(2018-10-05). ELN Invites Colombian Government to Peace Talks. telesurtv.net Colombia National Liberation Army reaches out to the government in latest attempt for peace in the nation.
(2018-10-05). Defensive bioweapon? DARPA wants insects to spread genetically modified viruses… to 'save crops'. rt.com 
A US military program dubbed 'Insect Allies' could be used as a biological weapon, a group of European scientists warns. The Pentagon's research arm claims they are intended to defend crops, but doesn't deny 'dual-use' potential.
(2018-10-05). It Is Time to End the Forever War in Afghanistan. thenation.com It Is Time to End the Forever War in Afghanistan…
(2018-10-05). Drought-Laden Rainforests. counterpunch.org 
The world's rainforests are under attack at a rate of 2.5 acres per second. Global warming and clear-cutting for growing palm oil and raising cattle are some of the biggest annihilators. The repercussions are devastating. For example, one of the consequences is harmful alteration of hydrological cycles for major grain-growing regions of the planet. But, More
(2018-10-05). A Historian Details Why America Under Trump Is Closer to Civil War Than It Has Been Since the 1850s. alternet.org 
Trump supporters' feelings of cultural alienation have actually increased slightly since his election. | The Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court hearings have once again (2018-10-05). Dan Kovalik's "The Plot To Attack Iran:" A Tool To Combat Washington's Middle East Wars. iranian.com The Plot to Attack Iran gives a readable and well- referenced look at Western — especially US — abuse of Iran. The author and human rights lawyer Dan Kovalik presents a concise overview of US imperial conduct since World War II. The book is a reminder, which we need from time to time, of the outrageous hypocrisy and […]
(2018-10-05). US Senate sets first vote on Kavanaugh nomination. wsws.org The Democratic Party is focusing solely on unproven allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh, as the Republicans move forward to a vote on the right-wing nominee.
(2018-10-05). S-300s and Other Military Hardware for Syria, by The Saker. unz.com This week Russian officials declared that the delivery of S-300s for Syria was completed and that this first batch included 49 pieces of "military equipment", including radars, control vehicles and four launchers. Russian officials added that, if needed, this figure could be increased to 8-12 launchers. Defense Minister Shoigu added that "the measures we will…
(2018-10-05). The Kavanaugh Affair. counterpunch.org Liberals! Some perspective please! | Donald Trump is the least fit and most corrupt American president in modern times, if not — depending on how slavery factors in, and on what we make of Andrew Johnson and the mid-nineteenth century presidents whose tenure led up to the Civil War — since the founding of the republic. | But if the metric is damage done, not just to the country but also to the world, he is small potatoes compared to George W. Bush. Bush broke the Greater Middle East in ways that continue to reverberate. | Trump's foreign policy initiatives are noxious, and potentially even more danger…
(2018-10-05). Britain and the Black Gold of Mesopotamia. counterpunch.org 
The First World War was a contest between two blocs of imperialist powers, whereby a major goal was the acquisition, preservation, and/or aggrandizement of territories — in Europe and worldwide — considered to be of vital importance for the national economy of these powers, mostly because they contained raw materials such as petroleum. We have More
(2018-10-05). Theater artists ask US & Canadian hosts to cancel Israeli government-sponsored plays. indybay.org Palestinian arts and solidarity organizations, along with US Jewish and Israeli groups, have joined theater artists in signing a letter calling on Toronto, New York and Pittsburgh arts organizations not to host Israel's Gesher Theatre or partner with the Israeli government, citing their involvement in violations of Palestinian rights. Award-winning actors Kathleen Chalfant and Miriam Margolyes, and playwrights Caryl Churchill, Betty Shamieh, Naomi Wallace and Anne Washburn are among the artists who signed the letter.
