(2021-04-19). In Toulouse, a Palestine Stand for the freedom of Palestinian prisoners. samidoun.net 
The following report is largely translated from the French at Collectif Palestine Vaincra: On Saturday, 17 April, Palestinian Prisoners' Day, the Collectif Palestine Vaincra organized a Palestine stand near the exit of the Jean Jaurès metro station in Toulouse, France. This event took place as part of the International Week of Action for Palestinian Prisoners, organized by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network. For over two hours, the Collectif organized an information booth, distributed hundreds of leaflets on Palestinian prisoners, discussed with passers-by, played Palestinian music and presented sev…
(2021-04-19). Workers at Continental in Hesse, Germany carry out 24-hour strike. wsws.org Continental intends to wipe out 30,000 jobs worldwide and close a series of factories, part of a plan for saving €1 billion by 2023.
(2021-04-18). Belarus: US-Backed 'Coup' Attempt Unfolded, Says President. telesurenglish.net Two Belarusian citizens were arrested in Moscow in relation with the operation: political scientist Alexander Feduta and lawyer Yuri Zenkovich, who also has US citizenship, the President said. | RELATED: | The announcement comes after the Belarusian security services, the KGB, announced on Friday evening that they had dismantled, during a "special operation", an "organised group of terrorist orientation" which was planning the "physical…
(2021-04-18). 2021 Elections In Albania: Citizens Against The Mafia — OpEd. eurasiareview.com On April 25, 2021, the tenth parliamentary elections since the democratic changes will take place in Albania. | Once again the elections will be a confrontation between two leading coalitions. One is gathered around the Socialist Party (PS/S&D) and Prime Minister Edi Rama and the other is the opposition group led by the Democratic Party (PD/EPP) headed by Lulzim Basha, which includes the Movement for Socialist Integration (LSI) headed by Monika Kryemadhi. Some minor political parties will also participate in the elections. | The Westminster Foundation for Democracy believes that the party structure of the Soci…
(2021-04-18). How to Make a Gulf Monarchy All-American. tomdispatch.com Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S., was on the hot seat. In early March 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world, oil prices collapsed and a price war broke out between Saudi Arabia and Russia, leaving American oil and gas companies feeling the pain. As oil prices plummeted, Republican senators from oil-producing states turned their ire directly on Saudi Arabia. Forget that civil war in Yemen — what about fossil-fuel profits here at home? To address their concerns, Ambassador Bandar Al-Saud agreed to speak with a group of them in a March 18th conference call [mda…
(2021-04-18). Third Pfizer Jab 'Likely' Needed Within 12 Months. eurasiareview.com The head of Pfizer has said that people will "likely" need a third dose of his company's Covid-19 shot within six to 12 months of vaccination, while defending the relatively higher cost of the jab, Al Jazeera CEO Albert Bourla also said annual vaccinations against the coronavirus may well be required. | "We need to see what would be the sequence, and for how often we need to do that, that remains to be seen," Bourla told broadcaster CNBC in an interview aired on Thursday, April 15.
(2021-04-18). The CIA Used To Infiltrate The Media. popularresistance.org Back in the good old days, when things were more innocent and simple, the psychopathic Central Intelligence Agency had to covertly infiltrate the news media to manipulate the information Americans were consuming about their nation and the world. Nowadays, there is no meaningful separation between the news media and the CIA at all. | Journalist Glenn Greenwald just highlighted an interesting point about the reporting by The New York Times on the so-called "Bountygate" story the outlet broke in June of last year about the Russian government trying to pay Taliban-linked fighters to attack US soldiers in Afghanistan.
