Podcasts about syrian observatory

Syrian security forces are reported to have carried out a mass execution of fifty-two people of the Alawite minority in the coastal province of Latakia. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says activists have released footage showing dozens of bodies in civilian clothing piled in the yard of a house. The incident follows clashes in the province between government forces and supporters of the former president Bashar al-Assad, which left more than seventy people dead. We speak to a local resident in Latakia. Also in the programme: Russia targets Ukraine's energy infrastructure in a missile and drone attack overnight; and Lady Gaga on her new album and the long, hard road to get there. (Picture: Syrians demonstrate in support of the Syrian government, after attacks carried out by groups loyal to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad in the Latakia region on March 7, 2025. Credit: Mahmoud Hassano/REUTERS)

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 106-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 23,226 on turnover of 2.4-billion N-T. The market closed marginally higher on Tuesday despite rising by over 200-points early in the session - as investor uncertainty kicked-in over Donald Trump's pending return to the White House. Analysts say Trump's possible tariffs have spooked many investors - which has led to uncertainty in the local market. Lawmakers reject Lai's justice nominees Lawmakers have rejected all seven justice nominees selected by President Lai Ching-te to fill the vacancies on the Constitutional Court. None of the seven nominees, including law professor Chang Wen-zhen and former lawmaker Yao Li-ming received the necessary 57 votes in the 113-seat Legislature for approval. Chang and Yao had also been nominated by Lai to serve as the head and deputy head of the Judicial Yuan. The K-M-T has argued that all of Lai's nominees were partisan (偏袒的). Flu epidemic expected this week And, The Centers for Disease Control says over 90,000 flu-like cases were reported last week - and influenza will enter an epidemic phase later this week. According to the C-D-C, total of 94,882 visits to emergency departments and outpatient clinics (門診) for flu-like symptoms were reported from December 15 through 21. That was a 16-per cent increase compared to the number of cases recorded the previous week. The C-D-C is saying based on predictions, the flu epidemic phase is expected to begin this week, with a peak in the number of cases likely to be seen around the Lunar New Year holiday period. Haiti Journalists Killed by Gangs in Hospital Reopening Two reporters were killed in Haiti, as authorities tried to reopen Port-au-Prince's biggest public hospital after it was shut down by gangs earlier this year. AP's Lisa Dwyer reports Kurds Launch Counteroffensive in Syria Kurdish-led fighters in Syria, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, say they have launched a counter-offensive against the Ankara-backed Syrian National Army to take back areas near Syria's northern border with Turkey. The Kurdish-led force is Washington's critical ally in Syria, targeting sleeper cells (秘密行動人員) of the extremist Islamic State group scattered across the country's east. Since the fall of Bashar Assad earlier this month, clashes have intensified (加劇的) between the U.S.-backed group and the SNA, which captured the key city of Manbij and the areas surrounding it. A Britain-based opposition war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says that since the SNA's offensive in northern Syria against the Kurds started earlier this month, dozens from both sides have been killed. Russia Baby Mammoth Remains The 50,000-year-old remains of a baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost have been unveiled to the public by researchers in Russia's Siberia region. They call it the best-preserved mammoth body ever found. The female mammoth nicknamed Yana weighs more than 100 kilograms and is 120 centimeters tall. Her remains are one of seven mammoth carcasses recovered worldwide. Yana will now be studied by scientists at Russia's North-Eastern Federal University, which called the find “exceptional” (特殊的). The university has a dedicated (專門的) mammoth research center and museum. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____.

Syria's rebels claim to have reached the city limits of Homs in their lightning offensive south from Idlib which has already seen them capture the country's second city Aleppo as well as Hama. Capturing Homs would isolate the regime stronghold of Latakia on the Mediterranean coast. Meanwhile the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says an uprising of militias in the south of the country has forced President Assad's forces to withdraw from Daraa.In Romania, the constitutional court has annulled the first round of the Presidential elections, which saw an outsider claim the most votes amid allegations of a foreign-backed influence campaign.And as France prepares to reopen a restored Notre Dame cathedral, we hear some of the music that has resonated within its walls throughout its more than 800-year history.

The Syrian civil war, which has left around half a million people dead, began in 2011 after the Assad government responded to pro-democracy protests with a brutal crackdown. The conflict has been largely dormant since a ceasefire agreed in 2020, but opposition forces have maintained control of the north-western city of Idlib and much of the surrounding province. According to reports from the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, opposition fighters seized nearly all of the city of Aleppo from the government on Sunday except for the neighbourhoods controlled by Kurdish forces. Syria's military withdrew from the city to prepare a counteroffensive. We hear from those caught up in the fighting. Also on the programme: a rare report from West Darfur in Sudan; and how an old term - ‘'brain-rot'' - became the new word of the year. (Picture: Syrian rebels take control of military and civilian airports in Aleppo, Syria. Credit: Bilal al Hammoud/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. TSMC Boosts Taiwan Stocks Above Key Level Taiwan stocks are up this morning, with the TAIEX index jumping over 350 points to 22-thousand-614, recovering key quarterly and six-month averages. The rally was led by TSMC, which climbed back above $1,000 NT, rising $24 NT to $1,020 NT. Other blue-chip stocks also gained, with Hon Hai up $4 NT to $199.5 NT and MediaTek rising to $1-thousand-285 NT. Analysts say TSMC remains the main driver of the market, though concerns linger (徘徊) over U.S. tariffs and tech bans targeting China. They believe the AI trend continues to provide strong momentum but warn that potential policy changes in the U.S. under Donald Trump could bring fresh challenges. (PB) Taiwan CDC announces free shipping for HIV tests until end of December Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control has announced a free shipping incentive (優惠) for home HIV tests until the end of the month… The CDC said members of the general public are entitled to a free shipping subsidy until Dec. 31 for Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV) home tests ordered through the program's official website. The program was announced in observation of the international World AIDS Day which falls on Dec. 1 since it was first introduced in 1988. Those who purchase kits from the site have to just pay NT$200 for each test kit, which can be delivered to partnering outlets such as FamilyMart and 7-Eleven. CDC statistics show Taiwan experienced an increase of 834 HIV positive patients from the beginning of the year until the end of October, which was a 4.8 percent increase compared to the same time frame last year. Syria Rushes in Reinforcements as Insurgents Seize Aleppo The Syrian military rushed reinforcements to the northwest and launched airstrikes Sunday in an attempt to push back insurgents who seized the country's largest city of Aleppo. The insurgents launched a two-pronged attack on Aleppo and the countryside around Idlib, before moving toward neighboring Hama province. On Sunday, government troops created what they called a “strong defensive line” in northern Hama, according to Britain-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Meanwhile, jets struck the cities of Idlib and Aleppo, killing at least 15 people. Syrian President Bashar Assad's office says Iran has pledged to help the government counter the surprise offensive (進攻). Arab leaders, including Jordan's King Abdullah II and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, have also called Assad to express their solidarity. Canada on Communicating Border Difference to Trump Canada's ambassador to the United States says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was successful in getting President-elect Donald Trump and some key cabinet nominees to understand that lumping Canada in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the U.S. is unfair. Kirsten Hillman says Trudeau's dinner with Trump on Friday was a very important step in getting Trump to back away from threatened tariffs on all products. Trump threatened (威脅) to impose tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico if they don't stop what he called the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. Hillman says Trudeau's message that the Canadian border is vastly different from the Mexican border was really understood. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 身障免牌照稅及駕照註銷一站式服務，民眾免奔波～ 包租公婆照過來，申報租賃所得且達租金標準可享房屋稅優惠，房東請記得114年3月24日以前向地方稅局申報！ 小小發票存雲端，愛心捐贈更溫暖！ 中市稅輕鬆FB： https://bit.ly/3ZnMv1Z 臺中市政府地方稅務局廣告 -- 高雄美術特區2-4房全新落成，《惟美術》輕軌C22站散步即到家，近鄰青海商圈，卡位明星學區，徜徉萬坪綠海。 住近美術館，擁抱優雅日常，盡現驕傲風範！美術東四路X青海路 07-553-3838