(2018-10-05). The Colonizer Protests Too Much. counterpunch.org As important as the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is to conservatives in cementing their hard majority for decades, it may be just as much a defining battle in our cultural war and gender relations. The noise you're hearing is the cry of millions whose mouths are being covered and whose breathing More
(2018-10-05). Toward a Socialist Land Ethic: the Foundation of an Ecosocialist Future. counterpunch.org 
There will be no future on a dead planet, socialist or otherwise. If the left is to seize power and bring our planet into the rational egalitarian age we envision, we will need to simultaneously tackle a host of environmental crises. Failure to do so will mean that our project is doomed from the onset. More
(2018-10-05). Headlines for October 5, 2018. democracynow.org Senate Set to Close Debate on Kavanaugh Supreme Court Nomination, Coalition of 100,000 U.S. Churches Opposes Kavanaugh Nomination, Kavanaugh Defends His Record in Unprecedented WSJ Op-Ed | , Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Opposes Kavanaugh, 300 Arrested on Capitol Hill as Thousands March Against Kavanaugh, Yemen: Tens of Thousands Protest Economic Collapse amid Bombing, Bloomberg: China Hacked U.S. Companies, Including Amazon, Apple, VP Pence Accuses China of Interfering in Midterms, Undermining Trump, U.S. Indicts Russians for Hacking Anti-Doping Orgs, Targeting Nuclear Sites, Dutch Officials Sa…
(2018-10-05). Dis-Invitation Attacks, by James Thompson. unz.com Disinviting is an awkward word for a disagreeable act: inviting someone, and then once they have accepted, withdrawing the invitation. Naturally, this is more hurtful than not being invited at all. I have not been invited to many things, and ignorance is bliss. To have been invited, and gone through the process of preparing for…
(2018-10-05). The Future of Education Town Hall Pt. II. therealnews.com 
Khalilah Harris hosts a community town hall on the promise and possibilities of Maryland's Kirwan Commission. Students, parents, educators, advocates, elected and school district officials discuss their questions, concerns and ideas for a path forward
(2018-10-05). We need to prevent fracking in Australia's Northern Territory. indybay.org By GetUp! – Right now, Australia is barrelling towards its first industrial shale gas field in the Northern Territory — and we know the consequences will be devastating. Earlier this year, under thinly veiled threats from the Federal government, Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner lifted the moratorium on fracking in the state.1 | Gunner ignored the concerns of Territorians and dismissed findings from an independent inquiry which labelled fracking "not safe, not trusted and not wanted."2 | www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/18/not-safe-not-wanted-is-the-end-of-nt-fracking-ban-a-ta…
(2018-10-05). Immigrants' Health Premiums Far Exceed What Plans Pay for Their Care. truthout.org President Donald Trump has repeatedly condemned US immigration policy, arguing that many immigrants pose a threat to the nation and drain US resources. But a study released Monday about health insurance challenges the president's portrayal. | The study in the journal Health Affairs found that immigrants covered by private health insurance and their employers contributed nearly $25 billion more in premiums in 2014 than was spent on their care. Those in the country without legal status contributed nearly $8 billion toward th…
(2018-10-05). That Time Churchill Wanted to Start World War III, Before World War II was Even Over. counterpunch.org 
As the great industrial slaughter of human beings that was World War 2 came to an end and Germany was being divided the British government was drawing up plans to re-arm the Nazi's and along with the Americans, plan a surprise attack against the Soviet Union. The target date for this incredible insanity was July More
(2018-10-05). Empire of Fraud, Made in America. counterpunch.org 
Lest it be washed out by the next Spectacle, allow me to summarize the most important article yet about the Life of Trump, and to make explicit a couple of the explosive points that the New York Times only implies. On the front end, Fred Trump's fortune drew from decades of post-World War II federal More
(2018-10-05). Fascism's Return to Italy. counterpunch.org The arrest of Domenico Lucano, the revolutionary Italian mayor of Riace, Calabria noted for welcoming immigrants with a utopian vison for human dignity and peaceful coexistence. Riace (pronounced Riach with a long A at the end) is a small Calabrian town in the south of Italy on the Ionian Sea. This area of Calabria is More
(2018-10-05). Palestinian Leader Controls Fate of U.S. Plan in Region. truthdig.com Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been sidelined, isolated and humiliated by the Trump administration. But the embattled Palestinian leader may have the final say in determining the fate of the White House's long-awaited vision for Mideast peace. | In recent weeks, Abbas has thwarted a series of internationally backed initiatives aimed at rehabilitating the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. With Gaza expected to be the centerpiece of the U.S. peace plan, Abbas has given himself a virtual veto over the expected American initiative. The deadlock over Gaza appears to be a key reason behind the repeated delays in unveili…
(2018-10-05). What the Movie 'Aliens' Taught Us About Dismissing Women's Rage — At Our Own Peril. alternet.org 
Women's warnings have always been ignored, our trauma dismissed. | Every time I watch the 1986 action-horror classic "Aliens," a film I've watched so many times I've lost count, it takes on new meaning. I've long argued its merits as a metaphor for a woman enduring sexism in the workplace, due to the many trials Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley faces over the three films. In 1979's "Alien," Ripley's an officer on the Nostromo who survives the infiltration of an ali. . .