(2021-04-18). The US-Russia Sanctions War: Symbolic, Substantive, or Strategic? globalresearch.ca The recently intensified "sanctions war" between the US and Russia has …
(2021-04-18). The Catholic Reconquista in Spain outlawed Islam in 1502, but Secret Muslims kept their culture — and Cuisine — Going. juancole.com 
By Aleks Pluskowski, Guillermo García-Contreras Ruiz, and Marcos García García | — Granada, in southern Spain's Andalusia region, was the final remnant of Islamic Iberia known as al-Andalus — a territory that once stretched across most of Spain and Portugal. In 1492, the city fell to the Catholic conquest. In the aftermath, native Andalusians, who …
(2021-04-18). Ken Burns' and Lynn Novick's "Hemingway" counterpunch.org 
Why a Hemingway Doc Now? War and peace, fascism, anti-fascism, communism and anti-communism loomed large in the life and work of Ernest Hemingway. An ambulance driver in World War I who was badly wounded, he covered WWII as a journalist and reported on the defeat of Hitler and his henchmen. Also, he went to Spain
(2021-04-18). Military Situation In Donetsk People's Republic On April 18, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | The UAF shelled the 6/7 mine near Gorlovka with 120-mm artillery | The UAF shelled the village of Zheleznaya Balka with 82-mm artillery | The UAF shelled the Trudovskaya mine with 82-mm artillery | The UAF's 58th brigade shelled DPR positions on the outskirts of Donetsk city | UAF forces from Vodiane shelled the village of Leninskoe and Sakhanka with grenade launchers | An OSCE patrol noted the absence of 30 T-72 battle tanks and 4 M120-15 Hammer mortars from a…
(2021-04-18). Leaked Documents Revealed 11,000 Syrian Mercenaries Are Still Roaming In Libya. southfront.org 
Illustrative image | More than 11,000 Turkish-backed Syrian militants are still present in Libya despite the recent political settlement in the country, according to leaked official documents released by the Sky News Arabia on April 17. | According to the documents, a total of 11,609 Syrian militants are now in Libya. The number is double that provided by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). | So far, Turkey has withdrawn only 1,226 out of 12,835 militants of the so-called Syrian National Army from Libya.
(2021-04-18). Balance Of Power In The Black Sea: Will The Montreux Convention Prevail? southfront.org 
Illustrative image | Written by Brian Kalman exclusively for SouthFront. | The current deterioration of any hopes of a lasting "ceasefire" in the eastern Ukraine, have brought not only the long smoldering conflict back into the forefront of global media attention, but have also presented an opportunity for several geopolitical rivals to take advantage of the situation for their own perceived benefit. Russia responded rapidly to immediate signals from the Kiev government that it fully intended to explore yet ano…
(2021-04-18). Russian Warplanes Rain Hell On ISIS Terrorists In Central Syria. southfront.org 
FILE PHOTO: Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft before departing for its permanent base in Russia from Khmeimim Air Base in Syria. © Vadim Grishankin / Sputnik | On April 18, warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) carried out a series of airstrikes on ISIS cells in the central region of Syria. | According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 70 airstrikes hit the central region. The airstrikes targeted the following areas: | The eastern countryside of Hama; | The outskirts of the town of Re…
(2021-04-18). Czechs Are Played In Geopolitical Chess Game. southfront.org 
Illustrative image | The Russian Foreign Ministry declared 20 Czech diplomats personae non-gratae. They must leave Russia before April 20. The decision was made after Czech officials expelled 18 diplomats to Moscow. | On April 17, citing allegations of the involvement of the Russian intelligence in a blast at a military depot in the Czech Republic that took place in 2014, the Czech government ordered 18 Russian diplomats out of the country during 48 hours. Initially, the blast was thought to be an accident. The Czec…
(2021-04-18). Syria Kurds hand over 34 orphans of Islamic State families to Russia. middleeasteye.net 
Syria Kurds hand over 34 orphans of Islamic State families to Russia | The children to be repatriated, aged between three and 14, were handed over to a delegation headed by the Russian president's envoy for children's rights | Sun, 04/18/2021 – 17: 31 | A soldier from the Syrian Democratic Forces stands guard at the al-Hol camp, a Kurdish-run displacement camp for relatives of IS jihadists…
