Lucas Leiroz de Almeida<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. Violence Escalates on the Border Between Venezuela and Colombia.<\/a><\/span> globalresearch.ca<\/a><\/span> Once again, tensions are rising on the border between Venezuela and …<\/span><\/p>\n Aidan O'Brien*<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. US Values Vs Chinese Values: Empire Vs Bandung As Seen From Cape Verde — OpEd.<\/a><\/span> eurasiareview.com<\/a><\/span> <\/span> In February the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinkin, made it a priority to phone Rui Figueiredo, the Foreign Affairs and Defense Minister of Cape Verde. They spoke about commerce and "security" (1). | Why? Why is the tiny African nation of Cape Verde (population 550,000) a US priority? In short: because the US is behind China in the latest "scramble for Africa". | To rectify its position, vis-à -vis China, in Africa (and elsewhere): "U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to put values at the heart of his administration's China policy. Since entering office, he has called on the world's democracies to gird for a n…<\/span><\/p>\n Arab News<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. Jordan: Former Head Of Royal Court, Other Senior Officials Arrested.<\/a><\/span> eurasiareview.com<\/a><\/span> <\/span> Jordanian citizens Hasan bin Zaid and Bassem Awadallah, who is a former head of the Jordanian Royal Court, have been arrested, Jordan News Agency reported. | The arrests were made after close security follow-ups and "for security reasons," the agency reported. | Jordan News Agency said Prince Hamza bin Al-Hussein was not one of the people detained, despite reports in some publications, including the Washington Post, which claimed he had been arrested. | Saudi Arabia expressed the Kingdom's support for Jordan and any measures that the country takes to protect it's security, Al-Ekhbariya reported.<\/span><\/p>\n Al Bawaba News<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. OPEC+ Agrees On Gradual Output Increase.<\/a><\/span> eurasiareview.com<\/a><\/span> <\/span> The 15th Under the agreement, Opec+, which includes Russia, will increase output by 350,000 barrels a day in both May and June and by 441,000 barrels a day in July. Over the same period, Saudi Arabia will gradually unwind additional cuts of 1 million barrels a day that it has been making voluntarily, reports said. | It's estimated that Opec+ has been withholding 8 million barrels a day from the market. | Reports said Russia…<\/span><\/p>\n orinocotribune<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. La Victoria and El Ripial Calm and Under Military Protection (Apure State).<\/a><\/span> orinocotribune.com<\/a><\/span> <\/span> The commander of the Strategic Integral Defense Region (REDI) Los Llanos, General Alejandro Guevara Hernández, reported that the people of El Ripial, La Victoria and other areas of the Apure state are "calm and under the protection of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB)." | He also informed that the inhabitants of these communities are receiving food, medicine and other necessary items from the social programs of the Venezuelan government. In addition, electrical services and water supply in the regions have already been restored. | La FANB continua desplegada garantizando la paz, la tranquilidad y en cons…<\/span><\/p>\n Jose Manuel Blanco Diaz<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. Fake News Warfare in Venezuela: Now an Alleged Morgue Collapse Due to COVID-19.<\/a><\/span> orinocotribune.com<\/a><\/span> <\/span> Friday, April 2, social media networks in Venezuela were once again the center of a debate in which users revealed a case of fake news. The action began with photographs that were circulated depicting an alleged "COVID-19 death surge" in the Bello Monte morgue in Caracas. | The issue became a trending topic at a time when the country is going through a second wave of coronavirus infections. On the same day, for example, 1,254 new positive cases, and 13 deaths from the illness were reported. | <\/span><\/p>\n teleSUR<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. Mexico: Women Rights Activists Protest Over Femicides.<\/a><\/span> telesurenglish.net<\/a><\/span> Women rights activists took to the streets in Mexico City to protest recent femicides in the State of Quintana Roo and the murder of Salvadorean migrant Victoria Salazar. | RELATED: | Chanting "Victoria did not die, the police killed her!" and "My friends take care of me, not the police", activists marched from the Revolution Monument to the "Paseo de la Reforma" street. | NGO Marabunta Humanitarian Brigade accompanied the…<\/span><\/p>\n Juan Cole<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. Over objections of Dem Hawks, Biden agrees to indirect Talks with Iran in Vienna to return to the 2015 Nuclear Deal.