(2018-10-05). Trump's Absurd New Conspiracy Theory: Sexual Assault Survivors Protesting Kavanaugh Are 'Paid Professionals' Working for Soros. alternet.org 
The president once again went off the rails on Twitter ahead of the Kavanaugh vote. | In the run-up to the confirmation vote for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, protestors have swarmed the Senate offices, resulting in hundreds of arrests. In one incident yesterday, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) was cornered by sexual assault s. . .
(2018-10-05). GOP Senator's Hometown Paper Rips His 'Medieval Attitude Toward All Women as Sex Objects' in Devastating Op-Ed. alternet.org 
The paper, which has the largest daily circulation in the state, is berating the longest-serving Senate Republican in history. | The Salt Lake TribuneEditorial Board has launched what may be a historic attack on its vaunted U. S. Senator, Republican Orrin Hatch. The paper, which has the largest daily circulation in the state, is berating the longest-serving Senate Repub. . .
(2018-10-05). The Future of Education Town Hall Pt. II. therealnews.com Khalilah Harris hosts a community town hall on the promise and possibilities of Maryland's Kirwan Commission. Students, parents, educators, advocates, elected and school district officials discuss their questions, concerns and ideas for a path forward
(2018-10-05). John Bolton: Iran Is 'Central Banker' For Terrorism. iranian.com U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser has called Iran "the central banker of international terrorism" as he laid out a wider strategy for countering Tehran in the Middle East. John Bolton told reporters on October 4 that the U.S. strategy toward Iran would use both military and nonmilitary means to push back on Iranian-backed […]
(2018-10-05). The Trump Regime Is Out Of Control. iranian.com The nuclear war doomsday clock maintained on the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists website has advanced to two minutes before midnight, the closest point to possible atomic apocalypse since the end of the Cold War. In 1995 the clock was at fourteen minutes to midnight, but the opportunity to set it back even further was lost as the […]
(2018-10-05). Eve Ensler: Nobel Peace Prize For Mukwege & Murad Is an Award for Every Rape Survivor in the World. democracynow.org 
After a landmark year for the "Me Too" movement, which ignited an international conversation on sexual assault, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday morning to two champions of women's rights who have built their careers fighting sexual violence: Physician Denis Mukwege and human rights activist Nadia Murad. Dr. Denis Mukwege founded the Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1999. The clinic receives thousands of women each year, many of them requiring surgery as a result of sexual violence. Nadia Murad is a 25-year-old Yazidi Kurdish human rights activist from Iraq. She was kidnapped and held…
(2018-10-05). #ICYMI: Kavanaugh v Ford, choose your side on the new frontline of culture wars (VIDEO). rt.com 
Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump's choice for Supreme Court Justice, is still in line for one of the most influential jobs in the US despite fighting off allegations of sexual assault. |
(2018-10-05). As Millions Starve, Many Still Speak of a Yemen "On the Brink of Famine" mintpressnews.com 
"Dog meat tastes bad, but the foremost thing that I should be concerned is to save my family rather than thinking if that may be wrong or dangerous." — A Yemeni father
(2018-10-05). Trump-Mattis Shambles in Yemen. counterpunch.org 
On October 1 The Economist reported that the previous day's referendum in Macedonia "had been billed as the most important vote in the region's recent history, a referendum in favour of settling a long-standing dispute between Greece and Macedonia. Instead, voters have opened the door to instability and uncertainty. The vote . . . which aimed to endorse an More
(2018-10-05). Seeking an Enduring Solution to a Seemingly Intractable Problem: Another Look at Somalia. counterpunch.org Late last week, a High-Level Meeting on Somalia, co-chaired by Ethiopia, Italy, Somalia, and the United Kingdom (UK), was held in New York. The meeting, which was also attended by Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, Moussa Faki, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Osman Saleh, Eritrea's Foreign Minister, and other international representatives, focused on More
(2018-10-05). Workers Struggles: Europe, Middle East & Africa. wsws.org The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.