*) Israel must ensure urgent aid, food gets into Gaza without delay: ICJ The world's top court has ordered Israel to "ensure urgent humanitarian assistance" in Gaza without delay, saying "famine has set in". It also said, "Israel shall take all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay the unhindered provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance," in Gaza And that Palestinians in Gaza are no longer facing only a risk of famine, but famine is setting in". *) Israeli strikes in Syria's Aleppo kill 33 people — report Israel's air strikes on the Syrian countryside near Aleppo have killed and wounded at least 33 civilians and regime soldiers, according to several media reports and officials. Syrian regime news agency SANA said that "at approximately 1:45 am, the Israeli enemy launched an air attack from the direction of Athriya, southeast of Aleppo", adding that "civilians and military personnel" had been killed and wounded in the strike on Friday. However, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the casualties consisted of military personnel, and the attack killed at least "36 Syrian soldiers" and targeted an area "near rockets depots belonging to Lebanese group Hezbollah". *) 'Evidence' links Ukraine to Moscow massacre — Russia Russia said it had evidence that the perpetrators of last week's massacre at a concert hall outside Moscow were linked to "Ukrainian nationalists", a claim the United States called "nonsense". Despite a Daesh affiliate claiming responsibility, President Vladimir Putin and his security services continue to claim that Kiev and the West were somehow involved in the attack, which killed at least 143 people. The Russian Investigative Committee has also said they found evidence linking the detained terrorists with Ukrainian nationalists through analysis of seized technical devices and financial transactions. *) US seeks to stop exports to 600+ defence firms with Russia ties A US Commerce Department official said that they are asking American companies to voluntarily stop shipping goods to more than 600 foreign parties out of concern that the items could be diverted to Russia for use in its attack on Ukraine. He said that the Commerce Department had sent letters to at least 20 companies in recent weeks with the warning in its latest effort to stop Russia's war in Ukraine. The companies in question make and sell products found in missiles and drones found in Ukraine. *) China's Xiaomi to enter highly competitive EV market for first time Chinese tech giant Xiaomi is set to unveil its first EV at a press conference in Beijing, entering a fiercely competitive sector in the world's biggest car market. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said the SU7 EV will "stake its reputation" to challenge Chinese car giant BYD and Elon Musk's Tesla. Lei said the SU7, available in blue bay, olive green, or elegant grey, even includes "sound simulation" to recreate the thrill of driving a sports car.

