(2019-07-18). "It Is Not Just War. It Is Life": Acclaimed Doc "For Sama" Offers Rare Glimpse into War-Torn Syria. democracynow.org 
We look at the award-winning documentary feature titled "For Sama," a devastating account of war-torn Syria told through the eyes of director Waad al-Kateab. She filmed hundreds of hours of footage in her native Aleppo to create a stunning depiction of life during wartime. Amid airstrikes and attacks on hospitals, Waad falls in love with one of the last remaining doctors in Aleppo, gets married and has a baby girl, Sama, to whom the film is dedicated. When protests against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad first began in 2011, Waad al-Kateab was a young economics student who began filming on a cellphone. Fo…
(2019-07-18). Why the West is Determined to Ignore China's Success. dissidentvoice.org 
It used to be comical, but suddenly it is not, anymore. In the past, blind hatred towards China could had been attributed to ignorance, or at least to indoctrination by the Western propaganda and mass media outlets. But now? China's tremendous leap forward, its excellent, humane social policies and determined people-oriented scientific research, as well …
(2019-07-18). Headlines for July 18, 2019. democracynow.org House Lawmakers Vote to Table Trump Impeachment Resolution, Trump Renews Racist Attacks on Four Progressive Congresswomen, Rep. Ilhan Omar Introduces Bill Affirming the Right to Boycott, House Votes to Bar Trump's Planned Weapons Sales to Saudi Arabia, UAE, U.S. to Deploy 500 Troops to Saudi Air Base, Sudan's Military Rulers Agree to Share Power with Civilian Protesters, United Nations Declares Global Health Emergency as Ebola Spreads, Puerto Ricans Demand Resignation of Governor Ricardo Rosselló over Hateful Messages, AG Barr & Commerce Secretary Ross Held in Contempt of Congress, Sen. Rand Paul Blocks Vote on S…
(2019-07-18). How the Goliath of the Jerusalem Settler Movement Persuaded the World It's Really David. counterpunch.org 
Israeli police forced out the Siyam family from their home in the heart of occupied East Jerusalem last week, the final chapter in their 25-year legal battle against a powerful settler organisation. The family's defeat represented much more than just another eviction. It was intended to land a crushing blow against the hopes of some More
(2019-07-18). The Dark Side of the Moon Mission. progressive.org "For that kind of money," Vonnegut cracked on the CBS Evening News, "the least [NASA] can do is discover God." Civil rights activists, anti-Vietnam War protesters and even top scientists were skeptical of the Apollo moon mission at the time.
(2019-07-18). Why Are Billionaires Like Jeff Bezos so Obsessed With Space? truthdig.com 
The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing is this year, and it's worth recalling the memo that then-Vice President Lyndon Johnson wrote to President John F. Kennedy: "If we do not make the strong effort now, the time will soon be reached when the margin of control over space and over men's minds through space accomplishments will have swung so far on the Russian side that we will not be able to catch up, let alone assume leadership." | That sense of urgency has shifted over the decades f…
(2019-07-18). Trump Ignorant of China's Resolve. globalresearch.ca Trump is an artful dealmaker in his own mind, his mastery more myth than reality. | Former Trump Organization executive Barbara Res earlier said he wasn't a great dealmaker. | "In terms of taking the responsibility for the buck, he just would …
(2019-07-18). Spying on Julian Assange: UC Global, CNN and Russian Couriers. dissidentvoice.org History's scope for the absurd and tragic is infinite. Like Sisyphus engaged in permanent labours pushing a boulder up a slope, the effort of making sense of such scope is likewise, absurdly infinite. To see images of an exhausted and world-weary Julian Assange attempting to dodge the all-eye surveillance operation that he would complain about …
(2019-07-18). Diplomacy Instead of a Disaster in Iran. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — July 18, 2019 — In response to reports of the U.S. shooting down an Iranian drone, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because of the Trump administration's policy of maximum provocation towards Iran, America stands on the precipice of another blunderous …
(2019-07-18). Noam Chomsky: Trump Is Trying to Exploit Tension With Iran for 2020. truthout.org | | "Any concern about Iranian weapons of mass destruction could be alleviated by the single means of heeding Iran's call to establish a weapons-of-mass-destruction-free zone in the Middle East," says legendary public intellectual Noam Chomsky, but that isn't stopping the Trump administration from concocting stories about Iran threatening to "conquer the world" in order to escalate tensions and thereby strengthen Trump's hand going into the 2020 election. | In this exclusive transcript of a conversa…
(2019-07-18). Arson Attack in Japan's Animation Studio Kills 33. telesurenglish.net A man shouted "die" as he doused an animation studio with fuel and set it ablaze in Japan Thursday, public broadcaster NHK said, killing at least 33 people in the nation's worst mass murder in nearly two decades. | RELATED: | #KuToo: Japanese Women Protest Compulsory High Heel Rule at Workplace | Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the attack in the…
(2019-07-18). Orangutan habitats being cleared in areas near palm oil mills, report finds. nationofchange.org 
A new study identifies the palm oil mills in Indonesia with the most clearance of orangutan habitat happening around them. The top 10 mills are all on the island of Borneo and are producing palm oil that makes its way into the supply chains of consumer goods giants such as Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Kellogg's, …
(2019-07-18). Trump Outreach: Pandering to Christian Zionism, "Preparing the Nation for An Inevitable War"? globalresearch.ca In Washington on the weekend after the Fourth of July, Israel was praised and Iran was condemned in the strongest terms, with a bit of a call to arms thrown in to prepare the nation for an inevitable war. It …
(2019-07-18). Iran Acknowledges Missing Tanker Was Seized in Persian Gulf. truthdig.com 
The United Arab Emirates-based oil tanker and its crew of 12 was smuggling fuel out of the country, according to Iran's state-owned TV station.