(2021-04-18). Israel and Greece sign record defence deal. middleeasteye.net 
Israel and Greece sign record defence deal | Announcement followed meeting in Cyprus on Friday of the UAE, Greek, Cypriot and Israeli foreign ministers, who agreed to deepen cooperation between their countries | Sun, 04/18/2021 – 19: 09 | Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz says partnership between two countries will 'deepen on the defence, economic and political levels' | Israel and Gree…
(2021-04-18). Biden to reverse Trump's White Supremacist, Sadistic near-ban on Refugees, but US still Lags, Sweden, Germany other OECD Countries. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — About one quarter of one percent (0.25 percent) of the US population consists of refugees — some 838,000. This minuscule number was too much for the white supremacist Trump administration, which drastically cut back refugee admissions from an average of 70,000 to 80,000 per year earlier in this century to …
(2021-04-18). Azerbaijan: President Ilham Aliyev Attends International Conference Held At ADA University — OpEd. eurasiareview.com On April 10 – 13, 2021, the ADA University hosted an international conference entitled: "New Vision for South Caucasus: Post-Conflict Development and Cooperation". In this historic event the President of Azerbaijan H. E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev has participated and delivered a keynote speech to the international audience that consisted of university leaders, international diplomats, experts in global affairs and renowned journalists. The Azerbaijan State News Agency (AZERTAC) provided a media coverage to this international conference that has made significant contributions in understanding the current geopolitics of…
(2021-04-18). A Czech Explosion, Russian Agents, A Bulgarian Arms Dealer: The Recipe For A Major Spy Scandal In Central Europe — Analysis. eurasiareview.com By Mike Eckel, Ivan Bedrov and Olha Komarova* | ( The blast, on October 16, 2014, destroyed a cache of ammunition and related weaponry. The bodies of two men who worked at the site were recovered nearly a month later. A second explosion occurred about two months later at nearby location, about 1 kilome…
(2021-04-18). US President Joe Biden's Shameful Push for War with China and Russia. dissidentvoice.org One of the most delightful things about Americans is that they have absolutely no historical memory. — Zhou Enlai In the autumn of 1862, the governments of France and Great Britain proposed to Russia, in a formal but not in an official way, the joint recognition by European powers of the independence of the Confederate …
(2021-04-18). The End Of Made In China? — Analysis. eurasiareview.com By Mangesh Sawant | Democracies believed that China's political moderation would follow its economic liberalization. But contrary to political leaders and CEO expectations, China joined the liberal order for its own gains, seeking to displace the business advantages of democratic nations. The Made in China 2025 plan is being implemented through transfer of technology, IPR theft, and buying up strategic assets and hi-tech companies in Europe and beyond. | Since 1979, foreign companies have opened production lines on China's coastline. This led to unprecedented Chinese economic growth, but the growth seems to be…
(2021-04-18). Syrian Refugees In Germany Want Citizenship And Political Representation — Analysis. eurasiareview.com Even though Syrian refugees have been integrated relatively faster in Germany, social integration continues to be a challenge in the labour market.: | By Anchal Vohra* | Tareq Alaows, a Syrian who studied law and international affairs in Damascus, ended up as a refugee in Germany. Along with hundreds of thousands of others, Alaows protested against the Syrian government and called for an end to political repression, better education, and economic opportunities. But along with 5.5 million compatriots, he had to flee his home country. | Like the million-plus Syrian refugees in Europe, Alaows had hoped fo…
(2021-04-18). Berliners protest striking down of rent cap law by constitutional court. peoplesdispatch.org Housing rights groups and activists took to the streets after Germany's constitutional court struck down a law passed by the Berlin State government freezing rents at June 2019 levels for five years…
(2021-04-18). China sanctions Icelandic individual over Xinjiang. ecns.cn The Chinese embassy in Iceland on Friday announced sanctions against an Icelandic individual for spreading lies and disinformation on so-called human rights issues in China's Xinjiang without naming the person.