This is the web version of Foreign Exchanges, but did you know you can get it delivered right to your inbox? Sign up today:TODAY IN HISTORYDecember 2, 1805: At the Battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon wins what was arguably his greatest victory against a larger joint Russian-Austrian army. The Allies suffered 36,000 dead/wounded/captured compared with only 9000 for the French. The French victory was so complete that not only did it end the War of the Third Coalition, it allowed Napoleon to create the Confederation of the Rhine among the German states that had become French clients. Emperor Francis II was then forced to dissolve the Holy Roman Empire, which had been in existence continuously since 962 and traced its origins back to Charlemagne's coronation as “emperor of the Romans” in 800.December 2, 1942: Enrico Fermi and his team create the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction at “Chicago Pile-1,” a rudimentary reactor built under the campus of the University of Chicago. This was the first milestone achievement for the Manhattan Project in its race to build a nuclear bomb before Nazi Germany.December 3, 1971: The Pakistani military undertakes preemptive airstrikes against several Indian military installations, beginning the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, itself the final phase of the Bangladesh Liberation War. India was preparing to enter the war on Bangladesh's side anyway, so when I say these strikes were “preemptive” I am not using that term in the phony, George W. Bush “hey they might attack us someday, you never know” sense of the term. The war, to put it mildly, was a complete disaster for the Pakistanis, who were forced to surrender a scant 13 days later and had to give up their claims on “East Pakistan” (Bangladesh) while suffering around a third of their military killed, wounded, or captured. In one of Henry Kissinger's more notorious acts, the Nixon administration opted to support Pakistan despite evidence of its armed forces committing major atrocities against Bangladeshi civilians.December 3, 1984: A Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, spews toxic methyl isocyanate gas overnight, resulting in the deaths of between 3800 and 16,000 people and causing injury to at least 558,000 more. Union Carbide maintains that the leak was caused by deliberate sabotage, though Indian courts subsequently found several officials at the plant guilty of negligence. The “Bhopal Disaster” remains one of the worst industrial catastrophes in history and its adverse effects are still being felt by people in that region to the present day.MIDDLE EASTISRAEL-PALESTINEThe Israeli military (IDF) was advancing on the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis on Sunday, with Hamas officials and residents both reporting indications of nearby fighting and the IDF later confirming that it has sent ground forces into southern Gaza. The IDF has been ordering civilians to evacuate the eastern reaches of Khan Younis, and of course it's posted a helpful interactive map on its website that warns civilians of imminent danger provided those civilians have reliable internet access and haven't lost their special IDF secret decoder rings. Residents of Khan Younis will likely move further south to Rafah, though that city is also under heavy IDF bombardment so it's not really safe either. Israeli officials say the IDF struck more than 400 targets over the weekend, and the official Gazan death toll had risen at last check to 15,523. The real death toll may be substantially higher, given the likelihood of bodies that haven't yet been recovered and the closure of most of the hospitals that were handling casualties.Elsewhere:* Aid shipments into Gaza have resumed. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society says that 100 truckloads of aid entered the territory from Egypt on Saturday and I believe the aim was to bring in a similar number of trucks on Sunday though I have not seen any information yet as to whether that was accomplished.* The Biden administration may be “pressing” Israel and Hamas to resume negotiations, as White House spokes-ghoul John Kirby told NBC on Sunday, but there's no indication it's having any success. After the ceasefire collapsed on Friday the Israeli government recalled its Mossad negotiators from Qatar, and for Hamas's part the Islamist group's political wing has sworn off any future prisoner swaps “until the war ends.”* The administration is continuing to send large quantities of ordinance to the IDF, including massive “bunker buster” bombs. So any claim that it's really pushing the Israeli government to negotiate a ceasefire or even demonstrate greater discernment in its bombardments really doesn't hold up terribly well.* Israel Hayom is reporting that “key figures” in the US Congress have been shown the text of a “new initiative” that would condition future US aid to Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, and Yemen (all of which it identified as “Arab states,” which would be news to the Turks) on the willingness of governments in those four states to enable the ethnic cleansing of Gaza by taking in refugees. That same outlet has also reported (in Hebrew, so here's a summary from Ryan Grim) that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Minister of Strategic Planning Ron Dermer to put together a plan to “thin the population in Gaza to a minimum,” which if nothing else is an incredible euphemism. The Biden administration has rejected any forced and/or permanent relocation of Gazan civilians, a point that Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated during her visit to the COP28 climate summit in Dubai over the weekend. But it perhaps could be sold on the idea of a “voluntary” (in quotes because in reality it would be anything but) evacuation that is characterized as temporary even if there's no real intention to ever let the evacuees return.* The Guardian says its reporting has confirmed the findings of that bombshell +972 Magazine piece from a few days ago, which reported that the IDF has been using an AI system called “Habsora” (“The Gospel”) to identify targets under a process that's been likened to a “mass assassination factory.” The system is producing targets faster than the IDF can attack them, including private homes where the likelihood of civilian casualties is high. Israeli officials are apparently insisting that the AI is programmed to minimize civilian risk, an assertion that cannot be squared with the high number of civilian casualties incurred so far in this conflict.* Israeli settler mobs attacked two West Bank villages in separate incidents on Saturday, killing at least one Palestinian in one of those attacks. The human rights organization Yesh Din says it's catalogued some 225 settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7, resulting in at least nine deaths.* On a somewhat related note, one of the people killed in last Thursday's shooting in East Jerusalem turns out to have been an Israeli civilian who shot and killed the two Hamas attackers and then was mistakenly gunned down by Israeli soldiers. Video footage apparently shows the man disarming, kneeling, and opening his shirt to demonstrate to the soldiers that he was not a threat, but one of them killed him anyway. The incident has raised issues regarding the trigger happiness of Israeli security forces and the wisdom of the Israeli government's armed vigilante program, which in addition to risking civilian Palestinian deaths also risks more “friendly fire” shootings like this one.* The Washington Post published a story this weekend about the hasty evacuation of al-Nasr Children's Hospital in northern Gaza last month. Without going into some of the grislier details, the staff was forced to evacuate by the IDF and left behind four premature infants who likely would not have survived relocation. They say Israeli officials told them the infants would be taken out in Red Cross ambulances but apparently they were left to die and, eventually, decompose. Reporters discovered their remains during the ceasefire. Israeli officials insist that they never ordered al-Nasr's evacuation and have questioned the veracity of the story, despite video evidence and a recording of a phone call that the IDF itself released in which an Israeli official appears to acknowledge the need to rescue patients from the facility. The Red Cross says it never agreed to assist the evacuation and that conditions in northern Gaza would have made it impossible for its personnel to get to al-Nasr to retrieve the infants.* I mention the al-Nasr story because it strikes me as especially galling. In general I'm trying not to focus heavily on individual atrocities or allegations of atrocities in compiling these newsletters—there would be no space for anything else otherwise. I hope readers don't mistake that for apathy about any of these stories, going back to and including the atrocities committed/allegedly committed by Gazan militants on October 7 (I know cases of sexual violence have been receiving heavy coverage of late). I feel my role here is to try to provide an overview and for me that means keeping some distance from specific events. I'm sure I don't do that consistently but it is my aim.SYRIAAccording to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, that Saturday morning Israeli missile attack in the vicinity of Damascus killed at least two of its personnel who were in Syria on an “advisory” mission. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the strikes killed two Syrians who were affiliated with Hezbollah as well as two foreigners, presumably these IRGC members, while wounding five other people.YEMENHouthi rebels in northern Yemen fired a barrage of missiles and drones at ships in the Red Sea on Sunday. The group damaged three commercial ships and also fired at least three drones at the US naval destroyer USS Carney, which shot the projectiles down. There's no indication of any casualties and two of the vessels reported only minor damage (I'm unsure as to the status of the third). I would not be surprising if the US military were to retaliate against the Houthis in the near future, and there is a genuine risk that this could lead to a full-blown resumption of the Yemen war—though of course that would require Saudi Arabia's involvement.IRAQIraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaʿ al-Sudani reportedly told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a phone conversation on Saturday that Baghdad does not appreciate the US military carrying out attacks on Iraqi soil. The US attacked two Iraqi militia-linked targets on November 22 (during this newsletter's holiday pause), “killing nine pro-Iran fighters” in retaliation for attacks against US personnel according to AFP. Those attacks tapered off during the Gaza ceasefire, but as we know that ceasefire is no longer operative.On Sunday, US forces carried out a drone strike on a militia target in Iraq's Kirkuk province, killing at least five people and wounding five more. There was initially no indication as to responsibility (though one didn't exactly have to be Sherlock Holmes to solve this caper), but the US military later confirmed that it was responsible and characterized the strike as preempting “an imminent threat.”ASIAPAKISTANUnspecified gunmen attacked a bus in northern Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region late Saturday, killing at least nine people and injuring at least 26 others. The bus driver was among those killed, along with the driver of a truck with which the bus collided. There's been no claim of responsibility and the main body of the Pakistani Taliban has taken the rare step of denying any involvement.PHILIPPINESA bombing targeting a Catholic mass killed at least four people and left several others wounded on the campus of Mindanao State University in the southern Philippine city of Marawi on Sunday. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack via Telegram. The previous day, the Philippine military said its forces killed at least 11 jihadist militants in nearby Maguindanao province in an attack targeting “suspected leaders and armed followers of the Dawla Islamiyah [i.e. ‘Islamic State'] and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters” to borrow the AP's verbiage. I don't know whether Sunday's bombing was planned in advance or was intended as a direct retaliation for Saturday's incident.AFRICAGUINEA-BISSAUThe president of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, characterized Thursday night's gun battle between elements of the National Guard and his Presidential Palace Battalion as an “attempted coup” in comments to reporters on Saturday. Embaló had been out of the country attending the COP28 summit when the incident took place and said it had delayed his return to Bissau. National Guard commander Victor Tchongo is now in government custody, but Embaló appeared to suggest that there were other coup plotters behind Tchongo and said he would open an investigation into the incident on Monday. The National Guard is part of the Interior Ministry, which AFP says is “dominated” by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAICG). That party, which won June's parliamentary election and now controls the government, is opposed to Embaló.BURKINA FASOThe military governments of Burkina Faso and Niger announced on Saturday that they are both withdrawing from the G5 Sahel regional counterinsurgency force. That group was formed in 2014 with the aim of pooling resources to battle the various jihadist groups that were threatening Sahelian governments. It began deploying joint forces a couple of years later, but as you might already have concluded it's had minimal impact on the region's jihadist crisis. Mali's ruling junta quit last year, so of the original five member states only Mauritania and Nigeria still remain.ETHIOPIAOfficials in Ethiopia's Oromian regional government have accused the rebel Oromo Liberation Army of killing at least 36 civilians in attacks on three villages that took place on November 24 and 27. The OLA apparently hasn't commented and there's no confirmation of the government claim, but the alleged attacks took place not long after another round of peace talks between the OLA and Ethiopian government broke down, so it's conceivable the group decided to lash out in that moment. The OLA was formed as the military wing of the Oromo Liberation Front in the 1970s but broke away from the group's political leadership when the latter reached a peace accord with the Ethiopian government in 2018. It frequently attacks non-Oromo communities in Oromia, though authorities have only said that the victims of these attacks were Orthodox Christians without reference to ethnicity.EUROPEUKRAINERussian military operations in eastern Ukraine may have hit a couple of speed bumps over the weekend. For one thing, reports that emerged on Friday suggesting that the Russians had seized the town of Maryinka, southwest of the city of Donetsk, appear to have been a bit premature. Ukrainian forces are reportedly still in control of some parts of the town, including a coking plant, though that may change in relatively short order of course. Elsewhere, the Ukrainian military claimed on Saturday that Russian attacks on the city of Avdiivka had completely ceased for a full day. That too could change in a hurry, and indeed may already have changed by the time you read this, but it suggests the Russians were at least regrouping after spending the previous several days in what seemed like intense fighting to try to take the city.The Ukrainian government says it's investigating a claim that Russian soldiers summarily executed two surrendering Ukrainian military personnel. Details are minimal but there's a video of this alleged incident circulating on social media. Needless to say, intentionally killing surrendering soldiers is a war crime.FRANCEA knife-wielding attacker killed one German tourist and wounded two other people near Paris's Eiffel Tower late Saturday. The attacker is a French national who was on a French government “watch list,” had apparently pledged allegiance to Islamic State, and was also “known for having psychiatric disorders” according to Reuters. He cited the conflict in Gaza, among other triggers, to police after his arrest.AMERICASBRAZILBrazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Sunday that he has no intention of bringing Brazil into full membership in the OPEC+ bloc and would stick to “observer” status only, one day after he somewhat incoherently told reporters that he wanted to join the group of major oil producing nations to try to encourage them to stop producing oil. OPEC+ extended a membership offer to Brazil on Thursday, which I gather has raised some eyebrows given Lula's stated commitment to combating climate change. Brazil's state-owned oil company, Petrobras, is continuing to pursue new oil exploration, also despite Lula's climate change position, though he says his aim is to invest oil profits in non-fossil fuel energy alternatives (and to encourage OPEC+ nations to do likewise). Oil remains the cause of, and solution to, all of humanity's problems.VENEZUELAVenezuelans, or at least the ones who participated, apparently voted overwhelmingly in Sunday's referendum to support their country's territorial claim on western Guyana's Essequibo region. Election officials said that the vote was 95 percent in favor for all of its five clauses—the most contentious of which was a question about whether or not to declare Essequibo a new Venezuelan state and extend citizenship to its residents—though there's not much insight as to turnout. There's no indication that the Venezuelan government is planning any imminent steps to try to actualize its claim on Essequibo but the referendum has nevertheless caused some consternation in Guyana and internationally.UNITED STATESFinally, HuffPost's Akbar Shahid Ahmed offers some welcome reassurance that the worst Middle East “expert” in Washington is still central to the Biden administration's regional policy:Four men in Washington shape America's policy in the Middle East. Three are obvious: President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan. The fourth is less well-known, despite his huge sway over the other three ― and despite his determination to keep championing policies that many see as fueling bloodshed in Gaza and beyond.His name is Brett McGurk. He's the White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, and he's one of the most powerful people in U.S. national security.McGurk crafts the options that Biden considers on issues from negotiations with Israel to weapon sales for Saudi Arabia. He controls whether global affairs experts within the government ― including more experienced staff at the Pentagon and the State Department ― can have any impact, and he decides which outside voices have access to White House decision-making conversations. His knack for increasing his influence is the envy of other Beltway operators. And he has a clear vision of how he thinks American interests should be advanced, regarding human rights concerns as secondary at best, according to current and former colleagues and close observers.Indeed, even though McGurk has spent nearly 20 years giving bad advice about the Middle East to a succession of US presidents—and even though his fixation on Saudi-Israeli normalization at Palestinian expense may have helped trigger the October 7 attacks—his influence today appears to be greater than it's ever been. I'm sure that makes all of us feel a little better.Thanks for reading! Foreign Exchanges is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.foreignexchanges.news/subscribe

