers resisted war. greenleft.org.au 
Against the Storm: How Japanese Print-Workers Resisted the Military Regime, 1935-1945 | By Masao Sugiura
| Translated by Kaye Broadbent & Masa Sato | Interventions, Melbourne | 2019, $24.95 | "In doing what is normal for any trade union activist today —recruiting, arguing and organising — my comrades and I were made to suffer persecution, imprisonment and death," writes Masao Sugiura. | When researching Japanese working-class resistance to World War II, Kaye Broadbent discovered in a Japanese university archive Sugiura's 1964 memoirs detailing the formation and activities of the Shuppanako Kurabu…
(2019-08-01). UN Report on Child Casualties Blacklists only Muslim Perpetrators. therealnews.com 
Secretary General Antionio Guterres presented the report on child casualties in war to the Security Council on Friday. Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen are the areas with the highest numbers of child casualties, followed by Palestine. Nearly all the children killed were Muslim…
(2019-08-01). New book highlights plight of Tamil refugees. greenleft.org.au 
Eighty people attended the launch of Ben Hillier's new book Losing Santhia, which was organised by the Tamil Refugee Council on July 27. Santhia was a Tamil refugee from Sri Lanka who had been a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and who died in Indonesia in 2017. | Hillier, an editor of Red Flag, visited Indonesia and Sri Lanka to find out more about her life. He said her story was not unusual, as thousands of Tamils had fought and died in the struggle for national liberation.
| Hillier said that Tamil youth felt they had no choice but to take up arms because every political avenue for…
(2019-08-01). Gunboat diplomacy in the Persian Gulf. greenleft.org.au 
The United States and Britain are ensuring that tensions remain high in the Straits of Hormuz as they continue beating the drums of war against Iran. | A second British warship arrived in the Strait of Hormuz on July 29, tasked with escorting British-flagged commercial vessels between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. | This latest escalation follows a number of incidents since June 13 when two oil tankers (one Japanese, the other Norwegian) were hit by explosives and caught fire. The US immediately blamed Iran for the attacks, accusing it of trying to disrupt oil supplies. | A few days later a US spy drone…
(2019-08-01). New twist in Butina case possible after FBI informant denied she posed threat to US — lawyer to RT. rt.com 
A new development in the case of the Russian gun activist Maria Butina has emerged after an FBI informant, with whom she had an affair, revealed that he repeatedly told the agency that the woman posed no threat to the US.
(2019-08-01). Seventh anniversary of the Rojava Revolution. greenleft.org.au 
July 19 marked the seventh anniversary of northern Syria's Rojava Revolution. On that day in 2012 the nascent People's Protection Units (YPG) took control of the Kurdish-majority city of Kobanê. The outnumbered forces of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad surrendered and were allowed to depart (without their weapons). Other Kurdish cities and towns in the north were soon liberated as well. | From these beginnings, the liberated zone has grown into the General Council of the Self Administration in Northern and Eastern Syria (NES). Together with civic councils in towns liberated from the Islamic State (Manbij, Tabqa,…
(2019-08-01). Latest Proof Trump 'Unwilling and Incapable' of Engaging in Peace Talks as US Sanctions Iran's Top Diplomat. commondreams.org "Again, President Trump has chosen an action to push Iran away from the negotiating table, isolate America on the world stage, and take diplomatic options off the table." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/javad_zarif.jpg …
(2019-08-01). Does China's New Military Strategy Paper Display a New Assertiveness? therealnews.com 
China's military has developed a new strategy paper that emphasizes the need to keep Hong Kong and Taiwan. Does this signal a new military assertiveness from China? Or is it a reaction to US foreign policy?
(2019-08-01). Rojava Revolution celebrated in Sydney. greenleft.org.au 
Kurdish community members and supporters gathered on July 27 to celebrate the 7th anniversary of the Rojava Revolution in northern Syria. | Greens MLA for the seat of Balmain Jamie Parker addressed the function along with the Socialist Alliance's Susan Price. | Parker pledged to continue supporting the campaign to remove the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) from the Australian government's list of proscribed terrorist organisations and recognise them as an organisation fighting for freedom. | Price praised the Rojava Revolution as a "beacon of hope" in the Middle East, and remembered the martyrs from the People's P…
(2019-08-01). Blair's number two, Alastair Campbell, reveals how Corbyn tried to keep him in the Labour Party. wsws.org An unindicted war criminal alongside former prime minister Tony Blair, Campbell was a key architect in concocting the lies about Iraq's possessing Weapons of Mass Destruction.
