thegoodfellas/blogset-br huggingface dataset:
we speak with world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author Noam Chomsky. "Its a pretty remarkable fact thatfirst of all, it is a joke. Half the world is cracking up in laughter. The United States doesnt just interfere in elections. It overthrows governments it doesnt like, institutes military dictatorships. Simply in the case of Russia aloneits the least of itthe U.S. government, under Clinton, intervened quite blatantly and openly, then tried to conceal it, to get their man Yeltsin in, in all sorts of ways. So, this, as I say, its consideredits turning the United States, again, into a laughingstock in the world". Ben Norton & Max Blumenthal: Is Trump Rescuing Al-Qaeda's 'Heartland' in Syria?PALESTINAIsrael has been blocking aid workers from entering Gaza. The Gaza Strip is one of the most isolated places in the world. The territory has been under Israeli blockade since Hamas siezed control in 2007. Almost two million Palestinians are cut off from aid, proper medical care and work outside the strip. Now rights workers say they too have struggled to get into Gaza.Human Rights Watch (HRW) says investigators are repeatedly stopped for security reasons by both Israeli and Egyptian border guards.So, where does this leave a possible International Criminal Court investigation into alleged war crimes committed in Gaza?Inside Story: Why are human rights workers barred from Gaza?UNICEF: Four years after report, Israel's ill-treatment of detained Palestinian children remains systemactic.Gideon Levy on Syrian babies: "Israels victims in Gaza 2014, like Assads now, included babies and children; they, too, were cruelly massacred and their numbers were also high enough to shock": The yearning Israeli Jewish soul looks toward SyriaAfter 130 days in prison, IDF frees conscientious objector Tamar Alon: The price I paid is small compared to the price millions of Palestinians have been paying for 50 years, says Alon, who was imprisoned for refusing to take part in the occupation.Israel its own worst enemy: Support for Palestine surges in Australia -- poll 972+: Israeli planes spray herbicides inside Gaza for fourth time this year.. Israel sunk in 'incremental tyranny', say former Shin Bet chiefs. . Israel, naked under the microscope in Cork OCHAPCHR Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian TerritoryInternational Solidarity Movement Nonviolence. Justice. FreedomB'TselemBreaking the Silence Amit Gilutz, of the Israeli peace organization B'tslem, discuss the impact of the israeli occupation in Area C related to water, while visiting one of the affected bedouin villages.BRASILDIRETAS, JA! Caros Amigos Carta Capital Piaui BOA NOTICIA! Cuba e o primeiro pais do mundo a conseguir eliminar a transmissao de HIV para seu bebe.
Zionist community to commemorate the 1967 Israeli annexation of occupied East Jerusalem, the same day Palestinians remember the Naksa, meaning setback, referring to the mass displacement that accompanied the Israeli takeover of the Palestinian territory in 1967.TRUMP fools aroundO papa Francisco recebeu Donald Trump sem um sorriso, o aperto de mao foi rapidissimoe em seguida deve ter feito limpado a mao na batina (como o grande maestro alemao Furtwangler apos pegar na mao de Hitler ao ser obrigado a dirigir a Nona Sinfonia no aniversario do lider nazista), e a visita foi encurtada ao minimo. Durou apenas alguns minutos, como se Trump fosse uma celebridade que houvesse forcado a barra para ser recebida. E era. Uma visita indesejada.Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbass top diplomatic adviser on Thursday poured cold water on swirling media reports regarding a US-led regional peace process that would see Arab states partially thawing their relations with Israel as a first step toward restarting peace talks"There is no regional peace process or anything like it, Majdi al-Khalidi told The Times of Israel. No one is talking about it with us, or with anyone. Trumps approach appears to fall in line with that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been promoting a so-called outside-in approach that would see ties normalized between Israel and moderate Arab states as a way to promote peace with the Palestinians.By contrast, the Palestinian leadership has insisted on the time-honored formula, first laid down in a 2002 Saudi-led peace initiative, that sees a peace treaty between Israelis and Palestinians as a prerequisite for normalization with the entire Arab and Muslim world.And that will be the only way that the Arab population, not their leaders, see it.But let's see how Trump did in the Middle East.There were two Donald Trumps last week. One of them was touring the Middle East, being feted everywhere. The second was in Washington, where he was battered from all sides, denounced