<\/a><\/span> juancole.com<\/a><\/span> Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — AFP reports that an arrangement was reached at Friday's teleconference in Vienna between the current signatories to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal to mediate indirect talks between Iran and the United States next week. State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the US had agreed to participate in the discussions …<\/span><\/p>\n orinocotribune<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. Latest Developments in Apure: Families Displaced in Border Clashes Return to Their Homes in El Ripial.<\/a><\/span> orinocotribune.com<\/a><\/span> Inhabitants of El Ripial town in Apure state, who were displaced due to clashes between the Venezuelan military and Colombian paramilitary gangs over the last few days, are returning home with support from the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) deployment protecting the border zones. El Ripial is one of the localities from which the Venezuelan military has expelled Colombian armed narco-paramilitary gangs. This follows violent actions committed by the said criminal groups, reported from multiple locations close to the Colombia-Venezuela border in Apure. | Last week, facing violence from the Colombian narco-te…<\/span><\/p>\n Fight Back<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. Austin rallies in solidarity with Palestine on Land Day.<\/a><\/span> fightbacknews.org<\/a><\/span> Austin, TX – On March 30, around 30 students and activists from all over Austin converged on the State Capitol building in solidarity with Palestine on Land Day. The action was organized by Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC), a local group dedicated to organizing in solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle against the Israeli occupation. | PSC was joined by many local groups including Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Red Aid, and the United Neighborhood Defense Movement, among others. | As various speakers explained, Land Day is a commemoration of March 30, 1976 when – after the Israeli oc…<\/span><\/p>\n _____<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. No Talks Needed For US Return To Iran Nuclear Deal.<\/a><\/span> popularresistance.org<\/a><\/span> Last month, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced that Tehran is in "no hurry" to return to its obligations under the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and is prepared to wait until the US lifts its illegal sanctions against the Islamic Republic. | Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has stated that a possible US decision to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal, also known asthe Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), does not require any talks. | Speaking to the deal's remaining signatories during a virtual meeting on Friday, Araqchi added that "Iran will suspend its steps [scaling back compliance…<\/span><\/p>\n teleSUR<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. Iran Rules Out US Claim of "Step-by-Step" Lifting of Sanctions.<\/a><\/span> telesurenglish.net<\/a><\/span> "As has been clearly stated many times, no step-by-step plan is being considered," Khatibzadeh told Press TV. | RELATED: | "The definitive policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the lifting of all US sanctions, whether those which Trump reimposed after withdrawing from the JCPOA or those which he initiated, as well as sanctions imposed under any other heading," he said. | His remarks came in response to claims…<\/span><\/p>\n orinocotribune<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. Venezuelan Minister for Defense: Colombia is Using PsyOps and Media Warfare to Undermine Venezuelan Army.<\/a><\/span> orinocotribune.com<\/a><\/span> This Friday, April 2, Venezuelan Minister for Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, denounced the use of psyops and media manipulation on the part of the Colombian government to defend its economic interests, create unrest among the Venezuelan population, manipulate public opinion at the international level and thus destabilize Venezuela. | On his Twitter account @vladimirpadrino, he wrote that "this conflict, in which the Republic makes legitimate use of its weapons to expel the groups that want to use our territory for bastard purposes, is accompanied by other weapons that seek various objectives: | 1 Defend the eco…<\/span><\/p>\n Anonymous669<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. Saudi-led Coalition Claims It Foiled Houthi Attack With Booby-Trapped Boat.<\/a><\/span> southfront.org<\/a><\/span> <\/span> Illustrative image, Via: al-Arabiya | On April 3, the Saudi-led coalition announced that it had thwarted an attempt by the Houthis (Ansar Allah) to carry out an attack with a booby-trapped boat. | In a statement, the coalition said that the water-borne Improvised Explosive Devices (WBIED) was destroyed off the shores of the town of al-Salif on Yemen's western coast from a safe distance."The Houthi militia threat to shipping lines and global trade continues … The militia uses the Stockholm Agreement [which imposed a…<\/span><\/p>\n Anonymous007<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. Saudi-led Coalition Keeps Airstriking, As The Houthis Are Unrelenting On All Fronts.