Damascus (AFP) – Iran’s foreign minister met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday in a surprise visit to Damascus ahead of a looming regime offensive against the country’s last rebel stronghold. Mohammad Javad Zarif’s trip to war-ravaged Syria also comes just days before a top-level tripartite meeting in Tehran to discuss the Syrian conflict, […]
Corrupt Gov’t Kept slashing Nat’l Museum, Now Brazilian History up in Smoke
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Brazilian officials on Monday blamed years of government cutbacks for an inferno that gutted the treasured National Museum, described by President Michel Temer as a “tragic” loss of knowledge and heritage. Even before the embers had begun to cool Monday, grief over the huge cultural loss gave way to anger […]
Israel must Act Unilaterally to Impose Reality on Palestianians: Defense Minister Lieberman
Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel’s defence minister said Monday that negotiations with Palestinians on the situation in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank were pointless and that the country should act unilaterally. Avigdor Lieberman’s remarks came as Egypt and the United Nations were working to forge a lasting ceasefire between Gaza rulers Hamas and Israel […]
Israeli Director Gitai Blasts Netanyahu for “Cozying up to anti-Semites”
Venice (AFP) – Israeli director Amos Gitai lashed his country’s government Monday for trying to “turn culture into propaganda” and cosying up to the “worst anti-Semites in Europe”. He warned that Israel’s “open society” has been put at risk by Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government as he premiered two new documentaries at the Venice film festival. […]
Saudi Arabia again threatens Canal to make Neighbor Qatar an Island
Riyadh (AFP) – A Saudi official hinted Friday the kingdom was moving forward with a plan to dig a canal that would turn the neighbouring Qatari peninsula into an island, amid a diplomatic feud between the Gulf nations. “I am impatiently waiting for details on the implementation of the Salwa island project, a great, historic […]
Public on Trump: 60%: Disapprove; 49%: Impeach! 53%; Guilty of Obstruction!
Washington (AFP) – Sixty percent of Americans disapprove of President Donald Trump’s job performance and nearly half support impeachment, according to an opinion poll published on Friday. Thirty-six percent of Americans approve of Trump’s White House performance, the Washington Post-ABC News poll found. In the last Post-ABC survey, in April, Trump received an approval rating […]
Singer Lana Del Rey cancels Israel Show after Boycott Pressure
Jerusalem (AFP) – American singer Lana Del Rey said Friday she was postponing a performance in Israel after failing to set up a show “in Palestine.” The surprise cancellation came after a campaign by pro-Palestinian groups calling for a cultural boycott of Israel over its occupation of the West Bank. “It’s important to me to […]
Despite Trump’s Violation of it, Iran is Still Abiding by Nuclear Deal, UN Says
Vienna (AFP) – Iran is sticking to the terms of its nuclear deal with world powers, a UN atomic watchdog report showed Thursday, despite ongoing uncertainty over its future. The report from the International Atomic Energy Agency showed that Iran was still complying with the key parameters of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), […]
Fossil Fuels Climate Crisis to Imperil Earth’s Ecosystems, Plants & Animals
Tampa (AFP) – The Earth’s forests, deserts, landscapes and vital ecosystems risk a “major transformation” in the next century due to climate change, international scientists warned on Thursday. Some of these changes are already under way in the southwestern United States, where massive wildfires are destroying pine forests and transforming swaths of territory into shrubland. […]