for incompetence and even threatened with impeachment in the future.Against the background of his troubles at home, Trump's Arabian Nights were fantastic.His first stop was Saudi Arabia. The desert kingdom put forward its best face. The royal family, consisting of a few hundred princes (princesses do not count) looked like the realization of all of Trump's secret dreams. He was received like a gift from Allah. Even Melania, demure and silent as usual, was allowed to be present (and that in a kingdom in which women are not allowed to drive a car.)As usual among eastern potentates, gifts were exchanged. The gift for Trump was a 110 billion arms deal that will provide jobs for multitudes of American workers, as well as investment in American enterprises.After his short stay, including a meeting with a large group of Arab rulers (which looked like a Daesh's financial summit), Trump came away with tremendous enthusiasm for everything Arab.After a two hour flight, he was in a completely different world: Israel.Not only did all cabinet ministers attend Trump's reception at Ben Gurion airport, but quite a number of ordinary (in both senses) parliamentarians and
the like infiltrated the receiving line, which must have looked endless to the esteemed guest. Hazan was just one of many, though the most colorful.They did not just want to shake hands. Every one of them had something very important to convey. So poor Donald had to listen politely to each and every one of them reciting his historic remark, mostly about the sanctity of eternal Jerusalem.The Minister of Police had an urgent news item for Trump: there had just been a terror attack in Tel Aviv. It appeared later, that it was an ordinary road traffic accident. Well, a police minister cannot always be well informed.It all reminded me of a book I read ages go. The first British colonial District Officer in Jerusalem, almost a hundred years ago, wrote his memoirs.The British entered Palestine and soon issued the Balfour Declaration, which promised the zionists a national home in in the country. Even if the Declaration was a pretext for grabbing Palestine for the British Empire. At the beginning, they were very friendly to the Zionists.Not for long. The colonial officers came, met Jews and Arabs, and fell in love with the Arabs.They were much less enamored with the Zionist functionaries, mostly from Eastern Europe, who never ceased to demand and complain. They talked too much. They argued. No noble manners.By the end of British rule, very few British administrators were ardent Zionist-lovers.As for the political content of Trumps visit, it was a contest of lies. Trump is a good liar. But no match for Netanyahu.Trump spoke endlessly about Peace. Being quite ignorant of the issues, he may even have meant it. At least he put the word back on the table, after Israelis of almost all shades had erased it from their vocabulary. Israelis, even peaceniks, prefer now to speak of "separation" (which, to my mind, is opposed to the spirit of peace.)Netanyahu loves peace, but there are things he loves more annexation, for example. And settlements.In one of his addresses, a sentence was hidden that, it seems, nobody noticed but me. He said that security in the country meaning the right to use armed force from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River will be exclusively in the hands of Israel. This, in simple words, means an eternal occupation, reducing the Palestinian entity to some kind of Bantustan.Trump did not appear to notice, neither the mainstream media. How could they be expected to?Peace is not just a word. It is a political situation. Sometimes it is also a state of mind.Trump came to Israel with the impression that the Saudi princes had just offered him a deal Israel will free Palestine, Sunni Arabs and Israelis will become one happy family, they will fight together against bad old Shiite Iran. Wonderful.Only Netanyahu does not dream of freeing Palestine. He does not really give a damn about far-away Iran. He wants to hold on to East Jerusalem, to the West Bank and, indirectly, to the Gaza Strip.So Trump went home, happy and satisfied. And in a few days, all of this
will be forgotten. And the Palestinians will have to solve their problem by themselves with ours and European help.Like the South African filmmaker John Trengove, boycott and speak up for Palestine!My condolences to the Manchester families striken by the side effects of Western war on terror.Tariq Ali: Manchester Bombing is Part of Vicious Cycle, Likely Blowback from Ongoing War on Terror. AddameerOCHA Palestinian Center for Human RightsInternational Solidarity Movement Nonviolence. Justice. FreedomBreaking the Silence Let's have a little fun with Louis CKBRASIL - DIRETAS, JA!Caros Amigos The Intercept Brasil Jornalistas Livres (@j_livres) | Twitter.