(2021-04-18). Confronting Russia in the High North: Pentagon Acquires Four New Air, Naval Bases in Norway. news.antiwar.com The U.S. and Norway have signed an updated military cooperation agreement that permits the American military to construct new facilities at three Norwegian airfields and a naval base. In the words of the Stars and Stripes report that related the development, the move "comes amid continuing concerns of Russian military activities along NATO's borders, including …
(2021-04-18). Syria condemns U.S. and NATO military drive to Russia's border as threat to world peace. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Syrian Arab News AgencyApril 18, 2021 Syria condemns Washington and NATO step of dispatching troops towards Russian border as serious threat to international peace and securityEdited by RR Syria demands U.S. compensate it for seven years of war and plundering A decade later: U.S., Turkey renew, intensify war in Syria Damascus — Syria has condemned the U.S.'s …
(2021-04-18). Bolton Says he's 'Proud' to be Barred from Entering Russia. orinocotribune.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton on Friday said he was "proud" to be barred from entering Russia after Moscow's decision to include him on a list of individuals who will be denied entry to the country. | "I have been named on a list of individuals barred from Russia in retaliation for sanctions," Bolton
(2021-04-18). Escalate to Deescalate… Then Biden Takes Escalator Sideways. strategic-culture.org Washington must surely know that its escalations will be met with equal force from Russia and China, Finian Cunningham writes. | President Joe Biden wasn't expecting Russia's rapid slap back. He assumed, wrongly, that he could hit Moscow with a new round of sanctions (based on slanderous claims) and look as if he were chewing gum and acting the hard man. | Then slap. Russian responded immediately and firmly. Ten U.S. diplomats are to be expelled in a reciprocal response to Biden's executive order last week to expel Russian diplomats. | Laughably, the Biden administration was aghast at the Russian sanctions. A Sta…
(2021-04-18). Sunday Times: Britain To Deploy Two Warships to the Black Sea in Show of Force to Russia. news.antiwar.com The Sunday Times cites a Royal Navy source stating two British warships will enter the Black Sea next month as the newspaper put it, "tensions continue to rise between Ukrainian and Russian forces." As always with the Western press it is not indicated where and in what manner there have been tensions between Ukrainian and …
(2021-04-18). Iran, Russia, Syria set up operational room to help Damascus. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 18 (MNA) — An operation room has been set up between Iran, Russia and Syria to provide lasting security for Iranian and Russian ships in the Mediterranean to deliver oil and food to Syria.
(2021-04-18). Syria condemns US, NATO dispatching troops to Russian border. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 18 (MNA) — Syria condemned the US and NATO step of dispatching more military forces towards Russian borders which would pose a threat to international peace and security.
(2021-04-18). 'JCPOA talks not easy but underway'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 18 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna said the JCPAO talks in Vienna are not easy but they are going on.
(2021-04-18). Iran's Parl. speaker emphasizes deepening ties with Serbia. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 18 (MNA) — In his meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakoviƒá in Tehran on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf emphasized the need for expanding cooperation between Iran and Serbia in various fields.
(2021-04-18). 90 years of the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic. peoplesdispatch.org Groups including the Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE), Communist Youth of Peoples of Spain (JCPE), Red Roja, Communist Initiative and Workers Front (FO) participated in the mobilization on Wednesday.
(2021-04-18). US Treasury says no major trading partner manipulates currency. ecns.cn The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday said that no major trading partner of the United States meets the criteria as a currency manipulator, but Vietnam, Switzerland and China's Taiwan will be under enhanced monitoring for their currency practices.
(2021-04-17). Germany's Supreme Court overturns Berlin rent cap. wsws.org By overturning Berlin's rent cap, the Supreme Court has given the green light to the unrestrained enrichment of real estate speculators.
(2021-04-17). Ireland: Study of COVID-19 Deaths. globalresearch.ca Objectives | The goal of this study is not to impress academics …
(2021-04-17). PM Sánchez Reaffirms Government Support For Spanish COVID-19 Vaccine. eurasiareview.com Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the installation of the pharmaceutical company HIPRA in Amer (Girona), where he saw first-hand the progress in the research for the vaccine against COVID-19 being performed by this Spanish multinational – one of the most advanced in its development in the country, which plans to hold clinical trials in June and produce 400 million doses in 2022. | Sánchez described the visit as "inspirational" and underlined that the government will continue to offer its full support in the hope of obtaining a Spanish vaccine against the virus. | Research and innovation, Sánchez arg…
(2021-04-17). A School for Spooks: The London University Department Churning Out NATO Spies. orinocotribune.com 
By Alan Macleod — Apr 16, 2021 | Alan Macleod uncovers the deep links between the British security state and the Department of War Studies at King's College London, responsible for training a large number of British, American, and European agents and defense analysts. | London — Last week, MintPress
(2021-04-17). NATO Nations Train, Arm Ukrainian Military for War With Russia. news.antiwar.com As the Ukrainian government and pro-government press is busily and dutifully terrorizing the domestic populace, and equally attempting to stampede the Western public into a "humanitarian intervention" moral panic, with headlines like Over 103,000 Russian troops currently stationed near border with Ukraine and Russia deploys attack aircraft in occupied Crimea, it is also reporting on …
(2021-04-17). Journalists Learn They Spread A CIA Fraud About Russia. popularresistance.org That Russia placed "bounties" on the heads of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan was one of the most-discussed and consequential news stories of 2020. It was also, as it turns out, one of the most baseless — as the intelligence agencies who spread it through their media spokespeople now admit, largely because the tale has fulfilled and outlived its purpose. | The saga began on June 26, 2020, when The New York Times announced that unnamed "American intelligence officials" have concluded that "a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in…
(2021-04-17). A Worldwide Workers' Revolt Against Amazon Has Begun. popularresistance.org The union drive at Amazon's 885,000-square-foot warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, failed. But the historic campaign nabbed global headlines and added fuel to ongoing workers' revolts across the world. | Strikes by Amazon workers in Italy, Germany and India are coalescing into an international struggle against the world's fourth-most valuable company and its grueling working conditions and intensive surveillance. | Since the dawn of capitalism, bosses have found innovations to oversee and extract more work from the overstressed bodies of their labor force. But Amazon's minute surveillance of workers‚Ä&aci…
(2021-04-17). German Left Party embraces the far-right AfD. wsws.org In her new book The Self-Righteous Ones, Left Party politician Sahra Wagenknecht explicitly adopts the anti-immigrant and nationalist line of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and emerges as a vociferous proponent of a policy of mass infection.
