TeleSur | – – Swedish prosecutors dropped the rape investigation into WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Friday, saying the investigation had not been able to proceed because of legal obstacles. “Today is an important victory for me and for the U.N. human rights system,” Assange said in an address on the balcony of the Ecuadorean […]
Are Iran and Saudi Arabia Heading Toward War?
By Mohammed Nuruzzaman | (Informed Comment) | – – Relations across the Persian Gulf are deteriorating fast. Iran and Saudi Arabia are once again at daggers drawn and sounding highly menacing to each other. The last time they were on the verge of a showdown, which they eventually averted, was in early 2016 following the […]
Revival of Iraqi Communism among Youth alarms Shiite Militias
Mustafa Habib | (Niqash.org) | – – Last week’s kidnapping of seven activists in Baghdad could be another sign of increasing tensions between secular parties in Iraq and the country’s ruling religious groups. Is history repeating? Last week, an unidentified armed group kidnapped a number of younger civil society activists from their small apartment in […]
The Iranian Election: It’s the Economy, Stupid!
By Stella Morgana | The Conversation | – – On May 19, Iranians will choose their next president and determine what direction the country will take. The race has become tighter now that Tehran’s conservative mayor Mohammad-Baghar Ghalibaf has withdrawn his candidacy and backed the hardliner cleric Ebrahim Raisi. Raisi is the main competition for […]
Why Watergate is not the Right Analogy for the Trump Constitutional Crisis
By Neal Gabler | (Billmoyers.com) | – – Contrary to the myth, Nixon’s resignation was anything but the inevitable consequence of a powerful constitutional juggernaut. A witness indicates H.R. Haldeman, Nixon’s chief of staff, on a diagram as he testifies before the Senate Watergate Committee during the Watergate hearings. The nationally televised hearings began in […]
Could Comey Memo lead to Impeachment of Trump?
Jon Queally, staff writer | ( Commondreams.org) | – – “Donald Trump wanted to stop the FBI investigation, which is the definition of obstruction of justice,” says Sen. Bernie Sanders. President Donald Trump’s threat also follows differing reports of what occurred during a dinner between him and James Comey just before the FBI director’s firing. […]
CO2 putting Oceans on verge of Oxygen Starvation for next Million Years
University of Exeter | – – Scientists believe the modern ocean is “on the edge of anoxia” – and the Exeter researchers say it is “critical” to limit carbon emissions to prevent this. The depletion of oxygen in the oceans is known as “anoxia”, and scientists from the University of Exeter have been studying how […]
It’s the wrong time to mock Republican voter outrage
By Ian Berman | (Informed Comment) | – – The Waking of the American Voter As voters express their anger at Republican politician town halls, Democrats are rejoicing saying I told you so. The desire to mock these voters for being shortsighted is understandable, but this outrage is half of exactly what the country needs. […]
The Refugee Crisis and the Renewal of Our Humanity
By Gregory Alonso Pirio | (Informed Comment) | – – The colossal refugee crisis confronting humankind today has created an unprecedented opportunity to awaken our sense of common humanity and compassion. No doubt, the challenges of offering care to strangers can be daunting. It is, however, in the compassionate response to such challenges that we […]