(2019-07-31). Hong Kong's Crisis as Microcosm of the World's Future. counterpunch.org 
Hong Kong, with its Sino-Western heritage, lies on the fault line of the intensifying confrontation between the Western Empire and China. The conflict is likely to be the defining international affair of our time. That's a fundamental reason the former British colony and current Chinese special administrative region has been wracked by turmoil the past More
(2019-07-31). Netanyahu May Survive This Political Crisis, but Israel's Left Will Not. mintpressnews.com 
JERUSALEM, OCCUPIED PALESTINE — Like a pack of hyenas surrounding a weakened and wounded lion, Israeli politicians are ganging up on an injured, weakened Benjamin Netanyahu. With over ten years in office, Netanyahu is now the longest-reigning prime minister in the history of the State of Israel. Comparisons are being drawn between him and the man who is now second only to Netanyahu, the man considered to be the Founding Father of Israel, Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion. | Th…
(2019-07-31). Warren Backs "No First Use" Nuclear Policy. truthout.org | | While most of Tuesday's debate focused on domestic issues, Democratic candidates were briefly asked about nuclear weapons policy and the war in Afghanistan. Senator Elizabeth Warren defended her "no first use" policy on nuclear weapons, despite criticism from Montana Governor Steve Bullock. Meanwhile, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sparred on whether the U.S. should withdraw from Afghanistan after 18 years of war. | TRANSCRIPT: | AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, de…
(2019-07-31). As US Beefs Up Military Presence in the Gulf, Yemen's Houthis Turn to Russia for Support. globalresearch.ca Houthi attempts to engage the UN to broker a peaceful solution to the war on Yemen have stalled. Now, out of options, the movement may have found a willing partner in Moscow. | *** | Yemen's Houthi movement has reacted with concern …
(2019-07-31). Is India displaying signs of neo-fascism? mronline.org 
Property rights of people are protected under neo-fascism, except those racially, communally, sexually, or politically targeted whose properties are often confiscated. | Source
(2019-07-31). Warren Backs "No First Use" Nuclear Policy as Buttigieg Calls for Withdrawal from Afghanistan. democracynow.org 
While most of Tuesday's debate focused on domestic issues, Democratic candidates were briefly asked about nuclear weapons policy and the war in Afghanistan. Senator Elizabeth Warren defended her "no first use" policy on nuclear weapons, despite criticism from Montana Governor Steve Bullock. Meanwhile, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sparred on whether the U.S. should withdraw from Afghanistan after 18 years of war.