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, April 7th, 2023. Gravity Jack: Gravity Jack is a full service digital agency specializing in the development of Virtual & Augmented Reality experiences, mobile apps, blockchain and Web3 projects. Founded in 2009 as the first American agency to offer augmented reality, they even patented it; Gravity Jack's digital experiences have been a source of innovation for small business, Fortune 500 Companies, and the US Military. Get your vision in motion at gravityjack.com https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-white-house-says-there-should-be-no-age-limit-on-child-sex-changes-up-to-child-parents-to-decide?utm_campaign=64487 White House says there should be no age limit on child sex changes—up to child, parents to decide During a White House press conference on Wednesday, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was questioned on what age Biden thinks medicalized gender transitions are appropriate for minors, to which she said that it was up to the "child and their parents to decide." https://rumble.com/v2gf8r6-a-reporter-asks-the-wh-press-sec-if-biden-has-a-position-on-at-what-age.html - Play Video Following the fatal shooting at a Nashville Christian school carried out by Audrey Hale last month, who identified as transgender, Jean-Pierre proclaimed that the transgender community was "under attack" by so-called "anti-trans bills" across the nation. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/colorado-poised-to-become-haven-for-youth-gender-reassignment-surgeries/ Colorado Poised to Become Haven for Youth Gender Reassignment Surgeries Colorado Democrats over the weekend advanced a bill cosponsored by a transgender representative that would make their state a safe haven for teenagers seeking sex changes. The Colorado House of Representatives on Saturday passed SB 188, which would require the state’s courts and medical licensing boards to protect doctors who dispense hormones and perform sex changes on teens from states that restrict these surgeries, as well as those who provide abortions. The bill, which was cosponsored by Rep. Brianna Titone (D.), who identifies as transgender, was approved alongside two pieces of legislation that would expand abortion access in the state, all three of which have already passed the state senate. Colorado is the latest blue state whose legislators have moved to enshrine protections to controversial medical procedures. Oregon Democrats last month passed a package designed to make their state a "haven" for people seeking sex changes and abortions, and Minnesota has passed similar legislation. California lawmakers have advanced a number of similar bills, including one bill that would allow children to check into group homes if their parents do not support their "gender identity." The bill, which passed on party lines, was advanced late Saturday after 29-hours of contentious debate. Before passing the measure, House lawmakers added an amendment stating that the state’s definition of "reproductive health care" includes sex change procedures and sterilization. This would ensure the legislation applies for minors under 19, according to Colorado Catholic Conference executive director Brittany Vessely. During the floor debate, Titone scolded a Republican colleague who questioned the safety of child sex changes, saying he lacked "empathy" and claimed no one would choose to change genders voluntarily. An increasing number of children are saying they are transgender, Reuters reported. In 2021, some 42,000 children and teens were told by therapists that they have gender dysphoria—almost triple the number given this diagnosis in 2017. The bill could still face a legal challenge. The state assembly’s non-partisan counsel said last week that SB 188 violates a provision in Colorado’s constitution barring bills from regulating more than one subject, Colorado Politics reports. Colorado’s Office of Legislative Legal Services found that the bill improperly welds the terms "reproductive health care" and "gender-affirming health care" into one entity, when they are actually separate. Democrats say this was a technical issue they resolved in the amendment process. But Republicans say the constitutional problems persist and that the error points to a much larger problem. The bill is expected to be sent to Gov. Jared Polis’s desk for approval, along with the two abortion bills that passed Saturday. Those bills would empower state officials to target crisis pregnancy centers for promoting alleged "misinformation" about abortion and force insurance plans to cover abortion without copays. The bills would also make Colorado the first state to ban abortion pill reversals. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/04/06/exclusive-jim-jordan-subpoenas-manhattan-prosecutor-who-resigned-over-suspended-trump-probe/ Jim Jordan Subpoenas Manhattan Prosecutor Who Resigned over Suspended Trump Probe House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) escalated Republicans’ investigation into the Manhattan district attorney’s indictment of former President Donald Trump by subpoenaing a prosecutor on Thursday who resigned from the office last year over the district attorney’s initial reluctance to pursue Trump’s case. Jordan’s subpoena, reviewed by Breitbart News, directs Mark Pomerantz, who resigned from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office in February 2022, to appear before the committee for a deposition on April 20. Pomerantz, a former special assistant assigned to the years-long Trump case, exited the Manhattan district attorney’s office right after Bragg took over. The move became a public affair when his resignation letter appeared in the New York Times last March. Pomerantz wrote in the letter to Bragg that he believed Trump was “guilty of numerous felony violations” related to his financial statements and that he was quitting because he thought Bragg’s decision at the time to “indefinitely” suspend the investigation into Trump was “misguided.” Jordan observed, based on the resignation letter, that Pomerantz had “prejudged the results” of the investigation and that his critical words of Bragg seemingly sparked the district attorney to openly declare that the Trump investigation was “far from over.” In November 2022, one week after Trump announced he was running for president again, the Times reported that Bragg had revived the Trump investigation and had zeroed in on a hush money scheme involving porn star Stormy Daniels and Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen. “For Mr. Bragg, the hush-money developments suggest the first signs of progress since he took office at the beginning of the year, when he balked at indicting Mr. Trump in connection with his business practices,” the outlet reported at the time. Pomerantz later went on to publish a book about the matter, called People vs. Donald Trump: An Inside Account, in which Pomerantz discussed internal concerns people had about the investigation and worries about the credibility of Cohen, a convicted felon. He added that Pomerantz “frivolously” compared Trump to John Gotti, a notorious New York City mob boss, and described him as a “malignant narcissist.” “The depth of your personal animosity towards him is apparent in your writing,” Jordan concluded. The subpoena marks Republicans’ strongest move yet in its investigation of the New York County’s indictment of Trump amid questions from some about Congress’s authority to probe open state-level criminal matters. https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/04/us-kills-isis-leader-who-planned-international-terrorist-attacks/ US kills ISIS leader who planned international terrorist attacks A senior ISIS leader responsible for planning international terrorist attacks was killed in a U.S. strike on Monday in Syria, dealing another blow to the remnants of the Islamic State. U.S. Central Command, which oversees Middle East operations, said in a statement that the killing of the commander, al-Jabouri, will “temporarily disrupt [ISIS’] ability to plot external attacks.” Describing the operation as a “unilateral strike,” CENTCOM stated that al-Jabouri was a planner for attacks in Europe and Turkey, and had developed the leadership structure for ISIS in Turkey. CENTCOM said the strike did not injure or kill any civilians. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based nonprofit that tracks conflict in Syria, reported that a drone strike killed the commander while he was walking and making a phone call near his house. The strike came two weeks after U.S. forces in Syria traded deadly strikes with Iranian proxies, raising fears of escalation in the region. The Iran-backed strikes killed an American contractor and gave six U.S. troops traumatic brain injuries, CNN reported. Retaliatory strikes by the U.S. killed eight militants and targeted facilities used by groups associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s internal militia and its main force for operations beyond its borders. CENTCOM has stated that the U.S. has about 900 troops deployed in Syria, as well as about 170 contractors, Stars and Stripes reported. U.S. forces are stationed in Syria “to keep an ISIS resurgence at bay,” a military spokesman told the Washington Post in December. CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla told a congressional committee in March that “ISIS would return within one to two years” if the U.S. pulled out of Syria, Stars and Stripes reported. The House of Representatives recently voted down an effort to force the withdrawal of about 900 troops from Syria. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/06/clarence-thomas-supreme-courts-gifts-republican-megadonor Clarence Thomas faces impeachment calls after reports of undisclosed gifts Clarence Thomas, the most conservative justice on the US supreme court, is facing renewed calls for impeachment after it was reported that for two decades he has accepted undisclosed luxury gifts from a Republican mega-donor. Thomas may have violated financial disclosure rules when he failed to disclose travel on yachts and jets and other gifts funded by the property billionaire Harlan Crow and uncovered by ProPublica. It found that Thomas flies on Crow’s Bombardier Global 5000 jet and holidays on Crow’s 162ft super-yacht. He has enjoyed holidays at Crow’s ranch in Texas and joined him at an exclusive all-male California retreat. The justice usually spends about a week each summer at Crow’s private resort in the Adirondack mountains in New York. The revelations prompted sharp criticism by Democrats of Thomas, who after 31 years is the longest-serving justice and an influential voice in the rightwing majority that last year ended the right to abortion. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois and chair of the Senate judiciary committee, said: “This behavior is simply inconsistent with the ethical standards the American people expect of any public servant, let alone a justice on the supreme court. “Today’s report demonstrates, yet again, that supreme court justices must be held to an enforceable code of conduct, just like every other federal judge. The ProPublica report is a call to action, and the Senate judiciary committee will act.” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive congresswoman from New York, tweeted: “This is beyond party or partisanship. This degree of corruption is shocking – almost cartoonish. Thomas must be impeached. Barring some dramatic change, this is what the [chief justice John] Roberts court will be known for: rank corruption, erosion of democracy, and the stripping of human rights.” Impeachment remains unlikely, even given other calls regarding the pro-Trump activities of Thomas’s wife, the rightwing activist Ginni Thomas, and not just because Republicans hold the House. Only one supreme court justice has ever been impeached: Samuel Chase, in 1804-05. He was acquitted in the Senate.