(2019-07-18). Yemen: UN Envoy 'guilty' of optimistic hope that war is 'nearing the end'. un.org With Yemen once again at a "crucial moment" the UN Special Envoy trying to facilitate peace there told Security Council members on Thursday that despite the dangers of being over optimistic, he could not help thinking the country could finally be "nearing the end of its war."
(2019-07-18). Thursday's Daily Brief: Mandela Day, war waning in Yemen? Deadly monsoon rains, zero hunger hopes fade, fifth anniversary of MH17 crash. un.org In today's Daily Brief: World celebrates Nelson Mandela; Security Council hears end of Yemen war may be in sight; South Asia children turned 'upside down' by monsoon rains; world 'off track' to meet zero hunger target; Italy urged to stop 'criminalising' migrant rescues…
(2019-07-18). Carnage must stop in northwest Syria demands Lowcock, as attacks intensify. un.org After 80 days of intensifying attacks, many on health facilities, "the carnage must stop" in northwest Syria, said the UN relief chief on Thursday, noting that more than 70 civilians had been killed this month alone across the last rebel-held enclave of the country.
(2019-07-18). Video: Waiting for New Idlib Offensive. US Continues to Provide Syria Rebels with Weapons and Military Supplies. globalresearch.ca The situation in northwestern Hama and along the entire contact line around the Idlib de-escalation zone has remained stable but tense during the past week. The Syrian Arab Army, the Tiger Forces and their allies have repeatedly engaged in local …
(2019-07-18). Cambodia returning plastic waste back to the U.S. and Canada. nationofchange.org Cambodia is the latest Asian country to reject the U.S. and Canada's onslaught of plastic waste. They will be sending approximately 1,764 tons in 83 containers back to North America in revolt. BREAKING: Cambodia joins China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other Asian countries in pushing back against countries who externalize plastic waste. #breakfreefromplastic #plasticpollutes #plasticpollution …
(2019-07-18). Cambodia To Send Back 1,600 Tons Plastic Waste to US, Canada. telesurenglish.net Cambodia announced Wednesday that it will send 1,600 tonnes of plastic waste back to the United States and Canada. The country received the waste in 83 shipping containers from developed Western countries Tuesday at Sihanoukville, Cambodia's main port. | RELATED: | US Can't Force Countries to Accept Non-Recyclable Imports: UN | "Cambodia is not a dustbin where foreign countries can dispose of out-of-date e-waste, and the government also opposes any import of plastic waste and lubr…
(2019-07-18). Korea-Japan Trade Plus War: Where Are You Going Mr. Shinzo Abe? globalresearch.ca Right after the G20 Conference (28-28 June 2019) in Osaka, Japan, Shinzo Abe, prime minister of Japan declared the beginning of trade war against South Korea. It was indeed an irony that Abe was the host of the Conference …
(2019-07-18). Western Intellectuals Freak Over 'Frankenstein' China. globalresearch.ca Western economists and intellectuals obsessed with demonization of China are never shy of shortcuts glaringly exposing their ignorance. | The latest outburst posits that "we" — as in Western intellectuals — "are the modern version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein," who electro-shocked …
(2019-07-18). Asia and Pacific on course to miss all Sustainable Development Goals, says UN region chief. un.org Unless progress is accelerated, Asia and the Pacific are on course to miss all of the 17 Goals of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Executive Secretary of the UN regional commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), told UN News at the Organization's Headquarters on Wednesday.