<\/a><\/span> southfront.org<\/a><\/span> <\/span> Click to see full-size image | On April 2nd and 3rd, hostilities in Yemen continued with increased intensity. | Ansar Allah, or as they are colloquially known — the Houthis — attacked a position that's been seldom mentioned. | They used a missile to target the Kanayis Airbase, behind enemy lines in Saudi Arabia. | Heavy clashes are continuing in both the Madghal district and the Hayfan district. | This means that the situation remains tense and contested both in southern, as well as in central Yemen. | The Hout…<\/span><\/p>\n www.academia.edu<\/a><\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. Two letters to the editor on the pandemic lockdown.<\/a><\/span> indybay.org<\/a><\/span> Our collective thinking has often been manipulated and corrupted (eg Vietnam, Iraq, Nicaragua, Iran). According to GlobalResearch.ca, the WHO made a late admission on Jan 20, 2021 that "the lockdown has no scientific basis" and test results are misleading. "Release the vaccines and put an end to the lockdown," urges Jens Berger, editor of nachdenkseiten.de.<\/span><\/p>\n Party for Socialism, Liberation<\/span> (2021-04-03)<\/span>. Friday 4\/2: Virtual Forum: 60-year Blockade on Cuba & Unions Fight for Safe Schools.<\/a><\/span> indybay.org<\/a><\/span> bit.ly\/education4thepeople…<\/span><\/p>\n Editor2<\/span> (2021-04-02)<\/span>. The War Scenario in Apure is Transferred to the Media and Social Media Networks.<\/a><\/span> orinocotribune.com<\/a><\/span> By Misión Verdad — Mar 30, 2021 | Since the beginning of the clashes last Sunday, March 21, between Venezuelan state security forces and armed groups operating in Apure, on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, attempts were made to construct a false narrative aimed at criminalizing the government of President Nicolás Maduro and involving secondary actors. | The discourse framework promoted hours after the events was that the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) had bombed the civilian population of La Victoria, a border town in the Venezuelan plains state, and was confronting an alleged faction of the disside…<\/span><\/p>\n Editor2<\/span> (2021-04-02)<\/span>. The War Scenario in Apure is Transferred to the Media and Social Networks.<\/a><\/span> orinocotribune.com<\/a><\/span> By Misión Verdad — Mar 30, 2021 | Since the beginning of the clashes last Sunday, March 21, between Venezuelan state security forces and armed groups operating in Apure, on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, attempts were made to construct a false narrative aimed at criminalizing the government of President Nicolás Maduro and involving secondary actors. | The discourse framework promoted hours after the events was that the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) had bombed the civilian population of La Victoria, a border town in the Venezuelan plains state, and was confronting an alleged faction of the disside…<\/span><\/p>\n Carlos Arellán<\/span> (2021-04-02)<\/span>. Four FundaREDES 'Candid Activists' Detained in Apure State.<\/a><\/span> orinocotribune.com<\/a><\/span> <\/span> On March 31, Venezuelan NGO FundaREDES denounced the arrest of two of its members in Apure state, and of two journalists from the Colombian channel NTN24 by the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB). | The opposition activist Javier Tarazona is promoting a smear campaign on social media, referring to the "forced disappearance" of four Venezuelans for allegedly "documenting the violation of human rights in the area" by Venezuelan military deployed to defend Venezuelan sovereignty. | These claims are contradicted by the fact that, while claiming a missing persons case, organizations like the National Union of Press Worke…<\/span><\/p>\n Editor2<\/span> (2021-04-02)<\/span>. Tens of Millions in Florida Properties Linked to Ecuadorian Presidential Candidate Guillermo Lasso.<\/a><\/span> orinocotribune.com<\/a><\/span> <\/span> By Jake Johnston — Mar 31, 2021 | In March 2017, ahead of Ecuador's second-round presidential election, CEPR reported that Florida-based shell companies linked to then-candidate Guillermo Lasso owned 144 properties in Broward and Miami-Dade counties valued at over $30 million. In that election, voters approved a referendum barring politicians and civil servants from holding assets in tax havens and giving them one year to divest or transfer their holdings. Though Florida is not included among the list of tax havens, it is considered a "low tax jurisdiction," which authorities will handle on a case-by-case ba…<\/span><\/p>\n Arab News<\/span> (2021-04-02)<\/span>. Saudi Arabia's Plans To Grow Forests In Desert Could Change The World — OpEd.<\/a><\/span> eurasiareview.com<\/a><\/span> <\/span> By Zaid M. Belbagi* | For any country that relies upon hydrocarbons to provide 99 percent of its energy, you might imagine that announcing an ambitiously huge entry into the renewables space would be daunting. | Not for Saudi Arabia. With average annual sun hours in excess of 3,000, miles upon miles of untouched shoreline and a landmass the size of Western Europe, the potential is immense. | For decades the Saudi Ministry of Petroleum was OPEC's poster boy, leading the way on the pricing of crude and helping to keep cars moving, ships sailing and the global economy ticking over. The oil crisis of 1973 undersco…<\/span><\/p>\n Arab News<\/span> (2021-04-02)<\/span>. Saudi Foreign Minister Says Normalization Of Israel's Status Would Bring 'Tremendous Benefits' For Middle East.