(2018-10-04). Even These 5 Right-Wing Conservatives Have Called Trump Out for Mocking Christine Blasey Ford. alternet.org 
Trump made no friends with his mockery of Dr. Ford. | Tuesday, October 2 was a busy day for President Donald J. Trump. After a mid-afternoon speech at the National Electrical Contractors Association's annual convention in Democrat-dominated Philadelphia—where he was greeted with an abundance of (2018-10-04). Detainee Jawareesh Suspends His Hunger Strike. imemc.org The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) has reported, Thursday, that detainee Salah Jawareesh, 23, has suspended his hunger strike after reaching an agreement and a court ruling, stating that his current Administrative Detention orders will not be renewed. The PPS said Jawareesh went on hunger strike for eight days, protesting the […]…
(2018-10-04). America's "Offensive" Cyber Strategy. White House Authorizes Offensive Cyberwarfare. globalresearch.ca On September 20, 2018 the White House released the US National Cyber Strategy, which was signed by President Donald Trump. | It probably delighted both hawks and Democrats. The former were pleased that the strategy includes new components that clearly indicate …
(2018-10-04). 'How Many Other Laquan MacDonalds Are There?'. fair.org 
Janine Jackson featured two archival interviews on Chicago police violence on the September 28, 2018, episode of CounterSpin: a conversation with John Conroy on torturer Jon Burge, originally aired December 21, 2007; and a talk with Jamie Kalven about police victim Laquan McDonald, from December…
(2018-10-04). Trump Regime Refuses World Court Rulings on Palestine and Iran, US Withdrawal from the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. globalresearch.ca Is Trump being held captive by political operatives within his Cabinet — notably Pompeo, Bolton and Haley on geopolitical issues? They're hostile to world peace, democratic values, and respect for international law. | On Wednesday, John Bolton announced the Trump regime's …
(2018-10-04). Warnings Of More 'War And Unilateral Aggression' As Pompeo And Bolton Launch Joint Attack On Global Cooperation. iranian.com After ditching a treaty with Iran to rebuff an ICJ sanctions ruling, Bolton announces review of international agreements to prevent future court decisions. Amid mounting concerns about possible war with Iran after the Trump administration ditched a decades-old bilateral treaty in response to an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on Wednesday that U.S. sanctions violate it, National Security […]
(2018-10-04). On Capitalism and Eternal War. NATO as a "World Government"? globalresearch.ca On September 14, in an address to the far right American organisation called The Heritage Foundation, the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, described NATO in effect to be a world government prepared for eternal war. He declared NATO to be …
(2018-10-04). In Letter to Trump, House Democrats Promise to Investigate Brett Kavanaugh for Perjury If Confirmed. theintercept.com Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus raised questions about Kavanaugh's potential perjury about his role in Bush-era warrantless surveillance.
(2018-10-04). Washington Threatens Preemptive Strike Against Russian Missiles. globalresearch.ca On Tuesday, the United States government issued its most direct and public threat of a military strike against Russia since the height of the Cold War. | The US ambassador to NATO, Kay Bailey Hutchison, told a press conference at NATO …
(2018-10-04). Pentagon's 'self-defense' means war anywhere, any time. But there's a call to regulate war powers. rt.com 
A post-9/11 act grants the president authority to wage foreign wars with few restrictions. However, Democrats want the Pentagon to explain a lesser-known policy that allows the military to strike almost anywhere, at any time.
(2018-10-04). PCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (27 Sept. — 03 Oct. 2018). imemc.org Israeli forces continued with systematic crimes, in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), for the week of 27 September — 03 October, 2018. Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against unarmed civilians and peaceful protestors in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. 9 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were killed; [.
(2018-10-04). How Saudi Money Keeps Washington at War in Yemen. truthout.org It was May 2017. The Saudis were growing increasingly nervous. For more than two years they had been relying heavily on US military support and bombs to defeat Houthi rebels in Yemen. Now, the Senate was considering a bipartisan resolution to cut off military aid and halt a big sale of American-made bombs to Saudi Arabia. Fortunately…
(2018-10-04). Selected Articles: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at the UN General Assembly. globalresearch.ca 
Dear Readers, | More than ever, Global Research needs your support. Our task as an independent media is to "Battle the Lie". | Lies, distortions and omissions are part of a multibillion dollar propaganda operation which sustains the "war narrative". | While "Truth" …
(2018-10-04). Historian of Nazism Explains Why GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell Is the 'Gravedigger of American Democracy'. alternet.org 
The majority leaders is playing the same role as pre-war Germany's Paul von Hindenburg. | In a new piece for the New York Review of Books, historian Christopher Browning warns that there are troubling parallels between the present-day United States and the days of fascism's rise in Europe. Browning, a specialist in the areas of the Holocaust, Nazi Germany, and world. . .
(2018-10-04). 'Wake up people!': Cyber expert McAfee warns of US govt 'spying' through presidential alert texts. rt.com 
As the US was subjected to an unexpected nationwide message from President Donald Trump, many were startled and confused by the alert. One man, however, warned of a more sinister element to the public safety test.
(2018-10-04). Weaponized Communication at the UN: Talking With Richard Falk. counterpunch.org 
Instead of being a laughing stock, it is more realistic to view Trump's America as bringing tears to the eyes of those who care about present human suffering and future prospects for peace, human rights, global justice, and ecological sustainability. What we need is an equitable globalism that is dedicated to safeguarding and promoting human interests. More