(2019-07-31). Turkish-Chinese relations: fighting back against Western hegemony. uwidata.com 
Turkey and China are attracting attention due to their political past and their recent actions in the economic sphere. Emre Demir, a senior researcher at the Department of Political Science and International Relations of the TED University (Turkish Educational Association) commented on the current situation in Turkish-Chinese relations after President Erdogan's recent visit to China. …
(2019-07-31). Climate change, oil profits and the new youth movement. workers.org 
Despite the know-nothing stance of the gang in the White House, climate change is a subject that hundreds of millions of people cannot ignore. Massive spring floods in the U.S. Midwest continued into June, causing billions of dollars in damage as levees were breached and fields turned into vast lakes. . . . | Continue reading Climate change, oil profits and the new youth movement at Workers.org
(2019-07-31). The Way Forward in Hong Kong. counterpunch.org 
I am in Hong Kong, never having been there before. But having been to mainland China several times a year in the past decade, the urge to draw comparisons is irresistible. Of course, unlike the mainland which never was a part of the British empire, the vestiges of Hong Kong's colonial past are everywhere—from the More
(2019-07-31). Headlines for July 31, 2019. democracynow.org Sens. Sanders and Warren Tout Progressive Vision for 2020 as 2nd Democratic Debate Kicks Off, Detroit Activists Call on 2020 Dems to Tackle Pollution, Implement Green New Deal, North Korea Launches 2nd Ballistic Missile Test in Under a Week, 130 Hunger-Striking Prisoners in Egypt Decry Inhumane Treatment, Senators Question DOD Nominee John Hyten over Sexual Assault Accusations, Virginia Delegate Protests Trump Speech: "You Can't Send Us Back!", House Report Says Trump Adviser Ran Campaign Speech by UAE, Saudi Officials, California Bill Requires Presidential Candidates to Disclose 5 Years of Tax Returns, 2 Chicago…
(2019-07-31). Pakistani Journalists Protest Media Blackout, Censorship. telesurenglish.net Pakistani opposition parties and journalists have accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of intimidating broadcasters into a blackout on television coverage of his critics after several TV channels were briefly taken off-air and opposition protests and news conferences passed unreported. | RELATED: | US Labels Anti-Pakistan Baloch Army a 'Terrorist' Organization
(2019-07-31). The Future of Turkey-Russia Relations Post Shipments S-400 Missile System. uwidata.com 
Russia as a country has been able to come to the forefront of the international arena in recent times, especially since Vladimir Putin came to power, and then in 2000 as the country's president. But there is one point to consider both in the political and international spheres about Russia, which is that it can …
(2019-07-31). 12th Round of Sino/US Trade Talks Falls Flat. US Rage for Global Dominance. globalresearch.ca Over a year of Sino/US trade talks failed to resolve major differences because of unacceptable Trump demands. | On matters of statecraft, China, Russia, Iran, and other countries have outwitted the US. | Sino/US disagreements have little to do with the trade …
(2019-07-31). Iran simply won't let itself be hemmed in by the U.S. and UK. mronline.org 
The United States is leading a process to create a naval force that would patrol the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. has said it will send "command and control" ships to coordinate the escort naval vessels from different countries. But there are cracks in the coalition. | Source
(2019-07-31). Philippines: Martial law extension plans show failure of militarist solution. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following July 31 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines. | Extending martial law will serve as a practical admission that Duterte's militarist solution to the armed conflict is a big failure. The civil war across the country continues to rage on. The New People's Army remains strong in Mindanao and across the country. The Moro people's armed resistance is irrepressible. | By choosing to impose martial law and fascist violence to suppress the people, Duterte has succeeded only in inciting more people to take up arms. Under conditions of martial law, killin…
(2019-07-31). Reflections on the Sao Paolo Forum. fightbacknews.org Caracas, Venezuela – From July 25 to 28, over 1000 delegates gathered for the 25th Sao Paolo Forum in Caracas, Venezuela. Historically the largest gathering of the Latin American left, the Forum was transformed this year by its hosts into an assembly of revolutionary parties and movements from around the world, with the sole focus of how a new global revolutionary offensive can be launched against imperialism. | The range of invitees was spectacular. There were representatives from every socialist state and Latin American nation, along with revolutionaries from Palestine, the Philippines, Spain, the Basque Countr…
(2019-07-31). The Japan-Korea Semiconductor Flap. dissidentvoice.org South Korean companies (Samsung and SK Hynix) produce about 17% of the world's semiconductors. To manufacture these, they're dependent on imports of Japanese hydrogen fluoride gas, fluorinated polyimide, and photoresists. Japanese firms control 90% of the polyimide market needed for screen applications, so the relationship between these neighboring prosperous northeast Asian countries is crucial to …
(2019-07-31). Israel Approves 6,000 New Settler Homes in West Bank. telesurenglish.net Israel will build 6,000 new homes for Jewish settlers and 700 new homes for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. | RELATED: | Israel Will Pay $14M to Countries in Exchange for Moving Embassy to Jerusalem | The news was announced by an unnamed Israeli official Wednesday, days ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushn…
(2019-07-31). Video: The War on Syria and the Next Loop of the Great Game. globalresearch.ca After the defeat of ISIS, the war in Syria entered a low intensity phase. However, the conflict is in no way near its end and the country remains one of the main points of instability around the world. | In August …