<\/a><\/span> eurasiareview.com<\/a><\/span> <\/span> Any potential deal to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would benefit the Middle East, but depends on the progress of the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, the Kingdom's foreign minister said on Thursday. | "The normalization of Israel's status within the region would bring tremendous benefits to the region as a whole," Prince Faisal bin Farhan said during an interview with CNN. "It would be extremely helpful economically, socially and from a security perspective." | The foreign minister added, however, that any potential deal would only be possible if progress towards peace be…<\/span><\/p>\n Jose Manuel Blanco Diaz<\/span> (2021-04-02)<\/span>. Undeniable Spike: Venezuela Reports 1,254 COVID-19 Cases, 13 Deaths, and 92% Recovered on Thursday.<\/a><\/span> orinocotribune.com<\/a><\/span> <\/span> This Thursday, April 1, Venezuela marked its 382nd day in the battle against COVID-19. In the last 24 hours, the country registered 1,254 new cases: 1,237 of community transmission and 17 imported, in addition to 13 deaths. This was reported by the Minister for Communication and Information, Freddy àëáñez. | Thus, Venezuela's totals up until day 382, in the second wave of COVID-19, include 161,751 infections and 1,615 deaths from this disease. On the other hand, 11,480 cases are reported as active. Of this sum, 11,127 are receiving free care in the national public he…<\/span><\/p>\n orinocotribune<\/span> (2021-04-02)<\/span>. Two More Venezuelan Soldiers Killed by Colombian Paramilitaries in Apure.<\/a><\/span> orinocotribune.com<\/a><\/span> <\/span> This Thursday, April 1, two Venezuelan soldiers died as a result of the detonation of a landmine by Colombian criminal groups upon a patrol operating in the El Ripial sector of José Antonio Páez municipality, in Apure state, where the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) is executing operation Bolivarian Shield 2021 against drug trafficking and paramilitary cells, which intend to enter Venezuelan territory to expand their criminal networks. | "We report that First Sergeant Andriel Istúriz Sojo and Second Sergeant Jesús Alexander Vásquez Pérez died today," read a statement by the Venezuelan ministry for defense…<\/span><\/p>\n Chris Gilbert<\/span> (2021-04-02)<\/span>. An Unannounced Rupture in Venezuelan Politics.<\/a><\/span> counterpunch.org<\/a><\/span> <\/span> The brilliant Venezuelan thinker Reinaldo Iturriza has been writing about "disaffiliation" recently. Iturriza believes that a great many Chavista voters and militants have become disaffiliated. They are not exactly depoliticized, in his view. Rather, the country's politics has become so empty — lacking in substance — that they are standing aside and waiting. Iturriza has <\/span><\/p>\n Jeremy Loffredo<\/span> (2021-04-02)<\/span>. Tanzania's Late President Magufuli: 'Science Denier' or Threat to Empire?<\/a><\/span> globalresearch.ca<\/a><\/span> While his COVID-19 policies have dominated media coverage regarding his disappearance …<\/span><\/p>\n _____<\/span> (2021-04-02)<\/span>. How Cutting Down Military Spending Could Bring About Peace.<\/a><\/span> popularresistance.org<\/a><\/span> Since the end of WWII, especially since the breakup of the Soviet Union, it appears as if US political leaders feel they are trapped in a time warp and are unable to break free. They seem to believe that they must repeat the same disastrous foreign policy of regime change over and over. Since 9\/11, the US has attacked or supported attacks against Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen. | The attacks, especially the horrendous US-led war crime against Iraq, have destabilized and created havoc in the Middle East, devastated these nations and caused death and appalling suffering for the people. | In addition, the…<\/span><\/p>\n Jose Manuel Blanco Diaz<\/span> (2021-04-02)<\/span>. Far Right Cries Out for Foreign Intervention Due to Colombian Paramilitary Attacks in Apure.<\/a><\/span> orinocotribune.com<\/a><\/span> In the midst of the struggle by Venezuelan security and defense agencies to expel the threat of Colombian paramilitary gangs from the state of Apure, the spokespeople for Venezuela's extreme right are again launching requests for foreign intervention and military interference in Venezuela. | Since the first skirmishes against criminal organizations were recorded in the border area of La Victoria in Apure state, on March 21, calls for foreign interference proliferated on social media networks, in addition to censure of the work of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB). | One of the representatives of the opp…<\/span><\/p>\n Jose Manuel Blanco Diaz<\/span> (2021-04-02)<\/span>. Credit Suisse's 'Suspicious' Forecast for Venezuelan Economy: 4% Growth in 2021.<\/a><\/span> orinocotribune.com<\/a><\/span>