Israel proibe cristaos palestinos de Gaza (e tambem da Cisjordania) de celebrarem a Pascoa nos sitios sagrados.People in the besieged Gaza Strip continue to be subjected to Israels rights violations. This time, the enclaves Christian community has been deprived of their right to freedom of movement ahead of Easter celebrations. As Press TVs Halla Alsafadi reports, many Christians in Gaza have been denied the travel permit to attend the celebrations in Jerusalem al-Quds or Bethlehem.o What Christians of the Arab world are facing this Easter Excellent panel on Palestine, Syria and YemenO artigo de hoje e sobre o Yemen, um dos paises mais pobres do mundo e que tem uma das capitais mais bonitas que eu conheco - hoje, bombardeada como Aleppo. O Yemen tem a falta de sorte de estar localizado do lado da Arabia Saudita, que gostaria mesmo era de anexar o lindo territorio litoraneo sem yemenitas dentro, de preferencia. Este e um dos objetivos implicitos do bombardeio que dura desde 2015 com a cumplicidade dos Estados Unidos e dos seus aliados europeus Inglaterra e a Franca (de Francois Hollande, que como a de Marine Le Pen, nao e bem a Franca).Dir-se-ia que a Arabia Saudita tem conselheiros israelenses, tamanha e a semelhanca entre a estrategia destrutiva dos dois agressores.O bloqueio e os bombardeios sistematicos de escolas, hospitais, terras cultivadas, rebanhos, do porto, enfim, da infraestrutura do pais, condena a populacao a fome, explicita no que esta tem de mais deshumano: a imagem de criancas com a pele grudada nos ossos, deprimente.Uma das diferencas do Yemen com a Palestina e que o Estado Islamico esta aproveitando a brecha para marcar presenca e estabelecer-se. Um pouco como na Faixa de Gaza, com o incentivo de Israel, mas o Hamas ainda consegue controlar a infiltracao.A outra diferenca entre o Yemen e a Palestina e que a definicao de viloes nao e tao nitida.Na Palestina, tem um invasor e um ocupante, Israel, que esta procedendo a uma limpeza etnica programada metodicamente contra uma populacao sem condicoes de defender-se militarmente. Nem diplomaticamente, ja que so e observador na ONU.No Yemen, grande parte da populacao e armada - antes deste conflito atual comecar, os homens ja andavam de K47 de fabricacao local pendurada no ombro, normalmente. E isto, combinado ao fato de que haver, realmente, uma guerra civil entre faccoes antes divididas entre Norte e Sul, aumenta o grau de violencia. Um pouco como se os Estados Unidos tivessem bombardeado a Servia ou a Bosnia durante a guerra que levou a divisao da Iugoslavia.O importante disso tudo e que, como a Faixa de Gaza estara em tres anos - segundo os especialistas, a populacao do Yemen esta simplesmente definhando.O que fazer?Eu so posso informar,e esperar que alguma providencia seja tomada.Dito isto, considerando a importancia estrategica da Arabia Saudita para os Estados Unidos, e a indiferenca saudita para os direitos humanos e a vida em si, nao ha fim a vista.Porem, denunciar e preciso. While all eyes are turned to Syria and, briefly, to North Corea, Aid agencies have warned that Yemen is at the point
of no return after new figures released by the UN indicated 17 million people are facing severe food insecurity and will fall prey to famine without urgent humanitarian assistance.A total of 6.8 million people are deemed to be in a state of emergency one step from famine on the five-point integrated food security phase classification (IPC), the standard international measure with a further 10.2 million in crisis. The numbers reflect a 21% increase in hunger levels in the Arab worlds poorest state since June 2016.In a region beset by bloody and pointless conflicts, Yemen's is especially disgusting. And yet it has largely escaped people's attention, it being in a poorer and smaller and blacker part of the world than Syria, with less of the traditional Cold War appeal.Yemen has been engulfed in what is nominally a civil war since early 2015. In fact, and much like Syria, to call it a civil war is to do truth an injustice; it is, rather, a world war in microcosm. Local factions include (but are not limited to) the insurgent Houthi rebels, allies but not friends of the former President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, one of the lesser-known targets of the Arab Spring; government forces loyal to incumbent President Addrabuh Mansour Hadi; al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and Islamic State. The Houthi rebels have allied with the forces of the ex-President, and that side allegedly receives support from Iran, and Irans allies principally Eritrea in North Africa. The government forces are backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which includes Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and others, and that coalition has been lent military, logistical, tactical and financial support by the United States, the United Kingdom and France. The conflict lacks traditional Cold War appeal, yet in truth it is reminiscent of the worst aspects of that conflict. Whilst Russian influence is subtle and slight when compared to the role it plays in Syria, Putin has been a reliable ally to Iran. On the other hand, the support lent by the USA to the Saudi-led support of the Sunni regime complete the homage. Actually, Yemen, like so many before it, is being pulled apart by competing foreign interests. That the world is so easily enraged by atrocities and war crimes being committed in Syria is somewhat surreal to those of us who strive to go into more depht, to look for the hidden lion on the grass, to search the conflict for the missing points, and for you, to look beyond the headlines.As the Palestinians, the people of Yemen can tell many stories of ordeals at least as cruel and vicious as those inflicted upon the Syrians. Mainstream media and UNESCO World Heritage sites' concern for the destruction of historical monuments in Syria, should be extended to Yemen, particularly its capital. The views of the Old City of Sanaa from the rooftop restaurant at the Burj Al Salam Hotel was spectacular. Mosques and minarets jostle for space in this city within a city, with multi-tiered buildings of compacted earth and bricks