(2021-04-17). Dozens dead as migrants' boat capsizes off Tunisia coast. middleeasteye.net 
Dozens dead as migrants' boat capsizes off Tunisia coast | UN calls for expanded state-led search and rescue operations as number of migrants leaving Tunisia for Europe triples | Sat, 04/17/2021 – 10: 09 | The bodies of migrants are recovered at a Tunisian port after a shipwreck in December 2020 (AFP) | At least 41 people, including a child, drowned when a boat capsized off the Tunisian co…
(2021-04-17). US escalates in Ukraine battleground. thegrayzone.com With encouragement from his patrons in Washington, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is escalating against Russia and provoking a harsh response Red Lines host Anya Parampil speaks with Moscow-based international affairs analyst Mark Sleboda about recent developments in Ukraine. Sleboda provides an in-depth explanation of the history leading to up to the current situation and analyses domestic factors in Ukraine that are pushing the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to pursue a more bellicose posture towards Russia.
(2021-04-17). U.S. Instructors Spotted On Donbass Frontlines: Report. southfront.org 
Illustrative image | The press officer of the People's Militia of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) Ivan Filiponenko claimed that instructors from the United States had taken part in the training of Ukrainian artillerymen in Eastern Ukraine. The claim was made during the daily briefing on April 17. | According to Filiponenko, the training of Ukrainian forces took place near the village of Pokrovske."The trainings of the UAF 40 separate artille…
(2021-04-17). Military Situation In Donetsk People's Republic On April 17, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | UAF targeted DPR positions in Aleksandrovka with RPGs and a BMP | UAF shelled Donetsk city with 120-mm artillery | UAF targeted Donetsk airport with 120-mm artillery | UAF shelled Staromikhaylovka with 120-mm and 122-mm artillery | UAF targeted DPR positions in Veseloe with grenade launchers | DPR forces shelled UAF positions near Novhorodske, Marinka and Opytne with 120-mm artillery | DPR forces targeted UAF positions near Vodiane with grenade launchers | DPR f…
(2021-04-17). Military Situation In Syria On April 17, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On April 16, Russia reported that Idlib militants violated the ceasefire regime in Greater Idlib 27 times: 5 — in Idlib province, 11 — in Latakia province, 9 — in Hama province, 2 in Aleppo province | On April 16, artillery of Turkish-backed forces shelled SDF positions near Ain Issa | On April 16, Russian warplanes targeted ISIS positions in the Bushri mountain more that 30 times | On April 16, 2 SAA members were killed by an IED blast in Um Batnah are…
(2021-04-17). ISIS Claims Its Cells Foiled Aerial Landing, Killed Two Russian Soldiers In Central Syria. southfront.org 
Illustrative image | On April 17, ISIS claimed that its fighters had killed two Russian special forces operatives during clashes in Syria's central region. | In a statement released by the Amaq news agency, the group claimed that two operatives were killed during a failed air landing in the outskirts of the town of al-Sukhnah in the eastern countryside of Homs. | The operatives' unit landed from a helicopter and engaged in a heated battle with a group of ISIS terrorists who were at…