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Friday, April 7th, 2023. Gravity Jack: Gravity Jack is a full service digital agency specializing in the development of Virtual & Augmented Reality experiences, mobile apps, blockchain and Web3 projects. Founded in 2009 as the first American agency to offer augmented reality, they even patented it; Gravity Jack's digital experiences have been a source of innovation for small business, Fortune 500 Companies, and the US Military. Get your vision in motion at gravityjack.com https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-white-house-says-there-should-be-no-age-limit-on-child-sex-changes-up-to-child-parents-to-decide?utm_campaign=64487 White House says there should be no age limit on child sex changes—up to child, parents to decide During a White House press conference on Wednesday, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was questioned on what age Biden thinks medicalized gender transitions are appropriate for minors, to which she said that it was up to the "child and their parents to decide." https://rumble.com/v2gf8r6-a-reporter-asks-the-wh-press-sec-if-biden-has-a-position-on-at-what-age.html - Play Video Following the fatal shooting at a Nashville Christian school carried out by Audrey Hale last month, who identified as transgender, Jean-Pierre proclaimed that the transgender community was "under attack" by so-called "anti-trans bills" across the nation. https://freebeacon.com/democrats/colorado-poised-to-become-haven-for-youth-gender-reassignment-surgeries/ Colorado Poised to Become Haven for Youth Gender Reassignment Surgeries Colorado Democrats over the weekend advanced a bill cosponsored by a transgender representative that would make their state a safe haven for teenagers seeking sex changes. The Colorado House of Representatives on Saturday passed SB 188, which would require the state’s courts and medical licensing boards to protect doctors who dispense hormones and perform sex changes on teens from states that restrict these surgeries, as well as those who provide abortions. The bill, which was cosponsored by Rep. Brianna Titone (D.), who identifies as transgender, was approved alongside two pieces of legislation that would expand abortion access in the state, all three of which have already passed the state senate. Colorado is the latest blue state whose legislators have moved to enshrine protections to controversial medical procedures. Oregon Democrats last month passed a package designed to make their state a "haven" for people seeking sex changes and abortions, and Minnesota has passed similar legislation. California lawmakers have advanced a number of similar bills, including one bill that would allow children to check into group homes if their parents do not support their "gender identity." The bill, which passed on party lines, was advanced late Saturday after 29-hours of contentious debate. Before passing the measure, House lawmakers added an amendment stating that the state’s definition of "reproductive health care" includes sex change procedures and sterilization. This would ensure the legislation applies for minors under 19, according to Colorado Catholic Conference executive director Brittany Vessely. During the floor debate, Titone scolded a Republican colleague who questioned the safety of child sex changes, saying he lacked "empathy" and claimed no one would choose to change genders voluntarily. An increasing number of children are saying they are transgender, Reuters reported. In 2021, some 42,000 children and teens were told by therapists that they have gender dysphoria—almost triple the number given this diagnosis in 2017. The bill could still face a legal challenge. The state assembly’s non-partisan counsel said last week that SB 188 violates a provision in Colorado’s constitution barring bills from regulating more than one subject, Colorado Politics reports. Colorado’s Office of Legislative Legal Services found that the bill improperly welds the terms "reproductive health care" and "gender-affirming health care" into one entity, when they are actually separate. Democrats say this was a technical issue they resolved in the amendment process. But Republicans say the constitutional problems persist and that the error points to a much larger problem. The bill is expected to be sent to Gov. Jared Polis’s desk for approval, along with the two abortion bills that passed Saturday. Those bills would empower state officials to target crisis pregnancy centers for promoting alleged "misinformation" about abortion and force insurance plans to cover abortion without copays. The bills would also make Colorado the first state to ban abortion pill reversals. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/04/06/exclusive-jim-jordan-subpoenas-manhattan-prosecutor-who-resigned-over-suspended-trump-probe/ Jim Jordan Subpoenas Manhattan Prosecutor Who Resigned over Suspended Trump Probe House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) escalated Republicans’ investigation into the Manhattan district attorney’s indictment of former President Donald Trump by subpoenaing a prosecutor on Thursday who resigned from the office last year over the district attorney’s initial reluctance to pursue Trump’s case. Jordan’s subpoena, reviewed by Breitbart News, directs Mark Pomerantz, who resigned from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office in February 2022, to appear before the committee for a deposition on April 20. Pomerantz, a former special assistant assigned to the years-long Trump case, exited the Manhattan district attorney’s office right after Bragg took over. The move became a public affair when his resignation letter appeared in the New York Times last March. Pomerantz wrote in the letter to Bragg that he believed Trump was “guilty of numerous felony violations” related to his financial statements and that he was quitting because he thought Bragg’s decision at the time to “indefinitely” suspend the investigation into Trump was “misguided.” Jordan observed, based on the resignation letter, that Pomerantz had “prejudged the results” of the investigation and that his critical words of Bragg seemingly sparked the district attorney to openly declare that the Trump investigation was “far from over.” In November 2022, one week after Trump announced he was running for president again, the Times reported that Bragg had revived the Trump investigation and had zeroed in on a hush money scheme involving porn star Stormy Daniels and Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen. “For Mr. Bragg, the hush-money developments suggest the first signs of progress since he took office at the beginning of the year, when he balked at indicting Mr. Trump in connection with his business practices,” the outlet reported at the time. Pomerantz later went on to publish a book about the matter, called People vs. Donald Trump: An Inside Account, in which Pomerantz discussed internal concerns people had about the investigation and worries about the credibility of Cohen, a convicted felon. He added that Pomerantz “frivolously” compared Trump to John Gotti, a notorious New York City mob boss, and described him as a “malignant narcissist.” “The depth of your personal animosity towards him is apparent in your writing,” Jordan concluded. The subpoena marks Republicans’ strongest move yet in its investigation of the New York County’s indictment of Trump amid questions from some about Congress’s authority to probe open state-level criminal matters. https://americanmilitarynews.com/2023/04/us-kills-isis-leader-who-planned-international-terrorist-attacks/ US kills ISIS leader who planned international terrorist attacks A senior ISIS leader responsible for planning international terrorist attacks was killed in a U.S. strike on Monday in Syria, dealing another blow to the remnants of the Islamic State. U.S. Central Command, which oversees Middle East operations, said in a statement that the killing of the commander, al-Jabouri, will “temporarily disrupt [ISIS’] ability to plot external attacks.” Describing the operation as a “unilateral strike,” CENTCOM stated that al-Jabouri was a planner for attacks in Europe and Turkey, and had developed the leadership structure for ISIS in Turkey. CENTCOM said the strike did not injure or kill any civilians. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based nonprofit that tracks conflict in Syria, reported that a drone strike killed the commander while he was walking and making a phone call near his house. The strike came two weeks after U.S. forces in Syria traded deadly strikes with Iranian proxies, raising fears of escalation in the region. The Iran-backed strikes killed an American contractor and gave six U.S. troops traumatic brain injuries, CNN reported. Retaliatory strikes by the U.S. killed eight militants and targeted facilities used by groups associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s internal militia and its main force for operations beyond its borders. CENTCOM has stated that the U.S. has about 900 troops deployed in Syria, as well as about 170 contractors, Stars and Stripes reported. U.S. forces are stationed in Syria “to keep an ISIS resurgence at bay,” a military spokesman told the Washington Post in December. CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla told a congressional committee in March that “ISIS would return within one to two years” if the U.S. pulled out of Syria, Stars and Stripes reported. The House of Representatives recently voted down an effort to force the withdrawal of about 900 troops from Syria. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/apr/06/clarence-thomas-supreme-courts-gifts-republican-megadonor Clarence Thomas faces impeachment calls after reports of undisclosed gifts Clarence Thomas, the most conservative justice on the US supreme court, is facing renewed calls for impeachment after it was reported that for two decades he has accepted undisclosed luxury gifts from a Republican mega-donor. Thomas may have violated financial disclosure rules when he failed to disclose travel on yachts and jets and other gifts funded by the property billionaire Harlan Crow and uncovered by ProPublica. It found that Thomas flies on Crow’s Bombardier Global 5000 jet and holidays on Crow’s 162ft super-yacht. He has enjoyed holidays at Crow’s ranch in Texas and joined him at an exclusive all-male California retreat. The justice usually spends about a week each summer at Crow’s private resort in the Adirondack mountains in New York. The revelations prompted sharp criticism by Democrats of Thomas, who after 31 years is the longest-serving justice and an influential voice in the rightwing majority that last year ended the right to abortion. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois and chair of the Senate judiciary committee, said: “This behavior is simply inconsistent with the ethical standards the American people expect of any public servant, let alone a justice on the supreme court. “Today’s report demonstrates, yet again, that supreme court justices must be held to an enforceable code of conduct, just like every other federal judge. The ProPublica report is a call to action, and the Senate judiciary committee will act.” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive congresswoman from New York, tweeted: “This is beyond party or partisanship. This degree of corruption is shocking – almost cartoonish. Thomas must be impeached. Barring some dramatic change, this is what the [chief justice John] Roberts court will be known for: rank corruption, erosion of democracy, and the stripping of human rights.” Impeachment remains unlikely, even given other calls regarding the pro-Trump activities of Thomas’s wife, the rightwing activist Ginni Thomas, and not just because Republicans hold the House. Only one supreme court justice has ever been impeached: Samuel Chase, in 1804-05. He was acquitted in the Senate.