forming intricate geometric white patterns often compared to wedding cakes are crammed together along narrow streets. Small gardens add splashes of green.Inhabited for more than 2,500 years, Sanaas Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986. Its roughly 6,000 houses and more than 100 mosques were built before the 11th century. The structures have housed families for many generations. Yet it is all now at grave risk.Almost as grave as the human drama of Yemen's citizens. Some 80% of Yemens population are thought to qualify for humanitarian assistance. 17 million people, out of a population of 28 million, are judged by the UN to be one step away from famine, a disaster for which the war is almost certainly the sole cause. As of March this year, the UN's appeal for relief funding had amassed just 20 million of the estimated 1.6 billion required to redress the crisis. Even if these figures are inflated, as they often are in appeals for charity, it is impossible to underestimate the scale of the disaster; a disaster about which we know little and say nothing. It is a conflict to which we should be offering nothing but condemnation.Accusations of war crimes have been levelled against all sides, yet particularly at the Saudi-led coalition the people the USA, France and Britain fund, support, arm and assist. Given its actions, this is not surprising. This is the coalition which declared the whole of Saada governorate (population 838,000) a military target, which routinely bombs hospitals and medical facilities, humanitarian convoys and refugee camps. Again and Im not at all sorry to bang on about this they do so with our bombs, our planes, our training, and our guidance.Saudi Arabias war on Yemen has created a huge humanitarian crisis. That much we know. Maybe that's why Donald Trump is seeking an even closer relationship with the Saudi Monarchy, which is an important part of Washingtons goal of dominating the Middle East for its natural resources, one that benefits its corporations that range from arms manufacturers to big oil companies. One other important factor to consider is Israels interests which play an important part of U.S. foreign policy in the region. Saudi Arabia is a vassal state, one that has a long history of supporting terrorists such as the Islamic state, al-Qaeda and others who have wretched havoc across the Arab world killing innocent men, women and children. Saudi Arabia is also one of the worst human rights violators in the world especially against women.Despite all that, mainstream media support the coalition and demonize the little help Hithous receive from Iran because Western relationship with Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies is economically lucrative. Indeed it is, for the time being. However, it is not moral at all.Taiz and Hodeidah governorates, home to almost 25% of Yemens 28 million-strong population and the scene of intense conflict since the outbreak of civil war in 2015 and Saoudi Arabia heavy bombing campaign, are at particularly heightened risk of famine.At the beginning, as Saudi Arabia began pounding the rebels with
airstrikes, countries from the Middle East to Pakistan were said to be prepared to commit troops for a ground assault.The US was providing logistical and intelligence support to the Saudi-led forces attacking the rebels and the Saudi-owned Al Arabiya news channel said the kingdom had lined up 150,000 soldiers in preparation for a ground offensive, with Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan and Sudan also ready to commit troops.Later, in a sign of the broadening scope of Barack Obamas intervention across the region, officials in Washington said the US was establishing a joint planning cell with Saudi Arabia to co-ordinate the air strikes on the Houthi forces seeking to overthrow the Yemeni government. Al Arabiya also said planes from Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain were taking part in the operation.Iran, which "discreetly" backs the Houthis, demanded an immediate halt to the operation and said the airstrikes were a dangerous step that would worsen the crisis.Unlike the attacks in Iraq and Syria, Obama's administration said none of its planes or troops were engaged in Yemen but insisted the action was a legitimate response to the advances made by the insurgents.The fact is that neither of these foreigners should have intervened in Yemen. The fact is that once again, the US backs the Sunnis against the Shias without any knowledge of the country's history and culture. The fact is that USA backed coalition was and is targeting intentionally food production, not simply agriculture in the fields, said Martha Mundy, a professor emeritus at the London School of Economics. An the U.N. warns: "An entire generation could be crippled by hunger," as war leaves 14 million Yemenis short of food.Emphasising the role of conflict in the escalation of the crisis, Save the Children's Yemen spokesperson Mark Kaye said funding for Yemen subject of a Disasters Emergency Committee appeal that has raised more than 20m as well as a call for $2.1bn (1.6bn) by the UN was only part of the solution: This crisis is happening because food and supplies cant get into the country. Yemen was completely dependent on imports of food, medicine and fuel prior to this crisis. You have one party delaying and significantly preventing food from getting into the country, and another on the ground who are detaining aid workers or preventing aid and food from getting to areas they dont want it to go to. The international community need to open up the ports, need to ensure that enough food and aid is getting in.Aid groups and senior UN figures have repeatedly urged the Gulf States to acknowledge that any attack on the port would have devastating consequences for Yemens food crisis. Before the conflict began, 80% of imports to Yemen came through the port, and 90% of food was imported.In its defence, Saudis claimed the UN should visit the port to inspect how Houthis in breach of UN resolutions are using it not only to allow the import of food, but also to strengthen their war effort. Thet also claimed many NGOs and UN agencies critical