by W.G. Dunlop | – Alexandria (United States) (AFP) – Donald Trump’s former campaign chief Paul Manafort was found guilty of tax and bank fraud Tuesday, in the first trial resulting from the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The guilty verdicts on eight counts are a victory for special counsel Robert […]
Archives for August 2018
Trump unleashes Coal, boosting Greenhouse Gases and deadly Global Heating
Washington (AFP) – President Donald Trump’s administration announced a plan Tuesday to weaken regulations on US coal plants, giving a boost to an industry that former leader Barack Obama had hoped to phase out to cut harmful emissions that drive global warming. The Environmental Protection Agency’s new Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule would allow states […]
For 1st Time, Saudis Seek Death Penalty for Woman Shiite Activist
First Woman Facing Execution in Trials of Shia Protesters
Early Arabic Inscriptions and the Life of the Prophet: A new Source for History
Among the anecdotes told in the early biographies of the Prophet Muhammad is one about him being harassed by his immediate neighbors in Mecca, in roughly the period 614-622. One way they bothered him was to throw sheep offal through the window of his home in Mecca where he lived with his first wife, Khadija. […]
Trump’s Remark that Israeli PM will be ‘Mohammed’ ignores how Apartheid Works
In a conversation earlier this summer with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, the king told Trump about the possibility of a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian struggle, which Abdullah said younger Palestinians increasingly favor. Trump is said by French and other diplomats present to have replied, “what you say makes sense. [In a one-state scenario,] the […]
Afghanistan: Taliban Advances Cast Doubt on Trump’s Double-Down Policy
By Thomas WATKINS | – Washington (AFP) – A year since President Donald Trump unveiled his strategy for Afghanistan, a fresh wave of violence and bloodshed has assailed the war-torn nation and overshadowed some small glimmers of progress. Each successful attack represents a massive setback not just for the Afghanistan government, which is pushing for […]
Trump Attorney Giuliani Dogged by “Truth isn’t Truth” Remark
Washington (AFP) – Donald Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on Monday backpedaled after saying that “truth isn’t truth” in explaining why the president should not be interviewed by the special counsel in charge of the Russia probe — a comment that left pundits baffled. AFP/File / SAUL LOEB. “Truth isn’t truth”: President Donald Trump’s personal […]
Are Iraqis Dumping Sunni-Shiite Politics as they Demand Services, End of Corruption?
London (OpenDemocracy.net) – In the absence of civil war, the people of Iraq have found an opportunity to demand that the political elite deliver on their election campaign promises. While Iraq is in the grip of a breathtaking summer heat-wave, the odor of dissatisfaction rose in the major southern cities of Basra, Najaf and Karbala […]
Turkey’s Economy has been Gliding for 16 Years but is it about to Crash?
By Can Erbil and Umit Ozlale | – If you happen to be a tourist in Turkey right now, consider yourself lucky. Otherwise, things look grim. The Turkish lira has lost as much as a third of its value relative to the U.S. dollar in less than a month and recently hit a record low. […]