By: Ryan Dery Bloomberg reported on Sunday that International Atomic Energy Agency monitors have detected evidence that Iran has enriched an unknown quantity of uranium to 84 percent. Uranium that has been enriched that high is close to the traditional “weapons grade” level of 90 percent or higher. The Israeli military carried out a missile strike on Syrian on Sunday morning, killing at least 15 people in what the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights characterized as its “deadliest” attack on Damascus since the start of the Syrian civil war. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allows Ukrainian grain to bypass a Russian naval blockade, may be breaking down. The rate of inspections of ships leaving the Black Sea has reportedly dropped to half of what it was four months ago, which has meant more cargo ships waiting for clearance and less Ukrainian grain getting to market.

News Connect（ニュースコネクト）あなたと経済をつなぐ5分間 1日1つ、5分間で、国際政治や海外のビジネスシーンを中心に、世界のメガトレンドがわかる重要ニュースを解説。朝の支度や散歩、通勤、家事の時間などにお聴きいただけるとうれしいです。 ▼出演： 竹村由紀子（報道ディレクター／映像作家） https://twitter.com/Yukiko_Takemura ▼支援プログラム「Chronicleサポーター」については、こちらをご参照ください。 https://chronicle-inc.net/support/ https://note.com/t_nomura/n/n43e514e703b4 ▼参考ニュース： トルコがクルド人武装組織拠点攻撃 緊張高まる 爆発から1週間（NHK） https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20221121/k10013898261000.html トルコ、シリアとイラクに空爆　爆発テロの報復か（日本経済新聞） https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOGR202110Q2A121C2000000/ Turkish airstrikes | Number of regime soldiers kil-led rise to 16 including officers（Syrian Observatory for Human Rights） https://www.syriahr.com/en/276922/ クルド人とは　なぜトルコが攻撃しているのか（BBC） https://www.bbc.com/japanese/video-50038620 ▼Podcast Studio Chronicle公式サイト https://chronicle-inc.net/

Guest: Elijah Magnier. We talk about the the three attacks in one week on US bases in Iraq following an announcement that the US will escalate the operation in Iraq. US and NATO troops will no longer be withdrawn from Iraq but instead the escalate and expand the mission substantially. We also talk about Syria, the axis of resistance and the broader region.  When we recorded this interview a few days ago the media was reporting that the Biden administration is taking a calm approach, investigating the source of the attacks and not overreacting. All of that changed just a couple of days later when Biden launched an retaliatory attack on “infrastructure utilized by Iranian-backed militant groups in eastern Syria.” Reports on the multiple-target attack are still varying at the moment but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that 22 people were killed. The strikes happened in al Bukamal near the border with Iraq and the “Iranian-backed militant groups” that the Pentagon spokesman referred to are Iraqi Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) fighters. The PMF is sponsored by the Iraqi government and was reorganized around 2014 to fight against ISIS, something that Elijah has explained in previous interviews on this podcast. No evidence from the alleged investigation that the media claimed the Biden administration was conducting before any response has been reported. The Pentagon frames it as a defensive strike and also claims that this was an attempt to “de-escalate the overall situation in both eastern Syria and Iraq.”  There is also a bonus question for patrons about US support for Saudi operations in Yemen and an increase in deployment of US troops in Saudi Arabia and why the American people don’t elect leaders who can end the forever wars.  FOLLOW Elijah  on Twitter @ejmalrai. Find and support his work at ejmagnier.com where you can subscribe to his articles and donate.  Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com.  SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon.  SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on February 23, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

President Joe Biden ordered U.S. airstrikes on Syria in his first military offensive since he took office. The strikes were aimed at buildings purportedly used by Iranian backed Iraqi militias in a nation that has experienced a decade of devastating war. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the strikes resulted in the deaths...