(2019-07-18). Monsoon rains turn millions of children's lives 'upside down' across South Asia. un.org Heavy rainfall, severe flooding and landslides across Nepal, India and Bangladesh have killed at least 93 children, and put the lives of millions more at risk, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), which is "responding urgently".
(2019-07-18). Dutch Airline KLM Restricts Breastfeeding on Flight. telesurenglish.net The Dutch airline KLM drew criticism by asking mothers to cover themselves while breastfeeding their babies on flights to "ensure that passengers from all backgrounds feel comfortable on board." | RELATED: | Black Jamaican Woman Asked to Get off German Airline Plane Cites 'Racism' | While responding to a question on Twitter about…
(2019-07-18). New Zealand's Role at the Biggest US Bombing Base in the Middle East. globalresearch.ca A recent issue of Air Force News revealed that a senior NZDF officer served a six-month posting at the Qatar base, placing New Zealanders at the heart of the main targeting and bombing centre in that region, writes Darius Shahtahmasebi….
(2019-07-18). 33 Die as Attacker Ignites Blaze at Japanese Anime Studio. truthdig.com TOKYO—A man screaming "You die!" burst into an animation studio in Kyoto, doused it with a flammable liquid and set it on fire Thursday, killing 33 people in an attack that shocked the country and brought an outpouring of grief from anime fans. | Thirty-six others were injured, some of them critically, in a blaze that sent people scrambling up the stairs toward the roof in a desperate — and futile — attempt to escape what proved to be Japan's deadliest fire in nearly two decades. Others emerged bleeding, blackened and barefoot. | The suspect, identified only a 41-year-old man who did not work fo…
(2019-07-18). G7 Countries Take a Step Towards Taxing Big Internet Companies. telesurenglish.net France, Italy, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States (the G7 countries) reached Thursday a principle of agreement for Internet companies to pay taxes in countries where they have digital activity, although they lack physical presence, to prevent them from transferring their profits to tax havens. | RELATED: | French National Assembly Approves GAFA Tax to Big Tech Firms | The compromise reached at the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors meeti…
(2019-07-18). How a black farming community found justice. nationofchange.org Shirley Sherrod co-founded New Communities, a Black farming community in rural Georgia. But at one time, she wanted to leave farming far behind. As a teenager, Sherrod dreamed of leaving the South. Her mind traveled North—away from the White sheriff, known as "The Gator," who ruthlessly and violently patrolled the area's Black residents. Away from her …
(2019-07-18). Trump's send-them-back doctrine. nationofchange.org During the height of Stalin's purges, the great Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich kept a packed suitcase near the door of his apartment. The Black Marias, the vehicle of choice for the secret police, would traditionally arrive in the middle of the night to ferry "undesirables" to interrogation cells. Shostakovich wanted to be ready at any …
(2019-07-18). Media Lies About Iran Deal, Headlines Repeat Unfound State Department Claims. globalresearch.ca Iran announced last week they will be enriching uranium to 5% which is over the 3.67% limit set by the Joint Comprehension Plan of Action signed in 2015 under the Obama administration. | Iran has every right to go over that …
(2019-07-18). National Polls Don't Mean Much. Here's Why. counterpunch.org "Here we go with the Fake Polls," President Donald Trump tweeted on July 15. "Just like what happened with the Election against Crooked Hillary Clinton." He's complaining about several polls that show him losing the national popular vote to various Democratic presidential aspirants, in some cases by double digits. He has a point. In 2016, More
(2019-07-18). How Iranian MEK Went from US Terror List to Halls of Congress. globalresearch.ca As soon as Maryam Rajavi, her face beaming across a giant screen, finished speaking, the sky above hundreds of her supporters in the United States filled with red, white and green confetti — the colours of the Iranian flag….
