(2021-04-16). The Hawks Who Want War With Iran Are Working Overtime. counterpunch.org Just as talks between the US and Iran were taking place last week in Vienna, a cyberattack was carried out on Iran's Natanz nuclear facility. Reports are that the Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, was behind the attack that blacked out the facility just one day after Tehran launched new advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges and as
(2021-04-16). Daraa: Four Intelligence Officers, Former Rebels Targeted In Separate Attacks. southfront.org 
Illustrative image | On April 16 and 17, three attacks targeted Syrian intelligence officers and former rebels in the southern governorate of Daraa. | The first attack targeted Yasin Juma'a al-Aboud. Unidentified gunmen shot and killed the former rebel, known as "al-Nisr" [the Eagle], on a road linking the towns of Om Elmiathin and Elnaymah in eastern Daraa on April 16. Al-Aboud, a former fighter of the Free Syrian Army, joined the reconciliation process in 2018. Since then, he has been leading a unit of the Syri…
(2021-04-16). Scheer Intelligence: Capitalism Killed The Rock-and-Roll Star. popularresistance.org Jonathan Taplin may not be a household name, but he has been behind the scenes of some of the most influential moments in 20th century American music. As the description of Taplin's latest book notes, the University of Southern California professor emeritus has made waves in every one of the past several decades: "he was tour manager for Bob Dylan and the Band in the '60s, producer of major films in the '70s, an executive at Merrill Lynch in the '80s, creator of the Internet's first video-on-demand service in the '90s, and a cultural critic and author writing about technology in the new millennium." Taplin joins…
(2021-04-16). AI-powered platform translates speech into text for hearing-impaired. ecns.cn A working platform using artificial intelligence (AI) has been launched in China, offering voice-to-text services so that hearing-impaired people can read speeches given during video conferences, livestreaming events and online courses.
(2021-04-15). Australian Labor Party conference passes mealy-mouthed motion "defending" Assange. wsws.org Labor's motion does not even oppose the US attempt to prosecute Assange under the Espionage Act for exposing American war crimes, human rights violations and diplomatic conspiracies.
(2021-04-15). What will be the Mideast Crises facing Biden in the Coming Year? US Intelligence Threat Assessment. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — The Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community is out. It has a Middle East section and a report on Afghanistan in the South Asia section. Although the threat assessment aims at highlighting potential threats to the US and US interests, I am struck by how little their analysis …
(2021-04-15). EU Parliament session gets chaotic as MEP accused of 'fake news' for daring to question OPCW on whistleblower scandal (VIDEO). rt.com 
Despite whistleblower leaks casting doubts on the OPCW's findings, the EU Parliament is determined to enforce the organization's anti-Assad line on Syria. MEP Mick Wallace was accused of spreading "fake news" when he spoke out. | The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has taken an intense interest in Syria's civil war, and has accused President Bashar Assad of deploying chemical weapons against his own people on several occasions. Its conclusions have twice been used to justify US military action against Syria, and a new OPCW report on Monday found "reasonable grounds" to suspect that a Syria…
(2021-04-15). US Supreme Court again exempts religious gatherings from COVID-19 regulations. wsws.org For the fourth time since Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation to the Supreme Court, the new right-wing majority has ruled that local authorities cannot limit indoor religious gatherings to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
(2021-04-15). Supreme Court Confirms Annulment of All Charges Against Lula. telesurenglish.net As a result of the Supreme Court's affirmation of the annulment, Lula will recover all of his political rights and be able to run, if he and his party so choose, in the country's upcoming presidential elections in 2021. | RELATED: | The Supreme Court decision was approved by eight votes to three and supported the position of Judge Edson Fachin, who on March 8 had annulled all of the sentences against Lula, which tota…
(2021-04-15). Sen. Markey, Rep. Jones Join Progressive Groups in Urging Congress to Expand the Supreme Court. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2021-04-15). How Can Hate Speech, Conspiracy Theories, etc., be Banned on Social Media? zcomm.org As social media sites continue to ban or suspend users who are posting misinformation that endangers public health or incites violence toward others, such as hate speech, the Supreme Court is more likely to be drawn into that discussion…
(2021-04-15). [Research Paper] Identifying clinical and biochemical phenotypes in acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to coronavirus disease-2019. thelancet.com We identified distinct phenotypic profiles in COVID-19 associated ARDS, with little variation according to respiratory physiology but with important variation according to systemic and extra-pulmonary markers. Phenotypic identity was highly associated with short-term mortality. The class 2 phenotype exhibited prominent signatures of coagulopathy, suggesting that vascular dysfunction may play an important role in the clinical progression of severe COVID-19-related disease.
(2021-04-15). US Intelligence Walks Back Claim Russia Paid Bounties for US Troops in Afghanistan. news.antiwar.com Since The New York Times "The United States intelligence community assesses with low to moderate confidence that Russian intelligence office…
(2021-04-15). Afghanistan Withdrawal Could Pose 'Significant Risk' To US, Intelligence Officials Say. eurasiareview.com By Jeff Seldin | The plan to pull troops from Afghanistan could give terrorist groups like al-Qaida and Islamic State a chance to regenerate the capabilities they would need to carry out an attack against the United States, according to top U.S. intelligence officials. | Their warning, coming the same day U.S. President Joe Biden formally announced his decision to end America's longest-running war, touches on the deep-rooted concerns many current and former U.S. officials have voiced about pulling 2,500 to 3,500 troops from Afghanistan, along with thousands of trainers and contractors. | It also may serve to f…
(2021-04-15). Biden Faces Resistance On Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan — OpEd. eurasiareview.com President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday of a complete withdrawal of United States from Afghanistan by 11th September this year. The announcement aims at closing the longest war of the United States. | However, many analysts, even within the US, remain skeptical of sustainable peace in Afghanistan, which has reduced to rudiments in two decades of fighting. | As officials disclosed Biden's pullout plans, the US intelligence community renewed deep concerns about the outlook for the US-backed government in Kabul, which is clinging to an eroding stalemate. | "The Afghan government will struggle to hold the Talib…