Italy marks its deadliest day in the coronavirus pandemic and England will offer an HIV prevention pill to those at high risk. *) World grapples with spread of coronavirus Italy recorded the deadliest day of the coronavirus pandemic with 368 new deaths on Sunday, raising the total number of fatalities to over 1,800. More than 100 million Europeans are now on lockdown, with Spain joining Italy in restricting people's movements The pandemic has infected more than 168,000 people and killed more than 6,400 around the world. *) Syria's brutal war enters 10th year The brutal conflict in Syria entered its 10th year with Bashar al Assad's regime consolidating its hold over a war-wracked country. The conflict began in March 2011 after the regime violently responded to peaceful anti-government protests. Since then over 560,000 people have been killed and more than 11 million people displaced, according to The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor. *)Netanyahu rival Gantz chosen to form new Israeli government Israel's president tapped Benny Gantz to form a government, in an attempt to end a political stalemate to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Reuven Rivlin's announcement marked a setback for right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gantz secured recommendations to lead a government from 61 lawmakers in the 120-seat Knesset, or parliament, after a March 2 election. *)Dozens of Lagos buildings destroyed after oil pipeline explodes At least 15 people have been killed after an oil pipeline exploded in Nigeria's Lagos city. A fire broke out after the explosion, which destroyed at least 50 homes and several other buildings in the area. Government officials say the cause of the explosion is still unknown, but local media ruled out vandalism as a cause. And finally, *) England joins nations offering HIV prevention pill to all at high risk England will join a growing list of countries offering an HIV-prevention pill to all those at high risk of catching the virus, the British government said. The highly effective pre-exposure prophylaxis drugs will be available for free later this year, the Department of Health said. Health campaigners hailed the move as a "milestone moment."

At least six people were killed and 28 people were wounded in three attacks in Qamishli on November 11th, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The car bombs have been placed in busy commercial streets... #RojavaDiary

Turkey has launched an aerial and ground assault on northern Syria targeting Kurdish-controlled areas. The offensive began Wednesday, just days after President Trump ordered U.S. troops to fall back from their positions on the Turkish-Syrian border. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports at least 16 Kurds have been killed so far. Turkey is claiming the death toll is far higher. The Trump administration has faced widespread criticism from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers for abandoning the stateless Kurds who had helped the U.S. fight ISIS. Turkey is claiming the assault is needed to establish a “safe zone” in northern Syria where Turkey could relocate Syrian refugees who fled over the past eight years of fighting, but the Kurds see the offensive as part of a decades-long attack by Turkey to crush their attempts at greater autonomy. The Kurds have been responsible for holding over 10,000 ISIS fighters and their families in detention. While Trump has claimed Turkey will take control of the makeshift jails, there is growing concern many former ISIS fighters will be able to escape during the Turkish assault. At least one Kurdish prison has already been shelled. To discuss the implications of Turkey's assault, we speak with Elif Sarican, a Kurdish Women's Movement activist and anthropologist at the London School of Economics. We also speak with Ertuğrul Kürkçü, honorary chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party in Turkey, known as the HDP. He is a former member of Parliament in Turkey. The post After Trump Abandoned Kurds, Turkish Invasion Raises Fear of Kurdish Genocide & ISIS Resurgence appeared first on KPFA.

Afghans are bracing for a possible new wave of Taliban violence after President Trump abruptly called off talks with the insurgent group. The Taliban vows to continue its fight against what it calls “foreign occupation.” Trump’s surprise weekend announcement came shortly before a string of highly sensitive days in Afghanistan, including Monday’s anniversary of the killing of an anti-Taliban commander and Wednesday’s 9/11 anniversary. Syrian opposition activists say unknown warplanes have targeted an arms depot belonging to Iran-backed militias in eastern Syria, killing more than a dozen Iranian and pro-Iranian fighters. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the airstrikes were in a town along the border with Iraq. The activists also report wide damage to the arms depot and vehicles. British Airways canceled almost all its flights for 48 hours Monday because of a pilots strike over pay. As many 195,000 travelers could be impacted.

*) Syria regime forces enter key town amid fierce clashes – monitor Syrian regime forces entered a key town on Sunday amid “fierce clashes” with opposition and rebels which left at least 97 dead, a war monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported regime ground troops penetrated Khan Shaykhun in Idlib for the first time since 2014. The regime has been advancing over the past few days in a bid to encircle Khan Shaykhun and seize a highway connecting Damascus with Aleppo. *)Iran says it has warned US against seizing oil tanker Iran’s oil tanker at the centre of a diplomatic dispute departed from Gibraltar after the British overseas territory rejected US demands to seize the vessel. According to the monitoring website, the supertanker Grace 1 lifted anchor on Sunday evening and started sailing south. Gibraltar seized Grace 1 on July 4 on suspicion it was transporting oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions, causing UK-Iran ties to deteriorate. *)Afghan families bury their dead after wedding attack Afghanistan’s president vowed to eliminate all safe havens of Daesh after a horrific wedding attack was claimed by a local affiliate of the terror group. President Ghani’s comments on the country’s 100th Independence Day came as Afghans mourn 63 people killed in the Kabul bombing. A US envoy in talks with the Taliban to end an 18-year-old war says the process should be accelerated to help Afghanistan defeat Daesh. *)China lashes out at Taiwan over Hong Kong asylum offer China lashed out at Taiwan over its offer of political asylum to participants of Hong Kong’s anti-Beijing protests. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said the offer would “cover up the crimes of a small group of violent militants” and “turn Taiwan into a “heaven for ducking the law.” Hong Kong is gearing up for more protests after hundreds of thousands of protesters braved heavy rain to rally peacefully on Sunday. *)India reimposes some curbs in disputed Kashmir And finally, Schools were expected to reopen in India-administered Kashmir, two weeks after the government pulled the Muslim-majority region’s autonomy. India reimposed restrictions on movement in Kashmir’s Srinagar city on Sunday after overnight clashes between residents and police. More than 4,000 people were arrested under a controversial law allowing authorities to imprison someone for up to two years without charge or trial.

Trump offers to mediate Kashmir issue US President Donald Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him to mediate the 70-year-old Kashmir issue. India rejected the statement Trump made, saying it will deal directly with Pakistan on issues related to the disputed region. At a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, Trump said he could end the Afghanistan war but it would wipe it "off the face of the earth". Syrian regime and Russian jets kill at least 69 Syrian regime and Russian jets hit a crowded market in northwest Syria, killing at least 69 people, according to a war monitor. The raids hit a vegetable market and surrounding areas in the town of Maaret al Numan in Idlib province, air strikes also struck the nearby town of Saraqib, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Turkey and Russia agreed last September to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited. Hong Kong police arrest six over train station attack To Hong Kong now, where police have arrested six suspects believed to have triad links after an attack at a train station injured 45 people. The suspects are believed to be part of a masked group that assaulted pro-democracy demonstrators during protests over a controversial extradition bill. The attacks happened as protesters were heading home after the seventh consecutive week of anti-government demonstrations. Rockets fired into Turkish border town from Syria Six people, including a child, were injured when one of two rockets fired from a YPG-controlled area in Syria hit a family estate in southeastern Turkey. The Turkish army responded with heavy artillery fire to various positions. The US-backed YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK terror group which has led an insurgency against the Turkish state that cost at least 40,000 lives. Cristiano Ronaldo will not face rape charges in Las Vegas And finally, Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo will not face charges in Las Vegas over sexual assault allegations. Prosecutors said the case cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Kathryn Mayorga, a former model, said that Ronaldo raped her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. The striker has denied the accusations.