(2019-07-18). Iran Seizes Vessel in Gulf for 'Smuggling' Oil. telesurenglish.net The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps seized a foreign tanker "smuggling fuel" in the Gulf Thursday as reported by state media. | RELATED: | UK to Send 3rd Warship to Persian Gulf As Tensions With Iran Grow | "A foreign vessel smuggling one million liters of fuel in the Larak Island of the Persian Gulf has been seized," the station said, adding that the ship was seized Sunday. | "The vessel that Iran towed to its waters after receiving a distress call, was later seized with t…
(2019-07-18). Diplomacy Instead of a Disaster in Iran. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2019-07-18). Trump: U.S. Navy Destroys Iranian Drone in Strait of Hormuz. telesurenglish.net President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a U.S. Navy ship had "destroyed" an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz after the aircraft threatened the ship, in the latest incident in the Gulf. | Trump told an event in the White House that the drone had flown to within 1,000 yards (meters) of the USS Boxer. | RELATED: | Iran Seizes Vessel in Gulf for 'Smuggling' Oil | "This is the latest of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels ope…
(2019-07-18). Five Years Ago: Was Malaysia Flight MH17 Shot Down by a Ukrainian Fighter Plane? globalresearch.ca This article was originally published in 2014. | July 17th is the commemoration of the downing of MH17, July 17, 2014 | "From start to finish, the Ukraine crisis has been instigated by US imperialism. Every action Washington has taken has been …
(2019-07-18). Ilhan Omar's bill backs Americans' right to boycott Israel. Here's why it will fail. rt.com 
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has introduced a bill that would protect the right to boycott Israel, apparently related to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. We look at why the legislation is bound to be dead on arrival.
(2019-07-18). Trump's trade war against China hits Asian economies. wsws.org Because it functions as a transhipment hub for final destinations in the rest of Asia, a sharp decline in exports from Singapore last month points to an economic slowdown across the region.
(2019-07-18). Ilhan Omar brands Trump 'FASCIST' after 'send her back' chants at his rally. rt.com 
Rep. Ilhan Omar has accused the US president of being "racist" and of "spewing fascist ideology" after Donald Trump's supporters were heard chanting "send her back" during a rally as he was lambasting the Democratic congresswoman.
(2019-07-18). 'SEND HER BACK': Trump crowds have new MAGA chant after 'racist tweet' row. rt.com 
The crowd at Donald Trump's campaign rally in North Carolina erupted in a raucous chant of 'Send her back!' after the US president fired a fresh broadside at Somali-American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.
(2019-07-18). Houston African Forum Pre-Event to Sister Cities International Conference. indybay.org Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, Texas Southern University, Houston…
(2019-07-18). Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna calls for removal of Sri Lankan government. wsws.org Under conditions of political crisis, in which the main parties of government are widely discredited, the JVP is proposing itself as the party capable of saving the capitalist system.
(2019-07-18). 2nd Anniversary of Charlottesville: Act Against White Supremacy. indybay.org Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi's Office | Federal Building | 90 7th St | San Francisco, CA…
(2019-07-18). Schumer, DNC up in arms over face manipulation app created by 'the Russians'. rt.com 
Accusations about FaceApp, a service for manipulating portraits, have graduated from racism and transphobia to a bona fide national security threat, with Chuck Schumer calling for a formal FBI probe. Because Russia is behind it!
(2019-07-18). 'I disagreed with it': Trump distances himself from 'SEND HER BACK!' chants. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has sought to distance himself from supporters who erupted into a chant of "send her back" about Somali-American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar at a Wednesday rally, saying he "disagreed" with their sentiments.
(2019-07-18). Japanese Americans and allies protest the unjust detention of children at Fort Sill. indybay.org Fort Sill | 2999 N.W. Sheridan Road | Lawton, Oklahoma…
(2019-07-18). 'Crisis in Queens': Immigrant from Jamaica announces Republican challenge to AOC in 2020. rt.com 
A new contender has entered the ring for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's House seat in New York, vowing to take the young congresswoman's spot in 2020 and condemning her for seeking self-promotion over public service.
(2019-07-18). House votes to block Saudi arms sales in face of Trump's veto threat. rt.com 
The US House of Representatives on Wednesday sided with the Senate in passing three resolutions to ban sales of precision-guided munitions and other weaponry and technology to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
(2019-07-18). Planning commission must reject proposed Bylong mine. greenleft.org.au 
Protesters gathered outside the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC) on July 16 to urge it and the Coalition state government to save the precious Bylong Valley, in Central West NSW, from a new thermal coalmine. | The IPC is due to make a decision on the future of South Korean company KEPCO's Bylong mine proposal in the near future. | Bylong farmer Phil Kennedy said: "There are just so many reasons why this mine cannot go ahead. | "This valley is so gorgeous and so productive. It would be a crime to ruin it with a dangerous coalmine, putting water resources and the Growie River under strain. | "We help produ…