*)Britain prepares for emergency meeting for seized tanker UK Prime Minister Theresa May will hold a meeting of Britain’s emergency committee COBRA to discuss Iran’s seizure of a UK-flagged tanker. Iranian forces seized the oil tanker with 23 crew members aboard in the highly sensitive Strait of Hormuz on Friday. Tensions continue to escalate in the Gulf after a series of attacks on oil tankers prompted the US to increase military presence there. *)Palestinians face Israeli demolition of homes Israeli forces began demolishing Palestinian-owned buildings in a village in occupied East Jerusalem. Bulldozers accompanied by hundreds of Israeli soldiers rolled into Sur Baher, in the face of Palestinian protests and international criticism. The move comes despite calls from the EU and UN for Israel to halt demolitions which target at least 100 apartments in 16 buildings. *)Masked men storm train station in Hong Kong A vicious assault against pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong by suspected triad gangsters left dozens wounded. Hong Kong’s unrest took a violent turn on Sunday when gangs carrying sticks and metal poles set upon protesters returning from a huge march. Hours earlier, hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets in the heart of Hong Kong to call for direct elections. *)Regime, Russian strikes kill at least 18 in Syria’s Idlib Syrian regime and Russian jets continue to target opposition-held territories in Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 18 people were killed in the latest strikes to hit Idlib region in northwestern Syria. Anas al Dyab, a young citizen journalist filming the bombardment, and seven children were among the dead. *)‘Avengers: Endgame’ breaks all-time box office record And finally, The global box office has a new king in “Avengers: Endgame.” The superhero extravaganza passed “Avatar” to become the highest-grossing film of all time. “Avengers: Endgame” raked in an estimated $2.79 billion worldwide, breaking the $2.789 billion record held by “Avatar” for a decade.

Tuesday, June 11, 2019 Gunmen massacre at least 95 people in Mali, and Semenya makes the preliminary squad for South Africa. This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Tuesday, June 11th. Gunmen massacre at least 95 people in Mali Nearly 100 people were killed in an attack on a central Mali village, authorities said on Monday. The massacre, targeting the Dogon community, bore the hallmarks of tit-for-tat ethnic attacks seen recently in Mali. It comes less than three months after nearly 160 members of the Fulani ethnic community were slaughtered by a group identified as Dogon. Syrian regime, Russian fire kills 25 civilians in Idlib Air strikes and rocket fire by the Syrian regime and its ally Russia killed 25 people in Idlib. War-monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said seven children were among the dead. The demilitarised zone has been under deadly regime bombardment since April 30 and more than 360 civilians have been killed, the Observatory said. Top US envoy heads to Sudan A top US diplomat will head to Sudan this week to urge an end to a bloody crackdown on protesters demanding civilian rule. Last week’s assault on a sit-in left dozens dead and abruptly ended talks between the ruling military and protesters on who will rule Sudan. But Ethiopian Prime Minister Ahmed’s mediations could help break the deadlock. An opposition alliance said it is ready to nominate members of a transitional council and an economist to head a government. Court gives three life in prison in Kashmir rape case An Indian court sentenced three men to life in prison over the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in India-administered Kashmir. The girl, who was from a Muslim nomadic community, was sexually assaulted in a temple for weeks before being tortured to death last year. Three policemen accused of destruction of evidence in the case were given five years in prison. Semenya in preliminary South Africa world championship team And finally, Olympic champion Caster Semenya has been included in South Africa’s preliminary team for this year’s world championship in Doha. Semenya is fighting a ruling that female athletes with elevated testosterone have to take hormone suppressors to compete in certain events. Her inclusion in the team is dependent on the outcome of her appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal. And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World ... For more, head to TRTWorld.com.

This week the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had confirmation that IS group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was dead. It never produced any proof, but it is the first "credible " organization to go that far. On this program we examine what 's known about al-Baghdadi's status, his elusiveness and what happens after he and his so-called caliphate pass from the scene. Brett Velicovich, who chased al-Baghdadi for years in the U.S. Army, and Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior Iran analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, join us on the program to break it all down.

Naive Fragen zu: NATO-Gipfel - mich würde interessieren, wie das Auswärtige Amt, wie der Minister die Aussagen von Frau Merkel über die „anderen“ von gestern bewertet. (ab 13:55 min) - Wie bewertet das Auswärtige Amt die Aussage, dass man sich nicht mehr auf die anderen verlassen könne? - zu Indien: Was verspricht man sich denn jetzt von dem bilateralen Treffen, so kurz nach dem G7-Gipfel? (ab 29:05) - Bei der Klimapolitik ging es beim G7-Gipfel ja meistens um die USA. War denn auch die deutsche Rolle, die deutsche Klimapolitik ein Thema? Die Bundesregierung selbst hält sich ja auch nicht an ihre eigenen Klimaziele. Syrien (ab 35:45 min) - Das Pentagon hat bestätigt, dass letzten Donnerstag und letzten Freitag in der Al-Mayadin-Region im Südosten Syriens Luftangriffe durchgeführt wurden, bei denen 106 Menschen Zivilisten gestorben seien. Laut übereinstimmenden Medienberichten zum Beispiel vom „Syrian Observatory for Human Rights“, das Sie ja auch immer wieder zitieren seien darunter 42 Kinder, und das seien die Familien der IS Kämpfer gewesen. Wie schätzt die Bundesregierung diese Angriffe ein? Unterstützt die Bundesregierung Angriffe auf Familien von Terroristen? - haben die deutschen Tornados im Vorfeld dieser Angriffe am 25. und 26. Mai Aufklärungsflüge durchgeführt? - können Sie sagen, was die Bundesregierung bzw. die Bundeswehr interkoalitionär tut, damit die Koalition keine Familien von Terroristen tötet? - Hans Jessens Fragen dazu: ab 44:00 min Deutsche Gefangene in der Türkei (ab 41:47 min) - Gibt es für Frau Tolu und den neuen deutschen Gefangenen ich nenne ihn einmal so in der Türkei mittlerweile konsularische Betreuung? Wie sieht es mit Herrn Yücel aus? - Haben Sie die Hoffnung, dass es für den anderen deutschen Gefangenen, dem konsularische Betreuung zusteht, jetzt auch vorangeht? - wie kam das jetzt mit Frau Tolu? Israel/Palästina (ab 48:05 min) - können Sie uns die Bewertung des Endes des Hungerstreiks in Israel vortragen? Palästinensische Gefangene ich meine, es waren fast tausend haben 41 Tage lang gestreikt. Die Israelis haben einen Kompromiss gefunden, dass diese Gefangenen jetzt zweimal pro Monat Familienbesuch bekommen können. - Am selben Tag hat Herr Netanjahu, der Ministerpräsident, gesagt, dass Israel die Souveränität über Jerusalem niemals aufgeben werde. Wir bewertet die Bundesregierung diese Haltung? Jung & Naiv gibt es nur dank eurer Unterstützung! Bitte unterstützt unsere Arbeit finanziell: Tilo Jung IBAN: DE36700222000072410386 BIC: FDDODEMMXXX Verwendungszweck: BPK PayPal ► http://www.paypal.me/JungNaiv Fanshop ► http://fanshop-jungundnaiv.de/

The London-based NGO, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, claimed recently that the number of dead from the civil war in Syria will soon hit the 200,000 mark. At the time we did the following radio show about what's really going on in Syria, the mainstream media was reporting that the Obama administration was "considering sending" military aid to the 'rebels'. What SOTT.net has been reporting since they launched this dirty war in 2011 - that foreign terrorists have been fully supported by...

The London-based NGO, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, claimed recently that the number of dead from the civil war in Syria will soon hit the 200,000 mark. At the time we did the following radio show about what's really going on in Syria, the mainstream media was reporting that the Obama administration was "considering sending" military aid to the 'rebels'. What SOTT.net has been reporting since they launched this dirty war in 2011 - that foreign terrorists have been fully supported by...

The London-based NGO, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, claimed recently that the number of dead from the civil war in Syria will soon hit the 200,000 mark. At the time we did the following radio show about what's really going on in Syria, the mainstream media was reporting that the Obama administration was "considering sending" military aid to the 'rebels'. What SOTT.net has been reporting since they launched this dirty war in 2011 - that foreign terrorists have been fully supported by...